Graduating job applicants ranked location, starting salary as top priorities, Monster survey shows
It's graduation season again and Monster on Friday released results from its annual survey to get a better understanding of how soon-to-be graduates are approaching the job search process. (iStock)
It's graduation season again and Monster on Friday released results from its annual survey to get a better understanding of how soon-to-be graduates are approaching the job search process.
The results were gathered via an online survey from a 350-person pool of 18- to 26-year olds in the U.S. who plan to receive their bachelor’s, vocational or technical, associate, master’s or doctoral or professional degree in 2019, the company said.
When it comes to the job hunt and rooting out potential openings, the survey showed that 47 percent of total respondents looked at postings for specific companies of interest. The second-highest total response, 43 percent, said they’d ask their “friends, family members, and others” if they’re aware of any open positions.
The most important factors people consider when searching for a new job were location and starting salary, which shared the top spot at 32 percent, according to the survey. Coming in toward the bottom of the list at 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively, was a company’s missions and/or values, as well as their size.
“Respondents overall are optimistic about finding their next full-time job, with more than half (59%) expecting it to take less than 1-2 months,” Monster said in their takeaways from the survey. “Of those, more than a quarter (28%) expect it to take less than one month.”
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The company also asked participants whether they had “a side gig,” to which 65 percent answered "yes," the survey said.
When asked whether respondents intended “to have a side gig after graduation,” 41 percent said yes until something permanent came along and 30 percent said they planned to keep it “even after accepting something permanent."
Market research firm Dynata conducted the survey between April 23 and May 1 and reported a margin of error of 5.7% at +/- 95%.