A Glimpse of the 2011 Job Outlook
The job outlook these days seems to be slumping faster than birds dropping out of the Arkansas sky. As we start anew and wish for the best, a new report gives us a ray of hope.
The NACE 2011 Job Outlook report might just be a college student’s dream; the job outlook for 2011 graduates is looking “good” in comparison to last year’s which looked only “fair”.
Graduates can expect a 13.5% increase in the number of 2011 hires; the West and Midwest expecting the highest increase. Bachelor’s degrees continue to be in demand, particularly in the STEM fields.
Employers plan to do the majority of their recruiting in the fall followed by a slightly smaller recruiting session in the spring.
One of the biggest changes to expect is the rise of GPA screening. 3 out of 4 employers said they would screen “class of 2011” job candidates by GPA and look for a minimum of 3.0. You may want to throw that “college GPA doesn’t matter” mindset out the window.
While it is expected that this turn around will begin sometime this year, it isn’t too late to start working towards a college degree. Taking a free college course is a great, and cheap, starting point for that goal.
The need for a college degree is becoming widespread, something that the NACE report reiterates.
The job market seems pretty glum to me. I graduated two years ago, and I still cannot find a job.
The economy’s been rough for several of my friends since they’ve been laid off. Some of them are working dead end jobs and others are choosing the smarter route of going back to school.
Things are picking up, I’ve been looking at online colleges since they’re the best option for me to get back into the workforce.