September/October 2009 Issue

A Matter of Degree

Six cutting-edge jobs you can get without a piece of sheepskin.

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[For the rest of MoJo’s Mini College Guide, read 10 Cool Schools, 8 Unusual Scholarships, and Give ‘Em Hellraisers.]

Solar panel installer 

What it takes: A one-week licensing class, no fear of heights, sunscreen
Average salary: $44,000

Hybrid auto mechanic
What it takes: Standard auto repair training, plus about 70 hours of specialized classes
Average salary: $66,000

Retirement plan specialist
What it takes: Licensing exam, ability to calm freaked-out boomers
Average salary: $57,000

Organic farmer
What it takes: Green thumb, will to resist the lure of Roundup
Average salary: Depends on how chichi your farmers market is

Nuclear reactor operator
What it takes: Three-year apprenticeship, exam, immunity to Homer Simpson jokes
Average salary: $78,000

Food cart purveyor
What it takes: Location, location, location
Average salary: Commensurate with drunkenness of clientele

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OUR DEADLINE MATH PROBLEM

It’s risky, but also unavoidable: A full one-third of the dollars that we need to pay for the journalism you rely on has to get raised in December. A good December means our newsroom is fully staffed, well-resourced, and on the beat. A bad one portends budget trouble and hard choices.

The December 31 deadline is drawing nearer, and if we’re going to have any chance of making our goal, we need those of you who’ve never pitched in before to join the ranks of MoJo donors.

We simply can’t afford to come up short. There is no cushion in our razor-thin budget—no backup, no alternative sources of revenue to balance our books. Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the fierce journalism we do. That’s why we need you to show up for us right now.

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