Hey, College Grads: There's Jobs Available!

ATLANTA -- The classroom at CBEYOND in Atlanta is filled with a few dozen new hires. They spend a lot of time taking turns role-playing, either as the entry-level salesperson or entry-level customer service person. This is a common sight at the company headquartered in Atlanta.

"We provide communications and data services to small businesses," said Jim Geiger, CEO of CBEYOND. Geiger started the company with a half dozen people in Tampa, Fla., ten years ago. Today CBEYOND has 1700 employees, half of them in Atlanta and the other half in 12 other cities nationwide. And Geiger hires another 30 or 40 people every few weeks.

That's how CBEYOND made the CareerBuilder.com list of 25 companies around the country hiring 2009 college graduates. Included on the list: Allstate with 800 positions, Dish Network with 70 positions, GEICO with 300 positions, and Kroger with 800 positions. Many of the jobs would require Atlanta graduates to be willing to move. In all, the 25 companies have 5000 jobs open and ready for college graduates.

Geiger said the narrowed job market favors employers. "The silver lining on the economy's condition to us is a bigger candidate pool and fewer options. Not only do we have our pick, but they're staying longer in a difficult job."