CSUMB grads prepare to enter job market

Hundreds of California State University Monterey Bay graduates are celebrating their achievement this weekend.

The school hosted its 23rd commencement ceremony with a stadium packed with friends and family late Friday afternoon. There will be two more ceremonies on Saturday.

Commencement speaker Bruce Taylor, founder and CEO of Taylor Farms, encouraged every student to be decisive, take risks and seize the opportunity of life. For many here, graduation is the first step in becoming who they want to be.

“I’m super excited, I’m shocked actually, I’m shaking,” said Luis Moya, a family studies graduate.

“It took a lot, it took seven years, major changes, and I really had to figure out what I wanted to do. Feel good about the future, though, you know,” said Margrethe Pedersen, a communication design graduate.

While some are looking toward graduate school, plenty are hoping to start their careers.

The website careerbuilder.com finds last year’s graduating class saw the strongest job market in 10 years. The US unemployment rate is at its lowest in decades, but CBS News says this year, salaries for new grads are flat.

Some students say the job market is tough right now.

“I’m trying to get into software engineering and game development,” said Eric Tinoco, a graduate. “I’m applying to anything that just comes towards me, to be honest.”

“I think sometimes it’s hard, you finish you degree and you think you’re going to land your dream job. But it’s also important to be flexible with what you want to do,” said Ana Eckhart, a graduate student.

But it seems internships and part-time jobs during college go a long way in securing a full-time one after graduating.

“Right now, I already have a full-time job lined up. I’ve been part-time for two years, and they’re just excited to give me full-time already,” said Pedersen.

For now, celebrations will continue. And if there is one thing to take away, it’s to always believe in yourself.

“I feel very confident, I got to feel that I’ll get something eventually,” said Tinoco.

This year, the commencement ceremonies at CSUMB have expanded to three over two days to accommodate for the largest graduating class in the school’s history of over 2,300 students.

KION congratulates all the graduates this year at CSUMB and schools across the Central Coast.