Finding Work
With the right skills and a willingness to shift fields, you could strike pay dirt right away
FUTURE PROSPECTS: Medical technicians. Once, it was just the X-ray. Now there's a veritable alphabet soup of technologically advanced medical imaging devices: CT, MRI, PET, plus ultrasound and mammography, and there are too few skilled workers to operate them. The average annual salary is around $40,000. There are plenty of ways to get into the field, says the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, including two-year programs at hospitals or community colleges or four-year degree programs. And because the technology is changing so quickly, on-the-job training is essential. -Katherine Hobson
Education
The writing is on the blackboard: Educators are in demand. While state budget cuts have slowed hiring in a few areas, most school districts are actively searching for new teachers to keep up with booming enrollments, teacher retirements, and smaller class sizes. The Florida Department of Education, for example, estimates at least 16,000 new hires will be needed next year across the state. Special-education, bilingual, math, and science teachers typically top districts' most-wanted lists. But like real-estate values, the job market for educators depends on location. High-growth areas like Las Vegas are turning to TV and bus stop ads to help land some 1,600 educators for next school year; at the same time, tony districts like those on Chicago's North Shore and in Westchester County, N.Y., usually receive a bundle of applications for every opening.
NOW HIRING: Librarians are the hot ticket, with a range of employers from rural elementary schools to top-notch research universities hunting for them. Last November, Cara McDaniel, 23, found her "dream job" as a librarian at Hilton Head High School in South Carolina--weeks before she graduated from the University of South Carolina. Librarian jobs should be abundant for some time. The American Library Association reports that more than a quarter of all currently employed librarians will reach age 65 by 2009. These jobs require much more than a love of books. A master's degree in library science is necessary, and, increasingly, librarians must have up-to-date computer skills to manage online databases. First lady, and former librarian, Laura Bush announced last month that the president's 2004 budget will include $20 million to recruit and train the next generation of librarians. None of the money, however, will go to increase salaries, which average about $49,800 annually.
FUTURE PROSPECTS: The school CEO, the principal, has one of the toughest jobs in education--and there will soon be a lot of openings at the top. Through 2010, the nation's schools will need 10 percent more principals as school enrollments mushroom, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And some 40 percent of principals will reach retirement age over the next decade. Most schools require some teaching experience and at least a master's degree. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals, annual pay is about $83,000 for high school principals and about $67,800 for assistant principals. -Ulrich Boser
Technology
Everyone hopes the technology industry has hit bottom, but computer and telecom companies continue to shed jobs. Many nontech companies, though, have a steady appetite for skilled computer workers, says Scot Melland of Dice Inc., which runs an online recruiting service for tech professionals. Those hiring such workers include healthcare, defense, and government agencies. The burst Internet bubble left behind a supply that still outstrips demand, but workers with certain programming skills--in computer languages like C++ and Java--are needed. And they're often working on Web-related projects. "We're certainly not finished with the Internet," says Maria Schafer of market researcher Meta Group.
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