Career Success - Tips for Hot Jobs in the 21st Century

Imagine a world with a qualified workforce but unable to staff it due to unskilled workers.   Technology and innovation, and global busines and the emerging American workforce are changing the nature of work and the workplace.   I was reading a brief by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings about the new directions of higher education.  In the brief the Department of Education reports 4 million new job openings through 2014 in health care, education,and computer and mathematical sciences.  Although Americans have been facing historic joblessness and severe unemployment, the budding 21st century economy and workforce symbolizes economic rebirth, high job growth and enriched career opportunities to strategic thinkers and go-getters.  My suggestion for future growth potential is that the key to understanding career-life success in the 21st century and global world is knowing and targeting the High Growth, High Demand job sectors.   For example, in 2007 1.37 million jobs were unfilled due to unskilled workers with deficient skills.  Fields like health care, information technology, and advanced manufacturing have jobs and solid career paths left open due to a lack of candidates to fill them.   My professional opinion for competitive job hunters, career-seekers, applicants and workers is pay attention to career paths in the14 high growth, high demand industries that will add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy or affect the growth of other industries due to existing and emerging buisness being reengineered by technology and innovations requiring world views and new skill sets for workers.  The 14 sectors include:   Advanced Manufacturing Aerospace Automotive Biotechnology Construction Energy Financial Services Geospatial Technology Health care Homeland Security Hospitality Information Technology Retail Transportation   For further details about the 14 sectors consult the Occupational Outlook Handbook.   In short, even though America is facing an all time jobless high in 25 years, the 21st century offers high growth potential and enriched career opportunities.  As a Global Career and Technical Education Author/ Lecturer, current data suggests that 60 percent of new jobs will be filled by 30 percent of applicants or workers.  So, my lasting thoughts are will we be prepared?  Will we be looking in the right places for jobs?  Who will be qualified for the new job openings?  Will we be able staff the qualified workforce?