Class of 2020 Grads Found Good Jobs, Despite COVID-19 Pandemic

NJIT's class of 2020 substantially found full-time employment despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with 95% either starting a full-time job or pursuing further education and other opportunities, newly released data from the university's Career Development Services indicates.

The data for employment and salaries increased consistently for the past few years, officials said, with 83% of those receiving a bachelor's degree finding full-time jobs and earning an average starting salary of $64,598, while 88% of people holding a master's or doctoral degree are working full-time at starting pay of more than $78,000, officials said.

New graduates went to work for name-brand companies and NJIT recruiting partners in industries such as computing, defense, finance, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Just a few of the employers included Apple, American Express, Colgate-Palmolive, ExxonMobil, Lockheed Martin and RWJ Barnabas Health. Many other new alumni attended graduate school or joined government agencies.

Despite the pandemic, "The majority of employers honored their job offers to graduating students and continued their engagement through the career center," said Greg Mass, executive director of CDS. Looking ahead, "Based upon the number of employers participating in our virtual career fairs and posting full-time positions through our office, we are confident that the demand for NJIT graduates remains strong in 2021.”

Tata Consultancy Services is consistently among the top employers of NJIT alumni. The company hired almost 200 NJIT graduates in the last five years, three-quarters of which still work there, campus recruiter Tyler Mathurin said.

Tata seeks STEM students who are agile in understanding different technologies, want to learn new skills, and are willing to relocate and travel.

"I find that the students at NJIT are very involved on campus even in a virtual setting. From their work experience and internships, to project experience and hackathons, to their leadership experience, it seems that the students go beyond their experience in the classroom which is what companies like TCS like to see," Mathurin said.

"A well-rounded student who balances academics, work and extracurricular activities is always a plus," he continued, adding that TCS anticipates an increasing demand in the next few years for graduates who understand cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

Prudential recruiter Kate Mckeon said her company shares that enthusiasm for Highlander young alumni. "Prudential is continuing to accelerate our transformation, which means we are looking for students to bring their innovation, passion and collaboration to our early talent programs. NJIT equips students with emerging technologies that fit with the needs of our global technology team and as a local school, we find they align closely with our purpose within our community," she said.

Dhruv Naik earned an M.S. in computer science and now lives in the San Antonio, Texas region, where he works as a full-stack software developer for professional services giant Ernst & Young. He said CDS career fairs and especially mock interview lessons were vital to landing his current job, where he specializes in Java programming.

"Whenever any email comes from the career center, don't ignore it. Use all of the resources they provide," Naik stated.

Meanwhile, Beshoy Shokralla epitomized NJIT students who discovered their passions here. He was born in Egypt, came to the U.S. at age 7, grew up in Bayonne and matriculated at NJIT with a plan to study bioinformatics. Through a  business law elective course, he discovered his interest in civics and transferred to the Law, Technology and Culture major within the College of Science and Liberal Arts. His next step was Rutgers Law School, but a friend advised him to apply as a transfer student to Harvard Law School, which admitted him. Much to his surprise, Shokralla said, he wasn't the only NJIT graduate there.

Visiting a career fair with opportunities for non-STEM majors was an important step in his journey of self-discovery at NJIT, Shokralla said. He now has advice for undergraduates who may feel boxed in at a technical school. "I would suggest to students they lean into it. Explore your STEM interests through different lenses," he said. "You never know where it'll take you."

Learn more about the class of 2020 outcomes, salaries and post-graduation data, based on data from 74% of undergraduates and 78% of graduate students.