New book advises students to plan ahead

Deciding what kind of career students want after college is often put second to other collegiate activities. But planning ahead is more valuable than students think, said authors of the new book, "The Power of Focus for College Students." The book, which will hit shelves Nov. 15, seeks to help students create a plan and find jobs they are passionate about to prevent them from having to live at home again after college. A statistic from a Time magazine study, shown in the book, says the number of 26-year-olds living with their parents in the United States has doubled since the '70s, and more than 70 percent of graduates are dissatisfied with their careers within five years of leaving college. The book was a collaboration by father and son duo, Les and Andrew Hewitt, and Andrew's childhood friend, Luc D'Abadie. It is also supported by businessman Donald Trump, who wrote the book's forward. Andrew Hewitt, 23, and D'Abadie, 24, said they wrote the book to help students that are struggling to find the best career path while they are still in school. Hewitt said the book is compiled with research from different sources such as Time magazine and CNN Money, and from information supplied by CEOs, professors and students. It also includes their experiences and thoughts on finding rewarding careers. The young authors are recent college graduates themselves; Hewitt graduated from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, and D'Abadie graduated from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. "We thought that if we got a high GPA and a good degree, then the red carpet would roll out and we would walk into a corner office, but two years into [college], we realized that wasn't going to happen," Hewitt said. "In fact, a study done by Cornell University showed that GPA ranked 11th on the list of things employers look for when hiring." The book targets three audiences of college students - students just entering college, students in college and those who just graduated. It can also help graduating students tap into the job market and explains more effective ways to apply for jobs besides submitting a resume online, Hewitt said. But in a weak job market like Louisiana's, some students have no choice but to return home, or simply go back to school to occupy their time. The job market in Louisiana has not helped lower the number of 26-year-olds living at home. Since hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there are fewer job options, but those jobs will offer higher pay because Louisiana has to compete with even more graduates going out of state, said Ed Pratt, Department of Labor spokesman. The unemployment rates for the third quarter of 2005 among 20-to 24-year-olds is 8.4 percent nationwide, Pratt said. The overall national unemployment rate is 5 percent. Despite the lack of jobs in Louisiana, there are still other opportunities for work in-state because of the hurricanes. "There is going to be a big market for teachers, counselors, engineers construction workers and construction administrators," Pratt said. "Also hospitality workers in southern Louisiana and that's every job from being a cook to administrator in hospitality, and all these jobs are going to be wide open." Moshe Cohen, math graduate student, said many of his friends have not found satisfying jobs, so they turn to graduate school to occupy themselves.

"My friends all graduated and don't know what to do with [themselves]," Cohen said. "Graduate school is the new college. You are on a university campus for another couple years, and who's going to say no to that?"

Contact Julie Ginther at jginther@lsureveille.com