With 240,000 Americans losing their jobs in October, the job market for soon-to-be college graduates is grim. The United States unemployment rate has soared to 6.5 percent, the highest it has been since March 1994. But don’t fret. In the midst of this unemployment chaos, the U.S. Department of Labor still predicts significant increases in the demand for certain careers through 2016.
CareerVoyages.gov, a Web site run by the Department of Labor, cites advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, construction, education, energy, health care, homeland security, hospitality, biotechnology, geospatial technology and nanotechnology as the industries expect to see the most growth in the next eight years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that positions as pilots, special education teachers, industrial engineers, emergency medical technicians, registered nurses, private detectives, elementary school teachers, etc. will increase by more than nine percent by 2016. There are even a few careers expected to grow more than 27 percent: substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, environmental science and protection technicians, pharmacy technicians, computer software engineers, personal financial advisors and veterinarians.
A few professions have been getting more press lately than others due to their high projected growth rates and their median salaries, among them are dental hygienist, usability specialist and sustainability director. The horizon is particularly bright for those wanting to be dental hygienists — as a Nov. 9 headline in the Austin American-Statesman read, “Opportunity in dental hygiene field is open wide.” The U.S. Department of Labor expects employment in this field to grow 30 percent through 2016, which, according to the Statesman, is well above average growth rates. The fact that most dental hygienists work part time and earn more than $60,000 a year makes this profession especially attractive.
What are commonly being called “green-collar jobs” are also in high demand. As Americans are becoming more environmentally conscious, they are seeking products and services from companies that are environmentally responsible. In conjunction with this, companies from nearly every industry are seeing the competitive advantage of sustainability and have begun to seek professionals who will help operations become more environmentally responsible. Wal-mart, Patagonia, IKEA, Mitsubishi, Dow Chemical and countless universities have created special jobs for green professionals that they are calling “sustainability directors” and “green-collar consultants.” According to an article in Outside Online, “For Jill Dumain, director of environmental analysis at Patagonia, tasks have included installing solar panels and helping the cafeteria serve more organic foods.” To break into this career field, students should take courses and get experience in the fields of business and environmental science. The salary for an MBA with a focus in sustainability, a degree now offered by at least 35 universities, starts at $65,000 and can be more than $100,000. (UT’s MBA program offers an interdisciplinary concentration called Social Enterprise that includes courses such as the Management Sustainability practicum, Topics in Sustainable Development and Strategic Corporate Responsibility.)
If you’re interested in design, look no further than the up-and-coming field of user experience. U.S. News and World Report lists usability specialists, or user experience specialists, as one of its Best Careers for 2008. Their Web site describes usability specialists as professionals who “make sure that products, especially technical ones, are easy and pleasurable to use. First, they observe and interview potential users to identify their needs and preferences. After a prototype is developed, they watch and interview potential users again and suggest revisions.” With the ever-growing list of products being developed, user experience is a rapidly growing field. A usability specialist can enter the field with a bachelors degree in computer science, cognitive psychology, anthropology, library science, marketing and more. To break into this field, try building up your resume with experience in customer service, marketing and product development. Give yourself an edge over competitors by graduating with a masters in usability. The median salary for a usability specialist is $98,800.
Visit The Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site or CareerVoyages.gov to learn about other high-growth jobs or to see the projections for a career path you’ve already chosen. In the case of many students, obtaining a job in one of these rapidly growing, new-age career fields is a matter of tweaking the major you already have and the activities in which you are already involved.
Though we are living in a challenging era of sweeping layoffs and plummeting stocks, there is no need to panic. In fact, opportunity abounds in economic crisis, with a new world of lucrative, fulfilling careers that will be in high demand. I urge the bright and hard-working students at this university to take advantage of this changing occupational paradigm.
O’Brien is a Plan II and psychology senior.
