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Careers favored by the stimulus bill
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 might seem like a bunch of Washington mumbo-jumbo, especially for college students who haven’t thought about much beyond finals and frat parties. However, the U.S. economy is an issue for everyone, most importantly the future work force of America. That’s you.
The Recovery Act is designed to create 3.5 million jobs in as little as two years. This extraordinary goal might have a major impact on your job prospects upon graduation. But how can you use Recovery.gov to learn about economy-proof careers for your future?
Location
Do you know where you want to live when you graduate from college? At Recovery.gov, you can learn how many new jobs are expected to appear in a given state. For example, the Recovery Act intends to create 269,000 jobs in Texas and 396,000 in California.
Obviously, smaller states such as Rhode Island (12,000 new jobs) and Vermont (8,000 new jobs) will have fewer new careers simply because of their size. However, this can help college students balance population vs. new job opportunities when deciding where they want to live.
Industries of Growth
Another way in which you can use Recovery.gov to help fuel your job search is by studying the industries that will most benefit from the Recovery Act.
Science and technology, for example, are primary industries targeted through the Recovery Act. We know that we have experienced serious leaps and bounds in these industries, and the rapid acceleration almost guarantees economy-proof careers.
The Recovery Act will funnel $100 billion into 14,000 school districts in the next few years. This means new positions for teachers and administrative personnel, as well as a better learning environment for students.
If you are interested in finance, from investment banking to accounting, Recovery.gov indicates that new jobs will be created in this sector, particularly with regard to auditing of books and filing taxes. Those with a head for numbers will do well upon graduation.
Student loan debt also affects the future
The cost of a student loan is as important as the post-graduation career: For each $1,000/month of the entry level job, the student loan should not exceed $360. So students should carefully manage their debt as well as their credits.
The environmental industry is set to expand by leaps and bounds as workers search for alternative fuel choices and energy-efficient products. Areas such as marketing, manufacturing and technology will create new jobs because professionals will be needed to further environmental causes.
And new labor jobs will continue to pop up in the next few years, as well as the managerial aspects of these careers. Construction workers are required to build the bridges, roads and other new structures planned under the Recovery Act.
Understanding the Outlook
As you peruse the various careers addressed in the Recovery Act and learn about new developments at Recovery.org, it is important to consider which new jobs are most applicable to your major and interests. For example, if you are already studying accounting, you are in a great position to take advantage of new jobs in the financial industry.
Additionally, college students can use Recovery.gov to learn about educational grants made available to students who want to pursue continued education. If you want to get a higher degree, for example, you might want to consider the increased availability of Pell Grants.
