Perhaps, generations ago, students graduated from college and found jobs related to their majors. They stayed at these jobs for several years before moving on to the next job, which was still in the same industry but hopefully a step up.

For today's workers, the path is less clear. Whether or not you go to college, your work history probably has quite a bit of variety in it. The workplace is constantly changing and, thanks to technology, jobs are disappearing and being created all the time. Ten years ago no one was a social media manager, but today people who spent years as public relations, marketing and journalism are spending their days on Twitter, Facebook and blogs. Once you factor in the recent recession and the dot-com bubble burst, workers are laid off and scramble to find new jobs, even if they're in new fields.

One way to get answers is to just ask employers. Since you probably won't get a response if you call an HR department and ask, "So, what are your hiring plans for the rest of the year?" We did the asking for you, and some of the results are promising.

Not once did we collaborate on a project, though we made polite conversation in the hallways. When I asked my boss about this person's role, I received an eye roll and a shrug. In other words, no one knew what this person with a vague job title spent her time doing.

With 23.7 million veterans in the country and 11.1 million of them under the age of 65 in the work force, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, these men and women comprise a large portion of workers.

Job interviews, at their core, are supposed to be a meeting where two people decide if they should work together. The employer wants to know if you are qualified for the position and a better fit for the company than the other candidates. You want to know if the position aligns with your career goals, the company culture suits you, and the pay is right. But interviews ultimately end up feeling like a high-stakes espionage, where both parties assume the other is talking in code.

Job interviews are a delicate balance of preparation and spontaneity. You should always arrive at an interview knowing how you want to present yourself and ready to answer the usual questions, which usually require you to name your biggest weakness or where you want to be in 10 years. Yet, you don't want to come across as nervous and stiff by delivering a memorized speech, either.

In addition, fewer workers have college degrees, so they are harder to find in relation to workers without degrees. Indeed, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, 19 percent of Americans hold a bachelor's degree, while approximately 31 percent have a high school diploma.

But if you talk to hiring managers, you'll also hear about applicants who washed the CEO's car or brought cookies to the office every day for a week. These people came across as peculiar -- even dangerous. Instead of a job offer, they received a restraining order. Naturally, you begin to wonder if anyone actually gets an offer from a reputable company using an unusual method. Or is it all an urban myth?

In each step of these processes, engineers were there.

Why you should consider it

Every grade -- from preschool through high school -- still needs teachers, while every university, community college, vocational school, technical college and certification program needs instructors.

The U.S. Department of Education's Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listings, released each school year, breaks down which subject matters are understaffed in each state. Look at the listings and you'll see that every subject is in high demand in at least one state. For example, Connecticut needs bilingual education teachers for grades kindergarten through 12th grade in the 2010-'11 year. Yet, Kansas' most significant shortages exist in special education fields, such as occupational therapy and education for the visually impaired. In other words, educators in every specialization are in demand throughout the country.

If, on the coldest morning of the year, your heater stops working, you have to call a HVAC maintenance worker to find out what's wrong. You can't Skype him in or chat with him online. The only way for you to stop seeing your own breath in the cold air of your living room is to have someone come out and work on your heating unit.

What causes someone to fly into a fit of rage over a stolen stapler? How can birthday cake result in a scathing, department-wide memo?