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Page 10. Section II. Portland Observer, May 29. 1986
Job market tough:
plan your career
Those safely employed probably
had no reason lo doubt President
Reagan when he said, "A m e n ta has
turned the corner toward long-range
recovery ” However, those just enter
ing the job market only to discover
that, despite college degrees, they
couldn't even land an entry level po-
sition, probably did doubt him.
Though there are over 100 million
employed Americans, one can safely
assume that, short o f a miracle, un
employment will remain high through
out the 1980.
In the latter part o f 1983, the na
tion’s unemployment rale was 8 8 •
percent (down from the post W orld
War II high o f 10.3 percent). In our
three largest cities, the Figures were:
New York, 10.1 percent; Chicago, 9.1
percent; and Los Angeles (combined
with Long Beach), 9.4 percent. Still
grim enough to cause one Chicago
executive to remark, "T here’s going
to be a lot o f people with P h .D ’s on
the unemployment line."
When you begin your job search
this year, there are two stark realities
with which you must contend: racism
and the shrinking job market. Blacks,
o f course, have traditionally been
subjected lo racism in the United
States on all strata. Despite some slug
gish gams in affirm ative action pro
grams, Blacks are, to date, only a
miniscule force in the professional,
managerial, and administrative arenas
still beset by all sorts o f Catch-22
situations.
For example, since all females are
categorized as minorities by the fed
eral government, the Black woman
must contend with the wily ways of
some racist employers. Rather than
hire her. such employers Fill their m i
nority quotas with while women,
thus ensuring the status quo o f their
office staff. And it’s all perfectly
legal.
On the other hand, the Black male
is up against the fact that, technically,
the Black woman represents two m i
norities. Many employers will hire a
qualified Blask woman over her male
counterpart The reasons for and the
results o f such racism should be ob
vious.
In addition lo everything else, the
I9 8 (K has begun introducing mem
bers o f the "baby boom " genera
non I quipped with degrees and de
termination, they are now competing
with those presently employed but
looking for a career change, as well
as those formerly employed but look
ing lor a job replacement.
How can the nation possibly pro
vide jobs for all these well-qualified
applicants? Il cannot, therefore, in
light o f an overcrowded labor force
and the necessity lo create positions
tin younger workers, the ttcnd toward
offering the older worker early re
tirement will continue.
The United States is still an alfluent
nation; however, there are many var
iables that have affected the economy
and the job market in the 1980.: the
widespread use o f programmable
hardware (computers, robots); ex
portation o f American jobs through
foreign imports; loss of manufactur
ing jobs; the rise o f service oriented
technical jobs; deregulation o f the
airline, trucking, railroad and bank
ing industries; two back-to-back re
cessions; and the arrival o f the afore
mentioned baby bixxn generation
into the marketplace
What are the best career choices?
What careers or jobs seem to offer the
best possibilities? The Bureau of
Labor Statistics has compiled the fol
lowing data, in descending order of
lob openings through the next decade:
• H ig hest P erce n ta g e of Jo b
O penings paralegal workers, com
puter operators, computer systems
analysts, office machine and cash
register servicers.
• G reatest P o ten tia l for Jobs:
secretaries, nurses' aides and order
lies, janitors, sales clerks, cashiers,
professional nurses, truck drivers,
hxxl service workers, office clerks,
waiters and waitresses, elementary
schixil teachers, kitchen helpers, ac
countants and auditors, helpers in
the trades and auto mechanics.
• Fastest G ro w in g
Jobs
Re
quiring a H ig h Sch o ol D ip lo m a or
Less fast hxxl workers, correction
officers and jailers, nurses' aides and
orderlies, psychiatric aides, dental
assistants, auto painters, claims clerks,
drywall applicators, child care attend
ants, medical insurance clerks, dry-
wall tapers, welfare aides, statement
clerks, hotel housekeepers, laundry
and dry cleaning workers.
• Fastest G ro w in g
Jobs
Re
quiring a B ach elo r's Degree: com-
jxiter systems analysts, physical thera
pists. computer programmers, speech
and hearing clinicians, aero-astronau-
lic engineers, economists, dietitians,
electrical engineers,
m edical laboratory
technologists, architects, veterinar
ians, law clerks, geologists, mechan-
xal engineers and psychologists.
It is amazing how many job-seekers
in all professions fail to adhere to this
cardinal rule: You must have a gixxl
and effective resume: it is the one
item that will open doors lo interviews
Minority grad
school decline
S A N T A M O N IC A . C A - A pro
gram to address the decline in minor
ity participatHin in management « lu
cation has been announced by an
assixnation o f the nation's leading
graduate business and management
schools. The three-year, nationwide
effort by the Graduate Management
Admission Council (G M A C ) will in
clude development of new institution
al programs and a communications
campaign for potential minority grad
uate management students.
According to the G M A C , minority
enrollment in graduate management
education programs increased dra
matically during the 1970s, with a
peak 50 percent increase between
1974 and 1976 l igures for the pe
riod from 1980 to 1982, however,
show a 5 percent decline in minority
enrollment.
"O ver the past several years, there
has been a continuing decline in the
number of minority students applying
for admission and actually complet
ing M B A programs," said W illiam
Broesamle, G M A C president.
"This trend has significant conse
quences for the structure and compo
sition o f our nation's businesses and
other institutions."
The G M A C is a non-profit organ
ization o f 75 schools which provides
information to all graduate business
and management schools and pros
pective students to help both make
reasoned choices in the admission
pnx.-ess. It sponsors the Graduate
Management AdmissMxi lest (G M A T )
and also provides a forum for the
exchange o f information through
research, educational programs and
ixher services among the broad con
stituency o f individuals and institu
tions concerned with management cd
usât ion.
In 1983 the G M A C convened a
special Task Force to Increase M i
nonty Part icijsat ton in Graduate
Management Education. The task
force recommendations form the ele
ments o f the new campaign.
H ie G M A C campaign includes ad
ditional research to identify the causes
of the decline in minority cnrollmenis,
programs to strengthen institutional
commitments to admitting more m i
nority students, and a comprehensive
communications program
Retail program
People hxiking for a career in a
department or specialty store, perhaps
as management trainees, will be in
terested in a new one year certificate
program being offered this fall at
Pmi land (.'immunity l ollege < ascadc.
705 N. Killingsworlh.
The new one-year merchandising
jxogram is designed lo get students
ready fix retail jobs in only three
terms. Job skills and job opportun
ities are stressed from the beginning
of the program.
Instructor M ark Bershadsky said
that every student will work in a store
during at least one of the three terms.
Students will be jsaid for that work
and earn college credit as well. "W e
like to get students out in the field
very fast,” said Bershadsky. “ That
way they find out if they like retailing
and what direction they want to take
in retailing — buying, managing, dis
play, store ojierations, or sales."
" Il's not unusual," Bershadsky
added, “ for a student to get a full
time job where they’ve done their
college cixiperative work, and that’s
the start o f a career."
Job opportunities in retail are
growing in the Portland area, said
Bershadsky, with a strong outlook
into the '90s. "W e have a new down
town shopping center opening in
1986, with a Saks, a new Frederick &
Nelson, and small specialty stores.
And there are two new retailers mov
ing into the area — Ross Department
Stores and Marshalls.”
Fix a cixnplete description o f the
jxogram and any other information,
call M ark Bershadsky. 281-2541.
ext. 3 18
T1IE FASTEST-GROWING FIELDS.
EOSC enrollment up
IM M -IM 0
I Projected growth ratei
Paralegal personnel
108 9%
Data processing/ machine mechanics
«32
Computer operators
71«
Computer systems analysts
«7»
Office machine and cash register servicers
MB
Physical therapists
50 8
Food service workers, fast food restaurants
49«
Computer programmers
«9
Tax jxe p a rrrs
486
Employment interviewers
470
Speei-h and hearing clinicians
466
Correction officers and jailers
46 5
Peripheral EDPequipm ent operators
44 0
A ero astronaut ic engineers
43 4
Travel agents and accommodations ajipraisers
43 4
Nurses aides ami orderlies
432
Eastern Oregon Stale College is
looking at a 70 percent increase in
new freshmen next fall, based on a
projected number o f admission re
quests already tiled at the college in
La Grande.
"W e have 127 new freshmen ad-
mited at this p o i n t s a i d W illiam
WelLs. EOSC Dean o f student a f
fairs. "T h a t compares with 192 ad
mitted this same time last year."
College officials base their projec
tions on the number o f requests for
admission and financial aid materials,
Wells said
In the jiast EOSC has seen an in
crease in the number o f non-tradi-
tional older students. That trend
seems to be turning around, with an
increase in EO SC’s 100 admitted
freshmen in the 18 and 19- year -old
category. That is in direct contrast to
a national decrease in the number of
high schixil graduates.
Wells attributed the increase in po
tential students to EOSC's “ intensi
fied recruiting program here at East
ern. We have many more personal
contacts with those students, both
seniors and juniors in a large number
o f high schools in numerous stales."
EOSC may see an increase in the
students from "the metro areas.
Clackamas and Washington County,
and also m ixe students from Umatilla
County, which is new fix Eastern."
All-out recruiting efforts took place
this year in Hawaii and "that has real
ly paid o f f ," said Wells “ W e also
did well in Alaska "
Wells said final enrollment figures
may reflect a smaller increase “ be
cause it's very difficult with admission
data to do accurate projections. But
from all the data in hand, our ad
mission picture is extremely positive.”
" I attribute the increase to an over
all refined recruiting program We
are making more mail contacts with
our students, and our printed mate
rials are much more attractive and
appealing to students."
Somebody
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do something
about alcohol
abuse.
Alcoholism and other forms of alcohol abuse are problems affecting each of us throughout
this community The tragic consequences of irresponsible behavior when drinking
particu
larly drunken driving
have led to fervent cries of somebody do something
Well it s time to do something and that somebody is each one of us
Because we are each affected by the problem we must each become pad of the answer
One way of becoming pad of that answer is by supporting alcohol education programs
programs designed to provide the information net essary upon which people can form proper
decisions about drinking Decisions which will lead to healthy attitudes and responsible
behavior
That s one way we can get involved
There are others
We need to carry what is taught in schools into our com m unities into our everyday lives
Each of us must become a living example of responsible attitudes and behavior
We each must dem onstrate our responsibility by our personal actions
That means examining how we drink and when we drink It means being responsible hosts
more concerned with our guests health and safety than in seeing that glasses are filled
It means not condoning or reinforcing irresponsible drinking behavior
We can each be a part of the answer if we work together
What we do docs make a difference
Miller Brands, Inc.
582SN.E. Skyport W ay
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