Career Services

Our registration page for "InterviewToday" is now posted.  Students, register to reserve your interview spot with selected employers.  This is an excellent opportunity to meet with employers in a professional setting.  Let us know if you have any questions.   Click here to get started.

A very interesting article by Vivek Wadhwa posted recently on www.businessweek.com.  The article examines popular political and public perceptions that the US is falling behind in educating and employing scientists.  Wadhwa insists that the opposite is actually the case and provides a recent case study in the subject for proof. He cites sustained improvement in science education in terms of both quality and numbers.  He also notes that the available jobs for recent graduates in science fields are actually fewer than those seeking positions.  He points out that heeding calls for increases in numbers graduating with science or engineering backgrounds could result in many of those graduates taking positions in non-science related fields due to a shortage of jobs for them.  His arguments make the case for improved science education initiatives that are also accompanied by job creation in these fields.   Wadhwa’s closing arguments are supportive of a strong liberal arts background and continued investment into businesses which promote sustainability and provide innovative technical opportunities for college grads.

“We need our children to receive a balanced and broad education. Perhaps we should focus on creating demand for the many scientists and engineers we graduate. There are many problems, from global warming to the development of alternative fuels to cures for infectious diseases that need to be solved.” 

 Click here to read the entire article. It is an interesting take with some definite room for debate on either side. Thoughts or opinions?

Roby Brock's BizBlog has the scoop on some great events scheduled for this month.  Click here for all the information and details. Take advantage of events like these!

The Labor Day weekend is always a prime time for career and employment news items.  Particularly interesting are reports regarding the University of Chicago’s most recent studies related to job satisfaction.  Here are a few highlights and career services observations:

1.   Workers in South Central states (including Arkansas) were most satisfied with their jobs.  (Factor geography into your career planning)
2. People working in helping or creative professions expressed high job satisfaction ratings.  (Consider working with a non-profit or pursuing your artistic ambitions)
3. Job satisfaction increases with age.
    (Your first job may not be perfect, that’s ok, your career path is a progressive journey)
4. Job satisfaction increases with education-those with graduate degrees reported the highest ratings.  (Strongly consider graduate school-the rewards go beyond earnings potential)

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the 2007 Fayetteville Shale Symposium.  If you are not familiar with the Fayetteville Shale play, Arkansas Business, the symposium organizer has all of the details you need – they will also have the symposium presentation outlines posted online soon.  The shale play provides a tremendous opportunity for new job creation.  For example, Southwestern Energy, just one of the companies involved in the Fayetteville Shale play currently has thirty job postings in Conway alone.  These jobs include some advanced technical and administrative roles.   Several accounting positions are also posted with Southwestern. 

Some additional reflections on the symposium:
-The extraction of natural gas from the Fayetteville shale offers great economic opportunity to the area and the state through economic investment, community patronage, and the potential for new, high-paying jobs. 
-There are also important environmental concerns and the state environmental agency (ADEQ) is working to make sure there is minimal environmental impact.
- From the company, investment, and legal speakers, I gathered that the enthusiasm for these opportunities should be tempered with realistic expectations: There will be declining values from drilling operations, the operations basically only offset traditional vertical drilling of the past, and energy prices will determine whether continued and expanded operations are economically feasible. 

Comments or Questions?