When
Considering New Career Ideas,
Don’t Forget to Follow Trends
Whether you’re looking for new career ideas while already having an established career or looking for a career right out of college, it’s important to consider current and future job trends.
Why are more young people unemployed or underemployed? Maybe there should be more emphasis on researching which careers are in demand and which ones already have a surplus amount of workers. And what skills and training is required. By paying special attention to jobs with low supply and high demand you’ll be laughing.
Yes it’s easier to blame others, especially the government, for not having your optimum career. However, if you find yourself in the current situation of looking for new career ideas it’s time to take the power back into your own hands.
Although I don’t believe people should give up his/her dream of following their passion, they should be aware of if the job is on the rise or is in the process of becoming instinct. If you are dead set working in a particular industry but there are not a lot of jobs going around, look for ways to specialize your skills and take complimentary courses. More specifically become an expert in your field by reading books and subscripting to blogs relating to your career. You also have an advantage if your future career is dominated by the opposite sex, as employers look for more balance in the workplace.
The Globe and Mail, one of Canada’s national newspapers, published an article early spring called The job landscape: Where workers are needed, and where they aren’t.
This is a great study to read when looking for new career ideas. Even if you are not living in Canada, the study should hold some truth in your own country. For more country specific information simply Google“career trends [your country’s name]” you will be able to pull up some information.
The Summary of The Job Landscape article:
There are a few things to point out when referring to job trends. The baby boomer population is aging so there’s a large amount of the workforce retiring. Are there enough workers to replace them in a particular career? Are their jobs still in demand? How about who is going to take care of them as they age and need assisted living?
There is a projected shortage or demand in the following careers. Look here for great new career ideas: health & science related fields, mining and engineering. Managers in these fields will also be in demand because there are a large number of people who are expected to retire. There is projected growth in health care especially because of the aging population. In Canada seniors are supposed to account for a quarter to a third of our population.
A sample of these types of jobs are physicians, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, dietitians/nutritionists, nurses, social workers, counsellors, and probation officers; managers in engineering, architecture, science and info systems; health, education, social and community services; construction and transportation; auditors, accountants, investment professionals, and human resources; civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical and other engineers; underground miners, oil and gas drillers and related workers.
Where the Jobs Are Not
Image courtesy of www.capitalistbanter.com
On the flip side there are an increasing number of jobs being sent overseas where labour is cheap. Or jobs are being replacing people with computers. The majority of these jobs require little to no education. In the case of technology there isn’t projected to be growth because the majority of the workers in this field are young.
The jobs that are not great new career ideas because they are not projected to grow are managers in manufacturing and utilities; clerical supervisors, workers, general office skills, and office equipment operators; finance and insurance clerks; mail distribution occupations; secondary and elementary teachers and counsellors; sales and service supervisors and cashiers; occupations in food and beverage services; tour and recreational guides, amusement occupations, attendants in travel, accommodation and recreation; butchers, bakers, upholsterers, tailors, shoe repairers, and jewellers; fishing vessel masters, skippers and fishermen/women; machine operators in metal and minerals; products processing, machine operators and related workers in pulp and paper production and wood processing.
What seemed to have been forgotten in the article are skilled trades workers (i.e. carpenters and electricians). I have read quite a few articles stating that the demand of these jobs on are the rise and I believe it especially in urban areas where more young are skipping this route and going straight to university or college. The stereo type is that men are handing and I know quite a few un-handy men in the city.
When looking for new career ideas, not only should you consider articles like this one but also talk to someone who’s already working in the industry and ask them what’s going on in their industry- are they hiring or downsizing? Is their company expanding or are the jobs being outsourced? That will be your best bet.
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