Seniors graduating this May can expect to find fewer job offers and stiffer competition in the job market, according to career services directors.

The nation’s economic recession of the last several months forced many corporations to cut the number of recruiters visiting UW-Madison by as much as 50 percent this year.

Anne Groves-Lloyd, director of the College of Letters and Science/Human Ecology Career Services and Reference Letter Center, said students can overcome this drop in recruiters by seeking their own opportunities.

“The job market is not what it was two years ago. Campus recruiting numbers are down, but more companies are being brought in,” Groves-Lloyd said. “The biggest thing for students is for them to be pro-active and be aware of what to do to get their resume seen.”

Lloyd said jobs in information technology fields were particularly hard hit during the recession.

“IT is the hardest sector being hit right now,” she said. “Recruiting in this field is way down. I can’t name any single other area that is experiencing significant hardships.”

The engineering school has also seen a significant drop in the number of recruitment visits.

“The number of employers coming to campus is down 50 percent and this obviously affects engineering students here on campus,” said Susan Piacenza, assistant director of Engineering Career Services.

Piacenza said most students will have fewer opportunities when it comes to choosing a job.

“Most students can expect one offer for a job instead of multiple ones like we saw one to two years ago,” Piacenza said. “They will probably have to broaden their outlook on what companies they want to work for.”

Business students can also expect to broaden their job horizons and will face stiffer competition from fellow students.

Karen Stauffacher, assistant Dean of the School of Business and director of the Business Career Center, said business has become particularly strong in the last five years.

“The business career field is very competitive. As of March 1, job recruitments are down 25 percent compared to this time last year,” Stauffacher said. “The business field has been uncharacteristically strong the last five years.”

Stauffacher said many graduating seniors in business will not get their ideal job choice.

“As for graduating seniors, most should do fine. Most can expect to find a job within a month or two after graduation,” Stauffacher said. “Students may not get their ideal first choice when it comes to the city or company they wish to work in. We are really hoping we can get all our graduates jobs by the time they graduate.”

However, Groves-Lloyd said students will be helped by UW’s strong academic reputation.

“Wisconsin is well known and has an outstanding reputation, so this is often one of the first places recruiters come back to when the economy rebounds,” she said.

Average salaries of UW Business School graduates have remained strong in the last six months when compared to the rest of the nation.

“Salaries are down 5 percent compared to the national average of 9 percent,” Stauffacher said. “I think this data shows that we are holding pretty well in comparison to the rest of the country.”