Embedded engineers will bridge the gap between software and hardware design and work specifically on microchip processors. Most companies will hire candidates with a bachelor’s degree and experience with computer systems and train them. Common majors preparing students for these jobs are computer science, software engineering, control systems, and other technical disciplines.

As the worldwide Web expands, people will be needed to write the features providing the content. To write for the Web and stay relevant and employable, candidates should also have a general understanding of HTML, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and social media. The mobile Web is also growing rapidly. To meet its huge demand for content design and development for mobile platforms, Web providers are hiring graphic designers, videographers, casual game/application developers, and software engineers.

There are now more than 350 million Spanish speakers worldwide, including 31 million here in the US, where Hispanics are now the largest minority group. To accommodate these populations, we will need Spanish-English language translators and interpreters.

In numerous other Herman Trend Alerts, we have discussed the growing need for employees who can support sustainable business practices. Every job in every sector will be affected, as employers look for ways to be more environmentally responsible and save money at the same time. Moreover, we will need accountants to help businesses measure the financial impact of environmental problems and their solutions. In the sustainable energy and automotive industries, the need for “green engineers” will also increase.

As the adult education market continues to expand, colleges, universities, and technical schools will need to hire college professors and instructors for these adult learners. Schools will hire secondary school teachers to accommodate the adults going back to school for their high school diplomas.

College graduates who have studied Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) will find waiting teaching positions in Europe, Asia, Africa and Central and South America as well as intensive teaching programs in the US. The requirement: Teaching English as a Foreign Language or TESL certification.

With the oil spill generating growing concerns about marine biodiversity and conservation, marine toxicologists*, conservation scientists, marine ecologists, fisheries scientists, and policy makers for the oceans will be hired in record numbers. Graduates with varying degrees should watch this industry, particularly if they have interest in environmental science or public policy issues.

*Toxicologists study harmful substances in natural systems and their effects on the biosphere.

(c) Copyright 1998-2010 by The Herman Group, Inc. — reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From “The Herman Trend Alert,” by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc.”

The combination of aging Baby Boomers, the shift to digital medical records, and the sequencing of the human genome will result in the strongest growth being in the field of Health Information Technology. By the year 2018, jobs in this field will grow by 20 percent, or 35,100 new positions. According to a report from the University of California (UC) San Diego, this growth will fuel the demand for engineers, analysts, consultants, and support specialists. With the exponential increase in cancer therapies, we see an increase in the areas of clinical trials design and management for oncology.

And speaking of healthcare and Boomers, with 34 million people over the age of 65, and that number set to double by 2050, the Geriatric Healthcare industry will provide a variety of new positions. We will need people to take care of the seniors, manage facilities, and develop healthcare plans for them. We also see growth in the area of personal trainers specializing in working with seniors.

An enlarged healthcare system will need more professionals trained in Health Law. Peripheral careers in the field span a wide range, including healthcare administration, program and policy development, public health, and the pharmaceutical industry.

According to a study out of UC Berkeley, the amount of data in the world doubles every three years. Career prospects in mining those data include jobs in advertising technology, fraud detection, risk management, and law enforcement.

With the increase in legislation to protect workers we will need substantially more occupational health and safety specialists who will analyze work environments to prevent injury, particularly in industries involving chemical, physical, or biological agents.

Check out Part 2 of Where the Jobs Are/Will Be.

* STEM: Science Technology, Engineering, and Math.

(c) Copyright 1998-2010 by The Herman Group, Inc. — reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From “The Herman Trend Alert,” by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc.”

1. Healthcare
2. Clean/Green Technology
3. Energy
4. Manufacturing
5. Pharmaceuticals/Medical Devices/Biotech

NPA indicates that the most active placement areas in the recruiter-owned network are business analysts/IT, manufacturing-related engineering, and sales and marketing positions.

“While this is great news for recruiters and those seeking work, it is a cautionary signal to CEOs and those responsible for retaining and developing talent in organizations…hold on to the talent you have,” says Dave Nerz, executive dirctor of NPA. “There is also a perception by client companies that candidates are plentiful and that speed of action is not an issue when the right fit candidate is located. While it may still be some time before candidates routinely have multiple offers, the best candidates are not available indefinitely and do have alternatives in this rebounding employment market.”

LEO BURNETT COMPANY

At the Leo Burnett Company in Chicago, Illinois, every employee receives a gift on Anniversary Day.  Some of the gifts given were jams and jellies, a model train, statues and customized bottles of wine.  In addition, they gave one dollar for every year of the agency’s life.

NISSAN

At Nissan in Smyrna, Tennessee, any employee with 12 months of service qualifies to lease a Nissan car for $160 per month.  This also includes maintenance, tax, license and insurance.

WESTIN HOTEL

Every Westin Hotel has an Annual Banquet honoring employees with more than five years of service.

MARY KAY COSMETICS

Mary Kay Cosmetics employees receive 20 shares of stock on their 5th Anniversary, on their 10th they receive 80 shares and on their 15th they receive 120 shares.

WALT DISNEY COMPANY

The Walt Disney Company plans service recognition awards, peer recognition programs, attendance awards and milestone banquets for 10, 15 and 20 years of service.

HALLMARK

At Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri, employees can invite any and all of their friends throughout the company to share their 25th Anniversary Cake.  Typically, 200 to 1,000 people show up for each celebration.

PITNEY BOWES

Pitney Bowes, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, has an Anniversary Vacation Policy that gives an employee with 25 years of service an extra month of vacation.  The same benefit is then offered to the employee every 5th year.

JCPENNEY

The JCPenney store in Laurel, Montana, had a 25th Anniversary Sale to honor Pat Mullaney, who had managed the store for 25 years.

RYDER SYSTEM

Ryder System’s 50th Anniversary Celebration was celebrated with a cake that was shaped like a truck and covered with yellow icing.

RAYCHEM CORPORATION

At Raychem Corporation in Menlo Park, California, celebrated their 25th Anniversary, it held a gigantic community party to which it invited all of its employees, their families and special guests.  The maker of high-tech industrial products held a daylong celebration at its 140-acre plant site.  Everyone was served a steak dinner.  There was continuous entertainment for seven hours, featuring headline acts and 15 carnival rides, including a ferris wheel and a merry-go-round.

These examples are of companies who have gone above and beyond to ensure that their employees remain loyal to them.  Of course there are other ways to recognize your employees.  One idea is to simply have a plaque engraved with your employee’s name on it when they reach 5, 10 or 15 years of employment with your company.  Everyone likes to be recognized and appreciated for the work they do.  Implement a program that is right for your Company Culture.

The Age of Information doesn’t care about our opinions, feelings or fears.  The world rewards only those of us who catch onto what’s happening and invests energy into seizing the opportunities that will be brought about by change.

In order to take care of your own career and those individuals who work for you company, you need to manage perpetual motion.  Your organization needs to reshape, shift and flex to fit the rapidly changing world.  These are the only ways to flourish in a fiercely competitive economy.

You can expect flexible ways of working.  Duties and job descriptions being constantly realigned.  Short-lived assignments will become ordinary.  Change can be painful.  When it damages careers, emotions such as grief, anger and depression come naturally, making it hard for people to “buy in” and be productive.  Mobility makes you a valuable member of the management team that has continual interaction with employees.  Your goal should be rapid recovery and instant alignment to changes regardless of the impact on you personally.  Take personal responsibility for adapting to change just like you would if you were accepting a new job and watch how quickly your responsibilities grow within the organization.

Finding and retaining top talent through a changing environment is one of the greatest challenges Corporate America is facing today.  When you establish the reputation as a change agent, you will have a seat at the table for all Strategic Meetings because they will need and welcome your input!

There are some character traits that are common and should be used in order to create that positive image!  The following are character traits that you should be incorporating into your first interviews.

AUTHORITY

Your ability to lead others attracts people to you.  When you project authority, you are on the right track toward impressing people.

CERTAINTY

Honest belief in a fact, an idea or a concept can inspire others to feel the same way.  Steadfastness is definitely a builder of understanding two people.

CONSIDERATION

No man or woman can be an island unto himself or herself.  It is this facet that brings you closer to all other individuals.

CREDIBILITY

No matter who you are or what you are involved in, you must be able to project a feeling or belief in other people.  If you cannot, you will not arouse belief in yourself or in your hopes.

EMPATHY

It is more than compassion.  It is the capacity to put yourself inside another person’s exact situation and experience feelings and emotions directly.

INSPIRATION

Your own passion projects excitement into other people.  This is one of the most important facets of a person’s general profile.  It is the ability to arouse others to a purpose or project.

INTEGRITY

Without integrity, you cannot convince anyone that you are going to do what you say you are going to do.

INTIMACY

This is the vital link between two people that makes them much more than two separate individuals.  This is the final involvement of two people, usually in an ongoing business relationship.

LUSTER

It is a force of energy that can bring people together to work for whatever the individual wants.

PRESENCE

It is the force of personality that makes everyone in a room look at you when you enter.

SELF-ASSURANCE

The person who projects a feeling of self-assurance will attract support and assistance from others on the job as well as supervisors.

UNDERSTANDING

To lead others you must be able to intuit their feelings and emotions and be able to sympathize with their hurt.  This is an understanding that builds teamwork in the workplace.

VIGOR

This is a person’s inner self which is able to release energy and the force of personality to others around them.  It fuels all action, positive thought, progress and important activities.

VIVACITY

If you have the ability to express through vivacity your own excitement and enthusiasm, you can get others excited about what you are doing, yourself in general and the work you want done!

All of these character traits are important when you are making your first impression during your interviews and meetings.  Keep in mind that a first impression cannot be recaptured.  Therefore, make your first impression a great one!

Networking can be utilized in different ways:

• Gathering, collecting and gaining information and contacts

• The ability to gain benefits from the referred contacts

• Doors open that would have been closed without a contact

• To obtain job leads

Your primary goal is to obtain job leads which begin to multiply as you build your network. The more contacts you make, the greater your odds are at finding a job by networking. You are in Sales (selling yourself to a prospective employer) and as you are beginning to learn, sales is a “numbers game.”

Make a list of your existing network and set an objective to obtain two new contacts from every contact you make. It is easier to contact the people you know as opposed to talking to complete strangers. Most of your existing network will be helpful, resourceful and very willing to help provide you with names.

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear ___________________

The decision to explore other career opportunities is never an easy one. It is even more difficult for me, as I have spent the last _______ years, with the same company (list name of company)

Any suggestions, ideas or contact you could provide regarding my job search, would be greatly appreciated. Enclosed you will find a copy of my most updated resume.  I’m receptive to considering any opportunity that would utilize my experience and credentials. I do hope to stay in the ___________(location) area if possible.  (but would consider location – if that is a fact)

Would you please take a moment at your earliest convenience to review my resume.  I will call you within the next few days to discuss your ideas or suggestions.

Sincerely,

TYPES OF NETWORKING SUPPORT

When you have completed your networking list, it is important to realize what role your network will play in your job search. Review the various types of people in a network and identify which types comprise your current network. It is good to have representation from all the groups listed below.

Challengers: People who cause you to look at your own direction.  They force you to face important questions about your life.

Experts: People in your field you respect and value as a professional contact.  You respect the professional competence of these people.

Hubs: These are well connected people who can provide you with sources of information and people.

Mentors: People who will help you guide your career, provide you with access to their expertise and will teach you what they know.

Promoters:These are people who will take an active role in  helping you.  They will also advise you of opportunities and enhance your visibility.

Role Models: They have achieved what you aspire. They are examples to emulate.

“I had not idea that I was a “free agent in the open Job Market.” That sounds so much better than I’m unemployed! I’m using that from now on.” Tom W. – Detroit, MI

“I treated my final interview like a “first interview” and just got a job offer after being unemployed for over a year. Your advice on last week’s call was dead on and as a result I start my job next Monday. I can’t thank you enough.” Sharon B., Boise, ID

“Your advice on what to take on an interview just helped me get a job offer. I was up against at least 7 other people and I think what I gave them after my interview is what turned the scales in my favor. I never even thought about what to take on my interview other than my resume. But when I saw their reaction, I knew you were right. Thanks to you, I now have a job after 5 months of looking.” Phil Z., Camden, NY

“I never looked at my job search as a sales process and held back during interviews not to sound like I was bragging. After listing to your advice I started to sell myself more in my cover letter, phone calls and interviews. I start my new job next week at a higher salary than the job I lost 7 months ago. I also used your advice on how to handle my salary negotiations and it worked. Because of you this single mom can now stop worrying about how to feed her kids. May God bless you.” Luann P., Mobile, AL

What have you done right? What is the 20% of your effort that is providing you with 80% of your results? You want to continue doing more of these activities.

What is wasting your time? You want to stop doing what is wasting your time today!  If something is not working, then why continue doing it? Focus on what works and quit wasting your valuable time.

What can you do differently to improve the results of your job search? Do you need to network more?  Do you need to revise your resume?  Do you need coaching from a professional recruiter?

When you stop doing things that waste your time, you have more time to identify and implement new ideas and methods.

Summer celebrations usually include fireworks, picnics and parades. These are all opportunities to subtly network. Don’t be afraid to get out there and mix a little business with pleasure. This month is also a good time to review your goals and progress to date. If your job search efforts are not providing you with results or even interviews, review your activities. It’s important that you submit resumes and follow up daily.