Students worried about the shortage of jobs in a tight economy now have some encouraging data, according to an annual MSU survey.
Research by the MSU Collegiate Employment Research Insitute of nearly 1,000 companies nationwide shows that collegiate hiring has gone up about 7 percent since last year’s study was conducted.
According to an MSU press release, college graduates seeking employment in business will see an increase in hiring of 10-13 percent, while engineering percentages are up about 12-14 percent. Also, starting salaries for bachelor’s graduates are expected to increase by at least 4 percent.
Phil Gardner, author of the study and director of the institute said a lot of the increase comes with companies anticipating future baby boomer trends.
“Large companies, the ones we see on campus at recruiting fairs, are aggressively hiring to fill their retirement needs that will be coming into play in the next three to four years,” he said. “There’s an aggressive hunt on.”
He said if it weren’t for the baby boomers’ anticipated retirement, the market wouldn’t be as favorable, since employers remain cautious in the present job market.
The employers making the largest impact nationwide are those that employ more than about 5,000 people, said Kelley Bishop, executive director of Career Services & Placement. But the companies with less than 100 employees, which one in three students will likely find themselves working for, are driving the struggling Michigan economy.
“That’s what’s driving the new Michigan economy — the small employers,” Bishop said. “But those guys you don’t see at the career fair conducting lots of interviews, can’t predict their hiring early on.”
Journalism senior Caitlin Kelly expects to graduate in May and enter the job market looking for full-time employment after her internship experience.
“It’s just really competitive and there are a lot of qualified young people out there,” she said. “I think it’s the networking that you do that really gives you the biggest edge, just calling people and making them aware of who you are so you’re not just a name on a piece of paper.”
Bishop said it isn’t just about networking, but networking early on and making an effort long before you expect to enter the market.
“For anybody out there on the pavement right now, they’re going to be able to open plenty of doors with plenty of options,” he said. “Folks that don’t may have a challenge.”
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