But that not’s necessarily the case anymore. Unlike our parents’ generation people are not expected to stay in the same career for 40 years. Which is good, because it means we get to reinvent ourselves more than once throughout our lifetimes. And if that’s the case, why not consider jobs that are not only lucrative, but also fun to do? After all, if you’re going to spend one third of your life working, you might as well enjoy it.

Taking into consideration salary, job duties, benefits, lifestyle, required education, and job security, four careers rise to the top. These are not necessarily the highest paying jobs, but rather the best paying jobs given that you’re paid to do fun stuff. Of course, it depends on your interests, so I’ve whittled them down to four broad job types: athletic, technical, tactile, and artistic. You decide which category in which you fall.

1. Athletic: Park Ranger

   • Environmental Studies
   • Public Administration
   • Wildlife
   • Paramedic
   • Nursing
   • Law Enforcement

If you like exercising and a steady stream of fresh air, then sitting in an office all day is akin to being in prison. In which case, you need a career that allows you to move around in the great outdoors. Granted, there are plenty of jobs that get you outside, however, they typically require either a lot of college education resulting in high pay (i.e., environmental engineer, marine biologist, zoologist) or little education resulting in low pay (i.e., river guide, ski instructor, farmer).

The one career that strikes a nice balance is park ranger. Typically, park rangers work for the state or federal government, so the benefits are good, the salaries are competitive, and their jobs are fairly secure. And even though a college degree is not required, it does give you a leg up.

Salary range:

$42K starting; up to $60K for supervisors

Education that helps:

2. Technical: Video Game Designer

   • BS or AS in Information Systems
   • Computer Science
   • Video Game Programming and Design
   • Software Development

What could be more fun than sitting around with like-minded propeller heads thinking up new ways for people to kill time? A video game designer is the ultimate dream job for any left-brained computer enthusiast who has a knack for storytelling. Yes, you heard that right. Video game companies don’t want people who just write software, they’re also on the hunt for folks who can create a quest in which a player can lose him- or herself.

And even though your basic IT geek stands to make more money, a video game programmer has way more fun on the job. Benefits are decent (depending on who you work for) and job security is moderate (there are a lot of gaming companies looking for new people). Plus, your chances of getting in on the ground level of a successful start-up are pretty good.

Starting pay:

$35K; average pay: $46K,

top pay

(after at least five years experience): $70K

Education that helps:

3. Sensory (or Tactile): Chocolatier

   • BS or AS in Chemistry
   • Culinary Arts
   • Marketing
   • Retail Management

Actually, any gourmet candy maker does pretty well, but the people in this industry who are kings are the chocolatiers. Traditionally respected in Europe, the fine art of creating good chocolate is now being more widely appreciated in North America. Why? Because in a down economy little luxuries such as chocolates (even expensive ones) are still affordable and therefore do well economically.

Like any form of culinary art the chocolatier has to have a fine sense of taste, vision, smell, and touch to make to make the perfect candy (in other words, it has to look just as good as it tastes). Spin-off careers for a chocolatier include being a dessert chef at a fancy restaurant, or working for a high-end caterer. And of course, you can always start your own business, which has plenty of earning potential.

Pay range

: $80K to $100K if you get hired on at a company like Godiva or Ghiradelli.

Starting salary in your own business:

About $25K the first year.

Education that helps:

4. Artistic: Graphic Designer

   • BS or AS in Graphic Design
   • Media Arts
   • Communications
   • Art and Design

As I’ve touted in some of my other career advice blogs, a career in graphic design is quite popular right now. Combining both sides of the brain a graphic designer has to be both technical and artistic in order to be successful. As an artist it’s the most lucrative and productive way to make a living. You just have to learn to create your art with a light pen or mouse instead of a traditional writing utensil.

Average salary:

$50K;

starting pay:

around $32K

Education that helps:

Because technology changes so fast, new businesses are constantly emerging, dying, or evolving. The ripple effect technology has on just about every industry makes it hard for anyone to have the same job for 40 years. But that’s a good thing, because variety is the spice of life – even when it comes to your career.

Ironically, assuming you could be let go at any time may spare you from being laid off, even if your company drastically downsizes. Because unless your company goes completely under, your employer will need to keep at least a few people around in order to run the show. And you know which employees he’ll keep? The indispensible ones that are flexible and easy to work with, according to Primer Magazine. Hence, the trick to staying employed at your current job is to make yourself as valuable (or invaluable) as possible.

So if you enjoy your present employment and relish having a steady paycheck, here are three things you can do while you’re still employed to help stack the deck in your favor if you fear a dastardly downsizing may be on the horizon:

Don’t Get the Big Head

Okay, so you graduated from college in the top of your class and out performed everyone else the first few years of your career. Never mind that Bruce Willis still had hair at the time and Nirvana topped the charts. Back then the economy was as strong as Mark McGuire on steroids, so of course everyone was telling you how wonderful you were.

But times have changed and now companies lay off starting with the biggest salaries. Therefore, the smart employee stays humble and recognize that anyone from the president on down to the night janitor can be let go at a moment’s notice. According to the boutique resume writing service Fresh Resumes overly confident employees who don’t go the extra mile are the first to go in a lay off no matter who they may be. So don’t walk around the office all cocky like you’re the only guy with a lifeboat on a sinking ship. Instead remain productive, positive, and supportive, which means NOT engaging in gloom and doom “what-if” scenarios around the water cooler.

And by all means, update your resume. It’s much more fun to reflect on your career while you still have one.

Don’t Be a Dinosaur

I know a salesman who refuses to make sales calls or do any business over the Internet because he feels face-to-face meetings are a better way to connect with customers. He’s his company’s oldest salesman. He’s also had the least amount of sales in the last year.

Fact: Technology has changed the way we do business. You have to change along with it, even if it feels foreign to you. That means getting up to speed on social networking, staying current on hardware, upgrading your software, learning new programs, signing up for classes, improving your customer service skills, blah, blah, blah. You’ve heard it all before, so do it. And do it now while you can still afford to pay for it. Staying current in technology is not cheap. You don’t want to have to pay to improve your skills when you can barely afford oatmeal.

Look for new opportunities

Yes, you’re probably quite snug and complacent in your current job, but is it really the most secure position in your company? There may be other departments that are much more safe from lay offs and if that’s the case consider asking for a transfer BEFORE the inevitable reorganization. It’s much better if the decision to make a move is yours and not some bean counter who was brought in to streamline the company.

In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look around your entire industry and see if there are other opportunities available to you. I’m not advocating changing jobs like Paris Hilton changes BFFs, however, don’t be afraid to kiss your old job goodbye if you catch a lucky break. Yes, you may have a sense of loyalty to your company, but honestly, if the time comes when they can’t afford to keep you, do you really think your bosses will risk the financial health of the company just so you can have a job? (If you answer Yes to that then you deserve to be laid off.)

So instead of sitting on your laurels, congratulating yourself on remaining employed in a bleak economy use this time wisely to lay the groundwork for possible changes in your employment status, just in case. Think of it like those people who write wills when they’re 25 and then live to be 100. Fate just seems to reward those who plan ahead.

Do you have a strategy to maintain job security in a down market? Even though it may be specific to your industry we’d love to hear it. (And if you have a funny suggestion on how anyone can avoid being laid off, then we want to hear that even more!)

Well, that might have been the case before there were 14.5 million Americans looking for work right along beside you. With today’s unemployment rate still hovering solidly above 9% finding a job will probably not happen as quickly as you’d hoped. Eventually, your daily regime of web surfing and resume sending will get old. But you can’t let the disappointment of virtual doors being slammed in your face get you down. So how do you maintain a positive attitude in an economic firestorm?

A great way is to start your own job search support group, as opposed to a networking group. How is this going to get you a job? By keeping you and your job-seeking cohorts accountable. Because as your days of unemployment increase, your enthusiasm for looking for a job will decrease, thus lessening your chances of finding work.

Using the same concepts as Weight Watchers or Alcoholics Anonymous many of the unemployed are independently joining forces both online and in their own communities in order to stay focused on finding a job. They meet regularly (usually once a week) to set job-seeking goals for themselves and then to report back in the following weeks on the results. This gives jobseekers the motivation to be accountable when looking for a job.

And if the results come back dismal (meaning jobs were not forthcoming this week) then it’s up to the rest of the group to share experiences (showing that everyone is in the same boat) and provide the necessary pep talks to keep everyone encouraged so no one falls into the trap of giving up.

True, there are existing job support groups, most of which you can find on a state-by-state basis on the website job-hunt.org. However, these groups typically place an emphasis on networking (which is also important) and many times don’t offer the one-on-one support jobseekers need to keep their spirits up while looking for work.

For example, the website No Shortage of Work is not so much a job website as it is a place to get support in the areas you need while you look for work. NSOW truly believes there is NEVER a shortage of work—just sometimes not enough money to go around. Their motto? “Even when you’re not doing something for pay, do something anyway.” Only then do you stay active, focused, and motivated while looking for work. In other words, you have to be doing something productive in order to find a job.

NSOW offers an abundance of advice and inspiration, including putting you in contact with mentors, interns, and experts who can help you build a business or research your market. They even encourage you to submit articles and blogs. No, contributors don’t get paid (even the people who run the website don’t get paid) but if you’re in a career holding pattern anyway, why not share your thoughts on your personal job-seeking journey with others who want to hear what you have to say? Or if you’re not a writer, you can read what others have to say about how they’re coping.

Regardless how you do it, the ONLY way you’ll find a job in this market is to keep looking, even if your prospects look doubtful. I know it’s hard to stay enthusiastic when your bank account is dwindling, but it beats the alternative, which is to give up. That’s not an option. Because no one ever found a job by sticking their head in the sand.

Do you know of other websites that offer job-seeking support similar to that of No Shortage of Work? If so, post a comment. We’d love to hear about it!