What Are the Most Secure Jobs in America Now?
Careers
LinkedIn

Millions of Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past months. Most states have been under stay-at-home orders, which have meant nonessential businesses have shut their doors and laid off workers. Below is a list of the most secure jobs in America now.

Nurses

The median annual wage for registered nurses was $73,300 in May 2019.

Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 7 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur for a number of reasons, including an increased emphasis on preventive care; increasing rates of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity; and demand for healthcare services from the baby-boom population, as this group leads longer and more active lives.

Physicians & Surgeons

Wages for physicians and surgeons are among the highest of all occupations, with a median wage equal to or greater than $208,000 per year.

Overall employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Physician’s Assistant

The median annual wage for physician assistants was $112,260 in May 2019.

Employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 31 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. As demand for healthcare services grows, physician assistants will be needed to provide care to patients.

Home Health Aide

The median annual wage for home health aides and personal care aides was $25,280 in May 2019.

Overall employment of home health aides and personal care aides is projected to grow 34 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the baby-boom generation ages and the elderly population grows, the demand for the services of home health aides and personal care aides will continue to increase.

Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor

The median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $46,240 in May 2019.

Employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 25 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth is expected as people continue to seek addiction and mental health counseling.

Software Developer

The median annual wage for software developers was $107,510 in May 2019.

Employment of software developers is projected to grow 22 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Software developers will be needed to respond to an increased demand for computer software.

Researchers and Scientists

The median annual wage for computer and information research scientists was $122,840 in May 2019.

Employment of computer and information research scientists is projected to grow 15 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Job prospects are expected to be excellent.

Teachers

The median annual wage for high school teachers was $61,660 in May 2019. The median annual wage for middle school teachers was $59,660 in May 2019.

Employment of high school and middle school teachers are projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029.

Veterinarian

The median annual wage for veterinarians was $95,460 in May 2019.

Employment of veterinarians is projected to grow 16 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Overall job prospects are expected to be very good.

Lawyer

The median annual wage for lawyers was $122,960 in May 2019.

Employment of lawyers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Competition for jobs over the next 10 years is expected to be strong because more students graduate from law school each year than there are jobs available.

Source: money.usnews.com; glassdoor. com; bls.gov

These Are The Most At-Risk Jobs Post-Pandemic
Careers
LinkedIn

While many jobs were put on hold during the pandemic, there are a few that may not come back—ever.

Glassdoor’s Workplace Trends 2021 report finds that job postings for discretionary health services—or those that are elective and can be postponed during a pandemic—are down dramatically. The most at-risk job is that of audiologist, for which job listings on Glassdoor declined 70% during the pandemic.

Angela Shoup, president of the American Academy of Audiology, says she’s heard reports of audiologists being placed on long furloughs, as well as some who’ve closed their private practices and retired early this year. Many recent graduates looking for jobs in audiology have been told that larger practices are not hiring, she says.

Job postings for opticians and physical therapists saw a similar fate, down 61% and 40%, respectively. There’s also been a shortage of administrative and lower-skilled office roles. Jobs for event coordinators are down 69%, making it the second most at-risk job post-pandemic. Similarly, openings for executive assistants are down 55%, human resources generalists are down 37% and receptionists are down 35%, as most offices have been closed.

Unsurprisingly, positions for personal services workers have also plummeted. Beauty consultants took the hardest hit, with jobs down 53%. Jobs for valets were down 51%.

“[These are jobs] where Covid-19 is in the driver’s seat,” says Andrew Chamberlain, Glassdoor’s chief economist. “People are not going to return to their nail salons or get discretionary LASIK eye surgeries or go to in-person events until the virus is under control.”

Discretionary healthcare, event and personal-service jobs won’t disappear altogether after the pandemic, but they will certainly be slow to come back, he says. However, he thinks it’s possible some jobs may be lost forever.

Continue on to Forbes to read the complete article.

Lawyer Heidy Vaquerano’s Tips for Success
Careers
LinkedIn

By Samar Khoury

Heidy Vaquerano is a partner in the nationwide Entertainment & Sports Law Department at Fox Rothschild LLP.

She has more than 16 years of experience handling entertainment law and intellectual property matters for actors, Grammy-nominated musicians, global merchandise companies, film and television producers, writers, production companies, independent record labels, tech startups, and consultants. In 2020, she was selected for inclusion in Billboard‘s “Top Music Lawyers” list.

Outside of her legal practice, Vaquerano is a professor at local Los Angeles universities, where she creates a curriculum that incorporates her passion for all aspects of entertainment, tech and new media and its associated legal components. She has lectured at various prestigious entertainment and tech industry events, including MIDEM in Cannes, France, on behalf of the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, Silicon Beach Fest for Digital LA, Techweek LA, and Innovate LA. Vaquerano is the managing director of the Los Angeles chapter of Girls in Tech, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the gender gap in tech, and serves on the advisory board of SXSW Pitch and Mayor Garcetti’s WiSTEM LA initiative.

Vaquerano spoke about her career journey.

Why did you pursue a career in law?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer. As the child of immigrant parents, I envisioned lawyers with the power to right wrongs. I often saw my parents work the early shift, and sometimes two jobs, so that they could send me to the best schools. This inspired me to make the most of my education and become an attorney to one day help others. I found my passion as a sophomore in college when I first learned about music law at an LSAT prep event. That day changed my life and led to my first job at an entertainment law firm where I worked for 11 years.

What are your advice and tips to others who are interested in pursuing a career in law?

The best piece of advice I can give to potential law students is to study hard and have fun. We have the rest of our lives to work, so enjoy the time you have to learn about the different areas of law as they are fundamental to our everyday life. One of my favorite classes in law school was constitutional law.

For those of you who know what area of law you want to practice, use it to your advantage and choose classes around that field. Since I knew I wanted to become an entertainment attorney, I chose entertainment and intellectual property law classes like copyright and music publishing in law school. This gave me a leg up when I was working at my first job, as I was able to understand the legal concepts better. If you want to become a transactional attorney, use this time to take classes that teach you how to draft contracts. This will help you become accustomed to the language used in legal agreements. Whatever internship or externship you have, make the most of it. Do everything with care and intention. To this day, I still come across attorneys that remember me from when I was in law school and who are happy to see me and help with anything I may need. These relationships have proven to be invaluable.

How did having a mentor help you?

I’ve had a lot of great mentors in my life, including attorneys or colleagues who I have worked with throughout the years. These mentors helped keep me motivated and taught me a lot about what is not learned in law school, like industry politics. Relationships are important in all areas of life, but particularly in the entertainment industry. As I progressed in my career, I found mentors for different aspects of my life.

Did you have any challenges while pursuing a career in law? How did you overcome them?

The greatest challenge I had in law school was balancing school and work. I made the decision to go to school at night, so I could work at an entertainment law firm. Since I had broken into the entertainment industry, I knew I did not want to take three years off for school and lose the relationships I had worked so hard to build. It was stressful, but ultimately it was the best decision. I was able to get invaluable experience drafting and negotiating agreements under the supervision of attorneys before I officially passed the bar.

What do you like most about your job and why?

One of my favorite things about my job is representing artists. You get to build a friendship and bond with your clients while helping to protect them. I love educating clients about their deals and helping them build strong careers. It has been an incredible experience to watch the entertainment industry change since I first got my start in 2002. I am excited to see where it goes as technology transforms how we discover and listen to new music or watch television and films.

The New Interview: How to Hire the Best Candidate in Our New Normal
Careers
LinkedIn
professional woman working from during pandemic on her latop

By Vicki Chabot & Abbey Szentes, netlogx

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned business operations upside down, but as businesses work toward a new normal and hire new staff, virtual interviews have become standard.

Gauging how an interviewee will fit into an organization’s workplace culture without sitting across from one another in-person can be challenging, but it’s not impossible.

When we’re not meeting people in-person, we miss cues that are necessary to fully comprehend communication. Research consistently shows candidates who align with an organization’s culture and values are critical for successful, strategic hiring.

Here are some of the best ways to foster a connection with candidates and how to weigh a candidate’s potential — both in work experience and their ability to align with organizational culture:

Create a Plan for Virtual Interviews

As policies and procedures change throughout the pandemic, make sure everyone is on the same page about how interviews will be conducted and what software will be used. There are many free options available like Google Meet or UberConference that are easy to use and don’t require added investments.

To minimize technical difficulties, choose a preferred software and practice using it. Perform test runs 10–15 minutes before a scheduled interview to make sure the microphone is operable, screen share options are easily accessible, and there is a strong web connection available. Ensure all candidates know what the interview process looks like and what they can expect throughout the interview. Create an agenda that can be shared with candidates and other team members and be clear about the organization’s expectations for the role. If candidates are showcasing some of their work, ask for the work ahead of time in case there are poor connections. Not everyone will have the same internet bandwidth, and it’s crucial to plan for that ahead of time.

Start with a Preliminary Phone Interview

Hiring managers and recruiters receive hundreds of applications when hiring for a new position. Conducting preliminary phone interviews with candidates who have the desired set of skills and work experience can help organize the pool of candidates and prevent lost time for those who aren’t a fit at all. It is common during in-person interviews to develop rapport with candidates, but in a completely virtual world those connections are more important than ever before. While a phone call is great for screening candidates, video conferencing should be used for any other interviews. Hiring managers should ask more questions so they can get to know candidates on a personal level.

Ask Personal and Professional Questions

A virtual interview should be treated the same as those that take place in-person, but there are benefits to meeting candidates virtually. Remind hiring managers and team members to be a bit more compassionate than they would normally be when sitting across the table from a candidate. Life frequently gets in the way with barking dogs, a phone ringing, or spouses, partners and children all working and playing under the same roof. These are perfect opportunities to learn more about candidates and their day-to-day lives as opposed to only pointed questions about work skills. Yes, those questions are important, too, but in a virtual environment, there is much that can be learned about a candidate’s lifestyle and ability to handle distractions. Take notes and ask questions about the person’s hobbies, interests, and volunteer work.

Create a Process to Gather Feedback From Candidates

It’s commonplace for potential candidates to send thank you notes after an interview, but it is helpful for interviewers to do the same as they adapt to remote-only interviews. Thank the candidate for being flexible and adaptable, and ask for feedback about the process. How did candidates feel it went? Are there things that could be improved or adjusted? These questions help hiring managers and teams to refine the interview process for future candidates and provide a glimpse of how a new hire would handle communicating information internally.

Use Work Style and Personality Assessments

If hiring managers want to know how candidates will perform and communicate, a business management assessment tool, such as the Taylor Protocols Core Values Index™ (CVI) or Myers Briggs Personality Assessment, are fantastic ways to understand an interviewee on a deeper level. Too often, employees are tasked with roles and responsibilities that can make them feel like a round peg forced into a square hole. This is something a hiring manager wants to identify before training and onboarding a new hire. As a last step, these kinds of assessments can help one candidate stand out more than another and help solidify your choice to hire them.

Business leaders should anticipate changes for interviewing practices and as the pandemic continues, remote interviewing remains the best and most viable way to understand a candidate’s potential as a new hire for the organization. Having a standardized process in place for virtual interviews and establishing a cadence of questions that demonstrate candidates’ ability to react in the moment gives hiring managers and recruiters better insight. The final step should always be a short work and personality assessment, so leaders can determine the most productive place for candidates or if different candidates may be better suited for the position at hand.

How to Revive a Job You’re Not Quite Ready to Quit
Careers
LinkedIn

By Adunola Adeshola

Going to work used to excite you. But now, you spend your days counting down until 5 p.m., secretly scrolling through Glassdoor looking for jobs, and encouraging yourself with words like, “At least it’s almost Friday.”

But if you’re honest, with the current climate of COVID-19, while you wish you could land a new job within the snap of a finger, you’re not quite ready to seriously hop back into the job market.

Or, maybe you are actively looking for a new job, but you don’t want to be miserable going to – or logging into – your current job while you wait for something to pan out.

Regardless of where you might fall on the spectrum, landing a new job will not happen overnight, and while you still have the opportunity to work every day, there are ways to make the most of it, even if you no longer love your job.

Here are four options I’d recommend trying out:

Lend a Hand to Other Teams

If you’ve had moments when you’ve looked over at another team and secretly wished you could be doing what they’re doing, now is the time to lend a helping hand. When you offer to help others, you’ll often learn about projects that are outside of your day-to-day duties. Doing so might allow you to infuse more challenging and meaningful work into your day. It will also help you build more relationships with people you may not interact with every day. It can also enhance your reputation of being a valuable and reliable asset around the office, which at the very least, will be a nice addition to your resume.
Try saying something like this if you want to offer your help: “My schedule is very flexible on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, and I’d love to lend a hand to [project] if that would be helpful.”

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Sometimes you can get so used to following a routine that you forget you can break out of it. If you’re feeling bored or underwhelmed at work, it might be time to ask yourself: “Is it because no one ever approaches me with anything new, or because I usually decline whenever my boss or co-worker asks if I’d be interested in trying something else?”
When you’re not happy at work, it can be so tempting to hit cruise control. But, turning down opportunities simply because they don’t scream exciting might be holding you back from new projects you would enjoy. Getting out of your own way might make your job more interesting, or at least less miserable.
So, the next time you want to pass on an opportunity because it doesn’t sound interesting before you do, ask this instead, “Could you tell me a little bit more about [the project/opportunity/client]?”

Become an Expert at What You Love

Doing more work you love is one of my favorite ways to revive a job you no longer love. One way to tackle this is by positioning yourself as the go-to expert for something you enjoy doing at work. Years ago, when I was bored and unhappy at a job I was not quite ready to quit yet, I decided I needed to add more creativity into my day. I loved creating creative and compelling client presentations and noticed that some of my colleagues didn’t enjoy putting presentations together as much as I did. So, I started letting them know that I would be more than happy to take on the task.
After the project was complete, I’d follow up with something like, “Anytime you need help with putting together a client presentation in the future, please don’t hesitate to let me know. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”
Over time, I didn’t have to offer my help anymore; people started asking me for guidance or knew right away to pass that part of the project to me. Before I knew it, I had more things I liked doing on my to-do list.

Talk to Your Boss

If you’re lucky to have a great relationship with your manager, there are several reasons it might be helpful to have a conversation with them. It could be a win-win for you and your boss because, you never know, there might be things piling up on your manager’s plate that could be exciting for you to do instead. Having the conversation could be a win for your boss because it could alleviate their workload if they’re feeling overwhelmed. It could also help them keep you in mind should they hear of anything around the office that sounds like something you’d like to do.
You can keep the conversation simple, by saying this: “I’d love to touch base with you and check in to see if there are more ways I can contribute to the team. Over the past [time frame], I’ve volunteered on [team names] and also taken on more work related to [your interest area], but I wanted to see if there are other projects or initiatives where I could add value?”

Whether you’re not quite ready to quit yet or you’re actively looking for a new job, these are just a few ways you can hit refresh on a job you no longer love in the meantime. If you still find yourself miserable, bored and frustrated after trying these things, don’t sweat it. There are plenty of companies still hiring right now. Plus, on the bright side, you can leave knowing you did the best you could do while you were there.

Adunola Adeshola coaches high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level and secure the positions they’ve been chasing.

Source: Glassdoor

Investing in Yourself: What’s your ROI?
BusinessCareers
LinkedIn

There is a lot of discussion in the business world about a company’s return on investment (ROI) because it’s important to the overall success of the organization.

Yet people can also greatly benefit when they engage in self ROI, ensuring that they do what they can to help make improvements that will benefit them in their career and personal life. Now is a good time to take a look at what your personal ROI is to see if you are investing enough in yourself or if you could benefit from stepping up your investment.

“It’s so important that we take the time to invest in ourselves, so that we can become the best version of ourselves,” explains Katie Sandler, personal development and career coach. “Whether we have new goals we want to achieve, or we want to determine what it is that is holding us back from reaching our goals, investing in yourself is the ticket to making it happen.”

Sandler helps people get a great return on the investment they make in themselves. As a personal development and career coach, she has helped many people to achieve goals, live more mindfully, and make shifts that lead to higher life satisfaction. Investing in yourself can include obtaining personal coaching, taking classes, or learning a new skill. Each of them will help increase your ROI.

Some of the benefits of investing in yourself and improving your ROI include:

  • Making more money and reaching new goals.
  • Reducing stress and anxiety.
  • Living more mindfully and overcoming shortcomings.
  • Clarifying goals and identifying what is holding you back from obtaining them.
  • Learning how to manage time better so that you can achieve and enjoy more.
  • Helping you to make an impact and overcome the feeling of being stuck.
  • When we invest in ourselves first and foremost then our investments will pay off in other areas of our life.
  • Realizing that we are only as good as the sum of our parts, whether we look at that on a personal level or an organizational level. Our initial investments should always start with you first.

Companies turn to Sandler for impact training, which increases their ROI on their employees. Engaging in impact training helps to increase employee engagement, empower employees, provide a better workplace, reduce turnover, raise productivity, lower absenteeism rates, motivate their team, and lower team stress levels. The investment that corporations make for impact training helps to support lasting growth for the company.

“When we don’t do anything, yet we know action needs to be taken, we don’t get the results we want,” added Sandler. “When we invest in ourselves and our employees, thus increasing our ROI, we end up getting the outcome that we are looking for. Most people need to work on improving their ROI in order to live the life they want.”

Sandler helps people through one-on-one coaching, impact retreats, and corporate impact events. She has worked extensively with executive career coaching clients and in career development for women. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in mental health counseling, has a strong foundation in mindfulness-based stress reduction, and has worked in hospitals and private practices. She has also spent time as a research assistant at Johns Hopkins. She offers a variety of one-on-one coaching and corporate opportunities, as well as wellness and impact retreats.

Impact retreats offer a low-key wellness opportunity for travelers looking for a unique experience. Upcoming retreats include Reignite in Tulum, Mindfulness in Mykonos, Rewire and Renew in The French Alps, and Mindfulness & Mindset in The Hamptons. To learn more about Katie Sandler and her services, or to see the retreat schedule, visit the site: https://katiesandler.com/.

About Katie Sandler

Katie Sandler is a popular impact and private wellness coach. She offers retreats around the world, as well as private coaching and corporate impact coaching opportunities. She focuses on helping people become more successful, overcome adversity, and reach new career goals. To learn more about Katie or her services, visit the site: https://katiesandler.com/.

Meet Three Female STEM Leaders Disrupting The Food & Beverage Industry
CareersTechnology
LinkedIn
three women STEM leaders pictured in collage portrait

The number of female executives in the food and beverage industry is shockingly low, especially when compared to other industries. Only 16 percent of executives in food and beverage manufacturing are female, as opposed to 21 percent across all industries.

SōRSE Technology–the leading cannabis and CBD emulsion supplier for CPGs and other food, beverage, and topical manufacturers–has bucked this unfortunate trend with a strong female leadership presence.

Three of these powerful and innovative female STEM leaders who are disrupting the food and beverage industry are:

Donna Wamsley, pictured bottom, Director of Research and Analytics and expert flavorist. Ever wonder who designs food and drink flavors to hit those taste cells in just the right way? None other than one of only a few hundred flavorists in the world. Donna brings over 12 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. She can discuss what it’s like being one of the world’s few hundred flavorists, the qualities she looks for when analyzing ingredients, and 2020’s most popular flavor trends.

Michelle Sundquist, pictured right, Director of Innovation Product Design. At SōRSE, Michelle uses cutting-edge ingredient emulsification to develop products never thought possible. With over 20 years of expertise in the psychology behind food and beverage marketing, Michelle can give an in-depth look at launching high-quality foods and beverages, along with the techniques that bars, restaurants, and stores can use to make their drinks stand out in a crowded market.

Maribeth O’Connor, pictured left, VP of Medical Application, Business and Product Development. Maribeth brings over 30 years of experience to SōRSE and has experience working in business development and marketing for the University of Washington School of Medicine. She has also worked as a federal healthcare lobbyist for Group Health Cooperative. Maribeth is currently working in partnership with Pascal Biosciences and UW Sports Medicine in conducting research studies to validate proven cannabinoid therapies in cancer and osteoarthritis. She is also pursuing other research opportunities around the globe.

Donna, Michelle, and Maribeth are three of the amazing and hardworking women in their industry. They draw on their unique skillsets and experience from their colleagues at SōRSE and are breaking new ground in a nascent industry. They have, and continue to, contribute immensely to making the cannabis and CBD industry the success story that it is today and in the future. Finally, they are an inspiration to the women that will continue to populate the executive ranks.

Resume and Skills Refresh: Don’t Waste Your Pandemic
Careers
LinkedIn
woman holding her resume in her hand smiling

By Greg Stuart

While I’m not that old, just over 40, I can’t remember living in a crazier time. This pandemic has affected how we go about our daily life in so many different ways.

The closest thing I have to compare to this crazy time is the post 9/11 era. While COVID-19 has changed all of our travel plans, it has also changed how we function in the everydayness of life too. Most prevalently, the way in which we work and communicate has drastically changed. Remote work filled with Zoom meetings and Webex presentation have become the norm. I have enjoyed working from home because it has allowed me much more flexibility. No sitting in traffic or heading back and forth from the airport (I travel a lot for work). When I’m done for the day, I’m left with time that I normally don’t have. So, what should we do with that time? It’s a perfect time to refresh your skills and update your resume.

Remote Work Is the Best Time to Refresh Your Resume

Since the shift to remote work, I’ve taken three certification exams and added them to my resume. My skills are growing because I have time to do a lot more self-study than I had before. Here are some ideas as to how you can use this quarantine/pandemic to refresh your skills and update your resume.

Study & Learn

There is no better time than now to get online and learn something new. If you have ever thought about learning coding, there are free online resources for that. Try Code Academy. They have a large library of practice labs and exercises to teach you how to code. They offer classes in Java, Python, Perl, Ruby, and more. If cybersecurity is your thing, you can go to sites like PluralSight and Udemy to learn about the latest cybersecurity initiatives and training. Maybe being online all day for work and then staying online after work to study isn’t your thing. I get that. I prefer to crack open a book and study up on my next certification goal.

Grow Your Network

Having extra time on your hands will give you an opportunity to reach out to people within your professional network and catch up. Reaching out to someone within your network gives you an opportunity to update them on what you have been up to and find out what they are doing. Maybe you are working on projects of interest to each other and you can swap notes and ideas. In the event you are planning to be back on the job market, refreshing your professional network helps to keep multiple sets of eyes out for the best next opportunity for you. Updating your professional network helps to grow it and keep it strong. The best thing you can do is cultivate a strong professional network that you can call on for help and/or guidance from time to time.

Build a Home Lab

If you have extra time and extra money lying around, build yourself a home lab to keep up to date on the latest and greatest technologies out there. Even if you don’t have a lot of extra money, you can always download a trial license of VMware Workstation and start building yourself a nested lab that you can use to build virtual servers and appliances to further your learning. Find an older PC that you might have lying around and throw Workstation on it, and you are off to a good start. Some companies even give a lab allowance to their employees for licenses and hosting.

Attend a Virtual Event

Lastly, with this pandemic still going strong, there are many opportunities to attend a conference virtually that you might not have been able to physically. VMworld 2020 has gone virtual and has opened registration up to anyone for free (no, you don’t get a backpack!). There are other events you can attend as well, such as networking events in which you join a Zoom meeting to sync up with others in your field and learn from one another.

Balancing Personal Life with Resume Refresh Goals

There are so many things you can do to optimize your time during this phase so you are ready for a resume refresh. Find something you can do to balance learning and growing your sphere of influence within your field. At the same time, remember to enjoy your family and friends and be safe.

Source: news.clearancejobs.com

This Is the Biggest Career Mistake You’ll Ever Make, Experts Say
Careers
LinkedIn
woman manager working on her computer

We’ve all had a lot of time to ask ourselves big questions about our lives these days, including what we wish had gone differently, whether it’s in regards to our relationships, our health, our families, or our careers.

But when thinking about why our professional lives may have gone awry, we tend to focus on things we actively did wrong—like the deadlines we missed or the bridges we burned.

However, experts agree that when it comes to career missteps, we should be thinking about what we didn’t do instead.

So, what’s the biggest career mistake you’ll ever make? Giving up on learning something new. Read on to find out why, and for another regret you don’t want to live with, check out The One Thing Experts Say You’re Doing Every Day That You’ll Regret.

The career experts at Monster note that in order “to continue to advance in your field and attract new potential employers, you need to stay current. Unfortunately, it’s easy to let your skills development lapse.” And that, they say, is one of the biggest career mistakes a person can make. To combat this, they suggest that you “take an online class, attend seminars, research available certificates in your industry—just don’t let your brain gather dust.”

Similarly, in her article for The Muse on the biggest career mistakes a professional can make, career acceleration expert Olivia Gamber explains that after a decade or two in the work force, people tend to “stop hustling and stop gunning for future promotions and breakthroughs.”

If you don’t want to fall into that rut, Gamber, author of The Career Upgrade Roadmap, suggests that you “take proactive steps that would qualify you for advancement like taking classes [or] learning new skills.”

The results speak for themselves. When Coursera conducted a survey of 52,000 learners across a wide range of subjects, they found that 72 percent of participants reported career benefits from taking online classes, including increased efficiency, success at finding a new job, or receiving a raise.

That’s why, in Fast Company’s report of what makes people the most proactive professionals, “Never stand still” tops the list. “People who do the things the way they have always been done will in the best case get the same results all over again,” writes leadership and coaching professional Anush Kostanyan. “You should constantly search for new solutions and more effective approaches.”

Seeing through the learning process itself, nixing some old bad habits, and forcing yourself outside of your comfort zone mentally is what will give you the edge in your career. For more mistakes you may be making, according to the experts, read on.

Continue on to Yahoo News to read the complete article.

Avoid These Mistakes When Applying Online
Careers
LinkedIn

By Debra Wheatman, CPRW, CPCC

The resume black hole. The abyss. The void. The applicant tracking system (ATS) creates all kinds of stress and irritation for job seekers. Candidates almost universally loathe the experience.

The ATS requires them to copy and paste sections from their resume into tiny boxes and answer questions that could be easily discussed in a quick phone call, adding to what is already a user-unfriendly, often tedious experience. While they are far from perfect, most companies are using them, and they appear to be here for the foreseeable future. Decrease some of the angst by being alert for the following common mistakes people make when applying to jobs via the ATS:

Important details in the header or footer. Some ATS systems are sophisticated. Some are clunky. The clunkier they are, the pickier they are. If you have critical information in the header or footer of your resume, there’s a real chance that it won’t translate into the system.

You don’t bother with keywords. Keywords are king. There is no way around it. The ATS allows employers to search for candidates by select keywords. Ensure that your resume is optimized for this purpose.

Wrong file type. Most ATS systems accept Word and PDF files. If your resume is in a format other than these, you will find yourself filling in each field manually.

Being overly creative or “original.” Most applicant tracking systems are unable to read charts or embedded graphics. Stick with text and standard characters only.

Functional resume format. The functional resume format is one which is organized by theme—key skills, major achievements—instead of chronologically. Recruiters and hiring managers hate them because they make it impossible to understand career progression. Applicant Tracking Systems only accept information in reverse-chronological order. Stick with that format.

Wonky fonts. ATS systems are very finicky when it comes to font, so keep it simple and use a standard serif font.

Spelling and grammatical errors. Just as you want an actual human to understand what you’re talking about, you also want to ensure that what you upload is digestible by the ATS. Incorrectly spelled words and overuse of acronyms can land your resume in the digital trash bin.

You don’t bother with the cover letter. If the ATS gives you the option of submitting a cover letter, by all means do it. This is the opportunity to address your skills and experience in narrative form.

The objective statement. ATS applications are often limited to a certain number of characters. Do not waste any real estate with an objective. Instead, summarize your career and its highlights.

You don’t review before hitting “submit.” There’s a decent chance that despite your best efforts, something wound up in the wrong field or is otherwise incorrect on the ATS. Review scrupulously before you submit.

Source: careersdonewrite.com

How One Woman is Reinventing the Wedding Industry
BusinessCareersFinance
LinkedIn
Amy Grace decorating for an outdoor wedding while looking at the camera

Amy Grace Collins loved her work through Amy Grace Events. She was doing incredible corporate events and weddings for organizations and couples at the most amazing venues in California and Michigan, with the very best in everything—food, flowers, music, photography, videography and more.

But she saw a trend that concerned her with the dream weddings she was helping California brides make a reality: They wanted $60,000 events when they could barely afford $15,000, so they were headed out of Santa Barbara to less expensive destinations, like the dessert of Palm Springs.

“My background is in finance, so I’m acutely aware that the money goes where the trends are,” said Collins, a NAWBO-Central Coast California member, who currently resides with her family in Michigan but works in California as well. “I started looking for an option to keep Santa Barbarians in their local town.”

Part of an international mastermind group of wedding planners, Collins began sharing her thoughts on calls. She learned that a fellow planner in Australia was in the process of implementing pop-up weddings. The concept was that several couples would have their wedding at the same location, on the same day, enjoying the same vendor resources—just in their 3- to 5-hour window and with a small group of friends and family in attendance.

While the concept would take some time to tweak for the American market, Collins knew she was onto something big.

“I reached out last summer to all my vendor friends saying, ‘I have this crazy idea…’ We talked about it and I ran every financial number I could,” says Collins. “There are a lot of models out there that undercut the vendors, so they only do the events on off-days.

“But couples want a Saturday or Sunday wedding for less, so we created these and started working on marketing them in February.”

Then COVID-19 hit. “There were brides booked for March and April who were stuck in contracts and out $60,000,” said Collins, adding that the biggest engagement season is between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day and brides usually start reaching out to wedding planners in the spring…and it’s been silent.

Collins’ thoughts immediately turned to the women who are part of MasterBrides—her other business, which is a free, online community for brides to learn about weddings from an industry veteran. She knew these women didn’t have tens of thousands of dollars to lose. Also, would it even possible for them to plan their weddings in the age of Coronavirus with so many unknowns from state to state, especially in California and Michigan, that tend to be among the strictest? Amy began sharing her research and expertise in blogs like, How Do I Know If I Should Cancel or Postpone My Wedding? and The Phased Strategy to Open America: What Does This Actually Mean for My Wedding? By the response she received from brides, it was clear it was time to pivot and focus on pop-up weddings. Her own industry, on the other hand, wasn’t so thrilled about what she was putting out there, but Amy felt strongly it was the right thing to do.

Today, that honest, timely communication has paid off. Amy is now offering pop-up weddings where she leverages the cost of a $60,000 wedding and distributes it three ways between couples so they can have stunning weddings for a fraction of the price. These are all-inclusive, with 90 percent of the decisions already made. She just helps each couple finalize the personalization aspects to make it their own event.

There are other advantages to this model, too. For one, it’s recommended that the guest list is small with just 40-80 people. In this time of social distancing, that’s the perfect size. Also, it’s environmentally friendly. Whereas before, thousands of dollars on everything from flowers to food would go to waste after one big event, now several couples are taking advantage of the same resources.

“I think this will completely shift the mindset of brides,” Collins says. “To see the couples’ expectations from 2002 when I first started, to 2020 is mind-blowing—it’s the same amount of money with way different expectations. This is really resetting the industry so that couples are having a wedding within their means.”

Collins is equally excited about another outcome: A focus on the ceremony more so than the party. “I have always been frustrated by the lack of reverence given to the ceremony portion of the wedding,” she explains. “To have people now see the importance of the actual ceremony and license and how it affects so much in their life, from health care to taxes to immigration. It’s so much deeper and I think we, as an industry, will be appreciated in such a different way. I look forward to that.”

Air Force Civilian Service

Air Force Civilian Service

Verizon

Verizon