The Interfolio Blog

As we all know, breaking into the work force is not an easy task, especially at this particular point in time. Many companies are experiencing hiring freezes, even layoffs, making it increasingly difficult for a large number of recent college graduates to find employment. Despite the discouraging economic downturn, the Boston Globe offers some advice on what facets of the economy are growing, and where to look to launch your career. 

Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Biotech - The great thing about these fields is that they are constantly growing, and that you can still be a humanities major and enter the workforce through these industries. Opportunities exist in health care, policy positions, think tanks, consulting firms, hospitals and pharmaceutical firms for many majors. These industries require a wide range of expertise in order to remain successful, thus students from all backgrounds can find their niche. 

Government - Jobs in the government are available in many areas, providing great platforms for recent graduates to begin their careers. The Department of Defense is hiring, bringing aboard hundreds of recent graduates, generally in teaching, financial services and crisis management. These are all positions that offer great training and benefits for new employees. The National Security Agency is also expanding in the areas of border and transportation security, intelligence, public health, and policy analysis. Three government fields you can consider include energy, health care and homeland security.

Education - The realm of education remains a good place to get started with your career. Specifically, jobs in early education and special needs programs are on the rise due to increases in full-day kindergarten and federal funding. In addition, local higher ed opportunities are beginning to grow as laid-off workers return to school for re-training. If you were interested in teaching, here's your chance. However, if you were interested in business or human resources, education could also be a great field to start in, as administration opportunities open up to support new faculty. 

Telecommunications - Growing technology fields like telecommunications are great areas to seek opportunity. Telecommunications is an area that has seen a rise in employment rates, especially at the entry level, across a varity of expertise like public relations, human resources, sales, customer support and government relations, in addition to technology and engineering positions. 

Ultimately, you may find opportunity in places you never thought of before. Be creative and be flexible - target your resume if you are really interested in a specific company, school, area of government, etc. Remain ambitious and on top of your search, but the most important thing you can do is stay positive and open-minded.