Posts Tagged ‘careers’

Make Your Resume Stand Out

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

Your resume is the first impression a potential employer will gain of you. If your resume is dull and does not grab attention then there is a good chance that your job application will be thrown away, along with hundreds of others. To truly stand out from the pack you not only need the qualifications and experience for the job but also a resume that sells you.

It is so easy to create a resume these days thanks to the power of the internet. Some job search sites have pre-made resume templates that you can simply fill in with your own details and send off to as many job openings as you wish. Whilst it is easy to do this, it is always preferable to take the time to create your own custom, personalized resume. The employer probably receives hundreds of the template resumes and grows tired of viewing them. If a resume pops up that is significantly different from the others then they are very likely to pay more attention to it.

If you are applying for a job online then there is normally no need to print your resume initially. But once you have to attend an interview you must take a printed copy with you. Often the employer will not look at your resume during the interview but you will want to be prepared just in case. Always print on high quality paper so that your resume appears professional and that you bring across a sense of pride. The employer will want to know that you take care and pride in your work. Make sure your resume includes as much detail as possible about previous employment and education, but don’t be long winded. Always keep it in easy to read, point form.

Always ensure to tailor your resume to the particular job you are applying for. There is little point sending the same resume to many different types of jobs. Even jobs within the same industry will call for different skills and education. So changing your resume on a per-application basis is the only way to ensure that it best matches what the employer is looking for.

Microsoft Word and other similar programs all come with resume templates that you can use a base. Or you can download templates from the internet or even buy professional, custom made resume templates to use.

A well formatted and clean looking resume is the only way to make a fantastic first impression upon your potential employer.

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How To Become a Licensed Real Estate Agent

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

Becoming a real estate agent is an exciting career choice. You will be able to experience the enjoyment of people buying their first home, as well as assisting investors to find their next great purchase. You will also play a part in assisting in the sale of your client’s properties as well. There are many different things that a real estate agent can do on a day to day basis. But first, you have to undertake the training to become qualified in this role.

All real estate agents must be licensed. To become licensed you do not have to attend university. You simply take a special real estate agents course. These are usually fairly short courses of 6 to 12 months in length. Once you are qualified you can start applying for positions within real estate offices.

Usually you will only be allowed to practice real estate in the state that you are qualified. To increase your job prospects, and this is especially vital if you live near the border of one or more states, consider becoming qualified in more than one state so that you can travel interstate to find other work if you need or want to in future.

The exciting thing about being a real estate agent is that your income can skyrocket if you are a great sales person. Most real estate agents receive a base salary, but if you can sell properties then you will receive a commission of each sale. Imagine selling one or more houses each week? You can really earn a considerable amount of money doing this.

There are several niches within real estate that you may choose to focus on. These include:

- Rural properties
Once you have some experience under your belt you may choose to specialize in one of these niches in order to become more of an expert in your field. Most people initially choose between commercial and residential real estate. There are benefits to both so the key is to find where your interest lies.

Although the times are tough for real estate right now, if you choose to specialize in foreclosure properties you will be extremely busy for the next few years as more ad more foreclosed properties come on the market - attracting first home buyers and investors.

Thinking about becoming a real estate agent? Learn more about this exciting career field from http://www.careertoolkits.com – get the scoop on online real estate schools and much more.

Do You Know Where the High Paying Jobs Are?

Monday, January 26th, 2009

If you do not have a particular career in mind but simply want to find the work that will pay you the most, there are many options. In general, the people in the highest positions of a company are paid the most. That means you can virtually choose any field of work and spend years becoming more experienced and education so that you can increase your worth to the company, and continually improve your position within the business. Over time your pay will increase.

Ok, so the above is possible but it can take a long time to get there. Do you have the patience to wait many years to achieve good money from high paying jobs? You do need to have patience but you can take some shortcuts by getting into fields of work that initially pay more. It is well known that careers that require a lot of study initially often don’t pay too well in the first few years. careers like accounting, IT, chef etc all require you to take up junior position with the idea that you will gain experience and knowledge, and then you will progress to higher paid positions with more responsibilities.

So what are some high paying jobs that will pay you well right off the bat? Sales are one field that has no limits. If you get a job that is based mainly on commission sales then you are essentially in charge of how much you earn. Car sales, real estate sales, even retail sales can pay good money if you have the skills to deal with people and convince them of your products. For that reason you must be a great talker and have a good business and marketing sense, without being sleazy or untrusting. A good salesperson will always have a place in a quality company and will be well paid.

Then of course there is the option of starting your own business. You can then have control of when you work, how long you work and exactly what you do. This might not be a high paying job right away but potentially it can be more lucrative than most other jobs.

High paying jobs are everywhere, it just takes some imagination and patience to attain them.

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Career Spotlight: Librarian

Monday, January 26th, 2009

If you love books then a career as a librarian could be for you. Librarians are professionals with information systems as well as the organization of information materials. Most librarians work in public or school libraries but other opportunities exist such as in media centers, business libraries and government libraries. Professional librarians have a degree from a school of library or a university or college.

Some roles that a librarian may undertake include:

- Working at the reference desk of a library
- Assist people in research to find the information they require
- Ordering library materials
- Organization database subscriptions
- Supervise the cataloguing of new information material (books, magazines etc)
- Monitor book selection, monitor electronic resources
- Provide library services and information to community groups such as seniors, homeless, rural communities and people with disabilities. These librarians are generally known as Outreach Librarians
- If working in a school, assist children in choosing reading material and teaching them about literacy
- Manage the library catalog
- Library archivists deal with manuscripts and records

Librarians can also fill other roles outside of the general librarian one. Some examples include:

- Manager
- Administrator
- Director
- Library Technician
- Library Associate

These days, librarians must deal with information in many different formats; not just books. They must be able to organize and deal with magazines, audio recordings, DVD, video, computer files, maps, photographs, databases, newspapers and more. They sometimes also need to provide other services including public programs, literacy education and computer training.

Some librarians, after many years in the job, choose to go on to administrative positions. This can include doing tasks like researching topics of interest, supervising and organizing reading clubs and groups, managing electronic information access, suggesting books and resources for the appropriate read group and much more.

Librarian Education

Most librarians have a master’s degree in library and information science. If you wish to work in a school library then you will normally need a teaching credential along with your library science degree. Most school librarians have a subject based master’s degree as well as their librarian’s degree.

Being a librarian is a rewarding career as you are able to see people enjoying information and the joy of reading and discovering new things. You will feel a sense of accomplishment as you help children learning to read, or simply assist adults in finding the information they are seeking.

So what are the qualities that define a librarian anyway? Learn more about this exciting career field from http://www.careertoolkits.com – get the scoop on librarian degree programs and much more.

Career Assessment to Match You

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

Getting a career assessment is a great way to match your personality, skills and interests to a potential career for you. There are now specific career assessment websites which aim to help you with career planning, job skills, choosing a college major and even career changes. Regardless of your situation you will benefit from looking into a career assessment.

One such website is The Career Key. This site helps to match your personality with careers. They then give you very accurate and detailed information about each career that you can explore.

They use excellent scientific research and practises throughout their personality tests and other resources on the website.

There are many other career assessment sites online, but you need to be wary of which ones you trust. There are some very reputable services such as the Career Key and others, but there are also career tests that can actually harm your career! This happens when you are matched up to jobs and training programs that do not suit you. This can lead you to make rash decisions with terrible consequences. These bad services normally have low technology throughout their tests and do not have the science to back up the results they give you. In other words, you may just be fed a random result rather than the one that suits you. For that reason, only use reputable, trusted sources for your career assessment online.

The Career Key tests are used by over 1000 colleges, schools and career services so it is a professional standard of service. Their personality test has also been used in career counselling for more than 20 years; you may even have come across it before if you have had career counselling in the past.

Why should you get a career assessment? Figures show that less than half of all workers are happy with the job. Up to 50% say they would like to change jobs. This is an alarming statistic; you certainly want to be happy in your job as it is somewhere that you spend a main portion of your life.

Having a career assessment is sure to guarantee job satisfaction. Rather than just jump into any job and end up unhappy and unsatisfied, you are best off undergoing an assessment to match you to the career that is right for. After all, everyone has a calling in life; you simply need to know how to find it!

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Career Spotlight: Becoming a Police Officer

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

Becoming a police officer is without a doubt one of the most noble and important jobs in our society. But it is not a job for everyone. You have to have a certain personality to become a police officer. Of course, anyone can try out for the role and you will be adequately trained in all facets of the job, so even if you don’t feel ready yet; you will be by the time you finish training!

You will need your high school diploma to have a chance as a police officer. In most states and countries some college study or special police university study is required. The Police Academy is somewhere that future officers train in order to learn the skills (both practical and in theory) that will be required for the role.

Due to the huge amount of competition amongst applicants, a large percentage do not make it. To give yourself the best chance of becoming a police officer make sure you put 100% into your application as well as any fitness and theory tests required of you. You will need to show why you are better than all the other applicants - just like with any other job.

Once you become a police officer you will stay as a detective for the first year or two. After that there is room to move and move your way up the ranks. You can also choose to specialize in certain times of crimes once you have been a detective for several years. You may wish to focus on drug crime, gang crime, corporate crime or any one of the many fields of work in policing.

Police officers are highly respected members of the community and once you have been accepted you can expect people to look up to you. you will be a role model to everybody you know, especially children so it is vital that you have good communication skills and great people skills so you can answer any questions that may arise - you should also be willing to listen to concerns of the people in your local police command area.

Once you have decided to become a police officer you should endeavour to become as fit as possible whilst also concentrating on the studies that lie ahead. You will be able to experience things that most people never do in their jobs because being a police officer offers something exciting and new every single day.

So what are the tasks of police officer? Learn more about this exciting career field from http://www.careertoolkits.com – get the scoop on how to become a police officer and much more.

Career Spotlight: Culinary Arts

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

Culinary arts is a great field of work to get into. It is diverse and allows you to use your creative streak. There are also many career opportunities awaiting you both after you graduate and after you have some experience. You will need to attend a culinary school or a college offering culinary arts courses.

There are so many culinary arts schools and more seem to be popping up. The demand for people who are good with food is high so you should have no problem finding work upon graduation. There are so many different places you can work including hotel, restaurants, cruise ships, schools and many more places. Wherever there is food being cooked there is demand for culinary professionals.

Some popular culinary arts schools in the USA include:

Lincoln College of Technology
The Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of Canada
California School of Culinary Arts Pasadena
Orlando Culinary Academy
Texas Culinary Academy
Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago
Le Cordon Bleu College Of Culinary Arts
The Restaurant School, Philadelphia

In the UK one of the most recognized schools is the School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology in Dublin, Ireland. There is also the prestigious and relatively new International Centre for Culinary Arts in Dubai.

As a culinary artist you will be required to prepare meals as well as make them look pleasing. You may also be employed by food magazines to make up plates of food for presentations. There is now high demand for this type of work.

Some culinary schools focus specifically on certain aspects of pastry, corporate dining, event dining and many other niches. This provides an exciting opportunity to get experienced in a particular field so that your job search can be more focused. So if you can hone your skills in one area then you will be more employable and can command a higher salary even as a junior.

Other jobs that you can undertake after completing a culinary arts degree or certificate is a chef, sales person, teacher, food stylist, self employment and many other roles. There truly are now barriers in this wide and diverse field.

So what is the main qualification to become a chef? Learn more about this exciting career field from http://www.careertoolkits.com – get the scoop on cooking schools and much more.

Career Spotlight: Paralegal

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

A paralegal career is a smart choice. It requires some brains to become a paralegal but the training you will receive will give you the knowledge you need to succeed in this competitive field. Whilst there are many paralegals vying for positions, there are also many job openings.

One look at any job website or newspaper will reveal many opportunities for both junior and experienced paralegals. Salary will vary depending upon your experience level, the company you are working for and the type of legal work you are undertaking. But on the whole, paralegals earn good money compared with many other careers, particularly in the junior stages.

There are many tasks that a paralegal may complete on a daily or weekly basis. These can include for example:

- Contacting and liaising with clients and co-workers
- Drafting legal documents
- Organizing client files, history and cases
- Preparing clients for court hearings and meetings
- Reviewing legal documents
- Maintaining a schedule calendar for lawyers and attorneys
- Studying and researching pending legislation that may impact upon clients

Once you have decided to become a paralegal it is time to start looking into education. You will need to do a course at certificate level at the very least. These are offered in most colleges and universities, as well as law specific schools. There are now also many online paralegal courses. This line of study works well online as it is mainly theory work, although some courses will require you to gain work experience whilst you study and this is generally conducted with an employer in your local area. Thereby it is possible to complete your studies solely online whilst attending local work experience.

A paralegal career is exciting and rewarding, not to mention well paid and offering great career prospects.

Thinking about becoming a paralegal? Request free information from accredited paralegal schools. Learn more about becoming a paralegal from http://www.careertoolkits.com/

Career Spotlight: Nursing

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

Without a doubt, nursing is one of the most rewarding career choices a person can make. When you are involved on a daily basis making people’s lives better, you feel a sense of achievement that simply does not come with many other professions. Whether you are working in a hospital, doctor’s surgery, nursing home or anywhere else, as a nurse you will have a profound impact on many people’s lives every single day. This role carries alot of responsibility but also many rewards for the right person.

You must undertake nursing education before you will be allowed to practice in the field. There are many schools solely dedicated to nursing education and some will allow you to specialize in particular nursing fields, whilst all will provide you with the general nursing certification required in your state or country.

It takes around 4 years of study in most places for you to gain your nursing accreditation. There are also post graduate courses that you can choose to take to expand your knowledge. You must be prepared to study full time in order to become qualified, but it is well worth it as you will have a highly rewarding job waiting for you.

You can now study nursing online which means you can continue working whilst you study. You can also study the course that you want even if you do not leave near the college that is running it. Of course, when you study online you must still attend some practical lessons, workshops and work experience. Nursing is one line of work where practical experience means everything.

Upon finishing your studies you will be employed as a training nurse in a hospital, nursing home or other medical institution. Usually you will follow other nurses around for some time to learn the ropes as well as to gain an understanding of the daily tasks required of you.

It is a wise idea to gain experience as a nurse before you finish your studies. You can do that by volunteering your time for free. Although you won’t be allowed to do any serious tasks, you can get an excellent idea of the work you will be doing in future.

Nurses complete a range of tasks including gathering patient information, liaising with patient’s families, providing support, implementing nursing plans, evaluating a patient’s progress, talking to doctors, administrative tasks and much more.

Interested in a few facts about nursing career possibilities? Learn more about this exciting career field from http://www.careertoolkits.com – get the scoop on online nursing programs and much more.

4 Tips to Ace Your Next Job Interview

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

Job interviews are daunting. Some people feel completely overwhelmed when they have a job interview coming up, and others are more relaxed. But the key of course is to be relaxed about your interview. The interviewer will be able to tell right away if you are nervus and this can lead them to believe that you are not a confident person. You absolutely must come across as confident and self assured as this will reflect on your suitability for the position.

Here are some quick tips for a successful job interview:

1. Be Prepared
Preparation is always the key and without it, you will have trouble answering questions properly. Don’t leave it until the morning of the interview to prepare. Instead, plan at least a few days in advance by customizing your resume, researching common questions, going over your own experiences and of course by researching the company itself.

2. Be a Good Listener
Interviews are just as much about listening as they are talking. When the person asks you a question, make sure you really understand it. If you have too many thoughts in your mind then you may not hear the questions properly. This can be a potential disaster. That is why having a clear mind is vital.

3. Know Your Strengths
One inevitable question is “what are your strengths”. Not many people like to answer this but if you already have points in your mind then you should not have any issues. Problems only arise when you need to think of something ion the spot. This is one question that you can prepare well in advance of any interview, regardless of the job.

4. Remember Body Language
The interviewer will not only be looking at what you say, but also at what you do. Body language can give away a nervous person very fast. Alway keep eye contact, sit up straight, don’t fold your arms and generally just have a confident demeanour. This can mean the difference between them thinking you are suitable for the job or not!

Job interviews should not be scary or daunting. Instead think of them as the gateway to your new successful career and life. Once you have a little experience with interviews, either through practice or the real thing, you will not feel as nervous when a big one comes up. And who knows - this interview really could be your last!

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