Top Five Recession-Proof Careers for Kiwis

Recruitment Experts Release List of Recession Proof Careers for Kiwis

With the economy officially in recession and unemployment rising people are becoming increasingly worried about their jobs and may be reviewing their future employment prospects.

“There’s a very important component that rarely features when people are considering their career, tertiary study or retraining and that how future and recession proof their jobs are”, says Tradestaff’s Managing Director, Kevin Eder.

Tradestaff is a wholly NZ owned nationwide recruitment company and the leading supplier of temporary and permanent workers to the trade sector.  Kevin Eder is a finalist in the 2008 Ernst and young Entrepreneur of the year awards.

Obviously essential services and key industries will always need staff even through the worst recessions but what is classified as ‘essential’ or ‘key’ has changed and continues to change.

For example - until the 1990s learning typing and shorthand skills to become a secretary would have guaranteed you a job for life but relatively recent technology such as  email, electronic diaries and even mobile phones  has changed the careers landscape forever..

So what careers will survive an economic downturn?  What jobs won’t technology make redundant?

FUTURE PROOFED JOBS

Essential Services - we are always going to need nurses, midwives, doctors, teachers and police.  

Trained care-givers will also be required in greater numbers to look after our ageing population which is larger than first thought because advances in medicine means people live longer.

Sales – it’s hard to imagine a robot replacing an experienced sales person with a charming technique. Increasing customer expectations drive service while good sales people assist in pulling companies out of tough times

Bean Counters – boom or bust we still need number crunchers to do tax, GST, auditing, payroll, reports and all the other financials. Increasingly complex employer costs such as Kiwisaver and tight credit lines will place a much greater need on accountants and auditors.

Green Jobs – work that works out how to work in a more sustainable way will recycle employment opportunities right through until we’ve officially saved the planet. Resource planning and environmental consent experts will be increasingly critical in any growth or infrastructural developments.

TOP FIVE RECESSION PROOF JOBS IN NZ NOW

Often the pay-off for job security is not much pay – nurses and teachers can earn very average wages.  

Tradestaff has identified five recession proof occupations – these jobs are in demand despite the downturn and have the potential to return very high rates of pay.

Some are not the most glamorous jobs but that is exactly why they stand to be very lucrative.

No. 5 - WALLPAPER HANGER

It’s practically a dying art.  There’s almost no specialist training available in NZ anymore. Tradesmen from the UK may have learned how to hang wallpaper as part of their city and guilds training.  Self employed wallpaper hangers charge $30 - $40 an hour.

No. 4 – ROADING ENGINEER

More infrastructure means more roads while the Resource Management Act and other planning requirements means even more qualified engineers are now required to get these projects completed. Graduates can earn $50,000+ while senior engineers can earn up to $140,000

No. 3 – DAIRY FARM WORKER/SHAREMILKER

The power of Fonterra!  More dairy farms means more cows means more sharemilkers and dairy farm workers. As the dollar drops and dairying becomes even more profitable the need will increase.  A school leaver can quickly be earning $40K a year and owning a herd by age 30.  Herd managers earn around $90,000.  Sharemilkers earn an agreed percentage of the farm’s milkfat payout.  This year the average dairy farm owner will be paying his sharemilker a sizeable chunk of $730,000.

No. 2 – I.T. ENGINEER

Cheap deals and long payment terms on offer shows sales have slumped meaning  I.T. Engineers are in demand to keep old gear going.  When the economy improves there will be a rush to upgrade hardware, software and networks so the demand for engineers will be even bigger.  Right now the USA is short 60,000 of them. Income range $40,000 - $100,000

No. 1 - PLUMBER

It’s one of the unsexiest jobs on the planet, not many people choose to fix leaking sewerage pipes or put their head in a blocked toilet but it’s a service we can’t do without and the gap between supply and demand grows daily.

Consequently there’s some decent money to be made doing it.  A registered plumber earns up to $65,000 per year, many self employed plumbers earn over $100,000.

Courtesy of Tradestaff and The Circus.

Published 4th Sep 2008

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