Proceed With Caution: Hot Jobs in a Cooling Economy
CareersToday | Dec 20, 2008 | Comments 0
Trade magazines and job websites love to identify the latest job trends. Often, “hot jobs” are based on government predictions, such as those contained within the Bureau of Labor Statistics “Tomorrow’s Jobs” report, issued every ten years. Ten years is a long time, however. Unforeseen circumstances can alter what once looked like a very safe prediction, leaving students and job seekers in the lurch.
Consider the cautionary example of the “librarian shortage.” In the late nineteen nineties numerous sources predicted a widespread shortage of library science degree holders, as the baby boomer generation approached retirement age. Students flocked to Masters of Library Science programs and discovered, en masse, that jobs failed to materialize as the boomer generation put off retirement and held on to the most desirable positions.
The current BLS “Tomorrow’s Jobs” report predicts growth in a number of industries likely to experience a downturn if recent economic developments continue – including banking, personal finance, employment services, trucking, recreation, real estate, and restaurants. While some occupations such as registered nurse, home health care assistant and computer software engineer do still appear to be sound career paths, others such as personal financial advisor, veterinary technologist and skin care specialist reflect the belief expressed throughout the 2006-16 report that the economy will continue to grow, incomes will rise, and the population will have more opportunity for leisure and discretional spending.
In contrast, some industries are outperforming government predictions. Mining, which was predicted to lose jobs through improved safety standards and increased automation, has added 241,000 new workers since 2003. Likewise, the government predicted job losses in the rail transportation industry, which has since experienced a large increase in passenger ridership as well as big gains for shipping companies utilizing rail in place of the troubled trucking industry. As the world’s energy needs increase, some experts predict continued growth in both of these industries, as well as the development of a new “green” employment sector surrounding the research and development of clean technologies.
As you look for the right college or job training program, don’t take an institution’s assertions about job growth at face value. Ask yourself: in light of current events, does it make sense that a particular job will be waiting for me when I graduate?
We’ve taken a second look at the Tomorrow’s Jobs Report and selected ten of the most recession-proof jobs from its list of occupations predicted to show the greatest percentage or numerical increases in employment:
Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
Social and Human Services Assistants
Teachers and Child Care Workers
Emerging recession-proof jobs:
Social Media/Online Marketing Specialist
Filed Under: Occupations
