Monster Reveals Findings from Its First Annual Survey of High School Graduates

The high school graduating class of 2007 is a tenacious and well-connected demographic, according to Monster's first annual nationwide survey of graduating seniors. Among the findings, two-thirds of those surveyed already have work experience under their belts as they commence the next phase of their life, whether that involves pursuing higher education, beginning their career or entering the military. Monster is the leading global online careers and recruitment resource and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc.

Monster's inaugural High School Graduate Survey shows that seniors are not passively waiting for opportunity to knock on their door - they have strategic post-graduation plans and they realize it is never too early to consider their long-term career path, said Diana Nicholson, senior vice president and general manager of Monster Youth. Many students already have an intended major and are aggressively preparing for their future now.

College Choices and Financing
The Monster survey reveals that for students choosing college as their post-high school course:

- Most plan to call a public, medium-sized university in an urban location home for the next four years.

- Eighty-three percent view the availability of their intended major as the most important factor in choosing their future university, with the availability of financial aid packages a close second.

- Interestingly, the presence of fraternities and sororities was cited as the least important factor in attracting incoming freshmen.

To finance higher education, 80 percent of students surveyed plan to utilize scholarships, 48 percent will rely on their parents and 46 percent will use their own income as the primary means for footing the bill. Additionally, nearly 75 percent of students responding plan to rely upon Federal financial aid assistance, while 34 percent will take advantage of private student loans in order to close the gap between available Federal assistance and the rapidly-increasing cost of higher education.

Career Plans and Future Aspirations
Forty-one percent of seniors headed straight into the workforce have already secured employment. Additionally, three-fourths of students continuing on to college plan to work while they pursue their studies and nearly half plan to volunteer. Although only 44 percent plan to complete an internship during college, students should note that relevant work experience and personal characteristics are cited as the most important factors in hiring recent college graduates, according to an earlier 2007 survey of entry-level hiring managers by MonsterTRAK, the student division of Monster.

However, high schoolers are serious about their long-term career goals and do not expect to job hop upon entering the workforce. This is evidenced by the 63 percent of seniors who report they plan to hold only one or two jobs within their first 10 years of employment. When looking for their first job, students cite growth opportunities, job fulfillment and work environment as the most important factors, and view retirement plans and occupation title as the least important.

According to the survey, the top anticipated majors for incoming college freshmen are healthcare, education and social services, engineering and science/bio-pharmaceutical, suggesting a talented pipeline of future candidates in these respective growth fields. This is especially encouraging news for the healthcare and education sectors, given the current skills shortage within these industries.

Lifestyle Perceptions and Communication Preferences
While only seven percent of high school students plan to boomerang home after college, their perception may not be entirely realistic; nearly half of this year's college graduates anticipate spending at least some time living at home after graduation, according to MonsterTRAK's 2007 survey of college students.

The survey also revealed that while high school students generally communicate through multiple channels - including social networking sites, email, text messaging and instant messaging - the preferred means of communication for the Internet Generation is, surprisingly, talking on the telephone. Not to be discounted, social networking is also extremely popular among high school students - three-in-four maintain an online profile.

Students need to realize the importance of portraying a positive image online, as the general public, including college administrators and future employers, have access to the information, added Nicholson. A startling statistic from Monster's survey of graduating high school seniors shows that only 30 percent of students plan to modify their online profile when looking for a job.

Survey Methodology
Monster's 2007 High School Graduate Survey was conducted via its Making It Count and FastWeb sites, where students were invited to participate in the survey, which was completed by more than 2,000 high school students nationwide.