Experts Weigh In On Current Job Market Trends
November 25, 2020
Given the change of course that has happened in the world, we wanted to provide expert opinions on what aspiring graduates can do to start off their careers in an uncertain economic climate. We wanted to know what skills will be more important, where the economy is doing relatively well, and if there will be any lasting effects on the job market.
Companies are looking for candidates that can handle the new responsibilities of the job market. Recent graduates actually have an advantage because they are comfortable using newer technologies and have been communicating virtually their whole lives. They can take what they've learned and apply it immediately.
We spoke to professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the job market for recent graduates is heading, as well as how young graduates entering the industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.
Our Panel of Experts
Statistical Research
What type of skills will young graduates need when they enter the workforce in the coming years?
Dr. Donn R. Grenda Ph.D.: Most Cultural Resource Management (CRM) firms require new graduates to have a degree in anthropology with an archaeology concentration and to have completed a field school. Skills beyond those requirements are usually unrelated to archaeology and include the ability to get along with others on the team, working hard, driving work trucks, showing up to work on time, and taking good notes.
How do you envision technology impacting this field in the next 5 years?
Dr. Donn R. Grenda Ph.D.: Technological change is impacting fieldwork and data processing. Drones are having an increasing impact on mapping archaeological sites, and advances in GIS and databases are increasing our ability to understand/analyze the data we gather. Mobile work platforms are also eliminating most of the paper field forms.
