Best jobs for the long run

Job: Software sales, information technology

Regardless of economic conditions, companies will always need to upgrade their computer networking and security software, and there is a shortage of quality software salespeople with business-to-business experience, said Jason Hersh, managing partner of recruiting firm KleinHersh International, a member firm of the MRINetwork.

To get your foot in the door at a software company, you may start out on inside sales, in which you work the phones in-house to set up leads for salespeople in the field.

Once you build up your sales skills and are sent out into the field yourself, you typically work out of a virtual office from your home to build your client base. "It's an entrepreneurial job at its best," Hersh said.

His best advice to the Gen X and Y crowd: Don't job hop. "Try to do your due diligence so you know what you want to get involved in," he said. "You're most marketable when you have a proven track record."

Pay: To start, $40,000 to $60,000 base, plus another $40,000 to $60,000 in commission in a successful year; after 5 years, $75,000 to $100,000 base, plus another $75,000 to $100,000 in commission in a successful year.