College students graduating in 2012 say they are more concerned about job security than salary and benefits, and new college graduates say they are least likely to join startup company, according to a recent survey by SimplyHired.com.
Only 20 percent of the respondents have a job offer, meaning most respondents are actively seeking employment. Still, respondents report feeling cautiously optimistic about opportunities in the job market after graduation, regardless of the current economy.
"The focus on job security is significant, as this year's graduates entered college during the height of the recession," says Gautam Godhwani, CEO of SimplyHired.com. "We're now beginning to see positive growth in opportunities for this generation of college grads. On SimplyHired.com, nearly 10 percent of the total job openings in our index are entry-level positions that require a college degree."
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Other important employment characteristics are salary at 23 percent and healthcare and other benefits also at 23 percent. Another 41 percent of respondents say they expect to stay with their employers for at least a year while 38 percent of respondents say they plan to stay two or more years. Forty-three percent of respondents say they are optimistic about the job market following graduation as opposed to 32 percent of respondents who are not sure and 26 percent who are not optimistic.
Only 4 percent of respondents say a startup company would be their ideal employer. Thirty-nine percent of respondents say they hope to work at small- or medium-size businesses, and 27 percent say they are aiming to join large corporations. Among the respondents, 19 percent say they would rather work in the public sector, and 78 percent are open to relocation.
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