Advantages and Disadvantages of Going to College for Your Career

Posted on June 26, 2019June 27, 2019 by Edna Crane

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Going to School for Your Career #career #careeradvice

For a long time, many people have assumed that going to school is virtually the only way to really get ahead with your career. You’ll end up with some kind of qualification, you’ll have better job prospects, and you’ll also have some contacts to help you get a foot into your industry of choice. At least, that’s what we hope to achieve from studying in a formal educational institute.

The reality is that unless you’re aiming for a certain type of degree or qualification, formal education might not be the best option. Thanks to the internet, there are many opportunities to help you get started or even grow your career without having to rely on obtaining a qualification or a degree. In fact, we’d argue that for certain career paths, going solo or starting a business is one of the better ways to settle into your industry of choice. So to help you out, we’ve put together a list of the advantages and disadvantages of going to school to bolster your career.

Advantage: Clearer Career Options

One of the biggest advantages of studying for a degree or qualification in school is that you have very clear career options. For instance, if you want to study law then you go to law school. If you want to become a doctor, you go to medical school. These options are clearly defined which makes it easy for you to pick the right course. If you do need help, then advisors are available to help guide you to the career choice that you want to pursue. This makes it very simple to start learning about a specific career, job, or industry and you can instantly make use of that knowledge you gain.

Disadvantage: The Cost Commitment

It’s no surprise that going to school is expensive. Between the tuition fees to maintenance costs like purchasing books and equipment, there are many costs to consider. At the end of it, you’re going to be facing a huge student loan debt that you’ll need to eventually pay off. In fact, there are many people who have left university with a degree that hasn’t helped them get a job and mounting debts that they’re struggling to pay off. It can be extremely overwhelming and daunting to even cope and live with this kind of debt. This why we’d advise against a formal education if you don’t feel comfortable borrowing a large sum of money.

Advantage: Structured and Organized Learning

Another advantage of going to a formal educational institute, such as a university, is being able to follow a clearly-defined learning structure. From researching different topics to presenting your findings and learnings, there’s a very clear path through each module and topic. At the end of it, you’ll have learned all there is to know about those specific subjects. This structured learning is very easy to follow. Since you’re given guidance at every stage, it’ll help you grasp a topic much more easily. You’ll always have someone available to help you should you need it. There are also plenty of resources to learn from on the internet, such as this helpful article on surviving medical school. There are study communities dedicated to helping students who are having trouble with their career choices. There are plenty of ways to streamline the learning process and it can be a blessing to have a helping hand to guide you.

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Disadvantage: Locked Study Path

Although the topics you study are well-organized and structured, you won’t have much room to deviate outside of this study path. You’ll have to stick with it until you leave school. This means you might end up studying something that you don’t like, or you feel isn’t helping you achieve your goals. Then you’ll still need to stick with it and perhaps even write a paper or take a test involving it. This doesn’t happen often, especially if it’s a career choice such as computer science or medicine, but it can be the case. You might find yourself struggling to get through certain topics because you simply dislike them or feel that they don’t help with your career.

Advantage: Opportunity to Network

There are many unique opportunities to network and meet new people that can help you achieve your career goals. It could working part-time with employers as part of your educational course or becoming a resident at a hospital while studying for your medical degree. There are actually a lot of different ways to get your foot into the industry even while you’re studying. This can present you with fantastic job opportunities as soon as you complete your degree. They may not even care about your final result as long as you show talent, drive, and motivation.

Disadvantage: A Lack of Real Opportunity

Although you may have opportunities to network and find a job immediately after you finish your course, it can feel like you’re being pigeonholed into a certain job just because it’s available. The truth is, you might not enjoy working for that company. They might be abusing your abilities knowing that you’re a recent graduate busy looking for a job to help pay back student loans. As a result, you might feel like you’re actually not being presented with many opportunities despite having worked so hard to obtain your career in the first place.

So What Does It All Mean?

At the end of the day, studying at an educational institute for the sake of your career is never a bad idea. However, it does cost a lot of money and you might not realize your full potential. It’s a far safer option than teaching yourself and trying to develop your skills on your own. For certain career choices, it’s probably the only way to even get a chance to work in certain industries such as medicine and law.

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How to Handle These 3 Shocking Legal Issues at Work

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Edna Crane

We spend most of our waking hours at work, so we want it to be a positive and fulfilling place to be. But sometimes, things go wrong. Having a shocking workplace issue turns your world upside down. Unexpected and stressful situations like these can lead to a decline in our health and wellbeing, and we can be left unsure of where to turn. If you come up against any of these three shocking workplace issues, you’re sadly not alone in that, but there are things you can do.

Discrimination and Harassment

If you feel that a coworker is harassing you, it’s essential to seek help. Your employer might have an anti-harassment policy that details the steps to take, or you can speak with your supervisor. You might want to note down what has been happening for the record.

But what if you’re being discriminated against by your employer? Did you know that federal laws prohibit employment discrimination? It’s illegal for employers to discriminate against, harass or otherwise mistreat anyone on the grounds of race, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, or disability. Also, employers must not deny reasonable accommodation for a disability or religious beliefs. It’s important to note that your workplace is not permitted to retaliate against you as a result of you complaining about harassment or helping with a lawsuit or investigation.

So what do you do if you feel your employer has broken the law? File a charge with the EEOC within 180 days of the event. You can do so online through the public portal. As a victim of discrimination or harassment, you can also file a lawsuit.

Unsafe Working Conditions

Your workers’ rights mean you have the right to be safe in the workplace and report any safety concerns without fear or retaliation. If you feel that your working conditions are unsafe, you should report it to your boss. There is also the option of filing a complaint with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).

Accidents and injuries in the workplace are still shockingly common. If you are unfortunate enough to be affected, it’s vital that you report this to your employer right away, and get seen by a doctor. Your employer should initiate any compensation claims, and you should ensure this is happening. If you need to take legal action, consider reaching out to professional attorneys like Hadley Law Firm.

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Wrongful Discharge

Being discharged or terminated from employment is always a stressful time. Particularly so if you feel you have been wrongfully discharged. When you lose your job, you have the right to maintain your health care coverage. You may also be eligible for unemployment compensation to help you during this time. If you think your employer has fired you for reasons not covered under state or federal law, you should seek legal counsel. Your State Labor Office can advise you on which laws apply and what to do next.

Hopefully, you’ll never experience any of these terrible workplace issues. However, it’s always better to be prepared. It’s worth taking the time to read up on your employer’s policies and to understand how the laws apply to you, so you can feel empowered to handle challenging situations like these.

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5 Things to do When your Boss Hates You

Posted on June 6, 2019June 8, 2019 by Katie Evans

If you’ve been working in the business world for any length of time, chances are that you’ve had a boss who absolutely hates you. You know the boss I’m talking about—the condescending jerk who won’t listen to a single one of your ideas and criticizes everything you do. You can’t do anything right, and every muscle in your body contracts when he or she walks into the room.

If your boss is making your life a living nightmare, there are a few things you can do about it before you start crafting your resignation letter.

1. Make Yourself Indispensable, not Invisible

If your boss yells at you as soon as he sees your face, your first instinct might be to hide, but don’t—it will only make the problem worse. Instead, make a list of the things your boss complains about, and make sure you do those things preemptively, before he checks.

Then, make yourself indispensable to your boss by anticipating his needs and acting to make his life easier. If you know he’s doing a presentation on Friday with a client, go ahead and pull the data he needs on Monday or Tuesday and set it up in a PowerPoint slide. If he has to put in a supply order on Thursday, don’t wait until he asks what you need—email him a list on Tuesday.

The point is, don’t just show up to work and do the bare minimum. Bosses hate that. Besides, there has to be a reason why your boss is being nasty. His boss could be pressuring him. His personal life could be falling apart. You don’t know, and at the end of the day, your job is to support your boss and his/her initiatives, so do the best job you can.

2. Be Kind

You can’t control your boss’ actions and attitudes, but you can definitely control yours! Choose to be kind. When your boss throws negativity your way, end the conversation by asking if there is anything else you can do for her today.

Make thoughtful gestures. When you pick up your morning coffee, spend a little extra to buy the Coffee Traveler at Starbucks to bring the good stuff for the entire office. Be sure to pour the boss a cup and take it to her. If she’s not a coffee drinker, figure out what her “thing” is. It might be chocolate, donuts, tea, or soda. It’s a small gesture, but it can go a long way in changing your boss’ attitude towards you.

Think about the small talk you have with your boss. Are you an active listener? Do you know her kids’ names? Is there a sports team she follows? Is she planning a trip somewhere exotic? Always be interested in the things going on in your boss’ life. While it may not seem important, remembering the details shows the boss that you truly listen to her and have her back.

3. Inspire Camaraderie with Your Coworkers

When the boss goes on a tirade, it’s tempting to trash him behind his back with your coworkers. However, you have more class than that (right?). Trashing your boss makes you look petty, and your coworkers will remember it. Save your vent session for after work, with your friends or therapist.

However, you should create professional camaraderie with your coworkers. It will help you on the hard days to be surrounded by positive relationships. You can inspire camaraderie by supporting your coworkers, because the chances are good that the boss who hates you also hates them, too.

If you see the boss berate a coworker for not finishing a task, offer to help your coworker catch up. If you see a coworker working through lunch, offer to bring her back something to eat from the café down the street. If you notice a coworker working late, ask if there is anything you can do for them. Even if you can’t stay late, you may be able to pick up dry cleaning on your way or make an important phone call for them when you get home.

Creating a supportive office environment can make weathering the storm of a negative boss a lot easier for everyone.

4. Gather Your References and Update Your Resume

Of course, if you’ve tried absolutely everything, and your work situation is simply unbearable, it’s time to clean up your resume and gather your references.

If you’ve worked towards creating a supportive office environment, you will have a wealth of coworkers who are willing to write reference letters for you. Start gathering them, and as you do, offer to do the same for your coworkers. If you have three strong references you can use throughout your job search, you will do fine.

As for your resume, make sure it is up to date and looks modern. Make sure you customize it for each job advertisement’s keywords, too.

5. Let Recruiters Know You’re Open to other Opportunities

LinkedIN has a feature you can turn on to let recruiters know you are looking for opportunities. Start talking to recruiters as soon as you can. Be careful, though—they will ask why you are leaving your current job, and the last thing you want to say is, “my boss hates me.” Instead, tell them you are looking for a new challenge. It’s not a lie—you are looking for a challenge besides contending with a boss that hates you.

Know Your Options

When your boss hates you, your options are generally to either stay in the job and make the best of it or look for a new job. However, if you are being harassed, be sure your first stop is the HR office. No one has the right to abuse you, even if they are your boss. If you don’t feel comfortable reporting your boss, find a new job. Don’t stay in a toxic situation—your health and wellbeing must always come first.

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5 Things to Do when Your Boss Hates You - #Career #careeradvice #perfectlyemployed

Nail Your Next Pitch to Sign New Clients

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Edna Crane

It doesn’t matter what job you end up in, you will probably need to have some very strong pitching skills. This is especially the case if you want to find some freelance work for yourself. You will have to continually pitch to companies and clients in the hope that they assign their various projects to you. Even if you end up working full-time, you might still be involved in pitching as lots of businesses have to sell themselves in meetings in an attempt to try to sign new clients.

As you can tell, it’s always important that your pitching skills are up to scratch. They will help you win new work and climb further up through a company’s hierarchy. Here are some of the most important things to remember when you are trying to nail your next pitching meeting.

Create An Engaging Presentation

First of all, you will need to create a presentation to go along with your pitch. This can help to further engage your audience, and it’s also a great way to add some additional textual information that people can read. You don’t just want to make another boring old PowerPoint presentation as you can be sure that everyone else who is pitching will be doing the exact same. So, instead you should use a presentation software with smart templates and plenty of ways you can customize the slides. It needs to look good or else it just won’t be enough to catch your audience’s attention and they will very quickly get bored.

Do Your Research On Who You Are Pitching

You also need to spend a bit of time before the pitch researching these potential clients and anyone else who you may be pitching to. Once you have done your research, you will have a very good idea of who your audience are and the various ways you can target them directly. Plus, you will probably know what they are after a lot better too. That way, you can showcase your company or yourself in a way that really appeals to the people who are sitting in front of you throughout the meeting.

Practice Your Pitch

Practice makes perfect! We all know that, and you need to put these words of wisdom into practice. It is highly advisable to have a couple of practice run throughs of your pitch before you actually step into the pitching meeting. If possible, you should do this practice run in front of someone. They will then be able to give you any feedback on what they thought went well and what you could improve on. This also gives you the chance to know your pitch inside out and a lot less likely to make any mistakes.

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Try To Stay Relaxed

It’s perfectly normal to get nervous before you head into your pitch. Lots of people will feel like this as well! However, you don’t want your nerves to get on top of you or they could lead to you ruining the pitch. It is really important that you try to relax before and during your pitch so that you can deliver it as well as possible. There are various relaxation methods and techniques that many people use, so it’s worth taking a look through some to see which might suit you and your nerves.

Don’t Forget To Introduce Yourself

As soon as you walk into your pitching meeting and see who you are pitching to, you should be sure to introduce yourself straight away. Even though this might sound slightly obvious, it is remarkable how many people forget to introduce themselves and simply walk straight and start pitching straight away. Your audience will want to know who you are and what your role in the company is.

Always Follow Up

The pitch doesn’t end as soon as the meeting does. You should aim to follow up with who you were pitching to a day or two later. All this takes is a quick email to say that you hope they enjoyed your presentation and seeing more of the company. It’s important to always follow up as it makes it less likely that you are forgotten about. Lots of companies call in many freelancers or other firms to pitch to them, and it might be the follow up that makes all the difference in setting you apart from the others.

These are just a few of the tips you can use to help you nail your next big pitching meeting. Good luck with it!

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4 Dangerous Jobs That Pay A Lot Of Money

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Edna Crane

What’s your priority when you’re looking for a job? Is it finding something that pays well or maybe something that gives you a lot of job satisfaction? Whatever it is, you’re probably not searching for the most dangerous jobs out there, why would you? But what you’re forgetting is that somebody has to do those dangerous jobs. Because of all of the risks involved, you’ll get paid very well for them. If you’re a bit of a daredevil and you don’t mind putting yourself in harm’s way, you could earn a lot of money doing one of these dangerous jobs.

Fishing

When you think of fishing, you’re probably picturing a nice serene lake with a few camping chairs and a rod dangling in the water, which doesn’t sound very dangerous at all. But that’s not where all of the fish that we eat comes from, that comes from deep sea fisherman and that’s an incredibly dangerous job indeed. The waters out there are so rough. The crews are spending extended periods out there living on a tiny boat together. It’s not uncommon for people to get knocked overboard by the nets. When that happens, there is almost zero chance for survival. But the dangerous conditions on the boat do mean that you get paid good money for your catch. A lot of deep sea fisherman work a few months on and then a few months off, so you get a lot of time to enjoy all of the money you’re making.

Disaster Management

When natural disasters like earthquakes and floods hit, they can cause some serious damage. That’s why there are people who work in disaster management so they can prepare risk areas for natural disasters and help to limit the damage afterwards. If you want to apply for a job in this field, you’ll need a disaster and emergency management degree before you’re qualified. There’s a lot that goes into planning for and dealing with disasters like this. The margin for error is next to nothing because people’s lives are at stake. But, of course, you will get paid a good salary for putting yourself in dangerous situations.

Pilots

Being a pilot is often considered a very glamorous job because the pay is great and you also get the chance to travel for work and see places around the world. But there is a downside to being an airline pilot because it can be incredibly dangerous. People don’t realize this because we’re often told that air travel is safer than driving a car. It’s not crashes that make being an airline pilot so dangerous. Surprisingly, it’s overexertion and bodily reactions to long haul flights that really takes its toll on pilots and can cause some serious health issues.

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Policing

It’s no surprise that policing makes it on to this list. Officers are constantly putting themselves in dangerous situations to protect the public. The most common cause of injury is assault by criminals that they’re trying to apprehend. However, you’ll be handsomely rewarded for being a police officer with a decent salary and some great retirement benefits.

Taking on a dangerous job might not sound like a good idea. If you want to earn a lot of money, it’s often the best way.

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3 Medical Careers You Might Want To Try

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Edna Crane

If you are thinking of getting a career where you can actively care for people, then one world which you are almost certainly considering is medicine. The world of healthcare is ideal for people who want to help others, but you might find yourself a little at a loss as to what job you should actually go for. There are, after all, thousands upon thousands of roles within healthcare alone, and it can be a challenge to pick out one or two that you think you might enjoy and be good at. To give you a helping hand here, we have put together a short list of some of the best medical careers you might want to try your hand at. Consider these if you are not sure what is right for you.

Healthcare Assistant

This is a great place to start out in medicine, especially if you are not confident on what you might want to do ultimately later on in your career path, or you find yourself flitting back and forth between different potential roles. A healthcare assistant doesn’t require much in the way of training beforehand, as you get most of the training on the job, and in the early first few weeks, you will already be learning basics such as taking blood, administering injections, performing ECGs and so on. This affords a great baseline experience for anyone who wants to get into medicine but isn’t sure exactly what they want to do, and it’s something that you should seriously consider for that purpose.

Nurse

If you want to make a little more of a career out of it, you could instead consider getting straight into nursing – or you could go straight from healthcare assistant to being a nurse. Either way, you are going to need some training and education, and there are many ways to get that, so you should never feel as though it is going to be out of your reach in any way. These days, you can even take online nursing masters programs to learn from home, so you should never feel that you can’t achieve what you want to here. Nursing can be highly rewarding, more than a little stressful, and ultimately a very satisfying career, so it’s well worth a shot.

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Doctor

Of course, you could work towards being a doctor, and this will depend on having a great degree of training and education beforehand – but there is absolutely no reason why you can’t hope to do just that. You will need to attend medical school with a background in a scientific degree, and then you will need to specialize in a particular area for your doctorate. All of this can take ten years or more, so you should be prepared to be patient – but if it’s what you really love, then it shouldn’t feel as though it is particularly out of your way to do these things. All in all, it means you will end up in one of the most respected careers on the planet, so it’s worth considering.

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3 Medical Careers You Might Want To Try - #career #careeradvice

Top Tips For Acing Your Next Job Interview

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Edna Crane

If you want to get hired at the next interview, then here are some tips to follow. To help you to ace your next interview, you’ll want to stand out from the crowd. It isn’t as difficult a process as you might imagine; you just want to focus on making a great first impression.

Research The Company

Unless you are going out on a blind date, you should know a little about the person that you are going to be meeting up with. If you’d do that for a date, then it is a huge mistake to not go to a job interview without any knowledge of the company. You could even look up the company on a site like LinkedIn to see the individuals that are likely to be interviewing you. You can easily ace a job interview when you have shown that you have taken time to research the company. If you know what has been going on recently in the company, then it can be a good idea to have some questions ready for them too. When you are prepared, it looks good; the interviewer will know that this job means a lot to you and that you have an interest in the company that is genuine.

Use Your Resume Well

As someone that is applying for a job, you should know your resume practically off by heart. It isn’t the interviewer’s job to know these kinds of things about you. They will want to hear about them all. Plus, through the application process, they are likely to have a copy that they can read from and ask you anything about. If you’ve forgotten that you did some express training a year ago, or forgotten that you wrote about a position of responsibility that you may have embellished, and they ask you to explain but you’re unable to, then it isn’t going to look good. If you are able to implement this kind of strategy, then it will definitely help you to be on the way to ace your job interview. The interview is the time that you use to convince the interviewer that you are able to do the advertised job. Have something intelligent to say about each aspect of your previous work and roles. It is one of the best things that you can be doing in an interview.

Understand the Job Description in Detail

After getting the offer of an interview, you need to go back and make sure that you have a copy of the job description that you have applied for. Just the role’s title isn’t going to be enough to help you through. Study what the role description is. It can really help you to understand what the interviewer is looking for in a candidate. There will be specific words that the job description uses, such as attention to detail. When you know this kind of thing, it can help you to make specific examples based on your resume. These can be used at the interview to demonstrate how you fit this role. If you can do this for all of the main qualities or traits that are listed in the job description, then you will be well on your way to acing the interview.

Be Friendly; Build Rapport

There is an old saying that there is no second chance to make a first impression. That is something that holds very true for jobs and job interviews. You need to know how to be friendly and build a rapport with your interviewer right from the start. If you get their back up, then they won’t be able to imagine you working there. Simple things like starting off by greeting the interviewer with a firm handshake and a smile is a good place to start. Making small talk before you get into things is also another step to showing some of your personality and that you are a friendly person that would fit into the office environment.

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Make Eye Contact

Along similar lines, building a rapport with someone is all about things like eye contact. Using it well is important as it is one of the biggest forms of nonverbal communication; a must for acing a job interview. Having eye contact also helps to show whether you are someone that is strong or weak. It is through that direct eye contact shows two qualities that employers will want; confidence and self-esteem. Even if you don’t think you fit into that category, fake it until you make it. Make sure you use eye contact. Look the interviewer in the eye as they greet you and when shaking hands. Having eye contact when you’re telling stories or answering questions will also help you to really exude confidence.

Follow Up After An Interview

Immediately after an interview, it is a good idea to send a note or an email to thank them for their time. By simply thanking the interviewer for their time and letting them know that it was great to meet them can be a wonderful thing for them to receive. The team may deliberate over who to get the job too, and something like that can help you to stand out in their memory. It can be a simple thing, but something that can help you to do well in a job interview, nonetheless. If you understand and take on board these strategies, then you can be well on your way to getting the job that you have been dreaming of.

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Creative Careers That Pay Well

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Edna Crane

In the past, the typical attitude was always that you can either have a well-paid job or a creative job. The truth is that creative careers do not mean working for free or living like a starving artist. Nowadays, especially thanks to the rise of technology, it’s even less so the case because the creative jobs that are needing to be done are heavily reliant on advanced technology which require a great deal of skill to be able to do effectively. Do you feel like you’re someone who’s very creative, but you still need to be able to earn good money? In this post, we’re going to share some tips for some of the best creative careers you can have and also pay well.

Copywriting:

Copywriting is a highly creative job that requires a certain skill set. You need to be able to use words, persuasion, and psychology to understand people and what makes them tick. You can lead people to take a specific action – usually, this means buying something. It stands to reason that companies understand the value that a copywriter brings to their company. Especially if their own strong suit doesn’t extend to selling, they will be happy to pay well for this. Although the salaries for copywriting will vary depending on things like location, experience and also if you work for an employer or if you’re self-employed, the earning potential is pretty great with the average salary for a mid-weight copywriter being around $60K per year.

Graphic Design:

If you’re someone who has a keen eye for design, drawing and bringing messages together in a visually appealing way, then a career as a graphic designer could be perfect for you. Not only is this something that requires a highly specialized and creative skillset, but it’s got very good earning potential. Again, like copywriting, the amount you’ll earn as a graphic designer will really depend on various factors and is also something you can do whilst working for an employer such as a company within their marketing department, a creative agency like TLC Creative or by working as a self-employed freelancer.

Chef:

Whilst the vast majority of chefs are never going to reach the celebrity status of people like Jamie Oliver, it’s a great career to have if you’re passionate about food. If you’re willing to work hard at making a name for yourself, it can pay very well and also open up a lot of different opportunities to work in amazing places all over the world. There’s no doubt that being a chef is hard going and requires a certain type of lifestyle. You’ll have to be a certain type of person, but it’s worth it if you’re okay with the work involved.

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Personal Trainer:

If you’re a fitness lover, then you could make a great name and career for yourself as a personal trainer. Many people may not consider this to be the most creative of careers, but it definitely is. You’ll be doing things like creating fitness plans for your clients and working with them on a personal level. You’ll need a deep understanding of the human body, nutrition and be able to use creative thinking.

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