Career Survey Report - Class of 2005

Survey and Responses

The Career Services Office conducts an annual survey of the previous year's graduating class to determine the career and employment status of the new graduates.  The 2005 survey was mailed out in late November to 1214 alumni representing bachelor degree graduates from January, May, and August 2005.  A second mailing was sent out in January and follow-up phone calls were conducted from February through April.  For the sixth year, we utilized an on-line survey located on our web site that allowed graduates to send their results to us over the Internet.

Through these combined efforts we yielded a total of 523 replies, a response rate of approximately 43 percent.  Appendix A provides a comprehensive listing of the majors included in each field of study and the number of respondents from each major.  The chart below offers a short summary of the respondents.

Fields of Study # of Respondents
Social Sciences 134
Education 106
Business 100
Humanities 134
Sciences 49
Total 523

 

In this report, information is provided about graduates' employment status, the fields and location of employment, the techniques used to secure employment, and respondents' opinions about how well Bridgewater prepared them for their current position.  Results are reported for the entire group, and, when appropriate, for individual fields of study.

Employment Status

Six months to a year after graduating, 89 percent of the class of 2005 respondents were employed. Of those 90 percent were employed on a full-time basis and 10 percent were employed part-time. 

Fifty-eight respondents indicated that they were not currently employed. These respondents fell into one of the following categories: they were in graduate school (30), they could not find employment in their field or location (17), or they were not looking for employment at this time (11).

Graduates Reason for Not Employed

Numbers are represented as frequency, not percentages









The unemployment rate for the 
Class of 2005 of 3.3 percent is lower than the previous year's (4.9) graduates.  
The overall job market for new college graduates continues to be encouraging. 
The unemployment rate of BSC graduates for the Class of 2005 respondents was 
also lower than the Massachusetts average annual unemployment rate of 4.9 
percent from May 2004 - May 2005 as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.


 The graph 
below illustrates the BSC unemployment rate over the past five years and 
includes only

 those graduate who indicated they could not find a job in their field or 
location.






Location
of Employment




 
 Bridgewater graduates continue to work in the Commonwealth and contribute to the 
vitality of the Massachusetts economy.  Approximately 91 percent of this year's 
respondents are employed in the state.  Only five percent of the class of 2005 
graduates indicated that they were employed in other New England states, and 
another four percent were employed outside the region.
 


Fields
of Employment


The Class of 2005 graduates are 
employed in a variety of fields.  Forty-six percent indicated that they 
were employed in Business, either manufacturing or non-manufacturing. 
Thirty-two percent reported employment in Education (including Elementary, 
Early Childhood, Physical Education and Special Education), nine percent 
in Human Services and Non-Profits and six percent in Health-related 
fields.  

The percentages have stayed consistent over the past few years. The survey data 
closely reflects the academic programs students have chosen to pursue while at 
BSC. Traditionally graduates seek employment in the fields of business, 
education, health and human services. The number of graduates in government 
positions was reported as four percent.


 Two percent of the Class 
of 2005 indicated that they were self employed.  Less than one percent of 
graduates indicated that they were in the Military and/or had entered full-time 
volunteer service i.e., Peace Corp and VISTA.








Relation
of Position to Academic Major


Graduates were asked to identify 
the degree to which their position was related to their academic major.   
Seventy-six percent felt that their current position was either directly 
or somewhat related to their major with almost half indicating a 
direct relationship. The majority of the graduates in the Class of 2005 were 
able to secure positions closely related to their major. 


 


 


 





BSC
Preparation


Graduates were also asked how 
well they thought BSC had prepared them for their position by responding to the 
statement, "The academic program at BSC prepared me for my current position". 
Graduates used a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. 
Overall 88 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement. 
The response to this question has stayed consistent over time with responses 
ranging from 81 to 88 percent over the past ten years.  


"The 
academic program at BSC prepared me for my current position"





 


Salary
Data


BRIDGEWATER STATE COLLEGE

Class of 2005 Salary Data - Employed 
Full-time

Data is represented in percentages.



  

    

      
      

      Annual Salary  $

      
      

      Social Sciences

      
      

      Humanities

      
      

      Sciences

      
      

      Education

      
      

      Business

    

    

      
      
< 12,000

      
      

      2%

      
      

      3%

      
      

      0%

      
      

      4%

      
      

      0%

    

    

      
      
12,000-14,999

      
      

      2%

      
      

      4%

      
      

      2%

      
      

      6%

      
      

      1%

    

    

      
      
15,000-17,999

      
      

      2%

      
      

      0%

      
      

      2%

      
      

      4%

      
      

      1%

    

    

      
      
18,000-20,999

      
      

      4%

      
      

      6%

      
      

      5%

      
      

      9%

      
      

      5%

    

    

      
      
21,000-23,999

      
      

      12%

      
      

      9%

      
      

      3%

      
      

      4%

      
      

      0%

    

    

      
      
24,000-26,999

      
      

      14%

      
      

      12%

      
      

      9%

      
      

      11%

      
      

      6%

    

    

      
      
27,000-29,999

      
      

      20%

      
      

      11%

      
      

      2%

      
      

      4%

      
      

      9%

    

    

      
      
30,000-32,999

      
      

      17%

      
      

      18%

      
      

      14%

      
      

      15%

      
      

      18%

    

    

      
      
33,000-35,999

      
      

      5%

      
      

      9%

      
      

      9%

      
      

      10%

      
      

      15%

    

    

      
      
36,000-38,999

      
      

      3%

      
      

      7%

      
      

      21%

      
      

      10%

      
      

      10%

    

    

      
      
39,000-41,999

      
      

      5%

      
      

      2%

      
      

      7%

      
      

      3%

      
      

      7%

    

    

      
      
42,000-44,999

      
      

      2%

      
      

      1%

      
      

      5%

      
      

      2%

      
      

      6%

    

    

      
      
45,000-47,999

      
      

      3%

      
      

      2%

      
      

      7%

      
      

      3%

      
      

      2%

    

    

      
      
48,000-50,999

      
      

      2%

      
      

      1%

      
      

      2%

      
      

      2%

      
      

       6%

    

    

      
      
51,000 
      -53,999

      
      

      0%

      
      

      1%

      
      

      2%

      
      

      0%

      
      

      2%

    

    

      
      
54,000 & over

      
      

      3%

      
      

      1%

      
      

      2%

      
      

      0%

      
      

      6%

    

    

      
      
Missing

      
      

      5%

      
      

      11%

      
      

      7%

      
      

      13%

      
      

      6%

    

  




      
     For comparison purposes a list of regional salaries and national salaries
is included on page 9.




Less
than 12,000 to 20,999


On the lowest end of the scale 
from less than $12,000 - 20,999 Education majors represent 23 percent, 
Humanities 13 percent, Social Sciences 10 percent, Science graduates represented 
9 percent and Business 7 percent in this category.


$
21,000-32,999


In this range the Social Science 
majors led with approximately 63 percent followed closely by Humanities at 50 
percent, Education majors at 34 percent, Business majors at 33 percent, and 
Science at 28 percent.


$33,000-44,999


In this range Science 
represented 42 percent of the graduates.  In this same range Business majors 
represented 38 percent followed by Education majors at 25 percent, Humanities at 
19 percent and Social Science at 15 percent.




$45,000-54,000
and over


On the upper end of the salary range Business majors represented the majority 
at 16 percent in this range. Closely behind were Science majors at 13 percent 
and then it trailed off with Social Sciences at 8 percent, Education at 5 
percent and Humanities students representing 5 percent in this salary range. 




Methods
of Obtaining Current Position





Graduates were asked to reveal 
what they considered to be the primary source used to obtain their current 
position.  The top three ways graduates landed their first job are highlighted 
below:


 


Job Search Strategies:


    
  
  • 
  
    Networking with others - 41 %       
  
    • 
  
  • 
  
    Hired from internship or 
  part-time employment - 20%
    • 
  
  • 
  
    Internet job postings - 13%
    • 



 



Again this year The National Association of Colleges and Employer Job Outlook 
Report highlighted the top ways in which employers seek new hires is through 
on-campus recruiting, internships programs, and employee referral programs; all 
three hiring methods are forms of networking. Gaining relevant work experience 
while in college and developing a network of professional contacts can enhance 
student marketability significantly.


 Other methods in which students 
obtained employment included BSC recruiting programs such as on-campus 
interviews, resume referrals, and job fairs.  





Graduate
School 







Seventy-seven students were enrolled in graduate school at the time of the 
survey, which represents about 15 percent of respondents. Of the seventy-seven 
students 45 
were enrolled full-time and 32 were enrolled part-time.  Historically 15 to 18 
percent of our graduates go directly on to graduate school. 


 Of those 
enrolled in graduate school 62 are in masters programs, 5 in post baccalaureate 
programs, 9 in professional degrees and 1 in a doctoral program.  Of the 77 
graduates who were enrolled in graduate study 30 are enrolled at BSC. A list of 
all the colleges and universities where Class of 2005 graduates are enrolled can 
be found in Appendix B.












Internships
& Undergraduate Research


Graduates were asked about their 
involvement with internships. The vast majority of respondents (87%) received 
academic credit for the experience, and mostagreed the internship (96%) was 
related to their field of study. Although there has been a growing trend by some 
industries and organizations to pay interns, most students (71%) did not get 
paid.  


The chart to the right answers 
the question "Did you complete an internship?" This does not include student 
teaching. For comparisons purposes we have included the responses for the last 
three years.


The 27% of students that completed an 
internship were asked to respond to the following questions.

 






  For the fifth year we included a few questions on undergraduate research. The 
questions asked if the student was involved in undergraduate research and if the 
experience helped them with the current responsibilities or assisted them in 
getting their job. The responses are illustrated in the charts below.




 




 



Notes/Acknowledgements:
  


      

        
    
          
  • 
          
    
               
          Appendix C is a 
          Summary Sheet of the responses to survey items for all employed 
          respondents. For any major with more than 10 responses we can provide 
          a break out report. Please contact Career Services at (508) 531-1328 
          for details. 
    • 
          
  • 
          
         
          A complete copy of this report and a listing of employers will be 
          available on the Career Services web site in July 2006.
          
          http://www.bridgew.edu/careerservices/surv05.cfm
    • 
          
  • 
          
    
          
           Special thanks to Alice Parsons & Denise Diliddo 
          who assisted in the data collection and reports. 
          
    • 
        

        
  
        

        
Salary Survey

        Average Starting Salary Offers For Entry Level Graduates 2005 

        

          

            

              
              

              Major

              
              

              Northeast Average  $

              
              

              National Average  $

            

            

              
              

              Accounting

              
              

              43,945

              
              

              43,269

            

            

              
              

              Business Administration

              
              

              44,167

              
              

              39,553

            

            

              
              

              Human Resources

              
              

              41,938

              
              

              36,967

            

            

              
              

              MIS

              
              

              45,324

              
              

              44,417

            

            

              
              

              Marketing

              
              

              37,037

              
              

              37,496

            

            

              
              

              Economics/Finance

              
              

              45,683

              
              

              42,928

            

            

              
              

               

              
              

               

              
              

               

            

            

              
              

              Advertising

              
              

              25,500

              
              

              31,340

            

            

              
              

              Communications

              
              

              32,695

              
              

              31,995

            

            

              
              

              Journalism

              
              

              32,000

              
              

              30,804

            

            

              
              

              Public Relations/Org. Comm.

              
              

              35,000

              
              

              30,510

            

            

              
              

               

              
              

               

              
              

               

            

            

              
              

              Elementary Education

              
              

              35,138

              
              

              30,530

            

            

              
              

              Early Childhood

              
              

              28,700

              
              

              26,212

            

            

              
              

              Physical Education

              
              

              32,833

              
              

              31,135

            

            

              
              

              Secondary

              
              

              35,001

              
              

              31,757

            

            

              
              

              Special Education

              
              

              40,343

              
              

              32,795

            

            

              
              

               

              
              

               

              
              

               

            

            

              
              

              Criminal Justice/Corrections

              
              

              33,979

              
              

              30,642

            

            

              
              

              English

              
              

              32,230

              
              

              32,237

            

            

              
              

              Foreign Language

              
              

              36,370

              
              

              32,353

            

            

              
              

              History

              
              

              34,626

              
              

              31,727

            

            

              
              

              Liberal Arts/Gen. Studies

              
              

              34,500

              
              

              32,457

            

            

              
              

              Political Science/Government

              
              

              34,440

              
              

              33,520

            

            

              
              

              Psychology

              
              

              31,412

              
              

              29,861

            

            

              
              

              Social Work

              
              

              30,519

              
              

              26,060

            

            

              
              

              Sociology

              
              

              33,448

              
              

              31,798

            

            

              
              

              Visual and Performing Arts

              
              

              26,296

              
              

              28,383

            

            

              
              

              Other Humanities

              
              

              35,229

              
              

              31,654

            

            

              
              

              Other Social Sciences

              
              

              31,204

              
              

              31,115

            

            

              
              

              Biological Sciences

              
              

              33,257

              
              

              31,258

            

            

              
              

              Chemistry

              
              

              35,371

              
              

              39,043

            

            

              
              

              Environmental Science

              
              

              37,750

              
              

              31,366

            

            

              
              

              Geology

              
              

              34,184

              
              

              39,365

            

            

              
              

              Mathematics/Statistics

              
              

              44,891

              
              

              43,448

            

            

              
              

              Physics

              
              

              42,309

              
              

              41,634

            

            

              
              

               

              
              

               

              
              

               

            

            

              
              

              Computer Science

              
              

              52,500

              
              

              50,820

            

            

              
              

              Computer Programming

              
              

              21,140

              
              

              38,309

            

            

              
              

              Computer Systems Analysis

              
              

              44,500

              
              

              46,189

            

            

              
              

              Information Systems

              
              

              46,208

              
              

              44,775

            

          

        

        
 Reprinted from 
        the NACE Salary Survey and Northeast Regional Salary Survey, 
        Summer 2005 with permission of the National Association of Colleges and 
        Employers, copyright holder.

        
 

        
 





  

 



				

					Last Modified: September 8, 2006