I Dont Believe I Can Have The Career I Want

“I Dont Believe I Can Have The Career I Want” Help from our Community “I Dont Believe I Can Have The Career I Want” * Cheryl harbours dreams of doing what she loves, but she can't escape the voices in her head telling her she can't do it. How do you overcome self-doubt and forge ahead with a career change? What's your career history and current job? I'm a Project Manager for a charity helping to make subjects like physics and engineering more accessible and appealing to children â€" girls in particular. How do you feel about your work? I've always believed in the cause and I enjoy some aspects of what I do. For example, I'm always proud to tell people that I'm playing a part in making a male-dominated field more of an equal playing field. But in recent years I've become bored. Bored of talking about the same things with the same people, bored of going to the same places every day, bored of the sound of my own voice saying the same information. I know I'm capable of more than this, and that this routine isn't right for my character. Something's just not feeling right, and it's got to the point where I can't ignore that feeling any more. What would you like to be doing instead? Ever since I was young I've been a keen seamstress, always making my own clothes and bags and bits and bobs. In a perfect world I'd love to work for one of the big fashion houses, but I know there's no chance of that happening at my age and with my background, so for the past year I've been thinking about starting a business to sell my work. It would be fantastic to do what I love every day, and to have the freedom of working when I want, from my own home, on my own terms. What's the biggest obstacle you're facing? I just don't think I can do it! I've been reading the Success Stories on the Careershifters website, and books about starting your own business, and I'm just not convinced I've got what it takes to make such a major change. I daydream about it all the time, but when it comes to the practicalities of actually making it happen, I get scared. My head fills with ways it could go horribly wrong, and reasons why I'm not cut out for a change like this, and I end up feeling really bad about myself. All the career changers I read about are such amazing people, and I'm just me! I'm nothing special, I'm not a motivated superwoman, I don't have a lot of money behind me to keep me safe if it goes wrong, and I'd be so ashamed to go crawling back into work after making a hash of everything. I can't escape the 'what if's, and I wonder if I'm just kidding myself to even be thinking about doing something like this. Can you help Cheryl? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? What can she do to build up some self-belief, and move forward with changing career? Do you know anyone she could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support. Give Cheryl a cheer of encouragement by hitting the thumbs-up button here:

Listen Up College Grads! How to Get Rid of Student Loan Debt

Listen Up College Grads! How to Get Rid of Student Loan Debt If you are thinking about college or grad school, you might be wondering how to  eliminate student loan debt after graduation. Lucky for us, Patricia Briggs asked if she could write an article to help us eliminate our student loan debt.  Patricia is a guest columnist, blogger, author for various websites and communities. She loves to write articles during her free time about bankruptcy, investment opportunities, and  monetary policies. Millions of students are relying on loans in order to pay for their educational expenses. After graduating, these students find it difficult to eliminate their overwhelming debts as the interest begins  accruing on the principal balance. Here are solutions for fresh graduates to get rid of student loan debt: Formulate a debt repayment plan so that you can focus on accumulating some extra cash to eliminate your debts. You can prepare a list of the debts in descending order of the interest rate. You can use your extra income to pay off the high-interest debts and make the minimum payment on your other debts on the list. Once you pay off the highest interest rate debt then focus on paying the second highest on the list. But, you should remember that you will not succeed in paying off the debts unless you follow a budget. Negotiate with the creditors to lower the principal balance along with the interest rate. Try to convince your lenders to reduce the interest rate or monthly payment until you get a job. Be aware that  a creditor might charge interest or a  late fee on your owed amount. Enroll in a debt consolidation program if you need  to manage multiple creditors. This will allow you to consolidate your bills in a single convenient monthly payment and it help you get out of debt. But, the success of the consolidation program depends on the type of your  student loan, your income flow and your eagerness to maintain a financially disciplined life. These are three important ways to eliminate your student loan debt effortlessly. If you have an  insurmountable amount of debt,  employ any of the above-mentioned methods to lower your financial woes.

Warning FreeCreditReport.com Isnt Free

Warning FreeCreditReport.com Isnt Free By, Ashley Crimaldi In case you havent heard, The Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.) is going after company Experian (the geniuses behind FreeCreditReport.com, and those clever commercials) for misleading Americans into believing FreeCreditReport.coms credit report services were actually free of charge. In actuality, users are prompted to enter their credit card information before receiving their credit report, and are then enrolled into a monthly credit monitoring program and charged a monthly fee of about $14. The F.T.C. has accused Experian for misleading Americans seeking free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com (the FTCs website), to visit FreeCreditReport.com instead. In reaction to the supposedly false advertising, the F.T.C. has changed its website name from AnnualCreditReport.com to FreeCreditReport.gov to hopefully clear up any misconception. The F.T.C. has even gone as far as releasing their own parody version of the commercials to inform Americans of the scam. Check out the parody commercial here. So who is at fault? Should Experian be punished for misleading Americans? Or should the FTC have done a better job marketing its own free credit report website in the first place? Or should credit score commercials be banned all together? Id love to hear from you all- were you aware that FreeCreditReport.com credit reports were not free? Have you been duped in the past in scams like this? Moral to the story: Dont use Free Credit Report dot com! For more information, or to view multiple perspective news coverage on the story check out this video from newsy.com, or read the New York Times Article.

Landing the Career You Want and Deserve

Landing the Career You Want and Deserve When it comes to switching career fields, everything involved is exciting â€" until you start looking at job postings, and are repeatedly met with pesky iterations of “experience in a similar position preferred” under every heading. The paradoxical nature of the job market may seem defeating, but don’t worry: you can still land that job.  With some dedication and a good Internet connection, career change is possible. In fact, nowadays, most people switch careers between three and seven times! With the rise of online technology, many things are changing, and the job market is no exception; you can use this to your advantage. Here’s how: Skim Online Job Postings Don’t spend too long on this; it can be easy to get intimidated by the lofty qualifications that employers ask for and end up putting off the actual application process. Here’s the thing, however: you don’t actually need to meet all the requirements listed when applying for a job. In fact, hiring managers will sometimes assume that most applicants don’t. Nevertheless, looking through these postings will help you get a feel for the job availability in the field you’re switching to, and what qualities hiring managers are likely to find most attractive in applicants. Once you’ve got a sense of what they’re looking for, you can start brainstorming how your unique set of skills can be applied to that field, and be sure to play that up in your cover letter. Network Constantly Networking on social media does not have to be limited to LinkedIn. If you’ve got professional connections on Facebook, Twitter, etc., you can work those too. Dont bombard people, of course, but a polite hello and a friend request rarely go amiss. When making the initial switch from field to field, your résumé will have trouble looking attractive to employers on its own, so networking will be your best friend. Make connections with people you admire, post things that show youre passionate about the career you want, and be sure to double-proofread that LinkedIn summary! Take Online Classes If, while scoping out the job field you want, you find you don’t have the know-how you need, don’t panic. It’s never too late to learn new skills, especially with online classes being only a quick search away. Not all of them will break the bank either â€" some of them are even free â€" and many are offered by well-respected universities that have decided to make some of their curriculum available online. Who knows? Perhaps you took a class from your hiring manager’s alma mater. Either way, employers will be impressed by your willingness to educate yourself. Your fresh and up-to-date education, combined with your experience in the professional world, will definitely be considered a plus. Plus, if you’re looking for a career in the medical field, many medical transcriptionist courses are now available online. Volunteer Many employers consider volunteer experience just as important as work experience when looking over a new résumé. It makes sense, when you think about it: the experience was just as valuable, even if you weren’t getting paid for it, and it shows you’re dedication to a good cause. Don’t be discouraged if there isn’t a field-specific call to action in your area. There are hundreds of volunteer opportunities you can do remotely, online.  Meaning you can pick and choose the field you volunteer in to some degree. Even if its not specifically applicable to your career of choice, most employers still like to see a well-rounded résumé that shows youre passionate about a cause. Take Advantage of Online Resources Feeling daunted by all the writing ahead of you? Dont. Yes, there are résumé entries, LinkedIn snippets, and cover letter upon cover letter to write. But there is also lots of help available to you, and this work will go much more quickly once you get the hang of it.   Dozens of experts all over the internet have published their templates, examples, and advice about how you can make your job application the best it can be.  Its just for people like you, feeling discouraged by the job market. Career Change IS Possible! So, above all, dont despair. Switching to a new career with no experience in that field is a very intimidating endeavor, but with the right online tools, it can be done. You’ll be glad you put in the effort when you have the job of your dreams! Image credit.

How to Make Sure You Choose a Right Online Course CareerMetis.com

How to Make Sure You Choose a Right Online Course Online courses run the show at the educational market today. It’s easy to find several with almost any topic, and students face tough choices, like in supermarkets. With the only difference:When buying yogurt, for example, you know from its collar what’s there inside. Whenchoosing online courses, you doubt: with such a wide choice of training programs available, most are looking and being promoted the same way.evalMore than that, the term “online course” itself doesn’t have any specific definition. In the case of yogurt, you have a clear understanding that it’s a fermented semisolid food made of milk; you know its approximate taste; and, as a rule, your expectations meet the reality when you buy it.In the case ofonline courses, you may get either a great, interactive project with high-quality videos, creative tasks, and a tutor who’ll work with you and answer any questions or just a set of videos made by a webcam.So how to pick the wheat from the chaff and get a max ben efit from online education?These five criteria will help you to make the right choice.1) FormatsMost online courses are of two formats: timed Here you buy access to educational materials and study when it’s more comfortable for you: in the mornings, evenings, or in a month or even a year.This format is for you if you are motivated and self-disciplined enough, and your time management skillsare neat.But regardless of the format, you should be able to access educational materials even after graduation.So if you read a course description and see something like “the content will disappear in two weeks after the training ends,” think twice before spending time and money on it.evalAnother detail to consider:If you are a student looking for online courses from your college, check if they come from syndicators.A syndicator is an organization that offers the same online courses to many local schools and colleges. There’s nothing awful here, but make sure your chosen course is of high quality.Syndicators create many courses, market them through many institutions, and use the revenue sharing model: it means your college, your instructor, a course developer, and a syndicator itself each get a cut when you buy it. Willing to earn more, they may create dozens of courses, sacrificing the quality.Some of their courses are great, no doubts here. Just check everything carefully before paying for them.Source â€" UnSplash.com2) TopicsBefore choosing a course, define the areayou need to gain knowledge, as well as the depth of study material.Is it for beginners, middle-specialists, or experts in the niche? Also, pay attention to this course hours: if, for example, you want to master a new skill from scratch,â€"let’s say it’s a web design or accountingâ€"then 2 or 3 months won’t be enough.Go through the course program to understand thethesis statementand issues it will cover. The program should be clear, logical, and comprehensive.Also, consider the balance of theoreti cal and practical lessons at your chosen online course. Both are significant, but the practice is more preferable to have while learning.3) TestimonialsevalWhen choosing a course, consider what other students think of it. The most useful feedback is that of friends and peers: they are people from the same cultural field, creative mood, and educational background with you, so strong chances are that you’ll like what they liked. With no suitable recommendations among your surroundings, search for reviews online.But don’t rely on them much.Online courses can bring not only knowledge but motivation and inspiration as well. And if a person writes a positive review on how feel-good the course was, it doesn’t mean he gained any useful skills there.A primary example isTony Robbinswho tells copybook maxims to the audience but has millions of admirers anyway. So, ignore the emotional color of a review but pay attention to constructive feedback.4) EducatorsThe demand for online courses a nd training swells more than ever today. So, as they say, where there’s demand, there’s supply.evalOn the education market, many “coaches” promise to educate you for a new profession in short order. The problem is, they don’t have any license or certificates for such practices in the education field. So, do your best to find the information about an author of that course and a school providing education services.How long have they been teaching? The longer they are on the market, the more reasons to trust them. Ask for the license confirming the compliance of their training program with the required educational standards. Find out what documents you’ll get after finishing their online course.Check how often they run a course and how many students they have. It will help to understand their relevance and demand among the audience.A speaker who’ll be conducting the course should be an expert in his field. What are his achievements in the niche? How many successful p rojects has he implemented?Give preference to online courses led by practitioners rather than theorists.To make the right choice, chat with a speaker directly or visit some webinars with his participation. Most authors offer free manuals, such asbooks, short video courses, or ultimate guides on freelancing, etc., which can help you better understand their topic and methods they use to present it.Read their blogs, view presentations, and listen to their podcasts. It will help you get the idea of their knowledge, skills, and â€" what’s important â€" teaching style. Do they sound interesting to you? Is their teaching style engaging? Does the quality of content they share meet your expectations?Source â€" UnSplash.com5) Your MotivationAnswer the question, “Why do I want to take this course?” Motivation matters, and it will allow you to understand if this or that course meets your needs.Do you want to improve professional skills or get new ones that would help your career grow? If so, have you identified your missing skills? Which one do you need to acquire or develop?Do you take this course because your college or business company asks? In other words, are online courses a part of your corporate training?Do you just want to learn anything new for fun, not a career? If so, do you know what topics interest you most?Depending on your answer, you’ll identify areas to learn and look for courses of different criteria.Knowing your motivation for choosing a particular course, you’ll understand what strategies to use for staying motivated until the end and finish it!Create realistic goals with mind maps, make a study plan with time blockingtechnique, take breaks, but don’t give up. Aim for balance and stay positive.Visualize the result: what will you have after finishing the course? A new job? A bigger paycheck for your services? Extra knowledge for higher grades at college? Next time when you feel ready to give up a course, visualize a positive result â€" and you’ll succeed.And last but not least:Never judge a course by price. Expensive doesn’t equal proficient.Some authors may simply overprice their courses to increase their income, while many useful, educational materials are available for reasonable costs or even for free.It doesn’t mean you should always choose the cheapest option. Professional educators share the knowledge they had been gaining for years, so it stands to reason that their skills are worth something.

The fundamental unfairness of the vacation auto reply - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

The fundamental unfairness of the vacation auto reply - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog With the summer holidays rapidly approaching, Ive been thinking a lot about vacation?auto replies. Heres the problem:?Although anyone who sends you a mail?is told not to expect a reply until you get back, they probably still expect an answer?at that point. This is fundamentally unfair. Youre away from work. As part of your contract with the company, you have some time off and yet?some of the work from your vacation time is thereby?shifted into your post-vacation work days. And I?dont think Ive ever?heard of a?company that plans for?their employees to have extra time after a vacation to deal with the emails that came in during the vacation. Therefore this becomes extra work?you have to do on top of your regular tasks. One consequence of this is that?many people end up checking their emails and responding to them during?their holidays, which is also unfair. Youre entitled?to time away from work. Thats what a?holiday is. One of the most insidious effects of this?is that taking?longer stretches of time away from the office is punished immediately upon return, because your inbox will be full to overflowing. I haven?t seen any research on this, but I could easily imagine that this would?subconsciously?discourage people from taking time off?or at the very least increase?stress around any time off. What can we do about it??This policy from Daimler is the solution: The car and truck maker has implemented a new program that allows employees to set their email software to automatically delete incoming emails while they are on vacation. When an email is sent, the program, which is called ?Mail on Holiday,? issues a reply to the sender that the person is out of the office and that the email will be deleted, while also offering the contact information of another employee for pressing matters. Brilliant. Now?you can go on vacation knowing that when you come back, your inbox will contain the same number of emails as when you left. I think this is the perfect solution and I would love to see more companies adopt it. Maybe this is something unions could work for in the 21st century. Your take Do you have a vacation auto reply? Do you check and reply to emails during your vacation or handle them all when youre back? ?If you go on vacation for 2 weeks, how many mails are going to be in your inbox when you get back? How much time will it take you to deal with them and how do you plan for it? Related posts 5 Great Ways Companies Have Reduced Email Overload How to Stay Happy When Things Get Busy Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Custom Resume Writing - How to Learn From an Accredited University

Custom Resume Writing - How to Learn From an Accredited UniversityWhen you want to look for a way to get the kind of job you want that is professional, with a salary you can easily meet, you can get the best education in custom resume writing through an accredited program at a quality resume writing university. You can learn how to write resume effectively without sacrificing the quality of your resumes.In the past, resume writing has been considered a talent that could be learned. It is not just that they wanted to get rid of the social stigma attached to it. They wanted to make sure they were providing their clients a higher quality product.There are still some people who want to learn how to write a resume but do not have a high school graduate to tutor them. There are also a lot of people who are not able to afford tuition for the specific college that offers such degree program. This is why online resume writing universities have become popular.In the current economic climate, i t makes more sense to get your education from a career that is free rather than paying tuition for a degree program. These online classes and programs allow students to earn their degree without spending a lot of money or time. With the most respected and highly skilled professionals assisting you, you will be on your way to being more proficient at writing a good resume.If you are someone who has studied computer science and wants to become an expert in custom resume writing, this will not come as much of a surprise. With the advancement of technology and the success of a lot of computer geeks in getting into the industry, it has become an easier thing to do. You can do so by enrolling into a program at a university that offers a computer science degree.Computer programming has changed the way computers operate. It has given rise to the idea of applications that help you be more productive as a user of your computer. The result of all this has been creating better ways to make resu me writing more efficient and faster.For instance, you may be able to get the information you need from an English teacher or someone who is fluent in the language. If you have the ability to write effectively and have some knowledge of English, you may be able to take on resume writing. There are already a lot of people who are taking advantage of this technology and learning how to write a resume quickly and effectively.The ability to learn custom resume writing is something that is truly something to be proud of. Online computer science is gaining more recognition as more students are trying to take advantage of it. This is something that many people want to learn and should not be put off by the fact that it is still a difficult subject to master.