Are there no safe jobs anymore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safe and well paid jobs:-

1. Doctor (180k - 350k, with the higher end reaching seven figures)
2. Federal positions GS-14/15 or higher paid special pay equivalent (non-SES) (120k-200k)
3. Professors in Engineering, JD (not that safe anymore arguably but plenty of lemmings still signing up), MBA (same as JD) (100k - 350k)

Least safe and well paid jobs:-
1. Law firm associate
2. Business consulting associate
3. IT contractor

Become a doctor or make senior Federal grade.

Artificial intelligence is changing the landscape even in medicine.

+1 I believe in Canada they've used a machine to do the job of an anesthesiologist, one of the more lucrative (and previously "safe") positions in medicine. In the past, most anesthesiologists didn't even need to accept insurance b/c the idea was that they were necessary. But if that technology takes off (and actually proves to be even more reliable than the human version), that would be a game-changer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Safe and well paid jobs:-

1. Doctor (180k - 350k, with the higher end reaching seven figures)
2. Federal positions GS-14/15 or higher paid special pay equivalent (non-SES) (120k-200k)
3. Professors in Engineering, JD (not that safe anymore arguably but plenty of lemmings still signing up), MBA (same as JD) (100k - 350k)

Least safe and well paid jobs:-
1. Law firm associate
2. Business consulting associate
3. IT contractor

Become a doctor or make senior Federal grade.

Not exactly cake to get one of those special pay fed jobs (think SEC).

[Anonymous]

I wonder if in the near future will see a reversal of sorts. That is, SOME professions that are often poo-pooed on this board ( carpenter, plumber, electrician) are lucrative even now and will continue to be in demand. Some other more manual jobs may still be around after robots take over medicine and natural language processing takes over legal jobs. Those jobs may require a bit more training than in the past, but they may outlast many white collar jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes layoffs are legitimate cutback and sometimes it's a way to get rid of under performers.

DH has been laid off twice. His field is shrinking, so the jobs are few and far between. He's employed now, but he and everyone in his office feel nervous. He's over 50, so if he loses his job, it may be a while before he finds another one.

I think it's important to broaden your skill sets when you are young, and keep looking for new options and opportunities. DH does not want to do this. He wants to work in the same field, where the jobs just aren't there.

Sorry about your difficulties, OP. I feel your pain. We're anxious all the time about DH's job. We can't live on my PT salary, so don't know what we'll do if he gets laid off again. He's a hard worker, gets great reviews, and is paid reasonably well, but that's actually a liability. He's expensive, and can easily be replaced by inexperienced 20 somethings. They don't be able to do the job he does, but the bean-counters don't care.

It's a scary time for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The safest job one could have is a position where one doesn't see it as a job but as a passion. If you have passion in your work, show that passion while you work, and have ownership in your work, very likely that job will be safe.

Yes, I know it sounds corny but I'm sure it'll ring true to some.

How old are you, PP?

Passion, sadly, is not enough, especially when you hit the big 5-0. Sorry, but it's not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP I am a little confused by your statement.

Never once in my life have I assumed that any job was "safe". Everyone EVERYONE is replaceable.

Lack of a guaranteed job keeps you on your toes, makes you work harder and do better.

I disagree with this completely. When people are constantly worried about their jobs (or anticipating layoffs or wondering about layoffs or dealing with frequent layoffs), they actually don't perform as well because they are distracted. It also leads to a sense of fatalism -- as in, it doesn't matter how hard someone works or how productive they are, it all starts to seem arbitrary. So what ends up happening when people feel insecure in their jobs (whether it is because a company frequently does layoffs or because an entire industry has an approach of firing people when they earn too much) is that people spend a lot of time and effort doing passive aggressive things to keep their jobs. This is especially poisonous in work environments where cooperation, coordination, and team work are needed to really do the job well.

There is actually research to back up my claims -- that job insecurity leads to REDUCED productivity.

Then how do yiu explain the absolute lacknof productivity of government workers.

I worked in government for years and the lack of productivity or any sort of accountability was absolutely deplorable.

[Anonymous]

A close friend was a lawyer in the DEd for many years. She finally quit because she hated it so much. There was not enough work for everyone to do, so she had to spend a lot of time filling time with mindless tasks. So inefficient and a waste of money. We're both Dems, BTW, but we feel government is extremely wasteful. The military is the worst when it comes to waste...don't get me started.

[Anonymous]

My friends who are high school math and science teachers always have a secure job. There is a shortage of good high school math and science teachers, and teaching is hard to outsource/automate. Of course, the salaries of that career path are disparaged on this site.

[Anonymous]

Funeral parlor jobs, mortician, owner...people will always die.

[Anonymous]

Tax accountant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funeral parlor jobs, mortician, owner...people will always die.

This. People die every day. Money is to be made...

[Anonymous]

No robot will ever be able to do what my husband does. But to be on the safe side of the job cutting blade, we made it a point to get our finances in order while the king I mean Obama was in office. Always try to keep your expenses in check because rainy days coule linger.

http://www.dailyjobfix.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The safest job one could have is a position where one doesn't see it as a job but as a passion. If you have passion in your work, show that passion while you work, and have ownership in your work, very likely that job will be safe.

Yes, I know it sounds corny but I'm sure it'll ring true to some.

How old are you, PP?

Passion, sadly, is not enough, especially when you hit the big 5-0. Sorry, but it's not.

+1
PP sounds like my college kid's career adviser who, of course, never had a real job in her life. The crap she made kid put in the resume... but I digress.
It does help to at least like what one does at work. People who like their jobs usually perform better and, if they are lucky, may survive payoffs. But please leave fakery about "passion" and "ownership" to motivational posters.

[Anonymous]

What about professions in healthcare like nursing, speech patholigy, ot, PT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone with a TS/SCI is safe.

Not really true, unless you are willing to consider a salary cut after someone else wins your contract. There are Bigly downward pressure on rates the companies charge, which trickles down.

The IC does not really appreciate that you get what you pay for.

Plus, I have seen too many people fail a poly (honest people) because they were nervous and be escorted out of buildings...

don't move to the contract side. stay blue badge.

but yeah, the poly and ssbi is a structural impediment that artificially keeps wages up.