Work

I majored in English in college. 

(Honestly, this is probably the worst decision I have ever made.  If I had to do it over again, I’d probably major in something more practical like journalism where I could still utilize my love of reading and writing.)

I went on to graduate school where I majored in English and Teaching English as a Second Language.  One year after I graduated, I snagged a job as a full-time English composition teacher at a community college outside an urban area.

In the beginning, I loved teaching even though the load was heavy.  I was expected to teach 5 classes a semester; each class had 28 students.  Each student had to write five essays during the semester.  That means I was grading 700 essays in a 16 week period.  These essays were each 3 to 4 pages long.

The load was heavy but manageable before I had children.  But when I had my son four years after I got the job, I started having difficulty balancing my work life with my home life.

By the time I had my second child four years later, I no longer enjoyed my job.

The quality of students was deteriorating.  The school hired full-time security guards to roam the halls because there had been so many problems with students threatening teachers and fighting in the classrooms.
[Read more…] about How I Made the Switch from Traditional Employment to Freelancing and How You Can, Too

Anytime you search for a job, there is a good chance that you will have to provide references to the hiring manager.

Potential employers want to talk to people who know you, and who can provide insight into your abilities and strengths.

Choosing the right references for your job search is about more than just providing a list of names to a potential employer.  If things get serious, the hiring manager is likely to follow up.

Do you know what your references will say about you?

Here’s How to Go About Choosing the Right References in Your Job Search

[Read more…] about Get the Job You Want! – How to Choose the Right References for Your Job Search

You want a better, more fulfilling career, right?

For some people that’s a whole lot more like a new job, better pay, appreciation… you get the picture.

For others they just want to make sure they are giving their job everything they can so they can be the best at what they do.  And by job I don’t mean you have to be working for someone else, this could very well be your own business.  (Though really, you are always working for someone else – the customer).

Who doesn’t want more in their career then, right?

But how do you get it?  Not by sitting back and hoping it just happens.  And let’s face the grim truth — if you aren’t getting better at what you do there’s someone out there that is.  You have to always keep learning.  Excelsior!

You need to up your game.

Go out and learn what you can about your field.  Improve those skills that will help you do your job better.

Develop yourself professionally.

This can mean a lot of things.  Maybe you take an advanced class in Excel.  Perhaps you join Toastmasters so you can do better presentations.  It could mean poring through the latest periodicals in your field.

Another option is attending professional conferences.  This is what I did Oct. 17-20.

FinCon ’13 – Where Bloggers and Personal Finance Meet

[Read more…] about My Adventures At FinCon ’13 – Upping Your Game Through Professional Development