Career Advice for/from High School Seniors

High school seniors can really profit by preparing for careers in STEM-related fields (science, technology, engineering and math) – since this is where they’ll find the most lucrative career opportunities.

Some new research from CareerBuilder and EMSI asked high school seniors what they’re aiming for, and found that STEM-related careers were right at the top of their lists.

The research found that 97% of high school seniors plan to go to college, and that — among preferred majors — engineering, business and psychology lead their lists.

Rounding out the top 10 choices for prospective majors are biological and biomedical sciences; physical sciences; the arts, computer and information sciences; health professions and related clinical sciences; English language and literature; and math and statistics.

This is good news, since these majors will prepare students for career areas where there are the most opportunities opening up, and where the salaries will be highest.

According to the CareerBuilder/EMSI research, 37% of hiring managers say they currently have positions that, on average, stay open for 12 weeks or longer, up from 35% last year. This indicates a growing labor shortage.

Certain industries have a harder time filling positions that others. For instance, the greatest percentage of hiring managers who report jobs open 12 weeks or longer work in information technology (52%), health care (49%) and manufacturing (44%).

This relative shortage of labor will likely lead to higher pay for qualified workers: CareerBuilder/EMSI said that found that, among employers who have positions that stay open for 12 weeks or longer, 60% said they will raise starting salaries over the next 12 months, compared to 43% for all employers.

Today’s high school seniors “get” this, and are aiming for the careers that offer them the greatest opportunities. Their parents must be very proud.