Special Report - Arizona Daily Wildcat - Wednesday Feb. 20, 2002

This year's graduates face challenges unseen just a year ago, before the economy took a dive. A dwindling economy, corporate layoffs, hiring freezes and less recruitment are all obstacles job seekers are dodging as they struggle to find the right path.

Bumps in the Road It's a Monday afternoon and engineering students are staring at their computer screens while bathed in the fluorescent lights of an underground room in the engineering department. Chemical engineering senior Brian Constance and a classmate glance from their notebooks to their computer screens and back again. They have been assigned to design a mock oil refinery for a chemical engineering design class, one of their last core curriculum classes before graduation. [Read artice] Recession makes for tight job market Aside from posting job openings online and reviewing resumés, Glen Fuss, head of recruitment for America West Airlines, has had to put his normal activities on hold indefinitely. Fuss' recruitment team was set to do its yearly fall tour of West Coast universities - seeking out college seniors for jobs in the corporate office. But then the nation went to war, the economy took a tumble and the airline industry crashed, forcing it to put all its efforts on post-Sept. 11-security concerns. [Read article]

Job searching tips Prepare to "market" your skills for the particular position you are seeking. Practice answering questions out loud with someone else or in front of a mirror. Review industry and business publications/magazines for information about the employer. Attend company information meetings and talk to employers at career fairs. It is better to be over-dressed than under-dressed in an interview. Source: Career Services Market trends Hiring of college graduates is down 20 percent from predictions last July, a report from the National Association of College Employers found last month, and hiring in the West dropped even lower. Employers were originally surveyed in July 2001 for the NACE Job Outlook 2002 report, responding to a follow up survey in December 2001 companies indicated that hiring was reduced more than expected. While employers in the Northeast, Midwest and South were sticking with original predictions, almost half of the recruiters in the West indicated a greater reduction in hiring than anticipated in July. The results showed that opportunities were on the rise in the government and non-profit sectors. A substantial portion of government employees will be retiring in 2005 as baby boomers opt out of the workday world, opening up tremendous opportunity for new college grads. "Economic recovery may be imminent, but many employers tell us they are not convinced," said Camille Luckenbaugh, NACE employment information manager. "They plan to wait and see if the economy turns the corner before recruiting new graduates or increasing their salary offers to them." Source: Career Services Highest paying jobs Legal: workers: 890,910; average wage: $68,930 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical: workers: 6,041,210; average wage: $47,990 Management: workers: 7,782,680; average wage: $68,190 Life, Physical, and Social Science: workers: 1,038,670; average wage: $47,790 Computer and Mathematical: workers: 2,932,810; average wage: $58,050 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media: workers: 1,513,420; average wage: $38,640 Architecture and Engineering: workers: 2,575,620; average wage: $54,060 Education, Training, and Library: workers: 7,450,860; average wage: $37,900 Business and Financial Operations: workers: 4,619,270; average wage: $48,470 Community and Social Services workers: 1,469,000; average wage: $32,910 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics   FASTEST GROWING JOBS POST-GRADUATION Arizona Statistics Job title Number of workers Average yearly salary 1) Accountants, auditors 14,710 $44,920 2) Computer systems analysts 8,610 $65,000 3) Secondary school teachers 12,480 $38,700 4) Elementary school teachers 25,300 $33,880 5) Computer programmers 9,440 $53,020 Source: U.S. Bureau of labor statistics, 2000 Job websites The following websites allow users to post resumes, search jobs and find industry reports and news. www.collegerecruiter.com www.headhunter.net www.monster.com www.resumebroadcaster.com