The National Association of Colleges and Employers issued its Job Outlook 2006 report predicting employment rates to increase 14.5 percent during the 2005-2006 year.
Katherine Stahl, executive director of the Career Center, said the 500 students and employers who participated in last week's School of International Service Career Week are "exemplary of what is going on in terms of the job market heating up a bit. Indicators for abundant employment opportunities are very strong for this spring."
The past three years have shown increases in college hiring - 12.7 percent in 2004, 13.1 percent in 2005 and now 14.5 percent in 2006, according to Andrea Koncz, employment information manager for NACE.
At the SIS reception, culminating the SIS career week, Booz Allen Hamilton, a large public and private consulting firm, and 60 other employers and alumni offered jobs to the 100 students who attended. Stahl said Booz Allen Hamilton alone has 857 active jobs for undergraduate and graduate students on their web site.
More than nine out of 10 employers polled in this annual survey see the job market as good, very good or excellent, according to the report. Public accounting and consulting firms offer the most positions for college grads, followed by engineering and surveying firms, construction firms and financial services companies.
The report also showed that the demands for top bachelor's degrees employers are mechanical and electrical engineering. On the master's degree level, master's of business administration are in high demand.
Stahl stressed the importance of creating a professional resume and cover letter and posting them on AU's CareerWeb.
"No matter how many internships a student may have, if they don't have their resume critiqued, they will be at a disadvantage," she said. "We can help students with resumes and cover letters, making them look professional and position all your information very well."
Jacqueline Ingber, a senior in the School of Public Affairs, can attest to the resources the Career Center offers.
"I have a job right now that I got off of a posting on the Career Center Web site that, if I want, I can stay with full-time after graduation," Ingber said.
Jonathan Berman, a senior in SIS, said the Career Center was a good job resource.
"They've been really good to me," Berman said. "I went over the summer and they totally revamped my resume. Now it looks awesome."
Berman said he has also found Craigslist, USA Jobs and the SIS listserv to be helpful in finding job opportunities.
Stahl also noted the helpful resources career advisers can offer students.
"Our career advisors are divided by school and college, and so we can help students in each unique area of interest," Stahl said.
For more information about the Career Center and its offerings, visit their Web site at www.american.edu/careercenter. Also, for information on job opportunities and to post resumes, visit the CareerWeb Web site at http://www.american.edu/careercenter/aucareerweb.html.
