Careers

From College News - Study by PayScale attempts to determine which College or University has highest starting salary; Harvey Mudd College comes 4th.

When one thinks of the elite Colleges and Universities in the United States, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, M.I.T., Dartmouth College, and Harvey Mudd College all come to mind.

Those first five are common, sure, but the Harvey Mudd College Engineering program is the surprise of a survey from PayScale, a site that collects data on salaries for different professions.

PayScale took their 1.2 million users to create a survey to determine which colleges’ graduates have the highest starting median salary and highest mid-career median salary. Harvey Mudd College landed in 4th place; Dartmouth College, meanwhile, had the highest mid-career salary for the second year in a row.

It’s important to note that the survey’s data is a bit skewed because the pool of respondents is not randomized. The data is limited to users who self-reported their income online.

PayScale only included respondents whose highest degree was a bachelors, which counts out lawyers, doctors and other jobs that require an advanced degree.

The top 5 for mid-career median salaries were:

1. Dartmouth (Ivy League) $129,000
2. MIT (Engineering) $126,000
3. Harvard University (Ivy League) $126,000
4. Harvey Mudd College (Engineering) $125,000
5. Stanford University (Engineering) $124,000

Top 5 Starting Median Salary:

1. Loma Linda University (Private) $71,400
2. MIT (Engineering) $71,100
3. Harvey Mudd College (Engineering) $71,000
4. California Institute of Technology (Engineering) $69,700
5. Stanford University (Engineering) $67,500

Before we get into the results let’s take a look at Harvey Mudd College, a surprising school in the top 5 on both lists.

Located in Claremont, CA., Harvey Mudd College describes itself as “one of the premier math, science and engineering colleges in the nation and offers nine math, science, and engineering-based majors.”

Additionally, Harvey Mudd says that education is “all grounded in a solid core curriculum that includes a healthy dose of humanities and social science courses” according to their Web site.

By Zack Teibloom

From College News - Organization ranks number seven on survey of college undergrads for ideal employers.

The Examiner came out with an article Tuesday about how the Peace Corps ranked as one of the top ideal employers for college students in a survey of almost 100,000 undergraduate students.

This is perhaps a sign of the times, with the current economic trend the way it is and students having trouble getting jobs.

The Peace Corps was ranked number seven as the most ideal employer to help undergrads reach their career goals. The survey was done by Universum Communications.

Universum provides consulting and research for employers.

Almost 100,000 undergrads and 6,000 masters students participated in the survey, The Examiner reported. The results represented hundreds of universities, and the study called it “substance over style trend,” the article said.

It’s so interesting because so many students nowadays are forgoing full-time nine-to-five jobs in favor of jobs like the Peace Corps and Teach for America, as College News previously reported.

This survey now is a direct result of how things are due to the economic recession.

According to The Examiner, the Peace Corps appeals to students whose goals include “wanting to contribute to society, maintain a career and life balance and pursue higher education.”

Although the Peace Corps is an ideal employer for undergrads, many volunteers do their service in difficult conditions, the article said. They do, however, learn great leadership skills and have experiences that may help them better determine what kind of career they’d like to pursue. Many go into education, health and government careers.

Basically, all those great teachers, doctors and politicians you’ve grown to love could be former Peace Corps volunteers.

The organization is very competitive and they’re always looking for new candidates, the article said. Right now, they really want people with agriculture, environment and education experience and proficiency in certain languages. They ask for a 27-month commitment.

The Peace Corps is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary

Also, here’s the top five from the survey, just in case you were interested.

1. Google
2. Walt Disney
3. Apple Computer
4. U.S. Department of State
5. FBI

By Kate Oczypok

From College News - Interns gain marketing, business experience and chance to network with NASA officials

Summer interns, do not be discouraged!  Here are some great success stories about interns who are having the summer of their lives.

The Northfield News reports about Jason Roys. Roys is an intern at the Northfield Enterprise Center. A senior at St. Olaf College, his two-and-a-half month internship has allowed him to work with the executive director and help out with new businesses.

One local business, Snap Fitness, a workout and fitness center, needed a marketing strategy. Its owner, Tristan Cox turned to Roys for help, according to the Northfield News.

Roys, in turn, developed and created promotional brochures, fliers and a cohesive advertising strategy, including drawing in more college-age students.

Roys is able to consult, work on clients’ Web sites and do financial planning.  According to the Northfield News, midway through his internship Roys helped with Snap Fitness and assisted with the NEC’s Web site. Roys is working on an economics degree at St. Olaf, and his passions are small businesses and entrepreneurship.

But Roys isn’t the only one with success in an internship.

An article from the Idaho Statesmen tells of Alex Lopez, a senior at Tulare Union High School in California.

Lopez wanted to use his love of math and science somehow this summer, so he stumbled across NASA’s program for “youth interested in science, technology, engineering or math careers,” the Statesman reported.

Lopzez applied to the Dryden Flight Research Center’s Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience, where he was accepted, beginning the eight-week program on July 8th.

The NASA-sponsored program will allow Lopez and 11 others to work on designing model airplanes. They will also listen to lectures and flight-readiness reviews. Before he headed to the program, he spoke with NASA engineers, amongst other guests, in an online program, according to the Statesmen.

By Kate Oczypok

From College News - President Obama's stimulus plan puts billions into green sector, and popularity of green jobs is on the rise

Most , if not all, of you have been hearing a lot more about green jobs as of late. However, do you know exactly what news anchors and bloggers are talking about when they define green jobs? 

According to the San Francisco-based Examiner.com, the official government definition of a green job is work hat provide[s] products and services which use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, conserve energy and natural resources and reconstitute waste.”

You can easily make a green job a “green career,” which are described by the Examiner as “any job in an organization that provides a product or service that allows the reduction of energy use” or otherwise reduces environmental impact on the planet

Green jobs could be a great bet for college students looking for jobs in this abysmal job marker.  According to the Associated Press, green jobs pay 20 percent more than those non-green jobs, and are more likely to be held by city-dwelling men. So guys in New York City and D.C.: start looking green.

While most of today’s future job seekers were still in high school or had just started college when it passed, the Green Jobs Act of 2007 bill’s passing.

President Obama even appointed a Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Van Jones, back in March of 2009. Also, to compliment green jobs, the president plans to incorporate more funding for green housing, Buffalo News reported.

According to a CNNMoney.com article, the average entry-level pay for those in green jobs is about $12 an hour. There are multiple Web sites out there to help with all your green job needs. Greenjobs.com is a Renewable Energy recruitment service, meaning it can help you find a job in the sector, and greenjobs.net allows people interested in the green career sector to network with others in the field (think of it as an Enviro Linked-In).

College News previously reported that President Obama’s economic stimulus plan allows billions for green jobs and education.  This growth in funding could possibly allow college students to study green careers when they begin as 18-year-old freshmen.

Also, many of us have grown up naturally environmentally conscious. We recycle, use public transportation and enjoy learning about clean energy, College News reported in March. It only seems natural that we now seemingly have a workforce that reflects our increasing need for all things green.

By Kate Oczypok

From College News - Retailers, restaurants hit especially hard by economic recession. But that doesn't mean you can't get creative.

Maybe I should have become that traveling knife saleswoman that one summer in college. According to the Tacoma Washington News Tribune, summer jobs are difficult to find for many college students home for break.

But the News Tribune cites one inspiration example, and it’s here where the knife thing comes in. tThe News Tribune tells of Miami Dade College student Anthony Paz, who sold chef’s knives and vegetable peelers for Cutco for a summer job. Reportedly, he made $12,000 selling the cutlery, and Paz said that he wants to double that amount by the time school starts again in the fall.

However, in the context of Florida’s unemployment rate, Paz’s success is an anomaly.  The state’s unemployment rate is the highest since in 30 years. Internships are a rarity these days, too, and many college students are facing tough competition for summer jobs from an unlikely source.  Because adults who wish to switch careers are also interning in order to do so, students have to compete with their elders for the exact same position.

And Since internships are a vital--nay, essential-role to actually securing a job, some students resourcing to desperate measures. According to the News Tribune, students are using organizations like the California-based University of Dreams in order to pay up to $9,000 for an internship, housing for the summer and other seminars which go along with the interning programs.

But If you’re looking for a summer job at your favorite local restaurant or mall, you may also have a harder time finding one this summer. Retailers and restaurants have been forced to reduce spending, which, in turn, has led to job loss.  Florida’s Labor Department claims that South Florida has lost nearly 17,000 retail jobs since last June, and hotels and restaurants gave up 7,500 jobs as well.

Want a clothing discount through working at your favorite store? That may be unlikely this summer, too. The Wall Street Journal reported that popular clothing retailer Abercrombie and Fitch showed 24.1 percent sales drop last month, which was their 13th straight month of decline. In other words, don’t expect to have an easy time getting a job there this summer. Or any place else.

But hey, there’s always knives!

By  Kate Oczypok

From College News - Students finding higher chances of finding work in Washington, D.C.

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, the nation’s capital is attracting crowds of recent college graduates looking for work. National unemployment is about 9 percent, but it is only 6 percent in the Washington, D.C. area.

A study by Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, an outplacement firm, reports that national unemployment for 25-to-29-year olds is the highest since 1983, at about 11%. Unemployment for 20- to 24-year olds is slightly higher, at about 14%.

However, Washington, D.C. has been named the best location in the country for recent college graduates by University of Toronto business professor Richard Florida. According to his website, “D.C. may lead the country in job stability.”

Stephen Fuller, an economist at George Mason University, told the Post that the D.C. area is “adding jobs … in health care and in the federal sector. And the jobs we’re losing in the region tend not to be college graduate-type jobs,” such as construction and retail.

The Atlantic Monthly reports that, as of 2006, almost half the residents of the capital metro area have college degrees, and more than 20% have an advanced degree. About a third of all Americans hold a college degree.

However, Washington, D.C., like any city, is not perfect. Florida’s website states, “The traffic is the second worst in the US. Public transportation is inadequate … the majority of the city has a crime problem and appears run down. There is a very high cost of living.”

He concludes, “Overall, I would say that D.C. is a good place for Type A, driven, career oriented people.”

By Ryan Simmons

From College News - QuestBridge, started by an emergency medicine doctor, helps low-income students get into their dream schools

Imagine being a talented intelligent student eager to attend a top college. However, you are from a low income family and unable to attend your dream school.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, there may be a program out there for you--QuestBridge, a nonprofit which helps low-income students. achieve their dreams of attending college.

The most recent group of students includes almost 700 students who were matched with about 25 partner colleges. Students who qualified had all of their expenses paid, but even those who weren’t fortunate enough to have all expenses paid still received a lot of aid, due to their low income status.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that QuestBridge students’ test scores aren’t too shabby either. The average GPA for a QuestBridge student is 3.9 and the combined reading and math SAT score for students is 1,337.

Thousands of students have been able to achieve their dreams with the program, which began in 2004 by a emergency medicine doctor from California.

QuestBridge ran for a few years at Princeton and Swarthmore Colleges, respectively. Tthe program was so successful that it now plans to expand to the University of Pennsylvania and Haverford College, a small, liberal arts college founded on Quaker values located in the Philadelphia area.

Penn took 64 incoming QuestBridge scholars for this fall, while Haverford is welcoming 17. Princeton accepted 32 students from the program, which covers tuition, room, board and even provides financial assistance for supplies and travel.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the program’s higher mission is, according to Questbridge’s founder and president Michael McCullough, “to reinvigorate America with more thoughtful and sincere leaders, drawn from the lowest economic quartile.”

A report from 2004 by the Century Foundation cited by the Inquirer found that only three percent of students from some of the United States’ most selective colleges came from low-income families.

Low-income families are defined as those incomes who were in the bottom 25 percent, and the average QuestBridge family income is a reported $32,000 a year. That’s for an entire family, mind you.

Although many of these selective colleges do their own recruiting, QuestBridge e-mails honors and Advanced Placement teachers nationwide and they network with local groups to recruit students to the program, the Inquirer reported.

The process works similarly to medical school selection. Students make their own top choices and so do colleges, then they’re matched with the top choice that wants them too.

By Kate Oczypok

If you're a recent college graduate or about to get that diploma, you're likely stressed out by the thought of looking for a job in the midst of the highest unemployment rate in a generation.

A National Association of Colleges and Employers annual student survey said just 20 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job actually have one. But some big companies have good news: They are looking for people like you.

Even in a recession, employers need to continue to build their pipeline of talent. One company that learned its lesson is Chevron Corp.

For a period of time the company discontinued its on-campus recruiting. Then two years ago, it found itself with a shortage of middle-aged midlevel managers. In 2007 and 2008, the company hired 12,000 experienced workers in their 30s and 40s to catch up, said Susan Houghton, manager of human resources communications.

This year Chevron went back on college campuses and is using online career fairs to keep the entry-level pipeline filled.

Chevron expects to hire about 1,000 college students or interns along with 900 experienced workers this year, said Houghton.

Similarly, accounting firm Ernst & Young, says it plans to recruit recent graduates to fill 5,000 full-time jobs and internships in the United States and Canada.

Of course there are advantages. Hiring the most qualified college graduates is much easier now than it will be when the economy recovers and they've taken jobs elsewhere, said Dan Black, director of Ernst & Young's on-campus recruiting.

Indeed there are opportunities. Francesco Pellegrino, 22, of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. is one of the lucky ones. He successfully landed interviews with two top accounting firms, which contacted him through the university's recruiting process.

He graduated from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., this week with a job offer in hand from Ernst & Young in the company's tax division.

The finance/accounting graduate begins in October, taking some time off this summer to take certified public accountant exams.

He said most of his friends with accounting degrees have jobs lined up but classmates in other fields, such as communications, are struggling.

For his peers, seeing more layoffs and knowing that it means they'll be competing against candidates with lengthy resumes makes it more difficult.

"There's a lot of stress," he said. "I can't quantify the amount of stress for some of those students."

Patience and persistence helped Aman Joshi land a job with Ernst & Young after several frustrating months of searching.

Joshi, 32, of New York, is a nontraditional student. He earned his first degree in psychology from New York University, but suspended his studies for a few years to help run his family's travel agency before getting back to school.

When he returned, his business experience led him to pursue an accounting degree.

He graduated in February 2008 from Queens College and began his job search in August. He finally began lining up interviews in November.

"In terms of looking for a job, it was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated," he said. "I submitted resumes to so many different companies, as many as I could, and I wasn't getting responses."

He attended job fairs and other events hosted by companies recruiting on campus and did get other interviews, but his break came after a conversation with a Queens College professor, who said he knew a recruiter at Ernst & Young. The professor made phone call, which landed Joshi an interview and later a job offer.

It underscores the value of networking, which Joshi said is the best advice he can offer to recent grads.

Also, don't get discouraged.

"Stay motivated," he said. "Try to get your face seen. Try to get known by as many recruiters as possible."

Recruiters also offer some advice for recent graduates seeking their first job.

—Stay in touch with career services on campus. Even though many companies aren't looking in the midst of recession, when they do get ready to hire companies often begin by contacting colleges and universities.

—Take a local job for the summer and use it to build skills that will look good when you do get the opportunity you're seeking. If a job's not available, consider volunteer work.

—Consider, if you can, going back to school for another year to get a second bachelor's degree or a masters that might improve your credentials. That will put you back in rotation for interviews for next year.

—Consider taking an exam or other professional certification tests that further qualify you in the field you're seeking as you're looking for a job.

— Prepare yourself with skills companies are seeking. They frequently include: leadership, customer service, multitasking, communications, teamwork. Be prepared in interviews to give specific examples to demonstrate how you gained these skills and would use them on the job.

—Do your homework on a company before an interview. Know all you can about it, its mission statement and how you can contribute.

—Don't be focused on a particular title or even just high profile companies. Find as many organizations as possible with positions that fit your skills and background and pursue application with them.

—Be ready to demonstrate you have a well rounded background of good grades, extracurricular activities and community involvement. The more diverse your experience and background, the better.

"It is more competitive market and they do have a lot to navigate around," said Marie Artim, assistant vice president of recruiting for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. "They need to keep in mind it's not going to be that instant gratification that some people have put on as a label for this generation. You have to work hard and it make take a little longer to find things." Enterprise expects to hire 8,000 graduates this year and 1,800 interns.

So, even in a recession and with high unemployment, many companies continue to hire. Job searchers may not immediately find their ideal job to start with, but for many, any opportunity gain experience — and a paycheck — is considered a victory.

By DAVID PITT
AP Personal Finance Writer
 

From College News - Wondering how to keep the cash flowing when you start college in the fall? College News has got you covered.

Are you on your way to college in the fall but curious as to how you can make money to have fun and pay your bills as well?  Well, moneysmartlife.com had some great ideas for all your money-making needs.  I sampled seven of their list of 31. Comment on your favorite!

1. Be a holiday delivery person

I thought this was a very creative idea.  Offer (for a fee) to buy and address friends’ Christmas or Hanukkah cards and send them out. On Valentine’s Day, ask your guy friends if they’re planning on sending flowers to their girlfriend.  Go pick them up and charge them for delivery to their girlfriends’ apartments or dorms.  It seems like a great way to earn some extra cash and have fun in the meantime.

2. Get paid to write

Are you studying English?  Hot for journalism?  Just by simply Googling freelance writing, there are a ton of options for writing. One of my favorites, besides collegenews.com of course, is ed2010.com.  It is a Web site designed to have journalists in their dream job by 2010, and the site usually has a ton of job postings.

3. Be a tutor

This was one of the most obvious ones.  You may be a star at Math, but you can bet that someone you know isn’t.  Offer to tutor them for a reasonable fee and soon your mini tutoring business could take off.

4. Sell tickets to your school’s sporting events.

This is a great and easy way to earn extra cash, especially if you go to a Big 10 school and the like. My sister alone has sold extra tickets or student tickets to the Ohio State football games.  It’s a great way to earn cash and meet people as well.

5. Clean for the fraternity and sorority houses

Yes, this may seem like grunt work. However, it’s a great way to earn extra money, because most of these houses are desperate for reasonably-priced cleaning services.  Also, it’s a great time to meet people in the Greek system at your school, especially if you’re interested in pledging someday yourself!

6. Do yard work around the neighborhood

Walk around the neighborhood and get a feel of the houses.  Chances are, at least a few are looking to have yard work done and hiring a student would be beneficial.

7. Baby-sit

The Web site listed some odd jobs, but I highly recommend baby-sitting for families in the neighborhood around you.  If you’re in college in a big city, that’s even better---rates can be very high and baby-sitting is tax-free.

By Kate Oczypok
College News

University of Florida president Bernie Machen didn't grow up poor, but he remembers juggling multiple jobs while working his way through college.

The dental surgeon says he's inspired by students who have it even tougher than he did. So he donated his entire $285,000 bonus last year to a scholarship program he founded for low-income students at risk of being shut out of a college education.

"I had all the advantages of the American dream. I had great public schooling and I really attribute everything I've accomplished to my education," says Machen, who is the nation's eighth-highest paid public university president, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Machen's annual compensation for 2008 totaled $731,811 — $414,556 in base salary plus bonuses and other compensation, making his gift equal to more than a third of his salary.

When he announced in December 2008 that he was donating his entire bonus for scholarships, people took notice of his generosity and his belief that education can change lives.

Now 65, Machen still vividly recalls years of hard work to pay for his education. His father was a traveling fertilizer salesman and his mother was a school teacher.

In college, Machen worked several jobs: as a Red Cross blood distributor, fraternity house manager, dorm counselor and weekend manager of a student union.

Like many university presidents, Machen has ties to several schools. He attended Vanderbilt University, earned a master's and doctorate from the University of Iowa and a doctorate in dental surgery from St. Louis University. He held leadership positions in the dental schools at the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Machen, who wears glasses and has thinning hair, says he finds joy in helping others of modest means succeed, like 20-year-old Chandra Spires.

"To give his entire bonus is amazing. He does talk the talk and walk the walk," said Spires, a sophomore at the 50,000-student campus thanks to Machen's Florida Opportunity Scholarship.

Machen's parents were college graduates, but he designed the scholarship program to help students like Spires — the first generation of their family to attend college and from families earning $40,000 a year or less.

The youngest of eight children, Spires' mother died when she was 10. She was sporadically homeless, once even in high school. But she made good enough grades at her Tampa high school to gain admission to the state's flagship university.

Now as a sports management and business administration major, she is among the 400 UF students a year who have received the scholarship since Machen launched it in 2006. It pays the estimated $17,300 it costs her for tuition, room and board, books and fees.

"What does the Florida Opportunity Scholarship mean to me? It means life to me," Spires says.

Machen said he finds Spires, and students like her, inspiring.

"The stories are unbelievable. They are not beaten down. Somehow, they have overcome. These kids have an unusual focus," said Machen, who has served as UF president for five years after a six-year stint leading the University of Utah, where he founded a similar scholarship on a smaller scale.

"That's why education is so valuable to me. I think it makes a difference in people's lives."

By RON WORD
Associated Press Writer