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Senior sales account executive job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior sales account executive job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 23,800 new jobs for senior sales account executives are projected over the next decade.
Senior sales account executive salaries have increased 12% for senior sales account executives in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,035,252 senior sales account executives currently employed in the United States.
There are 188,523 active senior sales account executive job openings in the US.
The average senior sales account executive salary is $97,259.
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,035,252 | 0.31% |
| 2020 | 968,151 | 0.29% |
| 2019 | 1,024,170 | 0.31% |
| 2018 | 1,008,944 | 0.30% |
| 2017 | 982,779 | 0.30% |
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $97,259 | $46.76 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $93,105 | $44.76 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $91,326 | $43.91 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $89,002 | $42.79 | +2.6% |
| 2021 | $86,723 | $41.69 | +3.6% |
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 528 | 76% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,330 | 34% |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,264 | 31% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,608 | 29% |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 299 | 28% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 272 | 28% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 828 | 27% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 363 | 27% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 281 | 27% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 170 | 27% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,207 | 26% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,955 | 26% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 195 | 26% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 3,150 | 25% |
| 15 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,306 | 23% |
| 16 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 2,319 | 22% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 805 | 22% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 127 | 22% |
| 19 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,197 | 21% |
| 20 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,874 | 21% |
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woburn | 2 | 5% | $77,013 |
| 2 | Bridgewater | 1 | 4% | $78,818 |
| 3 | Bay City | 1 | 3% | $92,100 |
| 4 | Burton | 1 | 3% | $92,752 |
| 5 | Battle Creek | 1 | 2% | $92,057 |
| 6 | Abilene | 1 | 1% | $81,811 |
| 7 | Arlington Heights | 1 | 1% | $84,095 |
| 8 | Cedar Rapids | 1 | 1% | $69,974 |
| 9 | Boston | 3 | 0% | $77,542 |
| 10 | Austin | 2 | 0% | $82,614 |
| 11 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $84,273 |
| 12 | Denver | 2 | 0% | $77,894 |
| 13 | Miami | 2 | 0% | $80,203 |
Texas Christian University

University of Maryland
University of Saint Mary

The Pennsylvania State University

Baylor University
Adecco USA

Liberty University
Clarion University of Pennsylvania

St. John Fisher College
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

University of Vermont
SUNY New Paltz

State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo
Emsi
Texas A&M University
The University of West Florida
Christopher Newport University

Andrews University

Valdosta State University
Texas Christian University
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
Ken Corbit Ph.D.: Strategic
Company Selection:
Focus on joining companies with robust sales training programs, emphasizing consultative selling. Look for organizations that invest in your development, providing live calling experiences, quota-driven sales processes, and exposure to tools like Salesforce.
Tech
Proficiency and Sales Tools Mastery:
Familiarize yourself with cutting-edge sales technologies, including CRM tools like Salesforce. Your proficiency in these tools will not only streamline your sales processes but also position you as a tech-savvy professional in the competitive sales landscape.
Hands-On
Experience:
Actively engage in live calling, take ownership of sales funnels, and work with senior hiring authorities during your training. This hands-on experience will not only build your confidence but also prepare you for the challenges of consultative selling.
Research
and Decision-Making Skills:
Develop strong research skills to evaluate companies based on fit, growth opportunities, compensation structures, and overall potential. This informed decision-making approach will set you apart and empower you to navigate the sales landscape strategically.
Mentorship
and Networking:
Seek mentorship both within and outside your organization. Building relationships with mentors who invest in your sales skills and knowledge will provide valuable insights. Additionally, actively participate in online forums to connect with practical sales
knowledge and best practices.
Ken Corbit Ph.D.: AI-Integrated Consultative Selling: Recognize the evolving role of AI in sales. Embrace AI tools that enhance your pre-call preparation, role-playing, agenda setting, and call talk track development. Stay ahead by incorporating AI into your sales strategies to deliver personalized and efficient client engagements.
Ken Corbit Ph.D.: Holistic
Knowledge Mastery:
Become an expert in your industry, staying abreast of market trends, and thoroughly understanding the products/services you sell. This comprehensive knowledge will empower you to provide exceptional value, resulting in higher sales success and increased client
retention.
Strategic
Question-Based Selling:
Master the art of question-based selling. Use insightful questions to uncover client needs, address pain points, and tailor your approach. This strategic skill will not only boost initial sales but also contribute to secondary sales and long-term client satisfaction.
Compensation
Structure Expertise:
Understand your organization's compensation structure thoroughly. This includes baseline compensation, commission and bonus plans, and additional benefits. This knowledge allows you to set realistic targets, maximize your earnings, and take full advantage
of uncapped commission structures.
Consistent
Target Achievement:
Consistently meet or exceed targets and quotas to demonstrate your value. This not only enhances your immediate success but also positions you for continuous earning potential, especially in roles with uncapped commissions.
Negotiation
and Value Recognition:
Develop negotiation skills to ensure you are compensated appropriately. Recognize your worth and, when appropriate, discuss compensation adjustments or additional benefits with your employer. A proactive approach to recognizing and articulating your value
contributes to your overall salary potential.
In a rapidly evolving sales landscape, continuous learning, tech adaptability, and proactive career management are fundamental for achieving sustained success in consultative sales.

University of Maryland
Robert H. Smith School of Business
Roland Rust Ph.D.: One might think that a stellar sales record would be most important, but that would be most relevant only if the individual has prior sales manager experience. If promoting a salesperson to sales manager, the thing that may be missing is administrative and managerial skills. In addition, we are in a technological revolution, driven by AI, which means that prior knowledge and experience with AI-related analysis would also definitely stand out (although probably hard to find).
University of Saint Mary
Division of Business and Information Technologies (DBiT)
Dr. Mark Harvey Ph.D.: First, critical and creative thinking. Employers value problem solvers. A Business Development Managers' problem usually is finding growth opportunities. Candidates need to learn to take the initiative to figure out how to solve problems like those.
Second, writing. The best employees know how to communicate in writing. More and more communication occurs through email and other forms of social media and apps, and as such, this skill is absolutely critical. You don't need to be a creative writing genius, but you do need to know how to write in a professional tone, present your ideas in an organized way, get to the point, and avoid errors. There is a direct line between a student's ability to write an academic essay with a clear thesis and an employee's ability to write a good email or proposal. If you can't do those things, then you risk embarrassment and possibly limited options for promotion.
Third, speaking. The American business world discriminates against introverts-sometimes at their own peril. Everyone needs to know how to give a quality speech, but more importantly, you need to sound confident and assertive in a board room during meetings. You need to be confident in front of clients. Fake it if you have to. The way you present yourself is absolutely critical.
Fourth, social skills. You need to be friendly. Get to know co-workers and clients. Find out what they like and show an interest. Find common ground. Your undergraduate degree hopefully exposed you to a wide diversity of topics you may have thought were irrelevant at some point. Now is the time to remember that stuff and use it to connect with people. Nearly everything you learned will have some application someday. It will help you connect with others. In addition, put away your cell phone when you are at work or on social occasions. To some people, a preoccupation with a cell phone communicates a lack of interest in the person you are with. It can alienate bosses, co-workers, and clients.
Dr. Mark Harvey Ph.D.: Familiarity with software-basic windows packages, particularly MS Word and Excel. Candidates should not be afraid of quantitative data analysis. Analytics are necessary to figuring out what your business is doing and how it can grow. Also, familiarity with whatever social media platforms are used in that industry can be very important.
Dr. Mark Harvey Ph.D.: One consideration is, does the position pay commission? If so, the soft skills listed above are extremely important because the more you apply those skills, the more likely you are to grow your business.
When a manager is not on commission, there's little correlation between skills and pay while doing the job. The employer will hire you at a given salary level, and it is your job to negotiate to the best position. Once they have chosen you-that's the moment when you have the most leverage. You will never get a raise that is as substantial as what you might be able to ask for upon hire. After that, most raises are not going to be tied mechanically to performance and skills. Your next chance at a raise will be when you move or are promoted to a new position. Thus, those soft skills can affect your ability to negotiate.
I will repeat a previous theme: education and experience are probably more important than skills in terms of making more money. An employer can't really tell what your skills are from your resume. Just because you say you have a skill doesn't mean that you really do. They can reasonably guess that somebody with a degree is responsible enough to have accomplished something big. Somebody who makes it through a graduate program is probably very good at what they know. And somebody who has been in the industry and/or in a similar job is more likely to be able to walk in with little orientation and know what they are doing. Employers take risks on employees and hope that they can deliver. Thus, with more education and more experience, you are able to apply for higher-level jobs, which usually come with higher salaries.
Dr. Mark Harvey Ph.D.: Resumes are hard. It is very difficult to predict what any employer is looking for on any resume. The "skills" section of a resume is probably not the first thing most employers are looking at. The first consideration is probably education. Those with a bachelor's degree will be sorted first in fields-such as those who have business degrees, or particularly sales and marketing majors. Those with MBAs will be placed on the top. Those who have MBAs and marketing concentrations will likely be valued the most. The second consideration would probably be experience. Someone with several years of experience in business development or sales and marketing will be moved to the top. Someone with a bachelor's degree who has a lot of experience might beat out a fresh MBA. However, MBA plus experience beats almost everything. Someone with an MBA going for an entry-level position with little experience needed will likely beat out all bachelor challengers. For new graduates, getting some kind of internship in sales and marketing can differentiate them from those who do not.
Most hiring managers will probably assume that somebody who has sales and marketing education and/or experience probably has the skills necessary to do the job. An interviewer may probe on specific skills. I'll comment more specifically on other kinds of skills below, but it's also fair to say that a candidate's soft skills should shine in the interview. Simply saying that you have certain skills on a resume doesn't mean that you actually have them.
I think that the best thing a candidate can do is to research the company they hope to work for and tailor their resume to that employer. What does the business do? What kinds of things do you think that development manager is going to do in that particular industry? How do your skills as a candidate match what you guess they're looking for? The more you customize your resume, the better chances you have of resonating with the company. Employers are impressed when you already know something about the job and the industry.

The Pennsylvania State University
Business Department
James Wilkerson Ph.D.: Skills, experience, knowledge, and abilities that matter especially strongly include target market analysis (including market research skills and knowledge), product/service positioning within competitive field, project work or coordination with sales staff, major client relationship management, and enough general business and industry knowledge to be able to relate business development to operational/production realities.
James Wilkerson Ph.D.: Verbal skills (both speaking and writing), negotiation skills, unfailing honesty, ability to empathize with clients' wants, and teamwork skills suitable for working collaboratively with sales and operations staff.
James Wilkerson Ph.D.: Spreadsheet (Excel) skills (including graph production from data), basic statistical knowledge, and online information search skills.
James Wilkerson Ph.D.: Skill at rapidly learning market trends, relating business development to product development, and persuading major prospective clients when brought in to help with closing sales. Bottom line: the business development manager must be on the cutting edge of new market conditions and new business opportunities to help the firm organically grow its sales, especially in new markets or product/service lines.

Baylor University
Hankamer School of Business
Andrea Dixon Ph.D.: Like salespeople, sales managers must focus their resumes on tangible, objective performance results that are achieved by their teams.
Growth in revenue or quota attainment for the overall team are examples of the types of objective performance results that matter.
High-performing sales managers also highlight long-term performance indicators, which includes both long-term revenue growth by the unit
AND investment metrics that signal the sales manager is building company results for the long run. For example, a high-performance sales manager focuses on building and maintaining a high-performing unit. Such a manager looks to move low performers to other roles where they can be successful.
Another investment metric that a sales manager can signal is the percent of their unit promoted to managerial roles in the organization.
Andrea Dixon Ph.D.: Since sales professionals have a lot of information available to them today via customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the sales manager's "supervisory" role is less important (especially for experienced sellers). Consequently, the sales manager needs to be more of a coach and enabler of high performance. Having confidence balanced with humility allows the sales manager to engage more effectively with their salespeople.
One of the critical soft skills for sales managers going forward will be the ability to connect members of the sales team to others in the organization - in other words, the sales manager of the future needs to have strong skills in network building for others. Sellers have access to data which helps them build success.
They also need access to the right people to turn to when they need specific expertise or assistance.
Andrea Dixon Ph.D.: One of the growing technical skill requirements for sales managers is in the area of data analytics. Our performance and customer systems provide a myriad of data, and the role of the sales manager is to be a sense-maker of that mound of data. What are the implications for changes in strategy or behavior evident in last quarter's activity? How can the sales manager help a specific seller "see" where the data suggest new approaches?
Andrea Dixon Ph.D.: People who can recognize patterns (in data, in people), build connections with and across others, create a focus on high-performance behaviors, and lead with a confident humility are those who will win today and in the future business environment.
Madeleine Felion: - In many hourly positions, math and measurement skills are increasingly sought after by companies - these skills can apply to several jobs from quality to CNC machining.
- Data entry and accuracy is a skill many nontraditional jobs are asking for as machines become more automated. Computer skills continue to stand out as it also applies to many in-demand roles.
- Other skills include experience working with ERP software systems such as SAP, Oracle and Syteline. Niche skills such as lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S and a variety of ISO quality standards are highly desired in most manufacturing companies.
Madeleine Felion: - Increased wages and a focus on upskilling and reskilling are some of the biggest trends we're seeing, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerates the demand for certain skillsets.
- The ability to work from home - if the position allows, remote work and the flexibility it offers is here to stay.
- Safety is also top of mind for employers. Companies have made production schedule changes to accommodate social distancing, as well as implemented virtual processes for the application and onboarding phases, such as video and telephone interviews replacing in-person interviews.
Madeleine Felion: - While we recruit in a wide range of positions, we are seeing hourly pay rates increase as the demand for a shrinking labor pool grows. Some career fields, where there is a significant skills gap, such as CNC machinists, industrial maintenance technicians and quality technicians, have seen significant salary growth as demand for these skills increases and the candidate pool remains stagnant.
- Salaried positions are also growing as the demand increases for experience in niche skills sets.
Chris Huseman Ph.D.: Yes, salaries have changed in the marketing field because of the fragmentation of specialties that have developed especially in the digital marketing field. In the past, a marketing specialist was amongst the more common entry level positions. Today, I see less general entry level positions and more specific channel positions such as Social Media Specialists, E-mail Delivery Specialist, Paid Media Specialists and others. On the positive side, I see this as a benefit to new hires as it gives them the opportunity to focus within their responsibilities and develops their skillsets much quicker in that area than they would be if they were responsible for more general duties. From my observation and in talking with students, salaries are higher and there is a greater focus in such responsibilities. Smaller companies especially are realizing they can be more efficient with remote solutions while still maintaining camaraderie, production and cohesiveness of their staff members. On the other side, new hires seem to be less worried about higher salaries when they don't have to relocate or have expenses such as daily work travel, clothing expenses, and they can enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere. Salaries have changed but the bigger change is in the work/life balance new hires are able to maintain, which is a high priority for students.
Chris Huseman Ph.D.: I can foresee several business reconsidering their business structure from a brick and mortar to continuing in a virtual office space. This can be a wonderful opportunity for businesses to gain a more diverse work force with enhanced skillsets that may have been limited in the past to geographical barriers, travel and moving expenses. Businesses will also, with this in mind, want to see more proof of a job candidate's competencies and offer them virtual "tests" to assess their abilities. This now can be done with far less costs than it was before. Candidates will be challenged to showcase their skillsets and a greater importance on their production, critical thinking and creativity will be demanded. We have seen many new graduates finish their schooling in a virtual on online context. Candidates are going to have to embrace a digital world but yet develop ways to still ensure they and the company they work for are able to communicate and provide a personable experience and brand to customers they serve. There will also be a high importance placed on a candidate's ability to be flexible and adapt to change like never before.
Chris Huseman Ph.D.: Certifications are being offered by a variety of organizations and entities. Job prospects need to critically evaluate the offering organizations of such and their reputations. Having several certifications myself and reviewing many that are offered, the Professional Certified Marketer certifications offered by the American Marketing Association are among the best investments a person in marketing can make. The PCM Digital Marketing, for example, is a rigorous certification that covers the digital marketing landscape extremely well. It is very affordable and is backed by one of the leading organizations in the field of marketing. In addition, specifically to the digital marketing field, Google Garage's Digital Marketing Certification is good and it's free along with several other free ones from Google. As well, Hubspot offers several wonderful certifications that are free and speak to the heart of skills required in the field of Digital Marketing.
Dr. Miguel Olivas-Luján Ph.D.: Again, there is wide variation across industries and occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a nationwide drop (relative to the previous month) of 4 cents in average hourly earnings for workers on private payrolls, but an increase of 2 cents for private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees; little changes were observed for healthcare and information employers (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm). The largest gains (on a yearly basis) were reported by the Financial activities sector, and the lowest by Mining and logging (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t19.htm). Unfortunately, the BLS does not publish regional data, but I am confident that some states have observed more gains than others.
Dr. Miguel Olivas-Luján Ph.D.: As the economy "reopens" (thanks to appeased fears of contagion driven by vaccination, herd immunity, people worn out by the lockdowns, warmer weather, etc.), we should see workforce adjustments across industries and occupations. Already in March, unemployment was returning to 6% (from a high of 14.8% in April 2020, but after a low of 3.5 in February 2020; https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000). Barring unexpected resistance in the virus variants or other influences, the summer and fall months should give us better job market numbers, but this recovery seems to be benefitting some population segments more than others. The unemployed rate for teenagers was at 13%, followed by Blacks (9.6%), Hispanics (7.9%), Asians (6%), adult men (5.8%), and adult women (5.7%; more detail is available at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm).
Dr. Miguel Olivas-Luján Ph.D.: Of course, there is variation across industries, but the long lockdown months have highlighted the need for skills that make telecommuting and work from home more efficient and effective. The ability to use not just technologies but also work habits that allow collaboration mediated by information and communication tools has only become more valuable. With this, I mean that it is important to use Zoom, Teams, Skype, and similar technologies, but even more than that, scheduling, collaboration, creative, professional-grade, and timely delivery (in the absence of face-to-face interaction) is vital. If a higher proportion of work-from-home becomes predominant (as many commentators expect), these skills are likely to differentiate high-performers from their counterparts.

Clair Smith Ph.D.: Yes, I'm sure there will be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates. The latter part of their college experience was fundamentally different from what they expected. Besides the obvious changes to how classes were conducted, social, athletic, and internship opportunities were all diminished or altered. They lived something very different from what they were expecting. It was often hard. Yet for many of them, these challenges and struggles formed the crucible in which students developed adaptability and resilience. And those traits will be valuable for them going forward both personally and professionally.
Clair Smith Ph.D.: St. John Fisher is at its core a liberal arts college, and I'm a firm believer that a grounding in how to reason and make sound independent judgments is critical. And in Economics, that's what we do. I believe that graduates who can effectively reason and think through the implications of important decisions, who have quantitative skills to analyze and interpret data to inform those decisions, and who can powerfully communicate those arguments to others through the written and spoken word will have the greatest professional success and financial remuneration.
Clair Smith Ph.D.: I don't think there is a simple answer to this. What constitutes a good job out of college varies widely. Ultimately I hope every graduate lands in a place where they can use their interests, skills, and passion to do something they find meaningful and for which they are fairly compensated. While some people may find that immediately upon graduation, others may have to gain additional experience and credibility to get there.
Dr. LaRae Jome Ph.D.: Yes, while we might try to get back to "normal" or pre-pandemic times, there will likely be an enduring impact on psychology graduates.
For those psychology students who have been finishing their college degrees during this time, they may not have been able to participate fully in internship, volunteer, or research experiences with faculty. These out-of-classroom experiences can be useful in obtaining employment after college or in having a more competitive applications to graduate schools in psychology. On the positive side, many of the "soft skills" that psychology undergraduates learn in college will be very valued in the post-pandemic workplace. We are seeing an increased need for workers who have good critical thinking, listening, and empathy skills.
Dr. LaRae Jome Ph.D.: College graduates with a psychology major have a number of valuable skills needed in the workplace, including critical thinking, communication, and empathy. The undergraduate psychology major prepares students for a wide range of jobs, but because, like other liberal arts majors, it does not provide training toward a particular job, psychology graduates will be competing with other graduates for similar entry-level jobs. Gaining internship or research experiences while in school can help students gain experience in specific areas, which can help with getting jobs. For psychology graduates who are interested in social service positions that do not require an advanced degree, the demand for these jobs will likely be high. While these jobs tend to be lower pay, compared to other jobs that require a college degree, there will likely be a great need for assistance in social service programs.
In order to get a job within the field of psychology, college graduates need to pursue a master's degree or doctoral degree and then get licensed to practice counseling or psychology in the state in which they live.
The impact of the pandemic on psychology students who continue on to pursue a master's or doctoral degree may actually be quite positive in terms of job prospects. The pandemic was a difficult time for most people, whether it was living in isolation, losing a job, being afraid of getting sick, or just the fear that comes with not knowing what is going to happen in the future. Many people sought mental health care during the pandemic to help with feelings of anxiety or depression, and the stigma of seeking counseling services is deceasing for many people. Master's level counselors and doctoral-level psychologists are trained to help people with a wide range of emotional issues and it is likely that as we move into a post-pandemic world, there will be an increased need for counseling services.
Dr. LaRae Jome Ph.D.: As with other fields, the higher the degree you have, the greater your earning potential. The master's degree in counseling typically requires two years of graduate school and a year of supervision before getting licensed as a counselor. The highest degree is the doctoral degree (either a PhD or a PsyD) and you need a doctorate and to be licensed in your state in order to be a psychologist.
One of the ways that counselors and psychologists can potentially increase their earning potential is by having their own private practice or by launching other services beyond individual client sessions, such as providing groups, workshops, and coaching or consulting services.

Lisa Elliott Ph.D.: Yes, the virus has stalled many projects and created a pent-up demand for hiring. We expect that as the pandemic lifts, projects will be back on track and hiring will pick up. In general, psychologists with a background in human factors are highly sought after as we work in nearly every industry and in government. We expect that students will find a robust job market in the years ahead in human factors/user experience design.
Lisa Elliott Ph.D.: In human factors, there have been several attempts to create a licensing structure, but none has gained traction. Students who have a good electronic portfolio, know the basics of experimentation, know statistics, and have several user experience or human factors projects are very competitive in the job market. An electronic portfolio on any of the predominant portfolio sites or a website is best.
Lisa Elliott Ph.D.: We are starting to see demand for data visualization in addition to the traditional user experience education requirements. Students who can take unstructured data sets and create a meaningful story helps the organization and the user understand complex situations. We expect that data visualization and data modeling will be a future skill for those in human factors psychology and for user experience design professionals.

Madison Berry: Honestly, being willing to negotiate is going to become a bigger and bigger factor in earning potential. Do your research, know your worth, and stand up for what you think you should be paid. This is tricky right out of college, but with experience it becomes more and more powerful.
Of course, specialized certifications can also help - again, adding credentials relevant to your field will show initiative and focus. Adding tangential skills can also help make you a candidate for more specialized roles. We have employers come to us from the Finance industry looking for students who can code and analyze data; marketing is full of specialized roles for working with social media, consumer data, and technology integration. Finding your niche of interest and building skills through courses and personal projects can make you a more attractive candidate with more negotiating power.
Madison Berry: There will definitely be an enduring impact on students who graduate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, I think this may be more of an emotional or mental impact than a career one. Everyone will have that shared experience of a very strange year. They may be more likely to jump at new opportunities and feel a little more comfortable taking risks to get experience. Everyone is worried about "falling behind" and also tired of being in quarantine - so that may fuel some big career moves in the first few years out of college!
I think expectations for work-life balance and flexibility for work may also come out of this. Students know a lot more about their own working styles now - they have been forced over this time to try online, in-person, and hybrid learning, and they've seen how all of those options suit them. I think there will be a higher desire for remote work opportunities for some, while others now know remote is *definitely* not the work environment they want.
Madison Berry: The bachelor's degree is still the gold standard for employment out of college, but a specific degree isn't as necessary as we might think. We have UVM alumni come visit us to talk about their storied careers in Finance, and they graduated with Political Science, Engineering, and Sociology degrees. Some industries are more rigid than others - having a Masters of Accountancy and passing your CPA is key for working in many accounting areas, for example - but when it comes to wanting to work in business, being able to show transferrable and useful skills is most important. Critical thinking, problem solving, willingness to learn, and communication skills are key.
SUNY New Paltz
Deptment of Digital Media and Journalism
Felicia Hodges: I think there will definitely be fallout from the pandemic for soon-to-be graduates simply because it has been such a difficult year - and it ain't over yet. Maybe the hard, fast, "deadlines are sacrosanct!" imprints that were par for the non-COVID course haven't been so much lately, as a bulk of pandemic life has been about accounting for what students might have been/are dealing with due necessary COVID-induced work or lifestyle changes. And because many of the "real world" training/trial outlets weren't available (i.e. school print publications had to shift schedules or halt publishing altogether as staffs weren't able to meet in person; internships were non-existent or done almost entirely virtually, etc.), there weren't concrete ways to help students put the theories of what they learned in the classroom to practical use. It may be a steep learning curve for the newly-degreed journalism (as well as other media) practitioners.
Felicia Hodges: A day at work for new graduates probably won't include being surrounded by co-workers in a newsroom/editorial space. It might lean more toward a lot of marketing/lobbying for a freelance gig from a home office instead. As journalists are often encouraged to hone their skills at smaller outlets (community newspapers, small radio/broadcast stations or boutique firms for instance), it could be devastating to those new to the job market to realize that many of those spaces no longer exist or aren't able to hire anything other than freelancers due to financial fallout from the pandemic as well as the nature of newspaper restructuring, buyouts and mergers.
Felicia Hodges: Flexibility and willingness to adapt will help all media practitioners increase their earning potential. If you are a photojournalist who shoots still images for print and/or online publications, get familiar with video. If you are passionate about covering crime or government beats, have more than a working knowledge of sports and education, too. Heck, learn photojournalism basics! In other words, versatility is necessary and it will be expected.

State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo
School Of Business
Dr. Ian Alam: Micro credentials are an important tool that all graduates must have in this tough employment market. In all areas of business and economics education, some type of micro credentials are available. Some are free of charge and some have small fees. For example, in the field of marketing, two organizations offer free credentials for social media marketing to the students enrolled in a college. These are Hootsuite and Hubspot, which offer micro credentials for social media marketing. For others who are not students, a fee applies. Besides, there are several organizations that are offering credentials after the completion of short online courses in a variety of fields. I believe students must look at these micro credentials right after the college to make themselves more marketable.
Dr. Ian Alam: Gaining as much experience as possible via internships and volunteer work combined with aforesaid microcredentials will be very helpful for the recent graduate to negotiate better package. I also recommend the graduates to accept any employment they can get rather wait for the perfect ones. The reason is that any work experience will be valuable later.
Dr. Ian Alam: Companies hire graduates based on the perception of business growth or future growth in customer acquisitions. Currently the perception is that pandemic will die down in the near future. Yet the reality is somewhat different. The COVID cases are going up everywhere in the country and abroad. Therefore, the recent uptick we saw in hiring will fade away very soon. As a result, I expect an enduring negative effect on the graduate employments prospects. However, if our current vaccination program leads to herd immunity, i.e. at least 70% of the population is vaccinated by the end of summer, then the economy will open up further. This will encourage the employers to start the hiring again.
Rob Sentz: The key thing as people begin the search in the labor market is to not be so locked into a specific degree or certification. We try to (a) highlight those areas of work that need people, (b) show the key skills that are needed, and (c) allow people to line up to where their strengths, interests, and skills can really flourish.
All this is to say, that it is hard to pit degree against degree. Can you do well with an English degree? Well, yes. If you understand where to apply your interests, knowledge, and skills to help other people. Should everyone pursue an English degree? Well, no. Start with where you can solve problems and apply what you have learned / the skills you have gained to help other people. And think about how your knowledge and skills relate to key sectors of work that really have a lot of problems that need solving.
Finally, the ability to combine human (soft) skills with technical (hard) skills seems to be the key to thriving in a wicked labor market. People who do well have the ability to manage, communicate, lead, and do technical things like code, market, sell, and so on.
Rob Sentz: Ultimately the pandemic is a blip that is accelerating some changes that were already in the market. More people and companies are opting for remote work and tech skills remain vitally important. What I think people really need to understand is that what we saw in 2020 was an accelerate to a broad set of trends that were already in place, but likely not being noted amongst many people in the labor market:
- Yes, we have experienced the loss of millions of jobs, but we have also seen the labor force participation rate decline at an even faster rate. This means that there are fewer working age adults interested in work than we have ever seen
- As huge numbers of baby boomers retire, they are going to leave millions of open positions that will be hard-to-fill
- Many sectors today (logistics, healthcare, tech, core business functions (like sales, marketing, CS, finance, HR, and operations), education, skilled trades, and public safety are desperate for talent.
- The replacement rate for workers isn't as great as the need for labor
For more: www.economicmodeling.com
And www.economicmodeling.com
Rob Sentz: As demand increases and supply decreases, wages are going up. Weekly wages increased 7% last year and we are seeing the companies have raised their advertised wages (the amount they are willing to pay to get you in for an interview) by as much as 16%. This means that there is a lot of opportunity and companies are willing to pay to get the talent they need.
Texas A&M University
Department of Marketing
Janet Turner Parish: It will be some time before we know the enduring impact, but I do believe there will be one. Some students who are very self-directed will likely thrive in a company that continues to give them the flexibility to work wherever they are. However, many students will be craving structure and face-to-face time. Studying the generational cohorts fascinates me. Some of the early information about Gen Z indicated that they wanted to work in-office, that they wanted more separation between work and "life". It will be very interesting to see how/if this changes. This is surely to be one of the defining moments for Gen Z.
Janet Turner Parish: For students who have good listening skills and enjoy solving problems, professional selling is a great career path. Sales roles are critical for a company's success. Sales skills are industry independent and beneficial for all types of organizational roles, especially leadership. The earning potential is significant and there are multiple career paths from a start in sales (operations, HR, sales management, CEO, etc.).
Janet Turner Parish: Being coachable, adaptable, productive and committed to live long learning.
Students will need to be more open-minded to various career opportunities. They will need to be much more aware of their own strengths when they approach the job market. Aligning one's strengths to the roles that they seek will naturally lead to more satisfaction and productivity.
The University of West Florida
Department of Accounting and Finance
Eric Bostwick Ph.D.: In a word, yes. The adjustments that both individuals and businesses have made during this time have shifted our expectations for life and work. For a generation of students who were already tech-natives, the shift to more technology-enabled interactions has reinforced the "click-to-do" mentality. And for non-tech-natives, the roll-out of intuitive, easy-to-use apps has overcome much of their resistance to these types of interactions. These shifts have affected everything from business meetings to family reunions and from buying lunch to meeting with your doctor. However, graduates will need to grow beyond being technology consumers. They must be able to effectively use technology to deliver a company's value proposition, especially in service-oriented fields such as accounting, finance, law, medicine, and consulting.
Eric Bostwick Ph.D.: Although the use of office productivity software has been important for a number of years, the importance of fluency with these types of programs has been heightened by our increased virtual interactions. In addition, the use of online collaboration tools has grown and will continue to grow. Thus, candidates will stand out when they demonstrate knowledge/skill (e.g., certification) with respect to basic collaborative productivity tools as well as specific technology commonly used in their career fields.
Eric Bostwick Ph.D.: Similar to the answer above, oral and written communication skills have been important for a number of years, but in our current environment, these skills have become much more important. Our ability to pick up on the context surrounding email messages is reduced since we have fewer in-person interactions, and even our virtual meetings eliminate much of the body language that we use--both consciously and unconsciously--to interpret what other people mean by what they say. Thus, candidates will stand out when they can clearly articulate their thoughts in both written form, via email or chat, and in oral form, via the ubiquitous "Brady Bunch" layout on their coworkers' computer screens.
Eric Bostwick Ph.D.: Although the use of office productivity software has been important for a number of years, the importance of fluency with these types of programs has been heightened by our increased virtual interactions. In addition, the use of online collaboration tools has grown and will continue to grow. Thus, candidates will stand out when they demonstrate knowledge/skill (e.g., certification) with respect to basic collaborative productivity tools as well as specific technology commonly used in their career fields.
Christopher Newport University
Department of Communication
Todd Lee Goen: Technical skills are often industry and/or position specific. Applicants should highlight any technical skills related to the position advertisement and those that add value to the position/organization. Most importantly, requirements for technical skills change with time and technological advances. This means employers value workers capable of adapting to change and continually improving and acquiring new technical skills. Thus, it's usually more important to demonstrate you are capable of learning and developing technical skills than it is to have a specific skill set upon hire (although this is not true for some positions/industries).
That said, technical skills related to online presentations, virtual meetings, virtual networking, remote working and the like are hot commodities right now. While most organizations were in the process of adopting many of these technologies and ways of doing business pre-pandemic, the pandemic accelerated the process. Organizations are making it work, but they often don't know best practices or the most efficient means of working in the largely virtual, pandemic environment. Post-pandemic, many of the remote/virtual changes the pandemic brought will stay in some form. Technical skills that support this type of workplace will make applicants stand out to many employers because they need/want to do virtual/remote business better.
Todd Lee Goen: Pandemic or no pandemic, the best job out of college is one that sets you on the path to achieve your ultimate career goal(s). Reflect on where you want to be in five or ten years or even twenty-five years. Then consider positions that will set you on the path to achieve that goal. Very few people land their dream job upon graduation - dream jobs are typically those we're not qualified to do without some additional work experience and training. A good job is one that will help you achieve your goal(s) - just don't frame it that way in the interview.
Good jobs pay a livable salary for the location, offer benefits (health insurance and retirement at minimum), and provide professional development opportunities (these can take a variety of forms). Too often, college grads overlook professional development. If an employer isn't willing to invest in you, there's no guarantee you will succeed in the job. Good employers understand they need qualified employees who continually develop their skills and abilities, and good employers will make sure employees have the resources they need to succeed.
Todd Lee Goen: The pandemic is demonstrating that employees can be productive working remotely and with flexible schedules, so we're likely to see more flexible and remote positions emerge in the job market. This will be industry/company/position specific, but these options give employers access to a larger applicant pool (which means a more talented workforce) and allows them to reduce overhead costs of maintaining physical office space.
Relatedly, hiring processes will become more technology-driven. In-person interviews (especially if there are multiple rounds) will be significantly less likely and more organizations will opt for pre-recorded interviews. This started pre-pandemic, but the pandemic will accelerate it. The good news is that as the technology improves the application process should become more efficient and streamlined (e.g., applying with LinkedIn profiles has the potential to become more of a norm).
The job market in recession-proof industries will remain strong, but wages will likely stagnate and may even decrease. Many recession-proof jobs are connected to state and local governments. The pandemic and its associated recession brought decreased tax revenues and increased demands for public expenditures, and state and local governments won't have the funds to support wage growth for the next few years. The job market in recession-intolerant industries will fluctuate for several years and will only stabilize once the economy begins to recover.
One of the key take-aways from the pandemic is that public health systems are inadequate. One possible outcome is that in the next few years there will be a greater number of jobs in the public health sector. Whether or not this happens will largely depend on the length and severity of the current recession as well as funding allocations of governments post-pandemic. Given the US federal government ceded much of the responsibility for responding to the pandemic, expect many of these positions to be with state and local governments. Also, expect many of these will be community/public engagement type positions that focus on communication and relationship building.
Todd Lee Goen: Technical skills are often industry and/or position specific. Applicants should highlight any technical skills related to the position advertisement and those that add value to the position/organization. Most importantly, requirements for technical skills change with time and technological advances. This means employers value workers capable of adapting to change and continually improving and acquiring new technical skills. Thus, it's usually more important to demonstrate you are capable of learning and developing technical skills than it is to have a specific skill set upon hire (although this is not true for some positions/industries).
That said, technical skills related to online presentations, virtual meetings, virtual networking, remote working and the like are hot commodities right now. While most organizations were in the process of adopting many of these technologies and ways of doing business pre-pandemic, the pandemic accelerated the process. Organizations are making it work, but they often don't know best practices or the most efficient means of working in the largely virtual, pandemic environment. Post-pandemic, many of the remote/virtual changes the pandemic brought will stay in some form. Technical skills that support this type of workplace will make applicants stand out to many employers because they need/want to do virtual/remote business better.
Todd Lee Goen: Pandemic or no pandemic, the best job out of college is one that sets you on the path to achieve your ultimate career goal(s). Reflect on where you want to be in five or ten years or even twenty-five years. Then consider positions that will set you on the path to achieve that goal. Very few people land their dream job upon graduation - dream jobs are typically those we're not qualified to do without some additional work experience and training. A good job is one that will help you achieve your goal(s) - just don't frame it that way in the interview.
Good jobs pay a livable salary for the location, offer benefits (health insurance and retirement at minimum), and provide professional development opportunities (these can take a variety of forms). Too often, college grads overlook professional development. If an employer isn't willing to invest in you, there's no guarantee you will succeed in the job. Good employers understand they need qualified employees who continually develop their skills and abilities, and good employers will make sure employees have the resources they need to succeed.

Andrews University
School of Business Administration
Lucile Sabas: Several features will characterize the labor market hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Among them we can underline the five major following ones according to our analysis of the current situation:
1.A decrease in the job creation annual growth rate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), foresees that over the next decade, this rate will be 0.4%, way below the 1.3% of the past decade 2009-2019. Even though the BLS projections data do not include the pandemic impacts, we assert that the trend mentioned could be maintained due to the changes that we can observe in the economy. It's also important to notice that this is a long run trend, and therefore, the projection remains valid.
2.A decrease in the labor force participation (LFP). The major factors that explain the decrease in the LFP can be mentioned as follows:
- An increase in retirements and early retirements. Many aged workers who had the possibility chose to leave the labor force due to the risks of virus contamination.
- In the category of young workers, some have seized the opportunity of distance learning for further education in the midst of a changing labor market.
- The number of discouraged workers increased because of the shifting skills requirements in the labor market and the fear of the contamination risks.
3.The emergence or reinforcement of some sectors at the expense of others. Yet, the unemployment rate increased significantly between April and June and remained higher than the 5.3% natural unemployment rate of the country; however, many sectors are still hiring and are performing very well. We'll see a conformation of this trend over the next years. For examples, the technology and NTIC sectors, as well as the e-commerce along with the transportation activities that come with it, the health and lifestyle and pharmaceutical sectors, the entertainment sector, and online education are the ones that experienced a revitalization and are expected to continue growing.
4.Due to this sectoral restructuration of our economy, the disparity between the skills requirements of the labor market and the skills currently available is increasingly visible.
5.The new organization of the workplace and the professional relations due to the COVID-19, led to a series of new activities or reinforcement of some exiting ones that still were low or experimental. More and more businesses are moving online and therefore, are moving global through the internet. This will lead to an increase in demand for a series of competencies that international business graduates will be able to find their way in. We can mention for example, foreign and internal market analysts, market trends analysts, bilingualism, e-managers and e-commerce specialists, international marketers, specialists in international finance and payments, specialists in International sales and negotiation (International marketing), approach to foreign markets and commercial communication specialists. Graduates with high competencies and skills in all these domains, will easily find their way in this new environment.
Lucile Sabas: Along with the competencies mentioned above related to a restructuration of the labor market, many other competencies would be needed. We can mention some few of them, like, competencies in NTIC, web developers and designer, teleworking software specialists, technician-supports, software developers, drone specialists, cybersecurity specialists, teleworking software specialists. With the pandemic, we saw the intensification of online education. This later has proven to be very efficient in almost all domains. A graduate can take this option to use her gap year acquiring new competencies, if being on campus represents a challenge in the pandemic context. With this said, we assume that as an international business graduate, the student has had an international experience of at least six months (in a foreign country).
Lucile Sabas: To graduates beginning their career, I would advise to be ready to work hard and make themselves irreplaceable in the workplace, to be flexible and able to adapt to any change in the work environment, to try to develop several skills. They also need to be bold, curious, and read without stopping. Finally, every morning they should think about and apprehend their work and day as an opportunity for helping someone else, somewhere, to solve a problem and to be happy. Actually, this why we are here for. Aren't we?

Valdosta State University
Department of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology
Herbert Fiester Ph.D.: This is an interesting question. On one hand, I expect organizations are treading water right now related to new hires while they weather the current atypical pandemic business conditions and an uncertain future. I know budgets in many industries, including public education, have been frozen. On the other hand, the pandemic has brought new challenges to how people work. New processes have been developed and are being utilized to allow productivity to continue. Many of these changes require employees to be trained to do these new process and use new productivity tools, which provides excellent opportunities for people with the ability to train others especially with technology related skills. I expect individuals with technology training skills will be in high demand even with the tight budgets. If, and when, the effects of the pandemic start to recede, I expect all organizations will look to shore-up human resource gaps where those needs exist.
Herbert Fiester Ph.D.: Education and certifications complemented with practical experience is what employers like to see. Additionally, demonstrated skills leading, whether it be an implementation process through an entire lifecycle or driving change through innovation, will always impress. A resume should demonstrate a prospective employee's ability to take ownership of the functions of the job and complete those functions competently. Employers want to feel confident that the applicant can perform the job successfully, and any inclusions on the resume to help make that case should be included.
Herbert Fiester Ph.D.: I used to think of "place" as a geographic location, but with the technological changes that have occurred within the past several years, and especially this past year, many doors have opened to allow flexible working conditions. Telecommuting, remote work, working from home, and telework, which were once frowned upon by many employers, have now been embraced. With this new acceptance, "place" becomes much less about geographic location and much more about industry type. I have not observed a lot of activity in higher education and P-12 domains lately due to the pandemic and tight budgets, and industry probably holds the most opportunity. Applicants who are willing to work in flexible work models will have access to many more job opportunities.