Which Career Is Right for You?

According to the Journal of Career Assessment, nearly 50% of adolescents want to work in an investigative or artistic career.

However, those jobs make up only 8% of the country’s labor market. This demonstrates a large mismatch between dream jobs and employment realities.

Knowing which jobs are in demand or will see future growth is important not just for youth, but adults looking for employment.

This is especially true in our recovering economy, where many folks have been under- or unemployed in the past year due to COVID.

We recently conducted a survey of unemployed adults in West Michigan and found nearly 50% of job seekers believe their job skills do not match available jobs.

With many job seekers receiving benefits due to the pandemic, now is the perfect time to explore opportunities and get the training needed to secure a fulfilling and good-paying career.

How do I know what in-demand jobs are available and right for me?

We offer a variety of resources to help you determine which jobs or careers are right for you.

Our career experts can help you assess your passions and skills and match those with careers with current demand and high growth potential. You may also qualify for training scholarships that can pay for you to get the skills needed for a high-demand job.

Our Hot Jobs list, released annually, includes our region’s most in-demand jobs — jobs expected to grow and be readily available over the next 10 years.

Occupations on the list are in our region’s high-demand industries: agribusiness (agriculture and food production), construction, health care, information technology, manufacturing, and professional/administrative services.

Opportunities range from entry-level positions that require minimal training, like construction laborer and general manufacturing laborer, to positions that require more training, experience, and/or education, like doctor and engineer. Median wages (for someone mid-career) range from $14.13 to $119.72 per hour.