Campuses’ career counselors have been seeing encouraging signs, and now a major survey of employers backs them up: The coming year looks to be a much better one for new college graduates seeking jobs.
Job openings for those graduates are projected to grow by double digits in 2014-15, following several years of smaller increases, according to key findings from the survey, which was released on Tuesday. Hiring of new bachelor’s-degree recipients will increase by 16 percent, the survey projects; hiring among all degree levels will grow at the same rate.
“This demand has been pent up for over a decade now,” said Philip D. Gardner, director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University, which released the findings, based on responses from nearly 5,700 employers.
Why the brighter outlook? The economy is improving, employers are looking ahead, and retirements are starting to trickle out, Mr. Gardner said. In addition, “some of these companies are simply growing.”
The big question now, Mr. Gardner said, is whether the job market will sustain that rate of growth in the coming years.
More Than Just Hot Fields
On campuses, career-development officials also say job prospects look good.
All signs point to a strong hiring cycle this year for new graduates at the University of Connecticut. More employers are visiting the campus, the university’s interview rooms are oversubscribed, job postings are up 15 percent, and “students are being much more optimistic,” said Jim Lowe, assistant vice provost and executive director of the center for career development.
Large employers are cultivating relationships with underclassmen, Mr. Lowe added, something that just wasn’t happening when the job market was weaker.
And while majors like digital media and computer science are hot among employers, they’re also “reaching into the liberal arts and sciences like they haven’t done in a while,” Mr. Lowe said. If students are talented and have gained practical experience—through an internship, say—many employers are flexible about what they studied, he said.
David Gaston has noticed the same thing at the University of Kansas, where he oversees the career center. Students in its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have struggled to find entry-level jobs in the last few years, said Mr. Gaston, an assistant vice provost, but that is changing.
Job-market growth might not make it quite into the double digits in Kansas, Mr. Gaston said, but things are looking good. One positive indicator is that more students are visiting the career center. It’s counterintuitive, he said, but students are more likely to seek help when they feel better about the hiring outlook.
Students are wise to take advantage of career guidance, Mr. Gardner said. While the market is improving, he said, “it doesn’t mean they’re just looking for warm bodies, and anybody with a degree or certificate.” Jobs are available, but they will go to those who are well prepared.
This year the Michigan State center released key findings from the survey ahead of its full report, which will be out in November.
