Excerpt from WSJ Article by Kelsey Gee April 25, 2017
Companies say they expect to hire 5% more graduates from the Class of 2017 than they brought on last year. Parents rejoice: 2017 is shaping up to be another healthy year for college hiring. The latest forecast from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) finds that employers expect to hire 5% more graduates than they brought on last year., the eighth year in a row that companies say they will increase their college hires. Yet a separate survey of employers and college seniors suggests that, when it comes to courting recruiters, the Class of 2017 has some homework to do.
This year’s job-seeking seniors are ill-prepared for the job hunt and many coveted positions, concludes a survey of roughly 400 employers and 400 college students conducted by iCIMS Inc., a recruiting-software company. Among other things, employers reported that one-third of all applicants for entry-level roles come from unqualified candidates. More than 60% of employers in the survey said applicants ought to be more familiar with the company and industry, and must ask better interview questions. Plus, those employers say, three out of four applicants fail to send thank-you notes after interviews.