Career Advice Blog

All of us would like to believe that somehow, someday, we will end up with a job we love.  There are those lucky few who have them now.  And by and large, it’s difficult to pinpoint specific occupations that bring the most happiness because different types of jobs make different people happy.  For example, some people can find no greater joy in life than becoming a teacher, while others wouldn’t have the first clue how to entertain and teach a classroom full of children.  And there are individuals who would love nothing more than to jump out of an airplane every day strapped to someone’s back (whereas most of us wouldn’t go near tandem skydiving no matter how much it was paying).  The point is, happiness in a profession can depend largely on the person.  However, there are a few jobs that just about anyone can enjoy, so check the list and see if there are any that could offer you a chance at occupational happiness before you perform … [Read more...] about 5 Jobs That Bring the Most Happiness

Do you remember the days after college graduation?  The world was suddenly at your feet.  You could be anything, go anywhere, do anything!  And then, about a month later: reality hit.  Not only did college loans not cover your living expenses, you actually had to start paying them off.  You realize that, in fact, your dream job had not been just sitting there waiting for you to graduate for all these years.  Yeah, so it was kinda heartbreaking.  So often we end up taking whatever job comes our way first, because let’s face it: life has immediate demands, often in the form of dollars and cents signs.  And then, we stick with the job because we want our resume to look good and a six months experience just doesn’t look like we’re stable.  And then we stick with it because we’ve been there a year, and there’s a good raise if we stay for two.  And well, at two years, kids come, mortgages hit.  Definitely … [Read more...] about What Do You REALLY Want to Do?

Perfection is an illusion. Once we give up on the notion of faultlessness, we learn that life is all about balance and compromise. Whether it's negotiating with a loved one or navigating a career filled with ups and downs, we owe it to ourselves to create a checklist and make sure that our life is filled with more pros than cons. Otherwise, it might be time to quit your job.If the dream job is out there, it would look something like this:Interview. Rather than wooing workers by explaining the job through rose-colored glasses, employers would put transparency first, detailing both the pros and cons of the job and organization, ensuring that the match suits both parties. If both sides express interest, potential employees would meet members of the staff and view their workspace before taking the job. These are important yet often overlooked factors in job happiness. The most important detail, the salary range, would be offered at the beginning of the interview or even before you show … [Read more...] about Traits of the Perfect Employer

Who wants a low-stress job? I see lots of virtual hands raised out there. Browsing business websites produced a couple of those infamous lists – "10 Best Jobs," "15 Highest-Paying Jobs," etc. I don’t know about you, but those lists irritate me. Who collects the data and who supplies the data? Sometimes I think they must catch the “best jobs” respondents well into their post-work happy hour or after they just received a nice raise. So I just read Mainstreet’s "12 Jobs with Low Stress, Decent Pay"  Honestly, most of the jobs listed I haven’t a clue about, but found it interesting to find my job and several of my friends’ jobs listed. Hmmm, not sure my friends and I realize how lucky we are to have this tranquil, high-paying work. Here’s the list: ·         Massage Therapist – The article mentions “soothing sounds” and “comfortable lighting.” Well, that’s more of a benefit for the client. My pal who’s a massage therapist used to like her job until the stress on her body took a … [Read more...] about 12 Low-Stress Jobs, Really?