COLLEGE EDGE & BEYOND!

Best Rated States to Earn a Living

I found this interesting article in AARP (it is for everyone!).

After months or years of job hunting, are you convinced that the state that you live in may be holding you back from better career options? Relocating may help increase your chances of finding a job, but evaluate your situation before you take that leap. You may be unaware of some of the hidden perks that your state has to offer.

Personal finance website MoneyRates.com chose the following factors to analyze when compiling its top 10 list of best states for earning a living:

• Average wage
• Unemployment rate 
• State tax rate 
• Cost of living 

The factors were calculated to form an adjusted average income for each state — the average income adjusted for your likelihood of finding a job, the amount you would lose to state taxes and how much buying power your income would allow you to have in that state. The average across all states was $35,960.

Despite the unemployment rate reaching a two-year low at 8.8 percent, older workers, especially women, face a slight rise in joblessness. It may be advantageous for some job seekers to determine whether they are living in a state that offers a better chance of finding a job, or if they can easily work a move into their retirement plans. 

Read more from AARP on for the Top Ten States===> Best Rated States to Earn a Living

 

College Edge! NEWS FROM VAULT...MBA Trends Report: Most in Demand MBAs? Highest Salaries and Bonuses?

The latest QS MBA Jobs & Salary Trends report is out. If you were to summarize the report’s content as a whole with a thumbs up or thumbs down, it would be thumbs up.

I’ve listed some of the key findings below. You can read the full report here.

MBA Demand

· In the States, MBA hiring was up 9 percent last year.

· The hottest MBA market is Asia, followed by Russia, then Latin America, and the U.S.

What Industries are Hiring?

· “MBA consulting jobs are forecast to be back at record levels by 2011, with a 19% jump in demand in 2010, followed by a substantial 37% forecast jump in demand in 2011.”

·“MBA jobs in financial services won’t be far behind with a 22% actual increase in 2010 and a further forecast increase of 11% in 2011.”

· Some industries do not have a good outlook, with MBA jobs in pharmaceuticals and healthcare set to decline in 2010. MBA jobs in telecoms will also fall by 4% in 2010 but then recover in 2011, though this decline is concentrated in the USA, with several markets showing growth in telecoms demand for MBAs.

Employers Want

· MBAs with three to five years experience are most in demand. There’s also demand for MBAs with over five years of experience, less so for MBAs with less than three years experience.

·Soft skills over technical skills

Salaries

· “Around the world, MBA salaries have slipped by an average of 5% in 2010 compared to 2009. Despite the world emerging from the financial crisis, an upturn in MBA salaries has yet to feed through in the market for MBAs.”

· “Pharmaceuticals and healthcare reported the highest average base salary this year at $92,264. Financial services companies are paying salaries of $90,926 in 2010, ahead of consulting firms which average $87,627, technology firms which average $85,815.”

Bonuses

· Energy is tops: $73,300, on average; Financial services: $39,323; Recruitment services $29,700. The lowest bonuses are in the public sector, utilities, retail and construction.

Article Source:  Vault Career Intelligence

CollegeEdge! NACE Salary Survey: Top Jobs for 2010-11 Graduates

Among Class of 2011 graduates, accounting majors are receiving the most job offers, according to results of NACE’s Winter 2011 Salary Survey. Private (first) and public (third) accounting positions account for two of the top three spots on the list of top jobs for 2010-11 bachelor’s degree graduates. 

Rounding out the top five spots are jobs in consulting (second), financial/treasury analysis (fourth), and sales (fifth).

Top Jobs for 2010-11 Bachelor's Degree Graduates* 

Job Function	Average Salary Offer
Accounting (private)	$50,708
Consulting	$59,933
Accounting (public)	$45,395
Financial/treasury analysis	$52,689
Sales	$42,162
Investment banking (sales and trading)	$65,291
Management trainee (entry-level mgmt.)	$43,297
*Where more than 20 offers were reported
Source: NACE Winter 2011 Salary Survey. Data represent job functions for which the most data were reported; all data are for bachelor’s degree candidates. NACE