Record number of graduates in Class of 2014 have achieved post-graduation goals, reports Career Services

The report addresses initial employment statuses and higher education destinations for the Class of 2014.

The report found that 70.2 percent of the Class of 2014 found jobs within six months of graduation.In addition, 18.8 percent continued their education.

Of those who found jobs, 12.5 percent work in the finance and insurance industries while 18.7 percent have involved themselves in the nonprofit sector.

Out of the entire Class of 2014, 90.1 percent had at least one job or internship in their college experience, and 89.4 percent had collaborated with Career Services before graduation.According to the report’s findings,14 percent of graduates who acquired full-time employment offers obtained these offers following summer internships Career Services facilitated.

Career Services has different strategies to ensure graduates’ successes. It reported having held 6,319 career counseling sessions, offered 256 programs and events, and conducted 4,071 interviews on campus throughout the 2013-14 academic year. It also partnered with 232 alumni to create programs and networking events to better inform students in their career search.

Mike Caddell, senior associate director of communications and outreach, said that Career Services’ main goal is to guide students toward obtaining the best future possible.

“The office of Career Services is committed to helping our students to define a unique career and life vision,” he said.

Caddell said he was enthusiastic about this year’s report.

Eva Kubu, director of external relations and operations, also expressed positive sentiments for the 2014 report. With respect to percentages, Kubu said she didn’t find any to be upsetting or surprising.

“What we do is we follow the national trends with respect to industries,” she said. Consequently the percentages seemed appropriate and successful, especially in comparison with national data, Kubu added.

“Certainly one of the things we were really happy about was the highest percentage of plans,” she noted.

Kubu said she attributes some of this record success to students taking advantage ofthe new Career Services strategy based in self-exploration andtwo new initiatives enacted during 2014: the Career & Life Vision Program and the “Script to Screen” event.

She said several graduates reportedexamples, such asthese two new programs, which they said helped inform and guide their decisions.

Current students received the report’s statistics with mixed reactions.

Connor Moore ’17 said he thought the percentage of graduates fully employed would be higher than 70.2 percent.

“I’d be curious to see how many graduates both didn’t get into a graduate program and couldn’t find a job,” he said.

Becky Richards ’18 said she was very pleased with 70.2 percent employed.

“I think that it’s a really great percentage,” she said. “Obviously a vast majority are getting into great companies, but there is also a proportion taking other routes.”

Richards said she believes the percentage serves as an “exciting prospect for upcoming graduates.”

Eos Chase ’18 said he was surprised by the percentage of graduates pursuing higher education, noting that he thought the number would be higher than 18.8 percent.