Australia's most wanted jobs: tech heads, health staff and plumbers

WITH hangovers and 2013 over, millions of Australians will be returning to jobs they hate. Here are the five hottest gigs in the country.

Retail is a popular career move for many Australians. Picture: Thinkstock.

WITH people's hangovers and 2013 well and truly over, millions of Australians will be returning on Monday to jobs they hate.

Whether it is a bad boss, corrosive colleagues, boredom, stress or an epic commute, finding a new job is one of the top ten New Years resolutions.

"It's often you see people who are very well paid are seeking a career change because they are not satisfied," Broadspring Consulting director and HR expert Pam Macdonald said.

"I don't care how many zeros are at the end of your pay packet; if you're not satisfied and not enjoying it then it's not going to be good for you or your career. When it comes to making New Years resolutions, changing jobs is probably in the top 10."

Despite the unemployment rate expected to hit 6.25 per cent in 2014-2015, according to the Midyear Economic and Fiscal Outlook, there will be more than 1 million people changing jobs this year.

Here are the hottest:

RETAIL ASSISTANTS

Over the five years to 2017 there will be 45,500 new jobs for retail assistants, Department of Employment figures show, the second-highest jobs growth of any occupation.

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmermann said clothing and household goods retailers will be the hungriest for staff, but candidates can't just walk into a job.

"People need to make sure they have the right appearance and are dressed appropriately for the job," he said.

"But don't go out seeking a job; seek a career."

Mr Zimmermann said retail is the perfect entry-level job, but people who want to progress from the cash register to the manager's office need to do some extra training.

Retail is a popular career move for many Australians. Picture: Thinkstock.

PLUMBERS

Plumbing Trades Employees Union Paddy McCrudden has little sympathy for plumbers out of work.

"If you are unemployed as a plumber in Australia there must be something wrong; you've either got a bad work ethic or are charging too much," he says.

"There is always work out there for a plumber."

Mr McCrudden said plumbers are fast becoming the dad's army of the Australian workforce, with an average age of 55 (the workforce average is 39).

He also estimates one in ten plumbers are foreigners, a sign that the work is there but there is not enough workers.

Third year apprentice plumber Brian Fenton works on a hot water system with his boss Mike McEntee from MacPlumb at Black Forrest. Picture: Mark Brake

Sydney plumber Luke Milne, 24, said he has only taken Christmas Day and Boxing Day off this year because he has been "flat out".

The LPZ Plumbing Services owner has been riding the wave of renovations that continues to wash over the Sydney housing market.

Being a specialist in bathrooms renovations and fit outs, he has been cashing in.

"In the past year we have done a lot of emergency and call out work, but in 2014 bathroom renovations will the biggest thing," he said.

"There might be a little down time during the end of the financial year, but apart from that we will be working all the way through."

Mr Milne said plumbers in Sydney can never be short of work as long as they are savvy with their marketing and promotion.

"People are always going to need water so there is always going to be work out there," he said.

HEALTHCARE

The ageing population and ballooning healthcare costs means there are myriad jobs out there for health professionals.

Now the nation's biggest employer, the healthcare and social assistance industry will account for one in every four new jobs created between now and 2017, Department of Employment figures show.

Frontline Health Recruitment spokeswoman Martene Harvey said aged care facility managers, clinical care mangers, registered nurses and physiotherapists are the most popular skilled workers in the sector.

"Hospitals are increasing in size all of the time and aged care is a growing industry," she said.

"We get asked about a lot of people with specialised knowledge who can fill senior roles."

Unlike many other industries, healthcare has the advantage of jobs located in regional, suburban and city areas.

Health care worker Kirralee Parsons. Picture: Sarah Keayes

TECH HEADS

Every time someone buys an item online, visits a company website, opens an app or 'Googles' a plumber, they leave a digital data trail.

The people who are able to make sense of this information, market products to customers online and use their digital expertise are in demand.

"Rapid growth and investment in digital marketing is creating a 'digital disconnect' in which the jobs market in digital marketing technology is hungry for skilled workers," Hays sales and marketing regional director Peter Noblet said.

"The evolution of digital marketing is set to continue over the next decade and this will have a huge impact on the skills employers need."

Hot job titles include: IT project manager, business analyst, digital marketing manager, mobile app developer, JavaScript developer and almost anyone with IT knowledge.

Tech-savvy workers are also in demand. Picture: Thinkstock

ACCOUNTANTS

Pin heads and number crunches may have been the nerds at school, but they are now the top dogs in the jobs market.

There will be 21,400 new accountants jobs in the five years to 2017, Department of Employment figures show, and full timers will be earning an average of $72,800.

But they can't be geeks to the core; accountants must have social skills.

"Employers are looking for accountants to step outside the traditional finance function and be involved in 'big picture' business strategy," says Hays Accountancy and Finance regional director Susan Drew said..

"Soft skills can be underestimated by candidates, but employers are increasingly looking for potential chief financial officers with leadership, management, and interpersonal skills - skills that can also determine the employee's ability to fit into an existing team."

Accountants are another career alternative in demand. Picture: Thinkstock