As the hiring rate for college graduates with a bachelor’s degree jumps 16 percent, according to recent findings by MSU’s College Employment Research Institute, some Spartans approaching graduation are more at ease.
Among them is animal science senior Chelsea Giese, who will be accepting her diploma in a cap and gown this December.
“Although I am graduating this year, I am actually beginning vet school commencing in fall 2015 at MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine,” Giese said. “Therefore, the current job market will not have a direct effect on me at the moment.”
Even though Giese will have more years of schooling, she said knowing the job market has improved quiets her fears of not being able to land a job in her field.
“My hope is that the job market continues to improve so that I have the opportunity to do what I love,” Giese said. “Although I will not be entering the work force for another four years, it still makes me happy to hear the job market is improving because I know a lot of fellow classmates who are going to be looking for jobs very soon.”
She said it’s nice to know the years of studying and working hard in school will one day pay off for her and her peers.
According to the new data, levels haven’t been this high since the year of 1999 to 2000, as a result of the dot-com frenzy.
“The data is collected from Aug. 15 to Sept. 23 online,” CERI director Phil Gardner said. “It’s distributed to over 200 universities that then send them to their employer base.”
Gardner said nearly 5,700 employers responded to the survey this year, which led them to their findings.
The employers represented will hire nearly 120,000 new graduates this year, according to the data, and of those hired, 78 percent will have their B.A.
In addition, most job industries reported having major growth. According to the study, information services jobs paved the way, increasing by a total of 51 percent, followed by finance and insurance jobs increasing by 31 percent.
Other markets that the study showed improving drastically were scientific services, profession and business, government and manufacturing jobs.
Gardner said he thinks there will be a lot of opportunities for upcoming graduates.
“But they’re not just going to be giving out jobs because you’re graduating,” he said. “You have to be able to articulate your skills because if you can’t, they won’t take you seriously.”
Gardner recommended that all students start working with the career consultant at their university.
