by Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

If you've ever watched daytime talk shows -- and it's OK to admit that you have -- you've seen that some of the biggest crowd pleasers are the before-and-after episodes. You know, some dowdy guest who always dresses in ill-fitting clothes that went out of fashion 20 years ago gets all glammed up. Suddenly an ugly duckling can go out in public and blend in with the other attractive swans.

The appeal for viewers is that we're rooting for the underdog. We watch them transform from the underdogs to the champions. Or, as one show's topic put it, "I Was Fat, Now I'm All That!"

As a society, we love to see the people work their way up and persevere against all odds. That's part of the reason so many job seekers take entry-level jobs with the mindset that they'll one day be the boss. We know we can work hard and rise to the top.

But what happens when things change and we're no longer the head honcho? This economy's shaking up companies: Some people are being moved into new roles, while others are moving to new industries. Former bosses are finding themselves answering to someone else and no longer giving orders to anyone. It doesn't mean they did anything wrong; it's just the result of the times. But that doesn't make it easy to accept.

With the economy shrinking, many job-hunters are looking for a new career that pays well – and they need to find one that's not going to disappear. Here are the careers that are forecast for strong growth over the next decade, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics projections through 2016.

Robin Ryan, career coach and author of 60 Seconds and You're Hired says, "I look at where you can make good money, where employers are looking for people and saying they can't find them."

She notes that the federal growth forecasts are a couple of years old, and some fields are undergoing rapid change. Be on the lookout for emerging opportunities, especially those that involve Internet skills. With the cost of education soaring, we asked our experts to focus primarily on careers you can get started in without a four-year degree.

By MARY LORENZ, CAREERBUILDER.COM WRITER

As a child, you were sure you were going to grow up to be a cowboy, but somewhere between waking up for Saturday morning cartoons and staying up for Conan, however, you traded in your cowboy hat for a briefcase. While it's fine that you never became a cowboy, you can't say that you've ever pursued anything with the same passion you once had for life on the open range. For whatever reason, you sort of just "fell" into the job you have today, and honestly, you're less than thrilled. So why stay?

If you've ever considered changing jobs or careers, you're not alone. Results from a recent CareerBuilder.com survey indicate that three quarters of American workers have changed career paths at least once, and one third of American workers are interested in changing careers right now.

by Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

Tom Roberts was laid off in April 2009, six weeks after he told his supervisor that he needed to have brain surgery. Paying the bills with a now-exhausted balance of vacation and sick days, Roberts awaits his disability check to pay the rent. He gave away his car because he couldn't afford the payments. His food supply comes from a food bank. All the while, he suffers from nerve disease that makes it impossible to speak for more than a few minutes at a time.

Despite these circumstances, Roberts, 59, says he "couldn't be happier." Until he undergoes brain surgery this summer (which his ex-employer will pay for), he is marketing presentations for his organization, Bipolar Advantage. After that, he plans to return to his roots in broadcasting and public speaking, leading workshops on presentation skills.

"It took a few days of reflection to accept that I had gotten a nudge from the universe to pursue my soul purpose," Roberts says. "[I] was settling for low-paying jobs just to pay the bills. I will never go back to corporate America on its terms. I am self-employed, but not making any money yet; I couldn't be happier!"

Attitude is everything in this economy and, surprisingly, Roberts isn't the only one in a positive post-layoff state of mind.

Laura Morsch, CareerBuilder.com writer

It's a great time to be a sports fan. From the Winter Olympics to NCAA basketball to international soccer you can catch a sporting event nearly all the time at a live game or on a 24-hour TV or radio sports station.

This could make it exceptionally hard to tear yourself away from your TV and go to work ... unless you're lucky enough to work in sports. But since most of us weren't born with the athletic ability to make it as an athlete, there are some jobs that allow regular folks to satisfy their sports cravings and still bring in a regular paycheck. Here is a sampling: