Increase in college grad hires

[motuterry]

With all the negative employment news as of late, I thought you might enjoy reading one offering a more positive spin.

Employers Plan to Hire More College Grads - AOL Small Business

[ryoder]

My company is hiring and we are having a hard time finding quality people.
The job market is fine in the computer and information systems sector and has been since 2009. There really never was a major unemployment problem for knowledge workers. The problem is in construction and manufacturing and is now trickling down to some government jobs imho.

[bawhitsett]

My company is hiring and we are having a hard time finding quality people.
The job market is fine in the computer and information systems sector and has been since 2009. There really never was a major unemployment problem for knowledge workers. The problem is in construction and manufacturing and is now trickling down to some government jobs imho.

In some of the *best* job markets (i.e., in Texas) that I was monitoring during the height of the recession posted infrastructure support jobs were down to about a 10th of what they were from the year before. They have recovered somewhat in number but there are a great many more contract positions being posted than regular, full-time ones. I'm staying employed for the moment in Houston but am still working contract positions 6 months after a move, despite an excellent resume and work history, relevant education and certifications, and being a decent interviewer.

[skybirds]

Since a degree is a prerequist to a job I still expect a higher wage. I'm
enjoying working towards a degree. I would have much prefered taking
other post secondary courses that would have benefited me more. I'm
unofficially not letting anyone off the hook. I do expect to get a premium
pay for my sacrifice and will let my need be known.

[TheCommuter]

Disclaimer: I am not bashing public schools. In fact, I attended mediocre public schools from kindergarten all the way through high school, so I am a product of this system. Now that I've gotten the forewarning out of my system...

Over the years, too many people have graduated from public high schools with basic reading and math skills that are at or below the sixth grade level. In my humble opinion, this recent uptick in the hiring of college graduates has more to do with weeding out a certain class of individuals (read: functional illiterates and marginal literates). For example, positions such as administrative assistants, sales representatives, child day care instructors, chefs, group home workers, and restaurant managers were once considered entry-level. People could obtain these jobs in the past with only a high school education if they interviewed well and were loyal to the business or company for a few short years.

Nowadays, the slight majority of the administrative assistants that I've met since 2008 have an associates or bachelors degree. Many decent sales positions are now requiring a degree. Many preschools and day care centers will not hire an instructor unless they have at least an AA in early child education. Many of the people who own group homes are looking for employees who have at least a BA. With all of the chefs flooding the market due to dreams fueled by the Food Network, some of the better restaurants are requiring an associates degree in culinary arts. Finally, it is hard to break into restaurant management without some type of degree in business, food science, or culinary arts.

The days where a person could graduate from high school, obtain a good entry-level job with middle-class comforts, work at the same place for 35 to 40 years, and retire comfortably are over. Everyone doesn't need to attend college (enlisted military, plumbers, electricians, small business owners, etc.), but it is becoming necessary to get a foot in the door in this day and age.