Are there really "plenty" of science and engineering jobs in the US?

[OneGrassRoot]

I haven't posted about my experiences with Fox News puppets in a long time, but that is the talking point of one of them: everyone should quit getting "art history and interior design" degrees and go for math and science degrees.

My response is that not everyone -- no matter how intelligent or hardworking they are -- is cut out to be nor wants to be in those fields. Plus, the "whining" isn't solely about 22-year-olds not being able to get jobs; there are people of all ages, many of whom are over 40 and thus it's nearly impossible to start a new career and get a job.

But it did make me wonder if there's any truth to the statement that there are plenty of science and engineering jobs out there for Americans.

Also, this person is in southwestern Pennsylvania. I've seen quite a few people from that area (uber right-wingers) make comments, as though they're in some sort of bubble -- beyond the Fox News bubble, that is. It's like the rest of the country's economic situation hits there later than other areas or something. They seem to think life is just fine and it's only now starting to hit their area. I grew up in that area but moved away after high school; the Limbaugh/Fox News crowd is very entrenched in that area, in my experience.

Any feedback about any of this? Thanks much in advance. :)

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Engineering job market is better than most

But not stellar, except in some niches. Still tough to get a new gig for 40+.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. True, and of course there's the issue of the exorbitant tuition costs...

involved in pursuing ANY degrees, regardless of one's age.

:(

[distantearlywarning]

3. Comment about Southwestern PA

The Pittsburgh Metro area has in fact been largely untouched by the recession thus far. Our housing market is stable, and I know very few people here who have been unable to find a job in their field. Anyone living here probably doesn't actually have a good sense of what is going on in other places in the U.S. I don't know about science and engineering degrees in particular, but anecdotally a friend who graduated with an B.S. in engineering last year found lucrative employment right away here. It's like we're still living in the '90s here, and that's a good thing (while it lasts, anyway - if this recession/depression lasts long enough eventually we will probably start to see the effects).

Interestingly, we don't actually have many uber-right-wingers here either. If Fox News is digging up right-wing weirdos from Pittsburgh, they are probably having to work pretty hard finding them.

[OneGrassRoot]

6. LOL! I think I'm just "blessed" to know so many of them!

Right-wing weirdos from SW PA, that is. :)

Thanks for your insight. I appreciate it.

:hi:

[Nikia]

4. Depends on what you mean by science

If you have a BS in Biology you will be qualified for a $12.00 lab tech position that is often dead end. Usually there will be experienced people also applying for those positions. In 2000, my first two lab jobs were temporary because I could not get a permanent position until almost a year after I graduated. I think that it is probably harder now, but probably varies by location.

[OneGrassRoot]

7. Thanks, Nikia.

Yes, "science and math" degrees encompass many fields. You're absolutely right. The person in question seems to be fully focused on engineering, as though the entire country should be comprised of engineers. :eyes:

[peacebird]

5. I have a job but drive an hour each way to get to it, so have been looking for almost a year

Only jobs I see adverts for are fresh outs or less than 5years experience. I have over 30.
Also one of our areas " big" employers has just announced it's third round of layoffs in three years. NorthGrum.

[OneGrassRoot]

8. Thanks, peacebird.

Best wishes to you. I hope you find something closer, with better pay and benefits.

We can dream, can't we? ;)

[peacebird]

9. We have to hold on to our dreams! Mine is to make it five more years and retire....

[OneGrassRoot]

10. I'll hold that dream for you, too!!!

:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

:hi:

[peacebird]

17. Thank you!

[pnwmom]

15. My nephew spent a year getting his first job,

and he was a graduate of a very good school, with internship experience. And the pay was well below what he'd been hoping for, based on past graduates.

[GoCubsGo]

11. Not in my field.

I have been looking for a permanent job in my field for four and a half years, after being laid off of the last one, thanks to the anti-science Bush administration. I was in my old job just short of 20 years. I have had dozens of interviews, only to be told that they gave the job to someone who had "more experience". Twenty fucking years under my belt, yet there are always people out there with "more experience". I'm sure I am having to compete with all those other state and federal employees who have been laid off in droves over the past few years...

I will say, however, that in my area, they are always looking for engineers.

[FarCenter]

12. Last figure I saw for Electrical Engineers was 4.5% unemployment rate nationally

The rate probably varies widely by subspecialty and geography.

The rate would vary a lot depending on which STEM field you are in, e.g. medicine is better now than plant biology.

A science, technology, engineering and math occupation requires careful career management to choose the right specialties and employers to stay on track, lots of formal and informal training to keep current and learn new skills, and a willingness to move to where employment is in your field as the fortunes of employers wax and wane.

[mainer]

13. health care will be booming with the aging populace

Jobs in nursing, physical therapy, etc, will be growing as Baby Boomers age.

[pnwmom]

14. It took my nephew, as a new graduate from a very good school,

a year to find his job, at a salary only about 2/3 of what graduates the year before from his school were making.

So it doesn't seem like a great market to us.

[SheilaT]

16. My son got a CAD (Computer Aided Drawing) degree

from a community college in May, 2010. He lives in the Kansas City area which has a very large number of engineering firms, but got no where in his job search, so took a job in the CAD lab at his junior college. It's important to know that this son is mildly autistic, Asperger's Syndrome, which means he needs a LOT of coaching for things like job interviews.

When school ended this past May he went out looking for a real CAD job again, and I don't know if the job market in KC changed, or if he had better coaching this time around. I do know he got his resume on the internet and then was fielding calls from headhunters. The first job he interviewed for they essentially hired him on the spot. It's a basic, entry level CAD job, but he tells me it pays better than he'd expected, and he loves the work. He would like to get back to school and complete an engineering degree, but meanwhile he has work. Oh, it is a contract job, expected to last around six months, but he thinks the project he's working on will last longer than that.