Last week, my daughter Juliana and I went to Washington DC so she could attend admitted student's day at George Washington University. The chance to live in our nation's capital, the opportunity to major in Media and Public Affairs, and the promise of a dazzling variety of internships (so many choices and so little time!) helped convince her that GW was the perfect choice for her.
Turns out our Juliana isn't the only person interested in working in the public sector. According to a recent article in the NY Times, more students are migrating away from careers in finance in favor of jobs in public service, government, the sciences and education.
This article raised several interesting points that are valuable for anyone thinking about re-directing his/her own career:
This article raised several interesting points that are valuable for anyone thinking about re-directing his/her own career:
Opportunities in the sciences are ripe for expansion: The Obama administration wants to double federal spending in basic research over the next 10 years and triple the number of graduate fellowships in science.
Government is hiring: The stimulus package will result in increased opportunities in both government jobs and private-public partnerships. The environment, public works projects, energy and health care are all areas with growth potential.
Education is a growth field: While demands for teachers vary by location and area of expertise, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, "opportunities for teachers over the next 10 years will vary from good to excellent, depending on the locality, grade level, and subject taught. Most job openings will result from the need to replace the large number of teachers who are expected to retire over the 2006-16 period. Job prospects are expected to be favorable, with particularly good prospects for teachers in high-demand fields like math, science, and bilingual education, or in less desirable urban or rural school districts."
Comments