Forget about pleasing your mother by becoming a doctor or a lawyer. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the second fastest growing occupation through 2014 is that of network systems and data communication analysts. Jobs in this category are expected to increase by 55% compared to the employment level in 2004.

Ranked 5th in this time horizon were jobs for computer software engineers-applications, which are seen as growing by 48%. Ranked 8th, 11th and 12th, respectively, are computer software engineers-systems software, network and computer systems administrators and data base administrators.

"Job increases will be driven by very rapid growth in computer systems design and related services, which is expected to be one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. economy," reported the U.S. Department of Labor in the 2006-07 edition of its Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Techies might also be surprised to learn that more IT jobs are available in the U.S. today than at the peak of the dot.com explosion, in spite of the offshoring of a number of jobs in this category.

What’s more, VoIP is quickly replacing the centuries-old, conventional communications industry. Simplicity and low cost are driving its rapid adoption by both consumers and businesses.

Developing applications that are able to make full use of the ever-increasing availability of new Internet resources requires professionals that satisfy demanding performance standards.

It has been stated that VoIP will be able to support new communications functions that don’t even exist today. The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates that "employment is expected to increase much faster than the average as organizations continue to adopt increasingly sophisticated technologies."