Tip #1: Career training increases job stability.
Make yourself invincible to downsizing with a degree. In skilled fields like engineering and health care, a degree is often the only way in the door, but a surprising range of jobs have degree and certificate programs that can be completed online.
Looking at the possibility of layoffs in your field? Career training can make you more valuable to your employers. From management and supervisory positions to technical specializations, keeping your skills current is a smart way to keep your career.
Degree Spotlight: Construction Management
Construction workers facing a downturn in the housing market can parlay their skills into management, a career paying mean annual wages of $85,830 in 2007 and expecting higher-than-average growth through 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Tip #2: Train for careers with growth potential.
Some of the fastest growing careers in the nation are possible with associate and bachelor's degrees. Careers in information technology and health care are outstanding, with network systems analysts, computer software engineers, medical assistants, and physical therapist assistants leading the pack.
Career training doesn't have to mean a four-year bachelor's degree. Medical and physical therapist assistants can earn their training in one-off certificate courses or associate degree programs that can be completed in as little as two years.
Degree Spotlight: Information Science
About 140,000 network systems and data communications analysts are expected to enter the job market through 2016 -- a career possible with a bachelor's degree computer science, information science, or management information systems (MIS). With mean annual salaries of $70,760 in 2007, this career offers real rewards.
Tip #3: Consider your business options.
The business world is typically hit hard by downswings in the economy, but that doesn't mean your career has to suffer. Fields like health care often avoid economic lows because the growing community need cannot outpace the falling economy. In the coming years, an aging population and increasing sophistication in medical technology mean business is expected to boom.
Management candidates can turn to health care careers along with careers in related industries, such as insurance carriers, pharmaceutical companies, and medical equipment manufacturing. Combining a management degree with existing experience can further your career stability.
Degree Spotlight: MBA
Long hailed as the hallmark of business degrees, this popular master's degree can be completed in just a few years, either online or in a traditional classroom. Medical and health services managers saw mean annual earnings of $84,980 in 2007, with career opportunities expected to grow 16 percent through 2016.
Tip #4: Recession-proof your career.
Look for careers that do well despite lower spending and budget cuts. In the legal field, for example, paralegals and legal assistants may actually see increases in economic downswings, due in part to legal firms cutting costs by hiring fewer lawyers.
Moving to areas with more demand for your career can also mean more job stability. Urban areas with a concentrated population may see a higher demand for teachers, for instance.
Degree Spotlight: Paralegal Certification
Paralegals and legal assistants are expected to see 22 percent job growth in the coming years, with a projected 53,000 new jobs through 2016. Career training in the field leads to a diploma or associate degree, and mean annual salaries in 2007 were reported at $47,600.
While no career can guarantee safety from economic difficulty, there's a lot you can do to keep yourself in the clear. Plan to work in fields projected to see stability in the coming years, and upgrade your skills with an education that relates closely to your work. With the right education, a down economy becomes less of a threat to your paycheck.
Amelia Gray is a freelance writer in Austin, Texas.
Also on Yahoo! HotJobs:
Maximize your long-term salary growth
6 job-hunting advantages
How to fatten a flat salary
Find a new job near you
