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Career coaches and business consultants have been around for a long time, but as more people look to become more competitive in their job search or start their own company, there’s a greater demand for professionals with business savvy expertise. Of course, not everyone that calls themselves an expert in an area is truly an expert. If you’re in the market to find either a career coach or a business consultant, Forbes offers some tips for finding the right one.

First Tip: Look for Experience.

The key to expertise in an area is experience. When you’re looking for a career coach or a business consultant, you need someone who has already “been there, done that.” If you’re set on securing that high-level executive position in an international company, then find someone who has filled that role before. If you’re starting a business that needs an aggressive communications strategy, find someone who has worked on exactly that. Identifying someone with the experience in the job or business you want is crucial to your success.

Second Tip: Look at Education.

After analyzing their experience, look at their educational record. If you need someone with strong marketing skills, look for a person who has a degree in marketing. If you need someone with strong computer skills, look to see if they have training or education in that area. Analyze undergraduate, graduate and additional training experience. Degrees in a field don’t necessarily guarantee a high level of comprehension or skill, so check to see what their grade point average was in their field. This will help you observe whether they truly understood the subject or if they were just getting by.

Third Tip: Check for Certifications.

If a career coach or a business consultant has taken the time to get a certification in a certain profession, this speaks to the commitment they have to gaining expertise in a field. Different certification programs have different requirements, so make sure you check the details of what they needed to complete in order to obtain the certificate.

Fourth Tip: Google Them

After you’ve checked all of the information they’ve given you about their experience, education and certifications, it’s time to see what the world says. Type their name into several search engines and see if you can find any work they’ve published, any articles they are quoted in and other important information you need to know about them. The easier you can find information, the more-well known and qualified you can expect them to be—provided what’s you find offers positive comments and remarks on their work.

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You’d think in this economy, it would only be the jobseekers that are having difficulties, but according to a survey by staffing firm ManpowerGroup, 49 percent of employers in all industries are having difficulty filling open positions. It seems unbelievable, especially given as MSNBC reports, that millions of people are so desperate for jobs, but 55 percent of employers say they have trouble filling jobs due to a lack of applicants. A second cause is compensation; 54 percent of employers say applicants are looking for more pay than the job offers. A third cause is experience. Because of the job cuts employers made during the recession, the workers left on the payroll were forced to transform and expand their skill-set, and as they picked up new responsibilities, the jobs that were cut became nonexistent. Instead jobs these days have changed to include higher pay and a higher skill-set.

“Talent is elusive, and the reason is there is a great divide between the talent available and the talent desired by employers,” Melanie Holmes, a vice president at ManpowerGroup said to MSNBC. “To put it simply, there is a talent mismatch.”

Among the hardest jobs to fill, according to ManpowerGroup, accounting and finance staff, IT personnel and sales representatives. In addition drivers and positions in the skilled trades such as carpenters, plumbers and electricians are also hard to fill.

“Many skilled tradespeople are older and beginning to retire,” Homles said. “As we’re losing workers to retirement, we’re finding that there is not enough young talent to fill the ranks. We have seen less emphasis on steering youth toward vocational and technical programs over the last 20 years, and now we’re feeling the impact.”

These days, many young people look down upon skilled trades and place more focus on jobs that require a higher level of academic education. The mindset around these positions must change as jobs in plumbing and welding generally offer room for growth and opportunity as well as a sustainable income.

There is also a location problem. In some areas, it may be difficult to find a skilled trader while in others they have trouble finding jobs. Other jobs that are hard to fill due to location are engineers and teachers. In order to land these jobs, it’s best to research the places where people are needed in these areas.

“Job seekers are also responsible for their futures,” Holmes said to MSNBC. “It’s critical that young people complete high school and pursue additional training, whether it’s through a four-year college or a vocational program. Mid-career individuals also need to have a training mindset, continually sharpening and expanding their skill sets to increase their employability.”

While most wouldn’t argue that a four-year college degree is a worthwhile investment, it’s certainly not the only way to find professional success and financial security.

“There are many high school grads who simply can’t afford four years of college,” Tony Lee, the publisher of job search website CareerCast.com said to MSNBC.

“…rather than have them focus on what they’re missing, our goal is to show them there are jobs for which you don’t need a degree that will provide a great career. We want to show them that there are still great career options, and that they can make a comfortable living.”

CareerCast.com picked 20 of the best jobs that don’t require a four-year degree but still carry a great income and growth potential. Here are the top three:

Number one on their list are dental hygienists. The job description includes cleaning teeth, checking patients for oral diseases and providing preventative dental care.

According to Lee, it’s a great job to have whether you have a four-year degree or not.

“It ranks highly for work environment, hiring outlook, income, low stress and minimal physical activities. Training is required, but it will cost far less than a four-year degree,” he said.

For those who believe that this could be the career path for them, dental hygienists do need an associate’s degree as well as extensive training, but the pay-off include an average salary of $45,000. With a 109 percent potential growth increase, your earnings may even double over time.

Next on the list is online sales manager. This job includes reviewing consumer markets, developing strategies to increase sales and preparing financial budgets. Starting salary averages $40,000 but has a 255 percent growth potential.

Job number three is web developer. Web developers make an average starting salary of $43,000 and have the potential to see a 179 percent growth rate. From 2010 to 2020, this career track is project to see a 21.7 percent increase.

“You’d be surprised by how many people don’t have a college degree that are perfectly happy in their careers,” Lee said. “Parental pressure and societal expectations tell many high school students that the natural next step is college. That’s what has been preached for a while. But if earning a college degree isn’t right for you, or you can’t afford it, you still have plenty of great opportunities. The bottom line is that you need to take a job that will make you happy and help you advance your career, with or without a degree.”

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The recession may be over, but it’s still a tough job market out there. MSNBC reports that the Bureau of Labor Statistics observed that 46 percent of unemployed workers have been searching for more than 27 weeks. Meanwhile others find that they just don’t want the pressure and trouble of a high powered senior-level job.

Whether you’re just tired of climbing the corporate ladder or find yourself facing job rejection after job rejection, there may come a time when the job search turns to jobs we may be overqualified to fill. So how do you approach this job? Interviewers see overqualified candidates as people who will leave the job as soon as something better comes along and of course you really do want/need the job.

First, downplay your resume. Don’t lie, but highlight areas of your work history that showcase a higher skill set. Focus your resume on the number one need for the job.

Next tackle the commitment question you know you’re going to get. Let the interviewer know that you plan on sticking around for a bit (consider an 18-month period) and that you’ll offer more productivity than a junior-level person. If you have a hobby, try to use it to further explain why you’re looking for lower-level jobs. For instance, perhaps you want to work as an administrator so that you have a more defined schedule and time to develop your writing or interest in art.

Los Angeles job coach David Couper even suggests being frank about the economy and its effect on your job search. Be excited about the job opening while making sure to express a desire to move up in the company.

When it comes to salary, it’s good to play it cool. If you can, don’t mention it at all, if you can’t then assure the interviewer that salary will not be an issue as you can work something out or suggest that you simply expect a pay in line with the position’s current pay grade.

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