June 13,2001
STje Jïartlan h (©bseruer
a portunities in fields
pressing are banks’ needs for
retooled sales and mar-
keting staffs, de-
v e lo p e r s
of
new r
p r o d u c ts , \
m o rtg a g e \
Vi0” 1
and securities
e x p e rts, and \
credit analysts. \
Banking and
b a n k -re la te d
work are
a good fit if you know something
about finance and you like soft­
ware development; if you’re in­
terested in marketing and sales; if
y ou’re a business school grad
and you want a solid career start;
if you’re not a B-school grad but
' you’re looking for work experi­
ence the equivalent o f an MBA; if
you’re fluent in Spanish, Japa­
nese, or another language and
you want to live overseas for a
few years; or if you just want the
know-how to eventually start your
own business. One thing about
\ such as sales, cus-
\ to m er su p p o rt,
\ and tech n ic al
..„ go ""'
........
writing go to in­
\ dividuals with
\ good people
s k ills ,
a
strong custom er-
service bias, and the abil­
ity to communicate complex
ideas in plain English. If that
sounds like you, give com­
puter hardware a close look—
but be prepared to get up to
speed on the technical side o f
the hardware.
Important note: Although
all hardware makers require
some in-house software de­
velopers, the environment is
often quite different from the
software industry. Most com­
panies in this industry are
noticeably more hierarchical
and rule bound, though you
can still expect a relatively
P hoto by C onnie A sh brook for O regon T radeswomen
Sheet metal worker Lydia Shevchuck works on a heating and
cooling duct. The potential earnings o f an Entry level/Joumey
level person after 3-5 years is $11.94-326.03 per hour.
banking skills: They are extremely
useful and portable. So even if
you join a bank that gets gobbled
up by a competitor and you end
up a merger casualty, you can
usually transfer your expertise
somewhere else with relative ease.
Computer Hardware
The com puter hardware in­
dustry holds job opportunities not
only for engineers and others with
technical skills, but also for people
with financial, marketing, sales,
and product management back­
grounds. Job seekers with tech­
nical expertise and a computer
science degree attract the most
opportunities and the sweetest
compensation packages, whether
they work as engineers, product
managers, or in marketing. Op-
casual work environment. If
you’re looking for interna­
tional work experience, you
may be surprised to learn that
Japanese and Asian compa­
nies aren’t threatening U.S.
companies— for now at least.
However, domestic computer
manufacturers actively mar­
ket themselves internationally.
They also run factories in
countries from Malaysia to
Ireland and buy from suppli­
ers all over the world, so a job
in the States could still have
you filling up your passport
quickly.
* To earn a 2-year College
Transfer from PC C’s Com­
puter Science Program, call
any o f their 2 campuses: Rock
Creek at 503/614-7604 or
Sylvania Campus at 503/977-
4298.
Computer Software
Most o f the new activity in
computer software is happening
in Silicon Valley and the San Fran-
cisco Bay Area. But you also
might check out opportunities in
one o f the second-tier high-tech
regions, such as Boston, Austin,
Minneapolis, New York City,
Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Boca
Raton, and the Research Triangle
Page 3
region o f North Carolina. Outside
the areas o f concentration, there
are at least a few jobs around
every big city.
If you’re looking for interna­
tional work experience, give con­
sumer software a close look. For-
S tory continues on next page
ELECTRICAL APPRENTICESHIP:
A VIABLE CAREER OPPORTUNITY
Careers develop over time, while jobs are short term. In the
construction industry you have a mixture of both. A career that
spans short term jobs. Construction seems to be one of the
best kept secrets regarding career opportunities and appren­
ticeship one of the most misunderstood concepts.
One career opportunity in the construction field is that of
General Journeyman Electrician.
Electricians make somewhere between $60K- $ 100K annu­
ally. Plus a $20K-$30K annual fringe benefits package.
To get to this level takes successful completion of a five
year apprenticeship program, which takes place on the job
and in one o f the best training facility in the United States
at 16021 N .E . A irport Way. When the apprentice com­
pletes the program, passes a state exam and becomes a
Journeyman, he or she will have made over $200K plus
benefits.
Just like college, apprenticeship is not for everyone, but
if you’re interested in starting a career that starts at over
$25K a year in wages alone, check this out.
For more information call 503.262.9991 ext.228.
■ NTERNATIONAL
[ ■ B ROTHERHOOD of
■
LECTRICAL
iSV
ORKERS
LOCAL
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