If you’re a recent grad, landing a job is likely at the top of your to-do list. But after the initial offer letter is signed and sealed, other factors start to seem important about the place you’ll be spending around 40 hours — if you’re lucky — a week of your post-college life.
That’s where CareerBliss.com comes in. “The goal of ours is to find the happiness in careers, because a large part of happiness has to do with your day-to day,” says Matt Miller, co-founder and CTO of the website.
To compile their new “Top 20 Hot Jobs for New Grads” list, CareerBliss considered salaries and growth opportunities, as well as factors such as a position’s work-life balance, company culture and reputation, interaction with supervisors and how much control there is over daily tasks.
Coming in at No. 1 was software engineer (with an average salary of $71,916), while two health care positions ranked in the top 10. Registered nurses (No. 10) can expect to make $61,707; and according to Miller, “the people they work with are one of the most important factors, and it was something they were very happy about.” Physical therapists ($57,000) ranked No. 7 in part because “historically, they’re a very in-demand type of job because there are fewer candidates.”
Supply and demand
In the survey, job availability played an important role in “career bliss.” “Certain fields are in demand now, and that makes it easier to not just say, ‘OK, I’ll take this job because it’s a job,’” says Miller. “There’s a strong demand pretty much countrywide for software, sales execs and health care professionals — especially as the Baby Boomers age, health care looks to be a pretty safe bet right now for someone looking into careers.”
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