So, who are the biggest employers in New Hampshire? With unemployment rising and the economic future looking uncertain it makes one wonder where the upcoming jobs are going to be. What if you get laid off? Shouldn’t you be thinking of a Plan B? Now there is some risk in looking at the current big time employers and speculating that they will be the future big time employers, but it’s not unreasonable to think that if they’re demonstrating viability now while things are a mess, that they very well could be around down the road.

One place to look is the NH state profile largest employers list on America’s Career InfoNet. What jumped out at me is the following… of the twenty-five largest NH employers thirteen of them are hospitals and medical centers! Well, I guess it’s safe to say that medical care and related jobs is an industry to pay attention to if you want to know where a lot of jobs are.

And if you’re a Plan B type of person, then you’ll want to know that. And think about it, although we’re a relatively healthy state we’re also an aging state. Aging means more healthcare. It’s unlikely that we’re going to see a significant decline in the medical and healthcare field anytime soon. In fact, according to the U.S. Labor Department Health Care is a high growth industry.

To be sure, the medical field hires more than doctors, nurses, and other health care personnel delivering direct service. There are administrators, maintenance, information systems, food service, and a whole lot of support staff needed to run these facilities. But for now, let’s focus on those providing medical and health services. Might you be good at this type of work? Looked at from a skills perspective we can examine four positions in the field, Physician Assistant, Medical Assistant, Physical Therapist, and Nurses Aide. Here are some of the skills needed to do all of these jobs:

Be an active intentional listener

Speak and convey information clearly

Read well

Detect how others are feeling and understand why

Think critically by knowing the strengths and weaknesses of various solutions

Solve complex problems

Coordinate oneself in relation to the actions of others

Are you seeing yourself here? Visualization is the first step. Maybe you’ll want to consider exploring this area further. It can help knowing that we will all want and need qualified and competent medical and health care professional for years to come.

It’s not looking good for jobs in finance in New Hampshire. The biggest story of late is the November announcement of more layoffs at Fidelity Investments in Merrimack, one of the state’s largest employers. We’re talking about 1,700 jobs to be eliminated. This follows a Fidelity announcement in June of 5,700 workers. Looked at nationally, it’s becoming clear that we have been, well, over invested in the financial industry. The size of the industry has grown dramatically to the point where 30% of the S&P 500’s profits in 2007 were earned by financials. This at a time when our math brains could be finding energy and biotech solutions they have instead been devising complex financial products designed mostly to hide debt, so that the American consumer animal can keep being fed. A contraction in the financial industry seems apparent.

If you’ve got a head for numbers and like money of course work in financials has looked attractive. A lot of people have gotten rich this way. Many who were good math students in school have looked around over the past three decades and have said to themselves that they can analyze financials and get rich too. And many have. But, let’s face it, since mid-September the financial smarty pants don’t look so smart right now. In fact, they look anywhere from careless to dumb. If you make your living by investing and managing other people’s money you are currently facing an image problem.

So, what’s a well intentioned number cruncher to do? Don’t despair too much yet. It depends on what you want from a career in finance. Which is more important, providing service or getting rich? For the near future you may have to prioritize. Projections by the U.S. Labor Department and the NH Labor and Economic Bureau are still good for jobs in financial analyses, insurance, and to some extent for financial managers. How these projections play out with the current employment downturn in financials is difficult to predict right now. But looked at from the viewpoint of public need, especially those planning for retirement, is that smart, ethical, and competent financial analysts and managers are more necessary now than ever. People need help figuring out how to best protect and grow their money during these uncertain times. And the public wants straight talk. Now, you may not make the big bucks of the past, but if a financial or insurance expert can market themselves as providing prudent sound money management service for riding out the storm and beyond, then you just might survive in this industry here in New Hampshire. There is opportunity amongst the carnage. See where it is for you.

Let Ryan Career Services LLC be your customized source for career development. Experience a meaningful pursuit and the resolution that leads to a career choice fully your own.

Given the amount of time and effort spent on the job it makes sense  that we seek purpose and fulfillment from our work. In turn, we have greater satisfaction in our lives.