Career Guide: U.S. News and World Report

Career Guide: U.S. News and World Report
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Career Guide
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Created: February 12, 2002
Latest Update: February 12, 2002
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U.S. News and World Report
Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Individaul Authors, February 2002.
"Fair use" encouraged.

U.S. News and World Report
Volume 2, Issue 6 -- February 12, 2002

2002 CAREER GUIDE (Cover story)
"Government jobs are for people looking for secure employment with good salary potential."
Dennis Damp, author, The Book of U.S. Government Jobs
"Civil servants get a raise unless they've burned the building down."
John Trattner, author, The Prune Book: How to Succeed in Washington's Top Jobs

Security? Meaning? Don't expect to easily find it in corporate America, where most layoffs have occurred, and certainly not at start-ups, which have gone under in record numbers. Instead, look no further than your Uncle Sam. With a workforce of 1.8 million, he is the biggest employer in the land, and he is hiring like crazy.
Stability, purpose, and a bevy of openings make Uncle Sam an employer of choice for many.
Plus, profiles of eight of the nation's most secure career tracks.

jeanne's comments:
Jobs Built to Last
( At p.37 of US News and World Report, Vol. 132, No. 5. February 18, 2002.)
Leslie Praeger, "founder of Prager-Bernstein, a New York career management firm," says that after the debacle of the last year, people are looking for security, in temrs of less susceptibility to layoff and a more stable pension. She also adds that people are seeking "meaning" in their work. "Meaning," in the sense of work that matters to them: like that of a U.S. forest service archaeologist, criminal investigator, attorney, researcher tracking disease threats, like anthrax. These and many other jobs can be found amongst the many clerical and less exciting jobs that keep the government functioning.
Some drawbacks:"Bureaucracy remains a fact of life, and decisions are often based on politics, not merit." And you won't make a fortune. But the work, like teaching, can be rewarding.
I think the major thing you have to keep in mind is that these days, the job is unlikely to come jumping out at you. You need to read extensively, look at what people do, and use your sociological training to discover possibilities in either the government or the corporate world.
Eight of the Most Secure Job Tracks
( At p. 46 of US News and World Report, Vol. 132, No. 5. February 18, 2002.)

Forensic accountant.
"The bloodhounds of bookkeeping sniff out fraud and criminal transactions in corporate financial records." (at p. 46) Thanks to Enron for making this a career you can count on. Criminology students might like this one.Pay tops out at about $110,000.
Speech pathologist.
A satisfying "helping" job, in schools, 'hospitals, nursing homes, and private practice.' " Offers the opportunity to work with the young or the gerontology set. Students of early childhood and child development may be interested, as well as our gerontology students. Slary tops out at around $46,000.
Traffic engineer.
This career might appeal to those of you who want to encourage community activism." Both urban sociologists and political science students may choose to " work with engineers on behalf of neighborhood groups seeking solutions to sprawl and congestion." The pay in this area is said to go up to $150,000.
Health technologist.
Burgeoning field in operating the tech equipment for hospitals and clinics: MRI, CAT scans, ultrasound, X rays, nuclear medicine diagnostics. Salary range here is estimated to go as high as $60,000. May be of interest to some of you specializing in health, especially if you could devise a job that would let you work with the patients, as do social workers in clinics for dialysis, for example.
Truck driver.
Now, there's a thought. Lots of time to oneself, flexible hours, and "[c]abs equiped with laptops and global positioning systems have replaced roadside grease pits." (At. p. 48.) This might be an ideal job for the scholar who prefers to drop out and write his/her research without the competitive bureaucratic politics of the formal academic system. Why didn't I think of that? Salary tops out at about $60,000.
Technical security computer specialist.
Another opportunity for the criminologists amongst you. A job on the "good" side of hacking. Viruses, cyberterrorism, corporate spying all point to the need for computer hackers who will protect the data and software of existing systems. "It's fun finding a way to hack the system . . . and then finding a way to plug the hole." (At. p. 48.) Pay estimated as high as $90,000.
School psychologist.
A counseling job, always biased towards psychology, but a wonderful opportunity for sociological counseling, too. Work likely to include: "advising students grappling wiwth depression, running support groups, for pregnant teens, and testing for learning disabilities . . . [and] negotiating personality conflicts between students and teachers." Pay tops out at about $100,000.
Automobile technician.
Requires more skill than the old "auto shop" training in high school. Best jobs go to those who are computer literate and can operate the new technology for diagnostic equipment. Jobs at independent service shops considered more "interesting" than the fairly routine work at "dealerships." (At p. 50.) Opportunities for social science students? You'd have to be creative. Put your skills at organizational analysis and interpersonal relationships to work at creating procedures to make customers choose your shops over others. Income tops out at about $100,000.