Career Services reports rise in recruiting and hiring
Career Services at Virginia Tech reports a dramatic increase in employer job listings on its job search website Hokies4Hire from fall 2009 to spring 2011. This movement mirrors the national trend of increased hiring and recruiting activity aimed toward recent college graduates.
The Hokies4Hire job search website experienced a decline in 2009, with an average of 246 new job listings added per month. Since then, the popularity of Hokies4Hire has begun to bounce back. In 2010, the job search site gained an average of 452 new job listings per month, and during the first three months of 2011 an average of 671 job listings were added per month. Today, more than 1,600 job, internship, and co-op listings are available on Hokies4Hire.
The on-campus interview program sponsored by Career Services is still trying to recover from the recent tough economic times. The number of on-campus interviews is still down from its peak of a couple of years ago, but has grown from 5,830 interviews during the 2009-2010 school year to 6,800 interviews for the 2010-2011 school year. Another trend is an increase of students participating in on-campus interviewing. According to Jim Henderson, associate director of employer relations, the number of students interviewing on campus increased by 400 to a total of 2,683 students.
“More job listings, more employers on campus, and more students participating in the process are all very positive signs,” said Henderson.
Nationwide reports show that 53.5 percent of employers indicate that they plan to increase college hiring, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Also, hiring numbers from January to February 2011 rose from 120.9 to 126.3, providing the Class of 2011 with a slightly better outlook on employment than the Class of 2010.
NACE has also released its "Top Jobs for 2010-2011 Bachelor’s Degree Graduates." According to the winter 2011 salary survey, accounting graduates are currently receiving the most job offers. Other fields with top job offers include consulting, financial/treasury analysis, sales, investment banking, and management trainee.
According to the Virginia Tech undergraduate post-graduation report, there has been a steady increase since 2005 in the number of Virginia Tech graduates pursuing continued education. For the Class of 2010, 27 percent of respondents reported that they were continuing their education compared with 22 percent of respondents from the Class of 2005.
The percentage of graduates who wished they had done something differently is also on the rise. The most recent survey (2010) shows that 58 percent of respondents wished they had done something differently regarding career preparation during their time at the university, up 8 percent from 2005. Most respondents wished they had gained more experience related to major or career goals. Respondents also wished they had learned more and/or earlier about career options.
