Summer months are often a time for recent college graduates to spend searching for their first job and UW-Eau Claire Career Services says they are optimistic.

Ninety-five percent of 2005-2006 graduates responding to the survey were employed or continuing education a year after graduation and of them, 21 percent were working in the Chippewa Valley.

Career Service Director Jeanne Skoug says she sees more students starting to explore earlier on in their college careers.

"I think the turning point is once they get that internship and if we can get students as freshman and sophomores starting to explore internships they get it because once they get out and get into that professional world peer to peer with colleagues and professionals in their area of discipline, they come away extremely motivated,” Skoug says.

More than 1,800 people responded to the survey which was 70 percent of all UW-Eau Claire graduates from last year.