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发表于 2005-1-30 18:14:11 |显示全部楼层

Also visit AGHE, AgeWork Career Center, and Careers in Aging.

Outlook Good for Graduates

Amy Fiske
Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization Secretary

Graduates with gerontology degrees are likely to secure employment in aging, have high levels of satisfaction, receive a reasonable salary, and have opportunities for advancement. This is the message from David A. Peterson, Ph.D., Director of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. In a survey of USC gerontology graduates from 1976 to 1995 (Masunaga, Peterson & Seymour, 1998), Dr. Peterson and colleagues found that 66% of respondents reported employment in the field of aging and 68% were very satisfied with their jobs.

The employment success of these alumnae is not surprising. Approximately 6,000 students graduate annually from gerontology programs, according to a 1994 survey by USC and AGHE, yet the population of older Americans is over 30 million and climbing. Gerontology-trained graduates will be needed to meet the rapidly growing demand for services for an aging population.

Gerontology Training in Other Disciplines

Prospects may also be bright for students graduating in other disciplines who received gerontology training.

The national Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook for 1998-2008 cites the aging of the population as a key factor in projecting faster than average growth in the demand for social and health services occupations, including much faster growth in the need for physicians, nurses, social workers and speech-language pathologists, among others. Although much faster than average growth is also expected for biological, medical and social scientists, competition for research jobs is likely to be considerable.

Where Do Gerontology Graduates Go?

For graduates with a degree in gerontology, the career path may be less obvious than for their counterparts who receive a degree in another discipline with an emphasis on aging. Alumnae with gerontology degrees from USC have been employed in a variety of settings, including health facilities, mental health facilities, social service agencies, corporations, residential facilities, government agencies, community agencies and advocacy groups.

Entrepreneurial gerontology graduates have also worked as self-employed consultants. Dr. Peterson has observed that current graduates are more likely to enter the private, for-profit sector than were gerontology graduates of a decade ago, and their jobs are more likely to have a marketing focus. Students today are able to "contribute to the welfare of older people…and have a reasonable income." He projects increasing demand for gerontology graduates in the health services field, particularly in administration, planning and policy.

Shanna Siegel, who earned an MSG degree from USC this year, has found that companies seem to be increasingly open to hiring gerontologists—after learning what a gerontologist is. Job seekers with a gerontology degree may need to educate prospective employers about the value of a degree that provides a broad understanding of the aging process, with more training in administration and policy than in most related disciplines.

Jobs for "Gerontologists" Hidden

Job hunting may lead to challenging opportunities for gerontology graduates. Job bank websites typically do not have a category for "gerontologist," according to Dr. Peterson, presenting an opportunity for GSA and AGHE to help fill this need.

Gerontology alumnae can help by forwarding information on job openings or simply keeping in touch with their home institutions with information about their own career experiences. Job seekers may also benefit from networks outside of gerontology, such as organizations for marketing professionals or other local, regional or national professional associations. AGHE offers a wealth of resources for students, faculty and employers (visit their web page: http://www.aghe.org/publist.htm

Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization Graduates

We recently asked Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization members who are graduating to share their thoughts and plans. Here's what we found out. Some will go on for further education, like Andrew Kolody, who recently received an M.A. in General Psychology from the Catholic University of America and is planning to study Lifespan Developmental Psychology with an emphasis in Gerontology. Others will seek either a post-doctoral position or permanent employment.

Lisa Shugarman, for example, received her Ph.D. in Health Services Organization and Policy from the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and expects to conduct research through a post-doctoral fellowship or at a research institution. Reflecting the trend toward entrepreneurial careers, Annabel Agee, who is receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee, will conduct private consulting with families in later life. Oma Morey, receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Texas, found that some specialized gerontology positions actually do exist. After landing a job as a Research Associate at Stanford University Medical School, Faculty Development, Gerontology Education, her advice to other graduates: "persist!"

Congratulations to all GSA graduates!

http://www.geron.org/StudentOrg/student.htm

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