Most Popular Career Choices of 2012

by A Guest Author

Remember the good old days, just a few years ago, when jobs were plentiful? People flitted from job to job, not worried about finding the next one, knowing there was surely a higher-paying position or one with better perks just around the corner. That was then. Now, with the reality of a tough economy, if you’re not searching for a job, you certainly know someone who is. And those high-paying offers, with all the amenities that come with them, are a distant memory. But the thing is, several currently popular career choices not only offer great opportunities, there’s also funding available for training. From federal nursing grants to pharmacy scholarships, you can easily get the money needed to train for the hot career trends. This way, your next move can be from a job that could end tomorrow to a career with staying power.

Take registered nursing, for example. This career is red hot, with no signs of cooling off. Right now, more than 2.7 million registered nurses practice around the world and it’s still a growing field. For those who enjoy working directly with patients, providing health care and health education, this can be the ideal career. And although people usually think of nurses working in doctors' offices or hospitals and clinics, part of nursing’s appeal is the flexibility to work in a variety of settings such as nursing homes, schools, rehabilitation centers and even businesses. If the emergency room was never enticing to you, the alternatives now are almost limitless.

Plus, RN salaries are good, with the average ranging from approximately $95,130 for the highest paid 10 percent to about $44,190 for those in the bottom 10 percent. The best part is that while most registered nurses have an associate’s degree, and those who move on to higher positions in the field usually have a bachelor’s degree, both are covered under federal nursing grants.

Then there’s software developing. With technology, particularly the internet, constantly growing and changing, software developers can almost write their own tickets in terms of jobs, even in this economy. It’s a hugely popular career choice, with options to design, construct, test and maintain software of all kinds. For example, if games are your idea of a good time, developing software for gaming may be your field.

Of course, engineering software, hardware operating systems, and record keeping and reference software are all popular choices for software developers as well, with overall salaries in the field ranging from about $133,110 for the highest-paid to about $54,360 at the low end. Plus, educational technology is exploding right now, making this one to check out, especially for those interested in the numerous grants available for training in this area. Besides a love of computers, a bachelor’s degree is all that’s needed to go in software developing.

Meanwhile, pharmacy is another increasingly popular career choice, even though the training is pretty rigorous. Starting with at least two years of college — although most obtain a bachelor’s degree — students spend an additional four years pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and then pass licensing exams to become pharmacists. But the salaries make all that studying and exam taking worthwhile. Making about $82,090 at the least to about $138,620 for the top 10 percent, pharmacists are some of the most earning professionals among healthcare professionals.

About The Author:

Mercedes Potter is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. She has details in regards to trending topics, including but not limited to employment. Follow her @CedesPotter.

This post was written by A Guest Author

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