Great news for 2015 college grads in CT and throughout the U.S. – a brand new study from CareerBuilder reports that 65% of employers plan to hire recent college graduates this year, which is the highest percentage since 2007.
The survey of over 2,000 hiring managers and HR professionals was conducted nation-wide in February and March and represented a wide range of industries and company sizes.
So what did survey respondents have to say? Below are some highlights; click here for the full story.
What will payday look like?
One-third of employers plan to offer higher starting salaries than they did in 2014. And nearly half of employers say they’ll make offers to students prior to their graduation dates. Here’s the starting salary breakdown:
- Under $30,000 (26%)
- $30,000 – $40,000 (28%)
- $40,000 – $50,000 (20%)
- $50,000 and up (26%)
What skills are new grads lacking?
Employers feel that some new grads fall short when it comes to certain skills. Grads should be aware of this and focus on sharpening their skills in these areas:
Interpersonal or people skills (52%)
Problem-solving skills (46%)
Oral communication (41%)
Leadership (40%)
Written communication (38%)
What are the most in-demand college majors?
Computer and information sciences (27%)
Engineering (18%)
Math and Statistics (14%)
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences (14%)
Communications Technologies (12%)
Top positions that hiring managers are looking to fill:
Information Technology (30%)
Customer Service (28%)
Finance/Accounting (22%)
Sales (21%)
Business Development (19%)
The promising outlook of more jobs and bigger salaries in 2015 rings true for most states in the US including CT. Last year, according to the Hartford Business Journal, university career counselors from UConn and Quinnipiac University saw big increases in employer participation at their career fairs, as well as higher volume in on-site recruiting and company job postings. Quinnipiac saw the most hiring in finance, technology and engineering.
If you’re a college grad who is unsure of which career path to take after graduation, it might benefit you to chat with a recruiter. Learn more about the employment services that A.R. Mazzotta offers or check out our FAQ page to see common questions job seekers have about working with an employment services firm.
(Source: 2015 CareerBuilder Survey)