While the job market for college graduates have improved, professional standards for employment have risen and become more stringent, placing higher expectations on potential employees.
According to Career Services, employers are now looking more at a person's ability to present himself or herself with clear communication skills.
What are employers looking for?
While opportunities are flourishing, employers are looking for the best of those entering the market to justify the higher-paying salaries. Although seeking the best can be a difficult challenge for employers, many of the most outstanding job candidates end up with multiple offers.
This is where "preparation must meet opportunity," said Stan Inman, director of Career Services at the U.
"There are good opportunities for all of the graduates," he said. "Students just have to develop their job-finding skills."
Inman added that education and experience are only half of what employers look for.
Communication skills, especially the ability to write and speak clearly, are the number one qualities employers seek when deciding whom to hire, according a study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Many employers report that college graduates lack grammar and writing skills, according to the NACE Job Outlook 2005. Many new graduates have trouble expressing good ideas without saying "like" and "you know," the survey added.
Honesty and interpersonal skills are also very important for employers, but NACE findings show a continuing complaint that too many new graduates lack maturity and do not know how to conduct themselves in a business environment.
The study added that many employers complained that graduates lack experience in a corporate environment and are unfamiliar with good work ethics. Inman agreed that on-the-job experience is a vital attribute.
"A lack of some kind of real-world experience can be detrimental when it comes to [getting hired]," Inman said. Inman said that students should get into a good internship or employment that pertains to their field of study while they are in college.
On-campus recruiting is the No. 1 place employers will find their new employees, according to Job Outlook 2005. Internships and co-op programs (that work directly with universities) are the next two most common places for students to be chosen for a job, the study said.
"Many of our students already have employment or have some kind of a job waiting for them upon graduation," Inman said. "We see (at Career Services) many of these students using their first jobs as a stepping stone toward their ideal career position."
Inman said that it can take up to six months for graduates to find adequate employment, but he also added that it is often just a matter of finding a good position and fine-tuning a person's interview skills.
Some situations take longer than others, but Career Services has had success with helping students find jobs.
"We offer U graduates our job-finding and interviewing services for two years after graduating free of charge," Inman said.
Students who have good résumés and are prepared for an interview will increase their chances at landing "that hot job," Inman said, adding that interview styles and résumés need to be adjusted as the job market changes.
"Our services help U graduates, as well as undergraduate students," he said. "(We help) fine-tune their job searching skills now and in the future."
cogrogan@chronicle.utah.edu
Top majors in demand by industry:
Service 1. Economics/Finance 2. Accounting 3. Business Administration 4. Electrical Engineering 5. Computer science
Manufacturing 1. Mechanical Engineering 2. Electrical Engineering 3. Accounting 4. Business Administration 5.Chemical Engineering Government/Nonprofit 1. Accounting 2. Business Administration 3. Electrical Engineering 4. Mechanical Engineering 5. Computer Science
Provided by the National Association of Colleges and Employers [NACE].
