It's been another busy year at Getting Hired, with our team working to bridge the gap between job seekers with disabilities and inclusive employers.
Throughout 2017, we've published various blogs, social media posts and email newsletters targeted specifically at informing our job seekers about employment opportunities, as well as offering advice on a range of trending employment topics.
With the end of the year swiftly approaching, here’s a recap of our top stories for job seekers from 2017.
1. Top Career Opportunities for Graduates in 2017
Back in January, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) published its Job Outlook 2017 report. It revealed a prediction that graduate hiring would "remain flat" in 2017, but there were a number of developments expected to impact the graduate recruitment space.
An increasing use of technology and social media in recruitment was shown to be a growing trend at the start of the year, and one that NACE forecast to increase as 2017 progressed. As we see from the latest figures from NACE, this was indeed the case, as we have had a 5.8 percent rise in hiring.
NACE also reported that more employers were expected to offer greater incentives to graduate hires in 2017 - a prediction that proved to be true with the Class of 2017 witnessing a rise in average starting salary from $50,359 to $51,022 for bachelor's degree graduates. This is news that bodes well for job seekers heading into 2018.
2. Positive growth trend for job seekers with disabilities
The National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) Jobs Report for December 2016 was published in February, and predicted a continued rise in the number of individuals with disabilities in active employment across the country. The report suggested an increase in the scope and reach of innovative programs targeted specifically at this group.
In the latest nTIDE Jobs report for October 2017, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities did indeed show signs of strength, rising from 27.9 percent in October last year to 30.5 percent at present. It marks a positive trend in employer engagement with individuals with disabilities and gives a welcome boost to job seekers heading into the new year.
3. Tips for job seekers to prepare for an Online Career Fair
Getting Hired's Online Career Fairs were an increasingly successful and flexible way for employers and job seekers with disabilities to connect in 2017.
We saw a growth with over 700 job seekers with disabilities who participated in our National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) October event.
Understanding how job seekers can make the most of these opportunities is therefore essential as we continue into 2018.
4. Top technologies bringing positive impacts for people with disabilities
New technologies are helping individuals with disabilities to gain greater independence and an improved quality of life.
In June, we highlighted some of the latest developments helping to support individuals with disabilities in the world of work.
We look forward to seeing what new technologies will be hitting the markets in 2018 to support individuals with disabilities.
5. How can job seekers get the most from internships?
During the summer of 2017, we focused on helping our job seekers understand how to make the most out of internship programs with employers.
We highlighted data from the 2017 Internship & Co-op Study, which showed two-fifths of organizations planned to expand their internship and co-op arrangements in 2017. In addition, we looked at how interns can position themselves for success through their actions and mindset.
As you prepare your job search for 2018 internship opportunities, start with a search on the 1,500+ openings on our website with our inclusive employers!
How should I stay connected as we move into 2018?
Job seekers who want to keep up with all the latest employment trends should follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook!
Contributions to this blog were made by the Getting Hired team.
