The Hardships of Layoffs (Its Just a Business Decisions with Real Impact)

The Hardships of Layoffs (Its Just a Business Decisions with Real Impact) Its just a business decision. Youve heard that before, right?  The message is we dont hate you its not about you or your personality or your skills its just bottom line dollars and the health of the company.  And, by laying you off, we can still have a company where we employ others so while this is hard, at least we arent causing everyone to lose their jobs. I get, and in general, agree with, that message. However, theres an interesting side-effect of the layoffs that seem to be unprecedented. or at least different than what happened in the 60s and 70s, when (Im guessing) the notion of job security was really made part of the thread of the idea of careers. Check out the first line from this article from Bay Today (a newspaper): A young man who just bought a house, and whose wife just gave birth to a child is among 21 more layoffs announced today at Ontario Northland. Does Ontario Northland have any obligation to protect someone who just bought a house?  Or someone who just gave birth to a child? Usually those factors are not decision-makers/breakers on whether someone should keep their job or not but is a company somehow responsible for their soon-to-be past employees, and the life-changing decisions they have made? Initially, my response is no.  I think of the board meetings Ive been in where I know the board members would have sympathy/empathy, but they would be clear that the company is not responsible for helping you make your house payments.  After all, that was a personal choice probably not dictated by the company. After my initial response wore off, I remembered when I got my first real, out-of-college, career job.  I bought a house and a newer car, and was immediately burdened with a debt load that I wasnt used to.  We could handle it, with my new salary, but it was a lot of money going out the door!  If I lost my job then I would have been in a world of hurt. It would have been my fault, but, as Im writing this my impression is that when a company hires us, they give us a life-changing event.  Usually its a step up, financially and professionally.  There are expectations of us bringing our best to the job, and them taking care of us.  There is an idea that theyll pay us enough to do our job so that we dont have to sleep on the streets, or worry about how we are going to pay our bills. But if companies dont take their role seriously, and have more loyalty towards employees, and they continue to dispatch employees like they are simple pawns, people will have a harder time making other life-changing decisions, like purchasing a home, settling into a community, getting married, having kids, etc. Maybe Im off my rocker on this one, but this morning as I read this line about the young man who just bought his first house, and his wife who just gave birth, I wonder how different things would be if there were a different kind of loyalty towards employees so making life-changing decisions was less stressful.  Like I think it was just a few decades ago. But maybe Im just naive. The Hardships of Layoffs (Its Just a Business Decisions with Real Impact) Its just a business decision. Youve heard that before, right?  The message is we dont hate you its not about you or your personality or your skills its just bottom line dollars and the health of the company.  And, by laying you off, we can still have a company where we employ others so while this is hard, at least we arent causing everyone to lose their jobs. I get, and in general, agree with, that message. However, theres an interesting side-effect of the layoffs that seem to be unprecedented. or at least different than what happened in the 60s and 70s, when (Im guessing) the notion of job security was really made part of the thread of the idea of careers. Check out the first line from this article from Bay Today (a newspaper): A young man who just bought a house, and whose wife just gave birth to a child is among 21 more layoffs announced today at Ontario Northland. Does Ontario Northland have any obligation to protect someone who just bought a house?  Or someone who just gave birth to a child? Usually those factors are not decision-makers/breakers on whether someone should keep their job or not but is a company somehow responsible for their soon-to-be past employees, and the life-changing decisions they have made? Initially, my response is no.  I think of the board meetings Ive been in where I know the board members would have sympathy/empathy, but they would be clear that the company is not responsible for helping you make your house payments.  After all, that was a personal choice probably not dictated by the company. After my initial response wore off, I remembered when I got my first real, out-of-college, career job.  I bought a house and a newer car, and was immediately burdened with a debt load that I wasnt used to.  We could handle it, with my new salary, but it was a lot of money going out the door!  If I lost my job then I would have been in a world of hurt. It would have been my fault, but, as Im writing this my impression is that when a company hires us, they give us a life-changing event.  Usually its a step up, financially and professionally.  There are expectations of us bringing our best to the job, and them taking care of us.  There is an idea that theyll pay us enough to do our job so that we dont have to sleep on the streets, or worry about how we are going to pay our bills. But if companies dont take their role seriously, and have more loyalty towards employees, and they continue to dispatch employees like they are simple pawns, people will have a harder time making other life-changing decisions, like purchasing a home, settling into a community, getting married, having kids, etc. Maybe Im off my rocker on this one, but this morning as I read this line about the young man who just bought his first house, and his wife who just gave birth, I wonder how different things would be if there were a different kind of loyalty towards employees so making life-changing decisions was less stressful.  Like I think it was just a few decades ago. But maybe Im just naive.

Action Verbs - Provides Your Resume With Another Action Verb For Provided For Resume Writing

Action Verbs - Provides Your Resume With Another Action Verb For Provided For Resume WritingIn this article, I'll discuss another action verb for provided for resume writing. This action verb is quite simple to understand and is often referred to as a 'happy state' in the hiring process.The 'provide' action verb is a key one when it comes to providing more information on your resume. Sometimes, you'll be so engrossed in completing your work and getting it completed that you won't realize that you're leaving out a relevant detail, or two, or even three. However, once you get back to it and read over the new information, you will find that it makes sense and all of your old information is revealed.Well, let's assume that you've been provided with more than enough information about you to fill out a document. Now, what can you do with it? Will you take the extra time to go over all of the details and possibly come up with some more information that doesn't seem as 'applicable' to your c urrent position? Or perhaps you can utilize the provided information to supplement your job history? In fact, I believe this can be an excellent idea because it gives you the chance to put some of your skills to work for you.For example, if you were previously employed as a bartender, you can look at your previous employers and try to think of the kinds of customers that have come in. If you really liked their style, you may want to start by tailoring your resume to match the clientele that was previously employed by them. You can also use these personal experiences as a means of informing your future employers of your talents.The 'provide' action verb for provided for resume writing is something that will make all of your past experiences 'applicable' to your current position. So, if you were previously a bartender, now that you are the manager of a bar, maybe you can think of some ways that you can go about increasing the profits of your establishment. Or perhaps you could try to organize an event for your clientele so that they can enjoy some of the exotic drinks that you served them in the past.You know, in the business world, we all like to be well-known. We all would much rather talk about ourselves and our accomplishments rather than everyone else. So, when you are filling out a resume, you should think of how you can 'provide' this information to your future employer so that he or she is able to see that you have a great deal to offer the company.Of course, you want to make sure that you are comfortable with this concept. Once you've decided that you want to provide for your future employer and have started looking for a new job, be sure that you leave the 'provide' portion of your resume off of your original document. It's okay to use it in the future but be sure that you have it written out for your future employer and you've made your decision.The 'provide' action verb for provided for resume writing is something that can make all of your previous a ccomplishments applicable to your current position. You don't want to leave out any information that is relevant, so be sure that you utilize this important verb in your resume. So, what are you waiting for?

7 Ways to Make Sure Your Book Gets the Cover it Deserves - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

7 Ways to Make Sure Your Book Gets the Cover it Deserves - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Every author should be involved with the front and back covers of their books. This is true whether you self-publish your book, or youre working with a trade publisher. Authors who fail to be involved with the content and design of the books front and rear covers are usually disappointed with the way their covers turn out. Book covers are point of purchase marketing materials that prospective buyers view at the point of sale, i.e., in a bookstore or online using the popular Search Inside or Look Inside features that allow visitors to view front and back covers at comfortable size online. But, Im not a designer! Contrary to what your printer or publisher may tell you, theres no mystery to effective book cover design. You dont have to be a graphic designer to make a significant contribution to your book cover. Its important to remember you dont need to know how to do something in order to be able to evaluate whether or not the contents and design of your book cover are appropriate for your book and your market. Even if you cant draw a straight line, there are numerous things you can do to ensure your book gets the best cover possible. Playing a proactive role in your books cover Here are some real world tips for making sure your book gets the best cover possible, based on some of the hard lessons Ive learned during my writing career as well as talking to other authors (most of whom have had their share of cover frustrations). Get it in writing. Your involvement with your book cover should start at the contract stage. If youre dealing with a trade publisher, its essential that your publishing contract guarantees you the right of approval for your books cover. Often, publishers will say they routinely work with their authors, but this often doesnt work out in practice. Protect yourself by insisting on your right to approve not only the cover artwork, but also the working comps, or rough layouts, of early versions of the cover. Get an early start. Whether youre self-publishing or working with a trade publisher, you should get involved with your books cover as early as possible. This involves obtaining the names and contact information of the individuals who will be working on your cover, (i.e., the publishers publicist, their in-house art director or creative director, etc.) and establishing communication with them. Analyze the covers of competing books. Search online for the covers of competing books. You can search at Amazon.com and the websites of the various authors. Or, save time by searching at Google Images. Search for (Name-of-Title)+Cover. Use a screen capture program like TechSmiths Snagit to assemble the images side by side at consistent size in a Word document or PowerPoint file. Create a PDF and share it with your editor and others who will be involved with your books cover. Learn what to look for. Educate yourself about the basics of book cover design by visiting the blogs and web sites of book designers. Learn the building blocks of book covers, and analyze book covers from the basis of logic and function, rather than aesthetics. Ask yourself questions like, Do the text and graphics work together to communicate what the books about? and Are the title and subtitle easy to read? Does the cover project an appropriate mood? Pay as much attention to the back cover as the front cover. Avoid over-emphasizing the front cover at the expense of the back cover. The front cover of a book is a billboard intended to attract the attention of prospective bookstore buyers or web visitors skimming a page, but the back cover does the heavy lifting by building upon the promise of the title by providing more information about the benefits the book offers readers, the authors qualifications, and testimonials from early readers. Prepare your own back cover copy. Locate two or three back covers that you feel do an exceptional job of selling the books contents. To find out how many words were used on your ideal back covers, recreate the back cover in Word using Text Boxes as containers for entering the headline, paragraph, list of bullet points, testimonials, and other text elements. Format the text as close in size as possible.   Save your work. Then, make a Save As copy. Replace the original text with words appropriate for your book. This will keep you from writing more text than can fit on the cover. Offer this as starting point for the designers to work with. Refuse to be intimidated. As an outside author, your involvement may not be initially welcomed with open arms. But, if you provide proactive input, like studies of competing titles and sample well-written marketing copy for the back cover, it will become obvious that youre not competing with the designers because your comments and suggestions are strategic and marketing oriented not aesthetic or opinion. Soon, your ideas will be sought and your copy suggestions appreciated. Your involvement in the design of your book cover will go much smoother when your actions reflect empathy to the publishers overworked graphic design staff. In the beginning, as an author and non-designer, you obviously be viewed as an outsider. However, as you convince them youre interested in helping them by providing marketing oriented input, you can soon find your self on their teamand your book cover will benefit! Book publishing is a team sport. Unfortunately, often the publishing team views the author as an opponenta member of the opposing team. Your challenge is to get asked to join their team so your knowledge of your book, your market, and your competition can be matched with their knowledge of design and todays advanced software programs. Author: Roger C. Parker shares ideas for planning, writing, promoting, profiting from branding building books in his daily writing tips blog. His latest book is #BOOK TITLE Tweet: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, Event Titles.

Job Hunting Hack Get Hired From a Single Post - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Job Hunting Hack Get Hired From a Single Post - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career One simple tactic on LinkedIn can lead to your absolutely ideal job. This approach is especially important if you do NOT have the qualifications, work history, education or experience that would make you a perfect candidate. So, if you have a strong interest or great enthusiasm but nothing on your resume that qualifies you, here’s your LinkedIn job hunting hack. Best of all it’s FREE! Step One: Go to LinkedIn.com and Sign In Click on the small square in the upper right hand corner of your profile. It’s the icon made up of 6 small boxes, titled Work. Click on it and get to Groups, which appears on the second line. Or, visit the LinkedIn Groups tab at https://www.linkedin.com/groups Step Two: See What’s New in Groups Take the “Quick Tour” that pops up so you are familiar with how groups work. If you previously signed up for groups but you haven’t been actively involved: LinkedIn will now give you the latest discussion topics from your old groups. The message is: “See the most important conversations from your industry, interests and passions every day.” Take a look. If those discussions reflect your current interests and aspirations â€" then use the hack on your current groups. Step Three: Find 10 Great Groups If you haven’t signed up for Groups or you’ve outgrown the ones you joined: go back to your profile page. In the search box on the upper left hand side â€" put in the topic or occupation of your choice. You’ll get a page with lots of groups â€" so you may want to “shop around” by looking at the types of discussions and the titles of the people who are actively engaged in each group. Plan to participate in 10 groups to use this hack. Some groups require permission to join â€" so don’t bother with those if you have brand new aspirations and little or no experience. Join groups that are open, which will give you more visibility for the hack. Step Four: Pick the Perfect Discussion Once you’ve joined a group: scroll through the list of Discussions. Click on the ones that interest you, with this specific criterion about what’s useful to YOU. A useful discussion must already have at least 10 responses to the original question or comment. That means YOUR response will have a ready-made audience. Step Five: Here’s the Hack Find a previous comment you agree with. DON’T post: “Wow, I totally agree with you Claire!” The hack won’t work if you just agree with someone. Instead, take the poster’s response and use a search engine to get an example of their point of view. Then â€" here’s the amazing leverage of this hack: add additional support for their point of view plus your opinion, insight or personal experience. You might post, “Claire, the Sara Lee cheesecake product proves your point. It’s a very old brand with a very devoted audience. What’s amazing is some of their consumers have a unique way of eating the products. Sara Lee is sold in the freezer case of supermarkets, and are meant to be defrosted before serving. However, a large and unrecognized group of consumers love the frozen style, and never wait to defrost them. From my point of view, Sara Lee is missing a significant marketing opportunity here.” That’s how you use your personal interests and enthusiasm for a brand or anything else to get you recognized. In my experience, when you did this correctly â€" expect a at least one out of four of your comments to generate interest in you. So, watch for invitations to connect and keep your eye on that discussion. You may continue to relate to members and their posts using the hack. This is one of the ways that my inbox is filled every single day with at least one request to hire me, ask me to consult or request a coaching session. Of course, you may not want every opportunity you attract â€" but you can always say “No, thank you.” Now, repeat this once day. Change up your groups as needed. Drop those that don’t produce invitations and opportunities. And, keep busy with the ones that are recognizing you as a star-in-the-making. Step Six: Bonus Hack In the upper right hand corner of your profile page: you will see a flower shaped icon. When you click on it, you can see and manage the order in which your Groups appear on your profile page. Consider what’s the most important to least important Groups â€" given your new aspirations and goals. Then use the arrow buttons to control how the Groups appear on your profile page.

Career Resume Profile - 3 Ways to Build Your Resume Profile

Career Resume Profile - 3 Ways to Build Your Resume ProfileThe most effective way to build a great resume profile is to get yourself listed as one of the many professionals seeking new skills and opportunities. If you can write a resume that includes many skills that are unique to your job and educational background, you will find that your skills and interests are much more in demand than you could ever imagine. You will also receive a much higher salary and have an even better chance of getting the job.If you are seeking a new career, chances are there are other job seekers in your area looking for new skills and positions. Also, if you have already been employed for some time and just need to move up in a new position, chances are there are positions available. If you want to do both, the best way to do it is to apply for jobs with multiple employers at once.Also, be willing to network with people. Make sure that you continue to develop friendships and relationships with the peopl e that you know, and keep your resume and your network active. Developing good friendships and good relationships, in addition to good connections will help you land the best jobs for you.If you are interested in pursuing another career, consider getting a job in an area that is in line with your prior employment and career paths. You can search the job listing to see which industries are hiring and where your strengths can be applied. Then you can search for job openings that are matching your desired area of specialization.At the same time, when you are looking for a new skill or opportunity, you may want to continue to add your education to your resume profile. For example, you may want to add information about your work experience as a child psychologist, nutritionist, and in an emergency medicine environment. These areas of specialization will help show potential employers that you are willing to expand your knowledge and will make them much more comfortable with you as a futur e colleague.Another good resource to use is other people. Find local friends who are currently in need of jobs or friends from high school who are looking for jobs, and ask them what kinds of jobs they are looking for. This can give you insight into what is on their mind, and you may get an idea as to what is in your area.Consider also that your resume profile can include professional and educational experience. With the advent of the Internet, you can have those things on your resume online. However, if you do not have a resume, there are still other sources that can provide this information. Including professional affiliations, education and/or work experiences, and networking contacts is all a part of your resume profile.Remember, your resume profile is your first impression of you, and you want to take full advantage of this to get the job that you want. To do that, you will need to take full advantage of the resources available to you. Be willing to think outside the box, and c onsider all of the options to help create a resume profile that is effective.

8 Effective Tips on Handling Multiple Bosses CareerMetis.com

8 Effective Tips on Handling Multiple Bosses Do you know that 56.7 million Americans were working as a freelancer in 2018?According to Upwork’s 5thAnnual Report, that’s a boost of 3.7 million since 2014. Ever wondered why the number of freelancers is increasing every year?evalThe answer is simple. Nobody likes to have a boss or manager hovering over their shoulders all the time. What will you do if you have to deal with more than one boss?Most employees are obligated to report to their boss or the immediate in-charge on a regular basis. However, there is plenty of organizations where they have more than just one boss to look after the operations.Multiple bosses mean multiple opinions. And if those bosses do not communicate with each other, it is the employees who suffer.If you’re employed at such an organization, you may need more than just hard work and dedication to survive the toll.Here are some effective tips that can help you handle multiple bosses like a pro.1) Identify the chain of commandWhen you have multiple bos ses to report to, you need to figure out the chain of command. It is because in most cases there is only one ultimate boss who has the final word on work-related matters. Once you have an idea about who reports to whom, you can prioritize your workflow accordingly. You can figure it all out by learning how your management team is structured.You can ask a few questions to the right people to learn who reports to whom, and then follow that chain to the top. When you know who wields the most power in the company, you can work accordingly. However, it is essential to work hard and appease all the bosses. If any of them is not happy with your performance, you can still face serious consequences.2) Find out what your bosses wantevalIn order to serve all your bosses seamlessly, you need to understand what each of them expects of you. Firstly, you should monitor the management style of each of the bosses. In case it isn’t clear to you, communicate with your bosses to understand what they want from you. Communication is the key to dealing with multiple bosses at one organization.You need to identify which means of communication is best for each boss. If one of your bosses works remotely from another location, asking him to join for a physical meeting is a waste of energy. You can get him/her on the phone or join a meeting using video calling.Furthermore, if there is any problem with any of the projects, let the bosses know about it. There is no reason to keep any of them blindsided.3) Let your bosses know about your workloadIt is absolutely necessary to let your bosses know what you are working on at a given point of time. Unless you make them aware of your workload, they may burden you with other responsibilities that you may not be able to fulfill. If they are informed that you already have your plates full, they won’t make unreasonable demands.evalWhile talking to your bosses, you need to be very professional with your approach. You do not want to make it look l ike you are complaining to them. You can tell them that you’ll be working on a different project the next week. So, it will not be possible for you to invest time in another project. You can keep all your bosses in the loop about the projects to avoid miscommunication.4) Clarify your roles and responsibilitiesReporting to multiple bosses is certainly a hectic job. And it is quite natural to feel confused about what you are supposed to do at the initial phase of the job. Invest time in understanding your roles and responsibilities in the organization. Once you have clarity of your roles and responsibilities, you should also let your bosses know about them. Ask them if you are right about the roles/responsibilities.You can sit down and calculate who in your department should be doing what work. Also, see how the percentage of work should be done by you. Note down your functions and compare it with the expected role you were asked to play by the company during the time of hiring. Unl ike a freelancing ghostwriter, you are obliged to comply with all the duties outlined in your contract.5) Ask for group meetingsCommunicating with the individual bosses about your work may not always be enough. You might have to ensure that they all have information about your work by including them all in a conversation. Ask for a group meeting with all the bosses. This may help you bring them all on the same page. Also, it may help you streamline your work for each of the bosses with the approval from others.Since the bosses usually have a busy schedule, you may need to notify them beforehand. Talking to all the bosses under the same roof can resolve all your confusions and queries that might have been weighing you down. If there is a conflict between your bosses, don’t try to interfere or choose sides. This will only add to your problems.6) Personalize your work-related problemsIf things start to go south, it may not necessarily be your fault. As mentioned earlier, working for multiple bosses at the same time can be hectic. And under such immense pressure, things can go wrong very easily. What you can do to solve this mess is to take a step back and analyze what went wrong. If it was your fault, work on it. And if it isn’t your doing, address the issue and work with others to resolve it.It is important to disengage yourself from work once you leave the workplace. You can do something refreshing or rewarding to keep yourself sane. When your mind is relaxed, you are more likely to tackle work-related problems with efficiency. Your problem-solving skills can get you to places if you can impress multiple bosses with your work.7) Set boundariesIn order to stay sane in a challenging work environment, you need to set up some boundaries. It is quite effective if one or more bosses like to micromanage your work. For instance, you can schedule a quiet time when nobody interrupts you. This can enhance your productivity at work. Obviously, you need to talk with the bosses before doing something like this. If they are not unreasonable, they will understand.evalObviously, you cannot just tell your bosses to “Do not disturb while I write my paper.” That’s not just unprofessional but also impolite. Ask them politely and act professionally when you want them to agree to your proposition. Also, don’t blame your bosses for anything that didn’t go according to the plan. Instead, tell them how you wish to do things better.8) Stick to a scheduleWhen you are working for multiple bosses, there’s one thing for sure. You will never have any dearth of projects to work on. The challenge is to finish each of the projects on time and start the next one as soon as possible. Creating a schedule for each month can help you plan your actions needed for each of the tasks. Also, you can improvise your work according to the schedule.If you have less work at one point in the month, you can plan a short trip to somewhere nearby and get some relaxation. This may help you reduce stress. Also, getting a break from work every once in a while can rejuvenate your mind, and help you perform better when you resume your work.No one can assure you that working under multiple bosses is going to be a cakewalk. The best you can do to ease the pressure is to manage your work efficiently while complying with the orders from each of the bosses. With the aforementioned tips, you will definitely find it easier to survive in the workplace without getting into any trouble.

Endurance What Are You Made Of

Endurance What Are You Made Of Endurance: What Are You Made Of? Endurance matters. As my husband Brad always says: “Slow and steady wins the race.” And he’s right. In this fast-paced, instant-gratification world, there’s still one unbroken rule: Being constant.  This has a direct application to achieving your goals… We cannot ever get what we want by simply hitting the “easy” button. That button doesn’t exist. This past weekend, Brad and I went backpacking along Oregon’s scenic Rogue River. In 3 days, I hiked 48 miles carrying 31 pounds of gear on my back as we trekked across very rough terrain that undulated in 6,200 feet of elevation gains and losses. There was danger, too. Possessing weak knees and bad balance on rocky trails with sheer cliffs with steep drop-offs just millimeters away from my feet posed a very real threat that I might accidentally take a lethal tumble. One foot wide trail with sheer drop-off below. But that didn’t stop me. It boiled down to endurance. “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, and difficulty. Theodore Roosevelt Our objective was to reach Rogue River Ranch (at mile marker 23.2) which is a lush, verdant historical site… and a great turnaround destination. I had in my mind that this was my goal, and nothing was going to stop me from achieving it. Not hot weather (it was in the high 80’s), nor sore feet, or legs that refused to budge because I was getting charley horses after 5+ hours straight of continuous walking. I just kept going. And you know what? I made it, albeit with a monster blister that I named George as a wound marking this particular journey. By the time we hit the trail head at the end, I was hobbling pretty badly and in severe foot pain. But my goal / dream had been achieved. Most of the time, the things we really desire are only achieved through a steady progression of actions, and the key is obtaining them is through maintaining that momentum through endurance. Keep one foot moving in front of the other. Literally. Don’t let your mind play games with you (oh, it will try, though!). Given that I had almost 20 hours of hiking time, my mind came up with a bajillion reasons as to why I should stop. Quit. Turn around. Call it a day. Soak my aching feet in the brilliant emerald pool of a nearby side creek. Looking back, I’ve noticed that for all the tough things we have to do in life, the single thread running through how we make it to the other side complete rests in our faith in ourselves. We can do it. Time and again, if we just stick with it, and keep minds focused on the long-term goal while acting in the moment towards that goal, we slowly but surely make it to our goals. So think about it. What was the last tough thing that you have had to do? What has tested your endurance and made you prove your mettle? Change jobs?  Ask for a promotion? Tolerate a bad boss?   Target a dream position? Fight through a spell of no call-backs for jobs for which you have applied? Then consider this: how did you get what you wanted? My guess is that you made a decision, put together a plan, and then executed that plan. Doing things slap-dash, in a hurry, never yields the results that we want. It requires a longer-term, methodical approach. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Sure, chances are that we’ll end up with some battle wounds from our efforts. But the best things in life never come easy. And we should expect some scars as a result of our powering through those endurance tests. So while I am nursing my giant blister (named George who is residing happily on my left foot), I am also reminiscing about some of the beautiful scenery I just experienced and how awesome this backpacking trip was. Now it’s time you look at your own scars too, and use those as motivators and reminders that you can, have, and will achieve whatever you want. You just gotta stick with it.

What Degrees Earn the Most Return in Terms of Pay

What Degrees Earn the Most Return in Terms of Pay As students near graduation from college, or are starting back to class, more often than not their thoughts turn financial. Whether they chose a major with an end career in mind or they use their college education as a springboard for new opportunities, all students must consider their return on investment. With the cost of higher education averaging anywhere from $9,000 $35,000 per year, a lucrative life after graduation is becoming even more important. In a competitive economy, having a profitable degree from a highly sought after field of knowledge could be the key in gaining career success. What degrees bring in the big bucks? Weve listed some below. All salary information comes from the  2008 NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) salary survey. Engineering Not surprisingly, engineering majors in every category earn an average of $60,000 their first year after college. Chemical engineers are paid the most, working for a variety of companies in different fields including manufacturing, healthcare, and business. Chemical engineers design equipment and develop products. Electrical engineers rank second, with an average starting salary of around $55,000. Electrical engineers focus on the design and implementation of equipment used in all aspects of life- automobiles, aircraft, and electrical utilities. Both of these majors apply to a variety of different fields, contributing to the overall success of their earning potential. Mechanical engineers are a close third, with an average starting salary of $54,000. Mechanical engineers are also employed in a number of different industries ranging from agricultural to business. Computer Science As our society becomes more and more reliant on the internet and the advancements in computer related technologies and networks, working knowledge of the systems becomes a valuable tool. Computer science majors make an average of $53,000 their first year out of college. This number does include the entrepreneurs who take their computer science background and apply it to business models, advancing technologies and expanding the horizon of development. Economics Business markets are highly profitable, and graduates with a thorough knowledge of economics rank high in earnings potential. The average starting salary of a first year economics graduate is around $47,800. Most economics majors work in data research or consulting, and many work for the federal and state governments. Management Information Systems Students with an MIS degree work in all facets of business organization. They analyze businesses and contribute to  a more efficient management structure. These  graduates typically start in the mid $40,000 range their first year after graduation. Finance and Accounting Finance and accounting grads have many different options in a plethora of fields. The type of work is varied but always in demand. These positions have very valuable knowledge in intricate areas and generally start at $46,200 their first year out of school. Business Administration and Management This is also a lucrative field, as titans of industry are recognized by the efficacy in business management. This major  is consistently one of the most popular, and for good reason- business grads can work almost anywhere! The average starting salary is $43,500 for these students, with a chance to accrue more wealth over the length of their employment term. Keep in mind that a students ultimate return on investment is subjective. Yes, these types of degrees offer access to monetarily profitable careers, but it is also important to consider the subjective and completely independent determination of wealth- something that is measured differently by each person.