Best Jobs for Social People

Lots of people enjoy helping others—whether it's simply offering a kind word or propping up a friend or family member during a crisis. And, of course, many people choose service professions in fields like medicine, education, or counseling. Here here are some top choices for "social" types of people who prefer to work in a cooperative environment—rather than a competitive one—and have a knack for helping people:

School-based counselor. The job today requires more sophistication than simply dealing with kids kicked out of class for chewing gum. School counselors coordinate activities that often include sex education, health awareness, career counseling, gang violence prevention, and on-site social-work services. And yes, counselors still spend a lot of time telling Johnny that he'd better shape up—or else. The quality of these jobs varies: Some counselors are respected members of the faculty, while others are glorified clerks.

School psychologist. Typical assignment: Melissa is doing poorly in school. What should teachers and parents do? In comes the school psychologist, who will observe the child, test and talk with her; powwow with parents and teachers, and write a report. School psychologists may also conduct parenting workshops and screen children for gifted-students programs. Among the pluses: You work one on one in a peaceful setting, you get summers off, and pay and prestige are high.

Personal coach. Struggling people, from unfulfilled executives to shy singles to disorganized housewives, are increasingly forgoing therapists in favor of a personal coach. These mentors focus on developing practical solutions, not probing psychological depths. Personal coaches are usually self-employed, so to succeed, you must be a willing and able marketer. Anyone can hang a coaching shingle, so consult some training resources to help set yourself apart.

Mediator. Instead of hiring a lawyer to settle disputes, more people are turning to mediators who can reach resolution with less fighting and expense. Typical client pairs include warring spouses, landlord and tenant, or employer and employee. A good mediator needs the listening skills of a suicide counselor, the patience of Job, and the wisdom of Solomon. The marketing skills of P. T. Barnum help, too.

College student affairs administrator. It's a little like going to college all over again. Student affairs administrators coordinate the nonacademic part of student life, from student orientation to graduation. For example, they supervise fraternities, coordinate residence hall activities and intramural sports, and sponsor antidrug programs.

Employee trainer. New employees, from fresh college grads to aging baby boomers, often need guidance to succeed in today's globally competitive workplace. Enter the trainer, who may teach anything from basic reading to advanced Oracle. The ability to develop and teach online courses will be particularly helpful in coming years.

Best Jobs for Investigative People

Do you think of yourself as scientific, precise, and analytical? Good at developing intellectually rigorous solutions to problems. Here are some top career picks for "investigative" folks who love to absorb detail, prefer logic over whimsy, and don't mind working alone:

Science researcher/professor. The coming decades will see a revolution in how we prevent and treat disease, cope with environmental degradation, and address health threats such as bioterrorism and drug-resistant bacteria. Be advised, this a tough field to enter: Advanced degrees are rampant, and a plain ol' Ph.D. in molecular biology is no longer enough. Landing a good job usually requires extra expertise in fields like computational biology, computer programming, or biophysics, and one to three years as a post-doc student. After that, however, you'll have the opportunity to become involved in work that might save countless lives.

Software engineer/developer. Designing and creating new applications and operating systems requires a rigorous, logical thinker who can, at the same time, divine what interfaces work best for human beings. Computer security remains a growth industry, with demand for experts likely to increase indefinitely.

Computer systems analyst/architect. When you're tired of cranking code, you can become a systems analyst or even architect—if you have the people skills and ability to see the big picture. Your job is to analyze the organization's needs, propose computer-centric solutions, and supervise implementation.

Physician assistant. You get to do many of a physician's most rewarding tasks—conduct exams, treat basic problems, and provide health education—without the enormous cost, time, and stress of medical school. Nor does this job require those insane, 100-hour-week internships.

Optometrist. Here's another M.D.-like career, with less training required than for ophthalmologists, who do surgery. Optometrists typically train for four years after getting a bachelor's degree. Once practicing, there are many rewards: Optometry is a profession with a high cure rate, regular hours, good pay, and realistic potential for being successfully self-employed.

Veterinarian. Vets have to go to school for four years after college, but no internship, residency, or board certification is required. And because most patients—well, the owners of patients—pay out-of-pocket, there's much less hassle with insurance companies. One downside: Veterinary clinics can be noisy: ruff-ruff.

Librarian. Forget the mousy bookworm image. Tomorrow's librarian will be more of a high-tech data sleuth, using computers and sophisticated software to track down information. Some of the best jobs are as special librarians: those who work in corporations, universities, and law firms.