What careers do you think would fare best in a recession?

[halobeam]

I may have a chance to get financial support to go to school for a certificate or degree program. I'm researching the "job market" such as it is, trying to see which jobs/careers have potential in growth or at least with some stability. I don't want to waste a possible opportunity for me to go from being an at-home-mom who isn't qualified for a decent job, to being another graduate who can not find work. I don't want to blow this.

Any input on this issue would be great to have.

Additionally, what jobs do you think that are normally in demand to some degree, would most certainly not be, once the recession is in full blown mode and state-wide?

[Dhalgren]

1. Undertaker...

[halobeam]

6. depressing, but quite possibly true.

I don't think I would want go to be an undertaker though, but there must be other positions in that field. Scary to even think about.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

186. There are lots of positions in that field

You don't have to handle corpses. For example you could be an obituary writer.

CNN: 10 jobs dealing with death

Here's a great story from the Chicago Reader about a local gravedigger - well, a graveyard caretaker. Read about his job and visit his MySpace page.

The Last Man to Ever Let You Down

[halobeam]

193. thanks

what a good links too.. the second one has quite a "catchy" title lol

[Trecie]

189. Someone has to do it

I don't think I could do it, but this field also uses people who style hair, do make-up, and I don't know what other things may be available at the funeral homes. I figure it is a service to grieving loved ones that could be very rewarding.

[halobeam]

192. I don't think I could do it either

I even have an up to date cosmetology license. I think that's what is needed to do the make-up work, but maybe a specialized certificate for it is needed. I don't believe I'll be looking into this further though. I can handle live injury, but I don't think the deceased.

[Marr]

190. Bad idea. You'll be the first to die in the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

[Medusa]

194. Believe it or not, even that business isn't recession proof

My father died last year. In talking with the funeral home, they told me that people had been cutting back on buying expensive caskets, vaults, etc. Going with less expensive choices in flowers and grave markers too.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Health care

High pressure but mostly recession-proof.

[halobeam]

10. I was considering maybe lab work technician

or phlebotomist as a possibility. Are there any other positions besides nursing itself, that you can think of? (I've don't have a great back and I think that particular position requires a lot of physical strength.)

[Nay]

64. As a former med tech student, I can tell you that phlebotomists don't

make very much money. Lab techs do better, but there is a lot of pressure. How much money do you feel you need to make to make going back to school worthwhile?

[halobeam]

72. what kind of pressure are you referring to, in lab tech positions?

Is there more in one type of setting over another type of setting?

Great question regarding finances and whether or not school would be worthwhile to invest the time.

I would be open to getting a certificate which I think requires less time, but I would go for the degree if there is a great discrepancy in pay scales. I would also consider whether or not getting a certificate vs. a degree would impact my finding work faster as well as the type of position I'd be offered as a newbie in the field.

Are there certificate programs to become a lab-tech?

[Habibi]

107. You might want to consider medical secretary

if you have a bad back. Don't phlebotomists have to bend over a lot? Also, are you sure you could handle the bodily fluids issue?

Anyway, medical offices always need secs, and you could sit down most of the time. The trend around here was toward hiring graduates of actual med. sec. training programs. Don't think you'd need a degree, specifically.

Is there a community college in your area? Have you considered making an appointment with a counselor there to help you narrow down your choices? (Understanding that sometimes they'll promise the moon, career-wise, in order to get your tuition.)

[halobeam]

170. good points for me to consider.

I believe the situation with my back is enough of a factor, that I will certainly have to know the job description well enough, in order to make a final decision. I can certainly sit for hours at a desk, but not the whole time; as opposed to bending down for hours on end, which I think would cause more problems for me. I really don't think I'd like to be sitting at a desk in a cubicle for an eight hour day. I would feel boxed in, too. I've been home for 17yrs. and have had the freedom to move around. I do have a lot of energy. I believe work that enables me to get up and down would be best.

The body fluids I don't think would bother me. When I was younger, I worked as a periodontal surgical assistant. That was a bloody, gory mess, and at first all you see is blood during surgery, and within a short period of time, I was able to focus on the procedure that was being done, and I saw right past the blood.

There is a community college right near here, and I believe I'm closing in what I'd like to do. I am going to interview people in the fields I'm interested in, in order to get the scoop on what they've experienced, the job advantages and disadvantages, the responsibilities itself, the atmosphere, etc. This thread is immensely helpful, and a great facilitator in helping me narrow it all down.

[Nay]

111. IIRC, the medical lab technician is a 2-yr cert, and the medical technologist

is the 4-yr degree. The MLT makes less $$ than the MT, and I believe that there are fewer advancement possibilities with MLT -- to be the lab chief, for example, you'd have to be an MT. For hireability and advancement, the more advanced MT is the way to go. PPl do sometimes get the MLT and then, while working, go for the MT, but that can really wear you out. If your family can wait that long, go for the 4-yr degree.

I personally went through the whole 2-yr MT thing and then went into the practicals at a local hospital. I was appalled. Several of us were left to man the machines in the blood lab while the real techs had a 3-hr meeting. Remember, now, this is our FIRST day in a real lab, and not a one of us had ever touched any of these machines. (Class work consists of doing many of these automated tasks, like white counts, RBC counts, blood typing, etc., by hand, so that the student learns exactly what is going on in the process). Need I say that the poor patients may have not gotten accurate results?

This may have been an isolated incident, of course, but as I continued the practicals, I became more and more certain that I did not belong in a hospital. First, I found that I DESPISE taking blood from patients. I just despise it. Then, nobody was happy, everyone was overloaded (from the nurses to the phlebotomists), and it was just generally a horrible atmosphere. But your experience may be different!

I would strongly suggest you choose a program that put you in the hospital for practical training from the first semester. My program left all that til the very end. I had all A's, had spent that time and money, and found out I hated the actual work and atmosphere. It was too bad, really, because I LOVED culturing bacteria, doing the tests, etc., but the atmosphere did me in.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

[halobeam]

168. lots of great information

including details on your school experience and training was also very helpful. I would guess the differences in which settings/venue to work in would be good for me to investigate (priv. labs/public hospitals, --any other's I don't know of).

I will pm you as soon as I get my own fever under control (relapsed with this dumb virus), if I had enough energy, I'd be pissed off about it! Our family has been hit hard for six weeks with virus's, secondary infection, and relapses. (Now I hear the worst flu strain is not included in the vaccine, which both my asthmatic kids have had) and all our immunities are way down.

Thanks for all of your help! I'll be in touch!

[librechik]

117. baker

my husband the anthropologist researched this. And he is a union baker now for almost 30 years.

Additionally, he always smells delicious!

[knitter4democracy]

67. Lab tech makes more sense.

Good ones are hard to find. There's decent turnover, so a hard worker who's accurate and can do blood draws has a job anywhere. One of my best friends recently went back to work part-time as a lab tech, and she was able to walk into her old lab and get a job that day.

[Horse with no Name]

180. Phlebotomists are usually the first to go

In our hospital, they let them all go except for one and we nurses do all of our blood draws.
I'd look into Medical Transcription if I were you. You can do it from home if you want.

[JI7]

210. my cousin did lab work and got laid off a few times, she has an impressive resume also

graduated from USC with a master's degree. it could have been because those jobs were government funded. one of them was at the VA.

[alfredo]

3. repo man

[inanna]

8. bingo! n/t

[The Traveler]

13. My first thought (n/t)

[halobeam]

14. well, I am a small woman.....

I don't think I can run fast either... not sure I wouldn't get my ass kicked! Maybe I could hire a personal bodyguard for a reasonable fee?

[alfredo]

71. I worked at one. My job was to deliver the car once repo'd. I got to

travel all over the east.

[halobeam]

74. that's very interesting.

I never knew that position existed. I wouldn't be able to travel, as much as I'd like to, I have kids at home still.. though getting older.

[alfredo]

77. It didn't pay that much, but the work wasn't hard. It was nice getting

to drive a lot of different cars. One was a blue on blue Caddy convertible. It was a nice machine, but not as comfortable as I would have liked.

[Cooley Hurd]

4. The medical field is usually recession-proof...

I'm in medical IT (my company is on the forefront of EMR), and our biz hasn't been better.:thumbsup:

[halobeam]

15. thanks... electronic medical records should be growing I would suspect

since they are pushing for this. Where could I find more information about this, do you know?

Appreciate the info.

[Cooley Hurd]

25. I would start with getting to know Linux/Unix/Zenix Operating systems...

...since almost all servers are running them. Networking, wired and espscially wireless is also a good thing to know, especially for EMR applications.

You can check this site out for more info:
http://www.emrworld.net/

Hope this helps! :hi:

[halobeam]

49. thank you,

I'm not particulary knowledgable regarding operating systems, though I am somewhat computer-literate, mostly on working the software programs themselves.

[Habibi]

55. Careful, though.

Anything done electronically is vulnerable to outsourcing.

[halobeam]

75. thank you

I would be a bit hesitant to invest in this..

I think I have a rare opportunity at turning things around for myself and my family, I need to be smart about this.

I'm overjoyed at the responses I have already gotten here. Everyone has been so helpful: I am shooting for the moon here, hoping this thread "explodes" with even more ideas! I love this DU community. Sure sometimes, it can get tough, but it is chock-full of well-informed and experienced people who are wonderfully generous with their time and help.

I am thinking this thread may be helpful to many people, not just myself (which makes me even happier!)

[NC_Nurse]

5. Mine....

You can get an RN in as little as 2 years. The nursing shortage is real and will be
worse before it gets better.

[halobeam]

17. from what I understand

I need to be physically strong. I do have a back that is trouble (1985 car wreck is finally rearing it's ugly head in spinal arthritis and bone spurs)

Are there different types of nursing that require less physical demands than other types/specialty fields?

[NC_Nurse]

86. Yes.

There's research, diagnostic testing, pre-operative interviewing and bloodwork....all kinds of stuff.
You have to do some of the more physically demanding stuff in school...but you should talk to a
school program to find out if you can get around that somehow.

[pitohui]

91. they're bringing in nurses from other countries such as phillipines

i wouldn't count on nursing as a career with a future as a high income, they are going to deliberately pull down pay by bringing in foreign labor who will work for less

[Heddi]

150. They've been using foreign nurses forever

it has driven down wages to a point, but with a 2 year degree and 2 years experience, I am pulling in $50+ an hour plus benefits PLUS shift differential plus weekend differential plus overtime paid at 2x's and holidays at 1.5x's as an RN. My first year as an RN I pulled in over $70k before taxes. With a 2 year degree. Working 3 days a week.

There are not very many 2-year degree programs that offer $45k immediately upon graduation--and that's if you work in a low-wage area like the Southeast. I work in the Pacific Northwest which has the highest nurse salaries in the nation and they're going up...mine just went up 4% at my hospital this year in addition to the 4% I get for each year that I've worked there (higher percentages the longer you've been there, as well).

Believe it or not, foreign-trained RN's don't get paid less because every other country in the world practically requires a 4-year degree to be an RN (the US is really the only large country that allows 2-year RN degrees). So these nurses get the regular RN pay plus the degree differential (my hospital pays $3.00 extra for BSN over ADN)

As long as there have been hospitals and nurses, there have been foreign nurses working in the hospitals. They are not the ones driving down wages--for-profit hospital systems and greedy non-RN and non-medical based CEO"s are the ones that bring down wages.

Don't believe the rhetoric. More nurses does not mean lesser pay. Considering that by 2010 there are expected to be 1 MILLION (ONE MILLION) *additional* RN positions open in the US, I don't fear some kooky filipino nurse knocking me out of my job any time soon.

As an RN, I have *the* best job security of really any industry out there. People will *always* be sick and I will *always* be paid according to my skill and expertise. And if the US stops paying me well....well there's only an entire planet that will treat me and pay me accordingly.

[halobeam]

179. Is there a demand for teaching nursing?

I would think if there is a shortage in nurses, then there are less people taking nursing.. makes sense, yes?

Or, on the other hand, because there is a shortage, more people are starting to take nursing and the demand for teachers in the field would rise accordingly?

I see many people feel the demand in nursing and teaching is rising or at least will stay steady if a serious recession takes hold here. I wonder if combining them would be an advantage?

[Ilsa]

206. Yes, there is a demand for nurses to teach.

They need to be licensed, have experience and usually a grad degree, even if in education. Some nursing programs have found ways to make exceptions to requirements if the nurse has alot of experience and good communication skills with students.

[Heddi]

209. There is a shortage of nurse educators

HOwever, this is the kicker:

To be an instructor in an RN/LPN program, you have to have your Master's in Nursing or be getting your Master's.

MSN-RN's can work independently as Nurse Practitioners and a variety of other classifications I'm too tired to get into right now. NP's earn, at a minimum, $100k a year easily. They can have their own practice and function just like an MD--prescribe meds, do simple procedures (sutures, etc), and not have to have an MD oversee them.

RN's with their MSN work in a variety of other settings---hospitals, community health, reasearch---generally all commanding $80k a year or more, depending on the setting and location. Nurse Anesthetists are in high demand and pay around $250k a year or more---some markets they get $300k.

However, MSN-level or prepared RN's that teach nursing generally do so at a community college level and get between $40-60k a year, probably more if they're at a 4-year university and depending on how long they've taught, and whether they do lecture and clinical, or just one or the other.

So as you can imagine, there aren't many people who are willing to go through 4 years of school to achieve the BS-N, then an additional 2-4 years to get the MSN, only to make LESS or equal than an RN with a 2 year degree.

[halobeam]

184. I had responded to a different poster asking about teaching nursing

and whether combining the two might be an advantage. I thought you would be a great person to address this question to also.

[Kittycat]

7. Potato Farmer

:shrug:

[halobeam]

18. I have to agree

(with the shrug) :shrug:

[mwb970]

9. Well, psychiatry should remain in demand.

The bush years have produced a huge need for therapy among the public! Another possibility would be unemployment counselor.

Somewhat more seriously, what about something relating to the environment and climate change, like consulting on "green" buildings or getting involved with new energy technology and practices for homes and businesses?

[halobeam]

23. would that be more sales oriented?

If the recession blasts most people, wouldn't it be harder to find jobs in a field that would require investment?

anymore info would be greatly appreciated, because quite frankly I hold a great interest in this.

[mwb970]

65. Well, I'm not an expert....

....although I am working on an eBook and website about what do to if you lose your job after age 50 (like I did).

In general, work that saves your clients or customers lots of money will be more "recession-proof" than others. People always need to save money! Given the trends in the energy situation, a good way to save money in the future will be through energy efficiency, renewable energy systems, and so on. Someone has to supply the equipment and expertise to make the changeover.

There will be jobs in everything from research to sales opening up in this area, no matter what happens to the overall economy. If you are interested, here are some resources I found for you to check out:

Green Jobs Seek Entry-Level Workers

Making Green Jobs Real

Green Collar Jobs: Building a Just and Sustainable Economy

The ECO Guide to Careers that Make a Difference: Environmental Work For A Sustainable World

Green Jobs: A Guide to Eco-friendly Employment

[pitohui]

96. are you sure about that?

in the 1970s i knew of psychiatrists who were billing $100 to $150 an hour

today AFAIK psychiatrists still bill $100-$150 an hour

sounds to me like an industry where pay is stuck, because technology has taken what they used to do -- these days it seems they are expected to be pill writers and they won't be compensated for providing years of "therapy" as they were back in the day -- so this is why pay hasn't climbed in so many years

this is something i would investigate CAREFULLY before i put a lot of money into it

also i know several friends who majored in psychology and somehow ended up as psychologists and social workers and they really seem to be struggling financially

again, i'd investigate if there was any real opportunity here or if most people these days forego therapy in favor of getting in and out of the office as fast as possible with the pills

[kath]

136. Well, as more and more women got PhDs in Clinical Psychology, income dropped considerably.

Many here will insist that women are not paid less for doing the same work, but it's true. And as a particular occupation becomes "feminized", that occupation is devalued and pay drops (it's only "women's work", after all).

[mwb970]

167. See, the psychiatrist thing was kind of a joke.

But thanks for the info!

[raccoon]

235. Yes, but how many people can pay for it?

"psychiatry should remain in demand."

And IME, insurance (IF you have it) pays very little on this.

[KharmaTrain]

11. Funeral Director

At a radio station in my deep dark past, we had a local funeral home as an advertiser. The funeral director was one of the funniest people I ever met...and one of the most straight-forward. I remember him once saying that when times get bad, his business picks up.

[halobeam]

24. see my response to post 1

I don't know what positions are in that field, maybe a science lab assistant that would have to do with determining cause of death? I have to laugh at myself, because I'm sure this question show what little I know about this particular field.

[ThomWV]

12. My Grandfather worked continously thoughout the Great Depression

My Grandfather was married with one infant child, my mother, when the gavel fell on Black Thursday. He traveled the south as an installer of telephones for the young "Phone Company". It was how he met my grandmother and how they lived (traveling) during the Great Depression. He never went a day without a job.

By contrast my father, who was youngster when the Depression began, and his large family really suffered during that horrible decade. My paternal Grandfather was injured in a gas explosion in Cleveland (he worked for the gas company) in 1928 and was unable to work. Not that it mattered, the company abandoned him anyway. The 9 children, particularly my oldest aunt, had to earn the money to keep the family fed. My father told me the story of a security guard that beat him badly for stealing a hat full of coal he plucked up and tried to take home for heat. Cleveland gets very cold in winter.

So, all I can say, phone company = good, gas company = bad.

[halobeam]

26. I was wondering about the bare necessities that could be needed if things became worse than we fear

I wonder what jobs would be good as far as having work every day, being paid by the people (although not a lot of pay, but some is better than none), versus a job with a company, that if the co. went under, my skill set wouldn't help me out in order to offer work to individual people.

[ThomWV]

29. The last thing we will let collapse is running water - so working for a utility can be good.

[halobeam]

52. are they hiring in Atlanta?

I tend to think the threat of loss of water would require more employees, but OTOH, which positions would actually be lost due to the strain and which would be more in demand?

great thoughts... thanks

[BuelahWitch]

123. Mine did too, as a lens grinder for eyeglasses

He and my grandmother had one child, so they were alot better off than most. As a result, many of her younger brothers and sisters came to live with them at different times, to take the pressure off great-grampa, who had 7 mouths to feed.

[JustDavid]

16. Whatever you do.....

DO NOT get a degree with the word "arts" in it.

[ThomWV]

21. Actually there were a number of Federal programs set up for Artists

They were hired by the Governement and paid just like plumbers, carpenters, stone masons, and mechanics.

[halobeam]

27. but that exist in a major recession?

maybe, I don't know, just asking. If so, why?

[toadzilla]

48. It was part of the works progress administration

during the new deal. artists, musicians, and writers were hired to make public art. the farm security administration also hired numerous photographers, like Dorothea Lange, which is why we now have the number of amazing photographs of that time period.

[halobeam]

76. Do you know where I could get more information about this program?

I wonder if there is info on the musicians that worked in this program? Any direction or just an educated guess would be greatly appreciated!

I have never heard of this.. it's fascinating.

[toadzilla]

176. it ended a long time ago unfortunately.

I wish they would bring it back.

[raccoon]

236. Don't count on it coming back. nt

[Tesha]

58. For one well-known example, the murals in the base of Coit Tower.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coit_Tower

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Works_of_Art_Project

[mrreowwr_kittty]

120. Actually people with liberal arts degrees tend to do better these days

It's people with highly specialized technical degrees who are bearing the brunt of downsizing and outsourcing. But an english, history, or arts major with good writing and speaking skills can usually land a decent job.

[Extend a Hand]

19. There is supposed to be a shortage of oil and gas professionials

http://geology.com/news/2007/shortage-of-oil-and-gas-professionals.shtml

but you spend so much of your life working,pick something you think you might enjoy.

[halobeam]

35. I will definitely try to have some connection with what I choose

I agree with you that it would be optimal. I wonder if it gets so bad though, that I would do what I enjoy as a hobby and take what may keep my family and myself fed and sheltered. I could play piano for a retirement home for example, and maybe the bars would increase in business as times get tougher, that I could earn a small bit playing there.. who knows.

This opportunity I have, could very well save this family. That is something I enjoy too! I'm a very spiritual person and I know the necessity of having a balance in life and what your point is, did not fall by the way-side on me. I appreciate your protective nature of the human spirit.

[Hepburn]

20. Real Estate Foreclosure acutioneer...

...for the obvious reasons.

[ThomWV]

30. Not really. They went away once there were no able buyers left

[halobeam]

38. what about legal assistant specializing in real estate?

I wonder if that would be more obtainable. I do have a close relative who is an attorney specializing in estates/wills. She's a young attorney with an expansive network of other attorney's.

[toadzilla]

50. I work at an auction house, buisness has slowed signifigantly

especially on the real estate end of things.

[Hepburn]

60. Thanks for the info....

....I thought of this because I was at the courthouse in another county (I live in Los Angeles County and was in an outlying Calif County) the other day, and there were foreclosure sales going on like crazy. And, there were a lot of buyers/bidders there. Just curious....where is your office located? Maybe because real estate can go so crazy in Calif, there are some buying it up as a future investment?

[toadzilla]

62. well, we still sell a ton of property

there just are far fewer buyers. we used to have huge real estate auctions, they would go on for hours, a few hundred people would come to bid on properties. those types of sales have stopped completely.

that said, the auction business is pretty stable generally. when things are good lots of people are buying, when things are bad lots of people are selling.

[Hepburn]

82. Thanks...for the information.

I always seem to learn something new and interesting every day I am on the DU! :hi:

[madokie]

22. if you're a hands on type construction worker then remodels is something to look at

Friends of ours have a cabinet shop and when the new housing market slows down then people start remodeling with kitchens and baths to pretty much be the first thing people start doing so their business never seems to slow, in fact they make more on a remodel than they do on new construction.

[ThomWV]

32. People do not 'remodel' when they are burning their furniture for heat

You don't seem to understand what the Great Depression was really like. People were starving to death in their homes, they were not putting up new cabinets.

[halobeam]

61. I can see a reputable and long time company in construction

getting an increase in jobs in making apartments either in their basement or their second floor. I see there are families moving in together, and I would suspect that may be on the rise. I am a woman who hardly knows the names of tools. I am not mechanically inclined and that is an understatement. Maybe doing the legal assisting in the area of permits for making a home a mother/daughter dwelling will increase, but I tend to think most would actually be illegal apartments because the taxes soar with mother/daughter homes.

[kath]

137. yes, but with the huge influx of illegal workers into construction jobs, wages have plummeted.

[madokie]

139. yes they have been stagnant for quite some time now

[Afje]

28. Anything that can't be done cheaper

in China. Something that requires your physical presence. I would go for something that could possibly be done as your own small business.

[halobeam]

40. What classes would be good to take to improve success in a small business and what area

or field would be in demand during a recession. A service that everyone would need is definitely what I would think would help whether employed in a company or working out of the home.

[Afje]

53. Accounting maybe, marketing,

that sort of classes I would think.

[halobeam]

63. do you think there could be rise in supporting the working class

with financial issues, such as a someone who can recognize the choices and resources that are out there for those who are in trouble, and assisting them through certain processes, filling out forms, filings, consumer protection laws, etc? Would that be possible as a personal service and what education would be beneficial to meet these qualifications?

[AP]

31. CEO of a fortune 500 company? How much did the Countrywide CEO get on his departure?

[CTyankee]

33. Teaching English as a Second Language (ESOL)

You can get a degree for this. But if you are unsure about it, try volunteering with Literacy Volunteers. You'll get firsthand experience.

ESOL is critical to maximizing our workforce in this country. You might minor in something more generic, such as communications. Having an excellent command of the English language is a definite plus for any job these days. Job candidates with superior English skills are prized.

You can pm me about this. I was an ESOL volunteer, then I actually worked for LV in my community for pay for 2 years. It's a rewarding field and you meet fascinating people, and that is a big part of one's career, IMHO.

Good luck!

[halobeam]

43. excellent

I took Spanish for four years in high school (long time ago, though). I did take a refresher course a while back. I am considering achieving a higher level in Spanish. I believe knowing the language would be beneficial to landing a job in varied fields, as the demand for bi-lingual employees is quite high, and growing.

Additionally, I have one semester to finish to get my associates degree. My going back to school would give me a bachelor's, or if there is a certificate program that is equally regarded, I would be able to do that also.


I will pm you. Thanks.

[CTyankee]

51. You actually don't need to know Spanish to teach ESOL

A lot of people think that is so, but it isn't. I do think it helps, of course, but the idea is to get students "immersed" in English.

But your Spanish is great when applied to lots of fields. It's definitely an asset...

Our local community college has a certificate program in ESOL. It is reasonably priced also.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

103. Also, if you have a four-year degree and a specialization in ESL or

even a certificate (available in about six weeks in various places), you can work overseas, perhaps in a country where the economy is better or the cost of living is lower.

JCMach1 is happy doing ESL in the Middle East, and there are tons of people teaching in Latin America, Eastern Europe, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand, as well as the U.S.

I don't know how old you are, but it's a great experience for a younger person and even some older people.

[halobeam]

115. thats great to know

I asked another poster further into this thread if Canada would be one of the countries looking for this. I've wanted to move there for many years now.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

133. Canada probably has enough ESL teachers of its own, but

I know that some recent college graduates teach ESL overseas for a couple of years and pay off their student loans because even though the salaries aren't as high as here, the cost of living can be much lower.

Even in Japan, the pay is only about $2500 a month, but you often get free housing on top of that (studio apartment), so some people save quite a bit.

[Afje]

34. How about teacher?

They can't outsource that and I believe the country will focus more on education under Dem. leadership

[halobeam]

44. I don't know about age as a factor.

I think it would depend on where and what I would teach. I'm 45.

[Afje]

57. Lower grades, especially math and

science classes. Don't worry about your age - think of it in terms of MATURE. Texas is short on teachers, I read they even pay your student loans if you sign a contract for a few years.

[halobeam]

66. thanks

I recently read that some teachers are leaving the field because of the new state testing that has become a nightmare for many reasons. I wonder if I would be avoiding that nightmare, teaching the lower grades because they aren't state-tested (under fourth grade, iirc). I believe the degree is different in teaching primary grades because you teach every subject as opposed to a specific one or two, and I think you need more child psychology classes too. Not that it would bother me, but I think it might take a longer time, which is a concern to me, to some degree.

The rising demand in math and science teachers I had heard about. Wouldn't that start in the middle school grades (6 - 8)?

[WilliamPitt]

36. Bartenders, drug dealers, short con operators and bankruptcy attorneys.

Axiomatic.

[halobeam]

45. hmm...

well, THAT sounds like the "pitts" lol :rofl:

[democracyindanger]

208. I disagree.

I think a recession would be ripe for the long con, not the short. The marks for the short con would be extremely careful with their money during a recession; marks for a long con--fat cats who do well during a down period--would be more open to getting fleeced, IMO.

[guitar man]

37. Tow Truck Driver

You'd probably stay really busy doing reposessions.Kind of a ghoulish thing to do I guess, but somebody is going to be out there doing them, so might as well work.

[shraby]

39. Plumber, electrician, auto mechanic

furnace repair. These types of jobs will always have work and will not be outsourced on you.

[Lex Talionis]

59. Posted before I seen this.

Your right shraby, the keepers of the light and comfort will always have work. And most laborers from other than America don't do these jobs.


Disclaimer: No pollyannas, I'm not advocating building a wall, or shooting some poor brown guy who just wants to feed his family. Blue collar skills are what keeps the lights on and water running and should be done by our citizens. Nor am I implying that said brown man can't do these jobs because..(fill in the blank).I was pointing out that shraby is right.

[shraby]

69. All I was implying is that these are the types of

jobs that cannot be outsourced and that it would be a reliable source of income for the rest of his life, not that they can't be done by anyone but whites..racism doesn't enter into the picture whatsoever.

[Lex Talionis]

130. I knew that. Where did Racism come in? Most unskilled labor jobs

in my area are done by illegals. But I'll pass that on to my trainee, he's black, and will be glad to know he can do what I'm training him to do. Plus I agreed with you. But, on here, there are some very sensitive people who see racism in every post. I guess my dry wit didn't go over so well. I apologize if you were offended.

[shraby]

135. Not offended, but where I am, most

unskilled jobs are filled by citizens.

[Lex Talionis]

142. Thats the way it should be.

Thats how I started. It used to be a young person could use unskilled labor jobs as a stepping stone. I hauled wheelbarrows full of concrete, one summer long ago, led to a good construction job. learned a skill. Its not that way any more.I've been South of the border, The Corporation's want that labor for less than minimum wage. Men and Women are, and I don't blame them, willing to work for it. A young Man or Woman who is a citizen of this country this day has mostly service jobs, at minimum or above, to chose from. We don't teach skills now, We teach service. Believe me, suits are ruthless when it comes to the bottom dollar. Just my experience anyway.

[shrike]

169. For the record -- plumbers, electricians are not "unskilled" labor

Takes years of training, apprenticeship. Even takes math skills.

Just sayin'

[Lex Talionis]

172. Well being a certified electrician, with plumbing skills,

Welding certificates, an Elevator Mechanics license (expired), and a hydraulics background, who has to use a lot of math to program todays automation equipment. I agree. Who said said being a plumber was not a skill? Are you one? Even though I was told long ago by a master plumber that all I needed to know was that shit ran downhill and payday was on friday. What I see now though is that entry level jobs known as unskilled jobs, are not being filled by young people who are citizens of this country. These are your helper or trainee jobs that usually take 4 years of apprenticeship and, used to, a hell of test at the end to get your journeyman's license. Now Loewe's fills that gap. I have young men under me who after 6 months training the company says their ready. Don't work that way. Suits think different. The less they know about something, the easier they think it is. And if you are a plumber, take note of this. In my state, 10-15 years ago, Plumbers made on average 18 to 22 an hour. I believe now, sorry no link, its around 15. Large corporations use men like me to over see crews that ARE made up of unskilled labor and they pay them very low wages. Just sayin.

[shrike]

201. You were the one who put them in the category of unskilled labor, not me

And no, I'm not a plumber, but my son-in-law is. He makes about $22 an hour. Then again, he also belongs to a union. I'll have to ask him if all he has to remember is that shit runs downhill and that payday is Friday. The next time he has to go out and work in sub-zero weather, which we've had a lot of here lately.

Don't know where you live, but here, where I am, they always have a problem filling the apprentice programs. And labor has a strong presence here, so the guys are VERY pro-American, VERY anti-outsourcing, etc. A big problem they're seeing is a lack of basic skills, something which I think should concern us all, as Americans. They can't read, they can't fill out a job application. They can't find 5/16th on a tape measure. And immigrants, illegal or otherwise, are no different, so they tell me.

[Lex Talionis]

202. Amen, about the basic skills.

Shit running downhill and paydays on friday is an inside plumber joke told to greenhorn helpers, your son-in-law will get it. The basic skills problem is what I really bitch about. Can't find 5/16th on ruler, tell me about it. Got told by one trainee its "2 and 3 of those little lines". Its not taught in schools anymore and I don't really know how to solve it. In my experience, schools now concentrate more on being excepting of others, then teaching math skills for trade jobs. Which IMO is to ready them for service jobs. Glad your son-in-law is Union. Most have been broken here and the IBEW is about the only one holding their own. Worked construction for 15 years in some of the coldest conditions, didn't know about global warming back then, but I'd been for. {To those who are going to jump on that, its a joke. You work a couple a winters in the cold and you'll understand.) I'm Bluecollar through and through. Its the suits that think just anybody can run sewer line or conduit. The job I have is control based, not something you can teach in a few months. Peace to you and yours,shrike.

[shrike]

214. Hubby was also a skilled tradesmen, until retirement

Boiler-making, then sheet metal. His union local pres. was smart enough to put the pensions in a lockbox; company can't get to 'em, no matter how they try.

I'm a college-grad, and nobody could understand why I'd marry a guy who worked with his hands. Now they do; all the salaried, middle managers I know are seeing their jobs disappearing, and the machinists, union carpenters and pipefitters are still making a good buck, knock on wood.

I'd love to see trade schools make a comeback, but that won't happen the workingman starts to be regarded with some respect, again.

And I'll mention the shit running downhill joke to my SIL :)

[Lex Talionis]

215. Glad to here you married a hands on guy.

We make the world run. My dad told me early in life That I had 3 choices. Marry a rich woman, work for the Government,or learn a skill. I chose #3. Woulda liked #1, but I'm not the kept type. The joke is ageless and usually reserved for over eager green horn helpers. or when construction guys are insulting each other. When I was an Elevator Mech.,used to tell my ironworker buddies, that if I ever got my brains knocked out, I'd work for them. Rough humor ensued. You have a good day, shrike

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

101. auto mechanic - people will tend to get old cars repaired instead of buying new ones

And I've been astounded with what some mechanics charge in Southern California, many of them in the $80 an hour range. Also car painting and auto upholstery would make sense, since I think people will tend to keep their old cars longer in a recession and want to fix them up.

[spooky3]

113. agree with that - and they make a good living

Also, auto body repair people do well.

Nursing is always in demand.

[NutmegYankee]

148. No. Auto mechanics do not. Know this from fact.

I once worked closely with several mechanics spread around my city, none got paid well. The owners of the shops did well, the workers on the other hand were just a few notches above walmart.

[spooky3]

159. sorry to hear about your friend- I had a friend

who did very well - not wealthy but much better than Wal-Mart minimum wages.

[kineneb]

114. after an accident, grandpa was retrained in auto body repair

in the early 1930s, he was working on the project to build Shasta Dam, and had his foot injured on the job. After gov. rehab, he was retrained for a job that would not need much walking.

Not saying that this is ideal for everyone, but the training kept him in a job until he retired... officially at age 71. (He kept getting called back because of the quality of his work.) He also had lots of work during WWII, since no one bought new cars.

[JohnnyBoots]

41. Nursing, they can't out source it and it is very in demand with good pay.

[pitohui]

99. and yet they are "outsourcing" it

many nurses and nurses aides now being brought in from the phillipines for instance

any job that formerly had good pay, esp. for a woman, the GOP has been determined to attack and bring the wages down to what they think we peasants deserve

[JohnnyBoots]

102. Wow, that sucks. Pretty soon there will be no regular jobs left. It really is turning

into Corporate Feudalism.

[Heddi]

151. like I said above

there will never be enough foreign nurses to even make a dent in the nursing shortage in the US. They are recruiting them in droves but they're not making a dent. Not a dent.

The great thing about nursing is that our population is exploding and living longer and living sicker. There will not be a non-shortage of nurses any time soon. Nurse wages are going up across the board (despite greedy hospital CEO's wanting otherwise). New grad RN's in the pacific northwest can make upwards of $40 an hour, less in other parts of the country ($20's an hour in the southeast).

Also, there is a limited number of foreign nurses that are allowed work visas every year. A girl I work with is from Japan, and can't get her visa to work as an RN renewed for 2008 because there is only, like, 1300 visas for RN's approved each year (maybe not that exact number, but something low like that). Hospitals can do the HB-1 Visas but those are time consuming and tedious and most hospitals don't want to go through the paperwork for a foreign worker when there are numerous American-trained and American-based RN's who are willing to do travel, per-diem and available nursing jobs. Of course this doesn't tackle the already-present nursing shortage, but I assure you (as an RN) that my job is not in danger because of the ever-feared "FILIPINO NURSE" :cue scary music:

[Horse with no Name]

181. Thank you.

They are ONLY here because of the shortage...not because they want to take our jobs.
I've worked with nurses from all over the world from Africa to Zimbabwe. Not once have I ever been afraid of losing my job to any of them.

[RufusEarl]

42. Law enforcement, although i could never become a cop myself

they will have jobs during a depression.


Peace!

[halobeam]

46. I wouldn't be a cop for many reason, some of them physical

but I thought about dispatching maybe? What other jobs are in the enforcement field that are somewhat decent. I do agree the jobs may grow.

[slackmaster]

47. Bankruptcy lawyers, police officers, bartenders, career counselors

Also repo people.

[Lex Talionis]

54. Probably not the job your looking for.

PLC/Control process techs and troubleshooters. And if you have good mechanical skills, combining the two will help you make a good living. Yea, I know this is blue collar work and maybe beneath some here. I made around 70,000 last year and this year looks like a 100,000+ year. not to bad I think, with just a high school diploma and tech school. I get to do a lot of traveling to foreign lands, because thats where most factories are going. They don't teach these skills much in schools anymore, so being strong in computer skills wouldn't hurt.

[dysfunctional press]

whta does the PLC stand for?

:shrug:

[Lex Talionis]

127. PLC: Programmable Logic Controller

Allen/Bradly, Siemens, Fanuc, GE, All of these make controllers. Old schoolers call it machine talk. Working on a job right now that interfaces Fanuc robots with Allen Bradley controllers. I'm working 12/7 right now. Been doing it for the last 15yrs. Its some really cool stuff. Every wonder how that juice bottle is made? or the peanut can is filled.Your traffic light system uses them. One of the coolest shows on TV is "How its made", I believe the Discovery channel shows it. Its people like me who make the suits look good. I have found if your really good, they'll overlook a longhaired,tattooed biker. Plus you don't really have to kiss ass or backstab to hold your job. My experience anyway. Your local Votech and technical schools will have courses. Allen/Bradly aka A&B is the most popular brand. I can work pretty much for anybody and didn't have to go to college and get into debt. Looking to go out on my own late this year or next. Contractor I'm working with now charges 750 to 1000 a day. Not bad for just a High School education. Plus I get to make fun of the college boys, "It works on paper" is their favorite words. Most companies I have worked for payed for my schooling. Other than that its OJT. On the job training.

[dysfunctional press]

131. i love "how it's made"...it seems that a lot of them are filmed in canada.

it's mind-boggling how some of those production lines operate.
i'm 47 and now disabled- but it does seem like a fantastic field for someone who's so inclined to go into.
has the amount of manufacturing that's leaving the country hurt the profession at all?
is it the kind of skilled work that other countries would give immigration visas for?

[Lex Talionis]

134. Here ya go

"has the amount of manufacturing that's leaving the country hurt the profession at all?"

Yes to some extent. Most young people I come into contact with, Don't want to go into a trade now because their afraid, and rightfully so, that their job will leave the country. As many have stated on this site, we are now a service based economy. when you lose a 20 dollar an hour job. Do you really want to work at wallyworld for 8 bucks? NAFTA did that.

"is it the kind of skilled work that other countries would give immigration visas for?"

In my experience, no. I was in Brazil for 4 months last year. To get my visa I had to state that I was safety consultant. Brazil, doesn't want anyone immigrating to their country, or for that matter just coming into work, that may take jobs away from their citizens. Wish we could be like that. Average pay was 1.50 an hour. I make 30 plus benefits. So when I go, and move production equipment to their country, I train some eager young man to troubleshoot the equipment and if need be I go back as a "safety consultant". America seems to be the only country that allows its citizens to be put out on the street by foreign workers. I Have worked in Europe to. They are headed in our direction as far as cheap labor taking jobs from their citizens. The common worker seems to fight harder though.

[dysfunctional press]

138. thanks for the info...hopefully something can be done to get things turned around...

you'd think that perhaps trying to change us over to a non-fossil-fuel based society could generate A LOT of good paying tech-sector jobs. something is going to have to give/change sooner or later, and i keep going between fear and hope for what it might be.

[Lex Talionis]

143. Your welcome.

Got some of that coming our way in the form of biofuel. Brazil grows sugarcane to make something like 80% or so, I think, of its fuel. Millions and millions of acres of sugarcane. Of course from the refineries I saw, they needed better scrubbers. Yes, somethings gonna give. I'm out here in it. If the suits don't listen, then... Fear wont help us. Hope wont get it done. From my vantage point it looks like their not listening.

[dysfunctional press]

144. in regard to biofuel...

the best method i've heard about involves using certain types of algae, rather than crops like corn, sugar, hemp, etc....because with algae, it wouldn't have to infringe on farmland that should be used to grow food and not fuel. algae "farms" could be built in places unsuitable for crop farming- even/especially the desert southwest.

[Lex Talionis]

158. maybe true. But the suits see it being easier to use what they got.

The technology for algae is out of my field on knowledge. No way is Government gonna let use hemp, so it will be corn and sugarcane. Its something to see in Brazil, miles and miles of rolling sugarcane. They call it the green ocean. Its awesome.

[girl gone mad]

145. Your post says it all.

That's exactly what's happening. A race to the bottom.

[Lex Talionis]

166. Yes it is. A race to the bottom.

With both parties at fault and trying to see who can out do each other. Thats why I just shake my head when someone says, "My party created x amount of jobs". They never realize, nor If they do, will admit that they are just service jobs and not skilled based. A Plant in the area I am in right now, Ohio, is closing. Net loss 200 jobs. But, Like a ripple in a pond it effects others. Some suit probably got a nice bonus out of it. Have a nice day girl gone mad.

[flvegan]

56. Foreclosure attorney (and staff).

Sadly enough.

[halobeam]

68. wonder if that falls into estate and wills attorneys... or is that different

I'm thinking estate attorneys might have to be quite knowledgeable in real estate, no? Maybe the newer, younger attorneys just starting out..aspiring to estate/wills, will be taking more and more foreclosure cases as they will be in higher demand. I agree with you.

What about being a notary just to get some income in the meanwhile, specializing in real estate procedures?

What do you think?

[flvegan]

70. From my experience, being in the RE title industry

is that, at least in Florida, probate/estate attorneys don't know much about real estate.

We're seeing lots and lots of practices that never touched foreclosure work getting into it. I think paralegal work is always a good choice. There is no economy that will ever see a shortage of lawyers/law firms.

[halobeam]

78. I checked into getting a paralegal certificate.

I just need another semester to get my associates and then I qualify for the certification program. Some colleges don't require an associates, but the one near me does. I have a friend who got her degree as a paralegal, it cost her more and it took more time. My SIL is an attorney and put feelers out to those she knows in the field and they're pretty much in agreement that the certificate would not hinder my finding a job or lower the pay-scale (at least in the legal field).

Do you know if there are specific attorneys just for real-estate? If not, do you know of any good sites, etc.. that would give me more information?

On a side note: I can hop on a bus at my corner and it would take me right to the university. That thrills me to no end because I would love to get rid of my gas guzzling bomb of a car and save the insurance and gas money to boot. Three birds with one stone on that!

[CK_John]

73. Welder. n/t

[orleans]

79. i would take classes that interest me--

and get a BA degree or a BS degree (if possible)

if something didn't strike me i wouldn't be able to do well (in most cases)

if you can get grants to get a four year degree it really doesn't matter what you major in--people don't get a bachelors of psychology or a bachelors of sociology or a bachelors of geology or earth science. they get a bachelors of arts or bachelors of science with a major in english/theater/humanities, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Arts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Science

[Iris]

81. That's what I'd suggest. And focus on skills more than "a job" because

by the time you are through what you thought was recession-proof or market-proof when you started will change.


Also, check out "What Color Is Your Parachute" - I've found it to be very helpful.

[orleans]

87. what is

"What Color Is Your Parachute" ??

[Iris]

88. It's a book about job searching, career changing

But it's not a resume writing book. It makes you think about what you can do and what you want to do. I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2008/dp/1580088678/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203098548&sr=8-1

[halobeam]

90. Iris, the book is a great tool.

I believe most college campus's have it, and having a son who's a junior in high school, I wish the school had it as an assignment for the kids.

I used the book many years ago, and I found it to be uniquely helpful. I know it is revised often, as it should be, so I'm wondering if maybe using it again, wouldn't hurt. Since I am older and know myself better, I know what environment I'd prefer and the kinds of people I enjoy: who enjoy me back; I might not need the book as much in this area of self-examination, as that part of the book helped immensely when I was younger. I believe what might be beneficial in using the book again is utilizing the abundant information regarding the interview process with those in the fields I'm considering, which would undoubtedly aid me in the final decision process. I found when I was younger, I used that part of the book a small bit; I may have lacked the self-confidence to interview "older, more experienced people". At this point, I would be ready to go, on that!

Thanks for the great reminder! Very much appreciated!

[Iris]

97. definitely look at it again.

I used it when I graduated from college many years ago and am using it now since I just finished a master's and will be trying to change jobs (but within the same field).

[halobeam]

171. I don't want to toss out what is of interest to me

for the security of having a job. Spending much of our time on a job that doesn't have any connection to us, ie. spark of interest, something w/ purpose, would be a terrible position to be in. It's an essential balance that if missing, can make people miserable. I hope to take both equally important aspects, and find something in the middle. One that is practical and still spiritually satisfying (at least to some degree). I know many people that do what ever they can do, regardless of what they "like" because it's a matter of survival. It's always to be admired in someone that can take the worst of it, and do it anyway because it's right and responsible and imo, that is something right there that should be satisfying, and I'm afraid some people can not see that. There are people in this world that can not find anything positive about what they do, and miss the point that they are doing what is needed for themselves and/or their family, and that is commendable because it's really hard to do. I'm going to try to find a medium, and I hope I make the right decision and I have the luck (which it is sometimes) to have a spiritual connection to what it is I do.

[leftofthedial]

80. CIA torturer

concentration camp guard

biohazard cleanup technician

meth dealer

hell, if I knew, I'd be employed.

[halobeam]

83. I asked because it is frustrating and downright scary at times

isn't it!?!

The posts on this thread are insightful and full of information on resources which is helpful. There is a great amount of valuable advice from members here who had/have experience in various job fields. This not only helps those looking for work; but also those who might find they need to start looking for career change: one that might be more secure or less hard-hit, during a recession.

[demn08]

84. Financial Planning

Many people will be getting laid off and need to roll over their pension and savings funds.

[halobeam]

85. see my response in post 63...

What do you think?

[conspirator]

89. Plumber will get you a job anywhere in the world. Countries like UK and Australia are giving visas

to plumbers

[halobeam]

95. That advice might help my husband..

he loves the UK and already deals with so much shit from me, that I can't possibly think of a job better suited for him! :P

I know plumbing, heating is really going to survive most any economical situations we face here (or abroad), but I can't get a mechanical pen to cooperate with me!

[mitchum]

92. Arsonist

[halobeam]

98. I think if I could, I'd be sitting at my desk, in a MUCH nicer home!

}(

[Stuart G]

93. Car Mechanic...

Seems kinda simple, and yet true. People need cars, can't afford new ones, fix the old ones.

[AlCzervik]

94. Auctioneer.

[Bright Eyes]

100. Stock trader!

Oh wait....:)

I bet being a solider would be the least hit career (with the conquering and martial law).

[Cruzan]

106. If you want to get ahead stock trading is it

though in a recession/bear market it'll mean often going short.

For a day/evening job: teaching. Get a TEFL and teach English as a second language (ESL). There is never a shortage of jobs and if you're given to the idea, they're big opportunities for teaching English in other countries.

[halobeam]

110. Is Canada one?

Do many parts of Canada speak French only? I'd love to find that out. I've been looking to go there eventually, and quite honestly I don't think I have enough to offer to be accepted...YET.

I wonder where I could look that up, any ideas?

Thank you!

[Nay]

116. Quebec is the only province where French is spoken almost

exclusively. The provinces on either side of Quebec also have many French speakers, but also plenty of English speakers.

As far as emigrating to Canada, google canada+immigration and you'll get the very helpful govt site. Canada also is handing out visas to electricians, plumbers, and such like. Teachers, too, esp if you agree to a stint in the wilder areas of Canada, in the schools for the native people.

[halobeam]

118. great information!

thanks... I'll let you know how things go. I find this very exciting!

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

104. Teacher.

Education is one field that always needs qualified, dedicated people who are willing to mentor the next generation of leaders.

[halobeam]

105. quite right.

there are a few posts above that discuss this. I'm happy to see so many different types of jobs being discussed here. It's beginning to be a treasure chest of information.

[Rosemary2205]

108. Anything that caters to boomers

They have most of the money, they have most of the clout.

If you can figure out where they will jump next and get ahead of the curve you will be successful and wealthy indeed.

[uppityperson]

109. Jack/Jane of all trades. Be flexible and able to do a whole lot of things.

That's my thought on it.

[halobeam]

173. I think I have a handle on that.

I believe taking a mile-wide list of experiences and getting them into a workable resume might be a big challenge. I think having a degree or certification to supplement an area that I have more experience in, would be beneficial. I do wonder what kind of job, a well-rounded degree would bring me, instead of specialized degree or certification. There are conflicting opinions on this, even in this thread and both sides have excellent points. Since maybe both view points are probably correct, I'm thinking it may depend on my personal and work experience that I have along with which field I decide to go in.

I always thought without specialization, people wind up in management more often than not, and those are the jobs that many companies get rid of first, when making job cuts. That maybe incorrect though, I'm not sure.

[uppityperson]

177. Had an electrician friend. Said it was good work, always needed.

I think being flexible is very important because no job is safe, ever. Ever. Being able to cull the experiences down into whatever you are applying for can be a challenge, but look for similarities and you don't have to say every single thing you've ever done. Showing you are flexible and can do what must be done is a good thing, since you can fill many positions rather than just one.

Had to crawl under buildings but not as bad as plumbing, not as physically challenging as plumbing. Need to get some sort of trade certification though. But plumbing would be good also. Health care is always needed, though heavy responsibility.

Figure out what you like to do, not just what you love to do and how to get paid for that (though that is the best), but what can you fairly easily tolerate selling your time to do in order to do what you want to /love to do?

Good luck.

[dembotoz]

112. someone who fixes stuff

old item broken

new item to expensive and times are tuff.

fix the old item to make due for a while yet.

[earth mom]

119. If you can, work at something you love.

Otherwise get a state or federal job.

Those jobs are recession depression proof FOR SURE. :hi:

[halobeam]

221. thank you

I appreciate the "balance" of life, too. It will have to be taken into account, with some compromising, but not all. Not if I can ever help it.

[SoCalDem]

121. Nursing is a field that needs new blood

Many Boomer-nurses are retiring, and as those same boomers age, there is and will be a big shortage..


My son's friend just finished her 2 year schooling and she's starting a new job in a few months at a pretty good salary..I think he said she was starting at $45K..

[halobeam]

222. I'm going to look into it

I'm also trying to find out as much info as I can regarding teaching nursing, as a later goal. My back isn't so great, and I have always wanted to teach. Have any idea whether the demand is up on teaching nursing?

[Bozita]

122. The folks who work for the court putting people's stuff on the curb.

This country's really imploding.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

124. bankruptcy lawyers.

undertakers
private security guards (armed)
private security guards (unarmed)
military schools
mercenary groups hired by the DOD and State.

[DS1]

125. bartender

[halobeam]

224. Just having a clue

about what we are in for, makes me think I'll be a customer;-)

[zonmoy]

126. people who know how to make other humans palatable.

since when it goes bad I suspect that people will get desperate enough real quick to go cannibal.

[catzies]

128. Credit and collect, repos and bail bonds. That's what I'd do...

...if I were an evil, soulless Republican, because those will be the growth industries that they created.

[dysfunctional press]

146. i've been there, and it's very difficult work.

unless as indicated, someone has no soul.

[nashville_brook]

129. Homemaker

[halobeam]

225. 17 yrs plus and counting....

the pay sucks.

[northzax]

132. get a government job

teacher, etc. the gubmint always pays. (and if it doesn't no one else is, either)

[NNN0LHI]

140. Liquor store owner-operator should fare well n/t

[shanti]

141. have you

considered working for government (state, county, local, etc.)? at least in cali, it's pretty stable - AND full pensions are still provided. lots of boomers retiring too, and many on the horizon. many people shudder at the thougth, but...it IS an option.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

147. Clinical Disposalist.

One who dumps the human trash that just seems to keep piling up. I see the demand curve at a dizzying height in a couple more years.

[kevinbgoode]

149. Well, if we get another Republican administration,

I suspect the televangelist/faith healer industry to really take off. . .so at least make sure you use lotion to soften your hands and take lots of persuasive public speaking classes...:-).

(otherwise...really, best of luck. I think health care is always experiencing a shortage. If you have an interest in that field, it's a good idea.).

[lonestarnot]

152. Bartender.

:toast:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

153. Nature Survivalist...wild and eatable plants? maybe Farmer?

[halobeam]

157. could be useful, couldn't it!

[riderinthestorm]

160. I'm a farmer, my husband's a govt. employee

While one part of our operation - the most enjoyable part! - is NOT recession proof (breeding, sales and training competition horses), we have tried to craft a really diverse operation that (hopefully!) will allow us to be more recession proof if possible.

1. We both work the horses and maintain the farm operation. We do everything we can to keep costs down from building fence to basic repairs on equipment.

2. My husband works for the govt. Health insurance and bennies here. There is no way he'll be laid off if the economy goes sour so we've covered that. Although I believe he makes a decent wage, I've been told he makes shit. I don't care. It's stable and he's never going to be fired. It's interesting enough work for him, and he (now) can do it in his sleep. Besides, he has the farm to keep him happy on his off hours so it works for us.

3. I run a very small organic produce operation: 2 acres of organic produce that we market roadside and to my sister's organic restaurant. We also sell a small amount at a local green market, as well as to our boarding/horse clients.

This year we plan on ramping up on growing more produce for re-sale, and canning for ourselves instead of selling everything. We've gotten brutal and sold horses that weren't productive (we have more than 40) to ensure we aren't carrying any "dead weight" and all of our livestock have value. Not sure if this is enough but we'll start there.

I think you need to determine your family needs - timewise, money wise, health insurance wise etc. - before you commit to a program. You should also examine your own needs: what is important to you, what do you really want to do. Above all else, know that you will work hard, so choose what appeals to you and it will tide you over the inevitable bad stuff (in my case; cleaning troughs and buckets, hand-weeding and I do all 2 acres myself which I know doesn't sound like a lot but it is, dealing with crabby clients etc.)

I believe (based upon my very limited experience) that most Americans aren't accustomed to HARD WORK anymore. If you are willing to get dirty and sweat like a pig (and I mean that literally: sweat. like. a. pig.), you can definitely carve out a very profitable niche for yourself wherever you choose to go. The problem lies (in my own experience) in that too many Americans want the salary without putting in the requisite sweat equity. I am the chief toilet scrubber at my place and the CEO.

Good luck with your search. Above all else, find something that makes you happy! No matter what your income level, if you seek happiness, success usually follows and sweet rewards as well.

Peace!

[americanstranger]

154. An entertainer of any sort!

People want to be entertained, to take their minds off of their troubles.

- as

[Thothmes]

155. High dollar call girl

catering to the wealthy.

[LucyParsons]

156. Lawyer

my stepdad always said, "You know times are bad when there's a lot of work for lawyers."

That or something people will always need, and which you can be self-employed at, such as plumbers.

Or something that will never go bankrupt, like the clergy (also, it could be argued, likely to do better in bad times).

;)

[TrogL]

161. Something in infrastructure

[SoCalDemGrrl]

162. Pharmacist- we're gonna need a lot of meds

[SarahB]

163. We are extremely fortunate right now.

I'm an RN, my husband is a union public school teacher in a subject area/ age group (middle school English) in short supply.

[eridani]

164. Fixing things--anything n/t

[wellst0nev0ter]

165. Mafia Wiseguy (nt)

[halobeam]

175. looks like you are getting the practical experience right here!

at least the wise-guy part of it..:evilgrin:

[Raydawg1234]

203. Delete please

[w8liftinglady]

174. my hospital system has over 600 nursing openings-we are always short

here's a link to their job site,so you can get a feel
http://www.baylorhealth.com/careers/

[halobeam]

183. incredible...

thank you for the link!

It seems health care and teaching are what most here seem to think are specific fields that would/do fare well.

[Zynx]

178. Virtually anything in healthcare. There are always shortages of qualified people.

[RainDog]

182. unix, xhtml, css, php, etc.

programming - knowing how to maintain and create large dbs with things like php. I see these jobs all the time. you don't need a bachelors to do them -- you have to demonstrate you have the knowledge, which you do by creating things for others to see online (a portfolio, so to speak). Someone can see your work by viewing your source code.

also web 2.0 is the new new.

Every sort of job, biz, institution, etc. is dependent upon the web to provide services and advertise themselves.

and as others have said, health services, esp. geriatric services as boomers hit old age, are areas that seem to be advertising all the time.

[ecstatic]

185. nursing is number one in almost every state

It's a very mobile, flexible, good paying career.

[L. Coyote]

188. portable, go everywhere, high-paying, in-demand, rewarding, flexible scheduling

[halobeam]

191. I see that this field is something for me to seriously consider

especially since I've had personal experience over these past 17 years with serious illness's with both children I have, no common illness either. I've been asked by medical professionals why I wouldn't consider get involved in the field, a number of times.

I have been trying to find out if maybe combining teaching and nursing would be a good thing to consider, and whether it would be beneficial to combine the two.

[L. Coyote]

197. Nursing is also an academic pursuit. Some nursing programe are not easy to get into.

One college I taught at had a nursing program. It filled very quickly, with capacity below demand.

[halobeam]

198. good to know...

I think I'll keep searching for more info on this, and I'm going to contact a counselor at the college near me.

Thanks!:hi:

[Trecie]

187. Medical field

That was my first thought. I see a lot of great replies here suggesting medical career. People are always going to get sick and need not only Doctors and nurses, but tests, medicines and so many other things. There are of course so many things one can do without a college degree, and those jobs cannot be moved overseas. Need your A/C fixed? Try getting someone from China over here to do that. Automobile problems? Try getting someone here from China or India for that. Got a tree across your house from a storm? Nope, can't wait on China. Of course the construction, carpentry, and trades have all been taken over by illegal immigrants. And as we speak, the illegals are getting college scholarships, in-state tuition, and other goodies, that real Americans cannot get.

[halobeam]

195. With over 2500 views, what would be the cause of having no rec's?

I've caught myself forgetting to recommend a thread I thought useful to others, may that be what happened?

With a recession ready to slam us, I think pooling information regarding careers that may survive it, is important for many people, not just myself (I'd hate to be the main beneficiary).

My heart-felt thanks to everyone who offered their time, sharing their experience and knowledge regarding this issue. It's a perfect example of how valuable and generous our DU community is!

[B Calm]

196. Anything that has something to do with automobile parts. The stock

market returns for companies like Auto Zone always do real well during bad times. People can't afford new automobiles and are constantly trying to keep the old car running.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

199. a degree in Amish Ways

[halobeam]

200. I liked Nature Survivalist better.

:)

[Raydawg1234]

204. prison guard

more poverty-more crime. more crime-more prisoners.

[midnight armadillo]

205. I am recession-proof

at least I like to think so. I work for a gov (mostly DoD) contractor by day, with a PhD and a security clearance, which makes me a rare commodity since fewer and fewer Americans are getting advanced technical degrees.

By night I work writing software for foreign exchange markets. Currency trading runs at about $3 trillion per day...a recession proof field if there ever was one. This job could become full time pretty much whenever I want too, just in case something happens to the gov R&D job.

So I think I am pretty safe - I work for the Man and for the ultra-wealthy. Sigh. Slowly, my soul dies...someday I'm going to quit all this crap and go into bioinformatics.

[Blue_In_AK]

207. I'm a legal transcriptionist.

Mostly I transcribe criminal trials, so I'm not too worried. When the economy is bad, crime goes up. More trials, more transcripts. It's all good. :P

[halobeam]

212. Did you get certification for this?

I started looking into this and I haven't had much luck finding out about this career. Do you like it, and what are the advantages and disadvantages? You are the first person I've spoken to that has this specific job.

Any info you can offer would be very much appreciated..

thanks!

[Blue_In_AK]

213. We aren't required to have certification here.

I was a legal secretary/paralegal for 25 years here in Anchorage, and started doing transcripts on the side during the last few years of that time, so I had the background and the legal terms down. When my firm downsized and I decided not to stay with the remaining people, I started doing the transcripts full time. Our court system records trials on CDs using a program called FTR. Then we transcriptionists are able to just pop it in our computer, download it, and play it with a foot pedal like we used to do with tapes.

I don't make as much money as I used to when I worked in an office, but I love the flexibility of being able to work when I want and not having to deal with office politics, etc. Plus it's kind of like listening to Court TV or something. Some trials are really dramatic. I am very fortunate in that I subcontract with a woman who has a contract with the state, so we have steady work transcibing trial transcripts, grand juries, etc. for the public defender clients. All I do is type; she does the production.

If I were you, I would check with the court reporting agencies in your city and with your court system and see if this is the same method they use. I never had to learn the little gadget that the "real" court reporters use. I've never had to "scope."

[halobeam]

217. thanks for all the information

Your job sounds wonderful, especially for the flexibility it gives you. You have a serious background in what you do. I wonder if that's what it takes to have someone trust you with sub contracting. Is that a rare position for someone to find themselves in, or are the jobs out there for those who have a solid enough background and know enough people in the system?

I do have a SIL that is an attorney for the state. If I had a paralegal certification and transcription training I wonder if that would set me up to have something this flexible in the future?

[Blue_In_AK]

218. The background really helped.

Plus the fact that I'm a really fast and accurate typist (except here. haha) It took me a little while to find the right "fit" of working arrangement. Some of the reporter agencies I worked with in the past required me to do a lot more of the actual production (compressed transcripts, etc.) than I wanted to for what they were paying me. My situation now is ideal (i.e., I only type, I don't do paperwork), but it took me a while to get to this position.

[JCMach1]

211. Professor- unemployed people re-tool and go to college

during recessions.

So, your classes will be bigger with no good pay raises, but at least you will have a job.

[halobeam]

233. I asked someone about teaching at a college

they just about laughed at me. At my age, they said there isn't a chance in hell.

[raccoon]

237. From what I've heard, that area is WAY overcrowded, for most positions.

ANother thing, colleges are hiring adjunct as much as they can nowadays.

[elehhhhna]

216. Paralegals -- the law is recession-friendly! Especially corporate defense.

Forensic sccounting will be hot in the next several years, too, as we try to find out where our stolen billions have gone.

[cap]

219. contrarian opinion here.... do what you love

everything is too unstable to make long term predictions... do what you love and do well at it. Let your innate talent and passion be your differentiator.

We are in a winner take all economy. So differentiate yourself.

[proud2BlibKansan]

220. Teaching

Always a demand for teachers.

[greenbriar]

223. especially sped teachers

and you may get more financial help too

[proud2BlibKansan]

227. Also Science

I read just the other day where only 5 Physics teachers graduated from college in the entire state of MO last year.

[halobeam]

228. I know there are differing opinions about age when it comes down to teaching

I'm 45. I wouldn't be able to teach for 3 more years. I've heard some people say that it is a plus because there are schools who are looking for someone who is not going to go on maternity leave anytime soon, and they also say that some school districts, the teachers are so young that they tire of "cliques" and would welcome someone more mature. Others say there's no chance in hell of getting a teaching job nearing fifty years of age: even if it is math or science.


I have a relative who works on the board of ed. and another who is a principal. They both say it depends on the district, the person who's hiring, but believe they welcome the more mature. I don't know what to think, it's such an investment of time which is most precious, I'd hate to be wrong on this. Very scary.

Thanks for your input! I appreciate it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

230. The strongest criteria in many districts is a warm body

The shortage is real. And worsening.

[halobeam]

231. Thanks!

:hi:

[Alexander]

226. Politician.

[treestar]

229. If you can stand the sight of blood

Health care fields are the best. If you can become an R.N., you are in good shape in the U.S.

Look at the Department of labor Statistics, especially for your state's department of labor. That will have some good information on trends.

"Bankruptcy lawyer" has always been a good one, too!

[halobeam]

232. I will check that out.

It's hard to figure out which sites are the right ones to look at. Much appreciated!

[raccoon]

234. Bail bondsman and pawnbroker. nt