Balancing Your Personal and Professional Life

Staff Writer

Updated: 3/14/2010

This past year has been wrought with negative news. Many individuals have been forced to examine exactly what they are looking for especially at a time when jobs are being lost and net worth is decreasing. For some individuals, it has been a time to enhance their education and change careers. While conducting this self examination, some have determined that what they seek is a balance between their personal and professional lives. If you are amongst this growing group of individuals, there are many careers available that allow you to achieve balance in your life. Here is a look at a few of those options.

Nursing

Nursing is one of many fields that are projected to grow 23 percent from 2006 to 2016 attributed toward technological advances in patient care, an aging population and more attention on preventative care. The number of nurse specialties has also created demand for jobs.

Those interested in a career in nursing can follow three educational paths. First is the attainment of an associate degree in nursing (ADN). This takes about two to three years and qualifies them for an entry level position. They can then go on to earn their bachelor's of science in nursing (BSN) followed by a master's in nursing (MSN) should they so desire. Clearly, certain nursing specialties will require a more advanced degree.

The percentage of part time Registered Nurses according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is approximately 21 percent. With the high demand for nurses, many hospitals are offering family-friendly work schedules. Additionally, nurses tend to be scheduled in 12 hour shifts so that often they will work three full days and have four off to meet the 40 hour work week. There may be a different type of scheduling if you are working in a health care facility or doctor's office. If you are flexible as to the type of facility you are willing to work at, you may be able to set up a work schedule that works best for your personal needs and wants.

Median annual earnings of registered nurses were $57,280 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $47,710 and $69,850. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,250, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $83,440.

Dental Hygienist

With a projected growth of 30% through 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental hygienists are considered one of the fastest growing occupations. This is in response to increasing demand for dental care and new technologies in dentistry that utilize more hygienists.

Dental hygienists typically clean teeth, take and develop x-rays, apply fluoride or sealants and check for signs of oral disease. They also may educate patients on oral hygiene. With advances in technology, many dental hygienists now use digital imaging instead of x-rays. They are graduates of accredited dental hygiene education programs in colleges and universities, and must pass a written national board examination and a clinical examination to obtain state licensure.

More than half of all dental hygienists work part time today so flexible scheduling definitely a distinctive feature of this job. Full-time, part-time, evening, and weekend schedules are typically available. Dentists frequently hire hygienists to work only 2 or 3 days a week.

Salaries of a dental hygienist tend to be based on hourly earnings. The median hourly wage was $30.19 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $24.63 and $35.67 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19.45, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $41.60 an hour.

School Teacher

There have been many positive factors that attract individuals to the field of teaching; summers off, non-traditional work hours, the opportunity to positively impact a child, and the benefits of working in the school system including tenure after three years.

Being a teacher requires a bachelor's degree from a teacher education program and obtaining a state license if working in the public school system. Favorable job growth is projected at 12 percent through 2016, especially in high-demand fields like math and science.

Median annual earnings of kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers ranged from $43,580 to $48,690 in May 2006; the lowest 10 percent earned $28,590 to $33,070; the top 10 percent earned $67,490 to $76,100. Median earnings for preschool teachers were $22,680.

Another option is to work as a teacher assistant, also known as paraprofessional, where almost 4 in 10 work part time. Teacher assistants provide support for the classroom teacher and assist the children in learning class material and providing individual attention to students. They may also be called upon to go on field trips, enter grades, and supervise students on the playground, in the cafeteria or in the hallways.

A number of colleges offer associate degrees or certificate programs that either prepares graduates to work as teacher assistants or provide additional training for current teacher assistants. Employment of teacher assistants is expected to grow by 10 percent between 2006 and 2016. Median annual earnings of teacher assistants in May 2006 were $20,740.

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