Choosing a Career: Quick takes on 21 good careers

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I pretend I'm asked to give a very quick reaction to each of 21 careers that have significant pluses.

Three Career Questions I'm Often Asked

Here are my answers to three of questions that readers and callers to my show have asked:

What should I major in? 

Of course, it varies with the individual but here are a couple of my not-widely-held beliefs:

If the person really is a science/math/computer whiz, it may make sense to choose a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) major. But more often, I recommend not majoring in those. They're hard, not that interesting to most people, and these majors contain some very smart, hard-working students bringing down the curve. Also, if you end up switching majors, you'll find most of what you learned irrelevant to life or career. Most important, not withstanding what politicians say, there's already an oversupply.

A major I consider underrated and of wide benefit to one's career and life is theatre/dramatic arts. Studying and being involved in plays (whether as reader, actor, student director, stage manager, whatever) gets you exposed, again and again, to pieces of literature that focus on life's key issues. That repeated exposure is required for it to be transformative for you. A theatre major is more likely than most to make you a wiser human being. And if you spend some time on stage, you'll gain poise, an important and underrated attribute. Most people also find the theatre major fun.

What's the best career?

Again, of course, it depends on the person but I do have a few favorites.

One is optometrist. It offers prestige, a six-figure income, low stress, you succeed with nearly every patient, and there are few emergency calls. Optometry is not offshoreable and you won't get replaced by a robot. The training time isn't inordinate: four years after your bachelor's degree, or at some colleges, you can get a bachelor's degree and your Doctor of Optometry degree in seven.

Haircutter scores near the top of most job satisfaction surveys. Again, you succeed with nearly every customer and you're dealing with something positive--appearance. Plus, you get the chance to develop ongoing relationships with customers: After all, you get to chat with them every month or two. Haircutting is another career that won't get offshored or automated.

Clergy. You get to do unmitigated do-gooding and have a very varied workweek: from counseling the unhappy to preparing and delivering a sermon to planning for the church/synagogue's future. Yes, hours can be long and irregular. Pay often is bad but not always. This is another career that won't the offshored or automated.Tip: Prioritize nuance and true fairness over dogma.

How do you get promoted or at least reduce your risk of getting laid off?

• Try to get to work for a boss who's ethical and a star or up-and-comer. You'll both learn a lot and such a boss is likely to get increasing responsibility, which could create new opportunities for you. 
• Try to make your boss's life easier. You might even periodically ask your boss that explicitly: "How could I make your life easier?"  
• Keep your antennae out for priority areas in the organization and in your field and get more skilled in one of those. 
• You can't overtly brag but subtly try to get it known that you're a person who has good ideas and does fine work. For example, instead of just giving your best idea to the boss, you might bring it up in an email to others "for feedback." 
• Try to be low-maintenance and well-liked by most people. 
• Sometimes, your organization really has too little opportunity for advancement. If so, resist the temptation to stay put and, at least, subtly, confidentially, put feelers out.

Best Careers for 2013 and Beyond

Earlier this month, I had written The Top 10 Careers for 2013 and Beyond, for U.S. News. That made the case that U.S. Department of Labor lists are inadequate.

AOL asked me to expand that. It was published today: My 21 picks for best careers for 2013 and well-beyond.

My Favorite Hidden-Gem Careers for 2013 and Beyond

Here's my latest U.S. News piece, which was published yesterday and republished the same day on Yahoo!: My favorite hidden-gem careers for 2013 and beyond.

I Give a Talk Today: My Best Career Advice

A reminder. Today at 5:15 PM I kick off The Commonwealth Club's month on The Future of Work.

My talk's title: "What Every Career-Minded Person Should Know for 2013 and Beyond."

For info: click HERE.

Cool (Yet Attainable) Careers

Sure it sounds cool to be a National Geographic photographer, play for the Yankees, or be the next Oprah, but you have a better chance of being bitten in your bed by a rattlesnake.

Here are some careers I find cool yet more possible to attain:

Athletic coach. Most colleges and high schools hire coaches. And coaching is a wonderful combination of mentoring, teaching, and the thrill of athletic competition. Plus, you can be a campus hero (or goat.) I'd try to break in and get trained by offering to do anything (including keep statistics for free) for local coaches who both win and are ethical, beloved mentors of their players. Learn more: The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaching.

Grantwriter. The U.S. government is transferring the greatest ever amount of GDP from the private to the government sector. Much of that money will be distributed via grant proposals. Hence, fine grantwriters should be in demand for the foreseeable future. You must be a an assiduous researcher, creative idea generator, and an engaging, diligent communicator with funders. Learn more: Non-Profit Guide to Grantwriting.

Ghostwriter. This is one of the few writing careers that offers prospects of a decent income, plus the opportunity to rub elbows with the famous and the eminent. Learn more: The Secret World of Ghostwriters.

Money Manager. Would you enjoy using other people's money to bet on which stocks or bonds will go up? There are thousands of mutual finds and thousands of additional money managers at hedge funds and wealth management firms. Remember though that most money managers' underperform the unmanaged indices, such as S&P 500. Most experts believe the smartest investments are index funds, which use portfolio managers mainly as glorified clerks. Bond-picking may be a more desirable ground for aspiring money managers. Learn more: Careers in Money Management.

Politician. Thousands of Americans make a living as politician , from city councilpeople to State Senator to POTUS. You needn't go to law school but you need the stomach to press lots of flesh, especially expensive flesh, without becoming corrupted by them. That's easier said than done. You also need good public speaking skills, intelligence, the willingness to be extremely careful in what and how you say things while not becoming a mush of politically correct pablum. You must also possess such a strong drive to serve the public that you are utterly resistant to the manifold ethical temptations. Learn more: How to Become a Politician.

Foundation Program Officer. It's hard to imagine a career more fun and rewarding than giving away other people's money to address worthy causes. You also get to help ensure the receiving nonprofit organization uses the money well. Learn more: Advice on Snaring Foundation Program-Officer Jobs.

Voice-over Artist. It's not as easy as it sounds but there certainly are tougher ways to make a living than talking into a microphone. Most of the work is in reading books aloud (e.g., books on CD, books for the blind) as well as commercials. Having a "great voice" may be less important than being a compelling actor--able to powerfully tell a story without being seen. Learn more: "I'm Looking to Get into Voiceover. Where Do I Start? "

Optometrist. Almost-physician-level prestige, six-figure salary, high cure rate, regular work hours, and low stress make this a career I often recommend. Training is much shorter than for an ophthalmologist: four years if you have a bachelor's or a seven-year combined B.S/O.D. degree. Learn more: the profile I wrote on optometry in U.S. News & World Report's Best Careers 2009.

Student Affairs Administrator. You get to plan some of the most pleasant and often most useful aspects of student life: orientation, extracurricular activities, etc. And you work on a college campus, an unusually felicitous work environment. Plus, the amazingly short school year (lasting merely 28 weeks) makes your life still more pleasant. Learn more: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Learn more: Federal Law Enforcement Jobs.

Clergy. You may be surprised to see me classify clergy as a cool career, especially if you know that I am an atheist, but I believe it is. An opportunity to give a weekly sermon, teach Bible study classes, counsel the young, and comfort the sick, strikes me as a cool career. And I've been surprised to find that most of the intelligent clerics with whom I've had substantive conversations admit to having periods of profound doubt about the presence of a deity. Nevertheless, they find that the career's other aspects make it most rewarding. Learn more: The profile of the career I wrote in U.S. News & World Report's Best Careers, 2009.

Surgical Technologist. One year of post-high school training and you can become part of the life-and-death drama of the operating room. You're the person who responds when the surgeon yells, "Scalpel!, Retractor!, Clamps!." Learn more: Mayo Clinic's Overview of Surgical Technology.

Program Evaluator. You get to immerse yourself in understanding an innovative program for a few weeks or months, whereupon you move on to a new program. Program evaluation usually requires observation, interviewing, and data collection. Then you give a report on the program's effectiveness and/or suggestions for its improvement. Learn more: My profile of a career in program evaluation in U.S. News & World Report's Best Careers, 2009.

Private School Teacher. Teaching can be an uncool career, filled with discipline problems, frustratingly slow learning rates, and ever growing paperwork and government mandates, for example, insisting that each class contain bright, average, slow, and special education children, which creates a Herculean challenge for even the most talented and hardworking teacher. Those problems are, on average, less likely in a good private school. It's worth sacrificing the 10 to 20% in salary that's typical in private schools. Learn more: Why Teach in a Private School?

Referee/Umpire. Thousands of people are employed, at least part-time as game officiators. It's a great way for a sports fan to be part of the game. What's required: ability to focus for two or three hours, willingness to learn all the game's arcane rules, physical fitness (especially in basketball and hockey), the ability to quickly make decisions, and a calm demeanor--never getting upset when players and fans do. Learn more: Successful Sports Officiating

Hot Tech Fields

I interviewed Silicon Valley insider Sramana Mitra on my NPR-San Francisco show today. She said most of the action is in:

• Search engine optimization
• Health care information technology
• Online training and education
• Gaming
• Marketing using social media (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)
• CleanTech
• iPhone and to a lesser extent, Blackberry and Droid apps.

Best Careers in 2010

I just wrote an article on choosing a career that will appear in American Mensa's magazine. Part of the article consists of these descriptions of 16 careers I believe are particularly worthy of consideration by Mensans and other intelligent people. Perhaps you'll find one or more that you might want to check-out:

Researcher with expertise in two or more of these: physics, math, molecular biology, engineering, and/or computer science. Key specializations:

energy: e.g., developing space-based solar power, in-vehicle hydrogen fuel generator, algae that's genetically engineered for maximum net energy yield, efficient insulators such as nanolevel-designed coatings, long-cruising-range batteries for electric vehicles.

genomics : e.g., determining what gene clusters affect what phenotypes, developing safe, effective methods of gene knockouts and transfers.

neurophysics: e.g., understanding the physics of depression, ADD, schizophrenia, retardation, etc.

diagnostic imaging: e.g., developing molecular-level medical imaging.

pollution control: e.g., nuclear waste neutralizers, nanolevel pollution filters.

Before getting too excited, remember that after getting that hard-science/math Ph.D, you may need a one-to-two-year postdoc. Learn more: Career Guide for Scientists: www.phds.org/career-guide/. Science Careers: http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/

Federal government manager, especially in homeland security, energy, health care, veterans' affairs, defense, and the environment. Common federal job titles for degree holders: program analyst, program manager, director. Also needed are country experts, especially on China, India, and Middle Eastern countries. The Federal government will be the largest source of new jobs, with 300,000 hires expected within the next two years. Learn more: Partnership for Public Service: www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/

Corporate executive specializing in global business development or managing global workforces. Being bilingual/bicultural in Mandarin, Hindi, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, or Farsi is a plus. Learn more: Thunderbird School of Global Management Blogs: http://knowledgenetwork.thunderbird.edu/research/knowledge-network-blogs

Finance specialist, especially with skills in raising funds globally. Learn more: Global Finance Magazine: www.gfmag.com

Terrorism expert, especially on bioterrorism and nuclear/radiologic weapons of mass destruction. Learn more Careers in the Age of Terrorism: www.martynemko.com/articles/careers-in-age-terrorism_id1285

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist. The Mental Health Parity Act now requires mental health to be covered as fully as physical health, but many insurers will cover only cognitive-behavioral therapy because it 's shorter-term and has generally shown greater efficacy than traditional therapy, which explores the impact of past experiences on your psychology. Among my thousands of career coaching clients, I've found that those who have undergone long-term traditional psychotherapy often suffer side effects from the therapy: excessive self-absorption, preoccupation with their past, and/or externalization of responsibility. Learn more: Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies: www.abct.org.

Immigration expert. President Obama has promised a path to citizenship for America's 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants. After ObamaCare is passed, that will likely rise on his agenda. Experts will be needed to figure out how to successfully integrate such a large population of largely minimally educated, limited-English-speaking, and high-health-care need people. Learn more: Department of Homeland Security: www.dhs.gov. National Council of La Raza: www.nclr.org.

Optometrist. This career offers high success rate with patients, good income, status, and shorter-than-MD training: four years after a bachelors, seven years in a combined BS/OD program. Learn more: Bureau of Labor Statistics profile: www.bls.gov/oco/ocos073.htm

Genetic counselor. With personal DNA sequencing becoming ever more informative and affordable, people face many more gene-related decisions, for example, if your genome doubles your risk of breast cancer, should you have a preventive mastectomy? Or you're pregnant and a test reveals your baby has the gene for a genetic disease that may or may not be serious. Should you abort? Genetic counselors help people figure out what to do. A master's is the terminal degree. Learn more: National Society of Genetic Counselors: www.nsgc.org/career.

Health informatics specialist. Hospitals, insurers, and regional collaboratives are switching to electronic medical records. Nurses and doctors, urged to do more evidence-based medicine, are using computerized expert systems to guide diagnoses and treatment recommendations. Healthcare providers also are collecting more data to evaluate quality of care. Learn more: American Medical Informatics Organization: www.amia.org, American Health Information Management Association: www.ahima.org.

Patient Advocate. Even Christopher Columbus would have had a tough time navigating the tricky waters of the U.S. healthcare system, and most people, especially when ill, aren't the best navigators. Enter patient advocates. They help ensure that the patient gets to see the right specialist. They do Internet research so the patient is informed when talking to the doctor. They educate family members on how to support the patient during a hospital stay. And they sort through the mountains of bills and, if necessary, negotiate fees with the healthcare provider, insurance company, or other payer. ("Medicare, how dare you refuse to pay for that surgery?!") Learn more: Becoming a Patient Advocate: http://patients.about.com/od/caringforotherpatients/ss/becomeadvocate.htm.

Program Evaluator. Not withstanding politicians' rhetoric, is Head Start really worth the taxpayer dollars? What are the benefits and liabilities of online versus in-person training of lab techs? How might a teen-pregnancy prevention program further reduce teen pregnancy? Program evaluators address such questions. Learn more: Basic Guide to Program Evaluation: www.managementhelp.org/evaluatn/fnl_eval.htm.

Higher Education Administrator. Even in tough times and despite annual more-than-inflation price increases and low freshman-to-senior achievement growth, many people continue to view higher education as worth the money. So manager types may find the job market better in higher education than in corporate America. Also, colleges are among the more felicitous work environments for bright people. Plus you get lots of vacation: Neat niche: Student affairs administrator. (No, I'm not talk about assignations.) Learn more: the book, The College Administrator's Survival Guide.

Physical Therapist. Job satisfaction surveys rate this career near the top. One-on-one interaction, with progress usual, reasonable work hours, and you get to spend more than the physician's 12 minutes per patient. In addition, the job market will be decent as aging boomers are ever more likely to sustain weekend-warrior injuries and worse. A three-year Doctor of Physical Therapy has become the standard terminal degree. Learn more: Dept of Labor profile: Department of Labor profile. American Physical Therapy Association: www.apta.org.

Veterinarian. For many people, this career is more desirable than physician: shorter training, you get to do a wider range of procedures, less insurance paperwork, and you avoid the uncertainties of health care reform. Of course, your patients can't describe what's wrong with them. Learn more: About.com's veterinary career portal: http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/veterinarian.htm.

Media coach. I include this self-employment opportunity because it has near-zero start-up costs, demand is strong and likely to grow, and many people would find it fun. Media coaches prepare executives, job seekers and others, to do well in front of a camera or microphone: YouTube, intranet, video-resume, as well as traditional TV and radio. Learn more: the book Media Training, A-Z.