Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of uncertainty regarding jobs in certain industries and the future of the workforce. At the peak of the pandemic, many establishments were shut down and employees were laid off from work in service industries while other industries thrived in unexpected ways.
Two years later, the workforce has adapted to the new normal and revealed new opportunities for workers. While these opportunities often require new skills, much of the training can be obtained from online courses and programs.
The world is back to work and it is important to make sure that you are deciding which career path is right for you.
Whether you are entering the workforce for the first time or looking for a change in your career, it is important to reevaluate industry trends and job availability in 2022. This evaluation can help you investigate which career paths are interesting to you, what type of education is needed, and what skills are most valuable.
With over 1,129,900 new hires worldwide this year, Personal Care Aide is a top career choice for 2022. It has the highest projected hiring volume and it is projected to maintain its spot for the next 8 years.
This healthcare position focuses on monitoring and helping the disabled or people with chronic illnesses. The patients are most often elderly people who require assistance with their daily activities.
Caregivers provide basic health-related services like checking a patient’s vitals including blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, or respiration rate. They also help change bandages or dressings, perform housekeeping tasks, and keep patients engaged with their social networks and communities.
The knowledge and experience gained in this role are applicable to more advanced careers in the healthcare industry as well.
There is a 52% increase in the projected hiring volume of nurses worldwide which puts Nurse Practitioner as number two on the list of most in-demand jobs in 2022.
Nurse Practitioners coordinate patient care in addition to providing primary and specialty healthcare. This includes taking and recording patients' medical histories, performing physical exams, observing patients, creating patient care plans, prescribing patients medicines and treatments, and consulting with doctors to provide counsel to patients and families.
Once you get your Bachelor’s Degree, a state license, and national APRN Certification, then you can be hired by growing and existing companies. Having a Master’s Degree will also put you in an advantageous position for this career path.
With a 72% increase in job roles, Customer Service Associate also made it to the list of top trending careers in 2022.
Customer Service Associates are the frontline for companies who manage customer queries and complaints. They are responsible for maintaining empathetic relationships with customers, responding to customer inquiries, resolving customer complaints, processing order requests, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
If you think you are able to work very well under pressure, this in-demand job might be a fit for you. Typically this role requires a high school diploma or equivalent as well as additional training provided by the hiring company.
Recruitment Consultant
Various factors, mostly related to the COVID-19 pandemic, have forced companies to hire many new employees in order to fill gaps in their workforce. That is why one of the top careers this year is Recruitment Consultant.
A Recruitment Consultant, or Recruiter, is a specialty within the Human Resources field that focuses on sourcing qualified candidates and filling job openings. Recruiters can work for Recruitment Agencies that specialize in hiring for their clients or internally at a company as a dedicated recruiters for their employer. As a recruiter, you are expected to look for qualified candidates for open positions, handle the application and hiring process, interview candidates, and fill positions.
Like most careers in Human Resources, this job typically requires a Bachelor’s Degree. However, there are companies that only require on-the-job training and high school diplomas to become a Recruiter.
Data Scientists and Statisticians
With a predicted 30-35% increase through 2023, Data Scientists and Statisticians are expected to account for 15,000 job opportunities worldwide.
Data Scientists and Statisticians work in various industries such as environmental science, public safety, healthcare, and sports. Under government agencies, sports analytics teams, developers, or clusters of data journalists, they practice collecting, designing, analyzing, and interpreting data, reporting statistical conclusions, and aligning those conclusions with decision-making.
A career in data science and statistics requires you to have a Bachelor’s Degree related to any statistics and data science majors. You can also make use of high school courses like advanced mathematics and statistics courses.
Currently, the role of Market Research Analyst accounts for over 163,000 jobs worldwide. Many individuals who are new to the workforce select this role because of the influence it has over the product market.
Market Research Analysts typically examine market conditions, foresee potential sales, and help companies reach a target market that will buy their products. Most of the time, Analysts devise strategic methods and gather consumer data that can increase the effectiveness of a company in the market.
If you think you are analytical, have strong communication skills, critical thinkers, and are detail-oriented, you may consider this career path. There are also career tests readily available to make sure you are fitted for this job.
This role often requires a Bachelor's Degree, but experience or coursework in marketing may be supplemental.
409,500 new jobs were added worldwide in this category for 2022. For several years, Software Developer has been a fast-growing career path that often allows you the flexibility to work in the comfort of your home.
Software Developers spend the majority of their time programming, coding, and studying the practice of technological advancement in general. Developers are expected to put programming languages and techniques they learned in their training into practice to bring their employer’s products to life.
Because of the advanced knowledge needed to step into this role, Software Developer positions typically require a Bachelor's Degree and knowledge of basic programming languages prior to being hired.
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) Specialist is a high-tech career that is expected to grow 9% and produce 28,900 job opportunities until 2028. As A.I. technology continues to be incorporated into daily life, many people are looking forward to mastering this field.
Those who are in this field work on programming computers to stimulate thinking, design programming manuals, develop infrastructure data ingestion and data transformation, and implement artificial intelligence systems. It is a complex job role that requires programming skills, statistical skills, knowledge of algorithms, and the ability to handle large amounts of data.
Certificate programs are readily available if you want to become an Artificial Intelligence Specialist, but those with Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree are more likely to be hired by top companies.
With over a 68% increase in hiring and an estimated 4,700 new jobs until 2030, it is no surprise that Wind Turbine Technician has stayed on the list of trending careers for almost two years now.
There is a growing concern about climate change and global warming. With that, renewable energy became a trend and companies started to invest in projects that can help alleviate it.
Wind Techs perform routine maintenance on wind turbines, collect turbine data, replace malfunctioning components, and service underground transmission systems.
You are required to be a skill-loving and hands-on person because the job typically involves a degree of manual labor. To become a wind tech, you can acquire on-the-job training under a company or find online courses for technical training.
The rise of social media has created a modern-day job referred to as Digital Content Creator. Typically, content creators are responsible for creating, reviewing, and editing content related to a brand or company.
Most content creators are individuals who partner with brands to help them sell products and services because of their huge following on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
There is no formal training or education required for this position, but there are many courses and certificates available to assist those who are new to the field. Despite not needing a specific educational background, Content Creators are expected to possess planning skills, research skills, promotional skills, and data analysis skills.
The pandemic led to many changes in career trends, but also taught us a lot about the future of industry and the workforce. The drastic shift in our day to day life caused many people to reevaluate their priorities when it comes to their career. This directly contributed to these booming career trends for this year that stem from both pre-pandemic and post-pandemic decisions.
As a student, you have the opportunity to evaluate your interests and explore career options before fully committing to a long-term job. With Delaware Pathways, you have the opportunity to pursue education, skills, and job training while still in high school.
Visit Delaware Pathways to learn more.
