Overrated Careers

Many people look at the New Year as a time to make a career change. Whether you are looking at a new career for higher pay, or simply for job satisfaction, be aware that things arent always as they look.

It looks glamorous on TV. Or you've got an uncle who does it and seems to like it. Or you heard you could earn a lot of money at it, without much extra training. People pick careers for a lot of reasons–including some bad ones.

So in addition to identifying the Best Careers for 2007, U.S. News has also highlighted 10 occupations with a mystique that exceeds reality. This list is purely subjective, and, indeed, many people are happy in those careers. But these conclusions derive from more than 2,500 confidential counseling sessions I've conducted with real-world professionals over two decades as a career coach.

Attorneys and advertising executives, for example, often find their work is more tedious than outsiders would guess. People enter other careers, such as teacher or nonprofit manager, to make a difference, only to encounter frustrating roadblocks at every turn. And most chefs and small-business owners will find that it's way more difficult than they imagined to achieve the storied success of others, which lured them to the job in the first place.

Overrated Careers:
Advertising Executive
Attorney
Chef
Chiropractor
Nonprofit Manager
Police Officer
Psychologist
Real Estate Agent
Small Business Owner