Graduating from college is an incredible accomplishment. However, the celebration of receiving a diploma is often short-lived as the pressure of finding a job sets in. The expectation of graduation to career is overwhelming, adding unnecessary stress to a young adult’s life. This blog post will act as your guide to relieve this stress, showing you the best companies to apply to as a fresh grad.
Companies That Hire the Most College Graduates
Traditionally, students will apply to the job market in their senior spring semester. In spring 2018, the tech giant, Amazon, spearheaded the list of companies that hired the most college grads. Twice as many graduates were employed by Amazon than any other company.
Following Amazon, we have Ernst & Young, or more simple EY, one of the Big Four accounting firms. If you are interested in finance and want to pursue a career with one of the “Big Four,” our Dream Mentorship podcast with Charlene Rhinehart is an incredible guide full of important tips on how to enter the industry.
The third company which hires the most college grads is Oracle Corporation, the computer software company. They have technical as well as nontechnical opportunities in the fields of Sales, Engineering and Development, Consulting, and Corporate Functions. As EY says, if you’re looking to jump-start your future and find a career you love, you’ve come to the right place.
The fourth company is Lockheed Martin, specializing in aerospace and defense. Lockheed Martin hires upwards of 2,500 recent colleges graduates a year in either full-time or internship positions. This is an incredible company to work for if you are looking for a career in Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, or Space.
What if I have a Unique Major?
Right now you may be thinking, these companies are all focused on technology or banking or engineering, but I have a different major. Will my field be as willing to hire me right out of college as the tech and finance industries? Rachel Bowley, a data scientist at LinkedIn, is here to relieve your stress. She says, "The most popular jobs for graduates cover a wide range of functions, showing the variety of entry-level positions available to students with various backgrounds and interests… So regardless of what path you may pursue, or what your ideal career may be rest assured that there are options."
Platforms that Connect Employee to Employer
Bowley mentions there are a multitude of job options, but it is important to know how to get in contact with these options. The avenues a college graduate takes to pursue a career are fundamental in their job search. These avenues are known as employment-oriented online services that connect graduates to career opportunities. LinkedIn is the most well-known, but others exist as well including Glassdoor, Indeed, and Handshake. These platforms are great ways to connect with CEOs of companies, find current job listings, and expand your networking circle.
A profile on LinkedIn is often an unspoken major requirement for a company when reviewing a candidate’s resume. Handshake is a less-known platform, but it is the #1-way college students find jobs! It was created specifically to connect students with employers. Personally, I recommend creating a profile on each of these websites. From there you can set up email notifications for specific jobs in the field you want, becoming a first come first serve applicant for the career of your dreams!
How COVID-19 is Impacting the Job Market
It is important to realize that with the current COVID-19 pandemic, the job market will not mimic the trends we have seen in the past. If you are feeling worried about your career trajectory or confused about how to navigate this changing economy, Dream Mentorship’s event on Saturday with speaker Lauren Cole, coordinator of career services at Troy University, will equip you with the skills and information to successfully enter the workforce.