Despite a three percent overall improvement in the college labor market this year, graduates will continue to face challenges as they search for jobs, according to the 2013-14 MSU Recruiting Trends report.
Nearly all undergraduate majors will experience an increase in hiring this year, according to the report. Majors in business fields will experience the most gains in hiring opportunities, with some education majors experiencing negative growth.
“The best jobs will go to the graduates who know where they want to go, know how to get there and have a network of professional relationships they can tap for assistance with their job search,” Director of MSU’s Collegiate Employment Research Institute Phil Gardner said in a statement.
Majors experiencing negative growth include high school math and science education, high school social science education and advertising.
The report is based on surveys of about 6,500 employers across the U.S.
According to the report, business majors, especially accounting and marketing, are in highest demand by employers, as well as computer science and programming majors.
However, the increase for accounting majors in job opportunities is only about 3 percent. Out of the about 6,500 employers surveyed, more than 700 were seeking to hire accounting graduates — more than any other major.
To find a job out of college, “students have to highlight the best aspects of their education and demonstrate what they’ve learned will translate into practical skills,” ASMSU President Evan Martinak said.
Martinak, a senior, majors in both international relations and economics.
International relations job opportunities are expected to be up by 11 percent, and economics is expected to see a four percent increase.
“I’m glad to hear that the (international relations) field is gaining more currency in the job market,” he said.
But he said there are things everyone can do to increase their chances of getting a job: start looking for what you want early, work internships, and build a network of people who could help you in your job search.
For all bachelor’s degrees, hiring is expected to swell by 7 percent. Master’s degrees job opportunities are down 4 percent.
It’s anticipated that MBA graduates will have a negative growth of 24 percent. Those with doctoral degrees could see a 26 percent increase in hiring. Professional degrees are looking at a decrease in hiring of 8 percent.
“The college labor market is starting to heat up with double-digit expansion in some areas,” Gardner said in the statement.
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