As the economy continues to recover and grow, businesses all over the United States have started regular hiring cycles and are recruiting more heavily than any time in recent memory. Here are a few different qualities that remain in vogue, or are becoming important for companies to focus on when they hire workers with college degrees.

Information Ethics

One of the biggest statistics that is often ignored in the news media is that information theft from employees at work and at home is growing to the extent that companies are being negatively affected by it. Some of the largest tech firms are therefore no longer allowing employees to telecommute, and many firms have started incorporating training on how to avoid information loss. Which leaves you, the new worker, at an advantage if you have taken a little time to study the ethics surrounding the type of work that you plan to do. In IT, the method of Information Technology Infrastructure Library certification is popular, while software and engineering employees often point to the Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as the best practice area. Whichever route you follow to get up to speed, remember that understanding the types of problems that can come with social engineering or other loss areas will show you to be a better candidate than someone who hasn’t looked at ethics.

Commitment

It may seem strange for new graduates who have previously only had short term jobs, to learn that many companies are looking for a long-term commitment. Of course sometimes this depends upon the industry you are in, but pondering questions about your medium-term, and long-term plans in advance of any interview can make a difference in the hiring decision.

Flexibility

One of the trends that has been sweeping the NFL is to utilize your players more in different roles and even hire or draft players that can do more than one thing. This is also very true in the corporate or engineering or public service fields. The more balanced and varied your background, the better that you will show up when it comes time to whittle down the number of applicants. While you are still in college consider going for many different kinds of internships and get all kinds of experience you can.

The Appropriate Degree

In some fields, it isn’t that important for people to have a specific education in order to be hired. For most professional careers, however, job announcements will talk about a set of degree types or a specific degree, such as an NU Masters of Public Administration that will be a requirement for the application to be considered. Because jobs like this are probably the type of job that you envision having when you first enter school, it is important that you start planning to prepare for that type of job by tailoring any work experience you plan to take on while a student, ensuring that you are studying the right prerequisites for the role.

Overall, this year should be a very good year for new graduates to find a job that is in the career field that is close to what they majored in. The key to success for many will be marketing themselves well to the culture of the workplace they are applying to, and remaining aware of the trends that are occurring.