Lifetime of learning
The nonprofit sector is shaping up to be another “jobs of the future” generator. Since the ’70s, the number of nonprofit jobs has doubled; many of them aren’t in such traditional areas as nursing or social work but also in marketing, PR, and fundraising. That bodes well for Hamill, Palomo, and a lot of current college students who, says Stein, “started doing some kind of community service in high school and want to give back, to make a difference.”
Stein observes that this generation of students is also big on social networking. Yet despite their regularly poking Facebook friends, many can use some guidance in how to develop professional networks, from introducing themselves to potential employers to cultivating mentors. They may need to be steered toward fields such as accounting or actuarial science that are good long-term bets but not particularly sexy. (“There isn't a TV show about them,” says Stein.) To find a career path, students need to figure out where the needs of society and their interests intersect. And they need to think of themselves as “dynamic.”
“Students need to be made aware of the importance of lifelong learning — it’s not just what you learn in four years,” says Foulkes. “And that they are responsible for their career development. You can’t count on the company you work for to do it for you. The company may not be there forever, and most companies have a short-term outlook. You need to join professional groups, form networks, so that when you’ve peaked out of a company, you can move on.”
Mary Cleary, CEO and president of the boutique employment firm Cleary Consultants, calls that kind of thinking “Me Inc.” In her 25 years in the placement business, Cleary’s not only seen jobs come and go, she’s also seen changes in how people do their jobs. “Me Inc. is an entrepreneurial mindset, the hunter mentality,” says Cleary. “You don’t sit back and wait for your boss to give you assignments. In my own business, I want people who can take initiative, think creatively for the company and our clients. But when you hire people like that, you take a risk. Someday they’re going to say to themselves, ‘I can do this on my own.’ ”
Hamill, the recent Northeastern grad, has not yet incorporated herself. She’s working part-time in a gift shop, taking “a little break and a much-needed rest from the world of academia.”
“I would like to get on my feet as quickly as possible, but of course that doesn't happen immediately most of the time,” she says. “My stress level is higher than in the past. However, how could I not be optimistic? I love the field that I’ve chosen, and there are so many great opportunities and organizations just in the Boston area. I’m absolutely looking forward to the future.”
F.S. Wolfe, under a slightly different name, wrote for the Phoenix back when Hillary Clinton worked for Wal-Mart. She is currently advancement communications writer at UMass Amherst. She can be reached atfayewolfe@comcast.net.
