New Ohio State graduates join “bullish” job market

More than 2,600 students received their bachelor’s degrees from The Ohio State University this weekend. Now, for many of these students, it’s time to leave school behind and get a job.

A new survey of employers indicates these central Ohio graduates are walking into a good situation. According to a new ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, Columbus ranks behind only Chattanooga for job hiring in the first quarter of 2020.

The survey of more than 11,500 employers finds businesses in the Columbus area are expected to hire at a “bullish pace.”

Employers are optimistic to hire in construction, transportation and utilities, wholesale and retail trade, financial activities, professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and government.

Olivia Ane Abagye walked out of the Schottenstein Center Sunday with a nursing degree in hand.

“I’m so excited and I’m so happy because I really worked hard for it,” she said. “I’m so proud to be a Buckeye and become an alumna of Ohio State.”

Ane Abagye’s next step is graduate school to train as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She is confident about securing a job in her field when she finishes.

“[I feel prepared] because my program is one of the first of its kind in the country,” she said. “I’m really proud and I know with Ohio State’s reputation, I will get a job.”

Elijah Dowdy, a graduate with a degree in political science, is heading for a career in government relations. He said his goal is to work for the State Department in the U.S. foreign service.

Dowdy is from Columbus and, like Ane Abagye, it was the university’s global reputation that brought him to Ohio State.

“[I chose Ohio State] for the opportunity. There’s a lot to do here and there’s more to do with my major,” he said. “And of course all of the connections – it’s just amazing.”

For job seekers, the university’s connections, reputation and broad alumni base are helping students fill critical needs in the job market. Of the most in-demand jobs in the state requiring a bachelor’s degree, Ohio State graduates have accepted employment in more than 90% of these occupations, on average, over the past several years.

Dowdy said graduating from Ohio State is more than a means to an end.

“I graduated in 4 1/2 years and it represents the struggle, it represents the hardships, it represents that you have the ability to push through in hard times,” he said. “The university is not easy but I made it through.”