There’s no denying that the job market for New Grads is still tough. But there a few signs of improvement. CareerBuilder’s Annual Job Forecast reports that 21 percent of companies hiring New Grads will hire more than a year ago. And 16 percent plan to offer higher starting salaries. Neverthless, there’s a long way to go as the number of firms planning to hire recent college graduates is basically unchanged at 44%, down from a high of 79% in 2007. Companies planning to hire list the following activities as pertinent experience to include on resumes:

• Internships - 62 percent

• Part-time jobs in another area or field - 50 percent

• Volunteer work - 40 percent

• Class work - 31 percent

• Involvement in school organizations - 23 percent

• Managing activities for sororities and fraternities – 21 percent

• Sports activities - 13 percent

This list of activities is encouraging. There are techniques to make these most effective on your resume as well as in a cover letter. Be certain to learn how to include as many of these activities as possible. They are the evidence that you can get a job done. In addition, you want to be prepared to discuss them in detail during job interviews. Figure out strategies to describe them so they resemble tasks in a job. Employers are looking to see that you undertake challenges and meet them effectively.