6 Underrated Careers In Canada

By Joe Issid
Monster Contributing Writer

If your parents are anything like mine, you spent a good part of your childhood being groomed to be a doctor. Or a lawyer. And, failing that, a businessman. Any career arc that deviated from these streams was regarded as undesirable and risky. We all want the best for our children and their futures yet we continue to steer them towards careers that are difficult, demanding and extremely competitive. Having just passed through a severe global recession, most would agree that finding a job that pays well, has positive growth opportunities and is relatively low stress would be highly desirable. When taking these factors into consideration, six jobs rise to the top.

Construction Worker

In the last 14 months, the average weekly wage of a construction worker in Canada has increased by 6.2% to $1201. These gains were brought upon by increases within heavy and civil engineering construction and among speciality trade contractors. Additionally, following the 2008 economic crisis, more than 64,000 new construction jobs were created in Canada; making it the industry with the fourth largest such gain.

Computer systems analyst

Such a position simply did not exist 30 years ago, which goes to show how much the employment landscape has evolved in recent years. Simply put, any functional organisation cannot exist without a systems analyst to devise, implement and manage all information systems. The job pays very well (a media annual salary in Canada exceeds $78,000, according to Yahoo Canada), is in very high demand and provides excellent career growth potential.

Skilled trades

As large volumes of Baby Boomers are set to exit the workforce in the next decade or two, experts are predicting that Canada’s skilled labour force could reach a shortage of over a million people. Statistics Canada reported that 24% of Canadian companies experienced trouble finding qualified employees; of all these jobs, the widest gap was in trades. Additionally, only 26% of people aged 13-24 claimed that they were seriously considering a career in the trades, with 59% of these youths claiming that their parents are not encouraging of a career in the trades. There is a continuing stigma associated to the skilled trades that is contributing to a future shortage.

Nursing

Similarly, an aging healthcare workforce will mean an increase in available positions in the coming years. By 2020, it is predicted that 9,000 nurses with an average annual salary of $72,000 will be retiring annually. Nurses account for the largest proportion of healthcare workers in Canada, meaning that there will always be a very large volume of jobs available.

Paralegals

Becoming a paralegal or legal assistant is a realistic career option for many people. With a relatively low barrier to entry, the industry boasts a reasonable median salary ($47,000) along with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (3.1%). The job provides a good work-life balance and doesn’t involve many of the stresses of being a lawyer.

Dental Hygienist

As more and more Canadians carry dental insurance, the demand for qualified dental hygienists is increasing. As with many other industries, an aging population will result in increased stress being placed on the industry as older people typically require more dental care. Additionally, increased awareness regarding dental hygiene has resulted in a sharp rise in demand. On the whole, dentists also prefer working with dental hygienists as opposed to dental assistants, who lack the clinical education necessary to assist with patients.

If you are looking for a new job or trying to forge a career path, any of these six jobs look to provide a stable and equitable future. If these positions do not appeal to you, take a closer look at the specific industries that these positions belong to; very often, the job is a good harbinger of how the industry will continue to perform.