Channel Surfing Blog 

VoIP tops the list of hot jobs for college grads this fall, according to research by IBISWorld Inc. The ranking was released on April 1, but I don’t think it was a joke.

Apparently, there’s some real research behind the statement. The firm reported that VoIP providers will lead the way in terms of employment growth over the next few years, with average annualized jobs growth of around 19.4 percent through 2012.

“This is the result of significant revenue growth forecast for the same period, driving more organizations to enter the industry, which in turn will boost employment. And as an emerging telecommunications service,” said George Van Horn, a senior analyst with IBISWorld. “There still is a reasonable way for the sector to go as it gains greater consumer and business acceptance. The outlook is good as household broadband penetration is still rising, facilitating greater use of digital services and helping improve the call quality of industry services.”

For graduates who will be choosing careers based on salary, Van Horn said VoIP providers would easily outpace all other industries with average annualized growth in wages set to hit 21.8 percent – an impressive 16 percent ahead of its nearest competitors. (FYI: The average annual wage for full-time employees in the United States is $44,148, with IBISWorld earmarking growth of about 2.5 percent a year for the next five years.)

This represents a bit of good news in an otherwise bleak economic picture – provided it proves true. And it tracks with what PHONE+ found about telecom being somewhat “recession-proof” compared to other industries.

In case you were wondering, the other hot jobs for 2008 graduates, in order, include:

2. Fashion Design Services

3. Bridge And Tunnel Construction

4. Physical Therapy

5. Interior Designer

6. Home Office Design/Equipment

7. Retirement Communities/Assisted Living

8. Ambulance Services and Ambulatory Health Care Services

9. IT Support, CRM and Business Process Services

10. Open-End Investment Funds