Forget the two year degree. Get a four year degree. There are places where you can get an accelerated Bachelors degree in three years. Reason why is simple; once one gets a two year degree and starts working in their field, the ones who are their supervisors will pull them aside and show them their Bachelors (or even Masters Degrees). On the job field I was in, a new boss came in and mandated that all supervisors had to have a Masters Degree to even be considered for supervisory jobs.
Check this out...it was on CNN money:
Hot 6-Figure Jobs Now
by Jeanne Sahadi
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
provided by
We asked 6FigureJobs.com, TheLadders.com and SimplyHired.com to ferret out $100,000 jobs where there has been a spike in listings in recent months. Here are 5 areas where the demand for talent appears to be outpacing the supply.
Technology jobs
In the past few years, Fortune 1000 companies have been buying a lot of upgrades and enhancements to their "enterprise resource planning" (ERP) systems, and one of the biggest manufacturers of those systems is SAP, which provides application servers, programming language and related software.
That's why both the companies and the consulting firms to which they may outsource some of their technology work are on the hunt for SAP managing consultants, business analysts, partners, workflow experts and technical writers. "Supply and demand is way out of sync," said Jason Hersh, managing partner of recruiting firm KleinHersh International, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
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From finance to human resources to shipping and receiving, "SAP touches all parts of a business," Hersh said.
Those who consult on the more technical aspects of SAP systems typically earn between $100,000 to $125,000, Hersh said. Those who manage SAP projects can earn between $125,000 and $150,000, while project managers who serve as liaisons between project teams and clients can earn $150,000 and up.
Jobs available at the consulting firms require a lot of travel. But among in-house positions, the need for SAP experts is strongest in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states based on listings at TheLadders.com.
Sales jobs
Software
Enterprise business software makers -- such as SAP, Oracle and PeopleSoft -- are in hot pursuit of sales reps with good track records at their competitors.
"All the companies are running around trying to steal (the top sales reps)," said Steve Purello, general manager of 6FigureJobs.com.
Those with a good track record and five years' experience can command between $100,000 and $200,000 plus commission.
Healthcare
The aging of the Baby Boomers has been a boon for pharmaceutical companies, medical device makers and other health-related businesses, which is why they're eager to hire sales representatives and sales managers.
A sales manager might make between $100,000 and $140,000, while a regional sales director can make between $120,000 and $150,000, said Greg Lee, managing partner of WorldBridge Partners, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
A vice president of sales, products and marketing, meanwhile, can pull down $150,000 to $225,000 plus another 25 percent to 30 percent in bonus, said Matt Lemmons, senior partner of PrincetonOne, also a member firm of the MRI Network.
More sales jobs
Construction
Commercial construction has enjoyed boom times in the past few years and construction firms have expanded to become one-stop shops for clients. They not only want a building built, they want help with design, pre-construction and even property management, said Bobbi Moss, vice president of Govig & Associates, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
That's meant more projects and more jobs, particularly for regional sales managers at construction firms' suppliers, Moss said.
A regional sales manager might sell to builders directly or through supply distribution channels and can make a base salary between $80,000 and $110,000 plus up to another 30 percent in bonus.
Manufacturing
Economic growth in the past two years has boosted demand for manufacturing. For example, when a firm does well and decides to expand its office space, commercial furniture manufacturers benefit as do their vendors.
That growth has also given a push to more research and development. "Companies have brought a lot of R&D projects out of the moth balls," said Greg Lee, managing partner of WorldBridge Partners, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
That's why experienced sales managers who help a manufacturer expand market share and penetrate new markets are in demand, and they've seen their pay go up by as much as 20 percent in the past two years, Lee said.
Depending on the size of a manufacturer, field sales managers can earn between $110,000 and $130,000 including commission and bonuses, he said.
Other industries
Companies most in need of good sales managers can also be found in retail and wholesale; media and telecommunications; food and beverage, manufacturing, and travel, hospitality and tourism.
Among the listings on SimplyHired.com, the top locations for sales manager positions are in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and Houston.
Operations jobs
Manufacturing
As the demand for manufacturing has grown in the past two years, so have the number of listings for operations managers, vice presidents of quality control and general managers.
Operations managers typically run plant maintenance, quality control, purchasing and the technical aspects of product manufacturing. Depending on the size of their firm, they can make between $110,000 and $140,000, said Greg Lee, managing partner of WorldBridge Partners, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
Vice presidents of quality control with certification in Quality Management Systems and Lean Manufacturing, which streamlines production flow, boosts quality and reduces costs, can make $150,000 and up.
General managers, meanwhile, oversee purchasing, materials, manufacturing, engineering and quality control. For their efforts, they are paid between $120,000 and $200,000.
Healthcare
Healthcare companies' products and sales team are only as good as their operations teams. And the demand for a good director of operations and vice president of operations is evident among recent six-figure job listings.
An operations director may strategize how to commercialize a product, figure out how to move a drug trial from Phase II to Phase III and handle a regulatory filing with the Food and Drug Administration, said Matt Lemmons, senior partner of the healthcare practice at PrincetonOne, a member firm of the MRI Network.
A director can pull down between $125,000 and $175,000, while a vice president of operations, to whom the director reports, can make between $150,000 and $225,000 plus another 25 percent to 30 percent in bonus, Lemmons said.
Other industries
There's also demand for project managers and general managers at companies in media and telecom, retail and wholesale trade, computer and information technology, and banking and finance.
Some of the top locations for these jobs can be found in Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, according to SimplyHired.com.
Finance jobs - Construction
As construction firms expand the services they offer clients, they're also expanding their payroll by creating new entities and new layers of jobs, including many for those who manage the purse strings.
At small- to mid-size construction firms, a senior controller can make between $80,000 and $100,000 plus bonus, while a CFO may make between $125,000 and $200,000 plus bonus, said Bobbi Moss, vice president of Govig & Associates, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
Engineering jobs - Manufacturing
To compete, manufacturers need to further automate the production process and make it more cost-efficient. That has put talented mechanical engineers and robotics engineers in the catbird seat career-wise.
Those with five to eight years' experience can make between $80,000 and $110,000, said Greg Lee, managing partner of WorldBridge Partners, a member firm of the MRINetwork.
If they're managers and certified in Lean Manufacturing, which uses techniques to streamline production, boost product quality and reduce costs, they can make between $110,000 and $130,000.
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Answered By: Ramester - 8/30/2007 |