Much of the trouble you’ve encountered searching for good job candidates has nothing to do with you or your search techniques — it’s the fact that the work you’re offering isn’t all that attractive compared with the alternatives.
You can see why in the latest Jobs Rated report issued by CareerCast.com, a job-finding service that includes as partners several sister publications of REMODELING. Now in its 25th year, the Jobs Rated report scores 200 professions based on four factors: work environment (both physical and emotional), income, employment outlook, and the amount of stress involved.
Actuary was the top profession, scoring high on pay (mid-level income: $91,000), low on stress, and above-average on hiring outlook. In second through 10th place came a slew of technical and health-related jobs. In order, they were biomedical engineer, software engineer, audiologist, financial planner, occupational therapist, optometrist, physical therapist, and computer systems analyst.
Where are the construction-related jobs? Except for three trades — bricklayer (53rd place), plumber (66th), and electrician (76th) — you need to go to the second hundred to find those positions. Here’s how your jobs rank, plus a few others for comparison:
87: Sewage plant operator
101: Construction foreman
135: Advertising sales rep
147: Carpenter
150: Bartender
152: Real estate agent
160: Garbage collector
164: Carpet/tile installer
171: Construction worker
187: Dishwasher
189: Corrections officer
192: Roofer
199: Lumberjack
200: Newspaper reporter
—Craig Webb is editor-in-chief of REMODELING. Find him on Twitter at @RemodelingMag.
