More college graduates are hoping to land a job working for Uncle Sam. A new survey from campus recruitment website Handshake found D.C. has become a hot spot for recent grads.
According to the survey, the District is the second most popular destination, behind only New York City. The cities with the biggest drop in interest with the class of 2024 are Dallas and Seattle.
This year’s graduates are looking for more security with tech jobs in the government instead of gigs with big tech companies. Handshake said 7.5% of job applications on its site from the class of 2024 have been submitted to government agencies, compared to 5.5% with those that graduated last year.
More 2024 graduates with degrees in computer science majors are applying to jobs with computer hardware and information compared to positions with software developers.
Other jobs that saw a spike in interest among the class of 2024 are construction, education, agriculture and manufacturing.
This graduating class does not believe money rules the world. When asked which factors make you more likely to apply to a job, a high starting salary came in fourth behind positive employer reputation, location and the most important, job stability.
That does not mean that financial security is not a concern for recent graduates. Nearly 60% of them said they worry about covering basic expenses.
The graduates also have concerns about what life will be like once they join the workforce. The survey found 34% are worried they’ll feel lonely at work. More than half said they worry they won’t like their work, while 61% fear they will experience burnout.
Between March 11 and March 24, Handshake surveyed 2,687 students from 616 institutions who were planning to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in 2024.
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