A Washington Post headline like “U.S. pushes for more scientists, but the jobs aren’t there” may seem daunting. However, students may not need to worry.

According to Career Development Center coordinator Elizabeth Brashear, last semester was one of the busiest semesters for the center since 2001. CDC recruiting coordinator Bridget Yarborough said 3,000 interviews were conducted last fall, whereas interviews normally total between 4,000 and 4,500 per year.

Engineers in particular have not seen a decline in demand, Brashear said.

Brashear said she believes the article in the Washington Post was speaking more toward a small niche of research jobs within the chemical and biological sciences, which is outside of the entry-level jobs that the CDC helps students acquire.

According to the Washington Post article, postdoctoral fellowships are now lasting anywhere from six to ten years, as opposed to the former one to two year commitment.  This can make it difficult for graduates who want to raise a family because benefits are minimal while students remain in postdoctoral fellowships.

“The transition into the academic world is much longer than it used to be,” Brashear said. 

Generally, postdoctoral fellowships are “a whole other world” for the CDC, Brashear said.

Entry-level positions, however, are on the rise, Brashear said. Typically, these jobs require a master’s degree with little to no work experience. According to Yarborough, the average starting salary for mechanical engineers is $56,900, making these positions “very competitive.” 

Though this position doesn’t rely heavily on research, mechanical engineering in this stage may require designing components to make a plane fly for Honda Jet or tweaking equipment, Brashear said.

“[The economy] has been very interesting to us,” Brashear said.

Companies are relying more on the development of certain skill sets, like being technically able to do the job, working autonomously, engaging with co-workers and asking for help, Brashear said.

“Ultimately companies are asking how [potential employees] are going to fit in with the culture of our company,” Brashear said. “They are looking for the individual.” 

According to Yarborough, N.C. State students are doing well in this regard.

“The number one detail [students need] is knowledge of the company, and we want students to be prepared,” Yarborough said. 

One way students can better prepare themselves for entering the workforce is to attend one of the mock interview sessions hosted by the CDC.

Yarborough said she would further encourage students to take advantage of the services offered by the CDC, continue following their four-year plan and have a professional looking résumé on hand.

“We would love for every student to engage with the Career Development Center,” Brashear said.

Career fairs are another great resource for students because they can speak with potential employers, Brashear said. Students can also look for career opportunities through ePACK, which connects students with hiring companies from all over the world, Yarborough said. 

CDC Ambassador and sophomore in mechanical engineering Alexander Hoppe said the number of employers that participate in career fairs and ePACK can be overwhelming for students.

“We always make sure employers have avenues to the University,” Brashear said.

According to Brashear, it is never too early to start looking for jobs, internships or co-ops. October is the first month of the year that jobs typically begin recruiting, and recruitment is at its peak between January and April.

Hoppe said career opportunities like these look bright for his major. Since he started at the University, he has already secured two internships and plans to begin working in one of the University’s undergraduate laboratories next semester.

“STEM can mean a lot of different things to different people. The onus is on us to talk to departments and industries,” Brashear said.