Jobs with the Best Future Outlook for College Graduates

By the time you reach your college days, you may be heading in a particular direction as regards a career. You have probably had a conversation with a staff member in high school who had the part-time role of careers teacher, and your parents will no doubt have an influence too. Maybe you have seen the old movie, The Graduate. Dustin Hoffman plays a young man just out of college and not sure what he wants to do with himself.

A family friend attempts to impart some wisdom: “I’ve got one thing to say to you, Benjamin: plastics.”  At the time (late 1960s) this was probably sound advice, and computers would have been a great one too. So, what is the next big thing where you could get in on the ground floor and be set for life by age 40? How can you get ahead of the curve and carve out a career that has the best outlook for future college graduates? Here are some options to consider.

Lawyer

This is for those with an overriding ambition to make a ton of cash. You will have to be good with facts and figures, with an aptitude for concentrating while reading the small print, and an eye for an angle that can change the way a set of facts looks. There’s a lot of mundane hard work to do, so it’s not all the glamorous courtroom stuff that makes you look like a hero. But if you don’t mind sometimes helping people who are in the wrong at the expense of those who are in the right, the money is great. Just one other thing: if you’re not already at law school, you’ve got plenty of study ahead of you.

Doctor

If this is your ambition, you’re probably in med school right now. Most doctors don’t go into medicine to make money, but it’s a nice bonus if you are good at remembering details and solving problems to help people. Going to med school is expensive but there is always the option to secure outside funding by searching and applying for eligible scholarships online. If you’re very lucky, you might just get all the funding you need to graduate med school.

Something in AI

Artificial intelligence is what they’re all talking about now, and if you want to help computers to take over the world, or you’re determined to make sure they don’t, this could be for you. There are many career options in this sector right now, but no-one knows how long they’ll be around for as the rate of progression continues to eliminate the need for humans.

Information Security Analyst

Join the fight against cyber crime. There is always somebody out there trying to rip people off, and it is up to the good people of the world with brilliant technological brains to stand up for the rest of us as we go about our business.

Public Relations Consultant

Successful people fall into two categories: those who are great at what they do and those who are not that good but can convince people they’re great at it. You might want to choose your clients carefully, but if they work in an area you believe in, much as in (4) above, as a PR specialist you can help the good guys to win.

Full-stack Web Developer

A developer deals with the front end of a website, the part that visitors see, and the back end, the behind-the-scenes parts that make the thing work. Will websites still exist in 30 years’ time, or will they have been superseded by something that isn’t invented yet? If you know the answer to that, the world really is your oyster.

Organ Creator

Just as scientists are attempting to perfect creating meat in a laboratory, research continues into making human organs to replace failing hearts, kidneys, and so on. This will require a lot of training and it’s a very new area of research, but there’s a serious need for this technology.

Nurse Practitioner

Super-nurses called nurse practitioners are now carrying out certain procedures that previously only doctors would do. With health services in many countries struggling, talented people are needed in this extremely worthwhile area.

Entrepreneur

If you’ve got the vision and the drive, the life of an entrepreneur can be rewarding both emotionally and financially. You’ll be your own boss, answerable only to bank managers and shareholders, creating businesses and jobs.