This is just one of the findings of the 2025 College Hiring Outlook Report<\/a>. This annual report tracks trends in the job market and offers valuable insights for both job seekers and employers. It is based on a national survey conducted in September 2024, with responses from 1,322 employers spanning all major industries and company sizes, from small firms to large enterprises. The survey looks at employer perspectives on entry-level hiring trends, skills demand and talent development strategies.<\/p>\n I am a professor of information systems<\/a> at Drexel University\u2019s LeBow College of Business in Philadelphia, and I co-authored this report along with a team of colleagues at the Center for Career Readiness<\/a>. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s what we found:<\/p>\n Employers are rethinking talent pipelines<\/p>\n Only 21% of the 1,322 employers we surveyed rated the current college hiring market as \u201cexcellent\u201d or \u201cvery good,\u201d which is a dramatic drop from 61% in 2023<\/a>. This indicates that companies are becoming increasingly cautious about how they recruit and select new talent.<\/p>\n While confidence in full-time hiring has declined<\/a>, employers are not stepping away from hiring altogether. Instead, they\u2019re shifting to paid and unpaid internships, co-ops and contract-to-hire roles as a less risky route to identify talent and \u201cde-risk\u201d full-time hiring.<\/p>\n Employers we surveyed described internships as a cost-effective talent pipeline, and 70% told us they plan to maintain or increase their co-op and intern hiring in 2025. At a time when many companies are tightening their belts, hiring someone who\u2019s already proved themselves saves on onboarding reduces turnover and minimizes potentially costly mishires<\/a>.<\/p>\n For job seekers, this makes every internship or short-term role more than a foot in the door. It\u2019s an extended audition. Even with the general market looking unstable<\/a>, interest in co-op and internship programs appears steady, especially among recent graduates facing fewer full-time opportunities.<\/p>\n These programs aren\u2019t just about trying out a job. They let employers see if a candidate shows initiative, good judgment and the ability to work well on a team, which we found are traits employers value even more than technical skills.<\/p>\n Most 2025 graduates, like these at Brown University, are in the job market now. What employers want<\/p>\n We found that employers increasingly prioritize self-management skills like adaptability, ethical reasoning and communication over technical skills such as digital literacy and cybersecurity. Employers are paying attention to how candidates behave during internships, how they take feedback, and whether they bring the mindset needed to grow with the company.<\/p>\n This reflects what I have observed in classrooms and in conversations with hiring managers: Credentials matter, but what truly sets candidates apart is how they present themselves and what they contribute to a company.<\/p>\n Based on co-op and internship data we\u2019ve collected at Drexel, however, many students continue to believe that technical proficiency is the key to getting a job.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n In my opinion, this disconnect reveals a critical gap in expectations: While students focus on hard skills to differentiate themselves, employers are looking for the human skills that indicate long-term potential, resilience and professionalism. This is especially true in the face of economic uncertainty and the ambiguous, fast-changing nature of today\u2019s workplace.<\/p>\n Technology is changing how hiring happens<\/p>\n Employers also told us that artificial intelligence is now central to how both applicants and employers navigate the hiring process.<\/p>\n Some companies are increasingly using AI-powered platforms to transform their hiring processes. For example, Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia uses platforms like HireVue<\/a> to conduct asynchronous video interviews. HR-focused firms like Phenom<\/a> and JJ Staffing Services<\/a> also leverage technologies such as AI-based resume ranking, automated interview scheduling and one-way video assessments. <\/p>\n Not only do these tools speed up the hiring process, but they also reshape how employers and candidates interact. In our survey, large employers said they are increasingly relying on AI tools like resume screeners and one-way video interviews to manage large numbers of job applicants. As a result, the candidate\u2019s presence, clarity in communication and authenticity are being evaluated even before a human recruiter becomes involved.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/file-20250616-62-idkz0t.jpg\")
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\n Joseph Prezioso\/Anadolu via Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n