Fall 2011 Future Plans Survey
All Respondents: Overview

This overview report presents findings from all graduating seniors participating in the Fall 2011 Future Plans Survey. For more information about the survey methods and analysis, see "Fall 2011 Future Plans Survey: Introduction, Research Methods, and Response Rates." For a report with responses broken down by college, as well as a copy of the question wording, see the "Table of Contents."

Plans Following Graduation
Post-Graduation Employment
Further Education
NC State Experiences and Resources
Closing Comments

Plans Following Graduation

As of the time they completed the survey, a plurality of students graduating in Fall 2011 indicated that they had secured some type of employment. One-fifth of all respondents reported that they had accepted a position that would begin after graduation (21%), 14 percent said they would continue working in a job they had prior to graduation, and 6 percent said they would either be starting their own business (2%), serving in the military (2%), or working as an intern (2%). The large majority of these employed graduates said they would be working full- rather than part-time (84% vs. 16%)

One-third of the graduates said they were actively seeking employment but had not yet found a position (32%). Just 4 percent said they were planning on looking for work but had not yet begun to do so. Finally, 16 percent of respondents anticipated going to graduate/professional school as their primary activity in the year after their graduation (10%) or going to graduate/professional school and working (6%).

Table 1: Plans Following Graduation

	N	%
Have accepted position that will begin after graduation	182	21.0
Will continue working in job I had prior to graduation	123	14.2
Have started/will be starting my own business	15	1.7
Will be working as an intern	16	1.8
Currently seeking employment	277	31.9
Have not begun to seek employment, will begin within year	35	4.0
Going to grad/prof school within the year	82	9.5
Going to grad/prof school and working	55	6.3
Taking additional undergraduate coursework	12	1.4
Military service	16	1.8
Volunteer activity	3	0.3
Starting/raising a family	4	0.5
Don't know yet	6	0.7
Other	41	4.7

Post-Graduate Employment

About 40 percent of respondents said they had secured employment for after graduation. This section of the report first provides detailed information specifically on those students who indicated they had obtained a full-time position. That is followed by information provided by those who said they were actively seeking employment but had not yet found a position, and lastly, a brief look at those who said they had not yet begun their job search.

Full-Time Employment
Almost 85 percent of respondents who said they had secured employment for after graduation indicated they would be working full-time.

Table 2: Full- or Part-Time Employment (among those securing any type of employment)

	N	%
Full-time	340	83.5
Part-time	67	16.5

Number of Job Offers
Almost half of the students having secured a full-time position said that had been their only job offer (45%). A relatively small number of respondents indicated that they had had three or more job offers from which to choose (10%).

Table 3: Number of Job Offers

	N	%
Was only job offer	125	45.1
Had one other job offer	80	28.9
Had two other job offers	43	15.5
Had three or more other offers	29	10.5

Industry and Occupation
Students having obtained full-time employment were asked to select the type of industry and the occupational classification of the job in which they would be working from a list industries and occupations identified by the U.S. Census. Although the graduates are heading into a wide range of industries, the most common industries in which they will be working are professional, scientific, and technical services (14%), and manufacturing (11%).

Those finding full-time employment were most likely to say they would be working in an occupation related to architecture and engineering (16%), followed by computer and mathematics (10%), business and financial operations (9%), and sales (9%).

For a complete list of the companies/organizations where graduates obtained full-time employment, click here.

Table 4: Industry

	N	%
Accommodation and Food Services	7	2.1
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	1	0.3
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting	14	4.2
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	19	5.7
Construction	14	4.2
Educational Services	14	4.2
Finance and Insurance	16	4.8
Health Care and Social Assistance	18	5.4
Information	18	5.4
Management of Companies and Enterprises	14	4.2
Manufacturing	37	11.1
Other Services (except Public Administration)	8	2.4
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	48	14.5
Public Administration	4	1.2
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	2	0.6
Retail Trade	19	5.7
Transportation and Warehousing	9	2.7
Utilities	5	1.5
Wholesale Trade	1	0.3
Other	54	16.3
Not sure	10	3.0

Table 5: Occupational Classification

	N	%
Architecture and Engineering Occupations	51	15.6
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations	15	4.6
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations	2	0.6
Business and Financial Operations Occupations	28	8.6
Community and Social Service Occupations	4	1.2
Computer and Mathematical Occupations	31	9.5
Construction and Extraction Occupations	9	2.8
Education, Training, and Library Occupations	11	3.4
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations	8	2.4
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations	6	1.8
Health Care Practitioners and Technical Occupations	11	3.4
Health Care Support Occupations	3	0.9
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations	2	0.6
Legal Occupations	3	0.9
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	5	1.5
Management Occupations	24	7.3
Military Specific Occupations	12	3.7
Office and Administrative Support Occupations	7	2.1
Personal Care and Service Occupations	1	0.3
Production Occupations	6	1.8
Protective Service Occupations	2	0.6
Sales and Related Occupations	28	8.6
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	6	1.8
Other	42	12.8
Not sure	10	3.1

Relationship of Job to Academic Major and Satisfaction with Job
While 61 percent of those with full-time employment said their job was directly related to their academic major, 14 percent said that it was not at all related.

The vast majority of those obtaining full-time employment said they were either very satisfied (54%) or satisfied (30%) with the job in which they would be working. Students obtaining positions more directly related to their major, however, were more likely to be very satisfied than were those getting jobs less directly related to their major (62% versus 29%, respectively).

Table 6: Relationship of Job to Major and Satisfaction with Job

Relationship of job to major	Satisfaction w/ job				All
	Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Neutral	Dissatisfied*
Directly related (n=200)	61.5%	29.0%	8.0%	1.5%	60.8%
Somewhat related (n=84)	46.4%	33.3%	16.7%	3.6%	25.5%
Not at all related (n=45)	28.9%	26.7%	40.0%	4.4%	13.7%
All (n=329)	53.2%	29.8%	14.6%	2.4%	100.0%

* "Very Dissatisfied" and "Dissatisfied" responses were combined.

Job Location
While NC State graduates will be employed across the nation, 76 percent of those students having accepted a full-time job say they will be staying in North Carolina, with almost two-thirds working in the Research Triangle area (e.g., Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill).

For a complete list of the countries and states in which graduates will be working, click here.

Table 7 Job Location

	N	%
North Carolina	246	75.9
Georgia	10	3.1
Florida	6	1.9
Illinois	4	1.2
South Carolina	4	1.2
Tennessee	4	1.2
Virginia	4	1.2
New York	4	1.2
Not sure	13	4.0

Table 8: Job Location (In or Out of the Triangle)*

	N	%
Triangle	192	64.9
Other NC	39	13.2
Outside NC	65	22.0

*Some respondents did not provide the name of the city in which they would be working.

Compensation
Students with full-time positions were asked to indicate the different ways in which they would be compensated. While 70 percent said they would be getting a salary, and 26 percent said their income would include hourly wages, results indicate that graduates are being compensated through a variety of methods. For example, a plurality of 44 percent will be getting only a salary, 16 percent a salary plus bonuses, 2 percent salary plus commission, and 2 percent salary plus commission and performance bonuses.

Respondents were asked to indicate their annual starting salary, and then, if applicable, their estimated first-year income from performance bonuses and commission. NC State's graduates with full-time employment report an average annual starting salary of $47,298, and an estimated average annual income of over $24,000 from performance bonuses and/or commission. Combining all forms of reported compensation (excluding hourly wages) brings their average income to $52,484, with 37 percent expecting to earn $60,000 or more in total income their first year. Just over 10 percent expect to earn less than $30,000. Those getting paid an hourly rate report earning, on average, $14.28 per hour.

(Note: Despite instructions asking respondents to exclude their salary from performance bonuses and/or commission, it is possible that a few respondents combined all sources of income in their reported bonuses/commission income. As such, reports below on performance bonus/commission and total income may be slightly higher than is actually the case.)

Table 9: Type of Compensation*

	N	%
Salary	237	69.7
Hourly	90	26.5
Performance Bonuses	83	24.4
Commission	31	9.1
Tips/Gratuity	8	2.4
Other	18	5.3

*Respondents could indicate more than one type of compensation.

Table 10: Type of Compensation, Combined

	N	%
Salary only	147	44.4
Hourly only	57	17.2
Salary plus perf. bonuses	53	16.0
Salary plus commission	8	2.4
Salary plus comm plus perf bonus	8	2.4
Salary plus hourly	7	2.1
Hourly plus perf. bonuses	7	2.1
Commission only	5	1.5
Hourly plus tips	4	1.2
Performance bonuses only	1	0.3
Other combinations	24	7.3
Other compensation only	10	3.0

Table 11: Annual Starting Salary

(Average salary = $47,298)	N	%
Less than $30,000	24	10.3
$30,000 - $39,999	50	21.5
$40,000 - $49,999	50	21.5
$50,000 - $59,999	33	14.2
$60,000 or more	60	25.8
Would prefer not answer	7	3.0
Not sure	9	3.9

Table 12: Estimated 1st-Year Income from Performance Bonuses and/or Commission

(Average income = $24,070)	N	%
Less than $2,500	11	11.1
$2,500 - $4,999	10	10.1
$5,000 - $9,999	18	18.2
$10,000 - $19,999	8	8.1
$20,000 - $49,999	23	23.2
$50,000 or more	16	16.2
Would prefer not answer	2	2.0
Not sure	11	11.1

Table 13: Total Combined 1st-Year Compensation (salary plus performance bonuses and commission)

(Average income = $52,484)	N	%
Less than $30,000	26	11.1
$30,000 - $39,999	48	20.4
$40,000 - $49,999	46	19.6
$50,000 - $59,999	27	11.5
$60,000 or more	88	37.4

Table 14: Hourly Wages

Average	Minimum	Maximum	N
$14.28	$2.13	$40.00	71

One-Time Compensation
More than one-in-ten of those with full-time employment said they had received a signing bonus (11%), with more than half of them receiving $5,000 or more. Sixteen percent of those getting a signing bonus said it was for $10,000 or more (16%).

When asked if they were offered a relocation package, 58 percent of the students with full-time jobs said that such a package was 'not applicable,' presumably primarily because they were not relocating any substantial distance for their job. However, 17 percent of all those with full-time employment - - or 40 percent of those not saying 'not applicable' - - said they were offered a relocation package.

Table 15: Signing Bonus

	N	%
Yes	32	11.2
No	253	88.8

Table 16: Amount of Signing Bonus

	N	%
Less than $500	1	3.2
$500 to $999	1	3.2
$1,000 to $1,999	1	3.2
$2,000 to $2,999	5	16.1
$3,000 to $3,999	2	6.5
$4,000 to $4,999	3	9.7
$5,000 to $5,999	9	29.0
$6,000 to $6,999	1	3.2
$7,000 to $7,999	2	6.5
$10,000 or more	5	16.1
Would prefer not answer	1	3.2

Table 17: Relocation Package

	N	%
Yes	57	17.2
No	83	25.0
Not applicable	192	57.8

The Job Search
Twenty percent of respondents who had obtained a full-time position for after graduation said they began actively looking for a job 12 or more months before graduating in December. The same number, however, said they started their job search within just two months of graduation (20%).

Students were asked to indicate what resources had proven to be helpful in their job search. Those with full-time employment were most likely to say that an internship/externship had been helpful (33%), followed by applying for a job via ePACK (23%), networking with family/friends/classmates/co-workers (21%), the University or college career center (20%), attending a career fair at NC State (20%), and/or personal connections within the company (19%).

Table 18: When Started Looking for a Job

	N	%
12 or more months before graduation	54	19.6
9-11 months before graduation	20	7.2
6-8 months before graduation	69	25.0
3-5 months before graduation	79	28.6
1-2 months before graduation	41	14.9
Less than one month before graduation	13	4.7

Table 19: Helpful Resources*

	N	%
Internship/externship	112	32.9
Applied for job via ePACK	77	22.6
Family/friends/classmates/co-workers	72	21.2
Campus or college career center	67	19.7
Career fair at NC State	66	19.4
Personal connection(s) within the company	66	19.4
On-campus interviewing	50	14.7
Internet	31	9.1
Co-op experience	30	8.8
Employer found resume via ePACK	24	7.1
Faculty member or found job listing in an NC State dept	23	6.8
Professional society	18	5.3
Employer information session on campus	10	2.9
Consultation with Career Counselor/Coach at NC State	9	2.6
Career fair off-campus	6	1.8
Student teaching experience	6	1.8
Staffing agency	5	1.5
Other	37	10.9

*Respondents could select more than one option.

Seeking Employment
Almost one-third of the December graduates responding to the Future Plans Survey indicated that as of the time they completed the survey they were currently seeking employment, and a small number (4%) said they had not yet begun to seek employment but that they planned to do so within a year after graduation. This section of the report first looks at those who were activitely seeking a job, and then briefly at those who had not yet begun their job search.

The Job Search
The majority of students who said they were looking but had not yet found a job as of the time they completed the survey - - typically within two weeks before or after graduation - - said they first started looking for a job less than 6 months before their graduation. Fourteen percent of those without a job said they began their search less than one month prior to graduation, 28 percent said they started looking one to two months prior to graduation, and 40 percent said they started three to five months before graduation.

A sizeable number of Fall 2011 graduates who had been seeking but not yet found employment indicated that it was not due to lack of offers. Seventeen percent said that they had actually received a job offer and 3 percent had received two or more offers. These students were asked to briefly describe why the job offer(s) they had received had not worked out. Several respondents indicated they were actually still in the process of considering a job offer, or that the details had just not yet been worked out. Reasons given for not accepting a job offer included that the job was not a good fit with one's career goals and/or their educational background, the job location, compensation (e.g., salary too low or being solely based on commission), and not liking the company/organization. Less frequently mentioned was that the timing of the start-date was not going to work out.

Table 20: When Started Looking for a Job (among those seeking but not yet securing a job)

	N	%
12 or more months before graduation	5	1.8
9-11 months before graduation	6	2.2
6-8 months before graduation	35	12.9
3-5 months before graduation	109	40.2
1-2 months before graduation	77	28.4
Less than one month before graduation	39	14.4

Table 21: Received any job offers (among those seeking but not yet securing a job)

	N	%
No	230	83.0
Yes: one	38	13.7
Yes: two	8	2.9
Yes: three or more	1	0.4

Type of Work Seeking
The large majority of job-seekers are looking for full-time work (89%), with the remainder indicating they were looking for either full- or part-time work. Over 90 percent of those seeking employment said they were were looking for a job either directly (40%) or somewhat (53%) related to their major. The most common occupations in which students were hoping to be employed were architecture and engineering (18%), and business and financial operations (11%).

Table 22: Looking for full-time or part-time work

	N	%
Full-time	246	88.8
Part-time	0	0.0
Either	31	11.2

Table 23: Relationship of Job Seeking to Major

	N	%
Looking for position directly related to my major	110	39.7
Looking for position somewhat related to my major	146	52.7
Looking for position unrelated to my major	6	2.2
How closely position is related to major is irrelevant	15	5.4

Table 24: Occupational Classification of Job Seeking

	N	%
Architecture and Engineering Occupations	49	18.1
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations	25	9.2
Business and Financial Operations Occupations	31	11.4
Community and Social Service Occupations	9	3.3
Computer and Mathematical Occupations	13	4.8
Construction and Extraction Occupations	2	0.7
Education, Training, and Library Occupations	16	5.9
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations	8	3.0
Health Care Practitioners and Technical Occupations	1	0.4
Health Care Support Occupations	4	1.5
Legal Occupations	4	1.5
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	20	7.4
Management Occupations	19	7.0
Office and Administrative Support Occupations	2	0.7
Personal Care and Service Occupations	3	1.1
Production Occupations	3	1.1
Protective Service Occupations	2	0.7
Sales and Related Occupations	13	4.8
Other	34	12.5
Not sure	13	4.8

Location of Job Seeking
Three-fourths of those still looking for a job at the time of the survey said they were looking only in the United States (77%), while 22 percent said they were looking both inside and outside the U.S.. Over 40 percent said they were only looking in North Carolina (41%).

Table 25: Looking for Employment Inside or Outside the U.S.

	N	%
United States	213	76.9
Outside U.S.	2	0.7
Both	62	22.4

Table 26: Looking for Employment Inside or Outside the N.C.

	N	%
N.C. only	87	41.0
Only outside N.C.	7	3.3
Both	118	55.7

Future Job Seekers
A very small number of Fall 2011 graduates -- 4 percent - - said that while they had not yet begun their search for employment their primary activity after graduation would be to find a job. In response to a question asking those respondents when they planned to start looking the majority said within the next couple of weeks (50%) or within a month after graduation (26%).

Table 27: When Will Begin Job Search

	N	%
Within the next couple of weeks	17	50.0
Within a month after graduation	9	26.5
Within 2-3 months after graduation	4	11.8
Within 4-6 months after graduation	2	5.9
Within 6-12 months after graduation	2	5.9

Further Education

This section of the report provides detailed information on further education being pursued by NC State Fall 2011 graduates. Sixteen percent of the 867 graduating seniors who submitted the Future Plans Survey said that they planned on going to graduate or professional school in the coming year.

Students planning on attending graduate/professional school were asked to indicate from a list of options the reasons why they had decided to pursue post-graduate education. The most common reason cited was that the student wants to enhance my knowledge in a particular subject area (74%). Other reasons cited by majorities of those planning on attending graduate/professional school include that they will be able to earn a higher salary with an advanced degree (66%), my chosen career field requires graduate/professional school (60%), and that they want to improve my marketability (56%). Just 6 percent indicated that being unable to find a job was a reason for attending graduate/professional school.

Table 28: Reasons for Attending Graduate/Professional School*

	N	%
I want to enhance my knowledge in a particular subject area	97	74.0
I will be able to earn a higher salary with an advanced degree	87	66.4
My chosen career field requires graduate/professional school	79	60.3
I want to improve my marketability	74	56.5
I have been unable to find a job	8	6.1
My employer is encouraging me to attend	4	3.1
Other	7	5.3

*Respondents could select more than one option.

Current Status for Graduate/Professional School Attendence
Of the Fall 2011 survey respondents planning on attending graduate/professional school, 23 percent say they have have been accepted and know where they are going, and another 8 percent have have been accepted but are unsure where or whether they will be attending. Not surprisingly for these mid-year graduates, one-fourth have applied to graduate/professional school but not yet been accepted (24%), and 44 percent say they have not yet applied but plan to do so within the year.

The remainder of this section reports on only those who indicated they have been accepted and definitely know where they will be attending graduate/professional school.

Table 29: Current Status for Graduation/Professional School Attendence

	N	%
Have not applied but plan to do so within the next year	58	44.3
Have applied, but not yet been accepted	32	24.4
Have been accepted and know where I'm going	30	22.9
Have been accepted but undecided	11	8.4

School Attending
The vast majority of the relatively few respondents who at the time of the survey knew where they would be attending graduate/professional school say they will be staying in North Carolina (90%), with most of them enrolling at NC State. Almost all of those going on to graduate/professional school say will be attending in their first-choice school.

Table 30: State of School Attending

	N	%
North Carolina	27	90.0
Indiana	1	3.3
Kentucky	1	3.3
Outside United States	1	3.3

Table 31: Name of School Attending

	N	%
NC State University	23	76.7
UNC Charlotte	2	6.7
Charlotte School of Law	1	3.3
Pfeiffer University	1	3.3
Purdue University	1	3.3
St. Mary's College	1	3.3
University of Louisville	1	3.3

Table 32: Attending First Choice School?

	N	%
Yes	29	96.7
No	1	3.3

Degree Seeking
Students committed to attending a specific graduate/professional school in the coming year were asked in what degree program they will be enrolled. The majority of students said they would be in a Master's program (83%), while 13 percent will be attending professional school.

For a complete list of the specific types of degrees programs in which students will be enrolled click here.

Table 33: Degree Program Enrolled In

	N	%
Master's	25	83.3
Professional	4	13.3
Doctoral	1	3.3

Graduate/Professional School Funding/Awards Received*
NC State undergraduates going on to graduate/professional school received a variety of funding and/or awards as part of their acceptance into their program. Research Assistantships (17%) and Teaching Assistantships (17%) were most commonly reported, followed by Scholarships (10%).

Table 34: Graduate/Professional School Funding/Awards

	N	%
Teaching Assistantship	5	16.7
Research Assistantship	5	16.7
Scholarship	3	10.0
Honors/Award	1	3.3
Other assistantship	1	3.3

*Respondents could select more than one type of funding/award.

NC State Experiences and Resources

All graduating seniors participating in the Future Plans Survey were asked about their participation in various work-related experiences, as well as about various career-related resources they might have used while at NC State. This section of the report summarizes the information they shared about these experiences.

Work-Related Experiences
Respondents were asked whether or not they had participated in various work-related experiences while a student at NC State, and if so, for how many semesters/summers they did it, and whether or not it was helpful in securing a job offer. Over half of the students reported having an internship or job related to their major (53%). A significant number of students also reported participating on a class project specifically designed to work with a company/organization outside of NC State (22%), or on a research project with a faculty member (12%).

The relatively small number of students having participated in co-op (7%) typically reported having multiple such experiences, with almost half saying they had a co-op for either three (25%) or four or more (21%) semesters/summers. The most common experience, internships/jobs in academic field, also tended to be relatively long term, with almost one-third of those with such an experience having it for three (14%) or four or more (17%) semesters/summers. The majority of those having done a practicum, student teaching, research with faculty, or a class project working with a company/organization did so for a single semester/summer or less.

For the most part, regardless of the type of work-related experience, students who were interested in finding employment were very positive about the helpfulness of the experience in securing a job offer. Co-ops were most likely to be viewed as very helpful (74%) followed by internships/job in academic field (56%) and a practicum (54%). Almost 50 percent of those participating in student teaching found the experience to be very helpful in getting a job (49%). Least likely to be helpful in getting a job, according to those with such an experience, was a class project working with an outside company/organization. Eleven percent of those working on such a project said it was not at all helpful in securing a job, and another 23 percent said it was not very helpful.

Table 35: Participation in Work-Related Experiences*

	Yes, participated		# of semesters/summers participated
Participation in work-related experiences	N	%	Less than 1	1	2	3	4+
Work-related experiences: Co-op	57	6.7%	0.0%	35.1%	19.3%	24.6%	21.1%
Work-related experiences: Internship/externship or job in field	454	53.2%	3.5%	39.0%	26.4%	13.7%	17.4%
Work-related experiences: Practicum	24	2.8%	0.0%	87.5%	4.2%	0.0%	8.3%
Work-related experiences: Student teaching	56	6.6%	3.6%	66.1%	10.7%	3.6%	16.1%
Work-related experiences: Research w/ faculty	106	12.4%	3.8%	50.0%	19.8%	13.2%	13.2%
Work-related experiences: Class project	185	21.7%	3.8%	65.2%	19.6%	4.9%	6.5%

Respondents could select more than one experience.

Table 36: Helpfulness of Work Experiences in Securing Employment (among those having had the experience and having looked for employment)

	Mean	4: Very helpful	3: Somewhat helpful	2: Not very helpful	1: Not at all helpful
Co-op (n=53)	3.72	73.6%	24.5%	1.9%	0.0%
Internship/Job in field (n=421)	3.42	56.1%	33.5%	7.1%	3.3%
Practicum (n=22)	3.36	54.5%	31.8%	9.1%	4.5%
Student teaching (n=43)	3.23	48.8%	32.6%	11.6%	7.0%
Research w/ faculty (n=94)	3.05	34.0%	44.7%	13.8%	7.4%
Class project (n=153)	2.77	22.2%	43.8%	22.9%	11.1%

Career Service Offices
Graduating seniors were asked how frequently they had used the services of each of the different career service offices on campus, and, for those they had ever used, their evaluation of the services provided. While a majority of respondents (60%) said they had used the University Career Center, less than 10 percent said they used it on a regular basis (3%) or many times (6%). Use of college-specific career service offices was, not surprising, lower among respondents overall. And, not surprisingly given their enrollment size relative to other colleges, and their relatively high response rates for their Colleges, respondents overall were more likely to have used the Poole College of Management (PCOM) Career Development Center and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Career Services office than those in other colleges.

Ratings of all career services offices were generally positive - - in no case did more than small number of users rate the services of any given center as poor or very poor. The relatively few users of the College of Textiles Career Services office were most likely to give it a positive rating, with 68 percent saying their services were excellent. Over one-third of those using the CALS Career Services offices, and just under one-third of those using the PCOM Career Services, rated their respective services as excellent (37% and 32%, respectively) . Although still rated favorably as excellent or good by a majority of users, the University Career Center and the College of Design Career Services office were less likely than others to be rated as excellent by their users (23% and 5%, respectively).

Table 37: Frequency of Use of Career Service Offices

	Mean	5: On a regular basis	4: Many times	3: Several times	2: Just once or twice	1: Never
University Career Center (n=846)	1.96	2.8%	6.0%	16.3%	34.4%	40.4%
CALS Career Services (n=817)	1.28	0.7%	2.8%	3.8%	9.2%	83.5%
College of Textiles Career Services (n=822)	1.16	1.6%	1.7%	1.1%	2.3%	93.3%
College of Design Career Services (n=817)	1.04	0.1%	0.1%	0.6%	1.6%	97.6%
Poole College of Management Career Development Center (n=823)	1.32	1.7%	2.7%	5.1%	6.7%	83.8%

Table 38: Rating of Career Offices' Services (among those ever having used the office)

	Mean	5: Excellent	4: Good	3: Fair	2: Poor	1: Very Poor
University Career Center (n=500)	3.96	23.0%	53.2%	21.2%	1.8%	0.8%
CALS Career Services (n=135)	4.16	37.0%	43.0%	19.3%	0.7%	0.0%
College of Textiles Career Services (n=53)	4.47	67.9%	13.2%	17.0%	1.9%	0.0%
College of Design Career Services (n=20)	3.40	5.0%	50.0%	35.0%	0.0%	10.0%
Poole College of Management Career Development Center (n=130)	4.05	32.3%	44.6%	20.8%	0.8%	1.5%

Career Services and Fairs
Students were also asked whether or not they had used various specific career-related services. A majority of respondents indicated that that had taken advantage of ePACK, the University Career Center's online tool for connecting students with potential employers (68%), that they had attended a career fair (either on or off campus) (62%), or that they had visited the University Career Center website (56%). About one-third of students said they had attended presentations about resume writing, interviewing, and other career skills (33%), or that they had attended employer information sessions (30%). Just under one-fourth of respondents each said they had joined a professional society or organization at NC State related to their career field of interest (23%), participated in on-campus interviewing with potential employers (23%) or spoken with a Career Counselor/Coach (23%). Respondents were least likely to have participated in mock interviews with a Career Counselor/Coach (10%).

Among the more than two-thirds of those responding to the Future Plans Survey who said they had attended a career fair, either on or off campus, students were most likely to report attending the Engineering Career Fair (44%) and the PCOM Career and Internship Fair (22%). Again, given their relative enrollment sizes and the high response rates of students in these colleges these findings are not unexpected. Few students mentioned attending a career fair not connected with NC State.

Table 39: Resources Used at NC State*

	N	%
ePACK	581	68.1
Attended a career fair (either on or off campus)	525	61.5
NC State University Career Center website	480	56.3
Presentations about resume writing, interviewing, and other career skills	283	33.2
Employer information sessions	259	30.4
Spoke with Career Counselor/Coach	198	23.2
On-campus interviewing with potential employers	196	23.0
Joined professional society/organization at NC State in career area	193	22.6
Mock interviews with Career Counselor/Coach	89	10.4

*Respondents could select more than one resource.

Table 40: Career Fair Attended (among those having attended any type of career fair)*

	N	%
Engineering Career Fair	231	44.0
Poole College of Management Career & Internship Fair	113	21.5
CALS Career Expo	96	18.3
CHASS Career Fair	42	8.0
Textiles Job Forum	39	7.4
Health Career Expo	19	3.6
Law School Fair	17	3.2
College of Design Networking Fair	2	0.4
Other fair at NC State	42	8.0
Career fair at another college/university	10	1.9
Career fair not affiliated with a college/university	20	3.8
Don't know/don't remember which one	17	3.2

*Respondents could select more than one career fair.

Closing Comments

The Future Plans Survey closed by asking respondents to rate their overall satisfaction with the career guidance they had received from their department and/or college while at NC State, and to reflect on how they are feeling about their future career. The majority of Fall 2011 graduates said they were either satisfied (40%) or very satisfied (21%) with the career guidance they had received from their academic department/college. While a sizable number did not feel one way or the other about the guidance they received (30%), about ten percent said they were either dissatisfied (6%) or very dissatisfied (3%) with it.

Overall, the Fall 2011 graduates are excited about their futures. When asked which statement comes closest to how they were feeling about their future, a plurality of respondents selected the option "Very excited: I'm confident that this is what I want to do at this time and that I am adequately prepared for it" (44%). Another 37 percent selected the option "Pretty excited: I'm fairly sure this is what I want to do at this time and that I'll be okay." Students were less likely to choose "A bit confused/uncertain: I'm really not sure what I want to do and/or what I'm prepared to do" (18%). Finally, very few students appear to be feeling at a loss, with just 1 percent selecting the final option, "Very confused/uncertain: I just don't feel ready/prepared to move on."

Table 41: Satisfaction with Career Guidance from Academic Department/College

	Mean	5: Very Satisfied	4: Satisfied	3: Neutral	2: Dissatisfied	1: Very Dissatisfied	N
Overall Satisfaction	3.70	20.7%	40.4%	30.1%	5.9%	2.9%	841

Table 42: Feelings about Future Career Path

	N	%
Very excited: Confident this is what I want to do and I'm prepared	373	44.2
Pretty excited: Fairly sure this is what I want to do	309	36.7
A bit confused/uncertain: Not really sure what I want to do	149	17.7
Very confused/uncertain: Don't feel ready/prepared to move on	12	1.4

For more information on the Fall 2011 Future Plans Survey contact:
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey Research
Institutional Strategy and Analysis
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919) 515-4184
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu

Posted: April, 2012

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