In-demand occupations: jobs for your future

Dear readers and job-seekers, Good news: your tax dollars are being put to good use by the US Dept of Labor and US Dept of Education, which collaborated to generate a list of the top-50 occupations that are expected to be needed for quite some time. These are the top ten:

1. Registered nurses (RN) - Median wage is $29 per hour, plus you don't have to wear the little white hat anymore. Empathy and quick thinking are necessary skills.

2. General and operations managers - Median wage is $43 per hour and less higher education is needed for this kind of work. Organizational and people skills needed!

3. Physicians and surgeons - They make a lot of money and you have to go to school for a long time. My advice: marry one and get free medical advice forever.

4. Elementary school teachers - Annual wages range from $31K - $74K. Yes, a college degree is needed, but this country needs good teachers. Only the patient and dedicated should apply.

5. Accountants and auditors - The hourly range is $17 - $47 an hour. Yes, it's bean counting, but reliable bean counters will be needed for all eternity. Meticulous about details, numbers, and rules? This is your profession.

6. Software engineers - You can make up to $60 an hour in this profession and not one dime need be spent on a tie or a suit. Problem solvers and the technically inclined (geeky) wanted.

7. Lawyers - We all know lawyers make good money, if they want to. In addition, there are flexible hours (outside court), you get to dress up and you can help people. You need a very good memory. Laws change constantly.

8. Sales reps (wholesale and manufacturing) - The top 10% make about $50 an hour. What's most important here is that you have a great deal of optimism. Eeyore never made top sales figures.

9. Computer systems analysts - The range is $21 - $55 an hour for this type of work. Less education is needed than other professions. You must love love love problem solving.

10. Management analysts - Wow, you can make up to $63 an hour telling people what's wrong with something. I joke: this profession helps organizations implement smarter ways of working. Do you make giant, color-coded spreadsheets on your own time? Consider this profession.

There are forty more occupations to learn about, which you can see at careervoyages.gov. You'll find job descriptions, wages, projected growth, education needed, and videos/descriptions of the jobs you want to learn about.

Here at Office, we have a great new site for resumes, career advice, news, and job-search videos.

Best of luck in your search!

- Ed

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