This is the second in a yearlong series that follows five spring 2002 graduates in their quest to find a career.

        One changed fields, three found jobs they were looking for, and one is still searching.

        Three months ago, The Cincinnati Enquirer introduced readers to five Greater Cincinnati college graduates who were just collecting their diplomas and heading out into the real world in search of the ultimate careers.

        Accounting scandals have left the stock market volatile, but payroll employment numbers have improved since the five left their campuses. And overall wages have increased since this time last year. Nationally, the rate is up 3.6 percent from June 2001 to June 2002. In the Midwest, the increase has been even brighter with a 4.1 percent increase, which is well ahead of the 0.9 percent regional inflation rate.

        “There are more people employed,” said Ronald Guzicki, regional economist for the U.S. Department of Labor. “Hopefully, those are some of the graduates we're talking about. Certainly, the employment figures are not showing the declines they did earlier in the year. (And) the wage picture looks decent.”

        The five seem to be holding their own so far. Here's an update on how each is faring:

Brett Bombick, 23, Miami University. Hometown: Springboro, Ohio. Major: Mass communications.

Bombick

        After graduation, Mr. Bombick didn't “go full force” into making a mock sportscasting tape to be used in the job search as he had planned. He instead decided to explore opportunities in areas outside of journalism after a friend's dad asked for his resume. After a short interview, he took a data collection job at Cole, Layer, Trumble Co. in Crown Point, Ind., about 15 minutes south of Gary, Ind.

        Now, he measures homes for the company that does mass appraisals. The annual salary is $28,600, but the company pays for his apartment and for travel back home every two weeks.

        “Right now I'm going around talking to homeowners and measuring people's houses,” he said. “I'll be going all over the country. I got my first paycheck this week and it's probably twice what I'd be making in TV. If I don't like it, it's not like I signed my life away to the Army.”

        Will he ever get back to journalism?

        “That's a big question mark for me,” he said. “I think dreams are great but reality comes when you get out of school and you have to pay the bills. That's what happened to me. I don't really want to do hard news. It's depressing and that's the stuff (in broadcasting) you have to deal with on a pretty daily basis.

        “This way, I can be a little more selective.”

Amanda Clayton, 22, University of Cincinnati. Hometown: Philadelphia. Major: Music education.

Clayton

        Even before she headed to the Boston area in mid-June to be with her fiance, Ms. Clayton had three interviews set up to teach general music and strings to elementary school children. She turned down the first because the urban setting of Chelsea wasn't a good fit. The second, in Lexington, was a lot like Wyoming, where she did her student teaching in Cincinnati, but the position wasn't officially open.

        The third interview — with the Watertown Public School District — was perfect, she said.

        It offers the right money ($32,000). It's close to home. And — it's the exact position she wanted — teaching K-5 general music and strings to fourth- and fifth-graders. School administrators called the day she interviewed to offer her a permanent position with a one-year contract. She accepted the next day.

        “I had to play my violin for the interview,” said the graduate of the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music. “I guess they wanted to make sure I could play.

        “I was really surprised that I got such a great job and that I got it so quickly.”

        Ms. Clayton is already gathering materials for lesson plans and will meet with the head of music for the school district in a few weeks to talk about curriculum.

Jeff Hershner, 27, College of Mount St. Joseph. Hometown: Miami Heights. Major: Computer information systems.

Hershner

        Despite the eight resumes he has sent out, Mr. Hershner has yet to find his full-time dream job.

        “I am getting frustrated,” he said. “Every time I put in an application they say they're not hiring right now but they'll keep my resume on file. They're looking for highly technical people instead of someone who is well-rounded like me who can do a little bit of everything.

        “That's a hurdle for me because I'm not a computer programmer.”

        He still has his part-time co-op job with Besse Medical Supply, which moved July 29 from Forest Park to West Chester. Mr. Hershner has worked in the information technology department for the past year, setting up computers, upgrading and downloading software and working on the help desk.

        In a recent office memo the company president named a few people who made the move go more smoothly — and Mr. Hershner was one of them.

        “I did something right,” he said. “I'm feeling very good about it. This is definitely an option to stick with.”

Demetrius Perkins, 24, Northern Kentucky University. Hometown: Lexington, Ky. Major: Finance.

Perkins

        A week and a half before his internship with Fidelity Investments in Covington ended June 28, Mr. Perkins landed a job with Fifth Third Bank downtown in retirement planning services. He heard about the position from a friend.

        “I was afraid I was going to have to get a job to pay the bills,” he said of the wait. “I'm doing the same thing as I did at Fidelity. Eventually it'll evolve into bigger and better things.”

        The salary of $27,000 along with benefits, insurance and profit sharing is not bad, he said.

        “Especially right out of college, I can't beat that,” he said. “I expect to grow within the company.”

Michaela Siewert, 22, Xavier University. Hometown: Milwaukee, Wis. Major: Organizational communications.

Siewert

        Ms. Siewert has decided to put off graduate school in counseling to work for Genesis Men's Program, a local social service agency she was placed with by AmeriCorps, a network of national service programs that engage more than 50,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet needs in education, public safety, health and the environment.

        She will be in charge of matching mentors and mentees in the program that runs from Aug. 16 to June 13, 2003. She won't find out the stipend she'll receive until her start date.

        “Out of all the five (programs) I interviewed with, this one has the most potential for me to use my skills,” she said.

        Those skills include conflict management, event planning and consulting.

        “I guess grad school will be postponed,” she said. “I want to be able to concentrate on one thing and do it well.”

        Coming in November: Part III.

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