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Job skills key in bad economy

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Professor Duane Roen urged students to retool their careers in a weak economy.

In a weak economy, remain optimistic and retool your skills, ASU career services says.

"There is more optimism and regardless of the type of economy, students are still finding positions that best fit their career needs," Elaine Stover, associate director of ASU's career services, told the Web Devil.

Though on-campus interviews at ASU fell 22 percent in fall 2001 compared since last year, recruiters are returning to campus.

"We had 58 employers on-campus for the Super Recruiting Day on February 11 compared to 48 last semester," Stover said.

Large employers like Hewlett-Packard, Accenture and Motorola are still coming to campus and although they are not hiring now, want to share information with students about future opportunities.

"This is a new trend wherein companies are coming to campus for information sessions," she said.

"For students, the best thing to do now is to figure out where the future is going and retool their career," said professor Duane Roen, director at ASU's Center for Learning and Teaching Excellence.

"The secret to winning is getting first to where the puck is going to be next," he said, quoting hockey great Wayne Gretzky. "Students need to figure out where things are going and need to get there first."

He advised students to step back and assess where their careers are going. Students also need to develop skills sought by employers.

According to Roen, assessments done by ASU's Office of University Evaluations have constantly found that the most-needed skills sought by employers are skills in writing, speaking, technical proficiency, team work and general problem solving skills. These assessments were based on interviews with graduating seniors, employers and alumni.

Shifts in hiring practices are also making it necessary for students to equip themselves with a broad range of skills.

"A decade ago, low-skilled workers got laid off but that has changed now," he said.

International students planning to work in the United States after studies need to network more in finding jobs rather than rely solely on newspaper and Internet advertisements, according to career services specialists Linda Nassen.

"The best companies will always look for the widest talent pool in hiring people who fit their needs," Roen said.


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