Both eagerly anticipated and dreaded, the Career Development Center’s Employer Expo, held on Sept. 23, was just the start of networking, resumes, and interviews for the Class of 2015. The event pulled in 96 employers and close to 650 interested students, officially kicking off the beginning of what most Bison seniors view as the end: the job search. No longer are they first-years in college; no longer is the Class of 2015 a bunch of unsure 18-year-olds without a major. In just a few short months, they will leave the comforting halls of the University to embark upon the beginning of their adult lives as college graduates. Where they will go and what they will do is up to them. We can offer some statistics from the graduates of 2013 that may or may not calm you as you begin your search for the future you.

Stats:

$48,506 was the mean starting salary for the Class of 2013

The Univertsity ranks fourth among liberal arts colleges for alumni mid-career salary

97 percent of the Class of 2013 was in a graduate program, employed, both in a graduate program and employed or volunteering

How that breaks down:

Of the 97 percent:

71 percent were employed

16 percent were in graduate school

5 percent were both in graduate school and employed

1 percent were volunteering

4 percent were participating in other activities

Employment by industry:

Business: 60 percent

Education: 12 percent

Research and Industry: 5 percent

Non-profit: 4 percent

Government: 3 percent

Military 1 percent

Unknown/other: 15 percent

How they found these jobs:

42 percent of the class of 2013 found employment through on-campus interviews, career fairs, offers from other Bucknell alumni and faculty, The Bridge, previous employers and the CDC’s online resources for jobs internships, externships and on-campus employment

24 percent of the class of 2013 found jobs through cold calls and employment agencies

Mean salary by college or school:

College of Arts and Sciences: $41,994

College of Engineering: $60,978

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: $52,590

Engineering/Arts and Sciences dual degree: $62,100

Where they ended up:

Pennsylvania: 22 percent 

New York: 19 percent

New Jersey: 15 percent

Metro D.C. (Md., Va., D.C.): 12 percent

Connecticut: 7 percent

Massachusetts: 7 percent

California: 4 percent

International cities: 2 percent

Other: 12 percent

Although the job search is a difficult time to maneuver, the Bison community is here to support the Class of 2015, especially the CDC. The Employer Expo was the first of five Bison Career fairs that are offered annually. Next in the lineup is the Internship and Career Fair to be held on Jan. 27, 2015. Although it’s a while away, the CDC can also help the job process by practicing interview skills, developing and perfecting resumes and cover letters, and also provide the support needed to get you from “undergraduate searching for the future job” to happily graduated and employed. 

Information given by the CDC and Pamela Keiser, executive director of Career Services.