Top 10 Jobs Listed--Is Yours On It?

The Best Jobs of 2012 just came out in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal, as rated by CareerCast.com. Among the top-ranked professions are: software engineer, actuary, human resources manager, dental hygienist and financial planner.

The list was based on factors including physical demands, work environment, income, stress, and hiring outlook. Audicio, Inc., the firm that owns the CareerCast website, compiled data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as other government agencies to come up with the rankings which were selected for relevance in today's marketplace.

As a career coach I've worked with four out of five of these professionals (the exception is the actuary) and here are a few observations about why I think these jobs ranked in the top five:

• Autonomy. The WSJ article opens with a day-in-the-life of a man with the #1 job, software engineer. The story describes a 31-year-old software engineer who can be found on any given day in front of his MacBook Air, lounging on his couch, working in a coffee shop or frequenting a co-working site. When I interview my clients and ask them to list their "Top 10 Things I Absolutely, Positively, Like NO KIDDING Have to Have in a Job/Career," flexibility is almost always the number one item on their lists. The power to determine where and how we get our job done is tremendously important to our job satisfaction.
• Service. Every job on the list is in a service business. My area of expertise is in working with service professionals and I have lots of experience working with folks in the financial services area. Their commitment to their clients is inspiring. What could be more rewarding than helping someone achieve financial success? I've worked with dentists and their hygienists, too, and it's interesting to note dental hygienists ranked #4 on the list. That feeling of helping people with something as fundamental as dental health, and perhaps the up-close-and-personal relationship with patients in the chair, must have weighed heavily in rankings.
• Opportunity. Each of these jobs has a bright future, including the human resources managers who have been a somewhat beleaguered species during economic downturns and layoffs. But with the economy on a slow rebound and more slots needing to be filled, HR managers are in demand. The HR folks that I've known love their work because of the blend of working with data and working with people. And the software engineer keeps getting calls from recruiters, another good sign for career growth. 

What's Money Got to Do with It?

Many years ago, I read an article about factors related to job satisfaction and read that money was ranked near the bottom of the list (#7 out of 10). I was astonished. At that point in my life, money was a prime motivator for me. I was just beginning my career as a healthcare marketing professional and in my previous job as a reporter, I could barely pay our babysitter with my meager salary. 

But I've learned since then that it's true--money is not a primary motivator in job satisfaction, and these rankings seem to support that. The financial planner and the human resources manager can make more than $90K, but seven out of ten make considerably less on average. When I interview my clients who seek coaching, their focus is on things that will make them happy rather than income. A shorter commute, more time to spend with family, less stress and the freedom from a micro-managing boss seem to trump the paycheck. The number one thing people express to me is their desire to make a difference with others. Money's important but it's not the most important thing on most people's lists.

The Left Brain Has It

The remaining five jobs on the top ten list include: audiologist, occupational therapist, online advertising manager, computer systems analyst and mathemetician. As someone who leans decidedly to the right (unrelated to politics) when it comes to right-brain, creative thinking, I have to admit that the majority of these Top 10 jobs favor the left-brain thinkers: engineers, scientists, mathemeticians. Yet most of them also have some high degree of patient or client interaction, a decidedly right-brain set of skills. Would it be safe to say that job satisfaction may be a result of using both sides of the brain?

Whether you're a software engineer or a lumberjack (which was rated at the bottom of the list based on risk and income), your work is a big part of your life. Do what you love and love what you do. Your life depends on it.

Vickie Austin is a business and career coach, a speaker, and founder of CHOICES Worldwide based in Wheaton with offices in Chicago and Phoenix. She thinks coaching should have been included on the Top 10 Best Jobs List. You can reach her at vaustin@choicesworldwide.com.