Jobs look good for ‘08 grads

April 7, 2008
Jobs look good for ‘08 grads

By Beverly Clark

Despite dismal reports about the national economy, Emory seniors are finding a strong job market and opportunities to use their hard-earned degrees and skills in the work force.

“This was one of our strongest recruiting seasons ever. It seems contrary to what we’re reading, but our students are getting hired,” says Kori Neville, associate director of the Career Center. Over the past two years, there has been a 60 percent increase in the number of companies recruiting on campus.

Although employers are not sure how the credit crunch will play out, “they don’t want to make the mistake of freezing all hiring as they did after 9/11, and limit talent from Emory and other schools from their pipeline,” Neville says.

Government hiring also is strong, due in part to current and impending baby-boomer retirements. The biggest single employer remains Teach for America, which has hired 31 students.

For Goizueta Business School, the undergraduate class of 2008 “is doing better than you would expect. Current economic factors may have more of an impact on next year’s class, but our stance is that the job market is always competitive, so we take the proactive approach to cultivate more opportunities for our students,” says Kim Molee, associate director of the BBA Career Management Center.

Student internships, which often lead directly to jobs, are a high priority for Goizueta, which has a goal of 100 percent participation. A majority of students have internships lined up for this summer, which will help them next year, Molee says.

Liberal arts majors are in demand as well; more than 90 percent of the companies that recruit on Emory’s campus are looking for all majors.

For biology major Nicole Miller, a passionate interest in biostatics has led to a job in Washington, D.C., with a consulting firm. She used the Career Center’s Eagle Opportunities Network to find the job posting, then took advantage of the center’s mock interview training and resume consulting to prepare. Phone calls to alumni working with the firm also helped her get her foot in the door. “Being proactive really made a difference. It was very competitive,” Miller says.

Miller is one of many students who are taking the right steps to land jobs with their liberal arts background, Neville says. “With their education and the critical thinking skills they have gained, liberal arts majors can work in multiple fields. The challenge for them is figuring out how to focus and tailor their talents for a particular industry or field.”

Emory’s formal and informal alumni networks are also an important factor in getting students placed. “Emory alums are doing a lot of great work in making sure the Emory brand remains strong in the marketplace,” Neville says.