Wednesday focus: The workplace

Carrie Bien has always worked hard, set goals and reached them. So you can understand why this 2009 college graduate is having a bit of a shock.

She doesn’t have a job offer.

In that, she has plenty of company. The class of 2009 is facing the most competitive job market in years.

Only 43 percent of employers told a CareerBuilder.com survey that they intended to hire new college graduates this year, down from 56 percent in 2008 and 79 percent in 2007.

Carrie started a blog, “The Final 30 Days,” to chronicle her jam-packed last month as an undergraduate at the University of Missouri. On it, she’s posted her resume, replete with internships, part-time jobs and volunteer experience that most employers crave.

On it, she also admits that she’s truly, aggressively starting her job search now. Again, she’s in good company.

It’s tough to do a full-bore job search while you’re finishing up your senior year. But 6 in 10 of this year’s graduates said they’d at least started a job search this spring, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Nonetheless, only 20 percent of the students who had applied for a job actually had an offer in hand as of April 30.

Eye-catching and cheap: In the latest incarnation of those silicone bracelets stamped with uplifting phrases, a pair of Florida women are manufacturing wristbands with this make-or-break message: “I need a job.”

Consider it the perfect accessory for these challenging times.

The bracelets, available in yellow or pink, also direct folks to LaidOff NeedaJob.com — a Web site started by Barbara Bourn, a self-described underemployed interior design sales rep, and Stephanie Aucoin, who lost her job in an accounting firm.

Within the last three months, the pair sold 5,000 to 6,000 bracelets for $3 apiece (with discounts available for bulk purchases). They’ve already recouped their initial investment.

“We’re just trying to help,” says Bourn. “All the feedback is very gung-ho and very positive.”

Besides selling bracelets, the duo’s Web site provides job-seeking tips and economic news updates on Twitter and Facebook.

From wire reports