It looks like 2012 grads will have a better chance of employment than their recent predecessors. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has released its annual Job Outlook Survey. The survey is likely good news for both grads and recruiting organizations that provide recruiting resources to recent grads. A separate NACE survey shows specifically that employers plan to increase hiring of college graduates by 9.5% in 2012, while the current survey details desirable skills or qualities sought by those making hiring decisions for recent college graduates.
The ten most desirable abilities that employers seek in new graduate hires are:
- Work in a team structure
- Verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization
- Make decisions and solve problems
- Obtain and process information
- Plan, organize, and prioritize work
- Analyze quantitative data
- Technical knowledge related to the job
- Proficiency with computer software programs
- Create and/or edit written reports
- Sell or influence others
No surprises there, from my point of view. Do you see anything clearly missing on the list?
The NACE Survey found that the greatest growth is targeted to occur in the areas of accounting, finance, business administration, mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering.
If you are a recruiter, do your clients hire recent college grads? Are recruiters used to source this talent? If not, why not? Have you ever been asked to recruit recent grads?
