Careers and Colleges, Jan-Feb, 2005
Although the technology sector has suffered a setback as dot coms have gone bust, careers in computers and IT are still growing. Computer use has exploded over the past 20 years and so have the job opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some of the fastest growing occupations in the country are software engineer, computer support specialist, network administrator, systems analyst, and desktop publisher. Technology is advancing into innovative, almost futuristic, areas--from advanced artificial intelligence where computers can beat the best chess players to nanotechnology where futuristic gadgets can be built atom by atom!
After technology, medicine offers the most job opportunities. In the medical field, there is a strong demand for home health aides, physical therapists, nurses, and other health care professionals. Some booming careers combine both tech and medicine, such as medical records technology and the cutting-edge field of bioinformatics, in which scientists collect, analyze, sort, store, and manage large amounts of biological data.
TECHNOLOGY
While the heady, go-go atmosphere of Internet start-ups and stock options may be history, tech industries are here to stay. A recent study by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) reported that as many as 425,000 high-tech jobs would go unfilled in coming years. But how has the flat economy affected this prediction? "Demand certainly isn't where it was," admits Marjorie Bynum, vice president of workforce development for the ITAA. "But what we're hearing is that companies are still looking for good people with IT skills." The good news is that job markets rebound, and for high school students looking to enter the work force in two to four years, technology careers are a good bet.
"It's never too soon to begin talking to guidance counselors and doing some homework on different IT careers," says Bynum. She suggests boning up on English and communication skills, which are important for well-rounded employees.
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Jana Mitchell always wanted to be a nurse. "I find the human body fascinating," she says. "Plus, I enjoy helping people." A job-shadowing project where she observed a hospital nurse convinced her further. Mitchell, 22, is now studying nursing at Rivier College in Nashua, New Hampshire. The good news for Mitchell is that the BLS projects that by 2006 health care services will rise rapidly and account for 3.1 million new jobs. An aging population will need more services--continued care, therapy, and rehabilitation. Opportunities for nurses and physicians are expected to grow. On average, advanced-practice nurses, with training beyond the two to four years of basic nursing education, earn $48,000 to $82,000 per year. Physicians can earn $150,000 or more per year.
But those high salaries come at a price. Becoming a physician requires 12 years of expensive training. The average medical student graduates with a $100,000 in debt. Plus, physicians often work long, irregular hours. For an alternate route into health care that takes less time (and less money), check out the info on allied health on this page.
--Traci Mosser
PHARMACY TECHNICIAN
JERROD CORLEY
AGE: 24
LOCATION: Bremerton, Washington
JOB: Pharmacy technician/U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman.
EDUCATION: After attending Field Medical Service School, Corley completed a seven-month program at pharmacy school and passed the certification exam to become a pharmacy tech.
SALARY: Median annual salary for a pharmacy tech is $23,971 to $27,905 according to Salary.com. An enlisted sailor with three years service earns on average between $1,400 and $1,500 per month. In addition to base pay, sailors receive living accommodations, free dining services, and full health care and educational benefits.
ON THE JOB: "I do every job there is in a pharmacy, working under the direct supervision of a pharmacist. I make mixtures and compounds for medications and fulfill prescriptions. [Pharmacy techs also do clerical work, verifying stock and ordering supplies.]
"Because I am at a Naval hospital and trained as a Navy medic, I help patients and can do a lot of hospital jobs. Sometimes I administer an IV or intravenous line [which brings medications or fluids directly into the body]. We serve a lot of retirees, dispensing blood pressure medications and other drugs like that."
STARTING OUT: "I had always been interested in the Navy, so at age 21, I went to the recruiter and signed up. My dad and grandfather were in the Navy, and my mother is a registered nurse, so I was also interested in the medical field."
REWARDS: "When I served in Fallujah, Iraq for nine months, I was assigned to an assault battalion of 40 Marines. I was in charge of all medical decisions. My pharmacy background really helped out--getting supplies ready and the meds out to our company. I had a lot of responsibilities. I helped a lot of people, not only Marines but civilian Iraqis."
