Hottest Careers for Non-Techies
by Jim Pollock
If you are a computer genius or a top-notch engineer, your skills are likely to be in high demand in any job market. But most of us are not techies, so where does that leave us?
There are plenty of promising career tracks out there for the non-techie majority, and knowing where the jobs are is a crucial first step in charting a successful career path.
Fortunately, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has already done the legwork to track down where the jobs are likely to be, projecting the percentage change in various fields in its report, "The 2000-10 Job Outlook in Brief".
Here is a selection of various non-technical careers that the BLS expects will experience "faster than average" or "much faster than average" growth. Be sure to read on to the end of the article, where we identify a few job tracks you might want to avoid.
Management, business, and finance
- Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers: 229,000 new jobs.
- Financial analysts and personal financial planners: 69,000 new jobs.
- Management analysts: 145,000 new jobs.
- Medical and health-services managers: 81,000 new jobs.
- Property, real estate, and community association managers: 61,000 new jobs.
- Counselors: 120,000 new jobs.
- Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists: 147,000 new jobs.
- Social and human service assistants: 147,000 new jobs.
- Social workers: 141,000 new jobs.
- Teacher assistants: 301,000 new jobs.
- Teachers-postsecondary: 315,000 new jobs.
- Teachers-special education: 140,000 new jobs.
- Paralegals and legal assistants: 62,000 new jobs.
- Physical therapists: 44,000 new jobs.
- Physician assistants: 31,000 new jobs.
- Registered nurses: 561,000 new jobs.
- Speech-language pathologists and audiologists: 40,000 new jobs.
Each of these career tracks presents the most promising opportunities to candidates with specialized skills. But what is the best way to develop skills--on the job, or through education?
According to BLS, education, or a combination of education and experience, offer a significant advantage over on-the-job training or work experience with no additional training.
Today it's easier than ever for professionals to get the education they need while still on the job, either through campus-based learning or online programs.
Think twice ...
Here are a few fields you would probably be wise to avoid. Technical advances have allowed companies to automate tasks that were formerly performed by employees:
Declining Fields
- Data entry and information processing workers: 32,000 fewer jobs
- Tellers: 59,000 fewer jobs
- Order clerks: 71,000 fewer jobs
- Postal Service workers: 4,500 fewer jobs
Try to speak with someone in your targeted profession to determine what qualifications you need, and whether you'd really like the work. The most promising fields require specialized education, and education takes time and money. You don't have to be a techie to get a good job, but more often than not, you will need the right credentials.
Learn about career-oriented programs.
Jim Pollock is producer of the Encarta eLearning Center.