In a time of high unemployment rates, a recent study from U. California-San Diego Extension said careers in health, mobile technology and foreign language translation are the fastest growing fields for graduates this spring.

The trend study encourages job hunters to specialize and find a niche to make them stand out.

“Knowing where to look and honing your skills just might be the right strategy for finding the career that is best for you,” the report stated.

According to the study, health care has become a national initiative and the growing population of seniors increases the demand for certain health care jobs such as nursing, home care and personal care. Emilee Mudd, spokeswoman for the Missouri Health Care Association, said there will soon be a nursing shortage and, as a result, many schools and programs are offering incentives to attract students.

“The long-term care industry continues to grow because, unfortunately, there is and always will be the need,” Mudd said.

Health care technicians are also in demand to maintain patient data and keep all medical records organized and confidential. New jobs in this field continue to emerge as technology advances.

Mobile media

Cell phones, along with other mobile devices, have become multifunctional as the industry continues to develop. As the phones allow their users to use more functions, more tech companies are looking for college graduates who know how to design new smart phone applications.

Data mining

Data mining is the technique of gathering specific information or patterns from large databases. Career opportunities in this field include surveillance, law enforcement, scientific research, risk management and business intelligence. These are continuing to expand as companies look to more closely target products to customers’ daily routines to make more sales.

Occupational health and safety

Specialists in the field of occupational health and safety analyze work environments in efforts to prevent injury. Employment growth is predicted to continue due to overall business growth and the public demand for a safe and healthy workplace.

Foreign languages

The report stated being bilingual in Spanish and English is a marketable skill that opens doors to new careers. Interest in teaching English overseas has flourished. College graduates can find teaching positions abroad, with travel as an added benefit.

American Translators Association spokesman Kevin Hendzel has seen a recent swell in membership to the association. He says that foreign language careers are growing so rapidly because the world is becoming more global and interconnected.

“Despite the claims that everybody speaks English, 80 percent of the world’s population speaks hundreds of other languages,” he said.

Embedded engineering

With the rise in technology use, more consumers are using devices that contain a microchip processor. Phones, televisions, cars and iPods are merely a few examples of devices that run on processors and the report said more companies are looking for workers that know how to design more efficient chips for more complex operations.

Sustainable business practices

According to the report, more companies and governments are making green technology a priority. Some of the country’s largest employers, such as Starbucks and Walmart, are taking on sustainabiliity projects. Organizations are working to address regulation changes and look for growth in a new era of sustainable environmental economics, the report stated.

Feature writing for the Internet

Technology has transformed the way journalists convey news and information to the public. The new medium allows for more interactivity, as readers communicate via comments or blogs.

Researchers based the report on national employment statistics, enrollment figures and interviews with San Diego business executives. The MU Career Center points students seeking career paths to similar reports. Career Center senior coordinator Amanda Nell said more interesting jobs are emerging on the market that appeal to graduates and students must consider what “hot” jobs align with their interests.

“It’s about applying education to a career,” she said. “What students do with their degree can turn into many things.”