Work Dish

As everybody knows, money can’t buy happiness. In this economy, though, it can be useful for buying a lot of other things, especially for a recently-graduated bachelors’ student. While salaries will of course vary based on cost of living and location, these are some of the careers that regularly net big bucks for college graduates.

• High School Teachers: Teaching is generally thought of as a lesser-paying career. With the shortage of applicants, though, some school districts offer salaries of up to 60,000. This can handily make up for the terror of having to return to high school.
• Registered Nurses: With either a bachelor’s or associate’s degree, an RN can earn over 50,000 in the first year, with some districts offering salaries in the upper 60,000 range. These degrees are an excellent pay-off for the time investmenttwo years can get you an RN degree. Read more

If there’s one word that gets thrown around whenever you start your job search, it’s “networking.” But what does that mean, exactly, and how do you do it? Well, what it means is that the part of the job search that you see in the classified ads, online listings, and store-front windows is only the tip of the iceberg. To seal the deal on one of these positions, and to even be considered for the upper-level, unlisted positions, you’ll have to bring something more to the table than a blank slate. But how do you go about doing that if you don’t play golf with the CEO of the company, for example? It turns out that’s the interesting part.First, you may be more connected than you think. Read more

During your job search, it can be relaxing to take a break and check out the latest New York Times bestseller (or whatever else you read for fun). However, there are a number of job guides that can be highly informative as well. While they might not be made into a movie anytime soon, they could help you land your new career and become your new favorite.

1. Don’t Send a Resume: And Other Contrarian Rules to Help Land a Great Job by Jeffrey Fox As you can judge from the title, this book offers some alternative ideas to job-hunting. While you might not end up following all of his advice, his perspective is a refreshing change of pace from some time-worn traditions.
2. What Color Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard Bolles The title’s a mouthful, but after more than twenty-five years of revisions, Bolles has earned the right to elaborate a little bit. What Color Is Your Parachute? has gotten rave reviews from sources like Time, Fortune, New York Post, and more, and is applicable to all ages and all industries.
3. Job-Hunting Online by Mark Bolles and Richard Bolles Richard Bolles has also penned a companion to Parachute, specifically aimed at the latest technological wave to hit job-hunting. His son Mark Bolles provides another perspective. Since most people begin their job search on the internet, this is an invaluable guide to its pros and cons.
4. It’s Only Too Late If You Don’t Start Now: How to Create Your Second Life at Any Age by Barbara Sher Aimed more toward job hunters in their middle ages, this book can be informative for anybody with an open mind and an eye toward the future. Sher offers on the ways you can improve your life with new experiences, even after passing your “prime”.

There are plenty of sites online that say they’ll help get you a job. Here at WorkDish.com, we make a more modest claim: simply that we’ll inform you about the best ways to get the job you deserve. That being said, job listing sites can be helpful if you put the work in and have reasonable expectations. Here are some of our favorites, in no particular order.

• CareerBuilder.com: Sometimes size does matter. Created in 1994, CareerBuilder now holds the title of largest job site in America. Every month, more than 23 million visitors check out the site, which has over 1,900 partners. The site offers a great way to search through both newspaper ads and employers’ web sites, but make sure to watch out for scams.
• BilingualCareer.com: Knowing another language can be a big advantage in the job market. At BilingualCareer, you can post your resume and other qualifications and find tips on interviewing and resume writing. Every job listing is sorted by keyword, industry, location, and language, giving you one advantage over other sites in finding the place where you belong.
• BestJobsUsa.com: “Best Jobs in the USA Today” makes a bold claim, but there’s no denying that this site include great company profiles which allow you to make educated decisions about whether you’ll fit in there. The site also features resources for interviews and resumes, as well as information if you’re interested in heading back to school.
• CollegeRecruiter.com: This resource is designed for college students and recent graduates. You’ll find both internships and entry-level positions in a variety of industries and careers. This is a great way to make sure that college education doesn’t go to waste. As is appropriate given the site’s young clientele, you can also follow CollegeRecruiter.com’s Twitter (entryleveljob) to get up-to-date information.