Professionals Ask: Where Are the Hot Jobs for 2013?

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Some of America’s best jobs for growth, advancement and salary increases in 2013 are in informational technology, engineering, health care, finance, construction, and management, according to recent government and private industry reports.

The key to success in 2013 and beyond, according to UCLA Extension, is a sound career strategy that includes professional development with continuing education certificates to give individuals the extra edge for better pay, a strengthened position for promotion, or bonuses in a hyper-competitive job market.

“‘We’re hiring.’ ‘You’re promoted.’ ‘Your salary is being increased.’ These are phrases many mid-career professionals wish to hear in the new year. The question is how to properly position oneself for this kind of opportunity. Industries are demanding more education and improved interpersonal skills. In many cases, those individuals who possess strong technical or professional skills and take proactive measures to seek advanced learning continue to be among the most desirable to employers,” said UCLA Extension Dean Cathy Sandeen.

In reviewing various government and private industry reports, UCLA Extension highlights professions with current or projected strong hiring trends, payroll growth and potential for advancement -- that align with courses and certificates offered by UCLA Extension:

Information Technology. With an explosion of social media, new devices (i.e. tablets, smart phones) and increased Internet use (i.e. “cloud computing”), companies are increasing their IT staff, newer companies seek more programmers and designers, as concerns for security grow. This field covers a wide range: Database management, web development, computer system analysts, information security, and more. Job growth is estimated at 53 percent by 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. UCLA Extension offers dozens of courses including those that lead to certification from Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle and others. Salaries in many IT jobs are expected to climb by 4 to 6 percent.
Management. Demand is surging for managers who can motivate teams and help companies launch new initiatives and projects. The Department of Labor projects an overall 11 percent job growth (nearly 14 percent for women) through 2020 in general management jobs. UCLA Extension offers a variety of courses and certificates to enhance management skills including; contract management, cost estimating and pricing, IT management, project management, and supply chain management. Engineers, scientists and others from around the world will gather at UCLA in late March 2013 for its highly successful Technical Management Program.
Engineering, Sustainability. Salaries continue to climb for graduating students with engineering degrees, and the range of engineering needs continues to expand. Relatively new engineering specialty areas such as sustainability continue to see growth as green practices multiply among businesses. Older fields, such as Southern California’s aerospace industry, are projected to remain a strong employment sector as private industry takes over more space exploration contracts.
Financial Planning. With economic growth generating more income and an increasing population looking to save for college or retirement, it is easy to understand the 30 percent projected job growth here. Personal financial planning certificates continue to expand at UCLA Extension.
Medical, Health Care and Counseling. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, opportunities for medical and health services specialists overall are projected to grow by 16 percent through 2020 and a third of the 20 fastest growing careers are in health care. Mental health and substance abuse counseling expects to see a 36 percent increase by 2020. Additionally, UCLA Extension’s Health Sciences offers patient advocacy, health care management and leadership and science prerequisites for certain pre-med fields such as nursing and dentistry.
Paralegal. The Labor Department projects an 18 percent growth in jobs through 2020. This remains a high demand program for UCLA Extension, particularly at its downtown Los Angeles campus.
Manufacturing/Construction. With homebuilding resurfacing, post-storm rebuilding in the Northeast and increased attention toward resource-efficient buildings, strong job growth is expected in this arena. UCLA Extension offers a construction management certificate, along with other programs for plumbing and heating and leadership in energy and environmental design.
Auditing: Predicted to grow by 18 percent by 2020 – fueled by recent changes in financial laws and accounting regulations, greater scrutiny of company finances, and a new focus on ethical accounting practices.
Best Jobs: Various organizations, such as CNN/Money and U.S. News and World Report, rank “best jobs” based on salary, job satisfaction and growth. The above fields are all included in these reports. Others include teaching and school administration – UCLA Extension offers more than 900 courses in education.

Another “growth” area in 2013 continues to be online classes offered through university-based continuing education institutions. The reason: Professionals seek to boost their careers and remain current. Flexibility, convenience, shorter timeframes and professional credits in a certificate program can be obtained online. Additionally, more international students still look to U.S.-based institutions for certificates and classes.

Registration is open for the winter quarter, which begins Jan. 7, 2013.

About UCLA Extension

UCLA Extension is the continuing education division of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). We offer courses evenings and weekends in Westwood and downtown Los Angeles, plus online classes available around the globe. Courses include business, arts, engineering, information technology, entertainment studies, public policy, public health, the humanities and more. Explore UCLA Extension: uclaextension.edu.