From the skilled trades to college professor, check out our list of top 10 hot jobs and discover the positions that are in demand across Canada. If you're stuck in a part-time job and want a real career, are deciding what to study, or are even considering a change in work, read on! These trades and professions are booming, so if you have the training and aptitude for one of these gigs, you can expect good money, a relative amount of job security and the knowledge that companies are vying to hire you (you hot commodity, you!). And remember, the average worker changes careers -- not jobs, but careers -- three to seven times. So don't be afraid to take the plunge into something new.
1. Financial manager
Demand for money managers is increasing as the private and government sectors are looking for whizzes who know the complexities of financial management.
What to expect: An unemployment rate half that of the Canadian average.
Tip: If you have knowledge of foreign finance or are fluent in a foreign language, consider yourself doubly attractive -- and pack your bags for a potentially jet-set international career.
Getting started: Visit the international Financial Management Association's website at fma.org.
2. Skilled tradesperson
If you don't want an office job, but do want a salary that pays above the national average, this is the sector for you. Unfortunately (or fortunately for you, depending on how you look at it), the skilled trades have suffered stigmatization for a generation. As a result, a shortage of tradespeople is looming in the service (chefs, horticulturalists), construction (electricians, carpenters, plumbers), transportation (aviation technicians, automotive service technicians) and manufacturing (industrial mechanics, tool and die makers) sectors.
Tip: In the next two decades, 40 per cent of new jobs are supposed to be in the skilled trades and technologies.
Getting started: Visit careersintrades.ca for information on training (including paid apprenticeships).
3. College or vocational school teacher
The boom in skilled trades means there's also a need for instructors at community colleges, Quebec's CEGEPs, technical institutes and other vocational schools.
What to expect: The number of job openings exceeds the number of candidates, especially with retirements expected over the years to come, plus increased government funding.
Tip: If your discipline is new technology or the skilled trades, your prospects are particularly good.
Getting Started: Go to Service Canada's website, jobfutures.ca, for more info.
