Employers predict a 12.7 percent increase in the number of newcollege graduates they will hire this year, according to a newstudy. The survey also revealed that the top majors in demand at abachelor’s level include mechanical and electricalengineering, accounting, business administration and management,economics and finance and computer science.
The study was conducted by the National Association of Collegesand Employers and surveyed more than 360 NACE employer members fromaround the country. NACE surveys companies every spring and winter.The results are released in mid-April and mid-December.
Some Southern Methodist University students find the newstatistics to be encouraging while others still worry about theirjob outlook for the future.
John Kuelbs, a senior finance major, was glad to have a majorthat fell into the top category. He said he was never worried aboutgetting a job because he knew if he applied himself, he wouldsucceed.
“There are always jobs out there. If you try, you can getone,” Kuelbs said.
Kuelbs also had another advantage. He took an internship lastsummer that he found through the Career Center.
“Employers are interested in whether or not you traveledabroad and have truly gotten out into the world,” Kuelbssaid. “They also look to see how you utilized yoursummers.”
Kuelbs attributes his two job offers, one in Dallas and anotherin Houston, to the SMU Career Center’s Interview Trak programand his own connections.
The Interview Trak program conducts mock interviews and submitscandidates’ resumes to potential companies forinterviews.
Elke Hardt Arnold, a counselor at the Career Center, disagreeswith the study’s push for students to choose a major simplybased on the job market.
“I tell the students to study what they are passionateabout. They will find something out there,” Arnold said.
Arnold reiterated the same points that the NACE study did aboutstudents’ attitudes towards finding employment.
“We’ve had several students with unrealisticexpectations, like salary and location. That is where you start, atentry-level jobs,” Arnold said, “These students expectto find their dream job right out of college.”
NACE and Arnold noted that graduates should seek entry-leveljobs as an opportunity to develop skills and gain experience.
Whitney Hellman, a senior journalism major, was offered a job inCleveland but was not open to relocation. She will be moving toChicago for the summer to continue her job search there where someof her family lives.
“I’m part to blame for not being veryaggressive,” Hellman said. “There are a lot of peoplegoing back and getting higher degrees. They will have a bit more tooffer, too.”
Hellman was quite confident that she would be leaving SMU with ajob because she has had several internships, such as ClevelandToday and Doner Advertising.
“I have an open mind for jobs. I just want to writesomewhere and be in a place where I can talk to people,”Hellman said.
In August, Hellman will attend the Republican NationalConvention in New York and work for The Dallas Morning News in aweek-long unpaid internship.
Some seniors, on the other hand, have been luckier than othersin their pursuit.
Hilary Bowman, a senior international studies major, wasoverjoyed to receive a job offer since some of her friends were notexperiencing the same luck.
She began her venture last fall with her first internship and avisit to the Career Center for the Interview Trak program. Bowmanreceived interviews from three different companies. One hiredher.
“I still don’t even know what I want to do, but thisjob is a great opportunity for me,” Bowman said, “Ididn’t even know it existed until I looked.”
Bowman highly recommends the Career Center to upcoming seniorsand advises all other students to start looking for internshipsnow.
Kyle Burke, a senior finance and economics major, began hissearch last August. He also did the Interview Trak program and gothelp on his resume.
His success was not attached to internships. He has not had asingle one. He said he received his job based mainly on his abilityto communicate well and his resume.
“I had honors and awards, activities, and plenty of jobexperience,” Burke said.
He said he did about 50 interviews before he landed his job withBain & Co., but also remembered how nervous he was during thefirst few ones.
“You either sink or swim. I received my first offer inOctober,” Burke said. “If I hadn’t had a job byChristmas break, I would have been very nervous.”
Burke agrees with the Career Center’s and NACE’soutlook on accepting entry-level jobs. He found entry-level jobsare actually offering higher salaries than most students think.
“All the jobs I saw first semester were well over$45,000,” Burke said. “People aren’t looking,even at the entry-level.”
NACE offers this advice to graduating seniors: Take aninternship or two or participate in a co-op program.
The top qualities employers seek are communication skills,honesty and integrity, interpersonal skills, motivation and astrong work ethic.
And finally, NACE tips for finding the right job include doinginformational interviews, networking, interning, joining aprofessional association, accepting a job that gets your”foot in the door” and being open to relocation.
