It's a Wednesday afternoon in Durham. Amanda Gaughan, class of 2008, is waiting on a customer at Breaking New Grounds. As the line dwindles, she stops filling coffee cups and takes time to wipe the black countertop next to the biscotti display.
Like many recent grads, she's just focusing on paying off rent and student loans. As an English major, she decided to take a year off to figure out what she wanted to do with her college education. Her days since commencement have been filled with working at BNG and waitressing.
"Lots of students are still around," she said. "It's a mixture - some put off reality, some move back home and start working, and some just want a little time to pay the bills and have fun."
With a considerable number of students taking a year off between UNH and a postgraduate career, along with the state of the economy, many are wondering if UNH really has what it takes to prepare kids for the real world.
"The job fairs seem to be geared toward business and engineering majors, there was no course to prepare me for the DAT test, and as far as advisers, there's no one really on your case about what you should or shouldn't be taking," said a senior biology major looking to apply to dental school, who wished to remain anonymous. "You're on your own."
However, despite on-campus anxiety regarding job status and the odds of succeeding in the career of their choice, UNH maintains rankings comparable to neighboring institutions for a worthwhile education.
According to the January 2009 edition of the Wall Street Journal's magazine Smart Money, UNH ranks above Yale and Harvard for return on tuition, coming in at 23rd nationally.
The magazine looked at average earnings within five years of graduation and after 10 years of graduating at the website PayScale.com. While Yale and Harvard had higher median salaries, the cost for a degree at the two ivies was an average of at least $20,000 more.
With a 127 percent payback, UNH ranked just below Dartmouth, Princeton, Rhode Island, and Penn State. Texas A&M topped the list with an estimated 315 percent payback.
For many, it's a stretch to think of UNH as any kind employment powerhouse. But Jason Whitney, an internship advisor at UNH, said it comes down to a solid regional reputation and maintaining contacts with businesses.
"We have good relationships with the employers in the area," said Whitney, who works within the University Academic and Career Center. "Internships are huge. Courses are essential, but experience makes you much more competitive. If they see you at work, more often than not, they're gonna hire you."
Howard Altschiller, executive editor for Seacoast Media Group since 2003, said his company has given its interns top priority for years. Seacoast Media publishes numerous local papers, including the Portsmouth Herald and Exeter News-Letter.
Because the UNH Journalism Department requires an internship for a degree and sets many students up with regional papers, a large proportion of former UNH students work for the company.
"When we were hiring - when times were good - one out of five interns that came through our door would get hired," said Altschiller. "They came in and did a great job. When there was a job opening, we knew they could do it."
He said currently one-third of the employees in the Seacoast Media newsroom graduated from UNH and participated in the journalism internship program.
"Obviously, we think highly of UNH grads," Altschiller said.
Robert Drouin, a 2007 UNH graduate and finance major, also benefitted from UNH's strong regional presence in his hiring at Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance.
As a finance major, he interned at Liberty Mutual and was hired right after. In his job as a university recruiter for the firm, he said UNH is the No. 1 hiring school for Liberty Mutual. Additionally, he can readily compare the education offered at UNH to those at other institutions.
"One of the schools I visit has a class for freshman that teaches professional etiquette," said Drouin. "They teach them how to eat dinner, speak professionally and write a résumé. When I visit, you can just tell the students have had the schooling - they carry themselves a different way."
He noted such skills were important to have, regardless of one's major, and that those skills are the most transferable when it comes to the real workplace.
So what about UNH, which doesn't have a required etiquette course? How do UNH students stand a chance?
"It's a real mixed bag at UNH," said Drouin. "Some get on the ball and take advantage of the resources [like the career center] right away. Smaller schools do offer smaller settings where it's easier to reach out to students."
He said it was just about taking the initiative visiting the career center, which he called one of UNH's "most underused resources."
Nancy Hoff, assistant director for career advising at the UACC, said they do the best they can with marketing to first year students.
"At June orientation for incoming freshmen, we give out a four-year timeline," she said
She said being proactive is the biggest contributor to success.
"Students should constantly be building their résumés and exploring their interests," said Hoff. "What is your own definition of success? The most exposure you have to different interests, the easier your job search will be."
Hoff noted that at the research fair the UACC hosted at the end of March, 41 employers, almost half, were open to all majors. Twenty-two were limited to the Health and Human Services field, another UNH program that requires internships, and others had to do with social work, family studies and counseling.
"Start thinking about what you're gonna do afterward," said Whitney. "Do you want an entry-level job, a service program, or grad school? The resources are here, students just need to be aware."
Matt McCreary, currently attending WSBE's graduate program, is looking forward to graduating and starting at accounting firm KPMG, which currently has a job held aside for him in the fall.
He credits his professor with helping him land an internship with KPMG last summer, and credits his internship with enabling him to find a job in today's economy.
"I gave my professor my résumé, and he did all the work," said McCreary. "I had studied abroad, so I was a little late in getting on the boat."
As for job prospects, McCreary said graduates of WSBE have everything they need.
"In my class of 17, 15 of us have jobs lined up, and the two who don't want some time off," he said. "Anyone who wants a job can have one."
McCreary said he's young, and he hasn't ruled out other careers.
"I'm thinking of maybe going to law school, down the road," he said. "I'll work a couple of years, and if I like it, I'll stay with it."
For now, Gaughen, who came to UNH as a dance major and graduated with an English degree, is taking it one step at a time. She's been working with the UACC, which counts alumni as one-third of its advisees, to find a job.
"I've applied to jobs in New York and Boston… I'm looking for a job in the publishing world, or music," she said. "I'll apply my experience to any field. I'm just hoping for the best."
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