Dr. Christopher Harz
Welcome to part 2 of SMARTer Job Hunting: Choosing a Career Path. We aim to help you plan your career opportunities by researching potential job areas such as the ones listed below.
The Labor Department recognizes around 900 major careers, which are usually grouped into the following six areas: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional.
In this post, we will look at the last three career paths. As discussed in the first post, we will look at some examples to help you choose a career path. SMARTer Job Hunting helps you define your career opportunities by thoroughly researching potential job areas, determine potential costs and benefits. We’ll omit obvious high-earning ones like surgeons and dentists, which require a great deal of additional expensive schooling.
4 – SOCIAL. People with social interests like working with others to help them learn and grow. They like working with people more than working with objects, machines, or information. They like teaching, giving advice, helping, and being of service to people. They include:
Education Teachers, Postsecondary. These workers teach courses related to education, such as counseling, guidance, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. This category includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. They produce course preparations, tests and homework, create handouts, and publish research results in journals or online. A Master’s degree may be needed. Average salary across the US is $66, 930 per year.
Flight Attendants. These provide services to airline passengers, explain safety information, serve food and beverages, and respond to emergency incidents. A recent trend is an increased need to monitor passenger behavior to identify threats to the safety of the crew and other passengers. A Bachelor’s Degree and good communication skills are usually needed. Average compensation (in addition to meals, hotels and other costs) is $63,760.
Hosts & Hostesses, Restaurants, etc. These workers greet guests and then assign them to tables suitable for their needs and so that table servers receive an equal number of seatings. Such jobs are typical of what many graduates accept if they are unable to find employment in their desired field within a reasonable time period. Average compensation is $27,720 per year. Meals may be included.
Massage Therapist. These therapists perform body massages, especially muscle tissues and joints. They can assist in the assessment and improvement of a range of motion and muscle strength. An AA degree or equivalent certification is usually required. Average annual salary is $49,860.
Music Therapist. These organize and direct clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals’ physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status. This type of therapy has been found effective with certain behaviorally challenged children and adults, such as those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. A degree in psychology, theater arts or music is helpful. Average salary is $60,800.
Radiation Therapist. This job involves providing radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by a radiation oncologist. Duties include acting as liaison with physician and supportive care personnel, preparing equipment including radiation and and protection devices, and maintaining records, reports, and files. An AA degree is usually sufficient, and average salary is relatively good at $89,530.
5 – ENTERPRISING. People with enterprising interests like starting up companies or and carrying out business projects. These include taking direct action, persuading and leading people, making decisions, and taking risks for eventual profit. They include:
Advertising & Promotions Managers. These prepare advertising and promotional materials to increase sales of products or services. They work and interact with customers, company officials, sales departments, and advertising agencies.
They review and edit layouts and advertising copy, scripts, audio, video, and other promotional material. A Bachelor’s and background in business or marketing, as well as graphic skills, are usually needed. The average pay is about $128,000.
Air Traffic Controller. These tend to be very “take charge” individuals. They inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, including weather, speed and direction of wind, and visibility problems. They Issue landing and take-off authorizations and instructions. Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of incoming flights. If you decide not to finish your college degree, this might be an option, as only a high school GED is needed. Good communication and fast reaction skills are needed. Average salary is $132,250.
Specialty Chefs. These often get hired at restaurants that are starting up. They create special and unique food such as desserts, and plan and price menu items as well as keep records and accounts. An AA degree and a certificate from a recognized gourmet cooking school are often needed. Average pay is $56,520. Meals may be included.
Financial Managers. They direct and coordinate investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of an establishment branch or work in an independent investment company. A Bachelor’s degree in business administration or accounting and a certificate are usually needed, as well as the ability to interact with clients. Average salary is about $140,000.
Personal Financial Advisors. They advise clients on financial plans, tax and investment strategies, securities, and investments such as real estate. Typical duties include assessing clients’ assets and liabilities, cash flow, tax status, and financial objectives, as well as buying and selling financial assets and investments for clients. Bacchelor’s degree and an accounting or similar certificate are usually needed. Average compensation is $95,390.
6 – CONVENTIONAL. People with conventional or routine-oriented interests like work that follows set procedures and schedules. They prefer working with information and paying attention to detail rather than working with ideas. These include:
Accountants & Auditors. These examine financial records and prepare detailed reports on audit findings. Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities. They also collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls and non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies. A Bachelor’s degree in a business-related area and a certificate in accounting are usually needed. Average salary is $78,000.
Chief Sustainability Officer. They evaluate the effectiveness of a company’s sustainability programs. They address issues such as energy use, resource conservation, recycling, pollution reduction, waste elimination, transportation of employees and resources, education, and building design. A Bachelor’s degree and Master’s such as an MBA are usually required. Average salary is about $190,000.
Information Security Analysts. They develop and implement plans to safeguard computer files against accidental or unauthorized attacks, destruction, or disclosure, and set up redundant systems in case of emergencies. They monitor current computer viruses and react to update virus protection systems. They supervise the encryption of data and erect firewalls to protect information transmission and storage. A Bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field and a certificate in cyberattack prevention are often required. This is a growing field. A Deputy Director of the FBI told me that cyberattacks and revenue from blackmailing banks, hospitals, and utilities increased by 40% in 2022, and around 80% of US companies had some form of data breach. He added that the latest targets are casinos. Average pay is $112,000, which can grow rapidly with demonstrated experience.
Now that we’ve reviewed the types of jobs there are, and the challenges for job hunters nowadays, you may well ask, “What are some well-paying jobs that appear to be on the increase ?” Three of the best candidates are:
IT Jobs in AI. Artificial Intelligence jobs have increased by 32% in the last couple of years, according to Springboard, and companies are actively seeking candidates, even hiring search firms to find them. AI jobs cut across many industries, so you could have the opportunity to move from being a programmer to a machine learning engineer, data scientist, robotics engineer, or Natural Language Processing engineer. All of these pay well north of $100,000 per year. Note that there are over 15,000 AI jobs on LinkedIn. Industries looking for such employees include major IT houses, Investment and other Wall Street corporations, healthcare organizations, and retail players such as Walmart. You’ll need a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in computer science, and certifications or experience in data analysis and advanced visualization.
Nursing Specialists. The field for nursing is opening up, and the demand is strong. Even basic nurses earn $133,000 in California. New opportunities include online mental health care and the use of technology such as virtual reality and wearable sensors to treat PTSD and other mental challenges.
Marketing Managers. Marketing experts who are savvy in new technologies are in hot demand. These increase brand awareness, find business partners and channels of distribution, and research and guide new or related products. Familiarity with social media and advanced visualization technologies will be a plus. Companies like Sephora, for instance, use augmented reality and AI that enables virtual experiences of its products for customers to discover and buy. A Bachelor’s degree in marketing or business and experience or training in new technologies will be necessary. Salaries range around $140,000 annually.
In contrast, the worst jobs in America now are reported to be hotel workers, restaurant servers, and truck drivers.
SMARTer Job Hunting helps you choose a career path by defining your opportunities by thoroughly researching potential job areas. The list above is the last three of the six career path job categories, with a few examples in each. I hope you found some jobs you might not have thought of. Please read our early post to review the first three career path job categories to review more options.
When choosing a career path, it is important that you plan ahead for your new career by researching potential job areas such as these, and if possible, check them out personally “on the ground.” This can greatly reduce the months spent looking for a well-paying job. To help you with your research, may find our free Jobcast and Webinars of interest.
Much of what we covered in this post about choosing a career path is in the recently published book SMARTer Job Hunting, available on our SMARTer Job Hunting website or on Amazon. It addresses the problems those in the job-hunting industry face, including job seekers, job counselors, and human resource executives, who face the high costs of layoffs and outplacement.
