With my boggling mind of what to enroll in college, I saw this post that might be helpful to some who are

still doubtful and confused. Hope this helps! One of the biggest fears for many college graduates is finding a good job that pays well and has solid career prospects. Some career paths are going to be more beneficial and open to a recent grad. To help new degree holders find the right field, the ni!ersity of "alifornia, San #iego has compiled its fifth annual list of $Hot "areers for "ollege %raduates.$ &or this report, "S# loo'ed at four criteria ( $current employment in the field, projected growth in the occupation between )*+* and )*)*, median annual salary in the occupation, and wor'place en!ironment characteristics.$ The study also loo'ed at $bridgeability factor,$ a yes or no decision $based on whether a college graduate could bridge into the career with one or two years of study or res'illing.$ Se!eral careers ( such as nurse, !eterinarian, and pharmacist ( scored well on "S#,s criteria, but would be unobtainable for an untrained college graduate. -lmost half of the careers in the top +* dealt with computers and technology, including the top two on the list. -lthough two different types of software de!elopers ( applications and systems ( tied for the first spot on "S#,s ran'ings, we decided to solely designate systems software de!elopers as the number one career, based on its stronger long.term job prospects. #10 Insurance Sales Agent $-s the population li!es longer, there will be an increased need for insurance agents/ the 0ureau of 1abor Statistics e2pects this career path to increase by ))3 by )*)*. Our research shows there are 445,67* insurance agents nationwide, earning a mean annual salary of 854,7**. -lthough one third of all insurance sales agents in )*+* reported ha!ing at least a bachelor9s degree, only a high school diploma is re:uired for entry to this job ( a uni:ue factor among the top ten hot careers.$ #9 Public Relations Specialist $"ompared to other jobs on the hot careers list, public relations specialists represent the smallest number of people currently employed ;)*+,)<*=, but the field has a projected growth rate of )43 by )*)* ... The mean annual salary in the field, counting both corporate and self.employed public relations specialists, is

85+,><*.$ #8 Management Analyst $There are a reported ?7*,77* employed nationwide at present. -ll industries ( e!en go!ernment organi@ations and not.for.profit organi@ations ( rely on the uni:ue e2pertise of management analysts to operate efficiently. With the onset of the global economic recession that began in )**<, utili@ation of management consultants has been growing, and demand for these professionals is projected to continue to grow by ))3 by )*)*. The mean annual salary for management consultants is 8<<,*6*.$ #7 Computer Systems Analyst $"omputer systems analysts scored strongly in e!ery category of hot careers e!aluation. With 7<),*7* systems analysts currently employed in the .S., the career category is projected to e2perience growth in demand of )) percent by )*)*. With a mean annual salary of 8<4,<**, it is among the most highly remunerati!e job categories on the list.$ #6 lementary Sc!ool "eac!er

$Alementary school teachers ha!e chosen an occupation that is high on the hot careers list because of the number of currently employed teachers(+,45*,4<*. Outnumbering any other single occupation nationally, a teaching career path tends to offer a form of stability that is relati!ely rare in other fields of pursuit ... O!erall demand for teachers is significant on a national le!el. &rom )*+*B)*)*, a large number of teachers from the 0aby 0oom generation are also e2pected to retire, which will create additional positions for new teachers and results in projected national growth in the career of +<3 by )*)*.$ ## $et%or&'Computer Systems A(ministrator $The criteria that landed this occupation on the hot careers list are a mean annual salary of 865,4)* paired with a projected growth rate of )<3 by )*)*. Increased reliance on technology in homes and e!ery economic sector will continue to generate strong demand for graduates who can fulfill the numerous needs of users and enterprises. "urrently, the .S. go!ernment reports 4?*,4)* systems administrators employed, but increasingly comple2 security threats, cybersur!eillance, and upcoming ,meaningful use, re:uirements of the Catient Crotection and -ffordable "are -ct of )*+* will no doubt continue to re:uire additional manpower on the front lines of computer networ's and systems.$ #) Accountant'Au(itor

$-ccountants and auditors earned the number four spot on the hot careers list because of the sheer demand for accounting jobs. -t last official count, +,+)>,47* people in the .S. were employed as accountants and auditors, with a respectable projected growth rate in the field of +53 by )*)*. The mean annual salary for accounting and audit careers is 86+,*7*, which has increased by nearly 8+*,*** in the past three years alone ;from 85+,5>* in just )*+*=. Salary growth also illuminates why this is a promising career path for indi!iduals with financial aptitude.$ #* Mar&et Researc! Analyst'Mar&eting Specialist $%o!ernment data shows 4>),67* currently employed mar'eting research analysts under classification code +4.++5+. -lthough the mean annual salary, 856,4<*, is considerably less than the number one and number two careers in the hot careers list, the job outloo' between now and )*)* shows a deep and urgent need for more :ualified indi!iduals in these positions, with a projected growth rate of 7+ percent by )*)*.$ #+ So,t%are -e.elopers / Applications $The difference between these types of software de!elopers is that the applications software de!elopers are more focused on the consumer side of the software de!elopment, testing and modifying the product to ensure the desired results, and the systems software de!eloper9s role pertains to the formulation and analysis of software re:uirements. - bachelor9s degree in computer science or mathematics, as well as strong programming s'ills, are what an applicant usually needs for a job as an applications software de!eloper.$ #1 So,t%are -e.eloper / Systems So,t%are $-lthough the demand for applications software de!elopers is higher, systems software de!elopers ha!e a better projected employment growth rate ;4)3 by )*)* !ersus )<3 by )*)* for the applications software de!elopers= as well as a higher mean annual salary ;8+*),??*, almost 8?,*** more for the applications software de!eloper=.$