The pandemic’s impact on the global economy has many college students worried about their job prospects after graduation, and a majority say salary will be top of mind for them when applying for jobs.
A new survey of 1,500 undergraduates finds that the top factor they’ll consider about a company when applying for post-grad jobs is the salary offered (67%). Roughly 3 in 10 students rank job security (35%), the type of benefits offered (29%), and the company’s values (29%) as priorities.
Black students in particular care about job security (43%), compared to fewer white (33%), Asian (33%), and Hispanic/Latinx (38%) students. Students who plan to go into the tech industry, on the other hand, prioritize a company’s salary offerings more than their peers, with almost 8 in 10 (79%) saying it’s a top consideration. Roughly 3 in 10 technology students say they’ll consider job security (34%) or the company’s reputation (28%). Among students who plan to work in financial services or banking, two-thirds (66%) prioritize salary while more than one-third (37%) prioritize a company’s reputation.
What are the top factors you’ll consider about a company when applying for post-grad jobs?
When it comes to the type of company students want to work for, non-profits and large corporations are most attractive. Three-quarters of students overall are very or somewhat interested in working for a non-profit organization (75%), with 28% saying they’re very interested. The same number of students express interest in working for a large corporation (73%) or a family-owned business (73%), but students are more likely to be very interested in working for a large corporation (26% vs. 20%). By comparison, about 6 in 10 (64%) students are interested in working for a startup, with just 15% being very interested.
Technology students are slightly more interested in working for a startup than their peers, but it’s still not their first choice. More than 8 in 10 (83%) students who plan to go into the tech industry are very or somewhat interested in working for a large corporation, while 79% are interested in joining a startup. Students who plan to work in financial services or banking overwhelmingly want to work for a large corporation (89%), while about three-quarters (74%) are interested in working for a startup.
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted between May and June among a sample of 1,500 full-time and part-time students attending colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
