It’s not difficult to come across the latest listing of “hot careers” or “hottest jobs” nowadays. They’re everywhere it seems. I saw three different ones just this weekend, one while on the treadmill at the gym, one while reading the news online, and a third sent to me by a colleague. It seems nearly everyone has a take on what careers or jobs are the most popular – all based on “research” of course. I’m not saying these lists and related information can’t be useful, they certainly can. There are a number of careers and jobs that consistently find their way on to nearly all these lists (anything in health care, computer information technology, and engineering for instance). But with all information, they need to be taken in context and in light of other factors.
Many of these lists seem to be recycled every few months, so it can be difficult to tell to what extent (or if) they’ve been updated. As I mentioned, there are some clear, long-term careers that always make these lists and these can be helpful as a starting point for career advisors and individuals considering their career options. However, I’d recommend being extremely cautious about making a decision about what major or career to choose solely or primarily based on such a list. This might sound like common sense, but I know first-hand and am willing to bet others have had similar experiences of working with a student or alumni who did exactly that and now is having second thoughts. What’s hot and popular is not the stuff of sound decision making. Remember High School?!
If used, these lists should only be one small piece of a larger gathering of information when making such an important life decision. It should be done in combination with networking, informational interviews, and topped off by a healthy amount of independent research from a variety of sources – and not just Wikiapedia!
And of course, working with a career professional is a good idea too in most cases!
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