Telecommuting and flex-time privileges might have made the world of work more comfortable, but they've also made the lines between our work life and the rest of our life less visible. This isn't an open letter of complaint, however. The truth is that we're a society that lives, and loves, to work.
So it's important to be a society that loves the work it does.
Each year, U.S. News compiles a list of the Best Careers based on the Labor Department's employment projections. And this year, we continue to base our picks for the Best Jobs of 2012 on professions that should hire abundantly over the next several years. To better help you make a smart career choice, we've also started ranking our selections.
[See The Best 25 Jobs of 2012 Rankings.]
Jobs from quick-to-hire industries made our list: business, creative services, healthcare, science & technology, and social services. John Challenger, CEO of the outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas predicts many of these sectors will overlap, with one industry standing the tallest. "Healthcare has become the core industry in this country, just like manufacturing in another era," he says. "It's a confluence of forces causing this, including the science involved in uncovering new frontiers, the aging of the population, and government's commitment to providing healthcare to a broader generation of people. That causes job growth in several sectors."
Growth might be one of the reasons to interview for one of these positions, but our rankings give you some context as to why you'd want to stick around. We use a formula that compares projected growth for the future to employment rates of the present. We then weigh in average salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and job satisfaction, as determined by the job review website Glassdoor. According to company spokeswoman Samantha Zupan, it's crucial to include professional fulfillment as a measure of a good or bad occupation, particularly as Glassdoor's scores are pulled from the actual reviews of those who currently work or have previously worked one of our Best Jobs. "Who better to ask and learn from than someone who has held the job?" Zupan says. "Job satisfaction ratings ... can give perspective on what you might expect before saying 'yes' to a job offer or before you pursue a particular career path."
The outcome is a diverse set of occupations which rank in ways that might surprise you. For example, the No. 4 job, medical assistant, requires no extensive training and has a median salary that's well below $40,000 a year. But it beat out several high-profile, high-paying positions (like lawyer and financial manager) that didn't make the top 25. Our No. 6 pick, Web developer, can expect reasonable growth and offers a competitive salary, but it got the biggest boost to our top 10 for having the strongest job satisfaction scores of any other profession.
Salary Range: $48,920-$102,520
The term "occupational therapist" is purposely vague, because the purview for which these highly trained professionals could provide therapy is exhaustive. Patients with mental, physical, developmental, and emotional disabilities might see an occupational therapist to learn to function independently. There is no "typical" day, and therapists' specific—yet varied—skills will particularly be in demand as a large chunk of our population ages. This is one of fastest growing occupations this decade, but to land one of the 36,400 positions available before 2020, you'll have needed a headstart. Certified therapists must earn at least a master's degree from an accredited university.
9. Computer Programmer
Salary Range: $40,820-$114,180
Unlike some of the others on the list, computer programmers might be able to enter the field with a two-year degree instead of a four-year bachelor's. But if you're going to advance, it's best to think of yourself as a perpetual student who's always staying just ahead of the latest programming language, says 30-year industry veteran Barry Warsaw. Computer programmers eeked out a spot on our top 10 thanks to strong job satisfaction numbers, competitive salaries, and excellent job prospects.
[See our list of the Best Technology Jobs.]
8. Physical Therapist
Salary Range: $53,620-$107,920
This is another healthcare job that requires a minimum of a master's degree to begin practicing. And with good reason, since physical therapists often see patients overcoming adversity: Injured athletes, amputees, and stroke victims might all find themselves working with these professionals to rebuild their range of motion, coordination, and muscle strength. This profession graces our top 10 not only because of its comfortable salary and good job prospects, but because it's also one of the faster-growing occupations of the next decade. There should be a nearly 40-percent increase in available positions by 2020.
7. Computer Systems Analyst
Salary Range: $48,360-$119,070
Think of this occupation as a very technically oriented project manager. Computer systems analysts determine the technological needs of their clients and then help configure a system to fulfill those needs. They often serve as a liaison between the client and another occupation on our top 10, software developers, when compiling a rundown of necessary hardware specifications. Similar to other information technology professions, computer systems analysts should have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a computer-related field. David P. Bieg, chief operating officer for the International Institute for Business Analysis, also recommends that analysts-to-be spend time learning business systems analysis.
6. Web Developer
Salary Range: $43,190-$119,940
Web developers use their knowledge of applications and HTML code and couple that with an understanding of Web users' preferred browsing experience to create visually appealing, intuitive, and organized Web content. A bachelor's degree in a computer-related concentration is usually the first requirement to land one of the 65,700 expected jobs in this profession, but you could also study to receive certifications that designate your level of expertise. And there are a few other good qualities Web developers should have that can't be learned: patience, imagination, and versatility.
5. Database Administrator
Salary Range: $41,570-$115,660
Does anyone even use file cabinets anymore? Much of today's storage lives on a datachip, and competent database administrators (DBAs) are needed to build and maintain the systems used to house that information. Challenger explains why now is prime time to enter into this IT job: "The educational system hasn't caught up with the demand for technology skills. ... The education and preparation people need to qualify for science and technology jobs is extensive enough and requires so much that the population has yet to fully recognize the requirements to do the job." DBAs should earn a bachelor's degree in computer science or management information systems, and might want to pursue a master's in business administration. You should also obtain certification for as many database platforms as possible, so that your skills are transferable from one company to the next.
4. Medical Assistant
Salary Range: $20,810-$40,190
The Labor Department reports that there is no formal training required to become a medical assistant. But if you want to distinguish yourself from the more than 160,000 persons looking to enter this profession, then training is preferred. Some vocational high schools and colleges offer medical assisting programs. And professional associations like the American Association of Medical Assistants offer certification credentials. It’s also possible for a medical assistant to receive certification in particular specialties, such as podiatry or optometry.
3. Pharmacist
Salary Range: $82,090-$138,620
There are some obvious perks to this profession. The compensation is one—pharmacists earn one of the highest average salaries of all of our Best Jobs—and excellent job prospects is another. But these literal pill pushers also undergo years of study, several examinations, and a postgraduate residency before donning their white coats. And like many healthcare practitioners, pharmacists frequently work evening shifts, weekends, and some holidays. Place yourself ahead of the competition during your job hunt by trying to secure internships early in your education. Also consider taking a few business courses if your program doesn't already include them in the curriculum, since many pharmacists work within retail facilities.
[See our list of The Best Healthcare Jobs.]
2. Software Developer
Salary Range: $54,360-$87,790
According to Bryan Cantrill, the vice president of engineering with the cloud-computing company Joyent, software developers should have one hand writing code and the other on the pulse of the evolving IT world. Advances are constant in this industry, and having an inquisitive nature will serve a budding developer well. Nailing as much on-the-job training as possible will also help, particularly as some software developers are able to advance through the ranks based on their experience.
1. Registered Nurse
Salary Range: $44,190-$95,130
One of the first things you should determine when entering this field is what type of nursing you'd like to do. According to Michael Wolf, an economist with the BLS, one of the reasons this profession will gain nearly 712,000 positions this decade is because it's such an expansive profession, period. "Actually its growth rate is good, but not out of line with some other occupations," he says. "Registered nurses should grow by about 26 percent. The healthcare practitioner occupations as a whole have a growth rate of about 26 percent, though." The bench might be deep, but the playing field is still competitive. For a better chance at landing a nursing job, you'll want to determine your niche early, consider using virtual networking tools, and look for employment outside a hospital setting.
usnews.com
By Jada A. Graves
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Top 5 Industries Hiring Now
Are you wondering which industries are hiring the most graduates?
New data indicates that accounting and engineering firms, among others, are leading the pack.
"Rounding out the current top five 'top employers' for 2010-11 bachelor's degree graduates were those in consulting services, retail/wholesale trade, and financial services," writes the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in its "Summer 2011 Salary Survey".
Here's how NACE's top five industries rank in terms of job offers to graduates from the class of 2011:
Accounting Services
Engineering Services
Consulting Services
Retail/Wholesale Trade
Financial Services
Keep reading to learn more about careers in these hot industries and how you can prepare for them.
#1 Industry - Accounting Services
"Few professions appear to weather economic storms as well as the accounting industry," writes the Business First journal in a June 2011 article. Therefore it should come as little surprise that accounting services is NACE's number one industry when it comes to job offers for the class of 2011.
That good news is echoed by a June 2011 report by job site Indeed.com, which says that accounting job postings have increased 31 percent over the past 12 months.
Check out these career options in the accounting industry:
Accountant
Think you know what an accountant does? Think again. "Forget the green eyeshades stereotype," writes the Associated Press in June 2011. "Accountants now do everything from audits and budgets to financial planning and analysis to advising companies as they create new products and services."
Accountant jobs are projected to rise 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Department of Labor.
Accountants typically have a bachelor's in accounting, according to the Department. More options include an MBA specializing in accounting or an accounting certificate.
Average earnings: $68,960*
Click to Find the Right Accounting Degree Program
Budget Analyst
Companies and organizations of all kinds, no matter what they do or sell, require budget analysts to help them balance their books and turn a profit.
Budget analyst career opportunities are projected to rise 15 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Department of Labor. That equals more than 10,000 new jobs for budget analysts.
A bachelor's degree is required and sometimes an MBA is preferred, according to the Department, which adds that many budget analysts take continuing education classes throughout their careers.
Average earnings: $70,660*
Click to Find the Right Accounting Degree Program
#2 Industry - Engineering Services
Not only did engineering come in second overall in terms of job offers to the class of 2011, but NACE's salary survey indicates that engineering degrees account for seven of the top 10 best paying majors.
In a June 2011 speech, President Obama said the nation needs to produce 10,000 more engineers each year to work at U.S. companies.
"These are the jobs that China and India are cranking out," the President said. "Those students are hungry because they understand if they get those skills they can find a good job, they can create companies, they can create businesses, create wealth."
Check out these career options in engineering:
Biomedical Engineer
An aging population and the health issues that go with that are creating a need for medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
While overall engineering employment is expected to grow 11 percent between 2008 and 2018, new biomedical engineering jobs are projected to jump 72 percent, according to the Department of Labor. That makes biomedical engineering the fastest growing career in the U.S.
In addition to a bachelor's, many biomedical engineers need a graduate degree, according to the Department. This may include a master's of science or master's of engineering.
Average earnings: $84,780*
Click to Find the Right Engineering Degree Program
Civil Engineer
Population growth is causing a need to improve the country's infrastructure, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which is creating a demand for civil engineers.
Civil engineers are expected to see employment growth of 24 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Department of Labor.
A bachelor's degree in civil engineering is required for most entry-level jobs, according to the Department.
Average earnings: $82,280*
Click to Find the Right Engineering Degree Program
#3 Industry - Consulting Services
Employment in the consulting services industry is expected to grow 83 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. That represents a gain of more than 800,000 jobs, which makes for the biggest projected jump among all industries tracked by the Department of Labor.
Check out these career opportunities in consulting:
Management Consultant
Management consultant jobs are projected to grow 24 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Looking for some career flexibility? Approximately 26 percent of management consultants are self-employed, which is three times the average of other occupations, according to the Department of Labor.
For some entry-level consulting positions, a bachelor's degree is enough to get started, according to the Department of Labor, which adds that an MBA is often required as well.
Average earnings: $87,260*
Click to Find the Right MBA Degree Program
Environmental Consultant
Businesses who want to "go green" and shrink their carbon footprints are creating a new need for environmental green consultants, according to Los Angeles-based industry research firm IBISWorld.
The environmental consulting industry is projected to grow 9.4 percent per year to $30 billion by 2016, according to IBISWorld.
Consultants in this field generally have a bachelor's, and sometimes a master's degree, in environmental engineering or a related science field.
Average earnings: $79,000**
Click to Find the Right Engineering Degree Program
#4 Industry - Retail/Wholesale Trade
The wholesale (sales between businesses) and retail trade (sales between businesses and consumers) industry finished fourth overall in NACE's rankings for job offers for members of the class of 2011.
In encouraging news for the wholesale trade industry, the number of overall workers has risen every single month between May 2010 and May 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Check out these career tracks in retail/wholesale trade:
Wholesale and Retail Buyers
Wholesale and retail buyers do not just purchase products, such as clothing or electronics, for resale. They also help determine what products their establishment should buy and sell.
While travel is still a big part of the job, the internet has helped change this profession and ultimately make it a more flexible career, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, since it helps buyers search for specific products from wherever they can get an internet connection.
Many big employers hired buyers with a bachelor's degree in an area like business administration and sometimes an MBA as well, according to the Department.
Average earnings: $56,300*
Click to Find the Right MBA Degree Program
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
Supervisors of non-retail sales workers oversee a sales team who may be selling insurance, advertising, industrial products, internet services, or financial services.
In addition to helping your workers hit their goals, you may find yourself preparing budgets, making personnel decisions, devising incentive programs, and approving sales contracts.
While requirements can vary, most supervisors of non-retail sales workers have an associate's or bachelor's degree in an area like business or management, according to the Department.
Average earnings: $81,120*
Click to Find the Right Management Degree Program
#5 Industry - Financial Services
While the economic crisis isn't exactly old news yet, "the finance job market has largely stabilized, and may indeed be growing," according to a June 2011 report in PCWorldmagazine.
In fact, financial services and banking job postings have increased 24 percent since June 2010, according to a July 2011 analysis by career site Indeed.com.
Check out these growing finance careers:
Personal Financial Advisor
In a 2011 Forbes column headlined "The Most Secure Job in the World," corporate headhunter Danny Sarch writes "one type of employee has always been in demand: The Financial Advisor."
Employment opportunities for personal financial advisors are projected to grow by 30 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
A bachelor's or graduate degree is usually required for personal financial advisors, according to the Department, which adds that relevant subjects include accounting, finance, economics, business, and mathematics.
Average earnings: $91,220*
Click to Find the Right Accounting/Finance Degree Program
Financial Analyst
Financial analysts look at short-term and long-term investment strategies and share targeted advice with their clients, some of whom may be businesses or individuals and families.
Career opportunities for financial analysts are expected to grow 20 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
At a minimum, most employers require a bachelor's degree in finance, business, accounting, statistics, or economics, according to the Department, and many prefer to hire those with an MBA that specializes in finance.
Average earnings: $86,040*
By Chris Kyle
New data indicates that accounting and engineering firms, among others, are leading the pack.
"Rounding out the current top five 'top employers' for 2010-11 bachelor's degree graduates were those in consulting services, retail/wholesale trade, and financial services," writes the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in its "Summer 2011 Salary Survey".
Here's how NACE's top five industries rank in terms of job offers to graduates from the class of 2011:
Accounting Services
Engineering Services
Consulting Services
Retail/Wholesale Trade
Financial Services
Keep reading to learn more about careers in these hot industries and how you can prepare for them.
#1 Industry - Accounting Services
"Few professions appear to weather economic storms as well as the accounting industry," writes the Business First journal in a June 2011 article. Therefore it should come as little surprise that accounting services is NACE's number one industry when it comes to job offers for the class of 2011.
That good news is echoed by a June 2011 report by job site Indeed.com, which says that accounting job postings have increased 31 percent over the past 12 months.
Check out these career options in the accounting industry:
Accountant
Think you know what an accountant does? Think again. "Forget the green eyeshades stereotype," writes the Associated Press in June 2011. "Accountants now do everything from audits and budgets to financial planning and analysis to advising companies as they create new products and services."
Accountant jobs are projected to rise 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Department of Labor.
Accountants typically have a bachelor's in accounting, according to the Department. More options include an MBA specializing in accounting or an accounting certificate.
Average earnings: $68,960*
Click to Find the Right Accounting Degree Program
Budget Analyst
Companies and organizations of all kinds, no matter what they do or sell, require budget analysts to help them balance their books and turn a profit.
Budget analyst career opportunities are projected to rise 15 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Department of Labor. That equals more than 10,000 new jobs for budget analysts.
A bachelor's degree is required and sometimes an MBA is preferred, according to the Department, which adds that many budget analysts take continuing education classes throughout their careers.
Average earnings: $70,660*
Click to Find the Right Accounting Degree Program
#2 Industry - Engineering Services
Not only did engineering come in second overall in terms of job offers to the class of 2011, but NACE's salary survey indicates that engineering degrees account for seven of the top 10 best paying majors.
In a June 2011 speech, President Obama said the nation needs to produce 10,000 more engineers each year to work at U.S. companies.
"These are the jobs that China and India are cranking out," the President said. "Those students are hungry because they understand if they get those skills they can find a good job, they can create companies, they can create businesses, create wealth."
Check out these career options in engineering:
Biomedical Engineer
An aging population and the health issues that go with that are creating a need for medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
While overall engineering employment is expected to grow 11 percent between 2008 and 2018, new biomedical engineering jobs are projected to jump 72 percent, according to the Department of Labor. That makes biomedical engineering the fastest growing career in the U.S.
In addition to a bachelor's, many biomedical engineers need a graduate degree, according to the Department. This may include a master's of science or master's of engineering.
Average earnings: $84,780*
Click to Find the Right Engineering Degree Program
Civil Engineer
Population growth is causing a need to improve the country's infrastructure, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which is creating a demand for civil engineers.
Civil engineers are expected to see employment growth of 24 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Department of Labor.
A bachelor's degree in civil engineering is required for most entry-level jobs, according to the Department.
Average earnings: $82,280*
Click to Find the Right Engineering Degree Program
#3 Industry - Consulting Services
Employment in the consulting services industry is expected to grow 83 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. That represents a gain of more than 800,000 jobs, which makes for the biggest projected jump among all industries tracked by the Department of Labor.
Check out these career opportunities in consulting:
Management Consultant
Management consultant jobs are projected to grow 24 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Looking for some career flexibility? Approximately 26 percent of management consultants are self-employed, which is three times the average of other occupations, according to the Department of Labor.
For some entry-level consulting positions, a bachelor's degree is enough to get started, according to the Department of Labor, which adds that an MBA is often required as well.
Average earnings: $87,260*
Click to Find the Right MBA Degree Program
Environmental Consultant
Businesses who want to "go green" and shrink their carbon footprints are creating a new need for environmental green consultants, according to Los Angeles-based industry research firm IBISWorld.
The environmental consulting industry is projected to grow 9.4 percent per year to $30 billion by 2016, according to IBISWorld.
Consultants in this field generally have a bachelor's, and sometimes a master's degree, in environmental engineering or a related science field.
Average earnings: $79,000**
Click to Find the Right Engineering Degree Program
#4 Industry - Retail/Wholesale Trade
The wholesale (sales between businesses) and retail trade (sales between businesses and consumers) industry finished fourth overall in NACE's rankings for job offers for members of the class of 2011.
In encouraging news for the wholesale trade industry, the number of overall workers has risen every single month between May 2010 and May 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Check out these career tracks in retail/wholesale trade:
Wholesale and Retail Buyers
Wholesale and retail buyers do not just purchase products, such as clothing or electronics, for resale. They also help determine what products their establishment should buy and sell.
While travel is still a big part of the job, the internet has helped change this profession and ultimately make it a more flexible career, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, since it helps buyers search for specific products from wherever they can get an internet connection.
Many big employers hired buyers with a bachelor's degree in an area like business administration and sometimes an MBA as well, according to the Department.
Average earnings: $56,300*
Click to Find the Right MBA Degree Program
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
Supervisors of non-retail sales workers oversee a sales team who may be selling insurance, advertising, industrial products, internet services, or financial services.
In addition to helping your workers hit their goals, you may find yourself preparing budgets, making personnel decisions, devising incentive programs, and approving sales contracts.
While requirements can vary, most supervisors of non-retail sales workers have an associate's or bachelor's degree in an area like business or management, according to the Department.
Average earnings: $81,120*
Click to Find the Right Management Degree Program
#5 Industry - Financial Services
While the economic crisis isn't exactly old news yet, "the finance job market has largely stabilized, and may indeed be growing," according to a June 2011 report in PCWorldmagazine.
In fact, financial services and banking job postings have increased 24 percent since June 2010, according to a July 2011 analysis by career site Indeed.com.
Check out these growing finance careers:
Personal Financial Advisor
In a 2011 Forbes column headlined "The Most Secure Job in the World," corporate headhunter Danny Sarch writes "one type of employee has always been in demand: The Financial Advisor."
Employment opportunities for personal financial advisors are projected to grow by 30 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
A bachelor's or graduate degree is usually required for personal financial advisors, according to the Department, which adds that relevant subjects include accounting, finance, economics, business, and mathematics.
Average earnings: $91,220*
Click to Find the Right Accounting/Finance Degree Program
Financial Analyst
Financial analysts look at short-term and long-term investment strategies and share targeted advice with their clients, some of whom may be businesses or individuals and families.
Career opportunities for financial analysts are expected to grow 20 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
At a minimum, most employers require a bachelor's degree in finance, business, accounting, statistics, or economics, according to the Department, and many prefer to hire those with an MBA that specializes in finance.
Average earnings: $86,040*
By Chris Kyle
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
A Hot Job for Hard Times
One of the most old-fashioned occupations in finance is back in favor: the life-insurance agent.
Some big insurers are adding thousands of agents and planning to sign up more. They're taking advantage of the weak job market to scoop up former real-estate agents, mortgage brokers, bankers and lawyers whose prospects have declined.
New York Life Insurance Co. added 3,618 agents last year. Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. signed up 2,340. In Texas, a start-up with big-name backers opened in January with 2,200 agents and plans to double the number in three years.
It is an unlikely resurgence. Life-insurance agents, once an all-American type often portrayed in movies and television shows, underwent their own downsizing in recent decades. Companies deemed agents too expensive to recruit, train and subsidize in their early years, after which many soon gave up and left. Companies that once had armies of 10,000 to 20,000 agents began to rely increasingly, instead, on financial advisers, stockbrokers, banks and the Internet for sales.
Then, life-insurance agents' mainstay product, known as whole life, suffered a black eye, both from a scandal over the way some agents sold it and from a widespread view that it wasn't a very good investment.
The economic crisis turned things around. Many ordinary people lost heavily on stocks, making whole-life policies look better. That created an opportunity for insurance companies, some of which are now aggressively pursuing it by signing up new agents.
This coincides with a job environment that has many Americans adjusting their career aspirations to match the bleaker economy, considering work they might have passed up before.
Many discover that selling life insurance "is one of the most challenging careers you can take on," says former agent Connie Staton, a "sunup to sundown" job of seeking out and meeting with potential customers, along with attending required educational sessions. Ms. Staton, 68 years old, quit the gig in 2007 after seven years, concluding that "the pay versus the hours didn't match."
Seventy percent of agents earn less than $35,000 in their second year, according to industry research firm Limra. Fewer than 20% of new agents are still on the job after four years.
Robert McCarthy, 32, gave it a shot after losing his job as a national sales manager of a residential-mortgage firm in Florida when it closed in 2007. His own agent at Northwestern Mutual suggested he try selling life insurance.
Though he would get some money from the company as a training allowance, he knew he would rely on commissions. Most agents are independent contractors, not employees.
But Mr. McCarthy liked the Milwaukee insurer's mentoring efforts and program for helping new agents develop business, and the company's 150-year-plus history gave him comfort. After hours of talking it through with his then-pregnant wife, he signed up.
Mr. McCarthy is now beginning his third year at a Northwestern Mutual agency in Washington, D.C. "It's a challenge, for sure," he says. But figures from Limra suggest that if he can survive the grueling first years, he stands a good chance of earning $113,000 to $134,000 after his fifth year.
The role of the life-insurance agent today is more complex than the image built up years ago by books and shows such as "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," in which an agent passes along gossip as he makes the rounds, and the television sitcom "Father Knows Best," with Robert Young.
The 1980s brought a proliferation of mutual funds, giving families an alternative way to put away money for the future, and term-insurance policies, with lower premiums. For agents, the lower premiums also meant smaller commissions. And consumers soon began pricing term insurance on the Internet to find rock-bottom rates.
With costlier whole life already harder to sell, this traditional type of policy was hit by a scandal in the 1990s. Whole life is insurance combined with a type of savings account. Unlike term life, which protects for a set interval, whole-life policies pay off no matter when the death occurs. The insurer pays interest on the savings portion of the policy, which grows tax-free as long as the policy is in force. Buyers can withdraw some of this money tax-free.
In the 1990s, some agents talked existing policyholders into expensive upgrades. They told customers that interest on the savings accumulated in their policy would pay the higher premium on a new, larger policy.
Customers didn't always understand that if the interest the insurer chose to pay on their savings declined, it wouldn't cover the new premium, and policyholders would face bills they might be unable to afford.
The resulting claims from unhappy policyholders cost billions of dollars in settlements for insurers, which also faced the cost of upgrading their training and compliance programs.
On top of that, their business mix was changing. Some companies required that agents obtain the extra licensing needed to sell mutual funds, or leave.
The result was a big outflow. Prudential Financial Inc.'s PRU -0.78% fleet of U.S. agents sank to 2,450 from a peak of 20,000. MetLife Inc.'s MET -1.44% fell to 8,000 from 14,000. In all, the number of U.S. life-insurance agents affiliated with a specific company today is down nearly a third since the 1970s, to 174,000, according to Limra. Their average age is up to 56.
One factor turning this around is the way insurers' core product, whole life, came through the financial crisis. Competing term insurance, priced much lower, was sold on the pitch "Buy term and invest the difference." But when stocks plunged early on in the financial crisis, "invest the difference" sometimes meant "lose the difference." By contrast, money paid for whole life was still there.
Term-life sales were flat in the second half of 2009, according to Limra, while sales of whole-life policies were up 12% from a year earlier.
Whole life, given its complexity, generally isn't sold via the Internet, but needs an agent to explain it. So now the insurers that specialize in whole life are capitalizing on the more positive light in which it is viewed, adding agents.
These insurers are predominantly the old-line mutual, or policyholder-owned, companies like Northwestern Mutual and New York Life. Mutuals are better-positioned to sell whole life because, having no need to reward public shareholders with dividends, they can give more of their earnings to policyholders.
However, a Texas start-up called Insphere Insurance Solutions aims to profit from what it says is a shortage of agents calling on small businesses and middle-income families.
"When I came into the business in 1974 as an agent, there were in excess of 50 companies that religiously hired and trained new agents each year," says Insphere President Phillip Hildebrand, a former New York Life executive. "Now there are roughly just a dozen that are seriously committed" to developing agents. Insphere is backed by investors including affiliates of Blackstone Group LP, BX -0.38% Credit Suisse CS -1.56% Group and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS -1.36%
Signing up new agents won't guarantee a sales surge. Though most new agents have potential customers among their friends, family and former work olleagues, to have a sustainable career, the agents must reach the point where those people refer their own friends. Some rookies never do.
When Antonio Accardo discussed a job with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. in 2008, he realized he had a valuable asset for an agent: his family's San Francisco restaurant, Villa Romana Ristorante Italiano. Many of its patrons have known Mr. Accardo, who is 37, for years, and they now pepper the new MassMutual agent with questions about financial matters, he says.
Like many of today's recruits, he is well-educated—with a master's in business—and is also licensed to sell mutual funds and certain other investments. Insurers say new agents' chances of success are better now than in the past because the tough job market means professionals with large networks of contacts now are game to sell insurance.
The new agents at Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America include Steven Flanders, 45, an attorney who founded and sold a marketing firm. He now wears an orange bracelet reading "Create Value," recommended by a motivational speaker at his agency, in New York.
Mr. Flanders says the bracelet reminds him to give clients good financial advice even if this means he may not get an immediate sale; that way, the clients will be more likely to speak highly of him to their friends if the topic of insurance comes up.
In a sign of success, Mr. Flanders has moved up to an office from a cubicle. Still, the job is "very hard," he says. "People are more willing to confront a doctor about their physical infirmities than they are a planner" about defects in their financial portfolios.
Time after time, people say, "I don't want to focus on this right now," he says.
Recruiting agents is a big investment. Insurers spend tens of thousands of dollars for each one in the initial years, on things like income subsidies, medical benefits, support and training. "We know investing in agents takes a while to pay off," says Mark Pfaff, a New York Life executive.
Some help recruits by passing on a "book of business" from an agent who has retired. Even so, success for the recruits is squarely on their own shoulders.
Catherine Calise, 48, joined New York Life last June after the housing slump brought an end to her 18-year career as a real-estate agent in Connecticut.
She regularly hauls a card table to the loading dock of a freight company to greet workers with brochures. She fills her calendar with Chamber of Commerce and other networking events. She treks through shopping strips to meet storekeepers. She has even gone house to house knocking on doors.
"You have to step a little out of your comfort zone," she says. "I'll be in line at the grocery store, picking up dry cleaning, grabbing an iced tea at Starbucks, and I'll be prospecting the person next to me" by striking up a chat.
Ms. Calise won the "rookie of the year" sales award for 2009 for her Southern Connecticut office, where some of the 22 hires she began with have quit. "Those who dropped out weren't really applying themselves to the fullest," she says. "They didn't have the passion or the desire."
online.wsj.com
By LESLIE SCISM
Some big insurers are adding thousands of agents and planning to sign up more. They're taking advantage of the weak job market to scoop up former real-estate agents, mortgage brokers, bankers and lawyers whose prospects have declined.
New York Life Insurance Co. added 3,618 agents last year. Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. signed up 2,340. In Texas, a start-up with big-name backers opened in January with 2,200 agents and plans to double the number in three years.
It is an unlikely resurgence. Life-insurance agents, once an all-American type often portrayed in movies and television shows, underwent their own downsizing in recent decades. Companies deemed agents too expensive to recruit, train and subsidize in their early years, after which many soon gave up and left. Companies that once had armies of 10,000 to 20,000 agents began to rely increasingly, instead, on financial advisers, stockbrokers, banks and the Internet for sales.
Then, life-insurance agents' mainstay product, known as whole life, suffered a black eye, both from a scandal over the way some agents sold it and from a widespread view that it wasn't a very good investment.
The economic crisis turned things around. Many ordinary people lost heavily on stocks, making whole-life policies look better. That created an opportunity for insurance companies, some of which are now aggressively pursuing it by signing up new agents.
This coincides with a job environment that has many Americans adjusting their career aspirations to match the bleaker economy, considering work they might have passed up before.
Many discover that selling life insurance "is one of the most challenging careers you can take on," says former agent Connie Staton, a "sunup to sundown" job of seeking out and meeting with potential customers, along with attending required educational sessions. Ms. Staton, 68 years old, quit the gig in 2007 after seven years, concluding that "the pay versus the hours didn't match."
Seventy percent of agents earn less than $35,000 in their second year, according to industry research firm Limra. Fewer than 20% of new agents are still on the job after four years.
Robert McCarthy, 32, gave it a shot after losing his job as a national sales manager of a residential-mortgage firm in Florida when it closed in 2007. His own agent at Northwestern Mutual suggested he try selling life insurance.
Though he would get some money from the company as a training allowance, he knew he would rely on commissions. Most agents are independent contractors, not employees.
But Mr. McCarthy liked the Milwaukee insurer's mentoring efforts and program for helping new agents develop business, and the company's 150-year-plus history gave him comfort. After hours of talking it through with his then-pregnant wife, he signed up.
Mr. McCarthy is now beginning his third year at a Northwestern Mutual agency in Washington, D.C. "It's a challenge, for sure," he says. But figures from Limra suggest that if he can survive the grueling first years, he stands a good chance of earning $113,000 to $134,000 after his fifth year.
The role of the life-insurance agent today is more complex than the image built up years ago by books and shows such as "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," in which an agent passes along gossip as he makes the rounds, and the television sitcom "Father Knows Best," with Robert Young.
The 1980s brought a proliferation of mutual funds, giving families an alternative way to put away money for the future, and term-insurance policies, with lower premiums. For agents, the lower premiums also meant smaller commissions. And consumers soon began pricing term insurance on the Internet to find rock-bottom rates.
With costlier whole life already harder to sell, this traditional type of policy was hit by a scandal in the 1990s. Whole life is insurance combined with a type of savings account. Unlike term life, which protects for a set interval, whole-life policies pay off no matter when the death occurs. The insurer pays interest on the savings portion of the policy, which grows tax-free as long as the policy is in force. Buyers can withdraw some of this money tax-free.
In the 1990s, some agents talked existing policyholders into expensive upgrades. They told customers that interest on the savings accumulated in their policy would pay the higher premium on a new, larger policy.
Customers didn't always understand that if the interest the insurer chose to pay on their savings declined, it wouldn't cover the new premium, and policyholders would face bills they might be unable to afford.
The resulting claims from unhappy policyholders cost billions of dollars in settlements for insurers, which also faced the cost of upgrading their training and compliance programs.
On top of that, their business mix was changing. Some companies required that agents obtain the extra licensing needed to sell mutual funds, or leave.
The result was a big outflow. Prudential Financial Inc.'s PRU -0.78% fleet of U.S. agents sank to 2,450 from a peak of 20,000. MetLife Inc.'s MET -1.44% fell to 8,000 from 14,000. In all, the number of U.S. life-insurance agents affiliated with a specific company today is down nearly a third since the 1970s, to 174,000, according to Limra. Their average age is up to 56.
One factor turning this around is the way insurers' core product, whole life, came through the financial crisis. Competing term insurance, priced much lower, was sold on the pitch "Buy term and invest the difference." But when stocks plunged early on in the financial crisis, "invest the difference" sometimes meant "lose the difference." By contrast, money paid for whole life was still there.
Term-life sales were flat in the second half of 2009, according to Limra, while sales of whole-life policies were up 12% from a year earlier.
Whole life, given its complexity, generally isn't sold via the Internet, but needs an agent to explain it. So now the insurers that specialize in whole life are capitalizing on the more positive light in which it is viewed, adding agents.
These insurers are predominantly the old-line mutual, or policyholder-owned, companies like Northwestern Mutual and New York Life. Mutuals are better-positioned to sell whole life because, having no need to reward public shareholders with dividends, they can give more of their earnings to policyholders.
However, a Texas start-up called Insphere Insurance Solutions aims to profit from what it says is a shortage of agents calling on small businesses and middle-income families.
"When I came into the business in 1974 as an agent, there were in excess of 50 companies that religiously hired and trained new agents each year," says Insphere President Phillip Hildebrand, a former New York Life executive. "Now there are roughly just a dozen that are seriously committed" to developing agents. Insphere is backed by investors including affiliates of Blackstone Group LP, BX -0.38% Credit Suisse CS -1.56% Group and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS -1.36%
Signing up new agents won't guarantee a sales surge. Though most new agents have potential customers among their friends, family and former work olleagues, to have a sustainable career, the agents must reach the point where those people refer their own friends. Some rookies never do.
When Antonio Accardo discussed a job with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. in 2008, he realized he had a valuable asset for an agent: his family's San Francisco restaurant, Villa Romana Ristorante Italiano. Many of its patrons have known Mr. Accardo, who is 37, for years, and they now pepper the new MassMutual agent with questions about financial matters, he says.
Like many of today's recruits, he is well-educated—with a master's in business—and is also licensed to sell mutual funds and certain other investments. Insurers say new agents' chances of success are better now than in the past because the tough job market means professionals with large networks of contacts now are game to sell insurance.
The new agents at Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America include Steven Flanders, 45, an attorney who founded and sold a marketing firm. He now wears an orange bracelet reading "Create Value," recommended by a motivational speaker at his agency, in New York.
Mr. Flanders says the bracelet reminds him to give clients good financial advice even if this means he may not get an immediate sale; that way, the clients will be more likely to speak highly of him to their friends if the topic of insurance comes up.
In a sign of success, Mr. Flanders has moved up to an office from a cubicle. Still, the job is "very hard," he says. "People are more willing to confront a doctor about their physical infirmities than they are a planner" about defects in their financial portfolios.
Time after time, people say, "I don't want to focus on this right now," he says.
Recruiting agents is a big investment. Insurers spend tens of thousands of dollars for each one in the initial years, on things like income subsidies, medical benefits, support and training. "We know investing in agents takes a while to pay off," says Mark Pfaff, a New York Life executive.
Some help recruits by passing on a "book of business" from an agent who has retired. Even so, success for the recruits is squarely on their own shoulders.
Catherine Calise, 48, joined New York Life last June after the housing slump brought an end to her 18-year career as a real-estate agent in Connecticut.
She regularly hauls a card table to the loading dock of a freight company to greet workers with brochures. She fills her calendar with Chamber of Commerce and other networking events. She treks through shopping strips to meet storekeepers. She has even gone house to house knocking on doors.
"You have to step a little out of your comfort zone," she says. "I'll be in line at the grocery store, picking up dry cleaning, grabbing an iced tea at Starbucks, and I'll be prospecting the person next to me" by striking up a chat.
Ms. Calise won the "rookie of the year" sales award for 2009 for her Southern Connecticut office, where some of the 22 hires she began with have quit. "Those who dropped out weren't really applying themselves to the fullest," she says. "They didn't have the passion or the desire."
online.wsj.com
By LESLIE SCISM
How To Get A Job: Work For Free
FORTUNE -- For decades, George McAfee, a sales and business development expert in the tech industry, simply dialed a buddy when he was ready for a new job. So the 66-year-old executive got a big shock a couple of months ago when he sought his next gig. McAfee found himself making presentations, doing research, and giving talks to executives about everything from Asian distribution channels to structuring salaries -- all as part of the interview processes for four different jobs. Each project took about three days of work.
For McAfee, the free labor paid off. He landed a job as VP of business development at a Sacramento marketing firm in January. But he admits that he sometimes felt like employers were "using him for free." "You just have to accept that and not be offended," he says.
In today's competitive job market, employers are increasingly asking candidates to show -- not just tell -- what they can do. Top candidates are asked to solve problems on the spot, give feedback on products, and research new markets. "Companies ask for whatever they want, and people do it," says Cynthia Shapiro, an L.A.-based career strategist. One of Shapiro's clients created 10 greeting cards in 24 hours to win a graphic design job, while another client did market research and made a formal presentation to top executives -- only to hear that the company was no longer filling the position.
These case study-style interviews, also known as situational, scenario, or behavioral interviews, have been common among i-banking and consulting firms but are now permeating all sectors. Career experts say the techniques are relevant to even the upper echelons of executives -- those used to being wooed with box seats. SHL, the world's largest employment assessment provider, saw a 65% jump last year in employers using such techniques to vet candidates.
Employers are picky for good reason. Bad hires can cause lost productivity and sometimes even lawsuits, and harm morale as well. Replacing someone can cost two to three times a person's salary. And with budgets tight, there's little money for training. "Employers want plug-and-play people," says Colleen Aylward, president of executive search firm Devon James.
That's exactly why Smashburger, a fast-growing Denver burger chain that will open 60 new restaurants this year, asks its executive-level job seekers to give presentations on anything from how to sell in Canada to in-store branding. Even potential restaurant managers must pass role-playing tests in which interviewers act like a difficult customer. The approach, says Smashburger CEO Dave Prokupek, has given the company 10 to 15 new ideas -- including how to best track franchising leads and which trade shows to attend.
Smashburger disqualified one VP candidate when she admitted she paid an ad agency to write her presentation. When it came to hiring a president, Prokupek asked top candidates what they'd do in operations, branding, and real estate strategy. Two of them refused to do the work. A third, Scott Crane, surveyed the competition, interviewed restaurant crews, and left Christmas dinner early to polish his presentation. He got the job.
Ace the interview.
Think the way they do. Before the interview, think about what company problems you might be asked to solve. Write down 10 questions that you would ask a candidate. "Phrase them in 'situational' types of queries, like 'How long would you give a new VP of sales to hit quotas in a new market?' " says Colleen Aylward, president of search firm Devon James. Construct your own answers.
Do your research.
Find out how the company is structured and funded, the background of management, and information on competitors. Sites like Zoominfo, Hoovers, and Glassdoor.com can offer insights, as can interviews found on YouTube. Tapping LinkedIn connections close to the company can prep you on the people you'll meet.
Show up with stories.
Once you know the company's potential problems, come up with relevant anecdotes about what you did at another company. This way, you're less likely to be caught off guard.
Turn questions into conversations.
Keep up on current world events, industry news, and legislation and be prepared to relate them to the company. If asked, say, how you would reorganize a division to boost productivity, you can ask questions to create a more comfortable conversation. Says Aylward: "You could politely say, 'Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about this division? I noticed you had a plant in Ireland. Is your business affected by the political unrest?'" That peer-to-peer conversation tells the interviewer that you are thinking beyond the job.
Attack your homework.
Never decline any take-home assignments, and don't skimp on the time it will take -- even if you feel a company is taking advantage of your labor. It may be testing to see how much you want the job. The good news: Those assignments are typically reserved for the top three to six candidates.
jobs.aol.com
By Jennifer Alsever
For McAfee, the free labor paid off. He landed a job as VP of business development at a Sacramento marketing firm in January. But he admits that he sometimes felt like employers were "using him for free." "You just have to accept that and not be offended," he says.
In today's competitive job market, employers are increasingly asking candidates to show -- not just tell -- what they can do. Top candidates are asked to solve problems on the spot, give feedback on products, and research new markets. "Companies ask for whatever they want, and people do it," says Cynthia Shapiro, an L.A.-based career strategist. One of Shapiro's clients created 10 greeting cards in 24 hours to win a graphic design job, while another client did market research and made a formal presentation to top executives -- only to hear that the company was no longer filling the position.
These case study-style interviews, also known as situational, scenario, or behavioral interviews, have been common among i-banking and consulting firms but are now permeating all sectors. Career experts say the techniques are relevant to even the upper echelons of executives -- those used to being wooed with box seats. SHL, the world's largest employment assessment provider, saw a 65% jump last year in employers using such techniques to vet candidates.
Employers are picky for good reason. Bad hires can cause lost productivity and sometimes even lawsuits, and harm morale as well. Replacing someone can cost two to three times a person's salary. And with budgets tight, there's little money for training. "Employers want plug-and-play people," says Colleen Aylward, president of executive search firm Devon James.
That's exactly why Smashburger, a fast-growing Denver burger chain that will open 60 new restaurants this year, asks its executive-level job seekers to give presentations on anything from how to sell in Canada to in-store branding. Even potential restaurant managers must pass role-playing tests in which interviewers act like a difficult customer. The approach, says Smashburger CEO Dave Prokupek, has given the company 10 to 15 new ideas -- including how to best track franchising leads and which trade shows to attend.
Smashburger disqualified one VP candidate when she admitted she paid an ad agency to write her presentation. When it came to hiring a president, Prokupek asked top candidates what they'd do in operations, branding, and real estate strategy. Two of them refused to do the work. A third, Scott Crane, surveyed the competition, interviewed restaurant crews, and left Christmas dinner early to polish his presentation. He got the job.
Ace the interview.
Think the way they do. Before the interview, think about what company problems you might be asked to solve. Write down 10 questions that you would ask a candidate. "Phrase them in 'situational' types of queries, like 'How long would you give a new VP of sales to hit quotas in a new market?' " says Colleen Aylward, president of search firm Devon James. Construct your own answers.
Do your research.
Find out how the company is structured and funded, the background of management, and information on competitors. Sites like Zoominfo, Hoovers, and Glassdoor.com can offer insights, as can interviews found on YouTube. Tapping LinkedIn connections close to the company can prep you on the people you'll meet.
Show up with stories.
Once you know the company's potential problems, come up with relevant anecdotes about what you did at another company. This way, you're less likely to be caught off guard.
Turn questions into conversations.
Keep up on current world events, industry news, and legislation and be prepared to relate them to the company. If asked, say, how you would reorganize a division to boost productivity, you can ask questions to create a more comfortable conversation. Says Aylward: "You could politely say, 'Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about this division? I noticed you had a plant in Ireland. Is your business affected by the political unrest?'" That peer-to-peer conversation tells the interviewer that you are thinking beyond the job.
Attack your homework.
Never decline any take-home assignments, and don't skimp on the time it will take -- even if you feel a company is taking advantage of your labor. It may be testing to see how much you want the job. The good news: Those assignments are typically reserved for the top three to six candidates.
jobs.aol.com
By Jennifer Alsever
Monday, March 26, 2012
10 Hot Careers for 2012
Strange but true: Despite the fact that unemployment is stuck at around 9%, which translates to about 15 million Americans out of work, nearly 3 million job openings in the U.S. are going unfilled, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Why? The biggest reason is a mismatch between the qualifications employers are looking for and the skills job hunters have.
So which skills are most in demand? Here are 10 of the hottest:
1. Information technology. When career site Indeed.com recently analyzed millions of job postings on its web site, researchers found that the fastest-growing category of keywords — including HTML5, Android, mobile app, and social media — were in IT, and a new survey by tech job site Dice.com bears that out: About 65% of hiring managers said they hope to add tech staff in the first half of 2012. Roughly a quarter of those (27%) said they want to expand their IT headcount by more than 20%.
Openings for software developers who specialize in applications will rise by more than one-third (34%) by 2018, says Best Jobs for the 21st Century, a new book by job market analyst Laurence Shatkin, while companies will hire 20% more computer systems analysts. Rising pay in these fields reflects the surge in demand: The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that developers of systems software, for instance, earn an average of $94,180 per year.
2. Health care professionals. Partly due to the aging of the U.S. population, health care has been hot for a while now, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. Shatkin's research says the U.S. will need 103,900 more registered nurses every year (average salary: $64,690) well into the next decade, along with 7,860 new physical therapists per annum (average pay: $76,310). Demand for dental hygienists is up too, with a projected 36.1% growth in job openings between now and 2018 (average pay: $68,250).
3. Health care management and support staff. Don't have the training or experience to work directly with patients? No worries. "People often overlook the fact that businesspeople run health care companies," says Justin Hirsch, president of recruiting firm JobPlex. "With all the change happening in the system now, there is churn as well as growth. We're constantly seeing new openings in general management, finance, marketing, human resources, you name it."
4. Engineers. Note to college students who want their pick of job offers when they graduate: Consider majoring in engineering. A whopping 88% of employers in a new poll by the Society for Human Resource Management bemoaned the difficulty of finding enough engineers to hire. Civil engineers are in demand too: Shatkin's analysis of BLS data shows a 24.3% spike ahead in jobs for people who design roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects (average annual pay: $77,560).
5. Industrial skills. Think U.S. manufacturing is moribund? Think again. More than two-thirds (68%) of employers in the SHRM survey pointed to a shortage of qualified new hires to replace people retiring from the skilled trades: electricians, carpenters, welders. Moreover, says Justin Hirsch, "We're seeing an increase in industrial hiring in logistics, supply-chain management, and plant management." As more companies go global, demand for expertise in logistics -- the art and science of moving stuff efficiently from one place to another -- will continue to heat up.
See also: Will you get a raise in 2012?
6. Life sciences and biotech. Medical innovators ranging in size from Big Pharma down to biotech startups are on a hiring binge: Shatkin sees a 40% jump in job openings for research scientists between now and 2018 (average salary: $76,700). As with health care companies in general, these employers will also need managers and support staff (see No. 3).
7. Salespeople. Selling has historically been the closest thing there is to a recession-proof career, and this economic downturn is no exception. Since they're the ones bringing the dough in the door, salespeople are often the first to be hired and last to get laid off. Almost three-quarters (72%) of employers in the SHRM survey said they can't get enough salespeople now.
8. Accounting and finance. Demand for accountants and finance mavens (particularly forensic accountants and compliance specialists) has been climbing steadily for the past several years, and U.S. colleges are still not turning out enough grads in these fields to fill the available openings. The SHRM survey found that more than half (54%) of employers would hire more accountants and finance experts if they could find them.
9. Discount retailers. "Not to mention any specific company names -- everyone knows who they are, anyway -- but the big national discount store companies have flourished during this recession," notes Justin Hirsch. "And most of them are hiring managers as well as in-store personnel."
10. Private equity firms. Recruiters report that private equity firms are actively seeking management talent for their portfolio companies "across all industries and all functional areas," says Hirsch. "They're poaching already-employed, seasoned managers from big companies -- people who can step into either a turnaround situation or a pre-IPO company and make it work. These are challenging jobs, and could be a real feather in a manager's cap if he or she can bring it off successfully."
Do unemployed executives have a shot? "With the right network, yes," Hirsch says. "It's about having great business acumen, especially a knack for coping with ambiguity, and being known for that. It helps to have the right connections."
finance.yahoo.com
By Anne Fisher
So which skills are most in demand? Here are 10 of the hottest:
1. Information technology. When career site Indeed.com recently analyzed millions of job postings on its web site, researchers found that the fastest-growing category of keywords — including HTML5, Android, mobile app, and social media — were in IT, and a new survey by tech job site Dice.com bears that out: About 65% of hiring managers said they hope to add tech staff in the first half of 2012. Roughly a quarter of those (27%) said they want to expand their IT headcount by more than 20%.
Openings for software developers who specialize in applications will rise by more than one-third (34%) by 2018, says Best Jobs for the 21st Century, a new book by job market analyst Laurence Shatkin, while companies will hire 20% more computer systems analysts. Rising pay in these fields reflects the surge in demand: The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that developers of systems software, for instance, earn an average of $94,180 per year.
2. Health care professionals. Partly due to the aging of the U.S. population, health care has been hot for a while now, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. Shatkin's research says the U.S. will need 103,900 more registered nurses every year (average salary: $64,690) well into the next decade, along with 7,860 new physical therapists per annum (average pay: $76,310). Demand for dental hygienists is up too, with a projected 36.1% growth in job openings between now and 2018 (average pay: $68,250).
3. Health care management and support staff. Don't have the training or experience to work directly with patients? No worries. "People often overlook the fact that businesspeople run health care companies," says Justin Hirsch, president of recruiting firm JobPlex. "With all the change happening in the system now, there is churn as well as growth. We're constantly seeing new openings in general management, finance, marketing, human resources, you name it."
4. Engineers. Note to college students who want their pick of job offers when they graduate: Consider majoring in engineering. A whopping 88% of employers in a new poll by the Society for Human Resource Management bemoaned the difficulty of finding enough engineers to hire. Civil engineers are in demand too: Shatkin's analysis of BLS data shows a 24.3% spike ahead in jobs for people who design roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects (average annual pay: $77,560).
5. Industrial skills. Think U.S. manufacturing is moribund? Think again. More than two-thirds (68%) of employers in the SHRM survey pointed to a shortage of qualified new hires to replace people retiring from the skilled trades: electricians, carpenters, welders. Moreover, says Justin Hirsch, "We're seeing an increase in industrial hiring in logistics, supply-chain management, and plant management." As more companies go global, demand for expertise in logistics -- the art and science of moving stuff efficiently from one place to another -- will continue to heat up.
See also: Will you get a raise in 2012?
6. Life sciences and biotech. Medical innovators ranging in size from Big Pharma down to biotech startups are on a hiring binge: Shatkin sees a 40% jump in job openings for research scientists between now and 2018 (average salary: $76,700). As with health care companies in general, these employers will also need managers and support staff (see No. 3).
7. Salespeople. Selling has historically been the closest thing there is to a recession-proof career, and this economic downturn is no exception. Since they're the ones bringing the dough in the door, salespeople are often the first to be hired and last to get laid off. Almost three-quarters (72%) of employers in the SHRM survey said they can't get enough salespeople now.
8. Accounting and finance. Demand for accountants and finance mavens (particularly forensic accountants and compliance specialists) has been climbing steadily for the past several years, and U.S. colleges are still not turning out enough grads in these fields to fill the available openings. The SHRM survey found that more than half (54%) of employers would hire more accountants and finance experts if they could find them.
9. Discount retailers. "Not to mention any specific company names -- everyone knows who they are, anyway -- but the big national discount store companies have flourished during this recession," notes Justin Hirsch. "And most of them are hiring managers as well as in-store personnel."
10. Private equity firms. Recruiters report that private equity firms are actively seeking management talent for their portfolio companies "across all industries and all functional areas," says Hirsch. "They're poaching already-employed, seasoned managers from big companies -- people who can step into either a turnaround situation or a pre-IPO company and make it work. These are challenging jobs, and could be a real feather in a manager's cap if he or she can bring it off successfully."
Do unemployed executives have a shot? "With the right network, yes," Hirsch says. "It's about having great business acumen, especially a knack for coping with ambiguity, and being known for that. It helps to have the right connections."
finance.yahoo.com
By Anne Fisher
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Easy High Paying Jobs
We all wish to get a high paying job after stepping out of college. However, the fact is that very few of us are actually able to grab these jobs. When we talk about the easy high paying jobs, we actually refer to careers that can help us earn lot of money without too much effort. If a particular job is an easy one for someone, it does not mean that everyone will be able to do it with that ease and perfection. So, if your search is for the easy and high paying jobs, you should ask yourself what are your strengths and fields of interest and choose a job where you can apply them fully. Now, consider the following easy jobs that pay well.
Easy and Well Paying Jobs With a Degree
Financial Planner Jobs
Jobs as a financial planner are certainly one of the highest paying ones in the industry. Financial planners need to have bachelor's or master's degree in fields like finance, banking, commerce or mathematics. They advise people about stock investments, real estate investments, bonds and prepare investment portfolios for their clients. For a person who has keen interest and knowledge of finance, this is certainly an easy job. As a financial planner you need to conduct meetings with your clients and work towards preparing investment plans. Employment opportunities can be in leading domestic as well as international finance firms. Salaries are high and can be anything between $70,000 to $120,000 per year.
Librarian Jobs
Librarian is one of the high paying jobs with a degree. You can become a librarian by completing your graduate or postgraduate studies in the field. Librarians can work in libraries of reputed schools and universities. They issue books and keep up a record of them. They also add new books to the collection and take care of all the library records in general. Librarians work in a comfortable environment and in the company of books; making it quite an interesting job, rewarding in a way. The stress levels are also less. So, you can certainly consider this career option and enjoy its benefits. Librarian salaries can range between $40,000 and $60,000 per year.
Sales Jobs
If convincing people and interacting with them is your fort and you have business and communication skills, then a sales job would be an easy one for you. With a bachelor's degree in sales or marketing, you will be able to get a respectable job in this field. Almost all product manufacturing companies require sales professionals on a large-scale. Most sales professionals receive a fixed salary and bonuses depending on the sales generated by them. If you are good in your work, then you can expect to earn between $55,000 to $70,000 per year.
Teaching Jobs
Teaching jobs have been included in this list considering the fact that teaching can be easy if you have genuine interest and passion for it. Getting a master's or doctorate would be the best way to enter this career. Teaching in schools or universities can be highly rewarding and is known to be a very respectable job. With experience, the salaries can be between $60,000 to $80,000 per year. It is easy in the sense that it is not physically straining and being in the company of kids or the youth and getting an opportunity to educate them makes it interesting and easy for a person passionate about it.
Well Paying Jobs Without a Degree
Professional Sports Person
If you are searching for high paying jobs with no degree, then the job of a sports person could be the best one for you. This would be an easy job only for those who have the stamina and passion for the game. As a sports person, you can seek employment in clubs and sports associations. The contracts with sports persons are renewed after considering their performance and talent. Even women are no less in sports and hence this can also be one of the high paying jobs for women too. Stating exact income figures for sports persons is difficult, but let me assure you that you will live life king size if you prove yourself every time. Advertisement deals and prize money can increase your earnings further.
Jobs in Acting
Being an actor can be one of the high paying jobs for college students as well as adults. After undergoing training from reputed acting schools, one can get employment in television channels, film production companies and companies making music videos. Some of them also enter the world of modeling and work for renowned modeling agencies. Income of actors can vary a lot depending on their popularity and talent. This job, in my opinion, is easy for those who have the spark and talent in them and are natural actors. Starting from a few thousand dollars, actors can make millions at the peak of their careers.
Event Planning Jobs
People having skills like planning, logical thinking and those with good communication can certainly become successful event planners. With these skills, this job certainly becomes an easy one. You should be able to plan a variety of events and organize them successfully. Event planners can seek employment in event management companies as trainees and then handle event planning projects on their own. Though it is difficult to state the exact event planner salary, you can get paid above $60,000 per year after a few years of experience.
Babysitting Jobs
Now this is an easy job if you have thought yourself suitable for a babysitter's job. You can look for people/working couples in your neighborhood to start with, who are in need to someone to take care of their babies when they are away. If you have the skills to babysit and the aptitude for it, go ahead and consider this as an easy job that does pay well. You require no specific education for this. This job involves a lot of responsibility and trust-building with the parents of the baby.
These were the easy high paying jobs that pay well. A job can be easy for you only if you are interested in it. So, while choosing a job, do not follow someone's footsteps blindly. Think about what your strengths, weaknesses and interests are and then take the final decision. Good luck and do well!
buzzle.com
By Charlie S
Easy and Well Paying Jobs With a Degree
Financial Planner Jobs
Jobs as a financial planner are certainly one of the highest paying ones in the industry. Financial planners need to have bachelor's or master's degree in fields like finance, banking, commerce or mathematics. They advise people about stock investments, real estate investments, bonds and prepare investment portfolios for their clients. For a person who has keen interest and knowledge of finance, this is certainly an easy job. As a financial planner you need to conduct meetings with your clients and work towards preparing investment plans. Employment opportunities can be in leading domestic as well as international finance firms. Salaries are high and can be anything between $70,000 to $120,000 per year.
Librarian Jobs
Librarian is one of the high paying jobs with a degree. You can become a librarian by completing your graduate or postgraduate studies in the field. Librarians can work in libraries of reputed schools and universities. They issue books and keep up a record of them. They also add new books to the collection and take care of all the library records in general. Librarians work in a comfortable environment and in the company of books; making it quite an interesting job, rewarding in a way. The stress levels are also less. So, you can certainly consider this career option and enjoy its benefits. Librarian salaries can range between $40,000 and $60,000 per year.
Sales Jobs
If convincing people and interacting with them is your fort and you have business and communication skills, then a sales job would be an easy one for you. With a bachelor's degree in sales or marketing, you will be able to get a respectable job in this field. Almost all product manufacturing companies require sales professionals on a large-scale. Most sales professionals receive a fixed salary and bonuses depending on the sales generated by them. If you are good in your work, then you can expect to earn between $55,000 to $70,000 per year.
Teaching Jobs
Teaching jobs have been included in this list considering the fact that teaching can be easy if you have genuine interest and passion for it. Getting a master's or doctorate would be the best way to enter this career. Teaching in schools or universities can be highly rewarding and is known to be a very respectable job. With experience, the salaries can be between $60,000 to $80,000 per year. It is easy in the sense that it is not physically straining and being in the company of kids or the youth and getting an opportunity to educate them makes it interesting and easy for a person passionate about it.
Well Paying Jobs Without a Degree
Professional Sports Person
If you are searching for high paying jobs with no degree, then the job of a sports person could be the best one for you. This would be an easy job only for those who have the stamina and passion for the game. As a sports person, you can seek employment in clubs and sports associations. The contracts with sports persons are renewed after considering their performance and talent. Even women are no less in sports and hence this can also be one of the high paying jobs for women too. Stating exact income figures for sports persons is difficult, but let me assure you that you will live life king size if you prove yourself every time. Advertisement deals and prize money can increase your earnings further.
Jobs in Acting
Being an actor can be one of the high paying jobs for college students as well as adults. After undergoing training from reputed acting schools, one can get employment in television channels, film production companies and companies making music videos. Some of them also enter the world of modeling and work for renowned modeling agencies. Income of actors can vary a lot depending on their popularity and talent. This job, in my opinion, is easy for those who have the spark and talent in them and are natural actors. Starting from a few thousand dollars, actors can make millions at the peak of their careers.
Event Planning Jobs
People having skills like planning, logical thinking and those with good communication can certainly become successful event planners. With these skills, this job certainly becomes an easy one. You should be able to plan a variety of events and organize them successfully. Event planners can seek employment in event management companies as trainees and then handle event planning projects on their own. Though it is difficult to state the exact event planner salary, you can get paid above $60,000 per year after a few years of experience.
Babysitting Jobs
Now this is an easy job if you have thought yourself suitable for a babysitter's job. You can look for people/working couples in your neighborhood to start with, who are in need to someone to take care of their babies when they are away. If you have the skills to babysit and the aptitude for it, go ahead and consider this as an easy job that does pay well. You require no specific education for this. This job involves a lot of responsibility and trust-building with the parents of the baby.
These were the easy high paying jobs that pay well. A job can be easy for you only if you are interested in it. So, while choosing a job, do not follow someone's footsteps blindly. Think about what your strengths, weaknesses and interests are and then take the final decision. Good luck and do well!
buzzle.com
By Charlie S
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Five Online Degrees to Jump-start Your Education in 2012
Online education offers you a flexible way to go back to school in the New Year.
Do you want 2012 to mark the year you jump-start your education? Great news: the flexibility of an online education could make it happen.
Whether you're a working professional, stay-at-home parent, or social butterfly, an online education offers you a flexible way to go back to school - without having to give up your personal life.
In fact, more students are taking advantage of online education's flexibility, with 35 to 40 percent of all students expected to take classes online by 2014, according to "Hot Programs and Hot Markets," a 2009 study conducted by the higher education and consulting firm, Eduventures.
If you're ready to hit the books in 2012, check out these five hot online degree programs.
Online Degree #1 - Bachelor's in Business Administration
Going back to school is no easy feat. But, acquiring the real-world skills that often come with a business degree could make heading back to school in 2012 worth it.
With common courses like statistics, economics, and business principles, a business degree combines financial and managerial savvy that can help you pursue work in a variety of different fields.
In this online bachelor's in business program, you could also have the added benefit of attending school when and where it's convenient for you.
Click to Find the Right Online Business Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Financial Managers: $116,970
Actuaries: $98,620
Insurance Underwriters: $65,220
Online Degree #2 - Bachelor's in Criminal Justice
Does the New Year inspire the compassion within you? If so, consider earning an online degree in criminal justice.
Geared towards people who want to help people - both victims of crimes and those who commit them - an online bachelor's in criminal justice could help you seek a career in security, law enforcement, and some areas of counseling.
You could expect to take a wide range of law and justice-related courses like psychology, sociology, law, public administration, and intro to criminal justice. And with the flexibility of an online education, you could take these intriguing courses from the comfort of your own home.
Click to Find the Right Online Criminal Justice Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Probation Officers & Correctional Treatment Specialists: $51,240
Criminal Investigators & Detectives: $73,010
Social Worker: $52,270
Online Degree #3 - Bachelor's in Information Technology
Do you envision 2012 to be the year you become well-versed in the language of technology? Earning an online bachelor's in information technology (IT) could help.
Common courses like computer networking, computer programming, and computer science can help you develop skills in areas such as digital communications and web development.
Earning a bachelor's in IT online also offers you a flexible and convenient way to show employers that you're fascinated - and skilled - with using technology.
Click to Find the Right Online Computers and IT Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Computer Systems Analysts: $81,250
Network & Systems Administrators: $72,200
Software Developers: $90,410
Online Degree #4 - Bachelor's in Communications
If your interests range from media to pop culture to history, communications could be the right online bachelor's degree for you.
Online communications courses typically run the gamut, with courses like media writing, international communications, film, TV studies, advertising, history, and social sciences.
If you think this degree could help jump-start your education in 2012, then you're in luck. An online bachelor's in communications could offer you the flexibility you need when pursing your education.
Click to Find the Right Online Communications Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Editors: $59,340
Reporters/Correspondents: $43,780
Public Relations Specialists: $59,150
Online Degree #5 - Bachelor's in Education
Do your 2012 plans involve pursuing an education that could help you teach others? If so, consider earning an online bachelor's in education from a teacher education program.
A bachelor's in education could help you understand how others learn, and more importantly, foster the skills you need to effectively teach.
To help you better understand learning styles and strategies, this online degree offers you the flexibility to study courses like educational psychology, school health, and lesson planning, all from the comfort of your own home.
Click to Find the Right Online Education Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Elementary School Teachers: $54,330
Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School: $56,010
Special Education Teachers, Middle School: $56,500
By Renee Wade
Do you want 2012 to mark the year you jump-start your education? Great news: the flexibility of an online education could make it happen.
Whether you're a working professional, stay-at-home parent, or social butterfly, an online education offers you a flexible way to go back to school - without having to give up your personal life.
In fact, more students are taking advantage of online education's flexibility, with 35 to 40 percent of all students expected to take classes online by 2014, according to "Hot Programs and Hot Markets," a 2009 study conducted by the higher education and consulting firm, Eduventures.
If you're ready to hit the books in 2012, check out these five hot online degree programs.
Online Degree #1 - Bachelor's in Business Administration
Going back to school is no easy feat. But, acquiring the real-world skills that often come with a business degree could make heading back to school in 2012 worth it.
With common courses like statistics, economics, and business principles, a business degree combines financial and managerial savvy that can help you pursue work in a variety of different fields.
In this online bachelor's in business program, you could also have the added benefit of attending school when and where it's convenient for you.
Click to Find the Right Online Business Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Financial Managers: $116,970
Actuaries: $98,620
Insurance Underwriters: $65,220
Online Degree #2 - Bachelor's in Criminal Justice
Does the New Year inspire the compassion within you? If so, consider earning an online degree in criminal justice.
Geared towards people who want to help people - both victims of crimes and those who commit them - an online bachelor's in criminal justice could help you seek a career in security, law enforcement, and some areas of counseling.
You could expect to take a wide range of law and justice-related courses like psychology, sociology, law, public administration, and intro to criminal justice. And with the flexibility of an online education, you could take these intriguing courses from the comfort of your own home.
Click to Find the Right Online Criminal Justice Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Probation Officers & Correctional Treatment Specialists: $51,240
Criminal Investigators & Detectives: $73,010
Social Worker: $52,270
Online Degree #3 - Bachelor's in Information Technology
Do you envision 2012 to be the year you become well-versed in the language of technology? Earning an online bachelor's in information technology (IT) could help.
Common courses like computer networking, computer programming, and computer science can help you develop skills in areas such as digital communications and web development.
Earning a bachelor's in IT online also offers you a flexible and convenient way to show employers that you're fascinated - and skilled - with using technology.
Click to Find the Right Online Computers and IT Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Computer Systems Analysts: $81,250
Network & Systems Administrators: $72,200
Software Developers: $90,410
Online Degree #4 - Bachelor's in Communications
If your interests range from media to pop culture to history, communications could be the right online bachelor's degree for you.
Online communications courses typically run the gamut, with courses like media writing, international communications, film, TV studies, advertising, history, and social sciences.
If you think this degree could help jump-start your education in 2012, then you're in luck. An online bachelor's in communications could offer you the flexibility you need when pursing your education.
Click to Find the Right Online Communications Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Editors: $59,340
Reporters/Correspondents: $43,780
Public Relations Specialists: $59,150
Online Degree #5 - Bachelor's in Education
Do your 2012 plans involve pursuing an education that could help you teach others? If so, consider earning an online bachelor's in education from a teacher education program.
A bachelor's in education could help you understand how others learn, and more importantly, foster the skills you need to effectively teach.
To help you better understand learning styles and strategies, this online degree offers you the flexibility to study courses like educational psychology, school health, and lesson planning, all from the comfort of your own home.
Click to Find the Right Online Education Program.
Potential Careers and Average Salaries*:
Elementary School Teachers: $54,330
Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School: $56,010
Special Education Teachers, Middle School: $56,500
By Renee Wade
Monday, March 19, 2012
U.S. Teens Struggle To Find Elusive Part-Time Jobs
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- The economic turmoil that has left many Americans without work is having a disproportionate effect on teenage job-seekers, whose quest for entry-level positions often pits them against experienced older workers willing to take any job for a paycheck.
U.S. labor figures show the 2011 unemployment rate nationwide averaged just below 9 percent, but for job-seekers ages 16 to 19, it was almost 25 percent - the third consecutive year in that range, and with some cities recording rates far higher.
Automation has also eliminated many of the after-school, weekend and summer jobs that had been the longtime domain of first-time workers as computerized equipment has helped companies trim positions in everything from local car washes to photocopy shops and supermarkets.
Participants discussing the trend at a forum Tuesday in Hartford say that it's alarming, and that society suffers when an entire generation's chance to learn valuable workplace skills are delayed or denied. On a personal level, it's also a source of growing stress for teenagers who need jobs for experience, pocket money or to help their families.
"My mom doesn't have a lot of money and what she does have, she spends on me and on my brother, so I really want to work and be able to help and take care of some things myself," said Trisana Spence, 16, who moved last year from New York City's Brooklyn borough to Hartford and hopes someday to become a lawyer.
Spence, a junior at the Hartford Culinary Arts Academy high school, might end up with a slight advantage.
She's in a paid internship through her school and the city's Blue Hills Civic Association to learn job skills and will be placed at a yet-undetermined job this summer. She says she'll work extra hard in hopes that the employer will keep her on board even after the summer so she can help pay for household expenses and some extras, such as her 4-year-old brother's karate lessons.
Participants at Tuesday's forum said that partnerships between government and civic groups, businesses, nonprofit agencies and other organizations may be a key factor to helping job-seeking teens, but that those groups face financial hurdles to keep internships and job-training programs going, too.
The White House and U.S. Department of Labor this month kicked off a campaign appealing to the private sector to create 250,000 more summer jobs in businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, with at least 100,000 of them being paid spots.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who attended Tuesday's forum, said that initiative and others are critical to ensure teens get a chance to learn job skills and prepare for careers.
"The phenomenon of youth unemployment is sweeping the world, not just Connecticut," said Blumenthal, who credits his first job as a camp counselor with introducing him to mentors and the sense of pride and responsibility that work can instill.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2011 nationwide unemployment rate of 24.4 percent for teen job-seekers from 16 to 19 years old was the second highest recorded since it started keeping the statistic in the late 1940s. The figures reflect teens actively seeking jobs and do not include those not applying for positions.
The 2010 figure was the highest at 25.9 percent, though it approached 20 percent in the mid-1970s and nudged slightly over that level in 1982 and 1983.
In recent decades, teens had the best luck getting jobs in the boom years around the turn of the millennium, when their unemployment rate was around 13 percent - and those workers, a large part of today's adult workforce, have a track record of experience that often puts them ahead of today's teens in the job hunt.
Nationwide and in cities like Hartford, there's heavy competition for each available job.
Federal labor statistics show there's an average of 4.2 people out of work for each job that's open nationwide depending on industries and regions.
It's no longer enough for teens to be willing to work for entry-level wages, since many displaced experienced workers are also willing to take lower pay for a chance at a regular income, some experts said Tuesday.
Nineteen-year-old Calvin Brown of Bristol sees that first hand. When he was in high school, he felt fortunate to be able to get a few hours of work each week at a local convenience store - "Just about enough to pay for gas," said Brown, now an unpaid intern for U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-Conn.
The experience is worth the financial trade-off for Brown, a political science major at Central Connecticut State University, but he said he still sees many of his friends struggle to find jobs.
"A lot of time, it ends up being through connections: `Oh, I'm cleaning floors at my father's shop,' or something like that," Brown said. "But a lot of time, even in the most entry-level jobs, you're competing against someone with a lot of experience."
John Twomey, chief executive officer of the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals Inc., said the teens' observations are borne out in unemployment figures that show a wide gap between teens seeking jobs and those actually finding them.
"They're not all in basketball camp or backpacking in Europe," he said, jokingly, of those without jobs. "Kids want to work. We're in danger of graduating a whole generation of kids who don't know how to work."
/jobs.aol.com
By Stephanie Reitz
U.S. labor figures show the 2011 unemployment rate nationwide averaged just below 9 percent, but for job-seekers ages 16 to 19, it was almost 25 percent - the third consecutive year in that range, and with some cities recording rates far higher.
Automation has also eliminated many of the after-school, weekend and summer jobs that had been the longtime domain of first-time workers as computerized equipment has helped companies trim positions in everything from local car washes to photocopy shops and supermarkets.
Participants discussing the trend at a forum Tuesday in Hartford say that it's alarming, and that society suffers when an entire generation's chance to learn valuable workplace skills are delayed or denied. On a personal level, it's also a source of growing stress for teenagers who need jobs for experience, pocket money or to help their families.
"My mom doesn't have a lot of money and what she does have, she spends on me and on my brother, so I really want to work and be able to help and take care of some things myself," said Trisana Spence, 16, who moved last year from New York City's Brooklyn borough to Hartford and hopes someday to become a lawyer.
Spence, a junior at the Hartford Culinary Arts Academy high school, might end up with a slight advantage.
She's in a paid internship through her school and the city's Blue Hills Civic Association to learn job skills and will be placed at a yet-undetermined job this summer. She says she'll work extra hard in hopes that the employer will keep her on board even after the summer so she can help pay for household expenses and some extras, such as her 4-year-old brother's karate lessons.
Participants at Tuesday's forum said that partnerships between government and civic groups, businesses, nonprofit agencies and other organizations may be a key factor to helping job-seeking teens, but that those groups face financial hurdles to keep internships and job-training programs going, too.
The White House and U.S. Department of Labor this month kicked off a campaign appealing to the private sector to create 250,000 more summer jobs in businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, with at least 100,000 of them being paid spots.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who attended Tuesday's forum, said that initiative and others are critical to ensure teens get a chance to learn job skills and prepare for careers.
"The phenomenon of youth unemployment is sweeping the world, not just Connecticut," said Blumenthal, who credits his first job as a camp counselor with introducing him to mentors and the sense of pride and responsibility that work can instill.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2011 nationwide unemployment rate of 24.4 percent for teen job-seekers from 16 to 19 years old was the second highest recorded since it started keeping the statistic in the late 1940s. The figures reflect teens actively seeking jobs and do not include those not applying for positions.
The 2010 figure was the highest at 25.9 percent, though it approached 20 percent in the mid-1970s and nudged slightly over that level in 1982 and 1983.
In recent decades, teens had the best luck getting jobs in the boom years around the turn of the millennium, when their unemployment rate was around 13 percent - and those workers, a large part of today's adult workforce, have a track record of experience that often puts them ahead of today's teens in the job hunt.
Nationwide and in cities like Hartford, there's heavy competition for each available job.
Federal labor statistics show there's an average of 4.2 people out of work for each job that's open nationwide depending on industries and regions.
It's no longer enough for teens to be willing to work for entry-level wages, since many displaced experienced workers are also willing to take lower pay for a chance at a regular income, some experts said Tuesday.
Nineteen-year-old Calvin Brown of Bristol sees that first hand. When he was in high school, he felt fortunate to be able to get a few hours of work each week at a local convenience store - "Just about enough to pay for gas," said Brown, now an unpaid intern for U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-Conn.
The experience is worth the financial trade-off for Brown, a political science major at Central Connecticut State University, but he said he still sees many of his friends struggle to find jobs.
"A lot of time, it ends up being through connections: `Oh, I'm cleaning floors at my father's shop,' or something like that," Brown said. "But a lot of time, even in the most entry-level jobs, you're competing against someone with a lot of experience."
John Twomey, chief executive officer of the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals Inc., said the teens' observations are borne out in unemployment figures that show a wide gap between teens seeking jobs and those actually finding them.
"They're not all in basketball camp or backpacking in Europe," he said, jokingly, of those without jobs. "Kids want to work. We're in danger of graduating a whole generation of kids who don't know how to work."
/jobs.aol.com
By Stephanie Reitz
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The Best Jobs of 2012
Telecommuting and flex-time privileges might have made the world of work more comfortable, but they've also made the lines between our work life and the rest of our life less visible. This isn't an open letter of complaint, however. The truth is that we're a society that lives, and loves, to work.
So it's important to be a society that loves the work it does.
Each year, U.S. News compiles a list of the Best Careers based on the Labor Department's employment projections. And this year, we continue to base our picks for the Best Jobs of 2012 on professions that should hire abundantly over the next several years. To better help you make a smart career choice, we've also started ranking our selections.
obs from quick-to-hire industries made our list: business, creative services, healthcare, science & technology, and social services. John Challenger, CEO of the outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas predicts many of these sectors will overlap, with one industry standing the tallest. "Healthcare has become the core industry in this country, just like manufacturing in another era," he says. "It's a confluence of forces causing this, including the science involved in uncovering new frontiers, the aging of the population, and government's commitment to providing healthcare to a broader generation of people. That causes job growth in several sectors."
Growth might be one of the reasons to interview for one of these positions, but our rankings give you some context as to why you'd want to stick around. We use a formula that compares projected growth for the future to employment rates of the present. We then weigh in average salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and job satisfaction, as determined by the job review website Glassdoor. According to company spokeswoman Samantha Zupan, it's crucial to include professional fulfillment as a measure of a good or bad occupation, particularly as Glassdoor's scores are pulled from the actual reviews of those who currently work or have previously worked one of our Best Jobs. "Who better to ask and learn from than someone who has held the job?" Zupan says. "Job satisfaction ratings ... can give perspective on what you might expect before saying 'yes' to a job offer or before you pursue a particular career path."
The outcome is a diverse set of occupations which rank in ways that might surprise you. For example, the No. 4 job, medical assistant, requires no extensive training and has a median salary that's well below $40,000 a year. But it beat out several high-profile, high-paying positions (like lawyer and financial manager) that didn't make the top 25. Our No. 6 pick, Web developer, can expect reasonable growth and offers a competitive salary, but it got the biggest boost to our top 10 for having the strongest job satisfaction scores of any other profession.
Salary Range: $48,920-$102,520
The term "occupational therapist" is purposely vague, because the purview for which these highly trained professionals could provide therapy is exhaustive. Patients with mental, physical, developmental, and emotional disabilities might see an occupational therapist to learn to function independently. There is no "typical" day, and therapists' specific—yet varied—skills will particularly be in demand as a large chunk of our population ages. This is one of fastest growing occupations this decade, but to land one of the 36,400 positions available before 2020, you'll have needed a headstart. Certified therapists must earn at least a master's degree from an accredited university.
9. Computer Programmer
Salary Range: $40,820-$114,180
Unlike some of the others on the list, computer programmers might be able to enter the field with a two-year degree instead of a four-year bachelor's. But if you're going to advance, it's best to think of yourself as a perpetual student who's always staying just ahead of the latest programming language, says 30-year industry veteran Barry Warsaw. Computer programmers eeked out a spot on our top 10 thanks to strong job satisfaction numbers, competitive salaries, and excellent job prospects.
[See our list of the Best Technology Jobs.]
8. Physical Therapist
Salary Range: $53,620-$107,920
This is another healthcare job that requires a minimum of a master's degree to begin practicing. And with good reason, since physical therapists often see patients overcoming adversity: Injured athletes, amputees, and stroke victims might all find themselves working with these professionals to rebuild their range of motion, coordination, and muscle strength. This profession graces our top 10 not only because of its comfortable salary and good job prospects, but because it's also one of the faster-growing occupations of the next decade. There should be a nearly 40-percent increase in available positions by 2020.
7. Computer Systems Analyst
Salary Range: $48,360-$119,070
Think of this occupation as a very technically oriented project manager. Computer systems analysts determine the technological needs of their clients and then help configure a system to fulfill those needs. They often serve as a liaison between the client and another occupation on our top 10, software developers, when compiling a rundown of necessary hardware specifications. Similar to other information technology professions, computer systems analysts should have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a computer-related field. David P. Bieg, chief operating officer for the International Institute for Business Analysis, also recommends that analysts-to-be spend time learning business systems analysis.
6. Web Developer
Salary Range: $43,190-$119,940
Web developers use their knowledge of applications and HTML code and couple that with an understanding of Web users' preferred browsing experience to create visually appealing, intuitive, and organized Web content. A bachelor's degree in a computer-related concentration is usually the first requirement to land one of the 65,700 expected jobs in this profession, but you could also study to receive certifications that designate your level of expertise. And there are a few other good qualities Web developers should have that can't be learned: patience, imagination, and versatility.
5. Database Administrator
Salary Range: $41,570-$115,660
Does anyone even use file cabinets anymore? Much of today's storage lives on a datachip, and competent database administrators (DBAs) are needed to build and maintain the systems used to house that information. Challenger explains why now is prime time to enter into this IT job: "The educational system hasn't caught up with the demand for technology skills. ... The education and preparation people need to qualify for science and technology jobs is extensive enough and requires so much that the population has yet to fully recognize the requirements to do the job." DBAs should earn a bachelor's degree in computer science or management information systems, and might want to pursue a master's in business administration. You should also obtain certification for as many database platforms as possible, so that your skills are transferable from one company to the next.
4. Medical Assistant
Salary Range: $20,810-$40,190
The Labor Department reports that there is no formal training required to become a medical assistant. But if you want to distinguish yourself from the more than 160,000 persons looking to enter this profession, then training is preferred. Some vocational high schools and colleges offer medical assisting programs. And professional associations like the American Association of Medical Assistants offer certification credentials. It’s also possible for a medical assistant to receive certification in particular specialties, such as podiatry or optometry.
3. Pharmacist
Salary Range: $82,090-$138,620
There are some obvious perks to this profession. The compensation is one—pharmacists earn one of the highest average salaries of all of our Best Jobs—and excellent job prospects is another. But these literal pill pushers also undergo years of study, several examinations, and a postgraduate residency before donning their white coats. And like many healthcare practitioners, pharmacists frequently work evening shifts, weekends, and some holidays. Place yourself ahead of the competition during your job hunt by trying to secure internships early in your education. Also consider taking a few business courses if your program doesn't already include them in the curriculum, since many pharmacists work within retail facilities.
2. Software Developer
Salary Range: $54,360-$87,790
According to Bryan Cantrill, the vice president of engineering with the cloud-computing company Joyent, software developers should have one hand writing code and the other on the pulse of the evolving IT world. Advances are constant in this industry, and having an inquisitive nature will serve a budding developer well. Nailing as much on-the-job training as possible will also help, particularly as some software developers are able to advance through the ranks based on their experience.
1. Registered Nurse
Salary Range: $44,190-$95,130
One of the first things you should determine when entering this field is what type of nursing you'd like to do. According to Michael Wolf, an economist with the BLS, one of the reasons this profession will gain nearly 712,000 positions this decade is because it's such an expansive profession, period. "Actually its growth rate is good, but not out of line with some other occupations," he says. "Registered nurses should grow by about 26 percent. The healthcare practitioner occupations as a whole have a growth rate of about 26 percent, though." The bench might be deep, but the playing field is still competitive. For a better chance at landing a nursing job, you'll want to determine your niche early, consider using virtual networking tools, and look for employment outside a hospital setting.
money.usnews.com
By Jada A. Graves
So it's important to be a society that loves the work it does.
Each year, U.S. News compiles a list of the Best Careers based on the Labor Department's employment projections. And this year, we continue to base our picks for the Best Jobs of 2012 on professions that should hire abundantly over the next several years. To better help you make a smart career choice, we've also started ranking our selections.
obs from quick-to-hire industries made our list: business, creative services, healthcare, science & technology, and social services. John Challenger, CEO of the outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas predicts many of these sectors will overlap, with one industry standing the tallest. "Healthcare has become the core industry in this country, just like manufacturing in another era," he says. "It's a confluence of forces causing this, including the science involved in uncovering new frontiers, the aging of the population, and government's commitment to providing healthcare to a broader generation of people. That causes job growth in several sectors."
Growth might be one of the reasons to interview for one of these positions, but our rankings give you some context as to why you'd want to stick around. We use a formula that compares projected growth for the future to employment rates of the present. We then weigh in average salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and job satisfaction, as determined by the job review website Glassdoor. According to company spokeswoman Samantha Zupan, it's crucial to include professional fulfillment as a measure of a good or bad occupation, particularly as Glassdoor's scores are pulled from the actual reviews of those who currently work or have previously worked one of our Best Jobs. "Who better to ask and learn from than someone who has held the job?" Zupan says. "Job satisfaction ratings ... can give perspective on what you might expect before saying 'yes' to a job offer or before you pursue a particular career path."
The outcome is a diverse set of occupations which rank in ways that might surprise you. For example, the No. 4 job, medical assistant, requires no extensive training and has a median salary that's well below $40,000 a year. But it beat out several high-profile, high-paying positions (like lawyer and financial manager) that didn't make the top 25. Our No. 6 pick, Web developer, can expect reasonable growth and offers a competitive salary, but it got the biggest boost to our top 10 for having the strongest job satisfaction scores of any other profession.
Salary Range: $48,920-$102,520
The term "occupational therapist" is purposely vague, because the purview for which these highly trained professionals could provide therapy is exhaustive. Patients with mental, physical, developmental, and emotional disabilities might see an occupational therapist to learn to function independently. There is no "typical" day, and therapists' specific—yet varied—skills will particularly be in demand as a large chunk of our population ages. This is one of fastest growing occupations this decade, but to land one of the 36,400 positions available before 2020, you'll have needed a headstart. Certified therapists must earn at least a master's degree from an accredited university.
9. Computer Programmer
Salary Range: $40,820-$114,180
Unlike some of the others on the list, computer programmers might be able to enter the field with a two-year degree instead of a four-year bachelor's. But if you're going to advance, it's best to think of yourself as a perpetual student who's always staying just ahead of the latest programming language, says 30-year industry veteran Barry Warsaw. Computer programmers eeked out a spot on our top 10 thanks to strong job satisfaction numbers, competitive salaries, and excellent job prospects.
[See our list of the Best Technology Jobs.]
8. Physical Therapist
Salary Range: $53,620-$107,920
This is another healthcare job that requires a minimum of a master's degree to begin practicing. And with good reason, since physical therapists often see patients overcoming adversity: Injured athletes, amputees, and stroke victims might all find themselves working with these professionals to rebuild their range of motion, coordination, and muscle strength. This profession graces our top 10 not only because of its comfortable salary and good job prospects, but because it's also one of the faster-growing occupations of the next decade. There should be a nearly 40-percent increase in available positions by 2020.
7. Computer Systems Analyst
Salary Range: $48,360-$119,070
Think of this occupation as a very technically oriented project manager. Computer systems analysts determine the technological needs of their clients and then help configure a system to fulfill those needs. They often serve as a liaison between the client and another occupation on our top 10, software developers, when compiling a rundown of necessary hardware specifications. Similar to other information technology professions, computer systems analysts should have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a computer-related field. David P. Bieg, chief operating officer for the International Institute for Business Analysis, also recommends that analysts-to-be spend time learning business systems analysis.
6. Web Developer
Salary Range: $43,190-$119,940
Web developers use their knowledge of applications and HTML code and couple that with an understanding of Web users' preferred browsing experience to create visually appealing, intuitive, and organized Web content. A bachelor's degree in a computer-related concentration is usually the first requirement to land one of the 65,700 expected jobs in this profession, but you could also study to receive certifications that designate your level of expertise. And there are a few other good qualities Web developers should have that can't be learned: patience, imagination, and versatility.
5. Database Administrator
Salary Range: $41,570-$115,660
Does anyone even use file cabinets anymore? Much of today's storage lives on a datachip, and competent database administrators (DBAs) are needed to build and maintain the systems used to house that information. Challenger explains why now is prime time to enter into this IT job: "The educational system hasn't caught up with the demand for technology skills. ... The education and preparation people need to qualify for science and technology jobs is extensive enough and requires so much that the population has yet to fully recognize the requirements to do the job." DBAs should earn a bachelor's degree in computer science or management information systems, and might want to pursue a master's in business administration. You should also obtain certification for as many database platforms as possible, so that your skills are transferable from one company to the next.
4. Medical Assistant
Salary Range: $20,810-$40,190
The Labor Department reports that there is no formal training required to become a medical assistant. But if you want to distinguish yourself from the more than 160,000 persons looking to enter this profession, then training is preferred. Some vocational high schools and colleges offer medical assisting programs. And professional associations like the American Association of Medical Assistants offer certification credentials. It’s also possible for a medical assistant to receive certification in particular specialties, such as podiatry or optometry.
3. Pharmacist
Salary Range: $82,090-$138,620
There are some obvious perks to this profession. The compensation is one—pharmacists earn one of the highest average salaries of all of our Best Jobs—and excellent job prospects is another. But these literal pill pushers also undergo years of study, several examinations, and a postgraduate residency before donning their white coats. And like many healthcare practitioners, pharmacists frequently work evening shifts, weekends, and some holidays. Place yourself ahead of the competition during your job hunt by trying to secure internships early in your education. Also consider taking a few business courses if your program doesn't already include them in the curriculum, since many pharmacists work within retail facilities.
2. Software Developer
Salary Range: $54,360-$87,790
According to Bryan Cantrill, the vice president of engineering with the cloud-computing company Joyent, software developers should have one hand writing code and the other on the pulse of the evolving IT world. Advances are constant in this industry, and having an inquisitive nature will serve a budding developer well. Nailing as much on-the-job training as possible will also help, particularly as some software developers are able to advance through the ranks based on their experience.
1. Registered Nurse
Salary Range: $44,190-$95,130
One of the first things you should determine when entering this field is what type of nursing you'd like to do. According to Michael Wolf, an economist with the BLS, one of the reasons this profession will gain nearly 712,000 positions this decade is because it's such an expansive profession, period. "Actually its growth rate is good, but not out of line with some other occupations," he says. "Registered nurses should grow by about 26 percent. The healthcare practitioner occupations as a whole have a growth rate of about 26 percent, though." The bench might be deep, but the playing field is still competitive. For a better chance at landing a nursing job, you'll want to determine your niche early, consider using virtual networking tools, and look for employment outside a hospital setting.
money.usnews.com
By Jada A. Graves
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)