Class of 2006 starting salaries still climbing

This year’s graduates are doing well on the salary front, according to the latest salary figures released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.  The following majors saw a jump in their starting pay:

Accounting:  $45,656 (up 5.5 percent)

Business administration:  $42,048 (up 6.3 percent)

Economics/finance:  $45,112 (up 5.1 percent)

Management/information systems:  $45,724 (up 2.9 percent)

Marketing:  $37,851 (up 0.9 percent)

Computer science:  $51,305 (up 1 percent)

Information sciences and systems:  $48,593 (up 8.5 percent)

Chemical engineering:  $56,335 (up 5.4 percent)

Civil engineering:  $46,023 (up 5.4 percent)

Computer engineering:  $53,651 (up 2.3 percent)

Electrical engineering:  $53,552 (up 3.2 percent)

Mechanical engineering:  $51,732 (up 3 percent)

History:  $32,697 (up 3.1 percent)

Psychology:  $30,218 (1.2 percent)

English majors, however, saw a 4.1 percent decrease in their starting pay, bringing their average salary offers to $30,906.  Sociology majors also saw a drop to $30,944, a 2.7 percent decrease.

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Turn your internship into a job offer

By now, you know all the reasons why you should get an internship:  real-world experience, a good name on your résumé, references, (sometimes) pay… the list goes on.

One of the best perks of an internship is it can lead to a full-time job offer.  More than 75 percent of respondents to a National Association of Colleges and Employers survey said the primary purpose of hiring interns was to feed their entry-level hiring programs. I’m living proof:  I was hired on full-time after an internship my senior year of college, and I got to skip the stress of the entry-level job search.

Not everyone makes the leap from “just an intern” to full-time employee, however.  Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your internship and improve your chances of being hired on after the summer ends.

1.  Work hard.  Make sure you complete every task you’re given accurately and efficiently – even if it’s just making photocopies.  If you get some down time, ask your manager for more projects.  After all, you’re there to work, and you’ll have plenty of time to surf the Internet when you get home.

2.  Display a good attitude.  You might not be sure how getting your egotistical boss Starbucks in rain is giving you real-world marketing experience, but don’t complain.  If you tackle every project with a smile (or at least without a grimace), you’ll earn the respect of your co-workers and make yourself a more integral part of the team.

3.  Meet as many people as possible.  The more you integrate yourself into the company, the harder it will be to imagine life without you.  If a position doesn’t open up in your department, your new network could help you find a different role in the company or elsewhere.

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Top 10 Employers of the Class of 2006

When looking for a job, try looking beyond the biggest companies in town – they might not be the biggest entry-level employers, a recent survey suggests.

According to a report by entry-level job site CollegeGrad.com, this year’s top entry level employers include a healthy mix of Fortune 500 companies, smaller firms and government agencies.

According to the report, the following companies will be the heaviest recruiters on college campuses this year:

1. Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 7,000

2. Lockheed Martin
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 4,400

3. Walgreen Company
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 4,300

4. PricewaterhouseCoopers
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 3,817

5. Deloitte & Touche USA LLP
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 3,500

6. Ernst & Young
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 3,400

7. Schlumberger
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 3,000

8. U.S. Department of Agriculture
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 3,000

9. Hertz
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 2,500

10. KPMG
Projected entry-level hires in 2006: 2,240

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Internships literally pay off

Logging 40 hours a week all summer at your unpaid internship might be worth it after all.  According to a report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, internship experience literally pays off for college students.

Forty-six percent of employers surveyed say they pay higher starting salaries to new college hires with internship experience.  More than half of these employers say they add a set percentage to the typical starting salaries – with an average of nearly 7 percent.

Internships might be getting easier to find.  In a separate NACE survey, employers reported plans to increase the number of interns they bring into their companies by 10 percent this year. 

And don’t forget the other long-term benefit of an internship:  Nearly three-quarters of employers say they use internships to find entry-level hires.

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