Archive for July, 2010

Changing Careers Made Easy

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Are you finally ready to move on with your life? While it may sometimes feel like you are the only one in the world trying to change your plans, the average jobseeker actually changes careers seven times during his or her lifetime. That’s good news because at least you know that other people have successfully made career changes.

So what are the options for successfully making the transition?

Option 1: This option is to stay at your current job while you carry out volunteer work to gain the appropriate work experience. You may have to do such work on weekends, during the evenings or from home by special arrangement. Most small businesses do welcome those who can do volunteer work.

Option 2: Another option is to move to the new company and field and continue doing your normal job role. In doing so, you can carry out work that you feel comfortable with while taking stock of the new environment. This will give you valuable exposure to the new job so that you can informally initiate and be proactive at assisting and helping out in any capacity within that job role.

Option 3: In some professions, it is impossible to successfully make the transition without first re-training. This often involves acquiring professional qualifications. Never dive into the first training option that comes your way but rather do thorough research to ensure that you end up selecting the very best option available to you.

Option 4: According to our research, many career changers have decided to forgo working only one job in favor of taking on multiple jobs. You may want to consider whether you want to be part of this growing trend and increase both the pay and flexibility of your lifestyle.

Working Through Your Options: Selecting an appropriate option or options boils down to what kind of career change you are after and the level of flexibility provided by that industry. It is critical, therefore, to research and weigh what option will best serve your purpose by realistically evaluating your personal, social and financial commitments. You may discover in the process that, for instance, the fastest option is not the best suited to you due to certain obligations; you may need to pace or stagger the transition. Be realistic and set sensible goals that will not frustrate your career change efforts.

The bottom line is this: no matter what your circumstances and commitments, you can achieve your career change goal. Just be patient: it may take a little bit longer than you may have anticipated. To keep things moving as efficiently as they can, start acquiring the skills you need to begin working on your career change today. To test how good your current job market skills are, start by taking this FREE Job Market Performance Assessment.

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Information Technology Skills Are Still In Demand…

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Even with the recent decline in technology stocks and the demise of some Internet companies, Information Technology (IT) remains one of the fastest growing fields today, according to the US Department of Labor. Technology trade magazines such as Information Week and Computerworld have consistently reported (January through March issues respectively) that the economic downturn will probably not impede the number of high-tech projects - or the amount of employees needed to them get them done. However, many companies have indicated that the slowdown may delay previously planned hardware and software purchases. Additionally, while some companies report that they are not currently hiring, most are suggesting plans to increase outsourcing of many IT functions such as: applications development, quality assurance testing, site management and maintenance, Internet security, and tech support, to contractors providing these services. These outsourcing businesses will likely hire more professionals to accommodate this influx of business. Employers are also concerned that there are not enough potential employees as demand for IT talent - particularly those skilled in Internet, e-commerce and networking - continues to exceed supply. Some analysts are predicting that labor shortages will continue for the next decade. Also, it is estimated that by 2008, the US high-tech industry will have created an additional 5 million jobs, partially reflecting the Internet’s appearance as a mainstream technology (SI Review, MarchApril 2001). As the number of positions goes up, competition for these skilled workers will intensify. With a major drive to implement Web-enabled CRM programs and applications tied to data warehouses and customer tools, many companies are already seeking candidates with IT experience. These include developers and programmers with experience in Java, Java Servlets, Java Beans, Novell NetWare, Lotus Notes, Linux, Cisco, Adobe, JavaScript, XML, HTML, and DHTML. With new web-based projects being encouraged by top management and project deadlines nearing, companies need to hire skilled workers. IT may be the most important factor for long-term career success

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Video Game Design Careers Are Hot Due To Exploding Game Sales

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Video game sales are booming around the world. According to The NPD Group, a market research organization that tracks computer and video game sales, sales of video games and equipment for the games rose 31percent in July 2007, when compared to sales in July 2006.  In June of 2007 sales for video games were £1.1 billion in the US alone, representing a dramatic 35 percent increase from the previous month. NPD revealed that video game sales in Canada were £498 million in July 2007, a 61 percent rise over the same time the previous year. These statistics show that a career in video game design is hot right now. The market is exploding, and so are career options in the field.

A degree in video game design can literally help you shape whole worlds, worlds in which avid gamers will enjoy spending many hours in. Gamers love their games, and being able to create video game realms that appeal to this market is very rewarding. Top games have hordes of fans who discuss the games, create artwork in appreciation of their favorite games and even write about their favorite characters. By pursuing a career in this exciting field, you may literally not only be creating an entertainment product, but you may be changing someone’s life.

A video game design degree is also very exciting to pursue. As part of your degree, you will learn to create characters, build story lines, make entire virtual worlds, and much more. You will learn how to design games that gamers will adore and you will learn how to animate entire worlds of characters so that they look as realistic as possible. With today’s technology, there has never been a more exciting time to enter this field. The graphics are so advanced that only your own imagination is the limit for what you can create.

As you pursue your video game design degree, you will also learn about artistic design, project management, 3D modeling, and game content development. You will learn how to create digital content for your games. If you attend a quality school while pursuing your degree you will also get plenty of hands-on experience and help in developing your portfolio. That way, by the time you graduate you will not only have the skills and industry knowledge you need to land a great job, but you will have a portfolio to show prospective employers.

If you have always been creative and have loved creating art, now is a very exciting time to pursue a career in your field. Thanks to hot video game design jobs, you don’t have to be a starving artist. You can pursue your passion for art while landing excellent jobs. With systems such as PlayStation 2, Wii and Xbox generating plenty of media attention as well as many loyal customers, companies are on the lookout for hot new games for their systems. This means that there is a real need for talented and creative designers right now.

If you love games or love art and want to create entire virtual worlds, a career in video game design may be for you. There is a current demand for talented designers, so entering the field is easy if you have a good degree and a good portfolio. Enroll in a degree program that teaches you to build characters, stories, and worlds and learn the skills necessary for animation and you will have the knowledge you need for a great career. Pursue a degree with hands-on experience and portfolio building, and you will leave school prepared to attract employers to your skill.

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Why Should I Consider A Career In Seo?

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

Corporate entities are no longer confined in bricks and mortar. They are spreading their tentacles in the virtual world. Businesses are going online. They are building websites, allowing netizens to shop online, aggressively marketing their products on the net and harnessing the power of the Internet to build up leads for their products and services.

The corporate world has also become aware that only ‘Building a Site’ will not help in drawing prospective customers. Sites as well as brands have to be pushed aggressively, marketed properly and above all ensure that they are able to garner the attention of search engines. This has meant that an increasing number of corporate houses are looking out for trained Internet Marketing Professionals who are aware of the intricacies of search engine optimization.

But, finding such professionals is proving to be a daunting task for recruiters. This is because there are very few institutes offering SEO training and certification. Also, most of the available talent has not received proper training per se but are self-taught professionals.  The above-mentioned facts are also supported by experts who state that the industry supply is lagging the demand by 20%.

Robert Half International, world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm, cites the job profile of Search Engine Optimizer as ‘one of four jobs on cutting edge’. So, should you consider doing a career in Search Engine Optimization?

Let’s look at the work profile of a search engine optimizer. MSN Careers states that ‘SEOs typically supplement their knowledge of how various search engines operate and determine page rankings with strong marketing skills, as well as the ability to communicate effectively and program using HTML.’ Thus, SEO comprises all the aspects relevant to building of a website right from its development to the content and designing.

SEO is a sunrise industry. Reports are showing that the spending on SEO as well as online marketing is growing. According to survey conducted by Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), ‘North American advertisers spent £9.4 billion on search engine marketing (SEM) in 2006, a 62 percent increase over 2005 spending’. Similarly, a survey conducted by Affinity Internet reveals that ‘SMBs will commit greater resources to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) marketing and other online efforts in 2007.’  A study conducted by E-consultancy paints a rosy picture about the future of SEO. The study takes into the account the mindset of business houses located in the UK. According to the study, ‘Continued pay-per-click growth and keyword inflation have boosted companies’ spending on SEM, with an emerging trend towards the long-term benefits of organic optimization as AdwordsOverture costs soar’.

All the above reports point to the fact that the spending on SEO and online marketing is growing. The reports also indirectly underline the fact that the demand for SEO professionals is all set to increase in the near future.

Look at any leading job site. You will notice that there are many openings for SEO. For instance, Yahoo Hotjobs had approximately 214 openings for the month of May 2007 in US alone. Moreover, the jobs available require people with a varying level of experience. So, whether you are a fresher or possess some experience, you are sure of landing a job provided you are equipped with employer-desired skill set and qualifications. Likewise, the pay packet is also good. A fresher can expect to earn between £ 25K-£ 35K which only increases with experience. In fact, according to MSN careers, ‘because of a shortage of experts in this relatively new area, many top SEOs receive multiple job offers.’

The fact that the rules of SEO remain same and are immune to geographical locations only increases your chances of getting a job. For instance, if you have received your training from an institute located in India and have worked in a company located in UK, you are still eligible to apply for a job in US.

SEO industry has many interesting careers up for grabs. Equipped with a right kind of certifications and good knowledge about search engines, you can expect to land a challenging and a well-rewarding career.

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