Class of 2008 Job Market

What should the graduating Class of 2008 expect for the job market?

Marilyn Mackes, executive director of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the nonprofit that conducts the annual survey of employers to forecast employer demand for new grads says, “We have heard from a number of employers that they are looking to hire more new college graduates to feed their ‘talent pipeline, Employers are looking at new grads as their future leaders and want to groom them for those roles."

Some survey highlights:
-Nearly 58% of the employers responding to this year's survey reported plans to increase their college hiring
-36.5% said they’ll maintain their college hiring at 2006-07 levels
-Less than 6% expect to trim their college hiring
-Employers interested in two-year graduates include utility companies, state and local government, and consulting services

Tip for the Class of 2008

Although the job market is expected to be good, planning early is key to having a competitive college resume. According to a survey of last year’s graduates, of those graduates who began their job searches before March 1, more than half had secured a post-graduate job by April 30.