I know, I know — most people don’t devote a whole week to celebrating one holiday — except for me. In my book, big occasions just can’t be celebrated in one day.  Every September, I have a “birthday week.” When my friends get married, it’s their “wedding week.” And now that Halloween is just 5 short days away, it is most certainly “halloween week.”

To get all of you as excited about Halloween as I am, I thought we could start this week with “spooky jobs” for other Halloween fanatics. The following jobs deal with matters from corpses to violence to death to the supernatural. Fellow Halloween Lovers, consider one of the following 10 spooky jobs:

Coroner
Why it’s spooky: Coroners observe corpses and investigate the cause, time and manner of death, mostly when it happens under unusual circumstances.
Scary salary: $41,123

Ghost hunter
Why it’s spooky: Ghost hunters use scientific tools to measure and collect evidence of paranormal activity in areas that are said to be haunted. Teams of these people are called paranormal investigation teams.
Scary salary: N/A

Mystery fiction writer
Why it’s spooky: Mystery writers need the creative mind to develop scary plots, suspenseful story lines and twisted characters to comprise compelling novels for their readers.
Scary salary: $57,335

Mortician
Why it’s spooky: Morticians (also known as undertakers or funeral directors) oversee all funeral arrangements for the deceased, including details of body preparation for viewing and preparing the body itself.
Scary salary: $57,247

Witch doctor
Why it’s spooky: Witch doctors are healers through magic and witchcraft. They believe illnesses and injuries are caused by magic and witchcraft and so they are best treated that way.
Scary salary: N/A

Embalmer
Why it’s spooky: Embalmers prepare corpses for burial or cremation by washing, drying and disinfecting the body; releasing excess air from the lungs; draining blood from the circulatory system and replacing it with embalming fluid and applying cosmetics to create a more lifelike appearance.
Scary salary: $46,564

Crime scene cleanup
Why it’s spooky: Crime scene cleaning crews sanitize and clean the aftermaths of crimes on all levels, from murders to domestic violence.
Scary salary: N/A

Grave digger/Cemetery worker
Why it’s spooky: Grave diggers work in cemeteries digging graves before funerals, often times working late into the night or early morning hours. Cemetery workers assist in the upkeep of grave and memorial sites.
Scary salary: $37,505 for grave diggers

Obituary writer
Why it’s spooky: Obituary writers are responsible for writing summaries of the lives of the deceased for such publications as newspapers, magazines and Web sites.
Scary salary: $41,516 for newspaper writers

Crematorium technician
Why it’s spooky: These technicians incinerate corpses and collect the ashes to give to family and loved ones.
Scary salary: $70,294 for managers

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As a child, I was all about the TV show. I had the action figures. I memorized lines. I might have even pretended my Big Wheels could go from plastic vehicle into intimidating, robotic machine. Don’t judge me.

With the  movie franchise taking off and raking in plenty of cash, I’ve had a wave of nostalgia overcome me. My $10 Skyfire sits somewhere in my parents’ attic and I wish it were on my desk.

So in the spirit of childhood memories, the movie’s release and The Work Buzz’s love for all things career, we put together a list of 10 jobs that would be good for the Transformers. I’d love to see Optimus Prime wear a name tag or Omega Supreme sit in a cubicle.  But that’s just me.

1. Public transportation…worker?
   Normally we point people to positions like bus driver and train operator, but the Transformers could be the transportation with no additional help needed.
2. School principal
   If you’re a badly behaving student, wouldn’t you be scared to hear thumping, metallic steps coming down the hall?
3. Junkyard proprietor
   I think that one’s pretty self explanatory.
4. Assembly line worker
   Again, not hard to see how it’s a good fit. And between the machine-like precision and personal touch, you’d be getting the best of both worlds with them as employees.
5. Bouncer
   I dare you to try to slip past Whirl if he says the club’s full. Go ahead–try it.
6. Laser eye surgeon
   Why bother with fancy medical offices? All you need is a big enough room to house a transforming giant. Oh, and a really big lab coat.
7. Search and rescue
   They can find crime and eradicate it. They can find missing persons.
8. Pizza delivery person
   They’ll always be on time. And they can heat it up on the way!
9. Waste management specialists
   The heightened sense of smell and the ability to get dirty without being squeamish. Perfect fit.
10. Movers
    You can’t always rely on friends to help you  move, and many movers charge by the hour as well as amount of workers. Why not hire one Transformer for an hour to get everything from the old place to the new one?

What other jobs would you recommend?

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Riddle me this: Who is going to foot the bill?

The skyrocketing cost of education coupled with the widespread squeeze on people’s bank accounts and time, makes pursuing a traditional four-year or graduate degree a pipe dream for many — especially when you are supporting other people, have bills and a mortgage to pay, or are simply living paycheck to paycheck .

There are millions of people who find themselves in this situation including those who:

• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Some work experience but no college degree
• Want to try a new career but don’t want to go through years of schooling
• Can’t afford the money or time to go back to school

There are many way to earn training and certifications outside of the traditional classroom setting. For example, CareerBuilderinstitute.com has courses on computer and business skills, language and sales training, licensing and certification, and even some free courses. Additionally, there are many employers who train on-the-job or pay for your certification or licensing.

So how do you change careers or secure a new job when you don’t have the means to pursue that four-year degree?

After the jump, listed are 20 jobs that require a high school diploma, on the job training, vocational training, certification or a combination — and many have flexible and part-time hours, too. (Click on the job titles to get available jobs.)

1.       Automotive service technicians
What they do: Also called mechanics, automotive service technicians inspect, maintain and repair automobiles and light trucks using traditional equipment and computerized tools
What they need:* Postsecondary vocational award; certification from National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is highly regarded
What they earn:** $37,662

2.       Accounting clerks
What they do: Also known as accounts payable clerks or accounts receivable clerks, duties may include posting details of transactions, computing interest charges, making sure loans and accounts are up-to-date, and ensuring account accuracy
What they need:* A high school diploma and some accounting coursework or relevant work experience
What they earn:** $29,991

3.       Carpenters
What they do: From highways and bridges to kitchen cabinets, carpenters construct, erect, install and repair structures and fixtures made from wood and other materials.
What they need:* About three to four years of both on-the-job training and classroom instruction
What they earn:** $36,889

4.       Customer service representatives
What they do: Serve as the direct point of contact for customers of all types of businesses by answering questions and concerns, providing information and addressing complaints.
What they need:* Moderate-term on-the-job training
What they earn:** $31,685

5.       Dental assistants
What they do: Not to be confused with dental hygienists, dental assistants work closely with dentists and perform a variety of duties including instrument sterilization, obtaining records, preparing patients for treatment
What they need:* Many skills are learned on the job, but there are also dental-assisting programs, which often take one year or less to complete
What they earn:** $32,246

6.       Electricians
What they do: Install and maintain wiring, fuses, circuits, outlets, load centers, panel boards and electrical machines in homes and businesses.
What they need:* Long-term on-the-job training, often in the form of an apprenticeship program lasting four to five years
What they earn:** $47,869

7.       Fitness trainers
What they do: Lead and instruct people in exercise activities, either individually or in a group setting , in fitness centers, gyms, hospitals, universities and clients’ homes
What they need:* Postsecondary vocational award/certification is critical and depends on the employer and specific type of fitness work.
What they earn:** $24,890

8.       Gaming managers/ supervisors
What they do: Oversee the operations and personnel in an assigned area of a casino or gaming facility and ensure workers and gamblers are aware of and adhering to the rules of the games
What they need:* Related work experience and a license from a regulatory agency.
What they earn:** $47,429

9.       General maintenance and repair workers
What they do: Troubleshoot, inspect and diagnose problems, in many different crafts (like carpentry, plumbing, air conditioning and heating, and painting) and decide the best way to correct them
What they need:* Moderate-term on-the-job training
What they earn:** $27,890

10.   Home health aides
What they do: Assist elderly, ill or disabled people at home instead of health-care facilities providing  services like administering medications and checking temperatures, and may also do housework and assist with personal care
What they need:* Short-term on-the-job training by registered nurses or experienced aides
What they earn:** $22,163

11.   Interpreters and translators
What they do: Interpreters convert one spoken language into another and must express thoughts and ideas clearly; translators convert written materials from one language into another and should have excellent writing and editing skills
What they need:* Fluency in two or more languages and long-term on-the-job training.
What they earn:** Interpreters — $37,700; Translators — $42,229

12.   Manicurists and pedicurists
What they do: Also called nail technicians, they groom and polish fingernails and toenails and provide manicures and pedicures.
What they need:* Postsecondary vocational award; license may be required
What they earn:** $19,978

13.   Medical assistants
What they do: Perform administrative and clinical tasks (depending on what’s allowed by the state) in doctor and other health practitioner offices
What they need:* Some may be trained on the job but others complete one- to two-year programs
What they earn:** $30,136

14.   Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants
What they do: Provide a variety of hands-on and routine tasks in many aspects of a patient’s care including but not limited to helping patients eat and groom, escorting them to exam and operating rooms, and taking temperature or blood pressure
What they need:* Postsecondary vocational award
What they earn:** $25,133

15.   Office clerk
What they do: Specific duties vary depending on type of office but can include administrative duties, data entry and using office equipment
What they need:* Short-term on-the-job training
What they earn:** $29,410

16.   Pharmacy technicians
What they do: Work in retail and mail-order pharmacies assisting pharmacists by preparing medication, stocking shelves and performing administrative duties; state rules regulate specific duties
What they need:* Moderate-term on-the-job training or certification
What they earn:** $28,624

17.   Restaurant cooks
What they do: Measure and cook ingredients according to recipes, use kitchen equipment and order food supplies
What they need:* Long-term on-the-job training or vocational training
What they earn:** $21,774

18.   Retail salesperson
What they do: Assist customers in choosing merchandise, maintain the look and feel of store to set standards and operate the cash register
What they need:* Short-term on-the-job training
What they earn:** $24,223

19.   Skin care specialists and estheticians
What they do: Cleanse and beautify the skin by giving facials, full-body treatments, head and neck massages, as well as apply makeup
What they need:* Postsecondary vocational award and license
What they earn:** $28,259

20.   Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer
What they do: Drive and operate large capacity trucks and vans and transport goods including cars, livestock and other materials city to city or over long distances
What they need:* Moderate-term on-the-job training, good driving record and commercial driver’s license
What they earn:** $34,618

*Minimum requirements according to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Requirements may vary by employer, job level and state requirements.

**U.S. national average salary according to CBsalary.com.

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Interestingly enough, when I got to work, I had an e-mail from a co-worker waiting for me. Inside, was a link to the most amazing job description I’ve ever read:

“Position: Island caretaker. Duties: Lazing around Australia’s Great Barrier Reef for six months. Salary: 150,000 Australian dollars ($100,000).”

This is not a joke.

Australia’s tourism department is seeking one lucky person to “stroll the island’s white sand beaches, snorkel, maybe take a dip in the pool — and post photos and videos of his or her experiences on a weekly blog,” while  residing on Hamilton Island, which is part of the Whitsunday Islands, for six months. (Hello, I could do that.) In addition to the lucrative six-figure salary, the position includes free lodging in an oceanside villa and airfare from wherever you currently live.

Applications are open until Feb. 22 and 11 finalists will be flown to Hamilton Island in May for the final selection process. The job begins on July 1.

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That word reminded me of the book “Mavericks at Work” by William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre.

We all have a pretty good idea in general of what qualities a maverick has, but what does a maverick in the workplace look like?

One great example in the book was the team at Craigslist. They’ve taken a very unconventional approach to everything.

• Most contemporary websites are a graphic designer’s playground, but Craigslist is a series of links in a table with minimal formatting.
• They actually delegate some important tasks to the users themselves. Specifically, Craigslist lets their community of users decide what content works and what’s inappropriate. Users can “flag” material, and if a certain threshold is met, the content is removed from the site.
• It’s about 99% free. (Only employers posting jobs and real estate transactions are paid ads, and only in a select few cities.)

It’s pretty safe to say that Craigslist is a maverick in the workplace, and certainly in the marketplace, where it completely changed the game for classified advertising.

Have YOU been a maverick in the workplace? Or were you part of a team, a project or a company that took a second look at the way things were done – and went after a new approach?

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Sports

If you love the game but did not become a pro athlete in your preferred sport, there are several ways you can be more than just an armchair quarterback! These are just a few potential sports-centered careers.

• Sports fans with a dual interest in medicine can focus your studies on sports medicine.
• Someone who is organized and has a mind for statistics and figures may be able to work in media. You might be able to become a reporter in traditional media or for a Web site that needs statistics and game-related content.
• If you have a major sports team near you, you might be able to work for them in an administrative capacity. Teams need administrative staff as well as marketing assistants who can help manage promotional items and advertising.
• If you are a sports aficionado with a mind for business or management skills, you could become involved with the management team of a sports franchise or represent a player as a business agent.

Music

Even if your singing skills would get you thrown out of an “American Idol” audition, there are still a number of jobs available for music fans, as well as singers and musicians.

• As in sports, marketing and public relations jobs are often available for a particular artist or the project they are working on.
• Music fans can work as part of the crew in music venues, or can become a “roadie” for a band on tour.
• Workers with management skills or a mechanical background can become part of the facilities management team at a music venue.
• If you have artistic skills, you could become a graphic designer and focus on creating cover art for an album or posters and promotional material for a tour.

Acting

Although New York and Los Angeles remain central hubs for film and television, many shows and feature films are being made across the country. There are also professional theaters across the country; these theaters hire actors for many of their productions. Even if you are not working as an actor, there are several other options.

• Workers with experience in hospitality can provide food and lodging for actors and crew.
• Many films and television shows need actors to work as “extras.” Actors can supplement their full-time income with extra work and use the gig as an opportunity to networking with other actors, directors and producers.
• If you have experience in event management, law, politics or marketing, you can become part of the local office or bureau that works to attract productions to your region. These groups work with local officials to coordinate access to filming locations, and will also work to create the financial agreement that would bring the production to town.

Other passions 

• If you have an interest in philanthropy or social change, consider working in an administrative role at a non-profit organization.
• Avid readers should consider working as a researcher or research writer, librarian or even a book reviewer.
• News junkies can pursue their interest by working in media. Although traditional media is changing, there are still jobs for anchors and reporters as well as researchers. You can also work as a blogger. And political news junkies can work as media researchers in political campaigns.
• If you love to write, and are on a corporate career path, consider finding a position that allows you to do a lot of research and writing. Positions as an administrative assistant, legal assistant or marketing may fit this category. These jobs may include opportunities to write correspondence, summarize research, and craft written procedures for your department or for your company.
• If you have a soft spot for animals, there are many options to merge that passion with your career. You can work for a veterinarian or be a staff member at an animal rescue shelter. You could also work at a zoo or as a pet groomer.

We have a few tools that will help you research these jobs. In addition to CareerBuilder.com, you can go to CBSalary.com for an estimate on what you will earn. Check our CBInstitute.com for information about enhancing your current skills. Or if you need training for a new field, take a look at DegreeDriven.com, which can help you decide on a college or university.

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You would think that sitting in a nice, air-conditioned theater with a bucket of popcorn and an endless stream of previews would keep me happy. But curiosity got the best of me and made me ask: How are these movie characters faring in their careers? And more importantly, how much money are they making?

I decided to do some research on CBSalary.com and see what I could find out. Here are some characters from recent films, and the salary that those fictional characters might rake in if they were real.

THE DARK KNIGHT: Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman, was the focal point of “The Dark Knight.” In the Batman mythology, Bruce has been described as a billionaire industrialist. The closest real-life figures to Bruce Wayne in terms of compensation and pay might be Bill Gates (net worth: $58 billion), Steve Jobs (net worth: $5.4 billion) or the founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page (net worth: $18 billion each).  I wonder if any of these guys have a secret life fighting crime?

GET SMART: The remake of “Get Smart” still had Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 working for the fictional spy agency CONTROL. Real-life criminal justice types who pursue a career as a CIA agent make an average of $51,700 annually. Hopefully, that salary allows for an upgrade from the clunky shoephone.

MAMMA MIA!:  In this film version of the stage musical filled with the music of ABBA, Meryl Streep plays the lead role of Donna, a former musician who now owns a hotel on a small Greek island. Managing the hotel is a handful for Donna, but it can be extremely rewarding. According to CBSalary.com, hotel managers make an average of $142,723.

HANCOCK:  John Hancock (played by Will Smith) might not be paid for his superhero duties, but his public relations man, Ray Embrey (played by Jason Bateman) earns his salary by keeping troublemaker Hancock out of trouble. The average salary for a public relations representative is $44,649. But agents like Embrey, who are based in Los Angeles and are handling celebrities, undoubtedly make far more.

KIT KITTREDGE: Though child labor laws would prevent a real-life Kit Kittredge from working at a newspaper, a reporter hired at a newspaper today makes an average of $40,902. Kit wrote on her typewriter about the events she saw from her treehouse. Today, a reporter must write about issues from around the corner or around the world. They also have to learn new technologies, like video, to incorporate into their reporting. Their stories are published in print as well as on the Web.

IRON MAN: Last but not least, we have Tony Stark from “Iron Man.” Engineers like Tony Stark make an average of $42,699 for a starting salary. Engineers with experience and advanced knowledge make an average of $98,300.

Check out CBSalary.com if you are curious about other careers and what those jobs are paid on average. And see you at the movies!

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