A new study shows that in California, Personal Care Aides are the No. 1 most common and competitive job accounting for 1,460 jobs per 100,000 people in the state.  

With so many Americans in dire need, it is critical job seekers understand the job market, chart their professional future, and know how to stand out to employers during COVID-19.    

CareerCloud today released a study, The Most Competitive Jobs by State, using the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Census Bureau.

Key findings from the study:

• 5 Most Competitive Jobs in America: Retail salesperson (1,379 workers per 100,000 people), Food preparation and serving (1,132), Cashiers (1,115), Office Clerks (965), Registered Nurses (935).

• Retail Salesperson: Among top three most competitive jobs in 48 states, followed by cashier (26) and food prep and service worker (16).

• 5 Fastest Growing Jobs Through 2028: Solar installers jobs expected to increase by 45% by 2028; wind turbine technicians by 39%, home health aides (21%), person care aides (21%) and occupational therapists by 18%.

3 Easy Ways to Stand Out to Employers During COVID-19

• Update Resume to Beat the Bots: Nearly 100% of Fortune 500 companies use a digital ATS platform to weed out resumes before a human sees them. To beat the bots, add keywords from the job description into your resume.  Create multiple resumes for specific jobs. Use resume writing services optimize your chances of landing a job quickly.

• Appearance Matters, Up Your Zoom Game: Choose a clean background in your home for zoom interviews and make sure you dressed and groomed for success as if it was an in-person interview.

• Be Flexible and Focus on Transferrable Skills: As the economy rebounds, your old job may be gone, or you may choose an industry with less competition.  Be sure to highlight your transferrable skills– such as office management or mentoring of new hires.