Approximately 55 percent of entry-level businesses are planning to hire more college graduates in 2007 than they hired in 2006, according to a recent survey from CollegeGrad.com.
Rae Ann Bories-Easley, AU's outreach and marketing director for the Career Center, said students can access CollegeGrad.com as a link through AU's Career Web site.
"We encourage students to use the AU career Web site as well as other job posting sites that are geared towards students at other entry-level jobs," Bories said.
According to Bories, 47 percent of AU seniors had jobs within three months after graduation last year while others either traveled or went to graduate school.
"The national average is also 47 percent, so we're right in there," Bories said.
Bories said she feels AU students are finding jobs easily because of experience through AU internships.
"Our students are in many ways ahead of the game because of internships," she said. "They compete well because they have good r?sum?s after they graduate."
Aaron Bregman, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences who plans on going to graduate school, said he used the Career Center for help with his r?sum?, contacts and internships.
"I think [the Career Center advisers] are good people, and they do a good job," Bregman said. "I think internships help with experience. They allow you to put something on your r?sum? and find out what you like and don't like."
David Manchester, a senior in the School of International Service, is planning on getting a job either working for a politician in D.C., a campaign or a political organization after graduating this spring.
Manchester has used the Career Center's search engine before to find an internship.
"However, now I tend to seek out jobs instead of waiting for them to post ads and use former employers and friends in D.C. to hear about positions," Manchester said.
Bories said there is an increase in the number of employers attending the AU Fall Job and Internship Fair, which is next Wednesday.
"We've asked our job fair employers, and they say they are hiring at least as many if not more student graduates than the year before," Bories said.
More than 120 employers are attending the fair, making it the largest fall fair ever, Bories said.
The AU Job and Internship Fair will be held from 1-5 p.m. in Bender Arena. For more information, visit the Career Center's Web site at www.american.edu/careercenter.
