Introduction ___
However, keep in mind that average fi gures for job openings depend on how BLS defi nes
an occupation. For example, consider the college teaching jobs.! e Offi ce of Occupational
Statistics and Employment Projections recognizes one occupation called Teachers,
Postsecondary, and projects 237,478 annual job openings for this occupation. As explained
earlier in this introduction, we divided this huge occupation into 38 separate occupations,
following the practice of O*NET and of the Occupational Employment Statistics program.
! e average number of openings for all occupations changes substantially depending on
whether you deal with college teachers as one or 38 occupations. So it follows that, because
the way BLS defi nes occupations is somewhat arbitrary, any average fi gure for job openings
is also somewhat arbitrary.Perhaps you’re wondering why we present fi gures on both job growth and number of
openings. Aren’t these two ways of saying the same thing? Actually, you need to know both.
Consider the occupation Makeup Artists,! eatrical and Performance, which is projected
to grow at the astounding rate of 39.8%.! ere should be lots of opportunities in such a
fast-growing job, right? Not exactly.! is is a tiny occupation, with only about 2,100 people
currently employed. So, even though it is growing rapidly, it will not create many new jobs
(about 400 per year). Now consider Secretaries, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive.! is
occupation is growing at the glacial rate of 1.2% now that many secretarial tasks are being
handled by word processors, answering machines, and other kinds of offi ce automation.
Nevertheless, this is a huge occupation that employs almost two million workers. So, even
though its growth rate is unimpressive, it is expected to take on about 240,000 new workers
each year as existing workers retire, die, or move on to other jobs.! at’s why we base our
selection of the best jobs on both of these economic indicators and why you should pay
attention to both when you scan our lists of best jobs.Education or Training Required
One set of lists in Part III organizes jobs on the basis of the amount of education or training
that they typically require for entry. In Part IV, each job description includes a statement of
the education or training requirements. We base these educational and training requirements
on ratings supplied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
You should keep in mind that some people working in these jobs may have credentials that
diff er considerably from the level listed here. For example, although a bachelor’s degree
is considered the appropriate preparation for Cost Estimators, over one-quarter of these
workers have no college background at all. Conversely, although Registered Nurses can begin
working after earning an associate degree, over half have a bachelor’s, and in fact career
opportunities without the bachelor’s are considerably more limited.Some workers who have more than the minimum required education for their job have
earned a higher degree after being hired, but others entered the job with this educational
credential, and the more advanced degree may have given them an advantage over other job-
seekers with less education. Some workers with less than the normal minimum requirement
may have been hired on the basis of their work experience in a similar job. So don’t assume