Font ResizeLAS CRUCES -New Mexico State University will graduate 1,900 students this semester, with 900 expected to attend Saturday's commencement ceremony.
The biggest group graduating this fall isn't the 332 from the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest college on campus, but rather the graduate school, with 493 graduates expected to receive diplomas. There were "not nearly as many" higher education degrees in December 2009, said Marisela Marquez, with the register's office.
The dean of NMSU's Graduate School, Linda Lacey, said the economy could be contributing to the uptick in graduate students earning diplomas this fall as she's seen a trend of graduate students postponing graduation after the recession hit in 2008. Now that the job market has become "softer and kinder" they are filing for graduation, Lacey said.
And indeed, December's graduates can expect a kinder employment outlook. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that for the class of 2011, which would include fall graduates, the job market is off to a positive start. Employers responding to the NACE Job Outlook 2011 Fall Preview survey reported plans to hire 13.5 percent more new bachelor's graduates from the class of 2011 than they did from the class of 2010.
When asked to describe the overall job market for class of 2011 bachelor's degree graduates, the largest group-almost half of employers- characterized it as "good." In comparison, last year, the largest group saw the job
Nearly 62 percent of employees surveyed cited that they planned to hire accountant graduates. Other top hires for 2011 included, finance, electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering and business administration and management.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 3.4 million job openings nationwide in October, up from 3 million in September. Since July 2009, following the end of the recession, the number of job openings increased by 44 percent. But even with the gains, the number of job openings in October remained 1 million below the 4.4 million openings when the recession began in December 2007.
Roseanne Bensley, NMSU associate director of career services, said that currently enrolled students should try to gain experience and new skills sets to become more attractive hires.
"One thing for student success is practical experience, like an internship or co-op that will help them when times are tough. Additional education is not always the best answer," she said, noting that additional schooling required additional funds for tuition.
"Increasing skill set, then you'll be more employable ... you can't justify earning a higher wage without an increased skill set," Bensley said.
Erica Niederberger, a December graduated who plans to return to NMSU to earn a master's degree in business, said the desire for job stability and to be more competitive in today's tighter market contributed to her decision to return to school.
"It's scary to see that so many people are loosing their jobs because of the economy. It just makes me want to work harder so I have more options," she said.
Still, at the end of the day, Niederberger said she is "more so excited, than nervous" about graduation.
"I love school, so I don't really mind," she said.
