Research Before You Buy, Especially With Education

Before assuming that the degree you are about to invest thousands of dollars on will get you a fabulous new job, it’s a good idea to slow down and do a little research first. One place to start is the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for factual information.

As a test case, let’s look at Industrial/Organizational Psychologist. The listing comes back with a plethora of useful information, including the nature of the work, job outlook, and training and other qualifications. This discipline shows a good rise in projected employment, though the actual numbers are relatively low – therefore, since you can expect stiff competition for those jobs, getting an industrial/organizational psychology online degree from a reputable school is even more important. There’s also a robust list of related occupations that could indicate areas of degree interest in other directions.

Monster will give you a listing of current jobs in the United States. Entering “Civil Engineer” during a week in late 2009 yielded six job announcements in the Denver area – useful information if you are looking to complete a online civil engineering master’s degree.

And if you are trying to hone in on just what aspect of Information Technology might do the best for you, myITcareer.com will give you some ideas of the current fastest growing IT jobs.

According to a New York Times article on August 19, 2009, “Studies from government agencies and labor groups show that some of the greatest job growth is expected in health care, education, and environment-related work.”

Keep in mind that projections are only projections, not promises.