| Show Technical Degrees Most Marketable BUT JOB PROSPECTS FOR BUSINESS MAY BE FADING Washington DC D.C. CPS As they did during the spring and Christmas 1979 recruiting recruiting recruiting recruit recruit- ing seasons students with engineering engineering engineering en en- and technical degrees generally have the best chances of landing jobs during the recruiting season according to various employment surveys But job prospects in some re recently recently recently re- re robust degree areas notably business administration tion may be dimming somewhat Virtually all the studies of the job market agree that seniors with technical degrees can expect to be recruited aggressively The top fields for the 1980 graduating class of 15 million students are arc in order data processing engineering and accounting and finance according to Morris Fox-Morris Personnel Personnel Personnel Per Per- of Houston a business recruiting agency Morris Fox-Morris says the next most favorable job markets are in personnel recruiting marketing and sales and secretarial work Jobs are plentiful for graduates in technical fields such as engineering accounting accounting accounting account account- ing and computers confirms US U.S. News World Reports Report's authoritative survey It found that openings in those areas may be up by 16 percent over 1979 hiring levels The annual Endicott survey survey survey sur sur- vey of businesses by byNorth North Northwestern we stern University's Frank Endicott predicts hiring hiring hiring hir hir- ing will increase by 40 percent percent percent per per- cent in computer science 33 percent in engineering 15 percent in sales and marketing marketing marketing market market- ing and ten percent in accounting Engineers can expect the best starting salaries A recent College Placement Council report found that petroleum engineers were being hired for foran foran foran an average of almost per year while offers for chemical engineers were over In all 80 1979 engineering graduates according to the Endicott survey have gotten average starting salaries of The Endicott survey also found that computer scientists scientists scientists have been getting average starting offers of accountants and business administration grads B Business u sine ss administration majors and especially masters in business administration MBA were of course the hottest properties just three springs ago in 1977 Some experts fear a surplus of business business business busi busi- ness grads may have developed developed developed devel devel- since then There is an MBA backlash backlash backlash back back- lash coming warns researcher research research- er John Sussman of Korn- Korn Ferry a personnel recruitment recruitment recruitment recruit recruit- ment firm based in Los Angeles The reason he lie says is that there is too much specialization specialization specialization in business education t today od ay although business itself is increasingly global and eclectic Eventually executives need a broader view of the world than they might get out of a business degree Sussman suspects that inthe in inthe inthe the near future only from the most prestigious eight or ten business schools will have any significant market market market mar mar- ket value Students from other schools will find that their wont won't be any anymore anymore anymore more valuable than any other degree plus experience Too many of today's young workers are seeking jobs no longer in demand in inthe inthe inthe the business world concluded concluded concluded con con- the U. U US U.S. S. S News World Report job market study There is too little career counseling provided too late to students and as asa asa asa a result the message is not reaching students that certain field of employment are over Others are less pessimistic John Shingleton placement director at Michigan State which sponsors another wide wide- respected ly-respected job market survey survey survey sur sur- vey each year believes that business grads may have a harder time than previously but that they still have a marketable degree Those with prestigious degrees from top business schools or those in the top half of their class will be fine Shingleton observes The others will not There will be under lInder underemployment underemployment employment he lie predicts but not that much Gary Smith manager of Morris' Morris Houston office dismisses all talk of business maj majors majors' ors ors' declining market value People with are the decision makers and the need for them will remain Smith himself an MBA says Women with will be bein bein bein in high demand regardless of the conditions in the rest of the job market says Bruce Moses of Search Pro-Search Inc a based Chicago recruiting firm Most companies are not dis dis- appointed with their women recruits he adds Accounting and finance specialists of any gender will probably continue to do well wellin in the job market Karen Blakey of the US U.S. Personnel Corp believes In uncertain times businesses like to hire people who can either directly direct direct- ly make money for them or can keep track of the money for them They also like those who can maximize returns for them People who do that she explains are the accountants accountants accountants tants the investment people the marketers Stick to one of those functions and you can never go too far wrong Job markets change but theres there's always a demand for money people 1 e. e In the light Korn-Ferry's Korn Sussman notes There is a shortage of personnel in technical highly-technical areas It is a cyclical situation Years ago there were too many engin engin- Then there were too few And so it goes |
