5 of the Top Careers for 2011

Posted on September 12, 2011 by meghan_ntroduction

US News and World Report released its list of the Top 50 Careers for 2011. It was an interesting list that included five categories with 10 jobs in each. The jobs were chosen based a few factors. Pay scale, growth rate and of course educational requirements. Though a few of the jobs listed were no real surprise (Biomedical, environmental and computer software engineers) there were a few that I wouldn’t have guessed.

So here are a few of the more obscure or unexpected top jobs for 2011 hand picked from US New World Report’s list of the top 50.

Meteorologist-Science & Technology – Though we all might first picture our local weatherman when we think meteorologist, the fact is the majority work for the National Weather Service. With Climate change and global warming becoming bigger issues each day it’s no surprise that jobs for meteorologists are expected to increase by about 15%. Meteorologists can move own to starting there own weather consulting firms or working in the private sector for research firms.

The median salary is $84,000 not too shabby. To be a meteorologist you need a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology or at least chemistry or physics. To focus more on the research aspect of meteorology you’ll need your PHD.

School Psychologist-Healthcare – Of the handful of healthcare positions mentioned, this one stuck out the most. School Psychologists is a career that’s expected to increase by 11%. Certainly more stressful than meteorology, becoming a school psychologist would mean obtaining a specialist degree, which most schools require. That would be on top of three years of graduate school.

The median salary is $66,040 but could rise considerably if you start your own practice. Stressful, yes, but a job that would enable to truly help many children in need.

Clergy- Social Service – This was one of the more surprising mentions on the list. And there was no real explanation as to why the growth in the Clergy. There is an expected increase of about 13% across the board. Pay, opportunities and schooling require varies heavily depending on the church. Smaller congregations have the largest need but the smallest salary. Methodists and Catholic churches have the larger salaries and career paths. The room for growth also depends on the church and congregation.

Education requirements for the clergy vary from needing a Masters in Theology to no previous education at all. Once again, depends on religion and church. Maybe the stressful economic times have created a growing need for clergy.

Logistician – So this is not usually on any list of top careers. Logisticians are the ones who manage the supply chain that includes all the raw materials that go into a finished product. They also oversee shipping and transportation, distribution to wholesalers or retailers, warehousing, and the just-in-time delivery that helps minimize costs and maximize productivity.. With an expected increase of 20% and a median salary of about 68,000, it’s not a bad choice to make.

You’ll need to start with a bachelor’s degree in a field such as business, supply-chain management, process engineering, or industrial engineering. The higher your education the more opportunities and money you have waiting for you.

Nice work if you can get it.

Actuary- Business & Finance – Many of you may be starring blankly at your computer screen wondering what the heck is an actuary? Generally actuaries are most often found working for insurance providers and their job is “use statistics and mathematics to estimate the likelihood and cost of claims related to death, illness, injury, or property damage so that the insurance company can cover its expenses and stay profitable.”

Sound a little boring? Maybe. But with a median salary of $87,210 and an expected growth rate of 21% over the next decade, it’s wouldn’t take an actuary to figure out it’s a safe career to move into. In fact most Actuaries start at 56,000 right out of college.

Casualty Actuarial Society and the Society of Actuaries offers certification programs and you would most likely need a bachelors degree in mathematics, statistics, economics or even actuarial science (if you’re local school offers it).

Maybe not the most glamorous of career choices but glamour isn’t exactly topping anyone’s list of needs as we enter the last half of 2011. Check out these careers as well as the rest of US News and World Report’s list of top careers. Maybe you’ll find the perfect match for you in 2012.

Top Companies That Are Hiring

Posted on August 27, 2010 by meghan_ntroduction

hiring-241x300 Though looking for work can be about as easy as searching for a needle in a haystack. Only there are hundreds of people crowding around looking for the same needle in the same haystack. Even if you’re armed with the right tools, experience and resume to get you the job, none of those things will help you find the right job.

But that’s not to say that there aren’t companies out there with jobs up for the taking. In fact Forbes Business released a report recently of the Top 10 mid-sized companies that are hiring the most right now.

Take a look at the list and see of any of these companies have listings near you.

Comdata – 120 openings
Super Micro Computer – 103 Openings
MicroStrategy – 100 openings
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals – 95 openings
CME Group – 87 openings
EchoStar – 81 openings
Molina Healthcare – 76 openings
Netflix – 76 openings
Facebook – 75 openings
Perficient – 65 openings

Good luck in your search!

The Late in Life Student

Posted on July 27, 2010 by meghan_ntroduction

Photo By spakattacks

With 14.6 millions Americans out of work and countless either unsatisfied with their jobs or waiting to lose their no jobs it should not come as any surprise that community college enrollment is up, especially among people 40 years and older. Despite the challenges going back to school cab be as an adult many folks seem to be taking advantage of being out of work and working on their degree.

According to a Business Week article,

- Enrollment at community colleges jumped 16.9 percent from the fall of 2007 through 2009

- 16 percent of community college students are age 40 or older.

You may be considering going back to school but are hesitant because of the toll on your wallet and your time. At Ntroduction we have given you tips on going back to school but here are a few more tips from Business Week and Ntroduction to help you over come the challenges of being an older student.

- Keep Working – If you are already working keep your job. Paying for school is no easy task and even community college costs an annual average of 2,500 dollars. Though working while going back to school may take longer, for most adult returning to school it’s the only way to sustain life while making the change.

- Aide, Grants and Scholarships, Oh My! – Despite the glum economy most State and Federal aide programs are still going strong. In fact the maximum annual Pell Grant rose from $4,731 to $5,350 last year. And if you are an adult returning to school you may qualify for even more aide if someone else in your house is also going to school. Meaning if your spouse is thinking about it, do it together and you could both reap a few more benefits. Go to the library, research on the Internet and most importantly visit your local Community College’s financial aide office. The help is there; you just have to find it.

- Student Loans – If a chunk of the money you use for school is based on loans try to give yourself a game plan for paying it back. Whatever field you’re going into be sure to research the average salary and the job opportunities in that field. This way you can establish a rough idea of what to expect once you are out there.

- Unemployed? Keep Looking – If you’re going back to school while unemployed do not stop looking for work! It can be easy to fall into the trap of using school as an excuse not to look for work, but in the current job climate, that is not a good idea. Keep looking while going to school and even start looking for jobs in your field of study. Sometimes you can find a decent paying internship that will give you a paycheck and college credits.

Tips on Planning Your Job Search

Posted on June 3, 2010 by meghan_ntroduction

Lots of people are out of work these days. And almost as many people who are working would rather be working somewhere else. Are you one of those people? Are you considering switching careers or maybe staying in the same field just somewhere else? Well they always say that the best tie to find a job is when you already have one. And of course the best way to find a job is by starting off with a game plan to help keep your eye on the prize.

Here is a checklist of things you want to do when preparing to begin a job search. A few of them will link you back to previous posts on the Ntroduction blog that elaborate more on the tip.

Go Back to School – Whether your looking to start a new career or continue on in your current one someplace else, fine tuning your skills or learning some new ones is always a lucrative idea. Whether it is University, a local Junior College or the local Adult Community education center. Going to back to school is pretty always a win-win situation.
Think About a Change of Scenery – If you aren’t necessarily looking to quit your job, but definitely need a change of pace. Consider working from home part-time. Granted this isn’t always feasible for some jobs, but sometimes it can be. Think about it.
Research the Trends – It’s not too difficult to do a little homework on current employment trends. You can check your metro area or any area you’ve thought about moving to. You can also research trends in your current field or any field your thinking of moving into. It’s always better to get an idea of what the market looks like before you venture out into it.
Update Your Resume – This should be a given, but many people forget to really go through their resume with a fine toothcomb. This should be the FIRST thing you do when considering a job search. Update all your information and if you’ve made the decision to go back to school, put it on there!
Review and Work on Your Network – Are you on LinkedIn? Have you let your friends on Facebook know your looking? Be sure and visit SimplyHired.com. There new Facebook integration system will help show you which if your Facebook friends work where. This could be invaluable if you’re looking for connections at a specific company. You’ve got a network, use it!
Follow Proper Etiquette – Once you start sending out resume be sure to stay diligent and follow up with your submissions.
Be Interview Ready – Once you start spreading the word that your looking you never know when calls may start to come in. Be ready to hit as soon as the phone rings. Prepare yourself to hit the interview circuit and remind yourself about the things you should be and should not be doing on an interview.
Think Outside of the Box – Be creative while preparing for a new job search. You never know where that next lead may come from.
Utilize Your Community – Make sure you tap into local real life networks and even local job fairs. Whether your thinking about switching careers or looking for anything that’s available job fairs can be a great gateway into showing you what’s available or at the very least networking with others in your field.

Self Employment Could Increase in 2010

Posted on January 28, 2010 by meghan_ntroduction

If you’re thinking about going into business for yourself 2010 just might be the year to do it. There are many pros and cons to becoming self-employed but with a less than stellar job market, looking at other possibilities is a wise move. We’ve offered tips on being self employed before on the blog and how research suggests that self-employed people are the happiest people.

But now a recent press release from the company BOTH (short for Back of the House, a company that offers support for self-employed individuals) predicting that self-employment is only going to grow in 2010 based a number of factors.

Historically serious recessions has always led to a large group of workers who find their way back into the workforce via self employment or contract work.

Even as unemployment begins to level out the growth rate for new jobs will take some time leading many companies to seek less expensive ways to get projects done. Leading to an increase in contract and freelance work.

Professionals will resort to other measures to generate income outside their regular pay grade.

With technology and the Internet job mobility has become without limits. As people become able to do more and more from virtual offices, companies will look to increase flexible work environments that embrace that.

With many Americans having had the proverbial rug pulled out from underneath, many people will shy away from traditional “job security” and instead look for situations in which they have more control by working independently.

As the job market remains somewhat unstable now is a good time to take mental stock of your schools and abilities and see if branching out into freelance or contract work would be a good way to generate an extra income or replace a lost one.