Choose Your Career

We all know that most people don’t go into nonprofit work because they want to get rich. Most nonprofit employees are in it for something more than money. There’s a great deal of satisfaction that comes from doing good for a living, and this sense of fulfillment often spills over into other areas of a person’s life. There are several other not so obvious reasons why you may want to consider working for a nonprofit organization besides just feeling good: 1.      Fringe Benefits Because nonprofits receive the majority of their money from foundations and donors, they sometimes have to be creative in offering their employees incentives beyond the traditional workplace perks, such as raises and competitive salaries. Rather than offering stock options, which are non-existent in these organizations, or yearly bonuses, nonprofits often provide other benefits such as more vacation days, affordable health insurance, and/or a flexible work schedule. 2.      Like-Minded Co-Workers Working for a … [Read more...] about 5 Unexpected Reasons to Work for a Nonprofit

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?

Counseling 101 – Basic Degree Info In August, I closed my private psychotherapy practice and left the counseling field after 20 years. Honestly, the work hadn’t been my passion for quite some time. Don't jump to the conclusion that I just burned out on listening to my patients' problems, that's not the case. I know I helped many people and I respected (most of) them and their process. I quit for a number of reasons which I won't go into here. But don’t let me deter you; counseling might be a career that perfectly suits you. There are a number of degree programs and choices available. Below are quick descriptions of degree programs. ·         Social Work – I have a Master’s in Social Work (MSW). You can also get a Bachelors (BSW) or Ph.D. While you can do counseling work with a BSW, you can’t get a license to practice independently (like in private practice). Jobs like Child Protective Services require a BSW, and there are even options to get your social worker degree online, BSW or … [Read more...] about Is a Counseling Career Right for You?

As a successful freelance blogger, I am doing work that I never imagined was possible...that's because the job of blogger did not exist!I always knew that writing would play a major role in my life, and I enjoyed studying journalism.  But after a class trip to a major New York paper, I was turned off to the profession.  Something about burning the candle at both ends and living on caffeine was utterly unappealing. Blogging allows me to make a decent living and write on my terms.  What a beautiful concept!   Like blogging, there are other jobs that did not exist a mere 10 years ago... 1.     Social Media/Online-Community Manager: Social media managers focus on building their employers' brands through the use of social media sites and tools (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube), whereas online-community managers specialize in fostering user discussion and evangelism for the marketers they support.2.     Telework Manager or … [Read more...] about 10 Jobs That Didn't Exist 10 Years Ago

As another New Year gets underway, most of us are afflicted with either guilt over the way we've let our bods deteriorate, or being bored to death listening to other peoples' similar stuff. Worst of all, of course, is having to hear all of the penitential resolutions about joining a gym, starting a work out program, etc. ad nauseum. … [Read more...] about New Year’s Resolution Already Broken? Work at a Gym!

There are a few lucky people in the world who look forward to going to work in the morning; most of these people are employed in a job they would do as a hobby anyway. Whether you’re a ski instructor, climbing instructor, surfing coach, hiking guide, food critic, wine taster or secret shopper, the chances are if you lost your job you’d still carry on doing the work regardless. One area that almost certainly has a high degree of job satisfaction is diving and underwater work. Many people fall madly in love with diving and the underwater world on vacation, and many go on from there to get their PADI certificate and carry on diving as a hobby. But what if you love diving so much that you want to do it for a living? Here are five underwater jobs that let you spend your days under the waves... Diving Instructor - The daddy of underwater jobs. If you’re prepared to put in the time training, (and the money too) then you’ll get yourself a job for life, useful at any … [Read more...] about 5 Cool Underwater Jobs

Not only do you hear them, you see them, and you can almost smell them. They infuse the office atmosphere with the decay of defeat, the stink of sadness and a drony whine, sounding like an army of mosquitoes dive bombing into your ear on a warm summer night. Nothing's ever right for these types, and everything's always wrong. They can play the martyr, as in 'I gave the best years of my life to this place, and all I got for it was a kick in the ass'. Or they can be bitter and sullen, perennially grousing about whatever, with no subject deemed too trivial to complain about. So whether its the color of the wall paint or the ply of the toilet paper, or the type of paper clips the company uses, it's all fair game to them. They are the office cry babies; professional complainers who serve no purpose other than to drain, to sap, the life force out of any and all co-workers that they can. They bleat like sick sheep, yet never seem to rise above their self-imposed torpor to do anything about … [Read more...] about 5 Jobs for Cry Babies