The Best Jobs for Recent Grads

Last week BNET's Kimberly Weisul reported the dismal news on hiring and recent grads. Those fresh out of school are struggling to get jobs, with only slightly more than half having landed a full-time position and a majority not expecting to earn as much as their parents. But while it's far from a cheerful economic climate for recent grads, there are opportunities – you just have to choose the right field.

It's not a matter of looking at which industries have openings. McDonald's is hiring, for example, but even 50,000 openings won't make fast food a promising career track for college grads.

So recently, when career site CareerBliss set out to identify where the opportunities are for recent grads, it crunched the numbers on not only the job openings but also the starting salaries and job satisfaction levels. The result was a list of the ten most promising careers for recent grads. BNET also checked their findings against data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources to uncover the potential pitfalls.  

10. Carer-in-Chief

Due to the aging of baby boomers, job opportunities forregistered nurses  “are expected to be excellent,” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and CareerBliss. Of course, compassion and patience are necessary prerequisites, but if you have these qualities, the educational path to being an RN is relatively flexible, allowing you to start working quickly. 

Potential pitfalls: Despite the decent happiness levels reported in the CareerBliss survey, industry organizations have found that one in five nurses leaves the field due to unsatisfactory working conditions, including draining schedules and relatively low pay ($61,707 on average according to CareerBliss). So do your research and think carefully whether the profession could be a fit for you. 

9. Recession-Proof Rehab

The CareerBliss list is dotted with healthcare careers.Occupational therapist is another option in this area. “Employment is expected to grow much faster than average,” with opportunities working with the aging population set to be especially plentiful. And with an average salary of $66,923, the pay isn't bad either.

Potential pitfalls: Every state has different licensing requirements for occupational therapists so check the specific requirements in your area before embarking. Also, be warned thatthe job demands a significant amount of manual labor so might not be suitable for those who dislike rolling up their sleeves.

8. Server Room Super Star

It’s a wired world, so it’s no shock the employment prospects are good for network engineers, the guys (and gals) who actually run the wires. Routes into the career are varied, with one industry insider confessing to the Princeton Review that “one of the best network engineers I know was a literature major in college.” Educational backgrounds may vary (though math, computer science and engineering are the usual routes in) but all network engineers need tenacity to stick with difficult and often fiddly problems until they’re solved. If you've got what it takes, you can expect an average salary of $69,079.

Potential pitfalls: You can’t be afraid of working nights as network problems are often solved in the wee hours when most workers are home.

7. Everyday Hero

Another healthcare field destined to be hot: physical therapist. Helping the sick and injured regain the physical skills to perform everyday tasks will become a much-needed profession. The average salary is a little lower than for an occupational therapist, but still a decent $57,000. 

Potential pitfalls: The BLS agrees that the field “is expected to grow much faster than average” but cautions that “today’s entrants to this profession need a post-baccalaureate degree from an accredited physical therapist program.”

#6 – Blissed Out Number Cruncher

Pouring over spreadsheets all day might not sound like a real smile-inducer, but being afinancial analyst actually got the highest happiness rating of any job on the CareerBliss list. High wages are, of course, another bonus, with CareerBliss finding an average salary of $61,517 for positions open to grads in the first three years of their careers. 

Potential pitfalls: Competition is fierce, and a bachelor’s degree is a bare minimum – and expect further training towards licenses and certifications once you do managed to get hired. Getting started in the career is often a full immersion experience with long hours and plenty of travel leaving little time for fun or family. "Analysts sacrifice a lot of control over their personal lives during their first few years," concludes the Princeton Review.

5. Jack of all Trades

No surprise that jobs falling under the title ‘product manager’ are quite diverse, from leading a team of software developers to keeping track of profit and loss on a portfolio of investments. Depending on the type of product, the need for tech skills can vary but all product managers need solid math and finance skills and leadership abilities to prosper in a varied and exciting job. If you have what it takes, you can expect to earn an average salary of $72,717. 

Potential pitfalls: CareerBliss is probably overly optimistic in suggesting that product manager is a job title grads can attain straight out of school (with MBAs being a possible exception), but it’s certainly an expanding career to aspire to. “Don't expect to land on a product management team without a few years of demonstrated business-related work in consulting, finance, or accounting,” says the Wall Street Journal, but adds that “you may be able to sneak in by starting out as a marketing assistant or intern for a brand manager as a recent college graduate with a marketing or business bachelor's degree.”

4. Advancement Potential Personified

It may take you a few years to advance to a sales manager role, but once you get there you’re in a great position to continue to climb the ladder, says the BLS, which notes that “because of the importance and high visibility of their jobs, these managers often are prime candidates for advancement to the highest ranks.” Meanwhile, the CareerBliss analysis puts the average salary of $68,676.

Potential pitfalls: As a trade off, you’ll probably have to deal with long, irregular hours and plenty of travel.

3. Biz Whiz

With the employment in this field set to grow by 24 percent,  it's no shock that CareerBliss has included business analyst on the list. Hiring is hot in the sector, and the average salary of $72,773 should see you well paid.

Potential pitfalls:The BLS warns competition is keen, and those with graduate degrees, specialized expertise and a knack for salesmanship can expect to do best. 

2. Persuasion Professional

If you’re more of a "people person" and less of a techie, fear not. CareerBliss has good news for you as well, suggesting sales representative will be one of the best careers for recent grads. With an average salary of $47,629, sales reps might not pull in the same amount as a fully trained engineer, but they don’t have to master a huge amount of technical skills and math either.

Potential pitfalls: Not everyone is cut out for sales. The outlook is best for those with a college degree and “the personal traits necessary for successful selling,” warns the BLS. So before embarking on a career in sales take a long, searching look at your personality to determine if you have the persuasiveness and thick skin necessary.

1. Software Jockey

Not too long ago, the only thing the average consumer owned with a processor was their computer, but now everything from their phone to their car to their video game console is, in effect, a computer as well. No wonder then that the Bureau of Labor Statistics says, “software engineers are among the occupations projected to grow the fastest and add the most new jobs over the 2008-18 decade, resulting in excellent job prospects.”

And according to CareerBliss, a software engineer can easily make around $70,000 a year.

Potential pitfalls: While software engineers aren't hermits, for many starting software enginners the job isn't the most social out there. So if you're a social person who likes getting out for a lot of meet and greet, think twice about this career. Also, outsourcing is creating some turbulence in the industry and work at the biggest companies in the sector is often pretty uncreative, according to Salary.com.