Sourced Content
Wellington, March 13, 2021
The top 10 most searched jobs on careers.govt.nz in 2020 have a strong focus on service roles.
Here is a list of the most searched jobs on careers.govt.nz in 2020.
Policing, Teaching and Health Sector jobs that help people were among the main favourites. Five of the top 10 jobs have skill shortages but there are plenty of jobs with better opportunities that are not on the list.
Need for greater awareness
Research by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) showed that students chose similar popular jobs as their future career choice. This highlights the need for greater awareness about the range of lesser-known careers available.
Top 10 most searched jobs on careers.govt.nz in 2020:
Police Officer: The Police profession was also the most popular job in the previous two years (2018 and 2019). Police Officers prevent and solve crime, keep the peace, and respond to criminal activities and emergencies.
Registered Nurse: The category became the second most popular job, overtaking that of psychologists. Registered Nurses assess, treat and support people who are sick, disabled or injured, in hospitals, clinics, rest homes, and nursing homes.
Psychologist: The post of Psychologist remained in the top three. Psychologists diagnose, treat, and work to prevent a wide range of psychological and general health problems affecting adults, adolescents, and children.
Paramedic: Paramedics assess and treat people who are seriously ill or injured, and transport them to hospital if necessary. This profession moved up from sixth place in 2019, overtaking the posts of Accountant and Secondary School Teacher.
Accountant: Accountants provide accounting services to companies, organisations and individuals. Accountants also prepare financial statements and forms and advise clients on financial aspects of business. This category remained as the fifth most popular job.
Electrician: The role of Electrician moved up from last place in 2019. Electricians test, install, maintain and repair electrical systems and equipment.
Secondary School Teacher: The post of Secondary School Teacher was still a favourite, despite moving down from fourth place in 2019. Secondary School Teachers plan, prepare and teach one or more subjects to students between the ages of 13 and 18.
Architect: Architects plan, design and advise on the construction and alteration of buildings and other structures. This profession remained popular, although the preference level moved down from seventh place in 2019 to reach eighth in 2020.
Early Childhood Teacher: The role of Early Childhood Teacher remained at number nine. Early Childhood Teachers educate and care for young children in kindergartens, Kohanga reo or Childcare Centres. Kohanga reo Kaiako also help children learn te reo Maori and tikanga Maori (Culture and Customs).
Real Estate Agent: Real estate agents arrange property and house sales for clients.
New to the list, the role of Real Estate Agent had the largest increase in searches compared to 2019.
Job opportunities for the Top 10
The top 10 jobs have opportunities ranging from average to good. Five of the top jobs – Accountant, Early Childhood Teacher, Electrician, Clinical Psychologist And Registered Nurse (aged care) are on the Skill Shortage Lists of Immigration New Zealand, denoting their high demand.
Jobs opportunities in Skill Shortage Industries
While several jobs with skill shortages appear in the Top 10 List, there are plenty of other jobs with skill shortages in industries such as Construction, Food and Fibre and Information Technology. For example, there are better opportunities for roles such as Software Developer (Software Engineer) than Police Officer as the profession is larger and has a shortage of workers.
Challenging stereotypical career aspirations
Research commissioned by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) in 2019 found that a majority of young school children aspired to a narrow range of stereotypical career choices. These included the Top 10 Jobs of Police Officer and Teacher, plus other high-profile roles such as Sportsperson and Social Media Influencer.
Viewed alongside the Top 10 List, the results highlighted the need for greater awareness about not only well-known and respected careers but also the huge variety of lesser-known careers available in New Zealand.
TEC Manager (Strategic Engagement) Nina Ive said that the Commission has launched a new Programme to increase career choice options.
“Our new Inspiring the Future Programme aims to raise career aspirations by introducing school students to everyday workers in their community at an interactive event. Students learn about different jobs and why the role models love doing them, as well as how they got into the job and any challenges they faced along the way. People who volunteer to be a role model for Inspiring the Future not only give back to the local community but are also a positive inspiration for young people,” she said.
Source: Tertiary Education Commission, Wellington
The above Report has been sponsored by
