Career Planning
Sales professionals, health care, trades and energy sectors remain strongJobs with staying powerThe global recession has taken its toll on numerous sectors, but health care, information technology, energy and skilled trades will remain strong regardless of the economic climate, while demand for sales professionals leads the pack. LINDA WHITE -- Special to Sun Media |
|
|
That’s according to placement agency Manpower Inc., which gazed into its crystal ball to predict what’s hot and what’s not.
“It’s a moving target because the world is moving so fast today but there are a couple of areas where you can almost guarantee huge growth and opportunity,” says Byrne Luft, vice-president of marketing.
Job prospects abound for healthcare workers.
“We have two situations impacting that industry,” says Luft. “There’s a decrease in skills because of demographics and an increase in demand because of demographics.”
Demand is right across the board and includes everything from nurses and doctors to physician, medical and physiotherapy assistants.
Canada’s information technology sector also remains hot.
“Companies and industries are trying to become more efficient … and need technology to do that,” says Luft.
All kinds of workers are in demand, including software engineers, application specialists, network administrators and programmers. But it’s not a sector in which you can rest on your laurels. “It’s a field in which lifelong learning is critical,” says Luft.
OTHER SOLID SECTORs
The energy sector is also proving itself to be a sure bet.
“When you think of green energy jobs, those are engineers, tradespeople, life sciences, and even some technicians and operators in the advanced manufacturing sector,” says Byrne. “Canada is really growing in that space.”
Steady job opportunities are also available at executive levels in both the public and private sectors, and skilled trades are also in demand. However, according to a Manpower survey conducted two years running, salespeople topped the list of high demand jobs in Canada and around the world.
What careers should you avoid?
“Anything that can be off-shored, such as old manufacturing and call centres; any jobs that can be moved to where labour can be less expensive,” says Luft. “When you think of IT, you have to think through what that looks like, too, because programmers and web designers can all be shipped offshore.”
Want to make sure your skills remain in demand?
“This recession and downturn has taught us a lesson: if you’re in a position or career that’s becoming obsolete or might be impacted by a recession, get some other skills to protect yourself,” says Luft.
Certainly, the economic downturn has encouraged many people to take stock of their skills and “retool and reposition themselves,” says Gervan Fearon, dean of Ryerson’s The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education in Toronto. “When we do come out of the recession, how are they positioned to take advantage of growth areas?”
In addition to the careers listed above by Manpower, social assistance, accommodation and food services, warehousing and education services are showing resiliency, Fearon notes. Early childhood education is also gaining ground.
“The environment is absolutely a significant area, not just simply from a regulatory point of view but an opportunity point of view,” says Fearon. “Look at the auto industry. Consumers are demanding greener products.” Ryerson’s Environmental Public Health Leadership program is designed to help students take advantage of the growing interest in green.
At the same time, the balance of hard and soft skills is particularly important in today’s job market. “The ability to work in a team and to bring value to an organization, whether in communication, management, accounting or marketing, those kinds of core competencies are always very much in demand,” says Fearon.
As people think about what kind of credentials will help them in their careers, he encourages them to do some exploring of school calendars and above all, remain optimistic.
“We’ve experienced a downturn but not necessarily as deep as other countries,” says Fearon. “Canada is amazingly well positioned for the future.”
linda.white@rogers.com
How often do you tweet on Twitter?