How to Break into the Fastest-Growing Industries of 2011

The economy has not treated most of us well for the past few years.

Because of the debt we have accumulated over the past ten years with foreign financed wars, young people are less optimistic than many of the generations before. There is still some glimmer of hope for the future of our economy.

By choosing the correct industry to go into and educating yourself correctly, there is a better chance of getting a job you actually want and increasing your earning potential later on in life.

Fastest Growing Industries
One of the biggest fears we have as Americans is the outsourcing of our jobs. We fear that large corporations are sending all of our work to India, China, and Latin America; and leaving us without a means to financially support ourselves. Contrary to that philosophy, there are several industries that are growing and will continue to grow into the next few decades. Kelly Services, a career placement agency, offers their take on the industries with the greatest growth potential:

-Because of the Baby Boomers working later and later into their lives, and all set to retire within the very near future, the healthcare industry will start to grow exponentially.

-High tech services, computer data centers, and software design/engineering is not set to slow down any time soon. With smartphones and tablets starting to dominate the tech industry, new developers will be needed to complement the hardware.

-The mining industry has seen a strong growth spurt recently because of our country's need for cheaper and more accessible fuel. With ongoing instability in the middle-east, the need to rely on ourselves for fuel is more important than ever.

Preparing at College
Before entering college, ask yourself a very important question: Am I here to learn somewhat frivolous and sometimes trivial information, or do I want to increase and maximize my earnings after graduation? Most colleges offer a diverse collection of courses and departments which specialize in career specific training which allows you to easily break into one of the most desired industries.

-Business schools seek to give a broad and expansive smattering of education to students enrolled. Business enthusiasts and aspiring entrepreneurs need to know how to intertwine a number crunching session, with a marketing mix, and how business insurance law will control zoning regulations of a new retail location. Picking a school that offers this, while teaching you a specialty like accounting, management, or finance, you will be better prepared than most.

-If you would like to find a career in a field like healthcare or other medical related line of work, make sure to pick a college with an excellent science program. Most large colleges will also offer nursing or pre-med programs which fast track students into careers in hospitals and med schools.

-Environmental studies courses are very demanding, but the importance of things like fuel management, waste reduction, and other environmental issues which will be vital to our society in the near future are not to be taken lightly.

-Technical graphics and design are becoming the most important part of marketing. If you would like to get into a field such as advertising, make sure to study things like web development and programming as well as art and design.

If your mind is dead set on getting a job and starting in your field after you graduate; there are a lot of areas of education that might not be for you. Fine Arts, Philosophy, and similar Liberal Arts majors are notoriously unable to find industry related work after they graduate because of the impracticality of their degrees. There is always a possibility to find a career within academia, but competition is fierce for tenured university and research positions.

Try a Trade School
It is important to know what you want to do before entering college. If you're unsure of what career path will suit you further on in life, try enrolling in a community college to knock out the required core curriculum most large universities require. This strategy will save you money in the long run while you are figuring out what suits you the best.

If after taking these classes and nothing in the advanced study field interests you, consider attending a trade school to learn a specific technical skill. The most popular trades and crafts offered at these institutions include IT management

Vital Skills to Acquire
Today employers are looking for more than ever out of their employees. The harsh reality is that stagnate wages and increasing workloads are dominating the current market. With cheap labor available overseas, it is absolutely necessary to learn the skills employers are looking for.

A couple of decades ago, computer work was left to a couple of guys in the office who knew how to operate the complex intricacies of the ancient software interfaces. Now employees need to know how to perform tasks such as data entry, word processing, and database management.

Experience, Experience, Experience
The most important part about finding work after college is to start getting experience now. In this tough economy, people with years of experience are going after entry level jobs because the market is not doing so good. The best way to stand out is to know exactly what you are talking about.

If you are studying in an area like mass communications, be sure to get an internship at a PR firm, advertising agency, or the marketing department of a large company. Working on the college newspaper is always an excellent way to gain invaluable and keep your writing skills sharp. Competition for these internships is usually fierce, but securing a three month stay at a lauded

Many schools require internship programs for specific majors. Most education majors spend the majority of their senior year actually teaching at a secondary school with a sponsored program.