By Joseph Palumbo III
It is hard to find a well-paying job in the workforce today when you have experience. With college students now back in class, many are contemplating what to major in.
Engineering may be a solid choice, since by 2020 U.S. manufacturers will need approximately 10 million new skilled workers. Mechanical and software engineers will make up a huge portion of those workers. One professional I interviewed said “software engineers are already in demand.”
With Congress nearing an overhaul of our nation’s health care system as baby boomers age, life sciences may be another choice to major in. By 2016, estimated employment of registered nurses is set to increase by 23.5 percent. Dental hygienist and pharmacy technician jobs are to increase by a projected 20 percent.
A major in statistics can lead to a sought-after position, with one professor telling me statistics graduates are often hired into lucrative positions. All sectors look for statistics grads, including pharmaceutical and insurance companies and Wall Street firms.
Even though it may not seem like it, finance is still a good major. Since early 2008 we have witnessed the end of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and the like, which created thousands of layoffs. One finance professor said investment banks are not hiring at the levels or pay structures they once did. Even so, many large and small financial institutions are looking for new blood. They want to be able to train and groom their own.
So How’s Business regarding choosing your college major? The trick is to make yourself an appealing candidate now. Now is the time to set your course for what your future will be. One last major worthy of mention is environmental studies. The federal stimulus package allocated roughly $70 million for the nation’s energy sector. Going green may possibly make you green as well.
Contact Joe Palumbo at 516-297-4034 or jp@c21amhomes.com.
