More firms appear to be coming to recruit graduating seniors this year than in the recent past, according to Andrew Simmons, director of the Career Development Center. Though Simmons does not have statistics, he said there certainly is not a decline in job opportunities for seniors.
Due to the recession, unemployment in the U.S. has risen sharply and was likely to peak in 2010, according to the Economic Policy Institute. But current predictions by the National Association of Colleges and Employers indicate that the class of 2011 will have more job opportunities than the class of 2010 and that 13.5 percent more will be employed.
Companies seem more interested in recruiting Brown students this year, but students here have done quite well throughout the recession too, Simmons said. Hiring of Brown students has continued throughout the recession, and students have shown a positive attitude in surveys conducted by the Career Development Center, he said.
More than 100 jobs are currently posted on the career center's website, and "Brown continues to be a very attractive place," both to employers and graduate schools, Simmons said. Employers as diverse as Facebook, Teach for America and consulting firms came to this year's career fair. Medical and law schools are also very interested in Brown students, and there were more than 32 law schools at the law school fair, including Harvard and Cornell, Simmons added.
The Career Development Center is offering more advising on weekends and evenings this year. The center is additionally starting "Coffee and Careers" with career advisers and deans on Monday mornings, which will start Oct. 18, Simmons said.