2009 was certainly a tough year to graduate.  Even for myself, as a fairly recent graduate, I applied to countless jobs throughout my senior year--and for some time after graduation.  And I'm still one of the lucky ones.  My career goals and personal plans are still largely intact.  But what does the current economy mean for my peers and those from the classes of 2008 and 2009?

Let's first take a look at what one writer believes caused the recession.  In the New York Times' Op-Ed section, Calvin Trillin explores the beginnings of the trend of bright students gravitating towards Wall Street in "Wall Street Smarts."  He presents the idea that, "the financial system nearly collapsed because smart guys had started working on Wall Street."  But, isn't this a good thing? Don't we want only the brightest individuals, no matter what their education or background is in, running Wall Street?

Maybe not, according to Trillin.

He goes into why he believes graduates from various fields turned to careers in finance and the effect that those individuals had on the industry.  You can find the article in its entirety here.

Businessweek's "Working Parents" blog picked up Trillin's story and analyzed his conclusion, asking, What does this mean for future graduates?  In what types of careers will they end up? It's too early to tell where graduates from classes five, ten, and fifteen years from now will go.  But for recent graduates, the road heads home.

I do not think that the plan for most 2009 graduates was to move in with mom and dad and find a part-time job in their home town.  But for many, it was reality.  A survey done by CollegeGrad.com reports that 80% of 2009 graduates moved home at some point after graduating.  While not the most attractive option, moving home does offer some benefits.  A (free) hot meal and a (free) roof overhead are always welcomed by recent graduates.  And who knows?  The support and guidance that you've come to expect from your parents may turn out to be just the extra push you need to find a job.

So what does all this mean?  Use all of the resources available to you in your job search.  Take the time to carefully and thoroughly create your OneWire profile.  Use the new networking tool to its full potential. Communicate with students and alumni from your school earlier rather than later.  If your school is not a OneWire partner school, request that it become one.  Use OneWire to do all you can to be found for jobs.