Work in Progress, Worklife, Workplace, TIME

March 24, 2008 11:00

Hiring of new grads to drop this summer

Posted by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen | Comments (3) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

MonsterTRAK, the student division of job board Monster Worldwide, released its 2008 Entry Level Job Outlook today with some sobering news for '08 grads. Among 1,117 employers surveyed,

59 percent of employers plan to hire 2008 graduates in the spring or summer, a decrease of 17 percent year-over-year, while 29 percent are still unsure.

But there's some good news on the pay front:

One-third of employers with hiring plans will increase starting salaries – driving employers’ anticipated average salary for 2008 graduates to $39.5K, up from $36K last year

College students, being college students, remain optimistic:

73 percent of prospective graduates expect to receive two or more job offers upon graduation.

Uh huh. But they're realistic when it comes to their living prospects:

48 percent of prospective graduates expect to “boomerang” and spend at least some time living with their parents, continuing a three year trend.

So what's the best way to snag employers' interest for those few available jobs? The survey yields some clues:

Often-overlooked, making a professional impression on employers is a critical part of the hiring process – in fact, 43 percent of employers report personal characteristics as most important when assessing college graduates. However, only 19 percent of 2007 graduates recognized it as such.

Never mind the two-page resumés detailing years of experience at the Dairy Queen. Get to the interview on time, dress appropriately, smile often, don't belch, and make a good impression on the interviewer. Forty gees, here you come.

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Reader Comments (3)

homegirl:

Good advice regarding the actual job interview. I got my first real job a few months after graduating by sheer luck. It was back in the 90's when computer jobs were still hot and benefits included things like free computers and the health insurance covered your whole family. Back then it was hard to find people with new computer skills and I was basically the only one who would take the job. My boss told me later that they were reluctant to hire me because I was fresh out of college, but they were so pleased with my performance they went on to hire 2 more recent grads. I don't see why people aren't more willing to hire kids fresh out of college. They are usually eager to please and work for less money.

Posted by homegirl | March 24, 2008 12:07 PM

Prayu:

As an '08 graduate, I'm pretty glad that my program included training on professional behavior, communication, etc... in the job hunt, that stuff ended up being far more important than the actual core of the curriculum.

Posted by Prayu | March 24, 2008 2:17 PM

franko08:

its something encouraging for the students in their last year to be sure that they will start their jobs with satisfying salary right after graduation it also helps in getting higher markswhich is something good and is reflected on the quality of work done after graduation.

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franko.

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Posted by franko08 | April 5, 2008 4:22 PM

About Work In Progress

Nina Subin

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen is a staff writer for TIME. She blogs about work. Why? Because TV was taken. Think of her as the grumpy colleague ranting by the water cooler.
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