CB Campus Careers & Jobs Blog

Money, money, money, money - MONEY!

Hopefully ya'll recognize the song I 'm referencing in the title - if not, either I'm getting old or I'm making stuff up. Either one is entirely possible.

Anyway...

Many college students choose their major based on what' s going to make them the big bucks versus what's going to make them happy. When asked about their life goals, 81 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds said getting rich is either the most important or the second-most important goal in their lives, according to a Pew Research Center poll.

It doesn't take a genius to know that money doesn't equal happiness - in fact, most of the people I know who have sacrificed their dreams in lieu of making a quick buck, are the same people who are extremely unhappy and unsatisfied with their lives.

However, no matter what I, or anyone else says, there will always be those who want to make a lot of money. More power to ya. Because of that, I've posted 10 jobs that make at least $25 an hour- i.e. $48,000 per year.

I'd say that was a nice chunk of change, wouldn't you?

1. Market analyst - $27.18/hour. Market analysts work in government agencies, consulting firms, financial institutions or marketing research firms, where they research and predict the sales potential of a particular product or service. Annual salary: $56,541
   
2. Chemist - $25.16/hour. Chemists search for and use knowledge about chemicals to discover and develop new and improved products, processes to save energy and reduce pollution, and advances in fields like medicine and agriculture. Annual salary: $52,333
   
3. Civil engineer - $25.29/hour. Civil engineers plan, design and oversee engineering for building projects like airports, bridges, buildings and irrigation systems. Annual salary: $52,605
4. Social worker - $25.06/hour.  Social workers work for places like community centers, hospitals and penal institutions, where they develop programs to help individuals and groups enhance their personal relationships and social development. Annual salary: $52,119
5. Human resources generalist - $26.90/hour. Human resources generalists work to improve working conditions within an establishment by identifying, evaluating and resolving problems in employee relations and work performance.  Annual salary: $55,959
6. Architect - $26.41/hour.  Architects apply their knowledge of design to plan and supervise the construction of building projects according to their clients' needs and financial resources.  Annual salary: $55,060
7. Speech pathologist - $25.05/hour.  Speech pathologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of speech and language disorders and study the science of human communication.
   Annual salary: $52,105
8. Budget analyst - $26.71/hour.  Budget analysts review financial plans and help institutions prepare budgets, improve efficiency and lower costs. Annual salary: $55,579
9. Detective - $27.02/hour.  Detectives carry out investigations to prevent crimes or solve criminal cases. Annual salary: $56,197
10. Physical therapist - $25.68/hour.  Physical therapists plan and administer medically prescribed treatment for patients suffering from injuries or certain diseases to restore function, relieve pain and prevent disability. Annual salary: $53,410

Jobs & Starting Salaries on the Rise

Listen up kids - job prospects and starting salaries for recent college grads are trending upward, according to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey.

Here are some key stats from the survey:

• 79 percent of hiring managers say they plan to hire recent college graduates this year, up from 70 percent in 2006
• Nearly one-in-four hiring managers (24 percent) expect to hire more recent college graduates in 2007 compared to last year
• 42 percent of hiring managers anticipate increasing starting salaries for recent college graduates in 2007 and only four percent plan to decrease them
• 36 percent of managers plan to offer between $30,000 and $40,000
• 16 percent will offer between $40,000 and $50,000
• 12 percent will offer more than $50,000
• One-third of hiring managers require a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement
• One-in-ten requires a 3.5 GPA and above

What does all this mean for you, my friends? Well, a few things. First, you need to get your butt out to career fairs and meet all the recruiters who are interested in you. This will not only increase your chances of scoring a job (or at least an interview) but you'll also add a contact to your list.

Secondly, if you didn't make the grade, you still have the opportunity to sell yourself to an employer. Brent Rasmussen, Chief Operating Officer of CareerBuilder.com, offers these tips for recent college graduates in their quest to get noticed:

Do your research

As you've heard numerous times, it's important to know the nuts and bolts of the company, but you should also be familiar with the culture. Will your personality clash with others in the company or will your working styles match? These are things employers consider. In fact, 25 percent of hiring managers said that a recent college graduate who is a good fit with the company culture is the most influential factor in their hiring decision.

Don't take experiences for granted

You've probably had an internship or two, which looks great on your resume. But don't forget about all of the other things you did in college, too: Student government, volunteer work, involvement in the Greek system and team sports can all be applied as real world experience. And trust me, experience is important to these guys -  21 percent of managers cite it as the most influential factor in their decision to hire a recent college graduate. So identify things like leadership or management and highlight these  activities both in your resume and your interview.

Do show enthusiasm

Contrary to popular belief, job interviews aren't a one-way street. Preparing your own questions not only shows the interviewer that you are interested enough to do your homework but also will give you an idea if the job is something you'd even like. If that isn't enough to sway you, consider this: 21 percent of hiring managers say that asking good questions and showing enthusiasm weighs heavily on their hiring decision for recent college graduates.

For more info on job searching and interviewing, visit CBcampus.com

Starting salaries for the class of 2005

OK, so you might not be rich right out of college, but at least starting salaries are rising.  Salaries for new grads were higher this year than they were in 2004, according to a survey released last month by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Here are the average starting salaries for the some common majors for class of 2005:

• Management information systems -- $43,653 (up 5 percent)

• Marketing -- $36,409 (up 4.9 percent)

• Accounting -- $42,940 (up 4.6 percent)

• Business administration/management -- $39,480 (up 3.2 percent)

• Computer science -- $50,664 (up 3.3 percent)

• Information sciences and systems -- $43,902 (up 3.6 percent)

• Chemical engineering -- $53,639 (up 2.1 percent)

• Civil engineering -- $43,774 (up 4.1 percent)

• Computer engineering -- $52,242 (up 1.8 percent)

• Electrical engineering -- $50,175 (up 3.3 percent)

• Liberal arts and sciences -- $32,725 (up 10.1 percent)

• Psychology -- $30,073 (up 6.5 percent)

• Sociology -- $31,368 (up 7.5 percent)