8 Stable Career Choices

8 Stable Career Choices
Great careers

Monster Senior Contributing Writer

Uncertainty has become the new normal. Change happens quickly and constantly. For people who embrace turbulence this is good thing.

For others, this whirlwind world of ours can be somewhat overwhelming. Whatever happened to predictable careers? Has job stability really disappeared for good?

Not necessarily. Certain occupations are less volatile than others. Some of the more secure ones for the foreseeable future are described below.

Teacher

Helping students learn is a nice, internally rewarding way to earn a living. Not to mention the prospect of extended summer breaks and holidays, plus excellent pension and benefits plans.
Don’t be fooled though by thoughts of short days, and evenings totally free of work: it takes a good deal of time to prepare lessons and mark the material that’s handed in. Also these jobs are at a premium so it can take a while to get a full-time position. See all Teacher jobs.

Accountant

CMA, CGA or CA…any of these three accounting designations puts you in demand with Canadian employers. Every company needs finance specialists as part of their team. And if you want to be a highly valued member of that team, earning the CGA designation can help make it happen!

Accountants can work for consulting firms or “in house” at just about any type of employer. There’s also the option to hang out your own shingle and become self-employed. See all Finance jobs.

Government Employee

A Public Service career offers many fulfilling jobs, a chance to make a difference to your fellow Canadians, stability and an excellent benefits package. Canada’s Public Service employs 450,000 people across the country. There are government jobs at the local, provincial and federal level available.

Plumber or Electrician

Sink clogged again? Fuse box blown and the lights are out in your home? Time to call a plumber (for the sink) or electrician (to fix the fuses).

These skilled trades are always in demand. Mind you they require that you go through an apprenticeship to get started. This takes several years. So keep this in mind when planning your career path. See all jobs in Construction.

Nurse

Helping the ill and injured heal is a profession with a noble history. Florence Nightingale, for example, considered her career a calling.

Today there are male nurses, hospital nurses, homecare nurses, nurse educators…the field ranges widely. Also there are three different credentials to choose from: Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Registered Practical Nurse (RPN). See all Nursing jobs.

Recruiter For Temporary Jobs

Due to the economy, people are increasingly opting for temporary positions in hopes of turning them into a permanent job. This has created an increase in demand for Placement Specialists and Recruiters who help these people and companies find each other.

As more employers hire people on a contingency basis – for fixed-term contracts and temp assignments – recruiters in this specialty gain more security. But success requires self-motivation and constant networking to keep your list of candidates robust.

Social Media Marketer

Can you evangelize (promote) products, services and brands online effectively? It takes more than sending out the occasional Tweet on Twitter or Status Update on Facebook. This field is evolving faster than you can post about what you ate for breakfast today on MySpace.

Knowledge of market segmentation and advertising ROI (Return on Investment) are essential. You needn’t be a full blown techie to succeed in this occupation. Except you’ll have to become well versed in such trade techniques as SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing). See all jobs in social media.

Computer Systems Analyst And Administrator

According to AOL Jobs, technology is at the center of both business and pleasure these days, so it's no wonder technology analysts and administrators are in high demand. All areas of the field are growing. The most expansion (53 percent growth by 2018, says the U.S. Department of Labor) is in network systems and data communications - network architects and engineers, Web administrators and developers - as more companies upgrade technology. See all Computer Systems jobs.

Don’t Forget About Job Satisfaction Too

Security is an important part of choosing your career, no doubt. But would you give up job satisfaction to get it?

You wouldn’t want to pursue teaching, for instance, if you don’t enjoy being in front of a classroom filled with students, or like doing virtual teaching using the latest online tools.

It’s one thing to strive for the stability of a relatively predictable, in demand career. However true job security comes loving what you do for a living. The passionately employed are most likely to do well, and stay happily employed, no matter what their occupation is.