The market is the best it's been in 25 years. Engineering, computer sciences and mathematics are among the hottest fields for new graduates -- so hot that the young candidates are being called "gold collar" workers. Many are worried about which offer to take instead of whether they'll find a job.
"Quite frankly, if you are a warm body, and especially if you have a good background, a college education -- you can write your own ticket right now," says Dr. Michael Walden, an NC State University economist.
Luke Meyer will graduate from N.C. State with a double major in computer science and math on Saturday. He hasn't started looking for a job yet, but he isn't worried about the future. "I haven't honestly been looking around much, but I'm not worried. I guess I'll just start asking for around $50,000 and see how it goes," he says with a grin.
That isn't just youthful optimism talking. The job market is hot, especially for technology majors.
"It's really a seller's market. In other words, if you're a person selling your labor, selling your skills, there are going to be a lot of buyers out there," Walden said.
Kirk Russell will be selling his skills soon. As a graduate student in electrical engineering, he could be in the enviable position of choosing between several job offers.
"There's a high demand for engineers that are trained and have a little bit of experience to do the work," Russell said. "And a lot of companies are offering large sums of money to pay for those people's skills."
A recent study shows the average starting salary for chemical engineers is more than $45,000 per year. Computer science graduates can expect to start at more than $40,000 per year.
Grads from other fields can take heart -- many companies are willing to train new employees.
And Walden says the economy will stay strong, so graduates can look forward to getting a job and keeping it.
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