HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The economy may be putting a damper on career plans for many spring
college graduates, but the bleak hiring forecast doesn’t extend across
all occupations. Students with degrees in Internal Auditing or in fields
that fall under the Decision and Information Sciences realm are proving
to be exceptions in an otherwise dismal job market for spring college
graduates.
“A lot of majors are really hurting right now from the recession. We
aren’t,” said Jaana Porra, Associate Professor of Decision and
Information Sciences at the University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of
Business. “When you have a specific skill you have a very direct way of
getting a job.”
Both occupations ranked in the top 10 fastest growing professions in the
Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest forecast. Even taking into account
the impact current economic conditions will have on the actual rate of
increase, both professions expect growth, in contrast with the massive
layoffs and job freezes occurring in other sectors.
The increased need for internal auditors comes as business and
government leaders are calling for more transparent business practices.
Demand was also created by the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley, which required
public companies to have internal audit controls in an effort to curb
corporate accounting fraud.
Jobs in Decision and Information Sciences, which include computer
systems analysts, management analysts and supply chain managers, are
also growing as businesses re-examine all aspects of operation that can
enhance their bottom line. Several of those occupations also topped a
2009 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Last month alone, 20 students at Bauer declared a second major in supply
chain, which refers to the network of companies involved in producing,
handling and distributing a specific product as efficiently as possible.
In the past, the field has had problems recruiting students unfamiliar
with the field, but now they are listening, says Michael Parks,
Associate Professor of DISC at Bauer.
“You have to have a skill. I tell them, a degree is not a strategy. What
can you actually do, so that an employer will hire you?’’
In all of these fields, internships are almost always involved when a
student is hired. “With an internship program, they (corporations) get a
look, and they can have a hand in training,” Parks said. “A lot of our
students have been handed job offers when their internship is over.”
(Read the entire release at BusinessWire.)
Tags: economy, economic crisis, business strategy, hiring, job search
Categories: The Economy