For students planning to graduate with bachelor's degrees in 2024, stability, location and employer reputation are top job considerations, according to a recent report from Handshake, a career services platform.
The report is based on a March survey of 2,687 students, from 616 institutions, across the platform.
Six survey findings:
1. Seventy-six percent of upcoming graduates said job stability makes them more likely to apply to a job.
2. Seventy-five percent of upcoming graduates said location makes them more likely to apply to a job.
3. Seventy-two percent of upcoming graduates said an employer with a positive reputation makes them more likely to apply to a job.
4. Seventy-one percent of upcoming graduates said a high starting salary makes them more likely to apply to a job.
5. Only 46% of upcoming graduates said hybrid work makes them more likely to apply to a job.
6. Only 21% of upcoming graduates said a fast-growing company makes them more likely to apply to a job.
7. Only 28% of upcoming graduates said they're more likely to apply to a position if they're familiar with the employer's brand.
8. Seventy-five percent of upcoming graduates said they read reviews of an employer before applying to a job.
"Job stability over all other factors is the most important factor that they're taking into consideration," Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake, told Fortune. "They've had a very disruptive education experience, they've had to deal with a global pandemic. So when they look at their next chapter, they're like, 'Okay, I did my adjusting, now I would like some level of stability.'"