You don't have to tell anyone looking for work that this is a tough job market. The search can be long and grueling and for many, ultimately unsatisfying when they find themselves vying for the same position a few thousand others have applied for or be forced to take a job they know they're going to hate just because they need the money.
There are, however, a few jobs that offer the combination of above-average salaries, excellent growth over the next decade, and high job satisfaction, not to mention openings. Lucky for you the editors of the U.S. News Media Group have a list of them called U.S. News's 50 Best Careers for 2011.
The jobs feature a number of careers that might surprise you such as athletic trainer or massage therapist, not mention heating, air conditioning and refrigeration technician, and interpreter/translator. Not the usual high profile careers on any best jobs list I've ever heard of, but hey, the times are changing and if you're looking for work, you need to change with them.
With an aging baby boomer generation, healthcare remains an area for job growth, as does technology. Alexis Grant, the editor of U.S. News's Careers section says that in creating the list, they sought advice from people working in the industry on how to land jobs in occupations that promise growth and stability, above average income and high job satisfaction.
They also considered job-growth projections from the Labor Department and narrowed it down to occupations that are expected to add jobs at an above-average rate over the next decade. They cut from the list any position that showed a higher-than-average unemployment rate or shrinking employment numbers during the last few quarters. For example, they eliminated funeral director, plumber, security system installer, and landscape architect, along with market research analyst, loan officer, and cost estimator.
In a struggling economy like ours competition for jobs that made this list is still going to be stiff. According to the Labor Department, the ratio of job openings to unemployed people is five to one. That's five unemployed people for every job opening.
Still, whether you're out of work or the job you have is no longer satisfying, chances are there are some occupations on this list that will suit you. Here are U.S. News 50 Best Careers of 2011, divided into Five Categories: business, creative and service jobs, social service, healthcare, and technology.
Business Jobs: Accountant, Actuary, Financial adviser, Financial analyst, Logistician, Meeting planner, Public relations specialist, Sales manager, Training specialist.
Creative and Service Jobs: Commercial pilot, Curator, Film and video editor, Gaming manager, Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration technician, Interpreter/Translator, Multimedia artist, Technical writer.
Healthcare Jobs: Athletic trainer, Dental hygienist, Lab technician, Massage therapist, Occupational therapist, Optometrist, Physician assistant, Physical therapist, Physical therapist assistant, Radiologic technologist, Registered nurse, School psychologist, Veterinarian.
Social Service Jobs: Clergy, Court reporter, Education administrator, Emergency management specialist, Firefighter, Marriage and family therapist, Mediator, Medical and public health social worker, Special-education teacher, Urban planner.
Technology Jobs: Biomedical engineer, Civil engineer, Computer software engineer, Computer support specialist, Computer systems analyst, Environmental engineering technician, environmental science technician, Hydrologist, Meteorologist, Network architect.
To learn more about each position, go to www.usnews.com/careers where you'll find extensive profiles on each of the top 50 careers, with information on salary, professional development, advancement opportunities, activity and stress levels, as well as educational or training requirements. Each occupation profile includes tips from people who work in those industries about how to get hired for that job. Happy hunting.
