Around this time of year, many seniors are just trying to make it out alive. Graduation arrangements, finals and other senior worries can overshadow the most important thing students are expected to do after school is over: find a job.

The ever-changing job market can seem like a difficult or discouraging thing to deal with in today’s world. Fortunately, for 2006 graduates, finding the right job shouldn’t be too hard.

“Depending on how flexible the individual is, there are jobs out there,�? said Darlene Furst, president of Furst Staffing, an employment company for Northern Illinois and the Chicagoland area.

Doug Johnson, release manager for the Northern Illinois branch of Manpower, agreed with Furst.

“There is no question that things seem to be picking up,�? Johnson said. “In the last six months we’ve seen a steady climb in the job market.�?

Some career choices may promise a quicker job search than others. Ellen Anderson, assistant director of Career Services, said though the job market in general is doing well, some fields provide more work.

“The places where there are a lot of job opportunities are health care, engineering, computer sciences, the retail industry [as well as] lots of opportunities in marketing, sales and accounting,�? Anderson said.

Students who find a job easily, in many cases, participated and got involved in school.

“The students that have trouble finding a job are the ones that don’t have an internship, that weren’t involved,�? Anderson said.

Being involved in student organizations or other activities adds a certain fluff to one’s resume.

Anderson said the average job search is four to five months, but research shows the more time and effort one puts into a job search, the better the outcome of the search will be.

Having a job that does not relate to their major is something that also happens often with recent college graduates. Anderson said this is not unusual, especially for graduates of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“A lot of people pick something that they’re interested in,�? she said.

However, some may find a job that may not have anything to do with a particular field of study.

“Those in business, education and engineering tend to go right into their field,�? Anderson said.

Career Services, located in the Campus Life Building, Room 220, is designed to help students and will be available throughout the summer to assist graduates.