Explore Careers by Industry and View Employee Testimonials

Everyone has the potential for a career. You don’t have to settle for a job. A job is work you do for money, but a career is a profession you build over time. Many people find careers very rewarding. Careers also tend to pay better. What’s more, you don’t always need a college degree to have a career. By building on your strengths and with specialized training, you can have a career, too.

Featured Industries with Career Opportunities in Philadelphia

These industries have a lot of opportunities for workers who may or may not have finished high school. With specialized training, you can launch a career in any of them.

Construction, Skilled Trades, and Utilities

The construction industry has a very diverse workforce and a growing number of its workers are women getting into the skilled trades. The utilities industry is expected to have a lot of openings this decade because of retiring Baby Boomers. A great way to get started in both industries is to become an apprentice.

Watch and listen to the following video testimonials from experts in the Construction, Skilled Trades, and Utilities Industries:

  • Erika | Clean Energy | PECO
  • Greg | Commercial Contracting | Meizinger Construction
  • Jose and Roberto | Welding | Reignite Philly
  • Maurice | General Contractor
  • Shannon | Gas Distribution Mechanic | PECO
  • Tamika | Orleans Technical College

Health Care

This industry is very big. One in five jobs in Philadelphia is in health care. A lot of these jobs deal directly with patients, but just as many are behind-the-scenes.

Health Care Industry Fact Sheet

Watch and listen to the following video testimonials from experts in the Health Care Industry:

  • Jenn | Sterile Processing | Jefferson Health
  • Lisa | Massage Therapy

Information Technology (IT)

This is a fast-growing industry, with thousands of new jobs created every year. Many of these jobs do not require a college degree. There are companies that just do IT, but all kinds of companies have IT departments to support their main business.

Information Technology Industry Fact Sheet

Watch and listen to the following video testimonials from experts in the Information Technology Industry:

  • Emily | Business Analyst | Comcast
  • Jeremy | IT Support | CHoP
  • Maxwell | Customer Service | Prudential

Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector in Philadelphia is smaller than it used to be, but it has a lot of well-paying jobs. Today’s manufacturers are using cutting-edge technologies such as 3-D printers and computer-aided modeling.

Manufacturing Industry Fact Sheet

Watch and listen to the following video testimonials from experts in the Manufacturing Industry:

  • Jose and Roberto | Welding | Reignite Philly

Connect with Career Training Programs

Career Training Database

Contains information on over 200 Philadelphia training programs in key industries:

  • Health Care
  • Information Technology
  • Construction
  • Manufacturing
  • Business
  • Food/Hospitality
  • Transportation
  • Education and Arts

Training programs in the database require at most a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent. Available for free online; no library card needed.

Websites for exploring more careers by industry

  • Career Cruising
    Explore careers, discover your dream job, polish your skills, and more. Available online with a library card.
  • Career One Stop
    This resource provides introductory videos to hundreds of different careers divided into 16 industries. Spanish language version also available.
  • Career Technical Education
    A printable career cluster quiz that designates points for clusters that better fit your interests. Spanish language version also available.
  • Gladeo
    This tool asks you a series of questions about your preferences and interests, and recommends careers to consider based on your personality type.
  • O-NET Interest Profiler
    This tool asks you a series of questions about your likes and dislikes, and recommends careers to consider based on your interests.