So You Want to Be a Photographer
Photography has come a long way from loading a Kodak Instamatic with a roll of film and snapping away. Photography, like so many other professions, has gone digital. There are photography legends, like Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz. Digital photography and SmartPhones make photography accessible and affordable. Posting a photograph that goes viral on Facebook can launch a career. A career as a photographer takes a good eye, a passion for the work and the right equipment to take and process photographs that are commercially attractive. Continue reading…
So You Want to be an Interior Designer
HGTV offers a variety of popular interior design and renovation shows like “Design Star,” and “The Property Brothers,” that take living spaces of all shapes and sizes and transform them into someone’s dream home or office. Often the living spaces are under-utilized. In comes the interior designer who listens to the client’s list of “must haves” and goes to work transforming the space to match the homeowner’s vision. Interior designers are more than decorators. They are change artists who can take ideas, and put them on first on paper as design plans and then see the plans become reality by transforming a living space. Continue reading…
Fast and Easy Ways to Complete a Job Application
You will most likely have to fill out an online application form to apply for any job. Companies like the online application process because all the information from applicants comes in the same format, making it easy to compare applicants. Online forms also work well with application screening software programmed to search for keywords identifying minimum requirements and other specifications. Whether filling out a paper form or online, what is easy for the company can be confusing and tedious for the applicant. Each application for employment asks for the same basic information but how you enter data can vary widely in format and setup. Continue reading…
Filling the Gaps with a Part-Time Job
Part-time jobs are perfect for those who already have something else that takes their “full-time.” Those people can be students, stay-at-home moms or dads, caregivers or full-time employees with traditional jobs. Part-time jobs fit into the available hours around other obligations. They are a necessity to pay the bills or a way to fulfill a dream, use other talents or just fill the time. Continue reading…
So You Want to Be a Nurse
The nurse, or someone who cared for the sick, infirm or aged, has been recognized since the beginning of time. Women were called upon to act as nurses because they were seen as natural nurturers. Nurses were untrained and poorly treated. The nursing profession was disorganized and lacked formal training and prestige until Florence Nightingale, who trained as a nurse in the mid 1800’s, was asked by the Secretary of War to organize nurses to care for British soldiers during the Crimean War.
Negotiating the Benefits Side of an Employment Offer
A job offer is the prize at the end of a successful job search, but it’s not the end of the road. Negotiating the final employment contract or job offer specifics is the next phase of the search before signing on the dotted line. There is an expression, “…money left on the table is gone forever.” Many times candidates miss out because they just accepted the standard benefit package. There are many ways to customize a job offer to meet your needs.
Get Passionate About Work with a Career Change
Changing jobs in the same field, even in a tight economy, can be risky. If you have several years of experience, moved up in the ranks with a string of notable accomplishments to add to your resume, you’ll probably be snapped up without too much trouble.
Changing careers, on the other hand, is a little more difficult. You may have been a great sous chef, but will you have what it takes to move into hotel front desk management? What if you’ve had it managing other people’s money as a Financial Advisor and decide to start a new career running a 24-hour fitness center? Do you want to get out of your dead-end administrative job to go back to school and get a law degree? They say it’s never too late to follow your passion, but what are the benefits and cost to make a major career change? Continue reading…
So You Want to Work in HR
If you’re a “people person,” you may think that working in HR is for you. While you have to be able to interact with a diverse group of people from different organizational levels every day, a career in human resources takes more than a friendly personality. HR has come a long way from hiring, firing, processing payroll and completing lots of paperwork. What was called personnel evolved into human resources, human capital management or talent management. Human Resources now has a seat on the Executive Committee and is a vital member of the strategic team. Continue reading…
Temp Jobs During your Job Search
Turning Temp Into Perm
If there is any bright spot in the lagging job market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, companies will be creating more temporary jobs in 2012. If you’re unemployed, that’s good news. Temporary jobs are a way to keep working, learn new skills or sharpen the old ones and bring in some needed income. Continue reading…
Internships – Paid to Learn
The job market is tight whether you’re a new graduate, changing careers or a Boomer not yet ready for retirement. One option available to a college student or new graduate is an internship at a company where you can gain valuable experience and be paid while you learn. Internships are available in just about any discipline and industry, private or non-profit. Continue reading…