Outwitting the job market over the long term part 1

You've found a great job, you have every right to celebrate. Go out on the town. Eat a good meal with your friends. Make a toast to your own future. But don't forget that while you've outwitted the job market in the short term, you'll have to keep your eye on the long term too. That's right outwitting the job market is actually a career-long pursuit. As long as you're in the workplace, you'll have to plot and strategize ways of staying ahead. Fortunately, this isn't as hard as it sounds. The tips below are a good starting point for taking advantage of the opportunities your new job will offer-and creating a few opportunities of your own. UNDERGO REGULAR CAREER SELF-APPRAISALS You go to the doctor once a year for a complete physical examination; why not undergo an annual career examination too? The self-appraisal is a way to take stock of your continuing career-related achievements and goals. At least once a year, write down a list of the skills and experiences you hope to be gleaning from your job and where you want to be in the coming year. By comparing this list to what is actually happening, you will be able to determine the rate of your professional growth. If your job is helping you to achieve most of your desired career goals, then you know you are making good progress. If, however, there are sizable discrepancies between your "wish list" and your "reality list" over a reasonably long period of time, you may want to consider renewing your job search efforts. One management consultant says she takes off a personal day every six months specifically for the purpose of self-appraisal. "I usually spend the day outdoors, in a park or hiking. I take my list with me. Away from work and the usual interruptions at home, I'm able to be more objective. I can be honest with myself about where my job is going, where I want to be, and whether those two directions dovetail." Thinking long-term doesn't hurt, either. Where do you want to be in your career in five years, ten, or twenty? What can you do now to ready yourself for these goals? Considering the distant as well as immediate future can help you to make important decisions regarding your career. Explains a thirty-one-year-old professional who works for a prominent accounting company: "I have a rough idea of where I want to be, using age as a scale. I want to be in a management role by the age of thirty-five, for example. If I'm not there in a few years, I have to assess some things. Why am I not getting promoted? Am I not performing up to the [necessary] level? Or is the company overlooking me because of something beyond my control? [If this is the case,] I'll have to find another company to stay on track." For this employee, as well as for many others, short - and long-term career appraisals are a regular part of work life. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR PERFORMANCE REVIEWS Many employers, especially large corporations, consider job performance reviews a standard part of the cycle. Once every six months, or once a year, your boss and sometimes your peers and subordinates too-will review your on-the-job performance based on competencies such as leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. You will be graded, in a sense, the same way you were graded in school. It's natural to balk at the thought of performance reviews. Yet if you choose to ignore them, you will also be ignoring their impact on your career prospects. Indeed, performance reviews are often weighted heavily when promotion time and raise discussions come around. If you're serious about moving ahead in your field, don't be passive about performance reviews. Tackle them head-on. Be gracious when your strengths are pointed out, but pay more attention to the areas that need improvement. If your supervisor says that your presentation skills are lackluster, for example, make an effort to improve them. Take a public speaking seminar; maybe your company will be willing to subsidize it. There are plenty of ways to improve perceived weaknesses in your employment performance: Read books. Take classes. Enroll in online courses. Seek the advice of those who are adept in the areas that you are trying to shape up and sharpen. In the process, be sure that your supervisor is aware of your attempts at self-improvement. Don't assume that she is in the know and will automatically take into consideration your efforts at your next performance review. And what about those long months between reviews? Don't wait for your employer to initiate discussions about your job performance. Approach your boss and ask, 'Am I working up to your expectations? Do you have any suggestions for how I can become a better employee?" Being proactive about your own improvement is a great way to get noticed for the right reasons. And speaking of getting noticed-the next time you're praised in an e-mail, letter, or memo, be sure to keep a copy. Keep a folder for the express purpose of collecting items that illustrate your value to the company and your continuing improvement. Keep copies of your performance reviews, too. The next time you begin a job search, this folder will help to convince future employers that you're worth hiring.

When your career becomes very stressful

What do you do when the career you have chosen stresses you out? When this happens, it is easy to get depressed since your career is very important. As a result, here are some suggestions on how to deal with your career anxieties. Determine why your career makes you stressed out. Maybe its some aspect of your career that makes you anxious or maybe you need a new job. Do some soul searching and determine the main causes of your career anxieties. Once you know why you are stressed, then develop a plan of action. Maybe it is not your career that is stressful, but instead your job that is the problem. If it is your job that makes you anxious then try to find ways to improve the situation. If this doesn’t work then change jobs. Sometimes it may be the career itself that is the problem. Do not be afraid to change careers if you have to. People nowadays change careers for various reasons. Many adults go back to school to get the necessary training for their new career. The important thing is to determine which career best suits you. Remember you have options. There are all kinds of jobs and careers out there so do not feel that your back is in the corner. If you do not know what to do, then take a career skills assessment test which will determine what kind of job or career best suits your particular interests and skill sets. There are many career coaches that can give you additional advice. Your local college has career counselors that can give you much assistance and provide you with information on a variety of careers. It is important to find a job or career that makes you feel good about yourself. Do not just take a job because the money is good or because it will impress your friends. You’re the one who has to go to work everyday, so find something that you like to do and also will pay the bills. It will take some work, but eventually you will find something.

Nursing as a profession

Nursing is a highly regarded profession with high standards of honesty and ethics amongst various other professions. Nursing has emerged as the largest health care occupation with over 2.7 million jobs. With over 100,000 vacant positions and a ever-growing need for health care workers, the career outlook is excellent for the nursing field. National Center for Workforce Analysis, an agency of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services predicts a shortage of 808,416 nurses by the year 2020. Such an analysis and prediction is backed by very strong reasoning and findings. Advancement in technology and medical field has resulted in an increased life span. Elderly population is now living longer and more of them will require care and nursing. With more elderly people in need of such care, demands rise for nursing force that can meet such needs. Also, the need for more skilled nurses is growing. With insurance companies stepping into the medical field to reduce the cost of health care expenditure, demand for nurses, outside the hospital setting has also risen. Not to forget that the current nursing workforce is aging and many are expected to retire over next 10-15 years only to create a void, adding to the shortage further. So, nurses with a BSN degree can expect a securer career and better job prospects. Nurses blend knowledge of science and technology with the art of care and compassion. Nursing provides opportunity to save and improve lives, care for the sick and debilitated, educate patients and people towards achieving good health and above all, the feeling of helping someone in their hour of illness and need. There is no greater service than caring for the sick and needy. Nurses are required to deliver basic duties, which includes but is not limited to providing treatment, health education, emotional support, record maintenance, operating medical equipment in addition to counseling patient and their family about the management of their illness. Registered Nurses (RNs) also run general health screening and immunization clinics, organize public seminars, motivate blood donation drives, etc. Three out of five nurses in the United States work in hospitals. Most of the others work in clinics, home health, extended care settings, schools, colleges, universities, the public health services, and nonprofit agencies throughout the United States and many other countries. Nursing can be a challenging job with continuous exposure to grief and suffering, stress, work pressures, little or excessive patient contact and occupational hazards including but not limited to infectious diseases, radiation exposure, accidental needle sticks, chemicals, anesthesia, back injury and emotional stress. Role autonomy and independence, innovativeness, technical knowledge, and teamwork are characteristics of this job, in addition to personal satisfaction and professional rewards. The nursing schools are a gateway to this profession and almost all of them require a high school diploma in addition to sound academic standing in English, Algebra, Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology with a GPA score of atleast 3puter experience is an asset. Leadership and organization skills are vital to this profession. Most schools shall still require you to clear the National League for Nursing (NLN) Pre-admission exam besides the SAT exam. Over 1,500 nursing programs in the US provide three different educational paths towards becoming a Registered Nurse (RN). Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a four-year program offered at colleges and universities. An associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is a two-year program offered at many community and junior colleges. Some hospital schools of nursing and universities offer an ADN degrees. Hospital Diploma is a two to three year program based in hospital settings. Many diploma schools are affiliated with junior colleges where students take basic science and English requirements. Opportunities are maximum with a BSN degree. BSN is a requirement for obtaining a master's degree or becoming an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recognizes the BSN degree as the minimum educational requirement for a professional nursing practice. Even though graduates can begin practice as an RN with an ADN or diploma, the BSN degree is a must for nurses seeking to assume roles as case-managers or supervisors or move across employment settings. Tuition fee depends on your college and state of residence, but financial aids and scholarships are available to take care of such needs. There are technical and vocational schools as well, which provide one-year course towards becoming a Practical Nurse or a Vocational Nurse. Once graduated, the next important thing is to obtain licensure for practice in the State of your preference. Eighteen states participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact Agreement (NCLA) which permits a licensed nurse to practice in any of the other seventeen states, if they have obtained license to practice in one of the states. License can be obtained by passing national licensing exam NCLEX-RN for becoming a Registered Nurse and NCLEX-PN for becoming Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) as in Texas, California. LPN and LCN provide care for sick, injured and disabled under direct supervision of physicians and RNs. Nursing career is full of opportunities for those who want to specialize and pursue higher education. A few popular specialties are AIDS Care Nurse, Ambulatory Care Nurse, Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse, Case Management, Correctional Nurse, Enterostomal Therapy Nurse, Gastroenterology/Endoscopy Nurse, Genetics Nurse, Infection Control Nurse, Intravenous Therapy Nurse, long-term Care Nurse, Managed Care Nurse, Nephrology Nurse and more, the list does not end here. Most of the specialties do welcome RNs with a BSN degree only. In addition, there is increasing demand for APNs. APNs are primary health care practitioners, working independently or in collaboration with physicians. In most states, they are permitted to prescribe medications. The four specializations for APNs include Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) providing expert consultation in any of the above mentioned specialties; Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) administer anesthesia and monitor patient's vital signs during surgery in addition to providing post-anesthesia care; Nurse Midwives (CNM) provide primary care to females covering aspects like family planning, prenatal care, neonatal care and assist delivery; and Nurse Practitioners (NP) who provide basic preventive health care to patient. NPs are primary as well as specialty care providers in medically underserved areas. APNs are lower cost primary care providers in comparison to physicians. Advanced degrees available to nurses are masters (MSN), doctoral degree (Ph. D., EdD, DNS) and post-doctoral programmes. Doctoral degrees can provide placements as a senior policy analyst, researcher, health system executive and as a nursing school dean. RNs may work as a staff nurse or become APNs. Also exisins are a few positions involving little or no direct patient contact. Such positions include Case Managers, Forensic Managers (applying knowledge of nursing for legal enforcement, like treating and investigating a victim of assault or abuse and similar), Infection Control Nurses, Legal Nurse Consultants (assist lawyers in medical cases by interviewing patient, organizing records, and educating lawyers about medical conditions), Nurse Administrators, Nurse Informatics, Health Care Consultants, Public Policy Advisors, Medical editors and writers. Career and job prospects are bright as mentioned above and with increasing demand and difficulty to hold up nurses in hospitals, many hospitals and corporate sectors have now started offering incentives like signing bonuses, subsidized training, open shift bidding. Open shift bidding is an emerging concept where nurses can find vacant shifts at premium wages and bid for same online. This also reduces mandatory overtime that many nurses have to do otherwise. Many employers now provide family friendly work schedules and flexibility, again an indication of demand in such places. RNs are earning anywhere from $37,300 to greater than $74,760 depending upon qualifications and experience, besides job locations. Median salary can be appreciated as $52,330 annually. Entry level RN can earn from $30,000 to $45,000 annually. All this comes with benefit packages including health insurance, holiday pay, college tuition reimbursement, childcare, pension plans and much more. Expected shortage of nurses over coming years is going to tilt the situation more in the favor of nurses and they can look forward to a securer future with brighter prospects and rewards. Becoming a nurse is not just about money but dedicating your life to service mankind, caring for the sick and to be able to support them and their family in difficult times. The potential is enormous and specialization options aplenty. Nursing as a profession is full of personal satisfaction and professional rewards.

Is being attractive a career asset or liability

I don’t recall exactly how many girls turned me down when I asked them to the senior prom, but there were a few. Even though that was 25 years ago, I still remember how much I wished I was one of “the beautiful people”. Today, I’m glad I wasn’t. When I finally made it to the major leagues of my industry, two things immediately struck me. The first was how accepting everyone was. People were amazingly supportive and oddly non-competitive. I later realized this came from their sense of security and accomplishment, since successful people don’t feel threatened by others who succeed. The second thing was that most of the powerful and famous people I met looked like ordinary average individuals, even though some of them get more for a one hour speech than many people pay for a house. This made me wonder how much one’s looks really impacts career success. Being attractive can certainly help in the short term. Television news magazines such as 20/20 have conducted tests which confirm that society gives special consideration to attractive people. However, being so attractive that one draws excessive attention to him or herself can impede long term career success. Beauty can become the temporary crutch that some people try to keep leaning on long after it has been taken away. While attractive people can skate by on looks for a while, eventually beauty fades. They may then struggle when it’s gone and they can no longer charm people with their million dollar smile. Meanwhile, their average looking counterparts start to excel in their careers because their greatest assets – their job skills – are increasing. This success principle of “what matters most is what’s on the inside” isn’t limited to work. It also applies to personal relationships. While the newest glamour couple here in my hometown of Nashville is the equally attractive Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, not every pretty woman goes for the handsome leading man look. Just look at Lyle Lovett, who married Julia Roberts in 1993, and Billy Bob Thornton, who married Angelina Jolie in 2000. Both Thornton and Lovett readily admit they don’t have Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise looks. The one thing they needed to get these beautiful women to say yes was the same thing that made their careers so successful – confidence. So what’s the moral of this story? If you happen to be an ordinary average looking individual who’s competing against a job applicant or coworker who has drop dead gorgeous looks, don’t assume they have an advantage. It could turn out that looking average helps you become more than average in your career.

Considering a career in natural health

If you are exploring a career in natural health there are many choices and many directions. Often the most passionate students don't know where to start. School of Natural Medicine says - "Start with Self Healing - Start with the Highest Teachings - Start with Experience the profound height and depth of living Natural Medicine. With that as your foundation, studying information, theory and skills becomes a delight. We also advise you to take care in choosing a teacher, class, seminar or school and take the time to connect with the teacher personally before comiting to a course of study. Without the personal connection how do you know if you will connect with a real teacher, not just a good promoter or someone who teaches on a superficial level without experience. Do you wish to repeat your high school style learning or university academia experiences or do you want to discover true learning with a mentor who will know you personally and support and guide you to attain your highest potential as a human being, healer, educator and living example? If you ask the question your receive the answer! In the School of Natural Medicine in Boulder, Colorado, under the guidance of Naturopath & Director, Farida Sharan, students who discover our wonderful school are told that just as you seek a true teacher, a true teacher seeks a true student. If your dream is to become a healer or a professional naturopath, herbalist, iridologist, reflexologist, living food teacher, essential oils therapist, flower essence practitioner, a health counselor or educator, or just live in a healthy way with friends and family, the highest level of teachings is effort and challenge to live those teachings, to become a living example and authentic guide for others who seek truth. We are students of life and the very act of becoming a true student of a true teacher creates our most noble opportunity to live up to our highest potential. Consider the following and decide whether you are ready to be an ideal true student and work closely with a true teacher. Are you a true student? Are you ready to receive the highest teachings? A student, as well as teacher, I have often thought about what makes a good student. These qualities are what I look for when I am interviewing a potential student, as well as the qualities I encourage and support during each student's course of study. Instead of thinking only of information, success, money, and prestige when you consider making a living in the healing arts, consider the qualities you need to develop to help others. Wisdom, success, abundance and respect will come to you naturally if you deserve them. The flowering of virtues in consciousness allows the embodiment of wisdom through experience. VISION - See clearly that you are more than you are. Envision your greatest dream and then live your life to make your dream real. PASSION - Feel your dream so strongly that you know you can overcome any resistance, obstacles and challenges that stand in your way. TRUST - Know that step-by-step, little-by-little the causes you make every day will create the future you want for yourself. Know that you don't always know how things will unfold and trust in the mystery. COURAGE - Transform fear into creativity. Celebrate the risk by letting the vision, passion and trust move you into action that will create your dream. Have the courage to be yourself. COMMITMENT - When you say, YES, I will do this and commit yourself 100% to your course of study, the universe moves to support you. You transform the energies within and without you to creative your vision. PERSEVERENCE - Day by day, keep going, no matter what the ups and downs and changes. Make time. Ask for what you need. Don't give up, put off studies till some perfect time happens, or make excuses. COMMUNICATION - Share yourself with words and feelings, taking the time to build a relationship with teachers and your clients. Speak your truth, ask for what you need as well as offer gratitude and appreciation. Your voice carries the vibration of your being and sends it into the universe. COMPASSION - Understand that no one is perfect, not you, not your family and friends, not your teacher, your fellow students or your clients. From this understanding release the need to judge, blame, manipulate, compete, sympathize or resist. With appreciation, take what is offered from all relationships and transform everything into love. CONFIDENCE - Know you will succeed. Work with what you know, from your experience, your love, your knowledge, and your instinct. Know that you serve the world and life in all forms and that your work is to live love. HUMOR - Release the need for serious drama and open to the bigger picture, open to the cosmic humor of our true situation - of not knowing where we came from and where we are going. With this perspective we can open to making the best possible use of our life. HUMILITY - What is there to be proud of? Pride separates and measures. Let go and let the divine play a beautiful tune through your being. GRATITUDE - Be thankful for the gifts of each moment and the understanding to receive and respect what is being offered that serves your highest purpose, and the common sense to let go what is not. HONESTY - Be willing to tune in to your deepest truest feelings and live from that place, releasing the fear that believes you will not be loved for who you are. WILLINGNESS - Like a child who falls and then gets up again, let your willingness to evolve, grow, expand and become be like the sunrise of each new day. Think about these qualities. You may want to add others to the list. Some of the qualities mirror and augment each other. Consider the ones that are more natural to you and which ones are more difficult. Make a determination to develop the qualities you are lacking. School of Natural Medicine gives more than information. It supports and inspires you to be the very best you can be - in every dimension of being, so you can inspire others to join you in creating a garden of love on this planet earth.

Four facets of work life balance

I recently came through a week of very hard work, chaotic energy and long hours. As I reviewed my goals and progress for the week, I realized that I couldn't remember much of anything that happened during that week. It was all a muddled blur in my mind, one day blending into the next. I do believe that hard work is good for us. However, if we don't also include periods of rest, quiet contemplation and recreation, what are we working so hard for? We must also make time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. They say "a woman's work is never done", but this holds true for men also. Work in general is never done - which is a good thing really, because if there is no more work to be done, there is no more progress to be made. But constant work without play makes for a very dull existence. The key is balance. It is a difficult thing to achieve for many, myself included. For most of my life I have either been going 100 miles an hour, or stalled completely. So how do we create balance in our lives? I believe there are four key areas of our lives that require (yes, require!) daily attention. By the way, they are listed in order of importance. God/Spirituality - taking time to center yourself and commune with God (whatever your interpretation of God may be), is crucial. Prayer, meditation and quiet contemplation are so important to our overall health. It doesn't matter what religion you practice, it matters only that you make time to honor your spiritual self and your connection to the Divine, every single day. First thing in the morning is best for most people, since it can help you adopt a positive mindset for your day. Or you may prefer the late evening hour before bedtime, to help you de-stress from your day. You don't have to spend hours on this, 30 to 60 minutes is plenty. Self - each of us needs time every day to work on our physical and emotional wellness. This is time we can use for exercise, journaling and self-exploration, and hobbies. Again, it doesn't have to be massive amounts of time, but at least some time for exercise and self-care is necessary. Women especially are good at taking care of everyone else and neglecting themselves. Don't do that! You cannot fully give to someone else when you are empty yourself. Make yourself a priority, and make time to care properly for yourself, physically and emotionally. Trust me, you will be a much happier person and be able to give that much more to those you love. Spouse/Family - This is actually two categories, but they do tend to blend together. Time together as a family is so important, and it is something that is sadly beginning to happen less and less in our hurried society. Here are some ways to help that. Make it a priority to have dinner together every single night. No distractions or television blaring in the background. Have a "family day" or "family night" where you spend one evening or perhaps one weekend day together doing something fun as a family - and this doesn't include camping out around the television. Go to the park and have a picnic, visit flea markets or garage sales, or during the winter you can build a snowman or go sledding or ice skating. Time spent together having fun is the most important thing. This goes for you and your spouse also. Have a weekly "date night" where the two of you spend time alone together, without the kids, and without distraction. Relationships require maintenance to keep them strong. Make it romantic and rekindle the flame that once brought you together. :-) Work/Business - are you surprised I put this last? Most people today put work first and forget the rest, but doing so creates a sense of constant duty and drudgery. Work is important, but it's not the most important thing in life. If you make the other three categories your first priorities, your time spent working will be much more productive. You won't feel so burned out and stressed out, and you will accomplish alot more than you would otherwise. One of the most important things we can do to become more balanced in our lives is master the art of Mindfulness. It means being fully present in every moment, giving our full attention to every task. This can be difficult for many of us, because as we are performing one task, our mind is already moving ahead to the next task, and the one after that. This means that at any given time, we are performing multiple tasks at the same time. One we are performing with our hands, and the others in our mind. What a way to feel exhausted and overwhelmed. Try focusing only on one task at a time, and I think you'll be surprised at how much more you can get done, and with less fatigue at the end of the day. It takes practice though. At first you may need to consistently bring your attention back to the task at hand. Your mind may want to keep wandering, as it is used to doing. That's okay, simply bring it gently back to what you are doing right now, and continue on. With practice, you will be able to master this and feel much more centered and calm throughout your days.