We?ve all heard it or felt it — the job market just isn?t great anymore in the U.S. As Business Insider?s recent headline proclaims: ?there?s a ?new normal in America?s job market, and it isn?t pretty.? They got that right.
Pay hasn?t been rising to match inflation; part-time workers struggle to find full-time work with benefits; Americans everywhere are looking for jobs to support their families, and often coming up short. Meanwhile, student loans continue to represent an undue burden for people across the U.S.
If you?ve come to this conclusion and feel concerned, don?t worry: there is still hope. Your best option might be to go into an industry that always has demand, pays well, and keeps your mind active. Here are three career options you should definitely consider in order to beat the employment odds.
Dental Hygienist
The medical fields always offer good pay to those interested in being a part of it. If you don?t want the many years of school required to be a doctor, or don?t want the unusual schedule nurses have, then becoming a dental hygienist might be a better match. You?ll be in your feet instead of stuck in an office, get to deal with unique challenges each day, have a reliable 8-5 schedule that can work well with your family, and the pay is good and the opportunity is a secure one.
National Court Reporting
Think of all the thousands of trials taking place across the U.S. this week; now envision all the court reporters who are there to record everything from depositions to the trials themselves. Court reporting services remain incredibly valuable as they are essential to the operations of the legal system today. Even though videotapes can be used, they still need to be reviewed by a human and transcribed — not saving much time over national court reporting. There are 21,000 national court reporters in the U.S., and you could be one of them. You?ll get to see the inner workings of the justice system, and you?ll have a secure, well-paying job besides.
Sales Engineers
Do you have an engineering degree but don?t like the technical options available to you? Sales engineers have to help businesses understand how to use the equipment and technology they?ve purchased for their company. This type of position is great for a competitive mindset, since commissions will be a part of the deal. The median salary for this job is $90,000 — not bad for just a bachelor?s degree!
Would you be interested in being a sales engineer, national court reporting employee, or dental hygienist? It’s good to know there are alternative, dependable career tracks out there to explore.