Author: Michelle Burton (Page 12 of 26)

Sociology Degree Jobs

April 29, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Sociology is one of the most misunderstood fields of study. Tell a group of people that you’re majoring in sociology and the first question they’ll ask is “uh, what are you going to do with that?” Fortunately, the answer is “plenty.”

Sociology is the study of the interaction, structure, collective behavior, and development of organized groups of people. Sociologists can find work in just about any area of business, and in health care, environment & society, government, demography, criminal justice, human services, education, community relations, and social science research. The list of specific job titles is extensive, but just a few are:

-Advocate
-College Administrator
-Community Relations Specialist
-Consultant
-Consumer Researcher
-Director of Advertising
-Law Enforcement Officer
-Marketing Manager
-Mental Health Counselor
-Personnel Training
-Public Assistance Agent
-Social Science Analyst
-Teacher
-Waste Manager

Salaries for these positions vary greatly by level of education, experience, company, and location, but you can expect to make anywhere from $27,000 per year on the low end up to $95,000+ on the high end. Management, director and postsecondary education positions typically fall on the higher end of the pay scale.

If you are interested in a sociology career, you should enroll in an accredited bachelor’s degree program with a major or focus in sociology. Although a bachelor’s degree is a great start, many professionals in this field hold a masters degree or higher. An undergraduate program can prepare you for an entry to mid-level career and/or for a master’s program. All program’s have specific course requirements, but you can always take additional courses that will help prepare you for multiple positions.

According to Top Online Colleges, major requirements may include, but are not limited to:

-Advanced Social Theory
-Directed Readings in Sociology
-Feminist Theories of Social Order
-Introduction of Social Theory
-Introduction to Society
-Medical Sociology
-Population Analysis
-Practicum in Applied Social Research
-Race and Ethnic Group Relations
-Religion in Society
-Research Methodology
-Rural Sociology
-Social Deviance
-Social Inequality
-Social Movements
-Social Problems
-Society and the Future
-Sociological Research
-Sociology of Childhood
-Sociology of Education
-Sociology of Gender Roles
-Sociology of Law
-Sociology of Sport
-Statistics for Social Research
-The Family
-The Individual in Society
-Urban Sociology
-Work, Industry, and Society
-Internship Program

To find the best sociology program, browse through college ranking sites such as Princetonreview.com and Petersons.com. You can also try U.S. News & World Report College Rankings. If you decide to search on your own through Bing or Google, always check the schools website for accreditation, especially if you have never heard of the school or the school operates exclusively online. This does not mean that unfamiliar schools and online schools do not offer high quality programs—most do, but you have to be careful today thanks to the proliferation of diploma mills and schools that have recently lost accreditation.

The following accrediting agencies are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It is important to note that, the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) is one of the top accrediting agencies for online colleges and programs.

-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
-The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
-The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
-The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
-Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
-New England Association of Schools and Colleges
-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
-Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
-Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

To review the full list of recognized agencies, visit the U.S. Department of Education.

Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Workplace

Want to Work Right Now? Sign with a Temp Agency!

April 28, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Never underestimate the power of a temp agency. This service isn’t just for folks interested in an assignment here and there. Most temp agencies today are in the business of filling temporary staffing needs for companies and finding long-term or permanent work for those that want it. Temp agencies are also called employment agencies, employment services, and temporary staffing agencies.

Many temp assignments lead to permanent positions and some are an excellent way to get your foot in the door at a company that might not be the most accessible. Once inside, you can begin to show the company what you’ve got, without having to go through an interview process or waiting for months on end for a call back. The temp agency does the screening for the company, which is one of the reasons the agency makes such a nice commission if you get hired for a full-time job.

In today’s job market, working through a temp agency or working at a temp agency while you’re looking for the ideal job might be the way to go. For starters, you’ll have a variety of assignments to choose from and in most cases, you can control how often you work. This comes in handy when you need a flexible schedule that allows time for interviews. There is such a thing as a career temp, but if you’re looking for something a bit more stable, let the agency know this and they’ll try to match you with long-term assignments and companies that they know may be looking to hire now or in the future.

To locate a temp agency in your area, all you have to do is search online using your favorite search engine or flip through the yellow pages. Compile a list of around 10 agencies and check out their websites. Some agencies may specialize in jobs in the arts while others may be dedicated to providing clerical staff for local companies.

Still, some may specialize in retail, the food and beverage industry, media jobs, temporary medical staffing or blue collar jobs. This is why researching each temp agency is important. You don’t want to waste your time signing up with an agency that doesn’t specialize in jobs that match your skill set.

Once you’ve located several agencies that you think are a good match, forward your resume. The agency will guide you through the process of submitting your resume and any other supporting documentation online. If they think you might be a good fit, you will receive a call for an interview. Be prepared to spend at least 2 hours at the agency interviewing, taking tests, and filling out paperwork.

Once you’re a member of the talent pool, you will leave the office with several timecards for your first few assignments. If you are ready and willing to work within 24 hours, if assignments are available, you will get a call—so be ready. Some assignments are even same day, so if you’re willing to work on short notice, you could receive a significant amount of work early on.

If you’re really interested in finding a long-term assignment or a permanent job, never turn down an assignment if you can help it. It’s not uncommon for a 2-week long assignment to lead to a full-time job in the world of temping.

For more information about temp agencies, read Top Temp Agencies by Time Out New York. Many of the agencies listed in this article have offices across the country.

Your Career, Your Workplace

What can I do with an MBA Degree?

April 26, 2011 / Michelle Burton

MBA degrees have become the gold standard of the business world. More than 62 percent of all CEOs hold a MBA or higher from an accredited program. Why? An MBA opens up more doors in the business world than any other type of degree. Not only this, but an MBA fetches higher salaries, excellent advancement opportunities, and a chance to become an entrepreneur. Its no wonder an MBA is one of the most attractive degrees in the world.

An MBA (Master of Business Administration) can prepare you for a lucrative career in upper management, portfolio management, or consulting. You can also establish a career as a marketing director, human resources manager or CEO. In an average market, an MBA holder has the potential to earn $100,000+ per year working in just about any industry. At the highest levels, a Fortune 500 CEO earns an average of $800,000 per year, plus bonuses and other perks.

Top executives are everywhere. In fact, there are more than 2,133,500 million in the business and management field today. This includes 400,400 chief executives and 1,733,100 general and operations managers.

To become a member of the top executive club, it takes dedication and hard work. It takes a minimum of six years to earn an MBA, beginning as an undergraduate. A traditional MBA degree program requires successful completion of:

-Accounting
-Business Strategy
-Economics
-Finance
-Human Resources
-Marketing Management
-Manufacturing and Production
-Operations Management
-Statistics
-Technology and Information Systems

The core curriculum accounts for 40 percent of the degree requirement. Specific course may include leadership development, global economic environment, social networks and social capital, managerial statistics, operations strategy, financial planning and analysis, strategy structure and incentives, financial accounting, marketing strategy, and managerial economics.

Most undergraduates interested in pursuing an MBA typically earn a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), a Bachelor of Science in Business (BSBA), or a Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS).

An MBA program should include the classes listed above, along with an internship. Most MBA programs follow the traditional curriculum, while some programs, such as online programs, may differ slightly. The best thing to do when searching for a quality MBA program is to make sure the program is accredited by a recognized agency such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). You should also compare the curriculum to a top ten MBA program such as:

1. Harvard Business School
2. INSEAD (France)
3. IMD (Switzerland.)
4. MIT: Sloan School of Management
5. Stanford University Graduate School of Business
6. University of Pennsylvania: Wharton Business School
7. University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
8. Columbia University Graduate School of Business
9. London Business School (UK)
10. Northwestern University: Kellogg Business School

There are hundreds of quality MBA programs in the U.S. and abroad, so just because you didn’t graduate from a top ten program doesn’t mean your chances of making it are any less. Most MBA programs are challenging, competitive and rewarding, so give it your all and you’ll go far.

To review a list of recognized accrediting agencies visit the U.S. Department of Education website at www.ed.gov for details.

Your Business, Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education

MBA

Why Travel Nurse Jobs are on the Rise

April 24, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Healthcare jobs overall account for 26 percent of all new jobs created in the U.S. today and at 2.6 million, registered nurses make up the nation’s largest healthcare group. This group is expected to grow by a whopping 22 percent over the next seven years, adding more than half a million new jobs to talent pool. This will be the largest number of new jobs for any occupation in the U.S.

This trend is expected to continue beyond seven years of as America’s aging population continues to grow. Advances in technology in the area of patient care, a push for preventative care, and the need to replace nurses that retire from the field will also contribute to the trend.

Although the outlook is outstanding for the nursing profession overall, some nurses will fare even better than others. The projected growth rate for RNs working in offices of physicians is 48 percent. Travel nursing (or home health care service nurses) is number two on the list with projected growth of 33 percent over the next seven years. Nursing care facilities is number three on the list at 25 percent, and employment services is number four on the list at 24 percent. Job growth for RNs working in hospitals, public and private, will average 17 percent over the next seven years.

More than 500,000 new jobs will be up for grabs over the next seven years and nursing programs are having a tough time keeping up with the demand. Nursing programs are more difficult complete than they were in earlier years and licensing requirements have become stricter than ever before. Fortunately, certain areas of nursing such as travel nursing have increased in popularity among nurses of all skill levels, and the demand by hospitals and other facilities has increased tremendously. This makes the difficult road from nursing student to registered nurse well worth it for many aspiring nurses interested in a mobile lifestyle.

There are more than 300 travel nursing agencies in the U.S. today and just about every hospital, retirement community, home health care service, nursing homes, and even mental health facilities, use travel nurses. It is important to note that many hospitals hire travel nurses directly. In these cases the travel nurse will report to the HR department to receive their assignment for any given length of time. In some cases, the assignment may change daily, in others it may change weekly or monthly. Agency travel nurses may report to the agency daily, weekly, monthly or every several months, depending on the length of the assignment.

It is important to note that the length of assignment varies greatly by agency and location (city, suburb, rural), but many travel nurses report 13 weeks as an average assignment.

In addition to a high demand for travel nurses, travel nursing jobs offer higher salaries and more “perks” than home-based nursing jobs. In addition to the opportunity to visit different parts of any given state or different parts of the country every few weeks or so, many hospitals lure travel nurses by offering a free private apartment, a travel allowance or reimbursement for travel (tax free), free health, life, and dental insurance, licensure reimbursement, AAA Membership, and unlimited free CEU credits while on assignment. Travel nurse agencies offer the same benefits, but if the assignment changes frequently, agencies pay for accommodations and any related relocation expenses.

Salaries for travel nurses vary, but they typically earn a minimum of 15 percent more than home-based nurses. It is not uncommon for an agency to pay thousands of dollars for a single assignment that lasts several weeks. Travel nurses earn an average salary of $83,200 per year ($40/hr.). Median annual wages of home-based registered nurses is around $62,450 per year ($30/hr.). Most travel nurse agencies offer signing bonuses, referral bonuses, and bonuses upon completion of an assignment.

Travel nursing is expected to continue to grow at a much faster than average pace for the next several decades. The demand for travel nurses has resulted in an increase in the number of agencies available across the nation. This has created intense competition among agencies. As a result, the competition among agencies continues to drive travel nurse salaries and benefits up.

To keep up with the latest news and trends in travel nursing visit Travelnursing.com.

Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Workplace

registered nurse jobs

Financial Jobs: A Good Career Move?

April 20, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Financial Jobs

Financial professionals are needed now more than ever before. Companies need help with trimming the fat in order to stay afloat through these tough times, they need help uncovering fraud and other illegal practices that are on the rise, and new companies need financial professionals to help put them on the right path to financial success. Companies, businesses, and even individuals use financial professionals of all kinds today. They are called upon so often that the industry is expected to grow 8-20 percent by 2018. Some of the different types of financial jobs include:

-Accountant
-Auditor
-Cash Manager
-Comptroller
-Credit Manager
-Economist
-Forensic Accountant
-Fundraiser
-Investment Banker
-Options Trader
-Risk Manager
-Stockbroker
-Treasurer
-Underwriter
-Urban Planner

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov), some of the top industries for financial professionals are securities and commodity contracts intermediation and brokerage, management of companies and enterprises, insurance carriers, local government, and depository credit intermediation. Financial professionals working in these industries earn an average of $77,280-$134,940 annually and other industries are not too far behind on the pay scale.

Entry-level financial professionals start at around $50,290 per year. The mid-range salary is $90,970 per year and the highest average salary, which is usually reserved for management professionals, is around $145,600 per year. Some may make more depending on the size of the company, bonuses, and other benefits.

How to Get a Financial Job

If you’re interested in one of the many financial jobs mentioned above, you should consider earning a bachelor’s degree in finance, business administration, accounting, or economics. A bachelor’s degree is a great start, but many companies prefer a master’s degree in finance, accounting or other related field or an MBA with a focus in finance, accounting, or economics. Not only are advanced degree holder’s recruited more often than bachelor’s degree holder’s, they usually have more advancement opportunities and greater earning power.

While an advanced degree is important, experience is important as well. While in school, you should take advantage of your institutions internship program. This will help you land your first job (even if it’s entry-level), which can help prepare you for higher profile jobs with more responsibility and better pay.

Finding the Best Financial Degree Programs

College directories and college ranking websites are an invaluable tool for degree seekers. U.S. News & World Report publishes a “best of” list of colleges and Princetonreview.com publishes rankings for all colleges and degree programs. College directories such as Petersons.com offer plenty of listings and reviews as well.

If you prefer to search for a program on your own, just make sure the college (whether online or traditional) is accredited by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Some of the top accrediting agencies are:

-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
-The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
-The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
-The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
-Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
-New England Association of Schools and Colleges
-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
-Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
-Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
-Western Association of Schools and Colleges

To make sure the college of your choice is accredited, visit the U.S. Department of Education at Ed.gov. The site has a searchable database of accredited postsecondary institutions and programs. And yes, it’s free.

Your Career, Your Compensation