Category: Your Career (Page 37 of 62)

Benefits of Foreign Language Programs

July 14, 2011 / Michelle Burton

The United States is home to the fifth highest population of Hispanics in the world. As of 2009, 44 million Hispanics lived in the U.S. and this number is expected to increase to over 100 million by 2050. Not surprisingly, Spanish is the second most common language in America. Spanish isn’t the only language that’s growing in America. Chinese is the third most common language in the country, followed by French, then German, Tagalog (spoken in the Philippines), Vietnamese, Italian, Korean, Russian, Polish, and Arabic.

With so many languages and cultures flourishing in the U.S., businesses, colleges, government organizations, and others feel that being bilingual, or even multilingual, is an asset. In many instances, companies will hire a bilingual or multilingual candidate over one that speaks only one language—even if the candidates’ backgrounds are nearly identical.

In addition to being a plus in the working world, there are a number of jobs for individuals with a degree in foreign language. These jobs are available in education, government, aviation, law, the arts, finance, journalism, tourism, social service, customer service, and many others. Just a few job titles for foreign language graduates are foreign service officer, foreign service peacekeeping, air-traffic assistant, paralegal, art dealer, importer/exporter, professor, consultant, international banking officer, cultural attaché, linguist, interpreter or translator, customs/immigration officer, travel writer, foreign exchange trader, UNESCO official, and foreign diplomat.

While a foreign language degree is the minimum requirement for some of the positions listed above, a degree in say finance, along with fluency in or a certificate in a foreign language might be the only requirements. If you already speak a second language such as Spanish, but have never taken a Spanish class, that doesn’t mean you can teach Spanish. In a language program, you’ll learn the technical aspects of the language and the proper way to speak it.

The type of foreign language program you should take will depend on what you plan to do once you’ve learned a second language. If you plan to learn a second language for personal growth, taking a foreign language program at a language center or community college may be sufficient. If you prefer to work independently, you can purchase any number of language learning software packages online or at your local software emporium, bookstore, or electronics store. If you plan to make a career of it, a foreign language program at a two- or four-year college is your best bet.

Some of the best colleges for foreign language majors are:

-Georgetown University
-University of Chicago
-Harvard University
-Princeton University
-Columbia University New York
-Stanford University
-Brown University
-Tufts University
-University of Colorado
-Southern Methodist University
-Dartmouth College
-Brigham Young
-University of California-Berkeley
-University of Pittsburgh
-University of Rochester
-Duke University
-Vanderbilt University
-The University of Texas

A Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Language takes four to five years to complete. Colleges that offer the program online may offer the option to take an accelerated program, which means, you can complete the program in two to three years, with no breaks.

For more information about language in America, visit the U.S. Census Bureau Language Use page at http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/language/.

Your Business, Your Career, Your Education, Your Workplace

Career Spotlight: Pediatric Travel Nurse

July 11, 2011 / Michelle Burton

There are more than 75.2 million children in the U.S. today and this figure is expected to increase to 81.7 million over the next decade. Unfortunately, there are a number of top health problems affecting children across the U.S. today that could have an impact on these figures. Childhood obesity, smoking, drugs, psychological stress, depression, eating disorders, suicide, autism, childhood cancer, and food contamination are just a few. Fortunately, because treatment options are quite different for children than they are for adults, there is an entire field devoted to caring for children’s health needs.

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine concerned with the care and development of children and with the prevention and treatment of children’s diseases. The doctors and nurses that work in this field are qualified to work with both adults and children, but they specialize in the prevention and treatment of children’s diseases. While all doctors and nurses are qualified to work with both children and adults, most facilities separate the two.

Working with sick or injured infants and children calls for a somewhat different set of personal attributes that are common among pediatricians and pediatric nurses. Pediatricians and pediatric nurses must be patient, they must be passionate about working with children, and they must have the ability to communicate with children at all age levels. Because pediatric nurses meet with or talk to dozens of parents on a daily basis, they must also be skilled at communicating with parents about their child’s condition, health, and treatment in a clam and effective manner.

In addition to special personal attributes, pediatric nurses must have a specific educational background and training. Most pediatric nurses complete a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) followed by a master of science in nursing (MSN) with a focus in pediatric care. This means, aspiring pediatric nurses must complete anywhere from 5-6 years of study, which includes supervised clinical experience in pediatrics. Pediatric travel nurses must also obtain the RN (registered nurse) or the LPN (licensed practical nurse) designation. Each state has its own licensing requirements, so you must contact your state nursing board for details. To locate your state nursing board click here for listings or visit the Nursing Center at www.nursingcenter.com.

The path from nursing student to pediatric nurse is a long and arduous one, so many nursing students never make it to graduation. Others may take several additional years to complete the program. As a result, nursing schools have a tough time keeping up with the demand for skilled pediatric nurses. To help with staffing needs, hospitals, clinics, private practices, and other health care facilities routinely call upon pediatric travel nurses to fill the void. So, if you are one of the lucky few that make it to graduation, you can look forward to an unlimited number of travel nurse opportunities.

Pediatric travel nurses must have the same qualifications and skills as home-based nurses, only pediatric travel nurses travel across the U.S. to fill in at facilities that are short staffed. Pediatric travel nurse assignments usually last a minimum of 13 weeks, but it is not uncommon for an assignment to last up to 26 weeks or more.

Pediatric travel nurses are in high demand all over the U.S., but the demand is highest in the nations 30 largest metropolitan areas. These include: Phoenix, AZ., Los Angeles, CA., Riverside, CA., Sacramento, CA., San Diego, CA., San Francisco, CA., Denver, CO., Washington, DC., Miami, FL., Orlando, FL., Tampa, FL., Atlanta, GA., Chicago, IL., Boston, MA., Detroit, MI., Minneapolis, MN., Kansas City, MO., St. Louis, MO., Las Vegas, NV., New York, NY., Cincinnati, OH., Cleveland, OH., Columbus, OH., Portland, OR., Philadelphia, PA., Pittsburgh, PA., Dallas, TX., Houston, TX., and Seattle, WA. Travel nurse agencies dispatch pediatric travel nurses to these large metropolitan areas and other areas by way of auto or plane, depending on where the travel nurse is located.

Once the pediatric travel nurse has been offered an assignment, the travel nurse agency pays for transportation to and from the assignment, housing, meals, health insurance, and savings. Pediatric travel nurses also receive a number of bonuses such as signing bonuses, completion bonuses, and referral bonuses. In addition, pediatric travel nurses can expect to earn around 15 percent more than home-based pediatric nurses depending on experience, facility, and agency. The average median salary for pediatric nurses is $59,571. It is important to note that pediatric nurses tend to learn less overall than most other nurses.

To become a pediatric travel nurse, you should begin by enrolling in an accredited nursing program. Nursing programs are readily available at 2-year and 4-year colleges, universities, technical schools, and career schools. Once you have located a program of interest, all you have to do is check to make sure the program is accredited by a recognized agency such as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Check with the U.S. Department of Education for an official list of agencies at www.ed.gov.

Once you have completed your program(s) and supervised clinical experience, you may sign up with one of more than 300 travel nurse agencies across the U.S. A simple Google search will provide listings for travel nurse agencies in your area. In the meantime, just a few top travel nurse agencies include:

For more information about pediatric travel nursing, or to keep up with the latest news and trends in travel nursing visit Travelnursing.com.

Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education, Your Workplace

National Guard launches ‘Adventures’ app

June 28, 2011 / admin

You just received a call, there’s massive flooding in your region and a state of emergency has been declared. The destruction of the flood is spreading and people are scrambling to safety. The President has made the decision to send units to the scene. Your commanding officer has just informed you that you will lead your unit to the front line to help make critical decisions needed to bring structure to a chaotic situation. Are you ready to serve your country when needed?

This is one example of a relief mission that can be found in the newly created application from the Army National Guard. The brand new application has an interactive game environment that was designed to highlight the many decision making and leadership tasks that lie within the service. The program, titled Adventures, integrates with Facebook Connect and puts the user in a personal decision based mission like the one in the story above. Men who play action style war video games will have their mental sharpness tested as they make important decisions which will directly impact the mission.

Adventures is based on the popular Choose Your Own Adventure style of books and will allow users to make real-time decisions that control the outcome of various missions. This interactive experience exposes users to the many different jobs and roles available. It also showcases the pride developed as a Soldier in the National Guard.

Your Career

10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Succession Planning

June 28, 2011 / admin

When building and maintaining a business, not many owners have the time (or feel like they have the time) to think about what will happen to their business once they have retired or sold it.

However, business succession planning is crucial to where your business is headed. Putting a proper succession plan in place ahead of time will not only help of your company’s health now, but down the line too.

But before making a succession plan, let’s start with the first step. You need to reflect on your ultimate goals, personally and professionally.

Here is a list of 10 important questions to ask yourself before and during the succession planning process:

1. What would make you leave the business?

With the retirement age rising, many people are choosing careers that they enjoy and can see themselves doing for a long time. So what would make you leave your business?

Retirement, family, travel, new business opportunities? List out some of the main reasons you can see yourself leaving the company. Perhaps, you were interested in making a quick buck by building up the business over a few years then selling it, like so many of today’s e-based businesses are doing. Even at that, you want to go out with a “Bang” and ensure you get the right buyers. For this, you need a good succession plan in order.

2. Is this business your life’s goal or accomplishment?

Starting your own business demands constant hard work and effort. Think back to when you first decided to take this giant leap. Did you expect to see your company where it is now? Are you proud of where you are today? How much is this business a part of you?
These are again some deep and important questions to ask yourself as your response to them will help you determine which potential successor could really share your vision and fill your dedicated shoes.

3. What is your business worth?

Your company has a dollar value, but is this enough for you? If your company has intrinsic value than you may need a higher price tag to make the sale worth it for you. It’s key to start by speaking to finance advisors who have experience in your industry to help you determine a price that would be suitable to you and the buyer.

4. Who can handle your business?

Assuming you want your business to prosper after you have handed it off, who has the skills and knowledge that you have to run it like you do? Is there anyone internally who could fill your shoes?

Then again, you have to be prepared for the fact that a successor may not run the show your way. But this doesn’t mean they don’t have something else to offer. One of the prime keys to success in business is the ability to adapt, evolve and handle change.
Don’t just look for another you, think about important qualities you want in a successor. Vision, imagination, loyalty, dedication… Look at the big picture.

5. Will you have regrets?

It’s hard to know what our future selves will be like, but when it comes to questions of regret, you need to think really hard and examine all the possibilities. The last thing you want to do is regret a decision as important as leaving the business. Again, assess your professional and personal goals and ensure they are being met when you make this big decision in your career.

6. How long will you stay involved with the company after the sale? Will you stay involved?

Maybe you can’t completely detach from your business and that is more than okay. But planning your involvement post-sale is an important factor that needs to be discussed throughout the proceedings and carried out accordingly to prevent any issues in the future.

7. What kind of training will you offer?

There are many ways to train your successor, but the way to get the best results from the person is to train them over a longer period of time rather than throw them into it last minute. This is a major aspect of succession planning. Being prepared.

Keeping documentation of processes and anything involving how your company works will help your successor understand how you operate the business. But reading about policies and procedures is only one part of it. Perhaps consider them training in many positions at different levels at the company so they really understand the inner workings of the business.

8. Will you be comfortable with radical changes?

As mentioned, your successor may attempt to make some significant reformations to your business model. Can you stomach this, even if it differs from your original view of the business? If not, your hunt for the right successor will have to continue.

9. Will you want to retain minority ownership as an investment?

If so how much control will you attempt to exert? Remember that it can be hard to control yourself if you have run this business for years.

10. Will you start another business like this or are you looking for another path?
After the sale of your business, you might feel at a loss after such an important and consuming part of your life is gone. However, a new business or career may give you stronger direction and purpose.

Ask yourself these important questions. They will not only help you in planning your succession, but with your career aspirations overall.

Your Business, Your Career

Career Spotlight: Healthcare Practitioners

June 27, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Jobs in the healthcare industry are on the rise thanks to increased interest in preventative care, advances in medicine and technology, and the nation’s rapidly growing elderly population. Despite reports that hospitals and clinics have cut budgets, the healthcare industry is still expected to increase its workforce by 22 percent through 2018. This means, individuals searching for healthcare positions will find roughly 4,000-5,000 new job openings each year. Healthcare jobs are expected to be plentiful in the following industries:

-Utilities
-Federal, State, and Local Government (this includes hospitals)
-Management of Companies and Enterprises
-Chemical Manufacturing
-Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
-Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
-Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
-Social Assistance
-Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers
-Miscellaneous Manufacturing

Healthcare practitioners have a wide range of specific titles. Each title requires special training and most require a college education. “Healthcare practitioners” is a major healthcare group consisting of more than 14 million professionals. These include chiropractors, dentists, physicians, emergency medical technicians, medical assistants, dental service providers, dietitian/nutritionist, nurses and advanced practice nurses, nurses aides and home health aides, podiatric service provider, psychologist (clinical), eye and vision service provider, pharmacy service provider, physician assistants, physical therapists, physical therapists assistants, social workers, speech, language, and hearing service provider, and technologist.

Depending on the job title, healthcare practitioners will have to enroll in a postsecondary vocational training program, associate degree program, bachelor’s degree, or advanced degree program. The educational attainment for professionals in this field is as follows:

-Master’s Degree: 23.8 percent
-Bachelor’s Degree: 33.8 percent
-Certificate: 15 percent

Although a certificate or a bachelor’s degree are acceptable for entry into many positions in this field, positions such as physician and psychologist require a doctoral or first professional degree. In addition to a variety of education levels, healthcare practitioners and technical workers will find themselves in a number of different salary ranges. Entry level workers with less than a bachelor’s degree will likely start at $21,720 annually, while 25^th percentile workers will average $27,040 annually. Median wages are $37,200 annually, and mean wages are $45,090. Positions that require a master’s degree or higher, experience, and/or more responsibility typically average $56,890-$81,910 per year. If a position as a healthcare practitioner sounds like it’s for you, training always begins with education.

When you’re ready to begin your search for a degree program in a health science or related area, visit the Princeton Review website. Here, you will find listings for the nation’s top schools, enrollment figures, tuition costs, and even reviews.

Tip: The alternative healthcare industry is growing fast. If you prefer to work with non-traditional prevention and treatment methods, there are several growing fields that may appeal to you such as acupuncture, athletic training, homeopathic, naturopath, orthotic/prosthetic fitting, perfusionist, and psychiatric technician. Once you have located a college that interests you, inquire within.