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As Bentley University welcomes the latest crop of students, we look ahead to the careers that their time here will prepare them for.

Bentley’s Class of 2019 arrived to campus, equipped with XL twin sheets, Command hooks, mini-fridges and chargers. The 925 students trekked from 44 countries and 33 U.S. states to their new home in Waltham, Mass.

Though many had already met virtually or during this summer’s orientation program, the class gathered as a whole for the first time at the convocation ceremony on September 3. And thinking ahead to the future was a common refrain throughout the event.

“While you prepare to open your mind to new things, take a moment to also reflect inward on yourself and your future,” said Bentley President Gloria Cordes Larson. “Your journey through this university and to your life beyond this campus will be enhanced by the occasional, thoughtful introspection of your actions and mindfulness of what living means.”

As the freshman class maps out their next four years of coursework, research and learning experiences (Oh the Places You’ll Go!), they’ll need to think about where the world will be in 2019. How can they use the resources that Bentley has to offer to prepare them for life after college?

To assist with this task, we compiled a list of 30 Job Trend Predictions for 2019. What are the skills and experiences that the Class of 2019 should consider during its time here? The Bentley community (including faculty, staff and alumni) is here to weigh in:
 

  1. “Companies need marketers that can combine storytelling skills with data analytics to predict customer behavior and connect with customers through compelling narratives.” Click to Tweet 
    ~Ian Cross, senior lecturer in marketing
     
  2. “I predict the top jobs for 2019 will be technically based analysts. IT is ubiquitous; there is no doubt about it. People who have a strong basis in logical thinking and the ability to see the forest while possessing the tool set to examine and leverage the trees. You need to be able to locate, model, analyze and leverage your data to produce value for your organization.” Click to Tweet 
    ~Monica Garfield, associate professor of computer information systems
     
  3. “Companies will be contending with the costly effects of climate change, actively pursuing carbon footprint reductions and securing their futures in a low-carbon economy. Graduates who are educated in sustainability will be in high demand.” Click to Tweet
    ~Amanda King, director of sustainability and special adviser to the president
     
  4. “Employers will continue to seek innovative civic leaders who can use their applied skills to create positive social impact locally, nationally and globally.” Click to Tweet
    ~Jonathan White, director of the Bentley Service-Learning Center, associate professor of sociology
     
  5. “My prediction, and hope, is that the workplace of 2019 will better reflect the diversity of our population, whether in terms of ethnicity, gender, demographic, or thought; so I encourage all students to embrace a more inclusive mindset as they prepare to enter the new world of work.” Click to Tweet
    ~Susan Brennan, executive director, corporate relations and career services
     
  6. “The ability to work with data and develop insights based on analytics is becoming critical for every industry — and will continue to grow in importance.” Click to Tweet
    ~Sam Woolford, professor of statistics, director of the Center for Quantitative Analysis
     
  7. “Go with your heart; it’s much easier to make a successful career from something you love. Necessary skills include social intelligence to adapt language and behavior in order to work effectively with large groups, and cross-cultural competency to work not just in different cultural settings, but in groups including different generations, skills and working styles.” Click to Tweet
    ~Onic Palandjian ’93, CEO, Europa Aluminum




     
  8. “Recruiters are clamoring for new IT auditors able to apply technology investigation skills for detecting fraud, security weaknesses and financial impropriety.” Click to Tweet
    ~Jane Fedorowicz, Chester B. Slade Professor of Accounting and Information Systems
     
  9. “With climate change and growing energy demands globally, understanding how the complex problem of sustainability impacts industry is going to be a competitive advantage in any field.” Click to Tweet
    ~David Szymanski, director of the Valente Center for Arts & Sciences, associate professor of geology
     
  10. “Given the oversaturation of social media and online marketing, employers will need people who know how to build relationships, shifting their emphasis from online to in-person connections in order to have increased well-being and engagement within their workforce.” Click to Tweet
    ~Jessica Kenerson, associate director of student affairs operations and development
     
  11. “The ability to collect, analyze and interpret data will be key, as it will permeate essentially every business and societal activity." Click to Tweet
    ~Dominique Haughton, professor of mathematical sciences and global studies
     
  12. “Graduates who are ‘effective’ and ‘ready to learn’ will be passed up by those that can provide an immediate value-add to their employer.” Click to Tweet
    ~David Schiegoleit ’93, vice president & managing director of investments, Greater Los Angeles Market/sr. portfolio manager, The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank
     
  13. “If we need proof that many of us are fascinated with health care jobs, just think about how many movies and televisions shows take place inside hospitals or doctor’s offices. Luckily for Bentley students, this attraction to the industry overlaps with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there will be more employment growth within the health care and social assistance sector than any others this coming decade.” Click to Tweet
    ~Helen Meldrum, associate professor of natural and applied sciences
     
  14. “Students who take the time to acquire advanced Excel skills, or knowledge of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), will have a strong edge in the job market.” Click to Tweet
    ~Amy Whittaker, managing director, Hughey Center for Financial Services




     
  15. “Job growth when you graduate will increasingly be in non-routine, cognitive professions, requiring critical thinking skills and problem solving, so learn how to be creative, with an indispensable, flexible skill set. Fortunately, these are also the highest paying jobs, so the rewards will await your success in school.” Click to Tweet
    ~Aaron Jackson, professor of economics and director of Honors Program
     
  16. “The world is complex and ever-changing; your education is important, but it's not as important as being able to forget what you've learned as soon as it becomes outdated, and to pick up entirely new skills and knowledge — you'll do it many times over in your career.” Click to Tweet
    ~PJ Neal ’02, senior product manager, Harvard Business School Publishing
     
  17. “As a marketer, I can't help but be bullish about the reported growth in demand — and wages — for marketers with modern skills like search engine optimization (SEO), content creation/content marketing, email marketing/marketing automation, social media marketing and pay-per-click.” Click to Tweet
    ~Valerie Fox, Interim CMO
     
  18. “Managing data, devices and digital media across multiple platforms will be essential as the need to access, analyze and interpret information in real time continues to drive industry change.” Click to Tweet
    ~Mark Frydenberg, senior lecturer, computer information systems
     
  19. “Successful leaders, both women and men, will be those who bring the integration of their head and heart to the workplace. Companies will place high value on interpersonal skills and it will be a key differentiator in evaluating talent.” Click to Tweet
    ~Betsy Myers, founding director of the Center for Women and Business
     
  20. “There will be a great demand for leaders who have demonstrated they are prepared to adapt effectively in cross cultural environments by taking assignments and working with communities that push them outside of their comfort zone. To take advantage of the opportunities available in an increasingly complex and diverse business environment, future leaders will need to first become culturally self-aware and able to acknowledge the lens they make decisions through is not necessarily the same as everyone at the table.” Click to Tweet
    ~Katherine Lampley, associate program director, Office of Diversity & Inclusion
     
  21. “Graduates will need to understand triple bottom line decision making – considering people, planet and profit — to be effective managers and run successful businesses starting now and into the future.” Click to Tweet
    ~Natalie Berland, manager of sustainability




     
  22. “Anyone who has proven an ability to learn quickly, is versatile, is willing to be flexible, and possesses an approach of treating an employment opportunity with responsibility like they own the business, will be not only sought after, but more highly valued by management that no doubt will be embracing a rapidly evolving global economy in which the U.S.’s role continues to diminish.” Click to Tweet
    ~Jim Burnham ’80, CEO and founder of Go!Accountants
     
  23. “As the global marketplace continues to expand, workers with a truly “global mindset,” a solid understanding of cultural differences, and at least a bilingual ability will have the advantage businesses will need — it’s about being open-minded and nimble.” Click to Tweet
    ~Diane McNamara, senior HR business partner
     
  24. “With over 17 percent of our GDP devoted to health care and with health care occupations projected to grow more than any other service occupation over the next decade, business and analytical skills relevant for the health care sector will be in high demand.” Click to Tweet
    ~Dhaval Dave, Stanton Professor of Economics
     
  25. “Given the ever expanding global world, employers will want people with strong intercultural communication skills, including being multilingual.” Click to Tweet
    ~Nicole Chininis, study abroad adviser, Cronin Office of International Education
     
  26. “Given the growing importance of design in product and service innovation, there is a burning need for individuals who practice informed design. Informed design involves a deep understand of human behavior integrated with marketing analytics.” Click to Tweet
    ~William Gribbons, director, Master of Science in Human Factors in Information Design, and founder and senior consultant, User Experience Center
     
  27. “With the ever-expanding options for communication, the ability to not only use these methods from a technical standpoint, but really leverage them effectively to collaborate and communicate with team members and customers to move everyone forward toward the common goal will only become more critical to an employee and leader's success.” Click to Tweet
    ~Allison Foster '03, State Management Director for Hanover Insurance
     
  28. “Employers will look for candidates who have gone beyond the office, lab or classroom to launch independent projects that showcase their abilities to take initiative and demonstrate leadership.” Click to Tweet
    ~Joy Uyeno, social media manager
     
  29. “Business graduates with a strong background in health sciences will be in high demand, given the rapid advances in nanotechnology, biotechnology and health delivery systems.” Click to Tweet
    ~Gregory Hall, associate professor of psychology
     
  30. “Unpredictability is a certainty, which means more than ever that lifelong learning skills are truly essential to success. One example: employers will need workers trained in data manipulation and analytics, with an ability to think quickly and a willingness to continuously learn new skills in an evolving marketplace.” Click to Tweet
    ~Gloria Cordes Larson, president