[January 08, 2013]

Students Test Skills in a Market Ready to Hire

College students are putting the finishing touches on their resumes for the annual Santa Clara University Winter Career Fair, hoping to take advantage of national data showing employers plan to hire more new grads in 2013. Dozens of companies will be recruiting some of Silicon Valley's brightest young minds at the Locatelli Student Center January 9 from 4 to 7 p.m.

The latest survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers says companies plan to hire 13 percent more new grads this year than last.

"They're looking for employees who are well-rounded, and can play well with others," says Elspeth Rossetti, director of the SCU Career Ceter. "Santa Clara University emphasizes educating the whole person so, besides being polished and well-educated, SCU grads have the 'soft skills,' the interpersonal skills, and the work ethic that make them successful in the workplace."

Google, Cisco, and Apple are the top three companies who hire Santa Clara University graduates. The SCU Career Center reports that among Santa Clara graduates Google (News - Alert) actually hires more arts and sciences majors than engineering majors. According to Rossetti, it's a good reminder for any job-seeker to keep options open.

"Students sometimes self-select themselves out of opportunities, but they should remember to think outside their major. Tech companies often hire arts and sciences majors and many companies are looking for engineers, especially for computer science," says Rossetti.

Rossetti emphasizes that while computer and electrical engineers are in demand, companies are also looking at finance, marketing, and communication majors. There's also a good market for business and data analysts, and the retail market has picked up.

About 70 companies are taking part in the 2013 winter career fair including Cisco, AT&T (News - Alert), Oracle, and Gap,Inc. Many companies waited to see the resolution of the fiscal cliff to decide their ability to recruit in 2013, but hundreds of positions are now posted on company sites and the SCU Career Center's student-facing website.

Students, faculty and staff will be available for media interviews.

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