As the economy struggles with the impact of mortgage defaults, staff cuts in financial services companies, and the possibility of a recession, are there still areas of job growth, employment and opportunity? Just like experts in the extreme sport of whitewater kayaking, when we know more about the employment rapids ahead, we can identify actions that can help us ride out the rough water successfully.

"For every sector that we know is hurting - homebuilding, auto making, certain portions of the banking industry - there are other sectors that are experiencing unappreciated strength - electronics, aviation manufacturing, agriculture, information technology, [and] business services like law and accounting," according to Knight Kiplinger, editor-in-chief of Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine. The healthcare industry and homeland security remain strong. Educators will be in demand as a significant number of teachers begin to retire.

Employers are planning slow but steady hiring. In CareerBuilder.com's 2008 job forecast, a third of the employers surveyed plan to increase the number of full-time employees. Their results point to steady job creation in the professional and business services and the information technology sectors. Employers indicated that they will be hiring more frequently at the professional and technical levels than administrative and clerical levels.

Top 50 In-Demand Occupations
Career Voyages, a website reflecting collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education, provides excellent information on high growth, in-demand occupations along with the skills and educational requirements to attain these jobs. According to the website, fields like healthcare, information technology, and advanced manufacturing have jobs and solid career paths that are often left unfilled due to a lack of qualified applicants.

Their staff has identified the top 50 in-demand occupations. The selection criteria included projected need for employees and a median hourly wage of $20.00 or more (which translates into an annual full-time salary of $40,000 or more).

Occupations requiring a Bachelor's degree or higher on the top 50 list include;
1. Dentists, General
2. Physicians and Surgeons
3. Pharmacists
4. Physical Therapists
5. Civil Engineers
6. Financial Analysts
7. Engineering Managers
8. Computer Software Engineers, Applications
9. Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software
10. Electrical Engineers

In-demand occupations requiring some college (often an Associate's degree) include:
1. Computer Support Specialists
2. Cost Estimators
3. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
4. Construction Managers
5. Dental Hygienists
6. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Police and Detectives
7. Respiratory Therapists
8. Food Service Managers
9. Radiologic Technicians and Technologists
10. Fire Fighters
11. Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians

Even though these occupations are in-demand, entry into these fields is still challenging. There is a lot of competition for many of the educational paths leading to these careers, from healthcare jobs to fire fighters. It is still important for individuals to make sure that they are choosing career goals that are a good fit with their aptitudes, interests, values and personalities, and that they are preparing themselves to be the best possible candidates for hiring managers.
The "Top 50" web page is a rich resource for career exploration for all age groups. It provides an easy way to click through to job descriptions, state reports on wages and employment outlook, and videos giving overviews of the occupations. To view the entire list, go to Career Voyages.

© Copyright 2008, The Ball Foundation/Career Vision. Article used with permission. Career Vision is a career assessment and consulting organization dedicated to helping people attain success and satisfaction in their work lives. For more information go to http://www.careervision.org/consulting/taking_next_step.htm.

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