About three-quarters doubt they’ll find the jobs they want after earning their sheepskins this year.
By Garry Kranz Comments 0 | Recommend 0
Go to School, Get a Job ... Maybe: College graduates aren’t leaving school
with the usual rosy outlook that they will make a difference in the world. In
fact, nearly 75 percent of U.S. college graduates see a bleak job market this
year stemming from an uncertain economy, finds a new study by Accenture. Most
graduates (73 percent) say they remain without a post-graduation jobs, a
particularly difficult problem for the roughly two-thirds who are carrying
student loans. In the meantime, nearly one in three graduates acknowledge they
will live with Mom and Dad until they can get their feet on independent
ground.
Even so, the new workers aren’t slacking off on their demands for rewarding
salaries and benefits, cited by about 85 percent of respondents. They also want
interesting jobs that engage their skills—a priority for nearly 70 percent—while
slightly more than half desire supervisors who will serve as coaches or mentors.
Nearly half of the graduates (46 percent) expect to work less than 40 hours a
week, with 37 percent openly concerned their new employers will attempt to
overwork them. The sobering portrait painted by soon-to-be graduates is in
contrast to widespread belief of a looming worker shortage.
Workforce Management contributing editor Garry Kranz is based in Richmond, Virginia. E-mail editors@workforce.com to comment.
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