By Annie Favreau from Inside Jobs
Whether you’re a graduate on your first employment hunt or a young professional looking for a career change, you want to choose a job that’s got a future. One way to do this? Pick a career in a new or developing field. Here are five jobs that hadn’t been invented when you were in grade school:
Digital Journalist – Digital journalists are like the energizer bunnies of journalism: you find stories quicker and deliver news faster by blogging, micro-blogging, vlogging, texting, tweeting, and generally feeding the social media frenzy.
This is a relatively new field, born from the public’s ever increasing consumption of on-demand, easy-to-digest news. As such, the new breed of reporters must distinguish which stories are best told through what medium—words, photographs, video, audio recording, or visual graphics.
A word of warning: because you’re often working without the safety net of an editor, digital journalists need a strong knowledge of journalism ethics and media laws. That way, you can avoid career-killing situations, like getting sued for libel.
Average salary: $25,480–$51,210
Environmental Economist – Mathematically minded folks who are interested in greening up their jobs should consider becoming Environmental Economists. This career choice marries ecological and economic sustainability: you perform cost/benefit analysis of government policies that deal with air pollution, water quality, waste, and global warming.
Environmental Economics has been around for a while. But now that everyone and their mother are concerned about shrinking their carbon footprints (and rightly so), this career field is developing into a professional hot spot.
Average salary: $60,990–$119,630
TSA Officer – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA for short) was created exactly ten years ago in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Since then, TSA agents have been screening passengers, baggage, and cargo to protect our friendly skies.
At first glance, this job might not seem a little…well, boring. Going through some lady’s bag to find her illegal tweezers isn’t a job most people dream about. However, TSA officers often receive extensive training in the fields of security, intelligence, and counter-terrorism which can lead to other career openings. And you’re the first line of defense against any and all threats.
Average salary: $21,980–$39,990
Forensic Accountant — If you’re a math whiz but have always secretly fantasized about investigating and bringing down criminals, why not combine your two interests and enter the world of forensic accounting?
Investigating insurance claims, tax evasion, money laundering, and fraud are all part of the daily grind. But it’s not all paper trails and numbers; forensic accountants are often called as expert witnesses in court.
Technically, this job is more than ten years old, but the demand has grown exponentially in recent times (Bernie Madoff, anyone?).
Average salary: $46,740–$79,470
Online Reputation Manager – Anyone who’s Googled themselves understands the value of an online reputation manager.
Whether you’re deleting Facebook photos of a CEO smoking something strange, or responding to complaints about a company’s product, online rep managers works to maintain a pristine online image for their clients.
What’s it take to succeed in this position? Not a lot beyond a firm grasp on social media, strong communication skills, and the willingness to spin a story. The field is so new that even the experts have only been working there for a couple of years.
Average salary: $38,740–$72,180
Annie Favreau works for Inside Jobs, a career exploration site that helps people discover what opportunities exist and learn what paths can take them there.
Photo via Pixabay.