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Regarding your frustrations.. Simply put it boils down to MONEY. Private
industry has got to show a profit in the services that they provide to their
clients.  Private industry can ill afford to pay geography majors the salary
that these majors are looking for.
 
Enter into the equation our social programs.  Prisoners are being trained in
GIS.  There is one institution that is running 3 shifts per day, 7 days per
week and aggressively marketing their services.  One photogrammetrist lost a
long standing account, in his own backyard, because of the prisoner program.
 By the way, to be politically correct he is expected to hire these people.
 
Next we have our offshore labor.  Try competing with Indian labor rates of
$2.75/hr.  Their work is excellent!!  At your convenience, they will beam
their digital product to your office by satellite.
 
And what about all those folk that have been laid off by the military.  The
companys that they are forming are creating very innovative products.  To
become an employee,  a military background is required.
 
I believe that the best advice that you could give to your students is to
join the military.  Since they are degree'd, they will quickly become
officers (decision makers).  The military has always been on the bleeding
edge, so why not.  At least they are getting experience (resume), and picking
up on some of the benefits that they might want to use later on in life.  I
also think that some of your students just might need a good healthy dose of
discipline or reality.
 
P.S.  I have just been layed off, after working for an engineering company
for close to 5 years in marketing  AM/FM/GIS services. They are abandoning
the AM/FM/GIS market for all of the above reasons.