Jobs outlook for graduates shows slight improvement - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

With graduation just around the corner, that means the class of 2012 is anxiously looking for employment. A new survey brings hope to the recent graduates in a fairly deserted job market.

While the job outlook for new college graduates is still not great, it's better than it's been in recent years.

Careerbuilder surveyed more than 2,000 hiring managers across various industries. 54 percent said that they plan to hire recent college grads this year, which is up from the 46 percent last year.

"I think it's trending in the right direction. We certainly see demand up across categories, but there's a lot of people out there looking for jobs. It's probably going to take a little bit longer to land a position," says Jennifer Grasz, from CareerBuilder.

The areas that employers are looking to recruit new graduates are:

Information Technology
Customer Service
Sales
Finance and Accounting
Marketing

College graduates should not underestimate the value of their social networking skills. About one in ten employers said they would consider maintaining a blog or other platform as relevant experience.

"Building profiles online, writing a blog, whether it's something that's a personal blog or that's commenting on a particular industry or topic, those are all things that will work in your favor," Grasz said.

The key here is to keep it professional. Your online profile should reflect your aspirations, so if you are blogging about the industry you're seeking a job in, find the right tone of voice and stay consistent with your posts.

As far as starting salaries go, the survey indiciates the majority of offers will come in under $50,000.