<p>The</a> Amazing Adventures Of Supergrad - washingtonpost.com</p>
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The frenzy to hire these prodigies is called "the war for talent." It is being waged even as gas prices soar, companies downsize and consumer confidence plummets. And, as well qualified as this group seems to be, the graduates' appeal also lies in the fact that they'll be paid less than more experienced workers would be.
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"This is a very positive period for college recruiting," says Edwin Koc, director of strategic and foundation research at the National Association of Colleges and Employers, which gathers data on the hiring of college graduates. Last year, the association estimates, 1.4 million seniors graduated from college. Of those who were actively looking for a job, the average senior received 2 1/2 job offers. This was true of all college students, not only those at elite institutions, and the jobs were in all sectors: financial services, consulting, manufacturing and especially government, which, with its relatively early retirement system, has already started feeling the void created by boomer departures.
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And for those interns who are selected, employers do everything possible to make the summer special. "In previous generations, you could sort of take a summer intern for granted," says Tom Wilson, managing director and head of recruiting for Merrill Lynch. "They're the summer kid. Send them to get coffee; rough them up a little bit. Today we demand a lot of them, but we work very hard to make sure they have a very good experience, because if we don't give them a good experience, they will not come back."
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<p>This article talks about the super motivated students from the nation's top universities. I'm kind of scared because it means I'm way behind if I want to get hied by a top firm when I get out of school.</p>
<p>You don't have to be hired " by a top firm".</p>
<p>When you work for a smaller company, you have more opportunity to learn the ropes, more opportunity for additional responsibilities and to move up.
Working for a very large, established company may have better health care benefits etc, but your actual position, may not be as interesting.</p>
<p>Gaining experience in a smaller company, can give you a proven track record so that if and when you decide to change companies, you can start at a higher level.</p>
<p>interesting article - thanks! 60 mins. did a show along the similar lines recently. I thought it was exaggerated and untrue.</p>
<p>People I know who get the really choice jobs get them through personal connections. A friend from school, a parents' friend. The kids in this article all sounded very connected.</p>
<p>Also, doing a powerpoint presentation to a group by the time you graduate college is something all graduates need to know how to do. I think a lot don't.</p>
<p>I don't think companies are hurting for top talent, all aren't that picky, top students don't waste their time posting nasty things about companies online.</p>
<p>"Also, doing a powerpoint presentation to a group by the time you graduate college is something all graduates need to know how to do. I think a lot don't."</p>
<p>I'm fairly certain that my daughters were doing powerpoint presentations to their class starting before 6th grade. And this is public school. If there are college graduates that have never presented to a group on powerpoint I would be shocked.</p>
<p>Wow UCD Alum82, I am impressed! The schools here must be worse than I thought. And, we aren't a terribly techie family.</p>
<p>What about kids who can't afford a computer, or kids who are in college classes with 500 people?</p>
<p>I agree with margieG that most people get their jobs through personal connections. My daughter and her friends all got their summer jobs through school or personal connections. My daughter has 2 jobs this summer working for parents from her old high school. She is a freshman, so whatever she is doing this summer is resume building and recommendations for her future jobs.</p>
<p>I think it's good to work for big, established companies when you first starting out, then move to smaller companies later in your career. Large companies have a lot of good process in place, and have more access to top technology, vendors, clients. Once you have learned to function in top tier firms, then you could become a big fish in smaller firms. Top tier firms also offer a lot more training and support.</p>
<p>I was doing powerpoint in 6th grade. All the schools in my county had computers available to all students in the library and at least one class a year (science, social studies, or english) would have some sort of powerpoint presentation due from 6-12th grade. Then again, my county has some very rich people (like the ones who go to the schools in my area) and some not so well off people (like recent immigrants).</p>
<p>I think some jobs almost require personal connections. Around here teaching positions are scarce because it pays well and working conditions are good. Because it's hard to fire a teacher it makes it more crucial to pick a good one from the get go and I think when faced with 100 applications for one position, our administration is more willing to go with a familiar face.</p>
<p>Margie, I bet your kids were doing powerpoint and you didn't know it. Our semi-rural schools teach the kids in fifth grade during computer class. I didn't even realize when our youngest learned because for him it was no big deal. He had to make a recording of himself playing his trumpet for HS band (they have to do them about 4 times a year) and I hunted down our cassette player and a blank cassette only to find out that he decided to record onto a cd with his computer. I had no idea that was even possible!</p>
<p>I think the best thing my kids' school has taught them is time management (not powerpoint presentation, or AP physics). It starts as a full year course in fifth grade. Students learn to organize their folders and prioritize their homework assignments. Teachers, in all subjects, are required to give assignments one month out. Students are taught to plan out their schoolwork with their EC schedule. The objective is by the time these kids enter middle school they should be capable to handle their own schedule without their parents help. Each year after that, the skill is reinforced by the school. Many students that enter their school after 8th grade have a hard time coping with the demand of their school and are asked to be tutored privately for time management. </p>
<p>Time management is an invaluable skill. People that are able to master the skill earlier on are often ahead of their peers. Every year when I evaluate my staff, people that are in the lower quarter all have time management problem and are not able to multi task.</p>
<p>Both of my daughters use the skill to manage their day to day life, especially my olde one in college. It probably should be stressed more than the ability to do powerpoint presentation.</p>
<p>^^Now I have curriculum envy. Oldfort, that program sounds cool and useful. Anyone who dismisses it probably already teaches it from home, so bear with the rest of us.</p>