We hear a lot about the sluggishness of the economy, and a lot of that talk revolves around the lack of jobs and the stubbornly high (over 8 percent nationally) unemployment rate.
What you don’t hear about as much are the high demand jobs — the areas where demand is growing and jobs are relatively plentiful if you happen to have the right set of skills and experience.
Job Board giant CareerBuilder has identified these areas of employment that are growing at an accelerated rate nationally, and they have compiled a sample of occupations for which job listings have increased more than 30 percent since this time last year.
10 fast growth jobs
Yes, these are jobs that everybody seems to be trying to fill.
According to CareerBuilder, the occupations with more than 30 percent growth in job listings since last year are:
- Software Engineer – job listings are up 74 percent year-over-year. CareerBuilder’s analysis: With the proliferation of smart devices and the Internet and the race to get innovations to market first, tech-savvy workers are in high demand.
- Customer Service Representative – up 50 percent. CB analysis: Companies continue to invest in strengthening customer loyalty and extending sales opportunities across industries.
- Social Media Manager – up 48 percent. CB analysis: A position that didn’t exist in many companies five years ago, social media managers are being added to employee rosters as companies tap into the power of Facebook, Twitter and other venues to increase visibility, market their products and manage brand perceptions.
- Truck Driver – up 45 percent. CB analysis: An uptick in manufacturing activity and the demand for goods and services are keeping the roads busy.
- Pharmacy Technician – up 43 percent. CB analysis: An aging population and a sharp increase in the number of Americans with access to medical care is driving demand across health-related professions.
- Training & Development Manager – up 41 percent. CB analysis: Despite a tough job market, one-third of employers currently have positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates and half of all employers reported they have plans to hire workers who have no experience in their industries and train them. They need training managers to help fill the gaps for high skill positions and get employees up to speed.
- Financial Analyst – up 39 percent. CB analysis: Still recovering from one of the deepest recessions felt across the globe, companies need individuals who can provide guidance on market trends and investment decisions.
- Video Editor – up 36 percent. CB analysis: Forty-eight hours of video are uploaded on YouTube every minute. Companies continue to invest in ways to take their messages and initiatives viral. Video has become an integral way organizations share news about their organizations externally and internally.
- Sales Representative – up 35 percent. CB analysis: Companies need individuals who can deepen market penetration and drive top-line growth for their organizations.
- Chef/Cook – up 34 percent. CB analysis: Restaurant and food service jobs are increasing as the economy improves and households have more flexibility in spending.
I’m not terribly surprised by this list given that we’ve seen other lists published recently than listed some of the same occupations. Fact is, there are jobs out there to be had despite the mediocre economy and high unemployment rate.
All of these are good occupations — if you have the right skills, and, are willing to work for the right wages. If you’re on the other end of the hiring equation, well, good luck with your recruiting efforts, because having this list out there probably won’t make your job any easier.