University of San Francisco career counselor Alex Hochman on which industries are likely to grow and offer the best job security in the coming years.
Interviewee: Such a competitive environment, to stand out and to see if you have all the requirements and more than that.
Interviewee: Paying loans, finding a job, graduate school, et cetera. Sumi Das: With unemployment climbing at an alarming rate, it's getting harder and harder to land a job. Especially if you're a recent graduate.
Interviewee: Personally, I feel like I could use more experience.
Interviewee: It's going to be really hard for me to get a job. Sumi Das: But there are industries that career councilors say you should focus on. Alex Hoffmann: Right now I'd say the areas where someone would really want to concentrate would be transportation, government, anything kind of green or environmental-related, education, and healthcare. Sumi Das: Alex Hoffmann is the assistant director of career counseling at the University of San Francisco. His advice, take a look at President Obama's recovery plan and follow the money. Alex Hoffmann: I think it would be very smart right now for students graduating from college to take a look at where government is spending these billions of dollars and follow that money and look for careers in those areas. Sumi Das: One of Hoffman's favorite sectors is the growing green field. Alex Hoffmann: Green is going to be big everywhere. I think there are going to be pockets, major metropolitan areas, where's it's going to even be a little bit bigger. Maybe most important, if you're a student coming out of college and you're applying to different careers in the green field your competition isn't nearly as intense as most other careers, because it's still such a young area. There's not this back log of qualified resumes that are going in for every job. Sumi Das: He also believes technology jobs are a good bet, and is encouraging students to major in computer science. Alex Hoffmann: I would encourage students to get into IT because I think it's an area that you can really use all over the map, you can use at many different organizations. IT is no longer a Silicone Valley phenomenon. So it's one of the more flexible majors, even though I don't think it's stereotyped that way. Sumi Das: Another popular field that has a pulse -- healthcare. Careers such as home care aid workers, physical therapists, and pharmacy technicians are expected to grow 30 to 50% over the next eight years. Hoffman advices his students to stay away from industries that are in an overall slump, such as the auto industry, real estate, and finance. But does that mean if you majored in one of these specialties you should switch mid-stream? Alex Hoffmann: I think people shouldn't switch majors, so long as they're happy with them and it's something that they're passionate about. It's more important to be learning something that you're truly interested in, rather than worrying about what are going to be the financial impacts long term. Because long term, you're not going to be financially successful if you're in something that you're not interested in, except for you think that it might make you some extra money. Sumi Das: And what tips would Hoffman give graduates looking for their first job out of school. First, he says, it starts with networking. Alex Hoffmann: One word that career councilors overuse is networking, and I think the students hear that and they get very frazzled, because networking can seem like a very big task. But at the end of the day, you visit with a career councillor at your university and talk about who exactly is my network. Sumi Das: Second, he says don't rely solely on the Internet. Alex Hoffmann: I would strongly encourage you to get out the door. There are plenty of networking events, alumni things going on, so many ways to get out and interact with people. Sumi Das: And finally, be realistic. Alex Hoffmann: This is often obviously a very rough job market. I would say don't be shy about taking something that maybe last year you thought would be a level or two below where you thought you were going to be. Even if that means working in a restaurant just to keep your bills paid right now. Be patient, get what you can, and hold on to it for dear life. Because long term, that's still going to pay off for you. Sumi Das: For Moneywatch.com, I'm Sumi Dos.
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