Encore Careers - 4 Ways to Inject Fun Into Your Next Career

Are you starting to get a stronger sense of the "real" you? Are you ready to explore some of the many options available to you in the wonderful world of encore careers?

Remember, I define an encore career as a new stage of work, post-retirement, that's purposeful, meaningful, and joyful. It's work on your own terms; work that matters. An encore career is not one-size-fits-all. It's the perfect fit for who you are at this stage in your life.

Since you've finally earned the freedom to have fun, make sure your encore career is fun. If you're looking for meaningful engagement and fun, you might:

1. Express yourself creatively. Do you have a creative side that's never been fully expressed? Have you always wanted to act, paint, or write but never pursued the dream? It's not too late. My client, Jean, is a perfect example of living her creative dream later in life.

After "retiring" from a successful career as a therapist and completing her second Master's degree in her 60's, Jean was struggling with what might be next for her. In our coaching, she uncovered her passion for writing, and in fact, had quite a large body of unpublished work. She also had three ideas for books, and decided to write the "easiest" one first, and got it published.

Jean's second book is currently being shopped around to publishers, and she's working on her third book. Her passion for writing has led her to a side career speaking and leading workshops and retreats around the country, and she's having a blast. By allowing her rich, creative side to flourish, she's thriving in unexpected ways.

2. Follow your calling. Is there something you longed to do when you were younger but didn't have the discipline to go for? What's been "calling" you most of your life? What if you answered the call?

That's what John (eventually) did when he retired from his 35-year career in the military. He knew he would continue to work, but wasn't sure what would be the best fit. For the first few years he tried out a number of new things: selling solar panels, training to become a paralegal, and even trying to launch a home business. They didn't make his heart sing.

Since he was quite young, John had felt called to become a minister. In college, his lack of discipline made it challenging to pursue this calling, so he entered the military. Nearly 40 years later, he had the discipline and the ability to accomplish whatever he set his mind to, and answered the call to ministry.

Now in his late 60's, John is minister of his own church and loving every minute of it.

3. Create a business around what you love to do. Are you an entrepreneur at heart? What's your passion? How could you marry the two?

Darlene was downsized from a high-pressure sales position in a major financial institution. She needed a break, and took time off to recharge. She played with the idea of turning her passion for quilting into her lifelong dream of having her own business, created a business plan, and took the first tentative steps toward getting the business off the ground.

After four months, she started to worry about her cash flow, and went back to work in sales. Two months into the new position and she was clear it was time to be her own boss. She's devoted herself totally to the business, has had a successful launch, and is on target to meet her plan this year.

And, of course, she's having the time of her life!

4. Make an impact. Do you have a deep desire to make a contribution? What if you brought your incredible experience, resources, and wisdom to solving a serious social issue in an innovative way?

I first read about Dr. Jack McConnell in Marc Freedman's book, Prime Time: How Baby Boomers will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America. After retiring from a successful medical practice, Dr. McConnell moved to a gated community in Hilton Head, SC and played golf until boredom began to set in.

He saw that people living outside his gated community were living very differently than he and his affluent neighbors. Many were uninsured and using the local hospital emergency room when in crisis. He saw a way to provide excellent health care and save the community money.

It wasn't easy, but he persuaded the local hospital, businesses, and legislators to support his vision of a free clinic. He enrolled his neighbors who were retired doctors, nurses, and dentists in donating their time to this new venture, Volunteers in Medicine (VIM), and providing excellent medical care to the people of Hilton head. They now experience a joy in practicing medicine that they didn't believe possible.

Dr. McConnell has since helped his dream become a reality in communities around the country, and I'll bet he's having fun.

Each of these extraordinary role models didn't land in the perfect encore career right off the bat. Each one kept exploring until they locked into "it". Each found a purpose that's fun, and is making a difference.

What would give your life meaning and be fun, too?

Copyright (c) 2009 Lin Schreiber

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Fashion and Retail Management - A Fun Career!

Have you ever been told that you have a great eye for style? Or perhaps you take a special interest in what's going on in the fashion worlds of Paris, Milan and New York. Or maybe you just love to shop. If this sounds like you, consider a career in Fashion and Retail Management. This exciting degree that can be earned with accredited online university programs can be a great option if these are your hobbies. Your work can be fun! Not only will you enter the exciting world of fashion, but you'll also get to see and manage all facets of the process.

You may work in research and trends. Those indispensable people who help to market new and exciting fashion ideas examine the market carefully; researching trends and then helping advertisers come up with appropriate campaigns to sell the newest fashions to the public. If you're a creative and savvy individual, this might be for you. Or you might be more interested in the management side of things, and prefer to manage a team of professionals to market and deal with stores and boutiques to sell your high fashion products. You can help new and up and coming designers with their business plans and help them break onto the fashion scene.

Fashion and Retail Management is a great accredited online university program that can fulfill your love and desire to be a part of this fast moving and exciting industry. If you're ready to take on a new career in a field you love, this might just be for you.

DegreeSearch.org

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Identifying Your Ideal Career

What is an ideal career? An ideal career is one in which a person's mind is aligned to his heart in order to create a synergy effect. This is a state in which the heart and the mind work towards creating more and more success in that particular career. Every hour that is spent in working in that area gives a feeling of passion, energy, excitement and the willingness to do more.

Are you experiencing such feelings in your career? Maybe, you are not into your ideal career then.

In order to understand what a person's ideal career is there is a simple exercise that needs to be done in order to understand the first step towards understanding that one activity that you as an individual is supposed to do on this Earth.

The process is described in the following steps:

1.) Identify a time and a place when you are least distracted with noise and day to day tasks.

2.) Position yourself in a comfortable state, either sitting or laying down on the bed.

3.) Clear your thoughts with any distractions of the day and start focusing on the things that you LOVE in your day to day life. Think of all the activities that you do that makes you feel at the top of the world, makes you excited about life.

4.) Next, identify that one activity that you as an individual are willing to do it for free. Since you enjoy doing that activity so much that if there are no financial pressure and family situations that you would absolutely enjoy doing that for others. Don't restrict your imagination it could be dancing, teaching, singing, reading. Absolutely anything

5.) Once you have identified that one task, that you may be willing to do it for free.

It is the career choice that you as a person would be ideal for.

The next step in this process is identifying the ways on how the career out of it could be made, what specific job or business that could be initiated which would match that passion of yours. This is Step TWO.

Afiq Ahmed Hassan

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Fun Careers to Spice Up Your Life

There are a majority of people out there who want to have a fun job that will spice up their life. Working is usually a basic necessity for most of us. This does not mean that the kind of job that you do has to be pathetic or boring or miserable. In fact, these can be fun to work on, high paying and at the same time interesting. Though the definition of fun is something that varies, people can generally agree on a few basic categories. Have you ever wondered about the career of the guy who helped you out with tips regarding where to go and the things to do in your vacation to Spain? Who's that person, the Marilyn look-alike?

Well, to start with, there are different kinds of jobs which might trigger your attention and this is all the more highlighted when you describe the things that you do. There are various jobs which are considered fun and unique or cool. However, after that being said, the question that comes up is: how paying are these jobs? Do they pay you well? If you are being apprehensive, it's time to reconsider. There are enjoyable jobs that exist with lots of positions that help you to do the things that you love and at the same time get paid for it. The deciding factor is: how good is the pay?

Organize and Manage Events

When it comes to event management, one thing that everyone knows is that these jobs are fun, exciting and above all well paying. If you are the sort of person who enjoys being in the limelight at the hub of all the action, it's time for you to consider a position as an event manager. A job in the live events category might be the right career chart for you. The live event management jobs are all about those who love amusing the public and make the most out of their ability to organize events. Some of the job profiles include:

* Event planners

* Field workers

* Event security personnel

* Sound coordinators

* Food vendors

* Public relations officer

One of the important parameters of the event jobs is that you should have the willingness and nerve to give the event all it needs to make it a successful one. It is easy to locate a profession that is based on managing an event, although the basic thing to remember is that you have to know where to look for. A lot of websites concentrate on live events. At times there are flyers or posters that are posted on local playhouses and performance theaters promoting work opportunities for various kinds of entertainment event jobs which calls for performers. Organizational event planning jobs are factors that make an event successful. Hence, if you have that dynamism in you, go for ensuring that the event is organized in the best way possible.

Want to Be a Model?

If you are looking ahead to a career in modeling, you should know how to stand out from the crowd and the thousands of other aspiring models who are contending for a shred of success in this highly competitive industry. Although modeling as a job is fun and entertaining, you actually need to sweat it out since there might be potential clients looking ahead to sort through miscellaneous careers every time a casting is conducted for a modeling project. It is thus important to set out in the industry with a professional portfolio which is the most important step to ensure progress in the sector. Make sure that as a young model, you know the difference between a scam artist and a reputable agency.

The first thing that you should do in themodeling jobs is use digital photographs of yourself and an email id. This is a simple method about which a lot of people are not aware, although it is uniquely recommended and preferred among the top modeling agencies all over the world. As a starter, it is best not to waste your money on professional photography. You need to contact specific agencies that do the work correctly for you. Make sure you learn the on set etiquette which helps you understand the job as a first timer.

Shape your Career with Strokes of Fine Art

If you are wondering what the fine arts jobs are all about, you should note that there is more to fine arts than merely sculpting and painting. The aim of the fine arts degrees is to provide training and education in the visual arts and apply them practically in different types of professions. The different kinds of jobs that the fine art trainees can take up are that of animators, fine artists, art directors and craft artists. The broad ranges of categories that are included within the spectrum of fine arts are:

* Illustrators

* Photographers

* Painters

* Sculptors

The competition in the art jobs is fierce, but then with a little amount of diligence, you can easily get a strong footing. If you have this tendency of designing things that are beautiful and useful like pottery, stained glass painting, sculptures, wood carvings, or hand woven rugs, you can pursue a career as a fine artist. Graduates who have a degree in fine arts can make the most of their qualification by indulging in something fun and exciting as creating an artifact, art and craft objects, or start a boutique of their own and market them appropriately.

Fun jobs are everywhere! And we're not talking about modeling jobs and event jobs here. What you need is just the patience and aptitude to stay up with the competition for the maximum amount of success and exposure. For instance, you could be a hair stylist or sommelier who tastes wines or for that matter a theme park employee. Imagine gilding through the rides and guiding people through the Ferris wheel or roller coaster. Nothing is as satisfying as being engaged in a job that you love. So, make the most of your education and get a fun job today!

Michael Fish

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Workplace Sarcasm - When Being Funny Hurts Your Career

Every office has one. The employee who is quick-witted and always seems to know when to throw in a snappy bit of sarcasm to make everyone chuckle about an obnoxious client or less-than-exciting new company policy. Their sharp sense of humor is often used in to lighten the mood and diffuse tense moments. And yet...

When does the sarcastic employee cross the line?

Do they realize the negative impact they can have while desperately trying to seek a laugh? More importantly, can their sarcasm eventually hurt their career?

True story...

Back in my early twenties, I worked for a start-up company that was full of fellow young professionals. We were all recent college grads looking to finally start to make some good money and had hitched our stars on the excitement of working for a cutting-edge company that gave us stock options and hopes of a big payout in the not-so-distant future.

In the beginning, our team was on fire. The company expanded quickly and the energy was intensely fun. But then, some things happened to tarnish the rosy of glow of start-up life. A round of layoffs, followed by a change in our commission structure had us all working more and making less. We were frustrated and angry. And looking back, our lack of workplace experience showed in that we didn't know how to react to what was happening. Many of us started commiserating after work over drinks, eyeball rolling became the norm throughout the day, and a somber, secretive-type communication style replaced our light-hearted banter of earlier days. Times were tough.

Then one day, a very sarcastic co-worker decided to take venting his frustrations to a whole new level. He started crafting top secret e-mail rants. He would wax on about various managers, poking fun at everything from their voice to their sense of fashion. Now that I think of it, his daily e-mails were almost like blog posts. Initially, people looked forward to getting them and you could hear a certain style of 'chuckle' that always told you who, across a sea of cubicles, was reading the latest one. His e-mails were like a guilty pleasure served up to ease the stress of working in a downtrodden corporate culture.

But then, as things got progressively worse on-the-job, so did the intensity of the employee's sarcasm. And, somewhere along the line, the e-mails went from funny to uncomfortable.

In an effort to retain the interest of his readership, the employee's sarcasm took an evil turn. He expanded upon who he wrote about, sometimes leaving people off the e-mail list just to make fun of them. No one was off limits to this employee. If someone looked at him the wrong way, the result could be a page-long demoralization. Furthermore, his obsession with producing these e-mails seemed to have a direct impact on his performance. Not only did he start failing at work, his work relationships started failing too. People became afraid of being associated with him, especially when they realized that getting caught reading one of these e-mails could get them in trouble. And then it happened, the ultimate betrayal...

The sarcastic employee was turned in by another employee who had found out he was being 'ragged on' in these e-mails repeatedly. The company IT guy researched and found out just how much work time had been spent on writing/distributing the e-mails and the employee was let go. Talk about tough to explain on job interviews:

Hiring Manager: "So, why did you leave your last job?"

Sarcastic Employee: "Well, I was trash talking everyone in the company in e-mails during work hours and got caught."

To make matters worse, it had been his first real job (i.e. professional setting), and now he had no reference. He couldn't get any of his former co-workers to agree to talk to potential employers for him either because we were all promptly instructed on the 'no reference giving' policy by the HR Manager right after his departure.

So, here's my question: Was he the only one to blame? Yes, he wrote the e-mails, but it was the initial reaction he got from all of us that fueled him to write more, which lead him down a path to destruction.

My takeaway from the experience was this: There's humor and there's sarcasm. We need the first in the workplace, but not necessarily the second.

What are your thoughts? Do the sarcastic people in your company cross boundries at times? How do you respond to them? Is there room for sarcasm in the workplace? Does using sarcasm put your career at risk?

J.T. O'Donnell

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The Pros and Cons of Blogging For Your Career

Blogging has become an impulsive contemporary art for careerists. Should you develop your own blog or shouldn't you? Will it help or hurt your career? Let me present this canvas to you as a primer of sorts to think about this issue.

Much of my career practice and coaching involves an organizing thought: You own the business of your career. It's your worklife mission, your vision. For years I coached and, some would say, admonished my clients to take ownership of their career paths as they work for someone else. When you do not own the business, one of the greatest ways you can help or hurt your career centers around your own online and offline reputation. With so many choices and so much information at the click of a computer key we may feel information overload no matter what our career field might be. We may also feel empowered to create or destroy.

What's easy can be fun or dangerous. In a matter of minutes you can set up your Blogger, WordPress, Typepad or related blog site. And the minute you post? Your words can be accessed by billions of people around the world. No Web designer needs to be hired. No technical guru at x dollars an hour has to listen to and potentially kill your ideas. You own this medium. You have freedom. You can say or site anything. There's no waste of time and no need to white-board everyone else's ideas.

It's so easy but don't let the impulsive ease of blogging let you forget about the eyes that watch your art, your views, your passions, protests, observations and objections.

How might this medium help - or hurt - your career direction and path?

How it can help:

1. You have an audience. Keep it positive.

Blogging may add to the company's brand and your position as an authority or subject matter expert within your company or your field. Jane S. worked at a powerful, regional advertising company. She cleared her personal blog through her boss, her boss' boss and her company human resources department. They said she didn't have to but with my advice she did. During a recession she has received two promotions and her blog has since been incorporated into the main site of the corporation because of its powerful, business development prowess. She says, "Now 40 percent of my time is incorporating my personal brand or blog into the company's brand with the complete blessing of the executive team."

2. Paint the right picture. Drive customer confidence.

As you cite critical sources and make intelligent, important observations your personal blog augments your position within your company and promotes your company. You never bash your company. You can be yourself and be authentic. James P., a salesman, asked for permission from his company to comment on his business travels and business adventures as a technology sales consultant. Customers love the funny, idiosyncratic stories. James says, "My blog has been a business generator for the company and earned me four speaking engagements on behalf of the company and four speaking engagements locally that were sponsored by local sales networking organizations. I can't believe it. It's made me kind of recession-proof in my career!" His first book is being self-published and his company uses him to teach and train all new sales personnel.

3. Get a raise and a promotion. Defend the faith.

Blogging helps you document and publish your ideas while associating with great people. Again, Alice P. published her blog under a pseudonym two years ago. Today she has kept the quirky observations about life, travel, art and kids quite eclectic. Her blogging has incorporated funny observations about office life without offending anyone at work. It's been serialized by the company and referred to. The CEO thought her site should be commented on, featured and linked to by the company to help with esprit de corps. Alice states, "Now I have an in-house company editor who helps me promote and publish my blog. We've added videos and more fun stuff. The company pays me monthly." She keeps her comments happy, funny and still personal.

How blogs can hurt:

1. One small step. Negative posts can be fatal.

Blogging can open you up for many legal, liability and employment questions, problems or crises. Last year, Jim C. came to me after he had posted a rather nasty post on his Top Ten Worst Retailers in the World blog. His company did business with two of those retailers and as nosy or highly sensitive corporate personnel found out about his lambaste it caused a rift at the company. According to Jim, "This year for other reasons I was let go. It was not the economy. I crossed the line."

2. Pictures tell a thousand stories.

Larry seemed to pipe up at work a lot about things that bothered him. So he decided to publish a seemingly anonymous blog. As a techy he posted hundreds of comments on political ideas, people he thought should be impeached and railed against what he considered bad taste and fashion. He did this anonymously under a lot of different names. But when he decided to take pictures at the year end Christmas party and publish captions that offended nearly everyone, he was, well, suspended without pay forever (fired).

3. Beautiful art can be destroyed.

Craig became disillusioned after an 18-year career. Nearing retirement, his company had promoted three people younger than him to the technology director level. Years ago he had engineered their Web presence. Knowing that having no blog presence left his company vulnerable, he found it increasingly interesting and titillating when he created a blog presence, added negative comments to company products and dumped a list of customer complaints onto the proverbial, anonymous IHATEXCOMPANY.com, the site a former employee developed to stick it to the man. Under pressure, the IHATEXCOMPANY.com author faced legal entanglements and gave up Craig's name as a blogger. Now Craig is in litigation. It's not looking good.

Imagine you're an artist like Michelangelo dipping brush to paint; a seemingly limitless creative well. You're halfway done with your masterpiece, the signature of your worklife and rather spiritual mission. As you take your impossible position on the scaffold to paint more of the Sistine Chapel you have a thought. Imagine you could destroy your Sistine Chapel with one strike of the match. Like the great artist, blogging can help you take ownership of your career and worklife vision. Of course, it can also be just for fun too. But let's also realize you, like the great artist, have the power to create or destroy your career future with just a few strokes or decisions.

Make sure you know your audience and you understand the potential impact of your newly minted blog posts. It could make a lasting impression and a permanently positive or negative impact on your career picture. Paint yours. Paint it well.

John M. O'Connor

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Job Hunting Tips - Efficient Job Search Strategies

Job hunting is more competitive than it has been in years. The present economy means that there are countless newly-unemployed people looking for the same jobs you are. Therefore it is more important than ever to know everything you can about job hunting skills.

Make sure everyone you know is aware that you are looking for a new job. Most jobs are never advertised and therefore if you are searching only in newspapers and online job sites, you are missing a lot of opportunities. Utilize social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to get it out there that you are looking for work. Just remember to use social networking wisely. Anything and everything that you put on the web is something that a potential employer can see. Therefore, choose wisely before you share too much in cyberspace.

Research companies in your area and check their websites. Jobs may be listed there that are not listed elsewhere. If you are interested in working for a particular firm, call them, send them your resume and follow it up with a phone call. Get the name of a contact person to speak with there.

Create a sensational resume, having spent a great deal of time on it. Have it proofread and critiqued by several people. Remember to tailor it to every job you apply on. It will make a huge difference in getting interviews, as the resume typically makes the very first impression that someone has of you. Grab them with a great "Career Objective" that is perfectly tied to the job you are seeking. Use resume buzz words and terms from their job description throughout the resume and cover letter to help cinch the fact that you are the perfect fit for the job.

Write thank you notes after a job interview. This is a crucial step that many people skip. Doing this one thing can make the difference between choosing you or someone else for the job. Be prompt with the note; send it the same day as the interview. Send thank you notes individually to all those who interviewed you. Reiterate your desire to work at the firm, your suitability for the job, add anything you may have forgotten to mention and above all, thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity.

Prepare well for interviews. Learn everything you can about the company you are being interviewed for. Prior to the interview have intelligent questions formulated that show that you have knowledge of the company, because the interviewer will always ask if you have any questions. Practice the answers to typical interview questions. Write out the answers and rehearse them, so that you feel comfortable answering them during the stress of the interview. Have impeccable grooming and dress your best for the interview. Remember that first impressions are made in the first seconds you meet someone, so put your best foot forward, radiate confidence and offer a firm handshake to create the best impression possible.

Treat the job hunt like you would a job. Start early in the day and keep going until the end of the workday. Dress like you are going to work, or even better. Do not sink into the trap of depression because you are job hunting. Strive to do your best at job hunting, because that is your job if you are out of work.

By working hard and putting the required effort into your job hunt, you can be confident in the fact that you are doing all you possibly can to find a job. Be patient and use your imagination as you seek opportunities. Before you know it, you'll find the perfect job just for you.

Jason Kay

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3 Golden Keys to Job Hunting For New Grads

So you just graduated college finally and are looking for your first real entry-level job. How should you go about your job hunt? Just sit home and click away at the "submit resume" button all day? Stop what you're doing! Find out what are the real keys to job hunting as a new grad in this economy and improve your chances out there!

1. Consistency

Ever hear the phrase "looking for a job is a job itself"? That holds true for many people. If you want to be successful in your job search, you must have a certain job hunt process you go through every day and you must carry it out, every day consistently. Now for college grads this shouldn't be anything new; studying in college showed you that consistency brought results. Were you more confident going into a test studying at the last minute, or reviewing content every week? Here's a little example below of a job hunt process:

o You wake up and apply for jobs online you see posted (job boards, job aggregators, corporate sites)

o Spend a few hours reading articles on how to brush up your job interview skills, how to

improve your resume. Maybe even do a mock interview with your family or friend.

o Later you spend an hour or so trying to figure out who you can network with (who do my friends

know? Who does my family know? What about online networking sites like LinkedIn, who should I contact locally?).

This is just a small example, and by no means should you manage your time particularly like this - but what's important is the fact that these are steps. You must be consistent and keep at what you are doing. If you don't stay consistent during your job hunt, what happens is you see no results.

For example, say you start networking on Monday and apply to jobs, and then don't follow up on networking the next few days and focus just on your resume. A week passes by, and you totally forgot about replying back to the people you networked with. Those people may now think you're unorganized and already you lose any value you could present to them as an acquaintance. You have to stay consistent with what you do as a job seeker; show those people you're on top of things and are eager to find work.

2. Focus

What is the particular job position you are looking for? What industry? Fresh graduates have a lot of trouble with this one, partly because many are not even 100% sure what job they want. Once again, coming out of College, you have experience with this: you spent 4 years trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, what to major in, so this is just another thing you have to figure out.

Two things College grads should focus on:

1. What is the job position you really want?

2. What industry do you want to work in? What companies do you find attractive?

We are in a recession and you'll be told not to be picky, but believe it or not, sending out 50 resumes every day to 50 different jobs at 50 different companies in totally different industries will not yield the best results for your job search.

So what happens if you focus on a job and industry?

Job position: Take a look over at your resume, what duties have you performed that could be applicable to an entry-level job that you like? Fast-forward to an HR manager reading your resume, they'll see your job duties are similar to the ones advertised in this new job opening, and you look like promising candidate now. Match your skills and strengths to particular job types as well.

Industry/Company: Get involved in an industry you're passionate about. Join clubs and organizations and read their newsletters, magazines, and books. Most importantly keep up with the trends in the industry. Why? Let's say you are networking with a particular person who works for a company in the entertainment industry and bring up in the conversation some trends you noticed or predictions you have. What will happen immediately is that person will be impressed that not only have you done your research as a college graduate, but you have a strong passion for that industry and it shows! Passion truly does give you motivation, and motivation is a recipe for success when you are working so remember that.

3. Change

People change, job duties change, the economy changes, so why shouldn't your job search strategies? Set a "Point of Review" - this could be every week, two weeks, or even every month or two (we don't suggest waiting too long).

During your Point of Review you should analyze 3 things:

1. What are your results so far? Write them down; 1 interview? 2 leads you got through networking?

2. What approach did you take that lead to those results? Did you talk about the industry trends with the person you were networking with? Did you leave out the "Career Objective" in your resume?

3. What are you going to change this time around?

During your job search (especially as a new grad) it is difficult to understand the cause and effect relationship of things you do, but sometimes some things are quite obvious. A small tweak in your resume's language can make a huge impact. Similarly, a simple change in your body language when you go to networking events can make a huge difference. For example, take note of how you acted; were you talking too long during the interview? Did you interrupt the interviewer a few times perhaps?

What you should do is try to use your "observing ego" - this is when you essentially observe what you say and how you act, and the results that come with that. Remember how you went about things and think of what you can change - little things of course, we're not saying you should go to your next networking event in your Halloween costume (although that would be very entertaining for the rest of us).

So that's it, consistency, focus, and change. These are basic principles that bring great results so use them to your advantage.

Good luck on your job hunt new grads!

Kevin Cormac

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Job Hunting Online - Some Good Reasons To Post Your Resume Online

Online job hunting and career hunting websites have been increasing over the years. Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com are two websites that are very popular even today. One nice thing about these websites is that you can look through a huge number of jobs ranging from hundred to over thousand and also look for them near your locality.

Many of these job hunting and career hunting sites will let you look for jobs around the place you live. This can easily be done with a little help form your side. Your zip code and how much distance you are willing to travel is all you will need to enter. You can also change settings in such a way that you can choose what kind of a job you want to take up and also jobs that are related to a certain industry. You can also look through these websites without having to create an account most of the times. However, if you want to apply for any sort of job you will need to register here. Many of the job hunting and career hunting websites are free to use most of the times.

When you do apply for a job online through these websites, the process of the application will depend on the questions of the site. A small from will need to be filled sometimes. A little information from you and also job experiences will be asked. A resume will also need to be attached. Many of the sites do however let you create your resumes then and there on the site itself. It is very necessary that you attach a resume as it will give more job opportunities to you.

Many of the sites let your resume be looked upon by employers who are looking for people. This also helps you in an extra way as you will not need to run around and search as the site itself helps you get a job. All you need to do is simply upload your resume. Most of these websites will make your resume be seen only by employers and hence you may get more job offers. You do not need to worry as they will not go into the wrong hands.

With hardly any work on you, you can be sure to get a job by simply uploading your website and making it available to the employers. The employers also do find this method convenient as they do not have to go through the trouble of searching the one million resumes that are posted. You never do know who is going to give you a job and what sort of a job you will be getting at the end of the day.

Most of these job hunting and career hunting websites do allow you to make use of their services with no charge form their side. You can also upload your resume by paying nothing. You may therefore do this as you have nothing to lose but a lot to gain at the same time.

Abhishek 

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What Types of Business Administration Careers Are Available?

If you are considering getting a bachelor degree online, but aren't certain what field to go into, you might consider one of many business administration careers. And if you are a working adult who is looking for a career change but is concerned about leaving everything in order to return to school, you'll be glad to know that there are many accredited online colleges that offer business administration degrees online.

Business is indeed the business of America, and finance is what Americans - at least those fortunate and smart enough to know that they way to wealth is not through work, but though buying, selling and moving financial instruments - do best. The future of the world belongs to those who know the rules of acquisition and how to apply them to their own advantage. Business administration careers are the paths to the top of what is by nature a rigidly hierarchical system.

Most of us would agree that it is better to be in the higher levels of a hierarchical system than toward the bottom. A business administration degree is also quite flexible, and can take you any number of places - something that is quite useful in a dog-eat-dog system in which one's head may be on the chopping block for any reason at any time without warning (metaphorically speaking, of course).

Of course, the unsung hero of any business organization is the "bean-counter" - the accountant. Although it is not nearly as glamorous as many other business careers, the accountant is indispensable to any well-run business; career and job opportunities are plentiful. A good accountant will never lack for employment. Accountants are also frequently self-employed free-lancers as well.

Banking and brokering are very hot careers in the new global economy. As you are probably aware, since 1980 the U.S. has moved its economic base away from manufacturing and real services (now well covered by our good friends in China and India) and toward a financial services base. Investment bankers, commodity brokers and stockbrokers are all positions that provide and control the flow and movement of assets in these areas.

As a human resource manager, you'll be among those that decides who gets the job and who doesn't. While there are many responsibilities for the HR person, the power associated with this career makes it quite worth the extra effort.

These are only a few of the many careers open to one who obtains their business administration degree online. Jobs for such people abound in the public as well as the private sector. The former offers greater security as well as opportunities to serve the public good. However, the latter is where the money is; it is no coincidence that many who leave government employment go on to highly lucrative careers in the private sector, especially lobbying. Who knows? With the skills you gain working toward a business administration degree online, you may even wind up writing important legislation from a corporate office on K Street!

Anne Harvester

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Database Administrator Careers

Database administrators are often confused with computer systems analysts and even computer scientists. While these three careers are often lumped together when it comes to reporting trends and salaries, each career has its own set of job duties, educational requirements, and even salary. Database administrators coordinate changes to computer databases and test and implement the database by applying knowledge of database management systems.

These professionals also plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases. Computer systems analysts analyze science, engineering, business, and all other data-processing problems for application to electronic data processing systems. Computer scientists work as researchers, theorists, and inventors. They do everything from creating programming languages to designing robots. See the differences?

The number of database administrators is expected to grow from 119,000 to 154,000 by 2016. These figures represent a 28.6% increase in job growth over the next six years. Job growth is expected to grow at such a rapid pace thanks to advances in technology, workers that advance to other careers or retire, and changes in security standards. Anyone interested in entering this field can expect to find plenty of opportunities in every sector, but computer systems design will have the most offerings. In addition, there will be a strong demand for seasonal employees, independent contractors, temporary employees, and telecommuters as companies slowly begin to regroup and restructure.

Not only is the demand for database administrators on the rise, their' salaries are on the rise as well. Database administrators earned an average salary of $67,250 per year in 2009. In 2008, they earned an average annual average salary of $64,670. This means between 2008-2009, database administrators' salaries increased by nearly 4%, which is excellent in the nation's current economy. Database administrators earn around $83,830-$103,100 per year on the high end and $37,350 per year on the low end (entry-level).

If you want to become a part of a growing industry that offers competitive salaries, you can begin by enrolling in a bachelor's degree program in information science, management information systems, or computer science. It is important to note that more and more employers are paying close attention to applicants with a master's degree in business administration (MBA) with a focus in information systems, mainly because these businesses plan to move their operations to the Internet.

If you would like to start out at the community college level and work your way up, you will find that most community colleges and independent technical institutions and proprietary schools offer an associate's degree in computer science or a related field. Not only will an associate degree prepare you for study at a 4-year institution, it can also help you get a foot in the door at a number of companies that need entry-level help. It is not uncommon for database administrators to work in the field while earning their bachelor's or master's degree.

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Fashion Design Skills 101 - Skills That Fashion Schools Don't Cover Nearly Enough

In fashion school, most of your time was spent learning to create fashion illustrations, draping, sewing, and flat patternmaking. While these are good skills to have, they aren't very practical when you're trying to land your first job in the fashion industry. In the real world you'll be expected to know how to create computerized flat sketches, develop garment specs, CADs, and presentation boards. And I know some of you are thinking "But I learned those things in school too!" To which I reply: You think you know, but you have no idea! Take it from experience: fashion schools don't focus on those skills nearly enough to fully prepare you for your first design position. In this article I will discuss each skill and its importance in the fashion industry.

Draping and Patternmaking - Low Importance

While patternmaking and draping are valuable skills, they usually only come in handy when you deal with a lot of fits. However, fittings are usually conducted by technical design teams so if you got into fashion for creative reasons, you'll most likely be miserable in this type of position. On the creative side of design, all you need is a basic understanding of what creates a good fit, and how to fix a bad one. In the majority of design positions, hands-on patternmaking skills are not necessary, unless you plan to enter Project Runway!

Sewing - Low Importance

On the creative side of design, sewing isn't that relevant. Yes, it's good to understand the general concepts of garment construction, but you don't need to be a great seamstress. On the job, if you need to know how a certain garment is constructed, there are tons of references available: from clothes at the stores, to "how to" books and online articles. The point I'm trying to make is: if you're sewing skills leave something to be desired, don't stress over it.

Illustration - Almost Unnecessary

Sadly, fashion illustrations are a dying art in the industry - they are scarcely used by designers in the real world. The fashion illustration has been replaced with computer drawn stylized technical sketches (floats) or more accurate technical flats, which are faster to sketch and much more practical. Not only do they present a clear representation of design concept, but they are a must have for production. Flats can be turned into CADs and can be used in mood/presentation boards. Fashion schools have not followed this shift and still focus more heavily on illustrations, and not enough on flat sketching.

Computer Programs - Must Know

I can't stress enough the importance of knowing popular computer applications for creating floats, flats and CADs. Most companies expect proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Microsoft Excel since they are relatively affordable in comparison to more industry specific software. Unfortunately, the coverage of Illustrator and Photoshop provided by fashion schools does not meet the actual demands of the fashion industry. Many companies are also requesting knowledge of WebPDM, so if your college offers a course in this program, it would be to your benefit to take it. If your school does not teach this program, find a school or venue that does offer this program and take it!

Flat Sketching - Must Know

While interviewing candidates for design positions, we've seen applicants' portfolios filled with beautiful illustrations and then say "That's nice, but can you flat sketch?" If flats are included in their portfolios, they are usually basic, lack important details, and are not visually appealing. If the candidates sketches are halfway decent; my next question is "do you know Illustrator and Photoshop? " Almost everyone says yes, but it's usually far from the truth.

A lot of fashion school grads seriously believe that they know these programs well, but what you learned in school isn't enough - fashion schools don't teach these skills well enough for entry level designers to be competent within the fashion industry. Schools just cover basics, which are usually forgotten without practice. Take the extra effort to practice and become comfortable with Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and other programs beyond what schools teach: read books and take additional courses (offered in either classroom or online settings).

Creating Specs in a Copycat Industry - Must Know

Knowing how to spec (measure and detail) a garment to create garment specifications, or "specs" is a fundamental skill. Many companies create their spec sheets using Excel. Although garment sizes and measurements vary from company to company, depending on different market segments and categories, if you know the principles, you'll be able to quickly adapt to the standards of any company. You don't even need to know how to develop specs from scratch!

As a head designer, to set spec standards for a company, I usually went to different stores, found garments with a good fit and copied the basic measurements. This is quite common - the fashion industry is a copycat industry- most fashions hanging in the stores are knock-offs of another company. Once, during a shopping trip in London, a store salesperson noticed I was a fashion designer collecting style ideas. He mentioned that his store received a constant flow of American design companies such as Calvin Klein, whose designers come to knockoff their merchandise. That's right - even top designer brands use knockoffs for their ready-to-wear collections. There are even official terms: a "knockoff" is when a style is copied and a "rub-off" is when patterns are copied.

Educate Yourself!

Many fashion schools such as FIT in New York (Fashion Institute of Technology) offer important classes like "flats and specs for the fashion industry", but believe it or not, these courses are not required by the curriculum! Another handy course that should be taken is "creative fashion presentation." Salespeople use presentations a lot as visual aids. In addition they create a good impression and convey creativity level. If you can make outstanding presentations you'll be assigned to do them often, and believe me it's more fun to make boards than do fits or send faxes and organize showrooms.

To sum up: in order to get a job before the rest of the entry level fashion design candidates, you need to focus on refining skills that are highly demanded in the industry. Become proficient with flat sketching, include flats in your portfolio, and be extremely comfortable and knowledgeable in Illustrator and Photoshop. Not only will you be ready with the skills you need to succeed in fashion, but discussing how you went the extra mile to keep up with industry standards will definitely impress any prospective employer!

For your reference and use, we have posted lots of industry standard flat sketches and CADs in JPEG and vector (Illustrator) formats on DesignersNexus.com. If you can improve your skills to reach the quality of those shown, you'll be in a very good shape

© 2008 Designers Nexus Inc. All rights reserved. Originally published at DesignersNexus.com. This article may be reproduced unedited, unaltered and in its entirety. This copyright, author bio(s) and all active links must be preserved and included when reproducing this article. Contact us for approval if you wish to publish it contrary to these guidelines.

As a NYC fashion designer, Natalie has traveled to Europe and Asia for shopping, researching trends and production. In a 14 year career, she has gained a lot of insights in the industry, and has trained designers with her knowledge of global trend market. Due to popular demand in response to her advice and training, she created a free fashion resource center at DesignersNexus.com to share her experiences with a larger audience, helping aspiring designers learn from her mistakes and successes creating their own successful careers.

Kristin

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Career Fashion Shopping Consultant

Many exclusive department stores in major cities offer this service to their customers. Why not expand on this idea by making your services available to customers shopping in various mall stores and shopping centers? As a private consultant for these smaller establishments you will be able to offer a service that some of these small chain stores, local private stores, and department stores are not able to offer, but would like to be able to. You could work a deal with these stores to make your services available to customers that might be interested in hiring you. You in turn can help customers buy from them items they may never have even imagined trying on. You will be able to boost the stores sales and the stores will advertise your services to their customers. You will create a symbiotic relationship that will prove to be quite successful for you both.

Career men and women are often frustrated trying to invest in appropriate clothing for the business world. If you have the ability to know what is on the market and what is appropriate business wear, you will have a fun and successful 'business idea' on your hands. The more you know about color and image consulting the better, for this choice of profession. It will involve keeping up with the latest fashions and trends, then knowing where to find them within the shopping areas that you will service your customers.

You will have to be aware of all the new products that the stores are offering, their size ranges, and price ranges. Therefore, you will need to do your homework to be able to provide the proper assistance to your customers. Once you have established yourself in this field, you will have a steady stream of customers wanting your services.

It is very important that you dress the part for this particular 'business idea'. Customers will not feel comfortable taking advice from someone that doesn't look like they follow their own advice. If they are impressed with your choice of dress, they will be much more open to listening to your advice when showing them alternative ideas for themselves. Therefore, you may need to invest in a sensible business wardrobe yourself before embarking on this 'business idea', unless you already have one.

This business would be a good one to have an impressive business card to share with your customers and potential customers. This way your happy customers could pass your card on to others that might be interested in your services also. Be prepared to offer your cards at all times when you are in stores too, offer your services to people already in the stores that are shopping and look like they might appreciate the help. Make good friends with the clerks also that work in the stores you will be working with, they can offer your cards to people that may look like they would be interested in investing in professional help with their choices.

By Business Idea Factory

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