Hot Jobs for 2005 – An In Depth Look

As promised from last month’s feature article, here is the real info on getting into one of 2005’s “hot jobs” – so called because of high wages / benefits and the number of positions available nationally. As a refresher, the five main categories were:

Healthcare Jobs
Construction Jobs
Manufacturing Jobs
Computer / Technical Jobs
Education Jobs

For March, we’ll take a look at what’s recommended / required to get into the hot jobs of manufacturing and healthcare.

Manufacturing

You may have read over the past few years that many manufacturing jobs are going overseas, or “offshored.” This is true for many low skilled manufacturing jobs, but high tech manufacturing jobs are still performed in the U.S. and they need skilled workers.

One example is that of machinists. Machinists make small production number pieces out of metals, plastics and composites. Applications include prototypes for jewelry, bicycles and the aerospace industry. They may also create special tools for repairing items. In the past, machinists used lathes, cutters, sanders and other hands on tools to craft their products. Today, CNC (computer numeric controlled) machines are programmed and do the majority of the work for the piece being created.

Tool and die makers do similar work as machinists, but it’s at a much larger scale. If a machinist creates a successful prototype of a product, it is the tool and die makers job to be able to create the molds and pieces necessary to produce the product on a mass scale. Many machinists become tool and die makers as they advance their careers.

What are the educational requirements to become a machinist or tool and die maker?

While there are some apprenticeship programs available, the most qualified applicants will have completed 10 to 14 month program as a machinist. Courses in these programs include reading blueprints, math, physics, trigonometry, mechanical drawing, CNC operation and programming. Knowledge of metal working is also an important field of knowledge for machinists and tool and die makers to have experience with.

If you’re interested in a more hands on type of manufacturing career, welding could be the answer. Like machining, more and more of simple welding is becoming automated with human “welders” being those who program the computers that keep the robotic welding going. Specialized welding is where a strong demand for workers lies. For instance, you may think welding has to involve constructing products. One specialized form of welding involved deconstructing items. Workers use arc welders or plasma and oxy-gas cutting equipment to dismantle obsolete products like railroad cars, ships, cars and other metal items. Not every welder works in a production facility. Some have to go on site for work on pipes, power plants, some even weld under water!

Welding coursework includes blueprint reading, shop math, mechanical drawing, metallurgy, physics and chemistry. Welding programs can be completed in as short as a few weeks and up to a couple years with an internship program.

Hot Healthcare Jobs

Nursing is clearly one of the hottest growing career fields in America and will be for some time. Because of the extreme shortage, nurses are some of the highest paid workers in the country.

Besides salary, the difference between becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) and a Practical Nurse (LPN) is in the amount of schooling and the job responsibility to dispense medicine and start intravenous (IV) drips. An RN associate’s degree can be earned in two years, while an LPN can be earned in one. A bachelor’s degree in nursing is also available and is recommended for a hospital administration career path.

Regardless of which degree you pursue, you can expect core classwork to include anatomy, physiology, nutrition, biology, chemistry, math, statistics as well as nursing classes.

Like nursing, radiology technicians have a variety of school options depending on the career path they want to pursue. One year certificates, two year associate’s degrees, bachelor’s and even masters degrees are available in radiology. While radiology techs work directly with patients, their overall encounters with them are briefer than that of nurses.

A radiology tech can expect the core school classes to include anatomy and physiology, patient care procedures, radiation physics, radiation protection, principles of imaging, medical terminology, positioning of patients, medical ethics, radiobiology, and pathology.

Both nursing positions and radiology tech positions require a national exam for licensure to actually practice in the respective positions.

For a healthcare career with no direct patient contact, consider a career in medical finance administration. While larger facilities require a master’s degree to hold this type of job, many smaller facilities will hire applicants who possess a bachelor’s degree in health services administration, long-term care administration, health sciences, public health, public administration, or business administration. This is particularly true of home health agencies that are growing and expanding very rapidly. This job does require more education than the others mentioned in this article and it pays the most, averaging $73,340 per year. Coursework will vary significantly based on the major chosen.

If you’re interested in any of these jobs, take a look at Top Colleges to find the right program at a school near you. We’ll have more information on today’s hottest jobs next month.