Like any major decision, selecting a career involves a lot of fact finding. One of the most important and possibly the most difficult decision is choosing which industry is the right fit for you. Over the past few years, the job market has become slightly more stable and the overall employment rates in the United States are expected to increase as the years go on. So where do you start when choosing an industry?

Education vs. Career Background
Every employer has different requirements for their employees. Some require a degree while others want experience. Many employers want a combination of both. How does this play a role in selecting your career path?

The first place to start is to look at your educational background. What did you learn in your degree program that you enjoyed and excelled at? Is this what you see yourself doing in the future? If you have a Bachelor's in Information Technology with no IT experience, this doesn't mean that you should only be looking at IT companies for positions.

Evaluate your previous work experience and what you liked about the industry you were in. How do you want this to affect your future positions? If you liked the industry then this is a great place to start even if you are looking down a different career path.

Try incorporating some of your past work history into your educational background. If you worked in hospitality in the past but want to get into the IT field, why not look for IT positions with hospitality companies? This could give you a slight advantage since you are familiar with the industry and have the education and skills to support the position.

The Future of the Job Market
Making informed career decisions requires reliable information about opportunities in the future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that some of the fastest growing occupations over the next 8 years will be in the healthcare and computer fields. In fact, healthcare occupations make up 12 of the 20 fastest growing occupations, while computer occupations account for 5 out of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the economy. In addition to high growth rates, these 17 computer and healthcare occupations combined will add more than 1.8 million new jobs (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, December 2005).

In this issue of Career Pointers you will be able to explore more about current job market trends in your degree field. You will be able to learn more specifics about different types of positions, the skills sets employers typically look for and some top companies in those industries. This will help better prepare you to choose the right industry for you, and help you make the most of your degree from AIU Online.


If you are a current student or alumni of AIU Online and would like more information, please contact our Career Services Department at 877-701-3800 ext 15060 or careerservices@aiuonline.edu.

For information on AIU Online degree programs, call 877-701-3800 or visit http://www.aiuonline.edu.