LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE CLASS OF 2011

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW Methodology, Page 3 Response Number/Response Rate, Page 3 Missing Values, Pages 3 Demographics, Page 4 CAREER PREPARATION Internships and Part-time Jobs, Page 4 Utilizing Wasserman Center for Career Development, Page 4 EMPLOYMENT Placement Rates, Page 5 Securing Employment, Page 6 Where NYU Graduates Work, Page 7 Number of Job Offers, Page 7 Relationship Between Field Entered & School Attended, Page 8 Career Choice, Page 8 Salary/Bonus, Pages 8-10 POST-GRADUATE EDUCATION CONCLUSION Page 2 Page 3 Pages 3-4

Page 4 Pages 5-10

Page 11 Page 12

LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS 1

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The New York University Wasserman Center for Career Development conducted its annual Life Beyond the Square survey of baccalaureate graduates from September to November of 2011 a timetable consistent with national best practices of career development placement outcome surveys, since the majority of graduates secure their job during the months surrounding graduation. The following represents the major findings for the graduating class of 2011. 91% of respondents were either employed or enrolled in a graduate or professional school program at the time of the survey. Of the 91%, 81% were working, 13% were in graduate or professional school, and 6% reported both working and attending school. The placement rate was slightly above that of the 2010 class, which was 90.5%. Respondents enrolled in graduate and professional schools represent 144 unique disciplines, with historically consistent enrollment patterns among the top disciplines. The top 5: Law 29%, Medicine 20%, Education 18%, Psychology 8%, and Social Work 6%. 83% of the respondents stated that they utilized the resources of the Wasserman Center for Career Development in their job search, up 2% from last year. These students were also found to earn a mean salary over $10,000 more than those who did not report using the Wasserman Center in their job search. According to employed respondents, 38% indicated that they obtained their position directly through Wasserman-related resources. 15% of respondents received a full-time job offer as a result of their internship, which is consistent with the national trend of employers utilizing internships as a way of identifying and test driving top talent, who can then be converted to full-time hires upon graduation. This is especially true in the following industries: Financial Services, Communications, Healthcare, Technology, Accounting, and Consulting. 85% of the respondents secured their job in less than 3 months, compared to 77% from the class of 2010. 40% of respondents received 2 or more job offers--also up from the prior year, which was previously 36%. The Northeast remained the top destination for employment, with 88% employed in the tri-state (NY, NJ, CT) area, and the majority of those, working in New York City. A year ago, just 61% reported working in the tri-state vicinity. Outside of the Northeast, California was the only state with a large cluster of 4% of respondents working there. NYU graduates, once again, continued to range far and wide internationally, with new graduates employed across 37 countries. Respondents reported working in over 60 different fields. The top 5 for employment: Entertainment (TV, Film, Music) 14%, Financial Services 10%, Education/Teaching 9%, Banking 7%, and Marketing 6%. The overall mean salary for 2011 respondents was $50,600. The top 5 average starting salaries by industry: Nursing $70,060, Banking $69,168, Financial Services (excluding Banking) $64,566, Consulting $61,660, and Accounting $57,931. Incidentally, NYU graduates by major make more money than their respective counterparts nationally (see page 10). Out of 4,948 graduates per the Registrar, 4,870 were surveyed (78 could not be contacted due to inaccurate or incomplete contact information). After utilizing emails, phone calls, and social media to ascertain post-graduation status, there were 3,155 unique responses, which yielded a robust 65% response rate. LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS 2
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LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS 3

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INTRODUCTION
For over a decade, the Wasserman Center for Career Development has conducted the annual Life Beyond the Square survey to detail the post-baccalaureate plans of NYU undergraduates. The data collected is used to determine mean salaries and the most popular choices for both employment and graduate or professional school enrollment. It is also used to measure the impact of the Wasserman Center on the student body it serves. The survey is routinely conducted from early September until midNovember following graduation a timetable that is consistent with National best practices of Career Development placement outcome surveys. For this years presentation of our findings, we have utilized many more charts and graphs than in prior years. This more visual format is also in line with best practices for Career Development placement outcome surveys.

OVERVIEW
METHODOLOGY
The target population consisted solely of individuals who, based on the Registrars official records, received a Bachelors degree in either January or May of 2011 from the following schools: the College of Arts and Science (CAS); the Leonard N. Stern School of Business; the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development; the Silver School of Social Work; the Tisch School of the Arts; the Gallatin School of Individualized Study; the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS); and the College of Nursing. Bachelor degree recipients were first sent an email with a link to a smart survey, using Survey Monkey, in early September. Graduates who had not responded were called during October and November and interviewed via telephone by 15 phone interviewers. For those who did not respond to either the repeated email or phone inquiries, we researched and sought to verify post-graduation status via LinkedIn, the professional networking site. The purpose of the study was to collect employment, graduate and professional school, and demographic data for each of the respondents. Depending on how individual questions were answered, the respondents could have been asked an upper limit of 18 questions, with demographic information supplied by the Registrar. Completion of an individual survey should have taken less than 5 minutes.

RESPONSE NUMBER / RESPONSE RATE

In order to ensure a high response rate, the Wasserman Center offered recent graduates an incentive: Inclusion in a drawing for a monetary prize if s/he completed the survey by a certain date. After data cleaning (removal of duplicates, as well as those deemed ineligible or unreachable), there were 3,155 unique responses, including from those graduates who had moved abroad, and from which all item response rates below are based. The original data supplied by the Registrar contained records for 4,948 graduates. Of that number, 78 could not be contacted due to inaccurate or incomplete contact information, resulting in 4,870 graduates. The final response rate was 65%.

MISSING VALUES
It should also be noted that throughout the analysis, missing values (i.e., questions that the respondents did not answer) were omitted. Thus, for several of the questions, the total percentage does not equal 100%. Additionally, Institutional Research Board (IRB) guidelines prohibit us from requiring students to answer all questions, so in some cases the number of responses to each question varies. LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS 4
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LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS 5

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DEMOGRAPHICS Response Rate by Ethnicity Ethnicity Percentage White 36.5% Asian 15.0% Other/Multi 4.0% Black/AA 2.0% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.5% Did not respond 41.5% Response Rate by Gender Gender Percentage Female 64.0% Male 36.0% Response Rate by Hispanic v. Not Hispanic Hispanic/Not Hispanic Percentage Hispanic 6.0% Not Hispanic 39.5% Did not respond 54.5%
The survey respondents provide a fairly accurate representation of the ethnic makeup of NYUs Class of 2011. Gender split was also historically consistent, though slightly edging up for females compared to the Class of 2010.

CAREER PREPARATION
INTERNSHIPS AND PART-TIME JOBS
LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS 6
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Students interest in part-time jobs and internships continues to increase primarily for two reasons. Most important is that part-time jobs and internships are seen as a way to gain the practical experience needed to secure a good job after graduation and to help offset college-related expenses. A significant majority of career development experts believe that students who have gained career-related experience during college have an advantage over less experienced graduates when the time comes to compete for employment. And NYU students seem to agree, as 89% of the recent graduates had held part-time jobs and internships during their undergraduate years (from data originally reported in the 2011 Part-Time & Internship Survey).

UTILIZING WASSERMAN CENTER FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Overall usage of the Wasserman Center by respondents was 83%, which is a slight increase from last year.

Wasserman Center Use by School

School Overall College of Arts & Science College of Nursing Gallatin School of Individualized Study Leonard N. Stern School of Business School of Continuing and Professional Studies Silver School of Social Work Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development Tisch School of the Arts * Percenta ge 83% 81% 76% 79% 96% 67% 83% 78% 34%

* Note: Tisch School of the Arts students also have access to the Tisch Office of Career Development.

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EMPLOYMENT
PLACEMENT RATES
The placement rate is defined by the ratio of graduates reporting that they held some type of job (fulltime or part-time) and/or were enrolled in school (part-time or full-time) to the total number of alumni reporting that they found a job and/or were enrolled in school or were currently looking for a job. The placement rate for the Class of 2011 respondents is 91%, which is also a slight increase from the Class of 2010.

*Placement Rate by School

School Overall College of Arts & Science College of Nursing+ Gallatin School of Individualized Study Leonard N. Stern School of Business School of Continuing and Professional Studies Silver School of Social Work Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development Tisch School of the Arts
+

Percentage 91% 90% 81% 96% 95% 91% 88% 90% 91%

Note: While the overall job outlook for bachelors level nurses remains quite good, especially in longterm care, home health care, and in rural areas, the competition for open positions in other specialties and in urban settings has definitely stiffened (with experienced nurses putting in more hours, putting off retirement, or returning from retirement). Additionally, job interviews and offers are now often postponed until the candidates have passed their post-degree licensing exams which, in some cases, were after our data collection period. We surmise that these factors, along with this class perhaps being more selective (of work setting and location) have contributed to the drop in the placement percentage versus the last few years.

* At the time of the survey, a number of international students seeking employment in the US were still working

through visa issues and were not eligible for work. Some professional program graduates, nursing students for example, were waiting to complete their licensure requirements before being able to accept full-time positions. Also, a small percentage of students were not seeking full-time employment; among these are those auditioning or pursuing other performance based employment opportunities.

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SECURING EMPLOYMENT
Of the students who reported some type of job/school placement, 53% reported using Wassermanrelated resources and 38% reported securing employment via Wasserman-related resources, including NYU CareerNet, On-Campus Recruitment, Career Fairs, NYU Staff members, Employer Presentations, NYU Events, or were promoted from an internship.

Source of Employment by Method

Method NYU Source NYU CareerNet NYU On-Campus Recruitment Internship Promotion (NYU) NYU Staff Member Referral NYU Event NYU Career Fair NYU Employer Presentation Non-NYU Source Through a friend/relative, personal contact Online Job Listing (not NYU CareerNet) Targeted Employer Internship Promotion (not NYU) Other Percentage 38% 15% 10% 6% 3% 2% 1% 1% 62% 21% 14% 12% 9% 6%

One of the areas that the Wasserman Center for Career Development continues to focus on is to facilitate learning outcomes that teach students how to ensure their marketability in any economic climate. Networking is key and the Wasserman team continues to provide services and coaching sessions to help students learn to network effectively and to utilize social media channels professionally to identify additional job opportunities. This data also highlights the importance of encouraging students to engage in a targeted job search one in which they identify what they are interested in and qualified for rather than an indiscriminate job search, in which they apply for any open position.

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WHERE NYU GRADUATES WORK

Of the students reporting job placement, 97% are working in the United States, with the majority of those staying in the New York City metropolitan area.

Top 6 States for NYU Employment

State NY CA NJ PA CT MA Percentage 84% 4% 3% 2% 1% 1%

There were 58 students who reported working abroad, spread out across 37 international locations.

Top 9 Global Locations for NYU Employment

Country China India United Arab Emirates France Korea Hong Kong Singapore Tanzania United Kingdom Percentage 11% 7% 6% 6% 6% 4% 4% 4% 4%

NUMBER OF JOB OFFERS

LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS 10

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FIELD ENTERED AND SCHOOL ATTENDED

For the most part, the data shows that the respondents entered fields that would be considered logical given the school from which they graduated (e.g., most of the Stern students entered a business-related field). However, this was not always the case. For example, financial services has historically been the most popular career choice for both business and non-business graduates. And while the entertainment industry surpassed financial services for this recent class, a high interest in financial services remains. Except for some very specialized and technical fields, employers consider a candidates overall skill set, especially analytical and problem solving skills as well as verbal and written communication skills, to be the primary qualification for employment rather than a students particular major.

CAREER CHOICE
There were approximately 60 different fields of industry in which NYU students reported working. The most popular among them were:

SALARY/BONUS
The mean annual salary for the Class of 2011 respondents is $50,600, similar to the Class of 2010, and well above the national overall average of $41,700 (based on NACEs Fall Salary Survey for 2011 graduates). The mean bonus was over $8,250, which is higher than last years findings of $7,850.

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The mean annual salary: By School, Gender, Ethnicity, Hispanic v. Not Hispanic, With / Without Use of Wasserman Center, Most Popular Majors, and Most Popular Industries.

Salary by School
School Overall College of Arts & Science College of Nursing Gallatin School of Individualized Study Leonard N. Stern School of Business School of Continuing and Professional Studies Silver School of Social Work Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development Tisch School of the Arts Mean $50,600 $44,756 $70,320 $39,609 $62,285 $55,152 $38,500 $40,212 $39,300

Salary by Gender
Gender Male Female Mean $56,428 $47,157

Salary by Ethnicity
Ethnicity Mean Native Hawaiian $57,667 Asian $55,996 White $48,523 Other/MultiEthnic $45,954 African American $45,560 American Indian $35,000 Estimate based on a single data point (n=1).

Salary by Hispanic v. Not Hispanic

Hispanic/Not Hispanic Not Hispanic Hispanic Mean $52,097 $45,291

* Salary With / Without Use of Wasserman Center

Job Search Method Involved NYU Wasserman Did not involve NYU Wasserman Mean $54,788 $44,329

* Note: This is the first time that this statistic is calculated and reported. The difference in the average salary of the students who reported using Wasserman for their job search (even if they did not ultimately receive their job because of Wasserman) to those that did not is significant. While the choice in industries (especially financial services and consulting), which often require the use of on-campus recruitment and meeting with a career counselor for at least a resume critique or mock interview, is certainly a factor, it may also highlight a widely-accepted anecdote: That students who utilize, and take full advantage of, the Wasserman Center and its myriad services are often far better prepared for the job search. LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS OF 2011 12

Relationship Between Salary and the Most Popular Majors

Major Nursing Finance Accounting Economics Marketing Politics Biology Acting History Film and Television Art History English Media, Culture, Communication Anthropology Individualized Psychology Environmental Studies Journalism Drama Music Business Mean* $70,320 $66,439 $59,383 $54,143 $49,079 $43,625 $42,900 $42,350 $40,846 $40,684 $40,467 $40,273 $40,080 $40,048 $39,959 $39,681 $38,900 $38,073 $37,950 $37,063 National Average** $48,100 $48,300 $50,500 $54,400 $51,200 $38,100 $38,100 N/A $37,000 N/A N/A $37,400 $37,400 N/A N/A $32,300 N/A $38,400 $25,235 N/A Difference $22,220 $18,139 $8,883 ($257) ($2,121) $5,525 $4,800 N/A $3,846 N/A N/A $2,873 $2,680 N/A N/A $7,381 N/A ($327) $12,715 N/A

* Mean salaries do not reflect signing, relocation, or end of year bonuses which are standard in some industries. ** According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), Fall 2011 Salary Survey.

Salary by Industry
Industry Nursing Banking Financial Services Consulting Accounting Healthcare Administration Marketing Fashion/Retail Hospitality Advertising Internet/New Media Science/Research Law/Paralegal Education/Teaching Communications Entertainment Non-Profit LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS 13
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Mean $70,060 $69,168 $64,566 $61,660 $57,931 $51,552 $46,707 $45,560 $44,188 $43,109 $41,594 $40,878 $40,819 $40,711 $40,413 $37,560 $36,490

2011

Public Relations Publishing

$35,405 $34,615

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POST-GRADUATE EDUCATION
Graduate school enrollment overall was 19%, 3% less than the class of 2010; however, the percentage attending school full-time rose by 4%. And for those currently not attending a post-bachelors program, 64% reported intentions to attend graduate or professional school in the future, which represents an 11% drop from 2010.

Graduate School Enrollment by School

School Overall College of Arts & Science College of Nursing Gallatin School of Individualized Study Leonard N. Stern School of Business School of Continuing and Professional Studies Silver School of Social Work Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development Tisch School of the Arts Percentage 19% 29% 10% 17% 6% 10% 81% 22% 49%

There were 144 unique areas of study reported, with the first 3 typically leading the way. The top 13 fields:

Students Enrolled in Graduate School By Area of Study

Area of Study Law Medicine Education Psychology Social Work Nursing Economics Dentistry Public Health International Affairs Public Administration MBA Veterinary Percentage 29% 20% 18% 8% 6% 5% 4% 3% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1%

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CONCLUSION
New York University continues to have among the most successful graduates in the country. The placement rate for survey respondents from the undergraduate Class of 2011 was 91%, a slight uptick from last years and despite the continuing softness of the overall economy. Once again, savvy, experienced, and well-prepared students who are supported and encouraged by the timely and strategically planned initiatives of the Wasserman Center for Career Development, in collaboration with academic departments, employers, and the entire University Community, have helped to achieve these results. As students, this class took advantage of the resources, support, and experience of the Wasserman Center, including NYU CareerNet, career fairs, and special recruiting and networking forums organized by the Wasserman Center. These were made possible by the employer and NYU school partnerships that are pivotal to the services offered at Wasserman. Encouragingly, 83% of respondents took advantage of one or more programs or services provided by the Wasserman Center. NYU graduates are also very committed to graduate and professional school attendance. 19% of the respondents were currently enrolled in post-graduate academic programs at the time of the survey, with a majority, 67%, pursuing advanced degrees in just three disciplines: Law, Medicine, and Education. And for those not currently enrolled in a post-baccalaureate program, 64% indicated that they intended to pursue such study within five years. Respondents employed at the time of the survey work in a wide variety of fields, with over 60% in financial services, education, banking, entertainment, marketing, nursing, fashion/retail, consulting, nonprofit, and law/paralegal. And, as is usual, a great number (88%) are working in the tri-state area, with most typically employed in New York City and its suburbs. Although the respondents used a wide variety of methods to obtain their jobs, they received the greatest assistance from the Wasserman Center for Career Development.

LIFE BEYOND THE SQUARE: CLASS 16

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