Jessica Bridgmon lucked out and had a job interview Thursday afternoon. Held over the phone, the meeting is one of several opportunities the University of West Alabama senior is pursuing as she prepares to graduate and enter the dreary and ultra-competitive job market in May.

A stone-cold realist with a tough spirit, Bridgmon won’t waver at the intimidating transition into the real world. She’ll walk into it with a head full of confidence and a fresh business degree.

Still, like anyone might during the country’s troubled economic times, she has her doubts.

“I’m not too optimistic about it,” she said. “I anticipated it being a tough market. But I think I’m going to be fine.”

UWA director of career services Tammy White said she’s seen that trend to some extent, where students will switch career paths just to ensure job security. But she doesn’t foresee that as a permanent change.

“We are still seeing students selecting fields based on interest,” White said. “We recently had a career fair, and I was quite surprised to see how many employers were hiring. I think we’re seeing a few things pick up.”

For full story, see the Weekend edition of the Demopolis Times.