In an attempt to pare the BusinessWeek blogosphere down to size, First Jobs and a few other blogs are being eliminated. You can continue to stay up to date on all the news and trends of importance to young job seekers at the Managing Channel.

This blog was born as part of BusinessWeek's annual Best Places to Launch a Career ranking. BusinessWeek will contintue to publish the ranking and all the related content you've become accustomed to over the years. We hope you continue to find it provocative and useful.

This doesn't seem particularly substantial until you consider the fact that the norm is at least a slight increase year over year and decreases are almost unheard of. In 2008, for instance, salaries actually increased 7.6% over 2007 grads' pay. Furthermore, less than 20% of grads had a job at the time of graduation.

One bright spot? Average starting salaries for engineering grads actually increased 4.2% to $59,670 in 2009. Freshmen and sophomores, it may not be too late to change your major..

This according to Tracy Lynn Drye, the Senior VP of Employer Branding & University Relations at Universum USA, the research firm BusinessWeek partners with for the student data portion of our Best Places to Launch a Career ranking.

Drye says that work/life balance usually drops on students' lists of priorities during recessions, but not this time around. "I think this goes back to the fact that this generation is not afraid to ask for what previous generations didn't," says Drye. "They want more work/life balance and more flexibility and the ability to work on their own time and their own hours."

But right now aren't people more concerned with getting a job in the first place and having some security? It would seem that work/life balance would be the last thing on their minds. Or that it should be, at least..

If these statistics are true (Universum surveyed over 60,000 undergrads about the most important characteristics of ideal employers), they seem to play into the stereotype of Millennials/Gen Y as a rather entitled, spoiled group of young workers.

However, one could also argue that having balance in one's life actually improves effectiveness and is a much more realistic goal in this era of internet and cell phones because it's far easier to have flexibility that eluded prior generation.

Your thoughts?

On the other hand, I've always worried about being pigeonholed or limited by basing my identity on gender first.

A lot of ink has been spilled about the “shovel-ready” construction projects that will be funded by the $787 billion stimulus package now winding its way through the legislature. But what you might not know about are the many white-collar, entry-level jobs that will also be created by the coming wave of federal dollars.

But there's one thing I've never been able to overcome--my tendency to blush--whether I'm meeting somebody new, standing up to give a presentation, or asking a question in a crowded lecture hall. I turn a dark shade of crimson every single time.

Recession or no, for new grads, hope springs eternal. Although data show only two of every 10 2009 graduates had a job lined up as of April, more than half of graduates are “confident” they’ll get one in the next three months, according to a recent study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

The author basically said that the implosion of Wall Street will drive some of the smart, ambitious students who once gravitated to investment banking to other industries and opportunities. After all, the possibility of six-figure pay right out of school was enough to drive many to the industry; whether they were truly suited for investment banking or not. Thoughts?

But what I found even more puzzling was that students were also surveyed on their top American cities to start a career and a whopping 83% chose ultra-expensive New York City (trust me, I would know.) Washington D.C. was a very distant second.

The founder and CEO, Omar Soliman, is a recent grad from the University of Miami; he submitted the business plan for Hunks Hauling Junk to an entreneurship contest during his senior year and won $10,000 to start the business.

Interested in joining the College Hunks Hauling Junk team? Job opportunities are listed online.

One opening that's listed is "Truck Captain/Wingman." I kid you not.

Even more surprising--Almost 60% of the class of 2009's members haven't even started looking for a job yet. To put it in perspective, 2/3 of the class of 2008 had already started looking for work at the same time last year.

The most effective tools in finding employment? Online job boards, company webistes, and speaking with someone at the company itself, say respondents.

And employers: Job seekers say the three best methods to contact them are through career sections on employer sites, school career fairs and job boards. (The results do seem a bit, well, convenient, considering Aftercollege is a job board itself.)

Surprisingly, social networking sites--which the majority of respondents use on the job search--were deemed the least effective resource in seeking employment.

What do you find to be the most effective job search tool? I would personally say networking.

..One thing that can bring a job seeker down is their criminal record. We're not talking grand theft auto here, we're talking about a DUI in college, or an assault charge for a bar fight.

It appears that they only serve clients in certain states, including California, Texas, Florida and a handful more. I'm not vouching for them (I know very little about the firm) but this is an interesting question I hadn't really considered: What is your best bet when you have something on your criminal record and are seeking employment?

If you can get it expunged or sealed, that would obviously be preferable. But what's the best course of action if you do have a permanent blot on your record?

Be upfront about it, says Diane Borhani, Deloitte's National Campus Recruiting Leader. "We expect you to be open and honest," says Borhani. "If you know something will come up it’s in your best interest to always articulate it." Otherwise, she notes, it will come out later in the background check that Deloitte conducts, meaning you'll not only look like a criminal but also a liar.

While she says that all hope is not lost if you do have a record, Deloitte will take into account the severity of the crime as well as whether or not you've taken proactive measures to correct any past questionable behavior.

And your record still may be a dealbreaker, but in the end, it's good to know where you stand sooner rather than later.