More than Half of Students Find Jobs Before they Graduate

August 28, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Slightly more than half of college graduates already accepted a job before they snagged their college diplomas, with the average starting salaries for these jobs ranging between $40,000 and $45,000, a recent survey found.

According to the survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), w hen asked to identify the policies and benefits an employer could provide that were of most interest, respondents cited medical insurance, an annual salary increase, and a 401(k) plan as being of paramount importance.

Most of students did not restrict their top choice to a company with a national reputation, but relied primarily on other criteria such as job location and previous experience with the company.Some things that students looked for when looking at potential companies were: an ethical company, financial security, a good benefits package, and a secure career future, among other things.

The survey found that student applicants relied most heavily on professional expertise of their career services department when looking for a job (70%).

“Successful student applicants relied far more on on-campus interviews, speaking with company representatives, and viewing employer information presentations — offerings connected with the career center — than did unsuccessful applicants,” said Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director, in a press release.

She further said that unsuccessful applicants were distinguished by their reliance on viewing job postings on company Web sites, reading job ads in newspapers, and viewing job ads on generic job-search Web sites.

More information is at http://www.naceweb.org/press/display.asp?year=&prid=263 .

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