Tag Archives: career

Feb14

Your First Day On A New Job

Posted on by
Standard

The first day of a new job can be a mixture of feeling terrified and excited. You are usually excited to get your teeth into your new role and prove yourself to your new colleagues. However, it can be pretty terrifying to be the only new person in a group of workers that have all know each other for ages! Luckily there are a few ways to make your first day go as smoothly as possible. Just read on to find out what they are:

Be Punctual: Whatever you do on the first day of your new job, make sure that you are punctual. Not only do you want to make a good impression and look keen, but you also don’t need the stress of rushing and wondering whether you are going to make it on time or not. Do a trial run of the journey at that time in the morning so you know exactly how it will go, and make sure you leave extra early for your first day. You don’t always have to leave at that time once you are established in your role but it can really help reduce your stress levels in the beginning.

newjob.jpg

Tick tock!

Make Conversation: Something else that can be really helpful to do on the first day of work is to talk to as many people as possible. This is easier for some than others. Introverted folks will especially have a hard time with this. But do a little prep work to help you beforehand. Research topics for conversation in the news or the internet. Or pick out certain aspects of the company to talk about, like a major event that is coming up or their social club.

Remember, too, that if you have had a career change, that it’s best not to go on too much about your old job, the positives or the negatives. In fact, it’s better to be more interested in the role that you are doing now.

newjob1.jpg

Chatty Kathy!

Take a Packed Lunch: A great idea for your first day is to take a packed lunch with you. This is because you probably don’t know what the lunch facilities will be like there, or if you’ll even get a proper lunch break on the first day, as you may be super busy learning the ropes. It is super useful to have something with you that you can nibble on if you get hungry. Then, if you do get asked out to lunch with your colleges, you can just leave your pack up in the car. No harm done!

It’s Only Your First Day: The last thing you need to remember on the first day of your new job is that it’s just your first day! Most people won’t be asked to do anything too drastic unless you are in the military or medical fields. Instead, your employer will be expecting you to take a little time to get settled in, so use this to your advantage. Also, don’t stress too much if you don’t make any lasting connections with colleges straight away. These things take time and usually develop naturally if you are patient.

Jan26

Break The Mold, You’ll Win The Gold

Posted on by
Standard
Break The Mold, You’ll Win The Gold

Some people, you might be one of them, struggle to find a job or position that keeps them satisfied. Usually, this is because they are beaten to the best positions by other candidates. For instance, you might have been applying for a job as a teacher at a popular private school. Obviously, there are plenty of advantages to this type of position. The standard of teaching will be higher as well the earning level. However, there’s also a problem: Businesses like this are looking for the best, rather than average candidates. So, unless you break the mold, you’re not going to get an awesome position like this. How can you make yourself stand out to potential employers?

Give Yourself A USP (Unique Selling Proposition: Sticking with the teaching example for the moment, what makes a teacher stand out from the rest? If you look at an agency like Simply Education, you’ll see that there are plenty of opportunities for teachers on the market. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be chosen for the one that you want. You can, however, boost your chances if you have some unique skills. These days the world is a melting pot with people of different languages and cultures living together. Therefore, a bilingual teacher might certainly provide an advantage to school owners. This is just one example of a USP that will put you a cut above the rest.

mold2.jpg

Yay!

Gain Some Awesome Experience: Employers always look at the experience of people who they are thinking about hiring. It’s not enough to have excellent recommendations from employers although that’s certainly a good start. You need to think about doing and pursuing experiences that make you and your resume exciting. The trick to this is not turning down unpaid positions. While they might not seem like much, they could provide exciting experiences and stories that are worth talking about in a job interview. For instance, maybe you’ve managed to rub shoulders with people who are high up in the food chain of your chosen industry. You’ll never know what possibilities await you unless you’re willing to put yourself out there.

mold3.png

Experience is key!

Be Independent: When you’re out on the job market, you don’t have someone to represent you and push your agenda (although it would be nice!). Instead, you need to represent yourself and make sure that people pay attention to what you can offer. The best way to do that is to work as a freelancer in whatever spare time you have. Set yourself up with cool, killer profiles online and make sure that you are a fantastic hit.

mold4.png

Pexels Image

Say What You Mean: It’s not always a good idea to be too outgoing at an interview. But you have to remember that businesses are trying to get an idea of who you are and what you can offer. You also need to know that they want to find out whether you’ll fit in well with the rest of their staff. That’s why it’s worth being yourself. A lot of candidates instead try and match who they think employers want them to be. Offering a little sincerity is sure to make you seem more interesting than other people.

mold5.png

Say it, sister

Featured Image By: Flickr

Jan17

Hmm … If I Could Have A Month Off Work, What Would I Do?

Posted on by
Standard

The US Travel Association recently conducted a study of American workers. According to that study, American workers are missing out on more than 169 million vacation days per year. This could be a sign that people don’t really value their time off work, the study’s authors suggested. But it could also mean that people don’t really know how to take advantage of their time off when they do get the chance to take a break.

Making the best use of your vacation time is essential to keeping yourself on your A-game at work all year long. You don’t often get the opportunity to take an entire month off of work to do whatever you want. So here’s what successful people do to restore themselves and get back to work, raring to go, once the holiday time is over.

vaca66Pexels Image

Shut Everything Down: One of the things that successful people do on holiday is turn off all interruptions. Unlike most people who check their email and text messages on their smartphones, successful people don’t do that when they are on vacation. Instead, they turn off their phones and try to go at least six hours every day without using any electronics at all.

Spend Time With Somebody You Love: High-achieving people don’t always spend a lot of time with their kids, friends, or family. As a result, they use their downtime as a chance to catch up on conversations that they missed out on because they have been working so hard. When you’ve got a whole month off, it gives you the opportunity to schedule an entire week just to spend time reconnecting with the people that you love. This could mean having a big weekend getaway in a national park or simply enjoying the company of others around your house. It’s a chance to do things like barbecues, go to theme parks, and play ball games in the garden.

Improve Yourself: Because work is so demanding,  most people don’t have the energy in the evenings and on the weekends to pursue their own interests and improve their skills. But when you have a month off of work, all of this changes. Time off is a chance to try things that are completely different, but that adds to your overall skill set. Time off can be used to learn a new sport, learn a new language, or how to perform better in your personal relationships.

Managing annual leave can be difficult. If you only get 20 vacation days of annual leave a year, make sure you plan out how you are going to use those days to achieve your goals.

vaca77Pixabay Image

Get Inspired: People who are at the top of their business often get very absorbed in what they are doing. They tend to see the world in terms of their own goals and their own achievements and they can sometimes lose sight of what’s happening all around them. Taking a month off is a great opportunity to open your mind and to try new things. For instance you could go for a hike in the wilderness, read a great biography, or watch a bunch of interesting documentaries on the TV. Once you’ve got this new perspective, you can then start out fresh with renewed motivation at your job.

Jan17

Bullseye: Getting A Job In The Career You Really Want

Posted on by
Standard
Bullseye: Getting A Job In The Career You Really Want

When you’re looking for a new direction in your career or finding your first job, then it’s about managing your expectations as much as possible. The job you want and the career path you want won’t always be immediately available. You will face setbacks and you will have to take side roads. But that doesn’t mean you should give up. If anything, it means you should look into the means of how to increase your chances of getting the job you truly want more than ever:

Know The Right People: If you’re solely applying for jobs by looking at listings, then you’re missing the way that the game is really played. As they say, in business it’s about who you know, not what you know. Network in spaces where the people in your coveted industry schmooze around. Join their groups in Linkedin and attend trade shows and other corporate events.

Making friends significantly builds your chances of getting the referrals for a job in your industry even when you’re not expecting it. If you’re using a bit of help to find a job, like a recruitment agency, then get specific. Instead of using generic agencies, specialized ones like Portfolio Credit Control aim directly at a specific job or industry. That kind of specialized service is what employers are going to look for when they use recruitment agencies.

job6.png

Thumbs up for employment! 😉

Don’t Be Shy: As well as upping your possibilities of building connections through others, you should be open to building that connection yourself. Learn the right etiquette for approaching employers directly. Send a cover letter alongside a resume if you’re applying for a position that isn’t being advertised. Applying directly can be a good way to show how forward-thinking and eager you are. But if you don’t prepare that approach properly, it will make you look ill-prepared. Make sure you do your research on the business and tailor your resume to the needs and the values that you’re able to see from their website and any other materials that they might have available.

job7.png

Pixabay Image

DIY: If you have the skills in the industry that you want to work in, then you might just have the ability to start working for yourself. Of course, there are some skills and jobs that are better suited for self-employment than others but don’t underestimate the value of your abilities. Bookkeeping and accountancy, marketing skills, and design are all good skills to start your own business from.

Besides figuring out whether there’s a market for your services among individuals and businesses, you also need to make sure that you’re prepared to handle starting your own business. For instance, you need to consider both the resources and effort needed to maintain an office space and a website. There are a lot of tools that can help you get started, but you need to research your options carefully before making any big decisions.

Be proactive, be open and friendly, and be willing to take charge of your own career if you can. Don’t get caught into the usual trap of getting stuck in an industry that you have no passion or love for – You deserve better.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Dec22

Do You Work From Home? Here Are Some Ideas To Make Your Life Easier

Posted on by
Standard
Do You Work From Home? Here Are Some Ideas To Make Your Life Easier

Working from home is often an enjoyable experience if you’ve made the right preparations. However, it can become a real pain if you haven’t. There are lots of things to consider, most of which you won’t identify until you start. However, you’ll find some fantastic ideas on this page that could help you to get things sorted ahead of time. There aren’t many jobs around today that you can perform from your house, and so you should feel lucky. Most people have to deal with at least a little morning commute, but you can work in your underwear. Remember that if you ever feel like working from home has become too much of a hassle. It is always easier than going into the office!

Create a Suitable Working Space: If you’re earning money from the comfort of your spare bedroom, you’re probably using a laptop. That means you need to buy a desk, office accessories, and an ergonomic chair to create a professional workstation. Experts like those at http://www.stuartdavid.com/ understand how critical it is to get things right. While you might like the idea of sitting on your sofa, that will result in productivity issues. In most instances, it’s possible to shorten your working day by completing your jobs as quickly as possible. That is never going to happen if you’re getting distracted by the TV all of the time. Do yourself a favor and invest in some office equipment today before you start getting stressed out.

work3.jpg

 Get yourself a desk and do work!

Make Sure You Have an Active WiFi Connection: Earning your living outside of the office probably means you use the internet, too. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to complete tasks when your connection keeps dropping. For that reason, you need to invest in a decent router as soon as possible. Writers from http://www.thesmartfuture.net/ and similar websites have all the knowledge you require. So, you just need to spend some time reading online reviews to guarantee you find the best products. You can also purchase WiFi boosters or change your service provider if you think that will help. At the end of the day, you just want to work uninterrupted.

work4

Flickr Image

Have Some Quiet Time From the Kids: As we mentioned a moment ago, trying to work with the TV blaring is never a good idea. Likewise, earning your living while there are children in the house will become frustrating. You need peace and quiet to complete your tasks and fill your bank account. So, you might have to make alternative childcare arrangements during the summer holidays. It’s not too much of an issue when your little ones are out of the house for seven hours every day. However, they will begin to drive you crazy if they’re under your feet while you’re working!

work5.jpg

 BABY!

Everyone who works from home should benefit from the advice on this page. So, make sure you put it to good use before it’s too late. There is nothing worse than feeling stressed and knowing that you have to keep working. If you put some of these ideas into practice, that shouldn’t happen too often. We hope you have an excellent Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in the new year! 🙂

Featured Image By: Flickr

Nov30

Sometimes, It’s The Soft Skills That Land You The Job

Posted on by
Standard

Sometimes, we all make the mistake of focusing a little too much on how hard skills can add to your employ-ability. There’s no denying that some technical skills are a must-have in certain fields of employment. But that’s not to say that spending time on your soft skills is negligible. It’s anything but. Here, we’re going to look at why soft skills are important in all roles and how they can actually be the one defining skill of a career.

Communication: Good written and verbal communication is vital in just about any job. If you can’t get an idea across to your audience effectively, it’s your failing, not theirs. For the crowd pleasers and those who actually enjoy public speaking, there are plenty of careers that you can make of it. For instance, there’s a big market for motivational speakers nowadays and there are always businesses in need of salespeople.

job

 Pexels Image

Self-Motivation and Management: Sure, employers like someone who works from orders and can keep up to the standards set to them. But you need a bit of self-determination, too. You have to show that you’re able to operate independently and without having to constantly be checked on. Working on your time management, in particular, is essential. The better you can prioritize tasks and fit them in your own time scale, the more of a catch you’ll be.

job1.png

 Pexels Image

Teamwork: Even in jobs where you’re typically doing work alone, you are likely to be asked to collaborate with someone else at some point. Improving your own teamwork skills isn’t all that hard, either. Sometimes, you just have to spend more time around people. Volunteer, for instance. While you’re there, give yourself a talking to every time you catch yourself blatantly opposing others ideas or making them feel unimportant.

job2.png

 Teamwork makes the dream work!

Conflict Resolution: Working peaceably in a team is one thing. Being able to properly deal with a team that has become hostile is a whole other kettle of fish. It’s also a skill that some consider immensely more important. Conflict resolution is the main skill in demand for people that work in environments like an HR consultancy. Given how many businesses use HR specialists to deal with their employees, it’s easy to see the demand for such a skill.

job3.png

Pexels Image

Problem Solving: Objective critical thinking and problem solving are traits that employers find too rare. A lot of people are too close to the work and too invested to be able to think critically in their job. If you’ve always been the objective problem-solving type, then you should look into a job in analysis. Whether it’s looking at money, business processes, or data, the critical thinking model has become particularly popular in business as of late.

job4.png

Still can’t solve this problem. ^

Regardless of whether it’s hard or soft, a skill is a skill. Don’t be afraid to spend time practicing on weak points even if they don’t feel technically important. Above all, don’t be afraid to hype it up a bit on your resume. Be your own cheerleader and it will help raise your confidence in your already wonderful abilities!

Nov30

Suffered A Financial Loss? Here’s How To Deal With The Situation & Get Back On Your Feet

Posted on by
Standard
Suffered A Financial Loss? Here’s How To Deal With The Situation & Get Back On Your Feet

When it comes to your career, you may have made the decision that a lot of people have made and opted to go down the entrepreneurial route. No one said running a business would be easy – it’s a well-known fact that within the first year of launching, half of all new businesses fail. However, when things start to unravel and go wrong, that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with, does it?

If your business has suffered a financial loss, you’re probably not sure what to do next. You’re probably wondering what the next steps that you should take are. When things start to go wrong, the most important thing is not to panic. Because if you panic, you may rush into making a decision that you will later regret. So, it’s important to keep your head and think carefully about what steps to take next.

To help make it easier for you to cope with a financial loss, below are some tips and pieces of advice that you may find useful:

Investigate What Has Caused the Issue: The first step that you take should be to investigate what has caused the issue to occur in the first place. Financial losses don’t just randomly occur; there’s always a reason for them. It could be that you invested in a new product and that product has unfortunately failed to sell, leaving you out of pocket. Or, it could be that your accountant has calculated your taxes wrong and has left you short of funds because of it. If the reason for your financial loss is due to someone else, it might be worth contacting professional negligence solicitors. Whether it was an accident or not, if you’ve been left out of pocket and haven’t been reimbursed, you may have a case.

Learn From Your Mistakes: As a business owner, if you want to be successful, you need to be constantly learning and growing. It’s important to not just take mistakes at face value. If you want to make a success of your venture, you need to learn from your mistakes and ensure that they don’t happen again. By learning from your mistakes, you can up the chances of your business growing into a prosperous and profitable venture in the future.

Try to Find a Way to Keep Your Business Afloat: It’s all well and good saying to learn from your mistakes. But if you don’t know how to keep your business afloat while you recover what you lost, you could end up having to shut down for good. You need to think about your options, could you get a short-term loan perhaps? Or, would you be willing to have an investor who acts as a silent business partner? If you want to ensure that your business stays afloat, you need to find a way to get out of the mess that you’re in.

Hopefully, the tips and advice above should make the process of dealing with a financial loss a little bit easier and less stressful.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Nov22

Discrimination at Work? Here’s What to Do About It

Posted on by
Standard
Discrimination at Work? Here’s What to Do About It

Discrimination at work is something that can happen to anyone. It’s not just those from a minority or oppressed group who might experience it. Anyone could be discriminated against based on gender, sexuality, ethnicity, or age. If you feel you are being discriminated at work, there are some things you can do about it. In some cases, you might not be able to find a satisfactory solution. But in others, you could solve the issue and ensure that you are treated fairly. If you believe you are experiencing discrimination at work, here are some of the things that you should do:

Read Up on the Law: Before you take any action, it’s a good idea to read about your local laws. They can differ widely depending on where you are. In some places, you might not be afforded protection for certain characteristics. For example, you might not be protected based on your gender identity. Some things are unlikely to be protected at work, such as your political affiliations. As well as checking the law, make sure you read up on your company’s policies. They may have internal rules about discrimination, even if they aren’t protected by law.

Legal jargon can be very hard to understand and if you are having difficulty, that is exactly what skilled employment attorneys are for. Wordiness, unfamiliar terms, and specifications can often dance around the true meaning of the law. This can mean that you are bypassing something that might truly help your case when you are going at it alone. If you have any doubts or concerns, speaking to an attorney is the best course of action.

Document Any Incidents: If you think that you are experiencing discrimination, you should consider documenting any incidents. This doesn’t mean that you need to carry a video camera to film anything that happens. All you need to do is write down the date and time and any notes on the incident in question. You might have some other evidence to keep, such as emails. Never underestimate the importance of documentation. As an example, if you are dealing with a disagreeable coworker and if personal insults happen all of the time, it can be a form of harassment and you will want every interaction on paper. Think about what might be useful if you want to make a complaint or if you have to attend a tribunal or court case later on.

Complain Using Appropriate Channels at Work: Most places of work will have procedures that you can follow if you’re experiencing trouble. If you’re not sure what to do, check your employee handbook. If you’re still not sure, you can ask someone. There might be a complaints procedure for you to follow, which can make things easier. However, if you can’t find any guidance, it can be a good idea to work your way up the chain of command. Sometimes, your employer may be a small company. There might not be anyone else to speak to. When this happens, sometimes getting a lawyer involved or just changing jobs could be your best option.

Speak to an Employment Lawyer: You might be unsure about whether the law is on your side. If you need help, speaking to a lawyer could be your next step. Employment lawyers like David Yeremian can offer you advice about whether you might have a case. If you do, it could be worth pursuing it. However, it’s important to think about what it will mean if you win or lose. It’s a good idea to prepare yourself and look for a new job, even if you do successfully prove discrimination.

If you think that you are experiencing discrimination at work, don’t give up straight away. However, make sure you proceed with caution when deciding whether or not to take action.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Nov2

Six Useful Technical Skills You Can Make A Living From

Posted on by
Standard
Six Useful Technical Skills You Can Make A Living From

When it comes to considering a career, nothing beats having technical skills. Having the ability to do something practical which many people can’t do will instantly stand out to employers. Not only that, but you can often make your own business or freelancing venture with your technical skills. The best thing is that you can learn many of these skills without having to take a college course. All it takes is some time and dedication. You can learn many of these through short training sessions or even at home!

Many kinds of technical skills can help you make a living. Almost all of these revolve around using a computer. That makes them even easier to learn, as often all you need is your computer and the internet to learn them. A lot of the times, these skills also involve a lot of creativity. It makes for a much more fulfilling job than simply filling in data or working at a cash register.

If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even learn more than one. Having a range of practical skills is useful for getting hired. Many can also be used to offer profitable freelance services. If you’re ready to start learning a technical skill, here are some of the most useful ones to learn.

Graphic Designing: Excellent graphic designing is a skill that’s in high demand and people will pay a lot for ones that do a fantastic job. There are many routes that you can take with graphic designing. Learning how to use Adobe PhotoShop allows you to create enticing posters, flyers, and other materials. Businesses will appreciate this, as they often need these kinds of images created for them.

Graphic designing also comes in handy when it comes to creating websites. Web designers often need someone to design the graphical interface of a website. If you learn both graphic design and web coding, you could become a skilled solo web designer. Nonetheless, even knowing how to create attractive web graphics by yourself will pay off.

Graphic designing is a skill which yields many opportunities for employment. But a lot of people who are skilled create their own businesses. You can appeal to both businesses and individuals with graphics design skills. People need all kinds of things designed – from leaflets to t-shirt designs. If you want to take things a step further, you could even learn about 3D designing and modeling. This is a skill often used in animation, product design, and things like architecture and interior design.

Video Editing: With YouTube becoming the second most popular website in the world, video editing skills are more valued than ever. All kinds of businesses want to create video content for their company these days. People even pay for video editing skills for personal projects. Of course, learning video editing can also come in handy if you plan to become a content creator yourself.

Adobe’s Premiere Pro is a world-leader when it comes to video editing, as it works well on both Mac and Windows. Other software such as Apple Final Cut and Sony Vegas Pro is also useful for advanced video editing. It doesn’t hurt to become proficient in multiple programs.

It’s easy to get started in video editing. You can invest in some video editing software and start practicing yourself. There are also training courses which can help you learn fast. For instance, you could take Premiere Pro training classes to learn the software in less than a week.

Many companies hire video editors as part of their media operations. You can also offer your skills on a freelance basis, editing videos for various people. You might want to dabble in video creating and editing yourself by building a YouTube channel. If you become a video-editing whiz, you might even be able to achieve heights of becoming a film or TV editor.

Languages: Having a good command of more than one language is an extremely valued skill. Businesses who need to communicate with international clients will need someone to translate. Some companies need people who can speak multiple languages to deal with overseas colleagues and customers.

In fact, there’s never been a better time to learn new languages. Being able to speak a foreign language is the hottest job skill right now, with 25,000 jobs for interpreters expected to open up by 2020. Government institutions often need those who can speak different languages. The military also hires foreign interpreters relentlessly. Even Fortune 500 companies value multi-linguists.

It’s also a great skill to have for freelancers. Those offering their interpreting skills on a freelance basis can make a serious amount of money. You could also get some exciting opportunities. For instance, you could translate and interpret interviews at sporting events.

A degree will help you get the best opportunities. But you can also learn new languages at home with sites like Duolingo. Usually, the lesser-spoken languages are more valuable. You can get lucrative opportunities by learning Arabic, Farsi, and Asian languages. You could also teach in foreign countries or tutor language students.

tech1.png

Pixabay Image

Coding And Programming: Learning how to code a website or program some great software is a highly useful and profitable practical skill. There are many different coding and programming languages you can learn. But if you learn one, you’ll be able to pick others up much easier.

You might want to start with HTML. It’s the primary language used in creating websites. There are many online resources which can help you get started. The fundamentals only take a short time to learn, but it’ll take more time to create more advanced websites. Make sure you find out how to code a site that’s functional on all browsers. Learning to code to W3C standards is also helpful.

Learning PHP and JavaScript is also necessary for professional web designing. You can add things like forms and dynamic web apps using these languages. You should also learn CSS, which is used to style websites. You should also become familiar with MySQL databases. These are often used for managing databases on sites with a base of users.

When it comes to programming software, Java, C, and C++ are the most popular programming languages. You might also want to learn some of the top programming languages for mobile development. The smartphone app market is becoming huge. Learning to create useful and engaging apps is a highly valued skill. You could get paid to develop apps for business, or even create your own and profit from them.

Writing: Writing is becoming more and more valued in today’s content-heavy market. Businesses often hire talented writers to create blogs and promotional materials for them. Those with creative copy-writing skills could also work in advertising writing jingles and scripts.

You should also look into technical writing. It involves simplifying complex materials for a wider audience. It’s a valuable skill, particularly for writing things like instruction manuals and white papers.

The best way to develop writing skills is to get plenty of practice. Creating a blog and taking on freelance writing jobs will help you to develop a portfolio. Although education can help, your body of work will be the most important factor in getting lucrative opportunities.

tech2.png

Pexels Image

Sound Editing: Audio editing is another skill that comes in handy, especially for freelancers. You can use free software like Audacity for basic editing jobs. Becoming proficient in programs like Adobe Audition and Avid Pro Tools will allow you to take on more complicated jobs.

You can take on various sound editing tasks, like editing radio advertisements and video voice-overs. Those who want to take things a step further may want to get into audio engineering. Those who master sound engineering software are capable of becoming music producers or working on sound for films.

Like other technical skills, you can find resources such as YouTube tutorials and courses to learn. It’s a talent that can take you a long way if you dedicate yourself to it.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Oct6

Life, Career Choices, The Boring Stuff!

Posted on by
Standard
Life, Career Choices, The Boring Stuff!

Life, Career Choices, The Boring Stuff!

It’s come to the point where I want to think about what I want to do with my life. Not just as a way to earn money (although I would love to make money by lying on a beach sipping champagne or making music. I’m not picky!) but what I can do that has those things that people’s parents talk about so much. You know, those words like stability, progression, and preparing for the future…As boring as they sound, I guess they have a point. So, I thought to myself, what do I want to do with my life? They say that you spend a third of your life working, so you’d better make it count, right? So I’ve been doing some research into what I might want to do. I started by just typing “fulfilling careers” into my search engine and then I went on a little job journey. Here were some of the careers that intrigued me:

Counselor: As cool as my guidance counselor is, I don’t mean spending my days doing that. Therapy and helping people out has intrigued me. And looking further into it, you need to have so many people skills to be able to do the job properly. I mean, you spend your days talking to people who are relying on you to fix them! That’s a lot of pressure. But the rewards come from helping someone out who might have depression or anxiety, and after they spend time with you, they’re able to go through life happy, and that’s a BIG DEAL.

Midwife: Looking at medical jobs would be pointless, I thought. You’ve gotta spend many years training to be a doctor or a nurse and what if you don’t even like it after all that? Then I saw that you could do a job helping mothers deliver their babies. And what’s more rewarding than that? Spending your days (and nights) delivering babies requires a couple of years training. Interacting with the parents and helping them through a tough delivery seems like such a rewarding thing. Seeing the look of joy on the mother’s face after you’ve helped them give birth to their child seems like payment enough!

Teacher: My teachers back in school must have had a hard time. The amount of homework they had to mark or if there was a student that was a complete nightmare must have been difficult to cope with. Saying that, if you get the job just right, the gratification you would have in helping someone on their life’s goal would be fulfilling. I used to think about some of my old teachers, “why are they still doing this if they are tearing their hair out with frustration ALL the time?” Well, it’s because they’re waiting for that one student to make it all worth it.

Nobody wants to be thinking about what to do with their lives, but when it comes to looking at a “normal” career, I think I’d want to be helping people make a difference in their life. It’s not a cool thing to say, but maybe my parents were right (don’t tell them I said that!).

What was your career choice when you were little? How does it differ from the job that you have now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s cat! Much love. -Sarah