Recession Proof Jobs

Despite the news of job losses and unemployment numbers, there is indeed strong employment opportunity in selected parts of this economy. In fact several industry segments have actually continued to add jobs throughout this whole recession. Indeed the jobs data shows bright spots — expanding industries that promise new, stable career opportunities.

Health care

Hiring has continued non-stop at hospital, medical clinics and doctors’ offices.

Jobs in demand: nurses, lab technicians, physician assistants.

Government

Cities, counties and school districts continue to add a great number of jobs — seven times as many as the federal government.

Jobs in demand: educators, police, firefighters and workers connected to infrastructure such as roads.

Energy

Oil, gas, coal and electricity production have kept adding jobs, although the pace has slowed since energy prices declined last year. City utility jobs have also continued to increase.

According to BLS data, about 4.4 million people got hired into new jobs in January (2009), and 3 million more openings were available. Granted, those numbers are down sharply from the start of the recession, but don’t let anyone tell you there are “no jobs.”

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source: The Good News Economist

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Career of the week: Civil Engineer

Career Profile: What do Civil Engineers do?
Civil engineers supervise and direct the design and construction of roads, bridges, water supply systems, and structures. They take the local environment into account, anticipating earthquakes and hurricanes as well as the stress of daily use. Civil engineers, who work in engineering’s oldest discipline, have long been valued for their ability to create the structures and systems used every day.

Citizens rely on civil engineers to keep structures safe and create new systems for more efficient living. These specialized engineers can be found wherever population growth and expansion call for new or updated transportation, structural, and geotechnical engineering.

A Day in the Life of a Civil Engineer

Civil engineers comprise the most popular engineering specialty, with 256,000 engineers nationwide in the field. The daily duties of individual civil engineers depend on job specializations. A large amount of technical and computer work is typically required, and civil engineers must be familiar with different schematics, maps, and drafting software.

The career may require travel, as civil engineers move from place to place to work on different projects. Civil engineers can spend time outside, surveying the progress of construction and taking a close look at problems.

Civil Engineer Training and Education

A bachelor’s degree is the standard for many entry-level jobs in civil engineering, although more advanced careers may require more training. All engineers offering their services directly to the public must be licensed and many civil engineers hold official professional engineer (PE) certification.

Training programs tend to group courses into different emphases, typically geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and transportation engineering. Popular coursework includes instruction in surveying, highway engineering, land surveying, water quality engineering, and computer methods.

Civil Engineer Employment & Outlook

Civil engineers should be the largest job increase among all engineers in the coming years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. An 18 percent employment growth is expected with 46,000 jobs across the civil engineering industry.

The increase is due in part to a general population growth and the related need to improve civil infrastructure nationwide. Civil engineers are needed to repair existing roads and other public structures, as well as design and create new structures. An increasing emphasis on “green” building is expected to increase the need for civil engineers with experience in pollution control systems.

Typical Civil Engineer Salary

Mean annual wages for civil engineers was $75,230 in 2007, according to the BLS. Those working in architectural, engineering, and related services saw earnings of $76,540, while those working for state and local government earned $67,880 and $74,030, respectively. The state of Washington had the highest concentration of civil engineers in 2007, with mean annual earnings of $77,540.

source: collegegrad.com

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Companies that pay 100% Medical Benefits

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While many companies are cutting benefits due to increasing related costs, the companies listed here are still offering healthcare and many other great benefits at no cost to their employees. This is almost unheard of in this day and age.

Boston Consulting Group

EOG Resources

Integrity Applications Incorporated

Kimley-Horn & Associates

Lehigh Valley Hospital & Health Network

McMaster-Carr Supply

Microsoft

NetJets

Nugget Market

NuStar Energy

Perkins Coie

Qualcomm

Rackspace Hosting

SAS

Shared Technologies

Stew Leonard’s

Whole Foods Market

Zappos.com

In addition to the companies mentioned here, many smaller businesses with fewer than 100 employees offer prepaid health insurance as an incentive to attract new employees. This can be a huge factor in considering employment along with the other usual considerations such as career growth and job stabililty.

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