Real world doesn't look so bad for college grads

As Charleston area college graduates wave goodbye to campus life and prepare to enter the real world in the coming months, they can take comfort that someone is looking out for them.

Employers, that is.

Nationwide, businesses plan to hire nearly 20 percent more new college grads in 2006-07 than they did in the previous period, according to recent a survey of 243 companies by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

"Employers cited business growth and expansion as reasons for the increase in hiring," said Marilyn Mackes, the association's director. "In addition, many reported plans to put more emphasis on college hiring this year."

Graduates in business, engineering and computer-related fields have the most abundant job prospects, the group found.

Locally, college career centers reported strong demand from employers in accounting, engineering, construction, health care, technology, teaching and hospitality.

"The market in Charleston continues to get better" for college grads, said Brent Stewart, career center director at The Citadel. He pointed to high-paying manufacturing outfits such as Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. that have landed in the area in recent years.

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, or SPAWAR, is another major employer of recent college grads, hiring about 100 "new professionals" a year. Recruitment remains active thanks to a growing U.S. Department of Defense and the need to fill jobs vacated by aging workers, said spokesman Lonnie Cowart.

The organization, which among other duties serves as a contracting arm of the Navy, has a particular need for grads with skills in engineering and information technology, Cowart said. The average starting salary: about $46,000.

Local opportunities aside, many graduates prefer to expand their job search to bigger cities out of state, where they feel they have more job possibilities and the potential to earn higher incomes, career counselors said. Charlotte and Atlanta are among the most popular destinations.

College of Charleston graduate Kristin Trace is heading even farther for her job, but not for the money. This summer, the education major will travel to Thailand for a two-year stint teaching the children of missionaries.

"It just fell into my hands," she said of the job, which pays about $1,200 a month.

Trace, 21, learned of the opportunity through Campus Outreach, a small-school ministry she got involved in while at the college, which holds its commencement ceremony today. As part of the program, she worked in Thailand last summer, an experience that led to the teaching job.

Besides four-year students such as Trace, graduates of two-year schools also are in high demand, with most finding work locally, said Brian Almquist, director of career and employment services at Trident Technical College.

Employers value the specialized, hands-on training the school's students receive, Almquist said. Among the most sought-after grads are those with machining or culinary and hospitality degrees, he said. A nationwide shortage of nurses also has health care employers scrambling to fill vacancies, he said.

Nursing grads, he said, "can just walk out and name their price tag."

Generally speaking, college graduates have better employment prospects than the average U.S. job hunter. In April, people with a bachelor's degree or higher had a 1.7 percent unemployment rate compared with a 4.1 percent rate for high school grads without a college degree, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The national unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in April.

Another reason for graduates to toss their caps in joy: Entry-level pay is on the rise.

At the bachelor's degree level, average starting salaries were up for graduates in 26 out of 29 majors, the National Association of Colleges and Employers reported. The biggest jumps were in marketing and business administration, where recent college grads were getting average offers of about $41,000 (up 10.3 percent from spring 2006) and $44,000 (up 7.5 percent), respectively.

Chemical engineering majors scored the biggest paychecks at almost $60,000 a year.

Nonetheless, a high starting salary isn't the key selling point for many job-seeking college grads. Among their top reasons for picking an employer are enjoyment of the work, fair treatment of employees, ethical business practices and good benefits, a study by NACE found.

A generous benefits package has helped mobile communications company Verizon Wireless attract new college graduates to its 1,100-employee call center in North Charleston, said spokesman Howard Waterman.

"Four-year college grads are extremely desirable," he said.

The average starting salary for a call center worker is about $26,000 a year. Verizon supplements its wages with perks, including immediate health and retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement and profit sharing. Many of the company's call centers also offer amenities such as on-site gyms. Another attraction is the opportunity to move up in the ranks, Waterman said.

"Career advancement is something we stress to new hires," he said.

Despite employers' strong appetites for college talent these days, graduates shouldn't expect a job to fall into their laps, according to local campus career counselors, who offered some advice:

--While still in school, students should take advantage of internships, job-shadowing programs and mentoring to burnish their academic credentials with hands-on experience, said Denny Ciganovic, director of the College of Charleston's career center.

--Network with alumni, friends, family and other contacts. "Talk to anybody and everybody that will help you in making a good decision," said Stewart of The Citadel.

--Participate in mock job interviews and learn how to present yourself professionally to prospective employers.

--Be sure resumes and cover letters are up to date and error-free.

--Research fields and companies of interest before heading into interviews.

"Employers expect people to be a little more savvy these days," Ciganovic said.

Reach Caroline Fossi at 937-5524 or cfossi@postandcourier.com.