Where the Jobs Are

 

I got a call from a job seeker yesterday who said that he has never known what he "wants to be when he grows up." He is in his forties. In making his next career move, he was completely unsure of what to look for.

One possible upside of the current economic climate is that the job market limits his choices, because many types of jobs are now declining in terms of number of people employed.

In a Yahoo! hotjobs article listing jobs that will be plentiful going forward, we learn that ten in-demand areas right now are:  nurses, dental hygienists, veterinarian technicians, substance abuse counselors, accountants, computer software engineers, elementary teachers, personal finance advisors, skin care specialists,  and environmental science and protection technicians. 

Were I coaching the job seeker I talked to yesterday, I would encourage him to train for a profession where there are job openings in his area – whatever most closely matched his skills, interests, and experience. Of course I would suggest that he do his own due diligence on the state of the employment market for that position near him and not trust only in articles.

Another way to find out what jobs are hot in his area is for him to check out local academic programs. The great thing about our community colleges and vocational-technical schools is that many make available certificate and training programs specifically geared to the local market. Many have relationships with industry that help place new graduates of the programs. And many of the programs are relatively short in duration and inexpensive to boot.

Hard though it is to not know what one’s calling is, perhaps a limited set of options is helpful in focusing attention. Perhaps having fewer rather than more options prevents what Joni Mitchell called “None of the crazy you get with too much choice, the thumb and the satchel and the rented Rolls Royce.”