There aren’t many types of careers out there that offer stability these days. Regardless of how hardworking you are, how much overtime you put in at work, or being a team player - hundreds of thousands of those exact types of employees got laid off over the course of 1 year. Not because they weren’t skilled or good at what they do, but because the company could no longer sustain its workforce.
So what is one to do?
- The unemployment line is one way to go, but that won’t last long.
- Taking a temp job is another option, but from what I hear that gets freaking annoying really fast.
- Start job hunting. But isn’t the other thousands of employees who got laid off doing the same thing?
Getting depressing huh? Alright, pull your undies up and listen. I’m about to reveal a few jobs that are truly in demand and get you back on your feet.
Great jobs are not created equal
Ever so often, a new field creeps up on you and those who stumble upon such careers find happiness. I’m not taking about things like Top 25 Home Based Business, Best Cities to Find Work or similar journalistic quality articles that talk about ideals. Many of those things can help, but realistically, regardless of what you’ve read about finding, keeping and growing in your job, chances are if the company you work for is mismanaged then it nullifies everything.
Enter The World of Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Depending on who you ask, some will say SEM and SEO are independent industries. Well, that debate has its place and it’s not here. Go to forums for that crap.
Unless I’m living under a shell, the last time I checked, Harvard, MIT, UCLA and University of Michigan does not offer courses on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM). The only “formal” education and training for such skills exist in a somewhat elusive community. So acquiring knowledge and experience in SEM can go a long way. It is still a very very young industry.
Yes, you can learn how to build a website in school, learn about Information Architecture (IA) in classes and even learn something about Google or Yahoo from your professor.
If you have no clue about what I’m talking about so far, I recommend you reading up on what SEO and SEM is on a few sites:
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime
I promised to share a few jobs that you can safely rely on for steady income so sit back and enjoy the ride. These jobs are heavily focused on the field of search engine marketing and optimization. In no particular order:
- Pay-per-Click (PPC) - The experience and know-how of using Google’s, Yahoo’s and MSN’s publishing platform to run, manage and analyze paid campaigns is a good one to have. Companies from small to Fortune 500s have teams managing their accounts. The search engines have actually started their own certification so that’s as much training as you can pay for - the rest is up to you. It takes time to master PPC (I’m hearing some people yelling, “PPC is EASY - You N00B!!!!”). Well, it is, but I said to “MASTER” - not just increase or decrease bids.
- SEO - Search Engine Optimization has long been thought off as “black magic.” Well that’s BS. Ask any respected individual in the search space and they’ll tell you that SEO is more of creativity, experience, power of observation, understanding search engines (to a certain degree) and A LOT OF BOOZE! Ok, booze aside, the ability to be successful at SEO does not come from reading books or forums or talking with a friend. It can take several months to years to fully graps SEO, and to keep up with it is another challenge. If you possess SEO experience, companies are looking for candidates on a daily basis! Even with thousands of people claiming they “know” SEO, what that tells me is that, there’s room for another few hundred thousand.
- Copywriting - Writing is an evergreen. It truly is. Search engines love content and without content a site is pretty much useless. Acquiring the ability to write and write well takes time and practice. But once you’ve got this art down, demand for your set of skills will shoot through the roof. A copywriter who can craft content that users and search engines love is priceless. Getting a job as a writer for websites could keep you busy for a long time.
- Consulting - Probably one of the most lucrative gigs in search engine business. Acting as the advisor to companies on their search strategy can give you sleepless nights. But for those who are able and enjoy the rush of working with many clients, being a SEO/SEM consultant can be rewarding. Although, be warned that getting the title of a “SEO Consultant” is no small feat. You have to be well-rounded in search technology, design, usability, writing, research, analysis, etc to provide value to your clients. While you can outsource some of these things, you’re certainly on the frontlines of the business. But nothing beats getting paid thousands per month to have a phone call or sit down and talk about your clients’ business.
- Analytics - With so many analytic programs available it is difficult to master all. From free services like Google analytics to enterprise suits like Omniture and WebTrends - learning everyone of them can be near impractical. But as long as you understand the core concepts of web analytics and have a neck for data crunching and analysis, then picking up web analytics as a skill can be extremely beneficial and put you right in the job market for web companies, interactive agencies, etc.
The 5 types of jobs within the search industry mention above are in demand. Granted, to be really good and command a hire salary you have to know your shiznit. But on average, if you demonstrate knowledge, have some experience and are willing to learn then companies are dying to hire you. Interestingly, respected individuals in the industry that I’ve spoken too have told me that while areas of finance, retail and service are losing jobs, search marketing departments have not stopped looking for fresh blood to hire and train.
I’m sure there are more opportunities in the search industry as well as other markets for jobs that are in demand, but these are all I have to write about for now deal with it.
note: As with all careers, you still have to know what you are doing and do it well or get fired!
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