How they spent their summer vacations may determine the kind of reception college graduates get when they embark on a job search this spring.

"There's plenty of work," said Dan Golden, dean of the Filene Center For Work and Learning at Wheaton College in Norton.

But that comes with a caveat.

Companies are always looking for fresh talent, Golden said, but they also want their workers to have some experience, and that favors the grads who have used their free time wisely and worked as interns over the summers.

Those who have avoided internships may find themselves taking them on after graduation so they can build their resumes, Golden said. "It's pretty standard," he said. "You need relevant experience."

The prediction so far is that this year's crop of about a million graduates has a great chance of landing a job.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the number of graduates hired by U.S. companies will be 17.4 percent greater than a year ago, making this the fourth straight year of double-digit increases.

The reasons, according to the association, are a growing demand for goods and services, and the aging baby-boomer generation that is opting more and more for retirement, leaving many openings behind.

The fields with the most opportunities for those holding bachelor's degrees are accounting, business administration and management, computer science, electrical and mechanical engineering, information sciences, marketing, computer and civil engineering, economics and finance.

That bodes well for graduates of schools like Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., where 90 percent of the students major in business.

Bob Soules, manager of corporate recruiting at the college, said the greatest opportunities seem to be in accounting, finance, computer and information technology and human resources.

"We are doing particularly well," Soules said of the hiring season at Bryant.

His hope is that 90 percent or more of this year's grads will end up being employed in their field or enrolled in graduate school.

Bryant senior Andrew Brousell of Medfield is among them. He landed a job in February in the human resources division of EMC Corp., an information management firm with headquarters in Hopkinton. When he began his search, Brousell made use of Bryant's career services and alumni network, plus researched online and learned that EMC has a leadership development program in human resources. He applied, and was offered a job just hours after being interviewed.

A management major who began his studies as an accounting major, Brousell enhanced his chances for employment through summer internships in various aspects of business, including banking and accounting.

Brousell said most of his friends at Bryant have jobs lined up, and most of the jobs are in New England.

That will not be the case for all area grads.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the best job opportunities are in the South, where employers are expected to hire 25 percent more than last year. But even in the Northeast, the hiring increase is almost 17 percent.

Golden at Wheaton College said grads have to be willing to go where the jobs are, particularly in some fields like teaching that may offer greater opportunity elsewhere.

But there are also plenty of openings right here in New England, he said, where employers are always eager for talented people with a hunger to work, a bit of experience and the appropriate academic skills.

Students who are still in college and not yet facing the job hunt can prepare now by planning their time well, and picking their courses wisely, Golden said.

"The work goes to those who are ready to contribute," he said.