Four days ago, journalism senior Thea Tio found out she wouldn't have to continue her job search after graduation.

Though she will have to leave Michigan — like many graduating students — Tio received a reporting job in Jacksonville, Fla. It's a 10-week program that trains 30 graduates in print and broadcast journalism, as well as advertising. After they've finished the program, they're basically guaranteed jobs at newspapers and stations, she said.

"I didn't think I would be working in such a big market right out of college," Tio said. "I've always wanted to be a reporter, and now it's happening."

She's excited to begin her career in Florida's warm climate but is apprehensive about leaving home. She hunted for journalism jobs in Lansing and Traverse City, but — again, like other college students — wasn't successful.

"I've noticed this year, I'm not having as many conversations with students who are saying, 'I'd do anything to stay in Michigan,'" said Kelley Bishop, executive director of MSU's Career Services and Placement. "They're absolutely willing to relocate. The expectation is that I'm going to have to look broadly."

Last year, about 61 percent of MSU graduates heading directly into the labor market stayed in Michigan, Bishop said.

When this year's report is released, he said that number will be lower.

Dell Inc. and other employers nationwide have told Bishop that MSU is one of their core recruiting schools.

"You do feel we're losing something in seeing more students leave the state, and we certainly want to help the state," he said. "Having said that and knowing it is some tough times right now for the state, it's great to know large corporations filled a lot of that gap and feel strongly about our students as potential employees."

Though not the sole factor, Michigan's poor economy is one of the reasons students are leaving the state after graduation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Web site listed the national unemployment rate as 4.4 percent for March.

As of February, Michigan's unemployment rate was 6.6 percent. Mississippi, with an unemployment rate of 6.7 percent, was the only state higher than Michigan — and this is partly because of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, economics Professor Charles Ballard said.

Utah, Wyoming and Hawaii had the lowest unemployment rates — all were 2.3 percent — but Wyoming and Hawaii's low populations could be reflected in this, Ballard said.

Maryland's unemployment rate was 3.8 percent, while New York's was 4.4 percent, Illinois' and California's were 4.8 percent and Ohio's was 5 percent.

"Any state that's at four or below the national average probably tells you that state's labor market is pretty strong now," Ballard said. "In any region of the country, what helps you to weather ups or downs is if you have a diversified economy. If one sector isn't doing well, another will be picking up the slack.

"That's been Michigan's problem for decades now. Back in the '40s, we had this very undiversified economy heavily dependent upon manufacturing," Ballard said. "The problem is, if you ride that up, you can ride that down, too. We've been victims of our own success."

It's especially difficult for graduating seniors to find jobs, Bishop said, as they're rookies in the labor market. Some employers are seeking experienced workers because they can view their work ethic from past jobs — they don't want to gamble with recent college graduates, he said.

Eric Rems knows firsthand the struggles of adjusting to real-world life.

After several less-than-wonderful moments, he is doing something about it, reaching out to other recent graduates.

Rems created the Web site www.postgradlifestyle.com in February with friends and fellow Texas Tech University graduates Brandon Kocher, a 2005 graduate, and David Wood, a 2006 graduate.

"Instead of having to learn everything the hard way and embarrass yourself, this is easier," Rems said. "I could have definitely used some help, especially in the workplace."

The three business majors compiled their stories and began posting them online. While Wood and Rems are in Dallas, Kocher works in Houston, so they bounce ideas off each other via the Internet.

"We've also had random user submissions that we will edit and put up," Rems said. "We are trying to move more to user submissions."

Aside from a mediocre labor market, some graduates are leaving Michigan to experience urban cities and glamorous lifestyles.

Chicago is becoming a popular destination for MSU grads, Bishop said. Even before they have secured jobs elsewhere, students are setting their sights on major cities with the notion they'll have better luck there.

"Chicago has a very unique draw, and a lot of that is the cultural attraction," Bishop said. "I always tell the joke, 'A lot of students don't consider (Chicago) out of state because it's on a lake, and it doesn't take that long to get there. I do believe there's not the feeling, 'Wow, if I go to Chicago, I'm leaving home.'"

A large percentage of graduates are traveling to Los Angeles in pursuit of the film industry, he said. The number of students going to New York for investment banking also is rising, and Washington, D.C., is a prime locale for recent graduates as well, he added.

But no matter where starry-eyed students set out, many return home after five years in the workforce, Bishop said. Instead of hanging out at the bar every night, they want to settle down and raise a family.

"I've had conversations with recent graduates who are looking forward to heading back in another year or so," he said. "Their family's there, they're getting married. Their priority at first is 'I really need to get connected to the career field I want.' But priorities begin to shift after they've been in the workforce."

But who's to say Michigan can't be a hot spot for young people, Ballard said. Though the state may have a somewhat boring reputation, Michigan is an attractive place to live, he said.

"Michigan has a lot of advantages," he said. "The lakes, the countryside, housing is relatively inexpensive. You know, there are a lot of things to do. But I think our reputation isn't as good as the reality. And the reality is not as good as it could be. We have a job to do of selling ourselves to the rest of the world that this is a good place to live."

For students who don't want to leave Michigan, careers in the sales industry will be less difficult to find, Bishop said.

"The reason you see sales positions so prevalent is because basically, they're performance jobs — you have to perform," he said. "If you don't, they'll find someone else. They're commission-based, so you're earning money based on how well sales go, as opposed to a company taking a risk and investing a whole salary in you."

Companies with 250 or fewer employees also are hiring more people than larger companies, Bishop said.

They need computer-savvy workers in order to compete in the technologically growing world.

Careers in the life sciences will be in demand in Michigan as well, predicted Michael Shore, chief communications officer for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

"If you say, 'Where will Michigan's economy be in 20 years,' I would say alternative energy," Shore said. "In particular, there's a lot of work happening in the life sciences all over the state. Certainly at MSU, in Grand Rapids and the Van Andel Institute, there are a lot of new ventures in the formative stages."

So how do you get these jobs — or any coveted job, for that matter?

Bishop recommends networking as much as possible — the earlier you begin exposing yourself to future employers, the better luck you'll have getting a job right out of college. Shore said no matter the condition of the job market, if you're prepped for your career, you'll have much better luck.

"Clearly, the more prepared you are academically — no matter what you do — the better the opportunities will be," he said.

Though Tio has received her golden opportunity in Florida, she ultimately would like to return to Michigan to continue her journalism career.

"I've lived in Michigan my whole life," she said. "Everything I know is here, and now I have to leave. I would eventually love to work in the Detroit market."

Staff writer Petra Canan contributed to this report.