Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2012. It is based on the ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage study for 2012. The survey is repeated every year and the rankings change.
Lately, whenever job opportunities come up, the professions mentioned tend to be in the technology field. In this case, though, the recent ManpowerGroup study on talent shortage confirms that, even with a mismatch between supply and demand, certain professional profiles still have plenty of openings in the job market worldwide.
Technical training, the ability to manage complex environments, and an international outlook are professional skills considered “key” to improving employability. The study concludes with the 5 professions with the best job prospects in 2012.
- 1. Engineers.
- 2. Skilled technicians.
- 3. Skilled manual trades.
- 4. Customer service and after-sales staff.
- 5. Mechanics.
As production processes become ever more automated and companies need to “do more with less”, demand is growing for people with a clear technical profile, who are expected not only to hold a qualification but also to be able to manage complex and diverse environments with a strong international component. That’s why, according to the Talent Shortage study, engineers, technicians and skilled manual trades are among the 3 most sought-after profiles, although these profiles keep becoming more sophisticated as the market evolves.
Customer service and after-sales staff appear on this list for the first time, presumably because companies urgently need to hold on to their customers and build their loyalty.
Skilled manual trades also appear in the worldwide ranking: a time when everyone was told they had to go to university to get a good job has left a shortage of electricians, plumbers and welders, among others.
Although people sometimes point out that some professionals are working in jobs below their qualifications, most of these trades involve a level of technical complexity that someone with a university background can’t simply take on; they need a person specifically trained for them. Perhaps that’s why, in the middle of the crisis, many companies around the world, especially in Europe and particularly in Spain, are having serious trouble finding these kinds of qualified professionals. You can read the full ManpowerGroup study.
Further reading
- New job opportunities created by the internet
- The university degrees with the fewest job prospects
- The university degrees with the best job prospects
Featured image: Kwameghana(Bright Kwame Ayisi), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
