Job site aims to keep talent in NM

As the number of college graduates increases and the number of available jobs dwindles, graduates are hard-pressed to connect with potential employers.

UNM Career Services, which took over the NM CareerMatch website, helps New Mexico graduates locate jobs in Albuquerque, UNM director of Career Services Jenna Crabb said. She said that there are more than 1,400 employers registered on the site.

“The employers who post on this site are specifically looking at retaining our graduates and hiring our alumni,” she said. “It is a great connection and networking tool for our alumni.”

The site’s largest employers include Lovelace and Presbyterian hospitals, Hewlett-Packard, KPMG (a U.S. audit, tax and advisory services firm) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The site automatically logs and verifies transcripts and GPAs through UNM so employees don’t have to send copies to each perspective employer, and provides both employers and would-be employees a platform for hiring.

Amy Miller attended UNM and CNM and graduated with a degree in business. She works at a veterinary office, but said she hopes NM Careermatch.com can connect her with a higher-paying job.

She said the website specifically solicits New Mexico graduates, and many of the employers on the website are locally based.

“One of the reasons it’s such a good site is because it’s for New Mexico graduates only,” she said. “You literally have to go on there and prove you are a New Mexico grad.”

Sixty-five percent of New Mexico employers had posted a position on the site at one time, and 48 percent ranked the site as “good“ or “excellent,” according to a recent survey conducted by NM Careermatch. Seventy-seven percent said they hired at least one individual whose profile was posted on the site.

Crabb said the goal of the site is to retain New Mexico college graduates and promote their talents. She said too many New Mexico graduates leave the state to find work.

“Our workforce will stand out nationally by providing cutting-edge work in our nation,” she said. “The brain drain that many depict occurs would stop.”