American employers expect to hire 13.1 percent more new graduates in 2005 than they did last year, according to a survey recently conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Students majoring in mechanical engineering, finance, electrical engineering, economics, computer science, business administration or accounting have the best chance of finding jobs, according to the survey.
"Virginia graduates stand a great chance of finding employment opportunities," University Career Services Director Jim McBride said. "The economy is in full recovery mode and Virginia is a key recruiting school among many of the Fortune 500 companies."
Seventy percent of employers surveyed said they plan to raise starting salaries in the coming year.
McBride said University students have an advantage in the job market because the University provides its students with many of the skills that prospective employers value.
Communication skills, honesty and integrity, interpersonal skills, a strong work ethic, motivation, initiative, adaptability and flexibility are among the skills which employers seek, he said.
"It would be difficult to find many Virginia students that lack any one of those skills," McBride said. "When you have an institution that focuses on the total development of people, it resonates well with employers as well as graduate and professional schools."
Many fourth-year students say they are considering many options upon graduation, including immediate employment, attendance at a graduate or professional school or time off.
Fourth-year College student Phil Brown, who is majoring in English, said he plans to take some time off and then go to work in the public sector before going back to school.
"U.Va. is pretty intense," Brown said. "I think if I tried to go right into grad school, I would feel burned out."
Brown said his choice of major has not made him very appealing to prospective employers.
"I attribute the difficulty in finding entry-level positions that aren't extremely competitive to my major choice," Brown said. "If worse comes to worse, I'll be a substitute teacher."
Fifth-year Education student Michelle Coleman will complete her masters of education this December and plans to begin teaching in January.
"I have already had several interviews and received offers for teaching positions," Coleman said. "Most graduates from the Curry School are excellent teaching candidates and do not have a lot of problems finding a job."
Fourth-year Engineering student Darrell Eaton said the job search in the engineering field is rigorous. Eaton, who majors in electrical engineering, said he has already had three job interviews.
"Looking for a job is like having another class," he said. "I hope that my degree from the University will give me an advantage in the job market, otherwise I am going to the wrong university."
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