Only 2% of companies look to hire liberal-arts grads

Not surprisingly, many more corporate hiring managers are on the lookout for engineering or business majors, according to a survey by Millennial Branding, a research and consulting firm, and Beyond.com, a career-advisory website.

According to the poll, 27 percent of companies intend to recruit engineering and computer students, while 18 percent want business majors.

The low percentage of companies seeking liberal-arts majors isn’t a shock, given the tenor of today’s job market. However, more than 4 in 5 human-resource managers

Nearly three-fourths of hiring managers said colleges are only “somewhat preparing” students for the working world.

cited communication skills as a top trait they’re looking for in job candidates, a skill typically among the strengths of liberal-arts majors.

“In the current economy, majoring in liberal arts won’t yield good job prospects, so you have to pair a liberal-arts degree with business courses in order to become a moreappealing candidate,” said Dan Schawbel, founder of Millennial Branding. The poll surveyed almost 3,000 job-seekers and 281 human-resource managers.

As for getting hired, anyone who has ever blindly sent in a resume to a job board or website should take heart. According to the survey, 45 percent of companies say they find candidates on job boards. Nearly 1 in 5 said it gets candidates through its website. An additional 17 percent look to employee referrals.

In the brewing debate about the value of a college degree, 73 percent of hiring managers said colleges are only “somewhat preparing” students for the working world.