Demand for University of Colorado Boulder graduates continues to grow, with the number of companies posting full-time jobs on the CU-Boulder campus jumping 28 percent in the 2011-12 school year, compared with pre-recession numbers in 2006.
The number of postings for part-time jobs also jumped, increasing 37 percent, while the number of internships for CU students increased by 50 percent.
“While it may be surprising to many people, we’ve continued to see growth in our job postings throughout the recession,” said Lisa Severy, director of CU-Boulder’s Career Services office.
A number of factors have contributed to the healthy increase, according to Severy.
“We have certainly put a great deal of time and energy into building employer relationships across the region and nationally,” she said. “In addition, we have heard from some recruiters who were scaling back their on-campus interviewing programs by only going to a handful of schools. With the power of CU’s reputation, we’ve stayed on those ‘preferred schools’ lists.”
Technical skills remain in high demand, but Severy said many companies also are looking for strong employees in “education mode” who can be quickly trained in a new industry.
“That’s why most of the recruiters we work with are not particularly interested in one major or another, but are more interested in skill sets like customer service, communication, social media skills and the ability to work in teams that new college graduates are especially suited for,” Severy said.
For students graduating in December or next May, Severy recommends starting early and using all the tools at their disposal when it comes to the job search.
“The key is to connect with as many folks as possible and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves,” she said. “The tools are a little different today – like using LinkedIn in addition to your resume and networking – but the strategy is the same.”
The fall career and internship fair for CU-Boulder students and alumni will be held Sept. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Memorial Center. The fair is open only to CU-Boulder students and alumni.
All CU-Boulder students are encouraged to build their profiles in LinkedIn and use group such as the Forever Buffs LinkedIn Group (CU-Boulder students and alumni). With almost 19,000 members (all Forever Buffs) and growing this is a great resource for current students to ask questions and start building their professional network.