UNDATED (CNN) - While the job outlook for new college grads still isn't great, it's better than it's been in recent years. CareerBuilder surveyed more than 2,000 hiring managers across various industries; 54 percent said they plan to hire recent college grads this year, up from 46 percent last year.
Jennifer Grasz with CareerBuilder says, "I think it's trending in the right direction. We certainly see demand up across categories, but there's a lot of people out there looking for jobs, and so but it's probably going to take a little bit longer to land a position."
The employers surveyed said the areas where they're most likely to recruit new grads include:
-- Information technology
-- Customer service
-- Sales
-- Finance and accounting
-- Marketing
College grads shouldn't underestimate the value of their social networking skills. About one-in-10 employers said they'd consider maintaining a blog or other platform as relevant experience.
"Building profiles online, writing a blog -- whether it's something that's a personal blog or that's commenting on a particular industry or topic -- those are all things that will work in your favor," Grasz says.
As far as starting salaries go, the survey indicates the majority of offers will come in under $50,000.