Job outlook for graduating seniors

By: Amy Saramago
Posted In: News

As April is half way over and May is looming ahead many seniors are starting to feel mixed emotions. They are nostalgic and sad to leave Salve Regina University, the place that has been their home for four years, and the friends they have made here that have become family. On the other hand, they are excited and perhaps a little scared to start their new lives out there in the real world.

Time is running out and for those students who are not planning to go to graduate school they are in the middle of the daunting task of job hunting. Hours of calling places, interviewing, ironing button down shirts, in order to land that entry level position at their dream job. But what are these companies and employers looking for? And in this time of recession, or as president George Bush calls it, “economic slowdown,” how is it affecting the job market for these graduating seniors?

What is the general outlook for hiring college grads in 2008?

In the fall of this year, the general outlook for jobs in all industries and geographic regions were looking positive for graduating seniors. According to the NACE research fall 2008 job outlook survey, “overall, employers expect to increase college hiring by 16 percent, making this the fifth consecutive year in which employers have projected double-digit increases.”

However, in the new spring 2008 NACE research survey it seems that the negative economic turn in the country will affect job opportunities for college grads. “With a downturn in the economy seniors can expect an increasingly competitive job market,” said Christopher Pinault, assistant director of Career Development at Salve.

Fortunately, the affects seem to be very mild compared to what analysts were first suspecting. Employers are still expecting to higher 8 percent more college grads this year than last year (2007), though that number is cut in half since this fall when the estimated percent of hires were 16. As in past years the top three job fields most in need of graduates are business, engineering, and computer related industries.

When employers were asked what aspects separated two equally qualified candidates for a job most responded that any internship or co-op experience would be the first deciding factor in their hiring one candidate over the other. Other factors that make a candidate stand out include, leadership experience, their major, GPA, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work. As far as other skills employers look for those haven’t really changed from year to year but seem to remain constant.

Even with all the talk of recession, graduating seniors will be happy to hear that 78.5 percent of employers are planning to increase starting salaries this year. So although the job field might be a little more competitive, once you secure employment your pay will be better than in preceding years. According to NACE research, the average projected increase in entry salaries is 5.2 percent for 2008.

For more information about a certain job field (i.e. nursing, accounting, advertising, etc) please visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s occupational outlook handbook online at http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm. This site provides information about every job field including the nature of the industry, its working conditions, employment statistics, occupations in that specific industry, training and advancement, general job outlook, and earnings/salary information.

What tips should students know about job searching?

With all these factors considered it seems that the job hunt for college seniors is a hard mind field to navigate through. Though many seniors wait until the second semester to start looking for jobs it might be wise for them to have started earlier than that.

“It would depend on the individual’s goals, but the job search process requires that students invest their time, energy and resources to make launching their career a reality. This site hits many of the key points: http://www.collegegrad.com/jobsearch/job-search-prep/prepare-to-make-an-investment/,” said Pinault. “Seniors should set up an appointment with our office if they don’t know where to start or if they feel like they are running into dead ends.

In today’s ever-changing work force jobs can be found in many different ways. Students should look at internet job searches, classified ads, college job recruiting fairs, and most importantly, ask family and friends about opportunities they might now about. Pinault also reminds students that “An effective job search should be multi-faceted. Students often get bogged down with the online job search, which can be very frustrating and unproductive. Our office can give students a new perspective on how to approach a job search and give tips on how to get connected with the right people. Most people find employment through networking. “

Lastly, it is imperative that seniors realize that they should never settle with their first job offer. Graduates should be seeking several job offers in order to pick the one that best suits their wants and needs for their life. While considering different job offers make sure to evaluate the job location, the salary and benefits, the turnover rates of employees, the size of the company, and if the company’s values, ethics, and practices match your own. Once you take all these variables into consideration the final result should be the job that will best fit your life.

Seniors, no worries. Although the economy seems to be on a negative turn your future still looks bright. So if you haven’t secured a job yet, it’s OK. The competition is going to be stiff, but once you land the right job the payoff will be sweet.