Two new studies conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) show that 2012 is shaping up to be a good year for business school graduates.
GMAC reported that 62 percent of newly graduated individuals with MBAs or other business degrees already have job offers, up from 54 percent a year ago. The average respondent who had received a job offer said they submitted nine resumes, landed four interviews and received two job offers. This compares favorably with 2011, when the average was 16 resumes and six interviews for the same number of job offers.
Also, 79 percent of the companies surveyed said they are currently recruiting MBA-holders, up from 72 percent in 2011. Encouragingly, 36 percent of employers said they were expanding hiring because of an increased volume of business while 14 percent said increased profits were allowing them to hire new staff members.
Leadership and management talent topped the list of desired competencies, although survey respondents indicated that organizational and analytical reasoning skills are also of critical importance.
Businesses that are looking to take advantage of economic growth to expand their workforce should partner with professional recruiters to ensure that they are hiring top-quality individuals. Recruitment firms have the experience and full-time focus necessary to thoroughly evaluate candidates for employment and consider how they will fit in a particular position.
Any company that is not currently in a position to hire new staff members but has to address an increasing workload may benefit from working with a firm that offers financial project consulting. Using temporary support services can help a business succeed and continue to expand until it is ready to begin searching for permanent staff.
