I bet that heading got your attention. Unfortunately, this article will not be a grab bag of currently open positions from which you can take your pick. It will focus on areas that will have a bigger than average demand over the next few years and that might be considered hard to fill jobs.
Homeland security, and security in general will be an area of great growth. Every level from criminal investigators to airport screeners will needed.
Medical and Public Health employees will be needed, particularly for veterans. This would cover every area from doctors to nurses’ assistants.
Engineers and scientists, particularly in the Department of Defense.
In addition to these jobs, there will also be a need for air traffic controllers. Soon it will have been 25 years since President Reagan fired the striking air traffic controllers, and many of the replacement employees will be eligible for retirement.
If you’re looking for a change, investigate some of these jobs and see if you meet the qualifications. Take a look at the position descriptions for these positions and see how close you are to meeting the qualifications. Obviously you will not qualify to be a doctor unless you have a medical degree, but many of the other occupations might be within your reach.
** John Grobe, President of Federal Career Experts, is the contributing editor of FEDweek’s The Federal Employees Career Transition Handbook and an expert in employment and job search issues. He provides career advising services to individual employees. John can be reached at (708) 771-2445 or johngrob@ripco.com. **