Social Media Marketing Consultants

Social media marketing is a method of promoting your business via social media platforms and it’s an excellent strategy that’ll draw attention to your goods and services; a large number of visitors to your blog or website; and a wonderful opportunity for enhanced profits. No other low-priced promotional system gives companies access to such a huge number of potential clients. In today’s world, nobody wanting to sell a commodity, a service, or even an idea would question the need for social media marketing. Today, social media is not simply meant for finding long-lost colleagues or connecting with school friends on facebook; or Tweeting about what you had for lunch on Twitter. Social media has turned out to be an important tool for businesses that want to create a successful online presence. As more and more people are using social media to search for the products they like, social media marketing has become a regular part of daily business transactions. Quite obviously, businesses have discovered social media as a method to reach their target consumers and establish a pleasant brand experience online.

As a result, there has been a swing in marketing bucks, with many organizations now centering a part of their marketing dollars on social media. Large companies like Proctor & Gamble, Taco Bell, and Pepsi are  budgeting huge amounts of money to manage brand perception and promote their products via social media. And they are creating the demand for thousands of Social Media Managers and Marketing Consultants.

So what do Social Media Marketing Consultants do?

 1) Check the Conversation

If an organization wants to find out the “chatter” in the marketplace about a particular product, they need to check the social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook in order to see what prospective customers think about the brand. Social Media Marketing Consultants have their fingers on the pulse of the community. They monitor the chatter and set up alerts related to keywords pertaining to the brand they are monitoring.

 2) Look for People Who’ll Circulate the Brand’s Message

A company needs to discover the “ideal” candidates, who live in the same geographic location, make use of the same platform like others, and the number of individuals they’re linked to in the network. By tapping into this network and spreading the word Social Media Marketing Consultants can quickly spread the good word or defuse bad chatter from dissatisfied customers.

3) The qualities of an “Ideal” Social Media Marketing Consultant

Ideal candidates need to have a high potential to control their social network. Ideal social media consultants are personable, outgoing, and like to talk. They rapidly can build a following just because they are fun to be around. They are linked to a group of “influencers” who thus become  prospective brand ambassadors within their selected social-media platforms.

Social Media Marketing Consultants will often spread interactive online content, in relation to the commodity that’s being launched. For example if Pepsi wants to launch a new soft-drink it might create a game or a contest related to the new product to create a buzz around it with the hopes of it going viral and creating positive word-of-mouth from influencers.

4) An Example of a Good Social Media Marketing Consultant in Action

I recently heard of a woman who went to a tire store to get her tires replaced. After going to the counter and filling out her information she was sitting in the waiting room.  A few minutes later her phone notified her of a friend request on facebook. But when she looked at it she didn’t recognize the requester. After looking at his facebook profile she realized that it was the guy from behind the counter at the tire store. She thought it was “creepy” and tweeted about it to her 50 twitter followers. Less than 15 minutes later she had a response from the Tire store headquarters apologizing for the incident. Of course this was really the headquarter’s Social Media Marketing Consultant monitoring tweets (possibly from home) but with the authority of the company to step in before things like this can become a publicity nightmare. So instead of bad publicity the headquarters got good publicity, the counter guy got a reprimand, and the lady felt better. Damage control like that is invaluable in a socially connected world and companies know it and are willing to pay well for the service.

 Demand for Social Media Marketing Consultants

With all the big companies looking to create a social media presence the demand for Social Media Marketing Consultants is vastly outstripping supply, especially since no one really has any job experience yet, so the field is wide open. As mentioned in 10 Awesome Jobs You Can Do From Home, the salaries and Benefits are competitive and you can often work from home since all you need is a computer and an internet connection. You can even work from your cell phone. You can’t go to college and get an education in Social Media Marketing Consultanting so you need another way to learn the ropes. Fortunately one successful Social Media Marketing Consultant has created a program designed to help you learn the ropes.

As social media channels keep on exploding, together with the urge to use them, the need to produce and hire good Social Media Marketing Consultants has become all the more important. Social media is definitely here to stay, and so is the need for social media marketing consultants. If you are interesting in a fun high paying career you can find out more about how you can become a Social Media Marketing Consultant here.

Healthcare Savings Accounts

Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA’s) are created for individuals who want to save for medical expenses that high-deductible health plans do not cover. While the primary objective of HSA’s is to ensure that people save to meet future healthcare related expenses, but the big attraction is the savings on Federal taxes that comes with these accounts.

Are you Eligible for a Healthcare Savings Account?

You can open an HSA if:

1) You have a high deductible health plan from a health insurance provider i.e. a minimum deductible of $ 1,200 per year if you are single or $2,400 for family coverage.

2) You are not covered under Medicare and are not a dependent on someone else’s return.

Once You are Eligable for a Healthcare Savings Account

Once you determine that you are eligible, you can set this account up in many ways.

Check if your employer offers HSA’s as a benefit. In this case, contributing is easy. You just inform your employer and he will deduct the amount from your pretax pay.

If your employer doesn’t offer a Healthcare Savings Plan you can set up your own seperate account.

Independant Healthcare Savings Account Providers

Many large banks provide this type of account as a part of their offerings. You can also choose an insurance company as your service provider. For singles, the cap on contribution is $ 3,100 while for family coverage, the upper limit for contribution is $ 6,250. If your employer is providing this benefit, you should ensure that the total contribution into the HSA is within the defined limits. Excess contribution invites 6% excise tax.

Most of the service providers will provide you with a debit card and/or checkbooks. This account works pretty much like a checking account. However, you should remember that only healthcare related expenses should be paid for using the funds in this account. If you use this for other purposes besides medical expenses, they would need to be reported when you file your tax returns. Such ‘other expenses’ are disallowed and will qualify as income.

Key benefits of an HSA:

The funds in this account can be used to pay for Over the Counter medicine (if accompanied by prescription), dental and vision checkups and treatments. The contributions to this account can be used for deductions from income without the need for itemization. The earnings from this account are also exempt from income tax. However, please note that medical expenses paid for from HSA cannot be itemized for claiming exemption when you file your tax returns with the government. A big advantage of this account is that the funds do not lapse at the end of the year, as is the case with Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Therefore, it helps to build a corpus to meet healthcare related expenses at a later date. And without resorting to itemization, you can deduct contributions to HSA as an above the line tax deduction. You need to report the total contributions (self and employer) on Form 1040. See IRS Publication 969 on HSA’s

The Health savings account is one of the often overlooked provisions that help you save on tax while simultaneously allowing you to save for healthcare related expenses. While quite a few employers provide this benefit and tie up with service providers to administer these accounts, as an individual you can set up an account for yourself and still enjoy the benefits.

Author Bio:

Christopher is a writing freak, a guest blogger, professional and a loving dad. He writes for creating awareness about investment and savings. He has also received recognition as a top writer on Isarates.org.uk. Apart from this he takes keen interest in sport activities like horseback riding and swimming.

Online Degree Programs

Through the power of the Internet, people can actually spend their entire time in “college” from the comfort of their homes. Degrees from Accounting to Zoology can be earned entirely online. But you need to be cautious.

For those looking to get an online education, it can be tough to determine which schools are legit in offering a certified degree and which are simply out to just steal your money. Also, even if they do offer a degree is it actually worth the time and money or is it not worth the paper that it was printed on? Let’s take a look at what you should look for when researching these online degree programs.

Accreditation

The number one thing you must look for when looking at online degree programs is whether or not they are accredited. There should be a link somewhere on their site that leads to their accreditation statement.

If the school indicates that they are accredited, are they recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation? You need to look at this because while it is not illegal to do, many programs will create their own accrediting bodies and accredit themselves. You can try searching the Council for Higher Education Accreditation website to see if your desired online degree program is on there.

Degree Program Staff

Before applying for the online degree program of your choice, it’s best to do some research to find out who will be teaching your courses. Stay away from teachers that all have their degrees from the same place you are trying to get your online degree from. While it is normal for a faculty member or two to have gotten their degree from the place they are teaching, if everyone that is on staff is an alumni of the institution, that may suggest the institution is simply a diploma mill.

Interaction With Staff & Work Submission

Keep in mind when looking at these programs to see if there are deadlines as to when work can be submitted and if you can easily talk to your professors so they can answer any questions you may have. Be wary of schools that simply tell you “keep up with good work” without offering any sort of constructive criticism or telling you what you have done wrong. Chances are if a school has an extremely low failure rate, something isn’t right and they are most likely passing anyone who can spell their own name.

While getting the degree is important, more important is being able to land and hold a job afterword. Institutions that simply sell degrees and not education will leave a trail of bad-will behind them at employers, making it extremely difficult for you to land an interview, let alone get the job. If you are able to get the position, your odds of being able to perform satisfactorily with a limited education are slim. Find an institution that offers you the opportunity to earn that diploma; it will pay off!

Cost of Online Programs

Keep in mind the cost of the online program when looking at different schools. Generally all online programs accept financial aid. Be sure to read the costs fully. Unfortunately, many of these schools that scam people try to push you to apply for loans that you will be approved for because the costs of the education are outrageous. Think about it. Would you pay $50,000 for a one year program that gives you a certificate? Sadly, many people have and now they are out of a job and have tons of debt to repay.

Unfortunately, within the U.S. many of these for-profit schools rely on Stafford loans in order to make their money. They will push these loans because the government has made them so easily available and almost anyone is approved for them. The problem is that they come with extremely high interest rates. Be wary if a school’s program is trying to push one of these loans on you as they are just doing it so they receive a portion of that loan for the school.

Where to go from here?

After deciding what type of program you would like to pursue, it’s now best to do your research. Make sure that the program you want to apply for is actually accredited and that the costs aren’t outrageous. You should also take a closer look at who is teaching and how much the cost will be. Nothing can be worse than wasting a year or two of your time on a program that is ridiculously expensive and provides no advantage toward future Employment . Look out for some of these warning signs and you should be fine.

About the Author:

Written by Tyler Cook for the team at www.criminaljusticecollegeguide.com, where you can find information about online institutions offering degrees that range from corrections officer certifications to paralegal degrees.

While studying from home you might also want to check out 10 Awesome Jobs You Can Do From Home

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Employment vs. unemployment… You would think that they are two sides of the same coin. But when it comes to government stats they may not be.

The government uses two entirely different surveys to calculate Employment and Unemployment and as we will see since 2010 they have started to paint entirely different pictures. A few days ago we looked at how an independent organization (Gallup poles) is now tracking unemployment rates and how the government numbers appear to be understating the level of unemployment. Today we will look at the government’s own numbers and how they don’t even agree with each other… giving more evidence that the government is slanting the data.

Calculating Unemployment

The Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains a list of 60,000 households. These households are chosen based on 2,025 various geographic areas spread around the United States. Every month Census Bureau employees contact about 15,000 of these households and then using statistical modeling they estimate the U.S. unemployment rate from this data sample. The households are rotated to limit the burden on any specific family. This survey is called the “Current Population Survey” or (CPS). In addition to questions about employment status the CPS tracks work experience, annual earnings, and whether school aged children are working, school enrollment, etc.

Calculating the Employment Rate

Although the unemployment rate is calculated based on a very small portion of the entire population the Employment rate is based on an effort to count all the jobs. This is done through the U.S. government surveying 390,000 businesses nationwide every month.  This survey is submitted by the businesses monthly based on company employment on the 12th of the month. It also includes individuals that are employed but on vacation, sick leave etc.

We must note that as the overall population changes it affects the percentage of people employed. For instance, if the population of the United States is 313+ Million and the number of people employed is 133 million only 42% of the total population is working. But that doesn’t mean we have a 58% unemployment rate. Some of those people are not in the labor force because they have retired, are disabled, are in College or are too young to work. In addition, some people are not in the labor force voluntarily, perhaps taking care of children or elderly parents. So in order to calculate the unemployment rate based on the employment rate you would also need to know the size of the labor force.

In the same way, if the number of jobs remains steady at 133 million but the population grows (and thus the workforce increases as well) then the unemployment rate will increase even though the number of jobs remained steady.

Employment vs. Unemployment Chart

However, if we take a look at a chart comparing the total number of people employed to the percentage of people who are unemployed we can still learn quite a bit.  Let’s take a look at the published data by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and see how employment compares to unemployment.

Click Chart for Larger Image

First of all, we will notice that the chart since 1994 breaks down nicely into 5 different time periods labeled Zones 1-5. The second thing we notice is that the Unemployment rate is upside down. This is done because theoretically unemployment is the inverse of employment and so by turning unemployment upside down we can see the correlation easier.

Zone 1 – Sharply Rising Employment vs. Falling Unemployment

Looking at the data in zone 1 we can see a correlation that makes sense. As the employment rate rises sharply from about 115 million in 1994 to about 130 million in 2000, the unemployment rate falls from around 7% to about 3.5% (see right-hand scale).  If we look at the slope of the lines we can see that the slope of the employment line is steeper than the slope of the unemployment line. This makes sense because as the population increases it takes more jobs just to stay at the same unemployment level.  According to the U.S. census bureau, in 1994, the population of the United States was 263,126,000 by the year 2000 the population of the U.S. was 282,172,000 or about 19 Million more people.  So assuming that roughly 50% of the additional 19 Million people entered the labor force there was an additional 15 million jobs. So that would be enough to cover the new workers while at the same time reducing the unemployment rate. In general terms, we can see that the increase in population makes unemployment worse even in times of rising employment.

Zone 2 – Slightly Falling Employment vs. Rising Unemployment

In the second zone from 2000 through the middle of 2003, we see employment falling slightly from about 133 Million down to about 130 Million. During this same period the population went from  282 Million to about 290 Million for a net increase of about 8 Million people. So during this timeframe the unemployment rate rose sharply even though there was only a modest decrease in the number of jobs available.

Zone 3 – Rising Employment vs. Falling Unemployment

During the third time period, from mid-2003 through mid-2006 employment climbed again. This time from 130 Million to 137 Million. And once again the population increased from 290 Million to 298.5 Million.  Seven million more jobs and 8.5 Million more people. So once again unemployment fell from 6% to about 4%. This time the slope of the lines are virtually identical.

Zone 4 – Sharply Falling Employment vs. Very Sharply Rising Unemployment

In the fourth period around mid-2006 we see unemployment bottoming although employment continues higher through 2007.  Employment peaks at 138.8 Million in October of 2007 at which point the population is about 301.5 Million. So from mid 2006 to mid 2007 employment rose from 1.8 Million while the population rose about 3 Million. And so Unemployment went from 4% to about 5%.  From mid-2007 through mid-2009 we see employment falling sharply from 138.8 Million to 127.3 Million in January 2010.  At that point the U.S. population was about 308 Million. So there were 11.5 Million fewer jobs and 6.5 Million more people so unemployment skyrocketed to 10.5%.

Zone 5 – Gradually Rising Employment vs. Sharply Falling Unemployment?

And this brings us to the current period that I call La La land. Beginning in 2010 with an Employment rate of 127.3 Million by April of 2012 we had almost 133 Million jobs. Which is a net increase of roughly 5.7 Million Jobs. During that time the population went from 308 Million to 313.4 Million or an increase of 5.4 Million. And supposedly the unadjusted unemployment went from 10.5% to 7.7%! ? Not in this Universe. With a population increase of 5.4 Million assuming half of them are in the workforce that would mean the workforce increased by 2.7 roughly Million and there were 5.7 Million more jobs. So that is a net increase of 3 Million jobs. No way 3 Million jobs would take the unemployment rate down 3%. Just look at the angle of increase. The unemployment slope is rising faster than the employment rate! The only way that could happen is if the population was decreasing.

Conclusion:

From this data (all based on the Government’s own numbers) we can only conclude one of two things. Either:

1) The government is fudging the numbers prior to the election to make things seem less bad.

See: Is the Government Fudging Unemployment Numbers? for more information on how the Gallup Unemployment numbers compare to the Government numbers.

or

2) There are a lot of people who have stopped looking for jobs and are no longer considered in the narrow U-3 definition of Unemployed and have moved to the broader definition U-6 of  “discouraged worker” because they have given up looking for work. Of course they are still unemployed they are just so badly unemployed that they don’t count anymore. See: U-6 Unemployment Rate for more information.

Based on the Gallup Unemployment numbers scenario #1 is more likely.

Landing a job in today’s economy certainly is a challenge. There are so many highly qualified and experienced candidates out there that it can be nearly impossible for a recent college graduate or an individual with no relevant experience to break into the profession they desire.

Recently, job hunters have ben bombarded with statistics and statements about the dismal state of the job economy—unemployment was recently at an all-time high, jobs are still scarce, and with graduates willing to accept lower level jobs, college degrees are losing their potency in the professional world.

For any job hunter out there, this can be an exhausting and frightening atmosphere to set foot in. But, this is how landing a job works. You have to put your foot forward and your head on the line. Oftentimes, job hopefuls find themselves in a bit of a conundrum. Employers are looking for candidates with experience, but candidates can’t get that experience until they land the job. While this is no doubt a challenge, there are many ways to display the expertise and skillset required for a job without having the specific job experience. Try these three techniques to help land a job without any relevant experience.

Recognize (and Communicate) Your True Skills

Job with no experience, Building Tomorrow's Workforce Policy Forum—skilledwork org (Flickr.com)

Oftentimes, we have skills and expertise with things that we aren’t able to recognize as assets for our resume. This can be one of the most challenging aspects of developing a resume and writing a cover letter. Evaluate your actual skillsets and experience. Even as a student, as a volunteer, or in jobs that are unrelated to the current position that you are applying for there are likely duties that you performed and things that you completed that apply directly to this new position. You want to carefully evaluate your previous academic, professional and even recreational experiences. Focus on small and specific aspects of your previous work that you think can be directly applied to the position you are currently applying to. Even if the two jobs or subjects are nothing alike, they likely share some general duties, skills, or practices. For example, a job applicant with a degree in English applying for a marketing position can explain their writing skills and experience with understanding audiences in literature.  And by noting that different perspectives in writing can relate directly to targeting a marketing audience and help in gearing a campaign towards to rightcustomer base. Or if you organized an event for a club you can highlight the skills you used.

Look at the broader picture of your skills and see how they can be translated into something relevant for a new position.

Get an Internship or Volunteer Somewhere Relevant

Oftentimes, people apply for job after job, desperately trying to find a position that pays. Of course, this is what we all want. However, if you are constantly confronted with the issue of not having enough experience for the positions you are applying for, seeking unpaid experience opportunities may be your best option. Consider volunteering or taking an unpaid internship somewhere that is relevant to the kind of work you would like to do. This is a great way to gain experience in a specific area while continuing to look for a job. Volunteering somewhere that is related to the kind of job that you would like to get looks great to potential employers and allows you the time you need to still job search and go to interviews. Internships can be harder to come by, but are also a wonderful option for gaining work experience. Even if you aren’t getting paid to do the work, that experience on your resume is in many ways as good as a paycheck in the long run. Employers will appreciate your drive and dedication to your industry. Activeness and passion are two huge selling points in potential employees.

Internships can also be a “foot-in-the-door” if you are a hard worker and likeable they may be willing to hire you when your internship is finished.  See Internships Can Help

Network, Network, Network

Professional networking has been the name of the game for some time now. We’ve all heard it and we all know that finding and making real professional connections is key to job search success—but, how exactly does one network? Networking takes a bit more effort than merely scrounging your Facebook friend list for people with potential job leads. One of the best places to find and create professional connections is through an internship or volunteer experience. Get connected with your supervisors and leaders. Talk to your fellow interns or volunteers. Some of these people may be the connection you need to land your dream position. A huge part of finding a job in today’s market is utilizing positive word of mouth. Ask your connections to let you know about jobs they hear about. Give them your contact information and resume. Ask them if they can think of any relevant connections they might have that you could get in contact with. All of these things may be the step you need to take to find the right connection to your next job. Networking can be a lot of work, but it almost always pays off. Even after you find a position, your professional network is important to maintain.

Modern social networking tools are a great way to network but facebook is more for social activities. In the professional world, you need a LinkedIn account.  This is like an online resume and allows you to start professional networking online. Their New User guide can help you get started.

See Also:

10 Awesome Jobs You Can Do From Home

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at accredited online colleges about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.

Success includes achievement…while choosing and directing your own activities. It means enjoying intimate relationships and loving what you do in life.”

Today, Bob Bly gives you his own definition of success and a secret to achieving it. Craig Ballantyne, editor Early to Rise

You control your life.

Your success is your responsibility.

If you don’t know what success is, how are you going to get there?

By Bob Bly

A few years ago, I was part of a panel of supposedly successful people speaking to a room packed with about a thousand college seniors.

Our topic: how to be successful.

When it was my turn, I asked the students: “How many of you want to be successful?” Every hand in the room shot up.

I then asked: “Who can tell me what success is?” Not a single hand in the room was raised. “If you don’t know what success is,” I asked the students, “then how are you going to get there?”

This is the dilemma facing many people I meet today. They desperately want to be “successful.” But when you ask them what that would mean, they either can’t give you a definitive answer, or they say it would be becoming a millionaire. They define success by how much money they have because that’s how the world keeps score. But does becoming a millionaire really make you successful?

If you won the lottery or inherited the money, you are a millionaire – but are you really a success?

If you have to do something unethical or illegal to make that much money, are you really a success?

If you work marathon days at a job that makes you miserable – are you really a success?

What Success Means to Me

That’s why early in my career, I thought about what success meant to me – not what others thought success is.

And I came up with this definition: Success is doing what I want to do … when I want to do it … with the people I want to work with … and getting paid very, very well for it.

I don’t claim this is a perfect definition for success. And it may not work for you. But it works for me and many others I have shared it with in my books and lectures. Let’s break down this definition of success piece by piece….

“Success is doing what I want to do.” To me, 90% of the secret of enjoying life is having a job or business you love … one you’re so excited and enthusiastic about, you jump out of bed every morning eager to get to your office and start the day. After all, you spend more than half your waking hours working. If you don’t like work – and millions of people don’t – then your days will seem to drag on almost forever. It’s close to torture.

Pursue Your Passion?

Now, the mistake people make is to believe the old saying, “Pursue your passion and the money will follow.” There are plenty of things people are passionate about (e.g., 18th century Peruvian poetry) that may be fun and interesting but have close to zero money-making potential. The trick is to pursue an interest of yours (e.g., restoring classic cars) that people will pay for.

Aristotle said words to the effect that wherein your passion intersects with the needs of the public, therein lies your vocation.

Next, success is doing what you love “when I want to do it.” This is why 9-to-5 employment was not for me: I resented being told what to do and when to do it. I could not abide having my freedom taken away and being subject to someone else’s whims at their beck and call. And so I quit to become a freelance copywriter.

Danger

One of the dangers of self-employment is the crisis-lull-crisis rhythm of so many businesses. To protect yourself against the slow times, you should create multiple streams of income – some active, some passive. I have 5 income streams: (a) copywriting, (b) consulting, (c) Internet marketing, (d) writing books, and (e) giving workshops and seminars. That way, I am always busy. If copywriting would ever slow, as happened a few times very early in my career, I would turn to the book I had under contract or do some workshops. The best thing is that, being self-employed, I can largely work on tasks and projects when I want to do them, not when someone else tells me to do them. Even meetings and conference calls are scheduled by me when I want to and can do them, not when someone else commands me to.

My old friend DH says, “I don’t like taking orders, and I don’t like giving orders.” I feel the same way. That’s why, aside from my administrative assistant, JV, I work alone. And JV is a virtual assistant, so I really am alone all day, as I prefer. Success is doing what I want to do, when I want to do it, “with the people I want to work with.” By working diligently and consistently to build my copywriting practice, I could soon pick and choose the clients I accepted. This way I could work only with people I like and respect – and only on projects that interest me. If you are in a service business, figure out how much self-promotion you need to do to fill your book of business … and then do twice that amount of marketing. This will fill your lead pipeline to overflowing and allow you to pick and choose what clients and assignments you take on.

Getting Paid

The last part of my success formula: “getting paid very, very well.” Goal setting experts would find fault with this statement, because it does not specify a dollar amount of money. Well, I live in an affluent neighborhood. So I decided that for me, getting paid well meant earning 4X or more per year than my average neighbor. You may have a different money goal: higher annual earnings or the accumulation of a net worth of a certain dollar amount; i.e. a million bucks. That’s a valuable and laudable goal, but it simply isn’t part of my personal success definition. But by all means, if you want it to be part of your success definition, go for it.

One other thing….

I have a litmus test for your definition of success, and it’s simple: Does it allow you to live comfortably? Does it make you happy? If you can say yes, then you are successful. At least in my eyes. And I hope in yours, too.

About the Author:

Bob Bly is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct marketing. McGraw-Hill calls Bob “America’s top copywriter.” He is the author of 80 books including The Copywriter’s Handbook, Third Edition (Henry Holt). You can find out more about Bob Bly at www.bly.com.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

See Also:

10 Awesome Jobs You Can Do From Home

3 Alternatives to Entry Level Jobs for Recent Grads

By Maria Rainier

Today’s job market is enough to make even the most stoic and ascetic of philosophy majors fear for their quality of life. And the fact is, students are right to be worried. Economists are calling this the “Great Recession”, a label that the last four years certainly deserve — since 2007 unemployment levels have reached near record highs, almost as high as during the 1980′s recession, and though the situation has improved slightly, the outlook still isn’t great.

For more information See: Unemployment Rate 1948-Current

Only ten years ago a bachelor’s degree could get you an entry level job at a respectable firm where you could work for a few years, climb a few rungs up the corporate ladder, and gain some valuable experience that would further propel your career.

Today even that word “career” is becoming something of an anachronism of an era long gone.

So what is a young aspiring student to do?

Is there even a reason to go to college?

The answer is a resounding “yes”; it’s just the years after college that might need some reconsideration.

See: The Difference a Degree Makes in Unemployment Levels

In the past, the standard thing to do was get an entry level job, but as already outlined, that is happening less and less frequently. What the student of today needs are alternatives to the grind, ways to get started in the working world that don’t necessarily rest on starting from the bottom and working up with one company.

Here are a few alternatives that college grads can consider when employment options are slim pickings:

1. Start a Business

Before you start hemming and hawing about how risky starting a business is, I’m not saying that it is safer to be an entrepreneur than to be a job-seeker, but it is an alternative, and one that has actually gained traction in the past few years, and especially for young people. Start-ups are hip, and if you have the right idea, and the wherewithal to persist, even without a sign of profit, there is a lot of potential for success.

During a recession, certain costs of starting a business are reduced. For example, you might be able to negotiate a lower rent for your company office, suppliers might offer you discounts, and employees might be willing to work for less. There are even government incentives and funding opportunities that can help you get your feet off the ground.

Still, starting a business is extremely hard work, requires long hours, and is definitely not for the faint of heart. It can be one way, however, to avoid trying to find an traditional employment. One interesting new business you can start is as a Social Media Consultant or Manager. If you enjoy using social media like Facebook and Twitter your skills are in demand. You can help companies with their Facebook and Twitter by monitoring online communications and making companies more “personal”.  Find out more about how you can become a Social Media Manager.

2. Freelancing

Some might try to argue that starting a business and freelancing are the same thing — and you might be say they are two sides of the same coin — but they are markedly different from each other. Freelancers contract their expert services out to interested parties, and make a profit; entrepreneurs build up a new product or service and try to compete in an existing market.

To be a freelancer you have to be well versed in the field you work in, and you also need to be able to work around odd schedules. Some businesses are willing to pay contractors a higher hourly rate, even when times are rough, because it is cheaper than hiring a full time employee with all the related benefits costs. But if you have a valuable skill, you can pitch your services to employers as a contract job and make a living that way, though you will miss out on some of the benefits of the corporate world, such as vacation pay and sick time.

3. Working Overseas

Something to consider while in school is signing up for an overseas work program. Most often this means teaching English in other countries, but there are other opportunities for students across a variety of disciplines.

The best way to obtain work in another country is to do so while still in school, as most universities can connect students with work opportunities that might otherwise be inaccessible to them. Once you return to the States, you will have valuable experience in the working world that will make it easier to start a career. However, the opportunities will be increasingly difficult to come by, so try to take advantage of them while you can.

The economy is improving, but it isn’t completely recovered. In the meantime, look into alternatives and you will have a better chance of coming out on top.

If you are still in college see: Internships Can Help

Also See: 10 Awesome Jobs You Can Do From Home

About the Author:

Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online colleges, online degrees etc. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

By Tim McMahon

There has been a lot of talk about the validity of the Government Unemployment created by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lately. (And not just by me!)  Every month I tell you that we look at the Employment numbers rather than the Unemployment Rate because they are much more accurate. We’ve looked at Employment vs. Unemployment and we’ve looked at U-6 (total labor force including those who’ve given up looking) vs. U-3 (those who are still actively looking).  The U-3 unemployment rate is the commonly quoted one. But the one problem is that all that data comes from the government. If they are fudging the numbers how would we know?

Finally, we have an alternative source of information. The Gallup survey people began doing their own survey on unemployment rates back in 2010. So we can compare their results with the results the BLS publishes.

In this first chart, we have BLS U-3 Unemployment rates (both Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted) along with the Gallup Unadjusted Unemployment rate. In this series Gallup is using similar criteria to the U-3 so we can compare apples to apples.

Click Chart for larger image

In this jumble it is hard to determine whether the BLS numbers are misleading us or not. We can see that the Gallup numbers start out significantly higher at the beginning and are also higher in the middle but there are also points where they are actually lower so it is hard to determine whether  the BLS is fudging or not. So let’s break it down a bit. First let’s look at only the BLS Unadjusted Unemployment Rate. I always prefer to see the data before the BLS “adjusts” it for “seasonal” reasons.

Click Chart for larger image

In this chart we can see that the Gallup numbers are frequently higher than the BLS numbers but they are occasionally lower as well so it is difficult to tell if the data is significantly different. So I decided to look at the actual data.

In the final column marked “Difference” I’ve subtracted the BLS number from the Gallup number. This will result in a positive number if the Gallup number is higher and a negative number if the BLS number is higher. Theoretically, if the data collection methods are equal and the difference in the numbers is just based on random gathering differences the Gallup number should be higher 50% of the time and the BLS number should be higher 50% of the time, right? Also the amount of difference between the numbers should be equal. So the average of the positive numbers should equal the average of the negative numbers.

So What are the Results?

First of all, we find that out of 27 data pairs the BLS number was higher only 10 times and the Gallup number was higher 17 times and 1 time the results were the same. This definately sounds like the BLS numbers are lower for some reason other than random chance. Next we look at the average variation and we see that when the BLS is higher the average variation from the Gallup numbers is 0.31% but when you look at the average of the times when the Gallup numbers are higher the average difference is 0.45%.

So not only do the Gallup numbers come out higher more often, the amount of difference is higher as well. From the table we can see that when you add up all the negatives with all the positives the difference is 4.6 percentage points. If the methods were equivalent you would expect the positives to cancel out the negatives and the total would be zero. But instead over 2 1/4 years the BLS has underestimated the Unemployment rate by a total of 4+ percent. This does not mean you can add 4% to the 8.4% unemployment rate but it does indicate a tendancy to underestimate the Basic Unemployment rate.

Conclusion

Although the difference isn’t massive it does appear that the BLS numbers are biased to the low side compared to the independantly surveyed Gallup numbers. For more confirmation that the Unemployment numbers are being fudged from the government’s numbers see Employment vs. UnEmployment.

Today we are going to look at the  top 20 highest paying positions. As you would expect these positions require a combination of high level skill, experience and education. Interestingly, of the top six, four are in the area of dental medicine with oral surgeons coming in first and orthodontists coming in second each earning over $166,400 per year. Unfortunately the BLS chart doesn’t break down the top few positions other than to say that it was over $166,400 per year but according to Salary.com - Oral Surgeons earn an average of $246,834 with 10% of Oral Surgeons earning over $290,802 per year. Salary.com estimates Orthodontists average less than the $166,400 the BLS says with the median salary of “only” $125,137 although the top 10% of earners earn more than $175,943.

The other top 18 paying positions are:

  #3 Physicians and Surgeons which the BLS also estimates to earn more than $166,400 per year. And this is actually a broad category since there are various specialties and some will earn considerably more than this, while others may earn only slightly more.  For instance according to Salary.com the median salary for an Anesthesiologist is $334,661,  while the median for a Cardiologist is $358,213, and Heart Transplant Surgeons average $484,210.

The next category highlighted by the BLS is Chief Executives with an average salary of $165,080. This again is a broad category with a lot of variation based on company size. This number seems extremely low and might apply for chief executives of small companies but would not apply to larger companies. According to Salary.com the median salary of Chief Executive Officers in the U.S. is $725,456 with 10% of CEOs earning more than $1,112,447 and that may not include things like stock options, bonuses and other benefits.

The next two categories are Specialist Dentists and General Dentists with average earnings according to the BLS of $161,020 and $141,040 respectively. Followed by Judges ($119,270), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($119,260 /yr.), Prosthodontists ($118,400 /yr.), Podiatrists ($118,030 /yr.), Natural Sciences Managers ($116,020 /yr.), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($115,780 /yr.), Petroleum Engineers ($114,080 /yr.), Marketing Managers ($112,760 /yr.), Lawyers ($112,760 /yr.), Pharmacists ($111,570 /yr.), Air Traffic Controllers ($108,040 /yr.), Political Scientists ($107,420 /yr.), Physicists ($107,420 /yr.) and Financial Managers ($103,910 /yr.).

Obviously salaries will vary based on experience, length of time in the position and geographic location i.e. not only where in the country but whether the position is located in a city or more rural location. And none of the top paying positions are going to be for entry level positions. It takes a long time to become the CEO of a company but some of these positions have good starting salaries. For instance according to Payscale.com a Pharmacist with less than 1 year of experience can still earn between $40,851 and $117,507

and a Petroleum Engineer with less than 1 year of experience can earn between $50,916 and $97,693 of course these positions still require the appropriate education.

One new job not mentioned by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that has some great potential is that of a Social Media Manager. If you enjoy using social media like Facebook and Twitter your skills are in demand. You can help companies with their Facebook and Twitter by monitoring online communications and making companies more “personal”.  Find out more about how you can become a Social Media Manager.

See Also:10 Awesome Jobs You Can Do From Home

As you would expect some positions are on both lists, like home health aides 69% growth and 706,300 new postions over the decade and personal care aides  with 70% growth rate and 607,000 estimated new positions.  Unfortunately, although both jobs are growing rapidly and will need hundreds of thousands of new people to fill all the positions, the average annual salary for both positions is only about $20,000 per year.

One high paying profession with a high growth rate is biomedical engineers with a 62% growth rate over the decade averaging $81,540 per year in 2010. The fourth, fifth and ninth fastest growing professions are in the building industry and all three are entry level positions as carpenter, brickmason and plumber - Helpers. These positions all pay in high $20,000′s and can lead to positions like the 19th fastest growing position of brickmason and blockmason which is estimated to grow by 41% over the decade and in 2010 paid an average of $46,930 per year. Other construction trades that made the list was reinforcing iron and rebar worker with a 49% growth rate over the decade and a 2010 average salary of $38,430 and glazier (glass installer) with a 42% growth rate and a $36,640 per year average salary.

Medical and related positions that are slated to grow  are physical therapy assistants (46% growth and $49,690/yr.), physical therapists (39% and $76,310/yr.), physical therapy aides (43% and $23,680/yr.), diagnostic medical sonographers (44% and $64,380/yr.), occupational therapy assistants (43% and $51,010/yr.), medical secretaries (41% and $30,530/yr.), marriage and family therapists (41% and $30,530/yr.) and even veterinary technologist positions are expected to grow 52% over the decade and average pay in 2010 was $29,710.

Other fast growing positions are expected to be interpreters and translators with 42% growth expected and an average salary in 2010 of $43,300. Also meeting, convention and event planners are expected to grow by 44% and earned $45,260 per year in 2010. So if you are looking for a higher paying job it may pay to look at fastest growing jobs rather than jobs with the most potential vacancies.

One job that is so new the Bureau of Labor Statistics isn’t even tracking it yet is that of a Social Media Manager. This position is rapidly growing as companies jump on the Social Media bandwagon.  If you enjoy using social media like Facebook and Twitter your skills are in demand. You can help companies with their Facebook and Twitter by monitoring online communications and making companies more “personal”.  Find out more about how you can become a Social Media Manager.

See also: 10 Awesome Jobs You Can Do From Home