In Tennessee, like in most states, there’s a high demand in the fields of healthcare, IT, engineering, retail, and production. Expectations are that over the next decade, this will continue. So let’s take a closer look at what jobs are in high demand in Tennessee.
Some of the most popular occupations listed here may come a bit as a surprise, but overall, we see that jobs in technologically advanced industries and healthcare are most popular.
The sectors that require workers most in Tennessee are IT & telecom; healthcare & medicine; engineering; financial services; and hospitality & catering. Here are some of the most popular jobs in Tennessee.
Physiotherapist
Making a choice to become a physical therapist is beneficial both socially and economically. There is a huge demand for physical therapists and actually, anyone in the medical field. Since the world is growing in population, this means more injuries and a need for more qualified therapists to help. Becoming a physical therapist can secure a career that won’t disappear.
Many different paths in physical therapy are possible. Specialization in sports, women’s health, pediatric, orthopedic, neurological, geriatric, clinical electrophysiology, and cardiovascular therapies can give you a field in which you desire to enter. Becoming a physical therapist is a safe and dignified career for anyone to work in.
To be a physiotherapist, you will have to complete a physical therapy graduate degree program. The program and the school must be accredited by the CAPTE (The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education). To be admitted into such an accredited program, you are required to have a bachelor’s degree.
There are schools that offer programs that don’t have a preference regarding your undergraduate degree field, but there are also schools that require you to have a related undergraduate degree, for example in exercise science, anatomy, kinesiology, nursing, nutrition, or any other field that relates to health science or health in general.
Most Physical Therapy Graduate programs, however, require that you have at least completed a certain number of prerequisite courses in the sciences and human health during your undergraduate years, in order to qualify you for admission. This profession may be right for you if you have an organizer personality.
Physical therapists ensure that quality of life is stable or procured to the patient. They tend to the emotional, physical, mental, well being of the individual. Mostly helping them rehabilitate their affected areas and coming up with treatments and specific plans.
Esthetician
An esthetician, also called a skincare specialist, gets to make people look and feel beautiful. Offering full-body treatments, facials, head and neck massages, and often applying makeup, estheticians need to learn a broad range of skills before they can start out on the job. If you would have attended some formal education and training in laser treatment, you could even get more clients.
To become an esthetician, you must get a state of Tennessee-certified license and in order to qualify for the licensure exam, you need to complete esthetician school. Programs are offered by beauty schools or esthetician academies and select technical colleges and trade schools.
Esthetician schools traditionally offer a variety of training, from body treatments and makeup applications to massages and facials. Many esthetician schools offer courses in recording the skincare regimens of their clients as well, how to effectively sell beauty products and even business or marketing courses for those who want to run their own business.
With training from an accredited aesthetician school and passing the Tennessee licensure exam, you can become self-employed by opening your own business or by leasing space in a spa or salon. Today, more and more medical facilities are offering facial procedures as well to improve their clients’ complexions.
Beauty schools train students in the art and science of cosmetology. Once enrolled, you will study such subjects as hair design and styling, shampoo technology, nail technology, skincare or esthetics, cosmetics, and permanent cosmetics.
In addition to the traditional beauty school and cosmetology school coursework, there are also more advanced programs in cosmetology, such as the CIDESCO Diploma, and more specialized programs, such as laser esthetics. The CIDESCO Diploma is a gold standard in cosmetology training that is recognized in more than 33 countries. Laser esthetics is an advanced technique where a medical esthetician uses lasers to improve a patient’s skin texture and complexion.
Dental Hygienist
A Dental Hygienist is the right hand of the Dentist. Every dentist’s office has at least one quality dental hygienist. The dental hygienist is responsible for many tasks to keep a Dentist’s office running smoothly, and to provide maximum care for the patients. You may also want to learn about your personality’s color in relation to whether this job may be right for you.
Dental hygienists examine patients’ teeth and gums. They check for and record abnormalities and diseases. They also remove soft and hard deposits on the teeth and gums, including plaque and tartar build-ups. Dental hygienists consult patients on good oral hygiene habits and help to develop specific plans for the patients.
To practice as a dental hygienist in Tennessee, you must graduate or earn a certificate from an accredited dental hygiene school. Afterward, you must obtain a state license. A High School Diploma/GED and also college entrance tests are required to become enrolled in a dental hygiene school. Some schools require at least one year of college.
Specific requirements vary from school to school, so check around to see which school would be the right fit for your personal needs. A minimum of an associate’s degree or certificate is usually needed to work in a private dental office. Most dental schools or programs offer a wide choice of degree programs, including associate, bachelor’s, or even master’s degrees/certificates.
There are specific class requirements at most schools to obtain certification, many of which include, anatomy, biology, physiology, nutrition, periodontology, use of dental equipment, and hygiene. Other skills you will need to possess include people skills, as you will be working directly with patients and other staff. Also, good hand/eye coordination is needed while you use dental tools in and near patients’ mouths.
The field of Dental Hygiene ranks among the fastest-growing professional fields in Tennessee. Many factors contribute to this growth. People are living longer and more are keeping their teeth instead of having to get dentures. This is because of better health and dental care, and awareness, as well as technological advancements in dental care products such as toothpaste and mouthwashes.
Also, more people go to the dentist for regular checkups and care than in years past. With more and more people going to the dentist, and more dentist offices opening, that leads to more jobs for dental hygienists. Most dental hygienist jobs are in private offices, with a small number in temporary offices and physician’s offices.
IT development manager
The role of the IT development manager is crucial to the success of a development team in the long run. The development manager has an important role to play when it comes to his/her interaction with the project manager as it is integral to the improvement of the process.
The role of the development management is to see to the fact that the project vision is on track right until the end. They are also responsible for closely working with the owners of the business during the planning stages and improvising constantly to make the end product a better one.
Apart from the long-term objectives, the role of the development manager revolves around setting priorities during the course of the project. Multiple projects are intertwined to improve the efficiency of the team that works on the project.
Apart from getting the basics of computer science and software development right, you also need to brush your communication skills as you would be responsible for interacting with business managers. Highly experience IT development and project managers, when running their own business, can be making $100 an hour or more. This field is known to be very lucrative.
If you are interested to work in this field, usually holding at least a bachelor’s degree in IT management or a related field is required. Those courses will teach you the right application of proven strategies in order to get a positive outcome. This will lead to an improvement in the success rate of IT projects.
Wireless networking technology is used by many organizations, as it is convenient, flexible, and an easy to use networking system. This technology allows the user to share applications and data with the network systems without using any additional peripheral devices or printer cables. With the growth of wireless information technology, the scope of IT networking jobs has also increased. There are four main areas to consider while building a comprehensive security system – data security, personnel security, device security, and network security.
Dietitian
The professional outlook of dietitians and nutritionists is expected to grow rapidly (by some 20 percent) over the coming decade, as the roles of health, wellness, and food have increased.
Dietitians are experts in food and nutrition. In Tennessee, we see that over thirty percent of all adults are obese, and many related diseases, for example, kidney disease and diabetes, require more dietitians and nutritionists to provide proper care for patients who suffer from these conditions.
Also, an aging population that wishes to stay healthy, is boosting demand for professional dietetic advice and services, especially in-home healthcare and nursing homes. Overall, we can see that the employment opportunities for dietitians and nutritionists will be favorable, but those who have earned an advanced degree or hold certification in a certain specialization have the best prospects.
The majority of dietitians and nutritionists hold a bachelor’s degree in an academic field related to nutrition and food, such as dietetics, clinical nutrition, or food service management systems. Bachelor’s degree programs typically include coursework in nutrition, chemistry, psychology, and biology.
In Tennessee, dietitians and nutritionists need to get licensed, and usually, employers require applicants to hold the RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) credential. To earn the RDN credential, dietitian nutritionists must at least have their bachelor’s degree and complete an internship.
Students are required to complete an ACEND (Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics) accredited program, and to keep the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist status, they need to regularly attend continuing professional education and meet all requirements.
To demonstrate their proficiency and advanced level of professionalism and knowledge, nutritionists can additionally earn a CNS (Certified Nutrition Specialist) credential, which Tennessee recognizes for the purpose of licensure. Dietitians and nutritionists additionally can find certifications in their specialization field, for example, pediatric or sports nutrition.
Retail worker
Everybody knows just how much of a difference the retail staff can have on your shopping experience. If you are assisted by someone attentive and helpful, your image of the shop as a whole will invariably rise. If you have a bad experience, however, you are highly likely never to return again. It’s little surprise, then, that with so much at stake, shop bosses will want to ensure that they have filled their retail jobs with the best possible staff around.
So what, then, makes a good retail worker, and are you cut out for the job? Well, first and foremost, the staff in a shop have to be friendly. If you stand around looking surly and unhelpful, people will be reluctant to approach you. Don’t forget that you’re in the business of helping people so approachability is a requirement to qualify for the job.
This could mean they put their potential purchases down and head to another shop on the high street. Being friendly, affable, and approachable means that people will feel more at ease coming to speak to you; therefore more likely to part with their cash too.
You need to look after your appearance. When working in a shop, you are the physical embodiment of what it stands for and how it wants to appear to the general public. If you are wearing creased, dirty or smelly clothes, you are giving over that image not just of yourself but also of the store, making it appear to be a shoddy place in which to spend money.
You must be a people-person. Interaction is what makes those in retail really love their jobs, as it allows them to talk with members of the general public all day. Embrace this and have a chat with those you come across.
Whilst you will have a job to do, conversing with your customers while you do it is a great way of building up a client-customer relationship and they will often come back, sometimes even just to see you again. So while jobs in retail may seem commonplace, people who do it well are not and managers will do all they can to find those who do it well; making them permanent members of the team.
Medical Coding Specialist
Are you looking to be in demand in the healthcare industry? Medical Coding may be the right profession for you! Medical Coders analyze medical records and use codes for any medical condition, diagnoses, and procedures using a coding classification system.
They are employed in various medical settings, for example, physicians’ offices, hospitals, clinics, medical billing companies, and insurance companies. The professional outlook for medical coders (billing specialists) is bright because of the increased medical needs and requirements of an ever-aging population and the growing number of health providers and practitioners.
Federal regulations and health insurance policies have also created a strong demand for coders in the role of compliance and provider education and highly skilled professionals have impressive earning potential.
Medical Coding programs are designed to provide a student with the necessary skills and training to pursue a career in a hospital, doctor’s office, or other medical entity. Full-time students should complete this sort of program in under one year while part-time students should finish in approximately 15 – 24 months.
Medical coders are responsible for finding the right keycodes for diagnoses and procedures. These codes are used by hospital systems and billing systems to store information about a patient and their billing status. Accuracy must be as close to 100% as possible because errors can have significant consequences.
Once your training has been completed, and you have received your certification, you will be qualified for jobs in hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, or even at insurance companies. Certified specialists are in very high demand as the healthcare system continues to grow.
Medical billers are responsible for the filing and processing of medical insurance claims. The work includes filling out the required forms and submitting them manually by mailing it, or electronically through a network or phone connection. Clearly, a critical component of the job is to completely and correctly fill out the forms and to ensure that all the information provided is accurate.
Culinary Chef
A popular professional track is that of cooking and eventually becoming a chef. But setting career goals is important. Let’s see what it could mean if you’re looking for a career as a Head Chef. As a head chef (or kitchen manager), you would use your knowledge and experience of professional cooking to lead a team of staff and efficiently run a kitchen.
To become a chef, usually you go to culinary school and the are several highly-respected culinary institutions in Tennessee. Some chefs have built up work experience through starting as a dishwasher in a pub or restaurant, but most went to culinary school.
Chefs are responsible for cleaning the kitchen area in line with food hygiene, and health and safety laws. They are responsible for preparing and cooking food, and controlling a budget and keeping accurate records. They plan menus, manage stock, make sure food is of the right quality and price, and that it is produced on time, order food from suppliers, and organize the staff duty rota.
Being a chef is a sometimes grueling and challenging job but ultimately, the job is very satisfying. So, how do you get a chef job? There are, as with any profession, a variety of routes, but it’s mainly a case of building up experience in the kitchen. As a management job, chefs will have already gained their cooking experience through a variety of eateries, be it the local cafe, a swanky bistro, or the restaurant.
Environmental Engineer
Environmental Engineering is hot. An environmental engineer is using all sorts of fundamentals of engineering, biology, soil science, and chemistry in an attempt to come up with solutions to prevent or solve environmental issues.
These professionals are involved in developing techniques to better deal with, for example, waste disposal, water contamination, air pollution, and they develop ways to improve recycling or matters that relate to public health. Environmental engineers usually are working in a wide variety of settings due to the nature of their tasks.
When they, for example, are working on solutions for a construction project, they probably can be found at a construction site, whereas they most likely can be found in an office when they work with city developers, regional planners, or other engineers.
To become an environmental engineer, you must first complete your high school education or hold a GED. Yes, the GED credential will also get you into college, and after your secondary education, you must complete a bachelor’s degree in preferably environmental engineering.
Many of these professionals are holding a degree in a related field, such as general, civil, or chemical engineering. Practical experience is highly valued, and Tennessee, like most states, requires proper licensure as well.
Biomedical Engineer
A Biomedical Engineer is researching, analyzing, and designing solutions to issues in the world of medicine and biology, and their tasks lie in the field of improving the effectiveness and quality of devices, tools, and all other things related to patient care.
These professionals usually can be found performing their tasks in the manufacturing industry, in universities or hospitals, at commercial research labs, at medical or educational institutions, or at various government agencies. You may also take a free career aptitude test to learn if this professional track is right for you.
Biomedical engineers will need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in the field of biomedical engineering or any related field followed by on-the-job training to become a qualified biomedical engineer. Over the next decade, the job outlook of the world of biomedical engineering is good, A growth of over 25 percent is expected and this is much faster than overall professional expectations.
The population is getting older, technological development is strong, and public awareness is increasing, meaning the demand for these professionals will only become stronger.