According to an online service that aids college graduates in finding employment, the number of entry-level jobs has increased by 12.9 percent since 2002. The service also released a list Feb. 24 of the Top 500 Entry Level Employers for 2004.
The company, CollegeGrad.com, called a variety of companies and corporations and inquired about their hiring plans for the upcoming year. The number one employer on the list is Enterprise Rent-A-Car, followed by Lockheed Martin, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Immigration and Naturalization Services. Other corporations such as General Electric, Boeing and Wells Fargo also appear on the list.
“Entry level hiring is taking a very positive turn in 2004,” CollegeGrad.com president Brian Krueger said in a press release. “We are seeing a large increase in the number of entry-level jobs available in nearly every discipline.”
CollegeGrad.com representative Diane Hill said the increasing number of positions this year is partly due to the turning around of the economy.
“It is still very competitive,” Hill said. “They’re still catching up from past years.”
The survey is positive news for many recent and soon-to-be college graduates, but Krueger and others note graduates still need to do research to find a good job.
“The jobs are there to be found for those who take the time to research,” Krueger said.
Recruitment officials on the University of Wisconsin campus are also noticing the effects of the economy but not to the same extent as CollegeGrad.com.
“Recruiting has gone down a little since last year, but it’s staying pretty steady,” said UW Director of College of Letters & Science and Human Ecology Career Services Ann Groves Lloyd.
Although she has not seen a huge increase in recruitment on campus, Groves Lloyd has heard positive feedback from employers.
“Employers are very encouraged for the upcoming year,” Groves Lloyd said. “They said that UW students are desirable in the workforce and are more prepared compared to past years, which is great to hear.”
While many positions are opening in a variety of companies and corporations, the ease of finding a job after graduation depends on the major and field.
“From my point of view, as a communication arts/radio, TV, film major, the job market is horrible right now,” 2003 UW graduate Deidre Kirkpatrick said. “It seems to me that the health care field and sales positions are easier to come by, but that is only from comments from a couple of my friends.”
Groves Lloyd said for graduates like Krueger it is their responsibility to actively search for positions in their field.
“The best thing a student can do is be proactive,” Groves Lloyd said.
The UW College of Letters & Science and School of Human Ecology will hold a career fair March 29 for employers to meet students about late position openings.
