Making the Most of Your College Investment

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR COLLEGE INVESTMENT A Visual Guide Best Majors for Careers More than 50 percent of young adults with bachelor's degrees are jobless or underemployed-the highest percentage in over a decade. These same young adults carry an average of $25,000 worth of student loan debt. Make the most out of your college investment by choosing a major that will land you a job in the near future. Biomedical Engineering The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 62 percent job growth between 2010 and 2020 for those in the biomed field which merges life sciences, engineering and medicine to create advances like artificial kidneys. Finance & Accounting Financial analysts, accountants, personal financial advisors and auditors receive high salaries and are almost always in demand. Financial analysts can look forward to a 16 percent job growth by 2022, and $37/hour average salary. Robotics Robotics majors study mechanical, electrical and software engineering to create robots that aid humans in various fields. The industry is set to create 2 to 3.5 million jobs by 2020. Public Health Some job opportunities with this major include behavioral scientist, health educator, biostatistician and epidemiologist. Most of these jobs will see projected job growth of 20 percent or more, with salaries reaching into 6 figures. Computer Science With more jobs relying on a myriad of digital technology, this degree can be the most versatile. From software development and video designing, to problem solving and information technology, this major employs 4 million people nationwide. Best Cities for Jobs Now you'll need to find a job that best fits your area of study, but will also offer opportunities for a lucrative career. Be open to moving to cities, like the ones below, that offer low unemployment rates, high paying jobs and thriving industries. Unemployment 5.1% Unemployment: 3.8% Entry Level Employers 25 Average Salary : $41,000 Average Commute : 22 mins Entry Level Employers 41 Average Salary $49,000 Average Commute 23 mins Minneapolis Best Industries Electronics, Best Industries Tourism machinery, technology. biomedical, retail industrial banking, higher education, high tech, state government Columbus Salt Lake City Denver Unemployment 6.1% Entry Level Employers 38 Average Salary $44,000 Average Commute : 21 mins Best Industries Technology insurance, education, finance, Phoenix Tulsa Unemployment 7.5% Entry Level Employers 31 Average Salary $42,000 Houston manufacturing, logistics Unemployment 7.0% Entry Level Employers 29 Average Commute 33 mins Average Salary : $49,000 Unemployment 4.9% Best Industries Retail, health care, tourism, manufacturing, computer sciencetechnology. finance, education Unemployment 6.2% Average Commute 27 mins Best Industries : Real estate, manufacturing, finance, hospitality, computer science, education, health care Entry Level Employers 27 Entry Level Employers 61 Average Salary $38,000 Average Salary $45,000 Average Commute 25 mins Best Industries Upstream energy, chemical, space exploration, finance and computer science Average Commute : 21 mins Best Industries Oil & gas, aerospace, health care, manu facturing, small businesses Best Rental Cities Since landing a well-paying job may require you to move, you want to make sure you choose to live in a city that offers affordable rent and a low cost of living based on the salary you will be making. Luckily, many of the cities that offer a secure job market also have reasonable rent prices for one to two bedroom apartments: $550 $675 „Tulsa, OK $570 %24680 Cincinnati, OH $600 $750 Indianapolis, IN $650 $700 Augusta, GA $650 $800 Columbus, OH $650 $820 Birmingham, AL $720 $750 -Memphis, TN Finding a Roommate You probably won't be making the money you'll need for renting on your own or buying a house immediately out of college. And even if you are, a great way to start for the future is by splitting your expenses with a roommate. So where do you start looking for one? Social Media More and more people are using social media to get connected. Using Facebook, Reddit and Twitter may create more of a buzz than traditional methods of searching. Personal References Whether you're moving down the street or on the other side of the country, see if friends or family know of anyone in the area looking for a roommate. You can try asking realtors in the area as well. Nothing beats a personal referral when it comes to cohabitation. Online & Print Ads Roommate wanted ads in print may seem like a thing of the past, but if you're brand new to an area, it's worth a shot. There are sites like roommates.com, roomster.com and many others that help you screen potential matches for an apartment. You can also use Craigslist, but be wary of scams. Sources www.BLS.gov www.rentjungle.com news.yahoo.com http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/07/2014-most-affordable-cities_n_4554763.html http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/07/0715_top_cities/1.htm http://www.forbes.com/places/mn/minneapolis-st-paul/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2013/05/06/americas-best-cities-for-jobs-20 http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/01/22/the-college-degrees-that-get-the-most-job-offers/ http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/slideshows/11-hot-college-majors/2 http://oedb.org/careers/computer-science/ http://www.mastersinpublichealth.org/careers/ -2013/