Employment rates are still low in the U.S. and you’ve heard the doom and gloom job market statistics for recent grads. However, there’s hope in new, vibrant industries that could lead to fun majors and lucrative careers according to data from a 2012 report by IBIS World.
How do you get one of these jobs? Find an expanding industry where you can study something you enjoy.
While starting a career in industries like sustainability or healthcare are no-brainers (the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates millions of new positions by 2020), there are other fast-growing industries out there for people looking to get creative with their skills and exercise their entrepreneurial spirits. These careers require a range of education like a four-year degree, two-year degree or certification.
Social Network Game Development (Four-Year Degree)
Did you know that more than 235 million people are playing games on Facebook? In fact, the social networking site reported an 8.4 percent growth in users since January 2012!
What does that mean for you? Well, it means that big social gaming companies like Zynga will be hiring to produce and maintain these types of games. It also means that you can go into business for yourself and build your own games since Facebook is sending users to Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play marketplace to buy them.
Think you have the next viral game like “Words with Friends” or “Farmville?” You should consider earning a degree in computer science.
Schools like the University of Texas have game development programs to tap into this hot job market, “To fill this need, Computer Science, Fine Arts, and Radio-Television-Film, has jointly developed an interdisciplinary program in game development.”
You can view the requirements and course descriptions on the university’s site. If you’re not interested in social games we have more ideas for computer science majors.
Hot Sauce (Two-Year, Four-Year or Graduate Degree)
Yes, hot sauce is on fire in the job market right now. Foodies rejoice – there are cool gigs with hot rewards. Whether you’re looking for a career in marketing, food science, agriculture, or business management, the hot sauce industry has increased by “9.3 percent per year over the past decade” because of the growing popularity of ethnic foods in the U.S.
Not inspired yet? Mike Hanes, a former homeless Marine, found a new career for himself as a hot sauce creator and business owner after taking classes at Mira Costa College and learning skills from the Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training program (VSAT). The six-week course, which is partnered with Mira Costa, teaches students sustainable agricultural techniques and business skills in organic farming.
“Farming is one of the 10 best green jobs out there,” said VSAT founder Colin Archipley, in an article by the North County Times. “Organic farming is still growing, even though the rest of the economy is down.”
Hanes now sells his sauce called “Dang!!!” at 10 Whole Foods locations.
Pilates & Yoga (Four-Year Degree, Graduate Degree or Certification)
As Americans’ stress levels and waistlines increase, so does their need for relaxation and low-impact exercise activities like yoga and Pilates. Luckily for those of you who want to start your own business within the health and fitness industry, yoga and Pilates are not only a lasting exercise trend, the industry is expected to earn $8.3 billion in 2017 – a $2 billion increase from 2012.
With the rise of single class, monthly and annual memberships, yoga and Pilates studios are lucrative businesses that offer a wide variety of services at different price points for their customers. If you’re looking to open your own studio, why not get your degree in exercise science or small business management? Or, if you want to teach yoga or Pilates there are many teacher training courses and certification programs.
See, fun careers are out there, you just need to tap into the right fields and education programs.
Do any of these careers sound fun to you?
Uniting your passion with a profitable career – is there anything better? Great post – thanks.