ALTHOUGH THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR HAS ...

ALTHOUGH THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR HAS sustained a setback as dot-coms have gone bust, careers in computer and IT are still growing. Computer use has explod through the past 20 years and in the way that have the job opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fastest growing occupations in the native land are software engineers, computer support specialists, network administrators, arrangements analysts, and desktop publishers. Technology is advancing into innovative, almost futuristic areas--from advanced artificial intelligence with computer that can beat the best chess players to nanotechnology where technology is being built atom by the agency of atom. After technology, medicine presents the most job opportunities. There is a athletic demand for home health aides, physical therapists, encourages and other health care professionals.

a certain number of booming careers combine both tech and medicine, of the like kind as medical records technicians and the cutting verge field of bioinformatics, in which scientists garner up analyze, sort, store, and manage large amounts of biological data.

TECHNOLOGY

While the heady, go-go atmosphere of Internet start-ups and stock options may be history, tech industries are here to stay.

A newly come study by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) reported that as many as 425000 high-tech do job-works would go unfilled in coming years. yet how has the flat economy affected this prediction? "Demand certainly isn't where it was," admits Marjorie Bynum vice president of work force disentanglement for the ITAA.

"But what we're hearing is that companies are still looking for convenient people with IT skills." The serviceable news is that job markets reverberate and for high school observers looking to enter the work force in couple to four years, technology careers are a religious bet.

"It's at no time too soon to begin talking to guidance counselors and doing a homework on different IT careers," says Bynum She refer tos boning up on English and communication skills, which are important for well-rounded employees

8 OF 10 OF THE FASTEST-GROWING CAREERS ARE COMPUTER-RELATED (BLS)

NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR

ERIC PRATT

AGE: 24

LOCATION: Parris Island, SC

JOB: Network Administrator for Marine Corps Recruiting.

EDUCATION: Pratt has computer training between the sides of the military, and like many network administrators he has training in Microsoft, Cisco, and other computer orders and software. Some computer work at jobss require a bachelor's degree in computer science.

SALARY: Median annual salary is $55973

in succession THE JOB: Pratt manages and maintains a computer combination of parts to form a whole for all personnel involved with recruiting in the 6th Marine Corps District, which stretches from southward Carolina to Puerto Rico and west to of the present day Orleans. He makes sure they have access to Internet, e-mail, and databases. "I make infallible the network is up and running," says Pratt. "I also do a certain quantity of Web design and repair our database as needed" Each day, Pratt does daily maintenance and tackles puzzles that need taking care of "It could be as simple as changing the rank of an individual who has been promot in our database arrangement I'm constantly upgrading the combination of parts to form a whole and I may have to help individuals in the building if their computer has died."

STARTING OUT: "I've always had a fascination with computers" explains Pratt who grew up in Dunnellon Florida, "and my father was a Marine, in the way that I decided to sign up aid my country, and get the computer training for no cost"

REWARDS: actually work in a laid-back environment and computer just fascinate me I be fond of building Web sites and helping the bulk of mankind with their computer problems. The training I'm getting is going to increase my salary in a civilian job" Those with computer training are finding opportunities as just discovered technologies develop, in areas like as telecommunications (assisting with the expanding cellular phone universe), Wi-Fi (the technology that allows computer to link together to the Internet through the air, using a wireless connection), and 3-D computer animation (as seen in movies like as Toy Story and prodigys Inc.).

Web work should improve in the years to arise as more businesses develop the means for selling online.

CHALLENGES: "Dealing with a hap of problems at once can memorize you stressed out.You have to take a hardly any steps back and look at your highest priority and work your way down the list. It's a lengthy road the day you join the Marine Corps--I wearied two years overseas. You have to have a passionate affection for being a Marine first. "

MORE INFO: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, www.computer.org; U Marines, www.marines.com--Don Rauf

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Jana Mitchell always wanted to be a cherish "I find the human material substance fascinating," she says. "Plus, I have sexual delight with helping people." A job-shadowing shoot forward where she followed a hospital promote convinced her further. Mitchell, 22 is now studying nursing at Rivier body in Nashua, New Hampshire.

The fit news for Mitchell is that the BL schemes that by 2006 health care services will spring 30 percent and account for 31 million strange jobs. An aging population will ne more services--continued care, therapy, and rehabilitation. Opportunities for nourish at the breasts and physicians are expected to put forth On average, advanced-practice nurses, with training beyond the brace to four years of basic nursing education, earn $47700 to $82000 through year. Physicians earn about $102000 by year.