5 Quick-Change Careers for 2011

If your job is one of the casualties of the recession or you'd just like to make a fast career change, you're in luck: there's a healthy job market out there for people with the right career training. After a short course of study (online or in person), you could be ready for a new job in 2011.

Here are five new careers for quick-change artists: careers in fields experiencing healthy demand, careers that require minimal training to get in the door, and careers with room for advancement.

Medical-Records and Health-Information Technicians

Medical-records and health-information technicians maintain patients' health information, using a variety of software and record-management techniques. It's highly important that these records be both accurate and secure (obviously, the docs can't do it with their awful penmanship).

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) touts this occupation as one expected to grow much faster than average, and it predicts very good job prospects for credentialed candidates. Credentials can be obtained by taking a course, which may last anywhere from a few weeks to several months, and then passing an exam. Most credentialing programs require regular recertification and continuing education. Some also require work experience.

While a short course can get you in the door, people interested in promotion should be prepared to continue their education with an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree.

HVAC Technicians

HVAC technicians install and maintain heating and air-conditioning equipment. They follow blueprints and use a variety of equipment to test and repair systems. The colder the winters are where you live, the hotter your job opportunities may be.

This occupation is expected to grow much faster than average, according to the BLS, and job prospects should be excellent. Most employers want to see vocational career training, which takes six months to two years to complete. In addition, accrediting agencies have set academic standards for HVAC programs: HVAC Excellence, the National Center for Construction Education and Research, and the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Accreditation.

After completing these programs, you'll need between six months and two years of field experience to be considered a heavy hitter in the profession.

Bookkeeping

The large size of this field ensures plentiful job opportunities, according to the BLS. Bookkeepers maintain accounting records--they may calculate expenditures, receipts, accounts payable and receivable, and profits or losses.

Bookkeepers range in expertise from clerks, who might keep track only of payments to vendors or receipts from customers, to full-charge bookkeepers, to accountants who prepare complex financial statements.

Advancement depends on experience and education, but you can get your foot in the door with a quick training course. Advanced education includes the associate's degree and bachelor's degree in accounting, or you may pass an exam and become a Certified Bookkeeper (CB).

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)

People with specialized Microsoft knowledge can find work in a wide variety of fields. Certification courses are taught by many education partners both in person and online.

According to Microsoft, if you have no previous experience it can take several months to prepare for your exams; otherwise, the process may go faster. You can choose to specialize in Windows configuration, Visual Studio, SQL server, Microsoft Office, or Microsoft Exchange.

The BLS says that the field is still growing faster than average and that job prospects are good. Microsoft training and certification prove to employers that you have attained a certain level of expertise--they're a good way to get a foot in the door. As you become more experienced, go further with Master Certification or Professional Certification, or by earning a bachelor's degree.

Green Building

Yes, the construction industry has been hit especially hard by the recession, and there are many very talented folks who are out of work. But recent reports show that new housing starts are up--the Commerce Department reports that home construction rose 10.5 percent in August 2010. With more stimulus projects on the horizon, construction jobs look like they may be coming back.

Green building certification can show potential employers that you're committed to your industry and developing your skills, and that you understand the trends and challenges of building today. Green building certification can be earned in a few months.

Competition is bound to be tough as the construction field recovers, so anything that can help you stand out is likely a good investment of your time.

The recession may have dealt you a hard blow, or you may just be bored silly in your current profession. If so, now may be the perfect time to develop a new skill and start a new career.