Millenial Branding has conducted a new study of employers and their hiring of recent college graduates. Apparently, 30% of companies are recruiting liberal arts majors, while 34% are looking for computer information systems and engineering majors. Surprisingly, “Only 18% are recruiting finance and accounting majors combined.”
And how do these employers go about recruiting? Only 16% use social networks, while 44% rely on employee referrals and 48% on job boards. The top skills employers look for are communication skills, a positive attitude, adaptability to change, teamwork skills, and a goal-orientation. Students can stand out in the hiring process by having taken relevant courses, through a referral from a professor or previous employer, or having held leadership positions in on-campus organizations.
The most striking statistics involve employers’ internship expectations: It turns out that 91% of employers would like students to have had one to two internships before graduation, with 87% preferring that these internships last at least three months. However, 50% haven’t hired any interns in the last six months, and “students that have the required internships haven’t received job offers from companies since 79% of employers have hired 30% or fewer interns into full-time positions.” Plus, most internships are only about two months long. These results reveal an employment gap between students and employers that needs to be closed, or at least narrowed. Employers need to step back and assess their expectations: Are they realistic? And if not, what part they can play to help fulfill their own needs?
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