Since 2007, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has published a student survey, which covers college student expectations, plans and activities as they relate to employment.
The main audience for the survey is college seniors, as they get ready to embark on their post-college plans. The 2011 NACE Student Survey Report provides a snapshot of these students’ career and personal priorities.
The report also serves to reinforce the continuing need for increased connectedness between academics (high school and post-secondary) and exploratory opportunities in the real world. A few interesting highlights from this survey include:
The Class of 2011 has the largest percentage of graduates aiming to avoid the workforce, and to avoid graduate/professional school than any class in recent memory.
Of the 19 majors covered in the survey, seven have more than 25 percent of their seniors approaching graduation with little or no idea of what they plan to do after they receive their degrees.
There are some significant changes in the attributes graduates want to see in an employer/job. For example, students prefer the opportunity for personal growth and development over opportunity for advancement. (Think horizontal over traditional vertical career growth.)
As for success with the job search, students’ choice of majors determined offers and rate.
Students graduating in pre-professional majors did better than their liberal arts and science major peers, and majors involving technical skills earned the overall highest rates.
Research shows parents are the No. 1 influencer on their teen’s career choice and plans for their future. Nurturing a child’s interests and passions while growing up will encourage them to pursue their inquisitiveness with excitement. Keep in mind, however, this is not the same job landscape in which you grew up. The next generation of employees thinks differently about what is encompassed by the meaning of work.
Instead of identifying a single career, such as becoming a doctor, this next generation seeks to combine their interests, philanthropic passion, new learning and work all together. It’s as if they are collecting fresh vegetables for dinner—each new experience or opportunity serves as one ingredient in a much bigger pot. Coupled with a global job market playing field, more students have entrepreneurial aspirations, and are able to reach a broader audience with their keen social media and overall technology skills.
Choosing a career is difficult for many teens, especially given the uncertainty of jobs and industries today. However, choosing areas of interest and passion is much easier and instinctive, and they can be parlayed into careers/jobs that may not even exist right now.
In fact, a recent Forbes article discussed the challenges associated with IT jobs, and how cloud computing is changing the face of IT in many ways. Ever heard of a cloud specialist or cloud alliance manager? You will. These job titles are only a small piece of an emerging group of professionals (and jobs), which are just now evolving as a result of changes in technology, consumer behavior and many other market drivers. There’s a lot more to come.
Connecting the dots was easier in my day. Less options and technology made for fairly straightforward decisions about careers. Today’s teens have many resources and options at their fingertips, but nothing ever takes the place of good mentors (and community partners and employers), who can help students interpret the job landscape and piece together their futures.
For more information, contact Mary of AZ Leaders and Learners at (480) 329-0450.