Employers may hire more college graduates in 2011

Despite a recent survey showing that employers will be hiring more college graduates next year, the class of 2011 shouldn’t necessarily breathe a sigh of relief just yet.

A preliminary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers revealed that employers plan to hire 13.5 percent more graduates in 2011 than the year before. The final percentage change will be released in the upcoming weeks.

The employers, who are members of the association that conducted the survey, said they were planning to hire more college graduates for reasons such as the improving economy and the need to bring more people to fill company vacancies, said Mimi Collins, director of communications for the association.

Ray Angle, director of University Career Services, said this year there were more employers interested in coming to the UNC career and general fall fair looking to fill their vacancies.

Engineering and computer science are the industries with the greatest demands for hiring, Collins said.

Information science was found to be the major with the highest graduate full-time employment rate of 85.7 percent in 2009, according to the UNC First Destination Survey, which is conducted every year by UNC Career Services.

Despite the positive news, students should not let their guard down, Angle said.

Angle said even though employers seem to be looking for more college students, the market is still very competitive.

“They’re looking that you’re in the right major and that you have the skills to do the job and a decent GPA,” Collins said.

“What they’re looking for beyond that, they’re looking for leadership skills, communication skills and the ability to work on a team.”

For senior psychology major Gabriela Holdcroft, the news has not deterred her from pursuing graduate school.

“A lot of people have gone back to school and that will make higher-end jobs a lot more competitive,” Holdcroft said.

She said she is also skeptical about the quality of jobs employers plan to offer recent graduates in a sluggish economy.

For students who plan to join the workforce, Angle said he suggests they keep putting in the same effort in looking for a job.

“What needs to change to make students more successful, is students,” Angle said. “They need to realize that they need to start earlier, they need that internship and be very persistent even in the face of a challenging job market.”

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