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Excellent Job
Prospects For New Graduates
This is shaping up as a great year to be graduating from Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology. Not only are employers sending more recruiters
to campus, but there is growing demand and increased salary offers for
students who received their diplomas May 28.
On-campus recruiting by companies has increased 20 percent to 25
percent this year, reports Kevin Hewerdine, Rose-Hulman’s director of
career services and employer relations. That fact has helped 70 percent
of the college’s Class of 2005 to have received or accepted full-time
employment offers and military commissions, or plan to attend graduate
school next fall. Hewerdine states Rose-Hulman’s placement percentage
should increase to 90 percent or more by commencement –- about 4 percent
higher than last year at graduation.
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| Making His Pitch: Aaron Dunaway, a junior
mechanical engineering major, discusses parts of his resume with a
recruiter from Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis during the Spring Job
Fair. Rose-Hulman students took advantage of the opportunity to seek
full-time, internship and co-op positions. |
Another indication of the improved job market for college students
was the record 55 companies from throughout the country that attended
Rose-Hulman’s spring job fair on April 13 in the Hulman Union. Several
representatives remained on campus April 14 to interview students for
full time, internship and co-op employment opportunities.
“At least 300 jobs were available at the spring job fair,” estimates
Hewerdine. “Companies came here looking to hire. The prospects are also
promising for summer internships and co-ops, which will open the door
for our underclass students to possibly receive job offers in the
future.”
More than 200 companies will have visited campus this year, Hewerdine
reports. Seniors in civil engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical
engineering and software engineering are finding the most interest among
employers.
“Business and industry, as well as the nation’s outstanding graduate
schools, continue to value Rose-Hulman graduates,” states Rose-Hulman
President John Midgley. “Their aggressive recruiting of our seniors is
strong validation of the quality and value of a Rose-Hulman degree.”
Recruiters are offering salaries 3 percent to 7 percent greater than
the $51,500 average salary offered to Rose-Hulman graduates last year,
according to Hewerdine. Many seniors are receiving multiple job offers
or have more options about regions of the country to begin their
post-graduate careers.
"Rose-Hulman graduates talented engineers that really have a passion
for engineering," states Joseph King, technology training manager and
co-op/internship coordinator for General Electric's Consumer &
Industrial Division, based in Louisville, Ky.
Gregg Greathouse, systems lead engineer/customer engineering division
for Cummins Inc. added: "Rose-Hulman graduates have a lot of hands-on
experience and are solid technically. Alumni from this college have a
proven track record of success with Cummins. That's why we keep coming
back for more."
Approximately 18 percent of Rose-Hulman’s 2005 graduates are planning
to attend graduate school next fall, according to Hewerdine.
“The number of job opportunities for Rose-Hulman graduates is
directly related to the current market conditions,” Hewerdine said. “We
were slightly impacted by the bust of the dot-com companies earlier in
this decade, but job opportunities for our graduates have re-emerged in
other high-tech areas.”
National companies that attended the spring job fair included Acterna,
the world’s largest provider of communications test solutions, from
Germantown, Md.; Archer Daniels Midland Company, one of the world’s
largest agricultural processors, from Decatur, Ill.; Arvin Meritor, a
global automobile parts supplies, from Detroit; General Electric’s
consumer and industrial division, based in Louisville; Manhattan
Associates, a software development company, from Atlanta; Rincon
Research Corporation, from Tucson, Ariz.; and Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, from Erlanger, Ky.
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| On The Spot Interview: Andrew Getchell
(right), a senior mechanical engineering major, answers a question
from Bob Drogus, executive recruiter with M. J. Egy and Associates,
the country's most prestigious talent identification firm
specializing in heavy industry. |
Indiana-based companies joining the list were BSA LifeStructures,
InfoDynamics Inc., Polymer Technology Systems and RealMed Corporation,
all of Indianapolis; Cummins Inc. of Columbus; Logikos Inc. and Essex
Group Inc., both of Fort Wayne; the Indiana Department of
Transportation; Baker Hill Corporation of Carmel; Boston Scientific of
Spencer; Muncie Power Products; Technology Service Corporation of
Bloomington; and Bemis Company of Terre Haute.
Thanks to an improving economy and a more stable labor market,
employers estimate that overall hiring of college graduates will expand
by approximately 20 percent over last year, according to the annual
Recruiting Trends survey, conducted by the Collegiate Employment
Research Institute at Michigan State University, and the National
Association of Colleges and Employers.
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