Help! I need a job now; which ones have the most openings?

Job seeking can be tough, but during a pandemic it becomes even tougher.  Workers looking for new opportunities to grow their career, better their situation, or continue to bring home a paycheck can run into roadblocks.  Companies may delay hiring due to economic conditions and jobseekers may have difficulty identifying changing workforce needs or hiring trends.  

Even workers that followed all the expert job search advice, like exploring careers on NCcareers.org to identify growing occupations that match their interests, might still be challenged to gain employment quickly.  Workers need to keep up with a rapidly changing economy and understand which skills are currently most valued to stay competitive.  Some may find their skills are no longer in demand and may need to undergo additional training to adapt, strengthen or expand their skill set.  

To overcome job search difficulties, Real-Time Job Information is made available monthly on NCcareers.org to help users understand which occupations are in high demand and inform users of the most frequently advertised occupations in online job postings. The top 25 most advertised job openings are listed on a statewide basis along with the top 20 for each of 16 NC regions. The data is refreshed around the middle of each month.

The list also includes information to help users assess which occupation might be right for them to explore further, including an overall Star Rating, Career Cluster, Typical Education Requirements and a direct link to NCWorks.gov for the occupation’s active job postings. To learn more about an occupation, click on the occupation title on NCcareers.org to open the Occupation Profile page. From there discover a wealth of information including wages, job duties, a potential career path, and more. 

While reviewing the latest online job posting data, NCcareers.org users may find the following information helpful:

• Occupations included in the Health Science and Business Management & Administration Career Clusters make up ten of the top 25 most advertised jobs online statewide.
• Individuals looking for occupations with highly transferable skills across the state may want to consider the following jobs on the statewide list and at least 14 of the 16 regional lists:
  • Customer Service Representatives
  • First Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
  • Food Service Managers
  • Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
  • Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurses
  • Maintenance and Repair Workers
  • Medical and Health Science Managers
  • Registered Nurses
• Registered Nurses is the top online advertised occupation statewide as well as in ten of the 16 regions.

In a previous article, we discussed a list of “Low Contact Occupations” on NCcareers.org for those job seekers interested in finding employment with less personal contact and lower potential risk of contracting COVID-19.  In a comparison of the data, several occupations are included on both the low contact and frequently advertised lists:

• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
• Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
• Financial Managers
• Accountants & Auditors

Good luck in your job search.