As the commencement season comes to a close and the summer beaches open, graduates are heading out into the job market. So what does this cohort of graduates have in store for them?
College Hiring Surges
Employers responded to NACE that they plan to hire almost one-third more college graduates from the Class of 2022 than they did for the Class of 2021. Additionally, 56% of NACE respondents said they will increase their college hiring numbers. From the report, “Fall 2022 recruiting looks extremely positive for the upcoming class of graduates. Almost 90% of respondents indicate that they will be hiring for both full-time and intern/co-op positions at that time.”
Modality of Work
With the rise in remote and hybrid work, NACE employers surveyed, only 18% said that they were fully remote, with 40% of respondents expecting entry-level employers to be hybrid. This is highly dependent on the type of work and if it can be performed remotely or in a hybrid manner. Whereas, employers in the IT field reported the highest average, of a fully-remote work environment.
Increased Wages
Additionally, the class of 2022 can expect increased wages with an average starting salary of $55,000. Computer science majors are likely to be the highest paid out of the 2022 graduating class with an overall entry salary of $75,900. However, some graduates surveyed overestimate their salary.
Career Readiness
While graduates head out into the workforce, some aren't feeling so prepared. In a survey of 1,000 college graduates with a bachelor’s degree, fewer than half of the students (49%) surveyed feel prepared for their postgraduate careers, with 1 in 6 saying they feel very unprepared. Of those surveyed, 81% felt negative emotions and uncertainty to joining the workforce. Career services can elevate some anxiety with active engagement with its graduating class.
While on campus, to prepare students for success, continuing engagement with them post-graduation will be key. Symplicity CSM Pathways enables career offices to set up structured career plans within their CSM system for anything from general career planning, to completing a certification or receiving an employability award. Pathways allows institutions to automate these plans, reduce manual work, and easily measure their success. Within each Pathway there are steps and activities that can be tied to standard CSM functionalities, such as events, advising appointments or even ones that take place outside the system i.e. watching a video on YouTube. Career offices can significantly boost student engagement by providing students with an easily accessible career plan and sending automated reminders about upcoming deadlines and activities. CSM can enable universities to ensure that they are keeping track and managing student success that aligns with what recruiters are looking for.
To learn more about Pathways and how CSM can help your institution, watch our video below or schedule a conversation.
