When Janesville, Wis., native Mike Werner left the University of Notre Dame in 2003, he felt well-equipped to enter the job market. Armed with undergraduate degrees in history and American Studies and a Master’s degree in education, Werner thought finding a job would was a given.

But one year later, Werner has applied for 150 positions, been on countless interviews and has had little luck.

“Basically, the market is saturated in both education and many other areas my friends and I have talked about looking into,” Werner said.

Werner said while there are jobs available in the “Help Wanted” section of newspapers, the current economic slump has allowed employers to be especially selective in their hiring process. He said right now many companies are looking for individuals who have experience to accompany their education.

“The applicants who have both education and experience will get hired over those who are fresh out of college and just have a degree,” Werner said, adding that several of his friends are also having a difficult time getting a job.

However, Werner said finding a career to settle into wasn’t always so difficult. He said when he graduated with his undergraduate degrees in 2001, companies came to universities like Notre Dame as early as October and did mass hirings, in which they would hire 200 or 300 students at a time. But Werner said 2001 was the last year such mass hirings were seen.

Now, he is met daily with a sense of frustration and agitation.

“The biggest challenge is the blow to your self-esteem. I’ve been rejected over 150 times. That’s just really difficult, and it starts to create a lot of self-doubt,” Werner said. “It’s really frustrating for someone who has never met you to look over your cover letter and resume and say you don’t meet their requirements.”

But Werner has remained optimistic. He continues to apply for jobs and emphasizes the importance of building connections and obtaining internships during college. And he also offers some simple advice for other students having difficulty finding a job after graduation.

“It’s very challenging. But I’d recommend that anyone in this situation keep busy. Don’t sit around and mope,” Werner said.