(BLACK PR WIRE/BCW-GREENSBORO) – Many college students’ decision to attend college was made because they wanted to attain better jobs and have the luxuries that would be available with a salaried job. Now questions are arising as to how a college graduate will get a job, pay off loans and survive if the unemployment rates are so high amongst the African-American community.

According to www.blackvoicesnews.com, the black unemployment rate is officially 15.7 percent nationwide compared to 9.5 percent for whites. Unemployed 16-to-24-year-old black men have reached Great Depression proportions -- 34.5 percent in October, more than three times the rate for the general U.S. population, according to the Center for Labor Market Studies.

It is more important now for students to stand out, gain experience through internships and build rapport with companies so that in doing so there is a greater chance for employment opportunities. The economy that is affecting post-grads is worse than it was four years ago, and it is calling for a different breed of hungry career professionals.

You can survey for job and internship opportunities as early as your sophomore year, according to www.hbcu.com. Make sure that you are experiencing the responsibilities that come along with the career choice you want to make, so that you not only have a degree showing that you went to college, but that you can produce the work requested.

For more career tips for college students and graduates, go to: http://www.black-collegian.com/.