How veterans can get a leg up in the job market using transferable skills

 If you have retired from the military and are transitioning to a civilian career, it's time to take an inventory of your transferable skills - the skills that will place you light years ahead of your civilian peers in a recovering economy.

The job market remains sluggish and veterans in particular are challenged in finding work. But there is good news. Through the experience and knowledge gained from military service, including training and coursework, you will have gained valuable transferable skills that can serve you well in your transition to civilian life. The challenge is to define these skills and sell them - and yourself - to your future employer.

What are transferable skills? These are the proficiencies mainly acquired through broad work, education and life experience, and they translate across jobs and career fields. For instance, if you worked as a training specialist in the military, you have probably mastered communications and personnel management skills, as well as leadership abilities that are sought and valued in business and industry, government or education.

Along with transferable skills most people also have developed work-content skills that are technical and job-specific. These typically require formal training, are more specific to trades or professions, and have a separate skills-based vocabulary or jargon that is unique to the job, such as knowledge of certain sophisticated equipment operation. Work-content skills are not as portable as transferable skills, but when combined with them, they reflect the strength of your overall work ethic and demonstrate the array of accomplishments and abilities you have attained.

What employers want

Prospective employers have one important question: What can you do for us? The answer is often found in your portable, transferable skills. These also influence how you prepare a top-notch resume and cover letter, conduct your job search and convey your talents in an interview. As you recognize and reveal these skills, you will also get a boost of self-esteem about your own achievements.

Identify your transferable skills

Start by reviewing your past or current educational, work, military and life experiences. Did your experience teach you to analyze data and write reports? Supervise others? Work as a team? Make quick decisions or meet deadlines? Organize and implement projects?

If you can analyze, write, plan, organize, lead others and work with a team -- you have just identified six highly valued skills you can place on a resume, discuss in a job interview and put to use in a new work setting.

"Veterans may not realize the many exceptional transferable skills they have acquired through their military service," says Maribeth Gunner Pulliam, the career services coordinator at Excelsior College. "Veterans are trained to lead by example, work respectfully and collaboratively, and accomplish tasks on time - even when facing adversity.  They understand the importance of dedication and perseverance. These are all skills employers seek."

When starting a military transition job search, you can also identify your transferable and work-content skills with online career assessment tools and career guidebooks. Keep this list updated over time, as you progress and evolve in your career. This "skills package" record will be a valuable resource for your future, and a reminder of how far you have come.

Trouble getting started?

If you are like many, taking inventory of your various skills and categorizing them may seem like a daunting task. There are several online tools you can use to get started. Excelsior offers free advice at its site (www.excelsior.edu/military-resources) as do many other colleges. The most important thing is to take your time to reflect upon all that you have done. Consider also talking with your friends, family and coworkers to discover more about the valuable transferable skills they believe you exhibit. They may be able to provide helpful observations that you may not see. These small steps will help you better prepare for a job search and feel more confident in your ability to convince employers that you are the person they've been looking to hire.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How to overcome job interview jitters

High school and college graduations are just around the corner, and for many graduates, that means - gulp - it's time to start pounding the pavement with fellow job seekers.

However, a new poll of young adults conducted by Everest College reveals the job interview itself poses a major challenge for those seeking a new position. Four in 10 respondents (40 percent) said interviewing is the one skill they need to improve most to land a job, and nearly half (45 percent) think speaking skills are one of the most important attributes hiring managers use to judge potential candidates.

"In today's tough economy, the job interview is particularly important for those just starting their careers, and often means the difference between landing a job or going home empty-handed," says Sean Quinn, regional vice president of operations for Everest College, a leading provider of career-oriented diploma programs in health care, skilled trades and accounting.

Quinn and Everest College offer the following tips to ensure that an interview opportunity ends with a job offer.

Practice makes perfect

According to Everest's survey, nearly three of 10 (28 percent) named, "What is your worst quality?" the most difficult interview question to answer. Other tough questions were, "Where would you like to see yourself professionally in five years?" (20 percent) and, "What is your salary requirement?" (19 percent).

Practice answers to these, as well as other common inquiries, including "Tell me about yourself" and, "What skills and experiences do you bring?" Think of actual examples and prepare mini-sound bites to describe your skills.

Be yourself

Although the interview is a great time to sell yourself to a potential employer, be careful not to go overboard. Embellishment may be tempting - particularly for young graduates - but employers want to know what you've really done. Communicate any career training you have and how it relates to the position.

"Employers hiring at the entry level are looking at candidates for potential just as much as experience," Quinn says. "Grandiose claims of skills and qualifications from young candidates are red flags to employers."

Instead, be yourself, and in cases where you lack experience, display a willingness and desire to learn the necessary skills.

Every interaction counts

Anyone you encounter within proximity to the interview setting can have a direct influence on its outcome. Having a positive and respectful attitude creates a more welcoming environment all around you and sets you up for success during the interview.

"Be as courteous as possible to anyone you meet, whether it's the receptionist, security guard or parking attendant," comments Quinn. "And you never know. That stranger you meet on the elevator may turn out to be your interviewer."

Share your past work

A portfolio of past work or testimonials from previous employers or clients speaks volumes for your credibility and dedication to a job.  Photography of output in the skilled trades may help illustrate the work you're capable of doing.

Follow-up

Good follow-through is important and shows a potential employer that a candidate cares about the opportunity. Be sure to send a note to everyone who interviewed you thanking them for their time and consideration.

Enhance your skills

Many students say that in this tough job market, their current credentials just aren't passing the test. If you find yourself lacking the necessary skills for employment, it's never too late to consider furthering your education.

Schools like Everest College cater to the demands of non-traditional students by offering fast-track programs, flexible classes and online education programs in high-demand fields, such as health care and accounting, allowing students to work or interview for jobs while enhancing their skills in the meantime.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How education can increase your earning potential

Unemployment is edging down, with the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting nearly half a percent drop in the unemployment rate for December 2010. Yet with millions of Americans still out of work, many are looking for ways to make themselves better prepared to seize emerging opportunities.

As blue collar jobs have been outsourced to other nations, many white collar jobs have vanished after corporate downsizing. Those who have earned college degrees - and those who haven't - are still feeling the crunch and facing fierce competition in the employment arena.

Micki Holliday, director of Career Services at Brown Mackie College - Kansas City, works every day with people who know first hand the consequences of increased competition for fewer job openings. "There's a good economic argument for going back to school," Holliday says.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau bears this out. A typical fulltime worker, age 25 to 64, with a college degree earned 60 percent more than a high school graduate over the course of a career, according to a 2009 Current Population Survey. Those with a master's degree earned twice as much, and those with a doctoral degree earned three times as much as those who only had a high school diploma.

The same survey shows another benefit of earning a college degree in terms of the diminishing likelihood of becoming unemployed. With each level of education achieved, salary goes up and chance of unemployment goes down. "High levels of education can't inoculate workers from becoming unemployed," says Holliday. "However, during 2008, the unemployment rate for college graduates increased by just 1 percent, while it grew three times as much for those without a college degree."

Dealing with unemployment often becomes an impetus for thinking about going back to school. "People often don't know what to do. They just know they have to do something," Holliday says. "Four years of college isn't for everybody. That's where degree and certificate programs come into play. Additional classes can make a crucial difference and are especially necessary if one is considering changing careers. One of the most promising careers right now is in health care. Whether you want to work in a hospital or on the staff of a private home care company, no one gets into the field without higher education."

Industry projections anticipate 3.2 million new jobs will be created between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Career Guide to Industries. A two-year associate degree equips people with valuable skills that can help get a foot in the door to become part of a professional group. In addition to health care, two-year programs are available in many different fields, from legal to technology to business.

"There are other intangible benefits in furthering your education," says Holliday. "It matters in terms of physical health and psychological welfare. I see people working fulltime and going to school, plus managing their families. It's a hard-earned accomplishment. We tell our students, 'Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.'"

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Five ways to put Web 2.0 to work in your career search

In today's digital world, a job applicant's online reputation is becoming just as important as a strong resume and networking skills. In fact, a 2010 study commissioned by Microsoft showed 85 percent of human resources professionals say that positive online reputation to some extent influences their hiring decisions and 75 percent report that their companies have formal policies in place that require hiring personnel to research applicants online.

This means successful job seekers need to build a positive personal brand online by navigating the Web 2.0 world and taking advantage of social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and MySpace.

"What you do and say online, as well as how you present yourself on social networking sites could be important in landing the position you're seeking," says Bowen Hopper, a former recruiter for Fortune 1000 companies and currently a career services director for Colorado Technical University, a leading provider of education for career-motivated students. "Your online presence and brand needs to reflect your skills, attitude and talents."

For career seekers looking for ways to use social networking sites and web-based tools to get an edge in their job search, Hopper offers these tips:

Do an online search on yourself. Have you ever typed your own name into a search engine like Google or Yahoo? This is a good starting point to determine what you'll find about yourself online - and what first impression you would make on a recruiter or HR manager who conducts the same search and may focus on the first five or six search results. Depending on what you discover, you can consider making changes to your profile pages on social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn if they don't accurately capture your professional image and capabilities.

Use discretion. A simple rule of thumb is to limit your content on social networking sites to what you would feel comfortable having a current or future employer view. Avoid any inappropriate pictures or statements on your site (or your friends' sites) that may be perceived as a negative reflection of your character. If it's an option, consider setting your profile to "private" so that most information can only be viewed by friends or colleagues of your choosing. Photo sharing sites like Flickr or Photobucket should also be closely monitored since these may be viewed by more than just the intended audience of family and friends.

Consider creating a personal website. This is an increasingly popular and relatively inexpensive way to increase online visibility and searchability for your skills, experience and qualifications. "A personal website is a living, breathing extension of your resume," Hopper says. Since it's your own website, you can control and update the content at anytime. You can get started by reserving a personal domain name that includes your first and last name and then using available (and often free) tools to create and populate your site with your brief biography, resume, photo, work samples and links to any relevant online content about yourself or associations you belong to.

Define your personal brand. Just as you customize your resume and cover note for specific jobs, the same is necessary when it comes to creating your personal online brand. Understand the industry you're targeting for a position to tailor how you present yourself online. This can extend to a personal website or the qualifications shared on your LinkedIn site.

Tap into career experts for guidance. If you're currently attending college or are an alum, consider utilizing your university's career services team for additional advice in creating and managing your personal online brand as part of your job search and networking activities. Many universities offer free career-related webinars or resources for their students and graduates.

(Colorado Technical University does not guarantee employment or salary.)

Courtesy of ARAcontent.com

Retail Merchandising Jobs: Get Paid to Keep Shop

From cash registers to stockrooms, the retail industry can be a great place to find a job that requires little job experience or education. What might that job pay and where can you go from there? If you work your way up the ranks and become a buyer for a department store, you could make over $80,000 per year. Not bad. In addition, retail merchandising jobs can help boost your resume with sales experience.

Check out this list of retail jobs and what they pay, according to online salary database, PayScale.com.

1. Retail Cashier
Wage: $8.85/hour plus bonus
Job Description: Total bills on a cash register, receive money, make change, fill out charge forms, and give receipts.

If you have no experience and want to be trained on the job for a new career, cashiering is a place where you can start. Many retail cashiers start at minimum wage but receive increases over time. There are possibilities for bonuses based upon performance and loyalty, depending on the store. Plus, you can get experience on your resume that will lead to better job opportunities in retail or another industry. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects available positions for cashiers to decline in the coming years due to increased online shopping and self check-out stations, high turnover means that there are often new positions available for you to get a foothold in the industry.

2. Retail Sales Associate
Wage: $9.55/hour plus bonus
Job Description: Attend special training on products and services. Stay current with trends or styles. Assist customers in selecting products, answer questions and check for stock and availability.

This is the person at the store who helps you find the specific product you’re looking for at a price you can afford. They may run the cash register, but more than anything, they need to be knowledgeable about the products they are selling. If you are a people person and are really interested in a particular retail area – e.g. video games, sports gear, luggage, novelty food items – this could be a very fun job for you. The BLS notes that retail salespeople often need to work evenings or weekends and that the job can get very busy during sales or popular shopping days. But, if you’re a successful salesperson, those are also times when your commissions can really see a boost. The BLS notes that speaking additional languages can improve your success as a retail sales associate.

3. Retail Store Assistant Manager
Wage: $42,150 annual median salary
Job Description: Assist in overseeing the day-to-day retail operations and staff. Monitor workflow and schedules. Manage and stock inventory at specified levels. Sell to customers and handle their complaints. Assist in the selection and training of staff. Help ensure monthly sales quotas are met.

The retail store assistant manager is about as busy as the store manager, but more likely to be involved with the customers and staff on the sales floor. They maintain a close relationship with the sales team and provide them with support and ideas for improving their sales. They also work closely with the store manager to keep him or her informed about employee performance and customer trends. This first step into management is a smart one to take. The BLS expects the number of retail salespeople to grow as the population grows. So, experience in hiring, training and scheduling retail sales people could provide some job security long term.

4. Department Manager, Retail Store
Wage: $36,000 annual median salary
Job Description: Select, train and develop staff in a particular store department. Ensure monthly sales quotas are met by staff. Sell to customers. Manage and stock inventory.

Formal wear. Fishing gear. Housewares. Holiday decorations. Department management is a great job for someone who is really excited about a particular product or service. Every department manager in a retail store needs to have a depth of specific product knowledge. Certain departments are more lucrative because they sell “big-ticket” items, so getting the opportunity to run one of those can provide an extra boost to your income. According to the BLS, these high-dollar departments include jewelry, furniture and electronic equipment. So, if you love talking diamonds and pearls, that pricey interest could really pay off for you.

5. Retail Store Manager
Wage: $43,639 annual median salary
Job Description: Oversee the selection, training and development of staff and ensure monthly sales quotas are met. Sell products to customers and handle escalated customer complaints and issues. May be involved in marketing and budget management.

The store manager must have patience to deal with demanding customers, enthusiasm to keep the staff motivated and business sense to make smart decisions day-to-day. It’s possible for a store manager to come up from the cashier or sales position with no college degree. However, those with a college degree might be able to go directly into a management training program at a store and skip the cashier or sales associate experience. Store managers often work long hours. They must watch the budget and customer-buying trends, as well as monitor the store’s appearance overall. Is the sales staff dressed neatly? What products would customers be interested in buying that are not on the shelves right now? It is this person’s responsibility to keep their store in business.

6. Loss Prevention Manager
Wage: $44,500 annual median salary
Job Description: Reduce inventory losses inside retail stores. Manage in-store security programs that focus on minimizing inventory losses due to employee theft, shoplifting, fraud, vendor theft, and accounting errors.

A loss prevention manager is a retail cop who prevents shoplifting, catches shoplifters in the act and also makes sure that employees don’t get sticky fingers or report their earnings dishonestly. Security consultant and author of Security Expert’s Guide to Premises Liability Litigation Chris McGoey says, “The best loss prevention managers have good investigative instincts and high moral standards. Men and women can be equally successful. Size should not be an issue unless the manager is working alone and expected to make shoplifter apprehensions.” This job requires tact, tight lips and often, knowledge of video surveillance systems. You may be a witness in court proceedings and you’ll need to be available to work evenings and weekends.

7. Retail Sales Manager
Wage: $45,600 annual median salary plus bonus
Job Description: Maximize sales by creating a productive sales team. Ensure monthly sales quotas are met. Oversee day-to-day retail operations and staff; monitor and prioritize workflow and schedules.

The retail sales manager is largely responsible for creating a winning sales team. This person needs to make sure that their sales force meets preset sales quotas each month or quarter. They are involved not only in hiring salespeople, but also setting the standard for sales methods. Do you want your staff to always check if the customer buying a pair of pants might want a matching belt or socks? Which products bring in the most profit and how could you sell more of them? These are the creative, day-to-day decisions a retail sales manager makes. It can be a high pressure job with a lot of competition. You and your team have to prove yourself daily.

8. Buyer, Department Store
Wage: $81,400 annual median salary
Job Description: Buy the goods and services the store needs to resell to customers.

Do you love to shop? Do you have a good sense for what’s hot and what’s not? If you love to stay on top of trends in clothing, sports equipment, computers or cars, you could excel as a buyer. Typically armed with software that tracks the purchases being made at your store and staying up to date on the economic environment and consumer trends, you make choices that could make or break your store’s reputation and financial success. That responsibility comes with high stress and a hefty paycheck. In a large store, you may buy for one or two departments, but at a smaller store you may choose every product offered.

9. Do Bigger Price Tags Mean Bigger Paychecks?

According to PayScale.com, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Kohl’s are some of the most lucrative places to work in the retail industry. See PayScale’s comparisons for national, median hourly and salary rates across all positions for some top retail stores.

Hourly Rate by Retail Store Store Median Hourly Rate 1. Neiman Marcus  $15.06 2. Nordstrom $14.62 3. J. Crew      $13.49 4. Lord & Taylor  $12.10 5. American Eagle Outfitters  $11.72 6. Sears $11.30 7. Macy’s $11.04 8. Abercrombie & Fitch $11.02 9. Kohl's  $10.99 10. Dillard's  $10.27 11. JCPenney  $9.87 12. Ross $8.19

Annual Salary by Retail Store Store Median Base Salary 1. Neiman Marcus  $56,910 2. Kohl's $54,250 3. Macy's $52,110 4. J. Crew   $49,560 5. Nordstrom $47,080 6. Ross   $46,800 7. Sears $44,600 8. Abercrombie & Fitch $44,470 9. JCPenny $43,930 10. American Eagle Outfitters $37,500 11. Dillard's $36,860

10. Hourly Pay Comparison for Sales Associates
Salespeople are paid differently depending on where they work. Which sales team is the best one to join when it comes to hourly pay? Nordstrom sits near the top of the department stores when for sales associate hourly pay. Nordstrom pays over a dollar an hour more, on average, than Macy’s and over three dollars more than Sears. See the list of hourly pay for sales associates below.

Hourly Rate by Retail Store Store Median Hourly Rate 1. Nordstrom  $10.20 2. Dillard's $10.20 Tied for 3. JCPenney      $8.90 Tied for 3. Macy's $8.90 Tied for 4. American Eagle Outfitters  $8.30 Tied for 4. Kohl's  $8.30 5. Sears $6.60 Source: All salary data is from PayScale.com. The median hourly rates listed are for workers with 5-8 years of experience and do not include bonuses, commissions or profit sharing. The median annual salaries for full-time workers with 5-8 years of experience include any bonuses, commissions or profit sharing. Courtesy of PayScale.com

Turn your hobby into a small business

Have you ever dreamed of getting paid for something you love to do? Like turning those cookies that your friends rave about into a cookie store? Expanding the sales of the jewelry that you make for the local arts and crafts fair to others? Selling used golf equipment that you clean and fix up on eBay? Or getting paid to help people install and maintain their complicated home electronics?

Each year, thousands of Americans take the leap and start a business, leveraging their expertise and passion for a particular interest or hobby. In fact, more than 600,000 new businesses are launched every year in the United States, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

If you're ready to turn your hobby into a business, it's essential, according to FindLaw.com, the world's leading online source for legal information, to do your research, build a business plan, tap the expertise of outside professionals such as an accountant and attorney, and keep good records to avoid the ire of the Internal Revenue Service. Through careful research and planning, you'll discover what the potential is for your business idea, and what pitfalls to avoid that may otherwise derail you from realizing your dream.

Here are some tips for turning your hobby into a business from FindLaw.com:

Research your idea. The very first step in turning your hobby into a business is to find out who will buy your product or service, how much they're willing to pay for it, how many of these people there are, and where they're located. It's critical to understand your "topline" - the sales potential for your product or service.

Get free help. Trial and error is an essential part of the entrepreneurial experience. But making big, costly mistakes that have the potential of killing your business is something to be avoided. Tapping the experience of seasoned business professionals can help you avoid such mistakes, and provide you perspective in times of great stress. One piece of advice: find a mentor. If you're not comfortable finding one yourself, check out the Small Business Administration's SCORE program, a 12,000-strong, nationwide group of retired executives who volunteer their expertise to help small business owners grow and succeed.

Write a business plan. Put your ideas on paper to test their viability and improve your chances for success. A business plan is a very useful tool - it gives you and others, such as your accountant, banker or attorney, a clear idea of your goals, the processes you'll implement to achieve those goals and how you'll measure your success.

Have a clear plan for funding. Whether you're financing your efforts out of your own pocket, or require capital from others to expand, you need to know where your start-up capital will come from (if you need it), whether you will be servicing a debt and what resources you can call upon in the future. Many entrepreneurs start with friends, family and people in their community to fund their initial efforts.

Know how you're going to bring in revenue. What you make, after all of your expenses and taxes have been paid, is your profit. It's the ultimate measure of your business' success. Before you decide to start a business, you need to project whether the revenues (sales of your product or services) will exceed your expenses. This will give you a clear idea of whether you should consider turning your hobby into a business.

Set up your business structure. Contact an attorney who specializes in working with small businesses to get advice on the proper legal structure under which you should incorporate your business, or first visit FindLaw.com's Do-It-Yourself Legal Forms to learn more about how to incorporate your business. Incorporating your business can help protect your personal assets from liabilities like creditors or lawsuits.

Make it real. One of the advantages of starting a small business is that you can deduct losses such as your expenses and depreciation on assets you purchase - to offset taxable income. It's best to consult an accountant who specializes in small business to obtain advice on preventative measures you can take to avoid being audited. Some basic steps to take to clearly demonstrate you're in business, versus treating your efforts as a hobby, are to obtain federal and state tax identification numbers, print up business cards and letterhead, maintain a set of books to record sales and expenses, set up a separate bank account for your business and keep a logbook in your vehicle to record mileage.

Get the proper licenses and permits. Depending upon the type of business you start, you may need to get a permit(s) or occupational license from your city or state. Many cities and counties require every business - even single-owner, home-based operations - to get a business license (tax registration certificate). You also may have to get a sales tax permit from your state.

Protect your idea. In the course of pursuing your hobby, you may create a new process for doing something, a product or a creative brand name. If you think it has any potential, run - don't walk - to an attorney who specializes in intellectual property to seek a trademark or patent on your idea. Be very cautious about sharing your idea with anyone, who, in the future, could claim that he or she helped you with developing that idea and therefore deserves a cut of your revenues.

Invest in a website. If you want people to know about your new business, you must have a website. Most people now immediately turn to the Internet to find products and services to meet their needs, as well as to find information such as directions and contact information. Nearly equally as important, invest time to set up a Facebook and LinkedIn page for your business, advertise your services online through Google, and consider banner ads on other websites.

Create a workspace. What are the space needs for your new business? Do you require storage space? Industrial strength refrigeration? Extra power? Two sewing machines? A quiet place to make uninterrupted phone calls? According to the Small Business Administration, more than half of America's small businesses are operated from a home, which offers important tax advantages. However, it's important to carefully follow IRS rules and clearly designate space for your business from personal space.

To learn more about how to start a new business, visit FindLaw.com.

Courtesy of ARAContent

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

If you've been focusing your job search on major corporations, you may be missing out on a hiring spot: 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. 

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 well-paid, small-business jobs. 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 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. 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 grew modestly during the recession, 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. Though some are national chains, many outpatient centers are locally-owned small businesses. Well-paid jobs in this field 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 are offices of non-physician health practitioners such as chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists and mental-health practitioners. Many such healthcare practices are small businesses owned by the doctor-partners. For one example of the opportunities here, the job site Optometry.com often has hundreds of job listings including openings for opticians, optometric assistants, optical sales managers and lab technicians. Optometric Assistant. $36,300 

Business writer Carol Tice is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur, The Seattle Times and other major publications.

Source: Salary data from PayScale.com, a leading online provider of employee compensation data. The salaries listed are median annual salaries for full-time workers with 5 to 8 years of experience and include any bonuses, commissions, or profit sharing.


Courtesy of Payscale.com