San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 14, 2015
Only 14 percent of college seniors and 13 percent of graduate students have a job lined up for after graduation. These are the findings from AfterCollege, the largest career network for college students and recent graduates, in their 7th annual Career Insight Survey.
Males and technology students are more likely to have a job lined up at graduation than their peers, however. More than one-quarter (28%) of technology students have a job locked in once they graduate, followed only by business at 18 percent and life sciences at 15 percent. Moreover, 18 percent of male students have a job lined up, while only 11 percent of female students do. The statistics are similar when analyzed by race, showing that white/Caucasian students enjoy the highest rates of secured jobs.
“Despite kicking their job search in full swing in the spring semester, the majority of students have yet to see traction with interviews or job offers – a concerning conclusion with graduation season upon us. What’s particularly shocking this year is the clear discrepancy in job hunt success based on gender and area of study,” said Roberto Angulo, CEO, AfterCollege. “Overwhelmingly, this year’s graduating class is relying on job sites such as AfterCollege – along with leaning on their colleges, their parents and social media channels -- to address the job search challenges of today.”
Not For Lack of Trying, though Possibly Too Little Too Late
Now, with summer just around the corner, 84 percent of college seniors and 74 percent of graduate students are actively on the job hunt. However, the largest majority of impending and recent college graduates only jumpstarted their job search in the early spring or late spring semester, which may help explain why many remain without job offers today.
So while more active job seekers have secured at least one job interview in past six months versus 2014, still more than one-third of active job-seeking students haven't had even a single interview. Furthermore, more than half of those who have interviewed have received no job offers.
Their Job Wish List
The 2015 AfterCollege Career Insight Survey shows that the top considerations for graduating college seniors in evaluating jobs are: salary (68%), advancement opportunities (58%), office location (53%) and work/life balance (51%). The least important factors include company size, sign-on bonuses and stock options. A flexible, fun and casual work culture is also a key consideration. Well over half of students report to be more likely to accept a position at a company that offers the ability to work remotely once per week, hosts regular social activities, employs a casual dress code and offers free snacks and beverages.
While their job wish list may be demanding, they are willing to consider a range of employer types including government agencies and nonprofit organizations. In fact, more college students would consider a job in the federal or state government (nearly 2 out of 3) or at a nonprofit (more than half) than at startup (49%). When asked why government work was so appealing, the top three factors are “stable, secure employment,” good compensation and the desire to make a difference.
Where are the Jobs Coming From?
Online job sites and employer websites are still the best way college students and recent graduates find opportunities, say 71 percent and 62 percent of students respectively. When it comes to AfterCollege specifically, 63 percent have used the site and more than half (57%) indicate that the site made them aware of opportunities they didn’t know about previously.
Meanwhile, among school and personal resources, students are increasingly turning to social networking sites and their own friends for job opportunities. The top three social media sites college students are visiting in search of jobs are LinkedIn, their school’s social network and Facebook. More traditional avenues – namely career fairs and company information sessions – are losing relevance among today’s collegiate population. This goes hand-in-hand with how students claim they want to hear about opportunities, with 66 percent desiring email notifications and another fifty percent preferring either job board or employer website posting.
But what of the coveted internship? Only one-quarter of those with internships report receiving a job offer as a result.
It Takes a Village: Parents, Social Media and Colleges
Most active job seekers (62%) believe job searching is hard work. That’s why they are increasingly turning to resources online and offline to aid in the process. In fact, students report that parents (71%) and teachers/faculty (66%) are most influential in their job and career choices, an increase over last year’s graduating senior class.
For more information, visit http://www.aftercollege.com.
About AfterCollege
AfterCollege is an entry-level job and internship resource that helps over half a million visitors each month. The Explore feature matches students and recent graduates with more than 400,000 job and internship opportunities from 25,000 employers based on the jobseeker's school, major, graduation date, and personal preferences. AfterCollege visitors can provide feedback on jobs, companies, and locations to get results that better reflect their preferences.
Survey Methodology
The 2015 AfterCollege Career Insight Survey was conducted online through SurveyMonkey on behalf of AfterCollege with 1,259 current or recent U.S. college students conducted between March 27 and April 13, 2015. For more information on the 2015 AfterCollege Career Insights Survey or to receive a full report of the results, contact Maggie Habib, mPR for AfterCollege at 310-916-6934 or maggie(at)mpublicrelations(dot)com.
Media Contact
Maggie Habib
mPR for AfterCollege
310.916.6934 direct
maggie(at)mpublicrelations(dot)com
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