Our parents often encourage us to pursue our dream careers with all our hearts. “You can do anything you put your mind to doing,” they’ve told us – but that was before the Coronavirus situation disrupted our lives, throwing the job market into complete upheaval.
Unemployment is surging. According to the latest data available, the national unemployment rate was 6.2 percent as of April.
That figure excludes an estimated 1.26 million Australians who are no longer working but weren’t counted in the official unemployment statistics.
There are areas of Australia where the unemployment rates are even higher; for example, Queensland has been the hardest-hit region, with some tourism-dependent areas of the state experiencing unemployment rates as high as 15 percent.
With so many talented Australians out of work, it’s a tough time for young people to be entering the job market.
However, there are some bright spots worth highlighting. Let’s take a look at 6 up-and-coming career paths that have thus far remained viable ones in the age of Coronavirus:
1. Nurse
Careers in healthcare were in strong demand before the Coronavirus crisis struck and viability has remained high throughout the duration of the crisis so far. In particular, registered nurses are especially in demand.
A bachelor’s degree in nursing is an absolute necessity for anyone who hopes to work as a registered nurse in Australia.
A master advanced nursing degree is also useful for any nurse who hopes to gain an advantage in pursuing a specialty clinical practice.
2. Retail Manager
Australia’s hardware stores and grocery stores have both been doing relatively well despite the recent economic downturn.
Many stores in these sectors have actually enjoyed increased demand for the products they sell, which in turn has prompted them to hire new staff.
While there tends to be a variety of worthwhile jobs available in these industries, the career path of retail store manager is one that stands out as being an excellent choice.
The pay can be quite lucrative, and many managers find that the work is both engaging and satisfying.
It is theoretically possible to find work as a retail manager without having completed a degree program.
However, many managers obtain a VET qualification in retail management, and they tend to find that training highly useful for success on the job.
Beyond that, aspiring retail managers who hope to progress to careers in upper management may find it beneficial to acquire a university degree in a related subject such as business.
These jobs are highly competitive, and many chief executives and managing directors have obtained MBAs or similar advanced degrees.
3. Tradie
Current and planned government and private infrastructure projects provide some assurance that talented tradies will continue to be employable in Australia.
Specifically a few of the more prominent planned construction projects include Western Sydney’s new airport rail line, the Brisbane Metro and the Aspire Melbourne Super Tower.
Construction managers and many other tradies will be needed to ensure that Australia has sufficient talent to carry out all the building, construction and engineering projects that are being planned.
Tradies’ jobs tend to be highly lucrative, and it is relatively easy to get started in this line of work. Tradies typically pursue VET courses or apprenticeships in their fields of specialisation.
4. Security Officer
Security officers are always needed, but demand for them tends to grow in times of economic turmoil.
Right now there are plenty of employers seeking help with security for businesses and private properties.
Formal education is not a requirement for success as a security officer.
However, it might be helpful for aspiring security officers to complete a course in security operations if they hope to have the required skill set for doing the work efficiently and admirably.
5. Cyber Security Specialist
Online crime is a real risk to businesses and governments. There was huge demand for cyber security professionals before the Coronavirus became a crisis, and it remains an ongoing need.
Cyber security is still an important consideration for any business or organisation that maintains an online presence.
A unique skill set is necessary for becoming a cyber security specialist. It’s one that isn’t easily acquired, hence the significant global skills shortage in this area.
Most employers who hire talent in this field prefer to see university qualifications, with a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as computer science or IT being extremely beneficial.
Nowadays, there are also increasing numbers of degree programs becoming available in cyber security, which means you can pursue a bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in cyber security if you’re planning to specialise in this niche.
6. Farmer
Before the coronavirus crisis disrupted the Australian economy, agriculture only accounted for about 2 percent of the country’s GDP.
However, this is an industry that will be absolutely critical for empowering Australia to rebound after the Coronavirus crisis.
Farming might not seem like an exciting career path as compared against other possibilities in the finance or tech sectors. People tend to think of farming as being hard, underpaid work.
However, the industry offers some exciting opportunities for people to innovate and apply new technologies to traditional farming techniques. Considering that food is a universal need, there is likely to always be sizable demand for the livestock farmers raise and the vegetable crops they grow.
Both TAFE and university courses are available to aspiring farmers who seek to further their education. It is possible to succeed as a farmer without pursuing any sort of classroom education, but formal education tends to be extremely valuable to those who pursue it.
If you hope to work as an employee for a large multinational agribusiness, you’ll find that a university degree is an asset for getting hired, because some of those jobs may require university credentials.
Other Career Choices
These are not the only possible career prospects in Australia right now. But, in the immediate future, these are some of the career paths that are most likely to be viable for Australia’s young people.
Less viable career choices in the short term would be in tourism, hospitality, arts and media; all of these industries have been dramatically impacted by the virus and are unlikely to make a swift recovery.
Jobs in academia have also been adversely affected.
In the long term, these may eventually prove to be viable career choices again at some point. But for now, if you haven’t already begun a course and invested substantial effort in it, this is probably not the ideal time to pursue costly and time-consuming training in these hard-hit industries.
If you plan to launch a new career shortly, the career paths listed above are some of the most practical options in the age of Coronavirus.
If you’re in need of immediate work, be sure to visit the national jobs hub to find current job openings in Australia.
