| Issue date: Nov 21, 1999
The fastest-growing
careers for 2000
Planning a career? Or more likely ... a career change?
There are lots of job openings in these fields.
 hat's
the ultimate indicator of a hot career? For Jennifer Smedley, 25,
it's the lengths companies go to in keeping you happy. Fresh out
of college, the fine-art major had no practical experience. Even
so, it took almost no time to land a graphic-design job with a small
desktop-publishing firm in McLean, Va. Then the firm spent months
(and big bucks) on training, sending her to conferences and encouraging
her to spend half of each day learning. A year later, when Smedley
had to move to Massachusetts because of her husband's job, her boss
didn't get angry. He said she could telecommute. Jobs like this
are easier to come by than you might imagine; the key is picking
the right field. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects
overall employment to rise just 14% from 1996 to 2006, the outlook
for many individual fields, especially in health and technology,
is more promising. The need for desktop-publishing specialists,
for example, is expected to grow 74%. Jobs for paralegals and speech
pathologists are expected to increase by 68% and 51%, respectively.
According to 1998-99 data from the BLS, here are some of the fastest-growing
jobs for 2000 and beyond, categorized by the amount of education
you need to get there:
Requires
work experience only
Restaurant manager
Job description: From corporate cafeterias to trendy bistros,
managers do much the same work: Hire and train (and sometimes fire)
staff, order and receive food and supplies, price menu items, keep
tabs of receipts and monitor food and service quality. It's a long
day; managers open the doors in the morning and are the last to
leave at night.
Training: Some jobs look for a bachelor's or associate degree
in restaurant/hotel management, but many go to those promoted from
within or with on-the-job experience. Chefs and waiters who show
management skills (a cool head, initiative, the ability to solve
a crisis) often move up.
Earnings: about $32,000; $40,000 in large restaurants. Most
receive yearly bonuses of $2,000-$10,000, tied to the restaurant's
performance. Also fast-growing: vocational-training instructor,
lawn-service manager, greenhouse manager.
Requires
an Associate Degree
Paralegal
Job description: Though they're much cheaper to employ than
lawyers, these trained pros can -- and do -- perform many of the
same tasks, including legal research, writing briefs and drafting
wills.
Training: Most paralegals hold two-year associate degrees
(the American Bar Association has approved more than 200 of these
two- and four-year programs). Others are legal secretaries trained
on the job and promoted from within.
Earnings: starting pay of about $35,500, plus a $2,000 annual
bonus. Also fast-growing: health-information technician, dental
hygienist, respiratory therapist.
Requires
a Bachelor's degree
Computer scientist
Job description: This catchall profession includes everyone
from the folks who design the machinery and develop software, to
database administrators, to support specialists who work with the
computers within a company. Computer scientists also have great
opportunities on the Internet; Web developers and "Webmasters" fall
under this job heading.
Training: Despite occasional true tales of teens making millions
with Internet applications they've developed, most employers require
a bachelor's degree. Some ask for graduate degrees.
Earnings: starting salary of about $37,000 for a graduate
with a bachelor's degree in computer science. Also fast-growing:
physical therapist, occupational therapist, secondary- school teacher.
Requires
a MASTER'S DEGREE
Speech-language pathologist/audiologist
Job description: Speech pathologists test, treat and help
prevent speech-related problems, from stuttering to the inability
to speak. Audiologists work with people with hearing-related problems.
While some of these professionals are employed by health-care facilities,
a growing number work at schools.
Training: Speech pathologists and audiologists must be licensed
in most states. Requirements typically include a master's degree,
300-400 hours' clinical experience and passing a national exam.
Earning: about $38,000 for speech pathologists; $32,000 for
audiologists. Also fast-growing: museum curator, psychologist, mental-health
counselor.
Requires
a Professional Degree
Chiropractor
Job description: By definition, chiropractors treat patients
whose health problems originate in the spine (sometimes using hands-on
manipulation or massage). These days, though, many use that as a
starting point to treat a patient's overall health by focusing on
nutrition and exercise. (Chiropractors can't prescribe medicine.)
Training: Chiropractors must be licensed by the state in
which they practice. Most states require completion of a four-year
program at a chiropractic college and at least two years of undergraduate
education; some require a bachelor's degree.
Earnings: starts at about $141,463 a year. Also fast-growing:
veterinarian, physician, lawyer, clergy.
Go to the top
|
