New graduates who have prepared themselves well during their four or more years of college coursework and career preparation will make the transition to the work world smoothly. Other college students who lacked career focus during their college preparation may spend several months after graduation finding rewarding employment.

Graduates need clear career interests and outstanding preparation to attract prospective employers. Graduates with vague career goals, poor academic records, and marginal work histories will discover that job hunting is more challenging and laborious than it is for well-focused graduates with excellent records.

Employers hiring new college graduates this year expect an increase of approximately 6.2 percent in growth of job opportunities. This expansion of job prospects has now been sustained for four consecutive years. Growing job possibilities mean greater chances of landing entry-level assignments requiring college degrees for new college graduates.

Many assume that a college degree will ensure a good job after graduation. When employers review the current job market for new graduates, they see some graduates locating excellent career opportunities immediately and others finding less than attractive positions. This variation will occur because of differing degrees of acceptable preparation for available job openings.

Depending upon the industries that interest them, graduates of 1997 may easily find jobs in their major field of study; some will have difficulty finding jobs. Most of the employment growth in the next few years is projected in a few sectors of the economy. In fact, three industries are expected to provide nearly half the total growth in wage and salary jobs between 1994 and 2005: health, education, and business services (U.S. Dept. of Labor 1996, Fullerton 1995, Silvestri 1995).

Three of the top 10 occupations with the largest job growth are health related. From 1994 to 2005, the health care industry will account for almost 20 percent of all job growth (U.S. Dept. of Labor 1996).

Three of the next 10 occupations are education-related. Education related jobs are predicted to account for approximately one of every eight new positions started between 1994 and 2005. Employment in the areas of educational services is expected to increase by 2.2 million people during this time. Most of these new jobs will be for teachers in special education, elementary classrooms, and secondary school assignments. These job categories are expected to account for 20 percent of the new jobs available for college graduates. Both education and health care occupations were listed among the "best jobs for the future," according to the U.S. News and World Report's Annual Career Guide for 1997 (Beddingfield et al. 1996).

Research indicates that jobs requiring the most education and training will grow faster and pay more than jobs requiring lower levels of education and training (U.S. Dept. of Labor 1996).

Short summaries and advice from recent new graduates are provided below with information for making industry-by-industry comparisons.

Professional Specialty Occupations

Professional specialty occupations are located in all major industrial sectors of the economy. Positions in this category include those for scientists, systems analysts, and some health care professionals. Most of these employment opportunities are concentrated in health-care, education, or business. Professional specialty positions generally require at least a bachelor's degree.

These occupations are projected to increase the fastest and by the largest number. Over 5 million new jobs are expected to be added in professional specialty occupations between 1994 and 2005. These occupations also experienced the fastest rate of increase and job growth from 1983 to 1994. Employees in these occupations all averaged median weekly earnings in 1994 that were higher than average for all full-time wage and salary workers. Starting salaries averaged $30,000 to $45,000 annually (U.S. Dept. of Labor 1996).

Mike Shinn, Corporate Recruiting Program Manager for General Electric, reported that his organization hires between 1,000 and 1,200 people a year for assignments around the globe. Graduates from technical disciplines are going to be extremely employable this year, according to Shinn, especially in electrical engineering and computer science. In business, accounting, and finance, areas called information management are also very strong.

To new college graduates Shinn says that "The skills in highest demand are leadership skills. These include demonstrated ability to work with and lead teams, change orientation, and interpersonal skills. Being able to use computers is very important, but we specifically look for the leadership skills.

"Having a global perspective is very important. Traveling overseas, taking a foreign language or participating in a foreign student club shows some global interest," says Shinn.

Services Industries

Like professional specialty occupations, service jobs are available in every sector of society. Many of these positions have lower educational requirements than professional specialties. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the service industry encompasses millions of jobs in business, health, and education. Almost half of the jobs added to the economy during 1994 to 2005 will be in these three general categories, (U.S. Dept., of Labor 1996).

Michele Bartos, Recruiting Supervisor, disclosed, "Enterprise Rent-a Car is experiencing a growth explosion. We hope to hire 15,000 manager trainees this year nationwide. We are already the largest rental car company in the United States and we are still growing!"

"Enterprise Rent-a-Car looks for self-starters who have high energy levels," stated Bartos. "Our employees have positive attitudes and are very enthusiastic. Recruiters know that most skills can be taught but that enthusiasm and attitude, both of which make all the difference, cannot be taught. The employees who thrive here have a drive to succeed and want to learn how to run a business. We have an excellent internal promotion and incentive program."

Educational Services

Public and private educational institutions at all levels will require each a bachelor's degree and a teaching certificate for each available job opening. Special education teachers will continue to be in very high demand. According to the latest census data, 28,000 special education positions were either vacant or filled by teachers who lacked the proper teacher certification.

Also expected to remain in high demand are bilingual teachers, especially bilingual Spanish/English teachers. This high demand is a result of the large influx of students for whom English is a second language.

Darlene Faltz is a personnel specialist with Fairfax County Public Schools in Springfield, Virginia. Her school district is one of the largest public school districts in the United States with over 10,000 teachers. In an average year, they hire between 800 and 1,000 teachers. About half of their new hires are new college graduates.

"Diverse types of teachers are needed to represent the diverse populations" according to Ms, Faltz, who has been with the district for more than seven years. "With students coming from so many different backgrounds, we must hire people who are knowledgeable of and sensitive to different ethnic groups and cultures. Speaking another language certainly can be helpful in many situations."

According to Faltz, "Teachers must stay on pace with the technology and not neglect math and science. Teachers must provide a high caliber learning environment and have a repertoire of resources available to them. It is impossible to provide a good learning environment without some computer technology. New teachers should be familiar with team-teaching and cooperative learning techniques as well as schematic learning methods."

Nicole Dillard is an elementary teacher in the Fairfax County Public School District. She says, "The more you are open to other cultures, the more likely you are to succeed in the real world of work. It will help you make smooth transitions in the constantly changing work environment. Having a diverse background can help you apply what you learn to many other situations both in and out of the classroom."

Health Services

This very broad category is expected to increase twice as fast as the economy as a whole. Five of the 10 fastest growing occupations are health related--personal and home care aides, home health aides, physical and corrective therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants, and physical therapists. An aging population, as well as medical advancements, is driving the need for health-related occupations (U.S. Dept. of Labor 1996). As long as insurance companies and hospitals mandate shorter hospital stays for patients, the increased demand for health care workers will continue.

Computer, Data Processing, and Telecommunications

Rapid advancements achieved with computer technologies continue to drive the demand for computer engineers and systems analysts. Businesses and industries have increased their scientific researchers and expanded their computer applications. Computer scientists and systems analysts are expected to be in the fastest growing occupations and are those experiencing the largest job growth (U.S. Dept. of Labor 1996). At the same time, it is interesting to note that computer programming opportunities, which grew faster than average during the 1980s, are expected to slow down because of advancements in software that have eliminated or simplified many programming tasks.

Dmitri Perkins, a graduate teaching assistant in the Computer Science Department at Michigan State University, has some insights into working in a corporate setting. After graduating from college, he worked for a few years before returning to earn an advanced degree in computer science: "I think one of the most important qualifications for being successful is being able to work well on a team. In the corporate setting, you seldom do anything on your own: You are a part of a team. The team is usually going to be very diverse. Sometimes, when you work very closely with a group of people, some personalities may clash, but you need to learn how to work with others. We all must learn about and respect others' differences."

There are millions of computer-related positions available on the job market. Some positions require specific education and training already acquired; others may require on-the-job education and training. The technological advancements in communications and the surge of growth surrounding the Internet are creating new categories of jobs. Examples are organizations looking for qualified people who can organize and manage Web sites.

Stan Maxwell is with NCR Corporate. According to Maxwell, NCR is rebuilding and reshaping. NCR is involved in point of sales systems such as computerized cash registers, other financial services equipment, ATM's, and bar coding.

"One of the key things that we seek in prospective employees is initiative. We like to hire graduates with relatively good grades in school. We think that good grades reflect a person's level of commitment and organization," according to Maxwell.

"I encourage college students to make their career decisions wisely. No matter what type of job they seek, they should always research the industry. It is important to understand the market well before they interview. Not only will it impress the prospective employer, but it will make your interview go a lot smoother."

The telecommunications area will continue to expand. Over ten million new customers were signed up for new cellular services within the past year. This continues to fuel the need for qualified technical employees and sales representatives.

Casandra A. Ingram is Management Associate for Market Planning with GTE. Ingram says, "Computer skills are a necessity, and being bilingual really helps. Learning a second language is one thing that I did not do. I wish I had. I will probably return to school to learn another language, now that a second language is so valuable. A lot of companies are international, and speaking a second language can open up all types of other opportunities."

Miscellaneous Business Services

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects Miscellaneous Business Services as one of the fastest growing industries between 1994 and 2005. Expected to experience substantial growth are positions that provide, services, including management, maintenance, and staffing of large buildings.

Many employment opportunities will be created by businesses that need to operate leased or related equipment. Salespeople, technicians, and managers will be needed to fill these openings. New graduates with technical backgrounds will be favored.

Management

The business management category includes positions in supervision and management consulting. Like most of the lower level jobs, the majority of these positions will be found in the service industries where 6 out of 10 additional jobs will be located. Blue-collar worker supervisors, general managers, and top executives can expect the largest number of new jobs.

Trina Frazier, Recruiting Manager at Proctor & Gamble, offers advice to new college graduates: "For me, the key thing was participating in internships and getting real world experience. My internships allowed me to get experience in marketing that was outside of my major field of study."

Felicia Maddox is Brand Manager for Pepto-Bismol, a division of Proctor & Gamble. She says, "At Proctor & Gamble, one of the most important things that we consider is leadership skills. We seek people who can transform an idea into a vision and then bring together the resources to make it happen.

"We also look for candidates who are good strategic planners and problem solvers. We want someone who can take a complex business situation, break it down, analyze it, draw conclusions from it, and produce a result," says Maddox.

"I strongly recommend that students participate in some of the many leadership opportunities on their college campus. Join some of the clubs, social organizations, or academic organizations out there. Use these groups to practice your communication and leadership skills. Then when you return to the work world, you won't have to struggle so much while you learn."

Merchandising and Retail Trade

Positions in the vast industries of retail and food service will continue to grow substantially. The retailing trade and related service industries will account for 16.2 million new jobs from a total projected growth of 16.8 million wage and salary jobs between 1994 and 2005.

Child Day Care Services

The increase of single parent households and those with both spouses working continues to fuel child care. There has been a noticeable switch from relying on friends and relatives to relying on more formal and organized arrangements for child care. Positions in this field can vary from baby-sitting to working for an established organization or starting a new child care center.

Manufacturing

Employment in manufacturing is expected to continue to decline, losing 1.3 million jobs over the 1994 to 2005 period. Existing positions such as machine operators, fabricators, laborers, precision production workers, crafts, and repair occupations should account for more than one million of these lost positions. However, positions for systems analysts and other computer-related personnel in manufacturing should continue to increase.

Tracy-Betina Caldwell, Senior Staffing Representative at AlliedSignal Corporate, offers her perspective as follows: AlliedSignal looks for people who have good communication and presentation skills. Being bilingual is definitely important in some geographical locations. It is also helpful if applicants are willing to relocate.

"Our best job applicants have strong personal computer skills. They must be able to surf the net as well as know some specific software applications," says Caldwell.

Morgan R. Milner is a financial associate with General ACIS. Milner remarked, "I think the employment prospects in the finance area are very good. If you have a financial background with some technical skills you can get your foot in the door. With the advent of the Internet and the information age, we need to stay ahead of our competition. You should be trying to use computer software that is going to keep you on the cutting edge. Employees are the most important resource of the company.

"Make sure that you find a good mix of aggressiveness and tact. There are times in your life that you really have to go after what you want. People seldom give you what you want. Sometimes you have to go after something very aggressively and vocally. This is true in life as well as when you are going after a certain job. Be confident"!

Administrative Support

Secretarial and administrative support positions are expected to decline across all industries, because of improved efficiency due to increased office automation.

Banking, and Financial Services

Securities and financial services sales representatives are two of the fastest growing occupations on the current job market. Financial management is another of the occupations with the largest projected job growth. And accounting is listed as an area of one of "best jobs for the future" (Beddingfield et al. 1996). Many small accounting firms are thriving while they continue to compete with the big guys for enough business to keep all of them happy.

One underlying qualification for most of these positions is a familiarity with some computer systems. Advancements in banking technology have created a demand for computer and data communications positions. As more banking services and management information systems become available online, more people with computer-related qualifications will be needed.

Bill Bufe, a human resource director for Plante and Moran, one of the major accounting firms, offers advice for getting ahead: "Successful people look for mentors. There is a strong, positive correlation between people who are successful and the amount of mentoring that they received. It is seldom that you find truly successful people who don't credit some mentors who helped get them to where they are today. This is true even after you leave college.

"Your education should not stop when you no longer take classes. It is important to continue to learn. The people who do the best in our company are eager to learn new things all the time."

When looking to the future, Felicia Freeman with NBD Bank declared, "We are very optimistic! Our mortgage lending and credit divisions will definitely grow. We are also expanding our computer systems area.

"NBD looks for college graduates who have a well-rounded background. We like to hire candidates who have participated in extra curricular activities such as working or participating in campus activities. A candidate who has taken on some leadership roles tends to stand-out as a prospective employee."

Sharon Ingram, branch manager with NBD Bank, agrees: "You have to know how to work with all types of people. Your people skills are very important. The way you communicate and your level of confidence can really make a difference. Employers are definitely looking for winners--people who have positive attitudes and who aggressively seek success.

"As long as you keep a positive attitude, you are moving forward, and things will always get better. Your attitude determines your aptitude which determines your altitude. Your attitude will ultimately determine how successful you will be. Most companies will train you and provide you with the information that you need, but your attitude remains the key to your success."

Construction

The number of occupations in the construction industry is expected to increase. Dwight Hooks of Freeman-Darling Construction Company is a job estimator. He sees a bright future for new graduates seeking employment in construction: "From what we can tell, the construction industry will continue to be strong for the next five years or so. Commercial and residential construction is often geographically affected, but I think the industry as a whole will be strong."

Automotive and Mechanical Equipment

Tom Thivierge, a personnel manager for General Motors, predicts that "More than 40 percent of our workforce will retire within the next six years. We will be doing a lot of hiring to replace this massive turnover."

According to Thivierge, the average General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler employee is in his or her high 40s with 25 to 30 years of service. Accordingly, the major automobile manufacturers are expecting some significant employee changes over the next few years.

"We especially like to hire co-ops who have some relevant experience. If someone has some skills-trade experience in a smaller shop or some apprenticeship-experience, he will definitely have an advantage. We have a lot of employees who have worked at smaller companies before coming to work for us," says Thivierge.

"In the management world, your ability to articulate your thoughts in a meeting will probably have more impact on your career success than anything else because that's where a lot of the work is done. Decisions are made at meetings, especially in a team environment. A meeting is your one opportunity to express yourself and to discuss issues. Your ability to influence others will determine whether you are an impact player," according to Thivierge.

Technicians

Positions for qualified technicians in all industries are expected to grow. One computer-chip manufacturer has interviewed over 40,000 applicants for computer technician positions, hired 4,000, and still needs more. The specific qualifications for technicians vary from industry to industry.

Engineering

Demand for research and development staff is expected to increase by approximately five percent each year until 2005. Private research and development budgets were estimated at more than $99 billion last year. This is an increase of 21.7 percent over the last five years. Much of this money is connected to engineering positions and high-tech equipment. Software and computer engineers will continue to be in high demand for these assignments.

Lori Williams has been a project engineer with Kraft Foods for the last 3-1/2 years. Williams stresses the importance of being able to work in a team-based environment: "I would recommend that college students get some work experience in the industry that interests them before they get too far in their course work. Sometimes there is a big difference between what you learn in class and what you learn being on a job."

"At Kraft, we look for people who can get along well with others. You have to be able to work with a multitude of different types of people."

The overall outlook for this year's new college graduates will definitely be better than it was last year. However, available career opportunities vary, depending upon the industries and occupations pursued by the new graduates. An analysis of job prospects in your preferred areas of employment could pay good dividends.

It would help too if you kept your head up, your confidence high, your ears open to learn about experiences of other new graduates, and your vocal cords warm for interviews that may occur quickly. New graduates who think they can find career opportunities to fit their interests will find employment.
 

MARK RINELLA is a doctoral student and resident assistant at Michigan State University and a writer for the Collegiate Employment Research Institute.