Time.com did a special awhile ago on “10 Jobs for the Recession“. Personally, I think it might not be wise to purposely look any of these particular type of jobs in a recession, as opposed to the field you’re trained in. And if you’re looking for a career switch, shouldn’t you be looking for a job that you WANT to have, or that you’re interested in, instead of a list like this?

Still, I guess if your economic situation is OK, it wouldn’t hurt to think about a job switch. One of the problems with changing careers is that you might have to go back to school to learn a new trade. Tuition and other costs can be tough in times like this. Nevertheless, it can be worth it.

I decided to go through their 10 picks and rate them on how viable I think it might be to switch to for the average person. I’m assuming for the most part you have no previous experience in the type of job, but you do have an interest in it, and a willingness to spend the time and money to learn it. It probably helps a whole lot if you have some sort of skills related to the job, though. Completely non-scientific and probably very biased, but here you go:

1. Accounting - Sometimes I think back to college and wonder why I didn’t become an accountant. Then I remember that it’s because it can be a boring as hell job. But man, they sure are doing well as far as demand goes and the pay is good. I also like that the skill set can be learned fairly quickly in a couple of years at a community college. No one’s going to say “Oh, you’re not an accountant from Harvard? We can’t hire you.” Viability: 7/10

2. Entrepreneur - I think that you might have to have the right personality and innate business sense to make this switch, otherwise I would rate it much higher. The internet age has made it a whole lot easier to jump into this area. Yes the risks are fairly high. But I didn’t say I was rating these jobs on how secure they were - just how easy it was to switch. Viability: 5/10

3. Police Officer - Nothing against the boys in blue. Well, I’m a little biased here, probably from being pulled over while going 41 in a 40 mile hour zone by cops trying to fill up their quota. But anyway, I think it might be a little tougher to get in if you’re older - I have no idea since I don’t know any police officers. Can you just jump into a police desk job? Viability: 2/10

4. Network and Computer Systems - This will be a tough one for a non-technical or science related person to just switch into, but it’s possible. I think there aren’t too many people who late in life all of the sudden decide they want such a specific technical job. I’d think most of the people interested in it would have gotten in while young. But you never know. Viability: 3/10

5. Nurse - I think more people might have the mindset and aptitude for this profession than you’d think. But I was a little surprised that they said the training for nurses could take as little as 2 years, I always thought a longer time in school was required. Makes me rate it a little higher. They also say that a medical assistant could be another alternative. Viability: 7/10

6. Nutritionist - I don’t really have any idea about this field, but it seems like it’d be difficult for an older person to jump into since it requires the 4 year degree, and probably experience. It seems like interesting work to me, though. Viability: 4/10

7. Physical Therapist - I actually know quite a few people who switched careers in order to become a physical therapist. Though you need the 2 year degree, it seems like the skillset might be within the reach of quite a few people. The only problem is if you’re older - man, after I hit 35 my physical energy went kaput. I don’t think I could handle the intense activity needed day after day. Shoot, I’m in NEED of physical therapy myself. Viability: 6/10

8. Teacher - I dunno. I hear all the stories about teachers being laid off and the struggles they have, but then you have all these people saying there’s still huge demand for teachers, especially in the sciences. I guess the type of teacher you are makes a huge difference. The plus side for older folks who already have a degree is that you might be able to use that as part of the requirement, and just go through the certification process. I have a friend who only recently got hired as an elementary school teacher after switching careers (econ bus major). The requirements didn’t take long, but it sure was hard for him to find a job. Viability: 5/10

9. Mathematician I was a little surprised that this career was included in the list. My earlier major was engineering so we had to take a ton of math classes. I always thought, I’m never going to use this stuff, whereas engineering seemed more practical. Turns out I was completely wrong - math major skills are in huge demand. While I think you need some sort of aptitude for this type of stuff (if you hate math, I don’t think you’re going to make it), and it does take the full four years, it’s definitely possible to make the switch later in life. (Note: interested parties may want to talk to Cheaplander contributor Allie, who’s working on a math degree)Viability: 4/10

10. Government Manager - OK, I just have to say that this is the type of job that I would want to get OUT of instead of INTO. It seems boring, the stink-factor is high (I can’t imagine too many people brag about being a government manager at parties) and it seems like you’d definitely have to already be some sort of manager type in order to take on this work. Flip side, I guess it’ll be a good fit for older workers who already have manager type experience Viability: 3/10