Study: 10 Best Career Options for College Grads

 

Naturally, it’s a tough job market for everyone, including fresh college graduates. The edge most likely goes to the graduates who managed to intern or work part-time in their chosen vocations en route to their degrees.

A study by University of California San Diego Extension details the best career options for grads.

According to the school, here are the top 10:

Healthcare case management. Case managers are healthcare advocates who – through a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, and advocacy – help patients understand their current health status, what they can do about it and why those treatments are important. In this way, case managers guide patients and provide cohesion to other professionals in the healthcare delivery team, enabling their clients to achieve goals more effectively and efficiently. According to a January 2011 survey, the number of case managers working in hospital admissions offices doubled from 2010 to 2011.

Financial examination and internal auditing. Financial collapses and scandals in the last few years involving the banking and insurance industries means more companies are having the books scrutinized. Enter the financial examiners, the forensic accountants of the business world. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting 41 percent growth. Aspiring financial examiners and internal auditors can expect continued job growth as a result of changes in financial laws, regulations, and requirements. In addition, jobs in this field will become available as financial examiners retire, move into other positions, or leave the field completely.

Mobile media. Today’s four billion mobile phone users outnumber both Internet users and land-line owners. Cell phones and other mobile devices are now multifunction devices that enable users to surf the Web, listen to music, download podcasts, use maps, access global positioning satellites, shoot and send photos and videos, and send text messages. With the countless new software applications, the number of ways to use smart phones is exploding.

Healthcare information technology. As technology increases, so does the need for health information technicians to use and maintain patient data that is vital for quality healthcare and to keep all medical records organized and confidential. Technicians are needed for emerging jobs, such as healthcare integration engineer, healthcare systems analyst, clinical IT consultant, and technology support specialist.

Data mining. Looking for a needle in a haystack is a good analogy for data mining jobs. Data mining is the technique of extracting specific types of information or patterns from large databases, such as data warehouses. Advanced statistical methods sift through large volumes of data, providing answers to questions that were once too time-consuming.

Geriatric healthcare. The growing population of seniors continues to have a major impact on careers in health care. As the numbers of aging baby boomers increase, so does the demand for certain healthcare jobs and services, including nursing, personal care and home healthcare.

Occupational health and safety. Many employees are adding safety expertise as a “value added” skill to make them more likely to be hired or retained in a tight job market. Specialists are needed to cope with technological advances in safety equipment and threats, changing regulations, and increasing public expectations. Employment growth reflects overall business growth and continuing self-enforcement of government and company regulations.

Spanish/English translation and interpretation. For those completely bilingual in Spanish and English, these highly marketable language skills open doors to new careers. The key is to gain experience through practical internships in specialized fields such as law, medicine and business.

Sustainable business practices and the greening of all jobs. By the mid-21st century, all jobs will be green jobs. Organizations today must address potential regulation changes and look for business growth opportunities in the new era of sustainable environmental economics.

Teaching English as a foreign language. Interest in English teaching positions abroad continues to mushroom. College graduates can find teaching jobs abroad, with travel as an added perk.

My sense about career options:

Since graduating from college, I’ve experienced the challenges of six recessions. So I understand the difficulties. It was challenging for me even though I was one of the relatively few college students who obtained employment while in school – my occupation was on-air in radio. But periodically, I had to work in sales and worked my way up to management in different professions with profit and loss responsibilities. On the outside, I smiled confidently. But candidly inside, I felt uncomfortable because I knew of others who didn’t have to work in sales to earn an income.

But while working as a newscaster in Salt Lake City, I had an epiphany. It came, thankfully, after making a news-programming proposal in Los Angeles to a distinguished, iconic CBS vice president, George Nickolaw, who commented: “My, what a rich background.” He seemed impressed by a resume with experience in multiple fields, and recommended me to the network.

A few days later when I was back at my job on-the-air anchoring hourly newscasts, I realized I was bored with it – like the Peggy Lee song, “Is that all there is?”  Making sense of business developments and strategic planning was more interesting and was what really floated my boat. I grew proud of my experiences. I had been thinking that I might want something more, but it took comments by an icon to help me really feel it deep inside. I’ll always be grateful for the seeds planted by Mr. Nickolaw’s insights.

The moral: Whatever happens is a learning experience. Build on it.

Otherwise, jobs – in accounting or finance, or healthcare providing – are my two suggestions. They’re harder to outsource. Whatever you choose, be open to your planted seeds and enjoy your adventure.

Here’s the link to the career path study.

From the Coach’s Corner, here are proven tips on landing a good job:

Discouraged in Job Hunting? Powerful Tips for the Best Job

Job Hunting? Tips to Land Your Dream Job with Style, Substance

Helpful Career, Biz Tips from UCLA’s Longtime Broadcaster

“Happiness is an inside job.”

- William Arthur Ward

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Terry Corbell is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services (many are available online). For a complementary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?

WA Entrepreneurs Celebrate 16 Years of Commerce Networking

 

Today, the world of commerce is buzzing over Bing’s proposal to pay the Fox media Web sites to de-list from Google. It was prompted by basically two reasons – Fox’s visionary founder Rupert Murdoch and newspaper publishers who have been frustrated about how they are treated by Google, and the goal of Microsoft’s Bing to overtake Google in the search.

Yes, this event illustrates the complexity of commerce and how it has evolved in the last 16 years.

If my memory is accurate since 1993, consider these developments:

• Fox Broadcasting Company launched programs seven nights a week. That was also the year Fox acquired the rights to broadcast the National Football League games previously owned by CBS. The network has certainly succeeded. It has delivered No. 1 ratings for 18-49 demographic ratings since 2004.
• Throughout the globe, pocket- size telephones started becoming quite the rage.
• Intel announced its 3.1 million-transistor Pentium microchip about the time Microsoft introduced Windows NT.
• Linux was launched as a free operating system and Apple Computer introduced us to its hand-held computer.
• President Bill Clinton signed NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, into law.

Meantime, a group pioneering as a leads-generation organization in Federal Way, WA has created its own buzz, and is preparing to celebrate its 16th anniversary as Referrals Unlimited.

As a leads group, Referrals Unlimited (www.referralsunlimited.org) helps its small-business members attain their entrepreneurial goals. They keep track of the commerce the group generates – the dollar amount is impressive.  Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a meeting as a guest to discuss the planned Biz Coach radio program, and met several of the charming members who are proud of their products and services.

Let’s meet some of the members:

“I offer a weight loss program for busy women who want to eat well and lose weight easily,” says Kristina Brown of Heart of Nutrition. “There is no deprivation, just yummy foods that bring your body back into balance so that the weight comes off naturally and without starving yourself.”

Ms. Brown says she’s been in business 10 years: “I bought my first health/cook book when I was just 19 and have been reading, cooking, and sharing this ever since.”

David Sobie represents a security firm, Global Technology Solutions, Inc. (www.globalts.net).

“Global Security, founded in 1988 and with offices in Oregon, Washington, and the greater Kansas City area is a full service security, fire, access control and low voltage home technology provider, “says Mr. Sobie, who boasts of more than 10,000 business and residential customers in Washington, Oregon and metropolitan Kansas City.

Richard Day specializes in identity theft mitigation and prepaid legal services. He doesn’t waste any time in succinctly explaining his services.

“My name is Richard Day protecting your assets against identity theft and giving affordable access to the justice system,” says Mr. Day (http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardday7).

Simone Perry aesthetically preserves what she calls sentimental assets at Sentimental Preservation by Simone (www.sentimentalpreservation.com).

“Whether it is something past down to you from ancestors or from a special event in your life, I can put it in a protective display for you to enjoy,” Ms. Perry says. “I also have unique textile preservation boxes for storing wedding gown, uniforms, christening gown or quilts. Call me today to preserve those treasures before they are lost.”

Isabel Tessier has marketed vitamins for more than three decades.

“Golden Neo-Life Diamite vitamin company has been in business since 1958, and I have been a consultant with GNLD for 31 years,” says Ms Tessier. She says her products deal with fatigue, stress, digestive problems, diabetes, allergies and cholesterol (www.healthplus-vitamins.com).

Renae McGregor owns Legacy Boutique Gift Baskets.

“From Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, our gourmet gift baskets contain the most mouth-watering foods” Ms. McGregor proudly states.  “Our baskets are filled with Northwest Coffee, Chocolates, Salmon, Mustard, Cookies, Summer Sausage, Nuts, Died Fruit, Popcorn and Oh! I can’t forget Tim’s Chips! Even our Beer and Wine are from the Pacific Northwest.”

With the exception of the month of December, she guarantees next-day shipping.

“Our web site www.legacyboutique.com, displays a variety of categories, for example, baby, bath body-spa, beer, birthday, chocolates, student, corporate, custom, get well-sympathy, as well as gifts for women and men, housewarming and wine to name a few.” 

Referrals Unlimited’s treasurer is a banker, Marty Markey, who introduced me to the group. She is the branch manager at Rainier Pacific Bank (www.rainierpac.com) at its Twin Lakes branch. (Disclosure: I’ve known her as a businessperson, and I’ve observed her outstanding customer service skills for a few years.)

“Rainier Pacific Bank builds profitable relationships by providing valuable financial solutions for its customers,” says Ms. Markey.  “We have served the diverse financial needs of our customers in the Tacoma-Pierce County market area of Washington State for over 75 years with consumer and business banking services, income property lending, investment and insurance services.”

As you might expect of a banker with unusually good customer service skills, she is very enthusiastic.

“We strive to be the choice for financial services in the markets we serve, and enjoy a deep level of community involvement throughout our history as a financial institution. Come see us in the local markets of Federal Way, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Spanaway, and Puyallup!”

Amen. As a kid growing up, a family friend and employer, Andy Andrews at the Palm Springs Tennis Club used to reward me with tickets to the spring training games of the then-California Angels. That’s where I had the thrill of watching baseball stars, such as Willie Mays, play in the desert sun.

As I thanked him for the tickets, Mr. Andrews once told me: “It isn’t what you know, it’s who you know.”

So, to the Referrals Unlimited members, happy anniversary, kids!

From the Coach’s Corner, SCORE (www.score.org) has a site providing numerous business-management tips: http://www.score.org/business_tips.html.