Caution, class of 1991: expect fewer promotions and smaller salaries if you aren’t able to do more with less.

According to the fall issue of the Wall Street Journal’s college edition of Managing Your Career, more companies are looking for more contributions from students who will achieve immediate goals for the company.

Robert M. Tamasko, the author of the cover story, which will be available Oct. 29, said graduates should be able to handle certain characteristics of importance to fulfill companies qualifications, better than the class of 1990. The characteristics include discipline, team-working skills, communication skills, people skills and flexibility.

Although these companies are changing because of the federal budget, the Middle East crisis and cutbacks in defense, Gary Scott, director of NIU’s Career Planning and Placement Office, said companies aren’t going to expect a lot from newly-graduated students in the beginning, so graduates shouldn’t be worried. But, he also said that in the hiring process, the companies “will be selective where to recruit out of proven programs, but aren’t looking for immediate results.”

Scott also pointed out that a new employee doesn’t begin to really contribute until after the first year, and that companies are still looking more at the potential of the employee, rather than the immediate impact.

Further, Scott said marketing conditions dictate what kind of hiring will take place. With the situation now, the short-term effect might result in a freezing of hiring, but in the long run, people always are needed eventually, so employees should hold the line.

“Even with a tighter market,” Scott said, “the opportunities (for the graduates of ‘91) are looking good.”

But he also adds that graduates should not take any job for granted. He said it’s fine to target particular jobs, but people also should take advantage of the exposure of any job.