CAREER DAY 2009

FRIDAY, MARCH 6th, 8 AM TO 3 PM
UNIVERSITY UNION, CSUS

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CAREER SEMINARS: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm in the University Union

Sponsors: IEEE & the CSUS, College of Engineering and Computer Science• www.ecs.csus.edu/career

Economic Pain is Less Severe for College Degreed Technical Professionals

Cici Mattiuzzi
Career Programs Coordinator
College of Engineering & Computer Science
California State University, Sacramento

The reports are not good. In the last quarter of 2008 the US economy had its biggest three-month job loss since 1945. Since December of 2007, 3.6 million jobs have been lost. January 2009 job losses were large and widespread according to the US Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Close to 600,000 jobs were lost in January alone. The unemployment rate for the US rose from 7.2% to 7.6%. In addition, close to 8 million people are underemployed- working part time but preferring to be working full time. 2. 1 million workers have become discouraged and have stopped looking altogether and are not even counted in the unemployment rate. 

The highest unemployment rates are in the Pacific region and in the Eastern parts of the US. California unemployment rates were among the highest, reporting in at 9.3%, in the US DOL report dated January 27, 2009. 

First Quarter announcements of job cuts include some huge cuts in companies that are household names. Many are employers of technical professionals. 

Companies cut swiftly and deeply in response to declining demand and the economic slowdown. As sobering as the numbers are, there is reason for optimism. The technology that makes information available in real time allows for a much more rapid response to both downturns (layoffs), and recoveries (hiring). The correction may already have happened. Companies may have over reacted to bad news and might end up having to hire to fill positions that they need to meet demand as the economy recovers and as the Obama stimulus package is rolled out. 

Depending on your situation, you may not be as bad off as you think. The current national unemployment rate for college graduates is actually only 3.8%. Technical professions have unemployment rates below 2%. For high school graduates the rate is much higher at 8%. The unemployment rate for individuals with less than a high school education is dismal at 12%. 

As the economy recovers, there is going to be huge pressure on the labor pool. President Obama’s stimulus package promises to create 3 to 4 million jobs. Engineers and computer scientists will most likely fare better than most other professions in the stimulus package. Many ready-to-go projects that will be funded will require engineers to bring them to completion. Watch for opportunities to emerge in all areas of infrastructure development. The big winners will include: heavy construction (roads, bridges); water and wastewater projects; IT security; e-health programs; defense; energy, alternative energy and energy conservation projects; and transportation (high speed rail, light rail, intra city and inter city systems). 

Amazingly, many companies that hire engineers are still hiring and a number of segments of the economy are still growing. The task is to find out where and to act accordingly. 75 companies are attending Career Day 2009 at CSUS on March 6th.  This represents an excellent opportunity to connect with companies hiring technical professionals. Be sure to be there and ready with your resume.

2. Time Is Running Out to Renew Your Membership You have until 28 February to renew your 2009 membership so that your member benefits, services, and subscriptions can continue. By renewing you'll also be included in the 125th anniversary drawing to win one of 125 US $100 Visa gift cards. For details, visit
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14210/04452751

3. IEEE to Hold Its First Green Technology Conference Green technology has been all over the news lately, with many planning to invest heavily in it to lessen dependence on oil. But what exactly is green technology? And what are the issues surrounding it? These and other questions will be answered at the first IEEE Green Technology Conference, to be held on 16 and 17 April, in Lubbock, Texas. Read on at
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14211/04452751

4. How Four IEEE Fellows Changed Their Worlds Four new Fellows from the class of 2009 have made improvements in medicine, the automotive industry, telecommunications, and education. Read about their work at
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14213/04452751

5. Sections and Students: The Institute Wants to Hear From You Is your IEEE section holding any special events that could be of help to members in these hard economic times? Student members, are you organizing any job fairs at your school? If so, e-mail the editors at
institute@ieee.org

6. Video Celebrates Pride in IEEE A new video aims to make IEEE members feel proud to be part of the organization--and educate those unaffiliated with IEEE about the contributions of technology to society. Learn more at
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14214/04452751

7. IEEE Standards Association to Build Awareness of Patent Pools The IEEE Standards Association and Via Licensing Corp., in the first agreement of its kind, are collaborating in a two-year trial program to foster joint patent-licensing programs for IEEE standards. To learn more, visit
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14216/04452751

8. Executive Committee Eliminated Effective 1 January, the IEEE Executive Committee has been eliminated. The Board of Directors approved the change in an effort to make IEEE more efficient. For more information, visit
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14217/04452751

9. How IEEE Can Help Develop Engineers in Nigeria
You might expect that Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, would have by now produced many engineers who can compete head-to-head with their counterparts in other countries. But that hasn't happened. Read about one member's thoughts on how IEEE can play a role in developing the country's technical capabilities at
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14218/04452751

10. Recipients of the 2009 IEEE Medals and Awards Announced IEEE is proud to present the names of the 53 recipients of the 2009 IEEE medals, service awards, honorary memberships, corporate recognition awards, prize papers, and technical field awards. Read who received what at
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14219/04452751

11. Coming Very Soon: A Pair of IEEE Spectrum Online Webinars
On 26 February, you can learn about advanced multi-domain modeling and simulation solutions at the "Faster Product Development Using Multi-Domain Modeling and Simulation" webinar. Register now at
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14220/04452751
And you can also sign up for the "Revolutionized Advanced DRC Checks and LVS Debug" webinar to learn about the evolution of the Calibre Physical Verification platform. To register, visit
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14221/04452751

12. GOLD Seminar on 28 February Covers Product Development
Time is running out to register for "How Engineers and Marketers Work Together to Create New Products in Innovative Companies" on 28 February. Topics at this online seminar sponsored by IEEE Graduates of the Last Decade include new product-development processes, how to satisfy customer needs, and successful product launches. To sign up, visit
http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/14222/04452751