What is the I/O job market like; will it be tough to find a job?
The I/O job market has traditionally been strong, and as of this writing it is perhaps the best it has ever been in both the academic and applied areas. In the academic realm, many universities have been starting or expanding their graduate programs, and an academic job can be found for individuals with reasonably strong records (for a new Ph.D. this means a few publications and some teaching experience). In the applied area jobs are plentiful, and I’ve heard complaints from employers that it is hard to find good people. However, there can be spot shortages in applied jobs, especially in places that have I/O programs turning out people who compete with one another. Also, applied jobs are found mainly in large cities, so it can be difficult to have an I/O career in a small town (an exception is an academic job in a college town). Layoffs do sometimes occur, but I’ve heard of no one leaving the field because he or she was unable to find an I/O job, and those I’ve seen lose jobs typically
