Who’s hiring now?

By at home

hiring-15-10-12Keen to build a challenging and rewarding career but not sure where to focus your attention? Here are 10 industries that may well be looking for you…

Unemployment may be rife, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t jobs out there to be had. Looking in the right place and, of course, in the right industries is essential to job and career success. So we’ve generated a list of 10 industries and sectors that are actively hiring now – and look set to continue doing so in the future.

Engineering
Everything from food and drink to civil engineering, this industry is an actively growing sector. Demands for skilled workers in a variety of organisations is high, with the UK alone expected to need more than 2.2 million engineers over the next five to 10 years.

Renewable energy
Green energy and renewable resources are the words on the lips of all business owners – and this doesn’t look set to alter any time soon.

Globally, we all need to find ways to live more sustainably and to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, and as a result, utility and energy companies are always on the look out for savvy thinking candidates who can drive forward their developments.

According to the chief executive of Scottish Renewables, Niall Stuart, renewable industries support ‘more than 11,000 jobs across Scotland.’

Finance and insurance
Financial services are essential to everyday life and the UK is home to one of the central financial districts in the world (the city of London) – and thus banks, insurance companies and accounting firms all require regular intakes of fresh talent to help them keep up with the demand for instantaneous service and financial transactions that the modern world requires.

Telecommunications
Technological advances as radical as mobile telephony and the advent of the World Wide Web have utterly revolutionised an industry which, itself, has had a revolutionary impact upon society. One of the most competitive and innovative markets in the country, it provides new career opportunities in a wide array of different activities.

Care
The UK’s ageing population means that care is going to be a crucial employer moving forward – and currently, too.
 
With the number of over-65s predicted to constitute 23% of the UK population by 2034, the demand for social care that caters to this growing bracket will certainly increase. Additionally, by 2025, it is estimated that adult social care will employ 2.6 million workers.

Foster carers are currently a hotspot for employment too – a survey by the Fostering Network discovered that 98% of fostering services have a current shortage of foster families.

Logistics
Mapping the flow and management of goods from A to B, logistics is a primary business function; the sector provides £74.45 billion to the UK economy and employs 2.3 million people. Logistics form a crucial role in the majority of businesses, especially in the retail industry, where the flow of goods is critical to retaining stock and managing the supply and demand of the consumer.

Services and sales
The sphere of retail, sales and customer services often intertwine and frequently have opportunities open for people to gain employment and build careers. As well as in-store positions, there are specialist areas where expert knowledge is necessary such as in pharmaceutical sales or working with luxury brands.

Technology
Technological advances continue to change the way we live and work, and thus companies that specialise in IT, data, social media and a host of other digital platforms, are frequently looking for new talent to help drive innovation in this industry. Remember: it’s not only specialised roles that are up for grabs.

All these companies need back-office functions to enable them to run properly.

Medicine and health
Progressions in genetic modification and biotechnology will be at the forefront of health research and drug development, which means that roles such as genetic researchers and scientists are in high demand currently and going forward. Human stem cell research – which aims to cure cancer and Parkinson’s disease – is an area that will be seeking qualified individuals for life-changing research.

Online Gambling and gaming
As the digital world develops, so does the arena of gambling and gaming. As well as positions related to real-life gaming experiences, there are opportunities available to develop platforms for online gaming, build computer games and maintain this online hub. n

IN THE BOARDROOM
It’s not only entry- or mid-level positions that are up for grabs at the moment. The European Union has imposed quotas on FTSE 100 companies to encourage them to increase the numbers of women they have on their boards.

By 2015, the target of 25% female representation has been set which means, of course, these organisations are looking to attract board-level women to join their ranks.

In the FTSE 100, 26% of all non-executive director appointments and 9% of executive directors were female in the past year.

So, if you are already an experienced manager and you’re looking for a new challenge, these companies are very likely to be hiring now!


Image: Shuttertstock


This article was first published in at home with Sally Gunnell in August 2012. [Read the digital edition here]

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