After the NASDAQ crashed in March of 2000 the market for tech jobs plummeted. The economic "soft landing" pre-9/11 and the recession post-9/11 resulted in the worst job market since the recessionary eighties. By October 2001, the unemployment rate jumped to 5.4 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Across the nation college job fairs reported record lows in recruiter attendance and dramatic drops in job offers to new graduates. A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reported a drop for the second year in the number of job offers.

Comments typical of recruiters in the current job market:

"It has been frustrating because there are great candidates applying...but we cannot make offers until we see how the economy turns."

"We are delaying offers in some areas by 1 to 2 months."

"Business is very poor, and the projections for next year aren't any better."

For those looking ahead to college, this is frustrating news. The prospect of spending all that time and money only to face an uncertain job market is daunting. Fortunately, this is not the case for the students at Thomas Jefferson University, as well as those students interested in the fields of allied health in general.

Upon completion of their coursework at Jefferson, ninety-five percent of graduates in the Jefferson College of Health Professions reported obtaining full or part-time employment. The range of entry-level starting salaries for all of the College's nursing and allied health graduates was $22,000.00 to $78,000.00, with an average entry-level salary of $48,500.00.

Recruiter and student attendance at the recent Nursing and Allied Health Career Day, the career fair for Jefferson students, was at an all time high, with many students receiving offers on the spot.

Health professionals also rate highly in job satisfaction, according to a recent institutional survey of graduates. Frank Heasley, Ph.D., President and CEO, MedZilla, Inc., points out that "healthcare fields have continued to grow at their usual rate of about 30 percent a year in our business."

David Westhart, Director of the Career Development Center at the Jefferson College of Health Professions, adds, "The jobs are there, the salaries are high, and the outlook remains very positive, regardless of the economy."

The Career Development Center, located in 707 Edison, helps with resume and cover letter preparation, job searching, interviewing skills, and conducts events such as the Spring Career Day and the Nursing and Allied Health Career Day. Services are available to students from all Jefferson Colleges.

If you have any career related questions, do not hesitate to send them to:
david.westhart@mail.tju.edu

I will respond directly or through this column. Hope to hear from you!