Engineering junior Nidhi Shah grew up around cars.

When she was younger, she would often accompany her father to work at automotive parts maker Delphi. That piqued her interest in cars, she said.

Shah, a mechanical engineering major, has had internships with Delphi, Toyota and Dow Automotive.

Despite her professed love of cars and a major that would make her a strong candidate for a job with an automaker, Shah does not plan to go into the automotive industry when she graduates next year.

"I really like cars," Shah said. "But I'm not looking to work in an industry that's not doing so well."

Over the past few years, the high-profile restructurings and massive layoffs at the Big Three automakers in Detroit has led many students at the University to reconsider pursuing careers in the automotive industry, a sector that has driven Michigan's economy for decades. And even though there are still some jobs available in the industry, the Big Three - Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler - are finding it increasingly difficult to lure top talent to work at their ailing companies.

Shah said that if the companies recover from their slump, she would "definitely" want work in the automotive industry.

Today, though, she is worried about job security.

"No one wants to be out of a job five years after they graduate," she said.

Of course, many University students still take jobs in the auto industry after graduation.

Prof. Dennis Assanis, chair of the mechanical engineering department, said the University has always supplied a large amount of students to the auto industry.

Assanis admitted that in recent years, the number of students going to work at the Big Three is probably decreasing. But he said he doesn't think there has been a dramatic decrease because there are still jobs available despite the troubles at the companies.

Graduates who are trained well still find good jobs, he said.

Unlike in the past, though not all those good jobs are with the Big Three in Detroit.

With foreign companies like Toyota taking an even larger slice of the American worldwide auto market, the Detroit companies are not the only focus for aspiring engineers.

"The ratio is changing some," Assanis said. "But still the majority goes to the Big Three,"

According to the Engineering Career Resource Center's annual report for the 2002-2003 school year, 19 percent of University engineering students intended to work in the automotive and transport equipment industries after graduation.

A year later, only 11.5 percent said the same.

Last year, the numbers have rebounded a bit: 13.7 percent of students said they planned to work in the automotive and transport industries.

Eric Olson, assistant director of the office of career development at the Ross School of Business, said that while automotive companies are still coming to campus, students are often unsure about jumping into the auto industry.

Ten years ago, the auto industry was the most sought-after destination for graduating seniors, Olson said. He said this interest has declined over the last few years, but it is slowly coming back.

The industry is actively recruiting on campus, but it is having a difficult time getting students interested in jobs there of its widely-publicized financial problems, he said.

Olson said students who are normally encouraged to go into the auto industry because of family tradition are now being encouraged to consider other opportunities.

Melvyn Stewart, a GM recruiter, said that the auto industry is in the middle of its recruiting season right now.

He said GM needs to do more to show students that the auto industry is still stable despite the negative publicity surrounding the company by talking about its various career paths and opportunities for growth within the industry.

"I think the automotive industry is constantly changing, but there will always be opportunities," he said.

Assanis said the auto industry is cyclical, and that right now it is going through structural as well as cyclical changes, but that the industry has always found a way to rebound.

"We'll continue to see this industry struggle," he said, adding that he remains optimistic.

Some students share Assanis's optimism.

Engineering junior Billy Guglielmo said he has an engineering co-op with Toyota right now, meaning he works for the company while he's taking classes and gets University credit. He hopes to work in the auto industry after he gets his master's degree.

"I think any industry goes through changes," he said. "There will still be jobs there."

He said he is using his experience with Toyota to see if the auto industry is a good fit for him.