The class of 2014 will have an easier job search than last year’s seniors as employers slowly, but increasingly, look to hire new college graduates.

Employers are looking to hire 8.6 percent more college graduates from the class of 2014 this spring than from last year’s class of 2013, according to a survey released April 16 by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

The survey was conducted between Feb. 11 and March 26 and contained 160 employer responses, said Andrea Koncz, employment information manager for NACE. Koncz added that the organization polls different employers each year.

In prior years when the job market and economy were stronger, Koncz said the highest increase NACE saw from year to year in employers hiring new college graduates was more than 20 percent. She added that this year’s increase in employment for college graduates still provides a decent outlook as students begin their job search.

“It’s a modest increase, but it’s still pretty competitive for new graduates,” Koncz said.

Employers added 288,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in April and the unemployment rate has decreased from 6.7 to 6.3 percent in April, according to a May 2 news release from the U.S. Department of Labor. This has been the largest increase in new jobs in two years, according to a May 2 New York Times article.

The strength of the economy directly determines the number of jobs available, said Don Dutkowsky, an economics professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Dutkowsky said the economy this year is “not 100 percent but (it is) one step better than it was the previous year, which is one step better than it was in 2012, which is one step better than it was in 2011.” After the recession in 2008–09, the economy is still recovering, which is why the job market is not yet back to full strength, he said.

“The economy is not all the way back and what it means for graduating students is it’s going to be harder to find a job than it would be in a completely healthy economy,” he said.

Dutkowsky said the economy is currently 3 percent below the gross domestic product, which is the level that signifies a healthy economy. This means, he said, the economy is still underperforming but with the gradual increase, the economy could possibly reach its full potential again in 2015 or 2016.

But, for a graduating student, his or her engagement in the job search process is much more important than the status of the job market, said Mike Cahill, director of SU Career Services.

“I’ve never known a time when there aren’t good jobs out there,” Cahill said, “and I’ve never known a time when the opportunities are totally dried up for everybody.”

Cahill added that the average job search for graduate students lasts six months. He said despite the outlook of the economy and job market, students will have a successful job search if they focus on three points when they begin the search process.

The first point, Cahill said, is that students must know themselves as workers and know what type of conditions they work best in. He added that the more students understand their skills and values in the workplace, the better they can describe themselves and the work they are most suited for in cover letters.

Students must also heavily research what jobs are available for them, Cahill added, which helps students target and reach out to the most personally suitable jobs. He said the final key factor in an engaging job search is having a strong strategy, which includes the ability to interview well and write an effective resume and cover letter.

Though job searches are individual processes, external forces such as job availability can still play a role at times, Cahill said. For example, he said he’s seen some talented students with strong GPAs and competitive applications wait nine months to a year for a job offer.

“It is not going to be a predictable, logical process, but if you’re doing the things you need to be doing, you’re ultimately going to come up with some good success,” Cahill said.

Published on May 8, 2014 at 2:30 am

Contact Anna: almerod@syr.edu