College degrees growing and declining post-recession

Are you ready to graduate to the next step of a growing career? Or did your major put you in a tough spot?

While higher education once encouraged optimism and passion as deciding factors in choosing a major, the Great Recession made a lot of experts in education and staffing rethink how we prepare students for the workforce. Especially when it's become clear that hard-to-fill positions are stagnating our country's economic growth.

"The market is at a unique inflection point, and we need to make sure that we're educating workers to have 21^st century skills for 21^st century jobs," says Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. "While it's encouraging to see accelerated participation growth in STEM-related college programs, the slowdown in overall degree completions – especially those tied to developing strong communications and critical-thinking skills – is concerning. Nearly half of employers say they currently have job vacancies but can't find skilled candidates to fill them. We need to do a better job informing students and workers about which fields are in-demand and growing, and provide them with access to affordable education and training, so the journey to a high-skill job is an achievable one regardless of their socioeconomic situation."

With that in mind, new research from CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists Intl shows that nearly 500,000 more degrees were awarded in 2014 than in 2010, an 11 percent increase. What specializations and opportunities should future graduates keep in mind as the next stage of their career begins? What majors fare fading fast? Here are the college degrees growing and declining post-recession.

College degrees with the most growthMore than half of the top 10 broad programs leading the U.S. in degree completion (2010-2014) were in STEM fields, known for the collection of roles in science, technology, engineering and math. Those college degrees with the most growth include:

1. Science technologies/technicians
+1,521 change
49 percent growth
2. Natural resources and conservation
+7,792 change
45 percent growth
3. Parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies
+18,869 change
44 percent growth
4. Multi/interdisciplinary studies
+24,540 change
36 percent growth
5. Mathematics and statistics
+9,384 change
35 percent growth
6. Public administration and social service professions
+22,683 change
33 percent growth
7. Computer and information sciences and support services
+38,194 change
32 percent growth
8. Precision production
+9,581 change
30 percent growth
9. Homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting and related protective services
+32,529 change
27 percent growth
10. Engineering
+32,058 change
26 percent growth
College degrees with the greatest declineThe recession refocused the economy on STEM jobs that could lead to further innovation and growth—leaving graduates in the humanities with fewer hard skills to compete with for high-paying jobs. From 2010 to 2014, only nine broad program categories experienced decline, nearly all of which were in humanities and social sciences (and closely related to teaching occupations):
1. Military technologies and applied science
-814 change
30 percent decline
2. Library science-1,432 change
17 percent decline
3. Education-33,301 change
9 percent decline
4. History
-3,561 change
8 percent decline
5. Construction trades-1,980 change
6 percent decline
6. Philosophy and religious studies
-542 change
3 percent decline
7. English language and literature/letters
-1,571 change
2 percent decline
8. Foreign languages, literatures and linguistics-683 change
2 percent decline
9. Architecture and related sciences-217 change
1 percent decline
Factoring in economic trends and the number of graduates you'll be competing with in certain industries can be what prepares you for a successful career, versus adjusting your career path after trends are already affecting your trajectory. When considering higher education, looking to the future can be the smartest way to start a school year. 

7 tips to conquer pre-interview anxiety

Avoid letting your anxiety get the best of you with these seven pre-interview tactics.

You finally landed an interview for your ideal job. Now you find yourself in the candidate holding tank five minutes before it all goes down. Your insides are churning, heart-pounding, palms sweaty -- and your brain seems incapable of reading its own resume. You tell yourself to breathe, but nothing seems to help. Your name is called. The interview is over before it began.

Anxiety is an interview killer...and a common problem. Job seekers have every right to be anxious about an impending interview. After all, the competition is often killer and your livelihood could be at stake. But the last thing a hiring manager wants is for you to be a bundle of nerves.
Avoid letting your anxiety get the best of you with these seven pre-interview tactics.

1. Have a game planA day or two before your interview, scope out the company building. If you're driving, find parking and learn exactly where you'll need to be the day of the interview. On the day of, give yourself a generous amount of time to arrive at the interview location and get settled. Note: This doesn't mean showing up to the actual interview an hour early. Use this time to take a walk to soothe your nerves or review your answers to potential questions. Realizing there are factors prior to the big interview that are completely within your control can help you gain your composure.
2. Engage in conversationThe day of your interview, surround yourself with friends or family who make you feel good about yourself. By engaging with people in positive conversation throughout the day you'll be warmed up by the time you reach your interview. A positive mood is infectious, and warming up your voice beforehand will also help you articulate effectively when it's time to answer questions.
3. Boost your moodCreate a playlist of songs that pump you up or give you confidence. If listening to "Eye of The Tiger" on repeat makes you feel like you can accomplish anything, then go for it. Or try listening to some stand-up comedy on your way to the interview. A good belly laugh can ease anxiety and fear along with relieving stress.
4. Fuel upThe cliché is true: Eating a healthy breakfast kick-starts your brain and elevates concentration and productivity throughout the morning. Include a "brain food" like oatmeal or fruit in your morning meal and you'll have even more of a mental edge when you're preparing for your big moment.
5. Get movingExercising a few hours before the interview will release endorphins that relieve stress. Plus, it will give you some time to visualize yourself in complete control of every single interview question while you conquer the elliptical machine.
6. VisualizeVisualizing achievement can have a positive impact on the outcome of your performance. Humans stimulate the same portion of the brain when they visualize an action as when they are actually performing an action. So, through use of positive imagery it's possible to prime your brain for a successful interview.
7. Demystify the processIt sounds cheesy, but the interviewer may be just as nervous as you are. He or she may be understaffed and under pressure to fill a position quickly. Remember, however, you were chosen for an interview after proving yourself to be a viable candidate. Don't view the hiring manager as the enemy – or as omnipotent. Instead, see him or her as an equal. Demystifying the process can aid in soothing your interview anxiety.
Interviewing for any position can be a burdensome task. But don't fret, if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed before your interview, it is possible to re-gain control over your nerves. Set aside ample time to prepare beforehand to build confidence. 

7 Smart Questions To Ask At the End Of Every Job Interview

Because you should feel prepared when the tables turn.

Business Insider 

Getty

By Dylan Roach and Jacquelyn Smith
You're in the hot seat. You've just answered a dozen questions about yourself and successfully explained why you'd make a great addition to the team. You crushed it and you're feeling good.

But then the interviewer turns the tables and asks one final question: "So do you have any questions for me?"

You say, "no, not that I can think of," or ask something that could have easily been answered with a quick Google search — and just like that, everything falls apart.