By Juan Miguel Pedraza

There is a strong demand for UND graduates, says Mark Thompson, director of career services, and an unusually high call for their degrees, skills, and leadership qualities.

“It’s been a very strong year for college graduates nationwide and an exceptional year for our graduates,” he said.  The bottom line is that the UND brand on a diploma — especially in fields such as accounting, aviation, business, engineering, geology and geological engineering, medicine, nursing, and physical therapy — spells excellent job prospects. 

Thompson sees strong prospects for college grads overall, especially in the high-demand fields noted above, as well as for aviators and air traffic controllers, a trend that’s likely to accelerate as more pilots and controllers in the baby boom generation hit retirement age.  Thompson also says that UND accounting, business, and finance majors continue to see steady recruiting from companies like Cargill  and others that know they will find top talent here.

Certain professions are always in demand, no matter what the general job outlook.  Nursing tops that list, followed by allied health professions such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and clinical lab science.  UND students in these fields often get great offers long before they graduate.

The positive outlook for UND grads specifically, and college grads in general, is confirmed by the most recent CollegeGrad survey, which shows that entry-level hiring by top employers is on the rise.  Thompson also points out that the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) reported in its spring employment survey that the job market for this year’s graduating seniors is the best in years, with surveyed employers reporting that they expect to hire 19.2 percent more college graduates than last year.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the health care, biosciences and technology industries will create the most new jobs this year.  Customer service and sales associates are also in demand.  Other career fields on the list of top jobs include education, retail, and hospitality.  Registered nurses and secondary school teachers have some of the greatest potential growth over the next decade.  The fastest-growing occupations  between now and 2014 are expected to be concentrated in the health and technology sectors.

Regionally, the market for grads remains strong as industry and business expand, Thompson said.  UND mirrors the national trend in health care, medical science, engineering, and accounting, but the University also has a couple of specialties that attract national recruiters.

“At our education career fair recently, we saw recruiters from all over the country, including Alaska, New Mexico, Texas, and other states, looking to hire UND-educated teachers,” he noted.

Another significant factor is the anticipated surge of retirements among baby boomers.

“In biology, for example, we’ve seen pretty steady employment opportunities in both academic and field work over the last few decades,” said Richard Crawford, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Biology at UND.  “But that’s about to change.”

Crawford, who just retired after 32 years of teaching and research, says most biologists now working started in the ’60s through the early ’80s.

“Now we’re retiring,” he said.  “That spells big opportunities both in the academy and in agencies such as the federal Fish and Wildlife Service.”

Another re-emerging field is geology/geological engineering, a trend boosted by the push to find more petroleum.

“Employment prospects are very good for all our bachelor’s and master’s grads,” said Dexter Perkins, UND professor of geology and geological engineering.  “Whether geological engineers or straight geologists, the jobs are there.  Environmental consulting firms are hiring, state and fed agencies are hiring, and oil companies are hiring.”

Geospatial technology specialists — that includes geographers and others with training in geographic information (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), remote sensing, and digital image processing and cartography — are also in top demand, said Brad Rundquist, a UND geographer and widely recognized expert and trainer in GIS, GPS, and related technologies.  That’s because these technologies and methods can be applied to anything that can be mapped, he explained.  That includes city planning, natural resource management, power line mapping, and laying out sewer and water lines, among many other areas. 

UND law school graduates, who for several decades faced stiff competition from the graduates of major name law schools for top jobs, are notching up great offers from elite, big city firms, notes Mark Brickson, director of career services at the UND School of Law.  “For example, we had a couple of recent graduates who nailed down offers topping $100,000 a year at a top Minneapolis firm working in the international market.”

Ultimately, what students can do to improve their employment prospects is to make the most of themselves and their interests.

“Basically, I tell students to get into something they really enjoy, something they’re passionate about, and stay focused in school,” Thompson said.  “The career opportunities are out there — stronger in some fields than others — for just about anyone who’s really good at what they do.  Our National Association of Colleges and Employers tells us in this year’s spring job market outlook survey that there’s now an even greater interest from employers in college graduates.”