It's soon to be graduation time for many University of Memphisstudents, and while college graduation is a time of reflection,celebration and freedom, it is an even bigger time forlife-altering decision-making.
Among the various choices college graduates will soon have toface are whether to go to graduate school or the job market, whatcareer goals to pursue and even what kind of family life to plan.On top of all this, students must also consider where they want tolive and if a market for their skills exists in their chosengeographical location.
Although Memphis is one of the largest cities in the Mid-South,the job market here is not as vast as other big cities that maycall to U of M students for relocation.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers,the biggest job markets are divided among the Northeast, the South,the Midwest and the West, said Karen Hayes, U of M Career andEmployment Services director.
"The Northeast is the best area for students in the areas ofbusiness, like accounting, finance, business administration andelectrical engineering," Hayes said. "It's the same for theSouth."
Several hiring firms from each geographical location recruit oncampuses for their companies -- 71 percent of employers recruit oncollege campuses in the Northeast, 80 percent in the South, 66percent in the Midwest and 76 percent in the West, Hayes said.
Among other non-business related professions, education andnursing are popular fields that are needed everywhere, said DavidStrauser, director for the Center of Rehabilitation and EmploymentResearch.
"There is a shortage of nurses, and teaching jobs are availablein urban and rural places," Strauser said. "There is a high need inthe social service area."
But before any graduates move, know that job industries willprobably spread out geographically in the future, going frompredominately larger cities to more medium-sized cities, likeHouston, Nashville and Tulsa, Strauser said.
"Business and industry are going to look to relocate. We'll seemore growth and distribution in the future," Strauser said."Companies like the YMCA are looking to move their centralheadquarters to Memphis because of our cost of living, good airportand central location."
Strauser said careers in biology, chemistry and technology willgrow locally and nationally. However, other fields, like law andengineering will continue to depend on big-city hiring markets.
"The West Coast, New York, Atlanta and other bigger cities arethe best locations for lawyers," said Charles Dewitt, assistantdean of the Cecil C. Humphreys Law School.
However, Dewitt said approximately 80 percent of U of M lawschool graduates remain in Memphis.
For many December graduates worried about the economicenvironment for finding a job, Hayes said an improvement is on theway and hopefully will influence the job opportunities for futuregraduates.
"Things are getting better," Hayes said. "But it's a slowprocess."
