Recently, the Department of Labor released their list of the top jobs for women in 2012. Some of their picks might surprise you! Here are some of the positions on their list:

1. Post-Secondary Teacher
2. Anthropologist
3. Oceanographer
4. Natural Sciences Manager
5. Clergy Member

Jobs were ranked by factors such as expected growth in the coming years, median salary, job security, and job satisfaction among women. But fear not; if becoming a clergy member isn’t right for you, there were also some more fast-paced leadership roles on the list as well. For example, being a CEO comes in at number seven, and although males still vastly outnumber females in this position, more and more women are taking on the challenge of leading a company – and you could join them!

If money is an important factor in your success, you might also want to check out Forbes’ list of the top-paying jobs for women in 2011. Most of these positions will continue to be top-paying in the coming years! Some jobs that made it on the list include:

• Physicians and Surgeons
• Pharmacists
• CEOs
• Lawyers
• Computer Software Engineers
• Computer and Information Systems Managers
• Physical Therapists
• Speech Language Pathologists
• Computer Programer
• Human Resources Manager

You don’t always need four+ years to get a great job. Depending on the industry that interests you, sometimes you can get a start with just an associate’s degree, or even just a high school diploma. You have to be realistic – if you want to be a doctor, you need a college education (several years of it, as a matter of fact) – but that doesn’t mean there are no high-paying jobs out there available for employees with little formal education. How do you get this kind of top-paying job if your resume doesn’t shine? Check out these tips:

• Prove that you have the skills.

You might not be able to get a top-paying job right away if you don’t have a college education, but what you can do is get an entry-level position and work you way up the ladder. Even if you start in a minimum wage position, such as working in retail, you can slowly become a shift manager and then a store manager or even a regional manager. If you spend the time gaining experience with a single company and prove that you can do a good job, you lack of formal education won’t matter as much.

• Line up amazing recommendations.

If you don’t have a college degree, network, network, network! the more people you know, the more people who will recommend you for jobs, especially if they’ve worked with you in the past. This goes back to my first point – if you work in an entry-level position, you can prove that you’re good at your job. Even if you don’t stay with the same company, if you do a good job, your bosses and managers will be willing to recommend you or be references.

• Leverage the skills you do have.

Ok, so you don’t have a college education – what do you have? Do you have volunteer experience? Do you have security clearances? Do you have a military record? Do you have diplomas or certificates of completion for training programs? Do you have experience as a scout leader or PTA president? These are all things you can include on your resume! Don’t overlook your achievements and skills, even if they are non-traditional. Most of the top-paying positions are leadership roles, so anything that shows you have leadership experience is great to add to your resume.

• Consider an industry change.

Sometimes, finding a better job is as simple as considering different industries. For example, if you work as a nurse or in another medical position, many of which only require an associate’s degree or diploma, pay extremely well, since workers in this industry are in high demand. Do some research to find out what is in demand in the area where you’d like to live.

• Become an entrepreneur.

If you’re your own boss, you don’t need to have an impressive resume, just an incredible drive and work ethic. Not every business succeeds, but if you do your homework to ensure that you have a solid business plan and take a few classes on entrepreneurship, the sky is the limit as to how much you can earn as a business owner.

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.

Earlier this month, I talked about how working at a gym might be a great job option, since many facilities hire workers to help with the influx of gym-goers attempting to stick to their resolutions for the new year.

But what if you have a resolution to get (or stay) in shape yourself? There are jobs out there where you’re able to stay fit simply due to the nature of your daily tasks – and according to a recent report by Yahoo!, some of these jobs actually pay really well!

So what tops Yahoo!’s list? Nursing! Nurses are on their feet all day in most cases, and through your education, you’ll also learn about healthy eating and exercise. On average, nurses earn over $60,000 per year, which is not shabby considering you can get started in this field with just an associate’s degree.

Other jobs that are fairly high-paying and will help you stay fit include the following:

• Elementary School Teacher: $52,240 per year
• Police Officer: $51,410 per year
• Physical Therapist Assistant: $46,140 per year
• Camera Operator Jobs: $41,670 per year
• Massage Therapist: $39,850 per year
• Chef: $38,770 per year

Are you seeing a trend here – yep, all of these jobs require you to be on your feet all day! Walking is an incredible way to burn calories, even though you might not feel winded or even tired during the day. If your feet hurt after a day of work, chances are you burned a ton of calories.

But what if you don’t have one of the above jobs. Say you work in an office or other position that isn’t exactly active. You don’t necessarily have to become a teacher or any of the other jobs listed above to stay in shape while at work. Here are some pointers you use to burn calories without switching careers:

• Make an effort to get moving as much as possible during the day. Take the stairs, park at the far end of the lot, and every few hours, stand up and stretch.
• Bring your own lunch. Many workers pick up lunch on their company’s campus or at a nearby restaurant, and while this can be a great way to get to know your coworkers, you’ll also double or triple (or more) your caloric intake in most cases. Bring a health lunch from home instead.
• Get into the routine of going to the gym after work every day. If you go home first, chances are that you’ll never make it to the gym. Bring your sweats with you and ask your coworkers if they want to join you. Working out with friends helps keep you accountable.
• Walk to work if you can. Did you know that many people live within a mile or two of their office? Instead of the five-minute drive, plan for a longer commute and walk to work instead, at least when the weather is nice.

What’s your best get-fit tip for the workplace? Share it by leaving a comment below!

If earning a high salary is important to you, there are certain degrees that can help you achieve that goal. Finding a high-paying job is easier with education in one of these fields. Here are some of the best-paying jobs by starting salary, according to CBS Moneywatch:

1. Petroleum engineering – $93,000
2. Chemical engineering – $64,800
3. Nuclear engineering – $63,900
4. Computer engineering – $61,200
5. Electrical engineering – $60,800

You can also look at the highest salaries at mid-career to find a high-paying job:

1. Petroleum engineering – $157,000
2. Aerospace engineering – $108,000
3. Chemical engineering – $108,000
4. Electrical engineering – $104,000
5. Nuclear engineering  – $104,000

As you can see, many of those college degrees on these lists overlap, and they all have something in common – engineering! Engineering degrees, more than others, give you the opportunity to find a high-paying job. If you aren’t interested in engineering, there are other degrees you can also consider including applied mathematics, economics, physics, computer sciences, statistics, finance, management information systems, government, and construction management, according to CBS.

Looking for even more options? Head to JobMonkey’s High Paying Jobs Guide to find information about top salary jobs, including:

• Medical Careers
• Legal Careers
• High-Paying Jobs in the Military
• Aviation Careers
• Becoming an Entrepreneur
• And More!

Remember, your education is just the first step to landing one of these high-paying jobs. While you’re in school, take opportunities to participate in internships or work part-time jobs during college, so that after you graduation, you have a great resume. The best jobs typically command the best candidates!

If you are looking for a higher paycheck, CNBC had a great story recently about the highest paying jobs in America. As you may know, we have an entire section on six-figure jobs, from medical to legal to business to aviation…and more!

According to the CNBC piece, health care jobs dominated their list of the 20 best paid jobs, which they culled from income stats at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The top 5 spots were all doctors – and specialists to boot. Of course, not everyone can become a surgeon, anesthesiologist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, orthodontist or an OB-GYN. The only non-health care job to make the top 10 was being CEO (chief executive officer) of a company. In the top 20 were lawyers, engineers, airline pilots, air traffic controllers and astronomers.

Of course, in any field, you can distinguish yourself and be a top earner – or, the opposite, you can earn significantly less than the national average. Becoming an entrepreneur can make you millions – or you can barely break even. Most teachers make middle income salaries, but with further education, training and promotions, top-paid educators do earn six figures.

In case you are wondering what career fields to avoid, according to the CNBC article, the lowest paid job sector is the food service industry. Full time servers, fast-food cooks, and dish washers all earned less than $20K per year. But keep in mind that top chefs and sous chef can earn extremely competitive salaries – well into the six figures or higher.

Is average salary an important criterion for you in looking for a new job? To what degree does money affect your career choices?

Kiplinger columnist Marty Nemko recently profiled 13 professions that she believes are the best bet for the next decade, based on three factors:

• Ability to have at least a middle class income
• Socially redeeming value — i.e. no tobacco execs on this list
• Work-life balance — reasonable hours, positive work environment, etc.
• Status — these are “white collar jobs” here, with a good deal of social ‘status’ associated with them (not that blue — and green, for the matter — collar jobs can’t pay well and give employees a lot of job satisfaction, but this particular list wasn’t about that kind of work)

So, what did Ms. Nemko come up with?

1. Federal-Government Manager

In the post economic recession era, the federal government is slated to be this nation’s largest employer, creating 300,000 new jobs over the next two years! Federal jobs don’t have to be based in Washington; there are opportunities around the country — and the world.

2. Higher-Education Administrator

3. Program Evaluator

4. Global Business Development Executive

If you speak Mandarin, Hindi, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic or Farsi, there is likely a job for you (especially if you are willing to work abroad.)

5. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist

6. Immigration Expert

7. Researcher

Key specialties include energy/green energy research; and science research jobs such as genomics, neurophysics, diagnostic imaging, and pollution control.

8. Health-Informatics Specialist

No medical degree required; informatics specialists will help docs and hospitals set up electronic medical records systems.

9. Optometrist

10. Genetic Counselor

11. Patient Advocate

12. Physical Therapist

Among medical-related jobs, this one scores highest on the job satisfaction indicators, according to Nemko. She says it’s the one-on-one relationship and reasonable work hours that do the trick.

13. Veterinarian Careers

And let me add… If you want to work with animals, but years of schooling aren’t your thing, consider a job as a veterinarian technician: Same good hours, same great work environment, but less education (and, unfortunately, less salary).

You can get the full run-down on each of these careers from Nemko’s article at Kiplinger.com.

So, what do you think? Is your future high-earning, socially relevant, high satisfaction (and status) next job on this list? Which job speaks to you the most? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

P.S. Check back tomorrow for a Hot Jobs post that may just help you get started on this list!

Are you stuck in a low-paying job? Frustrated that you work so hard, but earn so little? If so, you need to ask yourself: Has the time come to make a career change?

If so, what’s holding you back? Is it a lack of a college degree?

While more Americans are earning their BA than ever before, higher education is most definitely not the right path for everyone. Maybe you wanted or needed to go straight into the professional world. Perhaps you tried out college for a semester or two before realizing that it wasn’t a good fit for you.

If the only reason you would even consider a college degree is to earn a bigger paycheck, then I have good news for you: There are plenty of high paying jobs that don’t demand a formal degree. Yes, you need experience and on-the-job training. But an official diploma isn’t a prerequisite. Here’s a look at eight great jobs you might want to investigate.

1. Service station manager

Average annual salary: $81,793

Experience in the automotive industry is a must; good leadership and organizations skills are a plus. Managers are in charge of overseeing staff, operating the budget and handling customer relations.

2. Chemical supervisor

Average annual salary: $67,114

You don’t need a degree in chemistry to be a chemical supervisor. Instead, past experience in a lab or manufacturing plant is required; supervisory experience plus the know-how to handle dangerous substances is an advantage as well. See more high paying science jobs at the JobMonkey’s section on 6 figure jobs.

3. Construction equipment operator

Average annual salary: $50,783

Despite the stereotype, blue-collar jobs don’t have to be low-paying. In fact, experienced construction workers earn better than the national average when they take charge of large tools and equipment during construction projects. Commercial gigs often pay even better than residential assignments.

4. Credit and collection supervisor

Average annual salary: $61,387

Our country is in a credit crunch, with more and more Americans defaulting on their loans and credit cards. While it may not be the most uplifting line of work, credit and collection supervisors are in high demand. Supervisors have good people skills and past experience in the industry to be able to manage employees and review client files.

5. Flight service manager

Average annual salary: $67,766

Airline jobs tend to pay well, especially once you reach the level of manager or supervisor. Flight service managers are in charge of a crew of flight attendants, which means plenty of time in the air. Learn about more airline and airport jobs from the JobMonkey.

6. Home care aide supervisor

Average annual salary: $66,244

Health care jobs are one of the fastest growing sectors in the American economy today. And you don’t need a medical or nursing degree for many of them. Home care aide supervisors oversee aides working with homebound patients. Past experience in the field is required, as are good supervisory skills. Learn more about health care jobs from the JobMonkey.

7. Locomotive engineer

Average annual salary: $70,116

All aboard! Working on locomotives is an exciting, fast-paced way to earn a great salary. Whether you’re transporting passengers or freight, engineers are charged with driving electric, diesel-electric or gas-turbine electric trains. Learn more about working on the railroad from JobMonkey’s section on train jobs.

8. Route sales manager

Average annual salary: $65,771

If you are working in sales and want to earn a higher salary, talk to your supervisor about becoming a route sales manager. They work directly with service delivery teams to ensure customer satisfaction, efficiency and personal performance. Learn more about high paying careers in sales and marketing from JobMonkey’s section on Six Figure Jobs.

Source: CNN

It has been a while since I’ve featured one of our Tuesday Tips here on the blog, so I thought we should get back to that.

Today, I want to talk about the importance of goal setting.

I will never forget a motivational speaker I heard way back in the 8th grade, who talked about the subject of setting goals. He said something to the effect of:
It’s better to shoot for the stars and miss, than to shoot for a pile of s**t and hit!
(Looking back on that memory, I’m realizing that the speaker’s “colorful language” is probably why I so vividly remember that quote.)

Whatever your career aspirations — from professional fulfillment to earning a six-figure salary — goals are your pathway to getting there. Clearly defined goals help you to:

• Stay focused

• Remember your values and priorities

• Stay motivated in the face of discouraging setbacks

• Be in control of your own destiny

Now that’s great, but what if your goal seems impossibly far off? You set mini-goals or short-term goals. In other words you map out your course with these mini-goals as your sign posts. Take losing weight, for example. Someone with over 100 pounds to lose will probably get very discouraged in those early months and weeks when the big 100 pound goal still seems so far away. Instead, he or she can break up that goal into readily achievable mini-goals — the first 5 pounds, the first 10% of body weight, the first 25 pounds, etc. etc. By setting up these mini-goals along the way, you know that you are on the right course, and you build momentum by getting to “taste success” along the way.

The same applies to your career goals. Your short-term goals might include earning a degree or relevant certification, getting an internship in your field, finding a professional mentor, joining a networking group, etc. You can even break your job search into mini-goals: Send out 15 resumes, make 5 networking calls, go on 3 interviews, and so on.

You can read more about career goal setting in the JobMonkey Job Hunting tools section.

What are your best tips for setting goals — and how do you achieve them?

Check it out, folks. The JobMonkey has just added yet another fact-filled, in-depth section to its homepage — this one is about health care jobs.

One of the hottest job markets at the moment, health care jobs are a great way to achieve three of the most common career planning aims:

• High salaries
• Job Security (health care jobs made Newsweek’s list of most recession-proof careers)
• Helping people

What if you never dreamed of being a doctor or nurse? No worried, you can still have a fulfilling health care career, as a dietician, an ultrasound technologist, a pharmacist, a fitness instructor, or even a medical transcriptionist. Learn about all these jobs and more from the JobMonkey’s newest career section.

Have a great weekend and see you back here on the Monkey next Monday!