Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 4, 1993, edition 2 / Page 10
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Engineering field tops prospective job list Associated Press The engineer is someone who can harness science and technology for prac tical results. One of those results might be a lucrative and stable career. "There is such a need for engineeft across the board that graduates emerging from college with an engineering degree should be able to choose the job they want at an attractive salary," says Alan Schonberg, president of Management Recruiters International, a Cleveland, Ohio, search firm. His company surveyed corporate executives and found that engineering topped the list of fields they would rec ommend to college students, with a 25. 8 percent response. Business administra tion. with 1^.2 percent, and computer sci ence. with 17.4 percent, followed. Other fields mentioned frequently included marketing, law. and accounting. Factors fuelmg lh^ need for engi ? neers include overseas competition and changes in how people live and work, say experts in the field. And the need is creat ing many relatively new specialties. ? One of these is called human fac tors. or the science of helping people cope with machines themselves, from computers to nuclear reactors. "The role' of human factors is to break down barri ers between the technical expert and the public at large," says Dr. Alan L. Stewart, professor of man.igpmpni at Srpypnt Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. Human factors specialists design controls and information displays that help humans interacffeffectively with their machines. These might include international traffic symbols, airliner cockpits, or software programs that can , be used by the greatest number of people, Stewart says. A sub-specialty, ergo nomics. involves designing office furni ture and computers to help users avoid back pain and eye strain. Human factors specialists train in fields like experimen tal psychology, perception and engineer ing design. The Human Factors Society, Inc., the field's professional group based in Santa Monica. Calif., estimates that a practi tioner can earn an average of $46,107 \\iih a bachelors degree, $50,828 with a ? master's degree, and $58,102 with a doc-? torate Cbarles J. Ross, who man ages the Human Factors Placement Service in McLean. Va., says that fewer than 2 percent of his registrants are unemployed. ? Quality assurance engineers are vital performers for American companies, TsaylRuth Walton, career services director at Stevens. "Top management is focusing on quality assurance to save time, cut costs and meet the demands of increas ? ingly sophisticated consumers. That translates into an expanding job market for engineers who have the interdisci plinary skills needed to make products and systems more reliable and efficient." Once cast in the role of policemen, quality engineers- now work closely with manufacturing and design engineers and .technicians to make products propefly from the start, she explains. Management skills and expertise in testing and evaluat ing statistics are brought into play to design better and more reliable products. The quality engineer also designs manu facturing procedures to cut shipment delays, excess inventory, repair costs and other administrative burdens that would cut into profits and consumer satisfaction, she adds. Salaries topping $200,000 for some quality assurance consultants and depart - mcnt heads arc reported byihe~A meric an Society of Quality Control in its 1990 survey of members. The Milwaukee based group says salaries average $37,000 to $49,000, depending on the industry, experience and geographic loca tion. ? The need for qualified entry-level employees in the papermaking industry is so intense that companies routinely pro vide scholarships and co-op learning opportunities for students, says Robert ? Williams, president and chief executive officer of James River Corp., one of the country's largest papermakers. Miami University of Oxford, Ohio, reports that its paper science graduates can expect starting salaries of over $36,000. Dr. William Scott, who heads the school's paper science and engineer ing department, says that all his graduates have gotten jobs. "Colleagues at other paper science programs report similar experiences. There are excellent career opportunities in this field, but few stu dents are aware of them." ? Law and technology now so often intersect that a technical law discipline has spawned a whole sub-group of spe cialties. Technical lawyers might help inventors get patents for inventions or copyrights for computer software, or help companies comply with the growing number of environmental laws that involve their operations. Stevens recently began an accelerated program with New York Law School to help exceptional stu dents earn both bachelor's and jurispru dence degrees in six years, instead of the usual seven. These specialties include patent, environmental, energy, intellectual property (covering inventions) and com puter law. Engineering A Stepping stone to success, experts say Associated Press 0 Engineering careers can be a passport to management, say experts in the field. "Engineering graduates with broad based degrees that encompass fields such as mechanical, electrical and industrial engineering, who have a background in the humanities and the ability to communicate, will be in great demand." say?rDr. Harold J. Raveche, president of Stevens Institute of Technology in Hobokcn, N.J. "An engineering degree is the most useful undergraduate degreer whether Tfie individual seeks a career in management, law, medicine, the ministry, or a host of other professions," says Caleb B. Hurtt. for mer president and chief operating officer of Martin Marietta and a Stevens graduate. An undergraduate degree in engineer ing, with course work in economics and engineering management, is a strong cre dential for a student whose sights are set on a management career, says Ruth Walton, director of career serv ices at Stevens. The student will be well prepared for programs leading to a master's of business administra tion or master's of science degree. "The engineering program is tougher. Every engineering student I have known who went on to take an M B. A. found the gradu ate program a piece of cake." Raveche says that those in technical and engineering careers come to a cross roads about four to seven years out of col lege. They can choose to continue to serve in technical positions, or they can take on responsibilities such as budgeting, hiring and supervising other engineers. Engineers commonly move into tech nical management positions. A study by the American Association of Engineering Societies in 1985 found that of those sur veyed who said they had been out of col lege five years, 34 percent had supervisory responsibilities. Of those who had been out for 25 years, 70 percent said they had such responsibilities. "Not many engineers start as supervi sors. but within 10 years. 30 to 40 pcrccnt arc in technical management, and a small percentage go into non-technical manage ment." says Dr. William K. LcBold. director of information and eduational systems at Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind. These engineers work at companies that depend on high-technology products or processes, including pharmaceutical, chemical, oil, automotive, electronics and telecommuni cations firms. Engineers are sought not only for their technical expertise but for their manage ment potential, says Dr. Donald N. Merino, professor of management at Stevens. Tt's nearly impossible for a non-engineer to advance at these -companies. And although each company may have a different corpo rate culture that emphasizes a different engineering specialty ? electricaUengineer ing at AT&T, chemical engineering at DuPont ? the management is still domi nated by engineers." Knowledge is power And word ii spreading that The University of North Carolina at Asheville, rated one of the 10 best public liberal arts schools in the nation in the 1993 Fiske Guide to Education, offers excellent undergraduate degree programs in the arts and humanities, the natural and social sciences, and selected pre- professional programs solidly grounded in the liberal arts. UNCA also offers an African American Colloquium one of only two such programs in the 1 6-campus University of North Carolina system, featuring eye-opening and enriching course work, one-on-one student/faculty advising, community service, and peer mentoring. One final point of interest. The FRANCINB DeLANV FUND. named for an Asheville educator whewe influence reached far beyond western North Carolina, was recently established to provide scholarship support for minority students at UNCA. For more information about UNCA, please contact the Office of Admissions, One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28304-3299, 704/251-6431. Our toll free number within North Carolina is 1-800-531-9842. If you are interested in learning more about the African American Colloquium, please call the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at 704/251-6671. For more information arbout the Francine Delany Fund, please contact the Office of Development at 704/251-6080. uNdy The Uwverstty op Norm Caroun a at Ash eviixh Salem College Career Connections Salem College, a liberal arts college for women, does not wait until a student's senior year to Kelp her find a job. Career workshops and networking are available to her from the moment she arrives as a freshman. "Our focus is on teaching them skills early on - when they are freshman, sophomores and juniors." said Peggy McAllister, director of student developmental services for the college. "We concentrate on getting them out there, get ting them exposed to work environments early on We have shadow days' in which they spend time with mentors." Many students find jobs through internships. Salem College s internship program "is one of the most stellar in the state," McAllister said. Students have done internships program in the arts (including the National Gallery of Art and the Corcoran Gallery); in the sciences (including Bowman Gray School of Medicine and Burroughs Wellcome Co.); in communications (MTV N'eiworks in California, various television stations and public-relations firms); in sociology (the Morningstar Foundation, a Washington organization dedicated to issues facing American Indians, and various mental-health and crisis counseling agencies; in accounting (various accounting firms, in banking (including Wachovia and NCNB) and many other career fields. Salem offers a full-range of workshops in job-search skills. This spring, every junior will be invited to atund a half day of workshops that will address such issues as how to look for a job and how to apply to graduate school. Other services, such as training in resume-writing and practice in interviewing skills using videotaping, are available on a I year-round basis to all students at Salem. Salem also co i sponsors two job fairs each year, and many businesses, as , well as government, social service and non-profit agencies, send representatives to talk to students Salem, one of the oldest women's colleges in the nation, has a dedicated network of alumnae in many career fiei-ls who are committed to helping Salem students find internships and jobs Surveys of alumnae show that most found jobs through reLauonships they formed with alumnae, internship placements, and contacts they made through their friends and families. McAllister said "It was not from sending out a thousand resumes, or even from campus inter views.' she said. "A few years ago. I heard ore statistic mat only 10 percent of students at larger universities got |obs through campus interviews.'.' Salem will be expanding its career placement ser vices even further. Later this year, the college plans to implement the Salem Career Connection, a computer net work thai will help students and alumnae locate and contact alumnae in many different professions throughout the coun try "These alumnae have volunteered to provide everything from career advice to internship placement to short-term housing during job interviews.' McAllister said. "We have such a strong alumnae network to begin with, and this will be a way to formalize it and provide even more informa tion." ,?
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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March 4, 1993, edition 2
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