ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 8, 1996 TAG: 9612100064
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MAGGIE WELTER LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
Members of the class of 1997 can toss their tassels and caps with a little more confidence on graduation day next spring.
According to a new survey, the job market for next year's graduates looks promising, especially for those with degrees in computer science and engineering.
Job Outlook '97, a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, found that companies plan to hire almost 17 percent more college graduates next year.
In the early 1990s, the average annual increase in the number of graduates to be hired was about 4 percent. Last spring, it zoomed to 23 percent in the survey.
"This year's 17 percent increase, on top of last year, is really dramatic and gives us an indication that the next couple of years may be good as well," said Dawn Traub, director of employment information at the association.
For seniors, it's wonderful news. Jennifer Lelle, a mass communications major at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, said: "I'm thrilled to be entering the job market in May. When I was a freshman four years ago, the seniors were scared of graduation because there weren't any jobs out there. Now companies are knocking on our doors instead of the other way around."
The largest increases in job openings are expected to be in computer and technical fields. High-tech employers plan to hire 66 percent more graduates than they did last year.
"The 300 employers who took part in the study attributed the increased need for new employees to growth in demand for their products and services.
"The employers told us that in order to remain competitive and stay in tune with technology, they have to increase their work force with well-educated people," Traub said.
The rosy job outlook is a reflection of a sound economy, said William F. Mezger, senior economist with the Virginia Employment Commission. "The economy is healthy right now, and college placements sort of follow the direction of the economy," Mezger said. "Last year was the fifth year of economic recovery, and it was the best year in terms of hiring increases. I suspect 1997 will be just as good, if not better."
The increased demand for new grads has put companies' recruiting machines in overdrive. "We've seen a tremendous increase in the number of companies taking part in on-campus recruiting, our resume referral system and our career fair," said Anna Lynn Bell, director of the Office of Career Services at JMU. "So many companies wanted to participate in our career fair this year, we didn't have enough space for them all."
Old Dominion University of Norfolk, which operates a graduate center in Roanoke, also has seen an increase in recruitment activity. The number of firms recruiting on campus has increased about 15 percent this year, said Lisa Fentress, assistant director of ODU's Career Management Center.
Employers say they are scurrying to visit as many campuses as possible. "We've visited about 180 schools in the United States this year and some in Europe," said Judy Blair, vice president of recruiting and career development for American Management Systems, an information technology consulting firm based in Fairfax.
The company plans to hire about 1,100 college graduates this year, and about one-third will be placed in Northern Virginia.
Noncomputer majors aren't necessarily at a disadvantage.
AMS typically looks for graduates with information science, computer science and computer engineering degrees, but it is also hiring graduates with nontechnical degrees. "A lot of companies are competing for the same graduates, and if we limited ourselves to graduates with just IS, CS and CE degrees, we wouldn't be able to meet the number of recruits we need each year," Blair said.
Increased competition for students with technical and computer-related degrees also is speeding up the hiring process, said Sophie Ramsay, career development manager for Techmatics, a Fairfax company that helps government and commercial clients maintain their computer systems. "If you get a resume from a top student in a computer or information discipline, you have to act on it fast or someone else will get them, especially for students who have had co-op or internship experience."
Those with computer-related degrees also are expected to fare among the best in terms of salaries. "We have the highest average starting salaries on campus," said Charles Reynolds, director of the computer science department at JMU.
"Last spring, our students were getting offers in the neighborhood of $36,000, and it will probably inch even higher this year."
Peter Hesse, a senior majoring in computer science at James Madison, said he's not surprised. "I've always had a hunch that my love of computers would really pay off," Hesse said. "Society is becoming more dependent on computers, so it's only natural that there's a high demand and more money to be made for people who understand technology."
LENGTH: Medium: 88 linesby CNB