1.8 Million 2013 Four-Year College Grads Entering Improving Job Market

John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas

With college seniors around the nation returning to their respective campuses following spring break recess, many will undoubtedly turn their attention to their impending graduation and the search for their first post-collegiate job.  A new analysis of the entry-level job market estimates that while the job market continues to strengthen for college graduates, the environment remains highly competitive, which may force some to pursue unexpected career paths.

In its annual college graduate job-market outlook, global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. says this year’s crop of 1.8 million bachelor’s degree recipients will be able to take advantage of the 36 consecutive months of private-sector employment growth that has occurred since the jobs recovery began in earnest in March 2010.

“Job creation has been slow, but it has been steady.  Over the past 14 months, private payrolls have grown by an average of 190,000 new workers per month.  There are a growing number of opportunities for job seekers, but the search definitely requires an aggressive approach.  This is especially true for new graduates, who are likely to have less real-world experience to point to in job interviews,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Continue Reading

Do You Want “Mathemagical Superpowers?” Prepare for an Emerging Career in Data Analytics

Sharon Jones of Career Thought Leaders

The movie Moneyball showed Oakland Athletics’ use of performance data to recruit talented baseball players with good ROI. The new big thing is fanalytics, applied to a wide range of sports: basketball, hockey, motorsport, tennis, and more.

Bill Wilson (sports fan and recovering lawyer) wrote a blog about the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference:

Geeks Seek Reap From Tweeps in Seats (brewonsouthu@yahoo.com)

Doug Henschen, executive editor of InformationWeek, wrote that analytics are used in decision-making from “ticket and merchandise sales to labor agreements to player contracts, to TV and digital media deals.”

Computer modeling enabled meteorologists to give a heads-up warning to government agencies about Hurricane Sandy. The presidential and Senate race outcomes were accurately predicted by statistician Nate Silver and neuroscientist Sam Wang, respectively.

Healthcare providers seek data scientists at all levels to lower costs, improve patient care, provide pricing transparency, and enhance treatment decisions consistent with best practices.

“Data is the new oil.” Continue Reading

6 of 10 Top Paying Majors in Engineering

Marilyn Mackes of NACE

Technical majors—particularly those in engineering—dominated the list of top-paying majors in 2012, according to a new report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

NACE’s January 2013 Salary Survey found that six engineering majors were among the 10 highest-paid at the bachelor’s-degree level.  Continue Reading

12.2% Hiring Increase Projected for 2013 Grads

The job market for college graduates continues to improve according to preliminary results from the NACE’s Job Outlook 2013 survey.

The 12.2 percent projected increase in hiring of recent college graduates comes on top of the 9.5 increase seen in 2012. Part of the strength in the 2013 numbers is due to only eight percent of employers planning to hire fewer graduates, the lowest number seen since 2007.

The degrees most in demand are: Continue Reading

Top 15 Highest Paying Fields for College Students to Consider

Are you wondering where to find top paying careers once you graduate?

A college degree can make quite a difference in students’ future salaries, especially if they choose a high-paying field. Continue Reading

Highest paying Master’s Programs of 2012

If you are considering an advanced master of business administration degree, or an MPH (master in public health) degree, it is a safe guess that topmost in your mind, alongside choosing your field of study, is figuring out if your starting salary will enable you to pay back your student loans in full and on time. This is a growing concern amongst a graduating body of highly trained and prepared advanced degree candidates. Entities both public and private that are charged with evaluating the “best” and “worst” advanced degrees have delivered clear proof that earning potential is not equal amongst differently degreed professionals who hold a master’s degree or higher. The truth is, if you are investing money into your advanced degree program, you most likely want to know you will earn that money back and then some. Learn what the highest master’s programs are—in terms of income earning potential and advancement in the field—as you decide what your own next steps for an advanced degree may be. Continue Reading

Five Versatile Degrees Worth Pursuing

Are you college bound, but stuck without a major?

Choosing a college degree path is just one of the many decisions students will have to make in the next couple of months.

According to a CareerBuilder survey, 36% of workers with college degrees said they wish they had chose a different major in college. That said, choosing the right major can make a world of difference.

Take a look at five versatile degrees you might be interested in from the following infographic.

Continue Reading

54% of Employers Plan to Hire Recent College Grads

The college graduating class of 2012 is heading into a better job market than alumni of the previous three years, according to a new study. More than half of employers (54 percent) reported they plan to hire recent college graduates in 2012, up from 46 percent in 2011, 44 percent in 2010 and 43 percent in 2009. The national survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive from February 9 to March 2, 2012, included more than 2,000 hiring managers across industries and company sizes.

“This is the first time since the recession that we’re seeing a majority of employers planning to add recent college graduates to their employee roster,” said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. “Companies across industries are placing a strong emphasis on recruiting fresh talent for technology-related roles and positions designed to drive revenue – and they’re willing to pay more for high-skill, educated labor.”

How much will college grads likely earn?

Of those who plan to hire recent college graduates, 29 percent expect to offer higher starting salaries than they did in 2011. While employers were most likely to report that they would pay between $30,000 and $40,000, a significant portion will extend offers exceeding $50,000. Continue Reading

Engineering Interns Paid Most at $20.79/Hour

Bachelor’s degree level students studying engineering and computer science command the highest average wages among paid interns, according to a new study published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Overall, employers taking part in NACE’s 2012 Internship & Co-op Survey reported paying their engineering major interns an average of $18.54 per hour, and computer science/IT major interns an average of $17.77.

Continue Reading

Best Fields for 2012 Grads Are Accounting, Finance, Engineering, and Computer Science

As the economy continues to slowly improve, so do the prospects for entry-level job candidates who are expected to benefit from companies’ need to rebuild “bench strength” after cutting millions of workers during the recession. However, while this year’s crop of 1.7 million college graduates should fare slightly better than last year’s, the job market will remain fiercely competitive, according to a new outlook from global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

The college graduates who are likely to have the most success are those with the flexibility to go wherever the jobs are and those seeking positions in the occupations expected to see the most growth over the next decade. Among the top fields are accounting and finance, engineering, computer science, sales and marketing, elementary education, and health care and social services. Continue Reading