Choose a Recession Proof Career

No job is completely recession-proof, but people working in certain occupations may have a better chance of weathering a sluggish economy. Careers in health care and certain other fields remain in demand regardless of the economic outlook. People willing to pursue additional education and advanced training can learn specialized skills that make them marketable to employers. If you want to learn how to choose a recession-proof career, consider these guidelines.

Steps

  1. Make an honest assessment of your current circumstances. Think about your skills and how they relate to various industries. Your employment options also depend on where you are in your career.
    • Entering the work force: The key advantage younger workers have is time. People entering the work force have broader opportunities. For example, a person in college can pursue a career as a physician where a middle-aged worker will face more challenges. Younger workers do face certain disadvantages during a recession, however, as the market tends to be more competitive and filled with experienced job-seekers.
    • Changing careers: Mass layoffs force many experienced workers to make career shifts in their prime. Professions that require extensive training and education were unattainable for these displaced workers. But those who had a working spouse or another source of income are better positioned to get training in a new career. Such workers must carefully consider the viability of the new profession they choose, in addition to the time and expense required to pursue that occupation. A mid-life career change can be daunting, but many employers seek experienced workers who can use their knowledge in one field to confront the challenges in their new occupation.
    • Staying on the job: Career experts encourage workers to make themselves invaluable to their current employers, reducing their exposure to mass layoffs. Many say that adaptable skills and lifelong learning are important components in holding your current position or advancing in your career. They also emphasize the importance of actively embracing your company's mission statement and having a key collaborative role in the company.
  2. Consider the advice of experts. Career counselors study employment trends in an effort to determine which occupations are in highest demand. Some jobs are necessary for society to function, like trash collector, police officer and utility worker. Other occupations are recession-proof largely because they're in high demand. A Time Magazine report found that the health care and computer industries provided workers with the most protection against the effects of an economic downturn.
  3. Pursue a recession-proof career in health care. Many high-demand jobs are in the burgeoning health-care industry. Nursing led the list of top recession-proof occupations in health care. Improvements in medicine and an aging baby-boomer population make nursing a growth industry. You'll need time to pursue this career; registered nurses must earn a bachelor's degree and get advanced clinical training. But once you're licensed, you'll be entering a profession suffering from a shortage of qualified personnel.
  4. Consider jobs in computers. As technology expands, so do the jobs in the industry. And a career in computers probably is within reach. Most people use a computer every day, either at home or at work, or both. By taking a few online classes or volunteering to take on new responsibilities at work, you can build on the computer skills you already have. Job growth is highest among computer systems analysts and computer network analysts. Beware low-level programming jobs. Those positions are among the first that companies outsource overseas.
  5. Look into jobs that are vital for society to function. Many jobs, particularly those in public health and public safety, are considered largely recession-proof. But as cash-strapped state and local governments are forced to make budget cuts, even these jobs have been eliminated. Still, some career experts see these occupations as ones best apt to withstand an economic downturn. They include:
    • Air-traffic controller: A high percentage of air-traffic controllers are approaching retirement age, making the need for replacements very acute. While there is high demand for new controllers, it is a high-pressure job.
    • Public safety: Police officers and firefighters always will be needed, but even these positions have met the budget ax. Pay and benefits are excellent in most public-safety jobs, but competition for them is keen.
    • Public works: Society will always have energy needs, and regulation helps the industry withstand rough patches in the broader economy. But certain variables put jobs in public works and utilities on precarious footing, particularly green initiatives. The pursuit of reusable energy sources could impact the fossil-fuel industry immediately and indelibly, costing thousands of high-paid positions.
    • Education: Families will always be sending their children to school, but that doesn't mean that a job in education is safe from the effects of a recession. Teachers and other faculty members are subject to state and local government cuts. But certain schools, particularly post-secondary institutions, continue to thrive. Many community colleges have developed training agreements with companies in growing industries, increasing the demand for qualified instructors.



References

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