If 2014 was all about data-driven jobs (top jobs for women reported by Forbes included actuary, computer systems analyst and market research), a roundup of 2015 reports highlights growth in business careers, health-care careers, and part-time and flex jobs.
Marketing Careers
According to Time’s 2015 career and workplace trends, marketing jobs will remain plentiful as the media landscape shifts from traditional advertising to content marketing and “native advertising,” especially for marketers who can mine data to inform decisions.
1. Marketing Executive
Growth & wages: Marketing professionals enjoy a healthy median annual salary of $119,433 and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs to grow 14 percent through 2020.
Education & training: A marketing degree and valuable on-the-job experience provide job seekers with the experience they need to pursue this rapidly evolving career path. Today’s marketing leaders need to stay on top of technology trends and understand social media, search, video, conversions and analytics.
Career forecast: Within many organizations, marketing activities are highly valued and key to driving business objectives. A professional marketing career may last 30, 40 or 50 years and for those seeking steady growth in jobs and salaries, it’s a solid bet.
2. Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Manager
Growth & wages: Marketing professionals enjoy a healthy median annual salary of $119,433 and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs to grow 14 percent through 2020.
Education & training: Responsible for generating interest in a product or service, these professionals are likely to have a marketing degree and often work in ad agencies, where they create campaigns on behalf of clients. Again, much like marketing executives, these roles require professionals to stay on top of emerging technology as marketing increasingly happens on the “small screen.”
Career forecast: These roles will continue to be essential as organizations seek to maintain and grow market share.
3. User Experience Researcher
Growth & wages: More than 57 percent in this field are women and it’s a field that’s expected to grow 22 percent in the next 10 years. The average median salary, according to Payscale, is $81,541, with the highest pay concentrated in the San Francisco area.
Education & training: These professionals have strong communication, analytical and organizational skills, often have a bachelor’s degree in computer science and, more frequently, a masters in information design or user experience. They are charged with improving the user experience of products and websites through methodical user testing and/or focus groups.
Career forecast: Businesses face losing millions in revenue if their products or websites are tricky to use. Fortunately for these professionals, that means businesses will turn to user experience professionals more and more in the next decade.
4. Market Research Analyst
Growth & wages: These roles pull down a median salary of $68,300 a year and growth is projected at 41.2 percent over the next 10 years.
Education & training: Armed with a toolbelt that includes social research and statistics skills, these professionals often have degrees in business analytics (also known as big data) or marketing analytics.
Career forecast: A market research analyst might run a focus group of teens one day and mine data on new product adoption the next, jumping from one project to another. As businesses seek to gain insights into consumer behavior that will lead to growth in market share, individuals with these skills will be in high demand.
Part-time and Flexible Careers
While the choice to work “9 to 5” was an anthem in the 1970s, as women transitioned from secondary, part-time earners to professional careers, the battle cry of the 21st century emphasizes freedom and flexibility. According to a 2013 Millennial Branding report, 45 percent of millennials will choose flexibility over pay, costing companies hundreds of millions of dollars. With millennials representing 75 percent of the global workforce in 2025, this is an issue that’s not going away.
Here are jobs that provide the freedom and flexibility sought by today’s professionals:
5. Entrepreneur
Growth & wages: SimplyHired pegs median salaries for entrepreneurs at $111,000 with significant variance given size and scale of business.
Education & training: According to Laurence Shatkin, the author of 150 Best Jobs for Your Skills, people with an enterprising personality (think lawyer or sales manager) often pivot to enterprising roles that involve taking the lead on projects. In addition, people in management roles (think marketing management or computer systems management) often have the right skills to be aspiring entrepreneurs.
Career forecast: The U.S. Small Business Administration estimated that in 2013, 10.6 million women owned their own businesses, up significantly in recent decades due to the increased demand for flexibility.
6. Personal Financial Adviser
Growth & wages: With a median pay of $67,520, growth in financial advisors is pegged at 30 percent through 2018, with about 20 percent self-employed, according to the Labor Department.
Education & training: These trusted advisers do what many people don’t want to do for themselves: figure out how to manage their money. A bachelor’s degree is necessary and an advanced degree in financial planning is recommended, along with industry certifications and membership in industry associations. A background in customer or sales service (think empathy and listening skills) are critical too.
Career forecast: This is forecasted to be one of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations over the next decade, with millions of baby boomers due to retire and in need of money management support. At the same time, many companies are developing online wealth management tools to meet growing consumer demand.
7. Curriculum developer
Growth & wages: Curriculum developers are typically full-time telecommuting jobs earning a median of $59,000 per year, according to FlexJobs.
Education & training: The highest-paying skills in this field are for technical writing and training program development, often sought by academic institutions, research organizations and government agencies that require their own curricula. Ideal candidates are well versed in modular content development and can work independently with minimal supervision.
Career forecast: This is an attractive career as the trend to move from place-based degrees to Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) takes hold and increases demand for online curricula.
Healthcare Careers
If you haven’t heard, we are in the midst of an aging boom as the number of people in the U.S. aged 65 or older grows to 72.1 million — more than doubling from 2000 to 2030. The increasing elderly population will drive demand for nurses, physical therapists and the other health-care careers below.
8. Registered Nurse
Growth & wages: With 15 percent year-over-year growth in jobs for RNs since 2010, it’s never been a better time to be a nurse (and let’s not forget the median annual pay of $92,892).
Education & training: Prepare for a long haul in school. At a minimum, an entry-level nursing jobs requires a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, an associate’s degree or diploma program administered in a hospital.
Career forecast: While a competitive market, there’s tremendous growth potential in this career path as the population ages and demand extends beyond hospitals to rehabilitation and long-term care facilities, schools and corporations.
9. Physical Therapist
Growth & wages: With a reported median annual pay of $80,350 and annual job growth at 10 percent since 2010, this is a hot career path.
Education & training: The American Physical Therapy Association accredits entry-level academic programs in physical therapy and offers resources for students considering this degree and career path.
Career forecast: These medical professionals develop rehabilitation programs to improve mobility and lessen pain and work at clinics, hospitals and private offices. A few factors have led to growth in this field: the aging population; health-care reform easing restrictions on physical therapy reimbursement; and rising demand to manage such chronic conditions as diabetes and obesity.
10. Speech-Language Pathologist (Speech Therapist)
Growth & wages: According to MSN Money, year-over-year job growth is at 5 percent since 2010 and median annual salaries are a healthy $70,720.
Education & training: At a minimum, these professionals require a master’s degree from a school accredited by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and several hundred hours of supervised clinical experience, and must pass a board exam to practice. Career advisers recommend securing as many field placements as possible during graduate school.
Career forecast: The aging population will create a surge in demand for these professionals as instances of speech and language impairments increase with age. While this is a competitive field, job prospects are good and speech therapists have experienced a spike in pay in recent years.