Career Center > Job Market Trends

The savvy career planner must understand the changes taking place in the U.S. job market. These trends impact the quality and quantity of employment opportunities.

Job Market Remains Robust for the Class of 2007

Employers expect to hire 17.4 percent more new college graduates in 2006-07 than they hired in 2005-06, according to a new survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The job market has become stronger because of organizational growth, employee retirements, high attrition rates, and business needs and marks a fourth straight year that employers have projected percentage increases in the double digits. By region, employment in the South will see a 25.5% growth in the hiring of college graduates. The West will increase college hiring by 23%, the Northeast by 16.9%, and the Midwest by 10%.

Employers Research Candidates in Unlikely Places

Job candidates who maintain profiles on social networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace, may want to rethink their postings. 26.9% of the employers surveyed by NACE reported that they have “googled” or reviewed job candidate profiles on social networking sites. It is important that students be aware that any information that they have posted and made public can be accessed by potential employers. Results of a student survey at Purdue University indicated that some students said they would revise their profiles if they knew employers would be reading them; other students said they would be unwilling to share their profiles. How social networking sites affect the job search and the candidate screening process is only beginning to be explored and reported. If trends continue, the use of social networking sites to evaluate candidates will likely increase.

New Hiring Regulations

Many employers now require a student to apply for positions on their website before they will conduct an interview on campus or at a job fair. This change in recruiting and hiring was mandated by the federal government to ensure that employers who receive federal monies are seeking and creating diversity in their work force. It is anticipated that all employers will be subject to this new regulation within the next two years. 

If you apply on line you will be asked to provide your race and gender. This is for tracking purposes; recruiters will not know your answers. You will be required to apply for a specific job within the company; you will not be able to make a general application. You may also have to complete a checklist of skills based on the job description and meet all or most of the skills to be considered for the job.

Getting a Job Requires Key Skills

Employers say they consider communication skills to be the most important “key” skill in job candidates, but find that many potential employees don’t have them. Communication skills include the ability to write, talk, speak, persuade, motivate, sell, and negotiate as well as good appearance, self confidence, and social ease. While these skills will not guarantee a candidate the job, they certainly make a clear statement about the candidate’s ability to work effectively within the organization.

Networking and Internships Still Define the Gold Standard

70% of successful job searches depend on personal contacts. It is more important than ever to have face-to-face meetings with employers and others who can assist with a job search (e.g., friends, family members, business associates). Networking can be expanded through membership in professional organizations, attending trade shows, or even doing volunteer work in a selected career field. Among many employers, internships have become a primary, if not the most significant, hiring tool. More companies are focusing on the internship approach for long-term employment management.

Misconceptions About Online Job Hunting

Today the Internet offers almost 10,000 career and employment sites that post millions of jobs daily.  Recruiters caution against relying on finding a job online; in fact, less than 5% of nontechnical jobs are filled from online applications. Students should become aware of the following myths about online job hunting:

• “Posting my resume on one or two career sites is all I need to do to land a good job.” Posting a resume and sitting back to wait for a job offer is a big mistake. While technology has made connecting with employers much easier, students still must work at finding a job.
  
  
• “No need to bother applying for older job postings. I just focus on the new ones.”  Sometimes older postings mean the jobs are harder to fill. They should not be overlooked and may be even better opportunities than newer postings.
  
  
• “I know there are many niche sites out there but I prefer to stick with the big portal sites. "The big sites may be great if job seekers aren’t sure which field they want to work in because they can quickly scan a variety of industries and job listings. But the industry specific sites are preferred for job seekers that are more focused and want to attract employers interested in their specialized skills.
  
  
• “I don’t want to bother doing a special resume for use online so I just scan my paper resume into my computer, and then send it as an email attachment.” There is unanimous opinion against sending resumes as attachments because of potential virus contamination. Even pasting a resume into an email message can result in a jumbled transmission. A newer and more effective process allows the sender to upload a resume in HTML to a web hosting service (example: Hypermart). The job seeker can then send the employer the URL, which displays a perfectly formatted resume.
  
  
• “To save time, I often apply for two or more jobs posted by the same employer.” Only one resume should be sent to an employer even if the candidate is qualified for more than one position. Usually all resumes go to one person and he or she will determine the positions for which a candidate is qualified.
  
  

Top Employers of Candidates with Liberal Arts Degrees

Accounting Services
Educational Services
Retail/Wholesale Trade
Financial Services
Banking (commercial & investment)
Consulting Services
Government (state/local)
Insurance
Government (federal)
Food & Beverage Industry

What Employers Seek in a New Graduate Applicant

The following skills were rated “important” to “very important” in a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers: 

• Communication skills: verbal, written, presentation, listening
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Teamwork
• Strong work ethic
• Analytical skills
• Flexibility/adaptability
• Interpersonal skills
• Motivation
• Initiative
• Computer skills
• Detail-oriented
• Organization skills
• Leadership
• Self-confidence
• Work-related experiences (particularly internships)
  
  

Employers say that grade point average can also play a big role. More than 70 percent of employers in the NACE survey say they screen candidates on their GPA.

NACE executive director cautions: Finding a job really is a job... Employers have a substantial set of criteria against which they judge potential employees. Students need to demonstrate to employers that they have what it takes.

Sources: Job Choices for Business and Liberal Arts Students, 2006
Recruiting Trends, Michigan State University
News releases from NACEWeb, Summer 2006

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Alumnae/i Career Services

Career & Graduate School Statistics

Career Advice from an Alumna

Internships

Power of the Liberal Arts

The Career Planning Process

Trends in Today's Job Market

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CONTACT
Tina Rolen
Director of the Career Center
(540) 362-6364
cdc@hollins.edu