Westmont's Most Recent Graduates Fare Well in the Job Market

By Paul Bradford, Director of COVE Career Center

Paul Bradford small photo

Seven-point two percent. That's the projected uptick the National Association of colleges and universities expects to see in hiring recent college graduates this spring. Double-digit hiring gains ranging from 10.3 percent to 65.3 percent could occur in sectors such as information technology, retail, computer and electric manufacturing, and engineering.

With three of these four high-growth categories being technical in nature, employers in these industries-along with most employers-look for graduates who have cultivated a capacity to think critically, communicate effectively through written and verbal interactions, and function well as part of a team. These qualities are the hallmarks of a liberal arts education at Westmont.

One year ago, when the global economy went into a tailspin, our department went into overdrive to equip Westmont's 2020 graduating seniors with the tools to navigate a stunned job market. In a matter of weeks, U.S. unemployment skyrocketed from historic low (3.5 percent) to highs of 14.8 percent, nearly 50 percent greater than numbers seen during the 2008-2009 recession. Our graduates didn't expect to enter this labor market.

The COVE Career center team researched projected growth industries, provided tips for interviewing online, and highlighted other career-related best practices, culminating in our expanded Know Before You Go website and our Senior Guidebook: Graduating in the Age of COVID-19. Six months after graduating our annual First Destination Survey revealed that 92.2% of the graduating class of 2020 was either working, enrolled in or applying to graduate school, or engaged in military/service endeavors. This statistic was just a few points below our typical outcomes and greater than expected given the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Although our team's effort certainly helped many graduates launch well, I know the real credit belongs to the students' hard work and the underlying foundation forged by their Westmont experience. Rigorous academics, a deep Christ-centered framework, and the relational commitment of a selfless and dedicated faculty and staff have done, yet again, what it was intended to do: help young men and women prepare for life after college.

The outlook is certainly brighter this year, and we hope this year's graduates take advantage of COVE Career Center's resources. We'll update our Know Before You Go content to better reflect current employment trends, and we'll continue to meet with students one-on-one as well as through presentations in class, (which occur virtually for the time being). Learn more at the
Cove Career Center website.