And for the first time in recent years, teaching is attracting larger numbers of graduating seniors. Among Columbia College seniors who landed jobs, financial services firms on Wall Street, management consulting companies and non-profit institutions led all career fields. Consulting, computer and telecommunications companies recruited the highest number of engineering students. While a complete picture of the future plans for the graduating class at Columbia College based on senior surveys is not yet available, preliminary figures show 37 percent have jobs after graduation and 23 percent plan to attend graduate or professional schools, Kohan said. The rest are either taking a year off, traveling, are in the midst of job hunting, or have not yet begun their job search.
Employment is way up.
She said larger numbers of Columbia College students will become K through 12 teachers this year, a development she attributed both to an expected shortage of teachers nationwide and rising salaries in the field. In addition to traditional entry-level jobs as research assistants, copy editors, stock broker trainees, assistant financial analysts, paralegals, and publishing, advertising and public relations assistants in New York City, Columbia College graduates landed jobs in sports marketing, new media, television production and information technology. A number of Columbia students reported out of the ordinary plans, including one who will become a police officer in Los Angeles and another who will be an actor in Pennsylvania.