Abstract
During the period from November 1995 through October 1996, the Placement Service of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society distributed announcements describing 195 positions available for human factors engineers and ergonomics professionals. These announcements were divided into two groups according to employment sector and position type. This paper provides an overview of employment opportunities available in all sectors, and an examination of announced academic and internship positions. Its sequel describes positions available in industry, government and consulting positions (N=162). The attributes of the position announcements examined include: degree requirements, major field of study, areas of expertise, required work experience, salary, geographic location, job description and skills required. Ninety-six percent of the positions were available in industry, consulting, and government/military. Fifty-one percent of the positions describe the masters degree as the minimum requirement.
Eight academic and twenty-five internship positions were announced. The major fields of study most frequently specified for these positions were human factors, psychology and engineering. The most frequently cited area of expertise for academics was Human Computer Interaction (HCI), followed by aerospace, aging, and transportation. Among internships, knowledge of human-computer interaction was most frequently cited. Professional skills and expectations of interns are also discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.