Dive Brief:
- Recent college graduates and their prospective employers may not be on the same page when it comes to issues such as salary, the gender gap and the value of a college degree, according to a new survey of 2016 grads by iCIMS, Inc., a Software-as-a-Service talent acquisition solutions provider.
- For example, the Class of 2016 Enters the Workforce survey found that while 42% of college seniors expect to earn at least $50,000, 48% of employers report paying their entry-level employees $35,000 or less.
- As for the gender gap, while 68% of graduating women feel they will earn less than $50,000, only 44% of graduating men expect to earn below that wage. As for the value of a college degree, 86% of college seniors believe their four-year degree will make them instantly competitive in the current job market, but 36% of employers said at least half of the job applicants they receive are not qualified for the position they applied to.
Dive Insight:
Susan Vitale, iCIMS chief marketing officer, noted that while the job market is improving, the report - done by Wakefield Research, which assessed responses from 400 U.S. college seniors and 400 U.S. HR recruiting professionals, demonstrates that the Class of 2016 may have some rough waters to navigate in trying to land their first job, based on their expectations revealed in the survey.
If an entry-level, college graduate candidate wants to stand out, she suggests they assess their own interview skills, familiarize themselves with the company, and ask the right questions about the position.
Vitale added that the hope is the survey offers recent graduates information they can use to better prepare themselves to land a job, and provide hiring professionals with what today's graduates are looking for from employers.
