Tight economy blamed
Job opportunities hard to find
As the climax of four grueling years of college education rapidly draws to a close, graduating seniors are discovering that opportunities for the more highly specialized jobs are harder to find.
The age of the specialist may not be so all-encompassing after all as revealed by several job applicant interviewers while on the University of Kansas campus scouting for prospective employees.
"Some of the people we have talked to are possibly overspecialized," said Richard Marshall, vice-president of Buzzi and Associates, Inc., a Lawrence financial programming agency.
According to an Associated Press survey conducted in the Kansas-Missouri area, on campus interviews by recruiters are down sharply this year, possibly because of growing trends toward tax revolts, higher salary demands and a tightening job market.
"We're looking more for personality qualities and a general desire to work in an applicant," said Robert Joyce, agency manager for Buzzi and Associates, Inc. "Grade point averages aren't necessarily major considerations anymore."
While the demand for specialists by some companies has decreased, other companies have intensified their search for applicants with backgrounds in marketing, finance and sales.
Armour-Dial, Inc. of Kansas City recruits regularly throughout the country without much deviation in their program.
R. A. Bloskey, zone sales manager for Armour-Dial, said he didn't feel there was a surplus of college-educated labor. "We're not to the point where we're turning down qualified applicants." Bloskey said.
"We have an extensive on-the-job training program where a new member of our sales staff is supervised for his first year of employment, so we're looking for the more broadly educated individual," he said.
While the demand for specialists in business and industry has dropped, so has the demand for teachers. Roger Wendel of the department of personnel of the Kansas City, Missouri Public School system acknowledged the over-supply of qualified teaching applicants.
"We still have some opportunities left in science, math and the industrial arts," Wendel said, "but we have practically no need for primary school teachers. The trend is slow."
"We'll hire approximately 340 primary teachers for the next school year which is a slight drop from last year's total." Wendel said.
"We've had a lot of applicants
Apr. 13
1970 KANSAN 7
NASHVILLE SKYLINE
ROB DYLAN
but we're a large system and a normal turnover is expected," Wendel said. "The general tightening of funds has eliminated some jobs, and in order to meet the -demand for higher salaries under the present tax levies, we've had to increase the student-teacher ratio. This year there are about two pupils per teacher more than there were last year," he said.
When asked about what qualities were looked for in an applicant, Wendel said, "We want to be sure they are sincerely interested in helping the youth of today. Dedication is the key word, dedication toward the young and the profession."
All of the interviewers cited the increased importance of the personal interview and university placement bureaus in evaluating the qualifications of job applicants. The interviewers look for personality qualities, sincerity, philosophy, professional attitudes and the desire to succeed.
Joyce said, "We're looking for a man with good common sense, a self-made individual, so to speak. A man entering our business has to be able to manage his own time and he must be willing to sacrifice."
Among many college graduates, especially those in the more specialized fields, higher salary expectations are assumed from a starting job.
"The big salary brackets today are in law, medicine and insurance," Joyce said. "But it takes a man one to three years to get established in insurance. There is a lot of extensive on-the-job training. For a new man the first year is usually pretty black, but if he can sacrifice and struggle through it, once he gets established, the sky is the limit," he said.
"Jobs are plentiful, if a young man is qualified," Bloskey said, "but the applicants may not get exactly the jobs they were looking for. College grads don't necessarily write their own tickets today."
Bloskey termed sales supervision as another area with good potential. "This is an area that has been abused by industry. We need more supervisors with more training." Bloskey said. "One of the questions we ask a man who is considering entering sales is 'will he be willing to relocate.' He must be willing to transfer himself and his family should the need arise."
Both companies interviewed agreed that a college education was not absolutely necessary, but both stressed they preferred college graduates.
THERE ARE A DOZEN GREAT SHOE NAMES, BUT IN SANDALS CAN YOU THINK OF MORE THAN ONE?
MCA'S
shoes
V13-2091
813 Mass. St.
Tiny Tim puffed up
LAS VEGAS. Nev. (UPI) — Tiny Tim was still in a snit Sunday. The long-haired entertainer was sore because he broke his megaphone and his manager tried to cut off his malted milks.
Tiny and his bride of four months, Miss Vicki, stayed behind a locked door in their suite in the Fremont Hotel and took the phone off the hook. Tiny appeared Saturday night for his two shows but other than that he was incommunicado.
Jeff Wald, a partner in the firm which manages the falsetto-voiced singer with the square monicker of Herbert B. Khaury, confirmed that his company had severed relations with Tiny.
Wald said the trouble started the day of Tiny's first appearance when he had room service send up 27 ice cream sundaes, nine chop suey dinners and 35 malted milks. Wald said his client tipped $40 and $50 and that he told the hotel to cut Tiny off before they all went bankrupt.
Grand Opening Tonight
Let's get acquainted Special
Free Beer. 7:30-9:00
Under the Bierstube - 14th and Tenn.
The CELLAR Door
KU Concert Course
presents
BALLET WEST
Company of 50
HOCH AUDITORIUM
Thursday, April 16, at 8:20 p.m.
Main Floor $3.50 - 1st Bal. $3.00 - 2nd Bal. $2.50
Tickets at Murphy Boxoffice
(KU Students Admitted Free with !.D.'s)