College job forecast shows good news for Class of 2016

If you’re a soon-to-be college graduate, you might be having mixed emotions right now. It’s exciting to think that not only are you done with school forever, but that the world is at your fingertips. Without school to go back to, you’re now free to backpack around Europe, join the Peace Corps or finally bingewatch everything in your Netflix queue. Eventually, however, you will need to get a job (assuming you don’t win the lottery, inherit a great fortune or marry into the Kardashian family first). And that can be terrifying.

Fortunately for this year’s graduates, the prospects of getting a job are brighter than in previous years. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, 67 percent of employers say they plan to hire recent college graduates this year, up from 65 percent last year — and the highest outlook since 2007. More than a third (37 percent) will offer higher pay than last year, and 28 percent will pay $50,000 or more.

Skills that make you stand out

Want to stand apart from other job candidates? When writing cover letters and interviewing with potential employers, emphasize your interpersonal and people skills, skills 52 percent of employers think recent college graduates lack for the workplace. Other skills employers say recent college graduates lack the most include: Problem-solving skills: 48 percent Leadership: 42 percent Teamwork: 39 percent Written communication: 37 percent Oral communication: 37 percent Creative thinking: 35 percent Project management: 27 percent

Hot areas for hiring

When it comes to the types of jobs for which employers will be hiring new grads, information technology (27 percent) and customer service jobs (26 percent) top the list. There will also be plenty of opportunities in finance/ accounting (19 percent), business development (19 percent) and sales (17 percent).

Salary expectations for recent grads

Lucky for this year’s graduates, employers are feeling pretty generous when it comes to entry-level paychecks: More than a third of employers who plan to hire recent college graduates this year (37 percent) will offer higher starting salaries than they did last year.

Expected starting salaries for recent graduates break down as follows:

Under $30,000: 25 percent $30,000 to less than $40,000: 28 percent $40,000 to less than $50,000: 20 percent $50,000 and higher: 27 percent

Just because it’s your first offer, don’t feel like you have to take it: The majority of employers (67 percent) say they are willing to negotiate salary offers for recent college graduates.