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The spring semester has officially begun at most colleges, and along
with it the rush to buy the cheapest used textbooks and cases of boxed
ramen noodles. Freshman are doe-eyed no more and sophomores are
beginning to consider majors. Juniors and seniors walking into upper
level classes are already craving the end of the semester, when the
latter will be set free to carve out their first career moves.
Regardless of their expected graduation date, all students should be thinking about beginning or advancing their careers with a summer internship. The job market is still tough, and if this next few years are anything like the last,
young people who haven't spent any school time building up professional
networks and real-world job skills could find themselves in a tough
spot come graduation. Internships are one of the best ways for students
to get their feet wet in as many industries as they're interested in a
safe, short-term environment. And research shows there's a good chance the temporary position will turn into a job.
Because searching for and applying to internships is like an additional
class's worth of work, AOL Jobs has put together a list of the top
internship opportunities – most of which are paid – to lighten the load.
Check it out below.
FlickrUnum employees clean up the Santa Monica Pier in 2010.
Who are they? An employee benefits provider with 35
offices in cities across the country. The Chattanooga, Tenn.-based
insurance company is the largest provider of disability benefits
worldwide.
What they offer: Internships in marketing, finance,
actuarial, business technology, sales, internal auditing, underwriting,
human resources and IT
Who are they? A Fortune 500 company that offers payment
processing and banking solutions, software and services. Headquartered
in Jacksonville, Fl., FIS employs over 32,000 people.
What they offer: Internships in web development, vulnerability management, technical writing and business, systems analysis and others
Who are they? The CVS pharmacy chain has more than
7,500 stores in the United States, second only to Walgreens. It provides
pharmacy services through its over 7,000 CVS Pharmacy and Longs Drugs
stores.
What they offer: Graduate and undergraduate-level
internships at the pharmacy and in IT communications, quality assurance
testing, government services and others
Location(s): Various
Compensation: Competitive compensation is offered including a stipend for eligible candidates
FlickrNorthrop Grumman hosts luncheon for the aerospace systems sector.
Who are they? The electronic systems company designs,
develops and manufactures advanced defense electronics and systems. The
company was created after Northrop Grumman's acquired Westinghouse
Electronic Systems Group in 1996.
What they offer: Internships in hardware, software, mechanical and systems engineering, business development, communications and others
Location(s): Illinois, Maryland, California and Colorado
Compensation: Not specified
Note: NGES specifies that applicants should only apply to one internship
Tires Plus/FacebookInterns
participating in a cleanup at East Branch Park Forest Preserve and St.
James Farm as part of Bridgestone's "One Team, One Planet" program.
Who are they? Tires Plus offers products for the whole
gamut of automobiles, from compacts cars to SUV's. Along with Firestone
Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus is owned by Bridgestone Retail
Operations. And in sum, Bridgestone is the world's largest chain of
company-owned auto care centers.
Who are they? Originally abbreviated from American
College Testing, ACT Inc. produces paper-based colleges assessment test
akin to the SAT Reasoning Test. It offers tests in English, mathematics,
reading, science, writing.
What they offer: Internships in user engagement, policy
research, operations analysis, graphic design, business development and
marketing and others
Location(s): Iowa and Georgia
Compensation: $6,750.00 total for nine-week positions
Health
care has consistently been a bright spot in today's recovering economy,
and 2014 looks to be even brighter. Several factors will serve as boons
for health care: Industry standards are changing as the Affordable Care
Act comes into effect, emerging technologies will grow more common in
health care facilities, and the economy is slated to continue growing.
Perhaps most significantly, the aging baby boomer generation will
continue to require care, which will affect the number of workers in the
field. All of these elements will help one of the labor market's
strongest sectors welcome more workers in 2014.
CareerBuilder and
MiracleWorkers.com -- its job site for workers in a range of health care
disciplines and experience levels -- compiled the 10 best occupations
in the industry for 2014. With increased access to services and an aging
population, demand for health care labor will continue to grow this
year, which is good news for job seekers in the industry. The
best-paying, fastest-growing jobs are often found in allied health
occupations, but nursing and certain specialty areas are expected to
post strong job numbers as well.
The list was based on occupations
that grew 6 percent or more from 2010 to 2013, are projected to add
jobs in 2014, have at least 30,000 total jobs and fall within a
higher-wage category of $22 per hour or more.
1. Diagnostic medical sonographer Total employment in 2013: 60,273 Added 5,672 jobs from 2010-2013, up 10 percent Median hourly earnings: $31.77 2. Medical scientist (excluding epidemiologist) Total employment in 2013: 100,742 Added 9,076 jobs from 2010-2013, up 10 percent Median hourly earnings: $37.09 3. Physical therapist assistant Total employment in 2013: 72,445 Added 6,388 jobs from 2010-2013, up 10 percent Median hourly earnings: $25.08 4. Nurse anesthetist Total employment in 2013: 36,179 Added 3,010 jobs from 2010-2013, up 9 percent Median hourly earnings: $71.43 5. Marriage and family therapist Total employment in 2013: 42,238 Added 3,056 jobs from 2010-2013, up 8 percent Median hourly earnings: $22.40 6. Physical therapist Total employment in 2013: 208,096 Added 14,975 jobs from 2010-2013, up 8 percent Median hourly earnings: $37.96 7. Nurse practitioner Total employment in 2013: 110,545 Added 7,832 jobs from 2010-2013, up 8 percent Median hourly earnings: $43.26 8. Health educator Total employment in 2013: 58,626 Added 3,599 jobs from 2010-2013, up 7 percent Median hourly earnings: $23.46 9. Occupational therapist Total employment in 2013: 113,478 Added 6,368 jobs from 2010-2013, up 6 percent Median hourly earnings: $36.27 10. Respiratory therapist Total employment in 2013: 120,082 Added 6,728 jobs from 2010-2013, up 6 percent Median hourly earnings: $26.86
Technology and education changing the industry Many
of these jobs are seeing growth due to more widely available
technologies, which enable more facilities to offer new services and
hire more workers, accordingly. Similarly, as the Affordable Care Act
continues to roll out, these new national health care options will
result in more patients with health care providers, and these employers
will need to meet the demand.
The addition of these new roles and
evolving technology will also result in an emphasis on education and
research roles, such as medical scientist or health educator. These
rising roles focus on making new advancements in health care and sharing
proven care information with the public.
For job seekers who want
to be part of a growing field, develop some of today's most
sought-after skills and gain experience with the latest technology,
health care could be the path to follow. As the economy continues to
strengthen and 2014 gets underway, the health care industry will
continue to be an important part of job creation and employing in-demand
skilled workers.
When it comes to good jobs, college students are sometimes stuck in the middle.
While they’re not quite qualified for many jobs that require a
degree, students are typically smart enough to snag a number of other
excellent positions. But given busy school schedules, the jobs must be
flexible and part-time. That limits options. Thankfully, there are a
number of great part-time, flexible gigs out there.
Here are some ideas for college students looking to work while at school.
2. Keep an eye on kids: Babysitting or nannying can
be great for college students, since the hours can be flexible and the
pay can be decent. Look into signing up on Care.com,
a website where parents can look for babysitters. Or just ask around
school. Professors and grad students are prime candidates for
babysitting help.
3. Give them a jolt: Working at a coffee shop as a
barista can actually be fun. You get to become friends with the
regulars, enjoy a schedule that works around your classes and probably
score some free coffee. Plus, if you work somewhere like Starbucks you
may qualify for benefits as a part-time employee. Plus, you never know
who you’ll meet in a coffee shop: perhaps someone who will hire you
after college.
4. Freelance writer: Got a knack for writing? Then
get paid to do it. You can either run your own blog, (using a
pay-per-click platform like Google AdSense, which pays when people click
on advertisements) or freelance for a company writing articles, press
releases, blogs or other copy. For the latter, you may find gigs at
networking events, on Craigslist or on freelance job sites. The pay
varies, but you often work whenever you want. This option could be
perfect for journalism and English majors looking to gain relevant
experience.
5. Know it all: Working for ChaCha,
a company that gives real-time answers to questions people text or ask
online, could be an interesting student gig. You can either become a
guide, earning between 1 and 20 cents per answered question, or a
transcriber (3 cents per task), who interprets muffled questions or
transcribes phone questions into text. Questions can range from the
practical to the absurd. The money can add up fast and you work whenever
you want. In other words, it’s a viable job for a college student.
6. Table service: Don’t let the movie “Waiting”
dissuade you: Waiting tables can be an excellent job that works around
your school schedule. Plus, don’t forget about the tips. Some waiters
can really rake in the dough, which could come in handy if you want to
pay off some of those student loans you’re taking out before you
graduate. To excel in this role, you need to have excellent customer
service skills and be quick on your feet.
There are several fields that have great positions for college
students. If you choose to work while in school, then landing one of
these gigs can enhance your college experience. Plus, your wallet surely
won’t regret it.
APThe
health-care sector is projected to quickly grow over the next many
years, and there will be a huge need for registered nurses to take care
of our aging population.
By Andy Kiersz
Want a job that pays well and will have plenty of openings in the next decade? Consider one of these occupations.
Business Insider compiled a ranking of the best jobs of the future based on how well they pay and how much they are projected to grow in the coming years.
We took the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' projections for the number
of new jobs created between 2012 and 2022 and the 2012 median annual
wage for each occupation and ranked them based on a combination (the
geometric mean) of the two figures.
To focus this list on higher-quality jobs,
we ranked only occupations with median wages higher than the 2012
median wage for all workers, which is $34,750. We used the total number
of new jobs projected by 2022 rather than the percent rate of growth for
the occupations, since some specialized occupations are expected to see
steep growth but will provide a relatively tiny amount of job openings.
Why they're thriving: Managers of all kinds tend to have higher
wages than those they supervise, and the BLS notes that managers make
the highest median salary of any of the large occupational groups it
studies. The construction sector was hit especially hard in the Great
Recession. However, the BLS projects that over the next decade,
construction employment will finally begin to return to pre-recession
levels, allowing for impressive growth in the coming years.
What They Do: Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and
health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations,
public health agencies, or similar organizations.
Why They're Thriving: As with construction managers,
managerial positions tend to do well financially. The BLS projects that,
as Baby Boomers get older, and as Obamacare's reforms dramatically
change the health insurance market, employment in the health-care sector
is primed to take off in the near future.
Why They're Thriving: Salespeople are needed in almost
every industry. Any company that makes or sells something will need
sales representatives, meaning this already large occupation will
continue to grow.
What They Do: Obtain and use numerical data to complete financial records and maintain accounting records.
Typical Educational Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
Why They're Thriving: As with sales representatives, most organizations
need people keeping track of the money coming in and going out,
resulting in a steady demand for good bookkeepers.
Why They're Thriving: As the economy continues to
recover from the recession, there will simply be a lot more stuff to
move around. That means there will also be an increased need for people
to move that stuff.
Why They're Thriving: Because of changing demographics
in America and changes to how health insurance works, health care is
going to be a quickly growing sector over the next few decades. Unlike
registered nurses, who typically have an Associate's or Bachelor's
degree in nursing, licensed practical nurses tend to only need about 12
to 14 months of post-high-school education.
What They Do: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
Typical Educational Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
Why They're Thriving: As the construction sector begins
to fully recover from the recession, job openings in these occupations
are expected to increase.
Why They're Thriving: Most organizations need to
understand the market they work in. Like sales representatives and
bookkeeping clerks, firms in any industry will need market researchers
to help get those insights.
Why They're Thriving: The BLS projects that technology
will continue to be a lucrative and growing sector over the next few
years, and there will be strong demand for people who can write the
basic software that technology depends on.
What They Do: Represent clients in various types of legal proceedings and write legal documents.
Typical Educational Requirements: Professional degree
Why They're Thriving: There has been a shift in the
legal field to using more paralegals and legal assistants to do basic
work. Despite this, as the economy continues to improve and overall
business picks up, there will also be increasing demand for highly paid,
credentialed lawyers.
Getty Images218,200 predicted job openings by 2022
$39,940 median annual wage in 2012
What They Do: Construct houses, other structures, and various frames and fixtures out of wood.
Typical Educational Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
Why They're Thriving: This is another entry on the list
that is heavily tied to the construction industry, which is projected
to expand rapidly over the next few years as it climbs out of the depths
of the recession.
Why They're Thriving: Like construction and health
care, computer technology is a field projected to continue growing at a
good rate for the foreseeable future.
Why They're Thriving: Companies are always trying to
maximize their productivity, and there will likely continue to be a high
demand for specialists who can guide them.
Why They're Thriving: In the wake of the 2008 financial
crisis, the government responded with new financial regulations. An
army of accountants will be needed to meet the new standards.
What They Do: Provide specialized medical care for
patients. Some examples of specialist physicians include allergists,
dermatologists, and neurologists.
Typical Educational Requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
Why They're Thriving: As we have seen, the medical
sector is poised to continue its rapid growth in the next few years.
Further, specialist doctors tend to do quite well for themselves - the
median income for these physicians falls in the highest part of the BLS
range.
Why They're Thriving: Application developers are
similar to software systems developers, but they are more focused on the
needs of users rather than on the back-end parts of computer systems.
As with other computer-centered occupations, applications developers
will benefit from the ongoing tech boom.
Why They're Thriving: Operations managers are another
set of workers needed in almost every industry. As the economy continues
to grow, organizations will need these employees to keep things running
smoothly.
Why They're Thriving: Once again, the health-care
sector is projected to quickly grow over the next many years, and there
will be a huge need for registered nurses to take care of our aging
population.
A
recovering economy doesn’t mean that all areas of hiring are slow. In
fact, hiring in financial services occupations is likely to pick up in
2014, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder and MoneyJobs.com —
its job site for finance and accounting professionals.
As businesses continue to regrow and establish more savvy ways to
operate, they require smart financial minds to bring their business
back. From financial analysts to accountants to credit counselors, there
are a variety of ways that finances need to be monitored and moved, and
workers are needed to fill these roles.
Hiring is up in financial services While other areas in the economy continue to slowly regrow,
financial services occupations are needed by all industries for their
expertise in budgets, finances and spending. And there’s high demand for
their help. In a nationwide survey of financial services hiring
managers and human resources professionals, 35 percent of financial
services employers are increasing full-time headcount this year compared
to 2013 — 11 points above the national average and up from 27 percent
in 2013.
“Job growth in financial services is expected to outpace job growth
for all occupations in 2014,” said Kevin Knapp, chief financial officer
for CareerBuilder. “This is good news for jobseekers in the sector,
whose skills will be in-demand across a range of businesses and
occupations that typically offer highly-competitive wages.”
Top financial services jobs for 2014 The following list of financial services occupations each grew at
least 5 percent from 2010-2013 and are projected to grow faster than
average growth for all jobs in 2014.
If you’re considering joining the financial services industry, or
are angling for a new position, it’s good to know the field’s standards.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most finance jobs
typically require a bachelor’s degree in a finance-related subject, like
accounting, finance or economics.
Many workers also have certifications or licenses from
industry-specific authorities, like the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, the main licensing organization for the securities industry.
It requires licenses for many financial analyst positions. According to
the BLS, “Most of the licenses require sponsorship by an employer, so
companies do not expect individuals to have these licenses before
starting a job.”
For instance, for financial analysts, the BLS says, “Certification is
often recommended by employers and can improve the chances for
advancement. An example is the Chartered Financial Analyst certification
from the CFA Institute, which financial analysts can get if they have a
bachelor’s degree, fours years of experience and pass three exams.
Financial analysts can also become certified in their field of
specialty.”
In its 17th year, Fortune's highly anticipated list of best workplaces
in the country presents a valuable resource for job seekers who are
looking for more than just a paycheck. With the help of The Great Place
To Work Institute, Fortune surveyed 252,000 employees at 257 firms to
rank the companies based on management's credibility, job satisfaction
and camaraderie. (Learn more about the selection process here.)
Some of the companies offer great (and sometimes unusual) benefits,
including healthcare, work-life balance opportunities and even bicycles
and fitness incentives. What's more, almost every company is hiring!
Getty ImagesA Google employee rides his new Google branded bicycle in London, England.
Previous Rank: 1
Annual Revenue ($ millions): $50,175
Headquarters: Mountain View, CA
Why Google is so great: The tech giant keeps its employees happy by offering them unusual perks that range from free bikes to death benefits
(a guarantee that if an employee should die, his or her spouse will
receive half of the deceased worker's salary for ten years). Google's
stock price rose above $1000 in 2013, a boon for Googlers, who are all
stockholders, as CNNMoney reported.
Employee Review: "Free 24:7 gym access (on MTV campus).
Free (self service) laundry (washer/dryer) available. Bowling alley.
Volley ball pit. Custom-built and exclusive employee use only outdoor
sport park (MTV). Free health/fitness assessments. Dog-friendly. Etc.
etc. etc."*
APChief Executive Mats Jansson speaks during a news conference at the SAS headquarters in Stockholm.
Previous Rank: 2
Annual Revenue ($ millions): $2,870
Headquarters: Cary, NC
Why SAS is so great: Work-life balance is a priority at
the software developer. Its onsite health center is open to employees
and their family members, and 95 percent of the company's workers said
it's easy for them to take time off to take care of family members,
according to CBS News.
Employee Review: "Sound company. Best soft benefits are when you work at the main "campus" (HQ) in Cary NC."*
FlickrCEO and president Rich Lesser at the World Economic Forum on Africa 2013.
Previous Rank: 4
Annual Revenue ($ millions): $3,700
Headquarters: Boston, MA
Why The Boston Consulting Group is so great: The global
management consulting firm is a top employer of graduates from MIT,
Harvard Business School, Cambridge University and others. In 2012, newly
recruited grads received total compensation packages of up to $195,000. Working Mother magazine has rated the company as one of the best companies for working mothers.
Employee Review: "Working at BCG provided me with the
opportunity to work with some of the smartest, most talented people I
have ever come across. Between the high-level, interesting problems and
the top-tier clients, BCG is a fantastic place to work."*
FlickrAn Edward Jones Investments location that was nominated for the 2008 Lorain County Beautiful Award in Ohio.
Previous Rank: 8
Annual Revenue ($ millions): $5,027
Headquarters: St. Louis, MO
Why Edward Jones is so great: Turnover at the financial services firm is at an industry low of 8 percent, reported CNNMoney. J.D. Power and Associates has named the company "Highest in Investor Satisfaction" for eight years, most recently in 2013.
Employee Review: "After finishing my first year at
Edward Jones, I truly feel like this is the best company to work for. My
pay was tremendously higher than I thought it was going to be in the
first year. I love the fact that you have your own BOA, set your own
hours, and win diversification trips by the hard work you do."*
APAn employee works while standing on his desk at the Quicken Loans corporate campus in Livonia, Mich.
Previous Rank: 13
Annual Revenue ($ millions): N.A.
Headquarters: Detroit, MI
Why Quicken Loans is so great: In 2013, Quicken became
the largest mortgage lender in the United States. It was already the
largest national online mortgage lender. Its workforce fell in the years
that immediately followed the financial crisis, but the company has
amassed a staff of 10,000 since it moved its headquarters to Detroit in
2010.
Employee Review: "Amazing culture. You will make friends. The company REALLY cares about contributing to Detroit."*
APGenentech
researcher Mark Nagel works on an experiment in a research laboratory
at Genentech headquarters in South San Francisco, Calif.
Previous Rank: 36
Annual Revenue ($ millions): $14,778
Headquarters: South San Fransisco, CA
Why Genetech is so great: The biotech giant offers generous time off
to its employees. The company provides a leave of absence for "a number
of circumstances, including family care, maternity leave and medical
conditions" and a full paid sabbatical every six years. Genentech has
been on Fortune's best 100 companies list for 16 consecutive years.
Employee Review: "Advancement opportunity, they listen to employees, paid sabbatical every six years."*
APCEO
Marc Benioff at the end of New York Stock Exchange trading at a rally
in downtown San Francisco as Salesforce.com workers and supporters throw
beach balls in the air.
Previous Rank: 19
Annual Revenue ($ millions): $3,050
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Why Salesforce.com is so great: The cloud computing innovator added 1,264 new hires in 2013, doubling its workforce from 5,000 to 10,000, reported CNNMoney.
When he started the company, CEO Marc Benioff created the Salesforce
Foundation, to which he pledged to "donate 1% of salesforce.com equity,
1% of his employees' time, and 1% of his product to improving
communities around the world," according to the company website.
Employee Review: "Colleagues are not just intelligent
and insightful, they are generally genuinely nice. It seems to be part
of the culture there, at least in the division I was in. Virtually
everyone seemed happy in their work and satisfied with how they were
treated by the company."*
Why Intuit is so great: The software company offers its
8,500 employees benefits including up to $650 a year for gym
membership, swimming lessons, basketball-league fees and Pilates
classes, reported CNNMoney. Intuit has ranked among the "World's Most Admired Companies," another Fortune list.
Employee Review: "One of the best companies in Silicon Valley both from a Work Life balance and in tune with the technology perspective."*
Getty ImagesRobert
W. Baird & Co. trader Mark Dicanio writes an order just before the
opening bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, in New York.
Previous Rank: 14
Annual Revenue ($ millions): $961
Headquarters: Milwaukee, WI
Why Robert W. Baird & Co. is so great: The
subsidiary of Baird, an international, employee-owned financial services
firm has 2,600 employees, 13 percent of whom have been at the company
for over 15 years, according to CNNMoney. The company also caps its hourly associates' workweek at 37 ½ hours and leads several philanthropic initiatives.
Employee Review: "Hidden gem; a positive culture that is unique on Wall Street."*
DPR Construction/FacebookDPR Construction employees.
Previous Rank: 15
Annual Revenue ($ millions): $2,544
Headquarters: Redwood, CA
Why DPR Construction is so great: The employee-owned
construction contractor has an exhaustive list of clients that include
Facebook, Pixar and AT&T. Workers gave CEO Doug Woods a 100%
approval rating on Glassdoor.
Employee Review: "Fantastic co workers, great
PTO/vacation policy compared to the remainder of the industry, good pay,
and freedom/resources available to always look for a better way to do
something!"*
