1. Bring a list of references and contacts. Often during a job interview, you’ll be asked to fill out an official application, and you’ll likely need to list out your references and phone numbers or addresses of previous employers. Rather than waste time digging in your phone to find the information you need, come prepared. Make a list of job references and personal contacts, along with their emails and phone numbers.

2. Look at LinkedIn. You can learn a lot from LinkedIn, not only about a company, but also about the person who’s interviewing you. If you know ahead of time who your interviewer will be, look her up on LinkedIn. Knowing a little bit about her can help you guide the conversation and show you did your homework.

3. Come with questions. Many job seekers get paralyzed when they’re asked if they have any questions. It’s certainly not a requirement, but coming prepared with a few well thought-out questions about either the company or the position can make you seem inquisitive and interested.

4. Follow the company’s news. If the human resources manager mentions the company’s recent acquisition and you stare at her blankly, she might consider you less deserving of the role than another candidate who has read up on the (major) company news and can speak on it intelligently. It pays to read the company’s News tab, and certainly makes you look smarter.

5. Follow your interviewer on Twitter before the interview. Not only will this give you another opportunity to connect with her, but you might also learn something useful for your interview. And you can flatter her by mentioning something she tweeted. Everyone likes it when people pay attention to what we say.

6. Bring extra copies of your resume. Sometimes you’ll be interviewed by more than one person, so having extra copies can ensure everyone sees your skills firsthand.

7. Get directions in advance. Especially if you have to navigate the inside of a parking deck and multi-story office building. The last thing you want to do is waste valuable time trying to find parking and then locate the floor your interview is on, only to arrive late and out of breath.

8. Bring money for parking. Speaking of that parking situation: you never know when you’ll need quarters for the meter or bills for paid parking. Stressing out because you don’t have cash on you can affect your interview negatively.

9. Be nice to everyone you meet. From the parking attendant to the secretary, you never know who might have influence with the hiring manager. The last thing you want getting back to her is how you snapped at the receptionist upon arriving for your interview.

10. Follow up by email and snail mail. We’re so accustomed to instant communications, so either the same day or the day after your interview, send a quick email to your interviewer thanking her. This is also your opportunity to ask any questions you didn’t ask in the interview. You should also consider sending a snail mail thank-you card. These are rare these days, so they are always positively received.

You’ll likely be going on several job interviews in your lifetime, so learn from your mistakes and find what works best for you.

There is some discussion about the reasons there is such a high unemployment rate nearly four years after the Great Recession. Some point to a lack of jobs, but many believe the real culprit is a shortage of skilled workers.

In the past, this skills gap has consistently been in the areas of healthcare, information technology, and engineering—exactly the skills that are required to fill many of the jobs emerging first during this continued financial recovery. Yet statistics now show that there is also a shortage of electricians, plumbers, and medical technicians. Other surveys show that in certain industries, there is only one active job seeker for every three open positions. For example, The Manufacturing Institute reports that more than 80 percent of manufacturers are unable to find the skilled talent needed to fill their jobs, leaving more than 500,000 open manufacturing jobs right now.

It’s hard to believe there are so many positions that cannot be filled during a period in which so many people are struggling to find work. However, motivated job seekers and professionals can use the skills gap to their advantage. Getting trained in fields that are experiencing a talent shortage will give a job seeker an extra advantage and allow them to be competitive in the job market again. But this doesn’t come without extra effort on the part of the job seeker to find and undergo the training. Here is some advice on making that transition easier and cost-effective:

Find the right way to continue your education. It can be difficult for people with many years of workforce experience to return to school, either undergraduate or graduate. However, a degree isn’t the only way to get the proper education and training needed to improve the skills gap. Several universities and even community colleges offer continuing education programs that are aimed at those simply looking to advance their existing career with courses that will tighten their skills, as well as people who want to earn an undergraduate or graduate degree later in life. Such programs, no matter what the focus, will have industry corporate partners that will either act as guest professors or offer an inside look into their organizations. This provides a built-in network for job seekers once they’ve completed their coursework.

Consider switching gears. You may have been trained for one career, but with a skills gap in certain industries, now is the time to consider making a change. To meet these qualifications without racking up expensive tuition bills, look for certification programs to make you a qualified candidate. For example, certifications in technology can be cost- and time-efficient while preparing you for those jobs.

Look to industry partners. There are many government and industry organizations dedicated to developing future talent inthe most in-need industries. For example, there are programs that offer training to those who would like to pursue a career in manufacturing but lack the skills or education. Similarly, last year the president’s jobs council launched the “10,000 Engineers” initiative, which aims to train 10,000 engineers a year to stimulate the economy and fill the skills gap.

Take advantage of innovative application methods. There are a variety of hiring and recruiting trends that offer opportunities to jump from one industry to another. For example, a new trend in job boards is to ask applicants to answer a challenge rather than submit their resume to be considered for a position. This gives you an opportunity to apply for positions outside your field and test your ability to do so without your past experience giving a first impression. This is also a good way to see what skills are in demand, so you can invest strategically in your professional development.

Although the gap is a challenge for the broader economy, it’s an opportunity for talented and motivated job seekers and professionals to increase their career opportunities. Highly skilled talent is the backbone of our economy and it will always be in demand, no matter the industry or state of the economy. Learning new skills—or improving existing ones—is an investment that always pays off.

Joyce Russell is EVP and President of Adecco Staffing US,where she oversees field operations and executes growth strategies to keep Adecco the global leader in workforce solutions. She runs all sales initiatives and leads the company’s talent acquisition and development strategies. To promote Adecco’s brand, Russell manages marketing strategies, maintains business connections with senior leaders of many Fortune 100 corporations, and is Adecco’s key media liaison.

It’s hard to predict the future, especially if you’re still struggling to figure out what’s happening in today’s economy. But predicting the future is exactly what you need to do if you’re enrolling in college, starting a fresh career, or investing in new skills.

The pace of change in the business world is faster than ever these days, thanks largely to globalization and digital technology. One way to zero in on fields that will be hot in the future is to stay away from those that are not. The government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes an annual list of declining industries that follow a few common trends. They tend to involve work that can be done more cheaply overseas, such as low-skill assembly-line work, or technology that’s rapidly replacing human workers, as in call centers. Fields vulnerable to cost-cutting and downsizing—such as government—are vulnerable too.

Employers themselves sometimes provide useful hints about the kinds of skills they want. In the latest annual survey for the National Association of Colleges and Employers, companies planning to hire were most interested in grads who had majored in engineering, business, accounting, computer science, or economics. Unfortunately, many students prefer majors such as social sciences, history, education, and psychology, which aren’t in high demand.

To develop a more thorough list of fields likely to offer plenty of jobs and good pay, I analyzed data from a variety of sources, including BLS and the industry-research firm IBISWorld, which projects future employment levels in dozens of fields. A couple rules of thumb: First, it still pays to have a college degree, even if you’re worried about the expense. Consulting firm McKinsey & Company predicts that by 2020, there will be a shortage of 1.5 million college grads, which means employers will continue to place a high premium on better-educated workers.

Another important point: The most successful people tend to be lifelong learners who develop new skills long after they graduate from college or complete a training program. In fact, building multiple skill sets—such as analytical expertise combined with a liberal-arts background, or scientific knowledge with a law degree—can be a terrific way to differentiate yourself in a cluttered job market. Plus, the most lasting skills are often those that can be transferred from one field to another, as the economy ebbs and flows.

But you have to anchor your career somewhere, so here are 10 fields that are likely to flourish in 2020:

1. Data crunching. The era of big data is just getting started, with many firms eager to tap vast new databases to gather more info on their customers, their competitors, and even themselves. The challenge isn’t just crunching numbers; it’s making sense of them, and gaining useful insights that can be translated into a business edge. Marketing and market research are two growing fields where the use of data is exploding.

2. Counseling and therapy. There’s now widespread recognition that mental health is as important as physical health, which is likely to increase demand for professionals in this field. The BLS expects the need for marriage and family therapists, as one example, to grow 41 percent by 2020.

3. Scientific research. New technology will continue to generate breakthroughs in medicine, manufacturing, transportation, and many other fields, which means there will be strong demand for workers schooled in biology, chemistry, math, and engineering. Some areas that show particular promise: biotechnology and biomedicine, nanotechnology, robotics, and 3D printing, which allows the manufacture of physical products from a digital data file.

4. Computer engineering. A lot of software development is done overseas these days, but the need for high-level computer experts able to tie systems together is still strong. In finance and investing, for instance, high-speed computing is increasingly a prime competitive advantage. And most big companies will need networks that are faster, more seamless, and more secure.

5. Veterinarians. Pets are more popular than ever, and some of them get medical care that’s practically fit for a human. The BLS expects the need for vets to rise 36 percent by 2020.

6. Environmental and conservation science. Making better use of the planet’s resources will be essential as population growth strains existing infrastructure. Green energy, despite some political controversy, still seems likely to boom. Developers need more efficient ways to heat and cool buildings. And dealing with global warming may require new technology not even on the drawing board yet.

7. Some healthcare fields. It’s well-known that the aging of the baby boomers will require more caregivers in many specialties. Some healthcare jobs tend to be low-paying, with a lot of workers flocking to what are supposed to be “recession-proof” fields. And the need to lower overall healthcare costs could pinch some doctors, hospital workers, and diagnosticians. But demand should be strong for nurses, optometrists, audiologists, dentists, physical therapists, and some doctor specialists.

8. Management. The boss earns a lot for good reason: His job isn’t as easy as it might seem. Effective management in the future will require basic business knowledge plus the ability to oversee operations in many locations and countries, and some technical know-how. Anybody who can improve a unit’s performance while lowering costs should rise quickly. The BLS and IBISWorld also expect growing demand for some support fields such as human relations, benefits administration, and event planning.

9. Finance. The movement and management of money is technically complex, and integral to most companies. Plus, nontraditional investing firms such as hedge funds and private-equity firms are likely to grow as the traditional banking sector complies with new regulations and reins in risk-taking. That means there will be more need for finance experts. There may even be a shortage as students once interested in finance veer into other fields, turned off by the 2008 financial crisis and the vilification of banks.

10. Entrepreneurship. It’s often overlooked, but the need for innovators running their own businesses could be more important than ever in 2020. Forecasters expect strong growth in traditional businesses such as used-car dealers, hair and nail salons, pet grooming, and office services, which means anybody able to come up with better, cheaper ways to serve customers will reap a windfall. Technology startups will no doubt keep changing the way consumers work and live. And nobody really knows what the next iPad, Twitter, or Pinterest will be—except, perhaps, some entrepreneur who’s dreaming about it right now. He or she may have a bigger impact on life in 2020 than anything the forecasters see coming.

Rick Newman is the author of Rebounders: How Winners Pivot From Setback To Success.