Throughout history technology has played a major role in creating new employment opportunities. Every invention has opened doors to new fields of employment, although not all inventions have had a positive effect on the job market for all people. Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793, for example, increased the need for slaves. In most cases, however, new technology produces new employment opportunities. Those who willingly embrace the new technology usually receive the best jobs and the greatest financial gains. 

The personal computer has created a technological revolution on the scale of Gutenberg's printing press in 1455. Life as we knew it was changed forever when in 1974 electronic hobbyist Ed Roberts invented the world's first personal computer. He called the device Altair, the planet featured in the classic science fiction movie, Forbidden Planet, and visited in an original episode of Star Trek. Roberts also is thought to have coined the term, personal computer to describe small, affordable data processors. 

Within less than 25 years of the invention of the personal computer, thousands of new technology-related job opportunities have opened up. The economic boom created by the personal computer is the greatest opportunity for financial independence since the California gold rush of the 1800s. However, this computer-era gold rush has more to do with preparation than with luck. 

Technology pervades business, science, medicine, education and many other fields, and creates new job opportunities daily. Most of today's jobs have been influenced in some way by technology. According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), job opportunities for people with technical skills are unlimited. 

In today's ever-changing technological economy, any article written about job opportunities in technology can only skim the surface at best. A perusal of the classified section in any daily newspaper suggests that jobs in technical fields are plentiful. 

Even before this article goes from computer to printer, a new era in technology may be launched by a curious young person who creates a new gadget or gizmo that could result in a whole new world of job opportunities. This happened in 1977 when a college-age kid working in his garage invented a personal computer that he named Apple.  

According to a recent survey by the National Association of College Employers (NACE), computer software firms, data processing firms and consulting service firms made most of their job offers to students in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and math. After completing your college degree in any technical field, whether it is computer science, engineering, health science or educational technology, you won't spend an inordinate amount of time in the unemployment line. 

The Engineering Workforce Com-mission (EWC) reports that recruiting has also been strong in recent years for mechanical engineers in automotive, electronics and electrical, aerospace, consulting, metal products, petroleum and chemical firms. 

Even if you graduate with a degree that is not directly related to the sciences or technical areas, you may still qualify for some related jobs. 

The World Wide Web (www) is a global library of information on art, anthropology, engineering, finance, literature, marketing, music, psychology, and actually any other subject matter that may interest you. Of the 35 million users of the Internet, most access and share information by way of a Web page. 

With the Web page having the power to reach a world-wide audience, one of the most recent and fastest growing occupations in the area of Internet technology is the Webmaster. The term Webmaster is a generic title for a position taken by a person who writes, lays out, and designs Web pages. U.S. News & World Report has rated Webmaster as an exciting new job with salaries ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 a year. However, many Webmasters make considerably less, and are usually hired to do more than just manage the Web page. Often Webmasters don't have technical degrees, but have learned how to create Web pages in their spare time. 

James E. Butler started his own Web page and Internet consulting company, JEB Technology during his leisure time. His Web page ingenuity grew out of his desire to know more about the Internet. It was this desire that landed him the job as Webmaster of Oakwood College, a small, private, predominately Black institution in Huntsville, Alabama. 

My job as Webmaster is to create, design and to maintain the college's Web page, states Butler. 

He says his operation isn't like those at large companies where a Web page staff maintains the page and it changes daily. 

Although Oakwood's Web page is regularly updated, Butler says, I am just a one-man operation.  

Butler's creation can be viewed at www.oakwood.edu. 

Another occupation created by the Internet is Web Page Graphic Designer. This person is responsible for creating the graphics, animation and special effects seen on Web pages. The Web page graphics created by the designer are usually sold in a software application that is used by the Webmaster for placing pictures and clip art on the Web page. 

Kai-Fu Lee, vice-president of the Web Production Division of Silicon Graphics, Silicon Valley, California, remarks that as students go about the business of job-seeking, they should include the Web. 

My message is, 'don't wait,' Lee says. If you're not embracing the Web as a core part of your business strategy, chances are your competitors are.  

If your career goals are in the area of teaching, whether K-12 or on the college level, you probably are aware that technology has changed the way instruction is delivered. The old teaching methods of blackboard and chalk have been replaced by high tech teaching aids and equipment, including Internet access in the classrooms linking classes with other teachers and students across the country or the globe. 

On all teaching levels, technology is eliminating the traditional pedagogical model and is giving teachers the tools to incorporate different teaching strategies such as video and computer-based education into the educational process. 

According to Alabama's state superintendent of schools, Ed Richardson, Technological literacy has become as fundamental to a person's ability to navigate through society as traditional skills like reading, writing and arithmetic. Technology has become the nation's new basic (skills).  

No longer are college students confined to a classroom on a campus. Many colleges now offer on-line degree programs that are specifically designed for students who wish to participate in improving the quality of their education through the use of technology. 

Colleges and universities are hiring professionals who can teach courses via the Internet, audio and videotapes, computers and telecommunication. Students who enroll in the course, may schedule a class time that fits their schedules. Those who teach the courses, can do so from their workplaces. 

Another recent technological occupation is that of a Technology consultant or trainer. Major corporations, small businesses, public agencies, and school districts pay large fees to individuals who can train their workforce to use various software applications, and who can show employees step-by-step techniques for using the Internet. Many companies set aside training funds in their operating budget for education technology. Tapping into these companies is an excellent opportunity for a college graduate with technology skills even if your degree is not in the sciences. 

If you plan to pursue a career in the area of Technical Consultant/Trainer, keep in mind that knowing the technical information is not enough. You must be able to present that information in a way that is understood by your audience. 

Business graduates with technical skills are often recruited to manage technology resources. With the rising cost of upgrading technology, many organizations are seeking business-minded individuals who can manage their limited technology resources wisely. 

Technology managers are expected to demonstrate technological expertise and apply solid management practices to ensure that new equipment is delivered according to specification, and that the equipment is regularly and properly used by employees. Companies are seeking technology managers who will make sure that the new equipment is not tucked away in some closet collecting dust. 

The word multimedia did not even exist a few years ago. This term describes the new way people are entertained, educated and given information. A multimedia software designer is an individual who is able to create software that the user can interact with through print, sound and pictures. 

The Microsoft Corporation employs nearly 9,000 engineers, mostly as multimedia software designers. According to Meg MacGougan, a recruiter for Microsoft, What we look for more than experience, is talent and a huge passion for software.  

She also says Microsoft is seeking diversity in its hiring practices. 

We would be glad to hire as many excellent people that we can get our hands on, says MacGougan. Right now, our problem is having too many open positions and not enough people to fill them.  

Health care: According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), because of new technology that helps to prolong life, the aging population will increase the demand for health care providers with technical skills. There always seems to be a shortage of people skilled in using new medical and pharmaceutical technology. 

According to the most recent census data, by the year 2005, people ages 45 and over will make up 38 percent of the U.S. population. As a result there will be a great need for graduates in the health care professions. Currently, more health care providers who can use the latest technology are needed. This demand will increase as this field becomes more highly technological. 

Environmental technology: Recycl-ing, waste management, or working with an environmental consulting engineering firm such as Camp Dresson & McKee are new job opportunities for those who have an interest in saving the planet. Related areas include drinking water safety and hazardous waste disposal. 

Technical writing: For students pursuing a degree in the fields of Journalism, Language Arts, or English, and who have a good understanding of technical material, a career in technical writing may be ideal. Technical writers translate technical information from experts such as engineers, scientists and researchers, into language average people can understand. Manufacturers of software, hardware, pharmaceutical, and chemical companies are only a few of the industries that hire technical writers. The Help files on all software applications are examples of the importance of and the need for good technical writers. 

Technical illustration: This as another field for people who are trained in another discipline, such as art or photography, but who wish to take advantage of the age of technology. Technical illustrators create graphics or take photos for technical firms. Virtually all user's guides, owner's manuals, software instruction, and software application textbooks have some technical illustrations. 

With the emergence of cell phones and beepers, the telecommunications industry is experiencing a boom in business. Engineers and computer scientists excited about telecommunications have many career options in the wake of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which deregulated the industry. BellSouth, DSC Communications, Bellcore, and Stanford Telecom are among the companies that offer a wide range of opportunities, including many that are connected to the Internet and the Worldwide Web, for students with a science and technology background. 

The National Association of Black Telecommunications Professionals has stated that part of its mission is to serve as a resource for the African-American community on issues related to telecommunications public policy. The organization is also committed to helping African Americans understand and use telecommunications technology. 

Many are looking to us as African Americans in this field to lead the way in ensuring that this industry's fruits are shared with our community-at-large, NABTP President Monica Conley wrote in her message to members attending the organization's convention last Spring. 

She urged members of the organization to teach others how to use telecommunications technology to improve their lives. Their Internet address is: http://www.nabtp.org. 

Even those who do not receive degrees in technology-related fields have unlimited opportunities to self-train in an area of technology. 

Roengsak Cartwright and his wife Denise Cartwright started their computer company, Saktron Systems, Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama, in a spare bedroom of their apartment. 

We were just curious. We saw other people making a living in the computer business, so we said, 'we can do that!' says Roengsak. 

It is hard to put a title on all that we do, says Denise. In addition to upgrading, repairing, and setting up computer systems, sometimes we take a piece of software, and by using a little creativity, we are able to develop a totally new technological concept.  

Using Real Audio software and a portable radio, the Cartwrights took a broadcast signal from a small local radio station and transmitted the program worldwide via the Internet. 

Even though the opportunities in technology abound, there are some things that should be kept in mind. Employers want to hire the right person the first time around to avoid making costly hiring mistakes. With that in mind, employers look for a person who not only fits the job requirements, but who can bring something new and useful to the company. No one is going to give you a job. You must convince an employer that you should be hired. 

Getting your college degree is only the first step in earning a job. You must be qualified to do the job and to do it well. Experience, excellent communication skills and the willingness to continue learning are attributes that you must demonstrate to land and keep a job.