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Listen up college kids! When global consultant group Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. surveyed 150 human resource executives, they didn't expect such delicious irony.
According to the survey (as published by TalentManagementTech.com), the top three careers they advised college freshmen to avoid are:
1. Law
At the very bottom of the list was the legal profession, selected by just 1.4% of respondents. Slightly more than 2.0% felt their own career of choice (human resources) would be worth pursuing in college.
"This recession may have many freshmen second-guessing career plans. Certainly those who were contemplating a future in financial services or home building may be looking for new options," said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
So which degrees did the executives select as the best to pursue?
1. Computer Science & Information Technology
2. Engineering
3. Health Care
Computer science/information technology topped engineering as the most-recommended field of study. Instructed to select just one field from the 11 provided, 16% of survey respondents selected this field. Engineering was favored among 15% of human resource executives, while medicine/health care was recommended by 14.3%.
"It is impossible to predict what the job market will look like in four years," explained Challenger. "Young people entering college this fall could graduate into a job market that is still recovering from recession."
So what's the secret to career success in a recovering market?
According to Challenger, it's all about flexibility, "With so much uncertainty, it is best to seek skills that are flexible and highly transferable between various industries."
"The areas recommended by human resource executives, while appearing to be relatively specialized on the surface, actually provide future graduates with a great amount of flexibility to pursue careers in a wide range of fields that are emerging now or could emerge over the next two decades."
What's the outlook for government jobs?
Fewer than 5% of respondents recommended public service (government/non-profit) as the best career path to pursue. But Challenger noted, "The federal government could be a very fruitful source of jobs in the coming years, as many departments see their staffs depleted from retirements. However, despite the increasing need for replacement workers, the government has done little to streamline the hiring process or improve its image when it comes to being a great place to work."
But for those who choose one of the top-three recommended fields, there should be ample job opportunities regardless of the economy's health. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in the computer/IT and engineering sectors is expected to grow 22% and 11% respectively by 2016. While in the health care field, 3 million jobs are expected to be added by 2016.
Next: Top 10 Companies Hiring This Week >>
Sep 7th 2009 @ 8:03PM Joe
Would you look at that would you?! The three they say are going to be GOOD actually take a lot of effort and study time to get. Other than Law, those tother two sure don't require very much as fr as studies go, no wonder they are telling people to stay away from them, I would as well.
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Sep 7th 2009 @ 8:56PM L..Concepcion .S
I have been unemployeed for over a year, after spending over 40years in retail in a filed related to support and tailoring and despite countless interviews and mailing resumes. NO LUCK.!If any body out there can help with suggestions or ideas it will be very much appreciated.
Thank you very much.
LCS
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Sep 7th 2009 @ 9:15PM jenshill
This is the first time I responded to a blog ever. It is rough times and everyone is talking about at home business. I am an Independent Avon Representative and have been for 3 years. It is not just makeup. We sell clothes, cologne, perfume,makeup, holiday decoration, male watches and novelty items, hokitchen accessories and more. It is fun and I love it. Most items on sale are more inexpensive and better quality than retail stores. You make as much moeny as the effort you put into it. You meet new people and it is great. My sales have not dropped even through the hard times, because people like it and can afford it.
Sep 8th 2009 @ 4:22AM Miss Len'
i think i can help YOU with an idea that will cost you nothing. i am in the process of beginning my own future success and i think YOU could also benefit. i do NOT work for any company promoting any type of "get-rich-quick" DOT COM company, and will not profit by sharing my idea with YOU. YOUR post interested me, and encouraged me to reply, offering to discuss how MY idea might help YOU. I almost never read comments, i rarely reply, i wont find my way back here, but if you know of a way to respond to me personally somehow through this site, please feel free to email me to let me know if you are seriously interested.
Sep 7th 2009 @ 8:50PM Dollibug
Most attorneys are morans and idiots....and for sure this country needs no more of them....there are too many any way...and they just want to suck your bank account dry...and not help you at all....I base this on my family and my own experiences....there are separate laws for normal people and attorneys....bet no one realized this...you know the saying...."you scratch my back this time and I will scratch your back next time"....well this is so true...and we have a lot of these people in Washington, trying to run the country....this is what is wrong with this country...and you also know the saying...the good ole boys and girls stick together...yes...it is true...they only want your money...they want the most they can get and do the least amount of work...they will take you for a ride, if you allow it...do not take my word though...just hire one...and you, too, will find out...and I will also tell you this....most law is such a gray area....that there is some kind of law which will support most anything they want to find...you just have to know where to look for it...there is no black and white law...
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Sep 7th 2009 @ 9:14PM Adam
Most attorneys are not morons and idiots. That implies lack of intelligence. It takes a great deal of intelligence to make it through law school and pass the bar. You might have meant that they are evil. However, that would also be inaccurate. Instead, we must focus our disgust on all those that work in the medical profession and the insurance industry. Most are just pure evil.
Sep 7th 2009 @ 9:07PM phil
learn a craft and work at it as back-up while seeking your dream job.
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Sep 8th 2009 @ 2:34AM Judy
In the real world (in California) teachers do not have jobs nor hope of jobs. My son went to school to get his degree and then to get his teaching credentials and by the time he was ready, there were no jobs. He has been subbing for years and is now changing his field. My granddaughter wants to be a nurse and that market is becoming dry also because all of the Phillipinos have that market sewn up. It is sad here.
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Sep 8th 2009 @ 4:33AM gr8bsn
Same thing happened to education in Arizona. When I started school in 2003, the market outlook was good. I enjoy working with people and the job security was excellent. Five years later, it was dead and getting worse. I basically wasted a lot of time and money on a degree that is so specialized, it didn't translate into anything else. I now make less money than I did before college because I gave up steady full-time employment. I worked seasonal part time and service-industry jobs because they supported my school hours, but they don't count for anything useful on a resume. What a waste. I now work three jobs just to pay the student loans off for a completely useless diploma on my wall.
Sep 7th 2009 @ 9:21PM t rue american
Until we get all illeagals out of this country (weather they are from, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Guatamalla, China,
India etc..........) this country will not get back on its feet. We need to be self sufficent. We need to manufacture our own products that we use and need. Wake up america, stop shopping at WALMART and start buying american or do without.
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Sep 7th 2009 @ 9:42PM huh
you do realize that most of the items for sale at wal-mart are imported don't you?? Next time you stroll through start looking at where the stuff's made. Wal-mart use to be made in the USA, but no longer
Sep 7th 2009 @ 10:25PM TED
t rue american, or is it true american, You are mostly right down to the start of the last sentence. Walmart gets a lot of badmouthing. And some of it is probably deserved. But where are we going to get all these American made products? I don't think they make them here anymore. So we should quit buying from Walmart and do without and put them out of business. Where would we get any clothes that we could afford? Are there any clothing manufacturers still in America? Does any one here still make shoes? I know what you're getting at, but most of us can't pay the humongous prices that things would cost if we didn't have Walmart, whether we like them or not. It's a simple fact, folks have got to stretch their money as far as possible and Walmart helps them do it. Remember, the American manufacturers that used to make things that we could afford moved overseas because they could not afford to make the goods here anymore. Solve that problem and there won't be a problem.
Sep 7th 2009 @ 11:42PM Someone
I like to add to your comment by saying that you should not be blaming the immigrants nor should you say that we should buy only American made goods. Truth is we are all a nation of immigrants. The only true native blood Americans there is are the Native Americans whoes ancestry stretches back from the mid to late Ice Age period. Many of the immigrants that come over here to our country want to make a difference in their lives and are looking for the same freedoms, dreams, and opportunities as us Americans. Another truth is that the reason why we buy more foreign goods than American made is because some of the wealthy American businessmen and investors setup a lot of their businesses over sea because they can afford to pay for cheap labor and make a cheaper product that is then ship back to the US for us to buy at a reasonable price. It is also cheaper to setup these businesses overseas; furthermore, there is places overseas that do not have all the red tape, harsh taxing and strict regulations that is found here in America. In reality, we need to remember one fact, capitalism and the mighty dollar are the cause of many problems we are facing right now, not only here in America but all over the world. Like the old saying goes, "money is what makes the world go around." It's what we depend on in order to take care of are necessities, it's what draws immigrants to our shores in hopes to make a better life for themselves, and it's what causes some wealthy investors and businessmen to becoming greedy and wanting to save money to line their pockets more by either hiring illegal immigrants to work in our country or to setup shop overseas to cut cost and make a big profit. I careless if anyone on here agrees with my opinion or not, but this how I feel.
Sep 8th 2009 @ 12:42PM usauwe
Please try to be a bit more selective when you mention illegals. I doubt very much that countries with an equal or higher standard of living than the USA, such as most European Union member nations, would be a net exporter of people to the third world shithole that is being created by almost everyone in the USA. Michael Jackson is on every TV station 24/7 and the important issues are forgotten. OH yeah, now that football season is back all issues are forgotten.
Sep 7th 2009 @ 9:29PM george jetson
Hey Adam, since healthcare professionals are evil,why don't you give your full name and address so your local ER staff can give you some extra special care when you need their help.
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Sep 7th 2009 @ 9:35PM Kenneth Smith
The economy is in a tail spend because of the quick rich for profit schemes that generate income in ways that are not convential. These schemes make quick profit and depend on several factors. Slow and steady is far more safe than quick and reckless. Those of you who are not employed, I can tell you this, everyone who puts their total trust in God provision will make it through these times. I am asking each of you to consider trusting God more than the wealth of the present age. I like most of you have lived my life in fear. I have learned to live on less and have been able to enjoy a level of prosperity I never experienced. I pray for those of you who are unemployed that you return to your church and begin to seek God and be honest with yourself about your faithfulness. To those of you who are reading this, if you will adhere to these words God will bless you in the mist of these difficult time.
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Sep 7th 2009 @ 11:00PM Candy
I love what you wrote and I feel the Lord wants us to come
together again with him in love and prayer to build a bond
of strength through him. He wants to see how much we want our
country back.
Sep 7th 2009 @ 11:51PM loretta
Hummm...Conventional is broke...You better own what you do and you must be talking about my God who wants me to prosper..pressed down and flowing over! Not live a life of mediocrity. He gives us the ability and go out there and do big things and expects us to be great stewards of our gifts and opportunities. Ever heard of sowing and reaping!!
Sep 8th 2009 @ 3:23PM Lynne Lee
Ken,I really needed the encouragement of getting back to Church.I,ve been asking God everyday for guidance & direction since becoming unemployed back in May.I'm 45 yrs.old now & at a total loss as to what my purpose is in this life.Thank you for being God's instrument & reminding me that I must TRUST in God's provisions.Financially,I'm about to lose everything PLUS I'm raising a young grand-daughter.IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT I FIND A LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME JOB!!PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!!THANKS AGAIN!!
Sep 7th 2009 @ 9:35PM MrDoughnut
Most of the people on ebay are resellers. They bid over stuff they plan on reselling or in other words flipping.So basically one store sells to another store which then flips the item to another store. A true customer would not get a fair shake as store teams bid the items higher so if the customer won the bid they would end up paying top dollar for the item. The store teams won't bid on items from newbie sellers until the last minute when they can walk away with something cheap to resell.
With so few customers on ebay you are at the mercy of slick store bidders who won't buy at fair value because that's their reselling margin they have to work with.
Too many people fell for the quick make work plans advocated by the prior adminstration to cover for the lost jobs to outsourcing and imported cheap labor. All that is left is desperate people.
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