Entry-Level Jobs with Good Pay

By Michelle Goodman

Competition for entry-level work is starched-shirt stiff right now. Finding a high salary entry level job is harder than at any time in the last 70 years. But grabbing the first minimum-wage, dead-end gig that comes along won’t serve you well in the long run. After all, you don’t want to live in Mom and Dad’s basement forever. A better strategy is to pursue a career that allows your responsibilities -- and your income -- to grow year after year. Here are eight of our top picks for those who are just starting out, and their median annual salaries according to online salary database PayScale.com.

Environmental Engineer. Have a bachelor’s degree in engineering? You’re in luck! According to the U.S. Department of Labor, environmental engineers make among the highest starting salaries of all college graduates. Entry-level positions in the field are similar to “an apprentice situation,” says workplace expert Alexandra Levit, whose latest book is “New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career.” “As you get more senior, you receive more independence to work on your own, eventually supervising your own staff.” Median annual salary: $68,628.

Network systems / data communications analyst. Not a computer science major? Not to worry. In information technology, getting field certification is often more valuable than a formal education, Levit says. Once you cultivate an area of expertise, such as network security or enterprise software, “You can very quickly become the go-to person in the organization and eventually the head of IT,” she says. “And you can make a very, very good living.” Median annual salary: $61,949.

Marketing research analyst. From high-tech and biotech to retail and hospitality, consumer-driven industries rely on market data to make smart business decisions. If you have a business marketing or statistical background, you may be able to analyze data from the get-go in this field rather than starting as “a [low-paid] telemarketer,” says Dr. Laurence Shatkin, author of more than 20 books for job hunters, including “200 Best Jobs for College Graduates,” which he co-wrote with Michael Farr. “Then you work your way to the point where you’re managing how the data is gathered and what questions the market researchers ask,” he says. Median annual salary: $58,423.

Copywriter. Fancy yourself the next Don Draper or Peggy Olson from “Mad Men”? Why not try your hand at writing ad copy? “Here’s something for the English major to be doing now that journalism doesn’t seem to be such a prospect,” Shatkin says. Although you might start by contributing text to lower-profile agency projects, in time “you can be involved to the point where you’re developing entire ad campaigns,” Shatkin says. Median annual salary: $53,288.

Sales associate. The beauty of sales is that you can enter the field even if you majored in art history, Shatkin says. “With a lot of products, you can learn what you need to know from a short training program,” he explains. “And sometimes you’ll work with a more experienced salesperson your first few days out.” To boost your income, he says, you can transition into selling bigger ticket items or you can move into management. Median annual salary: $45,656.

Lobbyist. “There are all sorts of places where lobbyists exist: lobbying firms, public interest groups, trade organizations,” Levit says. “You can start with an unpaid internship and move within a couple years to making six figures.” To get your feet wet, Levit suggests volunteering for a political campaign or interning on Capitol Hill for a few months to see what causes interest you. Median annual salary: $66,929.

Public relations assistant. “PR and digital marketing are hot hot hot,” Levit says. “Everyone is switching their traditional marketing to online and they can’t fill positions fast enough.” Expect to work your hide off at a PR agency, a field with a high burnout rate, Levit warns. On the plus side, she says, annual promotions are the norm, with the path from peon to supervisor fairly short. Median annual salary: $42,810.

Financial analyst. Yes, the financial sector took a beating during the past year, but finance jobs are starting to bounce back, Shatkin says. So if you’re looking to put that business, finance, or statistics education to use, consider analyzing financial data for a living. “Analysts contribute to the decisions that financial managers make,” Shatkin explains. Specifically, financial analysts make investment recommendations to the banks, insurance companies, securities firms, and other businesses employing them. From this starting point, Shatkin says, the sky’s the limit -- all the way up to company controller, CFO, or CEO. Median annual salary: $60,952.


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Where Are the Jobs in My Local Area? Small Business Is Hiring

By Carol Tice

If you've been focusing your job search on major corporations, you may be missing out on the hottest hiring spot in our slowly dawning economic recovery: small business. Small businesses employ just over half of all private-sector workers, according to the Small Business Administration, and generated 64 percent of all net new jobs over the past 15 years. Historically, as businesses start to hire again coming out of a downturn, small businesses lead the way.

Hidden in December’s depressing 84,000 net job losses was one interesting indicator of a small resurgence in small-business hiring: Small businesses in the service sector added 11,000 jobs that month, an ADP study showed.

In this troubled economy, many people are asking themselves, “Where are the jobs in my local area?” and “How can I target jobs at small businesses?” We spoke to two experts who offer search tips for finding the well-paid, small-business jobs that may emerge in the coming year. Our experts are Drew White, chief financial officer at small-business financial research firm Sageworks; and author Debra Yergen of the Creating Job Security Resource Guide.

Sales. At the top of the list of roles small business owners in all industry sectors will fill first are sales positions, says Yergen. As soon as small businesses sense the economy is turning, they'll add sales staff to try to capture more business.

To find local small businesses in your sector that are hiring, network at business events, or look at niche industry Web sites online, Yergen says. Some employers who are tired of getting overwhelmed with resumes when they post jobs on major online portals are using niche sites instead. General Sales Manager. $59,400

Green jobs. Fueled by federal money from the stimulus bill, environmental jobs are forecast to grow in the coming year. Try specialty job-search sites in the sector such as ecojobs.com to find openings in hot niches such as solar-photovoltaic installers and wind-turbine service technicians. Government-contracting rules require that a portion of awards go to small businesses – you can look on Recovery.gov to find names of companies that have gotten stimulus contracts. Project Manager, Environmental. $65,200

Computers and technology. This is another area the stimulus bill directed ample funding toward, especially healthcare-related technology. A recent search on computerjobs.com for security-related jobs turned up nearly 700 postings for computer security specialists, information systems security managers, information security analysts, and similar posts. Security Administrator, Computer Network. $71,800

Maintenance and repair. When money's tight, companies seek to save on expenses, and tend spend more on maintaining and fixing their equipment. Many repair companies are either small, local businesses or locally owned franchisees of a national chain. A good site for careers in this field is mepjobs.com, Yergen says.

"Things keep breaking," Yergen notes, "and when companies are watching their hard costs, they will repair whenever possible." HVAC service technician. $44,000

Food and beverage. Food-related businesses continued to grow modestly last year, particularly in grocery, says Sageworks' White. Seek out niche, locally owned grocery stores to find small-business job opportunities. A good job site for this industry is careersinfood.com. Jobs in the sector include roles behind the scenes in areas such as finance, IT, buying and public relations, as well as bakers, meat cutters and customer-service reps. Assistant Manager, Restaurant. $37,200

Outpatient medical centers. Follow sales-growth trends here to spot possible small-business job opportunities, says White. Niches within healthcare that saw solid sales growth last year include outpatient medical centers, which grew 12.4 percent last year. Though some are national chains, many outpatient centers are locally owned small businesses. Well-paid jobs in this field recently listed on the job site Medicalworkers.com include physical and occupational therapists, registered nurses, and outpatient clinicians. Occupational Therapy Assistant. $43,300

Non-physician health practitioners. Second in sales growth with an 11 percent gain are offices of non-physician health practitioners such as chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists and mental-health practitioners. Many such healthcare practices are small business owned by the doctor-partners. For one example of the opportunities here, the job site Optometry.com had more than 250 recent job listings including openings for opticians, optometric assistants, optical sales managers and lab technicians. Optometric Assistant. $36,300

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How to Clinch a Killer Resume Cover Letter

Experts say keep resume cover letters short, sweet and memorable.

By Kristina Cowan

Do you enjoy writing resume cover letters about as much as you relish root canals? Dread isn't uncommon when it comes to resume cover letters.

"It's an area where job-seekers could do the most to improve, because it does require a certain amount of heavy lifting," said Anna Ivey, a career counselor based in the Boston area. "Most people just write generic resume cover letters, and it's the resume cover letter that's really going to open or close that door, that will decide whether they [employers] bother to read on and look at your resume."

But dread shouldn't get the best of you. Instead, try thinking of resume cover letters as jalapeno peppers-small, but packing a wallop-and heed the following tips on how to write a cover letter from career experts Ivey, Laura DeCarlo, Bernadette Kenny and Deborah DeCamp.

How to Write A Cover Letter

1. Keep it short. Ivey suggests resume cover letters stick to one page, with about three paragraphs total. "Once you roll over onto a second page you're really taking a risk," Ivey said. DeCarlo, executive director of Career Directors International in Melbourne, Fla., said writing should be punchy and crisp. "Resume cover letters are a form of marketing. Make it easy for recipients to be interested and find what they're looking for, and easy for them to find reasons to keep going," DeCarlo said.

2. Draw the reader in immediately. The first paragraph of a resume cover letter should be an attention-grabber, DeCarlo said: Use an interesting fact, ask a question, or mention a personal connection to someone at the company. Learn how to write a cover letter that engages the reader.

3. Pack it with a "wow" factor. DeCamp, a Chicago-based regional director for Manpower Professional, said you create the wow factor by highlighting accomplishments on your resume cover letter. "You're not just stating what you did in your last job, but what you achieved, created, that you saved the company money, blew out a budget, exceeded expectations," she said.

4. Write well! Resume cover letters are a prime place to demonstrate that you have strong grammar, writing and communication skills, said Kenny, the Melville, Long Island-based chief career officer at Adecco Group North America.

5. Don't recreate your resume. You might underscore one or two points on your resume, but be selective and don't turn the resume cover letter into a laundry list, Ivey said. Learn how to write a cover letter that is unique.

6. Have someone else read it. A second set of eyes is always a good idea, Kenny said, and after someone reads your letter, ask if he or she thinks it's effective.

7. What about responding to ads that ask for salary history? While this is a difficult question to address in a resume cover letter, DeCarlo said it's best not to ignore it. Be broad and vague, giving a general salary range, and stress that you're negotiable.

8. Finish with a statement that keeps the conversation rolling. "A good resume cover letter has an action close, that asks to take the next step," DeCarlo said. She explained that many job-seekers aren't interested in coming on too strong, so she suggests a phrase such as "I look forward to hearing from you."

9. Follow up! Ivey encourages job-seekers to follow-up. "I think when it comes to your own job search you need to take more control," she said. If you're hesitant because an ad reads "No phone calls," Ivey suggests sending an e-mail to follow up your resume cover letter.

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Green Works: Low-Cost Training for a Green Job

By Siri Anderson

The green economy is coming – some say it's already arrived – and around the country new types of careers and programs that offer short training for green jobs are popping up rapidly, while old jobs are changing to align with sustainable practices. Green services and products are already in demand, and workforce development experts agree that this movement is going to have enormous impact on jobs of every level.

“This will affect all areas of the economy in ways we are only beginning to find out,” says Julian L. Alssid, executive director of Workforce Strategy Center (WSC), an East Coast-based organization that consults with economic development agencies and educational institutions to help state and regional economies grow. “If we do this well, green will become a part of every job.”

Green enthusiasts believe that blue collar and white collar will one day be ideas of the past; with “green” collar leading the way of the future. Do you know how your job could change to “go green”? And could the green economy present an opportunity for you to increase your marketability and earning power?

Low-Cost Training for Going Green at Work

One of the unique features of the green economy movement is its efforts to include the poor and socially disadvantaged as a starting point for change. According to Marcy Drummond, vice president of workforce and economic development for Los Angeles Trade-Tech College, in most economic shifts, “The poor are first to be left behind. We wanted them to be first [to succeed].”

Over the past three years, this LA community college has pioneered team-taught, comprehensive programs aimed at overcoming traditional barriers that underprivileged students have in attaining a degree and long-term, gainful employment. A range of green certifications are available at LATTC, from solar panel installation and weatherization to sustainable architecture and landscaping. Program lengths range from just a couple of weeks to two-years for a certificate.

Programs like these aren't solely for the underprivileged however, and the first place to look for a similar program in your area is your local community college. Drummond says that more and more programs are going to be available in the near future, especially because much of the stimulus money will be funneled to these institutions first.

The Green Collar Office Job

If you don't work in the energy industry, green may still impact on your position. Vicki Krantz, director of business and professional programs at UC San Diego Extension, is seeing that, “Really smart firms are thinking about every stage of the life of their product.” And this goes far beyond just production, packaging and transportation.

UCSD Extension is one of the first institutions to start training for green jobs from the business point of view, training students for going green by incorporating sustainability into all levels of an organization. Accountants can take carbon accounting classes to track a company's carbon footprint. Marketers can develop skills in green marketing so that their claims to be a green company are valid. Managers can take classes on how to include sustainability into corporate strategies.

Though a lot of buzz is on emerging clean tech, solar tech and bio fuels, according to Krantz, the best businesses of any industry are going to set the vision for sustainability and encourage all employees to translate that into their discipline – from the receptionist who reduces paper use to the CEO who makes fewer business flights each year.

The Green CEO and Entrepreneur

If there's any evidence that the green movement has begun from the ground up, it's shown in how few business leaders are prepared to enter the highly regulated energy field. They want a piece of the pie, though, so they’re learning quickly. Charley Polachi, partner and co-founder of Polachi, Inc., has been a member of the steering committee for the Clean Energy Fellowship Program, a course started in early 2008, designed for CEOs and entrepreneurs who want to get into clean tech industries.

The unique feature of clean tech is the degree to which it is regulated – there are a whole new set of rules and a large infrastructure already in place that business leaders need to understand before jumping in. In the Clean Energy Fellowship Program, entrepreneurs and CEOs learn how to navigate the regulation, come up with funding and develop partnerships with very big companies so that their innovations can become a part of the larger energy infrastructure.

This program was the first of its kind in the country, and admission is highly selective. However, there is a lot of interest in expanding, and other organizations have been looking at the Clean Energy Fellowship program as a model to prepare future green-business leaders.

Green Works: Nab Short Training for a New Job

“All you need to know is there's a lot of money, in terms of training,” says Alssid of WSC. The stimulus package and consumer demand are supporting huge investments into programs that help to “green” jobs. However, Alssid also cautions, “This is in a totally emergent state... it will be up to the individual to zero in on those places that are doing this well. So do your homework.”

The importance of community colleges shouldn't be underestimated in this. They have the resources to create programs quickly, and they will be the first to access stimulus funds. Workforce training centers are also great places to ask for help, and every state has their own way of organizing them – search “your state” and “workforce development” on the internet to find one in your area. In addition, Web sites such as GreenForAll.org, CareerVoyages.gov, and Online.OnetCenter.org have excellent information on career outlooks, training programs and financial assistance.

“If you take advantage of this now, it'll be an edge. Within a couple of years it will be standard,” predicts Krantz of UCSD Extension and, “don't think of this as a passing fad at all. This is the new normal.”

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Successful Change Starts With a Shift in Perspective

Like so many in corporate America today, Susan needed more balance in her life - but she did not know how to get it. Faced with a 60-hour work week and a lengthy daily commute, Susan was left with little time for outside interests. Her job was literally draining her of energy, and her attitude at work was changing, especially within her business unit.
Who is Susan? Susan is a composite of thousands of executives who are pushed to the brink by trying to juggle demands on the job with demands at home. Susan could be you.
At work, Susan was accepting extra work and projects and was not able to say 'no' to her boss. She became frustrated and drained. By accepting everything and not speaking up for herself, Susan became increasingly frustrated and angry. She became more demanding and less flexible with her own team. Her usual encouragement to 'think outside the box' was replaced by a controlling 'do as I say' attitude.
Micromanagement became her style. As a result, her staff appeared less involved in their work. They began to distance themselves from her.
On the social front, Susan was also making unhealthy choices - spending time with friends and family that were draining and burdensome and then keeping silent and angry about it. She did not have anybody to talk with about her experiences and frustration, so there was no one who could help her develop the perspective necessary to propel her toward greater personal fulfillment.
Like so many other executives, Susan believed that if she increased her hours and worked harder, life at work would get better. Are you just like Susan? Do you think that if you become more demanding and micro-manage your employees, the job will get done? Do you think keeping silent makes the problems go away?
To anyone who still believes this way, this is your wake up call. It does not work. Change is the answer - change coupled with a shift in perspective.
But sustaining meaningful change is never easy. It takes desire, intention, a clear vision, a good plan . . . and commitment. Change also takes time. In our increasingly busy lives we often get overwhelmed with demands on our time. Complacency sets in, and we lose the ability to overcome inertia - the tendency of a body at rest to stay at rest or of a body in motion along a certain path to stay in motion along that path.
To change, we must create structure that encourages and supports change, and it begins with an all-important shift in perspective. Instead of living in silence and hiding - or being overly controlling in our work relationships-or feeling that we need to leave our job - we can start by considering a more fulfilling alternative.
In Susan's case, she looked at what energized her, what she was good at, and what gave her joy. She put limits on the amount of work she was willing to take on and began speaking up to make sure her needs were heard and met. She shifted from being a controlling team leader to one that encouraged risk-taking and 'thinking outside the box.'
The result? Greater group cohesion and less stress for everyone involved. Group members felt less restricted and more empowered. Susan added greater value to her company and the results were visible and rewarded. More opportunities-the kind of opportunities Susan wanted-started coming her way.
At the same time, Susan developed criteria for what she wanted in her relationships. She evaluated her current relationships and determined which ones needed to be addressed. She began to speak up to make her needs known, and in some cases she ended unfulfilling relationships. As she revised her standards and set limits, she gained more energy to try new activities outside of work-re-awakening areas of interest that she had long ago left behind.
Susan's success story can be your success story, too. And it starts with four simple steps.
You must . . .
1. Be clear about your intentions to make a change;
2. Be willing to experiment and to try new strategies to achieve the changes you want;
3. Be willing to learn what works and what does not, and to make adjustments;
4. Not let fear stop you from making these significant changes. 

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