Recession Proof Jobs and Careers

With the current daily discouraging economic news most people are worried about their job security. Some Economists are saying that the US is heading for it's first recession in 16 years and that has to make each of us question whether our current level of income is safe.

This can also be bad news for those who are about to enter the workforce. A recession could hit some job seekers hard, depending what employment sector they will be looking at.

According to economists not all employment sectors are expected to suffer during the hard times that are ahead of us. They predict that some sectors will not be affected and some may even grow.

The current housing slump will impact any industry that is related in any way to housing. From real estate, to investment banks, to engineers and architects. An economist by the name of Koropeckyj says that state and local government jobs are likely to slow as home values, and, consequently, tax revenues, sink. She also predicts that the housing slump could even extend to industries dependent on discretionary spending, like restaurants and retail.

Manufacturing has been suffering for a while now and is not expected to improve during the current economic times. Finance and technology can also be vulnerable during times of recession.

Some economists say that the outlook is not only bleak in residential construction and other housing related industries but also automobiles, and for workers without a college degree.

While there are many sectors that will survive, you need to keep in mind as you read this section that not all of them are well paid jobs.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, statistics have historically shown teaching to be relatively recession-proof. But they believe demographics are important: High-growth areas like the Sun Belt offer much better prospects than the Rust Belt. The National Center for Education Statistics predicts that in the next eight years, 2.8 million teachers must join the existing 3.2 million teachers because of retirements, higher enrollment and teacher turnover.

The Bureau of Labor also say that almost half the 30 fastest growing occupations are concentrated in health services -- including medical assistants, physical therapists, physician assistants, home health aides, and medical records and health information technicians. Nursing is a profession facing a shortage according to Jobfox, due partly to aging baby boomers and, advances in medicine. They say that patients who wouldn't have survived cancer or HIV 10 years ago are living longer thanks to new medical breakthroughs, but they require more long-term treatment. Also, fewer women are entering the predominantly female profession these days because of growing career opportunities elsewhere. I would say that part of the reason for this is that nursing is not a well paid profession but it comes with a high degree of responsibility and stress. This is the sort of thing that you need to keep in mind when choosing a career. According to the California Jobs Journal some employers in California are enticing nurses with $7,500 signing bonuses for hard-to-fill jobs and $3,500 for traditional positions. They're also providing $3,000 annually for continuing education and relocation reimbursement, as well as time off to pursue professional interests, overtime pay and the option to work 12-hour shifts with four days off per week. So maybe the shortage will bring the wages up to a more reasonable level and make this a career worth looking at. PAYSCALE.COM also say that because people are getting older and frailer, and demographics of the population are aging that biosciences, physical therapy and occupational therapy are all jobs that are as recession-proof.

John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas says that energy is a major issue for the global economy, and jobs related to oil and gas, alternative energy and even nuclear are likely to see strong growth. They say that the oil industry faces 80 percent of its work force reaching retirement age in the next decade.

Accordidng to Rona Fried, president of sustainablebusiness.com, a networking service for sustainable businesses there is a huge and growing industry geared to combat global warming. "Not only will professionals with skills in sustainability issues be in demand through the end of the decade, we are likely to see shortages of professionals with 'green' skills" she says.

Crime doesn't stop during a recession, and police officers, port security specialists and international security experts will continue to be in demand according to John Challenger. In a 2007 report by the Partnership for Public Service they stated that the Defense and Homeland Security departments need to fill an estimated 83,000 jobs over the next two years. Other security type jobs that could be in demand are security at airports, U.S. borders or in a company protecting vital information.

A new survey commissioned by Cisco shows there will be a shortage of 60,000 people to design computer networks through 2011. Network administrators are also on Jobfox's list of recession-proof jobs. They are responsible for the design and management of the physical and technical structure of company's communication tools--such as shared files, e-mail, teleconferencing and company Web sites. Demand is particularly high in emerging markets like India, China and the Middle East, which are creating networks for the first time. Other technical related jobs that were on Jobfox's list were software developers, quality-assurance testers who design automated processes for testing products and technology executives, particularly chief technology officers. According to Intel there is still a demand for PC's and consumer electronics. Some economists say that if the downturn does turn into a fully blown recession some tech jobs may suffer but they still say that software developers are recession-proof.

John Challenger also states that if you have a strong knowledge of other cultures, and an ability to work in another country, you'll find plenty of opportunities. "If you're first generation Chinese, with business skills and Chinese language skills, you're in good shape" he says.

Another form of international business that has always been known to be recession proof is network marketeing. When people need to make some extra money to top up their income or even replace their income they often turn to network marketing. One reason is because they can work from home online. Another reason network marketing becomes more popular during hard times is because it has such a low start up cost and yet for those who are willing to put in the time it can have large rewards. I have seen good solid companies with from no start up cost and a maximum monthly spend of $10 up to a start up cost of $499 with $100 monthly spend. This is the cheapest way to get into starting a business. During hard economic times not many can afford the high price of buying into a business or starting up on their own. And in these days of computers and internet it is so different and easier than what it used to be. Naturally the cheaper it is the smaller the commissions are but you're sure to find something that will suit your circumstances. I would be looking for companies that are technology based. Don't go for companies that are the same as dozens of others with no new or in demand technologies.

At the top of Jobfox's list are sales representatives. Not because there's a shortage but rather, in tough economic times, a good sales force is a critical way to pull a company out of a downturn. "There are two kinds of companies," says Rob McGovern, CEO of Jobfox. "The kind that cut staff during the downturn and, on the other side, the ones trying to grow their way through the downturn."

Diane Borhani, who heads campus recruiting for Deloitte & Touche says that tax work, auditing, preparing company's quarterly reports and all of that still goes on, tough economy or not. She also says that there's increased demand for accounting consultants in order to make businesses "run more efficiently." So accounting is a field that you could consider and it is one career that is well paid.

Kevin Donlin, author and creator of The Simple Job Search system says that working for the federal government is well worth considering. Backing this idea up, author and retired federal employee Dennis V. Damp says "Uncle Sam hires approximately 2 percent of America's total workforce and the pay and benefits are outstanding. Few feds lose their jobs during a recession and most downsizing in the federal government is based on attrition, not filling vacant positions, rather than letting people go. I know firsthand; from 1969 through January of 2005, I worked for Uncle Sam and went through a number of recessions and agency reorganizations during that time".

So to sum up, I think the recession proof jobs are where people can't do withouot the goods and services, like healthcare and pharmaceuticals, basic food supplies and teaching. Also goods and services that businesses need to survive like computer technology, accounting and sales and marketing. Another avenue to think about is goods and services that network marketers need to do their online marketing like domain names, site building and hosting and good quality online marketing tools. There is a lot of junk out there but the good quality ones like those that can be found at Renegade University will do well.

If you're already in a job some experts say that during a recession is not the best time to make drastic decisions and changes unless you are forced to. But that doesn't mean that you can't use some of these ideas to take on a second part time job to supplement your income.

Marc Karasu, a career coach and former vice president of advertising and marketing at Yahoo HotJobs, says that workers should concentrate on their current job and highlight how they've exceeded expectations. He says
"Self-promotion is a fine thing, and there's nothing wrong with letting your superiors know in a professional and intelligent way that you're adding value." He also says to do it today, before a recession so you don't look desperate. Les McKeown says that , employees must prove that it would cost their employer more to let them go than it would cost to keep them. Ultimately the employee is seen as someone who would flourish no matter where in the company he or she lands. "At the end of the day the only way to make yourself recession-proof is to make your opportunity cost as high as possible. [You want employers to] say, 'We can't let Jane go because we can put her anywhere,'" McKeown explains. "You must have a personal ability to add value. If you can do that, then you're as recession-proof as anyone."