It’s a good time for college graduates, especially those with the skills most in demand.
Employers say that they will hire 9.6 percent more new graduates from the class of 2015 than they did from the class of 2014.
That strong number comes from the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ report, which polled employers in February and March.
“In addition to the gains in overall hiring reported, more than 55 percent of respondents are planning to increase their individual hiring numbers, up from 46 percent in the fall,” the report said.
“These are positive numbers, but graduates still need to properly prepare for jobs,” cautioned Mimi Collins, a NACE spokeswoman.
Collins also believes internships — paid or otherwise — make sense. That’s because, she added, they will give both the employer and the employee a chance to see how they work with each other.
And your major will certainly determine how possible employers gauge your future.
“The most desired grads are usually those who majored in accounting, business or computer science,” said Dawn Fay, district president in New York City for Robert Half International.
Still, despite the good numbers, finding that first job after school can be a problem unless the grad has a strategy, job experts say. And grads should understand the pitfalls of a job search.
“Employers often complain about how grads do on job interviews,” Fay said. Poor interviewing is the main reason grads don’t get jobs, Collins noted.
“So work with an employment agency or with the college job center on your résumé and your interviewing skills,” she added.
A practice interview is a good way to prepare for the stress of questioning, job experts say. And the new grad should also research a prospective employer in order to ask intelligent questions about a company.
Information about almost every company can be readily found on the Internet.
- Work with an employment agency on planning your job search.
- Develop a network of contacts in the professional world, people who might be able to help.
- Take temporary or volunteer jobs to get a start in a company that can possibly lead to a permanent position.
- Consider taking a low-paying job as your first one. It could provide valuable experience in a desired field and might lead to something better.
- Register with the university’s jobs center and check with its alumni center. Both might provide job leads.
- Talk to professors and other teaching professionals about potential jobs.
- And be sure to check your digital footprint and take embarrassing things off the Internet.
“Employers today,” Fay warned, “are sure to Google you” to get a better read on you.