Best Post-Grad Occupations

So how easy will it be to get that big job? We talked with some students here at the University of Southern Indiana, and the University of Evansville, and took a look at national trends to find out why has the better chance of getting a job after graduation.

Across our area, thousands of students, armed with degrees from a myriad of disciplines; business, education, science, and technology to mention a few, but will the years of their hard work and in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars to get their degree lead to a bright future?

Better yet, a well paying job?

It is a question that for many an answer won’t come fast enough.

“I had put 172 applications out since April.”

“Whew… over 100, i can say over 100.”

“10 or 15 every week just trying to keep it updated, and then i actually got a job from somebody i met out and about.”

At the University of Southern Indiana, graduates like Michael Reed, Nick Faith, Allison Meyer, and Collin Runnion say they aren’t worried about what’s next because they say they have done their research.

“With the technology advancements, jobs that are manually being done are being taken away by automation, more technical jobs are needed and not so much those types of jobs so i mean graphics, arts, and all those jobs definitely are out there but nobody goes into an engineering program worrying about getting a job when they get out.”

What works for some students, wont necessarily bear fruit for others, thats why a dose of creative thinking and ultimately a creative action plan is a must.

There an old adage that says “he who hesitates is lost.”

It’s a saying thats survived the test of time.

That’s why students like Michael Reed wanted to get a jump on the competition.

“I started applying in October, you know it gets a little stressful when you don’t hear anything back for a while.”

Here is a look at the numbers and what graduates may be up against.

You have to look ahead to understand.

The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics projected 20 occupations with the highest possibility of employment between 2016-26.

The biggest bang for your buck will be in the areas of energy, health, and math, all at the top of the bureaus list.

If you are looking for a job where you are going to get a job straight out many students in the Tri-State say the technical field is your best bet.

“Engineering or computer science, both of those fields pay pretty well and there is a huge demand for those jobs.”

And education, “a lot of teachers are still being asked for out in the education field,” says Reed.

While research shows the medical field to be promising for graduates right after graduation, they are not convinced it’s as easy as it seems.

“I have a couple of family members who are on the medical side of things and they are looking more into continuing with grad school and that seems just as hard trying to find a good grad school than it is with trying to find a good job,” says Faith.

Other students are still trying to figure out their first big career move.

“A couple of the seniors that i am graduating with are still you know, don’t know what they are doing after graduation,” says Meyers.

While that’s certainly not what any parent wants to hear from their graduating student, the forecast for employment seems to be headed in a positive direction for college graduates.