By CORRIE BENFIELD
The Tampa Tribune

When you’re flipping through the job ads - or clicking through, as the case may be - ever notice the large number of employers seeking sales representatives?

Those positions have been ranked No. 1 in an employer survey about the toughest jobs to fill in 2007.

Manpower, an employment service company, released the results of its survey earlier this year, along with a top 10 list of hard-to-fill jobs from 37,000 employers in 27 countries.

Sales reps reigned for the second year, but engineers, nurses, administrative assistants, call center operators and machinists fell off the list for 2007.

Here, we take a look at the workers everybody seems to want.

1. SALES REP

PAY: $20,000-$69,000 on average, depending on the company

REQUIREMENTS: High school diploma or equivalent, good people skills

FACT: In many of these jobs, how much you make depends on how motivated you are and how good your communication skills are.

2. TEACHER

PAY: $38,000-$57,000 on average

REQUIREMENTS: At least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university

FACT: The Hillsborough County school district will have Teacher Interview Days on Thursday and Friday, and as many as 500 vacancies will be filled. (Preregistration is required.) The district typically has to fill 1,000 or more teaching positions during a summer.

3. MECHANIC

PAY: $26,000-$54,000 on average, depending on experience

REQUIREMENTS: High school diploma or equivalent, experience

FACT: Local career centers offer special training programs for high school students interested in becoming mechanics.

4. TECHNICIAN

PAY: $22,000-$63,000 on average, depending on the type

REQUIREMENTS: High school diploma, college degree in some cases

FACT: This job was also ranked No. 4 in the 2006 survey.

5. MANAGEMENT- EXECUTIVE

PAY: $112,000-$274,000 on average, depending on the type

REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree in some cases, experience

FACT: Many companies’ training initiatives are available only on weekends or at night. Manpower suggests workers make the extra effort if they want to get ahead.

Note: Pay and requirements were determined from information for the Tampa area.

Sources: Salary.com, Monster.com, Hillsborough County school district

HARD JOBS TO FILL

Nation

1. Sales representative

2. Teacher

3. Mechanic

4. Technician

5. Management/executive

6. Truck driver

7. Driver/delivery

8. Accountant

9. Laborer

10. Machine operator

World

1. Sales representative

2. Skilled manual trade worker

3. Technician

4. Engineer

5. Accounting and finance staff

6. Laborer

7. Production operator

8. Driver

9. Management/executive

10. Machinist/operator

TBO LOGO Keyword: Jobs, to find openings in the Tampa Bay area.

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