Like most college seniors this time of year, Savannahian Catherine Lentz is stressing out. But not for the reasons you might expect.
The Georgia Southern University student will graduate Saturday with a degree in psychology and, at last count, seven job offers.
“I’m so excited to have all these opportunities,” she said. “While I’m stressed about making the right decision, it’s a fantastic problem to have.”
So far, offers have ranged from local communication firms to companies as far away as California, including several national names.
Lentz credits GSU career development specialist Donna Lowe and the university’s career center for the successful job hunt.
“I wouldn’t have had most of these opportunities if it hadn’t been for her and Eagle Expo Career Fair,” she said.
Lentz is not alone.
Savannah State University business marketing major Xavius Davis is deciding between two national companies as he begins his career in sales management.
“I can’t say enough about the college of business administration at SSU,” he said Friday, as he wrapped up last minute assignments before graduation next weekend.
“Everyone from the dean on down is invested in making sure we each get the skills and knowledge we need to succeed.”
Davis said the college also brings in speakers and employers interested in hiring.
“The caliber of companies that come here to recruit speaks volumes about the program,” the Milledgeville native said.
Lentz and Davis are part of a larger story playing out across the country, as the Class of 2015 is enjoying one of the best job markets for new college graduates since the Great Recession.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, companies are set to hire nearly
10 percent more new grads than they did last year. A survey of employers conducted last fall by Michigan State University was even more encouraging, indicating hiring will jump 16 percent and could go as high as 20 percent over last year.
“Hiring demand has been pent up for a while now,” said Phil Gardner, director of Michigan State’s College Employment Research Institute, which conducted the survey. “The last couple of years have been positive but they were not strong, runaway markets.”
Philip Bruce, director of career services at Georgia Southern, agrees that an improving economic outlook is a significant factor. But, from his perspective, it’s certainly not the only one.
“A lot of our success has come from the substantial increase in resources and staff for the office of career services at GSU,” Bruce said. “This commitment came directly from the top – President (Brooks) Keel and Teresa Thompson, our vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.
That commitment led to the restructuring of the office of career services, Bruce said, allowing the university to triple its career development staff over the last four years and focus a team of professionals on employer engagement and career development for students.
The results are in the numbers, which have been getting stronger in each of the last few years, he said.
The 2013/2014 academic year brought a total of 471 employers to campus for various job fairs and recruiting. This past academic year, that number had grown to 605.
At Armstrong State University, director of career services George Lantzounis said he’s getting between five and 10 job postings a day from regional employers.
“They’re coming with jobs to offer,” he said, estimating the university has hosted upwards of 150 employers on campus this school year.
“Most of our students are finding jobs, especially in the health professions and business areas,” Lantzounis said. “In the healthcare arena, the Armstrong brand has wide recognition in the Southeast, so those students are finding a wide range of opportunities from which to choose.”
Lantzounis said he saw no reason the job market shouldn’t stay strong as the economy continues to grow, but he had some advice for rising juniors and seniors.
“The students I still see struggling to find a job are the ones with no relevant experience,” he said. “Working part-time or interning, even if it’s unpaid, for a company you’d like to work for is often the foot-in-the-door that leads to that good job.
“I have so many students ask ‘How can I get a good job when they all require experience?’
“But I’ve seen any number of companies waiving that requirement for interns whose skill set and work ethic they already know.”
Scott Williams, executive director of the career center at the University of Georgia, agreed.
“Even with a strong job market, students still have to work to make themselves marketable,” he said, adding that getting that first entry-level job is like getting in shape.
“You don’t go to the gym, snap your fingers and automatically get fit,” Williams said. “You have to exercise when you come to the Career Center.
“It’s extremely important for students to meet with their career consultants to have their resume critiqued, participate in a mock interview, attend career workshops, career fairs and take part in the on-campus interview program.
“The more effort you put into it, the more likely your results are going to be positive on the backside.”