| The question confronting most people who | | | | school up to jobs requiring a two year |
| want to find a job is "what's a good | | | | community college or vocational school |
| paying job with growth potential?" | | | | training program or 4 year bachelor's |
| At one time, the Conestoga wagon | | | | degree. |
| building trade boomed as people joined | | | | What do you see when you do the job |
| the wagon trains heading west. | | | | information search? |
| Today, the boom is long gone and those | | | | You see the first 25 of (for Alabama) |
| wanting to find a job with a future will | | | | 513 fastest growing jobs as determined |
| most likely wish to stay away from such | | | | by the number of jobs that will be |
| a field. | | | | available between 2000 and 2010. |
| So how can you find a job that will | | | | As might be expected the job with the |
| reasonably be expected to thrive in the | | | | highest growth prospects for Alabama is |
| future either in your home state or the | | | | computer software engineering and |
| state in which you choose to reside? | | | | applications. |
| One key is through using Labor Market | | | | By clicking on the job itself you find |
| Information to research potential jobs | | | | the "Occupation Report" for that state. |
| as you create a long term plan to find | | | | You'll learn a wealth of information |
| the job you feel is ideal for your | | | | about this particular job and be able to |
| skills and interests. | | | | watch an online job video showing you |
| Your first step to find a job with | | | | just what a particular job involves. |
| potential is to use the free service | | | | Since you want to find a job with good |
| available at "America's Career InfoNet" | | | | income potential, you'll see - on |
| a website sponsored by the U.S. | | | | average - the kind of money people in |
| Department of Labor. | | | | this job make in the particular state |
| To find a job with growth potential in | | | | and nationwide based on government labor |
| your state, visit this state by state | | | | market information. |
| database. (This opens in a new window so | | | | Now let's try to find a job that's in |
| you will not lose the instructions on | | | | the "Highest Paying" category but only |
| how to find a job with potential on this | | | | requiring a 2 year training program at |
| page when you click the link!) | | | | the most. |
| After you've searched for a particular | | | | What job's come up? Hint: They'll be |
| state - we'll use Alabama as an example | | | | listed by the highest pay expressed |
| - here's what you'll find... | | | | (when possible) as an HOURLY wage and |
| 1) Basic demographic information under | | | | then an ANNUAL WAGE for the job you find |
| these headings: | | | | in Hourly/Annual format. |
| (Again, these are for Alabama.) | | | | For Alabama (the answer may vary for |
| Demographic Information: | | | | your state) the Top 10 are: |
| 2001 Population 4,468,900 | | | | 1 Commercial Pilots N/A /$59,100 |
| 2002 Labor Force 2,102,800 | | | | 2 Computer Specialists, All Other $24.52 |
| 2002 Unemployment Rate 5.9% | | | | $51,000 |
| 2002 Median Household Income $37,600 | | | | 3 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, |
| 2001 Per Capita Income $24,500 | | | | Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay $23.59 |
| You'll be able to see how the state | | | | $49,100 |
| ranks nationally and you'll be able to | | | | 4 Radiation Therapists $22.67/$47,200 |
| check unemployment rates by county just | | | | 5 Electrical and Electronics Drafters |
| to know what you're up against in your | | | | $22.02/$45,800 |
| job search for a particular county! | | | | 6 Aerospace Engineering and Operations |
| 2) The next step to find a job in a | | | | Technicians $21.98/$45,700 |
| growing occupation is to choose the kind | | | | 7 Electrical and Electronic Engineering |
| of growth occupation you have in mind. | | | | Technicians $21.71/$45,200 |
| Your options will be... | | | | 8 Appraisers and Assessors of Real |
| Fastest growing occupations | | | | Estate $21.16/$44,000 |
| Occupations with the most openings | | | | 9 Ship Engineers $21.13/$44,000 |
| Occupations with the largest employment | | | | 10 Telecommunications Equipment |
| Occupations with declining employment | | | | Installers and Repairers, Except Line |
| Highest paying occupations | | | | Installers $20.79/$43,200 |
| At this point in your career search | | | | Again, you can click on the job titles |
| you'll also be asked to choose the level | | | | you find and go directly to an |
| of education you're willing to achieve | | | | occupational report. |
| to enhance your income. The options | | | | By using Labor Market Information, you |
| listed are... Overall | | | | can find a job with high growth |
| Requiring only work experience or | | | | potential, high wages, and usually a |
| on-the-job training | | | | training requirement that involves only |
| Requiring post-secondary training or an | | | | 2 years of training or less beyond high |
| associate's degree | | | | school. |
| Requiring a bachelor's degree or higher | | | | Remember, you do not necessarily need a |
| Click the appropriate button to make | | | | traditional 4 year degree to find a job |
| your selections and then you can hit | | | | with high growth potential. You DO need |
| "search" to find a job with growth | | | | specific skills however not more |
| potential. | | | | "underwater basket weaving courses" at |
| In this case we'll select "Fastest | | | | college that are unrelated to a specific |
| growth" and "overall" educational | | | | field. |
| requirements. | | | | 4 year degrees are nice and even |
| When you search to find a job with these | | | | graduate degrees are important to find a |
| criteria, you'll receive results based | | | | job in some fields. But increasingly, 2 |
| on the fastest growth in sheer number of | | | | year specialized programs are dominating |
| jobs and you'll receive listings that | | | | the field as far as improving wages. |
| may require no education beyond high | | | | |