Why are business degrees so popular these days? Simply put, a business degree is probably the most versatile degree available. And at a time when the job market is dense, having a versatile degree can make job hunting easier.

Here are five careers you can pursue with a business degree:

1. Entrepreneur, Average Salary: $111,000 – According to a 2010 Harris Interactive survey, four out of ten young people want to either start their own business or have already started their own business. Taking up business is a good way to prepare you for this career path.
2. Pharmaceutical Sales, Average Salary: $88,150 – Working in a $200-billion dollar industry gives you a very good opportunity to earn the big bucks. To succeed, you will need a solid grasp of closing, forecasting, prospecting, networking and management techniques. These are all learned in business school.
3. Eco-Investor, Average Salary: $83,000 – These are the people who help companies pursue sustainable and profitable business practices. Of course, you’ll need a strong foundation of solid business practices to succeed. Majoring in business will give you that.
4. Accountant, Average Salary:$ 67,430 – Although a degree in finance or accounting are more directly related in this field, business majors still learn important finance and accounting principles. Therefore, it’s not far-fetched for a business major to become an accountant.
5. Human Resource Specialist, Average Salary: $59,070 – Human resource management is an integral part of any successful business. Learning HR alongside your business program can give you an added edge.

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Medical and Health Services Manager

This job is for those who are more business-minded. Medical and health services managers plan, direct, coordinate and supervise the delivery of health care.

A master’s degree in health services administration, long-term care administration, health sciences, public health, public administration or business administration are typical courses for this career. However, a bachelor’s degree could be enough for some entry-level positions in smaller facilities.

The average annual salary: $93,670.

Registered Nurse

If you like working in a fast-paced and rewarding environment, a career as a registered nurse is the right kind of job. Nurses save lives by helping those in critical or stable condition sustain or improve their quality of life.

A bachelor’s degree, an associate degree or a diploma from an approved nursing program is standard for this career.

The average annual salary: $67,720.

Medical Records and Health Information Technician

If you don’t like dealing with patients, consider working as a medical records and health information technician. In this capacity, you handle patients’ health information.

One perk for qualifying for this job is that you only need an associate degree, which could take as little as two years to complete.

The average annual salary: $35,010.

Medical Assistant

Unlike medical records and health information technicians, medical assistants work directly with patients, often taking their medical histories and vital signs. So if you’re a people person, a career as a medical assistant could be just what you’re looking for.

Medical assisting programs can sometimes be completed within one to two years, through either a certificate or associate’s degree program.

The average annual salary: $29,760.

Pharmacy Technician

Don’t like working in a medical setting? About 75 percent of pharmacy technicians work in a retail setting. The job often involves helping licensed pharmacists prepare prescription drugs or provide customer care.

You simply need a certificate or associate degree on pharmacy tech or a related course, which generally takes six months to two years.

The average annual salary: $29,330.

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With 15 million Americans out of work, that’s not nearly enough to cover the unemployed.

The root of the problem

The problem is clearly a lack of funds.

First, many are wondering where the money will come from to train workers. American companies are estimated to spend some $130 billion on training costs, so they want to do without the qualifying training and go straight to hiring trained workers.

Second, State and federal funding, that roughly 1,200 community colleges rely on, have been steadily declining. Even if enrollments have gone up 15 percent, the budget cuts have forced some schools to cut back on course offerings.

Another problem that schools face is the lack of new equipment to teach potential skilled workers because they can’t afford them.

The proposed cuts to the $34 billion Pell grant program that the Republicans have been pushing for is not helping either. The grant program is one of the biggest sources of tuition assistance for a whopping 9 million students, more than 80 percent of whom have incomes under $30,000.

Finally, there’s the problem of marketability of fresh grads. Among the college class of 2011, engineering dominates the list of top-paid majors. But of 1.6 million bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2009, fewer than 90,000 were in engineering.

In some fields, the skill shortage is getting worse. The aging baby boomer population is rapidly increasing the demand for nurses, but the supply of skilled workers isn’t keeping pace. There are currently four job openings for every qualified nurse in the U.S.

The solution

To counter the situation, companies are coming up with their own solutions. For example, five Rhode Island hospitals hire contract workers from other parts of the country with doubled salaries and overtime, and at the same time sending their existing employees back to school and paying their tuition, which costs them $350,000. That’s just a tiny fraction of the $850 million the company spends on labor costs.

Furthermore, other states are taking steps to address the problem. Michigan launched a “No Worker Left Behind” initiative, allowing unemployed or low-wage workers to get up to $10,000 in free tuition for community college study or other training. Several states have also passed bills creating “lifelong learning accounts,” which, like a 401(k), help workers save for education, training or apprenticeships.

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But is a career change realistic? Won’t taking a new course program take time and money just to qualify for a new career? How about those who are already in their midlife stage? Won’t a career change even be more difficult for them?

While making a career switch does pose some problems, not all jobs will require years’ worth of schooling just to qualify. In fact, the nine careers listed below only requires just one year of training (sometimes even less). If you’re looking to change careers quickly, you may want to look into these jobs:

Paralegal – Average Annual Salary: $50,080

What You Need: One-year Paralegal Certificate program (*Do note that this is only available for those with a bachelor’s degree. If you don’t have a degree, you have to take the 2-year Associate’s degree program)

Chef – Average Annual Salary: $44,240

What You Need: Culinary certificate program

Administrative Assistant – Average Annual Salary: $44,010

What You Need: Certificate program in office administration

Graphic Designer – Average Annual Salary: $35,000

What You Need: Certificate program in graphics design (*Do note that people start out as assistant graphic designers after taking this program)

Dental Assistant – Average Annual Salary $34,000

What You Need: Dental assisting certificate or diploma program

Medical Assistant – Average Annual Salary: $29,450

What You Need: Medical assistant certificate or diploma program

Pharmacy Technician – Average Annual Salary: $28,940

What You Need: Pharmacy technician certificate program 

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Sure, you get an added “edge” when you enter (or re-enter) the job market. But then again, skeptics argue that a degree doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get a good job. Moreover, they also argue that many jobs don’t require a degree. So why spend all that money?

While some of the arguments against college do point out some truths (student debt is a growing problem), there is overwhelming evidence to suggest why going to college is still a worthy investment.  

The cost issue

Currently, the average student debt for college graduates is over $22,000. Recent statistics suggest that the trend could go higher.
So are the skeptics right? Is college really too expensive?

The answer is a resounding “no.” Many factors contribute to growing student debt aside from tuition costs. For instance, did you know that according to a survey made by Key Bank, only 12% of students selected a school based on affordability?
This is staggering statistic sheds light on the spending habits of students. Because very few consider cost, many students are at risk of entering schools that they couldn’t afford to begin with. Hence, it shouldn’t come as a surprise why many end up in debt.

But does this mean that all colleges are expensive? Of course not. When student financial aid is taken into account, statistics show that the average cost of public four-year colleges last year was just at $2,000.

If you are diligent in securing financial aid for yourself and for as long as you are wise with the school you choose, college can be affordable.

Return on investment

Many people do not realize how important having a degree is. Three decades ago, people with at least a bachelor’s degree made an average of 40% more than those who finished only high school. Now, bachelor’s degree holders earn an average of 83% more.

There is a reason why the gap is enormous. It’s because more employers these days value education and they are willing to pay top dollar for college graduates.

The study conducted by Anthony Carnevale and Stephen J. Rose of Georgetown reflects this. According to their findings, college degrees have big benefits even in fields where a degree isn’t required. For instance, they found that construction workers, police officers, plumbers, retail salespeople and secretaries with college degrees made significantly more than those without.

So while it’s true that there are still many jobs don’t require a degree, foregoing college means that you are already limiting your earning potential. Employers are more likely to hire someone with a degree. Are you willing to risk your chances for employment?

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The biggest challenges can be solved by taking things one small step at a time. You have to start somewhere, right? Here are some tips for job hunting:

Refocus your priorities – Job hunting is difficult in itself. But when you think about all your other obligations such as your mortgage or rent, bills, or daily expenses, it gets worse. To avoid this, it’s best that you refocus your priorities to the most important goal in your list.

Sure, your mortgage and bills are very important. But without stable income, you won’t be able to cover all your basic needs.

Break the process down into small steps – Once you’ve decided to focus your energies on job hunting, it’s time to divide the process into small and easy steps. For example, you can organize the process like this:

• List down your career objectives
• Research companies / employers
• Seek job leads from your network or head hunters
• Draft and update your resume
• Seek interview opportunities

You can create your own list depending on your job search strategy. What is important is that the each step you create is indeed “small” – meaning you can do each activity in just 30 minutes or less.

It’s easier to accomplish tasks efficiently if they can be performed within this time frame. For every task you complete, you will feel a sense of accomplishment. This is important in keeping yourself motivated. It becomes much easier to push forward and realize your ultimate goal if you are in a positive frame of mind.

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“Right now, there are people all across America with talent waiting to be tapped… There is a mismatch we can close,” Obama said in his speech at the Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria.

The president shared his proposed $2 billion federal plan aimed to expand the program for customized job training. This will help address the current needs of manufacturing companies throughout the country, which provide a large number of job opportunities.

According to the points raised by the president, the unemployment problem isn’t caused by the absence of jobs. Rather, there is a “skills gap” where the current skills of job seekers simply don’t meet the demands of hiring companies.

Through the Skills for America’s Future program, job seekers will have more opportunities to explore new employment openings they might not have considered yet. With the new commitments made between the National Assn. of Manufacturers and several colleges, over 500,000 community colleges will be able to provide industry-accepted and industry-specific retraining programs that directly lead to numerous manufacturing jobs.

Granted, there are some challenges ahead. For instance, the job-growth in the private sector slowed down for the month of May, which raised some concerns from analysts that we could be facing a double-dip recession. While administration officials did acknowledge that the slowdown could be a trend, the president isn’t worried that a double-dip recession will occur.

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Reasons #1 – Personal Freedom

The best part about working at home is that you have total control over your own work life. You have no boss, no rigid work schedules, no time clocks, no dress codes. Instead, you have the freedom to work and earn as you choose, in the comfort and convenience of your home.

Reason #2 – Financial Benefits

One other good thing about having your office just a few steps away from your bed (in some cases, just an arm’s length away) is that it allows you to save on gas, transportation expenses and commute time. You also cut down on clothing and food, since you don’t have to dress up for work and can simply cook something up at home.

Reason #3 – Tax Advantages

Using your home as a place of business offers a number of tax advantages. For one, it allows you to deduct a part of the operating and depreciation expenses on your home. This means that a percentage of your rent or mortgage payment, depreciation, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and expenses for household maintenance, repairs or improvements are deductible. You can also be entitled to deduct expenses from using a vehicle for your business, including gas, insurance, depreciation, among others.

Reason #4 – Reduce Stress

You can say goodbye to the stresses of juggling the demands of your work life with those of your personal life. If you are sick, for example, you can simply work from your bed. Or if you have errands to run during the day, you can work late at night instead. Also, there are no office politics.

Reason #5 – More “Me/Family Time”

Because you work at home, you get to work at your own pace. And because you don’t need to leave your home, you can spend more time with your family or friends, or even get time alone.

Reason #6 – Job Enrichment

Being home-based, you are not boxed into one job and given a label identifying you as a researcher, secretary, banker, manager or administrative assistant. In fact, you are all of that. While this might mean a bigger workload, you develop an understanding of all aspects of your own business, giving you a wide range of experience. It can also keep you from getting bored. More importantly, personal growth is greatly enhanced as you learn what you can (and cannot) do and your goals become much more achievable.

Reason #7 – Increased Productivity

With less time dedicated to waking up, getting dressed and commuting, there is more time available to work. More importantly, working on your own – where how much you earn depends on how much work you put in – increases the level of enthusiasm.

Reason #8 – Be Better

Working at home lowers operating costs, which can enable you to be more competitive, not just in the prices you charge but also in the quality of service you offer. If you save money, you can use it on rent to increase your overall profitability, or you can use it to buy more equipment you need. Companies who don’t share the luxuries of working at home are restricted by higher overhead costs: the bigger the company, the more salaries to distribute, the higher the rent, and so on. Moreover, a smaller business makes it easier to provide customers with personal service.

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Tip #1: Slow Down

We live in a fast-paced world. With devices like the BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, and services like Facebook, Twitter and instant messengers, we get what we want, when we want it. And we aren’t slowing down. New technology is making things even faster. It’s not your fault to want to keep up.

We forget, however, that a successful career takes time and patience. Slow down and take a deep breath. This way, you’ll be able to see where you want to go and think about what you want to do.

Tip #2: Be Happy

The mistake most people make in choosing a career is to choose one that pays well. This is the best way to burn yourself out and be unhappy. The percentage of people who are truly happy and attached with their work are low compared to the ones who aren’t.

Long-term success is not about the pay. How can you last in a job you hate getting up for?

Another problem that most people face when choosing a career is choosing something they are good at but aren’t entirely happy with. Although choosing a career you are good at may bring you success, true success is about being happy. After all, we only have one lifetime. We might as well enjoy it.

Tip #3: Balance

Choosing a career is not easy. There are many things involved, such as your financial situation, your own well-being, or even someone else’s (like your loved ones’). All these may affect how you reach your goal.

The best way to beat this problem is to realize that hardships are a part of life. The second is to find the right balance. You may not be able to focus on just your work if you have a family to feed. Maybe a huge amount of your day-to-day life will be focused on getting your paycheck, but find time to do other things. Life, after all, isn’t just about one thing.

This tip goes hand-in-hand with the next one, which is…

Tip #4: Stay On Target

Staying focused is one of the biggest challenges a person usually faces when trying to reach any goal. The road to any dream isn’t always a straight one. Often, there are several humps to go over. And after overcoming a “hump,” it’s tempting to stop trying to reach higher, becoming content with where we are. It’s times like these when we have to remind ourselves of what we really want.

Staying on target involves work and persistence. It’s not always easy to catch yourself becoming complacent. It’s important to remind yourself every now and then about what you want or where you want to go.

Tip #5: See It Through

Once you’ve got everything in order and moving along smoothly, the only other thing to do is to face every challenge that comes your way head-on. When you reach a rough patch, don’t stop and don’t give up.

But if you tirelessly following a clear vision and plan, you will be successful and you will get what you want.

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1. Roustabout – Risk, hiring outlook, salary
2. Iron worker – Hiring outlook, physical demands
3. Lumberjack – Physical demands, hiring outlook
4. Roofer – Hiring outlook, physical demands
5. Taxi Driver – Risk, Salary, stress
6. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Stress, salary
7. Welder -  Hiring outlook, physical demands, salary
8. Painter – Hiring outlook, work environment
9. Meter Reader – Automation, physical demands
10. Construction Worker -Work environment, stress, salary

Common Trends

Most of these jobs have two factors in common. Firstly, they were either dangerous or involved strenuous activity. Secondly, the income wasn’t enough to compensate for the inherent risk and stress levels.

Other jobs that made the list also had poor hiring outlook, which threatens job security. For instance, meter readers are losing their demand since many companies are transitioning to automation. Demand for painters and construction workers have dipped because the construction industry was hit badly by the recession.

However, one factor that all these jobs have in common is that they all don’t require you to have a college degree.

Importance of a Degree

While the cost of education is high, there is no doubt that having a degree is beneficial. If you want the best opportunities in the job market, investing on education is the first step to get you there.

Analyzing the Cost of Education

Did you know that a survey from Key Bank showed that only 12% of college students selected a school based on affordanility? While it’s true that going to college is an educational decision, it is surprising to see just how many people take cost for granted. Many students end up going to a school and taking a program that they can’t afford. Hence, rising student debt shouldn’t be blamed on tuition alone. Consumer habits play a big part of why student debt is becoming a problem.

If you’re thinking about going back to school or participating in a retraining program, don’t be discouraged with the cost of education. There are many options available to you. If you know where to look, you’ll be able to find not just affordable programs, but also financial assistance that can help you accomplish your goals.

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