Top 3 job growth areas and how to prepare for them
The new school year is about to begin and the time to pull yourself out of the rut is now. Whether you’re stuck in a career you hate, underemployed, or altogether unemployed, grad school might just be the impetus you’re searching for. Baby boomers are exiting the workforce, new technologies are creating hot new career paths, and spaces are opening up for the younger generation to fill with their knowledge, skills, and ambitions. In this world, a graduate degree is crucial for those hoping to reach the top of their professional fields.
The National Universities Degree Consortium (NUDC) has universities that offer three of the hottest trending in demand careers including business, education and engineering. An educational consortium made up of six schools—Oregon State University, University of South Carolina, University of Wyoming, University of Missouri, Kansas State University, and University of Nevada, Reno—NUDC offers affordable programs that can be completed online. Accessible to students who are busy working adults, these programs are available from the comfort of your home, on your schedule.
Did you know that in 2016 there were over 9 million private sector job openings in the U.S.? And that by 2025 that number is expected to increase to more than 10 million, with a median salary of $28.72 per hour? With NUDC, you can tap into the hottest fields out there now, including business, education, and engineering—all of which show signs of serious growth. The consortium consults detailed state-by-state statistics on job postings and hires and tailors their educational programs accordingly, paving paths to some of the most in-demand jobs in the market, from elementary school teaching to mechanical engineering to sales management.
So, why not make 2017 the year you commit to higher education? Read on to find out.
1. Increase your earning power.
There’s no doubt about it. A graduate degree in any field is money in the bank, and will continue to pay dividends throughout one’s career. According to a 2015 study by Georgetown University, college graduates with a bachelor’s degree earn an average annual salary of $61,000 over the course of their careers, while graduate degree holders earn $78,000 annually. That’s $17,000 more per year for those who’ve gone to grad school. Multiply that by the average length of a person’s working life (45 years), and that’s $765,000 of extra dough!
2. Zero in on the hottest career paths.
According to extensive, nationwide market research, educational studies, business, and engineering are three of the most in-demand occupational categories of 2017. And industry trends show that opportunities in these fields are only expected to increase by 3-8% through 2025. NUDC offers graduate degrees and certificates in all three fields. These are not one-size-fits-all degree programs, but highly specialized programs designed to funnel graduates directly into career paths with trends of growth in the foreseeable future. So let’s break down the numbers:
– Education jobs are expected to increase 3.9% by 2025, with an average yearly salary of $64,445. A master’s in educational administration from the University of Wyoming or the University of South Carolina leads directly to a career as an educational administrator. Graduate degree programs offered by NUDC universities provide a variety of career paths in the education field from secondary education administration, curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, adult and continuing education and others.
– Business jobs are expected to increase 7.2% by 2025, with a median salary of $28.72 an hour. A master’s degree in business administration from Kansas State University or the University of Nevada, Reno positions students perfectly for a future corporate management position. NUDC schools offer executive business master’s degrees and professional master’s degree in business. Other degree programs offered by the NUDC universities offer other niche areas for the business world.
– Engineering jobs are expected to increase 6.7% by 2025, with a median salary of $44.75 an hour. A master’s degree in data analytics from Oregon State University or the University of Missouri paves the way for a data scientist working with Big Data. Some of the trending areas of study that are offered by NUDC universities are industrial engineering, engineering management, data science and analytics.
3. Stand out from the pack.
Here’s something we all know: it’s rough out there in today’s job market, and getting noticed amid the mountains of other resumes and qualified candidates can be more than a little bit tough. A graduate degree, however, will provide a serious edge over fellow candidates. In fact, the last U.S. census showed that while about a third of all Americans have gone to college, only about 12 percent hold advanced degrees. So if you want to rise to the top of that proverbial mountain, NUDC’s many grad school programs are a surefire way to make your resume stand out from the rest.
4. Make the world a better place.
Higher education won’t just make your life better—it can give you the tools to improve the world. Consider this: while an undergrad degree provides the opportunity to learn and understand the existing knowledge within a certain field, a graduate degree gives you the chance to actually contribute to that knowledge. The world needs what you have to offer, and an advanced degree from an NUDC university can help you give it.