careers-in-america.com

sharktooth1012 asked:


I’m in high school, and I play the french horn, a brass instrument. I am beginning to look at colleges and universities for majoring in Music Performance. What are some of the best Music Performance Colleges/Universities in the US?

I plan to double major probably in the medical field, because a music career will not provide the financial support I’ll need. If any of the schools have a good medical/science program, that’s even better.

Humberto

Kelli Smith asked:


According to the U.S. Census Bureau, workers with four-years of college traditionally make about $1 million more during their working life than their counterparts with high school diplomas–but don’t let that figure fool you. True, many top-paying professional jobs require four years of college (or more)–but you needn’t endure four years of study halls and pub-crawls to land a good job. Here are four excellent careers that can combine paid on-the-job training with classroom work, without requiring a four-year degree.

Radiological Technician

Sure, without a four-year degree, med school isn’t an option–but what if you still want to work in healthcare? Healthcare is one of America’s fastest-growing career sectors, expected to add millions of new jobs in the years ahead. If you want a healthcare career without a four-year degree, radiological technician might be an ideal career for you.

Radiologists and radiologic technicians work with sophisticated imaging machines to help diagnose patient illness.  The job requires you to understand the in and outs of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET). While the technology is complex, you needn’t spend four years at university to land a job. In fact, two-year associate’s degree programs are typically the most common credential. If you already have healthcare experience, enrolling in a one-year certificate program may be all the education you need to land an entry-level position. You can find training through hospitals or colleges. You may learn human anatomy and physiology, radiation physics, medical terminology, and patient care and positioning.

The job offers the opportunity to work with patients, and, like many other healthcare careers, is highly portable. You can also earn a competitive salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), median annual earnings for radiologists and radiologic technicians stood at $50,260 in May 2007. The highest-paid workers made as much as $71,600.

Electrician

Looking for a truly high-powered career? Consider working as an electrician. Electricians keep the juice flowing in private homes as well as commercial buildings and large industrial complexes. Although learning the requisite skills–everything from electrical theory, blueprint reading, and mathematics to electrical code requirements, safety, and first aid–takes time and effort, a four-year degree is usually not necessary. Most electricians learn their trade through apprenticeship programs which combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction.

As a skilled trade, electrician jobs offer the opportunity to make a comfortable living. According to the BLS, in May 2007, median annual earnings for electricians stood at $44,780, while those in the top 90th percentile earned up to $76,000. Excellent job prospects for workers trained in a wide range of skills (including voice, video, and data wiring), make electrician an attractive choice. The BLS predicts the number of electrician jobs should jump by seven percent, or 52,000 between 2006 and 2016.

Plumber

Although you might think of unclogging drains as unglamorous work, there’s far more to a plumber’s job than you might think. Plumbers install, maintain, and repair entire pipe systems–including the piping that allows nuclear power stations to churn out megawatts of electricity, and the valves that oil refineries use to process crude oil into gasoline.

If you’re attracted to skilled trades, plumbers are expected to see job growth over the next several years. Because the number of open positions should exceed the number of qualified applicants, your job prospects should be excellent. Finally, let’s not forget your wages. Median annual earnings for pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters stood at $44,090 in May 2007. The highest-paid percentile of workers made as $75,070.

Although typically you may not need a bachelor’s degree for a career as a plumber, the training can take up to five years. However, the extended apprenticeship program offered by unions or non-union contractor agencies allows you to earn money while training on the job. At the same time, you may take as much as 144 hours of classroom study per year, learning drafting, blueprint reading, physics, chemistry, safety, and building codes.

Auto Mechanic

It’s every motorhead’s dream job. If you’ve ever dreamed of restoring classic muscle or working on economy imports, a career as a mechanic can help you marry your passion to a livable wage. Median annual earnings for automotive mechanics stood at $34,170, according to the BLS, while the highest-paid mechanics earn as much as $57,650.

Although advancing automotive technology has complicated training required for a job as a skilled automotive mechanic, a four-year degree is usually not necessary. You can earn an associate’s degree in two years through a combination of hands-on practice and classroom study. If you decide to take an accelerated course, you can earn a certificate in six months to a year. If you decide to go for an associate’s degree, most likely you’ll spend between six and eight weeks alternating between full-time work for the automotive service department of a participating business (generally under the supervision of experienced mechanics), and attending classes. 

Of course, these are just four of a thousand other rewarding careers that dispense with the four-year degree. Whether it’s checking out your local community college, browsing certificate programs online, or speaking with your local union representative, there’s no limit to the places you can go. No degree? No problem.



Emmett

James O. Armstrong asked:


Q: Who is James O. Armstrong?

I am an author of a book about career transitions for baby boomers which came out last spring.  The name of the book is “Now What?  Discovering Your New Life and Career After 50.”  The book is being sold at retail bookstores and by virtually every online bookstore in the U.S. today and in Canada.  In addition, I’m a website entrepreneur, where my focus is on job transitions for men and women over age 40, as well as on subjects like college and training options, relocating, volunteering and other subjects of interest to baby boomers and younger seniors as we transition into the next chapter of our lives.  I am also the President of James Armstrong & Associates, Inc., which is a northwest suburban Chicago national and international media representation firm. 

Today I see my role as being one of speaking hope into my generation of fellow baby boomers that the best may be yet to come instead of past tense.  Men and women today are visiting our website which is http://www.NowWhatJobs.net because they probably just lost a job or a loved one, friend or neighbor just lost a job.  And, they are beginning to look for answers that make sense going forward into the next chapter of their lives.

Q: What challenges have you faced that reflect what you just talked about –- in terms of speaking hope to your generation?

During the 1990s, I personally went through three reorganization or downsizing exercises, which put me into the position of needing to find a new job.  In each case, I emerged victorious from that search process.  In addition to those personal experiences, I should also point out that over the past 30 years I have had an extensive amount of experience as a marketing consultant with all sorts of economic development organizations in the United States and Canada.  Those organizations have included foreign countries, states and provinces, cities, regional chambers of commerce, economic development corporations and partnerships, ports and airports, real estate developers, commercial real estate companies, builders and engineering companies, among other companies in this market niche.

Q: Have you reinvented yourself, and if so how?

Early in my career in the media industry, I discovered that the sales career path was significantly different than the editorial or creative direction.  Specifically, my sales and marketing direction led me to a 13 year employee status with BusinessWeek Magazine, where I was a national and international account manager.  It also led me to an eight year career with Industry Week Magazine, where I served as Director of Economic Development among other responsibilities.  And it resulted in recent years in an involvement with The Financial Times of London in the Midwest with selected accounts and working on special reports.  Beyond those assignments, I have also functioned as the Director of Economic Development for a series of magazines, including my current assignment at Inbound Logistics, which is the leading logistics and global trade magazine in North America in editorial and advertising pages. 

This background has also allowed me to interact with people up to and including governors of states, lieutenant governors and directors of commerce or departments of economic development.  These individuals tend to be cabinet level officers covering the economic development or commerce department area for states throughout the United States.

Q: What would you say to someone who has career anxiety?

I believe those anxieties are certainly justified, but perhaps magnified unnecessarily by the national media, which tends to provide an incomplete picture of what is happening in the jobs and career area in the United States.  Specifically, the major TV networks and big city daily newspapers in the U.S. especially tend to focus on layoffs that occur in large companies.  As a result, men and women get the misimpression that jobs are constantly decreasing, when in fact the small business sector is busy generating jobs in our economy.  Government at all levels also has job opportunities.  The healthcare sector, including dental health in such areas as dental hygienists, is also creating jobs for our society.  And, so, we need to focus on where the jobs are available and not where some large company eliminated 3,000 jobs yesterday.  Look at the total picture in regard to the job situation in America and elsewhere.  The simple truth of the matter is there is a labor shortage in America and there is especially a skills shortage, which will become increasingly critical in the years to come. 

Q: Tell us about an obstacle that you faced in your career and how you overcame that.

When my office closed at BusinessWeek Magazine in St. Louis, I wound up exploring other options in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.  Then, I wound up moving to Chicago because no similar jobs were available at that time in the St. Louis area.  That was a successful transition, but I had to be willing to move physically and I had to be willing to explore options at another national magazine other than my current employer, whether I wanted to do so or not, for the sake of the financial needs of my family.  In other words, by being willing to move to Chicago, I was able to take care of the needs of my family.  The follow through in this process meant that I had to demonstrate flexibility plus a willingness to do whatever it would take to get the job done.

Q: Someone says to you, “What can I do right now to help my career?”

More education is always an option even if that means going to a truck driver training school for six weeks to become a truck driver.  The income levels you’re talking about there range from perhaps $35,000 to $75,000 a year as a truck driver, depending on how many hours you’re driving each year and several other factors.  But, the opportunities are there in that area just as they exist in warehousing and some types of manufacturing jobs.  It’s all about being willing to explore options that perhaps you haven’t considered in the past.  You may even conclude that today is the day to begin exploring those options.

Q: Tell us a little about your book, “Now What?”

My book profiles 19 men and women from all over the U.S. in all sorts of different jobs and career paths, at all different ages ranging from early 50s to 85 years old and with the fullest possible range of educational levels.  Each of the transitions for these men and women were successful.  As a result, the stories are inspiring to other men and women, especially those in difficult circumstances.  For someone who has been feeling a little down in the mouth lately or might be anticipating a transition in careers coming up soon, the book would make an ideal purchase.

Q: Someone tells you, “I see a transition coming up on the horizon.  What would you say to me?”

You need to start planning now for what your strategy will be.  The biggest point is not to simply send a resume out once or twice a week, but to work hard in the job transition process just like you have worked full-time in the past.  To land a new job, make sure to interact with friends of yours from the industry, with vendors that you’ve known over a period of time, while developing a database program in your computer, and keeping track of people you’ve contacted, including what they had to say, and then getting back to them with appropriate follow-up correspondence.  That effort includes your resume and letters of endorsement of you as a person.  By the way, your resume needs to cite specific accomplishments in terms of what you actually achieved in the job while you were there, because everyone wants to hire someone who is outstanding.  If 10 people have the very same experience and the same education, the one that actually accomplished something while he or she was in the position will be selected.

Q: Someone says to you, “Jim, I cannot do it.  I want to give up.”

Well, if you do give up, then that becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy where the end conclusion is failure.  So, if you want to fail, then simply don’t make any effort.  If that’s your disposition, then there’s nothing I can say or do to make you think or act differently.  But, if you’re willing to make an effort, the more effort you make, the better will be the outcome.  If you choose to contact 20 different prospects every day and follow through with the appropriate correspondence, that’s the kind of aggressive approach you need to take as compared to a passive effort, which might only include contacting perhaps one or two people per week.  More contact is the better approach and interacting with people who you know, including friends and neighbors, and men and women in the same company or industry, plus vendors to your former company will all be part of a winning process. 

Q: Someone says to you, “I know there aren’t any jobs in this town, but all my family and friends are here.  And I’m even taking care of an aging parent here.”

Everything has to be taken into consideration.  If you can afford not to work in the future, then the aging parent consideration might become foremost.  But if you have to continue to receive a paycheck, then you may want to consider moving to where jobs are more plentiful, such as the Rocky Mountain states.  The unemployment rate there typically falls into the two to three percent range. 

Q: “But my kids are in high school here.”

That’s unfortunate.  But having a job is more important than where your kids are in high school.  Flexibility in terms of pursuing all your options is very important to your ultimate success.

Q: Why did you decide to devote so much of your life to helping your fellow baby boomers?

I believe it’s a calling which the Lord has given to me.



Leonard

Angela Wilcox asked:


ame a career that offers variety, flexibility, creativity and the possibility of financial freedom? Perhaps one career won’t do it but maybe several careers will. Portfolio careers are fast becoming a new trend in America’s workforce. What exactly is a “portfolio career?” Portfolio careers involve working multiple, part-time jobs performed simultaneously. Typically, a portfolio career includes a combination of temporary or part-time jobs, contract work, freelancing, and self-employment to make up for working a traditional full-time job.

The search for more challenges at the end of traditional careers and the lack of job security in today’s workplace lead to a rapid increase in portfolio careers. From job sharing to telecommuting, corporate downsizing and outsourcing, individuals are forced to look at unique ways to make a living. Gone are the days of the nine-to-five working environment. People want variety, independence, freedom and the ability to be creative in how they impact the world.

Just ask Norfolk resident, Angela Wilcox, who recently embarked on her own three-career vision. “I wanted to use my passions in my everyday work life. I didn’t just want to make a living, I wanted to feel good about how I was spending my day and I wanted to make a difference in the world.” says Ms. Wilcox. A lifelong love of animals and the need to bring creativity to her work brought Angela to pursue a dog-training career while continuing to work at her existing marketing and life coaching businesses.

Angela continues, “I was always the type of person who liked to have many balls in the air. I also needed to have autonomy and be able to control my fate. Working these three distinct careers allowed me to attend to the various sides of my personality and use my creativity in ways I never have before.”

The reasons to consider a portfolio career are distinct and varied. Many are looking for a better work/life balance, others want variety and to be able to use multiple skill sets. Some need to gain freedom from corporate agendas and politics. Others are simply looking to follow their passions or need steady personal growth and fulfillment.

Richard Coutts of Coutts Design Inc. also has a portfolio career, working as a residential architect, software entrepreneur, and nonfiction writer. “Creativity is important to me. Working for myself allows me to pursue my interests where and when I see fit. As much as I enjoy each field that I work in, I get bored if I work in a single field all day, every day. Dividing my time among two or three fields helps keep things fresh.”

Establishing and managing a portfolio career is not easy. It requires organizational skills and a high level of risk tolerance. It’s great for many who have lots of interests and hobbies and simply want to figure out how to incorporate those passions into their lives and get paid for it as well. But, before you decide to take the plunge, find your passion, start out doing a new career on the side and make sure you have some money set aside to help you out on your new venture. Often times, individuals must forgo benefits and job security to pursue a portfolio career. While the risks are great, the benefits of a life of independence, variety, creativity and freedom are nothing but unparalleled. With a little bit of imagination you, too, can build flexibility and variety into your working life.



Tyrese

jenius asked:


I long for the good old days, the old America, the country that had solid morals and wasn’t like today’s cesspool, but I feel as though I were living in the wrong era. I so wish I could get in a time machine and go back to a time where the morality matched my own. I so wish:
1. I could own slaves legally.
2. I could lynch Blacks with impunity.
3. I could have indentured servants.
4. I could **** my slave women with no penalty.
5. I could walk into a factory and see productive eight-year-olds working on machinery instead of going to school.
6. I could beat my wife with impunity.
7. My wife, if she tired of all my abuse, would have had no economic opportunities if she chose to flee from me, thus keeping her bound to me forever.
8. I could go out and physically attack gays and the cops would just laugh at the victims if they complained.
9. I could molest my own daughter, and because of societal norms of the time, it would go unreported, most likely.
10. I could portray non-Whites as sub-human in entertainment without any controversy.
11. I could deny women of equal ability, the right to pursue the career they want simply because of their gender.
12. I could pay non-slaves below minimum wage.
13. I could violate all safety procedures and there would be no penalty whatsoever for putting my employees in danger.
14. I could watch as people not old enough to vote are drafted and sent out to die for a cause they couldn’t even choose.
15. Drunk driving was considered a very minor offense.
16. There were no pesky sexual harrassment laws, and I could grab my secretary’s derriere any time I wanted to and act like a pig without worrying.
17. I could marry a thirteen-year-old girl if I wanted to.

I so miss those moral times back when we had values, don’t you?
Yes, it’s known as sarcasm. I am tired of White, privileged Americans with their myopic viewpoints who think that we were once a moral society, but that all things fell apart because of damn hippies and libs. Thanks to libs, we have laws against child labor, slavery, human rights’ abuses, etc. SARCASM ON THE PREVIOUS POST!!!!!

Chris

Paul Megan asked:


Serious job seekers may be surprised to learn that their most exciting alternative business career search options could best be uncovered in small town America.

The Milken Institute, a private think tank, annually ranks the job growth in cities, according to Time Magazine. 11 of the top 20 cities had populations well under 1 million.

The study showed that many smaller regions share characteristics that act as job magnets. These include lower costs, tax breaks for employers, funding for entrepreneurs and a deepening pool of skilled and educated workers.

Many are college towns, seats of government, or home to a big company that nourishes others. Thanks to the internet and to satellite technology, a company in Iowa can be as connected as one in Los Angeles.

So, if you thought all the job opportunities are to be found in large cities exclusively, the evidence shows the contrary is true. And if you’re looking around, this may be the right time to consider that small town environment you always dreamed about.

Job seekers who once thought their alternative business career search was in major cities and turned their noses up at small town positions . . . well, times have changed and now they’re eagerly seeking small town opportunities while pickings in the big cities are suddenly slimmer.

How do these towns come up with desirable jobs? How can they fulfill your alternative business career search aspirations?

Companies don’t move to these small towns on a whim. It generally takes money in the form of incentives. For example, Arkansas has spent $700 million on roads and airports around Fayetteville over the past decade. Cities like Fort Myers and Santa Fe offer tax abatement packages to big and small business in exchange for creating jobs.

If you’re in the job market, small town America may be your best alternative business career search choice. Of course, acclimating to smaller-town life can take time, especially for former city slickers. But, for a lot of folks, their biggest concern is that small town job opportunities may suddenly get very popular.

Whatever your geographical preferences, there’s one very important tip you’ll need to understand. You will NOT be successful if you insist on using old-fashioned job search techniques!

That’s because hiring decision-makers in small towns or large cities are not going to rely on your resume to make a hiring decision about you. That means you must be prepared to take advantage of powerful alternative job search strategies.

For example, you must discover how to develop and nuture “career partners.” These invaluable personal contacts can literally bring opportunities right to your doorstep. And you can be in the enviable position of selecting your next job rather than settling for it.

“Career partners” is just one of the many innovative techniques that can have you entertaining high-paying job offers in as little as two weeks!



Blake

Groshan Fabiola asked:


Let’s face it. America ’s Next Top Model isn’t just about the gorgeous women that flaunt their stuff on the runway and in front of the menacing eyes of Tyra Banks. The show actually adds spice to our primetimes viewing by including a real life hottie behind the judges’ table. We’re talking about none other than Nigel Barker, a former model turned fashion photographer and industry expert.

Among the judges on America ’s Next Top Model, the British photographer seems to be the most direct in providing feedback to the contenders, especially if her personality isn’t satisfying the judges. His skill in dealing with people–particularly model wanna-bes–must come from his experience in the fashion industry, as he has spent years working both in front and behind the camera.

Apparently it was his mother, a former Miss Sri Lanka beauty, who convinced him to pursue a modeling career, as he was completing his studies in medicine.

“My mum was Miss Sri Lanka years ago, and she became obsessed with this model search show called The Clothes Show,” Nigel Barker explained. “She entered me in it in the mid-80s, and I got into the top three. I was studying to be a doctor at the time, but that show launched my modeling career.”

He added that his experiences have given him a whole new perspective of the modeling industry, even if it is sometimes not apparent to the viewers at home.

“Some [viewers] complain that a lot of the girls we select aren’t even pretty enough to be models…But the thing that differentiates a top model from a regular model isn’t generally that she’s more beautiful,” he explained. “There’s a lot to be said for charm and personality, or just being striking. Look at Kate Moss. When she came along, people said she was too short, too flat chested and had a face like an alien. Now she’s everybody’s darling and, even if she does incredible amounts of drugs, people still hire her.”

In talking about his relationship with fellow judges such as Tyra Banks, he said, “We’re like family. We giggle and laugh and ***** jokes, and sometimes we get so hysterical we have to pull ourselves together because we’re wasting tape.”

Nigel Barker added that it isn’t all about fun and laughter, as even the judges also get caught up in the reality competition drama. Sending a contestant home isn’t all that easy, as they are dealing with teenagers whose emotions are quite delicate in an environment such as a reality show.

But despite the hardships and the tears, it all comes down to the passion one feels for the industry and the art.

“The rest of the world might find that all very shallow compared with, say, being a surgeon saving a life, but to the people within the fashion industry, it’s a vocation,” Barker explained. “They feel a calling to it. I feel a calling to it, too. Perhaps, one day I’ll exceed my diva quotient and have to do something else, but not for a while yet, I hope.”

For more resources about America’s Next Top Model or for the full story of Nigel Barker Talks about America ’s Next Top Model please review http://www.buddytv.com



Emilio

Roland Jefferson asked:


Partnered With Hundreds

Bank of America credit cards are available from nearly 400 organizations, companies, and credit providers; there is a style for every person and for every degree of credit worthiness.

Charitable Foundations

Many charitable foundations have Bank of America credit cards with their logos on them which contribute a percentage of the cards spending to the cause as part of their reward program. Habitat for Humanity, Make-A-Wish, and The Humane Society of the US are some examples of the Bank of America credit cards.

Professional Organizations

Professional organizations also lend their signet to Bank of America Credit cards; these credit cards provide the holder with such benefits as no annual fees, low annual percentage rate, and career oriented rewards such as redeemable points for all money spent using the card, bonus points for traveling expenses, and unique gifts to spend points on.

Military Credit Cards

Bank of America credit cards for military personnel provide specialized credit services for ever branch of the United States military; the benefits of these cards include no annual fees, zero or low annual percentage rates, and great travel rewards with no limitations for times of use.

Outdoor Sports And Recreation

For people who love nature, Bank of America credit cards are available for most people’s wildlife passion; some participating members include American Quarter Horse Association, Great Wolf Lodge, and the Kentucky Derby.

Also national sporting good stores and outdoor hobbies have credit cards available; these cards will donate money to the organization the card represents when new accounts are opened and when the cardholder spends using the card; these cards also offer platinum benefits like redeemable point rewards and low account maintenance fees.

Sports And Travel

The Major League Baseball, Bank of America credit card is one of the special sports fan credit cards the company offers; these cards give the entire benefits one would expect from a platinum credit card plus special bonuses just for sports fans.

Travel rewards cards partner with such companies as Sandals and Beaches to bring frequent travelers specialized reward programs; the Bank of America credit card holders will enjoy extra miles earning on certain purchases and easy to obtain travel rewards, just by using their credit card.

Other Services

In addition to platinum credit cards, Bank of America credit cards are available to people with all grades of credit; Bank of America has secured credit cards, student credit cards, classic credit cards, and gold credit cards.

Bank of America offers credit cards from Visa, Master Card, and American Express to give its customers one of the largest selections of any national bank.



Devontae

robert asked:


i just want to know if its a career or just something you need a license for ?are there any commericial experts out there that can give me advice?

Dominque

Career Colleges asked:


Vocational nursing programs are offered at schools throughout Southern California. A career in nursing is still in high demand, both here and abroad. Nursing offers immense employment opportunities, as well as many financial and professional advantages. Through an accelerated program, a nursing student can become a licensed vocational nurse (LVS) in as little as 11 months.

As a vocational nursing schoolgraduate student you will be able to demonstrate competencies in direct patient-care activities and ethical, caring behaviors while providing nursing care.  Often, graduates and active students in upper level vocational nursing classes are offered free review classes to help prepare for the NCLEX-PN exam.  Upon passing this licensure exam, graduates may obtain employment as a licensed vocational nurse.

A California Licensed Vocational Nurse works in hospitals, both public and private, in nursing and convalescent homes, in medical clinics and for health service agencies, government agencies such as the Peace Corps, and in the military. Some are self-employed working through nursing agencies for private duty service.

The average licensed nurse in the U.S. earns between $43,370 and $63,360 a year-some even earn as much as $71,000 to $113,000 a year. Most nursing jobs come with good benefits as well, in addition to bonuses, family-friendly work schedules, and subsidized training. This is because there is a shortage of nurses, so employers will offer benefits to attract and retain more nurses on their staff.

Vocational nursing schools also offer training programs for other successful careers in the healthcare sector, such as surgical technology, pharmacy technician, diagnostic medical sonographer, and medical assistant training.



Wyatt