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By Laura Morsch, ©
2007, CareerBuilder,
www.careerbuilder.com
Surviving those
advanced integral calculus lectures and organic chemistry labs meant downing
gallons of coffee, but that math- or science-related major might just be
worth it – in terms of job outlook and high starting pay, that is.
According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers
(NACE), chemical engineering students graduating in 2005 reported snagging
average offers of nearly $54,300. Computer science grads' job offers
averaged about $51,300. Accounting grads got offers of about $43,800, and
economics/finance majors' offers averaged roughly $42,800.
By contrast, liberal arts graduates reported average offers of $30,300.
It gets even better for numerically savvy graduates – they might also have
an easier time finding that coveted first job. According to NACE's Job
Outlook 2005 survey, eight of the top 10 degrees in demand are
quantitatively based – accounting, electrical engineering, mechanical
engineering, economics/finance, computer science, computer engineering and
information sciences and systems.
Why they're in demand
Alan Weiss, president of Summit Consulting Group, a firm specializing in
management development, says a primary reason math and science graduates
earn more out of college is a simple case of supply and demand: "They're
much more immediately applicable in a much smaller supply."
Students earning associate's and bachelor's degrees in liberal arts
disciplines far outnumber students studying in mathematic or scientific
fields, according to data from the U.S. National Center for Education
Statistics.
Of the 10 largest bachelor's degree programs in 2001-02, the most recent
year available, only two math- or science heavy majors – biology and
accounting – made the list.
Weiss also attributes the demand for quantitative majors to the specialized
training they receive. "You can immediately put somebody to work in a lab,"
he says. "It's much more problematic (determining) what to do with people
who majored in European history."
Math and science majors' familiarity with numbers can help them transition
into many bottom-line driven businesses, according to David Teten, CEO of
Nitron Advisers, a New York-based independent research firm.
"Numbers are
the language of business," he says.
The downside
Experts say astonishing quantitative skills alone aren't likely to catapult
you to top income brackets later on in your career.
"If you want to get rich
at a company, you don't go into the financial department," Weiss says. "You
go into the sales department."
He says top salespeople's high degrees of assertiveness and persuasiveness,
as well as their strong contribution to the company's bottom line, are
traits that can launch them to higher salaries than earned by even the
highest executives – like the CFO.
Lisa Earle McLeod, columnist and author of Forget Perfect
(Penguin/Putnam), agrees that good communication skills are key to long-term
career success.
"Being the best scientist or engineer might make you the
head of the department," she says, "but you have to be a good communicator
to be put in charge of large groups of people."
People interested in building better communications skills can enroll in
writing, speech or liberal arts courses at their local community college or
university. Some employers also offer seminars or other opportunities for
their workers to improve their writing and speaking techniques.
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