How To Rock Recession: Best Careers To Try
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013Guest post by Patrick Del Rosario
“There’s a recession going on? I thought that was over.”
While technically we’ve been out of the recession for a good long while now, job seekers can be forgiven for being a bit skeptical, because they haven’t really seen that translate to more work opportunities for them. And even when people do find work, there’s a larger question looming: how do I know I won’t just get let go again the next time there’s economic turmoil?
Luckily, the one bit of good that has come from this economic disaster is that we’ve been able to identify a number of jobs and industries that seem to be relatively unaffected by our recent troubles. And these aren’t the usual suspects—yes, it’s obvious that we’re always going to need doctors, nurses, and police officers, but those types of jobs aren’t for everyone.
That’s why we decided to find jobs that are on the upswing right now. If you’re just starting out or looking for a change, here are several careers that you might want to look into to see if they are right for you. All of the projected growth numbers are through 2016.
Mental Health Counselor. The number of people suffering from depression, trauma, and other difficult life issues has increased almost as much as the number of us dealing with weight issues, which has led to a projected growth in counselors of 30 percent. Hopefully the median pay will increase, too, because right now it’s at a fairly modest $38,000.
Financial Analyst. Wasn’t it the money people who got us into this mess in the first place? Well, apparently they didn’t hurt their job prospects at all by doing so, because the median salary for this kind of work is just over $77,000 and their numbers are expected to grow by 34 percent. Hopefully this time the people entrusted with helping businesses make smart investment decisions will actually do that—and find people who listen to them.
Skin Care Specialist. Looking at this job, which largely involves those people who work in spas and try to help us look good, you might find it hard to believe that we’re in serious economic trouble. I mean, who worries about getting facials when the economy is falling apart? Those looking for a career in this industry can rejoice in the fact that they’ll probably find a job (there’s 34 percent growth expected), then lament the fact that they’ll be making so little (under $30,000).
Dental Hygienist. Crave the comfort and order of working in an office all day but wish you could combine it with a job where you interact with people and help them out? Become a dental hygienist and you’ll have the best of both worlds with a career that is expected to grow by 30 percent in the next few years and has a median salary of over $62,000.
Performance Makeup Artist. Are you a whiz with outlandish makeup and artistic skin designs? Do you work well under pressure and excel at dealing with difficult personalities? Then you might want to consider a career as a makeup artist to the stars, whether that means turning Charlize Theron ugly or making Steve Buscemi pretty. Those who go into this line of work should have no trouble finding a job with 40 percent growth expected, and with a median salary of just under $37,000 they should be able to make at least a modest living.
Forensic Science Technician. Do you secretly have a desire to solve crimes using science and confront the bad guys with witty one-liners? Well, the only way you’re really going to be doing that is to become an actor on a TV show, but if you’re okay with just doing the crime-solving part, the forensic science industry is on the rise. 31 percent growth is expected over just a few years, and median pay right now is just over $48,000.
Personal and Home Care Aide. First the good news: people who like helping others (especially the elderly) around the house with personal care can expect to see a ridiculously high growth of 51 percent in their job market. What could be bad about that? The pay—the median salary is just over $18,000, which can only laughably be considered a livable wage.
About the Author: Patrick Del Rosario is a Filipino business and career ninja. He works at Open Colleges, one of the pioneers of Online education in Australia and one of the leading providers of human resources courses. Aside from blogging and being a business ninja, Patrick is an aspiring photographer. If you want to feature his writings on your site, connect with him at Google+ or at patrick (at) oc.edu.au.
