With the credit markets in turmoil and Congress trying to pass legislation to help banks and the financial markets, finding a job that can withstand these turbalant times is key. The following jobs pay higher than most people expect and will withstand this credit crisis.
Court reporters may not out-earn the judge and attorneys, but they take home a handsome paycheck without a college degree. Compared with the seven years’ worth of college tuition their courtroom peers pay, court reporters earn their $50,000 salary with a two-year certificate in court reporting. If you can work your way up to 225 words per minute using special transcription applications, then you can join the ranks of court reporters.
The Lowdown: Court reporters record oral proceedings in court, in private depositions, and in meetings using computer-aided transcription technology. Given the importance of written transcripts in the legal field, reporters are respected as the “guardians of the record.” Demand is strong for certified reporters; the Department of Labor predicts a 25 percent growth in jobs through 2016. Court reporters typically carry a bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, media, or a related field. To sharpen their knowledge on legal proceedings, they can also take classes in criminal justice and law.
Average Salary: $48,380 (BLS); $62,000 (NCRA)
Fashion Designers
You don’t have to be Tom Ford to make a good living as a fashion designer. Most successful designers fly under the radar creating mass-market designs for department stores and retail chains. They may not make headlines during New York Fashion Week, but they take home solid paychecks in the $60,000-$80,000 range.
The Lowdown: Fashion designers take their eye for cut and color and their knowledge of fashion trends to the drawing board to produce lines of clothing and accessories for the consumer market. Most designers develop these skills with a two-year associate’s degree in fashion design from an art school or college degree program. In addition, they learn to use powerful computer-aided design (CAD) applications.
Average Salary: $71,170 (BLS, 2007)
School Principals
Teachers are notoriously underpaid–but their administrative colleagues have a salary advantage. High school principals in many districts take home six-figure paychecks. These compensation levels reflect the leadership responsibility and educational investment principals take on. High-level education administrators are also enjoying increasing demand as school enrollments grow and older administrators retire.
The Lowdown: A graduate degree and plenty of school experience will help an ambitious teacher or administrator make it to the principal’s office. A two-year master’s of education (M.Ed.) or a Ph.D. in education administration is a common qualification for the position. In addition, principals come to the job with demonstrated leadership and communication skills.
Average Salary: $82,120 (BLS, 2007)
Technical Writer
Writing is a labor of love for many, but for writers in technical fields it’s also the source of a healthy paycheck. Technical writers translate technical information for a mass audience, making them a crucial link between consumers and techie product and service providers. Their technical expertise earns them an extra $10,000 a year over the average writer’s salary, according to some estimates.
The Lowdown: Writers typically hold a college bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, or English. Technical writers may increase their employability with courses or a degree in a technical field or a certificate in technical writing.
Average Salary: $62,780 (BLS, 2007)
Aircraft Mechanic
A vocational school training program can land you a solid living as an aircraft mechanic. The $40,000 to $80,000 earnings range reflects the specialized training required to perform avionics repair and maintenance. Aircraft mechanics inspect landing gear, instruments, cabin pressurizing systems, aviation electronics, and more.
The Lowdown: The FAA certifies 170 trade schools to train aircraft mechanics in the craft. Most programs take 19 to 24 months to complete, although some schools offer 2- and 4-year degrees in avionics or aviation technology.
If you are interested in pursuing an online degree but are more interested in a liberal studies program versus business, you are in luck!Many colleges and institutions now offer their liberal studies programs online, whether you are pursuing an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.Simply type in “online liberal studies degree program” in your search engine to find a program that suits your needs. I used Google in this instance.In searching, “liberal arts” and “liberal studies” is often used interchangeably. A plethora of information will then be delivered to you.Two sites I found to be helpful included:
This site also lists different institutions offering online degrees, but also provides useful articles such as what kind of career can one have with a liberal studies degree.This site also has a search engine within it to narrow your search even further.
The Google search also provided links directly to colleges and universities offering an online liberal studies degree program. With a little legwork, I am confident you will find the perfect online liberal studies degree program!
Let’s face it, finding the right job that offers enough financial reward with the comfort of benefits and job stability is as difficult as winning the state lottery. The problem that faces many people is the ability to find a career path that provides a bright future and that is why we have identified several top careers and jobs for 2009 to help you in your search for a perfect career.
No two industries are created equal and therefore there are always going to be selected careers that will remain in demand despite the economic status of the United States. One of these high demand careers is within the HealthCare Industry as a Registered Nurse. Hospitals around the country continue to seek motivated employees that wish to assist in the caring and rehabilitation of patients as a registered nurse.
Average salary ranges for a Registered Nurse according to Indeed.com’s Salary Report, is around $70,000 dollars a year. Becoming a Registered Nurse can be a daunting task, but with the introduction of several adult learning programs offered by online schools, the opportunity to go back to school and earn a degree focused on nursing could not be easier.
Several notable schools such as the University of Phoenix and National American University Online offer students the ability to earn a Bachelors in Science to become a Registered Nurse. If you are interested in a rewarding career that continues to offer career advancement and strong benefits, then you should look into becoming a Registered Nurse and earn your degree today.
Graduate school seems like a logical progression once you achieve your undergraduate degree.However, the reality is graduate school does not have to be the next step in your life and you have to ask yourself honestly, “Is grad school right for me?”
I recently had to ask myself that very question and the truth, at first, seemed hard to bear.I’m currently in a career field where, realistically, a master’s degree is not required to achieve advancement to within a significant salary level.However, I felt that grad school was a logical progression and reasoned that I should have my master’s degree.My reasoning? I believed people looked upon those with a master’s degree more favorably based upon the rigor demanded by graduate school and that a master’s degree would automatically open more doors for me (whatever those doors may be).I decided that I really had no desire to earn a master’s degree in the business field (which my employer would pay for), but instead insisted that if I was going to complete a master’s program, it would be in a program that I would enjoy.So I applied and was accepted into the online liberal studies program at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.I reasoned with myself that if I handled taking three undergraduate courses a semester while working full-time, I could easily handle two grad courses a semester.
The day the fall semester began I reviewed and re-reviewed the syllabi for both classes.Suddenly, my heart was filled with fear versus enthusiasm.The reading alone for one of the courses would easily consume twenty hours a week.I realized I had taken on much more than I could possibly handle.This precipitated me to contemplate why I was even taking grad courses in the first place.Confusion set in and I agonized whether I should attempt the courses or drop them both.I’m not one to quit anything, so this decision left me anxious and depressed.I had several other important activities that I wanted to accomplish on my personal time and these classes would put these activities on hold indefinitely, which was something I really did not want to do.
After a good five-mile run (highly recommended for clearing the mind), I came home and wrote two lists: pros and cons of taking grad courses.The pros list had two items while the cons had approximately ten.I realized that a liberal arts master’s degree while interesting, would not guarantee me that my writing would improve or garner me any more opportunities than my bachelor’s degree and work experience combined. I also realized based on these two facts that it wasn’t worth accumulating an additional $25,000.00 in debt for school loans.My husband is also taking classes, so with me in school as well we really would have no time for one another, which was not acceptable to me.I decided right then to drop both classes and put grad school on the backburner.It wasn’t easy, but I knew in my heart it was the best choice for me and for those close to me.I was relieved instantly.
If you are asking yourself whether grad school is right for you, consider these questions first:
Does my career field require an advanced degree?Be honest with yourself here.
Do I have the time to commit to the rigorous requirements of graduate courses? Just looking at the syllabi for my grad courses made me realize it is vastly different than undergraduate work and would take a considerable amount of time to complete.
Do I want to spend the money on a graduate degree?If so, will it truly be a good investment for me?If a graduate degree won’t help you advance financially, it may not be worth it.
Whether you are beginning your search for college or looking ahead to an advanced degree, chances are you’ll have a test in your future. With so much riding on these tests, it is never too early to start preparing for them. The old method of preparing for a test involved purchasing a study guide for each test you were interested in taking. The options were usually limited to entrance exams, and anyone wishing to get a jump on a professional certificate study guide either had a really difficult time locating one or was just out of luck entirely. If your local bookstore stocked the study guides, they were likely to have been old versions and expensive. If you discovered you really didn’t have the aptitude for medical school, you were stuck with your useless MCAT guide and the stinging disappointment.
Online test preparation allows the potential student an opportunity to dabble in a prospective field without handing over a dime. These online sites offer free practice tests, guides, and advice. Granted, for the full versions of a test, and to receive a qualifying online study course, you’ll need to pay a fee. Who knows, maybe you’ll take a practice test and discover an unknown skill or passion. Here are just a few practice tests you can access online.
Many of us remember preparing to return to school for the New Year. You were excited about the new supplies and clothes, and who would be in your class or your teacher.The only difference between beginning school then and now is your age and you won’t need those new clothes. But you do need the required supplies to make your college experience as successful as possible.
Most online schools will have particular requirements beyond the Internet that you will need to complete your assignments. Before enrolling in an online program you should find out what software, textbooks and time will be required. Some online courses are now integrating CD and DVDs into the curriculum, so a membership to your local library or video store might come in helpful.
The common thread that all online schools have as mentioned earlier in the article is the need for a reliable internet service. Some people may feel that if they have access to the internet by either going to the library, a relative’s house or having a laptop and hanging out in a nearby hot spot this will be acceptable to complete their degree; this may not be the best idea. With technology there can always be the possibilities of your computer or internet access being “down”. Secure an online connection offered by an experienced Internet Service Provider. The likelihood of your connection be unavailable is minimal. Depending on a family member to home and allow you to use their computer can be more problematic than an advantage while relying on public connectivity at your local library or coffee house with Wi-Fi can conflict with your schedule and posed other problems. With the current weather trends and gas prices being able to commute to various places for internet services may be more of a detriment that a benefit.
You should also have a clear understanding of what software is being used to complete assignments. Most school requires the use of Microsoft Office applications. This software package will include Word for completing your essays and other written assignments. It also includes Excel and PowerPoint, two applications that are being used more widely in the education world to display student assignments. Confirm what software is needed and what version you are using. If you do not have the appropriate software; check with your academic advisor before purchasing it. Many schools offer the software at a discounted price.
Textbooks are usually not the concern. Within your tuition, books are usually included and will be mailed directly to you. Ensure that your mailing address is correct. This will help you to receive your books in a timely fashion. Once you receive your books, check the syllabus to confirm that you received the correct book and edition. If you do not receive your books by the start of the course inform your instructor and academic advisor immediately. They may be able to assist in the process and expedite the delivery.
You may not feel that time is a supply, but it is a commodity that you use up and never get back. Although the school can not mandate the time needed to complete your task for class you can schedule out your time to allow you the appropriate amount needed for YOU as a student. You should try to schedule between 5-10 hours per week for your classes. This should be sufficient in helping you to cover your reading, discussion, real-time discussions and additional research that might be required.
Prepare for school in the beginning and you will have less confusion and set backs later on. Once your class begins, your focus should be on content and not how to execute it. Proper planning has always been valuable.
Whether you’ve finished your online degree or not, it’s time to post your résumé online and become visible to the employers who are in need of someone like you. While some employers are searching for college graduates, others are seeking active students who can benefit from an internship or entry level position.
The search for employment has, by some degree, become more convenient for job seekers who turn to online job listing sites. Posting your résumé online for employers to view can help you save time and money. The exposure these sites offer make it worth your while to take the time to gather your transcripts, previous work history information, and any letters of reference or contact information and spend time an afternoon creating your online profile.
There are a large number of job listing sites available. The term “job listings” returns 19.5 million hits in Google. There are the well-known sites like CareerBuilder and Monster, but there are also niche driven job listings like Delaware State Jobs and Federal Jobs Digest. Alternatively, for a fee, you can submit your résumé to sites like Resumé Rabbit and they will post your résumé on a potential list of 85 job search Web sites.
Post away job seeker—just remember to keep your résumé and contact information current!
Obtaining an online education requires one to write quite a bit more than would be required in a traditional program. This is because reading/writing is the primary or sole means of communication in the online education arena. Real-time chats, message boards, and email are the ways students, professors and teacher’s assistance (TAs) interact with each other. Little, if any, phone calls take place. The benefits of this are obvious: refining such skills in the online classroom will pay dividends in one’s future work.
Unfortunately, not all aspects of this fringe benefit are positive. I found my ability to interact directly with people, conversation skills, verbal listening skills, and verbal speaking skills declining as I was engrossed in the reading/writing in my online education. Students can parry this potential, unwanted side-effect by investing some time for continued socialization with friends and family.
It is very difficult to formulate complex academic questions in written prose. Learning how to overcome this challenge is an yet another challenge of obtaining and online education. The online student will find him/herself reading emails to professors, over and over, listening to whether or not the question is actually interpretable. The dialogue that would have occurred in the professor’s office to help the professor understand what the student is asking takes place in the online student’s mind. The student must learn how someone might incorrectly interpret their written sentences and make adjustments to save time and quickly get the answer they need.
One of the many fringe benefits of obtaining an online education is the opportunity to enhance one’s computing and internet skills. In today’s information/knowledge based economy, the enhancement of such skills is critical to becoming competitive in the workforce.
Online education will require the student to upload/download files via FTP websites, create electronic submittals of assignments and exams, use email to communicate with students and professors, use web-based message boards to discuss technical subjects, use java chat applets to communicate in real-time with students and professors, etc.
These electronic skills will benefit the student down the road in his/her job. Learning these skills in the online education arena is especially crucial to baby boomers or others who are more likely to not have previously been exposed to this technology.
When I was an online student at the University of Maryland, I enhanced my electronic/internet skills in the following ways:
I learned how to use the drawing function within MS Word to create complex illustrations to illustrate design approaches.
I learned how to use MS Equation Editor to illustrate the solution to equations.
I learned how to embed spreadsheets within MS Word documents to allow a reviewer to manipulate and view solutions.
I enhanced my online search abilities in the quest to complete specific assignments.
After I graduated, I continually impress my superiors with my enhanced electronic skills.
