It’s not uncommon for people to change jobs.

One study has found the average Australian switches jobs every two years and nine months — equating to about 16 different roles before retirement.

Before thinking of a new career, especially in a different industry, it’s important to consider what job opportunities may be available for your desired role.

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Economist Callam Pickering, from jobs platform Indeed (Asia-Pacific), said some in-demand careers based on job listings were veterinarians, therapy type roles, such as physiotherapists, and agriculture jobs.

“(The service sector) accounts for 80 per cent of all employment across Australia at the moment and that’s likely to continue going forward,” Pickering said.

“That’s underpinned by Australia’s demographics. We’ve got an ageing population, which is creating tremendous demands for doctors and nurses and aged care.

“We’ve got strong population growth, which is supporting employment gains in education.”

His findings were consistent with a 2023 labour market update which listed nurses, childcare workers, aged care workers, chefs and retail managers among the top, in-demand careers in the nation.

A number of tech roles, such as software and applications programmers, ICT business and systems analysts, were also on the list of top 20 in-demand roles.

Pickering says roles in tech and service sector will continue to grow into the future.

“There is an expectation the (tech) industry is going to bounce back and bounce back fantastic over the next three to five years,” he said.

“Some of the roles that have strong demand are machine learning and artificial intelligence.”

Jobs based on pay

Pickering says roles in tech pay well above the average Aussie’s wage.

“Looking specifically in tech, the highest-paid roll over the past six months is principal software engineer, $138,000, senior software engineer, $128,000,” he said.

“Many of these roles struggle to find sufficient candidates, they can be very challenging to fill.

“The skills required in these roles change over time and, as a consequence of that, they tend to be very highly paid.”

According to Australian government data, there is also a need for civil, aeronautical and mining engineers, roles which can earn between $80,000 to $165,000.

In-demand roles with earnings slightly above the average annual wage include mechanics ($75,000 to $95,000) or electricians (about $87,044).

Victoria University and Queensland University of Technology’s individual analysis of the job market recommended job hunters consider becoming a construction manager, data analyst, web developer or working in digital communications.

Outside of Australia, Forbes listed nurse practitioners, health service managers, data scientists and security analysts among the fastest-growing careers.

Careers that are much more competitive for interviews include media and communications, architecture and pharmacy.

Job listings for media declined 30 per cent in the past year, there were 34 per cent fewer job ads for architects and a 33 per cent decline in pharmacy roles, Pickering said.

Career progression

For those looking to stay in their industry but wanting to progress in their pay and responsibilities, Career Success Australia program director Naren Chellappah recommends finding a mentor to help strategise goals for the future.

“A career mentor can help you articulate your career and professional identity and (be) a sounding board to talk about your career trajectory,” Chellappah said.

“(They) can help you identify the best pathway to achieve your career goals.”

A mentor was also very useful for giving feedback, when issues or conflicts developed in the workplace, he said.

Ideally, the mentor should be someone who has done, or is currently in, a role you would like to achieve.

For people wanting to climb the ladder in the company they work for, Chellappah recommends identifying the positions in which they are interested, and taking stock of what skills they currently have.

He also stressed the importance of networking to achieve these roles.

“Networking is critical. When you have a wide network, you can get referrals to opportunities, connect with people that can open doors for you,” Chellappah said.

“It can lead to something called the hidden job market, which are opportunities never advertised on Seek or Indeed.”

At times, career progression may mean you need to move companies because of limited roles and opportunities in the current workplace.

For some, career progression is about having a pay rise.

Consider the timing of approaching your boss about a pay rise, and justify your argument with evidence, Chellappah says.

“If you’ve done something remarkable, or something outside of the scope of your position, I think you can justify it,” he said.

“It is a bit of a sensitive type of discussion. You have to handle it very diplomatically.”

A salary increase may not happen overnight, but Chellappah says that should not put someone off starting the discussion.

Most businesses will try to meet their employees’ expectations to keep them in the role, he says.