Five Hot Job Tracks For Graduates
They've crammed hard for four years straight, with a party or two thrown in. They've written countless papers, given lots of presentations and created the makings of a stellar resume. Now's the time for this spring's college graduates to start searching for the payoff: a great job.
Some industries are hotter than others when it comes to landing a job - industries where employers are battling each other to attract qualified applicants and are willing to offer some posh perks.
"Anything to do with sales in any way is a hot career," says Gary Beaulieu, interim director of the Center for Career Planning and Development at Butler University. "Could be sales of any kind, of widgets, medical supplies - anything."
Other pockets of opportunity abound in finance, accounting, education and computers.
So whether you are a soon-to-be graduate or a seasoned professional looking to change gears, here are five areas where the job prospects look most promising:
Accounting
Demand for these number-crunching professionals is expected to grow faster than most other professions, jumping 18 percent to 26 percent through 2014.
A shrinking supply pool magnifies this demand as baby boomers retire. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants reports that, within 14 years, 75 percent of its membership will be eligible to retire. It's no surprise that employers already are courting accounting majors.
"A lot of our accounting students will typically have offers well before the semester ends," Beaulieu says.
Median annual pay: $50,770.
Computers
Don't yawn. We know this is nothing new. But it's also a vibrant career path that isn't going away.
In Michael Farr's book, "Top 100 Careers for College Graduates," computer-related jobs show up time and again. No. 2 is systems manager, No. 3 is computer software engineer, and No. 5 is computer systems analyst.
"What I would tell any college graduate is, whatever their field, if they have computer skills, that is important," he says. "A lot of people think computer jobs have slowed down, but they really haven't."
Another thing that hasn't slowed: great salaries.
Median annual pay range: $40,000 to $92,000.
Education
We're not talking just about the classroom teacher.
The biggest growth rate is at junior colleges and technical schools, Farr says. As more adults return to the classroom for continued learning or to change careers, the need for teachers is exploding. Another overlooked area is administration - working in the central office of a school system, perhaps as a financial manager or technical director. Special education and kindergarten teachers are other hot areas.
Median annual pay range (includes administrators): $35,000 to $74,000.
Finance
To land a great job in finance, employers are not just looking for people with knowledge of finance, but also those with strong strategic decision-making, communication and technology skills, says Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International, a financial staffing company. The top in-demand positions in the field: auditors, compliance executives and financial analysts.
"This isn't necessarily a new trend, but it's one that's always been there and may always be there," Farr says.
Median annual pay: $50,000 to $63,000.
Sales
Employers in this field -- once reserved for workers without college degrees -- are looking to hire sales people with specialized skills. Think medical, pharmaceuticals, engineering or even retail backgrounds.
"Sales is a hidden job that sometimes gets overlooked by college grads," Farr says. "But if you have skills in any kind of specialized area, you are going to do all right."
Grads with bachelor's degrees in engineering, for example, could sell instead of working in a factory or lab.
Median annual pay: $35,000 to $50,000. Sales managers average $82,000.
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