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How to Research Degrees & Careers With the Brightest Future Outlooks

Careers Adult Learner

Want to know what the hottest careers are going to be? Curious to know what jobs will be fast-growing and high-paying in the next 10 years? Looking for the absolute best degrees for your future?

Well, you could rely on what other people tell you. Or you could dive in and do some hardcore research. Then again, you could take the easy, more popular route and “Just Google it.”

The problem with these methods is (1) hearsay is unreliable, (2) intense research is too hard and too time consuming, and (3) search engines typically net far too many results.

When it comes to knowing what degrees and jobs are up and coming, it can be tricky to know where to look and what to look for without tearing your hair out. That doesn’t mean you should skip it, though. Just the opposite.

It’s very important to know what degree makes going back to school worth it, especially as an adult returning to college. After all, who knew way back when that there would be degrees and careers in then-unheard-of fields such as interactive media design, cybersecurity or health informatics?

So, if you’re looking for the next big thing in degrees and careers, here are some simple and useful tips for finding the best and brightest jobs of the future.

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3 Tips for Finding the Best Jobs of the Future

We live in a data-driven world, which makes it possible to figure out what the most exciting careers will be. Here’s how to streamline your research process to get faster, more reliable results.

Tip 1. Ask a question.

Great results come from a great start, and there’s no better way to start researching popular and emerging careers than by asking a question. Why? Because topics are too broad. A question, on the other hand, is more specific, so your brain (and search engines) will naturally want to answer it. So, instead of searching for “top jobs in 2030,” search for “What will the top jobs be between now and 2030?”

Tip 2. Make a list of keywords.

Brain dump a list of words that come to mind when trying to answer the question from Tip 1. Keep in mind that keywords can be individual words, fragmented phrases or complete sentences. In addition to the obvious keywords, be sure to include synonyms and related words. For example, “career” can also become “job,” “occupation,” “avocation,” “profession,” “employment,” etc.

Tip 3. Use only credible sources.

Online, pretty much anyone can call themselves an expert, so it’s important to not waste time on anything less than reliable and authoritative sources. The most credible sources have authors, are associated with known organizations or government agencies, and are recent and relevant.

5 Resources You Can Use to Find Careers of the Future

With millions of terabytes of data being generated every day, you’re probably not keeping up with which resources are best for finding today’s degrees for tomorrow’s jobs.

You don’t have to, thanks to this list of current and reliable resources. Each of these resources can help you plan your future career type by degree program. Plus, many of these go-to resources include other things you want to know, like job outlook and salary projections.'

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Browse occupations by degree, group, projected growth rate, salaries and more.
BLS Employment Projections: Discover the fastest-growing occupations, occupations expected to have the most new jobs, fastest-growing occupations requiring a bachelor's degree or more, and the fastest-growing occupations that require some postsecondary education.
McKinsey Global Institute: Examine jobs lost, jobs gained and what the future of work will mean for jobs, skills, and wages through 2030.
O*Net Online’s Bright Outlook Occupations: Find out which occupations expect rapid growth in the next several years, will have large numbers of job openings, or are new and emerging.
Indeed Career Guide: Check out 55 of the most useful degrees for the future from the No.1 online job site.

Which Degree Can Future Proof Your Career?

There is no single “right” degree for everyone. The truth is, only you can decide which degree is right for you.

But it can help to understand which degree programs are available to choose from so you can be sure your degree program aligns with your future career, goals and plans.

As the final part of your research process, consider talking with an admissions advisor from Franklin University. Franklin’s admissions advisors can answer your questions about a particular degree program, as well as share more about the career opportunities and salary outlooks for the degree you’re most interested in.