Careers for the
New Millennium|
Many career-minded college students face tough decisions when it comes to their professional future. Fortunately, many fast-growing, satisfying careers now exist in the job market. The Career Resource Center at Palo Alto College, located near the GE Building in the Developmental Studies Building, Room 119, offers free services to students who need assistance in finding an occupation that suits their individual needs and talents. "I had no idea that a place at Palo Alto College existed to give you a point in the right direction to find a job,” said Natalie Stone, a Palo Alto sophomore Elementary Education major. “Now I’d like to go and get more information on jobs, because I need one.” The top jobs in the nation now require a higher level of education and training, which makes getting a college degree or receiving vocational training essential for those working to achieve a certain standard of living. The demand for high-tech careers has increased tremendously, according to a U.S. Department of Commerce report. By 2006, one million positions must be filled, which translates into 100,000 technical positions open each year until then. Government, utilities, transportation and business services remain the largest employers, with salaries ranging from $25,000 to $130,000 in the high-tech or information technology fields, according to U. S. News & World Report. The health care industry also continues to grow, making thousands of job openings available. The increased aging of the country’s population makes health care providers an important part of the work force. The number of physical therapists in the country rose from 14,000 in 1996 to 17,000 in 1997, according to U. S. News & World Report. Dental hygienists are also in great demand, earning about $22 per hour, according to the American Dental Association. Some examples of other notable fields making their mark on the job market are accounting, advertising, education, law, new media, communications, child care, hospitality, human resources, sales, scientific research and social work, according to “20 Hot Job Tracks” in the Oct. 26, 1998, U. S. News & World Report. The Career Resource Center provides valuable job information to students, like qualifications needed for the top careers and their salaries. Also, the center provides full and part-time job listings and their contacts. If you need help deciding on a major or an occupation, try the DISCOVER system. This computerized test measures your interests and abilities and tries to match careers and majors with its results. DISCOVER also offers data on colleges, universities, vocational and military options. In addition to computerized tests, the Career Resource Center helps students with the necessary skills and documents needed to obtain a job. Resume writing assistance is also offered at no cost. Interviewing tips and techniques are available as well, Lydia Ortega, Senior Job Placement Specialist at the Career Resource Center, said. You can participate in a mock interview to prepare for an upcoming job interview. Students are asked questions similar to the ones that employers ask in a work interview. Skills such as resume writing and effective interviewing are useful throughout your career, Ortega said. She also recommended that students surf the Internet to find job listings and resources. By typing in “jobs” on a search engine, students can find
hundreds of links to employers. Some of the best portals/search sites,
according to the April 1999 issue of Brill's Content, are:
In addition, the 1998-99 Occupational Outlook Handbook presents data and statistics on job skills and top careers. The handbook can be found on the web or in the library. The tough career decisions that students now face should be seen as a golden opportunity. For those searching, it is better to have too many options to choose from than not enough. The Career Resource Center's hours are Mondays through Thursdays from
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