Transition Insight

What Career Fields Will Grow in 2011?

By Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, CMRC, CFRW
www.militaryresumewriters.com and www.careerproplus.com

As 2010 passes away into history as one of the most tumultuous and disappointing years for American job seekers, all eyes turn to 2011 with a combination of hope and dreads. As bleak as things remain for an American economy that continues to bleed jobs and red ink, all is certainly not lost. Despite the often over-hyped news reports, jobs are still available and people are still being hired. So where are the Hot Jobs expected to be found in the coming year?

Some of the top career fields expected to grow in 2011 include:

Information Technology
Computer jobs took a major hit over the past couple of years as wavering companies put costly upgrade projects on hold and delayed hardware and software purchases. Many of these projects can't be put off any longer. The advances in IT capabilities and the benefits they bring to corporations make network improvements a virtual necessity to remain competitive.

Health Care and Medical
As the population ages, more health care professionals are needed. Most of these positions require a significant investment of time, money and study, however, so many positions are in high demand. Concerns over changes in health insurance laws and malpractice lawsuits have driven many out of the industry as well, but if you care about taking care of people, an investment in yourself can really pay off in this field. Many professional medical and dental assistant or medical billing specialist positions don't require attending years of medical school.

Social Services and Teaching
The fact that many people are out of work actually increases the need for jobs like technical trainers, life coaches, and social workers. Accounting and customer service personnel are needed to maintain unemployment records and process unemployment or welfare checks and food stamps. Counselors and office workers for unemployment centers offer hope and guidance to many who need it the most.

Arts and Communications
You have a better chance at getting struck by lightening (twice) than to make it big as an actor or musician, but many people find steady work in the Arts. Graphic design, promotional writing, advertising, and events management remain in high demand, as do technical and support positions for convention centers, public events, radio stations, and computer game developers.

Construction
One of the hardest hit areas of the economic collapse was construction, led by the housing bubble burst that led to a corporate halt of any construction or renovation that wasn't absolutely necessary. As the economy returns, however, those long-delayed projects will come back in full force. Even now, do-it-yourselfers are turning to licensed handymen and local hardware stores to seek advice or services for home improvements. If you're ambitious and handy with tools, you may find a rewarding career here, even if it means many smaller jobs rather than showing up at a large construction site. Certain government regulations now mandate complete replacement of older air conditioning and heating units with energy smart devices, rather than repair serviceable equipment. Many companies will need additional sales, customer service and office staff.

Accounting
As people default on loans and credit, companies need to hire more accountants to maintain accurate books and follow up on collection efforts. As tax laws become more labyrinthine, people skilled at finding deductions are worth their weight in gold – sometimes literally.

Science
Science continues to advance in various areas of research. Many positions are filled by technicians who learn on the job, supporting larger research efforts by handling repetitive tasks and testing procedures. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to work in rocket science.

Homeland Security
Ever since 9/11, Homeland Security has been growing. In a field that is constantly changing to face new challenges, skilled law enforcement, military and Intelligence personnel are in high demand, as are research analysts, writers and support personnel. the Transportation Security Authority continues to expand, requiring trainers who can develop course materials on a variety of topics.

Travel and Tourism
As people adjust to new income levels, eventually they take the time to reward themselves with at least a weekend getaway. As the value of the American dollar continues to shrink against the Euro, more and more are planning "staycations," where they take a vacation but stay closer to home. As a result, local restaurants, hotels and nearby tourist attractions are starting to see a resurgence in travel dollars.

Which field is right for you? That depends on you. As tempting as it is to jump into anything that will give you a paycheck, you don't want to be miserable. Try to find jobs in a field you truly enjoy. If you have to take a job just to pay the bills that doesn't mean you have to end your job search. Keep your eyes open and keep a positive attitude. There are opportunities out there, even if you may have to look harder nowadays to find them.

Barbara Adams, President and CEO of CareerPro Global (CPG), the parent company of www.careerproplus.com and www.militaryresumewriters.com, has been a member of the careers community for the past 20 years. Ms. Adams holds four prestigious industry certifications. CareerPro Global is the only ISO 9001-2008 Certified Career Service in the industry, as well as one of the fastest-growing Military, Federal, and Civilian Resume-Writing and Careers-Coaching companies. The team of Certified Professional Federal and Military Resume Writers at CPG assist thousands of clients in applying for and gaining employment each year. We can help you land your military to civilian job.

Is there any good Unemployment News for Veterans? The answer is ...

By Rick Maze

The job market appears to have worsened for veterans overall in November, but it has slightly improved for young veterans, according to Labor Department data released earlier this month.

For all veterans, the unemployment rate was 8.6 percent in November, lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.8 percent for the month but higher than the 8.3 percent rate for veterans recorded in October.

The job market continues to be harder for young veterans than older ones, but there has been some improvement. For veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan era, the November unemployment rate is 10 percent, a drop from 10.6 percent in October and very close to the national unemployment rate.

The national unemployment rate rose from 9.6 percent in October, a sign of continued economic problems and very little growth in the number of available jobs. The Labor Department reports a net increase of just 39,000 jobs across the U.S. in November. Increases in health care and temporary services employment were offset by declines in retail and manufacturing, according to Keith Hall, head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the arm of the Labor Department that tracks unemployment.

DOD Seeks to Better Support Disabled Employees

By Terri Moon Cronk, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2010 – The Defense Department employs about 45,000 workers with disabilities, but needs to boost awareness of a program to support, hire and retain them, according to the DOD’s director of disability programs.

"There's a lot of diversity in individuals with disabilities," Stephen King said. "And they range from learning disabilities to psychiatric [conditions], post-traumatic stress syndrome, which can really show itself in many ways in the workforce, from short-term memory loss or trouble focusing on a task, to individuals who are missing a limb or have another mobility impairment. A disabled individual could be blind or hard of hearing. It runs the gamut."

The number of defense civilian and military employees who are disabled could be higher; however, information is disclosed on a voluntary basis. But accurate statistics are key to knowing which defense programs are effective and which need extra resources, King said. "You cannot do that without the statistics to back it up."

"We know part of the changes, we need to make employees aware of the importance of self-identification because those statistics help us determine if the programs in place are effective, need to be expanded, or resources need to be better utilized some other place," he added.

The voluntary participation of individuals with disabilities has declined since the program's inception in 1987, King noted. He isn't sure why the numbers have dropped over the years, he said. Disabled vets coming on board, for example, might elect not to disclose a condition.

The DOD has always actively recruited individuals with disabilities, King said. Veterans have preference in applying for federal government jobs, and disabled veterans have an even higher priority for being hired into a job for which they qualify.

"Although we are hiring more disabled veterans, it's not the increase you'd expect," King said.

"The support for individuals with disabilities just hasn't led to the results we were expecting," he continued. "So, it's something that requires further evaluation, [and] to think outside of the box."

"We're not cutting back, we're not just getting started, and we need to do it a little more strategically," King said. "Now we're reviewing our procedures, programs, recruiting initiatives, and we do need to make improvements."

Guard, Reserve Can Nominate Employers for Awards

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Leisa Grant, National Guard Bureau

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2010 - Reserve-component servicemembers still have time to nominate their employers for the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the Defense Department's highest honor for employers who provide exceptional support for employees who serve in the National Guard or reserves.

They also can nominate their employers any time for the Patriot Award, which also recognizes outstanding support for Guard and Reserve employees.

A September change to the Patriot Award program allows spouses to nominate their employers for the Patriot Award for providing support such as allowing them time off or helping out their families while a servicemember is deployed. The Patriot Award is the only award available for spouse' employers.

Nominations for the Freedom Award may be submitted through Jan. 17. The names of all nominated employers will be announced in the spring, and the 15 Freedom Award recipients are expected to be announced in early summer, officials said.

The recipients for 2010 were:

• Bill Bragg Plumbing – San Francisco, CA
• City of Irvine Police Department – Irvine, CA
• Dollar General Corporation – Goodlettsville, TN
• East Carolina University – Greenville, NC
• Food Lion – Salisbury, NC
• Franklin’s Printing – Murfreesboro, TN
• Intuit Inc. – Mountain View, CA
• Legacy Sports International – Reno, NV
• Logistics Health Incorporated – La Crosse, WI
• Merck – Whitehouse Station, NJ
• Michigan State Police – Lansing, MI
• Newmont Mining Corporation – Denver, CO
• Southern Company – Atlanta, GA
• State of Hawaii – Honolulu, HI
• Yerecic Label – New Kensington, PA

For more information about the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award and recipients, and to nominate your employer for supporting your Guard or Reserve service, please visit: www.FreedomAward.mil