career

Find Opportunities To Boost Your Military Career When You’re In A Slump

November 23, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Many people reach a point in their career where they feel stagnant, even people employed by the armed forces. When this happens, it’s important to take control of the situation by utilizing the resources available to you. Here are some things you can do to give your military career a boost when you’re in a slump.

Online College

If you want to get ahead, you can benefit from obtaining an advanced degree in your field. As a member of the military, you may even qualify for free classes. However, going back to school may not appeal to you if you have a full-time job and personal obligations to tend to. When will you find the time?

Online colleges for military personnel allow you to take classes on your time. You can also take a whole class load or take just one or two classes at a time. College advisors can offer you guidance on managing your schedule and choosing the most necessary or useful classes.

Get Involved in the Community

As a member of the armed forces, you serve your Country. Connect to the people you serve by supporting work-related community efforts.

Your superior will appreciate your effort and keep you in mind when a promotion becomes available. You’ll also feel good about doing something good for the people in your area, increasing the bond between soldiers and civilians. [Read more…] about Find Opportunities To Boost Your Military Career When You’re In A Slump

The Spectacular Benefits of a Sales And Marketing Career

November 3, 2021 by Tim McMahon

If you are looking for a lucrative career that can provide you with a successful future, you might consider the benefits of a sales and marketing career. You will learn essential business and personal skills like building rapport, communication, creative thinking, negotiation, time management, and even storytelling. These can be used down the road in everything from business to dating. Whether you realize it or not, much of life involves sales. Do you want to borrow your parent’s car? You might need to come up with a good sales pitch. Looking for a job… that’s just selling your skills to a potential employer. Are you looking for a date? More selling. Trying to convince your spouse to go to a particular restaurant… you guessed it… selling.

Once you become proficient at selling, there are many related benefits. If you are a “people person” or good at building rapport, you are halfway there.

Compensation

A talented salesperson can almost write their own paycheck with any amount they choose. Selling is the one area of a business that actually generates profit rather than an expense. Any company worth its salt knows that salespeople generate profit, and without them, businesses fail. If you work on a 20% commission for every dollar you make, the company makes four (minus production expenses, of course).

You also have to consider that by driving new customers to the business, you will expand profits and, therefore, increase wages across the board. As for marketers, they are always necessary for any free-enterprise economy. This demand has not been subject to the typical ups and downs of other positions in recent history. As a matter of fact, market analysts and specialists now start at approximately $70,000 per year. And good commission-based salespeople can earn more than company Presidents. [Read more…] about The Spectacular Benefits of a Sales And Marketing Career

A Career as a Web Developer

June 7, 2021 by Guest Contributor

If you enjoy the creative process you might consider becoming a Web Developer/Designer. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “web developers create and maintain websites and test website or interface layout, functions, and navigation for usability”. Some web developers work in the computer systems design and related services industry. Others are self-employed… many work from home.

Educational requirements for web developers and digital designers vary, ranging from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree. But the important point is having the skills necessary and not necessarily a certain educational path. The BLS says the median annual wage for web developers and digital designers was $77,200 in May 2020. Employment of web developers and digital designers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand will be driven by the continued popularity of mobile devices and e-Commerce.

One of the key factors in web design these days is creating a “responsive format”. Responsive Web Design is about using HTML and CSS to automatically resize a website automatically so that it looks good on all devices ( i.e. desktops, tablets, and phones).

A Brief Overview of Responsive Design

Responsive Design works on the premise that online content should scale to the user’s screen – no matter how small or large. [Read more…] about A Career as a Web Developer

6 Ways You Can Reset Your Career

December 1, 2020 by Tim McMahon

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on people all over the globe, not least in terms of how business is done. You might, for instance, have had to adjust to working from home and been surprised at how efficiently you can achieve your daily tasks; or, less positively, you might have lost your job. If 2020 has had you seriously considering where to go next in your career, you may be feeling stuck in a rut with no way out. To help you out a bit and give you a few ideas, here are six ways you can reset your career.

1. Go For a Promotion

You might be finding that, although you enjoy your job and are comfortable in carrying it out, it is nevertheless no longer challenging you as much as it used to, perhaps even to the point of boring you. This might be a sign that your current job has become too easy for you, in which case you might like to consider going for a promotion. There are, however, several things you should consider before going for promotion. For instance, you could arrange an appointment to speak to a person in that role to learn more about what exactly their position entails and what qualities recruiters are looking for. They might even be able to point you in the direction of any further training that is required for the role.

2. Pursue Further Training For Career Development

Continuous learning throughout your life is [Read more…] about 6 Ways You Can Reset Your Career

3 Top Tips for Climbing the HR Career Ladder

October 26, 2020 by Tim McMahon

When we think of HR or Human Resources we usually think of the gatekeepers to getting the job that we want. But… what if you want to get a job as a gatekeeper?

Pursuing a successful career in human resources is a challenging task, there’s no denying that. If you want to increase your chances of reaching the top of this particular career ladder, it’s essential that you put the advice laid out below into practice.

Here are three tips for climbing the HR career ladder:

Attain a Good Education

If you want to stand out from the crowd in your talent pool, you need to go above and beyond to showcase your industry expertise. The best way to do this is to attain a high level of education in your field. Most of your contemporaries will have been awarded bachelor’s degrees in either business management, economics, finance, or psychology. To showcase the fact that you are a more attractive job candidate than them, you could get yourself a B.S or better yet a Master of Science degree specifically in the HR field.

If you can’t afford to put your career on pause in order to go back to university you can enroll in an online course like Touro University MS in Human Resource Management, you will have the opportunity to study whenever, wherever, and however you like. This curriculum is taught 100% online, which means that you won’t have to worry about it disrupting your day-to-day working schedule. Once you graduate, you will be ready to take on a variety of leadership roles in the field of HR, including labor relations management.

Take Advantage of Social Media

Thanks to the rise of [Read more…] about 3 Top Tips for Climbing the HR Career Ladder

Broaden Your Horizons and Expand Your Success

October 16, 2020 by Tim McMahon

At the height of the pandemic over 23 million jobs were lost in the U.S. Consequently, the pandemic left many people at a crossroads in their lives. If you are among them and have lost your job, you may be having to make major decisions in your life.

Should you wait in case your previous job becomes available again? Or is this an opportunity to take a new direction in life, broaden your horizons and learn new skills?

Why not take a minute to stop and see how you can broaden your horizons and accomplish much more than you realized by reading our in-depth article.

Start A Blog

Do you have marketable skills? Regardless of the answer in your mind right now, the answer is yes!

Whether you have trained as an industry professional or worked behind a desk for 10 years, you have likely picked up hard or soft skills that other people can benefit from. [Read more…] about Broaden Your Horizons and Expand Your Success

Is Being a Call Center Agent Right For You?: The Pros and Cons to Consider

September 17, 2020 by Tim McMahon

Trying to look for a job after graduating? Or maybe you’re considering a different line of work after leaving the previous one. Either way, you might want to consider the idea of working as a call center agent.

If you have a mix of skills in both communication and problem solving, this is a job you might consider. You also learn new things, such as new skill sets in addition to a salary and benefits. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, customer service representative jobs are set to grow by about 36% up to the year 2026.

Call Centers: An Overview

Before we look at the pros and cons of being a call center agent, let’s talk about what call centers are. A call center is an office that receives customer phone calls. Here, agents receive these calls to assist customers with their inquiries and help resolve issues.

The duties of a call center agent vary depending on the company’s line of business. This ranges from technical support to customer support. Some also have options in order entry in case the line of business leans towards retail.

Call center jobs fall under two variants. The first is under a parent business which comes with brand familiarity and other features. While the second comes from a third-party provider, which has the edge of efficiency.

Before going out to apply as a call center agent, check your call center variant. Knowing what you’re getting into will help you prepare for your call center agent duties.

https://youtu.be/Nmkv-4tGlC4?t=144

The Pros of Being a Call Center Agent

Now that we know what call centers are, let’s take a look at the upsides and downsides in working one. These pieces of information can help you decide if this is the right line of work for your career. Being a call center agent has interesting perks that you can take advantage of.

Here are some of these advantages.

Schedule Flexibility

The good thing about working as a call center agent is the flexible scheduling they offer to agents. In this case, they can help you set your work schedule with your personal commitments in mind.

More Options for Workplace

With recent developments, call centers also offer work-from-home options. This gives you the option to choose whether you wish to work on the main production floor. Or you can choose to work remotely in your home office, in case the location is too far.

Matters about schedule flexibility and work-from-home vary from each call center. Inquire about them first.

Specialized Knowledge Base

Another advantage available is the learning opportunities you get during the training period. You learn more about the specific details of the company’s business and how you can use your problem-solving skills to help customers.

It becomes a time of discovery with amazing programs. You gain exposure to many different seminars and workshops such as BDC training.

Honing Communication Skills

You also sharpen your communication skills when working in a call center. You get to see how soft skills can do much in bringing customer satisfaction similar to hard skills. It also helps with bolstering your self-confidence.

Pay Grade and Benefits

Call center work becomes an attractive choice as your first job or your next because of this. It comes with a set salary and several benefits (such as health insurance). If you do well, you also get to enjoy several performance bonuses.

The Cons of Being a Call Center Agent

As much as you see the advantages, you also have downsides when you work in a call center. These may come as small hurdles that you may come across, or as deal-breakers. But if you have the grit and intent, this could help you prepare and plan ahead.

Let us now look at the disadvantages.

Unpredictable Stress and Work Hours

With being a call center agent, the task of taking calls can come as a two-edged sword. The customers that you encounter on the other line vary in disposition and stress level. In this case, you can get a mild-mannered customer on one call and an irate customer on the next.

Then you also have those times when calls can stretch longer when the issues happen to be far more challenging. When this happens, you may find yourself going beyond your work schedule while resolving that call. It becomes a source of stress and it can be as draining as it can get.

Sedentary Position

Imagine working long hours sitting down, taking calls, and working out customer concerns. This becomes a situation that you encounter for the rest of your stay in a call center. It can pose health concerns if you remain in that seated position for a good eight hours or more.

This can affect your body due to a lack of exercise and other factors. Keep this in mind and work around these health concerns. You may need to get up from your chair and walk a bit. You might also need water for hydration and your voice.

High Turnover

Call center work is a challenging one, especially when it comes to employee turnover rates. Call centers have high employee turnover rates. This comes from factors such as seasonal ramp-ups or other circumstances for the agents.

Because of this, you will also encounter unstable teams and their dynamics. Possible to address, but it can pose a challenge to you and your team leader.

Ready to Be A Call Center Agent?

Being a call center agent has its fair share of ups and downs. But like every other career and industry field, your direction and growth can start here. All you need is motivation and perseverance.

But why stop here? If you’re looking for more employment tips and guides, we invite you to keep reading our other posts today!

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4 Tests And Examinations You Need to Pass Before Becoming a Trucker

June 22, 2020 by Tim McMahon

Being a truck driver can be a rewarding experience. You have a chance to travel and make a good income. However, there are several tests that you will need to take before you become a truck driver.

Department of Transportation Exam

In order for you to be a truck driver, you will have to be healthy. That is why you will be required to take a DOT certified physical exam before you become a truck driver. The exam will consist of a hearing test, vision test, blood pressure check, pulse check, and general physical assessment. If the doctor finds any problems during the exam, then they will document it in your records. Keep in mind that a medical problem may not necessarily bar you from becoming a truck driver. However, you will have to get the proper treatment.

Commercial Driving Permit

Most people know that you are required to have a commercial driver’s license before they become a truck driver. However, you will have to get your commercial learner’s permit before you get your commercial driver’s license. You need to have a current driver’s license. You will have to pay a fee and pass a basic skills test.

Written Test

You will need to be [Read more…] about 4 Tests And Examinations You Need to Pass Before Becoming a Trucker

Are You Considering a Career as a Police Officer?

October 28, 2019 by Guest Contributor

What to Do Before Becoming a Police Officer

Working as a police officer can be a highly rewarding career that involves making a very hands-on contribution to the community. Yet, like any line of work, it carries its own set of unique challenges that need to be overcome, including confronting difficult characters, working long shifts, spending tedious hours filing paperwork, and facing plenty of competition from fellow colleagues.

With all that in mind, here are some steps that should be taken before embarking on a career in the police force to ensure that you are fully prepared for the challenges ahead.

Get the right training

It is essential that you are fully qualified, including understanding the law inside out, before becoming an officer with the police. When you are out on the field, you will need to be aware of your own rights, as well as those of the people you will be stopping, to avoid getting into difficulties further down the line.

Although there are [Read more…] about Are You Considering a Career as a Police Officer?