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Intern Hiring Increase for 2008

Current college students can expect top intern employers to hire more than 46,000 interns in 2008, reveal the latest findings of the 2008 Top Entry Level Employers survey, conducted by CollegeGrad.com, an entry-level job site. Among the 2008 Top 200 Intern Employers listed by CollegeGrad.com, 53% anticipate hiring more interns in 2008 than 2007; 22% plan on hiring the same number; and 25% expect to hire fewer interns than in 2007. Yet, while more than 50% of respondents indicate they plan to increase their total intern hiring, the total increase in 2008 intern hiring is only 0.52% over 2007 intern hiring. According to Brian Krueger, president of CollegGrad.com, the low increase in hiring may be attributed to the uncertainty with the economy. "A small increase is not inherently a bad thing, but it may be showing a leveling off of the demand for entry level talent in future years," says Krueger. Employers making the rank as a top entry-level employer feature a hiring range from as little as 5 to 2,500 in 2008. Walgreens, however, tops the list with plans to hire 7,350 interns in 2008. Across the board, employers point toward their internship programs as critical to future success in their recruiting and business efforts. Recruiting leaders specifically highlight best-fit evaluation as key to that success. "Interns are critical to the success of ensuring a robust college grad hiring effort," says Campus Recruiting Program Lead for Thomson, Jolie Chehadeh. "Interns experience the organization firsthand and make an informed decision on whether it is the right long-term career fit, and the organization is able to evaluate the skills and overall fit of the intern through firsthand experience." Lesser-known employers find their internship programs valuable for developing on-campus advocates for their company. With more than 46,000 internship opportunities represented by the Top Intern Employers list, Krueger recommends that college students take advantage of available internships to launch themselves into post-graduation employment. For those having already completed their internships, the Class of 2008 can look forward to a positive entry level-hiring year. Top Entry Level Employer survey results released by CollegeGrad.com last month project entry level hiring to increase 11.8% in 2008.