Spotlight Online for Career Services Professionals, May 12, 2010

Spotlight Online for Employment and Recruiting Professionals, May 12, 2010

NACE’s 2010 Student Survey shows that nearly one-quarter (24.4 percent) of 2010 graduates who applied for a job actually have one waiting for them after graduation. In comparison, just 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job had one at this time last year. 

One reason for the increase: A greater number of Class of 2010 graduates accepted the jobs they were offered. This year, 39 percent of seniors taking part in the study reported they had received job offers, and 59 percent of those students took the job. Conversely, while 40 percent of Class of 2009 grads who applied for jobs were offered one, only 45 percent accepted them.  

Most likely to receive offers were accounting, business administration, computer science, engineering, and mathematics majors, and, although the order varied slightly, these majors were most likely to have a job in hand. Salary and job location were the main factors driving acceptances.  

Among Class of 2010 respondents, 67.5 percent reported plans to enter the work force after graduation, but less than half (45.5 percent) had actually applied for a job at the time the survey closed. That’s up slightly over 2009, when about 42 percent of the class had actually applied for a job within the survey’s time frame.  

Compared to their 2009 counterparts, more 2010 grads are looking at graduate or professional school as a post-graduation option. This year, 27.4 percent of responding seniors reported such plans, compared to 25.6 percent last year. 

NACE’s 2010 Student Survey was conducted February 9, 2010, through April 30, 2010. More than 31,470 students representing more than 400 colleges and universities nationwide took part; more than 13,000 of those were graduating seniors. A final report on the study’s finding will be available later this year.