CollegeGrad.com Names Top 500 Entry Level Employers for 2007

As college students return to campuses nationwide to begin the spring semester, CollegeGrad.com, the #1 Entry Level Job Site, announces the Top 500 Entry Level Employers for 2007. Great news for Class of 2007--entry level employers are increasing their hiring by 7.3% in 2007! The Top Entry Level Employers list represents more than 170,000 jobs for the class of 2007, and is available online at www.CollegeGrad.com/topemployers. It details the 2007 entry level hiring plans for more than 500 employers and includes links to the home page, careers page and college page for each employer.

Among the Top 500 Entry Level Employers, 60% are planning to hire more college grads in 2007 than in 2006. 20% will hire the same number and 20% will be hiring fewer college grads than in 2006. Itís a great time to be graduating from college, said Brian Krueger, president of CollegeGrad.com. The skills and energy of the class of 2007 are in high demand among employers. Graduates who put in their best job search effort may find themselves generating multiple offers.

The CollegeGrad.com survey results name Enterprise Rent-A-Car as the #1 Entry Level Employer for the fifth year in a row. With 8000 projected entry level hires for 2007, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is predicting a 14% increase in their 2007 entry level hiring. Our experience in hiring for Enterprise’s Management Training program has revealed the importance of showing candidates a true picture of our overall company and their potential career with us, said Marie Artim, Assistant Vice President of Recruiting at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. While the basics like pay, hours and benefits are still important and must be addressed, a candidate’s decisions are often made based on the bigger picture--so we take care to highlight the values of our company, opportunity for advancement and more.

In addition to Enterprise Rent-A-Car, CollegeGrad.com details the hiring plans for more than 500 top entry level employers. The list includes many return Top Employers from previous years, such as Lockheed Martin, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Sherwin-Williams. There are plenty of exciting new additions to the list as well, including LabCorp with 800 planned hires, Education Management Corporation with 625 planned hires and CH2M Hill with 300 planned entry level hires.

Significant growth is being projected by companies of all sizes and in all industries throughout the list. Among the largest companies, PNC Financial Services Group is projecting a 31% increase in entry level hiring for 2007. CIGNA is projecting an impressive 227% growth in hiring--going from 127 entry level hires in 2006 to 415 in 2007. Growth such as this by companies across the board will help to provide this yearís graduating class with a truly favorable job market.

Employers recruiting the Class of 2007 are recognizing that hiring recent college grads is critical for their companyís future. The success of our firm depends on the recruitment and retention of the best and brightest, said Dan Black, Director of Campus Recruiting for Ernst and Young.

Alina Shaffer, Manager of College Recruiting for Harris Corporation agrees. Harris is dedicated to the college recruiting process as it breathes new life, ideas and technology into our organization every year, said Shaffer. It is an important element in preparing our company for the future.

The results of the CollegeGrad.com Top Entry Level Employers survey predict one of the best entry level job markets of the new millennium. As Steven Jungman, Director of Chasesource, LP points out, weíre finding ourselves in a job market where the unemployment rate hovers around 5% and we continue to hire, borrow, and yes, steal talent from every source available to support our economic growth.

Krueger reminds college students that although the 2007 job outlook is favorable, a successful job search requires a concerted and focused effort. Itís never too early to start your job search. And with more entry level career information provided to college students and recent grads than available at any other site, CollegeGrad.com is a great place to start your search. Start early for best results. Start early. Start now.