Enhancing Your Career With Specific Career Education

Writen by Tony Jacowski

Education is said to be a lifelong process; it is a journey rather than a destination. However, many people having once acquired a basic degree and a few years of work experience pay little attention to enhancing their prospects with specific career education. Hectic professional schedules and personal commitments weigh heavily on their minds and the challenge of starting on an educational course all over again is a daunting one. In the competitive environment that exists today, this attitude of maintaining a static state of affairs with respect to one's education could mean a string of missed opportunities when it comes to job hunting or even growth in the current organization. As the job market is cluttered with many thousands of qualified job applicants, employers are constrained to apply stringent screening processes when recruiting. What this means for job seekers is that there is really no alternative to enhancing their career with specific career education. Pursuing a degree relevant to the business needs of the industry and the function of their specialization is critical.

Stand Out

When there are limited job vacancies in an organization and multiple applicants who meet most of the specified eligibility criteria, the employer looks out for special skills in the candidate in terms of specific career education. An additional qualification can serve to make your candidature stand apart and tip the scales in your favor. Any practical exposure that you have acquired in a previous job or any knowledge you have acquired through a specific career education course, speaks well of your ability to learn continuously.

A specialized career-training course that helps hone existing skills and develop new ones is something every professional should seriously consider, irrespective of their years of experience. Prior to enrolling in any such education program, it is advisable to take a career aptitude test that helps ascertain your existing skills and interests. If you are already employed, it may not be possible to attend regular college and you could consider enrolling in online career education programs. The emergence of the Internet has created endless opportunities in online and virtual education programs.

Education Types

As a result, enhancing your career with specific career education programs is a very feasible option today. You could choose programs that are offered at universities in different states and even countries; this permits you to study during your free time and at your own pace. You can even choose to study along with fellow students and opt for joint sessions via web-based technologies. Most specific career education institutes have a number of college-based forums, discussion groups and chat rooms, which helps fellow students in collaborating and discussing course related projects.

Dedication And Hard Work

Though there is more flexibility available in terms of time, location and pace in the case of specific career education, it still calls for serious effort from the student in order to acquire the certification. Typically, specific career education programs, much like regular college degrees, require students to submit journals and projects, and attend examinations. Though these requirements might make a working professional feel pressured, overall, it makes good sense to invest time in career education specific to the field of expertise.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Five Biggest Resume Mistakes You Can Fix Yourself

Writen by Cathy Goodwin

A career consultant can diagnose and overhaul a troubled resume. But you can check off the basics yourself.

Mistake #1. "The mystery applicant." No contact information.

Fix: List a daytime phone number and email address, right at the top of the page. Create a professional-sounding message for your answering device.

Mistake #2. "The scrunchie." Loads of detail crammed together in eight-point type.

Fix: Add lots of white space, avoid tiny type and use bullet points instead of long paragraphs. If you've got a story to tell, most reviewers will happily turn to a second page.

Mistake #3: "List of tasks and duties." Obituary of a boring employee.

Fix: Sell yourself by focusing on accomplishments. Demonstrate the impact of your achievements. Describe actions, not obligations.

Mistake #4: "The expressionist." Sets off alarm bells.

Fix: Choose chronological rather than functional form, especially if you use traditional job-hunting sources: HR departments, recruiters, and advertisements. Off the beaten path, use a sales letter or network your way to in-person presentations.

Mistake #5: "Creative language." Spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.

Proof-read and ask a friend to help. Computerized spelling and grammar checks won't catch everything. A carefully-prepared resume will stand out more than you can imagine.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

Finding Employees For Insurance Industry Jobs

Writen by Barbara Krueger

Finding the right employee for any job opening can be a challenge to say the least, and this is no truer than in the insurance industry. With considerations ranging from experience and education to their personal skills, the decisions faced by recruiters and employers can be of critical importance.

When hiring employees for insurance industry jobs it is important to take many factors into account. Summarized, these factors include:

1. Education & Certification
2. Experience
3. Personal Skills

Education & Certification
Obviously one of the first criteria you will be looking for in a candidate will be their education. Whether the employee is applying for a one of your insurance sales jobs, customer service, risk management or some other position you will want to make sure that their education matches the criteria of the job. With this in mind an employer will often find him/herself in a position when multiple candidates are well educated and/or certified. While it may take additional time, looking into the schools themselves may yield significant differences.

A certificate from the "University of Phoenix Online" is worth significantly less than the same certificate from an accredited educational institution but unless you look into the credentials you may be tempted to consider them all equal.

While education cannot be considered the end-all-be-all of hiring any qualified candidate, a solid education from an accredited institution reflects more than a knowledge of the industry – it also reflects the job applicant's ability to write and present ideas clearly and also to stick with something they have started.

And isn't that a key feature in a candidate, whether the education is necessary in their job function or not?

Experience
This is perhaps the most important factor in filling jobs in the insurance industry (or any industry for that matter). What you should be reading into their experience is not simply the number of years they have worked in the same or similar roles however. While experience in a specific field lends itself to a strong understanding of the ins-and-outs of it can also have its downside that must be taken into account.

The value of experience in the insurance industry comes primarily from the reduced training that will be necessary to get the employee functioning. Knowing how to perform a specific function, especially a complex function such as risk management or loss control, can save a company countless dollars in training.

The downside in experience that must be considered is that an employee may not fully understand the processes and procedures unique to your insurance company. No two companies perform all their tasks the same way and an employee who has performed a specific role for one company may assume (incorrectly) that you do or should do it the same way. This can lead to bottlenecks and sometimes even conflict.

An additional drawback to experience that must be addressed when filling insurance jobs is the knowledge that the prospective employee has worked in insurance industry jobs and has chosen to leave an employer. The last thing you want is to fill one of your vacant jobs with an employee who has a history of leaving related positions.

Both of these drawbacks can be addressed with a few simple questions of the employee and to past employers.

Personal Skills
Personal skills are arguably one of the most important criteria when filling insurance industry jobs. While the importance of personal skill is obvious when hiring for insurance agent jobs, these skills are equally important when considering employees for administration and more technical positions as well. While these people may not necessary be dealing with the public on a regular basis they will play a key roll in developing a productive work environment.

Although the primary objective in any businesses is to insure profitability, developing an enjoyable work environment in which the various parties can communicate leads to new ideas, higher productivity due to a willingness of all employees to work together, and perhaps most importantly – a lower employee turnover rate.

For some insurance jobs, personal skills are more important than others however for every position they should be considered. You may even want to consider having the current staff who will be working closely with the new employee meet during the interview process and provide feedback. If your staff work well together their productivity will naturally increase.

Conclusion
While every company and position within that company is different, as long as the above three areas are considered when hiring for any of the various insurance industry jobs available, you as the employer are far more likely to foster a positive, productive and in the end, more profitable company. You will end up with a staff that is properly educated, has good experience if applicable, and works well together. Like any well-oiled machine – this is the recipe for success when filling insurance related jobs.

Credits InsuranceWorkForce.com is an established, nationally recognized insurance and financial services 'You-Post-It' job site. If you're looking to fill insurance jobs or are seeking employment in the insurance industry visit InsuranceWorkForce.com. A virtual one stop employment site, linking employers and recruiters with qualified job seekers having the experience, skills and specialized training necessary to get the job done! Employers and recruiters, submit your insurance jobs here.

Job Search Lessons From The 2006 Super Bowl

Writen by Jeff Altman

The Super Bowl is a game but, like sports in general, it offers useful life lessons that we can take with us . . . if we only look below the surface. As I watched the game, I saw a number of things. How many did you see?

1. As I pointed out last year, winning is a team effort. That was never more obvious than this year when the Steeler offense was going no where for most of the first half and the SeaHawk offense was moving the ball almost at will. All of the focus prior to the game was on the offenses and, in particular, the match up between the quarterbacks. But Pittsburgh's Roethlisberger started horribly, piutting pressure on the defense. Seattle moved the ball against the defense but could not "seal the deal" with points as John Madden said diuring the game.

In his post-game comments, Coach Cowher spoke about the team effort that went into winning, in particular the coaches who put in an enormous effort all season long to adapt to the chages that kept occuring all season long.

Who are your coaches or are you trying to do everything by yourself? Champions take coaching from the staff who are able to look at their performance and offer good advice that the pro adapts to. Wouldn't that be helpful in your career planning?

2. Excitement is a great motivator; fear isn't. Pittsburgh came out "jumpy" and unsettled. Penalties and poor execution on offense and on the defensive side of the ball almost put them in a big hole. Fortunately for them (but unfortunately for Seattle), each time Seattle moved the ball, the Steeler defense would hold. Pittsburgh scored right before the half making the score 7-3. Seattle had dominated the play through most of the half but was trailing.

When you interview, it is OK to be excited but arriving fearfully can cause you to make mistakes that can cost you the job you're well qualified to perform. You don't execute well on the interview and you go home to explain what happened. It's a horrible feeling.

3. Critical mistakes will keep you from winning. Seattle arrived as a team who had not turned the ball over for several weeks and left as a team that dropped passes, threw a critical interception, fmbled at a critical juncture, committed costly penalties that cost them 14 points (or enough to win).

4. Try not to be predictable. The team that runs the same plays over and over again will be defeated. Pittsburgh buried Seattle with an end reverse becoming an option pass touchdown to Hines Ward. In their playbook all season, they only ran the play once all year.

5. Planning for next year started 72 hours after the teams left the field. That should be true oof how you start planning for your next career move. As someone once said, the person who gets ahead isn't always the smartest and doesn't always work the hardest . . . although those are great qualities to have. The person who gets ahead is the one who remains alert to opportunity. Sometimes that's within an organization; sometimes it's outside of it.

Good luck! Can't wait for next year's game. Giants vs. Colts.

That would be fun!

Jeff Altman

Concepts in Staffing

jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2006 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, has successfully assisted many corporations identify leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines as employees or consultants since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To subscribe to Head Hunt Your Own Job, Jeff Altman's job search e-zine, go to http://www.sayhi.to/JeffAltman enter your email address in the subscription box and lick to subscribe.. While you're there, sign up to receive a daily digest of jobs emailed to you as we learn of them and read additional job hunting or hiring tips.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you're looking for a new position, include your resume).

Job Searching During The Holidays

Writen by William Werksman

A common misperception on the part of job seekers is that the holidays are a poor time for job hunting prospects. As a professional recruiter, here are three reasons why the holiday period is in fact an excellent time to seek a new opportunity:

1. New budgets generally call for hiring additional resources. The budgeting process for the coming year generally takes place the final quarter of the year. With new business strategies mapped out, senior management aggressively begin to look for prime talent. This is an excellent chance for candidates to passively market themselves through networked contacts or recruiters. Make yourself available for coffee, lunch or an after hours meeting to discuss possible opportunities and sell yourself to prospective employers.

2. Holiday parties present exceptional networking opportunities. Traditionally, we are taught not to mix business with pleasure. But, in today's competitive employment market, we counsel candidates to do just the opposite. Holiday office parties are an excellent chance to network with other internal department heads, outside vendors, and even specific competitors. These settings are an excellent chance to meet and greet people and thus expand your network.

3. Create momentum going into the New Year. Above all else, job searching is a mentally taxing task. You alone are responsible for putting yourself in a position to succeed. Part of that process is staying motivated to completing the task. The holiday period is an excellent chance to create positive momentum for your job search both now and going into the New Year. Tune up and revamp that resume, calls network contacts to wish them Happy Holidays (and stay on their radar), and meet and greet new people at networking events. Positive thoughts and actions today will create positive momentum in the future for your job search.

Don't let this holiday period catch you unprepared. While others are busy shopping at the malls, take advantage of this opportunity to advance your career for today and tomorrow.

Executive recruiter William Werksman is a frequent columnist to job boards including http://www.NevadaJobBoard.com addressing both the candidate's and employer's perspective. Werksman's expertise has been featured in business magazines, national newspapers and television news segments. His firm, Resource Partners, is recognized as the leading source of specialized and executive talent in the Casino and Gaming industry. He manages a staff of recruiters out of his firm's Las Vegas, Nevada headquarters. He may be reached at: Bill@CareerInsider.com

American Workforce Do They Lack Work Ethic

Writen by Lance Winslow

Many employees do not wish to work hard; some are disillusioned and others feel the pay and benefits are substandard. Indeed although the unemployment is below 5% some feel that they are under employed. Some employees feel that the illegal immigrants have driven down pay and benefits in America.

All this may be components of the issue and whereas it is not a simple issue, there is more too it, as some believe that the American work force lacks ethics. Many business owners often complain about this fact. And although it is not all workers it is an ever growing percentage of the over all work force. Personally, I have done business in 4-countries, set up franchises in 123 cities and 23 states. I have also been to every city in the United States over 10,000 population and talked with workers, middle managers, executives and run companies and had franchisee team meetings, over saw operations and did many sneak checks. We have had franchisees come from other companies to work with us from all sets of blue and white collar. And from what I can tell there are some issues work ethic in the United States.

Here is a summary of a conversation with a striking Boeing Company worker not too long ago and you can see there are two-sides to each issue.

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Some workers complain that they do not make enough each month to pay the bills and this is why they do not feel they should have to work hard. However true this maybe I have to ask; What does honesty and work ethic have to do with pay? If you promise when hired to do your best and compete for that job, you ought to hold up your word once you get the job. Otherwise you lack integrity, that is dishonest and no excuse can be made for failure to make good on that promise when you got hired in the first place. When we discuss this topic of work ethic, we must consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

The Six Master Keys To Landing A Job

Writen by Ronald K. Armstrong

I've listed the most successful techniques used to land a job in just about any field imaginable. Most people believe that getting a job relies upon a good resume and interview skills. Well, that is just not so. I have found that there is a formula that if applied correctly works almost every time. In fact, through research I have discovered that the common denominator among people who consistently got work was due to them incorporating The Six Master Keys in their presentations. Let's take a look at them.

1. AUTHORITY: Become an authority in your area. Write articles, post notes in forums, joins groups and chat rooms. The more people recognize your expertise in your field the more they will seek you out. Make sure that your resume and website conveys the fact that you are one of the leading authorities out there. Most people in today's world never do any research or read any trades publications on their jobs. Take a few minutes out of your day to do this and it will put you one giant step ahead of others. This simple technique alone can greatly increase your chances of not just getting work but getting consistent work!

2. SOCIAL PROOF: It means nothing if you say it. However, if others talk about how good you are then it is taken with more weight. Make sure that you include testimonials from satisfied clients in your blog, website, and resume. This will go a long way in building trust and rapport which are the very foundations of the entertainment industry. Keep in mind that testimonials are not references. References are passive and require someone to contact your previous employer. Testimonials are active marketing tactics used to brand you and make you stand out.

3. QUALIFY: Typically when going for a job you must answer a serious of probing questions from the employer. But all that now changes. As someone who is an Authority, who has Social Proof, you will now question them. You must qualify them to see if their project or position is something YOU are interested in and is worthy of your involvement. This is not the same as the popular Questions That Sell sales technique as qualifying is a way of demonstrating your value and communicating that you have standards. Qualifying gets them to meet certain objectives and criteria that you set. Remember, you have the pick of the litter. You are in demand! Always convey that you can walk away at anytime. Never seem desperate for the job even if you are.

4. URGENCY: In our industry jobs are highly competitive. Therefore it is important that hiring decisions are made quickly before his or her uncle or cousin is hired for the position. Let them know that you are in demand or are considering other offers but are very much interested in their project. In all of your communications such as the cover letters, blogs, websites and resumes you should have embedded commands which lets them know they must act quickly. This can be done by using verbs and sentence fragments to communicate expediency.

5. FEAR: Create a sense of fear in their minds. This is best done when you have established yourself as an authority. Let them know in an indirect manner and without the inclusion of names, that just hiring anyone for the project could cost them dearly. Let them know that if not done right, it could destroy the entire project. Now here is the atomic bomb guaranteed to increase your chances of getting that job. Tell them what they should be looking for in a candidate! That's right! Give them advice on how to pick the right person for the job. Act as a consultant. This shows a number of things. That you care. That you are unbiased That you are not hungry for the work. If you don't get the job after that then go back and review everything from the beginning because chances are you missed something.

6. DESTROY THE PARADIGM: Let them know that the conventional way of thinking is incorrect and show them a new way to go about things. Destroying the paradigm positions you as having something to bring to the table and adds value to yourself. This is best done by conveying to them the truism or norm by which things are done or how the industry operates. Then in a sweeping statement let them know that the assertion is totally incorrect! This raises your status and gets them supplicating to you. However, you must then demonstrate the truth about what you are stating through an actual situation, fact or case study. This also serves to illustrate that you are innovative in your approach and on top of changes in the industry. Be warned though. This is not a technique you would use when going for a position where they want you to just fit. In other words, you would be just another piece in the factory oiled machine. But why would you want a job like that anyway?

Now you don't have to include each one in your communications with perspective employers. However, you should make an effort to incorporate as many as necessary depending upon the situation. Keep in mind that this is a skill which takes practice. Work on the Six Master Keys until it becomes natural and easy. You don't want it coming off cocky, scripted or insincere. You'll find that once you get it right it works like magic!

Ronald K. Armstrong is a noted author and filmmaker. He is President of the RKA Cinema Society which is an organization dedicated to helping aspiring actors and filmmakers. Mr. Armstrong is also the founder of the revolutionary Kamitic Acting System. http://www.rkacinemasociety.com

Paralegal Career 5 Tips To Determine If Its Right For You

Writen by Scott Knutson

If watching TV shows like Law and Order or old Ally McBeal re-runs has you thinking you would love a career as a legal assistant, you may want to look into the real world of one before entering the paralegal job market.

Working as a paralegal can be interesting and very rewarding work, but no one should enter the field with delusions of becoming an Erin Brockovitch. Listed below are some of the qualities a good paralegal should have.

1. You must love research. Not only must you love it, you should be the kind of thinker who can find innovative ways to find facts as you research cases. Maybe your research will require surfing the Internet for days on end, or you may find yourself neck deep in old files at the county courthouse. You may even find yourself searching through old newspaper articles. If you do not like research, find a different career choice.

2. You must be organized. As a paralegal, you are not only organizing cases and files for yourself; you are also organizing them for use by attorneys and other case workers. Having your own system of filing will not work for a successful paralegal. Your organization must be logical and easy for others to follow. Remember, all the research you do could either make or break the client's case.

3. You must work well with limited supervision. If you require a boss standing over your shoulder reminding you that your work is due soon, don't consider a career as a paralegal. For one, the attorney or business person you work for will not have time to be your deadline reminder. And, don't expect that just because your boss says you have two weeks to complete a case file that he or she won't say they absolutely need it two days later.

4. You must work well under pressure. As you gather research about a case, little facts could pop up that change the entire course of your research. If you get frustrated easily, being a paralegal might not be the career choice you should make. An adaptable person succeeds as a legal assistant.

5. You must have good people skills. Just because your job might mean doing a lot of research doesn't mean you won't have vital contact with clients. As a paralegal, you may take statements from clients and help direct their questions and concerns to the attorney. You are their liaison with the lawyer. It's important that you like to help people and can work with a diverse group of people if you work as a legal assistant.

If you have the above qualities, you would probably make a great paralegal. If you have those five qualities, plus having training or certification as a legal assistant, the world will be your oyster. The training will set you apart from all the other people who also have the same qualities. Twenty and 30 years ago, no one had formal training as a legal assistant. All those paralegals are preparing for retirement now and their employers will plan to replace them with a trained professional instead of offering on the job training again.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Paralegal | Online Paralegal Degree | Online Paralegal

Dropped Out But No Drop Out

Writen by Anthony Page

Have you heard about the Tireds? The Thirty-something Independent Radical Educated Drop-out. Tired is a new acronym recently unveiled as a successor to the high-earning Yuppies of the 80s and 90s. Well here is a story of a tired.

Anthony Page (Working Nomad .com) was in 1995 sentenced to life in the corporate world of information technology. After 7 years of labour he was let out on parole for good behaviour and then started to discover our wonderfully diverse planet through independent budget travel.

In November of 2003 he was returned to inside the prison walls of the City of London and once again found himself in a suit and at the mercy of big business. You need funds to travel and Anthony's only way to make money was to do what he knew best and what society deems correct.

Temporary escape from the rat race was not enough and Anthony started to seek out ways of maintaining an income independently and remotely. Not being chained to office politics, bad coffee machines and long English winters was his target and dream.

In October of 2005 Anthony left an autumnal Heathrow Airport with a backpack, a laptop, a small income stream from his web sites and a dream. He set out to travel around Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand entirely funded by income from the web.

Anthony's trip has been a heady concoction of free wifi spots, hanging out in the mountains, tropical island life and the odd 14 hour bus journey with angry teams of Indonesian buskers.

Anthony's office has been a beach side café, an airplane, a backcountry hut and wherever there is an electricity point. He has managed to find the perfect balance between adventure travel and building up an online business.

Six months and seven countries later Anthony is still living his dream as a 'working nomad'. Over this period of time Anthony's income from web sites has trebled and he will return home in profit. His dream of having an independent portable career is now reality.

The most satisfying part for Anthony is the positive feedback he gets from his personal travel blog (workingnomad.com) which is helping others make the break to freedom.

Anthony hopes that by the time he returns to England in July he will have helped provide a way out to many other inmates locked away in their offices and proved, without doubt, that an escape from the corporate world does not always equate to failure

Author Bio

Anthony Page is a 34 year old former corporate slave and is now and independent website publisher with a passion for travel. Anthony has been living and travelling around Southeast Asia and Australasia living his dream of travel and working at the same time.

Todays Real Estate Agent Job Description Do You Have The Skill Set

Writen by Mark Nash

Every year many people think about starting a career in real estate sales. It looks enticing, the freedom to create your own schedule, to be in control of how much you earn, and to have your own business. The reality though is not a pretty picture, over one third of new real estate agents leave the business in their first three years. Why do so many leave? The biggest factor is that they haven't researched the real estate business to determine if they have the required skill set to be successful. Like any career there are some skills that can help set you on a path to success.

You should know early on that real estate sales are not a "get rich quick" career. To be a top producer in real estate takes business planning, patience, people skills, and resilience in addition to many other sub sets of skills. Many potential new agents are not aware of the fact they need a financial reserve to get them through the first six to twelve months in the business to pay household and personal expenses in addition to start-up and marketing costs related to their new real estate sales business.

The number one reason why new agents fail is their lack of self-motivation, you will be an independent contractor and will determine every day what you future will be in the real estate business. While your managing broker and possibly an office mentor or coach will offer some structure and counseling, if you are not a self-starter, conscientious, disciplined, and organized you hopes for success will be diminished. These skills can be adopted if you do not have them now.

My favorite question to ask a new agent is "Why did you get into real estate sales?" Over the years I have received many responses, but the all time leader is "I love houses or architecture". While houses and architecture might look like the answer, it is not. Real estate is a business vehicle for people and their personalities to interact. Real estate is more about people than houses. People skills are the number one skill for you to be successful. People skills include building rapport, problem solving, active listening, assimilating needs and wants, and emotional resilience. Real estate is a business, not a hobby or interest. Real estate consumers expect and deserve an ethical and professional real estate experience.

Your personality will also play an important role in real estate sales. You should like or respect all kinds of people, personalities, ethnic groups, and lifestyles. If not you could find yourself in violation of federal, state and local fair housing laws. Your ability to manage the sales process from first contact with real estate clients to closing efficiently will help kick start your career by providing you with referrals from satisfied clients.

Real estate is increasingly a technology driven business. You will need to have or learn to use at a minimum a personal computer, digital camera, and e-mail and software programs to create effective marketing pieces and efficiently manage your time. The majority of real estate consumers today expect real estate agents to be able to email listings, arrange virtual tours, and have an Internet presence.

Mark Nash is the author of "Fundamentals of Marketing for the Real Estate Professional", "Starting & Succeeding in Real Estate", "Reaching Out: The Financial Power of Niche Markeing", and "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home". Mark is a contributing writer for: Realtor (R) Magazine Online, Broker Agent News, Real Estate Executive Magazine, Princilpal Broker, and Realty Times. His tried and true real estate tips has been featured on CBS The Early Show, CNN, HGTVpro.com, The New York Times, and USA Today. Purchase his books at http://www.1001RealEstateTips.com

7 Career Change Myths You Must Challenge Now To Begin Your Second Career Today

Writen by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.

* Has it been awhile since you explored career options?

* Are you making your 21st century choices based on beliefs that were accurate when Reagan was president of the US (and Thatcher was PM of Great Britain)?

* Do you wish you could take a test that would point you to the perfect Second Career?

Then you're probably operating on yesterday's myths -- time to move to today's reality!

Myth #1: Science supports the traditional linear career change model: test for interests, identify careers and go find a job.

Reality #1 Researchers at Stanford and Harvard found that career exploration proceeds in a zig-zag trial-and-error path, almost always with a hint of serendipity. Learn more.

Myth #2: Starting a business is riskier than seeking a new job.

Reality #2: If you're midlife and/or have a high profile in your industry, you may replace income faster by starting a business -- even if you continue to seek a job at the same time. Learn more.

Myth #3 : Skills that brought you career success are the same skills you need for career change.

Reality #3: Career and business achievement calls for football skills: teamwork, planning and playing your position. Career change? Think playground basketball! Scramble and change rules with every game. Learn more.

Myth #4: Ignore unexpected thoughts like, "Maybe it's time to move. " They'll soon go away.

Reality #4: These hints come from your intuition, which is not a woo-woo concept but a reliable source of insight that has been recognized by mainstream psychologists, security consultants and scientists. Crack your intuitive code and find a new source of power. Learn more.

Myth #5: Make tough career decisions like business decisions. Or gamble. Choosing between two wonderful opportunities? Or two equally scary options? Estimate probabilities...or give up and flip a coin.

Reality #5: Work with new processes designed specifically for life decisions. Learn more.

Myth #6: Feeling scared? Stop!

Reality #6: Fear can be your friend, especially when you're moving outside your comfort zone into a new adventure. Fear means you're taking care of yourself as you move into the unknown. Learn more.

Myth #7: Career change means feeling stressed and miserable.

Reality #7: Career change can become a source of meaning and growth. Most people look back with gratitude on this time in their lives. Learn more.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals transform career breakdowns to career breakthroughs. Learn more.

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Could You Write Performance Reviews For Money

Writen by Niall Cinneide

Writing performance reviews can be an excellent way to earn a living. Who wouldn't want to go from place to place watching actors, singers, and chefs perform at their best (and maybe their worst)? Getting paid to do something like this just seems like fun, doesn't it? But, in reality, these jobs are not easy to come by nor are they easy to do. A writer will need to have many qualifications and have to write very well in order to establish themselves as worthy candidates of this type of work. Writing reviews is a little more complicated than just telling what you thought of the show.

For example, writing play reviews can be a challenge. Sure, the overall show may be interesting and exciting, but what about the individual characters? In writing the reviews, the writer must have strong understanding of how the play works, who is who, and why certain things are done in certain ways. They must be fluent in the arts and understand what is good and what is bad. It is not simply their opinions that matter but their opinions will in fact determine how well the play does. Who will come see a poorly reviewed play? But, if the writer's ideas are wrong and misguided, who will look to them again for advice on whether or not to see that play?

There is a lot of weight on the shoulders of individuals who do this type of work. Writing reviews for large newspapers and organizations may take a long time to get into. The writer will more than likely start out as a nobody, and often do the work for free long before they earn a single dime at it. Their talents will only be trusted once they have proven their skill and having the right ideas and the writing abilities as well. Many people are who do this work as freelance writers. Often, these writers work for magazines, newspapers, and online.

The field takes much perseverance and a true love and devotion, not to mention experience in the arts to make it come to be.

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