Workplace Challenges

Turn over a new career leaf

If you want to know where to steer your career in the new year, you first need to know where the jobs will be.

SHARON ASCHAIEK

[ 2008-01-14 ]

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Here, Mike Gooley, Toronto branch manager at Robert Half International, and Michela Syrie-Paul, manager of sales optimization at Quantum, weigh in on the nature of this year's employment market on a sector-by-sector basis, and discuss how job seekers and career builders can take advantage of the opportunities.

FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING

This year's hiring outlook is looking rosy for financial execs, who'll enjoy their pick among employers hungry for qualified professionals, particularly accountants and audit specialists.

"We're seeing ongoing compliance with corporate governance legislation, and so everything related to corporate governance has been heightened," Gooley says. "Where there's strong demand, salaries go up."

Payroll administrators and public accountants will also be sitting pretty, he says, as compensation rates are expected to rise in both areas.

HEALTH CARE

You've gotta love those baby boomers: the more demand they put on the health-care system, the more work there is for its employees.

"This sector continues to be very busy, and there's especially high demand for nurses and personal support workers," says Syrie-Paul, adding that there are also shortages of lab technicians and physiotherapists.

With the abundance of temporary contract positions, Syrie-Paul says, health-care workers enjoy the variety and flexibility of a variety of assignments.

Here, too, job shortages mean higher salaries for many health-care professionals.

"We're in a candidate-short market, so when the talent pool is so small, there has to be an increase in salary to attract people," she says.

ADMINISTRATION

Executive assistants and receptionists with up-to-date expertise will enjoy the benefits of strong demand in their field, Gooley says, as employers compete for them with offers of higher salaries and better benefits.

"There's an awareness out there that every single role in a company is important, and on the admin side, a skilled candidate who can add a lot of value is always very much in demand," Gooley says.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Syrie-Paul says that qualified customer service personnel continue to be in demand in call centres and among companies who need them to work on specific outsourced projects. Bilingual client services staff, she adds, are especially coveted and are most likely to be able to parlay part-time or temporary work into full-time positions.

"Because this market is so tight, to find really good customer service people, you want to pay them well to retain them," she says.

SALES AND MARKETING

In sales, business development professionals, account managers and sales co-ordinators will be in strong demand, Syrie-Paul says.

"We always seem to have lots of positions and interest from clients in sales," she says.

She says candidates with broad enough sales experience can also foray into marketing positions, which are abundantly available.

LEGAL

As legal firms continue to grow their corporate law departments and focus on addressing regulatory compliance issues, Gooley says, they're seeking to hire more lawyers. That demand, he says, will lead to salary increases for first-year associates at large law firms of about 7.3% over 2007.

GENERAL ADVICE

Both experts agree that job seekers should continually upgrade their education and expertise, engage in professional networking and observe market trends. They also emphasize the importance of having a clean, concise and current resume.

Syrie-Paul adds that job hunters should cultivate meaningful relationships with their recruiters by staying in touch, proactively informing them of their most current career goals and completed professional development initiatives, and even sharing the names of specific companies or organizations for which they'd like to work.

"Candidates can't just drop a resume in a recruiter's lap and expect them to find their perfect job," Syrie-Paul says. "It's more of a partnership, and we are helping them drive their career and working together to get their job."