The job outlook for college seniors graduating in 2005 is steadily improving, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, a nonprofit group based in Bethlehem, Pa.
The association asked employers to update their Job Outlook 2005 survey this winter if they were adjusting their employment projections. Twenty-five percent of employers surveyed increased their projection numbers, and 62.5 percent said their projections would remain the same, said Andrea Koncz, employment information manager at NACE.
"We are seeing a more positive environment," said Katherine Stahl, executive director of the AU Career Center. "In the fall, we had a much better job fair, better than a couple of years ago."
Employers are eager to sign up for this spring's job fair, she said. Thirty have already signed up for the March 24 fair, and 110 to 120 are expected, according to Stahl.
She specifically noted that the demand for investment bankers and consultants, two areas that saw a decline in 2000 and 2001, has increased, Stahl said.
The association's employer members are mostly from the business, government, engineering and service sectors. The survey did not account for jobs that require more liberal arts degrees.
"Liberal arts majors who have an interest in working hard and researching what they want to do ... especially if they've had an internship - there's always a need for [them]," Stahl said.
However, the job market is still not what it was four years ago when a "huge surge" of employers were looking for students, she said.
AU students on the verge of job-hunting should take advantage of the resources available at the Career Center and on AU CareerWeb, AU's job Web site, Stahl said.
"Now our frustration is getting students to go on AU CareerWeb" and register, she said.
A site like the AU CareerWeb is the No. 7 place employers look for candidates, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Stahl also emphasized the importance of knowing basic interview skills. Most job-seekers just out of college do not know how to "write and speak effectively," and many "don't understand basics," she said.
Students must know how to present themselves at interviews, and they also must look for the right job for their own personal talents and interests, Stahl said.
"What employers want to see is interest and someone who wants to work," Stahl said.
One way of showing this interest is to highlight previous related work and internship experience, which the association said employers rank at a 4 out of 5 in terms of importance.
Some AU students credit their internships with getting jobs.
Olivia Clayton, a senior majoring in broadcast journalism in the School of Communication, credited her recent promotion to a part-time job as a production assistant with the Fox television show "America's Most Wanted" to the intern position she held in the fall.
Clayton said she is excited about her new opportunity with the show and expects the part-time job to turn into a full-time job after she graduates.
She attributed her current position to staying late at work, making sure co-workers noticed her hard work and being fortunate.
"I was very lucky," she said. "One of the production assistants was leaving."
The broadcast journalism industry is tough to break into, Clayton said. Two friends of hers who graduated earlier have not had her luck.
"Broadcast journalism is very hard, especially if you want to be a TV reporter, but a production assistant is a good way ... to get your foot in the door," she said.
Andrea Vazzano, a senior literature major in the College of Arts and Sciences, is currently interning with a book publishing company as an editorial intern.
"I work specifically to go into book publishing, but it's very complicated and very difficult to break into," she said.
Vazzano also has friends who have had difficulty breaking into the industry in New York.
"They all say it's difficult to break into, but eventually you'll find something," she said.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers publishes this survey yearly. Employer members pay an annual membership fee to receive the benefits of being connected to information about the current college-graduate market, Koncz said.
"We do a lot of surveys and collect a lot of information about the college-educated work force," she said. "The employers are nationwide and from different sectors."
The association's full report can be seen at www.naceweb.org. The Career Center Web site is www.american.edu/careercenter.
