Hey, ladies! Did you know you could skip earning a college degree and still snag a well-paid job? There are a wide variety of careers out there where a college education may be helpful, but is not essential.

Try telling the woman scraping plaque off your teeth that it's a man's world.

Female dental hygienists earn eight percent more than their male counterparts, according to online salary database PayScale.com.

Veterans who decide to leave the military and transition to a civilian job know to expect some culture shock. But even the best-prepared former service members can find the differences between the military world and the private sector surprising.

Besides a thank you, one of the best things you can give to a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan is a job. There are 220,000 of them currently seeking work in the United States, at a time when the economy is seeing slow growth. While that number might seem daunting, there is some good news. The government has stepped in and formed new programs to help veterans move into the civilian workforce. Additionally, veterans' skills and experience can help land well-paid job in a growing field.

For all the primping and prepping you do for a date, Cupid enlists dozens of co-conspirators to make the big event go perfectly.

The esthetician taming unruly eyebrow hairs wants you to look flawless, and the sommelier pouring wine certainly doesn't want to ruin the mood with a merlot mishap.

That "will they or won't they" tension can be palpable in the workplace. Although Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley of the hit series, The Office have done their best to bring the co-worker-with-benefits scenario to the mainstream, many companies (and fellow workers) still frown upon interoffice romances.

That doesn't mean co-workers aren't swapping spit in the supply closet when you aren't paying attention. According to career website Vault.com, in its 2011 Office Romance Survey, more than half of respondents fessed up to having a fling with a colleague.

Name: Danna Stumberg

Military Branch: United States Navy

Military Rank: Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Petty Officer (E5)

Current Location: Liverpool, New York. We'll be moving to the Baltimore/D.C. area (Fort Meade, Md.) in May.

As we leave the New Years celebrations behind, we may find ourselves forgetting our career resolutions along with the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne. Maybe it would help us to hear what other people are planning to do for their jobs in 2012.

Name: Donald Harvey

Military Branch: U.S. Army

By Charyn Pfeuffer

When the fantasy of your hot co-worker playing with your hair becomes a boss-holding-your ponytail-while-you-puke reality, you've officially committed a faux pas at the office holiday party.

For many people, the Christmas season truly is the most wonderful time of the year. From the twinkle of lights and sparkle of tinsel, to exchanging gifts and spending time with loved ones, it's easy to get caught up in the magic.

But, the magic of Christmas does not just happen on its own. Many hours of labor and hard work go in to creating the spirit of the season. Which workers are contributing the most and how much do they earn? PayScale.com has created a list of five jobs that make Christmas magical and what they pay.

With the holiday season just around the corner, companies are hiring seasonal employees to help handle the overload of customers. Besides adding extra cash to your wallet, seasonal work can have extra benefits like acquiring professional references, gaining experience in a different field, and even meeting new friends. Many retailers also offer generous employee discounts on their merchandise.

Call it what you want -- canned, laid-off, pink-slipped, downsized. Getting fired is devastating.

Most folks fight back the tears, pack up their cubes and get the hell out.

But not everyone's experience is the same. Some workers roll out in style.

Larry Fitzgerald agrees to continue his job as a wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals for the next eight years for $120 million.

Chris Johnson accepts an offer from the Tennessee Titans to continue as their running back for the next six years in exchange $53 million.

It's a rare employee who isn't guilty of a little slacking off every now and then. A Facebook status update here, a little discussion of last night's 30 Rock there. And then there's the time spent shopping online for a gift for your mother's birthday, and the time spent on the phone dealing with personal issues.

Do you dress for success? It's no secret that most people will formulate an opinion of you based on your appearance within minutes of an introduction. But can that short space of time mean the difference between a lucrative career and a low-paying job?

Which jobs truly lead to job satisfaction? It's a question that online salary database Payscale.com set out to answer by asking workers across a broad spectrum of employment to rate their overall job satisfaction. The results may surprise those who think that money alone brings job happiness.