There may still be hope for seniors without a job secured for next year: The number of positions in the workforce for graduates right out of college increased by 12.9 percent from 2003 to 2004, according to a list of entry-level jobs released by internet career service CollegeGrad.com.
The list represents more than 120,000 jobs for the graduating class of 2004.
"Entry-level hiring is taking a very positive turn in 2004," said Brian Krueger, president of CollegeGrad.com. "We are seeing a large increase in the number of entry-level jobs available in nearly every discipline. While the market is still very competitive, the jobs are there to be found for those who take the time to do the research."
At Dartmouth, too, the trend is apparent. Assistant director of Career Services Monica Wilson said she has noticed an increase in interviews and recruiting activity in general.
But many students are still undecided about their plans, Wilson added. Some are waiting to hear back from graduate schools, and only in the spring will it be possible to determine whether there has been a tangible payoff in successful job placements.
The number of appointments made by students with Career Services' graduate advising dropped by almost 54 percent from fall 2002 to fall 2003, although this is not necessarily a result of job-market trends. It remains to be seen how the positive hiring trend found by CollegeGrad.com affects graduate school application and matriculation rates.
A report by the National Association of College Employers released in early February had similar positive news about the job market for graduating seniors.
The NACE report, which compiled information from college career services departments nationwide, found that starting salaries are up a few percentage points in several areas.
For senior liberal arts majors, NACE found average starting salaries up 3.5 percent.
Offers to computer science majors have risen 8.9 percent to an average of $48,656, according to NACE.
Average starting offers to psychology majors, though, are down 8 percent to $25,032.
Christina Poulsen '04 said she plans to work at least a year before law school. Poulson has just received a job offer she is excited about, but said most of her senior friends are going to graduate school next year.
Brian Henthorn '04 received a summer internship through corporate recruiting, but will remain at Dartmouth next year for the five-year engineering program. Henthorn said he thinks the '04s are having better results finding jobs than last year's graduating class had.
"It seems like the economy is getting better and that more students are getting jobs," Henthorn said.
