Thinking Outside the Box- How to Find a Job in a Growing Industry

Blog, Job Search

Earlier this summer Fortune published a piece about the six most promising industries for the class of 2015. It’s nothing too revolutionary- healthcare remains on the list with growth expected as boomers age into greater need for health services and the tech industry nabbed two spots on the list for hardware engineers and software developers (no surprise with Apple’s recent announcement of yet another new OS and iPhone). Accounting also made the list with growth expected for a couple of reasons, one being the rise in financial regulation since the great recession (details can be found here), which has created jobs for auditors in both government and the private sector. Another is the rapid globalization of financial markets; with more and more international dealing comes the need for experts in US accounting standards.

 

This is great news for recent grads who studied in one of these industries, but how can everyone else find a way in to these job markets? One option is to consider jobs associated with- but maybe not traditionally classified as part of- one of these industries. Healthcare, for example, doesn’t have to mean years of medical school and grueling residencies- massage therapy programs are often shorter, leave graduates with less debt than traditional medical degrees, and massage therapist jobs have a 23% projected growth outlook according to the US Department of Labor.

 

Consider also that you don’t necessarily have to be a software developer to get a job with Google. Tech and financial companies need human resources personnel, administrative staff, and marketing and social media experts, to name a few. For some job seekers, getting work in a growing industry may be about marketing their existing skills to appeal to companies looking for candidates with more than just finance or programming degrees.

 

The bottom line is that growth in the tech, finance, and health industries can benefit more than just tech, finance, and health majors. Recent grads shouldn’t be afraid to look in to these growing industries for a job that’s a good fit.