A recent poll of colleges and universities found a lot of signs that the job market is booming:

More on-campus interviews scheduled this spring than were held in Spring 2005, More employers coming to campus compared to this time last year, Almost half-45 percent-said there were more print job postings for new graduates, and More than 80 percent said there were more online job postings for this spring, compared to Spring 2005.

Almost all the schools who responded to the poll-nearly 96 percent-rated this year's job market for new college graduates as good, very good, or excellent. (The remaining schools rated the job market as "fair.") The positive outlook means employers are competing for the "best and brightest" among new graduates. In Job Outlook 2006, employers predicted competition would be their greatest challenge this year, and approximately three-quarters of schools responding to the recent poll said they had noticed increased competition for their best students.

Increased competition often translates into higher starting salary offers for many new college graduates at the bachelor's degree level. Nearly all of the engineering majors posted solid increases. Both chemical and civil engineering graduates saw increases in their average offers in the 4 to 5 percent range. The average salary offer to chemical engineering graduates rose 4.2 percent to $56,549, and the average salary offer to civil engineering graduates rose 4.8 percent to $45,544. However, the overall number of engineering graduates is down from highs of 10+ years ago.

If this piques your curiosity about how your current compensation and experience level compares to "the norm" in today's market, I'd be happy to discuss that with you. Think of us as your lifetime career resource and not just your "headhunter!"