7 Hot Jobs & Careers for College Grads

Not everyone wants to relocate to an unfamiliar environment, preferring to stay near family members and friends. Instead of chasing a job, they’re chasing a career path including at least one of 7 hot jobs for 2011 and beyond.

1. Health care — This broad category offers many job opportunities, therefore if you have a degree in Allied Health, your options may include more than one career opportunity. If you have training as a Registered Nurse, then the job prospects for you are bright. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 2.6 million RNs, more than any other health care professional. Moreover, BLS data indicates that job growth will be 22 percent for the 10-year period between 2008 and 2018, much faster than average for all jobs.¹ Other health care opportunities in demand include LPNs, radiologists, geriatric counselors and mental health service providers.

2. Mobile media — Billions of cell phones, tablets and related devices are in use with many more expected to hit the market. People trade in cell phones annually while tablet technology is changing faster than any can imagine. We’re now on the fourth generation of the iPhone and the second generation of the iPad. Consumers want the latest, greatest and geekiest — if you have training in customer service and technology, this career option could be right for you.

3. Language translation — An incredibly shrinking or connected world means that people from all across the globe are communicating with each other. English is the language of business, but understanding at least one other world language can raise your visibility with recruiters. According to the BLS, 26 percent of interpreters and translators work independently with job prospects particularly good if you know Spanish.²

4. Green jobs — This field is exploding and it isn’t limited to any one industry. The word “sustainable” is probably part of your lexicon, defined by Merriam-Webster as, “of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” Claiming sustainable practices helps companies in the eyes of today’s younger consumers who have been trained to reuse, recycle and preserve the earth. Jobs in technology, marketing, customer service and environmental science lead in this field.

5. Financial management — The financial collapse of 2008 has led to additional government oversight and the need for companies everywhere to have its houses in order. We recently reported that the AICPA had found that hiring for accounting grads was strong in 2011, a trend that seems likely to continue for many years as businesses rebound and as new workers replace retirees.³

6. Lawyers – Aren’t there too many lawyers already?! Well, no. According to a Robert Half International survey, lawyers are #9 on a list of Top 11 hot career choices for 2011.⁴ Credit a litigious society for some of that hotness, but consider a few other things including an expanding population and retirements. Also, like accountants, lawyers need to oversee corporate activities to ensure that companies are in compliance or otherwise risk the wrath of Uncle Sam.

7. Administrative Assistants — Aren’t offices able to operate without administrative assistants these days? Since the 1990s, the ranks of administrative assistants have thinned considerably as companies cut staff and told everyone to do their own typing. That worked for awhile, but not across all job lines. Senior managers need their assistants which is why the Robert Half survey listed Senior Administrative Assistants as #11 on their list of top jobs.

You might not have gone to college thinking that you’d be an Administrative Assistant, language translator or greenie advocate, but if you have the skills necessary to take on these jobs or a willingness to learn, then you may have found your calling.