Chemical Engineering Degrees

Even as the economic downturn causes mayhem all around us, some peopleremain unaffected by the current crisis thanks largely to the nature of theirjobs. Let’s face it; we all feel our hearts pounding every time the officerumor mill is abuzz with news of impending layoffs. In such a situation, it’sonly human to wish we had qualifications that gave us better job securityagainst the vagaries of economy.

Since layoffs depend a lot on the circumstances your company finds itself induring recessionary times, it may not always be possible to safeguard your job.After all, if an organization has to shut shop, there is precious little afancy degree can do to protect you from getting the pink slip. However, thereare certain career paths that can withstand an economic crisis better thanothers.

One such occupation that comes to mind is that of a healthcare professional.According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare and education were the onlysectors that saw a positive growth in employment in October 2009. Healthcareadded 29,000 jobs in October and 597,000 jobs since the start of recession.

Healthcare offers a wide variety of career options. A Bachelor of Science inHealthcare Administration will equip you with clinical and business skillsneeded to manage various healthcare facilities, whereas a Bachelor of Sciencein Respiratory Therapy will allow you to work as a respiratory carepractitioner and tend to patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary diseasesunder the supervision of a physician.

But the occupation with the most promise in the healthcare industry isnursing. No matter what the condition of the economy is, registered nurses arealways in demand to assist doctors and care for patients. The profession alsooffers attractive monetary benefits and unmatched professional gratification.You can either opt for an Associate Degree in Nursing or go for Bachelor ofScience in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursing Administration if youare already a registered nurse.

Another occupation that assumes importance in recessionary times isauditing. With many companies facing financial crisis, managing budgets becomesthe focus area. Reallocation of resources, minimizing mismanagement of funds,tax planning and many such activities are undertaken on a war footing. Tobecome an auditor, one needs a degree in accounting. A Bachelor of Science inAccounting will prepare individuals for challenging jobs in public, social, orgovernment organizations.

But if number crunching is not your forte and healthcare does not interestyou, then you can consider a career in computer science. Since most businesseshave started relying more and more on technology to perform complex functions,the need for computer scientists and information technology experts keepsgrowing.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a faster than average growth inemployment for computer scientists. However, with technology becoming moresophisticated by the day, employers are looking for people with advanceddegrees in computer science. A Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is onesuch program that will impart practical and theoretical knowledge to preparestudents for programming and networking jobs.

Those who dream of making critical business decisions and lead people andorganizations, will find a career in business administration appealing. Peoplewith business administration background are sought across the globe becausetheir skills and knowledge are universally relevant. A Bachelor of Business Administration degree should get you going in thatdirection.

In conclusion, every hardship teaches us some lessons. It’s up to us to turnthose lessons into a world of opportunity. Recessions will come and recessionswill go…What will stand the test of time is a sound education and the choiceswe make.