THE OUTLOOK OF JOBS
You may have graduated recently or perhaps looking forward soon to walking across stage, finishing a certification course or training class. You may find yourself wondering about the outlook of your specific field. That is a good question. Therefore, it’s important to do some research to find those answers about your future and the outlook of jobs.
For information about employment projections, read Unemployment Rates and Earnings By Educational Attainment provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. When teaching this part of my in-class courses, I like to tell students that obtaining a higher education means more options. However, as we all know, not everyone will attend college and there are options for those who choose not to attend. For more information about that, please read my article Attending a Four-Year College Isn’t an Option For Me – Now What? Whatever direction you’re going in at this point of your life, reviewing job options in your field is a good idea.
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK
To take a closer look at additional information provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, read Employment by Major Occupational Group. to review projections up to year 2026. There is a lot of great information provided by the Bureau. You may want to review two additional lists they provide:
Occupations With the Most Job Growth
WHEN YOUR JOB DOESN’T REQUIRE A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE
Some jobs don’t require a four-year degree. Those occupations may instead require an associate’s degree, training or certification. If you fall into one of these occupations, read this article 10 Best Jobs Without a Four-Year Degree.
While digging into information surrounding this topic, you may also be interested in the salaries for these occupations. Keep in mind that salaries can vary based on a variety of factors (i.e. geographic location). If you’d like to know more about salaries, it’s best to conduct some research. One place to obtain information is Salary.com.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO STAY ON TOP
In your research, you may find out that you’re in an occupation with future decline. However, that is not a reason to panic. You may need to make some adjustments in your life, but if you do some research, you’ll be able to find out how to stay on top of things.
The technology field is ever-changing and fast-growing. Therefore, getting some knowledge now to move you ahead in the future is a great thing to do. If you’d like to learn more about technology, below are some steps you can take:
1. Keep an open mind and be willing to learn new things
If you are someone who is open-minded when it comes to learning new things, this will make you more employable in the future. In my article Technology and the Future of Jobs, I discuss learnability and what it is. According to Aseel Badran, Author at AIESEC, it is “the ability and desire for someone to learn new skills quickly and adapt to different ways of doing things.” Employers like it when people have learnability and are adaptable.
2. Totally Immerse Yourself
Surround yourself with learning. There are so many avenues to obtain knowledge in just about anything you’d like to know.
– Taking courses is a great way to learn new things. There are many ways to do this including adult continuing education courses. Find out if there are classes in your area at center or your local college.
– Reading or listening to audio books are great ideas as well.
– Watching YouTube videos is an awesome avenue. You can find just about any topic on YouTube.
3. Network With Others
Networking is a great way to find information. In my article The Importance of Professional Networking I discuss how to tap into your network of your contacts around you. Search for those in the field you are researching. If you haven’t done so, research connections on LinkedIn. Networking may lead to several sources because you just never know who knows who.
4. Be Patient and Don’t Give Up
Sometimes it can be difficult learning something new – especially technology. You may become frustrated and want to quit. Don’t give up. Remain patient and stick with it. Keep in mind why you embarked on this journey in the first place – the end result could lead you to an even better lifestyle.
PREPARING FOR YOUR FUTURE
Preparing for your future is important. Therefore, doing research to find out about the outlook of your job can be one of the most important things you can do to prepare. In doing your research, in addition to doing some of the ideas listed above, have a talk with a career adviser or a mentor. In my article, Why Having a Mentor is Important, I discuss finding and seeking advice from a mentor. It could be very helpful for you to do so.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There are several resources to find information about the outlook of jobs. Make sure you research and see what the outlook of your particular field is. You may find yourself in a field that is predicted for decline. If that is the case, don’t panic, instead prepare. Getting some technology under your belt may be a great option for you and keep in mind there are several ways to do that to prepare for your future.
I wish you all the best in your career endeavors.
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7 thoughts on “The Outlook of Jobs”
Some really wonderful information. I’m glad I found this.
Thank you very much for visiting my website and for the kind words. I’m happy you found this information to be useful. I’m wishing you all the best in your future endeavors.
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this post plus the rest of the website is also very good.
Hi, how are you? Great article you’ve written here…I really enjoyed and learned a lot from it.
As my child prepares for college, her and I together have to do a lot of research regarding future job options and college degrees to pursue. She would like to become a Veterinarian.
The alarming thing is I didn’t see a Veterinarian on the list. I know you said don’t panic, which we aren’t but, it is an eye opener on what one must do to prepare for the future.
So, I must say Yvette, that this article has given us many ideas as we both prepare for her to go off to college. My daughter is not ready to walk across the stage anytime soon- she’s only in the 9th grade.
However, now, is the time her school prepares the students for college, and their future. So, we’ll be reading many articles on your website.
Anyhow, I really appreciate that you have provided us with many useful resources. Especially, the “occupation with the most growth”, and “salary.com”. They were very interesting to look over.
I have a question regarding the networking, if you don’t mind me asking. In your opinion, when would you say is the best time to start building a Linkedin Profile? Would it be the moment the student graduates from college? Or should they be building up a network profile before or during college?
I know they would build a network from people around them but, as far as the LinkedIn profile that is a bit different, right?
I would think they need one immediately. Like when the student heads off to college. I would like to hear your thoughts about this matter?
Kisha, thank you so much for stopping by and for your comment. I am so glad to hear that my website is helpful for you and your daughter to starting going through now. You are right in your belief that now is the time to start at least looking at things even though she won’t be graduating for a while. You are also correct not to panic because veterinarian is not on the list. I posted two sites – one for fastest growing occupations and the other is occupations with the most job growth. While the Veterinarian field is a great field, it just may not be on those two particular lists. I would like to suggest that your daughter start talking to someone in the field now to answer career questions and perhaps even shadow a vet for a day to get a better feel for the field. That can help her answer questions as well as start building her network.
As far as building a LinkedIn profile, I would say start building it after she gets her first job. I am not sure when she plans on doing that, but it can certainly help as she travels through school (both high school and college). She can add courses she’s taken, memberships in clubs, etc. to help start building her network.
Thank you, again, Kisha for stopping by and for your comments. I appreciate it and invite you to stop by again. I wish you and your daughter well with building toward her future.
Thank you, Yvette, for the response.
Yes, I believe to always plan ahead and not wait to the last minute. It just causes too much stress. Anyhow, you have given me many great ideas.
1. I never thought about having her talk to someone in the veterinarian field, which is something that we should consider to just make sure that she is going in the right direction that she truly wants to go.
2. I also never thought about shadowing a veterinarian. Another great idea. I certainly would have never thought about that.
Also, thank you, for responding to my Linkedin question.
That does make sense to start building her profile after she gets her first job.
Right now, her plate is full. So, I don’t see her getting a job anytime soon.
However, she’ll be working on volunteer hours at the local library, which may look great to add to her profile in the future. They’re hours for her future college application and scholarships.
Thank you, so much for all the advice. This is why you’re the expert and great at what you do!
Have a great day ahead!
Kisha, thank you for circling back with that further comment, information and kind words. I truly appreciate you. Many times, people don’t think of shadowing opportunities and they are great because it gives the student the opportunity to start understanding the field better and to also decide if that’s really what they want to do in their future. If your daughter does shadow, I have a list of questions she can ask to have a more meaningful experience so please let me know. Shadowing experiences can sometimes turn into future opportunities…you just never know. I wish your daughter all the best as she moves forward.