A business executive travels to a weeklong convention in San Diego and stays at a hotel near the convention center. She plans to visit the city's famous zoo and a few other tourist attractions in her free time. Three college friends go to Daytona Beach for spring break, where they plan to water-ski and parasail for the first time. Newlyweds spend their honeymoon at a bed-and-breakfast in Ma…
Good jobs do not magically appear. Anyone who has been in the job market knows that landing the right job takes planning, preparation, perseverance, and patience. This is true whether you are looking for your first job, reentering the job market, trying to get a new job, or planning a mid-career change. This essay is designed to guide you through the process of finding a job, from helping you defi…
Education and Training: Varies—some specialized training may be necessary Salary: Median—$7.69 per hour Employment Outlook: Very good Leisure and recreation occupy an ever-growing portion of the typical American's time. Employment opportunities in the leisure and recreation industry are expected to grow as Americans' leisure time grows. Amusement and recreation attendan…
Education and Training: Typically high school and on-the-job training Salary: Median—$8.39 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Animal caretakers tend to the everyday needs of animals in a variety of settings, including kennels, clinics, and shelters. Animal caretakers may also be called animal attendants, animal keepers, or animal-care technicians. They feed and groom the animals, clean their…
Education and Training: Vocational school and/or on-the-job training Salary: Median—$7.42 per hour plus tips Employment Outlook: Good Bartenders prepare alcoholic drinks for patrons of restaurants, bars, cocktail lounges, and other places where drinks are served. Alcoholic drinks are made up of many combinations of ingredients, and each drink may be made in several ways. The bartender…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$7.10 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Cafeteria attendants work in schools, colleges, clubs, hospitals, other institutions, and office buildings. Their main job is to serve food at a counter. Depending on the organization of the cafeteria, cafeteria attendants may serve all the items offered or only one or two items, including sal…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$7.17 per hour Employment Outlook: Fair Dining room attendants, formerly called busboys or bussers, work in restaurants, cafeterias, and hotel dining rooms. Attendants clear tables and unload their trays in the kitchen, separating the dishes, silverware, and linen. Then they reset the tables, laying tablecloths, arranging the silver…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$7.35 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Sparkling glasses and clean silverware make a good impression on restaurant customers. A clean table setting suggests that the restaurant will offer good service and wholesome food. The person responsible for providing clean tableware is the dishwasher. After customers have completed their mea…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Fair Doorkeepers are stationed at the entrances of most large city hotels, restaurants, and luxury apartment buildings, as well as country resorts. These uniformed greeters create a welcoming atmosphere for guests or tenants arriving at their doors. Doorkeepers must be diplomatic, courteous, and helpf…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$7.06 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Fast food franchise workers are employed by fast food restaurants throughout the country. The most popular restaurants of this type specialize in hamburgers, fried chicken, fried fish, roast beef sandwiches, and other easily prepared food items. Fast food franchise workers prepare and serve fo…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$10.74 per hour Employment Outlook: Fair Gaming cage workers or cage cashiers count the money at casinos and other gaming establishments. They work in a secure place, known as the cage, which is the central depository for money, gaming chips, and casino paperwork. Cage workers exchange real currency for playing chips used in dice, c…
Education and Training: High school plus certification Salary: Median—$14,340 per year plus tips Employment Outlook: Good The most high-profile workers in casinos and other gaming establishments are the dealers, or croupiers, who run the games of chance. Dealers explain and enforce the rules and wagering guidelines for games, ask patrons to place their bets, conduct the games, make payoffs …
Education and Training: Typically high school and on-the-job training Salary: Median—$7.81 per hour Employment Outlook: Fair Hospitality cashiers are employed in many different establishments, including large resort hotels, restaurants, and small coffee shops. They are also employed in entertainment arenas ranging from Broadway theaters to amusement parks. Cashiers are responsible for takin…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$8.69 per hour plus tips Employment Outlook: Good Bellhops and porters usually work in hotels rather than motels. Like all employees in the hospitality industry, their main goal is to make sure that the guests enjoy their stay. In some hotels the duties of bellhops and porters are similar; however, bellhops usually work inside the h…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$16,900 per year Employment Outlook: Good Cleanliness is one of the most important features a hotel or motel can offer its guests. Housekeepers, also known as maids, are the staff members who perform cleaning duties in these establishments. Housekeepers may be assigned specialized cleaning duties. For example, most hotels have laund…
Education and Training: High school and on-the-job training Salary: Median—$17,700 per year Employment Outlook: Good Desk clerks, also known as front office clerks or room clerks, are part of the front office staff of hotels, motels, and resorts. They are responsible for checking guests in and out, giving information about rates and the kinds of services their establishment provides, and as…
Education and Training: Typically high school and an apprenticeship or on-the-job training Salary: Median—$8.32 per hour Employment Outlook: Poor Motion picture projectionists operate all of the equipment in the projection booths of indoor cinemas and drive-ins. They use movie projectors, audio equipment, and machines that rewind film to provide film entertainment for the theater's c…
Education and Training: High school preferred; on-the-job training Salary: Median—$7.52 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Restaurant hosts and hostesses serve as personal representatives of the restaurant for which they work. They are in charge of making reservations and greeting guests when they arrive at the restaurant. They also seat the guests and make sure that they enjoy their meal. H…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$8.11 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Short-order cooks work in small full-service restaurants, grills, coffee shops, and other eateries where dishes are prepared as soon as they are ordered. Some short-order cooks work for schools, hospitals, or other institutions. Their main job is to prepare good food as quickly as possible, so…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$7.30 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Ticket takers work at stadiums, amusement parks, theaters, music auditoriums, and lecture halls. Their main responsibility is to ensure that no one is admitted to an event without a ticket. Ticket takers stand at or near the door of a theater or auditorium and collect people's tickets. …
Education and Training: High school; on-the-job-training Salary: Median—$9.27 per hour Employment Outlook: Fair Tour escorts accompany groups of people on organized trips called "package tours." Most people who take escorted tours want the security and convenience of having transportation, accommodations, and sightseeing arranged for them. However, not all group tours are the …
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$7.35 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Ushers work in theaters, stadiums, symphony halls, and other places where people gather to watch a performance or sporting event. Patrons hand their tickets to ushers, who lead or direct them to their seats. They tell patrons where to find telephones, restrooms, and the refreshment stand. Ushe…
Education and Training: On-the-job training Salary: Median—$6.75 per hour including tips Employment Outlook: Good Waiters are the men and women who take orders and serve food in restaurants throughout the country. They are usually assigned to serve a certain number of tables (called a station) by the restaurant manager, the host or hostess, or the headwaiter. Waiters give a copy of the rest…
Education and Training: Varies—on-the-job training; technical or trade school; two-year college degree in food service; four-year college degree in family and consumer science or restaurant management Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Good Some caterers own businesses that prepare and serve food for customers. Other caterers have managerial positions in hotels and casino…
Education and Training: High school plus training Salary: Varies—see profile Employment Outlook: Good Cooks and chefs are the mainstay of the food service industry. They work in restaurants, cafeterias, lunchrooms, hotels, and other places that prepare and serve food. Cooks and chefs mainly plan menus and prepare food for customers. Their specific duties vary depending on the type and size …
Education and Training: Varies—high school; onthe-job training; certification in some states; college degree for fitness directors Salary: Median—$12.25 per hour Employment Outlook: Very good The growth in exercise programs in the United States has created a strong demand for instructors in recreational sports and fitness activities. Aerobics, running, weight lifting, body conditioni…
Education and Training: High school plus certification Salary: Median—$25,840 per year Employment Outlook: Good Gaming surveillance officers, also known as surveillance agents and gaming investigators, observe casino operations for cheating or theft by employees or patrons. They do most of their work in observation rooms using audio and video equipment. Recordings made by gaming surveillanc…
Education and Training: High school and on-thejob training Salary: Median—$26,571 per year Employment Outlook: Good The concierge in a large hotel, casino, or resort acts as a "personal assistant" to the patrons of the establishment. He or she is the person guests go to when they need help making restaurant reservations, finding the right local attractions, or buying tickets f…
Education and Training: Minimum requirement—Red Cross Advanced Lifesaving Certificate Salary: Median—$7.95 per hour Employment Outlook: Seasonal—good; year-round—fair Lifeguards are expert swimmers who ensure the safety of other swimmers. They work almost everywhere that swimming is open to the public, including pools and beaches, youth and athletic associations, school…
Education and Training: Extensive field experience; hunting and/or fishing license; first aid and safety skills Salary: $75 to $150 per day Employment Outlook: Fair Outdoor guides lead groups on recreational outing activities. They often specialize in their own areas of interest, organizing hunting and fishing expeditions or photographic and nature-study trips. Most guides work freelance and set t…
Education and Training: High school; art, design, entertainment, and/or business backgrounds helpful Salary: Average range—$20 to $40 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Party planners conceive, organize, and execute special affairs such as corporate receptions, weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries, and bar and bat mitzvahs. They custom design an event to suit their customers' nee…
Education and Training: On-the-job training, apprenticeships, or classroom training Salary: Median—$21,330 per year Employment Outlook: Good Pastry chefs and bakers make a variety of baked goods—from fresh loaves of bread to layer cakes—for restaurants, bakeries, and hotel dining rooms. Restaurant and hotel bakeries supply food for a limited number of customers. Because they w…
Education and Training: Varies—see profile Salary: Median—$19,320 per year Employment Outlook: Good Recreation workers help people to enjoy their leisure time. Arts and crafts, music, dance, dramatics, camping, sports, and games are all forms of recreation. Organized recreation provides people with opportunities to relax, exercise, and socialize. Recreation workers encourage physical…
Education and Training: Proficiency in sport plus training; bachelor's degree and/or certification for some positions Salary: Median—$22,640 per year Employment Outlook: Good Sports instructors explain the rules and fundamentals of particular sports such as tennis, skiing, archery, and shooting and demonstrate the skills necessary for participation. They work with individuals or grou…
Education and Training: Red Cross certification, passing scores on Advanced Lifesaving and Water Safety Instructors exams, and first aid training; teaching certification and advanced degrees necessary for some positions Salary: Average for full-time position—$40,000 per year Employment Outlook: Good Swimming instructors and coaches teach people of all ages how to swim. Their students includ…
Education and Training: High school, training school, and passing score on officiating exam; teaching certificate in some cases Salary: Mean—$27,850 per year Employment Outlook: Very good Umpires and referees, as well as other sports officials, can usually be identified by their striped shirts. They control the progress of athletic and sports events, look for violations of rules and regulat…
Education and Training: Bachelor's degree or master's degree plus training; state certification necessary for some positions Salary: Mean—$32,780 per year Employment Outlook: Good Athletic coaches instruct and work with athletes to prepare them for competition. Coaches help athletes to play their best individually or as a team in sports such as football, baseball, basketball, …
Education and Training: Bachelor's degree plus training; National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) certification Salary: Median—$33,940 per year Employment Outlook: Very good Athletic trainers prevent, examine, and treat athletes' injuries. They also work with team doctors to provide physical therapy for athletes who are recovering from injuries and to show athletes how to…
Education and Training: Bachelor's degree and travel agency or tourism experience Salary: Median—$72,540 per year Employment Outlook: Good Corporate travel managers supervise a company's travel department, which arranges business travel for the company's employees. Small companies may employ a single individual to set up a travel budget, establish policies for employees…
Education and Training: Bachelor's degree in hotel management and manager trainee programs Salary: Median—$39,100 per year Employment Outlook: Good Lodging managers are responsible for the overall operation of hotels, motels, inns, and resorts. Managers see that guests receive first-rate service so that they will come back to their establishments. They also manage finances and see th…
Education and Training: Varies—see profile Salary: Median—$39,620 per year Employment Outlook: Very good An upsurge in the meetings and convention business has created a strong demand for planners to arrange, manage, and promote these activities. An event may be a one-day seminar or a weeklong series of meetings and social gatherings. The success of these events depends largely on sp…
Education and Training: Master's degree with internship Salary: Median—$32,860 per year Employment Outlook: Good Museums are where we keep our treasures. Museum conservators care for and restore those treasures—paintings, plant and animal specimens, pottery, jewelry, and other objects of historic value such as tools or weapons made by humans long ago. Some conservators work wi…
Education and Training: Master's degree or doctorate Salary: Median—$43,920 per year Employment Outlook: Good Curators are responsible for choosing and acquiring the pieces of art to be shown in a museum. They also decide how the pieces should be displayed and the order in which they appear. Curators select works for permanent display as well as works for special temporary exhibition…
Education and Training: Bachelor's degree Salary: Median—$30,000 per year Employment Outlook: Poor Park rangers teach people to respect the delicate natural balance of our national and state parks and forests. They are employed by the National Park Service, which is an agency of the U.S. federal government, and by state agencies. Rangers work throughout the country preserving the nat…
Education and Training: College recommended Salary: Median—$48,310 per year Employment Outlook: Good Professional athletes play sports for a living. They have achieved top standing in their chosen field through years of training. Professional athletes are people with natural talent, stamina, and competitive drive. They have excellent reflexes and coordination and are well disciplined when i…
Education and Training: Bachelor's degree Salary: Median—$39,980 per year Employment Outlook: Good Property and real estate managers administer commercial and residential rental properties such as apartment buildings, office complexes, and shopping centers. Some manage the services and communal areas of condominium and community associations. Most property managers handle several pro…
Education and Training: Minimum—high school diploma; college degree preferred Salary: Median—$41,490 per year Employment Outlook: Good Restaurant managers, or general managers, keep their restaurants operating at a profit. To make a profit a restaurant must offer food, drinks, and service at prices the public is willing to pay. All restaurant activities are the manager's respo…
Education and Training: Some college (preferably a degree) and on-the-job training Salary: Median—$27,640 per year Employment Outlook: Poor to fair Travel agents help their clients make travel plans. In addition to booking reservations, they assist customers in choosing their destination, transportation, and lodging and inform travelers of passport and visa requirements, rates of currency e…
Education and Training: Associate's degree in animal training management; bachelor's degree in biology or zoology Salary: Median—$14 per hour Employment Outlook: Good Zookeepers take care of some of the largest and smallest creatures in captivity, from African elephants to Amazonian frogs. Depending on the zoological park or aquarium in which they work, keepers may be assigned…
