The interesting thing is many adults are asking this same question. As important as it is to do something you are passionate about, it is equally as crucial to do something that is sustainable in the future. One of the biggest struggles for college graduates these days is finding a job after graduation. This is a much greater problem among certain fields of study than others.
Rick Newman of U.S. News and World Reports states, “In the latest annual survey for the National Association of Colleges and Employers, companies planning to hire were most interested in grads who had majored in engineering, business, accounting, computer science or economics.”
This can be somewhat disappointing for the high number of students studying social sciences, history, education, and psychology, which are in much less demand. Newman identified the top 10 careers of 2020, however I found an article published by Business Insider to be more helpful and up to date.
Drum roll please . . . here are the top careers of the future (calculations from US Bureau of Labor statistics combined with median annual salary):
1. Registered Nurse
— 526,800 predicted job openings by 2022
— $65,470 median annual wage in 2012)
2. General and Operations Manager
— 244,100 predicted job openings by 2022
–$95,440 median annual wage in 2012)
3. Software Applications Developers
— 139,900 predicted job openings by 2022
— $90,060 median annual wage in 2012
4. Specialist Physicians and Surgeons
— 65,300 predicted job openings by 2022
— At least $187,200 median annual wage in 2012
5. Accountants and Auditors
— 166,700 predicted job openings by 2022
— $63,550 median annual wage in 2012
6. Management Analyst
— 133,800 predicted job openings by 2022
— $78,600 median annual wage in 2012
7. Computer Systems Analyst
— 127,700 predicted job openings by 2022
— $79,680 median annual wage in 2012
8. Elementary School Teachers
— 167,900 predicted job openings by 2022
— $53,400 median annual wage in 2012
9. Carpenters
— 218,200 predicted job openings by 2022
— $39,940 median annual wage in 2012
10. Lawyers
— 74,800 predicted job openings by 2022
— $113,500 median annual wage in 2012
This article is in no way aimed at discouraging students from pursuing their passion in a career. However, the purpose is to bring up the important reality that some careers are going to be more desirable and more profitable than others.
Deciding on a college should go hand in hand with choosing a perspective career. My goal as an Academic Advisor is to make sure I am offering sound advice for students in this process and helping them get from point A to point B as efficiently and successfully as possible.
This article is in no way aimed at discouraging students from pursuing their passion in a career. However, the purpose is to bring up the important reality that some careers are going to be more desirable and more profitable than others. — Michelle Warkentin, academic advisor
A college degree is no less important than it has been in past years, especially one that will land students a job as quickly as possible and with minimal accumulated debt. In fact, US News reports: ?Consulting firm McKinsey & Company predicts that by 2020, there will be a shortage of 1.5 million college grads, which means employers will continue to place a high premium on better-educated workers.?
I hope that you enjoy this time of discovering the gifts the Lord has blessed you with and figuring out how you can use these in your future career. Hopefully you can reflect on lists like this one to pursue a career that is enjoyable and also offers financial peace of mind and job security.
Set aside some time this summer to talk to people in the professions you are interested in to gain a better perspective of the daily tasks and skills needed for the job.
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For more opinions, read the March 25 article, Campus student seeks strategies to tackle depression.
