Cool College Majors: Liberal Arts with an Edge for Emerging Occupations

Sharon Jones of Career Thought Leaders

Can you imagine designing websites for CBS prime time shows such as CSI and Survivor or holding the title of ‘Game Guru’ at AOL? 

Would you like to evaluate global threats such as terrorism, cyber-crime, or human trafficking for agencies such as the CIA or FBI?

If you are fascinated by liberal arts subjects (e.g. graphic arts, geography, history, foreign languages) but concerned about finding a job, score major marketability through liberal arts with an edge.

Some interdisciplinary college majors prepare you for new and emerging occupations. These academic programs may make you especially attractive to employers due to a shortage of qualified applicants. Continue Reading

Five Career Predictions for 2013

In the following post, Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti offers five career predictions for 2013 that identify workplace trends and job opportunities.

1.     Six sectors will offer on-ramps to career growth

Six career areas provide a snapshot of the new economy: business services, education, healthcare, IT, nonprofits, and manufacturing. Healthcare, the fastest-growing sector in the nation, offers obvious opportunities, but less intuitive choices such as nonprofits—which will need a projected 80,000 senior managers a year by 2016—also offer attractive prospects. Continue Reading

Six Hot Technology and Design Jobs with Good Pay in 2013

If you’re looking for a job in the IT or creative fields, then 2013 may be the year for you.

Technology and creative professionals who include “make more money” on their New Year’s resolution list may achieve their goal next year: According to the recently released 2013 Salary Guides from Robert Half Technology and The Creative Group, a number of positions in the information technology (IT) and creative fields are likely to see above-average salary gains in the coming year. The increase in compensation levels is due to high demand for these professionals as organizations enhance their digital presence and boost investments in IT infrastructure. Continue Reading

Tips for Entry-Level IT Job Hunters on Developing a Well-Rounded Resume

Woman’s hand checking professional resume. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

In rough economic times, it’s not enough to just have great technical skills. To make sure your resume will rise above the competition even for entry level roles, you need to make sure you offer a well-rounded skillset.

That means ensuring you have the “soft” skills, like communication, project management and time management, which will make you a member of the team – and more than just a technical resource. These are not just skills you’re born with, either. With practice and study you can develop your leadership management and other soft skills in order to make yourself competitive for the technical jobs you’re looking for. Here are the top skills you should exhibit in addition to your technical chops: Continue Reading

Unemployment Rate for Technology Jobs Below National Average

If you are searching for a job in technology, then you’re likely to find one.  While the unemployment rate is 7.8% nationally, the technology sector is doing even better with an unemployment rate around 6%.  At the same time, 54% of CIOs said it’s challenging to find skilled professionals today, according to Robert Half Technology’s Q4 IT Hiring Index. Continue Reading

Top 10 Tech Consulting Firms to Work For

Job seekers interested in IT consulting have many companies to choose from.  Here are the top 10 tech consulting firms to work for, according to Vault.com’s annual tech consulting survey. Continue Reading

Colleges Implementing Technology on Campus

Earlier this year, some colleges were honored for being innovators at their respective campuses.  These schools have implemented technologies that are making life better for the college community.  Learn more in the following infographic. Continue Reading

How Technology Factors Into Nursing

The medical field, like nearly every other professional discipline today, is being continuously affected and enhanced by the development of new technology. Technology is making the study and practice of medicine easier, faster, more accurate and more relevant for medical professionals, their patients and loved ones.

Whether a medical student is enrolled in a traditional brick-and-mortar institution or is jumping on the technological bandwagon right from the start by enrolling in an online masters degree in education with an eye towards a career in medicine, technology is involved of every step of the process today for becoming a medical professional. Continue Reading

Small Hiring Increase Expected in 4th Quarter of 2012, but Business Confidence on the Rise

While there may be only a slight increase in hiring during the fourth quarter of 2012, businesses are encouraged about the future.

Chief information officers (CIOs) plan a modest increase in IT staffing activity in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. In the latest quarterly survey, 9 percent of CIOs said they expect to expand their IT departments, and 6 percent anticipate cutbacks, for a net 3 percent projected increase in hiring activity. Eighty-three percent of those surveyed plan no change in personnel levels. Continue Reading

IT Expanding Demand, Expanding Salaries

Anna Mathieu, Redfish Technology

The Information Technology sector continues to expand so far in 2012. Investment continues both in infrastructure and in staffing. Software developers, Health IT, and Security Cleared IT are in high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that from 2008 to 2018 Computer Software Engineers 283,000 jobs will be added. This adds to the competition for talent.

Along with the increased competition for IT talent, are increased salaries, according to the 17th annual Redmond Salary Survey. Salaries stagnated for some years but many employers are seeing the wisdom of salary increases to current employees in order to stay competitive and retain technical talent. Continue Reading