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So many people have been unemployed or underemployed over the last 7 years. At a time when it seems the doors are closed, where is the opportunity?
I've talked pretty extensively in the past about the geography of opportunity. Thanks to an energy boom, the prospects for employment are rosy in the wide swath of the country from North Dakota to Texas.
But I'm not talking location, location, location right now. I'm talking about the fields that employers are in the most need of at this time.
To 10 jobs in demand right now
The American Staffing Association put out list of the top 10 jobs going unfilled.
- Occupational therapists
- Physical therapists
- Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer
- Occupational therapist assistants
- Speech-language pathologists
- Physician assistants
- Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Physical therapist assistants
- Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Computer software engineers, applications
Now, you may not have an interest in any of those fields, or you may not be happy doing any of those things. But they are the fields that are hardest to fill at this time. With some 9 million people being underemployed or unemployed in the U.S. right now, these jobs are at least worth a look on your part.
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Top 20 highest paying college majors
Let's look at college for a second. There are certain fields where people make the highest starting salaries with an undergraduate degree.
Here's a list of the top 20 starting salaries for 2014-15 graduates, according to Michigan State University's Recruiting Trends 2014-15 report:
- Electrical Engineering - $57,030
- Computer Engineering - $56,576
- Mechanical Engineering - $56,055
- Software Design - $54,183
- Computer Programming - $54,065
- Chemical Engineering - $53,622
- Computer Science - $52,237
- Civil Engineering - $51,622
- Mathematics (includes applied) - $47,952
- Construction - $45,591
- Supply Chain - $45,508
- Finance - $44,699
- Accounting - $44,525
- Nursing - $43,481
- Chemistry - $43,344
- Human Resources - $42,495
- Marketing - $41,481
- Economics - $41,118
- Humanities & Liberal Arts - $39,162
- Agricultural Sciences - $38,854
Education and training need to be a lifetime pursuit. Jobs morph over time. The jobs of 2030 do not exist today. You can overcome the skills gap with additional training or education.
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