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white_wolf

(6,238 posts)
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 01:39 PM Apr 2013

What jobs are safe these days?

Are there any industries left in this country that give someone at a reasonable chance of making a decent living? It's a question I'm really trying to find an answer to because the career path I really want to go into is starting to look like it may be much of a gamble to justify.

For years I've planned on going into law, but it is only over the past couple of years that I've really looked into the legal market and saw really how bad it is. Paul Campos's blog is full of horror stories about now law graduates. One of the worst has to be the guy who graduated from one of the best law schools in the country and has 5+ years experience at V10 firm. He's now living on unemployment in his dad's basement after sending out over 700 applications. If a guy who did everything right and played by all the rules can still lose it all, I'm not sure it's a gamble I want to take. After all, over half of law school grads are over 100,000+ in debt with no legal jobs.

Forty years ago the answer to my question would have been obvious, go into manufacturing and make a decent living. Now, you'll be lucky if you can find that. It seems that all that is left is retail work or other Mcjobs these day(if you have the aforementioned law degree you may not even get one of those) I've toyed with the idea of going back in getting a degree in software engineering, at least the tech industry seems okay for now...


So, in general are there any good career paths anymore? It seems like a lot of the people I know, even with college degrees, are working in retail jobs making little more than minimum wage or going on to grad school. Based on what a few posters here have said over the years things are not much better even if you have 10 or 20+ years experience in a given field. The economists may say the recession is over, but if this is normal then we are in trouble.

39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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What jobs are safe these days? (Original Post) white_wolf Apr 2013 OP
Oil clean up services seem pretty secure. Cannikin Apr 2013 #1
Anti-Obama troll. tridim Apr 2013 #2
For those who haven't seen Argo Politicalboi Apr 2013 #3
There's a shortage on accountants, supposedly. Comrade_McKenzie Apr 2013 #4
Plumber or car mechanic, I would guess. nt raccoon Apr 2013 #5
I have a really rotten cousin who is a plumber and is paid very well. He has a beautiful home southernyankeebelle Apr 2013 #11
This was the worst crisis since the Depression Benton D Struckcheon Apr 2013 #6
Building prisons. russspeakeasy Apr 2013 #7
Much of my family has been and is in law elleng Apr 2013 #8
Every town needs lawyers, but there are already too many The Velveteen Ocelot Apr 2013 #10
Right, we paid off our loans without much difficulty. elleng Apr 2013 #14
See I've heard the opposite. white_wolf Apr 2013 #17
Wouldn't surprise me, elleng Apr 2013 #24
That's why I'm seriously reconsidering law school. white_wolf Apr 2013 #15
don't I know it treestar Apr 2013 #31
A lot of them, but that's not the issue. Deep13 Apr 2013 #9
I've heard that health care careers remain in strong demand. pinto Apr 2013 #12
Yes, definitely. elleng Apr 2013 #25
Pipeline jobs Life Long Dem Apr 2013 #13
medicine. NMDemDist2 Apr 2013 #16
Can you get into a top half school? Can you graduate in the top half of your class? FarCenter Apr 2013 #18
Any job that can't be outsourced or done by a machine... Kalidurga Apr 2013 #19
Undertakers. shenmue Apr 2013 #20
I disagree about undertakers. Bigmack Apr 2013 #33
Shoe SALES? You must be kidding. marybourg Apr 2013 #35
Quality Management in the Food or Pharm Industry Nikia Apr 2013 #21
Security guards for the uberrich. Real growth potential there. Comrade Grumpy Apr 2013 #22
There are good jobs in all fields. MineralMan Apr 2013 #23
Engineers - particularly environmental, petroleum and biomedical... nessa Apr 2013 #26
If you can move it helps, also. onpatrol98 Apr 2013 #27
Probably not, things change so fast now treestar Apr 2013 #28
everybody always needs bread--baking librechik Apr 2013 #29
Good question. LWolf Apr 2013 #30
Be a farmer, according to Jim Rogers aristocles Apr 2013 #32
Take this one step further and learn about aquaponics Autumn Colors Apr 2013 #34
Some things are hard to outsource. MissB Apr 2013 #36
prison guard Liberal_in_LA Apr 2013 #37
I was an operating engineer. GiveMeFreedom Apr 2013 #38
Bookies are never out of work, except during legal vacations. CK_John Apr 2013 #39

tridim

(45,358 posts)
2. Anti-Obama troll.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 01:42 PM
Apr 2013

Just kidding.

I'm in IT and it seems to have stabilized over the past few years. The pay isn't what it was 13 years ago, but it's decent.

 

Comrade_McKenzie

(2,526 posts)
4. There's a shortage on accountants, supposedly.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 01:45 PM
Apr 2013

I start back to school in June. Won't be a CPA until I'm almost 30, but it's never too late!

 

southernyankeebelle

(11,304 posts)
11. I have a really rotten cousin who is a plumber and is paid very well. He has a beautiful home
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:02 PM
Apr 2013

with a big pool. He must be a good plumber because he is always busy. Another good job is mechanic. People as need a car mechanic. Also a good field to get into is the medical field. Seniors are getting older. If you can stand being around the sick that is a good way to go.

Benton D Struckcheon

(2,347 posts)
6. This was the worst crisis since the Depression
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 01:50 PM
Apr 2013

So this isn't exactly unexpected. You have to be creative, especially now, with so many jobs being eaten up by computers. Photographers? Gone. Printers? Forget it. Journalists? Never a good profession to try to break into, and now, with so many papers and magazines folding, pretty much a goner. Even manufacturing is staring at 3-d printing and saying hmmmm....
As for being creative with law, no idea. But you'll have to work 24/7 at figuring out what to do.
It is sad. Back when I graduated college, in the alleged awful Carter years, I got a job in a few months of graduating, and outside of a voluntary stint to go back to college to learn programming was never unemployed, even during the worst of the Reagan recession. This one is many times worse because so many jobs that just 10 years ago were still viable are now technologically obsolete.

elleng

(130,126 posts)
8. Much of my family has been and is in law
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 01:50 PM
Apr 2013

and done well, but most either deceased or retired now. I'm retired. There ALWAYS is a need for attorneys, but may not always be fancy, high-end, but that's the same with most industries.

Every town need lawyers.

Another career path: Daughter is in her first year as occupational therapist, and that sort of job, physical/occupational, and other health and care-related careers needed more and more these days. OT and PT appear to be very well-paid.

Younger daughter studied education, early childhood and special ed, but she's not enthusiastic about working in a schools with 'large' class sizes, so she's doing child-care independently, not high finance but always needed.

Best wishes.

EDIT: Did neglect to include government attorney jobs, which cousin, me and my husband had/have, a very good resource, local, state and federal.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,267 posts)
10. Every town needs lawyers, but there are already too many
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 01:56 PM
Apr 2013

coming out of law schools who can't find jobs and are stuck with horrendous student loans. You might be able to hang out your own shingle in one of those small towns but you'll be making about the same salary as a manager at Burger King and you won't be able to handle your $800+ per month student loan payments. The big firms that pay good money are overwhelmed with applicants - those jobs are almost impossible to get. Unless you can pay your own way through law school and have some alternate employment plans, don't do it.

elleng

(130,126 posts)
14. Right, we paid off our loans without much difficulty.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:04 PM
Apr 2013

I edited my reply: Government provides a very good option for lawyers; virtually every agency needs them, local, state and federal.

white_wolf

(6,238 posts)
17. See I've heard the opposite.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:08 PM
Apr 2013

I've heard government jobs are becoming almost as competitive as big firm jobs due to the 10 year loan forgiveness and the cuts being made to local budgets. According to what I've read even ADA and PD jobs are becoming very hard to get.

elleng

(130,126 posts)
24. Wouldn't surprise me,
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:24 PM
Apr 2013

ADA jobs have always been somewhat difficult and competitive, and many states have down-graded PD offices, unfortunately, but 'small' agency jobs within locals and states exist, and federals always hire. Not saying it's easy, but such jobs do and will continue to exist.

white_wolf

(6,238 posts)
15. That's why I'm seriously reconsidering law school.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:06 PM
Apr 2013

It's possible I could score well enough on the LSAT to get into one of the top schools and maybe get a small scholarship. But going to a top law school isn't the guarantee it used to be. The big firms are being forced to cut back a lot, but if you get above median grades you'll probably have decent shot at one of them for a couple of years. Even then, there is no guarantee you'll be able to pay off all your loans before they fire you, which they probably will do after a few years. It just seems like a huge gamble to take and as much as I would love to be a lawyer, I'm not sure it's worth it.

In terms of there being too many lawyers, I don't know why the ABA hasn't stepped in and done something. The AMA took measures in the 70's to make sure there wouldn't be an overpopulation of doctors, but the ABA seems to be doubling down on the problem and accrediting even more law schools.

Deep13

(39,154 posts)
9. A lot of them, but that's not the issue.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 01:51 PM
Apr 2013

What jobs exist that can support a family and provide for their needs. Answer, non of them, because even if the job exists, the ruling class is wearing down wages and benefits.

 

Life Long Dem

(8,582 posts)
13. Pipeline jobs
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:04 PM
Apr 2013

Cramer was talking today about $60K pipeline jobs. Saying that's what we need to do get this country back to work - laying pipeline like the Keystone XL pipeline. Then there are all those oil spill cleanup jobs - look at those jobs as job security.

 

FarCenter

(19,429 posts)
18. Can you get into a top half school? Can you graduate in the top half of your class?
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:11 PM
Apr 2013

If not, choose a profession where you can.

Kalidurga

(14,177 posts)
19. Any job that can't be outsourced or done by a machine...
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:11 PM
Apr 2013

So, that would be plumbers, mechanics, interior designers, landscapers, electricians, chefs, nannies or other child care workers, carpenters, etc... I am sure there are hundreds of jobs that would be considered manual labor that pay pretty well if you have lots of experience and the certifications.

 

Bigmack

(8,020 posts)
33. I disagree about undertakers.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:39 PM
Apr 2013

The younger folks don't want the traditional funerals.

It's a dying industry.

marybourg

(12,540 posts)
35. Shoe SALES? You must be kidding.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 03:25 PM
Apr 2013

The last shoe store I know that actually had a salesperson working in it closed a couple of years ago. And I live in a senior community where lots of people have the money for, and need help to, buy shoes. But they're shopping in Walmart. Or online.

Nikia

(11,411 posts)
21. Quality Management in the Food or Pharm Industry
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:15 PM
Apr 2013

These industries will always exist in the U.S. So far, government regulations and industry standards have been increasing. It has been my experience that these are stressful jobs though.

MineralMan

(146,189 posts)
23. There are good jobs in all fields.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:23 PM
Apr 2013

Getting one of them and keeping it is always an issue, though. Excelling in your field of specialty is the key. If you do, you will be able to find and hold a good job. If you don't, you will have constant difficulty.

New law school graduates, for example, can have a difficult time finding work, especially if their law school isn't widely recognized as excellent or their record at law school isn't excellent. Excelling is the key, whatever profession you want to take up.

Maintaining excellence is how you keep those jobs or are able to move to even better jobs. The exact field isn't as important as excelling at your specialty, from your education to your work performance.

Some will tell you that it doesn't matter, and that excellent employees lose their jobs, too. That's true, but excellence ends up paying off throughout your career.

That is the bottom line, frankly. If you float through your education and float on your job, you will end up in trouble. If you excel, you will not. Excel is the root of excellence.

nessa

(317 posts)
26. Engineers - particularly environmental, petroleum and biomedical...
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:32 PM
Apr 2013

but more and more it requires more than just a bachelors degree.

onpatrol98

(1,989 posts)
27. If you can move it helps, also.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:35 PM
Apr 2013

Some people can't afford to move. But, if you can get help to move, there are some places that don't have enough workers. Some other places, have too many. What's true for real estate, is sometimes true for jobs. Location, location, location. There are some locales with under 4% unemployment.

In some ways, if you can afford to move, it really becomes a choice of staying where you are becomes too expensive, if you can't find a job.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
28. Probably not, things change so fast now
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:35 PM
Apr 2013

It is always said there are too many lawyers. That has been said from the dawn of time and will be said for eternity. Someone who really wants to go into law should, as there are not a lot of really good lawyers. Never let that get you down, unless you are going into it not out of interest but because you can think of nothing else to do. Even then, it can work.

I would say sales - that can never be entirely off shored and capitalism always requires somebody to make the connection - though the internet is taking it over too!

librechik

(30,663 posts)
29. everybody always needs bread--baking
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 02:35 PM
Apr 2013

my hubby works in a big factory baking operation and is in AFL-CIO. He's 65, but his expertise is so valuable to them that they won't let him retire! He's as vigorous and young looking as a 40 year old, so he loves it!

When he got his anthropology degree back in 72, he analyzed the labor situation as a field of study. His research led him to the conclusion that union baking was depression proof (who made the bread in the breadlines?) and got into the field early. Now he has two pensions and is still working, so I guess he was proved correct.

For me, it's healthcare. I learned medical terminology young, and there is always a need for people who know it well, and you don't have to actually have patient contact.

I don't work in healthcare now, but I fall back on that when I need a job. I have degrees in several fields, but there aren't any jobs to speak of in those.
I got a mid level administrative job in my area, that's as good as I could get. I was lucky, I waited ten years to spot my job, one of the few in the local organization which has benefits and was full time. I've held onto it for 14 years, I need ten more to get out from under my student loan. I'll be 71.


The jobs picture in the US is simply lousy and hasw been for more than a generation. I'm totally disgusted with it.

 

Autumn Colors

(2,379 posts)
34. Take this one step further and learn about aquaponics
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 03:23 PM
Apr 2013

My friends in Hawaii have done very well with this and one of their goals is to share and teach what they know and encourage others to do the same. In addition to teaching others and growing their own food, they have a commercial farm that supplies its own brand of salad greens to Costco.

http://www.friendlyaquaponics.com

MissB

(15,800 posts)
36. Some things are hard to outsource.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 03:35 PM
Apr 2013

It depends on what you are inclined to do.

Dh and I both chose engineering. He uses his environmental PE in the private sector to design specialized remediations for sites that need to be cleaned up. These typically must be done, as the industry whose sites he cleans up is still going today. He has worked for the same (large) consulting firm for 25 years.

I use my environmental PE to do regulatory work. Outsourcing that sort of stuff doesn't really happen at the state or federal level. I've worked in the same position for 8 years and am unlikely to move to a different job prior to retirement.

Both of our kids are thinking of going into engineering.

GiveMeFreedom

(976 posts)
38. I was an operating engineer.
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 04:27 PM
Apr 2013

Heavy equipment. Many foreman's had college degrees and then some were just insane.
Joining a strong union and supporting workers rights as a lawyer would be cool.

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