Are you starting a new career this year? Have you just graduated from college, or maybe you’re looking to start fresh? If so, start with this article! Here is a list of the top five jobs for women in 2012, based on satisfaction, salary and outlook through the next six years.

1. Post-Secondary Teacher

Teaching at the college level provides a whole new sense of satisfaction for women in the teaching field. Most students in college are excited to be there and are active in the learning process, unlike some grade school and high school students. Those who teach in a college or university setting are given more freedom and flexibility, something that most women crave. The median salary for post-secondary educators is just under $60,000.

2. Nursing

Though often thought of as a more traditional job, nursing is still a source of pride for many women. With median salary ranges equal to that of post-secondary teachers, nursing is a great field to get into. There will be no shortage in job openings over the next several years as qualified nurses are always in high demand in a wide variety of settings. Whether you choose to work in a school, clinic, office or hospital, nursing can give you a sense of contribution that can’t be beat.

3. Web Designer

Web designers can make upwards of $60,000 a year if they are great at what they do. If you love computers, critique every web page you stumble across and have a flare for colour and layout, this might be the perfect career for you. A degree in web design will allow you entrance into some of the best companies in the world or, if you prefer, a career from your home office. Web design allows for a great deal of flexibility in your schedule, making the perfect career for those that struggle to balance work and home.

4. Medical

There is such a vast array of occupations in the medical field that it would be unfair to list them separately. Easily earning up to $165,000, medical professionals enjoy a career that allows them to help and care for others. Whether you want to be a physician, a dentist or an optometrist, you’ll always be in high demand and enjoy a comfortable salary. Because medical professionals are always necessary, you can rest assured that your job will survive anything the economy throws at you.

5. CEO

Being a chief executive officer of a company brings with it an amazing amount of responsibility but a tremendous sense of fulfillment as well. Earning your MBA is the first step in making well over $150,000 per year. Almost half of all companies today are started and owned by women. Females are no longer relegated to the front desk, looking pretty and offering coffee; they are behind the door in the corner office.

There are a great number of jobs that have a higher than average outlook for growth. Sit down and decide what you want to do with the rest of your life and how you will best be personally fulfilled. If one of these top five jobs doesn’t stand out to you, continue your research; there’s a new, fabulous career just waiting to be found.

Author’s Bio

Cathy Sanders is a web designer and content contributor for topwebdesignschools.org, a site providing Web Design School Rankings as well as details for the top ranked online web design programs.

Grow Your Green

Take “local” food to the next level. If you can grow your own food naturally, you could sell any bumper crops you’ve got at the nearby food coop or at the closest farmer’s market.

Rev Up the Recycle

Are you thinking about the classic recycled item, the aluminum can? Of course. It’s a no-brainer, but how many of us actually recycle that can, and do it every time? Think, too, about waste flows for aluminum cans that otherwise end up in the trash and, eventually, the landfill? Talk to the powers that be about setting up a recycling bin for those cans and collecting them on a regular basis.

Recycle By Re-selling

Another classic recycling idea is the yard sale. The yard sale reputation might be built as a way to free up some cash by selling unwanted items, but those unwanted items could otherwise spend the rest of their natural life wasting away in some landfill. Furniture, appliances, outdoor items, clothes and other household items are all fair game. “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure” is a clichéd adage only because it’s true.

Check out local “resale” outlets that can buy back clothes that don’t fit, or never really fit in the first place, or that you’ve fallen out of love with. You can also save money by buying gently worn clothing here, too.

The Internet has also made it easier to sell unwanted items via its online capability. Your old games, CDs, or DVDs can all be sold online, as can your old books. You can also sell other unwanted items via online auction sites and other seller sites. Or take advantage of free Internet classified sites to move those items you don’t need anymore.

Even electronic devices that you no longer use, like cell phones, can be recycled in exchange for money.

Common Sense Makes Cents

You may not have solar panels on your roof, but you can still reap the financial benefits of choosing to live green, albeit on a smaller scale. What local grocery stores offer financial incentives for reusing (or refusing) plastic bags? Can you receive in-store credit at a local office supply store for recycling that used printer cartridge?

Make money by living green–you’ll feel virtuous and frugal.

Author’s Bio

Francine Gomez is a career consultant and loves giving stay-at-home moms new ideas for how to make money. There are many opportunities to bring needed funds into the home — learn how to make money writing articles to earn extra spending money or to fully support a family.

Add Some Colour

Too often dressing for work means choosing dull colours. Your entire professional life doesn’t have to consist of being attired in grays, browns and blacks. You can add some colour to your outfits to add a little personality to the office. A great way to add a splash of colour without going overboard and being too flashy for work is to throw on a coloured scarf. Pick a flattering colour with a pretty pattern and tie a scarf around your neck to make any professional outfit pop. You can find scarves in nearly every colour and crafted from a variety of materials. Adding a scarf to your outfit is the perfect way to infuse some personality into an otherwise drab ensemble.

Dip Deeper Into Your Shoe Closet

You probably have more than a few pairs of shoes. Most women have at least a few pairs to go with most colours. Try to liven up your work outfits by dipping into your shoe collection for some more inspiring footwear. If you wear the same styles of shoes every day, you’ll add a breath of fresh air to your standard work attire by switching out your shoes on a regular basis. You probably have a few pairs that have been waiting around for that perfect occasion that just never comes. Why not get some miles onto those shoes by wearing them to work. The stiletto heels may not be the right choice, but you can have some real fun by wearing some less than obvious shoe choices to work.

A dash of colour and smidgen of variety can help you to liven up your work outfits. Just because work can be monotonous doesn’t mean that your outfits have to be.

Keep On To Move Up

As your work situation becomes challenging, you need to look realistically at your prospects with the company. What is the true potential for advancement, or is your boss just dangling a carrot in front of your face? You should trust your gut feelings, as well as the hard facts about the number of recent promotions from your department. If there will be a position opening up in the next three to six months at the level where you are looking to move, it may be worth it to ride it out.

Move On To Different Pastures

On the other hand, if you find yourself dreading the workday and enduring hot and cold tirades from your manager, it may be time to move on. Even in a tough economy like this, you do have options. They may not always be greener pastures initially, but sometimes cutting your losses on a ride going nowhere can be the best career decision you’ll ever make.

The important thing to remember in both situations is to avoid being rash or impulsive. You’ve worked hard to build up work relationships, and throwing them away over a perceived, slight impression of attitude may not be worth the potential financial hardship. Run your numbers, consider your options, and make a choice grounded in logic in order to make a decision that is both smart and emotionally healthy for you in the long term.

The battle for steady cash flows is the true fight for freedom for the modern entrepreneur. How can one be sure to come out on the winning side of the fight?

The first step is to find a way to build up a business reserve fund. Designate this money as a lean times fund, and make contributing to this a regular part of the business budget. Having a reserve fund can help cover critical expenses in the event of a downturn, client cancellation, or unexpected illness.

The second step is to enhance back end sales relationships. Since it costs more to acquire new customers than it does to service existing customers, a set of back end products can stabilize income levels while simultaneously improving profitability. Accessories, informational products, or even updated versions of front end products are all worthy back end catalogue members.

A final step is establishing limits for discounts. What can be offered promotionally to gin up business, and what is sacrosanct? Answering this question can bring clarity on what promotions are permissible and what areas just don’t have pricing flexibility. This helps manage profitability and ensures that no unintentional undercutting of cash flow through discounts occurs.

For entrepreneurs, keeping good cash flows is critical to winning the fight for freedom, even in tight economic times. By building up a business reserve fund, creating a strong back end catalogue, and critically examining pricing flexibility, it is possible to ensure ending up on the right side of the battle line and staying in business.

I’ll wait while you answer that.

Not happy with what you came up with? You shouldn’t be! The only person you can really trust to be in control of your future financial well-being is you, which means you need to take an active part in your financial planning. It’s not safe to simply trust in a corporate pension or government options.

You should know what is going on with your money, even if what is going on is managed day to day by a financial advisor. Don’t let yourself live in the dark, because it’s a sure-fire recipe for nasty surprises at all the wrong moments.

The first step in owning your financial future is setting goals. What are your long range financial goals, and why do those numbers matter? Answering both pieces of that question will help you give your investment and financial management plan both a goal and a philosophy to help guide purchasing decisions.

Once your goals are set and your philosophy is in place, you need to look for ways to make your financial plan a living thing. If you are comfortable managing your money on your own, set aside time each week or each month to dedicate specifically to money management issues. If not, reach out to a financial advisor you can trust to handle your funds. The key is to make a decision and be proactive so that you – and not fate – are the ultimate owner of your financial future!

Mental agility is a major issue for those in retirement. Study after study has shown that merely sitting in front of the television, while relaxing, simply serves to accelerate your mental decline. Thus, you need hobbies to keep your mental juices flowing and keep your brain strong.

Social activity is vital for ensuring that you feel connected to your world and staving off feelings of depression and isolation. Hobbies build a bridge between you and others that you can use to connect and build friendships. They also provide the motivation to get out of the house to attend conferences, meetings, and social gatherings related to your hobbies and your hobby clubs.

Maintaining a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with your post-retirement life is also possible with good hobbies. You can feel like you have a purpose and meaning in your days, which can help you feel in control of your time and like you are valuable even without your full-time job. This can save you from feeling out of the loop or washed up in the world, and provide you with an outlet for your creativity and emotions.

All in all, the time that you have on your hands when you retire can be filled with hobbies. Your hobbies will help you preserve your mental health, keep a bustling social calendar, and feel satisfied with the quality and content of your days. Don’t just sit there – get out to explore and enjoy hobbies in your retired life!