Want proof that it pays to get an early start on a job search? Students from the Class of 2007 who began their job search early were rewarded for their efforts, according to a new report.
At the time of the 2007 Graduating Student Survey—conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers March 1 through April 30, 2007—of those students who submitted a job application, 51.2 percent had already accepted an offer for the job they would begin after graduation. And average salary offers to those who had found jobs ranged between $40,000 and $45,000.
Almost three-quarters of students who responded to the survey—13,114 students from 302 schools in 44 states—planned to or had already begun to look for a job after graduation.
Successful student applicants relied heavily on the professional expertise of their college career service centers and were more active and direct in their contacts with potential employers. Most student applicants (70 percent) used their college career service centers, at least in part. However, the percentage increases significantly to 82 percent when only students who were successful in landing a job before graduation are considered.
"Successful student applicants relied far more on on-campus interviews, speaking with company representatives, and viewing employer information presentations—offerings connected with the career center—than did unsuccessful applicants," says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. "Meanwhile, unsuccessful applicants were distinguished by their reliance on viewing job postings on company web sites, reading job ads in newspapers, and viewing job ads on generic job-search web sites."
Successful applicants were far more likely to apply either at an on-campus career fair or by posting a resume on the college career center web site. In fact, statistical correlations showed that posting the resume on the college career center web site had the strongest link with actually getting a job.
Following are several other highlights from NACE's 2007 Graduating Student Survey:
- Fifty-six percent of males who had applied for a job had already accepted an offer, while only 48 percent of females had a specific job to go to after graduation. Meanwhile, African-American and Hispanic students were far less likely to have accepted a job than their white and Asian-American counterparts, even though they had actively pursued employment and averaged the same number of job offers.
- There were differences in starting salaries among ethnic groups. Asian-Americans fared the best with the average falling in the $50,000-$55,000 range, while African-Americans fared the worst with their average in the $35,000-$40,000 range. There was also a sizable difference in salaries between male and female graduates with a job to go to after graduation. Male job holders reported an average starting salary of approximately $50,000, while females who had a job to go to reported an average starting salary of $40,000.
- This year's graduates want to work for an ethical company where they will enjoy what they were employed to do and that will provide them with a measure of financial security. In addition, students rated a good benefits package and a secure job future as very important.
- When asked to identify the policies and benefits an employer could provide that were of most interest, respondents cited medical insurance, an annual salary increase, and a 401(k) plan as being of paramount importance.
- Name recognition and general reputation are the dominant criteria in identifying specific firms as employers of choice. However, the majority of students did not restrict their top choice to a company with a national reputation. Most respondents chose companies that few other respondents identified. The reasons the students gave for making this choice were varied but the most frequent fell into two areas: location and previous experience with the company.