Continue reading »]]> You may be surprised at some of the professions that made U.S. News’s list of the top 100 Best Jobs of 2013, which is topped off by Dentistry and includes nursing, software development, and physical therapy among its top 10.

In creating this Best Jobs list, U.S. News took into account and allotted different weights to factors such as 10-year growth volume, 10-year growth percentage, median salary, job prospects, employment rate, stress level, and work-life balance.

This weighting methodology ensures that all of the top picks are not necessarily the typical cash cows, as many lower-paying professions offer other qualities that are also important to consider in the job search process.

Want to figure out the career that’s going to work best for you? Engage in careful research and consider many factors including job location or necessary training and education—when deciding where to anchor your career.

If you haven’t done so before, check out the Majors to Careers section on the Career Services homepage.

For a list of growing fields with projected increases in hiring and growth, check out Rick Newman’s 10 Businesses That Will Boom in 2020.

We also recommend MyNextMove.org, a site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, to get additional suggestions on employment projections, training requirements and jobs by area of interest.

Continue reading »]]> Every year, Fast Company publishes a ranking of “The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.” This year’s list is hot off the presses.

Check out the full list of companies and organizations here. Note the diversity of industry sectors represented — from high tech and entertainment to healthcare and education.

As always, Career Services staff can help you if you have any questions about how to research and prepare for potential opportunities.

Continue reading »]]> If you are searching for a career and prioritize happiness, big cities such as New York or Chicago aren’t necessarily your best bets. So what factors actually make young professionals happiest in their careers? A high salary? Not quite.

It turns out, according to a survey by online career site CareerBliss, that many other factors figure strongly into the equation for workplace happiness, which interestingly appears to be predictable by job location. Although Pittsburg, PA and Irving, TX are probably not the first cities that come to mind when considering where you may be happiest, they rank among the top 20 cities with the densest population of happy young professionals.

CareerBliss identified and measured 10 influential determinants of overall workplace happiness, including company culture, overall work environment, compensation, and opportunity for growth. The results? Los Angeles, San Jose, and Sunnyvale, California topped the list of cities with the happiest young professionals. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Dallas suburb Irving, Texas topped New York (#17)

One note: It is important to notice that young professionals in many higher-ranking cities are less generously compensated than those in many lower-ranking cities, as factors such as company culture were rated higher in determining happiness than was salary. Given that some cities are more expensive than others, we also recommend taking cost of living into consideration.

Bottom line: You may want to take a look at these places and expand your list of potential places to live!

Kick-start the process by checking out this review to better understand where others have found their happiness and what has influenced it. Then, consider consulting with a career services advisor to discuss and reflect on how to weigh these factors when searching for your own job.

Continue reading »]]> Check out this Wall Street Journal piece on some of the perks offered by a few employers eager to keep Gen Y employees happy and on the job. Note the location of the companies profiled — sometimes you’re more likely to see big benefits from employers who don’t typically receive a large volume of applications. (Something to keep in mind as you look for jobs?)