Graphics for a Career by Samson Muric

Do you find yourself artsy? Do you enjoy developing or putting together things? Have you got a vibrant creative imagination? Can you envision what you wish to build in your mind? Yes to just about all 4 questions? Well then, I have just the position to suit your needs: Graphic Design This will likely enable you to make use of your natural creative talent with all the suitable computer software to form fantastic variations for brochures, posters, logos, newssheets and the like - the list is endless as to what that can be done with a graphic design occupation. If you so wish you can even try to get a position in the creative department of an marketing and advertising agency. Obviously, if your fascination is more with visuals or illustrations or photos that move, you might also consider a future in motion picture or video studios. Some character traits you need to possess are an inborn curiosity for the entire world close to you and a journalist's nose for naturally recognizing what your buyer wants.

When you have decided that this certainly is the kind of job you fancy, then you certainly have to browse around for a college or university where one can learn graphic design. You would not be an useful employee if you do not have a recognized certification behind your name. With a college degree under your arm you are able to pick and choose the exact job you would like, and you will command a higher salary. According to which side of graphics you like, you'd probably either go to a school devoted to graphic design combined with marketing or one that concentrates on the motion picture area of expertise. Ever since the launch of computers a while back, graphic artists worked with pens, pencils and paper, but nowadays there are about 7 or 8 packages with which a graphic designer can choose to work, so whichever college you attend needs to include courses that are up to date with computer systems.

As soon as you go into the working community as a qualified graphic designer, you will need to keep up to date with modifications and developments in your selected career. This would permit you to differentiate yourself from the rest and be a stride ahead of the competition. It's also recommended that you take a basic writing course that covers small business and creative writing to help you communicate confidently with your clients and colleagues. People today never assume a graphic design specialist to be able to write properly, which means you will never fail to impress people who have this skill

Being part of the graphic design world will mean knowing the history connected with such a skill. One of the men and women you will learn about was explained by Newsweek as the individual that changed the face of public graphics - David Carson. He is also known as 'the father of grunge'. The individual who created the now infamous logo 'I (heart) New York' - (I love New York) - is Milton Glaser, who also started The New York Magazine. Someone you might recognize from playing around with font styles using your pc is Giambattista Bodoni - father of the Bodoni print style.

So, you are set to join an illustrious and highly creative crowd of individuals But remember that graphic design is essentially a means of communicating aesthetically and being able to convert your ideas onto paper. Deadlines are paramount in this career, as is plenty of overtime work and being willing to join a workforce. Start thinking about how you are going to help make your mark.

For more information on logo design or graphic design, click the relevant link!

Welcome Job Seekers, Thank you for choosing to visit ResumePro4Hire_Blog. As a small token of our appreciation please email your resume to ResumePro4Hire@gmail.com for a free no obligation resume review valued at $34.99. We can take a look at it and make professional recommendations. Then you can decide to make the changes yourself or have us do them for you. ResumePro4Hire is, • Simple • Effective • Professional And remember the FREE resume review is my gift to you for liking my fan page. Best wishes and good luck to all you job seekers.

How to Find Jobs in Catering? by Jacob Watson

Catering is now being looked upon as a major job-creating sector. More and more youngsters are now heading towards the ever-growing and ever-challenging Catering sector in the US. It's definitely a sector with lots of promises and lots of opportunities for those who believe in doing hard work in a smart way. There is lots of hard work involved, but, then there is a sea of rewards as well. You too can grab these Jobs in Catering. There are plenty of opportunities out there in the market. All you need to have is a passion for the job and the required skills to do your job in an effective manner.

If you think you can make it large in Catering, start applying for these jobs. It's good if you earn a related degree in the field so that you get an idea of how things work in this sector. With a degree under your belt, you will be in a much better position to lay your hands on some of the best Jobs in Catering sector. Find out a good institute and enroll for a course in hospitality.

I believe you know that there are some websites which come out with some really good Jobs in Catering. Find out such websites (but make sure you apply on the trusted ones only) and apply for the job that match your skills the most. This is a good way to land upon a dream job in Catering.

But make sure you are the one who's hungry for knowledge... who's hooked on achieving and who's determined to head for the top. It takes a lot to survive in Catering business. It's a place where only competitive souls can survive. So, don't head towards Jobs in Catering, just because many of your friends are opting for Catering. Do some introspection. Find out what excites you the most. If you think, it is Catering, you are welcome.

Make it a point to read the online resources for Catering business. Know the big guns in the business. Do a hospitality course from a known-institute. And, last but not the least, find the trusted providers of Jobs in Catering and keep applying till you find your desired job.

Working in this industry requires good communication skills and interpersonal skills as well as patience, diplomacy, and a customer-focused attitude. It also requires a pleasing personality. Log on to Northcote Jobs to know more on Jobs in Catering.

Visit our website for more information on Jobs in Catering and Hotel jobs UK.

Jacob Watson has 10 years of experience in writing Articles, Blogs and creative writing for numerous online article-submission directories. Besides this, he is also into Wildlife Photography and music. Visit our website for more information on Jobs in Catering and Hotel jobs UK.

Body Language Speaks Louder Than Words By: Lydia Ramsey

Has it ever occurred to you how much you are saying to people even when you are not speaking? Unless you are a master of disguise, you are constantly sending messages about your true thoughts and feelings whether you are using words or not.

Studies show that your words account for only 7% of the messages you convey. The remaining 93% is non-verbal. 55% of communication is based on what people see and the other 38% is transmitted through tone of voice. So think about it. In the business setting, people can see what you are not saying. If your body language doesn't match your words, you are wasting your time.



Eye contact is the most obvious way you communicate. When you are looking at the other person, you show interest. When you fail to make eye contact, you give the impression that the other person is of no importance. Maintain eye contact about 60% of the time in order to look interested, but not aggressive.



Facial expression is another form of non-verbal communication. A smile sends a positive message and is appropriate in all but a life and death situation. Smiling adds warmth and an aura of confidence. Others will be more receptive if you remember to check your expression.



Your mouth gives clues, too, and not just when you are speaking. Mouth movements, such as pursing your lips or twisting them to one side, can indicate that you are thinking about what you are hearing or that you are holding something back.



The position of your head speaks to people. Keeping your head straight, which is not the same as keeping your head on straight, will make you appear self-assured and authoritative. People will take you seriously. Tilt your head to one side if you want to come across as friendly and open.



How receptive you are is suggested by where you place your arms. Arms crossed or folded over your chest say that you have shut other people out and have no interest in them or what they are saying. This position can also say, "I don't agree with you." You might just be cold, but unless you shiver at the same time, the person in front of you may get the wrong message.



How you use your arms can help or hurt your image as well. Waving them about may show enthusiasm to some, but others see this gesture as one of uncertainty and immaturity. The best place for your arms is by your side. You will look confident and relaxed. If this is hard for you, do what you always do when you want to get better at something - practice. After a while, it will feel natural.



The angle of your body gives an indication to others about what's going through your head. Leaning in says, "Tell me more." Leaning away signals you've heard enough. Adding a nod of your head is another way to affirm that you are listening.



Posture is just as important as your grandmother always said it was. Sit or stand erect if you want to be seen as alert and enthusiastic. When you slump in your chair or lean on the wall, you look tired. No one wants to do business with someone who has no energy.



Control your hands by paying attention to where they are. In the business world, particularly when you deal with people from other cultures, your hands need to be seen. That would mean you should keep them out of your pockets and you should resist the urge to put them under the table or behind your back. Having your hands anywhere above the neck, fidgeting with your hair or rubbing your face, is unprofessional.



Legs talk, too. A lot of movement indicates nervousness. How and where you cross them tells others how you feel. The preferred positions for the polished professional are feet flat on the floor or legs crossed at the ankles. The least professional and most offensive position is resting one leg or ankle on top of your other knee. Some people call this the "Figure Four." It can make you look arrogant.



The distance you keep from others is crucial if you want to establish good rapport. Standing too close or "in someone's face" will mark you as pushy. Positioning yourself too far away will make you seem standoffish. Neither is what you want so find the happy medium. Most importantly, do what makes the other person feel comfortable. If the person with whom you are speaking keeps backing away from you, stop. Either that person needs space or you need a breath mint.



You may not be aware of what you are saying with your body, but others will get the message. Make sure it's the one you want to send.

Author Bio

Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, e-mail her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her web site www.mannersthatsell.com

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6 Inches From Success by Christian Fea

If I told you that you were 6 inches from success, would you believe me?

Probably not, sounds like a lofty concept, but it's true and here's why.

Your 6 inch success mechanism

Your brain, that 6 inch mass of matter between your ears is what determines how successful you are. Specifically, it's the front part of your brain, just behind your eyes. When you come up with an idea, implement or take action on that idea you're engaging the Frontal Lobe area of your brain. The Frontal Lobe is one of the four major divisions of your brain, but that's not really important here. What's important is this this part of your brain regulates decision making, problem solving, control of your purposeful behaviors, consciousness and emotions. This is where all our experiences start, positive and negative.

If you think you're right or you think you're wrong, you're exactly right.

You're probably asking, "Why is this relevant to my success?" Good question! Let me start out by saying that most of us don't even know what success means. I mean we say, "I want to be happy", or "I want to be successful", but we don't take the next step to define what happiness is or what success really means to you. Why do we do this? Once reason is because it's not logical, it's an abstract process. It appears to be difficult. Anything that's abstract can have an unlimited number of options. If we fuel our thoughts with so many ideas and never decide on a path to take, a direction to go in or define a starting point, we get overwhelmed and wind up not making any decisions at all.

Guilty of not deciding

I'm guilty of this myself. I can honestly say that there are things that's I've wanted to do, be, have and experience that have taken me 20+ years to accomplish. Did it take me 20 years of trying to make them happen? No! They actually took me less than a week to accomplish, but that's because I never made the decision to do those things. I've lost valuable relationships, 100's of thousands of dollars, and most importantly I've wasted time. Something none of us can get back. Once I decided, the outcome was quick and surprisingly easily to bring my intentions to fruition. What's been in the back of your mind for weeks, months and years that you've not decided to take action on?

Get clear on what you want or you may never obtain it

You need to get quite with a pen and paper and define what does success really mean to you. Is it a finite amount of money in the bank, a business that earns us monthly, residual income, a certain type of car in the garage, a contribution to worthy cause, a smile from a loved one, the love and respect of your partner, the birth of your first child? These are definable, finite, explainable and tangible success goals. Once you define and write down what you actually want our Frontal Lobe goes to work to create what we've decided on. The crazy thing about this process is that it works automatically in our brains without us having to do much of the heavy lifting through conscience thought. The challenge is that we over-think, over-analyze, create doubt and simply don't really believe we can obtain the objects, situations and conditions we want to create. Trust in this process. Think, decide, execute. The simple truth of positive and negative reinforcement will guide you towards your success goal. Don't worry about making it perfect; just take the action needed to make progress.

Decision is your first step to a successful outcome

It's relevant because all aspects of success start with a decision. This is part of your inner control mechanism. Sounds simple, but this is where most of us get blocked by fear, stop, never start or simply cast off our ideas as not import or they won't fly. You'll make excuses and come up with multiple reasons why your idea or concept won't work. These negative supporting thoughts are not based on reality or you actually deciding and doing something about it, but are merely based on 2 things, your past successes or your past failures.

Feed your brain with a positive outcome

When you think about something you're feeding your brain. Feed it good thoughts and outcomes and your behavior will follow. Feed it negative, self-doubting thoughts and your reality will reflect those thoughts. Your brain uses points of reference as a starting point to execute your decisions. It's almost like your brain is one big mind map. It starts with a core experience and builds out from there. This is why it's so easy to fail or succeed based on your history and how you've handled your past experiences. Even if you've failed more than you've succeeded, you can flip that experience around in an instant by feeding your thoughts with successful outcomes as a way for your brain to go to work on what you want.

Define, decide, execute, repeat

So remember this. If you only remember once concept, one take away from this article, it's to Define, Decide, Execute, Repeat. Define what you want. Get really clear on this and write it down. Decide that you're going to do to make it happen. Take the steps needed by executing or taking action on your decision. You'll be amazed at how a simple start can empower you to take the next step. This will happen through positive and negative feedback from your brain that will tell you what actions to take next. Repeat your actions until you get to your success level. It really is that easy so don't waste any more time. Get working on what you want to create the life that's in your mind's eye.

Christian Fea is CEO of Synertegic, Inc. A Joint Venture Marketing firm. He exemplifies how to profit from Joint Venture relationships by creating profit centers with minimal risk and maximum profitability. To discover more Joint Venture Marketing Strategies join his free report on Joint Venture Marketing.

Your Master Plan for Achieving Goals by Leah Ryan

Achieving goals is an endeavor that requires a master plan. Why? Because you need something concrete on paper - virtual or otherwise - to help you stay focused and grounded. Having a plan prevents you from becoming clueless as to which step to take next. While you can't really predict ALL the steps you will take to achieve your goals, at the very least you have a solid baseline to work with, and from there you can make adjustments. In the same way that an entrepreneur needs a business plan to know how he will conduct his business in the first quarter or so, a person looking to achieve a goal should have a list of things he should do for the initial stage of his endeavor.

Below are suggestions on what your plan should include:

1. A clear description of your goal. Start with something general then flesh it out. For example, your goal is to become an accountant. Next, figure out if you want to service the public or private sector. So how do you parse that next in your master plan? Ask yourself which area of finance interests you most. Is it corporate finance, forensic accounting, income tax or tax planning? Being able to break down plans into specifics clearly and concisely is crucial to successfully achieving goals.

2. A timeline for achieving goals. Every goal should have a deadline. If your greatest ambition is to win a leading role in a musical, you better achieve that while you're young and healthy, or at least until your vocal chords and physical endurance can still hold out. The older you are, the more unrealistic it is to still include in your master plan an audition for a musical that features plenty of intensive song and dance sequences�unless you're eyeing the role of a geriatric figure!

3. The financial aspect of your goals. Achieving goals cost money. Whether it's about putting up a business that requires capital or earning a degree that might force you to take out a student loan, you need to plan your finances very carefully. It would be great if you found people to sponsor your endeavors, but just so you don't set yourself up for disappointment, just assume that you will have to be self-sufficient most of the time. This should be easy if your credit rating is good or you have some money saved to pursue your goals. The former would make it easy for you to get approved for a loan. The latter will help minimize any new debt you have to accrue. Be prudent with your money.

4. The things you need to give up. Achieving goals always requires some sort of sacrifice. Famous successful people have had to endure some hardships along the way. Some had to mortgage their homes to get capital for their business. A number had to leave families and friends behind to pursue their dreams of Hollywood. This might be the most painful thing to add to your master plan but it is also a necessity, as you need to know what you're setting yourself up for early into the plan. It's always better to predict the emotional costs rather than find out when you're already midway.

5. The people who should be involved. This is a requirement for your master plan if your endeavor is a collaboration with family or friends. List all the people involved and what their roles are in achieving goals for your group project. Take this opportunity to look at the list and see if each person is indeed a reliable contributor. Remove anyone who will only be dead weight to your progress. Examples of "deadweight members" are those who contribute little to no financial capital, do not complete the tasks assigned to them and are always making up excuses. Retain only the most focused and dedicated people on the team.

Good luck in achieving goals that will take you to great places. You deserve to lead a fulfilling life and it is hoped that you will learn to give back in order to help build a better community.

Do you have a dream? Make achieving goals easier with Leah Ryan who shares her knowledge in the law of attraction and how to realize your ambitions. Learn more to bring out the winner in you.

How should we ask for a raise? by Stela Rodrick

You have been working hard, day and night and believe that it's high time you ask for a hike or rise; well you are not wrong. Everyone deserves to get a hike, if he/she completes their duties on time, and put in his/her best at work. Asking for a hike or raise is your right, but only if you perform well at work. If you are in such a situation, we will help you. There are many resume sample sites that give you ideas about your career, resume samples, etc. but we will go a step ahead, and discuss some different topics like 'how should we ask for a raise?'

Unlike any other sample resumes websites we provide 360 degree guidance to you. Thus, today we would discuss about 'asking for a hike or raise'. To ask for a raise you need to be ready with some data, facts and figures, and with loads of confidence to speak about it. You can ask for a designation hike, which will automatically bring in salary hike, or ask for a salary hike only, if there is no chance of getting a designation hike (when there will be no higher position vacant, you cannot expect a designation hike) here is what you need to ask for:

• Know your worth yourself first. Make a list of your contributions to the organization goals, your achieved targets, initiatives, efforts, duties, etc. Think carefully and list down everything. You should first know how you contributed to the organization, only then can you tell this to the management. Also, mention what skills you possess, what skills you have developed by learning, and what you could bring in more. This is the document that will speak about all that you have done for your organization.
  

  
  

• Inquire about what you can expect. Find out how much hike or what hike can you expect. Is there a possibility of a designation hike? What hike in figures is apt for you and what can the organization offer you? Gather all this information; talk to someone from the human resource department, your colleagues, but of course only the people you can trust. This information will help you know what you deserve, and what the right hike you can ask for is. This increases the chances of getting your hike approved.
  

  
  

• Wait for the right time. Know when your senior or team lead is in a good mood. When you think he/she is happy with your performance and perhaps in the best of mood, which can be a rare chance, but the right chance or time to talk to him/her. The best way is write a letter. Request your hike in written, with all the credentials attached with it. Taking an appointment or asking him/her when would it be appropriate to talk to him/her is also the right approach.
  

  
  

• Always ask a little more than what you want. The management will never approve what you ask for. They tend to give something less than what you put forth. So be on the higher side, and they would definitely come up to the figure you exactly wanted.
  

  
  

• Keep realistic expectations. Do not keep expectations that are very high and then leave yourself shattered, when not approved. Also, be practical and honest to yourself. If the organization is going through a tough time, you better wait for the right time.
  

  
  

• Do not change your attitude or behaviour if denied. After all, you have to work with the same people, so do not show that you are not happy, you can always move on and join some other organization.
  Thus, you can ask for your hike if you feel you deserve it.
  

Stela is a professional writer here to share some stuff regarding to resume building through some resume samples including Photographer resume, human resource resume and many more.

The Success Secrets for Great Resumes by Tom Cramer

With unemployment levels so high, having a winning resume can either get you to the top of the stack or land you right in the trash can. Success secrets gurus believe that your resume and cover letter can make you land that much desired interview for a position. After all, your resume is the first impression that your potential employer has of you.

Putting your best foot forward through a winning resume is essential, according to success secrets books. In order to get the interview, your resume must draw the employer in and keep him locked in on you. Only then, will you get the call from them to set up an interview. Keeping your fingers crossed just isn't enough when the competition for jobs is as tough as it is today. A polished resume will give you more leverage that a person with an average one.

Make Your Work History Work for You

Everybody knows that the most important part of a resume is the work history section. However, this section is characteristically boring. One of our success secrets is to make this part of your resume more interesting for the reader. Now, you must not lie but you can create a clearer and more vivid picture in their minds of what you are able to do.
For example, if you worked in the auto repair industry as a salesperson, you shouldn't just say "I handled sales". Every salesperson deals with upset and angry customers. Success secrets counselors suggest that you can use self improvement to make the job sound better. You could say "I handled sales as well as customer service, including but not limited to irate customers, turning phone inquiries into appointments and up-selling necessary services to customers who generally would not have those services done". This will have more of an impact according to success training gurus.

Access Your Affiliations

Whether you are affiliated with a dog training club, a church choir or a self improvement group, these affiliations help you appear to be a real human as opposed to a piece of paper. Success secrets advise you put in all of the affiliations that you have, right down to the local PTA. This will give your potential employer a look at who you are as a person. This can affect your chances at getting to the top of the stack according to self improvement experts.

Hobbies Show that you're Human

One of the most important aspects for a great resume is to include your hobbies according to self improvement articles. This also shows the reader that you are a real human being with interests outside of your job. A lot of people believe that if a potential employer thinks that all you worry about is work you will have a better shot at the job. Success training experts state that this is untrue.

We Are Family

Success secrets guides state that including a bit about your family is an important thing to do. Most employers believe that a person with a family is more apt to be at work every day and will continue to seek self improvement for the sake of his family. This is one of the best kept success secrets.
Creative Cover Letters

Your cover letter should "wow" the reader. You can tell the reader how you strive for self improvement and actively read success training manuals. Be colorful and make your potential employer think that he knows who you are. With these success secrets, you are bound to get a call for that interview.

Tom Cramer is an entrepreneur and writer who writes extensively about advice on personal development. His articles provide success secrets and tips on how to develop positive thinking. He has written many enlightening articles on inspirational quotesand motivational videos which offer guidance and tips on personal growth.

10 Tools for Dealing with Criticism and Rejection

By: Linda Dessau

Ouch! Whether it's feedback we've asked for, an unsolicited remark called out from the audience or a simple "no" result of an audition or submission process, criticism and rejection are a huge part of our lives as creative artists.



Sometimes we're so fearful of being criticized or rejected that we keep our creativity bottled up and don't let it out.



Other times we constantly adapt what we create, focusing only on the "market" and what they seem to be liking or disliking this week. Then we end up feeling like we're not truly expressing our creative impulses.



10 Tools for Dealing with Criticism and Rejection



1. Be Open. You may be hoping for a specific reaction or response to your work, or a specific result of an audition, gallery submission, performance or contest entry. If you've done your best and you're rejected or criticized, you might feel that you've "failed", and it's probably hard to see anything positive about the situation. Try to be open to the possibility that this "failure" is actually leading you to something else, usually better than what you thought you wanted. As I read once in Cheryl Richardson's newsletter, "Any rejection is God's protection".



2. Be Consistent. Keep going, doing the little things every day that keep you creative and that keep you connected to other artists and to your customers. The dramatic moments and big wins and losses will come and go. Have a steady routine you can keep coming back to, and this will help to place any criticism or rejection into perspective. Today is a new day, another day you get to be an artist.



3. Be Focused. Keep your end goal in mind, and always be mindful of why you're doing what you're doing. That will help you focus on the big picture and not get tripped up by each bump in the road along the way.



4. Be Resilient. Remember that your sense of self-worth comes from inside of you. When you're able to be confident in yourself regardless of the feedback you get from external sources, you're able to bounce back much more easily from any negative feedback that you may get.



5. Be Positive. Focus your attention on the positive and you'll attract more of it. This is the premise of the "law of attraction", and I've certainly seen it work in my own life. Hear the positive feedback you receive and replay it over in your mind whenever you need to.



6. Be Clear. Approach constructive feedback with an accurate perspective, not muddled with thoughts from your own inner critic. Take it as a helpful tool for your own growth and remember that ultimately the only opinion that matters is your own - because you need to be happy with what you're producing.



7. Be Grateful. Be gracious to your critics, accept all of the feedback you receive, sit quietly and let it sink in. Be grateful to be actively creating - to have gotten past the fear and other roadblocks. Be grateful for the opportunity to have your work seen and heard. Some never get the chance.



8. Be Responsive. Decide consciously what to do with feedback before responding, instead of reacting with the first thought or words that come to mind.



9. Be Selective. Once you've decided what to do the feedback you've received, be selective and willing to let go of the hurtful feedback. This usually doesn't have anything to do with you anyway; it's a reflection of that person's own happiness, state of mind and comfort with themselves.



10. Be Loving. Be loving of your critic and ESPECIALLY of yourself. Plan some self-care treats for the day of the audition or submission. Regardless of the outcome, you deserve it!



Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)

Author Bio

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked? Visit www.genuinecoaching.com to sign-up for the free e-course, "Roadblocks to Creativity".

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Career Changes for Baby Boomers: Ability, Not Age, Matters

By: Kelli Smith

Baby boomers. They're the generation born between 1946 and 1964. They came of age in the early 70s and early 80s. They're the generation that made changes and waves, worked harder and longer, put off marriage and children, did things differently than previous generations.



Whether because of financial necessity or because they have something to offer, baby boomers are staying in the workforce longer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and projections indicate that by 2010 there should be 18.5 million boomers ages 45 to 49 in the labor force, as compared to 14.7 in 1995, and 16.8 million versus 10.6 million in the 50- to 54-years-old range.



They're still making changes. They're retiring later, or not at all. If not downsized or laid off, boomers often continue to work. When they don't choose to continue in the same career, it doesn't mean they're ready to stop contributing, and sometimes they're making transitions to new careers.



"On average there are three to five career changes in a person's lifetime and that's pretty common," says Kevin Gaw, Director of Career Development, University of Nevada, Reno. "It's pretty common that a layoff ends up being a great opportunity for someone to find something that's more suited to them, too."



But it can be challenging to a baby boomer to be suddenly confronted with a career change. They were raised in a world where you got your education, then got your job, and while you may not have stayed with the job until you retired, you would probably stay in the same profession. "It can be jarring to realize you have to transfer your skill set to another area," says Gaw.



In 2004, Gaw's office worked with 208 alumni. Nearly 7.5 percent were going through a career change, three percent because of a forced situation such as layoff or company closure or relocation. The rest of them just wanted to do something different. When you?re faced with an important career shift, there are things you can to do make it easier on yourself and achieve a more enjoyable, productive career change.



• Look at your skills. Determine which are transferable to other jobs.



• Find your passion. What do you love to do? "It's not about the money," Gaw says. "The money isn't what makes us happy. What makes us happy is doing something that's meaningful to us."



• Look at reality. If you want to be an astronaut but can't do math, Gaw says, the reality is it's unlikely. People need to work through that disappointment and maybe change that passion to a hobby rather than a vocation.



• Determine whether you want to make a radical career change? say from legal secretary to Web designer? or stay within the same profession.



• If you like the company you're with but feel the need for change, see if they can retain and retrain you. If it comes down to a complete career change, there are also some things you can do to help create a whole new career for yourself.



• Promote yourself rather than your age. Once you get into a position and can show off your skills, you'll be known for those skills rather than your years.



• Start slow. Before investing heavily in education, determine if it's the right career path for you.



• Network. Many non-entry level positions are found by references. Join professional organizations in the field you want to enter.



• Consider working for yourself. A job market survey conducted in 2005 by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., quoted on thematuremarket.com, indicated that of 3000 job seekers, 13 percent chose to work for themselves, and 86.6 percent of them were over 40.



Another option is to leverage your experience and teach or train. Moving into training and coaching people just entering the profession you're leaving is a fairly informal move. Teaching requires state licensing, and there are programs helping place retiring workers into teaching positions. The University of Nevada Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning takes executives through a first-time licensing program and puts them in the schools in just a couple semesters, often teaching in high-needs areas like math, science and languages. Likewise, IBM unveiled their Transition to Teaching program in September, reimbursing them for tuition and providing stipends while they student teach. Many of their executives are highly trained in math and computer sciences.



Whether making a career change to a new profession or a new position, Gaw says such changes are a normal life pattern. "It's a good thing to be open to change. The challenge is recognizing skill sets and knowing how to capitalize on them and present them to the new opportunities."

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Author Bio

Kelli Smith is the editor for Edu411.org, a career education directory for finding colleges and universities, training schools, and technical institutes.

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The All Important Job Objective on a Teacher Resume

By: Laura Malischke

I see a lot of teacher resumes. The first improvement I make to all of them is in the Job Objective. This is a statement of intention at the top of your resume. Why is this little piece of information so important to a teacher resume?



Good question!



Job objectives not only tell the employer what kind of job you are seeking (which is very important if they have more than one teaching position open in their school) but it lets them know that you are interested in the exact job they are offering. It makes them feel like you are a perfect fit for them. You can accomplish this even if you are willing to accept a variety of teaching jobs.



Here are a few secrets to a strong job objective for your teacher resume:



If you have the means to tweak your resume, change the job objective to match every job you apply for. This might mean just a one or two word change, or a complete rewrite. Either way, by doing this it makes the employer think that you are a perfect match for them. As an example, instead of, "A teaching position" they'll read "A third grade teacher in a bilingual classroom."

If you can't easily change your resume, opt for listing broader job categories. With this approach I suggest also including a spectrum of responsibility, which reaches from the lower range of jobs you'd be willing work to the higher levels you'd be qualified for. For instance, "A position as a Teacher's Aid or Pre-School Teacher."

If you want to include some keywords or job highlights at the top of your resume, I suggest that you allow your objective to stand alone. Include the highlights underneath your objective so that it is still easily seen upon first glance.



You can include a little selling point for yourself if you happen to have multiple years of experience. You can include something like, "A teaching position utilizing 16 years of classroom experience."



Do not write your objective in the first person (using "I" or "my").



Resist the urge to overlook your job objective. It should be short and easy to read, describing what type of job you are looking for. It's small but important, possibly the first thing a prospective employer reads on your resume. Make sure they know what your job intentions are.

Author Bio


Laura Malischke, owner of Great Teacher Resumes is a professional resume writer and an acclaimed teacher resume expert. She has written hundreds of resumes for clients all over the United States and Canada. To learn more about Ms. Malischke please visit www.Great-Teacher-Resume.com.

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