BEYOND ACADEMIA EMPLOYER OPINIONS OF GRAD STUDENTS
Employer Survey - Part I Staff members in the UW Career Center are interested in enhancing graduate students’ readiness for the job market and improving employers’ access to graduate-level talent. In November 2006, we elicited employer input regarding graduate-level job candidates. An online survey was sent to 298 employers who had posted a job in our online job/internship database (HuskyJobs) during autumn quarter and had indicated an interest in graduate students. Sixty-eight employers responded (22.8%). Of the 68 respondents, usable data was obtained from 47 employers. The results of the survey are provided below. The numbers represent the percentages of respondents who provided each answer. The responses in each table are listed in descending order according to response frequency.
WHAT SECTOR DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION REPRESENT? Corporate Non-profit Government Education Other
70.2 17.0 14.9 4.3 4.3
WHEN CONSIDERING UPCOMING HIRES, WHAT PERCENTAGE WILL LIKELY BE INDIVIDUALS WITH MASTER’S OR DOCTORAL DEGREES? 0% 0 1-20% 53.2 21-40% 25.5 41-60% 19.1 61-80% 2.1 81-100% 0 **NOTE: Those who indicated 0% were filtered out.
WHAT TYPES OF GRADUATE STUDENTS DO YOU RECRUIT? Master’s level 100 Doctoral level 34 Other 8.5 **NOTE: Those who indicated “Other” and indicated in the comments section that this question did not apply to them were filtered out. Page 1 of 9
GRAD STUDENTS COULD FIND EMPLOYMENT WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION IN WHICH REGIONS? Pacific Northwest West Southeast Midwest Mid-Atlantic Northeast International South Southwest Upper Midwest Other
87.2 31.9 21.3 19.1 19.1 19.1 19.1 17.0 14.9 14.9 2.1
WHAT METHODS DO YOU USE TO RECRUIT MASTER’S AND DOCTORAL LEVEL EMPLOYEES? University job boards 78.7 Referrals from current employees 76.6 Referrals from friends, colleagues, family, etc 61.7 Professional associations 53.2 General job boards (monster, careerbuilder, etc) 53.2 Contacting specific academic departments 51.1 University career fairs 51.1 On-campus recruiting 48.9 Niche job boards 34.0 Other university events (panels, etc) 29.8 Staffing agencies 21.3 Other 0 **NOTE: Participants were recruited through our university job board, which should be taken into consideration when reviewing the findings from this question.
WHAT MAJORS DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING MASTER’S AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS? Business Engineering All Majors Social Sciences Humanities Information School Arts Natural Sciences Page 2 of 9
44.7 42.6 23.4 8.5 8.5 8.5 6.4 6.4
Education Public Affairs Public Health & Community Medicine Forest Resources Nursing Ocean & Fishery Sciences Social Work Law Medicine Pharmacy Architecture & Urban Planning Dentistry Other
6.4 6.4 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 14.9
WHAT EXPERIENCES WOULD AN IDEAL MASTER’S OR DOCTORAL LEVEL CANDIDATE POSSESS? Related full-time work experience Related internships or part-time work experience Other employment experience Research experience Volunteer experience Study or work abroad Other
83.0 78.7 34.0 34.0 25.5 14.9 4.3
WHAT SKILLS/QUALITIES DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING MASTER’S & DOCTORAL STUDENTS? Communication skills (verbal) Teamwork skills (works well with others) Analytical skills Strong work ethic Interpersonal skills (relates well to others) Communication skills (written) Motivation / initiation Honesty / integrity Flexibility / adaptability Organizational skills Leadership skills Computer skills Self-confidence Tactfulness Creativity Page 3 of 9
95.7 87.2 83.0 83.0 83.0 78.7 76.6 74.5 72.3 72.3 70.2 68.1 61.7 55.3 53.2
Well-mannered / polite 51.1 Detail-oriented 44.7 Friendly / outgoing personality 44.7 Sense of humor 42.6 Good GPA 40.4 Entrepreneurial skills / risk-taker 29.8 Other [see below] 6.4 **NOTE: The options provided were based on the NACE Job Outlook 2006 survey. **NOTE: Additional skills listed by employers: a. Deals with ambiguity b. Learning agility c. Comfortable in multi-cultural setting d. Ability to work without close supervision e. Adventurous
HOW CAN UNIVERSITIES BETTER PREPARE MASTER’S AND DOCTORAL LEVEL CANDIDATES FOR THE WORLD OF WORK? Identifying & articulating skills 55.3 First year on the job preparation 53.2 Interviewing 48.9 Resume writing 40.4 Networking strategies 40.4 Cover letter writing 19.1 Job search methods 17.0 Job offer & salary negotiations 14.9 Etiquette (dining, fashion, etc) 6.4 Other [see below] 12.8 **NOTE: Additional ideas provided by employers: a. Multi-cultural opportunities (i.e. student population, study abroad, etc.) b. Learning to deal with ambiguous situations, while having to make the best decision possible c. Strengthen learning agility d. Inform the engineering students that the corporate world is nothing like academia. They need to understand that the work is generally 50% technical work and 50% non-technical work. Although this varies. e. Personal hygiene f. Encourage students to gain a well-rounded education g. Encourage students to obtain related internships as a student h. Attract more recruiters to campus i. Free resume book to recruiters
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WHAT ARE SOME JOB TITLES FOR WHICH YOUR ORGANIZATION HIRES GRADUATE STUDENTS? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.
37. 38. 39. 40. 41. Page 5 of 9
Gameplay Programmer Environmental Scientist Chemist Environmental Protection Specialist Mathematician Computer Scientist Engineer - Electrical and Computer Summer Students Language Analyst Intelligence Analyst Principal Software Development Engineer Developer Clinic Manager, Area Manager, Team Leader/Charge Nurse Technical Director, Executive Director Sr. Accountant Audit Supervisor Tax Supervisor Performance Leadership Development Program Loads & Dynamics Engineers (Internal & External) Chief marketing officer, head of sales, etc. Program Managers, Service Leaders, Corps Members. Management Trainees College Internships Business Development Aerospace Engineer, Aeronautical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer Associate Director Associate Member of Technical Staff - Test Systems Development Project Manager Superintendent Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable Engineers Full-time tenure track & temporary faculty (academic or technical faculty) Directors, vice presidents, Field Instructors Therapists Systems Engineer, Software Engineer, Analyst - Program Management, Financial/Cost, Acquisitions VP business development Business Analyst, Network Administrator, Software Engineer Volunteer and Education Coordinator, Museum Collection Manager Consultant; Senior Consultant Associate Engineer, Cost Analyst Physical Therapist, CFO Field Engineer Research Scientist Log Analyst Software Engineering Our Research Department hires many graduate students. Public Health Educator, English Teacher Trainer (Secondary Education), University English Teacher, Business Development. News Reporter News Director News Anchor Product Managers, Busines Developers, Program Managers, Marketing Managers Tax Associate, Audit Associate & Advisory Associate Income Tax Specialist (CPA/CPA Eligible) Financial Audit Specialist (CPA/CPA Eligible) Officer Candidates Warrant Officers (Helicopter Pilots) Special Forces Military Intelligence The Army Health Care department. They include: Dental Corps, Medical Corps, Medical Service Corps, Medical Specialist Corps, Nurse Corps and Veterinary Corps. All departments include specialties. Tax Staff Accountant Business Assurance Staff Accountant Staff Accountant Usability Engineers Software Developers Human Factor Engineers Java C# Portfolio Analyst Financial Analyst Project Manager, Project Coordinator
Employer Survey - Part II Twelve employers indicated in Part 1 of the survey called Employer Opinions on Graduate Students that they would be interested in completing a more detailed follow-up survey regarding graduate students. An online survey containing 7 open-ended questions was sent to these employers in December 2006 and 4 responses were received. The employers’ feedback is provided below.
WHAT SECTOR DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION REPRESENT? Corporate Non-profit Government Education Other
50% 0% 0% 0% 50% (public accounting, retail)
WHAT TYPES OF GRADUATE STUDENTS DO YOU RECRUIT? Just master’s students Just doctoral students Both master’s and doctoral students Other
25% 0% 25% 50% (MBA, trade)
WHAT ARE SOME COMMON MISTAKES MASTER’S AND DOCTORAL LEVEL APPLICANTS MAKE DURING THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS? Fail to submit resumes to the specific position. Not prepared for the interview process. Need to show passion for high tech industry. Less than expected knowledge of the Firm applied to; less than expected follow-up expressing continued/ongoing interest in the position applied to (without being too "aggressive"). Their expectations are sometimes unrealistic. As a general rule in colleges we've recruited, (since we have not had a long-term relationship with UW); Master's students expect to graduate and become Vice Presidents and Directors, although they lack in the work experience, and managerial skills. In our business, they often expect to be in an office job vs. being willing to learn our core business (which is to work in the stores.)
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WHAT ARE SOME COMMON MISTAKES MASTER’S AND DOCTORAL LEVEL EMPLOYEES MAKE DURING THE FIRST YEAR ON THE JOB? Professionalism and understanding the business processes within their respective organization. They draw on their academic view of business (we don't focus on doctoral levels), and sometimes lack the ability to translate it to corporate environment. They often like to be the 'business consultants' or work on projects, vs. working their way through the business. They sometimes come across as if they understand the business and don't need to learn it, so can 'skip' that part of the process. They have high expectations of the company, and what the company can do for them, vs. realizing that they are hired for some of their skills, but need to acclimate to the corporate culture and need to learn the company's business.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HIRING EMPLOYEES WITH MASTER’S OR DOCTORAL DEGREES? Expanded focus on industry and new infusion of ideas Maturity; hopefully better communication skills; dedication to going the extra mile to obtain the additional degree in the field of interest demonstrates commitment to work in that field longterm. They've usually already had some field experience and have in depth knowledge that can be easily applied to their job and the training of others. Benefits of hiring a master's - more strategic in their thinking...they tend to see the bigger picture.
WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS OR RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH HIRING EMPLOYEES WITH MASTER’S OR DOCTORAL DEGREES? Job experience and work in the industry. Many hiring managers fail to realize that master's degree candidates have good experience. Doctoral candidates fail to show correlation between their studies and industry Overqualified for low level positions; higher payroll costs for entry level staff w/out prior experience in practical tasks (alleviated by student having related internship/work experience). Less field experience They expect to be on the fast track - they expect high compensation, based on their degrees; although they sometimes lack the work experience. Another drawback: They expect to be treated differently, for them to cater to their career desires, vs. understanding that they are part of a team and they are hired to help the company succeed.
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WHAT SPECIFIC PIECES OF ADVICE SHOULD UNIVERSITY CAREER CENTERS PROVIDE TO GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO WANT TO ENHANCE THEIR CAREER MARKETABILITY WHILE IN GRADUATE SCHOOL (BEFORE THEY ARE IN THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS)? Research the industry and become familiar with the trends and opportunities. Show how they can provide value to the industry/business they are seeking. Read professional journals and recent market trends to improve their discussion with potential employers In public accounting in particular: I have come to appreciate internship experienced candidates more than ever. Some form of related work experience, even if only in intern-form only, is generally a leg up. Certifications are a big plus, and students can often work on these prior to graduating, again, giving themselves significant advantage when competing for positions. Work in the field your studying 1) They need to pay their dues; they may not necessarily have the experience they need to be Vice Presidents as soon as they join the company; 2) Have realistic expectations on salaries (based on their academic and work experience; 3) Companies need them to be part of a team whose goal is to meet objectives of the company; 4) It is most helpful for them to have job experience and the degree; 5) They should have a more realistic view of what their first jobs will be like, as they climb the corporate ladder. They will not always have a nice office in a corporate setting when they start out.
WHAT SPECIFIC PIECES OF ADVICE SHOULD UNIVERSITY CAREER CENTERS PROVIDE TO GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS? Be enthusiastic. Determine what skill sets they bring to the table that are value added Get familiar with jobs (specifics) they are anticipating seeking so they can be certain it is what they are interested in doing. This may be best attained by office visits of potential employers or job-shadowing. Ask questions of employer's staff at career fairs to help identify and focus on their career interests as well as what to expect of the job offerings/positions sought. It would be good for the students to understand that they have wonderful skill sets. However, when they first join an organization, they may not be able to produce immediately, because there is often a learning curve. So, it would be good for them to come in with an understanding and humility that what they initially produce and what they get paid are not in sync.... Oftentimes, the MBA students feel that they should be paid more than others when they are training (and not producing), and even more after they complete their training. It would be helpful for the MBA students to know what their passion is, and what kind of jobs they would like to pursue. When I speak to MBA's, they will tell me what they like/dislike about their jobs/experiences, and want me to figure out what kind of job they will be happy having. Page 8 of 9
IN WHAT WAYS COULD UNIVERSITIES ENHANCE THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND MASTER’S AND DOCTORAL LEVEL TALENT? More social networking events Career fairs are helpful; schools can actively coordinate group student visits to potential employer offices. Actually, I am impressed with UW's connections with employers. I have recently started working with Ann Girarde and she tries to understand who we are and what we are looking for...and sends students that might possibly fit that criteria. Not sure if UW Master's/Doctoral talent already does this...it would be great for employers and universities to work together on what the ideal job seeking candidate looks like, to begin developing that student while in school. (to include employers providing feedback on criteria and program; working with Universities to get good feedback on the they are doing (i.e., quality of internships, job opportunities, etc.)
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