1 ) Look in the Mirror: Ask yourself, “who am I and what do I have to offer?” Take the time to really consider what it is that sets you apart from your competition. Carl Jung once said “who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens.”

2 ) Reminisce on Five Positives: Create a list of 5 personal or professional accomplishments you had in 2010. Think about what they mean to you and how they can be of value in 2011. Don’t ever forget how valuable you are!

3 ) Face Three Negatives: We can all use a good hard look in the mirror from time-to-time. Be sure to step back and think about 3 mistakes you made in 2010 and how not to make them again!

4 ) Read One New Book: Get a hold of a good career/self-help book (The YOU Plan perhaps) and start the New Year off with the right mindset.

5 ) Join One Group: If you want to be a serious player you must get in the game. Join your local professional association, business council, chamber of commerce, or community organization!

6 ) Update LinkedIn and Facebook: Check all of your social media profiles, links, postings, and pictures to make sure they are up-to-date and accurately reflect the 2011 version of YOU!!!

7 ) Make 12 New Friends: The world revolves around relationships, so get out there and start making friends. Go for one new contact per month and be sure to maintain that relationship.

8 ) Take One Risk: Find a way to make your life or career search more rewarding by contributing in a way you never have before. Volunteer to speak at your local professional association, contribute a white paper, attend an event you’ve never been to, or ask to guest post for an industry blog. Find a unique way to step out and enhance your stature.

9 ) Set Lofty Goals: If you don’t shoot for the moon, you’ll never get there! Develop a list of weekly and monthly milestones for your job search and/or general career development. Don’t end the year in the same exact place you’re in now.

10 ) Make a YOU Plan: Coaches have game plans, pilots have flight plans, so why don’t you have a career plan? If you want to get out of the Career Hot Seat and back into the game you are going to have to make a plan, a YOU Plan! Don’t go into 2011 just winging it!

Cheers to 2011!

Dr. Woody

Many find careers in healthcare rewarding and take great pride in helping others make their way through tough physical and mental challenges. It also doesn’t hurt that the healthcare profession has some of the highest-paying positions in the country, even when you factor out those that require medical degrees! Of the jobs on CNN Money’s “20 Highest-Paying Jobs” list, almost half are in healthcare.

THE FACTS ABOUT HEALTHCARE JOBS

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook wage and salary employment will increase in the healthcare industry by 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is substantially greater than the projected 11 percent growth for all other industries combined. More specifically, the BLS projects employment growth of 41 percent in home health care services, 39 percent for outpatient care, and 21 percent for nursing during the next decade. To amplify matters, a 2009 article in Health Affairs by Dr. Peter Buerhaus and company found that even in the face of the Great Recession the nursing shortage in this country is projected to grow to 260,000 registered nurses by 2025. This is a strong signal that there is definitely high earning potential here!

HOT POSITIONS

The following is a list of some of the hottest healthcare positions out there:

• Patient advocates
• Health informatics technician
• Physical therapy assistants
• X-ray technician
• Fitness nursing (similar to dietician)
• Holistic nursing
• Gerontological nursing
• Medical and public health social worker
• Lab technician
• Dental hygienist
• Occupational therapist

HOT SPOTS

Where can you go to find these positions? Here are some options:

• HR page of hospital websites and other similar facilities
• Nursing Jobs
• Health Career Web
• Monster.com (Healthcare)
• Career Builder (Healthcare)
• Healthcare Jobsite

GET OUT OF THE HOT SEAT

After researching this industry, there is no doubt some potential for solid career paths here. So if you’re in a rut and have the urge to go back to school or get a certification, it’s never too late in the name of job security. But if school isn’t an option, they have lots of administrative jobs that range from human resources to billing and even jobs in maintenance. Growth in the healthcare industry is going to require a lot of non-health related jobs because these are complex operations which will require a lot of support. Definitely keep your eyes open for opportunities in healthcare!

Michael “Dr. Woody” Woodward, PhD is a CEC certified professional coach who holds a PhD in organizational psychology. Dr. Woody is founder of the consulting firm HCI and author of the new book: The YOU Plan: A 5-step Guide to Taking Charge of Your Career in the New Economy.

Getting back down to planet earth, and the the more immediate future, many are also predicting there will be an increased need for more traditional positions in biological and forensic sciences. Most of these opportunities are expected to be best for graduates of applied science technology programs who are well trained on the latest equipment being used in laboratories and production facilities. the reality is simple, technology is continuing to advance. So, if you are looking to play in the science/technology space keep reading for some tips on how to focus your search.

THE FACTS ON SCIENCE JOBS

According to the job trending tool on Indeed.com, job postings related to “science” have increased steadily over the past five years for a total of about 3% growth. This is evidence that the field of science in general seems to have survived the long-lasting slump in the economy and has potential to be a bright spot as we begin the road to recovery.

When it comes to specific occupations in the scientific field, biotechnology certainly stands out. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of biological scientists will grow 21 percent between now and 2018; a percentage of growth that is much higher than the average for all other US occupations. With an aging population and continued competition among pharmaceutical companies, the demand and drive for innovative health technologies should continue to expand.

For you CSI buffs out there, good news, because jobs in forensic science are expected to increase by 20 percent over the next decade, which is also much faster than the average growth for other US occupations. Although state and local governments have taken quite a hit, the BLS is projecting increases in applications for forensic scientists across the board.

HOT SPOTS

Here are some links to resources that will help you on your way to finding a career in science:

• NatureJobs  (Job search engine, career fairs, list of popular employers, etc.)
• Science Careers (Information and job search engine produced by the journal Science)
• NewScience (A bridge between the younger generation and the scientific world)
• USA Jobs (Science jobs in government)

HOT POSITIONS    

Here is a list of some of the more promising and/or up and coming science-related career paths and positions:

• Simulation developer
• Animal migration engineer
• Human/robot interaction specialist
• World watcher (via satellites)
• Hydrologist
• Meteorologist
• Fusion worker
• Forensic scientist
• Thought hacker (advanced lie detector)
• Food scientist
• Conservation Biologist

GET OUT OF THE HOT SEAT!

Overall, science has always been a great field to get into for those with a proclivity for being at the forefront of innovation and progress. Overall, most science-related jobs provide you the opportunity to choose between working in an office, a lab, or out in the field. But you have to have at least a Bachelor’s for these mentally intensive jobs, and often a Master’s or PhD for mid to high level positions. For more information on the specific jobs positions and the experience and education needed for them, check out these articles from U.S. News and Popular Science.

Michael “Dr. Woody” Woodward, PhD is a coach and author of The YOU Plan: A 5-step Guide to Taking Charge of Your Career in the New Economy. Dr. Woody is president of the consulting firm HCI, sits on the Academic Advisory Board of the Florida International University Center for Leadership, and holds a PhD in organizational psychology.