Hot Jobs in a Bad Economy

If geriatric health care provider doesn't sound like your dream job, how about Spanish language interpreter, graphic designer or data mining?

These are among the so-called "Hot Careers for College Grads" according to the latest edition of an annual report by the University of California San Diego Extension.

The data was collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 750 community and business leaders and from the 26,000 students who take classes at the Extension.

The goal is to reconcile a jobs "mismatch" that leaves 3 million positions unfilled nationwide every month, according to Henry DeVries, assistant dean of UC San Diego Extension

Two fields that are new to the list this year reflect the impact that news and the economy can have on job creation.  

"Ever since the Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scandal, companies are scrutinizing their books even more,"  DeVries said. "We've seen a dramatic increase in the need for auditors and financial examiners." 

Hospitals and insurance companies are also generating some new postions in cae management spurred by the realization that patients need help deciphering the codes and mounds of complicated instructions.

According to the study the job of case worker continues to evolve, with a greater emphasis on  of home visits, crisis management and quality improvement responsibilities.

It's no surprise that several of the top growth areas are in the realm of new media.

What may be less predictable is that mobil phones continue to grow in importance -- according to the study, 80 percent of adults in the U.S. have cell phones, which are now multifunction "smart" devices that require ever-more sophistcated design, programming and technical support.  

Getting the right education for the job market isn't easy -- by the time you get your degree the employment opportunties may have shifted, DeVries says.  

But most of the top fields remain consistent year after year, and if you put the time and money into either retraining or getting the right education, your return will be worth it.

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