You’ve put in all that hard work for four (or more) years of college and, with a diploma under your arm and hope in your heart, you go searching for a job. This can be tough in any economy, made even tougher during a recession. Maybe you already found that perfect job only to find yourself out of work much quicker than you expected due to an economic downturn.
These are very real challenges for college graduates who are looking to enter the workforce and embark upon their career. Some students are starting to stack the odds in their favor by choosing one of the many careers that have proven resistant to the perils of a poor economy.
No matter how bad a recession becomes, there are certain industries that continue to endure (and even thrive) despite a slump in our overall economic stability. These are the areas that remain constant because they are the cornerstones of common society.
Education, healthcare, security, financial systems, skilled labor, government, the service industry, entertainment all of types; these play an important role in the way we live today. While these industries may feel the same pinch as other areas of commerce when the economy is struggling, they have demonstrated a resistance to the havoc that a recession can wreak on the market.
If you’re one of those students who is thinking about a career path now or you’re one about to graduate from college and making an assessment of your long-term outlook, then give these five careers some strong consideration.
1. Education
Despite bearing the brunt of budgetary fluctuations in just about every state throughout the country, in any type of economy, good or bad, education and the industries surrounding it will withstand the market. We will always need to educate our children and long-standing colleges and universities will continue to admit students.
Education is a vital mainstay in our society. In fact, this is one of the most traditionally stable markets that offers individuals gainful employment for the long term. Like any industry, there are some individuals who are more attractive than others when it comes to the skills and abilities they offer. Teachers will continue to be in demand, particularly those who can teach math and science and are also bilingual.
Consider what part of the country has the highest demand for teachers based upon population trends. Look to the inner cities as well, as these areas tend to have more need for educators than areas that are in rural or suburban regions. This market isn’t just looking for educators but also entrepreneurs, administrators, tutors, and technology innovators who can support the industry on an annual basis.
2. Healthcare
Another industry that will continue on in any sort of economy is healthcare. There are a wide variety of healthcare jobs available, it’s not just doctors and nurses that are in high demand. You don’t even need a degree or specialized training to work in this field, although it certainly helps if you do.
You can find a career in healthcare if you have a high school diploma and a GED, but for those students who matriculated through a four-year program, the possibilities are quite diverse. The fields within healthcare offer plenty of opportunities as well. There are careers in tech as medical records are becoming almost entirely electronic now, careers in physical therapy, sports medicine, home care, and more specialized areas such as skin care and even veterinary services.
It’s not just physical care either, as mental health professionals are also in high demand. Like the education industry, certain skill-sets make individuals more attractive to healthcare employers, so demonstrating strengths like a passion for research, a background in chemistry, or proficiency in data administration can also give you an advantage when the job search begins in earnest. With so many diverse possibilities in a market that is always in demand, a career in healthcare is a smart option. Many healthcare employers even offer employees tuition benefits to help their workers get a degree. So not only are you being paid to do a job, you’re getting free college tuition!
3. Government
If there is an area where jobs are safe in just about any economy, it’s the government. Federal employment is the more attractive option because these roles are rarely eliminated. In fact, it’s one of the most reliable fields you can enter and remain there all the way until you retire. With generous benefits, too!
Local government positions are less stable but that can also vary greatly depending upon the region of the country you live and the job position you’re seeking. However, federal jobs are more dependable because when budget cuts are made, the effected government entity often puts a hold on hiring new personnel instead of laying off the people they already employ.
4. Security
This is a field that will always be in high demand as crime never sleeps. So law enforcement and security jobs are just some of the positions that are not only recession-proof but often hire more personnel in a down economy because that’s when crime rates are likely to rise. When money is tough to come by, desperate people turn to desperate measures. Security jobs increase as a result.
Police departments look for more officers, forensic scientists, and detectives to fill their ranks. Retail stores are always hiring loss prevention individuals. Even computer hackers need to be stopped, so anyone proficient in computer sciences can find work in cyber-security and data protection for any number of corporations both public and private.
5. Service Industries
This may sound strange as a recession-proof career since restaurants and bars seem to open and close every day, especially in major metropolitan cities. But it’s true, as skilled bartenders and servers can always find work because when one restaurant closes its doors, two or three usually pop up in its place.
A down economy may mean that consumers are tightening their belts and eating out less, but bars often continue to thrive because those same consumers may turn to vices such as alcohol to make the difficulty of being out of work a little bit easier. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption rises when the economy starts to fall.
Hotels are also a stable industry in any economy because while people may not be taking a lot of vacations in a recession, business people still need to travel for work and they need a roof over their head. Shelter will always be a basic necessity and hotel workers will always be in demand as a result.