JOB MARKET FOR 1998 GRADUATES STRONG;MANY ALREADY HAVE A JOB AFTER GRADUATION

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- For many students graduating this spring from Indiana University, the search for a first job was over by Christmas, particularly those with degrees in computer science and business, according to campus placement directors.

Recruiters are extending job offers earlier than before, perhaps out of competitive desire to hire the best graduates. "The recruiting season has really moved out of the spring semester and into the fall semester," noted C. Randall Powell, director of placement and assistant dean of the Kelley School of Business at IU. "We've had a 10 to 12 percent increase in the number of interviews conducted on campus during the fall semester."

Alan McNabb, director of the Arts and Sciences Placement Office at IU, concurred. "I find the same is true for our computer science, mathematics and cognitive science graduates," he said. "The majority of our students in those fields were placed by the first of January.

"The outlook for the rest of our graduates is very positive," he continued. "We have more companies coming to campus than ever before, and we continue to see the majority of our recruiting in the spring semester for those graduating with a liberal arts degree."

From his perspective, Powell said that a degree in business "right now is the hottest thing in town, next to engineering curriculums." He attributed the surge in placement to the economy and a fundamental value shift in employment skills. "The economy is a big portion of it, but also there is a changing need for certain types of people -- in other words, young people who know how to deal with technology."

In the Kelley School of Business, "computer information systems majors have been most popular," Powell said. "I don't know if we're going to have 20 percent of the class left to do any interviews during the spring semester. They're out of the market."

Similarly, very few seniors majoring in computer science through the College of Arts and Sciences have not already found a job that will start after graduation. Many students in other COAS disciplines also are benefitting from this tremendous demand.

"A phenomenon we're finding often is with companies that are frustrated because they can't find enough students in computer science or other technical disciplines. Due to the limited number of these graduates," McNabb said, "the companies are turning to graduates from other majors that require an analytical mind, such as mathematics, physics, cognitive science, music and even some liberal arts disciplines, where the students are required to use quantitative abilities. These graduates can easily be taught techniques that are very consistent with the skills set they gained in their coursework.

"Since it has been a strong market for students in the last couple of years, what's happening is that people are beginning to realize that many of the traditions that existed in the past -- that you had to have a certain major to do a certain job -- are less important," he added. If employers "can find the right mind, the right energy level and enthusiasm, they'll hire graduates from non-traditional majors."

Over the last five years, the number of recruiters working with the COAS Placement Office has grown from 27 to more than 400 this year, including those at on-campus job fairs. At the School of Business, more than 600 companies have conducted over 18,000 interviews.

McNabb and Powell, who together have more than 60 years of experience in finding jobs for IU students, warn that those looking forward to graduation shouldn't become complacent about their grades and job experience right now.

The present job market is much different from the booming 1980s, when companies were filling slots with people having basic skills, only to downsize them a few years later. Companies are now looking for people with specific technical skills, Powell said.

"They're (companies) still being highly selective," he said. "They want good people. They aren't just going out to hire numbers."

Starting salaries are up, on average 5 to 7 percent, which is a considerable change from just a few years ago when starting salaries increased at about the rate of inflation, closer to 3 percent.

Recent statistics on job placement for the Midwest, released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, support McNabb and Powell's observations. For example, the average starting salary for computer science undergraduates will be $40,417, and for those with computer information systems degrees, $38,200.

Starting salaries for those with a bachelor's degree in other fields, according to NACE, include: accounting, $32,407; environmental science, $27,533; physics, $39,743; allied health, $33,427; secondary education, $25,276; marketing, $28,000; social sciences, $26,944; sociology, $26,930; and psychology, $25,772. NACE reported that 69.5 percent of employers they surveyed planned to increase new graduate hiring, and 27.4 percent plan to maintain their hiring levels.

For many Kelley School of Business graduates, those numbers will be even higher. CIS majors at IU will earn $41,000; accounting and finance, $36,000; operations, $37,200; marketing, $34,000; and management, $32,000.

While students are encountering more job offers, this hasn't factored much into these increased starting salaries. "I don't think that the students are in a position to do a lot of negotiating," Powell said. "What they are finding is that there are more offers. They're able to be more selective."

In recent years, both the university and employers have needed to be more creative. The Business Placement Office has been successful in identifying job opportunities for graduating students and alumni through the nation's largest and most popular online job listing services, Jobtrak. It and the COAS Placement Office offer potential employers access to student resumes through their Web sites.

"The Internet has allowed us to connect students and alumni with employers in ways we could only imagine a few years back," Powell said. "Our students are extremely comfortable with the Web, and utilizing our Jobtrak database has become one of the primary methods of searching for employment."

While both placement offices offer many resources, special classes and access to recruiters, Powell said students are increasingly using e-mail and Web pages to explore career options. "We're seeing a lot more communications with employers through e-mail and Web sites," he said. "Practically any company of any size has a careers section on their Web site."

The placement office has "the best Housekeeping Seal of Approval of what's out there, as it relates to employment promises and capabilities," he added. The Web "is going to supplement what we do. Our role is to teach students how to fish. We are moving away from providing them a job at graduation."

(George Vlahakis, 812-855-0846 or 812-855-3911, gvlahaki@indiana.edu)

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