Finding Work
With the right skills and a willingness to shift fields, you could strike pay dirt right away
NOW HIRING: Network administrator/analyst. In hard times, companies can save money by improving links between computer systems from various makers and even eras, such as mainframes with newer personal computers. The best job candidates know how systems work together or are certified in operating the hardware that provides the glue, such as Cisco networking gear. Internet cops--those with experience in tightening network security--are in special demand, particularly in the booming healthcare industry as it scrambles to meet new privacy regulations, says Dawn Neiffer with the recruiting firm of Hall Kinion & Associates. Other recruiters report the same for the secretive defense industry. A bachelor's degree is usually necessary. Administrators typically earn $46,000 to $77,000 a year, while analysts make $42,000 to $95,000 a year.
FUTURE PROSPECTS: Database manager/analyst/developer. They're in demand now, and are likely to be for many years to come, as companies and government agencies gather a huge amount of data on customers, suppliers, and markets--and struggle to do something useful with it. Medical giant Kaiser Permanente, for example, recently announced a $1.8 billion project to computerize patient records. Good developers know not only Oracle or one of the other major applications but also how it swaps data with others, says Glenn Hoogerwerf of VMC Consulting, whose work for companies includes software testing. That's an area that will draw more workers with liberal arts degrees. Computer science programs won't keep up with demand, anyway, and a decade from now, tech managers and analysts will better value communication skills in supporting applications. A bachelor's degree is usually required. Salaries range from a low of $40,000 a year for a new analyst to $86,000 for an experienced administrator. -David LaGesse
Finance
As the stock market goes, so go banking and brokerage jobs, which explains why Merrill Lynch has 25 percent fewer employees today than it had two years ago. But happily for job seekers, Wall Street is just one part of the broader finance sector. As a result of continuing worries about the economy, long-term interest rates remain at multidecade lows. That means "mortgage banking and anything having to do with residential home construction are still very hot areas of the [job] market," says John Challenger, CEO of the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Elsewhere, the do-it-yourself trading craze of the late '90s has turned into stock market rage, creating opportunities for financial planners as burned investors and 401(k) participants seek help.
NOW HIRING: Though it had already added more than 110,000 jobs over the past two years, the mortgage banking industry is still desperately seeking loan originators. True, interest rates are expected to climb in the latter half of this year. And if and when that happens, refinancing activity is likely to slow. But the Mortgage Bankers Association of America still anticipates handling $1.8 trillion in new and refinanced mortgages in 2003, which would be the third-best year ever. In an effort to capture more "purchase" business, as opposed to refinancing, Countrywide Financial hopes to hire 800 to 1,000 home-loan sales consultants immediately, adding to its 2,500-member sales force. "Frankly, as we fill those positions and continue to make inroads in the purchase market, we'll likely add more," says Leora Goren, Countrywide's managing director of human resources. According to a survey by Aon Consulting, commission-only loan originators earned between $50,900 and $177,400 in 2001, with a median annual income of $105,200.
advertisement
