The College Degrees Employers Seek
New grads with business or technology degrees will have a decided advantage when they hit the job market this summer, new research shows.
A study by CareerBuilder revealed that degrees related to business and technology are the most in demand by employers and account for more than half of the 10 most-sought-after college majors. Specifically, the degrees employers are looking for most in new hires are:
Business: 31 percent
Computer and Information Sciences: 24 percent
Engineering: 17 percent
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences: 10 percent
Engineering Technologies: 9 percent
Math and Statistics: 9 percent
Communications Technologies: 7 percent
Education: 7 percent
Science Technologies: 6 percent
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities: 6 percent
Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, said more than half of employers are planning to hire new graduates this year.
"College students who are graduating in business, technology and health-related majors will have an advantage in terms of the volume of opportunities available today," Ferguson said. "However, other majors such as liberal arts and sciences are also attractive to employers as they look for individuals with strong communications and critical-thinking skills."
Based on job listings from CareerBuilder, entry-level occupations — those that require a two- or four- year college degree and less than two years of experience — with the most opportunities include registered nurses, sales representatives, accountants, customer service representatives and industrial engineers.
The study revealed grads may have better luck finding work in some cities than others, including Phoenix, Minneapolis, Boston, Tampa and San Francisco, which had the most year-over-year growth for entry-level jobs.
When grads do find a job, they will have more bargaining power than most imagine. The research found that 27 percent of the employers surveyed are willing to negotiate on salary, while 22 percent would consider flexible schedule options. Academic reimbursement, bonuses, costs of mobile phones, relocation expenses and telecommuting options were other areas employers were willing to negotiate on.
The study was based on surveys of more than 2,000 employers.
This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @cbrooks76 or BusinessNewsDaily @BNDarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+. This story was originally published on BusinessNewsDaily.
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