Graduation season should be an exciting time, but for many 2020 graduates, celebrations and ceremonies have been replaced with feelings of fear and uncertainty. Is the career track you chose four years ago going to withstand this recent pandemic? When will companies start hiring again? When will it be safe to go to work? There are many questions, with very few answers. But even if your anticipated career track has changed course or your potential job leads have grinded to a halt, all hope is not lost. Many companies are still hiring, and they can benefit from hiring new graduates from a range of different disciplines. When applying for jobs, consider not only the subjects or topics you studied but also the skills and experience you gained along the way.
After enduring the COVID-19 crisis, college students will likely be driven to assess whether their chosen majors and career paths can withstand an infectious disease outbreak, a recession, or other economic hardship. Below are some of the top economy-proof career tracks that college students should consider.
STEM
Jobs in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) field have consistently been on the rise, especially as technology continues to evolve and infiltrate every industry. Some of the top occupations within the STEM field include engineer, software developer, statistician, computer programmer, and computer scientist. Data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics states that employment in occupations related to STEM is projected to grow to more than 10.5 million between 2018 and 2028. The health of the economy plays a huge role when it comes to the strength of one’s career track. STEM jobs are virtually part of every industry; therefore, even during an economic crisis, there will likely be a need for employees within the STEM fields.
Healthcare
During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the crucial role that healthcare professionals play in supporting their communities has never been more obvious. And even before this public health and economic crisis, healthcare workers were consistently in high demand. While the unemployment rate rose to 10% during the 2007 recession, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that healthcare employment continued to grow.
When choosing a career in healthcare, there are numerous job paths to consider in addition to pursuing an MD, including nurse practitioner, occupational therapist, physician’s assistant, nutritionist, pharmacist, and healthcare administrator. Graduates in these fields have consistently been in high demand, and the current pandemic even allowed some medical students to graduate early so they could join the front lines. The healthcare track isn’t for everyone, but it’s a good option when looking at economy-proof careers.
Education
As we are currently witnessing, kids don’t necessarily get to stop attending school when a crisis happens. During the 2007 recession, students continued with their regular school routines. And right now most students are engaging in distance learning, using a variety of online tools. Some might say teaching isn’t the most lucrative career choice, but it has proven to be an essential resource, regardless of the state of the economy. Even as classrooms have moved online, teachers are still working.
In addition to classroom teaching, there are other paths within the education sector that students can pursue, such as administrator, guidance counselor, school psychologist, speech-language pathologist, and technology specialist. Online education will continue to play a key role in the future of learning, and you can check out the Skye Learning Certificate in Online Learning to learn about the technology used in online learning, how to build engaging online lessons, and more.
Business
With a business degree, graduates have a wide variety of possible career paths to choose from. Some students might pursue finance or marketing, while others might lean towards administration or management. Regardless of role, the skills learned in business courses and internships can be vital to keeping businesses running, even during an economic crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that flexibility is key, and many businesspeople have been able to maintain their job responsibilities by shifting to remote work. Business graduates will also find that they are needed in a wide variety of industries. Even during this uncertain time, the healthcare and ecommerce industries are booming, and managers within sales, operations, and finance are actively hiring new employees.
If you’re thinking of a career in business, the following Skye Learning certificates and courses are a great place to start:
- Certificate in Finance Essentials
- Certificate in Human Resource Management
- Certificate in Digital Marketing
- Operations Management
- Introduction to Business Analysis
Most graduates cannot fathom changing their career tracks after putting so many years of blood, sweat, and tears into their degrees, and that’s understandable. But in uncertain times, you must try to think outside the box. Maybe the advertising company you were hoping to land a job with isn’t hiring right now, but why not look at other industries? You could probably use the same skills at a healthcare or ecommerce organization and gain some valuable experience to help you land your dream job in the future. And who knows--you might fall in love with an industry you never pictured yourself in.
Additional Resources:
To see which companies are currently hiring, read this article detailing 56 companies that are looking to hire during the pandemic: 56 Companies Actively Hiring During Covid-19.
Remote work has become the new norm for many companies, so here’s a resource for applying to jobs that are remote: Remote Job Sites.
And perhaps now is the time for you to continue your education and strengthen your marketability. Check out all of our courses and certificates at Skye Learning.
