Fifty Percent of Champlain College 2012 Graduates Hired in Their Field of Study

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Champlain College graduates report that they found their jobs because they had already worked for their employer during college.

BURLINGTON, VT (06/06/2012)(readMedia)-- More than half of the Champlain College class of 2012 reported they had already lined up post-graduate employment before collecting their diplomas in May, according to the Champlain College Career Services Office.

Of the 400 seniors classified as "active job seekers" surveyed by Career Services, 230 planned to begin work shortly after graduation, including 11 who plan to start their own business. Of those seniors, 83 percent of these students indicated that their first jobs out of college are "very" or "somewhat" related to their original career goals.

Champlain College's career counselors have a theory why Champlain graduates are landing jobs relevant to their studies at a higher rate than what appears to be the national trend, according to the Associated Press' April 2012 news release about underemployed college graduates.

Of the 230 graduates who lined up post-graduation employment, 53 percent reported that they found their jobs because they already worked for the employer, organization or person through volunteer work, an internship, part-time job or freelance project. "Champlain provides resources, job and internship fairs for students to actively seek internships, which put graduates ahead with relevant experience and references on their resumes," said Sarah Potter, assistant vice president of Champlain's Career Services.

Lindsey Smith, who just graduated in May, said that through her internships while in school she made innumerable networking connections. "I got college credit and was able to get a paid job right after my internship." Smith, a business student, is currently working for Randy Brock's campaign for Vermont governor and attending Vermont Law School to expand her education.

Earlier in the year, Champlain College Career Services surveyed Vermont employers regarding their workforce hiring needs. Nearly 180 employers responded, and 54 percent of those employers anticipated hiring full-time positions, most of which require one- to two-years of relevant experience or a career-relevant internship while pursuing a degree.

Depending on their area of study, many Champlain College students are required to fulfill one or more internship placements between their sophomore and senior years. When interviewing for post-graduation positions, students can draw on their internship experience and internship supervisors and mentors are invaluable references for one's job search. "It used to be internships in one's field were a good idea," said Champlain Senior Career Advisor Mark Zammuto. "Now we consider internships 'essential' for landing a career-relevant job after graduation."

Champlain programs with internship requirements are excelling in post-graduation job placements:

• More than three quarters, or 77 percent, of Criminal Justice and Criminal Justice Administration majors have found work in their field; many will be working for the Department of Homeland Security.
• Two thirds, or 67 percent, of Business majors have found work, including 10 percent who plan to start or continue their own business post-graduation. A number of these students credit their educational experience as well as Champlain's unique Bring Your Own Business (BYOBiz) program as the impetus for pursuing an entrepreneurial path.
• Although 55 percent of graduating seniors indicated that they plan to stay in Vermont post-graduation (only 40 percent of the class were native Vermonters), connections are being made while students study abroad at Champlain's international campuses that help graduates find work in cities like Montreal. Many Game Development majors have found work relatable to their majors in that city.
• More than half, or 56 percent of Information Technology and Sciences majors found work in their field.
• Four out of ten Education and Human Studies students have enrolled in graduate school to complete student teaching placements and seek out jobs in schools and other organizations.

"Champlain College is proud of its curriculum and emphasis on providing academic, professional and personal opportunities for growth for its students that allows them to hit the ground running when they graduate," Potter said.

For more information about Champlain's Career Services, links to job listings and addition job-hunting resources, visit http://www.champlain.edu/career-services.html.

About Champlain College: Since 1878, Champlain College has provided career-focused education to students from its hilltop campus in Burlington, Vt. Champlain's distinctive educational approach embodies the notion that true learning only occurs when information and experience come together to create knowledge. Champlain offers traditional undergraduate and online undergraduate courses, along with online certificate and degree programs and eight master's degree programs. Champlain offers study abroad programs at its campuses in Montreal, Quebec and Dublin, Ireland. Champlain College is included in the Princeton Review's "The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition." Champlain was named a "Top-Up-and-Coming School" by U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges and is ranked in the top tier of 2012 Regional Colleges in the North. For more information, visit www.champlain.edu

By Kayla Hedman '14 / Champlain College News