Communications of the ACM
Hr Execs Predict Best Careers
Computer science/information technology edged out engineering as the most-recommended field of study according to the survey conducted by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., says the firm's CEO John Challenger.
Credit: Challenger, Gray & Christmas
John Challenger, CEO of global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, identifies the emerging career opportunities that have the highest potential for young IT workers. These fields are especially promising for the approximately 2.9 million young men and women who are beginning their postsecondary education and thinking about career choices. According to a recent survey conducted by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, more than 50 percent of HR executives said they would advise college freshmen to pursue degrees in engineering, computer science or healthcare. In doing so, it's best to build in some amount of flexibility, since it is impossible to predict exactly what the job market will look like in four years.
With so much uncertainty in the job market right now, it is best to seek skills that are flexible and highly transferable between various industries. The areas recommended by HR executives attempt to provide future graduates with a great amount of flexibility to pursue careers in fields that are emerging now or could emerge over the next two decades. In the survey, computer science/information technology edged out engineering as the most-recommended field of study. It was selected by 16 percent of survey respondents. Engineering was favored among 15 percent of human resource executives, while medicine/healthcare was recommended by 14.3 percent. While the federal government could become a very fruitful source of jobs in the coming years, fewer than 5 percent of respondents recommended public service (government/nonprofit) as the best career path to pursue.
From California Job Journal
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