On this site you'll find a 4-Step Self-Assessment Program.
Just follow the pages on this site and work through the program yourself. It's easy to do. Keep track of your results.
All Tests, Inventories and Worksheets on this website are available in easily printable format in Career Manuals 1 and 2.
What kinds of things will you learn about yourself? You can find out what kind of personality you have,
what kind of work environment compliments your personality,
what your work values and
your multiple intelligences are, and
what motivates you.
There is even a section on this site on how to apply for jobs working overseas
and what it's like living overseas.
If you'd like, you can have the whole program, neatly tied together in ebook format, so you won't miss anything.
What do these exciting jobs have in common?fc
- They all work with digital media to enhance the end user's experience.
- They use a combination of technical and/or design skills, writing talent and marketing savvy, organizational abilities, and an understanding of human psychology.
- Their job descriptions are still in flux, and are pretty much being defined right now.
- None of them existed 10 years ago.
As yet, these jobs have no distinct career path, and so no specific training programs.
That means you can get into them through programs that may even appear unrelated.
Be creative. You may find yourself in a job that is the envy of your friends.
1. Social Media Manager/Consultant
- One who is able to go in and analyze the social marketing aspects of a business, and set up a strategic interactive communications system.
- Their tools are the best social media for the marketing niche: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WordPress Blogs etc.
- Depending on the needs of the business, a Social Media expert can work with the staff on a consultant basis, teaching them how to maintain and most effectively engage users through Social Media.
- Or they can create and manage marketing campaigns alongside the business owner.
- Social Media Managers can have a number of business clients with whom they work.
2. Professional Video Game Player
- This job has been quietly developing in the background for years. See: Video Game Tester Jobs
- Recently it has become a serious occupation that is lucrative enough to qualify as a career.
- If you are good enough, and have a passion for it, professional video gaming can net prizes as high as $500,000 per tournament.
- Large electronics companies like Samsung, front the prize money, using these tournaments as marketing venues.
- For example, "Starcraft: Brood War" has become one of the most popular professionally played games in the world.
- Professional video gaming is now entering the realm of a spectator sport.
3. Professional Blogger
- Professional bloggers write clearly and competently about a variety of topics and niches, that they research and develop an expertise in.
- The most successful bloggers usually work on contracts, making between $25 to $500 per piece.
- The price they can charge for their services is gauged by the number of clicks and reads they can generate on a website.
- Popular bloggers gather loyal followings who regularly read their posts.
- Their credibility and authority allows them to sell advertising on their own blogs, and gives them almost celebrity status in the blog world.
- At the highest levels, bloggers can command large fees for speaking engagements. You can get started now with this
Definitive Guide to Professional Blogging
4. User Experience Analyst
- User Experience Analysts are sought after for their expertise in analyzing the kind of experience users have when they come to a website.
- The goal is to improve the visitor experience so as to meet the goals of the business.
- UEAs use many tools to get feedback from users.
- They recommend design changes, that will enhance the user experience, thus translating it, for the company, into increased revenue and sales.
- The competition for talented UEAs is fierce.
- According to payscale.com, the average salary with only two years of experience, approaches $60,000.
5. Information Architect - Designing Online Content
- Working from the end-user perspective - an information architect organizes online information.
- They make it accessible and attractive to readers, so they can easily navigate a site, and quickly catch the intended message.
- More and more this is becoming a required job in all organizations reaching out to their online market in an effort to offer more value to the consumer.
- One way to get started in this job is through training in Information Management and Systems.
Here is a list of schools all over the world now offering programs in Information Architecture.
Careers With Lots of Job Openings
Source: investopedia.com
With an aging Boomer population, most of the fastest growing occupations are in healthcare. By 2014, in the US three out of
every ten new jobs will be health care related.
- Personal and Home Health Care Aides - high school plus on-the-job training, or short-term agency or a community college program
- Dental Hygienists - 1 yr certificate from Dental Hygiene School or 2 year Associate Degree
- Dental Assistants - 1 year Certificate or 2 year Associate Degree
- Physical Therapist Assistants - 2 year Associate Degree
- Pharmacists - a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree
- Medical Assistants - 1 or 2 yr community college program, depends on environment you choose to work in
- Veterinary Technicians - community colleges offer 1 or 2 yr Vet Technology or Animal Health Care Programs
- Social Assistance Workers - high school plus in-service training, or short community college program in Human Services
- Network Systems Administrators - 2 yr diploma program or 4 yr degree
- Heavy Truck and Tractor Trailor Drivers - 1 month training available through Commercial Truck Driving Schools and Community Colleges
Careers That Attract the Brightest Minds
Source: Marty Nemko
- Researchers in Physics, Math, Molecular Biology, Engineering or Computer Science
- Government Managers in the areas of Homeland Security, Energy, Health Care, Veteran's Affairs, Defense.
- Corporate Specialists in Global Business Development, and Global Workforce Management especially for China, India, Middle East. [Languages to master: Mandarin, Hindi, Bengali, Russian]
- Specialists in Global Finance
- Experts in Terrorism especially Bio-terrorism
- Immigration Specialists
- Optometrists
- Genetics Counselors - to deal with more gene-related problems
- Health Informatics Specialists - using computerized expert systems
- Patient Advocates - to help the sick navigate the Health Care System, find the right specialists, keep informed and deal with Insurance Claims.
- Higher Education Administrators
- Physical Therapists - need a 3 year Doctor of Physical Therapy
- Veterinarians
- Media Coaches
Most Popular Careers
Source: hubpages.com
The Top Jobs are mainly in two Fields: Computers and Health Care.
If you are attracted to computer careers, one of the most important work values to have is Flexibility. You will be constantly
learning new technologies, and may be required to travel. An ability to adapt to high change will allow you to adjust without feeling stressed. For those in the "Computer Field" change is just a fact of life.
- Pharmacists
- Computer Software Engineers
- Computer Support Specialists
- Network and Systems Administrators
- Data Communications Specialists
- Desktop Publishers
- Database Administrators
- Personal & Home Care Aides
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Patient Health Care Advocates
- Social & Human Services Assistants
- Physician Assistants
- Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
- Physical Therapist Aides
- Occupational Therapist Aides
- Audiologists
- Fitness Trainers
- Veterinary Assistants
- Animal Lab Technicians
- Social Workers
The Coolest Jobs
Each of the links below will take you to a Career Guide Book or Video, that will tell you more about that type of work.
Workers Who Thrive Working in Danger Zones
(According to death rate)
- Crab Fishers - a very dangerous way to make a living!
- Loggers - run a close second
- Truck Drivers - work long shifts on tedious & monotonous drives, facing frequent highjackings, tough weather conditions, reckless drivers
- Miners - accidental deaths are not well publicized, because this is no longer a mainstream job
- Firefighters - death is a constant companion that can call at any time
- Police Officers - not a safe job by any stretch
- Armored Car Guards - there's a reason why they carry loaded weapons - moving cash around all day attracts attention
- Detonation Squad - take a guess at the risks involved here
- Coast Guard Search & Rescue - these workers put their lives on the line everyday
- Bodyguards - if you choose to serve as a human shield, they'd better pay you well.
Be aware of the hazards to your health, in any job you do.
Other contenders: aircraft pilots, iron and steel workers, hazardous materials recyclers, farmers/ranchers, roofers, power line workers, taxi drivers.
Jobs That Push Your Buttons
Source: ShareRanks.com
There really are some jobs that have more stress around them than others. Some people thrive on this kind of stress.
Know the full story before you leap into any of these careers.
- Air traffic controllers - constantly monitoring, watching, always on the alert, burnout stalks this job
- Surgeons - literally holding human life in their hands, everyday - life and death decisions
- Firefighters - going from zero to full alert in seconds is scary, exciting and stressful
- Registered Nurses-RNs - understaffed, overworked and underpaid, taking care of everyone but themselves
- Police Officers - working under strict guidelines, using lethal weapons, reacting to unpredictable situations in split seconds
- Coal Miners - do any of us know what it's like to go underground everyday to work in a mining pit?
- Commercial Truck Drivers - on the roads most of the time, they see it all
- Correctional Officers - working in jails with a population of convicted criminals and felons
- IT Professionals - no where to hide - keeping everything working smoothly all the time, or everyone will know about it - right away!
- Social Workers - working with kids in crisis, who are dependent on the system to take care of them - one story: Nobody's Child
Here are some other stressful jobs you may be aware of: Airline pilots, Military Personnel, Paramedics, Long Term Care Nurses, 911 Operators, Teachers.
If you are considering any of these, be sure to interview someone doing the job,
before you invest in training. But if your heart sings while you hear them talking, go for it.
Easy to Enter Careers for Recent High School Grads
The links below will take you to books that will give you more information about each career.
These are all jobs where employers are often willing to train you.
Ready to Retire? Retirement Havens Around the World
Source: Forbes.com
Are you one of the lucky ones who can afford to retire?
- Consider these possibilities.
- Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide - easy pace & peaceful lifestyle.
- Canada - Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary (Vancouver, where I live, has the mildest climate in Canada with 1 or 2 days of light snow per year) - accessible alternative & mainstream health care, best quality of life.
- United States - Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland, San Francisco - best business and shopping districts.
- Italy - Milan and Rome - art, culture and fine dining.
- Spain - Barcelona, Madrid - family-oriented, ease of travel
- France - Paris, Lyon - art & culture, history, quality health care and social net.
- Thailand - Bangkok, Rayong - excellent value for $, welcoming environment.
- Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baharu - excellent value for $
- Ireland - Dublin - friendly, relaxed lifestyle.
- Panama - Panama City - known as a retirement haven for decades.
