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5 Safe Professions in a Hazardous Market

Yahoo- Hot Jobs- By Melissa Ezarik- ClassesUSA.com

Whether you're already deep into the working world or just ready to dip your feet in, headlines about the sour economy -- and stories of family and friends who have lost jobs -- may well be causing lost sleep. As you lie awake at night, perhaps you're dreaming of a recession-proof career.
From where University of Washington career center director Susan Terry sits, students are feeling the anxiety. One example: Come winter break, her office is typically quiet -- but this year, there were lots of student appointments. Although Terry, who has decades of experience in career counseling and development, says no field is ever completely safe, she pinpoints several pockets that are safer than most, even in uncertain times.

Allied Health: Nurses and Physical Therapists

If asked to name the most recession-proof job out there, Terry would respond, "nursing." That's thanks to the aging population, advances in patient care, and an increasing emphasis on prevention, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2008-09 Occupational Outlook Handbook. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 23 percent from 2006 to 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations, with physicians' offices and home health care services having the highest projected growth rates.

The aging population is also helping grow the physical therapy field. "That is the type of care that isn't necessarily optional," Terry says of rehabilitation. With more emphasis on prevention, physical therapist positions are also cropping up in new places, from fitness clubs to hospital emergency departments, adds David Morris, president of the Alabama Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, and an associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Overall, physical therapist jobs are expected to grow much faster than average, at 27 percent growth from 2006 to 2016, according to BLS data.

Social Workers

Those who help others cope with issues affecting their everyday lives may well find their career choice was a safe one during an economic downturn. "With the needs of communities, even though there will be cutbacks," explains Terry, "you'll see some resistance to laying off those people." She points to hospital social workers, and those dealing with mental and substance abuse issues as particularly safe.

Social work jobs are experiencing much faster than average growth, with the strongest outlook for opportunities in rural areas, and for those specializing in the aging.

Teachers

Despite recent budget cuts, Terry calls education a generally secure position. "By federal legislation, our children have a right to a public education," she reminds, adding that education is a very high priority for President Obama.

Preschool and K-12 teacher employment should grow about as fast as average, creating 479,000 new positions -- more than in all but a few occupations, according to the BLS. Teachers in high-demand fields -- math, science, and bilingual education -- or in less desirable urban or rural school districts, have the best prospects.

Also promising: post-secondary education. Expected enrollment increases should create 382,000 new jobs (although many of them part-time or non-tenure track jobs), according to the BLS.

Computer Software Engineers

The BLS calls prospects for computer software engineers "excellent," with an increase of 38 percent, or about 324,000 new jobs, expected over the 2006 to 2016 period. Although Terry says some employers (even Microsoft!) aren't hiring software engineers right now, she suggests a look at information technology (IT) security, a huge growth area. According to BLS projections, businesses and the government should continue to invest heavily in software that protects their networks and vital electronic infrastructure from attack. That's just the sort of news that might resolve a career nightmare.