Generation X-ers have been lingering in suburban strip malls perfecting the ultimate Slurpie formula and championing the color black as a fashion trend, the N-Generation has been defining its own niche. (N-Generation is defined as those traditional-aged college seniors getting ready to enter their first professional career path who have benefitted from the full-range of the computer revolution and the information explosion of the Internet). Dr. Sally Hinders, Director of Career Services, Drake University, Des Moines, notes that the N-Generation is ready to burst onto the employment scene with skills unmatched by past graduates. "N-Generation students have grown up with the Internet," Hinders said. "They have become used to being surrounded by massive volumes of information. They have learned how to deal with that effectively and efficiently.
They are very comfortable moving at a rapid pace." Like their counterparts, the N-Generation realizes that employment by one firm until retirement is not a reality, Hinders added. "These May graduates know that they probably won't be working for one organization for a lifetime," she said. "There is a paradigm shift going on and the N-Generation is very realistic about what the work force will be like." Another common characteristic of the N-Generation, Hinders said, is their desire for flexibility in an employer. "These students have learned how to approach a job and how best to get the that job done -- they want to be able to tackle the job as they see fit." This all bodes well for a job horizon that finds technical, computer programming and information management, financial services and investments, sales, marketing, and retail management as hot job arenas with generous salaries to match, according to Deanna Stupp-Hurst, Director of Business and Liberal Arts Placement at the University of Iowa, Iowa City.
Stupp-Hurst also notes that salaries and perks are on the rise for May graduates, as well. She said a strong job market greets these entering graduates and with that potential comes competition for the best and the brightest. "Students this year should be able to hope for multiple job offers," Stupp-Hurst said. "Students are looking at potential employers for certain benefits. They want a good starting salary; a commitment to skill training and continuing education opportunities; flexibility in work schedules, sites and processes; mentoring programs; and geographic location options." One Iowa-based firm that is leading the way with this job growth is Gateway 2000, Stupp-Hurst said. "The company will be opening "Gateway Country" retail stores and this is a very good market for students to be evaluating." She has also noted strong growth in less traditional areas, such as manufacturing, here in Iowa. "We have seen strong support from Pella Windows and from John Deere, for example," she said.
No matter what type of job a May graduate is looking for, developing a marketable inventory of skills is the key, according to several placement officials. Students, they all agree, view their continuing skill level as the answer to career advancement. Roger Bruene, Director of Agricultural Placement at Iowa State University, Ames, said employers are aware of this trend and are responding to it by initiating contact with graduates earlier in their collegiate careers, focusing on stronger internship programs, and by making their representatives more available on campus via classroom visits, speaking engagements or mentoring. "(Employers) are feeling as if they need to attract students and to give them a realistic experience," Bruene said. "The see the challenge of finding qualified people. Students may now enter their senior year with one or more job offers. Earlier hiring of new employees is becoming more and more common. These same employers are also spending a lot more time on campus and in much more visual ways than in the past. They all seem more willing than ever to volunteer their services. They are learning that they need to be available and to intensify their efforts." Lois Schultz, Director of Counseling and Career Services at Simpson College, Indianola, said that internships are a very viable hiring tool. "(Internships) are a win-win situation for both employers and students," Schultz said. "(They) help students to be better prepared for the work world and helps them to become more focused in their career goals. Employers like internships because they have the opportunity to see the student in action before making a formal job offer."
"Students may now enter their senior year with one or more job offers. Earlier hiring of new employees is becoming more and more common."
"...the N-Generation realizes that employment by one firm until retirement is not a reality."
Schultz said internships and visits with recruiters at campus job fairs give students a leg up on the job search ladder because it allows prospective employers to witness a student's critical job skills such as competency in career field; oral and written communication skills; presentation skills; social maturity; ability to get along with others; and work ethic. At the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Muriel Stone, Director of Office Placement and Career Services, said college job fairs are in demand by both students and employers. "On our campus," Stone said, "the whole university is discussing experiential learning -- and its our students who are leading that discussion because the students know that experience is what an employer wants." She recommends that students get a jump start on the hiring process very early in their careers and to watch how successful job seekers network. "Eavesdropping while obviously skilled job seekers are interviewing with companies at career fairs can be one of the best researching tools a student can use," Stone said. "Watching people who seem to be interviewing well will teach presentation, dress, question responses, and provide a background of the types of questions employers will be asking. There's nothing wrong with watching and learning. "Students need to wake up to all of this," Stone continued. "Students need to start going to job fairs and seeking out internship opportunities even as freshmen. Employers are looking for intense, long-term interest and they will remember students who keep coming back to their booths year after year.
How they remember this, I don't know, but they do." According to Jim Arthur, Career Center and Placement Director for Grand View College, Des Moines, students who follow many of these job search tips will find themselves with entry-level salaries in the mid-20s to mid-30s. "National surveys have shown that salaries are on the rise for new graduates and that companies are being more aggressive with options like sign-on bonuses, flex-time, etc.," Arthur said. For example, he cited that in January, 1998, an entry-level accountant could expect to make $32,407 on average. Just one quarter earlier (Sept., 1997) that same accountant would have started at $31,054. "So, in just a few short months, the salary for an accountant increased about $1,500 a year -- that's pretty good," Arthur said. Arthur said some students make the decision to go for the bucks first and hope to grow into a corporate culture. He said that strategy sometimes works, but that most people will be happier finding a job that makes them feel most at home. "Students need to ask themselves questions like is this a good fit for me or does this match my interests," he said. "If a job doesn't match your personality, then you more than likely won't be with it long." All the career experts interviewed said that most Iowa graduates want to stay in Iowa. At smaller colleges where there are large adult student populations with roots in their communities, this is even more prevalent. For those students choosing to relocate, cities such as Chicago, Ill.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Kansas City, Mo.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; and St. Louis, Mo.; are the hot locations.