Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Employer Expectations

Students equate the value of their postsecondary education with the level to which that education prepares them for their future careers, and traditionally aged college freshmen consider the quality of a career services office and the overall job placement rate critical when evaluating a college (Farrell, 2007). Indeed, 85 percent of students report entering college with a career in mind, and 37 percent of students admit that they would drop out of college if they thought their attendance would not help their job chances (Levine & Cureton, 1998). This connection between education and employment is exemplified in today’s depressed job market, where there are more applicants for fewer jobs.