The job market is an utter mess and with the end of the 2010 Census, many more people are going to be out of work in the coming months. Being unemployed is no picnic and the thought of having to spend even more dollars to possibly retrain yourself for a new career can be very daunting. But, there is hope. Yes, education doesn’t come cheap but you will make yourself more marketable and appealing to potential employers. Luckily, schools like Penn Foster are extremely affordable and offer programs in many fast growing careers.
A listing of the fastest growing careers these days can be found in the article
Top 20 Fastest Growing Careers by Anthony Balderrama of Careerbuilder.com.
Among the listing are careers in IT, Home Health Aides, Physical Therapist Aides, Veterinary Technicians, and Medical Assistants – all of which are programs offered by Penn Foster.
We know the stresses of being unemployed can seem overwhelming but take a step back and consider one of the careers mentioned in the article … it just might turn your life around!
We’d like to hear your stories – have you recently lost your job? Have you been able to find another job? If not, have you considered going back to school to train for a new career?
Ever thought of sending a “Thank You” note to your interviewer after an interview? No? Well, you’re not alone. It does seem like an odd concept but it’s definitely something you should consider.
Writing that note after the interview gives you an advantage over other applicants for a number of reasons: it puts your name back in front of the interviewer, it gives you a chance to cover topics you may have left out or forgotten, and it shows that you’re truly interested in the opportunity. Not to mention it shows how incredible polite you are and gives yet another sample of your writing/grammar abilities.
Here are some types for writing your “Thank You” note:
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This is a business letter so be sure it is typed and not hand-written
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Address your interviewer formally, i.e. Mr./Mrs.
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Include the date you were interviewed
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Bring up key points you wish the interviewer to recall from your meeting
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Make sure you reiterate your interest in the position
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Keep it short and simple (KISS)
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Always make sure it is error free and grammatically correct
What do you think? Will you send a “thank you” note after your next interview? If you have done this in the past, can you add to our list of tips?
Time is an interesting concept, isn’t it? It seems like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done; especially when you’re juggling work, school, family and friends. So often we spend so much time planning for tomorrow that we miss a lot of what’s happening “today”.
It helps to keep everything in check and, we swear, the concept of “time management” does work when you put it into practice. Here are a few tips we found to help you get back on track!
•Keep Prioritized "TO DO" Lists: List tasks you must complete in order of priority (most important to least important).
•Schedule Breaks: Schedule breaks at regular times. You'll be less likely to goof off when you should be working.
•Learn to Delegate: Don't try to do it all yourself. Ask your husband to cook dinner for the night or start a load of laundry. If your children are old enough, get them involved too!
•Get Organized: It's much easier to accomplish tasks if your work area is organized. As a side note, organization in your personal life (i.e. at home) will definitely flow over to your professional life as well. Developing good habits on a personal level will always transfer to your professional life.
•Learn to Say "No": No is a very important word. For Toddlers, this is one of the very first words they seem to master without issue. Funny how we “forget” how to say No once we become adults. There’s no shame in saying “no” when you honestly don’t have the time in your schedule.
•Stop Procrastinating: Procrastination can ruin your career if it results in completing projects late or not at all. Remember this saying: “Procrastination is the Assassination of Motivation!”
•Get Enough Sleep: Sleep is such a must with EVERYTHING in life. You need that time to recharge yourself or you’ll wear yourself out faster than you could imagine. We know it's tempting to work long hours to “get the job done” but in the end you're actually less efficient and prone to making errors.
What tips/suggestions can you add to our list? Do you have any “tried and true” methods of time management that you’d like to share? Let us know!
SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE!
I was a 24 year old married mother of two and pregnant with my third child. I looked around and saw that my husband was pursuing his dreams and others were trying to achieve theirs as well. I was unfulfilled in life and wanted better for myself. I tried different schools and different careers, but none were a fit for me. I was a stay-at-home mom for two years after leaving dead end job after dead in job when I saw a commercial for Penn Foster Interior Decorating. Interior Decorating has always been a passion of mine, but now, I wanted to pursue it. I didn’t think I had the time, but Penn Foster allowed me to continue my education online and work at my own pace. I was able to study online and correspond with books at home. All my materials were shipped direct to my door in no time at all! There was always someone available to answer my questions and paying for school was a breeze!
After only a few months, I received my career diploma as well as my membership to CID International. I was able to stay home with my newborn baby before I went back to work. During this time frame, Penn Foster’s Career Services helped me develop an, in my opinion, award winning resume, and after only ONE day of submitting my resume, I got a job in my career field! Now I have a career and the financial flexibility I have been looking for. I can only move up from here.
If you are a stay-at-home mom or father, recent college or high school graduate, or even if you have yet to receive your high school diploma, Penn Foster has all the tools you need to become a success. All you need is the drive and dedication. Stick with it. With that, SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE! Try Penn Foster. I KNOW you will NOT be disappointed. Thanks Penn Foster for helping my dreams come true.
It wasn’t that long ago that having a cell phone was a symbol of “status” … I can still remember the episodes of Saved by the Bell where Zach Morris had that huge box of a cell phone. And, when I started college, my mother gave me her bagged car phone for safety reasons. It’s amazing to think how far technology has come in such a short amount of time!
Now you can use your cell phone to check your email, update your Facebook status, and even find a decent Italian restaurant nearby. But, do we rely too much on cell phones? Many of my friends have actually done away with a traditional land-line in their homes and rely completely on their cell phones as their main phone number. I’m not at that point, but I definitely do not like being without my trusty cell phone.
So, can you survive without your cell phone for a day … a week … maybe even a month?? Do you think we’ve become too reliant on cell phones … or do you think the best is yet to come?