Posted: 12 Nov 2010 06:22 AM PST

By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM , 11.12.10, 09:10 AM EST

RICHMOND, Va. -- Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. said Friday it is cutting 380 salaried jobs at its Newport News shipbuilding facility, citing a need to control costs.

The company that builds submarines and aircraft carriers for the Navy said the reduction of about 2 percent of its 20,000 workers at the shipyard was necessary to improve efficiency and costs.

"While this is a very difficult decision, it is a critical and necessary step in order to control costs, effectively manage overhead, improve efficiency and lower the acquisition costs of our products to better secure the future of our shipyard," Matt Mulherin, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman ( NOC - news - people ) Shipbuilding-Newport News said in a news release.

Northrop Grumman said Friday the cuts are driven, in part, by the completion of major milestones on existing contracts. For example, the company said it is nearing the completion of the design of the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.

The announcement marks the first reduction its Newport News facility has experienced in more than a decade.

Northrop Grumman said more than 100 of the affected employees have been identified as having prior trades experience and have been offered hourly positions, such as welders and electricians. The employees also will receive information on eligibility for severance benefits and other career transition services.

In October, the company said it was exploring "various alternatives for the potential separation of its shipbuilding business, including a spinoff or sale of the unit."

Northrop Grumman had previously announced plans in July to shutter the Avondale shipyard near New Orleans in early 2013 and consolidate its Gulf Coast military shipbuilding at Pascagoula, Miss. About 4,600 people now work at Avondale.

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10 fun jobs that pay well - msnbc.com

Posted: 12 Nov 2010 04:34 AM PST

Job satisfaction can be measured in a lot of ways: benefits, job security, career advancement and work-life balance. Even earning a salary of $75,000, which a recent study by the National Academy of Sciences found is the income level at which people are happiest, doesn't guarantee you'll be happy at work.

But a fun job that you can look forward to going to every day, that's a job everyone wants. The "funnest" job may not necessarily equate to the most satisfying — a recent survey by CareerBliss found that Disney theme park workers rank lower than members of the Army when it comes job satisfaction.

But if you're looking for fun and a chance to make some good money — both of which we hope will lead to job satisfaction — here are 10 jobs worth considering. Our list isn't based on a survey, but on unscientific criteria that includes job satisfaction, having fun at work, independence and a good work environment.

Ferrari driving instructor
Annual salary: $120,000
Yes, it's a niche, but that's why it pays so well and is so much fun. Anthony Lazzaro, a former NASCAR driver who still races professionally, earns $500 to $1,000 a day as a Ferrari instructor, he told WalletPop in an e-mail. Even at the low end, that adds up to $120,000 for 12 months of work.

The classes can cost $9,000 or so, and if you can't afford that and still want to see and hear what it's like to be in a Ferrari at 150 mph, a YouTube video gives an idea. The classes, whether through him or someone else, are not for the meek.

Astronaut
Annual salary: $100,000
What could be more fun than floating in space? According to NASA, salaries for civilian astronaut candidates are based on the federal government's general schedule pay scale for grades GS-12 through GS-13. Each person's grade is determined by academic achievements and experience. Currently, a GS-12 starts at $65,140 per year and a GS-13 can earn up to $100,701 per year. Military astronauts remain in an active duty status for pay, benefits, leave, and other similar military matters.

Any adult who is in excellent physical condition and meets the basic qualifications can be selected to enter astronaut training. But for mission specialists and pilot astronauts, the minimum requirements include a bachelor's degree in engineering, science or math, followed by three years of related experience and preferably an advanced degree. Pilot astronauts must have at least 1,000 hours of experience in jet aircraft, and they need better vision than mission specialists.

It's a tough field to get into. There are more than 4,000 applicants for about 20 openings every two years. But go ahead, fill out an application.

Winemaker
Annual salary: $93,000 per year
You don't have to buy a vineyard to be a vintner or winemaker. Many wineries hire someone to run the winemaking business and oversee production, the staff and the budget.

According to JobMonkey.com, the general requirements include a bachelor's degree in oenology (the study of making wine) or another related degree, at least five years experience in winemaking, a strong knowledge of the pertinent grape varietals, and strong technical winemaking skills. It may take awhile to get such a fun job, but taking good wine home to taste after work sounds like a pretty nice job perk.

Chocolatier
Annual salary: $90,000
This job might be too much fun if you love chocolate. As anyone who has worked at an ice cream store can tell you, you get tired of ice cream after working with it for eight hours a day. The same might be true for chocolate, but it's a chance we're willing to take.

A top chocolatier — who makes or sells chocolate — can earn $90,000 to $100,000 per year at Godiva. The average annual salary for all chocolatiers is $21,000, so you'll have to be at the top of the profession to earn the big bucks. But if you've worked as a marketing or product development manager, you could still find jobs at chocolate companies and make $100,000 or more per year, and probably still get some free premium chocolate to take home. Or eat at your desk. Your choice.

Pilot
Annual salary: $81,000
Being an airline pilot can be a stressful job, but it must be a fun one. Why? They get to fly a plane. Duh. Who wouldn't want to fly a plane, travel the world for free and make good money while doing something few people can do? The average pay is $81,000, according to Indeed.com.

Magician
Annual salary: $49,000
Entertaining people — by making them laugh or be amazed — pays well for magician Mitch Williams, who told WalletPop that he earns $400 to $3,000 per job, depending on the type of program he's doing, location, date and other factors. The median salary for a magician is $49,000 per year, according to a career website.

"I get to create my own shows, and perform them for a variety of different groups," Williams said in an e-mail. "It's such a blast seeing and hearing people respond to what I do. I'm an international award winner, and I'm known as an expert at sleight of hand and an authority on approaching magic as an actual art form. So the magic I do is somewhat unique and fairly impressive (even if I do say so myself.) It's a thrill to be able to get people caught up in the experience of wonder. And of course the real magic is that experience that we create together; performer and audience."

Park ranger
Annual salary: $47,000
Most government workers are happy with their jobs, according to a recent survey, mostly because they feel the work they do is important. A park ranger's work is important, and the work environment should only add to having fun on the job. Because most park ranger jobs are federal jobs, they're paid on a pay scale. Non-supervisory park rangers earn $47,448 per year, and supervisors earn $57,408 or more.

Video game designer
Annual salary: $46,000

Playing video games is fun, but creating them from your imagination could be much more fun. A degree in graphic design will help you get the job. Pay averages $46,000 a year for someone with less than three years of experience, going up to $70,000 a year with more than six years of experience.

Florist
Annual salary: $25,000
We know that's not a lot a money, but working around flowers all day — the smell, the beauty — at least sounds like a fun job. And the pay can go higher than the $25,000 median — to about $45,000 with 10 to 19 years of experience.

Standup comedian
Annual salary: $10,000 to millions
It's a tough gig to break into, but making people laugh can be fun and profitable. Dan Nainan earned $15,000 for a show, and made $22,000 as an actor for a day's work filming an Apple commercial.

"I get to travel around the world on someone else's dime — I've performed in Dubai, Netherlands, Tokyo, Aruba, Mexico, just to name a few — and I have an upcoming tour of the UK [November], Thailand in December and Trinidad in March," he said in an e-mail to WalletPop. "Since I fly almost 200,000 miles a year, I get upgraded to first class on every flight, and have a free lounge membership. My life is like that of George Clooney in "Up in the Air", just without the sex LOL."

If you're really good as a standup comedian, it can lead to making millions of dollars, which sounds pretty fun.

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Extreme job-hunting tactics: What you need to know - CNN

Posted: 12 Nov 2010 04:42 AM PST

Successful job seekers don't just seek the spotlight -- they use it to showcase their high-value skills, career experts say.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

In a crowded market, job seekers need to make themselves stand out
Successful candidates don't just seek visibility -- they put their specific, high-value skills in the spotlight, career experts say
Creative job search experiments sometimes redirect people to new and unexpected opportunities

(CNN) -- Fresh out of work, information technology executive Michael Lee knew he was facing a tough market when he started job hunting in the fall.

But instead of submitting his résumé to positions advertised online, he decided to do something to put himself in the spotlight: the 47-year-old issued a press release touting how he could single-handedly fix a broken IT department.

His aim: to bypass the first round of human resource directors and résumé search algorithms and catch the eye of the executives directly concerned with hiring a chief information officer.

"The job market is flooded with thousands of good candidates. It's [an employer's] market and they are holding out for the great candidates," Lee told CNN. "If you are a great candidate, you have to stand out among thousands."

The Texas resident, who shared his story on iReport, targeted the release at CEOs and described how their existing IT department was likely underperforming, and how he could fix it.

TARGET: Focus on what you can offer a prospective employer, not on what you hope to gain.

EVOLVE: Re-tune your pitch as you get feedback and always be ready to adjust it.

NETWORK: Find opportunities that haven't been advertised yet by tapping your professional network.

RESEARCH: Follow industry journals and newsletters to know where the deals -- and the jobs -- are happening.

Sources: Harry O'Neill, Heidrick & Struggles; Vinika Rao, INSEAD; Stephen Shih, HKUST Business School; Alex Herrera, IESE Business School

In today's crowded job market, mid-level and senior executives are putting themselves in the spotlight -- whether by wearing a sandwich board advertising their jobless state or staging attention-garnering stunts like Lee.

Careers experts say job seekers need to look beyond the usual process of networking and submitting résumés online. But that doesn't necessarily mean they need to go to extremes to get noticed.

Offbeat strategies can pay off, but they have to be done carefully. Successful candidates don't just seek visibility, says Stephen Shih, head of career services at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's business school. "They put their specific, high-value skills in the spotlight."

Finding a job is about trying to sell yourself, says Alex Herrera, career services director at IESE Business School. That can mean something as simple as turning a previous experience into a powerful job pitch, or using creative maneuvers to make a first contact, he says.

"You need to build a story. You need to develop content, a proposal, something that [employers] think is interesting."

Herrera says one person he knew landed a job in the alternative energy industry after reading about an innovative Alaskan businessman in a newspaper and convincing the reporter of the story to put him in touch with the man.

Jamie Varon, 25, made waves last year with her website twittershouldhireme.com. The site went viral as people spread the word about it on Twitter and other social networking platforms.

You're not always going to get the company you're going after, but you could get something better.
--Jamie Varon

Varon says her idea worked -- but not the way she expected. Twitter executives brought her in for a meeting, but they were more interested in congratulating her on her project than in hiring her.

Other potential employers, however, had picked up on Varon's project. Her Twitter pitch had started with a simple modified version of a Wordpress blog theme, but "it turns out that I really love web design and I happen to be pretty good at it," she told CNN.

"I caught the attention of some people who were in that industry and I started getting clients and one client leads to another. It had a snowball effect."

Varon now runs her own design company, Shatterboxx. Initially she viewed not getting a job at Twitter as a failure. "It was an ego hit," she acknowledges. But the fact that her "failed" project spawned a web design business soothed her disappointment.

"You're not always going to get the company you're going after, but you could get something better," she said of her unconventional job-hunting strategy.

Lee, the information technology specialist, also hasn't gotten a job. But he told CNN he's been contacted by two companies interested in using him for consulting work based on his pitch.

Designer Ed Gavagan created a pop-up clinic to rustle up more work.

"Is it the best approach? I'm not certain. However, when I look at the results I have achieved -- within weeks -- compared to colleagues who have been without work for months, I am encouraged," he said.

For some daring job seekers, putting themselves in the spotlight can result in many small opportunities, rather than the one big job.

Take Ed Gavagan, 47, who runs a design company, PraxisNYC, that specializes in consulting and interiors in New York City.

Last year when business was slow, he collaborated with fellow designers and architects on a "Pop-up Design Clinic." For a month, they offered passers-by free consultations from a rented storefront.

Even though they only got a few big projects out of it, the shop got buzz for being accessible and informal. "It got our name and our info out to a bunch of people that we wouldn't have seen otherwise," Gavagan told CNN.

"Now our cards are in people's pockets. You are lodged in their mind as a creative problem solver and it lingers on.

"You get to strut yourself a little bit in front of somebody in a small-stakes place -- and hopefully they remember and keep you in mind."