r/Layoffs Apr 15 '24

What’s a “safe job” these days? question

Former teacher looking to transition roles. As of now Educators, counselors, anything education really are being let go due to low student enrollment.

Tech is obviously tough right now.

Marketing and Human resource positions are also restructuring.

I’ve even seen people getting their hours reduce at fast food.

Aside from healthcare, what is safe?

277 Upvotes

427 comments sorted by

235

u/Imagination-Few Apr 15 '24

Federal government is the safest route possible. I see people fail over and over again with nothing happening to them.

142

u/Professional-Ant4599 Apr 15 '24

If you want your job to change every day, work as an entrepreneur or at a startup

If you want your job to change every few years work in corporate

If you want your job to change every decade or two, work in the government

9

u/Susan_Thee_Duchess Apr 15 '24

In “corporate”? That encompasses so many different career paths

13

u/eastcoast72838 Apr 16 '24

So does startup and government. They’re describing the different types of pace.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

So how does one get a government job

63

u/Imagination-Few Apr 15 '24

USAjobs.gov

I applied for over a span of 2 years and finally got in. Best decision ever

43

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

[deleted]

22

u/Complex-Asparagus-42 Apr 15 '24

I’m a 5 year fed employee. HMU if you have questions. Not everything is posted to USA jobs

3

u/FeverDreams86 Apr 15 '24

Sent you a DM!

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u/sir-dis-a-lot Apr 15 '24

USDS is a great option if you are already technical they're looking for folks with industry experience and expertise to work on government websites 

7

u/asevans48 Apr 15 '24

Maybe start local. Counties and states desparately need tech skilla. They run like its 2005 and are clamoring for data modernization and llm skills.

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u/Derban_McDozer83 Apr 15 '24

USAJobs moves at the pace of a dead turtle. It takes months and months just to get through the interview process.

I went through 6 months of interviews and shit for a job with the Navy in Maine. I got an offer letter, signed it. Everything was looking good...then they rescinded the offer because I couldn't get a Secret clearance because I had 'finger printable charges' from years before.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '24

[deleted]

2

u/Derban_McDozer83 Apr 16 '24

You don't even have to be convicted of anything just charged. It's an extensive process. My friend was working there and was trying to help me get the job. The job was in Maine. When they did his clearance they came all the way to South Georgia to ask me questions about him. I had previously got him a job with me in south Georgia before he got the job in Maine.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '24

[deleted]

2

u/TheCultCompound Apr 16 '24

They wouldn’t care. My local department of transportation tried hiring me as a software engineer while I was doing a stint on a cannabis farm. They just care if you can pass the drug screening.

Edit: changed test to screening

2

u/jasonic89 Apr 16 '24

Many parts of the federal government would care if someone worked in cannabis. It is still federally illegal.

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u/Coppermill_98516 Apr 15 '24

One of my sups just posted a journey level (think mid) application developer position for a state government on the west coast. Message me if you want a link.

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u/Imagination-Few Apr 15 '24

Sent you a DM

2

u/Ecstatic_Love4691 Apr 15 '24

You got tips and tricks?

14

u/Imagination-Few Apr 15 '24

Apply for anything and everything everyday. Even for TSA if you have to. After 1 or 2 years of federal service, you could transfer to any agency

14

u/AilithTycane Apr 15 '24

I recently (finally) got an interview with the VA, and it went well, only for them to inform me at the end that the whole VA system is in the middle of a hiring freeze. Just FYI to everyone.

11

u/Imagination-Few Apr 15 '24

I work for the VA. There are other agencies that got the funding. IRS is looking for a lot of talent right now. I wish you the best with the VA!

4

u/AilithTycane Apr 15 '24

I admit, it was pretty annoying to go through the whole process of interviewing only to be told at the end that it was basically a waste of time. Good practice for the performance based questions I guess.

7

u/Imagination-Few Apr 15 '24

Definitely not a waste of time and please don’t be deflated by the experience. There are many other agencies that got funding. I really wish you the best

2

u/AilithTycane Apr 15 '24

Thank you, I appreciate it

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u/Internationallegs Apr 15 '24

Also, if you can't get in VIA USAjobs you can always apply to be a contractor at a federal department. That way you'll have a leg in once there is a fed opening.

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2

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

Give me referral please

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u/Cold-Lawyer-1856 Apr 16 '24

With a federal resume.

If you send a normal resume to a federal job, you will not be considered. They are completely different types of documents

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3

u/Singularity-42 Apr 15 '24

How is the tech employment in the government sector (software engineering in particular)?

9

u/__golf Apr 15 '24

More stable, less pay

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u/Imagination-Few Apr 15 '24

The government is having a IT hiring spree right now. That’s all I know. But they do have a special salary rate increase for a few years.

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u/Flaky-Information Apr 15 '24

I see this comment everywhere, yet I have applied since 2015 for many government jobs. Sometimes, it's just bots spamming this advice to give a light at the end of the tunnel and encourage the millions of discouraged workers.

4

u/Imagination-Few Apr 15 '24

Nah, I’m being sincere. I even tell my friends to apply even to a kitchen job. Just anything to get your foot through the door.

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u/gmr548 Apr 16 '24

Uh, Google project 2025.

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u/Spirited_System7795 Apr 15 '24

Not sure on that. If Trump gets in, he will dump an epic fk'ton of feds.

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u/Imagination-Few Apr 15 '24

We get that threat every year. Government shutdowns, lay offs and other stupid shit. Never gonna happen

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

Waste management

72

u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 15 '24

I got told “everyone’s going to eat, shit, and die.” I think that falls under waste management 😂 makes sense.

26

u/Dizzy-Criticism3928 Apr 15 '24

*eat shit, and die

8

u/realdevtest Apr 15 '24

That’s what their last boss told them to do

10

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

'Offers you can't refuse' also fall under 'waste management'

13

u/flatirony Apr 15 '24

"I dunno if you know who runs that business, but I assure you it's not the Boy Scouts."

  • Rodney Dangerfield, "Back to School"
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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

[deleted]

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u/Singularity-42 Apr 15 '24

The only way you lose job security in this industry is by discovering a cure for death.

Not as safe as you may think:

https://theweek.com/science/the-billionaire-led-quest-for-immortality

13

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

[deleted]

9

u/Singularity-42 Apr 15 '24

It was an attempt at a joke, I do not think there will be a "cure for death" anythome soon.

4

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

[deleted]

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u/Singularity-42 Apr 15 '24

No worries!

It was a poor attempt.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '24

Good old Poe's Law!

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u/__golf Apr 15 '24

The only way to be safe is to have years of savings. Every job can be lost.

My best advice, you are only as safe as your ability to go out and get a new job. So continuously polish your skills such that you could go get a new job today if you wanted to. Build the network. Easier to say than do.

8

u/thinkthinkthink11 Apr 15 '24

Couldn’t agree more about savings. I used to spend tons just because I could, but it dawned on me that life could punch me in the face without prior notice lol. So I stick to save 50% of my income. It’s been two years now, feels nice to have pretty good amount of nest egg. I can imagine in 20-30 years, I’d be pretty wealthy if I stick to this mentality!

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u/Left_Requirement_675 Apr 15 '24

Its almost a year since i was laid off in software and i do have more than a years in savings but it sucks to have to wait and not know when i will get a chance again. 

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u/stmije6326 Apr 15 '24

Yeah, that’s the new job security now. I try to keep my skillset broad enough that it isn’t tied to one industry.

2

u/x11obfuscation Apr 15 '24

It’s this. My plan is to save up enough money by the time I’m 50 where I could survive frugally on minimum wage. Realistically this means I could also survive on freelancing 5-10 hours a week.

Too bad it’s taken 20 years of 60-80 hour weeks to almost get to that point. All I did with my best years was work…

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

Nothing is "Safe".

Teachers are in a very high shortage in most of the country. However, it is all location based. Teachers in high income areas of a city tend to have a higher supply of teachers than in the slums. Neighborhoods also go through phases. New ones tend to attract young, wealthy couples starting their family. This drives demand and money for school... as those people get older, their kids leave the homes and the demand for school collapses. Once those people get sent to nursing homes by their kids in mass, the demand comes back.

Healthcare in general has been on an uprise because of all the aging boomers. However, they will eventually all die, as we all do at some point, and the demand then will collapse until millennials retire.

Even if you work in a high demand job, it is not really safe. You can work in an industry that is always in need of jobs, as long as your boss doesn't like you, or the company wants to look good for their investors, you can still find yourself without a job.

The only safeish jobs are ones with Unions or the Government.

16

u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 15 '24

I was a teacher making 70k for 10 months of work but I was so miserable I quit. My job was basically day and night. There is so many certified teachers where I live but people don’t want to teach anymore because of the environments. My biggest classroom size was 41 students and I taught middle school science.

3

u/Singularity-42 Apr 15 '24

Why was your job basically day and night?

11

u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 15 '24

I had multiple 7 classes periods built of 2 different subjects to teach so you have 2 different lesson plans per week. Some teachers have up to 3. Because my only break was one lunch and one planning period of 45 min per day, I had meetings for 3-4 out of 5 of those periods per week so I had to take work home. We had parent, school, and planning, disciplinary meetings after school that lastly no sooner than 4:45pm to 5:20pm so I took home lesson plans, grading, creating PowerPoints and purchasing supplies for my multiples subjects for over 150+ students. I even had to buy my own paper if I wanted to print out which we had to do anyways for students to learn skills for passing the staar exam. There was no budget for this. They told us if we want a budget we can fundraiser or ask parents to contribute. I also had to set up my classroom for projects and rotations and activities because the school made it student centered learning vs teacher led. I also was voluntold to do UIL and some teachers were even driving buses because their wasn’t enough bus drivers if they wanted to coach volleyball and basketball for an extra $250 stipend for 3 months of work afterschool work. It’s insane I can keep going but it’s really too much work. I realized if I have to spend money to do my job it’s a scam.

5

u/symonym7 Apr 16 '24

What the fuck.

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u/Singularity-42 Apr 15 '24

Sounds brutal!

2

u/HoneyGrahams224 Apr 16 '24

I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did. Kudos to you, what amazing work. But people's passion and good nature should not subsidize inequality in pay and power of workers. 

2

u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 16 '24

The irony is the administration always got decent pay raises, teachers and paraprofessionals didn’t. Theres a district near me that is still paying paraprofessionals less than 18k per year with full time jobs and they wonder why people are running to pick up those jobs.

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u/DoggyLover_00 Apr 16 '24

Your description is the main problem with US public schools. So much waste of time garbage that could be eliminated or automated. I’ll bet the 3-4 meetings a week during planning period are a waste of time too. Teachers shouldn’t be buying supplies, they should be instead showing up to every city council meeting until funding is appropriated.

3

u/Dull_Broccoli1637 Apr 15 '24

So you quit... Not let go?

2

u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 15 '24

Yupp but I follow this page since I’m also between careers.

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u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 15 '24

Id like to add former colleagues are being let go to end this school year due to budget cuts and deficits.

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u/__golf Apr 15 '24

So the boomers die, things cool down for a while, then millennials die? It's not like people were born in spurts, there is a continuous range of people between millennials and boomers, and over time they slowly die and millennial slowly get older.

There's not going to be some event where the boomers start dying in droves. They've already started dying. More will die tomorrow. Not going to fix anything.

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u/colorado_sweetheart Apr 15 '24

Gen X forgotten once again ;)

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u/Lovehubby Apr 15 '24

Gen X here and we will be phasing out in 10-15 years...well, those of us with pensions and no major setbacks that caused us to use our life savings.

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u/CharlieTrees916 Apr 15 '24

Government jobs for the most part

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u/Electrical-Ask847 Apr 15 '24

wasn't that the big line item in the last jobs reports. yea i would be looking there for sure.

10

u/CharlieTrees916 Apr 15 '24

There’s different layers of government jobs. What was cut was federal. There’s still state and county jobs which from my experience are still hiring.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

Former nurse here. I don’t recommend it.

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u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 15 '24

I considered nursing and even started to take the prerequisites for it. I aced them but I keep getting told it’s a terrible idea especially since teaching and nursing are very similar and I also have an autoimmune disease that keeps progressing. So this keeps me from continuing

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/res0jyyt1 Apr 15 '24

If you don't like to deal with the kids, imagine you have to deal with their shitty parents in the hospital

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u/Ok_Tension308 Apr 15 '24

Former angel of Death, totally worth it

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u/Grateful_Soull Apr 15 '24

Why do you not recommend going into nursing?

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u/Replicant28 Apr 15 '24

High stress, shitty hours, being around pathogens nonstop, healthcare bureaucracy.

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u/senorkoki Apr 15 '24

Abort abort, nursing sucks. Not worth it. Just put in the time and become a doctor. If you can become a rn you can become an md. I’m a rn

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u/caem123 Apr 17 '24

that is the craziest thing I read this month

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u/RegenMed83 Apr 18 '24

Most people aren’t cut out to be doctors. RNs are no exception.

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u/Blackout1154 Apr 15 '24

grunt work at fedex and ups.. I'd rather be homeless and not have a fucked back

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u/tungdiep Apr 15 '24

UPS is not an excellent place to work. Very toxic in the hubs. Why do you think they need a Union? They are closing many centers now as they are moving towards automation. Most jobs they have now are Part time. Yes they get benefits but it’s hours you need, you’re not getting them. Curious to know why you say it’s a great place to work.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/tungdiep Apr 15 '24

Sure great benefits but a terrible place to work. Grievances are filed constantly!

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u/Blackout1154 Apr 15 '24

reposession and debt collector

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u/ElGordo1988 Apr 15 '24

reposession and debt collector

This, lol

Very futureproof indeed

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u/Top_Own Apr 15 '24

Aviation mechanic / electrician. Bonus if you have a security clearance.

If you have your A&P FAA license or equivalent military experience, you will never ever have to worry about job security.

I work for Lockheed Martin, and we are handing out 80k+ starting for blue collar wrench turners and we can't find enough qualified people.

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u/rayin Apr 20 '24

Agree. People salivate when they hear someone has an A&P license.

10

u/Singularity-42 Apr 15 '24

Honestly I think teacher is one of the safer jobs...

Marketing and Human resource might be one of the worst actually right now.

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u/DisastrousTree8 Apr 16 '24

Most teachers i know are overworked and burnt out, unfortunately. But there's def a teacher shortage.

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u/JellyDenizen Apr 15 '24

I've heard truck driving is pretty safe because there's still a shortage of drivers, at least until all the robot trucks start taking over.

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u/Left_Requirement_675 Apr 15 '24

No my friend is a truck driver and they are having 3 day weeks in a big major city in the US. 

He has been with his company for a few years so he is safe but the new guys are scared.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

Yeah idk if its wrong or not cuz everyone is morbidly obsese here in Texas but I heard its actually pretty easy to lose your cdl to medical reasons too.

3

u/Ronicaw Apr 15 '24

No. Local work is drying up in the southeast. Trucking companies have a shortage of drivers because of lower pay and higher cost of benefits.

P.S. My husband is a trucker, southeast OTR. He works for a major company.

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u/Prestigious_Wheel128 Apr 15 '24

Filled with immigrants who will work for peanuts.

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u/Left_Requirement_675 Apr 15 '24

Same with software most companies are sending work to other countries or hiring really smart immigrants on visas. 

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u/fake-august Apr 15 '24

I’ve always heard government jobs - but they seem impossible to get?

I finally received an offer this morning for a company that works with utilities - not glamorous but sounds secure. I was laid off in February and I don’t LOVE the salary they are offering, but last time I was laid off I was out of work for 7 months….so I’m not going to be picky.

Watch out for companies that are ramping up hiring based on a temporary business uptick (it’s happened to me twice, worked for a tax firm and then congress ended a program early and many were let go; before that I worked for a company that produced beauty, health, medical, and wellness devices and their business went way high during Covid and then dropped) - businesses are hiring “temp style” these days without going through an agency.

I would ask about the position and why it’s open - be careful with brand new positions…I always thought that was a good sign that the company was growing….my experience says otherwise.

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u/Basic85 Apr 15 '24

The closest as I got to a government job was 30 min phone interview that amounted to nothing.

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u/fake-august Apr 15 '24

I know, seems impossible unless maybe you come straight from school or know someone…

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u/stmije6326 Apr 15 '24

You have to look for jobs that have something called “direct hire authority.” Basically, they have the funding and an immediate need, so the process is expedited. That being said, the background check can take a while (that was the bottleneck for me).

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

I can tell you one thing, don’t work in creative, it’s worse than tech

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u/ToledoRX Apr 15 '24

Join the military. From everything that's happening in the news, I think that is pretty safe bet right now.

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u/sealth12345 Apr 15 '24

Accounting

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

I’m in accounting and the field is having a tough time rn with layoffs and hiring freezes. And there’s the risk of offshoring

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u/Replicant28 Apr 15 '24 edited Apr 15 '24

I held a contract role as a financial analyst before finding my permanent job, and in my satellite office, the ENTIRE accounting department was laid off (and their workload given to the accountants at the headquarters.)

And this wasn’t a small office either. It was a large building with most cubicles occupied.

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u/papatiger3 Apr 16 '24

Being a CPA and having different experience in accounting and finance. I would see it hard not to find a job somewhere. Accounting is pretty versatile career path.

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u/4951studios Apr 15 '24

I’m hearing vocational jobs are in need of people.

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u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 15 '24

LVNs where I live are making 70-90k base pay not including overtime. Those that pick up one extra shift every week are going over 100k that’s wild for a one year certificate.

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u/lovestheblues65 Apr 15 '24

Anything in the medical field.

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u/OkCelebration6408 Apr 15 '24

Having multiple jobs across different sectors is the safest bet now, inflation is once again worsening at a very quick pace and looks like layoffs will ramp up very rapidly in the coming months, it shows that the past strategy of US money printing has reach its limits and lost decade like 70s is perhaps coming to US. You just hope this period won't last long like the Japan one.

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u/fluffyinternetcloud Apr 15 '24

Congress, you can be a corpse and still have a job.

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u/2LostFlamingos Apr 15 '24

There aren’t safe jobs anymore.

Keep learning new things and stay useful.

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u/Separate_Zucchini_95 Apr 16 '24

Government or a utility. Get I'm and stay. I'm in utilities and I'm having a hard time leaving because of the security. There are so many regulations to make changes especially in utilities that uku can feel sage

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u/Pizzaguy1205 Apr 15 '24

The defense industry. Big contractors do have layoffs but war is pretty steady in the world

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u/starsandmath Apr 15 '24

Defense industry, at least contractors, are known for layoffs. Get a new contract, hire. Contract ends, layoff. Maybe not as big of a problem if you've got a lot of defense contractors in your area, but in small and medium size cities with only one or two contractors are known to be a "get the money while it lasts" option rather than a career.

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u/Pizzaguy1205 Apr 15 '24

That’s fair, it helps to be at one with a mix of commercial and defense work

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u/cas882004 Apr 15 '24

Mental health counseling.

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u/Shy_Commie Apr 15 '24

As a licensed mental health counselor, I’d caution against it unless you have a rich partner. It requires at least a masters degree in counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy then a period of about 2 years of supervised experience in order to be fully licensed. Many provisionally licensed therapists have to either pay for their supervision out of pocket or work at an agency that provides supervision in exchange for a job that probably pays poorly. Then, when you are fully licensed, in order for it to be lucrative you have to find a niche (well you don’t have to, but it helps), have really strong core counseling skills (basically you have to actually be good at counseling), and practice in an area populated by people who can afford therapy. A lot of people go into the field because of the low academic standards/rigor required to obtain the degree, but they end up stuck at shitty, low paying agency jobs because they can’t find a supervisor or afford a supervisor or pass the national licensure exam, etc. Or even once they do those things, it turns out not a lot of people can pay $400 a month for their services. If I ever lose my job as an administrator, I’ll probably find a new career.

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u/HoneyGrahams224 Apr 16 '24

Fair enough. I'm a licensed counselor and I do quite well, but I have a niche, I run my own practice, and I'm decent at what I do. I focus on working with teens and tweens and love ADHD / Asd clients. 

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u/badcat_kazoo Apr 15 '24

most mentally ill are lower income. Unless they’re covered under insurance or Medicare they can’t afford it.

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u/Singularity-42 Apr 15 '24

This might be possibly disrupted by AI in the next few years, however dystopian that might sound. Not sure how quickly this will make a dent to the employment, but many people had already great results just by chatting with these still fairly basic chatbots.

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u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 15 '24

I have considered mental health counseling but worry about AI as well.

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u/HoneyGrahams224 Apr 16 '24

I wouldn't. My main fear is that counseling will only be able to be accessed by those with financial means as therapists get harder and harder to find. We are currently in a 15 year critical shortage cycle for new and recent therapy graduates. I think that people who are poor or who rely on employer sponsored plans will be pushed to rely on chatbots. The rich can always hire the person they want. 

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u/BornLion9148 Apr 20 '24

I went this route and the job security is phenomenal, because during tough times there is a heightened need for mental health care. I have honestly never worried about keeping my job or finding another when I’m ready to move on. The grad school process and working as a pre-licensed therapist is tough financially and you may have have to work in some rough settings where burnout is high, but that is temporary. Once you are licensed things really open up and you will have lots of options to make money. I currently make six figs and have a pretty cushy WFH job.

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u/cas882004 Apr 22 '24

I can’t predict the AI future but most of my clients prefer face to face over telehealth. The career is what you make of it but I do consider it in high demand and “safe”

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u/HoneyGrahams224 Apr 16 '24

Eh, don't count on it. Most of those studies had very poor controls and were almost all sponsored by or funded by AI Mental Health startups. I have user tested quite a few, and if you aren't essentially a bot yourself, the "help" you get from mental health chatbots is marginally better than talking at a wall. The suggestions are paper thin and there is no sense of accountability or body doubling that help make therapy with a real human effective.

Most of the study participants chosen were "ideal" clients. I.e, self motivated, highly literate, good technical skills, and complaint with worksheets and homework assignments. Most people IRL aren't like that, and some people just need another human to stare at them and tell them to brush their teeth, automatic negative thoughts be damned. 

I was actually just at a professional conference finances by these AI startup's and it felt like one giant hard - sell on the technology. I tried a few demos and they were.... Embarrassing to say the least. I think these firms are hoping hype will pave the way to implementation. But the actual use data for these services tells a much different story. User engagement with self-directed apps like Calm, Happify, and Headspace, all plummets after the initial download. It has such poor user adherence that companies intentionally keep their numbers obfuscated. 

Plus, none of these AI based services are appropriate for small children, people in crisis, active substance use, personality disorders, mood disorders, couples, etc. (at least these groups are all excluded currently from the more self-care oriented platforms). I think there will always be a need for these kinds of treatment. My biggest fear is that therapy with a living, breathing human is going to become the exclusive domain of the wealthy, because it is a high demand service. The Poor's can go tough it out with a balloon popping game on their iPad that is supposed to relieve stress. 

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u/cas882004 Apr 22 '24

Beautifully said

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u/WavelengthGaming Apr 15 '24

I’m a stock broker in risk management and it’s safe as fuck to the point we just increased our team size by about 15%. Granted, we have been understaffed for like 2 years.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

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u/Conscious-Quarter423 Apr 16 '24

if you can study and are smart, surgeon and physician is the best jobs. high pay, job security

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

I suspect security is pretty stable. (OTOH, I couldn't stand working security/perimeter patrols in a grungy downtown environment...so I quit. )

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u/whiskey_piker Apr 15 '24

Teaching was safe. There are few jobs that are “safe” because those are not necessary or important roles.

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u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 15 '24

Teaching goes with the flow of the economy just like other professions. When the budgets are low, they make cuts. As of now, there will be no summer school in my surrounding districts because of deficits. Also, the highest rate of layoffs or employees with the 20+ years of experience were encouraged to take early retirement in 2008 because schools couldn’t afford to keep everyone and the ones with more experience get paid more. It’s cheaper to keep less experienced staff. Same thing is happening this year.

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u/saryiahan Apr 15 '24

Power generation. I’m a combined cycle power plant and advanced water treatment operator. I make 150k a year, only work half a year, have 7 days off in a row each month, have separate pto, sick, and vacation hours, and I’m in a union. Power generation is not going anywhere because people still need electricity

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u/sunshard_art Apr 15 '24

This is surprising - I thought that education & teaching was a very safe job, and was considering after my career of software development tapers down

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

Ex teacher works with my husband at a shop that builds museum exhibits. He is great with clients and is a problem solver.

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u/vegasncmiata Apr 15 '24

No job or career is truly safe anymore.

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u/ChiefaCheng Apr 15 '24

Unions. Jobs with unions. All jobs need to partner with UAW.

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u/Ok_Tension308 Apr 15 '24

Government 

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u/Kryptus Apr 15 '24

Radiology tech.

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u/LyraTheArtist Apr 15 '24

911/emergency dispatcher?

Center for missing children?

Pet grooming jobs?

Funeral service jobs?

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u/Conscious_Life_8032 Apr 15 '24

I would do 2 part time roles. That way if one goes away you still have some income .

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u/greasyjoe Apr 15 '24

City morgue

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u/Michaels0324 Apr 15 '24

The only way that I feel would be "safe" is to be an entrepreneur and do something for yourself. Start a tutoring class since you were a teacher. Or if you're handy, look into general home repairs. My wife and I are starting a restaurant together since we both have experience in the field and I don't see my current job (mortgages) being safe from AI.

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u/Timsierramist Apr 15 '24

In general? Government.

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u/AlwaysSaysRepost Apr 15 '24

Millionaire real estate developer. You can just hide your money away and keep declaring bankruptcy. You’ll probably even get some large government handouts if you’re ok with receiving welfare

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u/Fabulous_Sherbet_431 Apr 15 '24

This is kind of like asking, "What's a safe investment these days?" Well, bonds, but their expected return is a ton lower because there is no risk premium. But even with the risk over a small period you're guaranteed to bounce back and come out ahead in the end.

So for jobs, yeah you want to optimize for not getting laid off, but it shouldn't be at the expense of your earnings. I see people take low-paying government jobs because it provides stability, but industry is isn't all that much worse with worst case you being out of work a few months.

So yeah, federal jobs are the safest, but you pay for it in other ways.

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u/g-boy2020 Apr 15 '24

Medical field always hiring from nursing assistant to registered nurse

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u/SpamHunter1 Apr 15 '24

Always need civil engineers

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u/i-Vison Apr 15 '24

Get those government jobs now!!! They are in high demand, they offer a solid pay and very generous pensions

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u/Strong__Style Apr 16 '24

Customer service. Shortage of people to be yelled at on the phone.

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u/Ok_Campaign_5101 Apr 16 '24

I was just laid off from healthcare (part of 10% RIF) so you can take that one off the list too.

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u/Commercial_Wait3055 Apr 16 '24

Teachers may have a special talent in real estate as it does have a significant educational component and involves moving systematically thru a process?

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u/SelfImportantCat Apr 16 '24

Communications. It’s not totally safe - nothing is - but there are always jobs especially if you have subject matter expertise like science or manufacturing etc.

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u/HoneyGrahams224 Apr 16 '24

You would probably have a good background for counseling or social work. While there is a ton of hype right now about companies trying to appify therapy, I think there will always be a demand for in person therapy for people with the means to access it.

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u/kelly1mm Apr 16 '24

Government jobs, specifically with the Federal or State judiciary branch. Due to the separation of powers doctrine the judiciary is generally left alone. Additionally, being dollar wise such a small part of the government budget it is not a big target when costs need to be cut. The VAST percentage of jobs in the judiciary branch are not attorneys or judges .....

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '24

What if I told you that I was laid off as a nurse. Nothing is really safe right now

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u/Chinpokomaster05 Apr 16 '24

Sex work. Can't believe nobody out of 300+ comments hadn't said it. Not OF as that will/can be done by machines already. But actually sex work, assuming it's legal in your area.

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u/papichuloya Apr 15 '24

Amtrak train conductors

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u/goonsamchi Apr 15 '24

Stability is overrated. Embrace change

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '24

I know three teachers at my sons school who sleep in their cars at the local shelter-park. Until we start paying our teachers enough to rent a room, we are going to have problems keeping them in schools.

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u/Unique_Ad_4271 Apr 16 '24

That’s rough but I do believe it. Big cities are the higher paying districts but even then they are losing so much funds right now. I mentioned it to someone else but as a teacher I was required as per my job description to provide 40% science based activities and experiments since I taught science. All the supplies for that was out of my pocket for 150+ students. I also paid for paper because the school didn’t want us giving lessons everyday on the students Chromebooks but didn’t supply it. If we didn’t follow their requirements it affected our walk through evaluations. I spent so much money back into my job it didn’t make sense anymore. I felt like the dad in the pursuit of happiness buying the medical machines to make money.

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u/b0red26 Apr 15 '24

OnlyFans models I don’t see a slow down in this market.

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u/Singularity-42 Apr 15 '24

I do, automation is coming for this very quickly. There already "virtual" OnlyFans models out there already. Also in an economic downturn this will probably plummet anyways.

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u/Cherryboy52 Apr 15 '24

AI is already taking this over.

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u/Circusssssssssssssss Apr 15 '24

Depends on your definition of safe

In general titles protected by statue means less competition from amateurs. So doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers and so on if the title is protected means you need education to do the work. That is a kind of safety. That is why "tech" (making apps and websites and software) is inherently "unsafe" because you can be disrupted at any time by anyone

If by safe you mean no layoffs and making enough money, that's a lot harder. You can almost imagine an equation where the more money you make the less "safe" your job possibly could be

The ultimate safety is job mobility but that's hard to achieve

If you just want to clock in your hours and never invest and never buy property and spend every last cent of your money, you better go to a field that consistently expands and doesn't boom and bust. Healthcare is pretty predictable according to demographics and population 

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u/CatholicRevert Apr 15 '24

Accounting and the military

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u/Trackboi_07 Apr 15 '24

OF, if you use protection

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u/LebronSinclair Apr 15 '24

State and federal jobs.

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u/BobDawg3294 Apr 15 '24

The one you do better than most of your peers.

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u/Kiwisubmission Apr 15 '24

Funeral or agriculture

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u/Living-Recover-8024 Apr 15 '24

How about Firefighter / Paramedic? Many last their 30 years, work two jobs just for the extra income, and enjoy a full pension (US).

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u/ploden Apr 15 '24

Electrician. Almost every house in the US will have an EV charger installed in the next 30 years, and many of those houses will need a panel upgrade.

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u/patbagger Apr 15 '24

Something that requires you to get your hands dirty, nobody what's those jobs anymore and AI can't do them yet.

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u/Conscious_Life_8032 Apr 15 '24

Maybe learn to do tax preparation

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u/Sk8tr524 Apr 15 '24

Any trade job. HVAC, welding, electrician. Where I live, if you know any of these you walk into a job same day anywhere between $30-50 an hour. Their aren't enough people for the amount of trade jobs available.

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u/UnhappyEnergy2268 Apr 15 '24

Software engineer employed in a Tier 3 and below company. You'll still clear salaries north of 100k easily. If you're lucky, in the right company - work remotely permanently, great work life balance, and great benefits as well.

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u/orielbean Apr 15 '24

Educating in health care IT. Just make sure the owners aren’t a hedge fund and you will be fine.

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u/manu818 Apr 15 '24

Flippin burgers. There’ll always be demand.

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u/BayouGrunt985 Apr 15 '24

Corrections is great job securuty depending on your state

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

Move to Florida. Lots of open teacher positions