Many college students would have just graduated this summer. This means a fresh pool of talent has just been released into the working world and recruiters need to be aware of the skills and value that graduates posses.
However, as much as companies have the ability to attract this new talent, they struggle to find ways to keep graduates interested. This then encourages job hopping, as graduates become easily bored and disinterested.
So what are graduates doing after college and how can companies keep them engaged? collegeliving.ie have a look at some interesting statistics.
Area of interest
- Over 60% of 2014 graduates were encouraged to pursue a science, technology, engineering or maths degree.
- 36% were discouraged from taking a humanities or liberal arts degree.
Attitudes
- 4 in 5 believe their education prepared them well for employment.
- 1 in 2 consider themselves underemployed or in a job that does not require a degree.
- More than 4 in 5 looks at the job market before selecting their major.
Top 5 college degrees by early career potential
- Petroleum Engineering: $102,300
- Chemical Engineering: $69, 600
- Computer Engineering: $67,300
- Nuclear Engineering: $67,000
- Computer Science and Engineering: $66, 700
Expectations vs. reality
- Salary: More than 4 in 5 2015 graduates expect to earn $25,000 a year but only 2 in 5 got this in 2014.
- Training: 8 in 10 2015 graduates expect formal training from their 1st employer. Only 5 in 10 got this in 2014.
- Job role: 6 in 10 graduates in 2014 were working in their chosen field.
Attracting top graduates
- Be small: Only 15% want to work at large companies.
- Be social: 64% will use a mobile app to find a job. 27% consider social networks important for the job hunt.
- Be different: Invest in the employee experience. 39% value interesting and challenging work.
To read more about what graduates want in 2015, read below.
