Recruiting Trends 2006-2007

Gardner describes this year’s job market for college grads as “bipolar,” meaning that those organizations that have been interviewing on campus and hiring students will continue to do so, and with a slight increase (8 percent). The Ball State Career Center reported a 12 percent increase in the number of employers who came to recruit on campus during the fall semester over last year’s number for the same time period. The number of positions those employers were seeking to fill increased by 15 percent during the same period.

Gardner reported that employers who currently have only preliminary hiring objectives or are still uncertain will likely reduce hiring by 6 percent and 35 percent respectively. Employers further reported that internships and co-ops are important and that companies are seeking to improve these opportunities. The Ball State Career Center offers a number of services that assist employers in identifying internship candidates, including Cardinal Job Fair in February, the on-campus interviewing program that starts February 5, and our job-posting service, Cardinal Career Link.

There are several industry sectors that plan to increase their hiring during this year. These areas are not surprising given the current events in our country and the world. Economic sectors that will be expanding their hiring include

• Defense related industries
• Utilities
• Transportation; railroad, freight, and delivery services
• Electronics
• Food manufacturing
• Medical device manufacturing
• Food and lodging

An executive summary of Gardner’s research findings is available on the Web at http://www.ceri.msu.edu/recruiting/recruiting.html.