A Million Lives

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How to Decide on a Career (Even When You Have No Idea What You Want to Do)

Truth be told, choosing the perfect career path is often a difficult process. Everyone wants to end up in a career that not only allows them to live comfortably such as software engineer jobs, but also aligns with the things they are passionate about. Salaries Hub has a large database of information on an array of careers you can consider and the potential yearly income you could be making. Nevertheless, knowing what you want to make as a professional may be exciting, but a lot more goes into the decision on the perfect career you should pursue. Consider the following tips to help you finally make that decision:

Create a List of Careers You Like and Those You Don’t Like

Although you may be unclear on what exactly you want, you are most probably very aware of what you want as well as what you don’t want. Listing these careers will help you start narrowing down on the possible career path options you can consider. For example, you may like traveling but dislike the idea of big cities, or you could be the type of person who enjoys working remotely. Understanding these things will help you list career paths that would weigh you down versus those that would give your personality an opportunity to shine.

Research Career Trajectory and Prospects

Passion and commitment is never enough when choosing a career. The bitter truth is that some career paths do not have good prospects. What use is a degree if there are no jobs available that align with your skills and training? Before settling on a particular career, you need to do due diligence and find out that career’s trajectory.

Find out if the career will still be relevant in the years to come and your potential career trajectory once you go down that path. What opportunities will be there for you ten years down the line? What impact will years of experience have on your earnings? Answering these questions will help you make a decision that will be sustainable by the events that are likely to unfold in the future.

Get Practical Experience

Sometimes even with the best analysis, it can still be quite difficult to decide on a career path. That is why it can be necessary that you go into a career for a time in an effort to experience it firsthand. This way, you can make a decision based on how doing the daily tasks involved made you feel, as well as how well you executed them.

In addition, practical experience improves your employability score (PDF). For students, getting some practical experience might mean looking for internships and work experience placements in industries and jobs you have an interest in. You could also do some volunteer work that can increase your value and that will work well for you in the marketplace once you begin your job search.

If you ask people about the path they took to end up in the careers that they now are in, you might be surprised to learn that a notable number ended up in their careers by accident. Therefore, don’t be afraid to try out various jobs and opportunities even when they make you a little uncomfortable. You may be surprised to land a job you would never have thought you would be interested in and find yourself thriving in it and deriving satisfaction and enjoyment from a passion you never knew you had.

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What Jobs Could You Take On In Real Estate?

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Depending on what your passions are, I have always found the best career advice to be that you should follow them. A lot of people end up going in to certain careers because of the money or the potential promotions that are on offer, but they can often find themselves disenfranchised and miserable about their job. If you follow a career which means that you will be doing something that you love, you will have a far greater chance of enjoying your career. Today I want to take a look at the real estate industry, and what kind of jobs you could be looking at in this sector.

Development

If you love real estate then heading into real estate development could be a great move for you, this is a satisfying and well paid job which will see you forge out new developments. This job role is multi-faceted and you could be working on building luxury high rises, or focusing more on creating communities such as what the Terra Group are doing down in Florida. Within this job role you could be working in planning, land acquisition, building plans, community development or any other range of responsibilities within this sector.

Investment

If you feel confident in your your knowledge of the industry and your ability to read the housing market, you could turn this knowledge into a money making opportunity. Investing in real estate is one of the least risky ways of investing and you can use your knowledge and passion for real estate to buy a range f both residential and commercial properties. If you do enter into the world of real estate investment, you will of course be playing with large sums of money so you must have strength in your convictions. IF you are in no rush for big returns you could rent out your properties for long periods of time, and even make your investment back from rent alone.

Estate Agent

The role of an estate agent seems to have a bad reputation but in my experience, these are good people who want to do the best for their clients. There is a stigma attached to real estate agents that they are always trying to up sell in order to line their own pockets but you should ignore this as it doesn’t speak for the majority. Your role as an estate agent will be to ensure that your client finds a home which meets all of their requirements. You must have excellent inter-personal skills and you must also be able to instill confidence in your clients, that you are the person who can find the perfect home for them. This is a job which can be very financially lucrative given that you will make commission, and it will also be highly rewarding personally when you see a family move into their desired property.

If you have a passion, make sure that you turn it into a career.

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How Using the Internet can help a Guitarist

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There has never been a better time to be a guitar player because of the amount of resources we have available to us via the internet.  Whether it is to improve your overall skills or for self-promotion, we now have the likes of social media and Youtube to sink our teeth into. The technology we have available today can really help your progression as an artist.  I have included a few tips below which will help you make the most of the internet’s resources, which can benefit you in numerous different ways.

Online Shopping

Travelling from music shop to music shop on a busy schedule is never easy and is there anything more frustrating that not being able to find what you need?  This is never ideal especially if you have a lot of practicing to do for a gig approaching.  Thankfully we are graced with online music and guitar stores, so whether you need replacement strings or a new gear next day delivery has got your back.  Obviously online shopping is a mystery to nobody but the best thing about it is the competition, as there is endless amounts of sites that offer the same product you will tend to find that there is huge opportunity to save yourself some money.  So whether it is your profession or a hobby before paying retail prices have a look around online and let the bargain hunting commence.

Improving your Skills

I can always remember how much of an issue it caused me to attempt to find the time to get some much needed lessons under my belt.  Let’s face life at the best of times can be extremely busy and finding the right time around your schedule for a lesson can cause issues.  With the internet access we now have this is something we no longer have to worry about, there are countless amounts of ways you can improve your skills online.  Whether you are starting out or have been playing for years, websites such as Youtube have endless amounts of videos helping out with learning a particular song or tips to support you.  Beyond free websites like that you can lose you self in e-learning books or even get guitar lessons online.

Self-Promotion

I have been speak with an old friend of mine Tom Hess Guitar player recently about how much of an impact using the internet can have on a budding guitar player’s career.  Tom has had a lot of experience with this due to his career spanning over 30 years in the industry.  Through those thirty years Tom has had success with bands such as Rhapsody of Fire and Holyhell and has also charted albums across Europe.  Whilst having all of this success, Tom also has his own tutoring and mentoring company online which helps many a guitar player around the world in which he shares knowledge gained from his experiences and two music degrees.  As Tom has throughout the years it is so easy to get your work out there and try to gain a following.  Whether the output is social media, streaming sites or online advertisement everyone knows the wildfire of viral popularity and how quickly it can take off.

Use it!

There are so many options you have and I really hope that you can use the online service you have available to you.  It is in your own hands!

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Why a telescope is a great investment for your kids education

Optical instruments, in general, and telescopes, in particular, aren’t necessarily popular when it comes to getting perfect presents for children. In many cases, parents will think that these devices are far too complicated to work with, and that’s why they might steer clear of them.

The fact of the matter is that microscopes, magnifiers, as well as a variety of telescopes and binoculars, be they made for terrestrial or astronomical observation, are quite useful, and some of them are especially user-friendly.

One of the first things that you ought to consider if you are in the market for an educational present and have no idea how to go about things is the child’s age. If he or she is three years old, it’s very likely that you will have to purchase a plastic and somewhat cheaply made handheld telescope or binocular. Toddlers are more or less clumsy, and that’s only natural.

But if you take the time to create a habit when it comes to the kid’s interaction with science-related objects, it won’t take long before he or she actually develops a genuine interest in them. The age of the gift recipient should be the primary factor you ought to take into account also because you need to ensure that the child is capable of handling the device.

As you probably know already, kids tend to get bored fast. Therefore, ease of use is one of the significant aspects you should consider if you want to get a highly usable telescope. Looking at the stars is a great activity, but you also have to take into account that telescopes made for this purpose are often outfitted with slightly fragile optical components that might easily break when they are handled roughly.

Moreover, astronomical observation calls for a bit of a schedule. You can’t look at the sky when you’re in the center of your town because light pollution is particularly high in that area. You might not be able to look at the moon efficiently if there’s too much light pollution around you.

So, the ideal setting for looking at the sky is outside of town in a field where there’s little to no light available. What this means is that parents will have to organize trips with their kids to show them how the device works. If you aren’t prepared for that kind of commitment or if your busy schedule prevents you from doing so, we recommend a terrestrial telescope.

Most of the time, handheld telescopes are convenient, easy to use, and light to pack in any bag. You can take them with you when you travel, and you can look at various items and living beings in your garden or yard. They can be designed by a variety of brands ranging from Celestron to Meade, and if you want to get the right one for your endeavor, we suggest checking out a professional review on this subject.

With the assistance of a telescope, you’ll be able to explain to your kid that the world that surrounds us is far more magnificent and mysterious than we might think, judging by what we can see with our naked eye.

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Robert Mims Memphis Reveals Top Beginner Golfer Tips

For Robert Mims Memphis is the place to be for anyone who wants to play golf, whether it is their first time or not. The sport is a fantastic game and has laid the foundation for many friendships and business relationships alike. Hailing from Louisville himself, Robert Mims went to Memphis after university in August and quickly took on the role of CFO for a great company. He feels, however, that while this may have been where he built his career, it was at the clubs that he built his friendships and truly became a member of the community.

Recently, Mims received a report about a young child who tried to shoplift a convenience store. Following his arrest, the news broke at his work and he was fired. Mims saw in that boy a young soul that was being abandoned and took him under his wing. He told him not to steal and that he would be on report, making sure he was cited with the local golf course and that he knew each and every guideline to follow. The boy agreed and became a member, learning how to play golf. This inspired him to truly turn his life around and, for Mims, provided proof that there is more to golf than just hitting a ball. As a result, he has now devised a list of tips to help beginners get into the game.

Robert Mims Memphis on Getting into Golf

Mims believes the starting point should be to get to know the different clubs. It is important to choose the right ones, but beginners don’t have to think too much about it. Rather, they should stick to the simple clubs and move on once they have a bit more experience. Mims also feels people should start borrowing clubs rather than purchasing them, so that they can afford it.

Second, it is all about keeping it short. Spending a full day on the green is tiring and will leave your body aching. Hence, beginners shouldn’t start playing an 18 hole course. Just a couple of games and practice sessions is more than enough. Once you build your stamina, you can start playing more. This is also because you don’t need physical stamina, you also need mental concentration.

Next, he believes that to play golf properly, you need instruction. The boy he mentored was a prime example. He has become very good at the game and he probably had a natural talent. However, that talent was nurtured through lessons and that is what made him go from a talented player to a truly good player. Mims feels it is better to invest in lessons than to invest in clubs.

Finally, Mims believes it is important to learn how to control your emotions. Golf can be incredibly frustrating. The first time you whack a bunch of grass and the ball remains in the tee is funny. The fourth time will make you feel like flinging your club in the nearest lake. To play golf, you must be able to handle failure.

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What Your Kids Can Learn from Camping

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As with most parents, you have probably come to the realization that there is something lacking in today’s society that we enjoyed as kids. Previous generations spent more time with their parents and less times connected to friends, some of whom they’ve oddly never met! With so much time being spent on cell phones and the Internet, it’s a wonder we know our kids at all.

This year, why not take the kids on a camping vacation? There is much of what they can learn while being surrounded only by nature and it is up to you, as a parent, to show them another side of life. Find a suitably large tent on websites like My Family Tent where you can get enough information to know you are making the right choice. Then book your campsite so that you can start preparing to finally get to know your children.

How to Enjoy Life in a Non-Digital World

One of the best things kids can learn when camping is that they really can survive in a non-digital world. You don’t need a computer or a cell phone, and you certainly don’t need the latest Xbox or Nintendo game system to get by. What you need is a healthy appreciation for nature and a few ideas on how to keep busy with nothing to distract you but a few birds, the sound of crickets and frogs and perhaps a passing squirrel or fox. Camping is fun and there is much to do if you leave the devices at home.

Survival Techniques & Self-Reliance

Perhaps we have done our children a vast disservice by creating all the apps and hi-tech devices they’ve come to rely on. In fact, fewer children than ever are visiting libraries than in any previous generation. Why do you think that is? If you guess the Internet, you are 100 percent correct. Why go to the library to research your upcoming term paper when you can do a quick online search to find all the reference materials you need.

What do you think would happen if the Internet suddenly went down and never came back online again? Would your kids know how to put together a model plane without a YouTube DIY video? Would they know how to find the phone number for the nearest Pizza Hut? Probably not! Few kids even know what the hardcopy yellow pages even are anymore, so teaching them a few survival skills on a camping trip just might help them learn to think for themselves!

A Respect for Nature

Finally, camping helps your kids learn a healthy respect for nature. From getting in the tent during a sudden rainstorm to watching how bees pollinate wildflowers, they now have time to be aware of their surroundings. Yes, they can watch online videos and television shows like National Geographic, but there’s nothing like the real thing. If you want your kids to leave a better world for their children someday, and their children’s children, teach them a healthy respect for nature.

Make this a year of being together without distractions from the digital realm. It will certainly be a time to remember. That’s for sure.

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What Can You Do With a Liberal Studies Degree?

A liberal studies degree is one of those degrees that lots of people like to look down upon. It is the kind of degree that is all too often a punchline to bad jokes about wasted years. However, in reality, a liberal studies degree is actually the first step on the path to many a lucrative and rewarding career. Below is just a small selection of the best careers that are available to liberal studies graduates.

Public Relations Director

A public relations (PR) director is someone who undertakes to develop and execute various strategies and tactics that will show their clients in a positive light. PR directors play a very important role in managing the public images of both individuals and organizations. Whenever there is the hint of scandal or wrongdoing, it is often a public relations director that is the first line of defense. In fact, they are increasingly being considered as more important than legal representation in keeping clients out of jail.

Reaching the level of public relations director requires that graduates climb the ladder, the more junior roles in public relations aren’t quite as lucrative, but they are a necessary step towards a director job and invaluable experience will be gained along the way. Studying an online MALS program is the first step towards any of these careers.

Archaeologist

You might not associate the job of being an archaeologist with liberal studies but there are links between the two. Archaeology has the potential to be a fun and incredibly rewarding career, which requires a number of different skills. The study of archaeology is concerned with human activity throughout the ages and the practice of archaeology requires the recovery and analysis of materials that provide the evidence of our past.

Senior Copywriter

Copywriters are responsible for producing a huge amount of the written content that we come across in our everyday lives, whether online or offline. Copywriters produce everything from blog posts, to news articles, product descriptions, even scripts for advertising shoots. As a job that requires a diverse skill set and a great deal of adaptability, working as an effective copywriter requires skill and dedication. An online master in liberal studies degree will provide a broad grounding, which will help in being able to meet the many and varied demands placed on a copywriter.

Initially, most copywriters will work for a relatively low wage, especially if they are working for a large agency. However, after gaining some experience, copywriters can earn more money by going freelance, or by advancing through the ranks until they reach the level of a senior copywriter.

Sales Director

It takes the right kind of person with the right kind of attitude to excel in a sales role. Most salespeople are working on a shop floor and are in direct contact with customers. However, the more advanced role of sales director requires that individuals gain enough experience that they are able to not only sell products but also to understand the psychology of their buyers. Sales directors are effective managers, negotiators, and coaches who are able to train and advise more junior salespeople. It is a challenging and complex role, but also one that offers great rewards.

A liberal studies degree opens the door to a number of different careers in a variety of different fields.

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What Can I Do with a DNP That I Can’t With a BSN?

Have you ever wondered what you could do with your life if you were to take the next step from BSN to DNP online? Obviously, higher degrees open more doors, but what exactly can you do with a nurse practitioner doctorate degree, DNP? That’s a very good question because there are so many things you really can do that the possibilities are almost endless! Let’s explore a few of those options.

1. Prescribe Medications in All 50 States

Of course, the most obvious difference between an RN (Registered Nurse with a bachelor of science in nursing) and a DNP is that a nurse practitioner can prescribe medications in all 50 states. However, the level of supervision varies from state to state, with some states legislating a more focused oversight by doctors they are working under. In other words, their level of authority changes based on that state’s licensing laws.

2. Pursue Administrative Leadership Roles

As a graduate from DNP executive leadership programs online, the sky is the limit as far as how high you can go in your profession. From being in an administrative position in a hospital to literally running your own clinic, you can be an effective leader in an executive position of authority with a high level of autonomy in many cases. Again, that autonomy is based on state regulations, some giving DNPs more autonomy than others.

3. Work Toward the Development of Policies and Procedures

While any RN could probably be effective in helping to develop policies and procedures, most institutions require anyone on the board or in an advisory position to hold a minimum of a master’s degree, but more often than not, a doctorate too. If you are at all interested in improving patient care and outcomes, you would do well to investigate the best DNP programs to get you started on the right path. There is always room for improvement in healthcare, and who knows patients’ needs better than nurses?

4. Administration in Research

While a DNP probably wouldn’t be an administrator of a medical research lab, they could administrate patient care research both in the private as well as in the public sectors. A shortage of healthcare providers and the growing amount of medical technology brings patient care into a whole new realm. Technology, in some areas of patient care, is still in its infancy stages, and so research is needed to see just what role technology can play in offering better care and outcomes over time.

There are just so many things you can do with a DNP degree that you can’t with a bachelor of science that literally dozens of doors will open to you. It all depends on your focus and how you envision your future. Do you want to continue working with patients but as a nurse practitioner, or do you see yourself molding the future of healthcare? With a doctorate degree and a high level of specialization, you can do almost anything, except brain surgery that is! The question is, what do you want to do?

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What Does It Take to Be a Civil Engineer?

Civil engineers are the ones designing our roads, water treatment plants, power plants, schools and other critical infrastructure. The architect creates the general design, but it is the civil engineer who makes sure the supports hold up the roof and the runoff doesn’t flood the basement. This means that there is always demand for civil engineers. What does it take to be a civil engineer?

Visualization

They say that if you can see it, you can achieve it. For engineers, the ability to see how to implement the architect’s often fanciful designs is essential. The ability to visualize all sides of a part or structure are essential to ensuring all sides of it are properly designed. And unlike the architect, civil engineers figure out how to build the tall walls and sweeping facades while still integrating plumbing, electrical wiring, network cables and other infrastructure, which makes visualization skills that much more important. Mistakes lead to unsightly holes cut in walls to bring chilled water or conditioned air to common areas or uncomfortable buildings because of insufficient air flow.

Math Skills

Engineering is one of those fields where calculus and algebra are relevant and critical to the job. Determining the stress on beams, the torque a strut is subjected to, and the load behind a wall as the water levels rise all involve calculus.

Communication Skills

Civil engineers are the ones who oversee much of the construction of the designs they’ve contributed to. They have to work with architects who are selecting materials and then tell them the ground just won’t hold that load. They need to work with skilled tradesmen to build the structure and handle issues like material shortages, failures, and oversights. They’re in constant communication with the client regarding the status of the schedule and talking to vendors to keep the materials and talent coordinated so you don’t end up with beams arriving before the concrete is ready to be poured or wait two days for electricians while drywall installers sit idle. This is also why project management skills are essential for civil engineers. Skills like this are taught to you as you complete an online civil engineering degree.

Critical Thinking

Engineers are problem solvers. They’re often the practical half of the architectural firm, figuring out how the heck to build what the architect designed and fixing practical flaws in their designs. And they’re solving other problems, too, like how to maximize access to an area while ensuring security or using materials the customer wants while remaining within limits set by the local building code. You can learn practical solutions to common issues like this while enrolled in the online civil engineering program at Norwich University. You also learn solutions for retrofitting buildings, whether making them more energy efficient or upgrading aging equipment.

Conclusion

If you want to become a successful engineer, you have to either have or learn the traits and skills above. The good news is that it’s never too late to improve yourself, all it takes is perseverance and a little bit of self-awareness.

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Why Geographic Information Science and Technology Degrees Are A Great Choice If You Want A Career in A Growing Market

If you are trying to decide on a field of technology to study, then a geographic information science and technology degree is one option you might want to consider. Geographic information covers things that you will almost certainly have encountered, like Google Maps and sat nav systems, and is used in a huge range of sectors, as you can see in the following infographic.

If you want a career in an exciting and growing industry where you’ll find opportunities to work with the public and non-profit sector as well as leading tech innovators, then getting started with an online geographic information science and technology degree is a great way to launch your career, and you can do this course with some top universities like the University of Southern California online.

If you love the idea of a tech career, GIST is a subject well worth considering!  The above infographic was created by the University of California.

GIST Career Paths Infographic

University of Southern California Geographic Information Science & Technology Graduate Programs Online

A Million Lives

Travelling in all its glory is fun and exhilarating but sometimes you might want to find some information on where to go, what to see and how to go about it from someone other than the go-to websites, especially when it comes to travel hacking and the coolest, most useful ways to get the most out of your next adventure.

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