What jobs are hot now, later

Layoffs and hiring freezes are pushing up the jobless rate, but some employers locally and across the state are still hiring.

Knowing what jobs are out there is helpful, but experts say it’s also wise to be aware of the professions that will be hiring in the coming years.

In the Richmond area and statewide, health care and education are two industries to seek out. Both sectors have jobs available now, and projections for future growth are also high.

Between 2006 and 2016, health-care support occupations are projected to grow nearly 37 percent to more than 104,000 employees, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

Education, training and library occupations are expected to grow nearly 22 percent to more than 268,000 in the state during the same period, projections show.

Consider them savior sectors.

“They’re the industries that will ride through the recession better than anybody else,“ said William F. Mezger, chief economist for the Virginia Employment Commission.

In addition, many professions dealing with computers have job openings now and more openings are expected as well. And on a smaller scale, jobs for translators and interpreters are expanding locally and will likely continue that trend. So, too, will the nuclear industry.

While their numbers are small, interpreter and translator jobs are projected to increase 47 percent to 2,374, state data show. With a resurgence in applications for nuclear reactors, Virginia has worked on attracting companies that supply parts for reactors. So growth is expected in that sector as well.

“There’s definitely some hiring going on all across the spectrum,“ said Sara Dunnigan, vice president of existing business services with the Greater Richmond Partnership, a regional economic-development agency.

The partnership polls employers locally about their hiring intentions. Of about 100 companies queried since the beginning of the year, 24 percent said they planned to add employees, perhaps up to 230 collectively during the next 12 months. Seventy-one percent of employers predicted no staffing changes, while 5 percent planned to cut.

Among the growth areas: health care, information technology and technical services, Dunnigan said.

State projections mirror those results.

Health care and social-assistance employment is projected to increase 31 percent between 2006 and 2016. Educational services is expected to expand nearly 20 percent. Professional and technical services could rise by 42 percent, according to the state projections, which are based on past trends and factor in that a recession may occur, Mezger said.

More about some of the growth occupations:

Health care is a good place to start if you are pondering a career switch or looking for a job.

Jerry Venable has a list of hot jobs, and at No. 1 is registered nurses.

“No big secret,“ said Venable, vice president of human resources for HCA Capital Division, a health-care agency.

Rehabilitation specialists, such as speech and physical therapists, come next. Pharmacists, lab technicians, operating room technicians and respiratory therapists round out the list.

A shortage of graduates, aging baby boomers, expanded medical procedures and pharmacological competition have increased demand, he said.

HCA was hiring for about 90 nurses at the beginning of the year, but the number varies as patient levels change.

“We definitely encourage individuals [to consider] health care,“ said Sophie Williams, operations manager for career development services at Goodwill of Central Virginia.

About 60 percent of Goodwill’s career placements in 2008 went into human services, which covers health, education and hospitality. In the first two months of the year, 71 percent of the people placed have gone into human services.

Home health aides, technicians and other occupations account for a good portion of those jobs.

The state calculates industry and occupation growth. Home health aides and personal and home care aides are in the growth occupation group. The number of home health aides is projected to increase 74 percent between 2006 and 2016, up to nearly 21,000 jobs statewide. Data for metro areas is not available.

Despite the economy, personal care services—bathing, cooking, light housekeeping—that are reimbursed by Medicaid aren’t likely to fall off because of support from the Obama administration, said Bonnie Gordon, chief executive of Family Care Home Health Inc. in Richmond.

Self-pay patients may decrease during the downturn, but an aging population will likely increase demand in years to come, Gordon said.

Education is also a place to look for jobs, based on projected growth.

Higher education may see a benefit from the recession, in part because people tend to go back to school for more training during tough job markets, especially if they have been laid off, Mezger said.

But increased enrollment doesn’t necessarily translate into more faculty at college levels because funding is a factor, said Dan Hix, financial policy director for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Community colleges offering training for people seeking to update skills or switch careers are, however, noticing a difference.

“We’re seeing a situation where we have to hire more adjunct faculty to accommodate what we need,“ said Malcolm Holmes, director of marketing and public relations at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. “We’re hiring adjuncts sometimes at the last minute. It depends on the need.“

Early childhood education is also another sector Goodwill encourages people to consider, Williams said.

Many of the in-demand jobs in health care, including most types of technicians, require two years or less of school, and much of that training can be at community colleges or through other institutions, which cost less than four-year schools, Venable said.

Computers and anything to do with computers will likely be hot also.

Network systems and data communications analysts, database administrators and computer systems analysts are all projected to be in demand.

The same goes for computer software engineers, whose numbers are expected to swell by 2016 to 51,822 in Virginia. That’s a 56 percent increase over 2006 numbers.

Rare is the office without a computer, which means inevitably there are employees or contractors employed to maintain, update or fix the technology.

The need is reflected in job listings. Technology jobs are consistently among the top five most-posted advertisements on Yahoo HotJobs, a Media General partner.

“We’re still seeing resilience there,“ said Tom Musbach, senior editor for HotJobs.

The need for translators also might grow as people travel more. Mondial Assistance, which provides travel insurance and 24-hour emergency assistance, is proof of that.

The company is recruiting for 31 open (18 are new) sales, marketing and communications positions, including bilingual nurses. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11; severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS; and a string of natural disasters have increased the popularity of travel insurance, said Mark Cipolletti, vice president of marketing communications for Mondial Assistance.

“We still have lots of room for growth,“ Cipolletti said.

The nuclear industry is one Virginia has been going after, and results are on the horizon.

Areva Newport News is a partnership with a French Nuclear company and Northrop Grumman. Together, they will build components used in nuclear reactors. Over time, more than 500 jobs will be added to the Newport News region.

But that is not the only place.

“People are looking at atomic energy again after 20 to 30 years,“ Mezger said.

Lynchburg-based Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Operations Group Inc. has won more than $1 billion in contacts with the federal government. One-third of the additional 250 hires to help build nuclear power systems for submarines and aircraft carriers will be based in Lynchburg, public-affairs manager Jud Simmons said.

Those openings include spots for supervisors, welders, machinists, electricians and welding and design engineers.

“We continue to be very optimistic about the growth of nuclear,“ said Simmons, who said his company is predicting a “renaissance in commercial nuclear power.“

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Job-hunting tips

Not finding a job? It may take longer to find employment right now. Follow these tips to help you find the job for you:

Don’t rely on one résumé or cover letter: Customize what you send out so the skills you highlight mesh with what the company is seeking.

Don’t exaggerate: Be truthful on your résumé and cover letter and during an interview.

Don’t expect responses from every résumé you send out: Most places are getting inundated. Someone from the company will call if they are interested.

Don’t stalk the company: It’s fine to make one inquiry about your application, but let it go after that call.

Don’t focus on rejection or get discouraged: That will just slow you down and distract. “You can find that story of doom and gloom or you can focus on the . . . percentage of people who are employed,“ said Melissa Jones, president of the Richmond Human Resources Management Association. “I know that there’s a lot of people out of work right now and the numbers may seem daunting, but there are still companies that are hiring.“

Don’t let expectations get in the way: Even if a job is less money, it may provide a way in to a company that offers great growth potential. “Within the last five to 10 years, the standard was, you were going to make a move for something higher and at least a 10 percent pay increase,“ Jones said. “We are certainly not living in those times right now.“

Evaluate yourself: You are more than a job title or résumé. Think about your skills and what you want to do when going after a job. Also think about if the companies you interview with have a culture and climate that works for you, Jones said.

Don’t spend a lot: Budget yourself for the long haul and consider taking a temporary or part-time job to cover bills.

Don’t stop looking even if you have an offer: Keep searching until you have a signed contract, start date or firm commitment that you will be employed.

SOURCE: Pat Mayfield, Yahoo HotJobs; Melissa Jones, president of the Richmond Human Resources Management Association.