Fall 1997

Excellent job market for '97 graduates

Job prospects for 1997 Rose-Hulman graduates are the best in several years with some majors reporting placement of all their seniors by May.

"Nearly 90 percent of our seniors had their career plans finalized or had been accepted to graduate school by the time they received their diploma," stated William Lindstaedt (’86 Ch.E.), Rose-Hulman director of career services and employer relations.

"This is the best hiring climate in several years," Lindstaedt noted.

The average starting salary offered new graduates continued to increase to nearly $39,000. The highest salary accepted by a ’97 graduate was $55,000.

Among the most sought after seniors were computer science and computer engineering majors.

"Almost every senior in those two majors was considered placed by mid-May," Lindstaedt said.

New progams and services have been implemented by Lindstaedt and his staff to prepare students to react to changing employment and recruiting trends.

"The corporate recruiting process has changed rapidly. Students have to be more aggressive and experienced. We’ve also expanded co-op and internship programs to give them more pre-graduate job experience," Lindstaedt explained.

Freshmen are now required to attend career planning workshops during the first quarter they’re on campus.

"They learn about the job search process, interviewing, resume writing and how to market themselves to prospective employers," he noted.

The number of companies interviewing on campus during the past academic year increased 45 percent compared to last year.

Another indication of the changing job market is the number of different companies hiring Rose-Hulman graduates. Ninety-two companies hired at least one senior this year.

The most graduates hired by a single company was seven by Sagian, Inc. Sagian is an Indianapolis-based international company specializing in the design, manufacture and sale of automation technologies for the research and laboratory markets. Caterpillar hired six graduates while Navistar and Andersen Consulting each hired five.

Lindstaedt said the help alumni provide is vital to supplying Rose-Hulman students with more and better job opportunities.

"Our alumni network is tremendous," he emphasized.

"So often, alumni call with job leads even before those openings have been publicly announced. That’s a real advantage for us," Lindstaedt said.

"Alumni are a valuable extension of our staff. We truly appreciate the support alumni provide to help our students begin their careers."

by David Piker