Job Outlook 2019

Best Initial Hiring Outlook Since the Class of 2007

Good News for 2019 graduates!  According to the National Association for Colleges and Employers’ 2019 Job Outlook survey, U.S. college hiring is expected to increase by almost 17 percent.  Employers with plans to increase their new college hiring cited early talent/succession planning among the reasons for the increase.  Many of the respondents in this group also reported that they plan to concentrate on converting more interns to full-time hires.

Furthermore, 50 percent of employers from the Mideast region are expecting to increase their college hiring and 35.7 percent are expecting to maintain their college hiring.  The Mideast has an overall, projected increase in the number of college hires reported in the double-digits at just about 18 percent.

Resume Tips to Help You Stand Out!

For many employers, a well-written resume is what catches their attention.  In fact, 80% of the 2019 Job Outlook survey respondents seek proof of strong written communication skills through a candidate’s resume.  In addition to strong written communication skills, employers are also rely on the resume to demonstrate a candidate’s problem-solving skills and ability to work in a team.

When it comes to choosing between two (or more) equally qualified candidates, employers looks for attributes on a candidate’s resume that influence their decision.  At the top of the list, employers rank having completed an internship as being the most influential attribute when selecting one candidate over another.  In order of most influential to least, employers also noted that they look for the following attributes on a candidate’s resume:

• Has completed an internship within organization
• Has internship experience within industry
• Major
• Has held a leadership position
• Has general work experience
• Has been involved in extracurricular activities (clubs, sports, student government, etc.)
• High GPA (3.0 or above)
• School attended
• Has done volunteer work
• Is fluent in a foreign language
• Has studied abroad

Take Action

With college hiring increasing in 2019, it’s important for graduating students to be engaged with the Career Services offices in their college/school.  At Montclair State University, each college/school has its own designated career services office, designed to connect you with career and internship opportunities in your field of study!  There are many ways to connect with career services!  Here are a few that we recommend:

• Meet with a career counselor: you may not know where to look or how to start your job or internship search.  From freshman year to graduation, the career counselors in your college/school are there to support you at all stages of your career development.
• Upload your resume on Hire a Red Hawk: When you upload your resume, it is automatically routed to your career services office for review and feedback.  As you can see from the 2019 Job Outlook Survey, it’s important to have a competitive, well-written resume to making a lasting, first impression on hiring employers.  Take advantage of this free resource as you begin your job and internship search!
• Attend the Spring 2019 Career and Internship Fairs: Career Services will be hosting industry-specific career and internship fairs throughout the spring semester. Employers from various organizations will be on campus recruiting students and alumni for full-time, part-time and internship opportunities!
• Complete an Internship Before You Graduate: Year-over-year employers report that having internship experience is the most influential attribute when making hiring selections.  This year, employers report that they are planning to increase the number of full-time job offers that they extend to their interns.  Having completed an internship gives you a competitive edge when entering the job market.
• Attend Career Development Workshops: Did you know that career services at Montclair State offers you career development workshop almost every week in the spring semester?  By attending these workshops, you can learn the most effective and efficient ways to achieve your short- and long-term career goals.
• Assess Yourself and Your Career Readiness: When evaluating candidates, it’s clear that there are core competencies that are important to employers.  Have you ever taken the time to evaluate your strengths, values and interests?  It’s an important step in your career development and career services offers a free, easy-to-use self assessment tool.

Career Services is here to help you!  Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or set up an appointment to learn how to take advantage of the resources we offer.

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers (2018). Job Outlook 2019. Retrieved from http://www.naceweb.org/store/2018/job-outlook-2019/