Jobs & Starting Salaries on the Rise

Listen up kids - job prospects and starting salaries for recent college grads are trending upward, according to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey.

Here are some key stats from the survey:

• 79 percent of hiring managers say they plan to hire recent college graduates this year, up from 70 percent in 2006
• Nearly one-in-four hiring managers (24 percent) expect to hire more recent college graduates in 2007 compared to last year
• 42 percent of hiring managers anticipate increasing starting salaries for recent college graduates in 2007 and only four percent plan to decrease them
• 36 percent of managers plan to offer between $30,000 and $40,000
• 16 percent will offer between $40,000 and $50,000
• 12 percent will offer more than $50,000
• One-third of hiring managers require a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement
• One-in-ten requires a 3.5 GPA and above

What does all this mean for you, my friends? Well, a few things. First, you need to get your butt out to career fairs and meet all the recruiters who are interested in you. This will not only increase your chances of scoring a job (or at least an interview) but you'll also add a contact to your list.

Secondly, if you didn't make the grade, you still have the opportunity to sell yourself to an employer. Brent Rasmussen, Chief Operating Officer of CareerBuilder.com, offers these tips for recent college graduates in their quest to get noticed:

Do your research

As you've heard numerous times, it's important to know the nuts and bolts of the company, but you should also be familiar with the culture. Will your personality clash with others in the company or will your working styles match? These are things employers consider. In fact, 25 percent of hiring managers said that a recent college graduate who is a good fit with the company culture is the most influential factor in their hiring decision.

Don't take experiences for granted

You've probably had an internship or two, which looks great on your resume. But don't forget about all of the other things you did in college, too: Student government, volunteer work, involvement in the Greek system and team sports can all be applied as real world experience. And trust me, experience is important to these guys -  21 percent of managers cite it as the most influential factor in their decision to hire a recent college graduate. So identify things like leadership or management and highlight these  activities both in your resume and your interview.

Do show enthusiasm

Contrary to popular belief, job interviews aren't a one-way street. Preparing your own questions not only shows the interviewer that you are interested enough to do your homework but also will give you an idea if the job is something you'd even like. If that isn't enough to sway you, consider this: 21 percent of hiring managers say that asking good questions and showing enthusiasm weighs heavily on their hiring decision for recent college graduates.

For more info on job searching and interviewing, visit CBcampus.com