I’m a self-proclaimed geek. I love Doctor Who, video games, reading, and lots of other nerdy activities. So, today, I thought I’d give you some career paths you can consider if you’re a geek too! Many people who enjoy these types of activities get a job in IT, but there are other options as well, no matter what your level of education.

• Video Game Testing: If you love gaming, but don’ t have education, you can break into the industry through testing. Getting a video game testing job only requires that you’re hard-working and love games! There are volunteer positions with lots of companies, and once you have someexperience, you can get a paying video game testing job.
• Ethical Hacking: Good with computers? You don’ t have to be a bad guy to get into hacking. You can get hired as a hacker by security companies, government organizations, and others looking to find weaknesses before the real bad guys do.
• Archaeology: For history buffs, working in archaeology is an option. There aren’t just job digging up dinosaur bones. You can also become a museum curator, study cultures, or work in any number of other archaeology jobs.
• Video Edit: Geeks with a knack for audio-visual techniques can consider a broadcasting career working as a video editor. You could help make a director’s vision come to life in television and film or, if you’re interested in marketing, work on commercials.
• Driveaway: If you’re anything like me, you prefer working alone. If you aren’t exactly a social butterfly, one career you can consider is becoming a driver. Truck driving is of course an option, but you can also work for a driveaway company, where you’ll help move RVs, luxury cars, and other vehicles from place to place.
• Science Jobs: Working in science gives you tons of career options. These careers typically require an education, but through your college program, you can try out multiple avenues, like physics, geology, and biology. Best of all, the science jobs you can get with some experience are among the highest-paying in the country.
• Pizza Franchise Owner: What geek doesn’t love pizza? Did you know you could actually start your own pizzaria – and with fewer headaches if you open a franchise location, since the parent company takes care of advertising, recipes, pricing, and more. Opening a pizza franchise requires you to pay money upfront for the rights to have a Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, or whatever restaurant you want to open, and then you’ll pay yearly franchise fees.
• Special Effects Makeup: If you love horror and sci-fi movies, you could get a job working in movie makeup. Help create those grotesque zombies, imaginative aliens, terrifying blood and gore, and more.

None of these jobs sound interesting to you? Think about other geeky activities you love. If you enjoy reading, think about jobs in publishing. If you want to work online, use your smarts to do some online tutoring. Language enthusiast? Work as a translator. No matter what your geeky poison, there are tons of jobs you can consider.

At times it can be hard to feel like you have control over your own life – your own destiny.

Many times we would just like to be our own boss, live the American Dream, and start our own business.  At the same time, the many downsides of owning a business, and fear of failure can hold us gripped in stagnancy.

If you want the safety of an established track record, a good way to start out is to buy a franchise. Franchise purchases give you the right to sell the products or services of an established company. But as with any venture, there are things to be wary of as well. Here are some points to consider when buying a franchise.

Investigating:
Before spending your hard earned money on a venture you have to really do your research, and look into the potential franchise.  Talk to other owners, understand the franchise disclosure document, spend a day at the main office, and ask questions.

Choosing:
When choosing a franchise, try to find a franchise that deals with things you yourself enjoys.  Be fully aware with what kind of are you are dealing with, your management abilities, and the goals that you wish to achieve.

Experience:
If you are working with a big franchise, you can use the companies already established resources to help you get started with marketing campaigns, etc.  Some companies may or may not include the cost of training.

Familiarity:
If you are working for a well known company, customers are already familiar with the company’s name and products, so business will build faster.

Opportunities:
There are Franchise Opportunities in nearly every industry sector from ice cream to fitness.

Cost:
This varies with each business.  There is always some initial cost, and royalties to account for.  Also many companies will take a different share of the profits, typically between 6-10 %.  If the franchise requires a building, than puying that space can be a huge cost.  Home franchises avoid the cost of purchasing space and offer a nice tax break.

Control:
Some franchises give you the independence to make business decisions. Others keep a tight lock on all the details.  Make sure you exactly what your authority will be.

Do you have a passion for tasty treats? If you love cooking (and eating!), a career in food might be perfect for you. While there are many paths to becoming a chef, you can also consider other jobs in this industry. You aren’t limited to working in a restaurant kitchen!

So what are some of your other food-related career options?

• Television Chef: While a television chef does still spend time cooking, in this field, you also need to connect with fans. There’s also a teaching element to becoming a television chef. If you have dreams of being the next Bobby Flay, start small by working on set, even with local cooking shows. You can also show off your personality online, by hosting your own video blog.
• Nutritionist: If you have a passion not just for food, but also for health, working as a nutritionist or dietitian might be the right choice for you. Nutritionists work closely to ensure that people are getting the right foods they need, whether it be in a hospital setting, through one-on-one training, or otherwise. Right now, nutritionists are also getting involved in federal politics, as they’re campaigning for better funding for healthy school lunches.
• Farm Work: By working on a farm, you’re getting back to the basics with food. Small farms especially allow you to work providing fresh and even, in some cases, organic ingredients to chefs around the world. The best food is made with the best products!
• Franchise Owner: Working at a restaurant may not be your cup of tea – but what about owning your own business? One of the ways to become a business owner is to open a franchise location. One of the biggest advantages to opening a restaurant that’s part of a franchise is that they are often nationally recognized, so you have a built-in fan base.
• Food Critic: One of the most fun jobs for a foodie is to work as a food critic for a magazine, newspaper, or website. You’ll get to eat the best foods at awesome restaurants from around the world in this role, but it can be hard to find a food critic position as someone new to the field. Consider starting your own website and doing reviews of places where you eat already in order to build your portfolio.

Of course, in addition to all of these fun food careers, you can also consider simply becoming a chef. To work in this field, you can go two routes – go to school to learn more about food or get started working as a dishwasher in kitchen and slowly work your way up the ladder. Both paths to becoming a head chef can be advantageous.

Have you seen JobMonkey’s newest section on franchise opportunities? A franchise is a national or regional chain, in which each storefront is owned individually rather than by the national office.

A franchise agreement gives the individual owner (the franchisee) the legal right to sell the franchiser’s products or services.

If you are interested in starting your own business, but would prefer to minimize some of the risk of having to develop your own business plan, the franchise model is a good option — especially during this recession when financing for unproven businesses has all but dried up.

And that’s not just my opinion. The Boston Globe recently ran a profile piece of a number of new Boston-based franchise owners. In listing the benefits of owning a franchise, the article stated that:

Franchises are attractive for some entrepreneurs because they can offer opportunities for those with an appetite for some risk – just not as much as starting an entirely new venture, new owners and industry observers say. Depending on the type of business, franchises offer different levels of training and support.

If you are serious about buying a franchise, there are a few key questions you need to research first:

• Is the home company financially healthy?
• Does the home company it helps franchisees find and develop a location?
• How does a franchisee get inventory and supplies once they are up and running?
• Does the franchisee have control over pricing, or is that determined solely by the franchiser?
• What is the cost of purchasing a franchise? Does the franchisee owe royalties or a percentage of sales on top of the initial cost?
• If a franchisee wants to end the franchise agreement, what is the process?

For more information on opening a franchise, check out this week’s edition of the JobMonkey newsletter, which featured the pros and cons of buying a franchise. (If you don’t currently subscribe to the free weekly newsletter, you can do so here.)

Also, check out this recent article from the Lakeland (FL) Ledger, Own It Yourself: Franchisees Don’t Regret the Decision.

Have you thought about buying a franchise?  What companies have you looked in to?