U-Turn Ahead

If you are considering a career change, what are your best options? Given the ever-changing job market, it is important to know what careers are hot, and which are not. Will the job you are considering be needed in ten years? Are there too many qualified applicants vying for two few positions?

It’s important to do your research and know the potential for the career you are considering. A couple weeks ago, U.S. News and World Report published it’s second annual list of Best Careers. Criteria for making the list of 31 included job satisfaction, training difficulty, pay, prestige and job market outlook. The only job to score top marks in each of these categories was fundraiser. The five highest paying jobs with an “A” in satisfaction were:

1. Higher Education Administrator ($103,000 national annual median)
2. Optometrist ($99,700)
3. Usability/User Experience Specialist ($98,800)
4. Systems Analyst ($91,000)
5. Professor ($85,300)

Last year when U.S. News first published the list of Best Careers, the emphasis was on jobs that required a college degree. However, Marty Nemko of U.S. News reports that this years list includes four entries that do not require a college education. In fact, Marty’s accompanying article, Best Careers for a Changing Job Landscape suggests that college grads may want to consider one of these blue-collar careers. These careers include firefighter, locksmith and hairstylist.

While preparing their report, U.S. News identified a dozen exciting careers that show great promise, but are too new to predict the long term outlook. The “Ahead of the Curve” article includes interesting careers in health care such as wellness coach and patient advocates. The emerging careers are also influenced by current events with positions in emergency planning and green-collar consulting resulting from issues of terrorism and the environment. U.S. News included a list of the 13 most overrated careers that included chefs, architects, and small business-owners.

If you are researching a possible career choice, be sure to visit U.S. News today. Each top career has a link to a well researched description that includes median pay, training requirements, smart specialties, and links to other resources. Click here for access to all of the mentioned lists and articles.