Every year, many thousands of people undertake, or think about undertaking, some form of career counseling. In fact, it could run into millions, given the number of internet searches done each month on career counseling. Reasons for that could be:

a. Starting out on a career after being a student,

b. A career change for older and mid life adults,

c. An adult in a career has been unable to progress and needs advice on jump starting their stalled career,

plus other possible reasons. But what are the advantages of having career counseling sessions?

Advantages of Career Counseling

There can be many advantages of career counseling, but much will depend on the experience, training and understanding of the counselor. If it is an in-school career counselor who does the job a few hours a month, because the head teacher tells him or her to, then the benefits could be very limited. On the other hand, if it is a professionally trained career counselor who has years of experience, then there can be the following advantages at least:

1. As in independent and experienced advisor, the counselor should be able to put your situation, personality, qualifications, experience and abilities into a broad perspective. This should help you find your own position and direction in your career.

2. A trained counselor will be expert in getting the right information out of you in a structured way. The counselor will then be able to use that information promptly, coupled with their intuitive assessment of you as as a person and your likely best career course.

3. An experienced career counselor will have a lot of knowledge and experience of various employment markets. This means the counselor will see the other side of the career coin, with which you may be unfamiliar, and this can help you a great deal. They should also have much experience on the way human resources departments and recruiters work.

4. If you are considering a career change the experience of the counselor could be invaluable, in view of the complexities, both practical and personal, of the decision you are considering.

5. Having somebody objective and assured will help to give you confidence when making a decision on your future career course.

6. The counselor may be able to offer or recommend various career coaching courses that could be of help to you.

Where to Go For Career Counseling

The growth of the career counseling business over recent years has made it much easier to find good quality career counseling services. Today, there are not just your local services that are an option, but also online career coaching and counseling services, with a wealth of information about jobs and career related subjects.

If you are still at school, college or university, then they may be able to offer you a useful service within the establishment, or point you in the right direction outside. You can also search online and find many options. There is not necessarily a need to meet face to face, although there is an advantage to having a face to face meeting, as the counselor is more likely to assess you more accurately during a personal meeting.

When choosing a career counselor, it is best to compare the experience, services and cost of several; if you can find one near you, all the better, but bear in mind that a structured approach is used by professional counselors, and much of that can be done effectively online and by telephone. It is best not to spend any money until you are comfortable with every aspect of what the counseling service offers.

Career opportunities in a country are influenced by a number of factors like social changes, globalization, science and technology and environmental changes. There are a lot of changes happening in these domains and lots of new careers emerge as a result. These changes lead to new career trends. Also, some careers are now becoming obsolete.

Let’s start by discussing about the social changes that are happening. Nuclear families are increasing. Both parents are working to enhance the standard of living and in order to meet the high cost of health and education. As a result there is a high demand for day-care specialists. Careers related to early childhood development like play-school teachers, Montessori trained teachers, etc. are in great demand for this reason. Also due to the stress levels increasing in working professionals, the need for specialists in health and fitness like psychologists, counselors, psychiatrists, yoga trainers, fitness consultants etc. is high. Recreational and leisure industry is also on a rise as people see this industry as a stress buster. This is leading to high demand for experts in the field of sports, travel and camping. People also would like to insure themselves, their belongings and plan their finances. This leads to a high demand for insurance professionals and financial planners.

Science and technology is another area that requires a mention when it comes to the career opportunities that have been created because of its influence. There is an emerging need to take care of the old as the life-span is increasing due to the advancements in the field of medicine. Geriatrics, a branch of medicine that deals with age related problems is budding. With lots of advancements happening in different fields and the pace of change being fast, the need for research professionals in every field is increasing. With a plethora of information available, the need for data-analysts, actuaries and statisticians is also escalating. As there is a need to adapt to the changing technology in the field of education, the demand for curriculum/content developers, e-learning professionals also shows an increasing trend. Pharmaceutical industry also seems to be booming.

Due to globalization, the world is becoming a smaller place. Earlier, you had to compete with the national market, but now one needs to compete internationally. It is suggested that you check the acceptability of the academic course you are pursuing in the global market. Marketing specialists and legal advisors who can help you understand the market trends or set operations internationally are in demand. Careers in engineering and information technology are also on a high as everyone needs a set-up or process to fasten their operations. The need for foreign language specialists is also mounting. As a result of globalization, career opportunities in service industry will be in great demand. The need for training professionals with international exposure will continue to be high.

Due to lot of changes in environment like global warming and replenishment of conventional sources of energy, the demand for professionals who specialize in the field of alternative sources of energy like solar and wind energies is showing a positive trend. Global warming needs to be addressed by environmental engineers, climatologists and thereby these careers are finding many takers. Waste management experts are also identifying newer ways of managing and making effective use of waste. Professionals to effectively manage scarce resources like water and coal will continue to be a need.

It is of increasing importance that you keep in mind the career trends while making a career choice. Also you can make best use of these career opportunities by anticipating and analyzing the trends and selecting the career that you are passionate about. With a plethora of changes happening around the world, you need to be highly meticulous about making the right choice.

To answer the question, what is a career survivalist, we have to move backwards in time, when species on earth started evolving. It was a time which best manifested the inherent quality of every living and breathing organism to survive all odds and the fittest of them all survived. Our careers too present a lot of volatility and demands struggle at almost every point. In such a scenario, the person who had foreseen the change and has prepared oneself accordingly, endures till things get back to normal. They are a rare breed of people and are called career survivalists.

What are they?

Perhaps the most striking feature of career survivalists is their understanding of and adaptability to change. They are the kind of people who, without relying on anyone else, carve their career completely based on their own effort. Hence whenever there is any volatile situation they know their way around and can acclimatize to the changing conditions. A career survivalist is a kind of person who is extremely skilled in whatever he/she does and instead of focusing on any single matter, concentrates on honing his/her skills in every field related to the job.

Why Are They a Rare Breed?

When you ask someone what is a career survivalist, the first and obvious answer would be that they are people who can sustain in all kinds of working conditions and are almost indispensable for any organization. There indeed are a very few of them, who work as a survivalist, in a particular position. The basic reason behind this is that it takes a lot to make ones career as a survivalist. Things like relentless efforts, always looking ahead and continuous contingency planning are some of the traits of a successful career survivalist.

Be one of them

To be one of them the first thing you have to keep in mind is that change and survival are circular processes. There’s no start or end to the process. A continuous and never ending effort is required to take yourself to that level. Always remember that there are no survivalist jobs, but survivalists on jobs. What is a career survivalist may be a difficult question to answer, what is more difficult is to be one. Always evolving, always trying, always walking the extra mile, attending every single meeting or presentation, continuously networking are just some of the ways to be like one of them.

There are a number of books, blogs and articles written which try to find out what is a career survivalist or how one can become like them. Many case studies have been published in journals which talks about their personality traits. It is noticed that they follow very basic principles of focusing on honing their skills and learning from every possible source. They don’t have any secret formula. What they have is a dedication to go to great lengths to acquire every possible knowledge that would not only keep them ahead of time bout would also make them completely indispensable.

There are still many people who don’t really have a clear understanding of what career coaching is or how to go about choosing a career coach. Let’s just say it’s not uncommon for me to get emails, social media messages, or phone calls asking me about one or the other. So…

What is career coaching exactly?

It’s championing and helping you reach your ultimate career goals and your career coach being with you on that journey.

In a coach/client relationship, you hold the agenda and they provide you with the help, support, and direction you need to achieve the goal(s) you have in mind–reaching them sooner than later when attempting to do it all on your own.

Many facets come into play and depending on what your objectives are will determine the focus of your coaching sessions. An ongoing coach/client relationship strengthens awareness of what may be holding you back or the road blocks you may be facing while at the same time helping you focus on the goals you’re targeting.

You receive help establishing realistic goals, discovering solutions to challenges you may be up against, developing action plans, establishing motivation, and building self-confidence. You take charge of your career by changing it from what it is today to something you’ve always dreamed of, being the ultimate goal.

You and your coach share that same ultimate goal creates and adds excitement during the process! The one-on-one partnering experience is an excellent way to:

receiving personalized advice, support, and guidance when making career decisions.

determining what steps to take and strategies to use.

coming up with a customized plan that will keep you on track to accomplish what you set yourself out to do.

What a career coach is not…

A counselor or therapist. A career coach helps you develop proficiencies, whereas a career counselor help clients overcome deficiencies.

Therapy often deals with a person’s history and the “why’s” of that history; coaching deals with the future and the “hows” of making the future become what the client wants it to become.

Those who are suffering from depression, anxiety, or problems that interfere with life situations should seek professional counseling. Career coaches do not tell their clients what to do with their lives.

To benefit from career coaching, you have to be willing to be coached. Meaning, you’re open to new ideas, willing to make changes, receptive to constructive criticism, and willing and ready to take action. Seeing results from your actions is what makes all your hard work and efforts worthwhile!

What will a career coach do for you?

• Challenge you, inspire you to do your best, and will be there to support you each step of the way.
• Provide you with feedback, support you when times get difficult, and will be honest and up front.
• Hold you accountable. Unlike friends, co-workers, or even spouses, a career coach will tell it like it is, not letting you get off easy when it comes to stepping up to the plate. No action, no results.

In other words, he/she serves as your personal advocate and provides you with a safe harbor during a time that is often filled with stress, doubt, and fear.

Career coaching will best serve you best if you’re…

• ready to make the commitment to achieve.
• willing to put forth effort and do the work.
• willing to let the coach do the coaching.
• willing to “try on” new concepts or different ways of doing things.
• willing to change self-defeating behaviors that limit your success.
• serious about moving forward and making changes to reach your goals.
• acting of your own free will and not at the bidding of others.

Who and how to choose…

Only you can determine and make the decision of who to choose as your coach. You know your needs best and who would be deemed as a “good fit” based on your research. There are thousands of career coaching services available nowadays. Do your homework.

Not all career coaches are created equal. Job seekers, non job seekers, and/or anyone considering to hire and invest their time and money partnering with a career coach needs to know what value true career experts bring to the table. Again, do your homework. Don’t settle for mediocre and make an informed decision.

Tips for Selecting a Career Coach

• Search for coaches who specialize in the area you’re seeking career help in (i.e., job search strategies, interviewing skills, networking skills, etc.).
• Check out their website, read their testimonials, review their service offerings and coaching process. What impression are you left with after reviewing their information-is there a connection, is what they present identify with you or speak to you enough to reach out and make a personal contact?
• You’ll find that many career coaches offer a free 15 or 30 minute consultation, which I highly recommend taking advantage of that opportunity. It gives you a chance to speak with them personally, learn more about them, how they can help you, and most importantly find out if the chemistry is there, making them a “good fit.” If your personalities clash, it’s better to find out now before committing to work together.
• If the coach claims to be certified, take the extra step to verify their certification. Unfortunately, there are some career professionals out there claiming to be certified and displaying certification logos on their website when this is not the case. If working with a credentialed career coach is important to you, take the extra step and verify.

The career coaches (and resume writers) in our network have been verified certified and what makes our network of career professionals different from other searchable career service online databases. And, certifications are checked quarterly.

Now that you know what career coaching is all about and what to look for when it comes time to choosing a career coach, it’s time to take action!

Overview:

To address the high school drop out rate and improve the number of students graduating from high school, educators, policymakers and community business leaders are supporting the strategy of career academies in high schools. Career academies are not the latest fad; they have been around for at least forty years. Career academy experts know what works and what doesn’t. The Career Academy Toolkit is a book that describes the process of creating and establishing a career academy in great detail.

So what are the pros and cons of these career academies? Pros for career academies are that students have improved high school attendance, additional earned credits, higher grade point averages and graduation rates, and are more career and college ready. Cons include that career academies are more expensive to establish and implement, difficult to schedule, and require partnerships between education and the community. Let’s discuss each of these pros and cons in more detail.

Pros of Career Academies:

1. Improved High School Attendance: Because students elect to be in an academy, they are more apt to attend school. The more students stay in class, the more they are motivated to learn. The more motivated students are, they more they are engaged in learning. The more engaged students are, the more they learn. This, them, becomes a circle: the more they learn, the more they are motivated to learn more.

Motivation is one of the major keys to the success of academies. Academies do several motivation strategies, such as integration of the curriculum between both academic and technical courses. Now students not only learn the knowledge, but they have the opportunity to apply it. We, at Bright Futures Press, call this “Sticky Learning.” Because academies have partnerships between the academy and the community, students can then go into the “real world” to see how their learning truly fits there. This is exciting for students and reinforces the classroom learning.

2. Additional Earned Credits: Based on pro number one, students who stay in school tend to earn more high school credits and the more high school credits students earn; the more they are apt to graduate.

3. Higher Grade Point Averages: This brings us to pro number three. Students need credits to graduate and students who stay in school earn the credits to graduate. Students on the path to graduation have more self esteem and have improved motivation to learn more, which increases their grade point averages. Students who graduate from high school are generally encouraged to attend college or post-secondary learning.

4. More Career and College Ready: Students that feel they are college ready make an effort to attend college or receive post-secondary learning. Students who immediately go to work are more readily to receive company policy and any additional training that the company supplies.

Now let’s discuss the cons of career academies. There are three major cons to career academies. One is that they are more expensive to establish and implement. The second is that they are difficult to schedule, and lastly, they require partnerships between education and the community.

Cons of Career Academies:

1. More expensive to establish and implement: Because academies include a “real world” theme with community partners, this application of the learning process requires more money for student field trips and internships, plus monies to pay for teacher externships. Additional resources does not end there, funding is needed to pay for teacher time to collaborate in the curriculum development and time to collaborate with business partners and post-secondary learning institutions. And, all of this requires more professional development for the educators. True, careers academies are more expensive to operate, but the ROI (Return on Investment) is worth it (i.e. additional revenues from improved student attendance).

2. Difficult to schedule: Due to the curriculum integration, the student field trips and internships, teaching teaming activities, career academies are a nightmare to schedule. However, many career academies have overcome this obstacle and are willing to assist high schools who have decided to establish academies. Additional resources include career academy consultants who are experts in this field and will help schools for a fee. Because these experts save both time and money, they should be considered as a viable option.

3. Partnerships between education and the community: This is the trickiest of the three cons of career academies. Business and education speak different languages and there needs to be someone who can translate what each is saying. These partnerships require both a igniting and nurturing process. Establishing the partnership is more difficult that it seems. Most schools go for the “affair” over the “marriage.” They tend to ask for money (short-range goal) rather that the value the business can bring to the relationship like mentors, real-world site learning, etc., which is the “marriage.” Once the partnership has started, teachers need time to keep the relationship progressing, and time is something that more schools are not willing to pay for. The school that thinks the teacher will stop and visit the business on the way home from school (on the teacher’s own dime) is dooming the education/business relationship to failure.

Conclusion:

Career academies work! They require more time and resources in order to be successful, but they are well worth the effort. They are a time-tested strategy that results in more students who graduate on time ready both/or for a career or college.

Fabric painting is not the most conventional of careers to choose from; in fact most would relegate it to the hobbies listing, an obscure craft. Some would ask, “Who would want to spend their career with fabric paint?” But think about it; if the career were not a significant one, we would all be sitting on bland, colorless and design free furniture, we would probably all be dressed up in flour sacks and staring at blank walls. Of course that’s a slight exaggeration, but you get the point, I’m sure.

As a career fabric painter, you have the opportunity to add creative and sometimes colorful value to the world we live in. Although fabric painting can be a laborious pursuit it has become thousands of times easier to reproduce fabric painting on numerous mediums. With the advent of digital art, reproduction artwork can be placed on cups, plates, textiles, shoes, wood and more.

The prospects are actually quite exciting when you think about it. Rather than designers buying that blase fabric for their fashion accessories project, you can now offer them custom fabrics, specially created for their specific use; something unique to their collection. Designers can now say bye, bye to boring; and hello to happy. Their clients will love you for it.

Artists can now create their masterpieces and have them duplicated for short run reproduction just as easy as or perhaps easier than it would have been to process the art through the traditional fabric mills. This is great but there are still some major manufacturing companies that hire artists to create hand painted designs for their new collections. They then take the artists designs and produce them on various types of fabrics.

One career that is easily integrated and is an offshoot of fabric painting is, screen printing, which in itself is a vast field. Traditionally, screen printing has been viewed as the answer to producing tee shirts for schools and casual wear. Today the screen printing industry is booming as artists are getting even more creative and adding flair to their designs.

The sizes of screens have grown from a little bitty square on the front of your shirt to a large format screen designed for all over tee shirt design. Still there are others who use this screen printing method to create custom yardage for sale and for creating their own line of goods.

Such artwork was initially painted on fabric and later printed on garments for toddlers and adults alike. Just as the original was embellished with studs, stones, sequins and glitter, so too are the creations of the silk screen artist. The beauty of course is once the original design has been developed on fabric and screens created, the design can be produced in unlimited colors, sizes and of course quantities.

On the flip side of the screen printing issue are the embellishers who are also fabric painters in their own right. These artists take a generally basic design and customize it, giving it the oomph it may have needed. This is done many times with fabric paint, rhinestones, mirrors, ribbons and a host of other accessories.

It may seem like a long time ago since you took up that one subject in Guidance and Counseling in college but waver not! There’s no need to take a refresher course for you to effectively guide your students towards the most rewarding career paths for them.

1. Be an example of happiness and contentment. The only competition that can give financial rewards a run for its money is happiness. Remind your students everyday that career is not an issue of immediate monetary returns but of enduring returns. Seeing you smiling despite the stress of your work (and the delayed salary if you will) will inspire them to choose careers they will enjoy in the long run. It will also show them how, even if industry demands change, who they are and what gives them joy will remain rock-steady.
2. Encourage self-reflection and self-discovery. With all the diversions and recreation students have, taking time off to think and reflect might be the last thing on their to-do list. You can help them by giving them a few minutes at homeroom to ponder on some questions like: “What do I like best about myself?” or “What do I want to do for the next five years?” If this seems too serious, use games like Icebreaker or Query.
3. Let them express their plans and dreams. Many students, when asked what they want to do in life, just shrug and say, “I don’t know.” Perhaps they don’t, perhaps they do but haven’t really thought about it. Allowing them to express their dreams-no matter how far-out-promotes the value of thinking ahead and the skill of planning. Ask them to create an image of who they will be ten years from now and to write about what they have accomplished within ten years. This way, it will seem like they have already achieved what they desire.
4. Commend a student’s strengths to him and to his peers. Giving praise where it is due certainly makes a difference. Notice the smallest victories in any field or aspect of life. Did someone submit an exceptional drawing or essay? Made friends with everyone? Fixed a broken chair? Receiving positive remarks about his/her output or attitude boosts self-esteem and encourages a student to pursue his/her best attributes. Making a student’s peers see your sign of approval makes them appreciate the person’s worth, creating a community where students are not forced to see academics as the only standard of worth.
5. Introduce them to a variety of successful people. Provide them with role models of passion and good career choice, be it a college graduate or a high school dropout. It is common fare for students to meet college graduate bigwigs in their lessons. There are many of them after all as if to prove that college is the only way out of poverty. What is difficult is to convince people that college is not for everyone and is not the only option. If you namedrop successful celebrities and tycoons who didn’t go to college, they just might rethink the entire thing.
6. Talk about a student’s best qualities and possible options to his/her parents. Hearing of their child’s passion and perseverance in something never fails to make parents proud of their children. Hearing of the best qualities of their child from a teacher enhances their understanding of their child and makes them more open to options other than theirs. Inform them of possibilities for their child and emphasize long-term rewards over immediate gains. For those students who are not apt for college education, dwell on the positive traits of the student so that parents will see the benefits of alternative options like technical-vocational careers.
7. Organize a simple education and career directory. Because of the unavailability of organized information on education and career options, make a simple one for your homeroom class. You can put a simple list of college courses and technical-vocational specializations and their corresponding job or industry requirements. At the bottom of the list, include contact numbers for some colleges or universities and institutions that offer technical-vocational programs. You may also include local bureau or government agency hotlines.

If you are reading this article, you probably are a model, who wants to step up your fashion modeling career to the next level. We have the answers, but it’s not going to be sweet and easy.

We list some of the most important lifestyle changes and steps to take if you are serious about succeeding in this industry (Warning: Not for the faint hearted).

Strict Dieting

This is the first and foremost lifestyle changes to make. The top models such as those from Victoria’ Secret put complete dedication into eating healthy. They do not eat processed food at least 95% of the time, and stick to whole, real foods with low-glycemic index. They strictly follow the diet of eating heavy (carbohydrate-rich diet) for breakfast followed by subsequently lesser quantities of food throughout the day.

Typically a breakfast consists of lean meat, eggs, oatmeal, assorted vegetables; the main target is to get complex carbs and proteins early on in the day. Lunch consists of mostly vegetables and light steamed meat, most importantly carbohydrates are consumed little to none. Dinner consists of vegetables and soups, with some healthy meat. Snacks throughout the day consist of natural sugars and low salt; mostly snacks are assorted fruits (healthy sugars) and nuts (salt-free). Furthermore, a strict following of at least 8 glasses of plain water a day, and cutting out alcohol (Okay maybe you can have a drink once in a while, but no binging).

Some fashionistas such as Kat Von D and Madonna pride in a vegan diet that is free of all kinds of eggs, meats, and dairy. You can look up on their diets and how it is linked to good skin and overall health.

Strong exercise regime

If you want to be fit there are plenty of exercise regimes out there, but our favorite one for women is that of Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr, who exposes her fitness regime and dietary plans on Women’s Health and Fitness Magazine, and an excellent article by Huffington post on fitness plans for male models who should be focused on bodybuilding and toning of their muscles

Know your target market

As you intend to step into the fashion industry, you should also think about what target market best suits your look. For example in America there is an advent of plus-sized models, because they are more representative of regular, everyday women in America. As such, there is a need to think about the market that best suits the look and style you have to offer. You may have started out in your own home country, but as you decide to pursue a long term career in fashion modeling, there derives a need to think of international possibilities to advance your career.

Sign on with a model agency

If you are currently freelancing, a good way to step up your game is to sign on with a credible modeling agency that will spearhead your career. As a freelancer, you have the ability to undertake multiple contracts with various modeling agencies. You will thus be able to make a more informed choice on the modeling agency that will best work with your interests. Signing on a year’s contract or similar to that like, will mean getting more opportunities with bigger clients, and representing the agency on the international stage as well. As a model you have everything you need looked after, and you can focus your entire attention and energy into your job.

Pursue further studies in Modeling

Gaining industry knowledge and expertise in your specialized field and area will never be a disadvantage. A professional qualification in modeling will prove your capabilities as a model, and give you an edge as you progress in the modeling field.

Finally as Rihanna puts it, “work, work, work!” is the only real way to progress in the field and there is no substitute for hard work. Keep striving, getting more jobs, landing more opportunities and clients, while you have the beauty and energy to do so, and you will definitely progress far in a fashion career.

Establishing long-term career goals early in your truck driver career helps you to reach them. When you set goals for yourself, you are able to focus your efforts on the process. Goal setting helps you to get to where you eventually want to be. Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking, planning and motivating yourself to make your vision a reality. Also, because you will be focused on your goals, you will be less likely to be distracted in your efforts.

If you are a newly licensed commercial truck driver you’ve already successfully reached an established goal to get to this point. You’ve worked hard and successfully met all of the extensive licensing requirements. You successfully completed your truck driver training, passed the commercial drivers license exam and the Department of Transportation Medical Exam.

Newly licensed drivers are often hired by trucking companies which will place them with an experienced driver who will be their trainer for a period of time. If this is your situation take advantage of this training period to learn as much as you can about the trucking industry. This includes learning as much as you can about your current employer. Also, get information from other truck drivers about the companies they work for. This will enable you to learn about the many truck driving opportunities that may be available to you once you gain more experience.

The majority of new commercial truck drivers are assigned to haul dry van freight. However, there are a number of truck driving job possibilities. When you are on the road look at trucks and trailers that other drivers are operating. Make notes if you see something that interests you. This can be drivers pulling flatbed trailers, wide loads, tankers, etc. If any of these types of loads interest you it is important that you learn more about the requirements needed to work in these areas of trucking.

Whereas experienced truck drivers already possess significant knowledge about the trucking industry, new drivers have a great deal to learn. This is why it is so important to do good research. Make a list of both positive and negative things you learn about various trucking companies. This should include the advantages and disadvantages of hauling different types of freight. Also, you should consider the type of income you want to earn.

You might want to own your own trucking company. If so, do comprehensive research plus talk to other drivers who own their companies. Learn the advantages and disadvantages of owning your own company. This will enable you to discover if you have the traits, skills and patience necessary to build a successful trucking company.

Good goal setting requires you to make realistic plans.Your plans should be very specific and achievable. Don’t frustrate yourself by making unrealistic plans. Also, it is important to talk to your trusted circle of friends to get honest feedback from them in addition to their support. Good research and planning will greatly benefit you in setting your long-term goals.

Your desires, personality and goals will determine the type of truck driver career that you want. Ideally,this should be one that matches your skills, interests, salary requirements plus any other requirements you have. However, you might need to learn additional skills and it will take your time and energy. Also, it is most important that you have the confidence to believe that you can reach your goals.

Choosing a career is an important goal for any individual. Most of us want to make a choice that will last forever. When looking into one field or another it is the long term benefits that help us make our final decision about what career path to take. The following tips will help you determine which career for life you are most interested in when thinking about the healthcare industry versus the automotive industry.

As a healthcare provider you are providing your services for the welfare of the society and to the people. The healthcare field has many opportunities from working in hospitals and clinical facilities all the way to in home care. Often there are benefits and competitive salary packages for healthcare professionals. These benefits often make the healthcare industry an ideal choice. The automotive industry has a range of opportunities as well. You can be involved in the development and production of vehicle components. This will allow you to be a part of new technology when it comes to the cars we all drive. There is also the sales side of the automotive industry that allows you to provide service and a product to people.

When you are thinking of making a choice like a career for life it is important to think about the features and benefits of your fields of interest. The following is a list of features and benefits that will help you choose between the healthcare industry versus the automotive industry.

Helping the Society: A healthcare professional has the opportunity to provide care to a large number of people. Lending this helping hand to society is not only rewarding but satisfying as well. The automotive field on the other hand is to make a better product and to sell it at a high price. Most often what the bottom line profit is tends to be more important than customer satisfaction. In addition, working to develop new designs and keeping up with the latest technology can make for a stressful environment to work in.

Training Programs: Considering the various levels of healthcare positions you are able to choose a program that specializes in the area you are most interested in. Once you complete a training program and have your diploma or certificate in hand you ready to start your career. In the automotive industry training is often conducted within the industry. Typically training is conducted for a period 12 to 24 months. You are educated on various subjects and then are able to choose the area in which you wish to specialize in.

Education Levels: A healthcare career usually requires less than 4 years of college education unless your goal is to become a doctor or practitioner. There are several areas in the field that you start working in with just a high school diploma. In the automotive industry you are looking at 4 years of college education to be in the top salaried positions. There is little opportunity for the high school graduate.

Choosing a career for life based on the above features and benefits can help you make an educated decision. When comparing healthcare vs. automotive industries the healthcare field is sure to be a more rewarding and achievable choice.