Hottest Jobs for 2009
INCOME EARNER>HOT JOBS
Hottest Jobs for 2009
If you’re thinking of working abroad or preparing for a global career that’s in the line with long-term trends, it pays to know what the job market demands
By Excel V. Dyquiangco
According to MSN Career, a “hot job” is defined as an industry that saw growth in the last quarter of 2008. Industries that are still continuing to thrive despite the global financial crisis include the following: professional and related occupations, business and financial operations, management, maintenance and repair occupations, sales and office occupations, service occupations, and installation.
Many college-bound students (and their parents) make the mistake of choosing a generic course hoping for a generic job afterwards (think business administration) without thinking of long-term career prospects. Others jumped on the latest job fad only to find the demand has slackened after they graduate. To ensure employability here and abroad, it’s important to know what the long-term trends are in the global job market.
Since the US is a pretty good representation of global career trends (most Filipinos migrate to the States), we used the list of the most in-demand jobs in the US as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) 2008-2009 Occupational Outlook Handbook. Most of these jobs have a projected growth until 2016.
Health and Diagnosing Treating
Healthcare is one of those areas that will continue to grow in developed and developing countries. It’s not surprising then those in the medical profession are highly in demand. Registered nurses have a healthy growth (587,000 new jobs are needed) and enjoy a high salary of almost $60,000. So yes, taking up nursing is still an excellent decision.
Similar in both growth and pay are radiation therapists and physical therapists.
But if you want to rake it in (and you happen to love animals), get a career as a vet as it pays very well. But if you don’t want to be a doctor (even of the furry kind), the fastest-growing job category is personal, home care aids, and physician assistants, which will grow by 51%. The salary however is not as great. If you like working with teeth (who doesn’t?), dental hygienists and dental assistants have a bright future ahead of them, but with double the income, it’s better to be the hygienist than an assistant.
| Jobs | Growth | Annual Salary |
| Registered nurses | 23% | $57,280 |
| Personal, home care aids, and physician assistants | 51% | $18,180 |
| Veterinarians | 35% | $71,990 |
| Physical therapists | 27% | $66,200 |
| Radiation therapists | 25% | $66,170 |
| Dental hygienists | 30% | $62,800 |
| Dental assistants | 29% | $21,260 |
Sales
Recession notwithstanding, there are still people out there who would like to buy new products and services. And with this comes a demand for people who would like to sell to them. A job in retail (as a salesperson, counter and rental clerk, demonstrator, or product promoter) pays just okay. It’s better to work as an advertising sales agent for a media company to earn twice.
| Jobs | Growth | Annual Salary |
| Retail salespeople | 12% | $23,940 |
| Counter and rental clerks | 23% | $19,570 |
| Advertising sales agents | 20% | $42,750 |
| Demonstrators and product promoters | 18% | $22,150 |
Education
Ahh, one of the favorite careers of migrants and overseas workers: the teacher. There’s great demand across all teaching professions, from preschool to college. An interesting and high-paying option is to work as an instructional coordinator, which develops the curriculum, select the materials, train teachers, assess programs, and help implement new technology in the classroom.
| Jobs | Growth | Annual Salary |
| Postsecondary teachers | 23% | $56,120 |
| Childcare workers | 18% | $18,820 |
| Elementary school teacher | 14% | $48,700 |
| Teacher assistants | 10% | $21,860 |
| Special education, preschool kindergarten, elementary | 20% | $46,360 |
| Instructional coordinators | 22% | $52,790 |
| Self-enrichment education | 23% | $33,440 |
Information Technology
Despite the shift in focus of computer schools such as AMA and STI to nursing courses, computer programmers remain in demand. By the year 2016, the employment rate may double. Software engineers, network system and data communication analysts, and database administrators see impressive growth in the coming years. They also happen to be paid very handsomely.
| Jobs | Growth | Annual Salary |
| Computer applications and computer systems software engineers | 45% | $79,780 |
| Network system and data communication analysts | 53% | $67,460 |
| Database administrators | 28% | $64,670 |
Business and Financial Operations
Maybe that business degree is not as generic after all. Financial planners are definitely a career for the future, with heady growth and great pay. It’s the same bright future for financial and management analysts. A surprising turnout: meeting and convention planners. If you like to organize events, the career prospects are actually quite good.
| Jobs | Growth | Annual Salary |
| Personal financial advisors | 41% | $66,120 |
| Financial analysts | 30% | $66,590 |
| Cost estimators | 19% | $52,000 |
| Management analysts | 22% | $68,050 |
| Meeting and convention planners | 20% | $42,180 |
Art and Design
Despite the ushering in of a new era for creative professionals, it’s odd that growth is modest for those the design field. However, the pay is quite decent. The higher demand actually is in the beauty business, with makeup artists, manicurists, and pedicurists enjoying robust growth.
| Jobs | Growth | Annual Salary |
| Interior designers | 19% | $40,120 |
| Graphic designers | 10% | $36,360 |
| Art directors | 9% | $62,260 |
| Manicurists and pedicurists | 27% | $21,000 |
| Makeup artists, theatrical performance | 39% | $32,820 |
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
It seems that more people are in need to take care of someone else’s automobiles and other equipment. Automotive service technicians and mechanics and medical equipment repairers see a high growth in the next years. If you’re good with your hands, this is an alternative career for you. Who knew mechanics can make more money than many office workers?
| Jobs | Growth | Annual Salary |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics | 14% | $33,780 |
| Medical equipment repairers | 22% | $40,580 |
Office and Administrative Support
You would think with all the outsourcing of call center operations to India and the Philippines, there won’t be much need for agents in the US. Surprisingly, demand is high and the salary is pretty good (you’d be an operations director here to earn a similar salary as a CSR in the US). And contrary to rumors, reports of the death of secretaries are grossly exaggerated.
| Jobs | Growth | Annual Salary |
| Customer service representatives | 25% | $28,330 |
| Medical secretaries, executive secretaries and administrative assistants | 15% | $37,240 |
| Bill and account collectors | 23% | $29,050 |
Construction
It’s crazy how blue-collar construction workers in the US are making good money while their counterparts here work for a pittance.
| Jobs | Growth | Annual Salary |
| Construction and building inspectors | 18% | $46,570 |
| Boilermakers, roofers, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers | 14% | $30,000 |
| Tile and marble setters | 15% | $36,590 |
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What about the Philippines?
Despite the sharp increase of commodities and services and the global financial crisis, the country has seen a steady growth of employment for the past year. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Employment (BLES), a growth of at least 1.6% occurred in the past year or more than half a million people (530,000) were employed in the labor force, particularly in the services sector (2.2%) and the agriculture, fishery and forestry sector (2.1%). The industry sector, meanwhile, decreased by 1.5% as this – particularly jobs in manufacturing and utilities – was the hardest hit.
Like the rest of the world, this country also has a list of the hottest jobs that you can consider. So which ones should you apply for this year? Or which skills do you need to develop so you can fill in this specific job? Whether you are an OFW who was sent back to the country or a housewife struggling to look for better opportunities, here are jobs that you might want to consider – recession or not.
Mining and Quarrying. The mining industry is a hot sector, so it’s not surprising that employment grew by 6% during the past year, although that translated to only 9,000 new workers in absolute terms.
Hotels and Restaurants. It’s a good time to be in the hospitality industry, as 45,000 new workers were hired in 2008, a healthy 5% growth.
Real Estate, Renting, and Business Services. The property sector was hot in 2008, with 68,000 new employees, or a 7.7% increase.
Public Administration & Defense, Compulsory Social Security. Civil service, anyone? The government remains the biggest employer, with 125,000 new jobs representing an 8.1% jump.
Health and Social Work. As expected, the healthcare sector is robust. Around 19,000 workers were added, about 5.1% growth.
