Where the Jobs Are

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has identified a number of exciting professions expected to
experience above-average growth over the next decade. Most of these positions fall within the top
25 percent of earnings for workers overall, and most require a bachelor's degree or higher.

Expected new positions through 2012

Registered nurses: 623,000
Postsecondary teachers: 603,000
Management: 376,000
Nursing aides: 343,000
Elementary school teachers: 223,000
Accountants: 205,000
Computer systems analysts: 184,000
Secondary school teachers: 180,000
Computer software engineers: 179,000
Information systems managers: 103,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

But why is the job market so hot for health care workers, accountants, educators, and IT
professionals? Are any of these growing careers right for you?

A Career in Caring

According to the BLS, registered nurses constitute the largest health care occupation, with an
estimated creation of 2.3 million jobs into the next decade. Career satisfaction, a nursing
shortage, and good salaries are all contributing to the growth of the field. But there are other
attractions to this career.

"Another source of interest may be attributed to student loan forgiveness given by health care
institutions and the federal government when students are hired after graduation," notes Elizabeth
McGann, DNSc, RN, CS, associate professor of nursing, and chair of the department of nursing at
Quinnipiac University (Quinnipiac, NY).

Registered nurses and nurses aides require specific training.  RN positions require at least an
associate degree, while short-term or on-the-job training is generally necessary for nurse's aides.

The American Nurses Association reports that staff nurses earn an average $35,212. At the high end
of the nursing scale, nurse anesthetists average $76,053.

The Education Explosion

With about one in four Americans enrolled in an educational institution, education is the second
largest industry in the country, accounting for about 12.7 million jobs. Most teaching
positions--which constitute almost half of all educational services jobs--require at least a
bachelor's degree, and many require a master's or doctoral degree.

Secondary school teachers are expected to increase in numbers by some 18 percent by 2012. Salaries
are rising as well; the American Federation of Teachers estimates the average salary of all public
elementary and secondary school teachers in the 2001–02 school year as $44,367. Additional benefits
include flexibility in vacation time.

Postsecondary teaching positions are expected to grow 38 percent over the next decade.
Median annual earnings of all postsecondary teachers in 2002 were $49,040. Postsecondary
instructors enjoy flexibility comparable to secondary teachers, and are generally able to focus on
their specific field of interest.

Accounting for Growth

With the BLS's projected growth in accountant positions from 2002-2012 at 19 percent, it's no
surprise that the American Institute of CPAs cites 11 percent more accounting degrees awarded in
2003 than the previous year. The accounting scandals of Enron and other major corporations seem to
have actually fueled interest and demand in the field. In fact, says Dr. Ron Kucic, director of the
School of Accountancy at the University of Denver, the profession's problems have actually made the
profession "sexy."

In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which imposes greater accountability on CEOs and CFOs
for their companies' internal controls, is being credited with helping create new accounting jobs.
"The publicity registered among potential students that accounting was important," says Dr. Kucic.
"It's also viewed as a good field in an uncertain economy. Accountants are often the first hired
and the last fired.”

And accountants are well compensated. According to a salary survey conducted by the National
Association of Colleges and Employers, bachelor's degree candidates in accounting received starting
offers averaging $40,647 a year in 2003; master's degree candidates in accounting were initially
offered $42,241.

The Rebound of Information Technology

The technology industry continues to grow, and there is a wealth of fields in need of skilled
information technology (IT) workers. "The New York Times cites a labor department listing of the 15
fastest-growing jobs for the decade, and a total of 10 are in IT," says Dr. Susan Merritt, dean of
the School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University (New York, NY). These
include computer systems analysts, software engineering, application development, network design,
and computer support.

"Computing is here to stay, and it's a great and deep field," says Dr. Merritt, "Good computer
professionals who are well educated are worth their weight in gold."

Median annual earnings of computer systems analysts were $62,890 in 2002, and the highest 10
percent earned more than $93,400.

Corporate Leaders of Tomorrow

It's natural for an aspiring professional to want to be at the head of the boardroom, and not only
because the profession is projected to experience 10-20 percent growth into 2012. Executives at the
top of their field are among the highest paid workers, according to the BLS's Occupational Outlook
Handbook,

But how do you get to the top of the corporate ladder? According to David A. Wilson, president and
CEO of the Graduate Management Admission Council, a rigorous formal education, specifically study
toward an MBA, can help heighten one's level of success. He points out that one of the rewards of a
person's education comes in the form of career advancement and then mobility.

“In an era when people don't tend to stay with one company or job track for their entire career,
the MBA is allowing them take control of their careers and change course when they want or need
to,” says Wilson.

Once you get into the boardroom, long hours, extensive travel, and intense pressure come with the
territory, but salaries are often commensurate with such hard work, experience, and educational
attainment.



___________________________________________
Cynthia M. Daniels
Northwestern University
Biomedical Engineering Department
2145 N. Sheridan Rd.
Technological Institute, E310
Evanston, IL 60208
Ameer Lab: 847-491-7646
Email: [log in to unmask]

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€