The global recession is responsible for large numbers of job losses on a daily basis and there are currently few signs that things are going to improve. In the US, the International Labor Organization (ILO) forecasts the loss of 20 million jobs by the end of 2009, mainly in construction, real estate, financial services and the automobile sector. In China, more than 20 million workers have lost their jobs since Christmas.
While no industry is immune to the negative effects of the global recession, there are employment areas with better job prospects than others, and indeed some business sectors: mobile technology, for example, is thriving. If you are looking for a new challenge in 2009, you may want to consider concentrating your efforts on areas that may offer the best potential opportunities for an interesting and rewarding position.
o Security: National security and national and international intelligence services have abundant employment options today with no signs of an imminent decline in demand for people with the right skills. Analysis, languages and administration for example. Government promises to increase the number of police officers also offer opportunities in law enforcement, customs and other types of public service roles.
o Health and welfare: spending on social housing remains high, for staff ranging from accountants to construction workers. There is also a continuing need for health professionals, social workers, and teachers. Opportunities for nurses, physicians, psychologists and psychotherapists, analysts, caregivers, physician assistants, physical therapists, home health aides, medical records personnel, and health information technicians may even grow during the recession. Such is the current shortage of social workers that the Local Government Association (LGA) is urging recently retired social workers to return to the profession in a bid to resolve the staff shortage.
o Legal and financial professions: professionals with expertise in the claims and compensation industries, as well as cost savings, or those who deal with bankruptcy and contract disputes. Purchasing auditors and managers, purchasing specialists, internal auditors, and interim senior finance officers are in demand, and as more companies revise their business models, consultants, managers, lawyers, and bankers with experience in doing business more efficiently during a recession are proving invaluable.
o Environmental Sector – While many commentators in the past have dismissed green as a “nice to have” luxury, it is now becoming an essential business as many organizations now have “kilowatt budgets” alongside traditional monetary ones. New green jobs, including Renewable Energy Specialists and Energy Efficiency Consultants, offer many employment opportunities with renewable energy experience, the best skill to have. Employed by cost-cutting and green companies alike, energy efficiency advisers are also in demand as the UK tries to reduce its dependence on foreign oil and gas.
o IT: Telecom and Technology: Many technology and telecom maintenance professionals will keep their jobs as companies think about maintenance rather than upgrades. Some areas of IT are strong and even experiencing growth – here is a list of the 10 most secure IT sectors according to businessreviewonline.com
or Virtualization
or open source
or green IT
o Cloud computing (and SaaS)
o Data loss prevention
or mobile computing
o Integration and BPM
o Information management and research
o Monitoring of business activity (BA)
o Social networks and online collaboration tools
o Underwriting: Demand for all classes of underwriters among insurance companies remains strong, as prospect screening is key to managing risk. Interestingly, Admiral, whose Confused.com website accounts for more than 15 per cent of all new car premiums in Britain, recently announced record profits and plans to expand into the US market.
o Engineering: There is a continuing strong demand for qualified engineers in construction, project management and civil engineering, particularly for work related to the 2012 Olympic Games.