| When it comes to landing a job or keeping your | | | | Cost estimators will usually be apprenticed to an |
| current job, your best offensive move may be to | | | | experienced estimator. You can achieve certification |
| earn your bachelor's degree. | | | | within a couple of years and expect your salary to |
| The U.S. Department of Labor keeps records of | | | | be a bit above $60,000. About 44,000 new jobs are |
| these statistics; from June 2009 through June 2010, | | | | expected to open up by 2018. As a Financial Analyst, |
| the unemployment rate for people over the age of | | | | you can expect to make over $85,000 annually with |
| 25, holding at least a bachelor's degree, was 4%-6% | | | | job openings expected to be over 40,000 by 2018. |
| lower than for those people that only have a high | | | | - Engineering Services degrees are also highly sought |
| school education. In just one month, for example, the | | | | after. There are expected to be over 139,000 new |
| unemployment rate for those having at least a | | | | positions available by 2018, including civil and industrial |
| bachelor's degree was 4.4%. To compare, the same | | | | engineers. Once your training period is complete, you |
| month showed an unemployment rate of 10.8% for | | | | can expect to make slightly more than $80,000 a |
| those with just a high school education. That's a | | | | year. Computer Software Engineering is also a rapid |
| pretty hefty difference and one that tells you what | | | | growth industry and one that pays well. For an |
| employers are looking for and who they are keeping | | | | engineer that designs applications, you will make |
| in their ranks. | | | | somewhere around $90,000 annually and there are |
| There was a time when you could "work your way | | | | expected to be around 235,000 openings between |
| up" through the ranks by taking an entry-level job | | | | now and 2018. |
| and then using OJT (on-the-job-training) in order to | | | | - Educational Services are kind of "iffy", but if you |
| hone your current skills or to learn new skills. Now, if | | | | specialize or work for a private school, your options |
| you are in a position like this, you best be thinking | | | | are more varied. Even in today's economy, close to |
| about going to college and earning that degree. If | | | | half a million new teaching jobs are expected to open |
| push comes to shove, and in this economy that is a | | | | up. The starting job offer will probably be a little over |
| very real possibility, the person with the bachelor's | | | | $30,000, but if you teach Secondary School, Special |
| degree will get the promotion or even be retained by | | | | Education or Vocational Education, you can expect to |
| the company, over you, who may only have a high | | | | make $55,150. There is also a higher demand for |
| school diploma. And don't look for much help | | | | math and science teachers, as well as for bilingual |
| financially. As companies have to cut costs and | | | | educators. Your likelihood of landing a job are also |
| continue to find ways to do more with less, sharing | | | | better in urban or rural areas. And if you are already |
| college costs will go by the way-side as 401(k) | | | | a teacher, consider continuing your education, earning |
| matching funds have. Financial aid is still available; it | | | | your master's and working your way into an |
| just may not be available through your employer. | | | | Education Administrator position. It will be well worth |
| Any bachelor's degree or better will do, but if you | | | | the effort and the money, as most administrator |
| are looking for a career that has better odds than | | | | positions will be filled from the teaching workforce. |
| others, then either pursue a specialized degree or go | | | | Those who have exhibited the desire to get ahead |
| back to school and take what's necessary to add | | | | by furthering their education, combined with their |
| another major to your résumé. If you are still in | | | | valuable experience, have a really good chance of |
| college, you may want to consider switching your | | | | landing one of the 36,000 some positions to be filled |
| major. | | | | by the year 2018. |
| Here are some of the most highly sought after | | | | This is not a time to sit on your hands. This is a time |
| degrees: | | | | to do what needs to be done in order to lessen the |
| - Accounting Services can get you a job as an | | | | chance that you will become an unemployment |
| Accountant/Auditor or a Budget Analyst. The starting | | | | statistic. High school students should be looking at |
| job offer can be as low as $50,000 but average | | | | going to college, with their eye on a bachelor's |
| annual salaries for either of these positions is | | | | degree. You can't even collect unemployment if you |
| between $67,000 and $69,000. This is a career | | | | aren't employed to begin with and even if you go to |
| expecting tremendous growth with an expected | | | | work flipping burgers right out of college; your |
| 223,000+ positions to be available by 2018 for | | | | advancement potential is greatly enhanced with a |
| Accountant/Auditors and another 8,000 jobs available | | | | bachelor's degree, or better. |
| for Budget Analysts. | | | | The bitter truth is that no one knows what the |
| - Financial Services, which can include accounting, | | | | future holds and the better armed you are to deal |
| finance, business, statistics or economics, can land | | | | with it, the better chance that you will make it |
| you a job as a Financial Analyst or a Cost Estimator. | | | | through where others have failed. |