[Jobs] How personality plays in the job market

[Peter Altschul]

How personality plays in the job market

 

By Ron DePasquale, Globe Correspondent | January 7, 2007

 

If all you need for your work is a phone and the Internet, someone in India
or elsewhere in Asia could some day do your job, too -- for far less pay.

 

So, how do you avoid the outsourcing wave that is only expected to increase
as the United States-India connection grows? Two words: People skills. The
jobs least likely to be offshored are those that demand personal
interactions, local market knowledge, and a location near customers,
according to a McKinsey Global Institute survey.

 

Focusing on your strongest interpersonal skills could be more productive
than picking the industries and jobs that will be least affected. Here's a
rundown of personality traits and jobs that match:

 

Social fixer Event planner: They put together banquets, product launches,
and all manner of shindigs. AJ Williams , owner of the Newbury Street-based
Creative Events, plans fund-raisers for nonprofits, along with corporate
galas and the occasional high-profile wedding.

 

"I love putting a lot of creativity into what I do and being strategic about
plans," she said. "At the event, I enjoy seeing guests really getting the
most out of an event I planned. I want our events to be remembered."

 

Williams started out in marketing and public relations, but most event
planners begin in hospitality, she said. A hospitality degree with a
marketing minor is the best preparation, she said, along with certification.
Williams is a certified meeting professional, meaning she can plan large
international events.

 

In Massachusetts, event planners's median salary is $50,400, says the
federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which projects "faster-than-average" job
growth.

 

Motivator College instructor: They are the backbone of a growing industry --
higher education -- that can't pick up and leave town. Anyone with a degree
and work experience could teach their profession, and the Bureau of Labor
Statistics says demand for college instructors will grow "much faster than
average." It says the outlook is especially good for non tenured and
part-time instructors, and for lucrative fields such as health care,
business, and computer science that struggle to attract professors.

 

Pay varies. An Association of University Professors survey reported the
average salary for full-time faculty ranges from $91,548 for full professors
to $39,899 for instructors.

 

Communicator Marketing manager: They find out what new products customers
want, where they're wanted, and how to sell them. They earn about $116,000
here, according to the federal bureau, which projects "faster-than-average"
job growth. There's no standard degree, although a business degree with a
marketing concentration is a safe route. Marketing managers can oversee
market research and strategy, product development and sales, advertising,
promotion, and public relations.

 

Builder Carpenter: They're always in demand, either at new buildings or at
fixer-uppers. The bureau reports that the job outlook is "excellent,"
particularly for highly skilled carpenters. In Massachusetts, they earn an
average of $47,460, although many who run their own companies or do mostly
high-end work can make significantly more. The Boston Carpenters
Apprenticeship and Training program, run by the New England Regional Council
of Carpenters, provides four years of on-the-job and classroom training to
new union members at its Millbury school. The program is broad and
apprentices don't specialize. Unskilled workers with some experience in the
building trade have a better shot at acceptance. The North Bennett Street
School offers a nine-month, full-time carpentry program at its Arlington
facility, as well as a two-year preservation carpentry program for
professionals interested in restoration work. About one-third of carpenters
are self-employed.

 

Do-gooder Community service and nonprofit manager: Job demands and
relatively low pay mean strong future demand. They earn a median salary of
$53,890. While they supervise social workers with a range of educational
backgrounds, managers typically have master's degrees. Depending on the type
of agency, a master's in social work, public administration or education, or
an MBA can work. Community organizing and advocacy is a new field of study.
The bureau projects "faster-than-average" growth.

 

Listener Psychologist: They usually need doctorates and spend years in
graduate study. Median salaries range from about $59,000 to $73,000; about
40 percent are self-employed. A master's degree is enough to work as an
industrial psychologist. Often working as consultants, they help boost
productivity, retention, and diversity, and do market research. They earn a
median salary of $89,980 nationally.

 

Healer Physician's assistant: They do almost everything a physician does,
but they don't need a medical degree. (They still must pass an exam to get a
license and must be re certified every six years). An aging population and
cost controls make this one of the fastest growing jobs -- the bureau
projects a whopping 50 percent between 2004 and 2014. Physician's assistants
earn a median salary of $72,040. A science-based bachelor's degree is common
before entering a physician's assistant graduate program, but some colleges
offer a post baccalaureate program that includes all undergraduate science
classes.

 

Enforcer Environmental scientist: On the business side, environmental
compliance chiefs and consultants will be in greater demand as environmental
regulations become more complex. On the government side, environmental
protection budgets are always vulnerable to budget cuts, but top regulators
can earn good money. Environmental scientists often need master's degrees,
either in environmental science or a natural science, and earn a median
salary of $72,210 here. Environmental science technicians need only an
associate's degree and earn about $39,000.

 

Leader Information systems manager: These chief technology officers and
management information systems directors run computer and
information-technology operations and consult with senior management, and
are expected to be in greater need in the years ahead. In Massachusetts,
they earn a median salary of $110,780. A management information systems
bachelor's degree works, as does an MBA with an IT concentration.

 

 

 

C Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company

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How personality plays in the job market
 
By Ron DePasquale, Globe Correspondent | January 7, 2007
 
If all you need for your work is a phone and the Internet, someone in India or elsewhere in Asia could some day do your job, too -- for far less pay.
 
So, how do you avoid the outsourcing wave that is only expected to increase as the United States-India connection grows? Two words: People skills. The jobs least likely to be offshored are those that demand personal interactions, local market knowledge, and a location near customers, according to a McKinsey Global Institute survey.
 
Focusing on your strongest interpersonal skills could be more productive than picking the industries and jobs that will be least affected. Here's a rundown of personality traits and jobs that match:
 
Social fixer Event planner: They put together banquets, product launches, and all manner of shindigs. AJ Williams , owner of the Newbury Street-based Creative Events, plans fund-raisers for nonprofits, along with corporate galas and the occasional high-profile wedding.
 
"I love putting a lot of creativity into what I do and being strategic about plans," she said. "At the event, I enjoy seeing guests really getting the most out of an event I planned. I want our events to be remembered."
 
Williams started out in marketing and public relations, but most event planners begin in hospitality, she said. A hospitality degree with a marketing minor is the best preparation, she said, along with certification. Williams is a certified meeting professional, meaning she can plan large international events.
 
In Massachusetts, event planners's median salary is $50,400, says the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which projects "faster-than-average" job growth.
 
Motivator College instructor: They are the backbone of a growing industry -- higher education -- that can't pick up and leave town. Anyone with a degree and work experience could teach their profession, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics says demand for college instructors will grow "much faster than average." It says the outlook is especially good for non tenured and part-time instructors, and for lucrative fields such as health care, business, and computer science that struggle to attract professors.
 
Pay varies. An Association of University Professors survey reported the average salary for full-time faculty ranges from $91,548 for full professors to $39,899 for instructors.
 
Communicator Marketing manager: They find out what new products customers want, where they're wanted, and how to sell them. They earn about $116,000 here, according to the federal bureau, which projects "faster-than-average" job growth. There's no standard degree, although a business degree with a marketing concentration is a safe route. Marketing managers can oversee market research and strategy, product development and sales, advertising, promotion, and public relations.
 
Builder Carpenter: They're always in demand, either at new buildings or at fixer-uppers. The bureau reports that the job outlook is "excellent," particularly for highly skilled carpenters. In Massachusetts, they earn an average of $47,460, although many who run their own companies or do mostly high-end work can make significantly more. The Boston Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training program, run by the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, provides four years of on-the-job and classroom training to new union members at its Millbury school. The program is broad and apprentices don't specialize. Unskilled workers with some experience in the building trade have a better shot at acceptance. The North Bennett Street School offers a nine-month, full-time carpentry program at its Arlington facility, as well as a two-year preservation carpentry program for professionals interested in restoration work. About one-third of carpenters are self-employed.
 
Do-gooder Community service and nonprofit manager: Job demands and relatively low pay mean strong future demand. They earn a median salary of $53,890. While they supervise social workers with a range of educational backgrounds, managers typically have master's degrees. Depending on the type of agency, a master's in social work, public administration or education, or an MBA can work. Community organizing and advocacy is a new field of study. The bureau projects "faster-than-average" growth.
 
Listener Psychologist: They usually need doctorates and spend years in graduate study. Median salaries range from about $59,000 to $73,000; about 40 percent are self-employed. A master's degree is enough to work as an industrial psychologist. Often working as consultants, they help boost productivity, retention, and diversity, and do market research. They earn a median salary of $89,980 nationally.
 
Healer Physician's assistant: They do almost everything a physician does, but they don't need a medical degree. (They still must pass an exam to get a license and must be re certified every six years). An aging population and cost controls make this one of the fastest growing jobs -- the bureau projects a whopping 50 percent between 2004 and 2014. Physician's assistants earn a median salary of $72,040. A science-based bachelor's degree is common before entering a physician's assistant graduate program, but some colleges offer a post baccalaureate program that includes all undergraduate science classes.
 
Enforcer Environmental scientist: On the business side, environmental compliance chiefs and consultants will be in greater demand as environmental regulations become more complex. On the government side, environmental protection budgets are always vulnerable to budget cuts, but top regulators can earn good money. Environmental scientists often need master's degrees, either in environmental science or a natural science, and earn a median salary of $72,210 here. Environmental science technicians need only an associate's degree and earn about $39,000.
 
Leader Information systems manager: These chief technology officers and management information systems directors run computer and information-technology operations and consult with senior management, and are expected to be in greater need in the years ahead. In Massachusetts, they earn a median salary of $110,780. A management information systems bachelor's degree works, as does an MBA with an IT concentration.
 
 
 
© Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company