tuesday, September 29, 1981
daily nebraskan
page 7
Experienced weapons benefit Lincoln job hunters
By Leslie Boellstorff
Increasingly stiff competition for jobs
probably is a major characteristic of the
Lincoln job market, said Gene Land
kamer, Nebraska Job Service manager.
The tightening of the economy is a
major cause of this, he said. The shortage
of purchasing money has caused fields re
lated to the housing industry to hire fewer
people. The same thing has happened to
the automobile industry, as well as other
fields, he said.
Besides causing fewer people to be
hired, a weak economy discourages
employers from having entry-level posit
ions, Landkamer said. They often want to
hire people with two to three years of
experience, he said.
Betty Dankleff, owner and manager of
Cornhusker Placement Service, said seven
years ago graduates with a couple of
courses in data processing would have been
hired quickly. However, current graduates
from UNL and technical schools have
trouble finding jobs in the field because
companies want employees with exper
ience. Chuck Schramm, the owner of AA Per
sonnel Service, said slightly fewer new
positions exist in Lincoln than three years
ago simply because companies are not ex
panding as much.
Schramm also said the total number of
jobs in Lincoln remains relatively constant,
but demand varies.
Experience needed
An employment counselor for Snelling ,
and Snelling Employment Service said
companies have fewer openings in data pro
cessing for new graduates than they had a
year ago.
"Now they're screaming for someone
with experience," Sony Lowrey said.
Most employment agency personnel
who were questioned had mixed opinions
as to the type of education necessary for a
career in Lincoln.
"There is really not a lot of anything
available in Lincoln for (those with) col
lege degrees," Schramm said.
Most jobs available in Lincoln are
"office support" - secretary, office and
clerical work, he said.
"There's a skill level rather than an edu
cational requirement for these jobs," he
said. "Individuals must be able to operate
at a certain level on certain machines."
Schramm added there is a demand for
technical knowledge, especially in electri
cal, mechanical, industrial and chemical
engineering fields.
While Lowrey, Schramm and Dankleff
emphasized the need for education in bus
iness administration, data processing and
accounting, as well as typing and shorthand
skills, Landkiamer said most employers
don't object to any kind of degree -whether
it's in business administration or
liberal arts."
General education valuable
"It depends on how you look at it," he
said. "If you look at it from the standpoint
of experience gained from learning good
work and study habits, learning to learn,
learning to apply and use knowledge, learn
ing to communicate then the graduate can
adapt to any type of job."
Students should not allow their choice
of major to limit their choice of jobs,
Lowrey said. Although law, medicine and
other professional programs are exceptions
to this, he said, only the best will survive in
the specific careers they studied, the others
will relate what they learn to another
career choice.
Many graduates avoid occupations
simply because they put it into their own
heads that they aren't capable of them,
Lowrey said.
"I would never discourage anyone from
going to college for any occupation, but I
would discourage people from limiting
themselves," he said.
Dankleff said a college education
doesn't mean an applicant has a job, but it
means he or she has the ability to step up
quickly when he or she gets into a position.
Adult education alternatives
offered in television classes
By Roger Aden
Telecourses, classes taught using a com
bination of television, study guides and
tests, provide an alternative in adult educa
tion, said the UNL official responsible for
the courses.
Randall F. Bretz, director of Mediated
Instruction, said instruction is presented
through a Nebraska Educational Television
program, books which come through the
mail and a UNL faculty member available
by toll-free telephone.
Bretz said the television programs are
not like actual classroom lectures. They are
produced in a documentary style.
"Television is known for its good pro
duction techniques," he said. "We lease
some of the programs from other places
that use good writers and noted academics
for the program. It's really a top-notch production."
"The faculty member has several roles,"
he said, "and lecturing is just one of those
roles. They also answer questions and pre
pare tests."
Brentz said the Division of Continuing
Studies has made arrangements with librar
ies across the state to proctor the tests.
Tests at home
If a person is unable to make it out of
the house, Bretz said the proctor can go to
the person's "house to "give the test.
Like any other class, Bretz said people
taking Telecourses read in addition to wri
ting reports, depending on the type of
course and instructor.
The televised shows are aired once or
twice a week.
Although the shows take up a lot of
ETV's air time - eight hours a week -
Bretz said it's mutually advantageous to
televise the shows.
"Most of the programs are run on Satur
day morning," he said, "so televising adult
programs gives them (ETV) an alternative
to all the cartoons that are on at that time.
"For us, the Saturday morning time is
probable the best time to air the shows be
cause most people don't have any planned
activities.
"The other programs are shown late at
night and early in the morning when peo
ple can concentrate on what's going on."
Several advantages
Bretz said there are several other advan
tages to the Telecourses, which he said are
designed primarily for adults who do not
have access to the Lincoln campus.
First of all, students can watch the pro
grams in their own home and take the tests
in their school library, he said.
"Secondly, we make all the materials
available to thera," Bretz said. "They don't
have to go to all the trouble of finding the
books. We mail them to the people.
"And, many people like the non-threatening
environment," he said. "I don't want
that to sound wrong, but a campus full of
17- to 22-year-olds is a threatening place
for a lot of adults, expecially if they've
nevCf been on a campus before."
Brefitz said the future of programs simi
lar to Telecourses is optimistic, citing this
year's coordinated effort by public tele
vision and institutions of higher education
to offer adult education courses.
"There are over 500 colleges and univer
sities in the nation that are offering televi
sion courses for adults," he said.
"The people born during the baby
boom are now adults. This makes for a
growing adult population." r
She said she felt mental attitude was
important in getting a first job.
Company needs
"You have to show a potential
employer that you have the ability to con
centrate, the energy, and an excitement
and interest in the company, relating your
abilities to the company's needs," she said.
Dankleff said most local opportunities
are in data processing, clerical, engin
eering and accounting, although some of
these fields are filling up. She said there
aren't many openings in social fields and
teaching, but nurses are in demand locally
and nationwide.
Engineering jobs, management trainee
positions and nursing jobs are those most
readily available in Lincoln, Landkamer
said. Although social worker jobs and
teaching positions are scarce, Landkamer
didn't name any field that has too may job
applicants.
Schramm said retail management and
technical jobs have the most possibilities.
"In technical areas, the supply of jobs
exceeds the supply of manpower across the
state," he said.
Lowrey listed sales, secretarial work,
accounting, data processing and manager
training as some of the most available types
of jobs in Lincoln.
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