BEST HIRING PROSPECTSEmployer hiring on college campuses this spring is highest for engineering and business and weakest in social servicesCollege major Percent of employer respondents hiringEngineering 69 percentBusiness 63 percentAccounting 53 percentComputer sciences 49 percentEconomics 22 percentPhysical sciences 19 percentCommunications 16 percentSocial sciences 16 percent9 Humanities 13 percentEducation 3 percentHIRING PROJECTIONSSince the recession cut college hiring, the number of employers hiring spring graduates has risen for the past three years.Year Yearly changeSpring 2007 19.2 percent gainSpring 2008 8 percent gainSpring 2009 21.6 percent declineSpring 2010 5.3 percent gainSpring 2011 19.3 percent gainSpring 2012 10.2 percent gainSource: National Association of Colleges and Employes, Bethlehem, Pa.JOB POSTINGS VS. APPLICATIONSAlthough more employers are hiring, more graduates are competing for those jobs this year.Year Job postings Job applicants Average No. of applicants per job2009-10 5,174 209,852 40.52010-11 14,341 303,242 21.12011-12 15,767 514,181 32.6Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers
Cara Dodd isn’t sure what’s waiting for her after she turns her tassel on May 5, but the UTC senior is confident something’s out there for her.
Dodd is a member of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s largest-ever graduating class. She knows competition will be fierce for the public relations job she’s looking for, but she hopes to be able to find a position within a few months of graduating.
“I’m a little nervous about it. I’ve heard so many bad things about the market,” she said. “But I’m hopeful about it, just because I’m confident in the skills I’ve learned.”
Dodd has reason to be confident. Employers plan to hire 10.2 percent more new graduates this year than last, according to a study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.