CNBC: College grads in hot demand

[MirandaCWL]

I am at work and was surfing the net and found a link on MSNBC in the Business section. The link is http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072/ and you have to go to "Also in the News". You will see a link for "CNBC: College grads in hot demand". I was wondering if anyone has seen it yet? Like I said I am at work and cannot watch streaming video here without getting in some sort of trouble - too many people snooping. I am kind of curious to hear what they may see as hot demand when I am having a hard time finding a job worth anything. If anyone has time, let me know what they say. Thanks!

[MollyMe]

It was interesting. Interviewed a guy with bright red hair who said being an engineer will help him land a job. Another guy said he had multiple job offers.

Engineering and healthcare is hot. That's not new.

The job market is getting better. When I graduated, classmates were looking for jobs for months after graduating. We were engineers so typically there is better demand. I remember several years before when people were getting multiple job offers. Now, people I know who are graduating this year are seeing more job offers and getting them before graduating.

[library_queen]

College grads in high demand? For what, praytell? Retail slavery? Administrative assistant positions? Pay-the-bills jobs?

In that case, yes, absolutely. *gag*

[Fashionista]

College grads in high demand? For what, praytell? Retail slavery? Administrative assistant positions? Pay-the-bills jobs?

In that case, yes, absolutely. *gag*
co-sign.

the news article should read "only certain colleges grads are in hot demand"

this august will make 2 years i have been out of school and nothing has changed for me. heck i can't even get a job with benefits

[yankeeyosh]

Yeah...the economy is pretty darn good right now. It's not as good as 2000, but it's doing pretty well. Of course, with this will come even more grads demanding $80K right off the bat...

[EmberMae]

co-sign.

the news article should read "only certain colleges grads are in hot demand"

this august will make 2 years i have been out of school and nothing has changed for me. heck i can't even get a job with benefits

The thing is, they want new, fresh college grads. They don't want people who graduated 2 or 3 years ago when the economy sucked who have been doing crap jobs every since. And since there's always going to be more college grads than jobs, they can get what they want.

P.S. My boyfriend got an absurdly good offer already (in IT). He's lucky he slacked off his first 2 years in school and took 6 years to graduate.

[Fashionista]

The thing is, they want new, fresh college grads. They don't want people who graduated 2 or 3 years ago when the economy sucked who have been doing crap jobs every since. And since there's always going to be more college grads than jobs, they can get what they want.

P.S. My boyfriend got an absurdly good offer already (in IT). He's lucky he slacked off his first 2 years in school and took 6 years to graduate.
even when i first graduate i couldn't find anything. it took me almost a year to get the job that i do have.

like i said it "certain college grads" i have 4+ years experience doing stuff and can't get ahead

[yankeeyosh]

like i said it "certain college grads" i have 4+ years experience doing stuff and can't get ahead

That is true to a point...but I think a lot of it has to do with your vantage point. Someone graduating now only has the vantage point of 2000ish, so many are disappointed because of this. Ten years ago, when the economy was only starting to heat up, grads had the vantage point of 1990, which was a horrible time to be graduating...much much worse than the past four years. So those grads had low expectations, and were probably pleasantly surprised.

[hotdog36]

I was reading an article that said that businesses won't even look at you if you have ever worked crap (less than $10 an hour) jobs, even if that's all you could find after college graduation. The article implied that you are better off not even working if that's all you can find, or just leave it off your resume.

[ma1939]

I was reading an article that said that businesses won't even look at you if you have ever worked crap (less than $10 an hour) jobs, even if that's all you could find after college graduation. The article implied that you are better off not even working if that's all you can find, or just leave it off your resume.
I'd like to read this article. Do you have a link for it?

[yankeeyosh]

I was reading an article that said that businesses won't even look at you if you have ever worked crap (less than $10 an hour) jobs, even if that's all you could find after college graduation. The article implied that you are better off not even working if that's all you can find, or just leave it off your resume.

Well, I don't know about that, but I would say that it would be more difficult to make a high salary if you don't make much at the beginning. If you're making something low to begin, chances are, you won't be in a high bracket at the next job, unless you go back to school in between the jobs. Companies will see your salary history, and while changing jobs usually is the best way to get a raise in pay, they will very often use your current salary as an excuse not to pay you more. Not all companies are like this...I've heard of admin assistants making $25K who jump to a $60-70K director role at their next job, but it's probably not that common.

Right now, I'm making slightly less than double what I made at my first job six years ago, but I was making a pittance then, so my current salary isn't much to write home about (especially since I'm going to have to pay $1,100 a month in rent, which will really make me broke).

[wordsmith]

I was reading an article that said that businesses won't even look at you if you have ever worked crap (less than $10 an hour) jobs, even if that's all you could find after college graduation. The article implied that you are better off not even working if that's all you can find, or just leave it off your resume.

Reputable employers tend to look more favorably on employment history than UNemployment history (provided your employment is legal, of course). I can't think of any circumstances, apart from running welfare scams, where you're better off not working if you're able. I don't buy that at all. I'd look at the article, if you have it handy, but I'll tell you right now, I don't buy it. How dedicated and hardworking do you think you'll come off if you tell a prospective employer, "Oh, that gap? Well, I could have taken x job, but it was pretty beneath me, so I decided I was probably better off just not working?" A work ethic is a work ethic, whether you're a factory grunt, an administrative assitant, or selling ballpoint pens door to door. Employers like work ethics.

[MollyMe]

I know if you take a crap job to pay the bills as an engineer, you are going to have problems finding an engineering job.

[labrat2111]

Well, I don't know about that, but I would say that it would be more difficult to make a high salary if you don't make much at the beginning. If you're making something low to begin, chances are, you won't be in a high bracket at the next job, unless you go back to school in between the jobs. Companies will see your salary history, and while changing jobs usually is the best way to get a raise in pay, they will very often use your current salary as an excuse not to pay you more.

I'd agree to a certain extent. I am searching now and I actually had my information submitted by a staffing agency for a position that pays $60-70K/year. They asked me what I made now and when I said 30K/year they told me in that case they wouldn't be able to offer me the full salary range because my present salary was low which of course is bs.

[ballzdeep9999]

That video was total bullshit.

Who here currently works their dream job for their dream salary?

If things were so great, we'd all raise our hands.

[MollyMe]

I don't think the video said college grads are getting dream jobs.

[wordsmith]

Who here currently works their dream job for their dream salary?

*raises hand for dream job part*

My dream job will never earn my dream salary...I'm okay with that, it's the sacrifice you make. It's just not a well-paid thing, but it's what I love and what I'm good at. For me, keeping my salary expectations reasonable and acknowledging that the sacrifice is worth it to me to do what I love.

[MollyMe]

I think my job is better than anything I could even dream of.