Hot Careers for College Graduates

The recession has sent many people back to college, so a new study has revealed the top ten hot careers for college graduates. The University of California San Diego conducted the study.

1. Casual game development. Every month 200 million consumers play casual games online, many of whom do not normally regard themselves as gamers or fans of video games. Casual games are typically played online on a personal computer (within Web browsers), but also are becoming popular on mobile phones.

2. Clinical trials design and management for oncology. Oncology studies, seeking to find better ways to treat cancer, take place in doctors’ offices, cancer centers, other medical centers, community hospitals and clinics, and veterans’ and military hospitals across the U.S. and throughout the world.

3. Data mining. The recession has boosted the importance of data mining as more businesses search for clues to increase revenues and decrease expenses. Data mining and predictive analytics are fundamental to scientific discovery, national security, medicine, product development, as well as facets of business commerce.

4. Embedded engineering. The good news is that the world of embedded development may provide new career options for software developers willing to learn some new tricks. The big move in embedded systems is now towards more generic development tools capable of targeting more types of hardware to simplify development.

5. Geriatric healthcare. The growing population of seniors continues to have a major impact on careers in health care. As the numbers of aging baby boomers increase, so does the demand for certain healthcare jobs and services, including nursing, personal care and home healthcare.

6. Occupational health and safety. More specialists are needed to cope with technological advances in safety equipment and threats, changing regulations, and increasing public expectations. Employment growth reflects overall business growth and continuing self-enforcement of government and company regulations.

7. Specialized Spanish/English translation. For those completely bilingual in Spanish and English, these highly marketable language skills open doors to new careers. The key is to gain experience through practical internships in fields such as law, medicine and business, which need specialized expertise.

8. Sustainable business practices and the greening of all jobs. Organizations today must address potential compliance and regulation changes and look for business growth opportunities in the new era of “green” environmental economics. In effect, every job is going green.

9. Teaching adult learners. In 2009, private education is one of two industries with job growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Enrollment is increasing because job-seekers, unable to find work in their preferred fields, are going back to school to gain experience in other areas.

10. Teaching English as a foreign language. Interest in English teaching positions abroad has mushroomed. College graduates can find lucrative teaching jobs abroad (with travel as an added perk). There is high demand for teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) and English as a second language (ESL), both domestically and abroad.

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