This information may help you identify your best career alternatives for the immediate future, and the maybe even identify the direction that employment trends could be headed over the next few years.



For the first time since the turn of the century employers are predicting an increase in the number of college graduates that they'll be hiring this year. According to research done by the CERI (Collegiate Employment Research Institute) at MSU, the outlook is for an overall increase in the order of 10 ? 12 %, with at least two thirds of all businesses anticipating some sort of an increase in their intake.

Another recent study suggests, that, of those US companies expecting to increase their recruiting, it's graduates with a bachelor's degree in business, biological and physical sciences that they will primarily be looking for. Those with construction management, engineering, health care and accounting degrees will also experience an increase in employment opportunities

Demand for graduates in most other fields is likely to remain steady, with a few experiencing a slight decline. Holders of an MBA will, as always, continue to be in strong demand, but on the other hand, graduates with computer science degrees are likely to be among the ones finding less demand for their services.

Companies remain more likely to employ students who have undergone internships. The practical work experience they've already gained is considered to be a huge advantage, and is highly valued by potential employers

The economy is generally ?on the improve?, with a lot of companies coming out of something of a slump themselves. This means they are now hiring new interns again, and in a lot of cases, in larger numbers. Some companies are even back ?on campus? actively seeking interns.

The expected increase in the hiring of graduates coincides with the steady growth of the economy being forecast for next year by the Federal Reserve Bank. Wages and salaries are forecast to increase, but only marginally.

OK, that's all well and good, but how do you increase your chances of getting that ideal job?

The advice from the recruiting experts is that a large percentage of new jobs, and in many cases, the better jobs, will continue to be filled by candidates unearthed via word-of-mouth within their industry, from networking or from personal referrals.

Simply blasting your resume out to all possible employers, without any prior contact, is a waste of time. Just like the rest of us, employers like to save time and money, therefore they would rather go with the recommendation of a trusted colleague when looking for new recruits, rather than go through the lengthy process of sorting through dozens, if not hundreds, of applications, resumes and the inevitable interviews.

You need to take every opportunity you have to network with people from within your chosen field. The more people that know the sort of job that you are looking for, the more chance you have of tapping into the contact network of industry insiders, and therefore having your name put forward for a job ?before? it is ever advertised.

Every meeting or gathering should be treated as a networking opportunity, with the holiday periods and social events as ?prime time?. Don't wait for the ideal job to be advertised. Get you name ?out there? in the right circles, and that ideal job might just find you!