by Dawn Papandrea
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Lucky for you, says Joyce L. Gioia CSP, CMC, president of The Herman Group, a thinktank of workforce futurists based in Greensboro, N.C., "we've gone from a buyer's market for labor to a seller's market in many fields."
In other words, there's no excuse not to protect yourself from career burnout by applying top-quality knowledge (think a professional SPF 50!) to these sizzling industries in need of new hires.
Forensics
If you turn on the TV, you can probably find a show that deals with some aspect of forensics or crime scene dynamics, from "CSI" to "Forensic Files." In real life, the world of forensics is just as hot, with the demand for professionals who can perform DNA analysis, ballistics testing, blood splatter examination, and chemical experiments at an all-time high.
Even traditional career paths like nursing are seeking forensics specialists. Forensic nurses, who must earn an associate degree in nursing before obtaining their forensics certificate, can work in hospitals, medical examiners' (ME) offices, disaster preparedness, even law offices. Their specialty is helping set up forensically accurate exhibits for court cases.
Three years ago, Diane Kelley, R.N., began Kaplan University's online certificate in forensic nursing while juggling a night job and kids. When she graduated a year later, school officials suggested she consider a six-week internship offered with the ME's office. Upon completion, she managed to convince the office that her skills could help them out.
"This is the first time nurses have been involved in the chief medical examiner's office, so it's been a real breakthrough for us," Diane says. Equally groundbreaking are the duties she's called upon to perform, including cemetery views where she must check on bodies before they are cremated to ensure there are no irregularities that could suggest foul play.
Health Care Management
Doctors and nurses may be on the frontlines, but behind the scenes at many medical facilities are healthcare managers who assure smooth operations of the business kind.
Approximately 100,000 people are employed in health management positions, according to the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). With healthcare services on the rise 30 percent from 1996-2006 - accounting for 3.1 million new jobs - healthcare management is seeing one of the largest increases of any industry.
"Given the way healthcare is growing, mergers and rollups notwithstanding, there's an increasing demand for good healthcare administrators," says Joyce, who's also author of the business bestseller 'Impending Crisis, Too Many Jobs, Too Few People' (OakHill Press, 2002). Particularly hot, she says, is the continuum of care for the elderly (that's the broad spectrum of care that starts with totally independent assistant living to highly supervised 24-hour care).
Because of the nature of the field, advanced study like a master's degree in healthcare management is usually required. Students can pursue graduate degrees in business and public administration, with course concentration in health services management. They may also seek out joint degrees such as business administration and public health, or in healthcare management and law. Coursework typically includes healthcare policy and law, marketing, organizational behavior, healthcare financing, human resources, and other healthcare management topics. Some programs may also include a supervised internship, residency, or fellowship.
If you're looking for a more hands-on, entry-level role in the healthcare field, consider becoming a medical assistant. Why? For starters, the position is projected to grow a whopping 59 percent through 2012, according to the BLS.
Accounting
Sizzling plus in demand equals accounting?! In light of recent legislation and high-profile corporate scandal, that equation says one thing - accounting is hot, illustrated by the fact that the number of accounting degrees awarded nationwide in 2003 jumped 11 percent from the previous year.
What's more is that online learning's technology is making accounting accessible to more people, allowing them connect numbers and concepts despite never setting foot on campus. Adam Mikolajczak, who has taken several online accounting courses through Baker Online, explains that technology like video-cams and real-time simulations of events enhances study of the number-crunching field. "Instead of dry textbook theories, practical terms seem to come alive."
The job outlook is alive and kicking also, with both large and small companies experiencing a hiring boom, says Tom Ward, Jr., corporate relations manager at the Career Center of St. John's University (Queens, N.Y.). "Even mom-and-pop shops are being vigilant in terms of accounting." What's desired across the board, he points out, is not only a strong knowledge of finance, but people skills as well.
"You need the right type of personality to say 'let me see your books,' and balance those political and interpersonal skills with foundational knowledge," Ward explains.
Computer Software Engineering
If you're driven by the digital world, why not capitalize on your cyber-savviness? With fast-growing fields such as computer software engineering, you can write your own code for a career opportunity that is exciting, cutting-edge and creative - and one that is ranked as a fastest growing career through 2012 by the BLS.
According to Joyce, advanced manufacturing is partly responsible for driving the demand for software engineers. "It's a marriage of manufacturing and IT. It's taking systems and procedures and processes that were normally exclusively done manually, and [instead] programming machines to help people get the job done," she explains.
In today's rapidly evolving world, the role of a computer software engineer changes quickly, requiring a huge commitment to continuing education. According to the BLS, a computer software engineer must understand the intricacies of computer science, such as engineering and mathematical analysis, as well as the design, development, testing, and evaluation of computer software and systems.
Properly trained software engineers are expected to become leaders in their field, specifically ones who continually strive to acquire new skills in a solutions-driven environment. Robert Savage, who recently completed his online bachelor's degree in computer science through Regis University, can attest to that.
As an applications software engineer at control systems manufacturer AMX Corporation, he says writing software is his passion. "In fact, I started programming on Commodore VIC-20's at age eight," he says. Now, having lived out his childhood dream, he takes pride in his education and profession. "I like to create solutions to create increased efficiency and productivity."
Entrepreneur
Always dreamed of opening your own business? You're not alone. In fact, in 2003, there were approximately 23.7 million small businesses (defined as an independent business having fewer than 500 employees) in the United States, according to the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy. Unfortunately, only about half of all new businesses survive at least four years, reports the U.S. Census.
To get an entrepreneurial edge, many are turning to education to acquire skills like creating a business plan and analyzing potential markets. With such overwhelming demand for do-it-yourself business training, degree programs like the MBA in Entrepreneurship, offered online at Jones International University (JIU), are designed to teach students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Such lessons include how to launch a new business, as well as function successfully in a corporation that employs entrepreneurial management strategies.
"Some students have actually taken a [class] project and used that as the basis for starting their own business," says Richard Thompson, Ph.D., JIU's academic chair of business administration. For those who don't start up new ventures right away, entrepreneurial study makes them popular hires for corporations looking to start a new division, he assures.
Paralegals
Paralegals help lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings, as well as investigate the facts of cases. They may even be called upon to help lawyers prepare legal arguments, draft pleadings and motions to be filed with the court, obtain affidavits, and assist attorneys during trials.
What makes the field piping hot? The fact that paralegals can find work in a number of places and in a variety of ways has the profession projected to increase by 35 percent through 2012. In addition, for career changers, becoming a paralegal allows you to draw upon previous professional knowledge , increasing your marketability.
"Paralegals can apply a medical background into a legal career that deals with malpractice, for instance, assisting in reading medical records, evaluating cases, etc.," says Louise Gussin, academic director of legal studies at University of Maryland University College (UMUC), which offers an online paralegal certificate program. "A lot of lawyers don't have a medical background."
The same concept can be applied in other areas of specialty, she says, including corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, or real estate. While some paralegals benefit from on-the-job training, the BLS suggests that most employers prefer graduates of paralegal education programs.
Louise, who is a former paralegal graduate of UMUC's program, and is now an attorney and educator, notes that because law firms are realizing they can bill clients for paralegal consultation at a fraction of the cost of an attorney, the field is exploding. "Paralegals offer a delivery of services that are more efficient and affordable," she says, "and they can do anything from interviewing clients, to gathering evidence, and conducting legal research."
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