Finding a job in the real world is always a challenge for the proverbial liberal-arts major. This year, even college graduates with vocational degrees are struggling to get work.

Faced with stiff competition, many 2009 grads are looking wherever they can. They're ready to move far from home. They're willing to accept less pay. They'll even take a job outside their chosen field.

And for many, even that's not enough. Fewer than 20% of 2009 graduates had accepted a job offer when surveyed between February and April by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. That number was 50% in 2007.

Many college career centers say it's too early to know how many of their students have landed jobs. But plenty of them are still looking.

Patrick Blomquist, 22, of Fresno graduated in March with an associate's degree in automotive technology from Fresno City College. He was laid off that same month from his previous job at an automotive shop and has been searching for work ever since.

He estimates he has applied to 30 to 40 auto shops. "They say they'll call you back, and then you never hear anything from them," he said, noting that many places simply aren't hiring.

Out of frustration, he decided to look outside his field. He has turned in between 100 and 150 applications at fast-food restaurants, grocery stores and retail stores like Target.

None has hired him.

"It's dog-eat-dog," he said.

For now, Blomquist is living at home with his parents.

Like many who graduated from city college programs, he got his degree in a program that was designed for an industry that typically has a high demand for workers.

Those graduates once easily nabbed jobs, but are having a harder time lately, said Carole Goldsmith, director of work force development for West Hills Community College's Coalinga and Lemoore campuses.

Programs such as transportation and logistics -- which includes truck and forklift driving and warehouse work -- are particularly slowing down as people buy and ship fewer goods, she said.

"When you look at some of the large plant closures we've had -- Spreckels [sugar plant in Mendota], Gottschalks -- the work force that is in search of jobs is incredibly hyper-competitive right now," she said.

Tight market

Fresno County's jobless rate was 15.4% in May. And national statistics show almost six job seekers for every job opening, according to Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

This year's graduates know they are competing against people with years more experience, many laid off after decades in their field. So new graduates are broadening where they'll look for jobs.

Bryan Cole, 25, of Fresno once thought he'd look for work as a photographer only on the West Coast after graduating from California State University, Fresno, with a degree in photojournalism.

But after discovering how few the opportunities are, he has begun applying across the country.

"I've applied for jobs as far as Maine," he said. "I'm willing to travel, to go anywhere."

He's applied for more than 20 jobs so far. Knowing he's looking for work in an industry that has laid off thousands in recent months has made him more flexible.

"It's been rough," he said. "I realized I had to broaden my scope, just to have more opportunities to find something."

Cole has plenty of experience for a recent grad: He was the photo editor at Fresno State's student newspaper, he photographs weddings, and he does freelance design of fliers and business cards.

Graduates are lowering their salary standards too, said Kathy Bray, president of Denham Resources. The Fresno staffing agency helps companies hire temporary and permanent employees.