Bad Economy Jobs
Best Entry Level Jobs In A Down Economy
Where are all the jobs? Are there such things as best jobs? Where have they all gone? Some people are lucky enough to have them, while others have been looking for two years or more. Then, there are those who have simply given up altogether. This country is in the grips of a down economy that rivals the Great Depression that took place approximately 75 years ago. When we normally think of an entry level job, we think of someone just entering the work force for the first time; but there is a slightly different definition in our present employment environment. There are college graduates looking for their first “real” job, and there are “seasoned” workers looking to switch into different industries due to downsizing and layoffs. All of these workers are seeking the best entry level job.
Best Entry Level Jobs For College Grads
Based on the latest data from the U.S. Department of Labor, the best entry level jobs for college graduates are engineering, investment bankers, economists, management analysts, database administrators, registered nurses, landscape architects, pharmaceutical and insurance careers. The basic educational requirements for these careers range from associate degrees to bachelor degrees with emphasis in certain areas. The starting salaries for these careers are as low as $64,000 yearly to $120,000 yearly. The benefits for new college graduates in getting into entry level jobs is basically to acquire the all important “experience” in their chosen field of study for future advancement. Seasoned workers, on the other hand, have come to accept positions that have awkward hours and more flexible times.
Jobs For Experienced Workers
But do flexible jobs exist? For the “seasoned” workers, they have made themselves flexible, which has enabled them to seek jobs in new industries. Some of these top paying entry level jobs are sales representatives, registered nurses, crime scene cleaners, mail carriers, toll booth collectors, truck drivers, construction workers, embalmers, plumbers and garbage collectors. Many of these jobs may require no formal education, high school diploma/ GED or additional schooling and training. The salary range is from $20,000 to $60,000 yearly. The benefit of entry level jobs for experienced workers is being flexible enough to earn a living in a completely different industry.
The new, better educated college graduate may earn more for work in certain professions, but the experienced worker, at least, has a chance to make what could now be considered a decent salary in today‘s fragile economical environment.
Quick Online and Offline Job Opportunities
There are several excellent job opportunities to quickly make money easily both online and offline. Some of the most successful include online writing jobs, taking online surveys, resume writing services, working as a travel agent, and selling quality items on eBay.
Quick Job Opportunities
Online Freelance Writing Jobs
The online freelance jobs of writing copy for various websites and blogs usually require a college education and some experience as a writer. There are exceptions to these common requirements if you can put together a writing portfolio and show the companies your proficiency in writing articles. You can apply to any number of online companies that act as middlemen between the writer and website owner. Pay is usually one to two cents per word, and the average article is about 400 words. Most writers can easily crank out several articles per day. Sign up for a writing service that can teach you how to earn money online just by writing.
Online Surveys
You can also work from home by doing online surveys. No college degree is required. Only about fifteen to twenty minutes per survey for answering dozens of multiple choice questions related to a specific topic is required. Many high paying surveys pay six to eight dollars each. Making $50+ dollars a day is effortless if you are qualified professional. These are good jobs for making money easily. Although, the income is not consistently high, it can be a great side income.
Resume Writers
In this bad economy with so many people looking for work, offering your services as a resume writer is in great demand. A college education is usually required. You can charge anywhere from $89-$350 for a single resume or curriculum vitae. It’s highly profitable work since there are no associated material supplies and costs since the resumes are delivered by email to the paying job seeking client without any paper or mailing fees.
Travel Agent
It is easy to make money as a travel agent. You can do this at home after taking a private correspondence course that only takes two to three months of training. Earnings to start can easily be above the $30,000 per year mark. And even in bad economies, there are enough affluent enough people who always want to travel. Research your travel destinations and be able to market them as dream trips. Build your client list by breaking into foreign language speaking communities. These are usually tight knit relations and will quickly spread by word of mouth if you are a good travel agent.
Clear Your Storage Items by Selling on eBay
Selling your old items on eBay is a terrific way to make big cash fast. It’s an easy website to navigate and sales can come quickly. No college education is needed. You can make anywhere from $25 to thousands on a single product.
So whether you choose to work online or offline, one of these quick job opportunities for money making can be the perfect fit.
Holiday Retail Jobs
Each year, retailers respond to the busy holiday season by increasing hiring and expanding job opportunities. Retail sales are generally higher in the months between November and January as the holiday season encourages customers to spend more on loved ones and others that they know. How can this be a good opportunity for those who are looking to gain experience for a better career?
Benefits Of Working As A Holiday Retail Salesperson
There are many benefits to working in retail over the holidays. Among these benefits include:
- Gaining marketable skills such as working in high pressure environments.
- Learning how to manage time and perhaps other people as well.
- Understanding merchandising for maximum profits and how to meet customer expectations.
- Getting yourself a permanent full time job after getting your foot in the door.
With the high turnover rates in the retail industry, a temporary seasonal job could be what you need to get your foot in the door. If someone in the company decides to leave, you could be the beneficiary and get the chance to interview for that job. This is your chance to get your foot in the door and show what you know, and learn on the job the skills that you need to improve in retail.
Experience Is More Important Than Education
In the retail sales game, it is more important that you have experience as opposed to any formal education. Yes, it is nice to have a college degree, especially if you want to be a manager, but it is mostly about what you have done. Retail is all about having people skills and being able to manage both co-workers and customers. This means that you could have limited education, but if you walk in the door for the holidays and do a good job, you could have that permanent job quite soon.
To be successful in retail, you just need a chance to show what you know. With high turnover rates, it means that the threshold to get a job can be quite low. Sometimes all you need is the willingness to learn, and that will take precedence over any marketable skills you may lack. If you can smile and roll with the punches, you can be a success in retail.
Bilingual Customer Service Representatives Jobs
In this bad economy, it is difficult to find a good job. People who know multiple languages will get hired before those who only speak one. This is especially true in jobs where you will be interacting with a wide audience. There is a huge demand from employers looking for bilingual customer service representatives because businesses sell their products to many different kinds of people. They will need people who are capable of resolving problems in a manner which reflects the culture of the individual. In fact these jobs are considered to be fast growth jobs by many employment agencies with an abundance of positions available.
There are several reasons for the availability of bilingual customer service jobs. First of all, the customer service field tends to have high turnover rates. This means that many people take jobs and move on after a short period of time. Of course, many businesses need bilingual workers to help serve customers. This is particularly true in specific areas of the country where large percentages of the population may not speak English.
Education and Training
If you wish to be a bilingual customer service representative, you may be able to find a job with just a high school diploma. Your employer will be able to train you on the job in order to complete your job duties. However, you must have a good to excellent language skills in order to qualify for most jobs. That means that you must be fluent in a language other than English such as Spanish, Arabic or Chinese.
Depending upon the job, you may need to have earned a college degree. In most cases, you will be able to obtain employment with a community college degree. In fact, you may find that there are more customer service representative jobs available for bilingual customer service agents that do have a college degree.
Bilingual Customer Service Representatives Duties
Duties for customer service representatives vary from job to job. However, most of your duties will consist of dealing with customers who may not speak English as a first language. You may take orders for a catalogue company over the phone, work in a call center, or you may work to resolve customer complaints. You may also work in an office scheduling appointments for customers. In some cases, bilingual customer service representatives are called on in order to translate conversations between business management and their customers.
If you are looking for a job, like talking with people, and are fluent in several languages, you may want to consider getting a job as a bilingual customer service representative.