IT, IM, your future

I know there are a lot of you sharing my sentiments of fear about the job outlook post-graduation. I mean, how could it possibly leave your mind? Nobody can stop talking about it. I’m trying to stay on top of all types of trends in the career world (for this class, but also because I’m interested in it), and all roads seem to lead to this area: technology.

Companies now are looking for innovators. They’re paring down their staffs, but now they’re looking to fill positions with quality workers. They want new ideas on how to get things done. And on the tech side of organizations, the fresh-out-of-college batch seems to have an edge. The older generations look to us to come up with the next big thing.

Plus, technology and internet based companies seem to treat their employees extraordinarily well – there were four tech companies in the top 10 of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2008. That’s more than any other individual industry on the top of their list.

If you think you might be interested in a career in Information Technology or Interactive Media, the Career Center is hosting a networking event. The event will be hosted on Thursday, February 12 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. on the 11th floor of DePaul Center on the Loop Campus. This is another free networking event from DePaul - you can pre-register on DePaul’s eRecruiting page or register onsite.

Let your altruism shine

If you enjoy the feeling of helping people, you might want to consider a career in human or social services. Some jobs in the social service industry include advisors, counselors, social workers, and human resource assistants in both profit and nonprofit organizations.

As the Baby Boomers age, demands in the industry will continue to grow rapidly. People with honed communication and problem solving skills are ideal candidates for human and social services.

On Wednesday, January 21 DePaul will be hosting a networking event for students considering careers in human and social services. Professionals from the field will be holding discussions about the nature, rewards, and challenges of working in the social service industry.

If it’s a career path you’re pursuing, this is a great networking opportunity to meet professionals already working in the field. If it’s one that you’ve thought about, the event is a great opportunity to get a feel for what life in the human and social service industry is like.

The free event will be held in the Lincoln Park Student Center, Room 120 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can register online through Monday on DePaul’s Erecruiting page, or you can register onsite.

Before you commit to that major...

Most of us only want to go through college once. The cost alone is a deterrent to return. It can be a daunting task to commit to a major. You might start asking yourself a lot of questions.

Are you going to be able to find a job after graduation? Are you going to be able to afford to live on that job’s salary? Are you going to need special training or certification for that job?

Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) can’t answer your questions personally in the ways a career advisor might, it is nonetheless a good source that you can use on your own. The BLS uses your tax dollars, so why not put some of the information to use?

I visited the BLS’ home page (www.bls.gov) myself and was able to find out a lot about the field I want to go into. You can enter any career title or general field into the search bar and the database gives you links to pages describing the nature of the work, earnings, job outlook, related occupations, and more. The data provided on the website compiles information from around the country.

If you want to see what the statistics show and what the outlook is for Illinois in particular, you can visit the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s Labor Market Information (LMI) site (http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/). Just a forewarning that LMI Source is not as easy to search on as is with the BLS; LMI posts their data and reports in document form (typically Excel or Zip files) that you have to work through on your own.