Based on the class of 2018, 95% of Oswego graduates get a job in their field within a year; largest percentage students find jobs in CNY, New York City

By Alexander Plate

Most SUNY Oswego graduates can expect to find a job in their field of choice in New York state within their first year out of college.

According to statistics gathered by the SUNY Oswego department of career services, 95% of Oswego graduates from 2018 ended up employed fulltime, in graduate school or both, while 17% went to graduate school in general.

Sixty-six percent of the class of 2018 found work in New York state.

According to Gary Morris, director of the career services department, 16-18% of each year’s graduating class tend to go on to graduate school on average, and a 95% full-time employment rate is typical.

However, a large majority of graduates end up in jobs unrelated to their majors by the time they have been out of school for five or more years.

“After a few years, something like 80% of students nationally end up in a field not related to their major, but still in a field they find themselves motivated to work in,” Morris said. “Over the last five years, about 89% of Oswego graduates ended up in their field of choice, on average.”

Here’s how students from various SUNY Oswego schools have fared:

• Graduates of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts had the highest employment rate for 2018, with 86% of respondents to the career services survey stating that they found full-time employment, with 5% continuing on to graduate school.

• School of Business graduates reported a 78% employment rate, with 10% going on to further education.

• Graduates of the School of Education reported 58% employment rate, with 18% going on to graduate school.

• The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences had graduates report that 54% of them found full-time employment, while having the highest number of graduates continue their education, with nearly 30% going to graduate school.

With a majority of graduates staying in New York for the first few years after their graduation — in part because of residency requirements of the Excelsior Scholarship — the Central New York region saw the largest percentage of Oswego graduates find employment in the area. Thirty-four percent of Oswego graduates found work or schooling opportunities in the CNY area.

The second most popular destination for graduates was New York City, with 21% of the Class of 2018 moving there in the year after their graduation. The Finger Lakes region was next in line, with 10% of the Class of 2018 finding a place there.

Morris said that he has seen a high level of engagement with the career services department from the last few years of students, which he attributes to a cultural focus on the future that seems to permeate this generation.

“This generation of students is very focused on their future, and that pays dividends during graduation and onward,” he said.

Morris said that there are a few things students can do now to ensure their success in the job market after graduation. One of his tips was that students should use the services that the career services department offers, to familiarize themselves with the job search process, which students have, of course, likely not experienced before. He also suggested that students be deliberate and intentional when deciding on a career path.

“When searching for a full-time, professional position, you want to make sure you really want to do that job,” Morris said. “You’ll be working for many hours per week, and really entrenching yourself in the industry. You don’t want to get that job, start working, and realize you aren’t where you want to be.”