HP Job Shortage

[Dave Speed <dspeed@well.com>]

On 4/3/96 Melissa Woo wrote:

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>So, to "stir the pot" --

>1. Is the current perceived shortage of available positions the
>result of cutbacks in the government (most notably DOE), or has the
>demand for HPs reached a plateau?  If so, will it remain there?

This is not a *percieved* shortage of positions.  The demand has 
dropped off of the end of the plateau.  Commercial power and other
government sector employment has dropped.  The few open positions
are often filled by contractors for the short term.

>2. If the demand for HPs has reached a plateau, and I'm not
>necessarily saying it has, are we doing those currently in college a
>disservice by encouraging them to enter health physics? 

Yes. Conditions have gotten so bad that I know of one university 
which is considering dropping their HP graduate program.

Employers posting jobs to this list are so swamped with applicants 
that they will not answer the phone or even send acknowledgement of
reciept of a resume.

A recent Bay Area position (which was not advertised here or in the HPS
Newsletter) drew nearly 200 applicants in three weeks.