The job market is improving for the college class of 2015. A report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers that polled employers in February and March revealed that employers expect to hire 9.6 percent more 2015 college graduates than 2014 college graduates.
Most importantly, graduates need the right skills. Internships or other experience is important, and employers are most interested in those with majors in computer science, accounting, or business.
According to the report, “In addition to the gains in overall hiring reported, more than 55 percent of respondents are planning to increase their individual hiring numbers, up from 46 percent in the fall.”
“These are positive numbers, but graduates still need to properly prepare for jobs,” cautioned Mimi Collins, a NACE spokeswoman. “Employers often complain about how grads do on job interviews,” one recruiter commented. And Collins added that “Poor interviewing is the main reason grads don’t get jobs. So work with an employment agency or with the college job center on your résumé and your interviewing skills.” Good interviewers will conduct a decent amount of research to understand prospective employers, their market, and their challenges. This will enable an interviewer to ask good questions and avoid bad questions.
In general, experts agree that recent graduates need a plan and to practice basic job skills, though none of that will make up for a college major that isn’t in need.
Tips for new job seekers:
- Make a list of your contacts. Maintain and grow that list. These should be the most helpful resource for your job search.
- Get experience – any experience, whether temporary, unpaid, low-pay, or whatever. You need to get in the door.
- Work with your university’s career office. Attend the job fairs. Talk to recruiters. You may not find the job you want, but it’ll help you practice and give you an idea of what employers want.
- Explore your university’s alumni office and alumni network. You never know.
- Many professors have contacts. Talk to professors (who like you), and see if they can connect you to employers, internships, and even others in the industry who may be helpful.
- Google yourself. Check your privacy settings on social media. Delete the embarrassing and incriminating and secure the rest behind privacy settings (though never assume that privacy settings alone will protect you – and always assume that if it’s online, someone can find it).
- Create accounts on “respected” and professional social media (such as LinkedIn). Also have these URLs handy for people to contact you (e.g. print them on a business card … you may even be super cool and print a QR code to your LinkedIn profile on the business card).
- Pull a Nina Mufleh and set up your own resume/pitch website.
- If you get an interview or will have a coffee with someone important at a company, conduct your own SWOT analysis of the company so you can speak their language, understand their challenges, and explain to them why you should (need!) to be hired.
- Consider working with an employment agency if you’re lost.
