10 Great Hidden Careers for 2013 and Beyond

Most people limit their career choices to the well-known: doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Here are 10 professions that are not only underappreciated, but that offer advantages over the more traditional careers. Here are ten careers that you might want to re-look again and advise someone to pursue.

1. Kindergarten-ECD- teacher. Parents are forking gazillions for their children to study in top notch private kindergarten schools. Whilst in our generation nursery school wasn’t something our parents thought much about, these days it’s different. The fee for top kindergarten schools easily outstrips the fee for many primary schools, and quality teachers at this stage of a child’s development are hard to find. What’s more, psychologists proclaim that the early years of a child have a profound bearing on their future intellectual development.

2. Executive Assistant. This is the posh name that is now used to describe secretaries. Today’s secretary- effectively now the Executive Assistant- needs to be polished, and be knowledgeable on a great deal of information. With the boss on constant travel in and outside the country, executive assistants who schedule their bosses’ activities well are a prized asset. Besides, executive assistants, due to their close association with the boss, will yield an increasing power in the office, so, to navigate office politics, you better be in their good books.

3. Language translator. With the East Africa region integrating, knowledge of French would be of utmost importance. Equally, as the country does more business with China, a working knowledge of Chinese
language- especially mandarin, would prove to be a key career milestone.

4. Employee Trainer. This is a good career for people who'd enjoy teaching but worry about their ability to handle unruly kids in a kindergarten classroom, or those who don't have the Ph.D. usually required for University teaching. Corporate, NGOs, non-profits, and government trainers may specialize, for example, in technology, communication, or diversity. But some are generalists who get to learn and teach something new all the time.

5. Data analyst. Inadvertently, everything in a company depends on the financials, productivity, revenues and growth. People who analyze tonnes of data will be a prized asset, especially if they complement their degree with some additional Statistics/ IT or Computer Science degree.

6. Counterterrorism Specialist. As the threat from Alshabaab and other forms of terrorism continues to be felt, it's difficult to foresee a situation in which demand for counterterrorism experts will decline. The military, CID, police and other government security agencies will likely continue to hire counterterrorism specialists.

7. Internet security analyst. We now spend a huge part of our lives online, and online fraud is on the increase. As cyber crimes increase, internet security analysts will be deployed to safeguard key data in banks, telecommunications and government agencies and other sensitive infrastructure of companies.

8. International Business Development manager. The economies of regions such as East Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia are growing faster, and to capitalize on that growth, corporations use business developers to expand into new locales, and to forge joint ventures, mergers, and licensing agreements.

9. Entertainer/Musician/Artist. As a society, we are getting more stressed, and entertainers are making us feel relieved. With many musicians nowadays commanding upwards of 100k per performance, a first rate musician or entertainer will not only get large sums of money, but will also be a cultural icon to be reckoned with. Besides, many musicians and entertainers, due to their large following, use their careers as a springboard to careers in the media industry.

10. Energy Engineer. Whether figuring out how to harness more energy from wind or solar, or advise the government on energy generation from geothermal or nuclear, these are exciting times to be an energy engineer, not to mention that energy engineers are some of the most highly paid professionals in Kenya.

Posted in: Career Advice