3 Hot Industries to Watch in Trump’s America

After the election, whether you’re happy with the outcome or not, one thing remains true: a new president means a new era. Changes in the economy tend to come as the new president takes office and starts enacting policies. And politics aside, there are some industries you should be keeping your eye on as America embarks on its Trump administration journey... especially if you’re not selected for a cabinet position.

Manufacturing

During the campaign, Trump made a lot of promises about bringing manufacturing jobs back from overseas. Realistically, many of these jobs have been replaced by technology and automation—but this shift actually creates new opportunities in the manufacturing sector. While these jobs may have been blue collar, factory-floor jobs in the past, now the openings will more likely be in areas like industrial design, logistics (trucking and transit), marketing, and other front-office-type jobs. In decades past, a high school diploma was usually the ticket to a solid manufacturing job, but as the industry undergoes further changes, you’ll see more opportunities for those with postsecondary education (training programs) or higher. Example: Industrial Designer The job: Industrial designers develop concepts and plans for manufactured goods like cars, electronics, toys, etc. This is a role that combines engineering, creative design, and business needs to create products that are cost-effective to produce and useful to consumers. Education required: Bachelor’s degree The salary: Median salary of $67,130 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Healthcare

Whether or not Obamacare is repealed and/or replaced under a Trump administration, healthcare is going to continue to be one of the career hotspots in the next four years, and a focus for economic growth. Example: Medical Assistant The job: Medical assistants are professionals who handle administrative and clinical tasks in healthcare facilities like hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, or nursing homes. Education required: High school diploma, plus completion of a training program The salary: Median salary of $30,590 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Cybersecurity

This is a hot-button issue—perhaps you’ve heard? If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’ve seen the same themes pop up over and over all year long: “hack,” “breach,” “leaked emails,” “Russia.” Personal data has become kind of like the Wild West out there—the info exists, therefore someone will claim it. Every industry and just about every company struggles with keeping ahead of hackers and would-be bad guys seeking to snipe others’ information for their own gain, and that will likely continue over the next few years as more and more public attention is brought to these security breaches. Example: Information Security Analyst The job: Information security analysts are IT professionals who are often a company’s first line of data defense. They plan and implement security measures throughout a company’s computer networks and systems, to defend against cyberattacks and data breaches. Education required: Bachelor’s degree The salary: Median salary of $90,120 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As with any new president, the best thing you can do, career-wise, is to prepare for change: new technologies, new national priorities, and new policies. You never know where the opportunities will arise, so it’s important to be open to those changes, no matter how you feel about the politics of it all.