Top Ten Most Popular Careers for 2010

As societies evolve, the economic and employment markets change continuously. Changing population ages, wowan re-entering employment and medical advances have a dramatic effect on certain job sectors, the most obvious of these being healthcare, housing and pensions.

Technological development has opened up a whole new field of jobs, while affecting the nature of almost every area of our society, and particularly the workplace.

On a more local level, certain careers can suddenly become popular for specific reasons. TV shows on interior design or veterinary hospitals can lead to a sudden interest in those areas, while media coverage about skills shortages can prompt an interest in other areas.

Here are the top ten most popular careers for 2010 in the US, Canada and the UK. The numbers of people entering employment in these areas is predicted to rise faster than in other career areas over the next five years.

If you are looking for the best paying careers (click here).

US Top Ten Most Popular Careers for 2010

• Network Systems Analysts: The development of IT has led to an increase in organizations seeking installation and maintenance of networked communications. Systems analysts solve problems related to networked computer technology.
• Physician's Assistant: Physician assistants are trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative healthcare services, as overseen by a physician. Primary healthcare settings include family medicine and pediatrics.
• Medical Assistants: The growing healthcare sector means more administrative and clinical tasks need to be performed. Other medical assistants can help with clinical tasks. Typically, work takes place in the offices of physicians, chiropractors, podiatrists, ophthalmologists and other health practitioners.
• Medical Records and Health Information Technicians: Case and healthcare records are increasingly used for organizational management and ongoing evaluation of healthcare progress. Records might include patient medical history, symptoms, treatments, tests, outcomes, etc. Medical tests and information management are major growth areas.
• Software Engineers: As IT continues to evolve, so does the work of computer software engineers, who design and develop new computer software systems. The engineer analyses users' needs and designs software or programs to meet these needs.
• Physical Therapist Aides: The number of individuals with disabilities or limited physical function is growing, so the number of assistants who provide services to alleviate the difficulties is set to increase.
• Fitness Trainers: Aerobics instructors and fitness trainers lead groups and individuals in a range of exercise activities. More people are spending time and money on their leisure activities, meaning employment opportunities for fitness instructors will grow.
• Database Administrators: Many organizations now depend on the instant availability of data. Database administrators work with the relevant software to retrieve and present data. They need to understand every aspect of an organization's database system, from its performance to security and the platform it runs on.
• Veterinary Technicians: Expectations for leading edge veterinary care are rising as healthcare in general progresses. Veterinary technicians perform tests, and treat and diagnose medical conditions in animals. Work can take place in domestic pet surgeries, livestock management, wildlife medicine, or pharmaceutical sales or biomedical research.
• Dental Hygienists: As our healthcare involves an increasing emphasis on oral health and retention of natural teeth, work opportunities for dental hygienists are set to grow. Hygienists examine patients' gums and teeth, remove deposits, administer x-rays, and more.

Top Ten Most Popular Careers for 2010 in Canada

• In-Home Nurse: Under the supervision of doctors and more highly trained nurses, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses take care of individuals with health problems, whether they are sick, dying, or disabled. As the preference for care moves to the home, there will be more opportunities for In-Home Nurses.
• Nurse Practitioner: As healthcare provision continues to grow in non-hospital settings, the openings for nurse practitioners, who provide a level of direct medical care to patients and acts as a consultant to other practicing nurses, continue to increase.
• Programmer Analyst: Computer programmers write, test, and maintain the detailed instructions, called programs, which computers must follow to perform their functions. As digital technology continues to advance, the need for skilled analysts and programmers will continue to grow.
• Physician and Surgeon: The expansion of both the public and private healthcare sectors leads to an increasing number of specialist areas and an ever increasing need for physicians and surgeons.
• Teacher, Special Education: The greater awareness and development of educational approaches for students with special needs is leading to the expansion of this educational sector.
• Pharmacist: Today's pharmacists work with patients to determine what the patient's needs are and what care should be provided. This is called "pharmaceutical care", and it is all about identifying, resolving and preventing medication-related problems. Increasingly, pharmacists are working in a range of settings.
• Psychiatrist: Psychiatrists are physicians (medical doctors) who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness and emotional disorders, and act as consultants for other physicians. Psychiatrists work in hospitals, mental health clinics and private offices.
• Radiological Technician: Radiologic technologists - also known as x-ray technicians - explain procedures to patients, make images for physicians to interpret, and keep records of patients' treatments. Government economists expect job growth for x-ray techs to be faster than the average for all careers.
• Registered Nurses: Changes in the healthcare system continue to broaden the opportunities for nurses. An especially important trend is the increasing number of services that emphasize illness prevention and health promotion programs. Many of these are planned and staffed by registered nurses.
• Physiotherapist: Physiotherapists assess patients and plan and carry out individually designed treatment programs to maintain, improve or restore physical functioning and alleviate pain. Employment in hospitals, clinics, sports organizations, extended care facilities and private practice continues to expand.

Top Ten Most Popular Careers for 2010 in the UK

• Data Communications Analysts: More and more organizations now stay in touch internally and externally with other sites via networked communications. Analysts are responsible for overseeing the installation and maintenance of such networks, which are now becoming critical to the economic and social infrastructure.
• Marketing Officer: Once existing solely in the private sector, the marketing function is also now an intrinsic aspect of organizational life in the public and voluntary sector. The development of the Internet has served to add to the marketing role, meaning that marketing opportunities continue to grow.
• Software Engineers: The IT job sector grows in size as technological advances continue to be made. Computerized systems are ever more present in every area of organizational activity. Software engineers, who design and develop new applications to meet specific needs, are in ever greater demand.
• Medical Administrator: There is an increasing need for administrators and clerical staff in the healthcare sector, which continues to grow.
• Community Nurse: The development of primary healthcare sees more nursing activities taking place in the local community than ever before. The openings for community nurses, who perform non-surgical tasks in the home or other local settings, are increasing year on year.
• Advertising Agency Account Executive: The media sector is becoming ever more specialized and complex, with an increasing number of specialist publications, broadcast channels and online media. An increasing level of targeted marketing through advertising is seeing growth in the number of opportunities for advertising executives.
• Customer Services Assistant: The growth of Customer Relationship Management has led to the establishment of many more customer service teams, who are dedicated to responding to customer queries and fulfilling services requested by the telephone or online.
• Information Officer: Digital technology has enabled organizations to store more data more efficiently than in the past. Consequently, more personnel are needed who can offer specialist skills in operating database software and information networks, retrieving and disseminating information as necessary.
• Administrator: Secretarial jobs may be decreasing as the personal computer changes the shape of office processes, yet administrative jobs are growing, largely due to the centralization of organizational systems.
• Engineer: There is a growing demand for highly trained, skilled personnel who are able to meet the needs of the mechanical, electrical, electronic, automotive, biomedical and civil engineering sciences.