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Colleges Weigh in on Job Prospects |
| By
Kimyette Finley |
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Apr 15, 2002 |
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| Rachel Stewart talked with Alex Gorosetz of Fremont City Schools at Education Day. |
With commencement only a few weeks away, UT grads will join thousands in search of jobs. In some fields, the going could be a little tough, while in others, a plethora of jobs are available.
Here’s a look at how the job markets are looking for each college:
Arts and Sciences
Graduates who speak Spanish are in high demand. “The U.S. is the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. The students who want a job teaching Spanish don’t have trouble because there’s a shortage all over the country. Businesses are also searching for grads,” explained Dr. Antonio Varela, chair of the foreign languages department. He said Web sites such as www.latpro.com feature hundreds of jobs for Spanish and Portuguese speakers that vary from textiles to wholesale distribution to aerospace. Varela said grads who speak Chinese and Japanese also are in demand.
The long-term outlook for environmental careers is encouraging, according to Dr. Elliot Tramer, professor of earth, ecological and environmental sciences. “I get newsletters that are put out by people who list environmental occupations and those positions have not declined. I see no reductions in the amount of listings, which is a good indicator. The number of openings seems to stay up there. I think with the interest now in reclaiming minefields, there is an amount of environmental consulting that’s available.” Tramer said there are other careers that depend on people who are knowledgeable about the environment. The professor said he currently knows of three UT graduates who are working on a local highway expansion project. “The main thing is that students are prepared with as much technical experience as possible and do internships while they’re here.”
Business Administration
Dr. Terribeth Gordon-Moore, assistant dean, said some areas are stronger while others are leveling out. “The ones that seem to have the most recruiters are the marketing/sales areas and also accounting. The one area that has been a little weaker is the information systems. I think the market is flooded due to firms that have cut back and dot.coms that folded. The other disciplines are moderate — there are positions and recruiters looking. Financial services is strong. Overall, the College of Business has done well given the market. We’ve had more recruiters on campus this year than we did last academic year. Companies are recruiting our students and students are getting jobs.”
Education
“From everything I’ve read, education is one area where there are shortages,” said Roxanne Ring, career development and alumni relations director for the College of Education. She pointed to areas such as science, math, special education and foreign languages that are in high demand. The college held a job fair last week where about 85 school districts were recruiting teachers.
Engineering
There are peaks and plateaus. “The trend has definitely been affected by Sept. 11. Hiring in the automotive area has decreased. We’ve seen a slowdown. But I don’t think it’s that bad,” said Vickie Kuntz, lead director of the Engineering Career Management Center. “In the past, they may have had two or three offers when they graduated. Now they have to work harder for the offers they’re getting.” However, jobs are still out there. In fact, Kuntz said the Michigan Department of Transportation recently contacted her looking for civil engineers. “Overall, things are a little slow, but we still have activity going on.”
Health and Human Services
Margaret Traband, associate dean in undergraduate education in the college, said some areas are exploding. “We have some of the fastest-growing careers, according to the Bureau of Labor statistics, especially in the area of nursing and health programs. Those students absolutely aren’t having any difficulty finding jobs. There are local and national programs to address shortages in nursing and cardiovascular care. Some of our grads are finding significant sign-on bonuses,” she said. “In the area of the paralegal studies, again, the job market is wide open with nice paying jobs. We have the Criminal Justice Program and the placement of those grads is good.”
Pharmacy
Graduates can pick and choose where they want to work. Barbara Rudnicki, coordinator of pharmacy externship, said, “It’s been that way for quite awhile. There’s a shortage around the country. I anticipate it staying this way for awhile.”
Melissa Peralez, a senior in the College of Pharmacy, has three offers from companies in Ohio and Michigan. “It was always known that UT produces good pharmacists that do well on the national exam. Companies are willing to take on UT grads. There is a decrease in pharmacists, but the health care industry is growing due to the aging population,” she explained.
University College
Cathy Zimmer, director of college relations for University College, said some fields are expanding. “Some of the fastest-growing areas are computer support specialists, systems analysts, database administrators and desktop publishing.” According to Zimmer, those fields have a high projected growth rate through the year 2008. The area of database administration has grown by 77 percent; desktop publishing has a 73 percent growth rate; and systems analysts have seen a 94 percent growth rate, according to Zimmer. An area of study in the college that is growing rapidly but does not have enough students is legal secretarial technology. Zimmer said employers are looking to fill positions for law firms and companies that have corporate law departments.
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