Executive Summary

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	Career Services
Post Graduation Report, 1997-1998

Executive Summary

The Career Services Post-Graduation Report is a study of Virginia Tech graduates and reports what bachelor’s degree recipients are doing after they leave the university.

92% of the 1997-98 bachelor’s degree graduates responded to the annual follow-up survey. Compared to the 1996-97 graduates, the 1997-98 graduates experienced a slight decrease in employment (2.2%) and a drop in graduate school attendance (1.6%). Those graduates still seeking employment rose 6%.

Seventy-nine percent of those surveyed reported full-time employment, full-time graduate school, or part-time employment or graduate school status. Three percent of the graduates are working part-time or attending graduate school part-time. A small number of graduates indicated they were working and attending graduate school on a full-time basis (1.3%). This is similar to 1996-97.

Of those employed, 86.5% said they were in career-related positions (a 4.5% increase from 1996-97). Seventy-three percent of the class of 1997-98 reported previous experience (i.e., summer job, internship, cooperative education) during college (a 4% increase from 1996-97).

Personal contact/networking (31.6%) was the primary method which students said they used in finding employment, followed by On-Campus Interviewing (24.6%), Job Advertisements (12.8%), and Previous Experience (11.4%). These job search methods varied among colleges. Note: On-Campus Interviewing increased 3% from 1996-97; a larger increase was noted for the College of Engineering (7%).

Career Fairs are becoming more popular among students as a method for obtaining employment. Approximately 11% of employed students attributed their success to career fairs (an increase of 7% compared to 1995-96 graduates).

The average salary for a 1997-98 bachelor's degree recipient from Virginia Tech was $31,523 – a 9.8% increase over last year.

Most Virginia Tech graduates are employed in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, the District of Columbia and Florida, followed by Pennsylvania and Georgia (identical to the Class of 1996-97).

Bottom Line for the Class of 1997-98

79% indicated a post-graduation plan; 21% were still seeking employment
86.5% of employed students indicated positions were career-related
12% of Virginia Tech students participated in the Cooperative Education Program

	1997-98 report published June 1999
	Questions about the Post-Graduation Report should be directed to Pam Herrmann: herrmann@vt.edu
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