Attracting highly educated technical people is a problem for most technology sector companies, even though we are in the middle of a technology sector downturn. The way to find the right people is to offer them the right salaries and benefits, according to a survey carried out for the New York Times Job Market by Beta Research Corp. Starting bonuses are also still being offered to attract the most talented students.

Companies who are searching in this market will attract students by offering excellent pension plans, more vacation than other employers and a competitive salary. This is often more attractive in the long term than a high starting bonus, and graduates are increasingly looking at a total employment package rather than short-term benefits.

But for many graduates, the bottom line is not really the salary or even the benefits, but the work itself; and there is no doubt that some of the most interesting research and development is taking place at the moment, in order that companies can take advantage of the upturn in the market that will happen in the next five years.

And the way to jump on this wagon is to get a good technical degree, at Associate, Bachelor or Master level. Then, you can add experience in the technology sector and create a career path that will pay you handsomely to do work you enjoy and keep you in the forefront of a most exciting and rewarding industry.