Job prospects for 2009 graduates

Surveys are showing that 2009 college graduates are facing the toughest job market in years. And prospects may be even worse for the class of 2010. Roger Young, director of career services at Southwestern, is available to discuss topics such as the following:

What career areas look good right now?

Accounting has been a hot job for a number of years now. It is an area where salaries are very attractive, but job security may depend on whether you work in a large public firm or a small local firm. 

Health care, which is exploding due to the aging of the baby-boomers, is going to provide solid, secure jobs over the next 10 to 15 years. Other than doctors and physicians assistants, consider jobs in physical therapy, nursing, and nursing home administration. 

Teaching. There will be a continued need for good teachers and administrators at the elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels.  Teaching English abroad in places like Korea and China is experiencing an upsurge right now.

Telecommunications. Telecommunications giant Verizon leads the list this year as the Top Entry-level employer of new college graduates. Job security looks good – at least for the next few years.   

Federal Government.  Excellent job security, with good upward potential for those willing to relocate every three to five years. And you don’t need to go to Washington, D.C., to find these jobs. In fact, 84 percent of federal jobs are located outside the capitol (www.makingthedifference.org). There are a multitude of federal agencies in Texas. The Air Force is planning on locating its new Cyber Command in San Antonio. Federal stimulus money will be pumped into the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and there are HUD offices in Texas as well. 

Financial services is another good area to explore due to the aging of the baby-boomer generation. Many boomers have put off retirement planning and now realize that they need to have professional advice. The uncertainty in the investment market has also created demand for competent financial planners. Companies like Edward Jones and A.G. Edwards are still hiring and doing well. 

Jobs in the environmental and alternative energy fields are expected to increase as the government puts more emphasis on both these areas. 

Why study the liberal arts?

Liberal arts graduates are very marketable, especially if they have done some good career preparation while in college, including doing some internships, volunteering or other work. A liberal arts degree provides students with excellent skills in communications (writing, presentations, persuasion, etc.), critical thinking, viewing a problem from all sides, problem-solving, and research − all skills that employers consider important in most jobs. A liberal arts degree gives a student a broad perspective of the world and allows for lots of cross-disciplinary exploration. It provides a foundation for a large range of careers and gives liberal arts graduates flexibility in the job search. 

The near future bodes well for liberal arts graduates. Author and Yale Law School graduate Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind suggests the United States is moving out of the Information Age − where technology, computers, analytical skills, and left-brain thinking is  necessary for many jobs − to the Conceptual Age, where right-brain thinking will be more necessary for  a large number of  jobs. The six right-brain areas he highlights are starting to appear in the way we work and in job qualifications for the 21^st century: design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning. Liberal arts students are already spending a lot of right-brain time in most of these areas.  

Young may be reached at 512-863-1346 or youngr@southwestern.edu