Career Review

Degree Journal offers in-depth information on careers and education. We also offer insight on how you can start on a new career path - and the education you need to do it!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Increase Your Earnings with a Degree

Want to increase your earnings? Thinking of getting a degree to advance your career? People serious about achieving those goals used to have to quit their jobs and go back to school to get ahead, but not anymore.

According to the Sloan Consortium, an organization created to help learning organizations continually improve the quality, scale, and breadth of their online programs, two-thirds of all schools offering face-to-face courses now offer online courses as well. Last year alone, nearly two million students enrolled in one or more of them. The areas with the most penetration are business and computer sciences. The popularity of online degrees keep growing and many employers recognize and accept these degrees; hence, today, it a good time for your to get your degree online for your career advancement.

If you are considering joining the ranks of online scholars in the near future, the first thing you will need to do is pick a university which offer the online degree program of your choice. The most important thing to consider when select an online university is the university must be accredited by an accreditation agency which is recognized by the U.S Department of Education. When an online university is accredited, it means that it has passed or surpassed a set of nationally recognized standards for its teaching process. Many employers are more opt to hire graduate from an accredited online university.

Let review 3 of top online universities which famous and well recognized in employment market:

1. University Of Phoenix Online
The University of Phoenix Online is the most widely recognized online university in the world and among the best in reputation in job market. Most students attend the university to improve their job prospects, many graduates from this university report a better experience in the job market. University of Phoenix Online offers a wide range of online degree programs covers from business, law and medical fields. It will be a good option for career advancement seeker.

2. Capella University
Capella University is widely regarded as the most technologically advanced of all online universities. It has the most advanced online teaching and learning system, which make the online learning experience more rewarding. Another advantage of Capella is the formation of an alumni network on online education world. This is a real benefit to the thousands of annual graduates who many of which, through the alumni network, find older graduates ready to offer a leg-up in the employment world. If you are looking for good post-graduate job opportunities, Capella University should be your right option.

3. DeVry University
DeVry University is one of the oldest universities with over 70 physical locations, their online student have the unique opportunity to choose to take courses online or opt to take some in live physical classrooms. On that same vein, because the university has so many physical locations, the school is uniquely able to provide many students with employment as they proceed through their education.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Harvard

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Winning Nobel Prize Increases Lifespan by Two Years

Winning the Nobel Prize quite literally gives scientists a new lease of life. New research at the University of Warwick in central England shows that scientists who have won the prize for their work in chemistry and physics not only get cash and kudos but they live two years longer than colleagues who have only been nominated.

"Status seems to work a kind of health-giving magic. Once we do the statistical corrections, walking across that platform in Stockholm apparently adds about two years to a scientist's lifespan," Professor Andrew Oswald said.

"How status does this, we just don't know."

Oswald and government economist Matthew Rablen compared the lifespan of 524 scientists who had been nominated for the prize between 1901 and 1950, including 135 who had won it.

The average lifespan in the group was 76 years but winners lived on average 1.4 years longer than nominees. The gap widened another two-thirds of a year when winners and losers from the same country were compared, according to the study.

The amount of prize money given to winners has changed since Alfred Nobel established the Nobel Prize which was first awarded in 1901. But Oswald said the amount of prize money did not have an impact on lifespan, nor did being nominated more than once.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Overrated Careers

Many people look at the New Year as a time to make a career change. Whether you are looking at a new career for higher pay, or simply for job satisfaction, be aware that things arent always as they look.

It looks glamorous on TV. Or you've got an uncle who does it and seems to like it. Or you heard you could earn a lot of money at it, without much extra training. People pick careers for a lot of reasons–including some bad ones.

So in addition to identifying the Best Careers for 2007, U.S. News has also highlighted 10 occupations with a mystique that exceeds reality. This list is purely subjective, and, indeed, many people are happy in those careers. But these conclusions derive from more than 2,500 confidential counseling sessions I've conducted with real-world professionals over two decades as a career coach.

Attorneys and advertising executives, for example, often find their work is more tedious than outsiders would guess. People enter other careers, such as teacher or nonprofit manager, to make a difference, only to encounter frustrating roadblocks at every turn. And most chefs and small-business owners will find that it's way more difficult than they imagined to achieve the storied success of others, which lured them to the job in the first place.

Overrated Careers:
Advertising Executive
Attorney
Chef
Chiropractor
Nonprofit Manager
Police Officer
Psychologist
Real Estate Agent
Small Business Owner

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Forestry Career

Today's celebrities are always discussing the environment and what we can do to save it. There are many interesting career options available to those of you who wish to have an eco-friendly career - say a career in the Forest Service?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest employer of forestry personnel is state and federal government. However, the government is not the only source for forestry employment.

The forest products industry is a very large employer and routinely hires foresters, forestry technicians and forestry workers throughout the United States and Canada. They usually hire foresters to work on company lands or to purchase wood for their mills.

There are also forestry consultants. I got my first start in forestry as an employee of a large consulting forestry firm who generally works for anyone needing forestry assistance. They do it all, either for a flat fee or a percentage of the sale of timber.

A professional forester has a minimum of a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in forestry. This degree has to be earned at an accredited forestry school and is usually a minimum entry-level requirement for becoming either a registered or licensed forester in many states, or to become a Certified Forester by the Society of American Foresters (SAF). Foresters are being trained and hired all over the world. Much of what a forester learns is in addition to formal training (see more on what a forester needs to know ).

Foresters spend considerable time outdoors the first years of their careers. Typical entry-level responsibilities might include measuring and grading trees, evaluating insect outbreaks, conducting land surveys, working in an urban park, evaluating water quality, fighting wildfires, managing prescribed fires, laying out a road system, planting seedlings, and plan recreational use of forestlands.

Many foresters manage forested property or purchase timber from timbered lands. An industrial forester may procure timber from private landowners. Doing this entails contacting local forest owners, quantifying the inventory, and appraising the timber's worth.

A forester may have to deal with loggers, aid in road layout, and make sure the work meets landowner requirements. He also must deal with state and federal environmental specifications to qualify for types of cost-share practices or maintain appropriate site quality.

Foresters who work for state and federal governments manage public forests and parks and also work with private landowners to protect and manage forest land outside of the public domain. They may also design campgrounds and recreational areas. A consulting forester hangs up his own shingle and privately assists people and organizations that need forestry help

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Fast Growing Occupations

The U.S. Department of Labor projected which industries and occupations will experience the most growth from now until 2008. Areas set to experience the biggest boom include computer technology, health services and social services. Here's a tour of some of the hottest fields:

1. Computer and Data Processing ServicesFrom computer engineers to support specialists and systems analysts to database administrators, if it has to do with computers, it's hot. Employment is expected to grow 117 percent by 2008, according to the Career Guide to Industries.

2. Health ServicesHealth care is booming. Opportunities abound for medical and physicians assistants.

3. Residential Care for the ElderlyAs the senior population increases, so does the demand for in-house caregivers. Nursing facilities, hospices, adult day cares, personal homes and assisted living facilities are all in need of extra staff.

4. Legal AssistantsParalegals and legal assistants are in great demand as they perform many tasks formerly done by lawyers, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

5. Temporary Personnel ServicesDemand continues to grow for skilled and unskilled workers and specialists willing to work on a short-term basis.

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Popular Environmental Careers

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATORS AND EDUCATORS
In recent years, the nation has seen a noticeable shift in environmental problem solving, away from a preference for secrecy, adversarial relationships, and litigation, and toward greater openness and a search for common ground. Regulators depend on education as much as they do on enforcement. Non-profit leaders meet with corporate executives. "Right-To-Know" laws require polluters to make available information that would have been carefully guarded just a few years ago. And institutions of all stripes seek to influence the hearts and minds of the general public.

The freer flow of information, and the desire for more voluntary actions, creates opportunities for communicators and educators who can help translate scientific and technical issues for the general public, and for those who can create venues (e.g., meetings, conferences, public hearings, and community gathering) for an open exchange of opinions. Progressive land developers, for instance, now engage local governments and community residents in open dialogue long before approaching formal boards for permit approvals.

Simultaneously, the rapid growth in environmental information creates a pressing need for professionals to stay up-to-date. Continuing education is critical for success, and this has created opportunities for educators who provide rapidly changing seminars, workshops, short courses, safety trainings, and other learning opportunities.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Carrers in Finance

Interested in a job in finance? Employment in theis area is projected to grow 10.5 percent over the 2004-14 period. Real estate and rental and leasing is expected to grow by 16,9 percent and add 353,000 jobs by 2014. Growth will be due, in part, to increased demand for housing as the population grows. The fastest growing industry in the financial activities supersector will be activities related to real estate, which will grow by 32.1 percent, reflecting the housing boom that persists throughout most of the Nation.

Finance and insurance is expected to increase by 496,000 jobs, or 8.3 percent, by 2014. Employment in securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities is expected to grow 15.8 percent by 2014, reflecting the increased number of baby boomers in their peak savings years, the growth of tax-favorable retirement plans, and the globalization of the securities markets. Employment in credit intermediation and related services, including banks, will grow by 5.4 percent and add about one-third of all new jobs within finance and insurance. Insurance carriers and related activities is expected to grow by 9.5 percent and add 215,000 new jobs by 2014. The number of jobs within agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities is expected to grow about 19.4 percent, as many insurance carriers downsize their sales staffs and as agents set up their own businesses.