There is a great benefit to being a shaman. It is a hybrid class and can function as both a healer and a DPSer. Regardless of which specialization you choose, the right profession will help you become what we call the “best shaman” in Cataclysm:

First Choice Professions: Leatherworking and Skinning
The easiest career choice for a shaman is leatherworking and skinning. No matter what specification they have, they will be able to make special equipment for themselves. But the best part is this: you can craft pieces of leather gear for hunters or rogues and druids and earn extra gold by selling it. Finally, if a Shaman combines Leatherworking with Skinning, he can become a Master of Anatomy and can increase his critical strike rating by 32.

Second Choice Professions: Jewelry and Mining
If you’re a draenei then you default to +10 jewelry and this is a great option when playing a shaman on the Alliance side. Choosing jewelry has great benefits, for example, stone statues will be able to heal you and you could even place valuable gems, necklaces and rings that you craft, in the slots of your equipment. Think about combining Mining with Jewelry. Because? Because you will get Prospecting, a skill that allows you to extract valuable gems from the ores you collect while mining. It goes without saying how many ways there are to use these gems! There is also an added bonus with Mining, a buff called Toughness that increases your stamina by 50.

Third Choice Professions
And the rest of professions? What can they offer a shaman? First of all, don’t forget that Herbalism and Alchemy allow all classes to level faster and also give you an additional buff, known as Lifeblood, capable of healing your character for 2000 over 5 seconds. If you can combine Herbalism and Inscription, you will have the ability to make a variety of Glyphs depending on your specialization, totems, or spells. Shamans often lag behind and take no damage, so armor isn’t as important to them. So using the highest gear you can craft with Leatherworking and enchanting with Enchanting is always nice, but not necessary when attacking with a group.

Knowing the benefits that each profession has to offer your class is extremely helpful in making the right choice. Risky or not, you can take advantage of these attributes and become the best shaman in Cataclysm.