I am by no means a Navi, but I am a human resources professional and I do quite a bit of reading about what’s happening in the job market. I am in regular contact with employers and recruiters. I also speak to professionals in various fields.
What I have learned is that the job market is continually evolving. In 2014, occupations and opportunities that were stable 30 or even 10 years ago aren’t. Law and medicine have fundamentally changed and will continue to change. Law school applications in 2013 were significantly down. Furthermore, the supply of new law school graduates appears to significantly exceed demand for entry-level attorneys. Some college degrees have value and others are irrelevant. It is not a good idea to depend on legacy information and invest precious resources and energy in training for “traditional” fields, without examining likely outcomes—which can be counterproductive. It is important to research overall trends instead of pointing to seemingly successful individuals as proof of openings in a field. Those individuals might very well be exceptions to the rules.
Young people, parents, and those already in the workforce each have different perspectives. Young people are just starting out. They may be involved in different endeavors and might be financially dependent to some extent. Parents are responsible for educating, nurturing, and mentoring. In our community, this includes providing an education that fills the need for requisite religious values and standards. Adults, already in the workforce, are responsible for themselves and their families.
Work is a part of life and preparing for it should be taken seriously. The specific field that one chooses starting out should be one that deals with an individual’s acumen, passion, and practical viability. Given that most of us spend the majority of our waking hours at work, preparing for it, and decompressing from it, career planning deserves mature and informed attention.
Nationally, the official unemployment rate has dropped to 6.7 percent from above 7 percent. Before anyone gets too optimistic, another index, the “U-6,” includes those receiving unemployed benefits in addition to those whose time has run out for them, those who are underemployed, and those who have essentially dropped out of the active workforce. That is now over 13 percent! In the Tri-State area, the latest unemployment rates are 7.8 percent for New Jersey, 7.4 percent for New York, and 7.6 percent for Connecticut. In Bergen County, unemployment is 5.6 percent, and in New York City, it is 8.5 percent. These rates are based on location of residence.
Not surprisingly, the top starting salaries are for two “STEM” areas, Engineering and Computer Science. Business is also high, which might be attributed to the fact that many of the people majoring in business already have business experience and are going back to school for their degree. The top paying jobs over the past few years include IT roles in the form of Software and Web Developers, Financial Analysts, and Petroleum Engineers. Based on my unscientific observation, here are eight job categories which are in-demand now. My commentary is included:
Java and .Net Programmers—These are two examples of programming platforms that are much in demand. Other examples of IT specialties include Cloud and mobile app Developers, Cyber Security, Linux SysAdmins, MySQL, and Oracle Database administrators. Given the dominance of and dependence on technology, much has been said about how critical it is to be able to “code.” In some respects, coding is just as important as spoken or written English today. These specialties change when new technologies are introduced. Being able to learn and adapt is one of the reasons that skilled IT people are in high demand.
Web Programmers and Designers—These are two different skill sets. While some people will have experience in both, each is in demand. Every organization has a web presence and someone needs to build, modify, update, and manage content. Designers are typically more aesthetically astute, frequently with insight into the psychology of the user experience.
Social Media Professionals—These are people who know how and where to post information on behalf of companies for marketing and customer engagement purposes, not people who post personal material to Facebook five times a day. The growth of online marketing via collaboration, copy, graphics, and video is transforming how many organizations will engage and solicit new customers.
Analytics—With “Big Data” harvesting, companies need people who can analyze and parse it in order to provide useful competitive information to the organization. This applies to financial as well as other sectors. Analytics involves statistics, math, and visually reporting usable information.
Paralegals—Law firms are not hiring many associates. They are seeking less-expensive staff to perform tasks such as document reviews and preparing legal briefs.
Physician Assistants—Even before the Affordable Care Act, PAs have been in demand to support health care providers, especially given the shortage of primary care physicians. An alternative might be Nurse Practitioner programs. Of course, in the healthcare sector, the options to practice will depend on the state. So, inquiring into and possessing the appropriate certifications and licensing is important.
Administrative Assistants—Quality and skilled Administrative Assistants are always in demand. However, skill-set expectations have increased beyond reception, filing, and data entry. Those who can do that and just want a comfortable job will not go far. Companies are seeking people who are tech-savvy and proficient in all aspects of Microsoft Office. Most likely, they will be performing Accounts Receivable/Payable and expected to be skilled in Quickbooks. Most of these positions are full-time, but many have competitive compensation and benefits for the ideal person.
Accountants and Bookkeepers—Accounting appears to be making a comeback. This speaks to the idea that record keeping in any organization (and for individuals) is so integral to keeping reality organized. Furthermore, doing so is required by law. However, many job openings require a B.S. in Accounting and solid work experience using current systems. Full-charge bookkeepers, while not having the credentials of accountants, are also much in demand.
This is not to say that there are no job opportunities in other fields. There certainly are. It is up to each individual to do his/her due diligence to speak with people already in the field and get the facts. Having a mentor is critical to career success. Having a faculty advisor and making use of a college career center is helpful and can provide a job hunter with resources and sound advice.
Elly D. Lasson, Ph.D. is Executive Director of Joblink of Maryland
By Elly D. Lasson, Ph.D.
