Medical Assistant –1 & 2 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $17,640 annually.

Medical Coding - 2 year program. Approximate starting wage: $16,460 annually.

Creative careers

These creative careers are also in great demand. Employers typically offer standard hours, but many people employed in these fields are able to work from home. Others open their own businesses and can work later at night or otherwise exercise more control on when they work.

Graphic Designer - 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $21,860 annually.

Desktop Publisher - 1, 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $18,670 annually.

Web Designer - 1, 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $33,970 annually.

Help Desk Analyst - 1, 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $23,060 annually.

Bonus Career

If you like working with technology and don’t want to sit behind a desk all day, you’ll be surprised how lucrative this career can be.

Machinist – 10 -14 month programs. Approximate starting wage: $9.57 hourly. (This wage is deceptively low. New machinists are making much more due to a sudden upturn in demand.)

Learn how you can train for one of these careers here. www.top-colleges.com

2. Teenagers under influence will usually go straight to their room when they arrive home. While making eye contact, hold a brief conversation. Check for bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and their sense of balance.

3. Keep lights on and stay up until your teenager comes home.

4. Ask your teen for time and watch way s/he looks at his or her watch.

5. If your teenager unexpectedly wants to spend night at a friend’s house, and you have concerns, say no.

6. Maintain a flexible schedule. Be unpredictable so your teen cannot find it easy to plan around your activities.

7. Keep abreast of what your teen is really doing when away from home. Meet their friends and their parents and participate in mutual activities. This is a very effective form of networking.

8. Ask your neighbors to discretely keep an eye on any activities that may take place while you are not home.

9. Check to see how your teens are doing in school. Ask their teachers if there is any cause for concern or if your teen has been behaving differently.

10. After you meet your teenager’s friends, always ask them to identify themselves when they call. Get to know them. Always encourage your teens to invite their friends over while you are home.

Remember, your goal should be to prevent your teenager from feeling free to experiment with drugs or alcohol. The best way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of their activities and friends using above methods.

Lastly, but most important, talk to your teenager on a regular basis about drug use she witnesses, and how she feels about it. Also, if she has been approached, have her describe how she handled situation. Strive for honesty and ask how you can help her to remain drug free.

This article is an excerpt from book "Realizing Power of Love," How a father and teenage daughter became best friends...and how you can too! By V. Michael Santoro, M. Ed and Jennifer S. Santoro. For more information visit their Web site at http://www.dads-daughters.com/

Copyright 2004 by V. Michael Santoro and Jennifer S. Santoro, All Rights Reserved.