年最熱門工作:出乎你的意料
Everybody has heard by now that health care companies are promising hunting grounds for job seekers, and the New Year will see hiring perk up elsewhere, too.
衆所周知，醫療保健行業明年將涌現大量招聘需求。然而熱門就業領域並不僅限於此。
But when you think of fields where there just aren't enough skilled candidates to go around, one that probably doesn't come to mind is supply chain management: The complicated, behind-the-scenes work of getting goods from one place to another, on time and on budget.
到底有哪些行業急需專業人才？說起這個問題，你可能怎麼也不會想到“供應鏈管理”：這是一項複雜的幕後工作，負責將貨物從甲地運到乙地，不僅要準時，還不能超支。
A shortage of qualified supply chain managers right now, especially in global companies that must coordinate far-flung operations, can be traced to two factors.
眼下，合格的供應鏈經理極度缺乏，在那些分支機構遍佈全球的跨國公司中尤其如此。究其原因，不外以下兩點。
First, says Tom Kozenski, a supply-chain expert at consulting and training firm RedPrairie, most people still think of logistics -- if they think of it at all -- as a "non-sexy" field centered on boring, low-paid warehouse work.
首先，正如諮詢與培訓機構RedPrairie公司的供應鏈專家湯姆•科贊斯基所言，一提到物流行業，多數人都覺得它“沒有吸引力”，是一項乏味且薪水不高的倉儲工作。
And second, while perceptions haven't changed much, the reality has: Making sure stuff gets where it needs to go, as cheaply and efficiently as possible, has evolved into a high-tech, high-stakes game that calls for a scarce combination of "hard" and "soft" skills.
其次，儘管人們還守着老的觀念，現實卻已經發生了變化：供應鏈管理——也就是確保貨物以儘可能低的價格和儘可能高的效率到達目的地——已經成爲一項高科技、高風險的行業了。它要求從業者“硬件能力”和“軟件能力”缺一不可，而能達到這種要求的人才實在很少。
A new MIT white paper, ominously entitled "Are You Prepared for the Supply Chain Talent Crisis?," bears that out. Supply chain managers need sophisticated tech skills, sure, but they also have to be adept at "high-order diplomacy," expert at general business strategy and problem solving, and able to "thrive in ambiguity," the study says.
麻省理工學院（MIT）最近發表了一份白皮書。雖然該報告的題目聽起來不免有些不吉利——《你是否已爲供應鏈人才危機做好準備？》（Are You Prepared for the Supply Chain Talent Crisis?），卻一語中的。這項研究表明，供應鏈經理需要掌握先進的技術技能，同時還得具備“高度的外交手腕”，精通總體業務戰略，能嫺熟地解決各類問題，要能在混沌狀態中求生存。
It's a tall order, but if you want to go after one of the thousands of supply-chain jobs that are going begging, a solid start would be logistics training, available at many colleges and universities. Some programs, like Penn State's graduate certificate in supply chain management, are offered online.
這樣的要求不可謂不苛刻。現在，有上千個供應鏈崗位正虛位以待。如果你希望謀求此類職位，可行之策是先接受物流培訓。目前有許多學院和大學都提供此類培訓，其中有些是在線課程，如美國賓州州立大學（Penn State）就提供在線供應鏈管理研究生培訓，並頒發證書。
The shortage of supply-chain talent explains why 48% of U.S. companies plan to snap up logistics grads in 2011, according to a new survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
美國大學與僱主協會（National Association of Colleges and Employers）進行的一項新研究表明，48%的美國公司計劃於2011年招募物流專業研究生。供應鏈管理人才稀缺的現象，恰恰印證了這一調研結果。
Accounting and finance grads will be in demand too, the poll says. Note to college students already looking ahead to the summer: 52% of employers in the survey said they prefer to hire graduates with internship experience.
該項調研還顯示，會計與金融專業的畢業生也將走俏。那些已在爲明年夏天畢業後的生路做打算的學生們需要謹記：上述調研中，有52%的受訪僱主表示，他們更願意僱傭有實習經驗的畢業生。
The most encouraging news may be that 88% of the 4,000 executives in a new survey by staffing firm Robert Half International expect business to pick up in the coming 12 months.
人力資源機構羅伯特•哈夫國際公司（Robert Half International）最近針對4,000名企業高管進行了一項調研。其中有88%的人預計，未來一年，公司的業務將有所好轉。這不失爲最鼓舞人心的消息了。
"Many companies operating with reduced staff levels are bringing in reinforcements to relieve their overworked teams," notes Max Messmer, Robert Half's chairman and CEO. "While some firms are backfilling positions out of necessity, businesses are also hiring to accommodate anticipated growth in 2011."
“許多公司在過去幾年中大量裁員，不少團隊超負荷運轉，爲了減輕它們的負擔，公司紛紛開始招兵買馬，”羅伯特哈夫公司董事會主席兼首席執行官麥克斯•麥斯默爾（Max Messmer）指出。“有些機構是出於眼下的需要才增加人手，但很多企業也是在爲2011年有望出現的經濟增長做好人才儲備。”
Law firms will lead the pack, with 30% expecting to add staff. Paralegals with four to six years' experience are in particular demand, as are attorneys who specialize in "lucrative areas like litigation, health care, bankruptcy, and foreclosure law," the report says.
該報告還指出，在這方面一馬當先的是律師事務所，明年有30%的律所有望擴員。該行業最緊缺的是擁有4~6年工作經驗的律師助理，此外，熟悉“訴訟、醫療保健、破產以及止贖等細分法律領域的律師也將炙手可熱。”
All kinds of companies say they plan to add senior systems analysts, whose base pay is projected to rise 5% over this year's levels, to as high as $85,500; financial analysts, whose salaries will start at $81,500 at large companies, 4.8% more than in 2010; and experienced administrative assistants, at starting salaries of up to $41,750, a 3.1% increase.
各類公司均表示要擴充高級系統分析師隊伍。與今年的薪酬水平相比，這一職位的起薪預計會增長5%，達到8.55萬美元；大型企業中，金融分析師的起薪將達到8.15萬美元，比2010年增長4.8%；經驗豐富的行政助理的薪水也將上漲3.1%，達到4.175萬美元。
Companies that cut support roles during the downturn, the report notes, will be "adding staff to help make departments more productive and efficient." That trend may herald a happy new year for job hunters.
該報告還指出，那些在經濟衰退期間不得已裁減支持型崗位的公司，也會“補充新人，以幫助各部門提高效率，提升生產力水平。”對於求職者而言，這一趨勢無疑預示着一個美好的新年。
