Targeting hot job trends: when planning for your future career, you'll need to know today's job markets

Janice Arenofsky

Hongtao Yu, Ph.D., loves his work. He studies cells, genes, and cancer at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Yu enjoys discovering new things. That's why he went into research--not just because biotech research happens to be one of the hottest career fields.

Why do some fields offer more jobs today than others? The answer is "national trends."

Market Trends

In recent years, the job market has been tight. But now, things seem to be improving. "All signs point to more jobs," says Sung Won Sohn of Wells Fargo. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently reported an increase of 57,000 jobs. It was the first gain in eight months.

The new jobs relate to certain trends in our society. Among them are the following:

* An aging population. Older baby boomers, a large population group, continue to put a huge demand on the nation's resources, especially health care.

* Greater dependence on science. More science and math grads may choose higher-paying jobs in business and health care. They may reject engineering or other technical areas, reports a University of Washington study.

* Retirement of federal workers. Retiring baby boomers will leave many government openings unfilled.

* Getting more for your dollar. Managers will invest in technology and training to save money.

* Biotechnology becoming a force. Biotech will create spin-offs, such as bioengineering and agribiotech.

* A growing need for new energy sources. World politics and global environmental concerns fuel this trend.

Keep in mind, though, that "this labor market likes people with particular skills," according to economist Paul Harrington.

IT & Energy

IT and Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

Despite dot-com crashes and bankruptcies, technology is still expanding, says Patrick Dixon, Ph.D., author of Futurewise: Six Faces of Global Change. "The next wave of technology, everyone will see everyone talking to everything, everywhere and on mostly wireless devices." So, in the long term, ITs will land good jobs. They will have to set up thousands of high-tech gizmos from voice-activated office messaging systems to virtual private networks.

But techies now need to look for jobs beyond computer companies. "They need to expand their search to health care, government, and other Old Economy institutions," says Challenger, Gray, & Christmas (CGC), an outplacement firm. Career experts Andrea Kay and Tom Tarantelli suggest areas such as business information management, disaster recovery planning, and wireless broadcast technology.

Energy grads will face a similar situation. People always need energy, but improved technology may eliminate some jobs. So energy grads will compete for fewer positions. New employees have to have the right skills. For instance, petroleum engineers need to know new technologies, such as 3-D and 4-D seismic exploration and deepwater and sub-sea methods.

"I use seismic and well data to explore possible sources of energy in the Gulf of Mexico," says Nate, a geophysicist. "I figure out what's going on in subsurface and see if it's commercially do-able."

A reduction in fossil fuel use will affect the job market, says futurist Paul Saffo. "Other technologies (such as solar, wind, and fuel cells) will create millions of new jobs in the next 10 years," say Joel Makower and Ron Pernick in Clean Energy Trends 2003. For example, solar energy will grow from a $3.5 billion global industry to a more than $27 billion industry.

Solar engineer Jessica Mayette graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in electrical engineering. She interned at Salt River Project in Phoenix and now performs solar installations in its renewable energy section.

Other related jobs will result from environmental concerns and government regulations. Companies will hire chemists and lab technicians to develop technologies to reduce pollution and clean up waste sites. Saffo says engineers are working on nonpolluting cars. "Fuel cells are the best hope."

Safety Nets

Law, Public Safety & Security

The public wants to feel safe and secure--at home, in public places, and on the job. Companies want all aspects of their businesses to be secure as well. Uneasiness and uncertainty, if not fear, have sparked growth in jobs that provide security of various kinds.

"Employers are concerned about the honesty of the people they hire, their profits, and their info databases," reports CGC. As a result, companies are hiring security guards, private investigators, and others. They perform background checks, uncover false resumes and stop theft. Many businesses hire security consultants, some of them former FBI agents.

Security concerns also lead to jobs in auditing, data recording, accounting, and information. A CGC survey predicts more openings for several types of professionals. Actuaries (people who determine risks), computer network managers, and information technologists (ITs) are a few. The number of computer viruses continues to increase, says Gordon Haft, an IT industry analyst. Credit card theft is also on the rise. As a result, many businesses offer IT positions to experts who can help prevent these serious problems.

Consider federal law enforcement jobs too, such as border patrol agent or Capitol police officer. Thousands of retiring civil service workers will soon leave their jobs. What about working for the Central Intelligence Agency, the FBI, or the IRS? If you are interested, visit the government's employment site at www.usajobs.opm.gov.

Stores need security (loss-prevention) agents to protect merchandise, cash, and customers. They cruise for shoplifters, educate employees about security guidelines, and run alarm tests.

Security does not just mean physical security. People want to feel financially safe as well. For this reason, financial planning has become a hot career, says the National Association of Colleges and Employers. MetLife Financial Services, for example, intends to hire 300 more financial planners.

Here's to Your Health

Health Science

During the next 10 years, an aging U.S. population will need more health care. But there may not be enough health professionals to serve the growing need.

Pharmacists, especially, will be in short supply in retail drugstores, chain stores, government agencies, and companies. They also will be needed for pharmaceutical sales and to work in clinics, long-term care residences, and hospitals. To attract more pharmacists, hospital recruiters are offering perks such as flexible hours and bonuses.

Pharmacist Jennifer Larson works in a chain store. Larson has always enjoyed chemistry, biology, and math, but she knew medicine wasn't for her. "I knew pharmacists were in demand," she says. Larson spends 12 hours a day talking to insurance workers, doctors, and customers. In between, she fills prescriptions. Someday she would like to work in research, at a clinic, or for the Drug Enforcement Agency. "I think investigating forged prescriptions might be coot," she admits.

Other health-related jobs include physical therapists, occupational therapists, audiologists (hearing), physicians, phlebotomists (technicians who draw blood), emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and nutritionists.

Info Pros

Education & Training

Librarians made this year's "hot jobs" list. This was mainly due to an aging workforce. Ulrich Boser of U.S. News & World Report says that 25 percent of librarians currently employed will be 65 by 2009. When they retire, there will be a shortage. In fact, the federal budget includes $20 million to recruit and train new librarians.

Another reason is that employers want more "info pros." They "recognize the value of information professionals in today's marketplace," says Janice R. Lachance of the Special Libraries Association. Lachance says companies rely on librarians to find information quickly from databases and trade journals. Info pros usually work in law offices, museums, corporations, hospitals, and other large organizations. For example, Monsanto, a company that sells agricultural products, depends on its librarian to conduct patent searches and compile data on grain markets and imports/exports.

Rebecca Birr, director of Health Sciences Library in Phoenix, Arizona, helps doctors and nurses use computer databases. "Back in high school, I never thought I'd be a librarian," says Birr. But in college, Birr realized she enjoyed research. "I'm happy at my job," she says. "I moved up the career ladder relatively quickly."

Biotech

Agriculture Food & Natural Resources

"I started college wanting to go into veterinary medicine," says Elizabeth Ashton, a recent biotech grad. "But I quickly learned science interested me." Ashton works at the Arizona Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University.

Ashton plans, coordinates, and carries out experiments. Afterwards, she performs histologies--analyzing tissue samples under a microscope. She also takes care of the animals, collects data, purchases lab items, and deals with budget problems. "I put out fires!" says Ashton.

Saffo says biotechnology will surpass information technology as an influence on society. Cloning, stem cell research, and the mapping of the human genome have already produced many jobs. Some are in biotech companies affiliated with large universities.

New start-up companies will race to market products. And they will need hundreds of scientists and business professionals. The various products may include nutraceuticals (enhanced foods) for humans and animals, intelligent hearing aids, and customized drugs and therapies. Also, look for powerful forensic tools and possible cures for diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that 58,000 jobs in agriculture and food will emerge each year until 2005.

Future Shock

No one knows for sure what the job market will be like tomorrow--or 10 years from now. BLS projections are informed guesses, not images of the future seen in a crystal ball. Many things can shake up the job market. Some careers can suddenly skyrocket while others slump.

Don't make career decisions based only on the "hot or not" temperature of a particular field. First, research the careers that attract you. Talk to people in them. Surf the Internet and read business magazines and newspapers. Look at the trends. But the bottom line is still this: Find a field that's fulfilling for you.

Job Match

Match these "top jobs" with
the appropriate areas of
interest. Write letters from
column 2 on the lines in
column 1. Be prepared to
discuss your choices in class.

Jobs                    Interest:

FBI agent               a. experimenting
InfoTech consultant     b. finance
Investment counselor    c. investigating
Legal librarian         d. law
Physician assistant     e. math
Research pharmacist     f. science
Security consultant     g. solving problems
Solar engineer          h. the welfare of others
                        i. working with data
                        j. working with technology

You Make What?!

Here is a sampling of some hot jobs and the approximate salaries you could expect to earn.

Petroleum engineer (entry-level)--$53,878

Nuclear engineer (entry-level)--$49,609

Radiology technician--$36,000

Special librarian--$60,000-$65,000

Information security specialist--$65,000

Pharmacist (entry-level)--$79,000

Pharmaceutical sales--$100,000

Physical therapist--$58,300

Figures based on current data from Employment Review National Association of College and Employers, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Challenger, Gray & Christmas

take Action

Follow these steps to find out more about a hot job in today's market

Step 1: Below is a list of careers and career areas, many of which are mentioned in the Focus article. Select two or three that you are interested in learning more about. Write them on the lines provided.

Accountant

Actuary

Agribiotech

Audiologist

Auditor

Bioengineer

Biotechnologist

Cardiologist

Chemist

Computer network manager

Electrical engineer

EMT

Energy field

Federal law enforcement

Financial planner

Government worker

Information technologist

Insurance adjuster

Insurance agent

Lab technician

Librarian

Medical sonographer

Mortgage banker

Nuclear engineer

Nuclear medicine technician

Nutritionist

Occupational therapist

Oncologist

Pharmaceutical sales

Pharmacist

Phlebotomist

Physical therapist

Physician

Polysomnography technician

Private investigator

Radiologist

Researcher

Security consultant

Security guard

Key into the Future

I would like to learn more about (a)--, (b) --, and (c)

Step 2: Think of people you know (you don't have to know them well) who are involved in the careers you listed. If you don't know anyone, think of someone who might be able to refer you to someone in the field. For example, if you don't know anyone in pharmaceutical sales, you could ask a pharmacist for contact information. Write the names of people in the careers (or someone who could tell you) in the spaces below.

For information about a career in (a)--

I could talk to

For a career in (b)--, I could talk to

For a career in (c)--, I could talk to

Step 3: Select one of these careers to follow up on. Write your choice and your contact person here:

Career:

Name of Contact:

Step 4: Prepare a list of interview questions that will help you find out more about this career. On the lines that follow each topic below, write a specific question or two to ask.

1. Education and training

2. Job responsibilities

3. National trends affecting the career

4. Job challenges

5. Job satisfactions

6. Skills

7. Personality traits

8. Job setting

9. Trends for the future

10. Other

Step 5: Conduct the interview.

Step 6: Report back to the class what you learned.

Hot Job Trends

Students will become familiar with jobs that currently are hot because of national trends. Career Clusters: Health Science; Law, Public Safety & Security; Education & Training; Information Technology; Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics.

REVIEW/DISCUSS

* What are some hot fields now? (health care, security, librarian, information technology, energy and environment, biotechnology)

* What skills and personal qualities are a good match for each type of hot job?

* What national trends are creating hot jobs? (an aging population, dependence on science and technology, retirement of federal workers, importance of biotechnology, and the need for new energy sources)

* How should a young person weigh the "hotness" of a job against his or her own interests?

* What trends do you think will affect jobs in the future?

ACTIVITIES

1. Allow each student to select a hot job mentioned in the article to research in depth and report on in class.

2. Invite students to bring newspaper and magazine articles about national trends and hot jobs to class. Have them summarize these articles and post them on a classroom bulletin board.

3. Encourage students to project a current trend today into the future to identify a hot job of tomorrow.

4. Define biotechnology, and assign groups of students to research what a biotechnology company does.

5. Ask students which of the hot jobs interests them most. Have them complete Reproduction Master 1 to analyze how their interests intersect with hot job fields.

6. Have students create career ladders for one of the hot job fields.

teacher resource

"The 50 Best Jobs for the 21st Century," video, $169; "Careers for the 21st Century," 21 videos, $1,699; Social Studies School Service, 10200 Jefferson Blvd., PO. Box 802, Culver City, CA 90232-0802, (800) 421-4246. "Future Careers," video, $89.95; Meridian Education Corporation, P.O. Box 911, Monmouth Junction, NJ 088520911, (800) 727-5507. "Health Care Video Series," four videos, $375; "Career Clusters," four videos ($319.95) or DVDs ($419.95); "Emerging Careers Video Library," five videos, $450; Cambridge Educational, PO. Box 931, Monmouth Junction, NJ 088520931, (800) 468-4227.

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