Image courtesy of Sustainability Ninja

Despite an above-average unemployment rate and increasing amount of student debt among recent college grads, prospects for job-hunters fresh out of college may be looking up. Over the past decade, advancements in technology, education, science and medicine have had sweeping effects throughout the economy, forcing companies to catch up with these developments—or get left behind in an already-shaky economy. Jobs that hadn’t existed twenty—even ten—years ago are now essential to a company’s success, and more often than not, those best suited for these new jobs are recent college graduates.

Take a look at this article from The Huffington Post, detailing some of the new jobs to have hit the job market over the past few years. The emphasis on the internet and social media—especially for the paid blogger, social media manager and user experience designer roles—is definitely a positive thing for young people looking to stand out; as someone that practically grew up blogging and social networking for fun, I certainly feel as though I had an advantage when it came to trying to find a job. Social changes, like the Green Movement, and a demand for more eco-friendly approaches to problem solving have led companies to hire sustainability consultants to aid in cutting electricity usage, reducing waste and conserving resources. While these jobs are certainly not exclusively geared towards young people, I know that growing up amidst these changes helped me understand just how far their influence extends—more than I might understand had I simply tried to learn it through a catch-up process.

If you are a college student nervous about your job prospects after school, take the time to see how your specialty fits into today’s world. Has anyone recently landed a position that many would still consider to be new?  Do you have your eye on a job that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments section!