Where the jobs will be: Obama's green energy economy and you

One of the most poignant lines in Max Ehrmann's Desiderata is the advice that one should "Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time."

While the past few years have made that advice seem old-fashioned, the recent economic downturn has breathed new life into it. All of a sudden, people without jobs are waxing rhapsodic about the jobs they used to have, and people who are still employed are realizing just how lucky they are.

While it is probably too early to discuss the American economy's path to recovery, it never hurts to consider which industries are most likely to be hiring in the coming months. One major influence might be Barack Obama's much-vaunted plan for an alternative-energy economy. By stimulating growth in a variety of sectors, the alternative energy economy could, effectively, be a blueprint for the up-and-coming job market.