Tag: cool jobs (Page 3 of 5)

      Liberal Arts Degrees: Choosing a College and Career

      January 31, 2011 /

      Vassar College

      A liberal arts degree is such a versatile degree, that it can prepare you for dozens of distinct careers from archaeologist to legislative researcher to United Nations staff. It may be difficult to believe, but this unique degree is nothing new and it has never really been considered an “experimental” or “alternative” degree. Liberal arts study has been around since ancient Greek and Roman times, but liberal arts colleges didn’t begin to multiply in North America until the early 1800s. In medieval European Universities, liberal arts covered seven subject areas including arithmetic, astronomy, geometry, grammar, logic, music, and rhetoric.

      Today, there are more than 200 liberal arts colleges across the United States. These liberal arts degree programs promote the study of history, languages, literature, mathematics, philosophy, and science—subjects that form the basis of a general or “liberal” education. Many institutions describe the liberal arts curriculum as the study of three main branches of knowledge including: the social sciences, humanities (literature, language, philosophy, the fine arts, and history), and the physical and biological sciences. In addition to studying the three main branches of knowledge, liberal arts colleges allow students to focus on a particular major. Typical liberal arts majors include:

      • Biology
      • Chemistry
      • History
      • Languages (French, German, Russian, Spanish)
      • Liberal Studies
      • Literature or other Humanities
      • Philosophy
      • Physics
      • Psychology
      • Social Sciences
      • Sociology

      While the liberal arts curriculum is basically the same at all liberal arts colleges, these unique colleges come in all shapes and sizes. Liberal arts colleges may be secular, religiously affiliated, gender-specific, public or private, urban, rural, residential, independent or part of a larger college or university.

      Job Interview

      Graduates with a liberal arts degree are an attractive option for employers mainly employers feel that liberal arts graduates have developed the skills necessary to deal with today’s evolving career world. Employers also see a liberal arts graduate as an individual that has demonstrated the ability to learn and become successful in today’s working world. Liberal arts graduates have proven that they have the ability to uncover problems, find solutions, and implement them.

      Although liberal arts degrees have benefits on a personal, community, and career level, this type of degree also has benefits on a financial level. Liberal arts graduates entering professional fields can expect starting salaries ranging from $38,620 (anthropologists and archaeologists) up to $80,560 (political scientists). Earnings increase significantly with  master of liberal arts degree (MLA).

      If you are interested in obtaining a liberal arts degree, you should start by contacting one of the top schools for liberal arts. The following colleges ranked high on U.S. News & World Report’s National Liberal Arts Rankings for 2011.

      For more information about the top liberal arts colleges and universities in the United States, visit U.S. News & World Report rankings for 2011 at http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/liberal-arts-rankings.

      Jobs for Liberal Arts Graduates

      • Account executive trainee
      • Administrative assistant
      • Affirmative action officer
      • Anthropologist
      • Archeologist
      • Benefits manager
      • Caseworker
      • Caseworker
      • Choreographer
      • City manager
      • College recruiting specialist
      • Compensation manager
      • Compliance officer
      • Congressional relations officer
      • Congressional staff member
      • Consul
      • Copywriter
      • Cultural affairs officer
      • Customer relations officer
      • Customs agent
      • Customs inspector
      • Dancer
      • Economic development coordinator
      • Employee relations officer
      • Employment interviewer
      • Exporter
      • Foreign language teacher
      • Foreign service
      • Fund raising/development
      • Geographer
      • Historian
      • Immigration agent
      • Importer
      • Intelligence officer
      • Interpreter/translator
      • Investigator
      • Job analyst
      • Labor relations manager
      • Labor relations researcher
      • Legislative analyst
      • Legislative assistant (federal, state & local)
      • Legislative researcher
      • Lobbyist
      • Media buyer
      • Organizational development specialist
      • Personnel generalist recruiter
      • Politician
      • Press relations officer
      • Producer
      • Program analyst
      • Program information officer
      • Promoter
      • Public affairs officer
      • Public relations officer
      • Publicity assistant
      • Recruiter
      • Research assistant
      • Researcher
      • Researcher
      • Sales promoter
      • Sociologist
      • Speechwriter   
      • Stage manager
      • Training & education supervisor
      • Training specialist
      • Travel agent
      • United Nations staff

      Your Career

      Finding the Right Internship

      January 27, 2011 /

       Internships_II

      An internship is an opportunity for students, and even individual’s that graduated from college years ago, to gain practical experience in any given field. Participating in an internship program is considered the fastest ways to get your foot in the door at today’s top firms—before graduating from college.

      While many internships do not offer a salary, a select few do actually pay. Paid internships are typically offered in the technical field, medical, and government, to mane a few. Most unpaid internship programs typically offer course credit upon completion of an internship, but some colleges do not give academic credit for internships. However, these colleges are the exception, not the rule. Internships are either full or part-time and they are typically completed during the summer or during a regular semester.   

      Internships are beneficial in several ways. In addition to playing a significant role in your university experience, an internship can help you learn more about your chosen career field or other career fields you might be interested in. An internship can help you:

      • Gain confidence in your abilities
      • Gain valuable experience to include on your resume
      • Learn more about what your future work environment will be like
      • Meet people in the industry and gain invaluable contacts
      • Obtain references that will boost your credibility when applying for other positions

      When searching for an internship, you should be just as selective as you would be during your search for a paid full-time position. You should look for opportunities that match your career interests and skills. An internship should also enhance your academic program and work well with your current class schedule. In addition, you should ask yourself the following questions:

      1. Can I afford to work an unpaid internship or do I need a paid internship to help with tuition costs?
      2. Do I want career-related experience or just work experience?
      3. How long is the commute?
      4. How many hours can I afford to work without interfering with my studies?
      5. Would I like the opportunity to travel?

      Think about these questions ahead of time, this way you won’t be overwhelmed with too many choices. These questions should help narrow your list of internship opportunities considerably.

      Internship_Intro

      When it comes to timing your internship, it is important to understand that employers with the most competitive programs begin the selection process several months before the position will begin and others might begin the process even earlier. In fact, some programs have application deadlines at least a year (or more) in advance. Companies with summer internship programs typically begin looking for summer interns between January and late March. Internships for fall and spring are usually advertised late in the previous semester or very early in the current semester. Most students may intern anytime after their freshman year, but the majority of students intern in their junior or senior year, when they are already well into their major courses. This is a good idea, as the internship will serve as an excellent supplement to major course studies.

      Getting Started with your Search for an Internship Program

      Once you have decided that an internship program is for you, you should visit your school’s career services office. Your internship coordinator will have a list of current internship opportunities, a list of companies that offered internship opportunities in the past, and lists of students and alumni that have completed internships. These students and alumni are always more than willing to share their experiences with you.

      If you attend a smaller college or university and it does not have an internship coordinator, your career services office will still be able to help you. You can also search for internship opportunities on your own by visiting the websites listed below. When applying for internships, it is important to follow the application instructions to the letter. Incomplete applications are usually discarded without further review. It is also important to pay close attention to deadlines. Internship programs rarely accept applications after the deadline.

      Top Internship Websites

      Studentjobs.gov
      The Internship Series Online
      Backdoorjobs.com
      The Princeton Review
      CampusCareerCenter.com
      CoolWorks.com
      Internshipprograms.com
      MonsterTrak

      Forbes Top Internships for 2010

      Capital Fellows Program
      Garmin International
      General Electric
      Google
      Inroads
      J.P. Morgan Investment Bank
      KPMG
      Nickelodeon Animation Studios
      Smithsonian Institution
      Steppenwolf Theater Company

      Uncategorized

      Physician Assistant Jobs on the Rise

      January 26, 2011 /

      Physician_Assistant_Usethisone

      Physician assistants are in high demand and the trend is expected to continue through 2018. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for physician assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations—to the tune of 39 percent from 2008-2018. The healthcare industry is experiencing tremendous growth overall, accounting for 26 percent of all new jobs created in the U.S. today. But like many other occupations in the healthcare industry, such as registered nurses and occupational therapists, physician assistants are right at the top of the list for job growth. 

       Physician assistant jobs are also ranked high on the pay scale—even for first-year graduates. Although income varies by specialty, location, years of experience, and geographical location, according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ 2008 Census Report, median income for first-year graduates was an impressive $74,470. A recent Forbes article discussing the ‘best master’s degrees for jobs’ told the story of one graduate who switched careers in 2006, graduated from a two-year physician assistant master’s program at Duke University in 2008, and found a job as a physician assistant that paid more than triple his old salary as a teacher.

       Shane Tysinger graduated in 2008, in the middle of a recession, but says there were jobs everywhere for students in his graduating class. Today he works in an Eden, N.C. clinic that focuses on family medicine. His salary has more than tripled from his days as a teacher. “I found the career I was meant to do,” says Tysinger.

      In May 2008, the median annual wage for physician assistants was $81,320. The middle 50 percent earned between $68,210 and $97,070 and the lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,360. The top ten percent earned $110,240 per year.

      To become a physician assistant, you must complete a training program at an accredited school of allied health, academic health center, medical school, or four-year college. A few accredited training programs are available at community colleges, through the military, and at hospitals. As of 2008, there were 142 education programs for physician assistants accredited or provisionally accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant. Eighty percent of these programs offered a master’s degree, 21 offered a bachelor’s degree, three awarded associate degrees, and five awarded a certificate.

      According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

      All States and the District of Columbia have legislation governing the practice of physician assistants. All jurisdictions require physician assistants to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and open only to graduates of accredited PA education programs.

      100 hours of continuing medical education every two years is mandatory in order to order to remain certified, plus successful completion of a re-certification examination every six years. 

      Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education

      Green Jobs Growing

      January 19, 2011 /

      Green Jobs_II

      The Bureau of Labor Statistics has two definitions for green jobs. A green job is one that produces goods or provides services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources. Green jobs are also jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources. Green jobs can be found in industry sectors such as construction, natural resources and mining, public transportation, trade, transportation and utilities, manufacturing, public administration, education and health services, information, and professional and business services.

      The number of establishments in these sectors is close to 2.2 million, which means, the number of opportunities for aspiring green collar workers is promising. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, which discusses a study by Next 10, a San Mateo, Calif.-based independent research organization, the opportunities for green jobs are greatest in certain parts of California.

      The strongest growth in green jobs has been in the San Francisco Bay area, with 109% growth since 1995, the study said. The region is home to 28% of the jobs in the sector. Second in that statistic is the Sacramento area, where green jobs grew by 103%. In Los Angeles, green employment is up by just 20% since 1995, but it still comprises 23% of the sector’s jobs in the state.

      As of 2010, there were more than 890,000 green jobs across the U.S. By 2015, this figure is expected to grow to nearly 1.4 million. This growth represents a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 9.2% between 2010-2015. It is important to note that these figures do not include the renewable energy and energy efficiency (RE&EE) industries, which represented 9 million jobs and $1,045 billion in U.S. revenue in 2007. The renewable energy industry grew three times as fast as the U.S. economy with 25%+ annual revenue growth in the solar thermal, photovoltaic, biodiesel, and ethanol sectors.

       If you are interested in a green collar job, read How to Land a Green Collar Job: 15 ways to rev up for a job that’s good for the environment, fills your wallet, and makes a difference by The American Solar Energy Society.

      Your Business, Your Career

      Ride the Retail Wave While you Wait for Dream Job

      January 18, 2011 /

      Macys_Stockings_Dept

      Ok, so a retail job isn’t what you had in mind after graduating with a degree in accounting, but you have to make ends meet while you wait for Deloitte & Touche to call. Fortunately, according to Indeed.com, you won’t have to look for a temporary job for too long if you look to the retail Industry. Right now, retailers are in search of 400,000 employees to fill both full and part-time positions. These retail positions just are not just available at clothing stores. Retail is a broad term that covers the selling of just about any type of good or commodity. This means, retail job seekers will find positions in places ranging from Macy’s to Whole Foods to wax museums to automobile dealerships. 

      If you’re interested in a long-term retail career, you’re in luck because this trend is expected to continue. Retail careers are among the top thirty occupations with the largest employment growth for 2008-18. The following are projection figures (in thousands):

      Employment 2008: 4,489
      Employment 2018: 4,864
      Change: 8.4%

      Regarding salary, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that:

      Median hourly wages of wage-and-salary retail salespersons, including commissions, were $9.86 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $8.26 and $13.35 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.37, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $19.14 an hour. Many beginning or inexperienced workers earn the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, but many States set minimum wages higher than the Federal minimum. In areas where employers have difficulty attracting and retaining workers, wages tend to be higher than the legislated minimum.

      Compensation systems can vary by type of establishment and merchandise sold. Salespersons receive hourly wages, commissions, or a combination of the two. Under a commission system, salespersons receive a percentage of the sales they make. This system offers sales workers the opportunity to increase their earnings considerably, but they may find that their earnings depend strongly on their ability to sell their product and on the ups and downs of the economy.

      Benefits may be limited in smaller stores, but benefits in large establishments usually are considerable. In addition, nearly all salespersons are able to buy their store’s merchandise at a discount, with the savings depending on the type of merchandise. Also, to bolster revenue, employers may use incentive programs such as awards, bonuses, and profit-sharing plans to the sales staff.

      To break into the retail industry, experience helps, but most employers are willing to train the right person on-the-job. To begin your job search, visit Indeed.com.

      Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education, Your Team, Your Workplace

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