Free Career Planning Ideas

WELCOME!

I am excited to be here and glad to see you here too!

We have a lot of great modifications in store for ZCareer.com. I am updating the site with new information, advice and ideas for anyone who is looking for help with the next phase of their life.

Changes occur everyday and we need to be prepared to take them on. If we do not have the knowledge to make the right decisions or choices we may end up hurting ourselves instead of helping ourselves. Sometimes doing nothing is the right decision too.

Zcareer.com offers some good advice weather you are just graduating high school, just completing your college degree, returning back to work or looking for a new job and the best career choice of all, retirement. All of these choices need to be thought out before taking action. We often look before we leap without finding out what is REALLY involved in that choice. 

 The page Free Career Planning Resources is a must read if you’re looking for free ways to advance your career. If it’s college or types of college degrees your interested in, we have that too. I am currently in the process of adding articles and information about college or work internships. These are great ways to get a “feel” for the job or career you are thinking about. Retirement information is coming soon. This is a major career choice that we often don’t think of in that sense.  Lots of new fun ideas to make your life the best it can be.

Thanks for visiting! Be sure to return for new information that is bound to help you spring forward in all your future endeavors.

~Look to the future; that’s where you’ll be spending the rest of your life.~

~Cynthia~

Weekly News: 3/10 - 3/14

Thanks for stopping by for another edition of the colleges, degrees, and careers weekly news. Here’s the news for this week:

Why You Should Care About the Recession

Written by a current college student, Why You Should Care About the Recession talks about how the current U.S. economy is affecting the job prospects of soon-to-be graduating students, as well as making it more difficult to pay for their educations. Most people in the United States have been affected by the downturn in the economy to one degree or another, whether it has cost you your job or just made the trip to the grocery store or gas station more costly then it once was. This article is just one more look at how people are having to deal with financial difficulties in today’s world.

New College Graduates to Find a Strong Job Market

Seeming to take the exact opposite stance from that presented in the previous article, New College Graduates to Find a Strong Job Market suggests that students that will be graduating college in the near future will actually find obtaining a job easier then they have in the past. This article attributes this to the fact that, as the baby boomer generation continues to reach retirement age, employers will be looking to fill the holes left by them with newly-trained, talented college graduates, especially in such career fields as marketing, engineering, and computer science. This is a much more optimistic view for current college students then that presented by many from across the web.

When the Job Doesn’t Meet Expectations

Many people have been in a situation like this: you finally find a job but, when you start working, you find that it is nothing like what you expected. In some cases, this is simply because you didn’t do your research into what the job was to entail before accepting employment. But, in other cases, it’s because your employer didn’t make it clear as to what they expected or simply decided to have you do tasks other than those you agreed to when you accepted the job. Whatever the facts behind problem, you must now deal with the situation you find yourself in. In this article, “When the Job Doesn’t Meet Expectations,” the author offers advice about what do to do to help correct the difficulties you might experience when you’re the job you get doesn’t match up with what you applied for.

Escaping from the Career Cul-de-sac

When people imagine climbing the corporate ladder of success, they like to think of it as a straight line. You start low down on the company totem-pole and work your way up to the top. More often than not, this is not the case. There are many ups and downs, turns and bumps, in the road to success. Sometimes, you may even find yourself stuck in a place with no apparent means to progress further. In the article, Escaping from the Career Cul-de-sac, the author interviews a particularly successful businessman who relates his own experience in climbing to the top of his career as well as offering some advice on how others can follow his example.

Weekly News: 3/3 - 3/7

Welcome to another edition of the colleges, degrees, and careers weekly news. You can find this week’s post here:

College, Degree, and Career Weekly News

Weekly News: 2/25 - 2/29

Welcome to this edition of the colleges, degrees, and careers weekly news. Here’s this weeks articles from around the web:

High School Degree Only a Check-Point on Journey

In this article, High School Degree Only a Check-Point on Journey, the author points out the fact that, in today’s age, even jobs such as manufacturing are requiring more education than a simple High School Degree. It’s now more important then ever to plan on receiving more education and training after completing high school to succeed in your life and career of choice. One problem we face, however, is that even with 50 percent of college students attending community colleges nationwide, fewer than 40 percent of them end up earning any type of degree within six years. It’s important to figure out why this is, and what can be done to help correct this major drop-out issue, in order to ensure that people entering the workforce will be properly trained for the jobs they want to pursue.

I’m Educated and Can’t Get Know Job!

In “I’m Educated and Can’t Get Know Job,” the writer of The True Facts blog posts a letter he received asking for advice about a problem this individual was facing in finding a job after graduating college with a degree in “Socialalogy,” as the person in question referred to it. It is obvious from the letter that this person has some serious issues in preparing written documents and has unreasonably high expectations about what an entry-level job is going to offer, especially in terms of salary. Though the letter seems almost like a mock letter trying to stress the point of proper writing techniques, the blog administrator points out that, as far as he can tell, the letter is legitimate. He even got in contact with the author of the letter via a telephone call to try and help him out. So, while this article can be taken as a simple example of what NOT to do when looking for a job, the blog owner also offers to pass on any advice offered by readers to the author of the letter, in the hopes of helping him have a better chance to “fine a job.”

Career Advice: Q&A with a Real Respiratory Therapist!

The various professions in the medical field are always going to be around. Everyone gets sick…there are always going to be accidents…and doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are always going to be needed. In the article “Career Advice: Q&A with a Real Respiratory Therapist,” a professional Respiratory Therapist posts answers to a series of questions asked by someone looking into the various healthcare-related careers available to them. As is almost always the case, getting first-hand advice and information from someone in a particular career field is a great way to learn about that particular job, what it entails, and all the other little details you can only really learn by doing. It might be of interest to you to see what exactly a Respiratory Therapist does, whether you are considering a career in a healthcare field or if you just want to know a little about how another job works.

Is Your Career Hurting Your Earning Potential?

In “Is Your Career Hurting Your Earning Potential,” an interesting fact is brought to light. Even highly paid, successful business people may not have as much disposible income as one might expect. In this case, a friend of the author got in contact with her to see if she could help him figure out what he was doing wrong in managing his finances. He is well paid, lives in an area with an average cost of living, yet he’s not able to save up money to purchase the things he wants. As it is discovered when the two of them go through his expenses, it becomes obvious that, although he is a big-wig in his company and earns a six-figure income, the appearance he is forced to keep up to make his company look good is actually costing him much of his income. From buying well-made suits and keeping them clean to traveling around and entertaining clients, he ends up with very little money left over to spend on himself, mainly because his company opted to pay a higher salary but not reimburse for many business expenses. This article raises an interesting point about how some of the non-expected expenses of a job, especially those in which appearance is essential to maintaining a proper atmoshpere around clients, can actually hurt a persons earning potential. Reading this article might just give you a better understanding, and sympathy, for those in the upper-tiers of companies.

Well, that’s the news for this week. Be sure to check in next week for the next edition. Thanks for stopping by.

Four New Pages

Below are three new sites that provide a variety of information:

Homeis.net - This site is set up to give information on many topics dealing with Home, Home Improvement, and Family. While it is a new site, you can already find some articles on it here.

Outerframe - This site deals with more subjects then Homeis.net. On it, you will find articles on many different topics, including home improvement, family, and outdoor living. You can find articles that have already been added to this site here.

All Home Square - Much like Homeis.net, this site deals primarily with home-related topics, such as home improvement, family, and do-it-yourself projects. You will find the articles that have already been included on this site here.

Dynopages - Unlike the other sites mentioned above, this site’s primary focus is on topics related to business, careers, and higher education. Articles that have already been added to this new site can be found on the article page here.

Weekly News: 2/18 - 2/22

Thanks for stopping by to check out this weeks career, college, and degree news. This week’s news post can be found here:

College, Degree, and Career Weekly News

Weekly News: 2/11 - 2/15

Welcome to another weekly news update. Here’s this weeks news:

Community Colleges Meet Changing Workforce Needs

In the past, community colleges were, more often than not, considered to be simple stepping-stones on the path to a four-year college. Recently, however, things have begun to change. As discussed in this article, Community Colleges Meet Changing Workforce Needs, community colleges are becoming educational institutions in their own right. Whether you find yourself in need of more specialized training for your current job as technology progresses and changes, or you simply want to obtain an Associate’s Degree, or even a Bachelor’s Degree in some cases, for a specific field, then community colleges can serve your needs. Their lower costs and time requirements in comparison to four-year colleges offer a new and useful alternative that you can now consider.

Why You? Why this Job?

Whenever you consider applying for a job, you should be sure to ask yourself these questions. It might be tempting to apply to any job that seems even remotely interesting to you, but what if you actually get the job? Do you really want to work in that field? Would you actually be an asset to your employer? These are just some of the issues covered in the article “Why You? Why this Job?” By using the advice offered, you’ll be more likely to find a job that you actually want to do and, once found, be more informed on how to go about making yourself a good candidate for employment. If you are currently looking for a new job, or just want to be prepared in-case you need to, or want to, in the future, be sure to read over this article first and consider the advice given.

Best Careers 2008

While not technically an article that gives advice, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Careers 2008 study still has some interesting facts for anyone currently, or soon to be, a part of the workforce. This study lists the 31 top careers of 2008 based on the professions future outlook and it’s job satisfaction rate. Also on this page are links to information about a dozen cutting-edge careers that are both currently in demand and have high potential for future growth along with thirteen careers that tend to have downsides not generally anticipated by job-seekers. Whether you are currently looking for a job yourself or just want to see what people have to say about various other professions, this page is definitely worth your time to look over.

That’s it for this week’s news on colleges, degrees, and careers. See you again next week.

Weekly News: 2/4 - 2/8

Here is the news update for this week:

Improving Marketable Job Skills: Learning How to Enchance Marketability to Reach Career Goals

As the unemployment rate continues to rise, it’s more important than ever to make sure you have marketable job skills to compete with all the other job seekers out there. While there are many ways you can improve your skills, it is often a daunting tast to consider. How do you start? What exactly should you do? In the article, Improving Marketable Job Skills: Learning How to Enhance Marketability to Reach Career Goals, you can discover several key steps to help you begin your journey of self-improvement.

Courting Your Career: Put Dating Advice to Work for You

In Courting Your Career: Put Dating Advice to Work for You, job advice is offered by two professionals in a very unique and interesting way. Since Valentine’s Day is less than a week away, they decided to give job seekers a ten-part list of things to do to help them get the job they want…in a way that is similar to how a person goes about trying to get a date. As those who read this article will find out, getting a job and getting a date actually involve many of the same skills and tricks. Whether you are actively searching for a job, or just want to pick up some job seeking (or date seeking) pointers, you’re sure to find this article an interesting read.

Resume Advice for the Over-50 Crowd

In the job market today, electronic and computer know-how are the key to many careers. Even in companies or positions where such exposure is minimal, in general, resumes have evolved from the traditional, old-fashioned paper models to newer, electronic versions. This can cause problems for many people who are looking for a new job, especially older individuals, some of whom haven’t had to write a resume since computers emerged as a mainstream force in the world.

The tips offered in the article, Rusume Advice for the Over-50 Crowd, is geared toward those individuals who may not fully understand how very different the job search of today is in comparison to that of just several years ago. Though the article focuses primarily on the difficulties faced by older individuals, it offers useful advice for anyone who is looking to create a good-looking, attention-grabbing resume to help them get their “foot in the door” of the company they want to work for. If nothing else, be sure to check out the bulleted list of tips at the end of the article for some short, concise information to help you make the best resume possible.

Quit Work for a While to Have Kids: Your Career Will be Just Fine

In the past, career-oriented women had to make a hard choice when they considered having children. Would they be willing to give up their career aspirations in order to take care of the kids? Or would they be willing to have someone else watch over their children while they continued to work? Today, this dilemma is no longer as black and white as it once was. As discussed in the article, Quit Work for a While to Have Kids: Your Career Will be Just Fine, modern-day women have discovered that they can leave their jobs to raise their children and then be welcomed back into the workforce when they return.

The article covers several reasons why this is true, including such factors as newly developed social networking technology as well as the labor shortage being created as the baby-boomer generation retires. What it all boils down to, however, is the simple fact that women no longer have to choose whether to have a career or raise their children…they can now do both with ease.

I hope you found this week’s news update useful and informative. Be sure to keep checking in for the latest news in colleges, degrees, and careers. Thanks for stopping by.

Weekly News: 1/27-2/2

This is the first weekly news update for the new Zcareer College and Career Blog, where you will find regularly updated information related to colleges, degrees, and careers. Check in each week for the latest news and articles from across the web.

Well-funded schools vs. high college costs

Anyone who has had a child attend college recently, or looked into going themselves, know how high college costs have become over the last several years. The fact that many colleges have huge amounts of money from endowments doesn’t seem to be helping ease the costs of students looking to attend school, either. This seeming discrepancy has raised questions from many people, including the Senate Finance Committee, which has asked for details on the fees colleges charge as well as the financial assistance they make available to students.

In the article, Well-funded schools vs. high college costs, this issue is discussed by people on both sides of the debate. If you, or someone you know, may be affected by the high costs of a college education today, you may want to look over the information presented.

College Drop Out Rates - Who’s to Blame?

According to a 2000 U.S. Census Bureau study, one in three Americans who decide to attend college will end up dropping out before they get their degree. Students who are the first in their family to attend college, who have limited English proficiency, or are nontraditional, such as returning adult students, are at more risk of failing to obtain their degree. While there are many reasons for this, there are things that both colleges and individuals can do to help make sure students graduate.

In College Drop Out Rates - Who’s to Blame?, several of the factors that contribute to students dropping out of college are examined. Along with this are suggestions in how both educational institutions and individuals can help make sure that, once a person starts college, they are able to continue on to get their degree. Whether you are planning to attend college soon, or just have a family member or friend who will soon be going in that direction, this article is sure to give you a greater understanding of what college students face and how you can help yourself and others succeed.

As economy falters, at-risk workers should be updating their resumes: How to highlight strengths, get it read by the right people

By now, everyone knows that the U.S. economy has taken a turn for the worse. If your job may be at risk during this time of economic weakness, it might be a good idea to get your resume up-to-date and ready, just in-case. But, with the large number of people out there looking for jobs already, how can you make your resume stand out and get you noticed?

That’s where the article, As economy falters, at-risk workers should be updating their resumes: How to highlight strengths, get it read by the right people, can come in handy. In this article, John Challenger, chief executive of the Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Outplacement firm, and Kate Wendleton, president of the Five O’Clock Club (a career coaching and outplacement firm), offer useful tips on how to make your resume as good as possible and ensure you have the best chance to get whatever job you decide to pursue.

Well, that’s all the news for this week. Be sure to check in next week for the latest in college, degree, and career news. Thanks for visiting.

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