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Fun Careers for the Creatives at Heart

May 30, 2011 / admin

For those who work with the left side of the brain, sitting at a desk and entering data just won’t cut it. If you’re looking for a career that is fun and uses your creativity, here is a list of some great careers that you should consider.

Graphic Artist

The great thing about being a graphic artist is you get to use your skills as an artist and get paid to do it! Graphic artists do everything from creating advertisements to inventing a company’s logo. Many run their own freelance businesses, which adds a lot of flexibility to the job.

Web Designer

Along the lines of graphic artists, web designers combine the creativity of creating a beautiful web page with the technical aspect of web page coding. If you enjoy computers and art, this might be perfect for you.

Animation

Animation is a huge component of movies, cartoons, and video games because many production companies use computers instead of the traditionally drawn cartoons. Whether you decide to be a movie or video game animator, a career in animation requires a lot of skills in art (especially figure modeling) as well as computers.

Composer for Video Games

If music is your passion, becoming a composer for video games is a great way to use your music skills. Music in games could be as simple as background music (who could forget the ditty that plays during Super Mario Bros.) or songs that are played in cut scenes.

Landscape Design

For those who enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, designing landscapes for residential homes and businesses is a great way to use your creative juices. Knowing the climate and what grows best is essential for this line of work, and could also include designing water features such as ponds and waterfalls.

Music Teachers

If you have a love for music and for children, becoming a music teacher is a great way to combine the two. Students who are involved in the arts are less likely to get into trouble or drop out of school. Help your students gain a love for music and influence their lives for good.

Copywriters

A career in copywriting is another great way to work for yourself. Copywriters generally write anything needed for advertisements, product descriptions, blog posts, product brochures, and so on. Successful copywriters use creativity to add personality and humor to their writing.

Book Editors

When it comes to publishing, book editors have a lot of influence on the final product from writers. They work with authors to polish books by cutting out extraneous scenes or requesting rewrites. It takes a lot of creativity to know what a successful book needs.

No matter what creative career you decide on, remember that education is important to your success. Whether you get a bachelor’s degree in art or go to a two-year art school, you’ll want to have the experience under your belt before you head out into the world to find a job in your chosen profession.

Uncategorized

Benefits of Trade Schools

May 28, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Not everyone has to attend a traditional college in order to get a “real” job. The type of college you attend will depend on the career field you choose. For example, if your goal is to become a pastry chef, culinary school if the best choice. Aspiring fashion designers may choose art or design school and individuals interested in construction may choose a designated school of construction, career institute, or trade school.

Trade schools, also called vocational schools, are non-traditional schools that teach job-specific skills. Many of these schools do not require successful completion of college level general education courses. However, they do require a high school diploma or GED as well as passing score on an entry exam(s) before acceptance.

There are many benefits to attending trade school rather than a traditional college if your goal is to become, say, an electrician, medical records clerk, or technician. For starters, trade school programs are shorter than traditional degree programs. This means, they cost less and you can start working sooner. Next, because students are not required to take general education courses as part of the program, they can dive right into major courses.

Trade school programs also offer hands-on training throughout the program—not just at the end of it. A significant amount of time is spent in “labs” or on location where students can build, repair, and perform other duties in order to increase their skill levels. And finally, because many trades require certification or licensure, a program at a trade school typically offers test preparation courses to help prepare for local or state exams.

After completing a program at a trade school, you will receive an associate degree, diploma or certificate. In addition to a degree or certificate, a quality program will also send you on your way with a list of job prospects. As an alumnus, you should have unlimited access to the schools career center—for life.

Trade School Accreditation Notes

When choosing a trade school, always make sure the school is accredited by an agency that’s recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you settle for less, you can end up wasting thousands of dollars on a worthless certificate or degree. Most employers will not accept a degree or certificate from a school that’s accredited by an unrecognized agency. The top recognized accrediting agencies for trade schools are:

•Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) since 1974
•Council of Occupational Education (COE) since 1971
•Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) since 1968
•Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) since 1965
•Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) since 1926
•Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) since 1912

For a complete list of recognized accrediting agencies, visit the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

Your Career, Your Education

So You Have a Music Degree, Now What?

May 26, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Rock star isn’t the only career in the music industry. Yes, it’s probably one of the coolest, but there are so many other exciting careers in music, you’ll lose count! Believe it or not, not everyone wants to be in the spotlight. Fortunately there are dozens of behind-the-scenes careers that are not only exciting, but they can be just as lucrative as being in front of the camera. Many of these careers are technical in nature, so they require training. A music degree can give you the skills you need to break into:

-Sound editing
-Engineering
-Instrument design
-Music software programming
-Music publishing
-Recording (technician)

Other behind-the-scenes careers in music are not necessarily technical in nature, but many require a degree in music with a special concentration. Depending on the concentration, a degree in music can lead to a career in:

-Music therapy
-Education
-Tour management
-Voice Coaching
-Music journalism
-Music critic
-Special events
-Directing (film music)
-Concert promoter
-Band leader
-Copyright specialist
-Artist & repertoire (A & R) person

Composer, art director, advertising specialist, music attorney, lobbyist, and copy writer are other career opportunities for music majors.

Types of Music Degrees

The main types of music degrees are a Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.) in music and a Bachelor of Music. Advanced degrees include Master of Music (M.M), Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Music Education (M.M.E.). If you’re interested in becoming a music professor, a PhD or Doctoral of Musical Arts (D.M.A) is usually required.

Music Employers

So, now you know the types of majors for aspiring music professionals as well as the types of careers open to graduates. So where are the jobs? Depending on the degree and specialty area, individuals with a degree in music may find employment at recording studios, production companies, and even government agencies such as the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Commission of Fine Arts, and Voice of America. Other types of employers are:

-Private and nonprofit organizations
-Media firms
-Music and film studios
-Performing art centers
-Production companies
-Orchestras and bands
-Entertainment companies
-Colleges and universities
-Booking and talent agencies
-Media firms
-Elementary and secondary schools

Colleges that offer Music Degrees

There are literally hundreds of colleges that offer music degrees. Traditional universities, schools of art and technical schools offer music programs of all kinds. Some of the top schools are:

-University of Rochester (Eastman School of Music) (NY)
-Juilliard School (NY)
-Curtis Institute of Music (PA)
-New England Conservatory of Music (MA)
-Oberlin College Conservatory (OH)
-Manhattan School of Music (NY)
-Cleveland Institute of Music
-Mannes College of Music (NY)
-San Francisco Conservatory of Music
-Westminster Choir College (NJ)
-Boston Conservatory
-University of the Arts (PA)

The Future of Music Careers

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for musicians, singers, and related workers is expected to grow as fast as average. While this is good news, it’s important to remember that competition for positions in the music industry is intense. The more experience, education, and dedication you have the better. If you land a full-time job in the music industry, you can you expect to earn up to earn anywhere from $40,000 on the low end up to six figures on the high end. Self-employed musicians, singers, and others may earn more based on the number of performances, weeks of contract work, reputation, and recordings.

To learn more about music careers, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov.

Your Business, Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education

How to Choose a Resume Writing Service

May 23, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Resume writing services are more popular than ever. Thanks to a tough and competitive job market, job seekers are doing whatever it takes to stand out from the crowd. Hiring a resume writing service is only one way they accomplish this. A resume writing services firm can create a professional resume from beginning to end or tweak your current resume.

By using a professional resume writing service, you can ensure that your resume will have a professional and polished look, and the format will be appropriate for your experience level and career goals. In addition, an experienced resume writing service will have the ability to highlight strengths that employers look for and create a resume that details experience relevant to the job and the industry you’re hoping to become a part of.

Many resume writing services also offer career tips and advice. They’ll give you information about the best job sites, recruiters, and interviewing tips. They can also help you customize your cover letter and resume to fit each potential job.

To find the best resume writing service, it’s best to obtain a referral. Ask co-workers, friends, and family members if they’ve ever used a resume writing service and if they were pleased with the results. If so, schedule a consultation. In some cases you can do this in person, and in others you can do it over the phone or even via email. If you can’t find a referral, the next best thing is to shop around.

Use your favorite search engine to find at least 10 resume writing services. It’s never a good idea to settle on the first service on the list, so you’ll have to do your homework. Review each website carefully to find information about how long the service has been in business and contact information—including a mailing address. Communication is very important, so find out if you will have direct contact with writers and/or customer service. Direct contact with writers is always more helpful, of course.

After reviewing the information discussed above, review samples of their work. Some resume writing services will have samples online, while others will be more than happy to email samples. Outside of researching the resume writing services’ website, check the Better Business Bureau to find out how the service rates. Look online for complaints, reviews or any other information you may be able to dig up. The more information you have about the services on your list, the easier it will be to trim the list to two or three services.

Once you have a short list, you can start making phone calls. This might help you shorten the list even more. The way any given service responds to phone calls is very important. If they are difficult to reach, this probably isn’t a good sign.

After choosing a resume service, you can expect to pay as little as $100 on the low end to have your resume prepared and up to $400 on the high end. The price may also include customer service help, interview tips, job site listings, contact information for recruiters in your area, and job search tips.

To browse through reviews for some of the most popular resume writing services on the web, visit No1Reviews.com.

Your Career, Your Network

resume

5 Services Your Business Shouldn’t Live Without

May 22, 2011 / admin

You will make or break your business on your ability to find ways to run it more efficiently and cost effectively. Any program, service or application you use that will allow you to save time, headaches or money will be well worth it. Many companies they are constantly on the search for these services. Well, for you some of the guess work will be taken out as these are five services your business cannot live without.

Echosign

This is one of the lesser known, but more vital, aspects of your business. Echosign is a service that allows documents to be signed electronically. This saves you time from having to courier papers over to a company to be signed, and then having to wait for them to arrive back to your office before processing. Echosign allows you to manage this process via email – it’s a great service and one that is a cost saver as well.

Skype

Skype is one of the hotter ideas in the business world. This invention allows users to communicate through video chat. There isn’t a better service on the market than Skype for communications. For business this cuts down on the need to travel for face to face meetings as you can do it through a computer from anywhere that has Internet access. This will reduce travel bills and make necessary face to face meetings easier to arrange.

Dropbox

Here’s a great idea where files can be stored in an online document center. This way you can always access company files from the same place. You can read and review files in the Dropbox, make the necessary changes or amendments and place them back in the Dropbox. No matter where you are this works like a charm.

Yammer

Yammer is like a Facebook for businesses. This is a great tool to keep a constant stream of communication over multiple users in different locations. Just signing into Yammer will allow you to connect and post updates with your co workers. It’s great for collaborative efforts as well as for brainstorming sessions. For those who want to work as part of a team from miles away, this makes the most sense.

Google Calendar

This might be the best invention of them all. This is a totally integrated calendar that is easily accessible online as well as on most smartphones. This will allow you to keep track of appointments as well as view the calendars of all relevant company employees. The calendar is color coded so that you don’t have to worry about mixing up your own appointments with someone else’s.

These applications are the reason that business is booming for so many companies. They are keeping organization and productivity at a high priority and it is all coming in at a fraction of the non-digital cost. Companies are continuing to find ways to strive in the Internet age – which digital services will you use first?