Whether you’ve been made redundant, stuck in a tedious job for too long, or looking to enter the workforce for the first time, finding a new career can be tricky. Lots of industries have suffered as a result of the pandemic and subsequent recession and won't return to normal for some time. This leaves job-seekers with a problem; are there any recession-proof careers that can offer longevity and security? Here, we’ll try to answer this tricky question.
A career in counselling
Because of the effect that the pandemic has had on people’s mental health, the demand for counselling was up 26% in 2020. Many people have struggled to spend so long at home, unable to see family or friends. This has led to problems such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Many sufferers have sought help but haven't been able to receive it, as the demand for counselling services has skyrocketed. It's this high demand that makes counselling a great recession-proof career! If you're keen to begin a career as a counsellor, but you've no idea where to start, you might choose to study our NCFE CACHE accredited Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills. This will give you an idea of what the profession involves and what the life of a counsellor is like. Once you’re sure that counselling is the right career for you, then studying our NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills will allow you to register with a counselling association and start to gain the practical experience you need to qualify. Salaries for this profession vary greatly, but you can probably expect to earn £20-£26,000. If you run your own business or reach a supervisory position, you could earn significantly more.
Childcare careers
What makes childcare a recession-proof career? Well, children will always need kind, patient people to look after and guide them. A career in childcare can be challenging, but job satisfaction is often high, days are varied, and career progression is clearly structured. To enter this profession, there are many routes you could take. You might jump in at the deep end and start your own childcare business. Alternatively, if you like the idea of supporting children as they learn and grow, you might decide to become a teaching assistant. If so, you'd need to complete an accredited training course such as our NCFE CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning. This course gives you all the practical skills and knowledge you require, as well as the support you need as you complete your placement. Similarly, our Additional Support for Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is the ideal qualification if you see yourself working with children with special needs, a challenging yet uniquely rewarding career. Starting salaries for TAs are around £17,500, but those with experience or additional training in areas such as SEN can expect to earn upwards of £25,000.
Personal training
During lockdown, exercise became the nation’s new hobby. Unprecedented numbers of people downloaded the ‘Couch to 5k app’ and worked on their physical fitness. Enter our next recession-proof career: the personal trainer. If you’re fit and sporty, there’s never been a better time to cash in on this opportunity and gain the qualifications you need either to work freelance as a trainer or fitness instructor or work at a gym, providing training and advice to clients. To begin your career, you’ll need to complete a nationally recognised qualification such as our NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing, which will teach you all of the basics, as well as allow you to become a REPs registered gym instructor. After this, you might move on to the NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training, in which you'll study nutrition and the anatomy of the human body, as well as how to work effectively with clients. Afterwards, you'll be a fully qualified personal trainer, ready to start accepting clients. How much you earn as a personal trainer or fitness instructor will largely depend on you and the hours you’re willing to put in, as well as which area of the country you live in. On average, most personal trainers earn between £20-£30,000 per year.
Life Coaching
What do Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio have in common? Both rely on the services of a life coach. Life coaching is a term for people who work with clients to improve their lives and help them meet personal and professional goals. 2020 saw many people find their lives in disarray. Many have lost their job, others have lost their business, and many more have been forced to deal with weeks on end at home. This has caused a great deal of self-reflection, and lots of people have decided that they’re unhappy with the direction in which their life is heading. This is where life coaches come in.
Although life coaching is an unregulated industry in the UK, clients prefer using a coach with a qualification, such as our Life Coaching Level 3 certificate. This will allow you to apply for registration with the ACCPH (Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists). The salary for life coaches varies massively and depends only on your skill and work ethic. Some of the most popular life coaches in the UK earn around £500k per year, though when you start working, you would likely be charging between £30-50 per session. This means that if you manage to gain two clients per day for your first year, you’ll be earning up to £25,000.