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KIRKSVILLE, MO -- Things are looking brighter in the job market for recent grads.

According to the career center at Truman State University in Kirksville, about 80% of their recent graduating class of about 1,000 students was in the process of being interviewed for career job placements at the time of commencement earlier this month.

Assistant Director Polly Matteson said Friday that more employers are looking for more hires now compared to the last three years. Employers have been improving and rebuilding from the economy.

Statistics from the center shows that computer science, healthcare, and accounting are among the most popular majors students study. But the center helps the undecided to think outside the box.

“Maybe it's not a direct path they need to be looking at.” Matteson said. “We have a lot of students who are interested in non-profit work, and they need to realize how large of an area that is. Non-profit can be from government work to YMCA to the Peace Corp, or Teach for America, agencies that are working in many other aspects. So we have a lot of students who are interested in that as well.”

Matteson also said that the center always tries to get the students involved in their freshman year to help set ideas for their career. They also help build students their resume with networking, internships, and work experience.

“So the students position themselves through experience, experimental learning, whether it's volunteering or paid or unpaid internship or job experience. It's really setting them up to do a much more successful career search when they get out of school.”

With this exciting news...hats off to you and much congrats to the recent Class of 2011. Much luck with your job search and for whatever the real world brings for you.