Jobs that Cannot Be Outsourced: The Best Six Figure Jobs in the US

While there is an economic downturn in the United States, it is critical to continue to plan for your career success. With outsourcing of low value functions, and the breaking apart of organizations to their component pieces, it is important to closely monitor what high paying positions are still in demand, as well as which positions are growing in need.

Industry Review

The first step is to decide on what industry you want to develop a skill set. It is important to recognize that if you choose businesses that are involved with manufacturing or construction; they will enter business cycles with upturns and downturns. In addition, it will be important to recognize what sectors competitive pressures are influencing heavily. Entering an industry that is at the end of may present challenges that other industries experiencing rapid growth do not.



To Outsource or Not To Outsource

Many departments are taking a close look at operational functions to see what could be outsourced. If the function is electronically transferable and does not have a strategic value added, then that job and possibly department, may be outsourced. Even with these concerns, there are two high paying positions that are growing in importance and number. They are National Account Executives and Project Managers.

National Account Executives / Managers

The buying process of goods and services is changing rapidly in the United States. Trends in most manufacturing areas, from pharmaceutical products, electronics, and high-end equipment to toothpaste and trash recycling are consolidating the number of buyers and sellers under National Accounts. The National Account Manager may manage as much business in one or two accounts as an entire sales force managed in the past. Because of the concentration of sales, the position requires additional skills compared with the traditional sales representative.

• Relationship Building

National Account Executives bring everything together for the two companies. They must be able to build account plans that overcome objections through consultative selling. What consultative selling is depends on the industry to some extent. However, most of the time, it means forming a long-term relationship with the buyer to understand their needs and to bring the appropriate solution to those needs. This is the opposite extreme from transactional sales – where the sales person uses the law of averages to make the sale and then move on.

• Industry Expertise

The National Account Executive also must understand the industry they are in thoroughly. Because losing a national account could be the difference between a company having a good year or a bad year. It is critical that the National Account Executive fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of competitive products, as well as know what the customer wants for their business. National Account Executives may be involved with new product development because of requests from the buyer to modify the product or change the packaging.

• Internal Coordination

The National Account Executive also functions as a conductor, bringing different parts of his/her organization together with the buyer to address any questions that the buyer may have. Because of this, the National Account Executive needs excellent communication skills to be able to cross-departmental “silos” within their own company to meet the needs of the customer. Some National Account Managers have noted that working with internal customers is more challenging than working with the external customers.

• Pay Level

Because the National Account executive position is critical to most companies sales success, the position is usually above $100,000 in salary. For the company, this is actually a bargain, as one National Account Executive account may be worth more than over a dozen lower paid sales representatives. Bonus levels may equal or exceed the salary level, depending on the industry. Other benefits may include a company car as well as stock options.

Project Managers

Project management is a critical function in the most mid-sized to large sized companies. Program management offices are starting to be developed in most companies to manage the portfolio of projects that the company is executing to try to stay competitive. This position has regained its prestige, after losing some of its image from the dot com bust of 2000. The field also has a very active oversight body, the Project Management Institute, who issues certifications (CAPM, PMP, and others) to prove technical skills.

• Skill Sets

In the past, the techniques of project management were used exclusively by engineering, construction, and software development. Now, project managers are found in marketing, training, human resources, and business development. Although project managers may not have a permanent team, they need strong leadership skills as well as excellent communication skills. The project manager needs to be able to state clear objectives, identify, and uncover the project requirements, as well as being able to balance the competing demands of cost, quality, time, and scope/ features.

• Always Changing

By definition, projects are temporary in nature. Finished projects are usually transferred to operations. The project manager will have more opportunities to work on a variety of tasks that use project management skill sets. Because of the temporary nature of project management, the successful project manager will need to embrace and enjoy change. From setting up new teams, to working with new project sponsors, the successful project manager is a true change agent in an organization.

• Salary Ranges

Experienced project managers who hold the Project Management Professional certification will routinely earn over $100,000. Bonuses may be based on meeting the delivery schedule and bonus, or they may be based on the overall success of the company. Stock options are also common with this position.

Conclusion

The growth of National Accounts Executive/Management and Project Management gives more opportunities for $100,000 positions that are transferable across companies. In addition, with project management, the skill set is transferable across industries. If you are interested in a position where your performance is critical to the success of the entire organization, then choosing one of these two positions is for you. Both of these fields also appear to be resistant to outsourcing or downsizing, as they are critical functions of the organization.