From Regenerating Towns to Celebrating Lives

From Regenerating Towns to Celebrating Lives Success Story > From: Job To: Freelance From Regenerating Towns to Celebrating Lives “I knew at that moment, when someone else was reading my words, that it should have been me delivering the service.” * From Regenerating Towns to Celebrating Lives While working as a Regeneration Consultant, Sue Sheppard helped to write the eulogy for her best friend's mother. The process inspired her to follow her instincts and retrain as a Civil Celebrant, a job she says couldn't be more rewarding. So how did she do it? What were you doing previously? For 5 years I was a self-employed consultant delivering a regeneration project in the market town of Andover. And what are you doing now? I am a qualified Civil Celebrant delivering funeral and wedding services. Why did you make the change? I enjoy the flexibility of being my own boss, and when funding for my post was coming to an end, I decided to train as a celebrant. I had done lots of public speaking in the past, and in recent years spoken at many funerals. I believe that if you fancy doing something and you can really imagine yourself doing it, you are halfway there. Your ‘mind’ has to be behind you 100%! What was the moment that you decided to make the change? My best friend Michelle lost her Mum in January and I helped to write the eulogy, I knew at the service when someone else was reading the words that it should have been me delivering the service. I realised there and then that I could be a great celebrant. I have always been really passionate about services being personalised, to be a true reflection and celebration of someones life. Are you happy with the change you made? I am delighted to be in such a special and rewarding position. The families I meet, both for weddings and funerals, are inspirational. I aim to give them the best service possible; there is nothing more rewarding than receiving their feedback when you’ve done a good job. So what are the practical things you did to go about making the shift? Research, research, and more research. I trained with the most successful and highly respected company I could find. I also spent time with a local independent funeral directors, S J Maddocks, who guided me and were very generous with their time. I learnt the behind the scenes bits so I can truly speak from the heart about what happens when death occurs. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? A huge drop in salary is always challenging, and you have to be prepared to adjust your lifestyle. I've completely reduced my spending, and also swapped the usual 2 week all inclusive holiday for the odd camping trip. It’s been quite liberating and also an eye opener to how much I used to spend on non-essentials! What’s been the most difficult thing about changing? Not knowing when you are going to work next or knowing what you will earn is challenging. Having more time on my hands is also a big change when you are used to working 40+ hours a week; somehow I seem to fill it with more work instead of leisure! Did you get any help with your change or did you just do it by yourself? I did it by myself, but my husband and children are very supportive of me. Is there anything you wish you’d done differently? No! What would you advise others to do, who are unhappy or unfulfilled in their work? Look at what you’re good at, what you enjoy, and then make a plan. Make a wish list of potential jobs, without letting a lack of training or experience put you off. Then make the decision to go for it! Do lots of research, stick with it and accept any help or advice from others. Always spend time with like minded people; behaviour breeds behaviour! What lessons could you take from Sue's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

The Top Four States to Start a Nursing Career

The Top Four States to Start a Nursing Career With a projected need of 1,001,000 nurses in the United States between now and 2016, it has never been a better time to get a nursing degree. A degree from an accredited university allows you to write your own ticket  anywhere in the country,  all you need to decide is where. There are a variety of factors that go into making a move, but you want a job that pays well, is in demand, and is in a place that fits your lifestyle. Here are four states that have the best combination of wages, job growth, and overall appeal for nurses. 1. California The Golden State comes in at number one on the list for its high wages, strong growth projection, and attractions. California is long famed for its beautiful weather, vast array of natural attractions, and exciting nightlife. San Diego and San Francisco are favorites among young professionals looking to move to California. Starting Wage:  $24.59/hr Projected growth through 2020:  79,000 jobs at +23% Why nurses should move there:  Where else can you see movie stars walking down the street? 2. Hawaii Hawaii has sandy beaches, beautiful weather, and is consistently ranked in the number 1 or 2 spots as the happiest state in the Union. Nurses will enjoy a year round vacation surrounded by volcanoes and marine wildlife. As one of the number one vacation destinations in the world, the real question is, who wouldnt want to move to Hawaii? Starting Wage:  $21.39/hr Projected growth through 2020:  1,500 jobs at +16% Why nurses should move there:  It really is one of the most relaxed places in the world. 3.Massachusetts If you find the east coast more appealing than tropical paradises, then Massachusetts is the best choice for you. None of the other New England states come close to starting wages, and you still have access to all the lobster and seafood you can eat. Starting Wages:  $25.12/hr Projected growth through 2020:  20,450 +16% Why you should move there:  A quarter of a million young people live in the Boston Cambridge area, making it the youngest metropolitan area in the nation. 4. Alaska If you are more of a thrill seeker, then maybe a journey to the Last Frontier is more your style. Alaska has a stable economy, and in many places is not nearly as cold as you think. Anchorage, for example, has warm summers, but still offers tons of outdoor adventures. Either way, Alaska is surrounded by natural beauty and is an outdoor persons dream. Starting Wage:  $21.38/hr Projected growth through 2020:  780 jobs at +27% Why you should move there:  Mountains, fishing, and winter sports! All of these four states are great places for a nurse to call home. There are plenty of states to choose from, but you should find out which one is the best for you. Getting a degree in nursing is easier than ever with online nursing programs  that you can take from your couch. When all is said and done, all you need to decide is which paradise is right for you.

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why Your Career Needs Reverse Mentoring

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why Your Career Needs Reverse Mentoring When older workers witness young IT employees making workplace gaffes like referring to the CEO as dude, they may shake their heads and sigh, knowing that the young employees have alotto learn. But when young IT employees watch older workers struggling to understand new technology, well, dude, they may shake their heads and think the same thing. Thats why more employers are starting to explore reverse mentoring. At Mastercard, for example, Chief Human Resource Officer Ron Garrowadmitsthat while hes not a technophobe, I recognized that I had a lot to learn about operating in this new world. So Garrow, 51, began participating in the employers reciprocal mentoring program. He was partnered with 24-year-old Rebecca Kaufman who taught him how to use Twitter and get more out of professional networking sites. He says that Kaufman not only taught him how to better navigate online connections, but also gave him greater insight into younger consumers and how they are changing the industry. Lois J. Zachary, director of theCenter for Mentoring Excellence, says reverse mentoring allows a young IT person togain exposureto a senior-level person, and the senior-level person gets to learn something from the young employee. Senior people benefit from learning what younger people are thinking about. This can help, for example, if theyre developing a new product. A senior-level person needs that input, she says. The young employee benefits from the face time with a senior employee, also allowing them to learn something such as better communication or organizational skills, she says. Research shows that employees often learn more from one another than they do from formal training, but successful reverse mentoring programs should be structured and overseen by a human resources department, Zachary says. She also encourages such programs to set expectations (see more here)

6 Tips for being a CEO without ruining your kids lives. I hope.

6 Tips for being a CEO without ruining your kids lives. I hope. I get questions all the time about how I manage having kids and a startup at the same time. After trying to answer the question a few times, I realized that theres the pretty-much-BS answer about how its all about being clear on your values. Or theres the complicated, too-long-for-interviews answer. To really get tips for being a CEO with young kids, youd have to hang out with me for a day. Like, last Tuesday. Which was just another day of being a parent and running a startup. Except this day starts at midnight. When I decide that I am not going to go to sleep because I have to get up at 3:30 a.m. to drive to Milwaukee to catch a plane to Atlanta at 7 a.m. And heres the first tip: 1. Get sleep. The kind that is not warm and sweet. I decide Ill stay up late and work but what I find is that Im mostly eating. First coffee. Then coffee doused in sugar. Then peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which I covet each morning I make them for school lunches. But normally I restrain myself. I see now Im too stressed for normal restraint, so I go to bed. My three-year-old is in my bed. If I get in, he will snuggle and whisper I love you in his sleep. But when I get up to go to the airport, hell have a fit, because what kid wouldnt hate to wake to his mom leaving his house in the middle of the night? To shield my son from childhood trauma I take him out of my bed and put him in bed with my ex husband, who is sleeping in the bedroom down the hall so that I can leave on business trips. 2. Be great at business travel. But get out of it whenever you can. I set the Blackberry for 3:30 a.m. And when it wakes me I feel like I slept for ten seconds. But this crappy itinerary was my idea. Because I was so excited to go in and out in one day and not have to stay in a hotel. At my gate I write a blog post, and I feel really good that I can do it at 5a.m. in an airport on no sleep. I send it to my editor and tell him Im a star for sending it a day early usually I send it an hour before I want to post it. Then the flight is delayed. Then its broken and delayed. Then its probably not happening. Then I see that I will not get to my meeting if I wait for the next flight. But another airline has four, gloriously direct flights that get there in time. I am happy. Until I hear that the cheapest ticket is $1200. So I call Atlanta to say that my flight was cancelled and I cant get another. 3. Go to the office when you could go home. Go home later with impunity. I want to go home and sleep. But I go to the office because we are getting ready to pitch to VCs. We have a lot of great ideas for what we are building for the community. And we are obsessed with the news that Gen Y is not using social media at as high a rate as Gen X is. I spew the statistics about how bloggers are higher earning and higher educated than most people, and the average Twitter user is nearly 40 years old. We see our spot in the world, and we draw on flip charts and make PowerPoint slides, and then the nanny calls. And I remember that since Im not in Atlanta, I can take my son to his T-ball game. So I leave. Heres something Gen Y really hates: when Gen Xers bolt out the door early to deal with their kids. 4. Prioritize. And keeping the kids from screaming comes first. I pick up my sons and they want shorts for T-ball. Im happy about this because I can run in the house for their shorts and check my twitter feed, which is hard to read on my Blackberry. In the house I grab a diet Coke and the fridge light doesnt work. I am so focused on shorts that it takes me two more light switches to realize my electricity has been turned off. Then I remember that paying the bill was on my to do list. Somewhere. Under blogging and investors and T-ball. Yes, I know this is totally irresponsible. But the bill got too big at the end of last year, when my company was not paying salaries and I was not paying most bills. Also, last week I took half the money for the electric bill and bought my six-year-old a new violin. I told myself that was OK because the violin teacher said his fingers were missing the notes because the violin was too small, and solving that problem seemed more important than paying the electric bill on time. So I go to T-ball. Because its way easier to deal with no electricity when kids are consumed with swinging bats at each other. 5. Get as much help as you can afford. But there will never be enough. I call the house manager, who has written pay electric bill on a post-it maybe ten days in a row, and I tell her the lights are off. She gives me a plan for getting electricity back the next day. Her plan entails paying the bill in person, and stopping at the grocery store for treats, and going to McDonalds Playland, so the kids are quiet while Im on the phone with the electric company. The six-year-old asks what were doing. I say, The Internet is turned off. I have to turn it on again. I know this is very serious to him. Because he is consumed with watching YouTube to find out how to win levels in Super Paper Mario on the Wii. He explains to his younger brother, This is serious. If we dont fix the Internet, Mommy wont be able to work. And neither will her helpers. And people will not see penelopetrunk.com. 6. Dont be sneaky. Kids always catch it. Once I pay the bill, the sun is almost setting, and I need a plan for being in the house in the dark. The house manager makes a plan: Go to a hotel. But I dont want to because the kids will know something is wrong. I worry they will be messed up from living in an unstable household. They will grow up wanting to work at the same job at the same company for 60 years because my unstable startup life made them crazy. So I get them very tired at Playland. They run and scream and I almost pass out on the table because now I am going on three hours of sleep in 24 hours. Then I take them home to perfectly choreographed sequence of pajamas-book-bed just before the sun sets. They fall asleep and dont even notice theres no light. Then I realize that I didnt get flashlights. So I get the Dora the Explorer flash light out of my six-year-olds room and wave it around a little to test it. He asks what Im doing. I ignore him. He goes to the bathroom to pee. He says, Hey. The lights dont work. Yeah. I know. Just pee and go to bed. Hey. My bedroom lights dont work. I ignore him. I tuck him in and kiss him and I tell him that it might be very dark if he wakes up in the middle of the night, but he can call me. Did you not pay the bill for the lights? WHAT??? How does he know this? Bills? He knows about bills? I say, Yeah. I forgot to pay the bill. But we paid it now. And the lights will be on tomorrow. In time to play the Wii before school? Well. Um. No. You forget so many things. You never forget your work things and you always forget the house things. No mommy forgets more than you do. Then he says, Mommy, Im scared. I dont know how dark its going to get. And the house will feel haunted. And what if I cant see you? I get the kids out of bed. I decide well go to a hotel. I grab the essentials before the sun goes down in our house: Stuffed animals, my laptop, my purse, and gel from my dermatologist to squash breakouts. Because people like to read falling apart in stories and words. But people start to worry if they see the falling apart in your face.

What I wish someone told me before going to study abroad - Debut

What I wish someone told me before going to study abroad - Debut This post was written by an external contributor.  Anca Coman draws on her own experiences to prepare anyone who is considering studying abroad.   Coming to university in the UK was a dream come true for me. I did my research for my future university, course and the city I would be living in for the next three years. I was all excited about becoming a media student in a foreign country and getting to know the British culture, and I couldn’t wait to join the television society and meet loads of new friends from all over the world. However, I never thought that moving to a new place and starting from the bottom would be so difficult. Despite being an amazing opportunity, this huge change came with some major challenges. So, if youre considering becoming an international student, here’s some things to be aware of: The linguistic barrier will always be an issue I’ve been learning English since the third  grade. I was enrolled in a bilingual class which I studied for six hours a week, and I passed the Cambridge Advanced in English with an A. Pretty cool, right? However, when I moved to the UK, I’ve realised not only that different British accents were quite hard to understand, but also that I couldn’t express myself as clearly and precisely as I could in my native language. When telling jokes or stories,   some people wouldn’t react as I expected. The linguistic barrier was definitely an issue which affected my social and communication skills. After four years of living in the UK, I now totally understand British accents, but I still believe the linguistic barrier doesn’t allow myself to express as freely as I wish. Its not easy to make friends   I’ve always been a bubbly and extroverted person, having the ability to talk to strangers and  make friends. I showcased this at university; getting to know my peers, attending various societies and getting a part-time job. However, this isnt like secondary school, where you’re stuck with the same people every day and (like or not) you eventually become best friends. Being in a completely new environment and starting afresh can be extremely difficult. Youre very often around different people, so it can be hard to sustain a meaningful connection. My advice? Take advantage of societies and activities as much as possible, as this is a good way to bond with people who have the same interests as you. The first few months are the hardest Any beginning is difficult, but starting out as an international student will be probably be one of the biggest challenges that youll ever face. From making friends, to getting to know the academia, to dealing with deadlines and of course adjusting to the new culture. However, this is one of the best things that you can do to transition into adulthood.  All your home comforts are far away, so youre forced to make it on your own and cope with life without relying on your family. It can be scary, and it may even seem impossible to handle at first. But as Ill explain, things will get better in time, so hang in there! University assignments  are different Theres no doubt that moving to an international university will mean that the assignment styles will change. Some countries have different rules for exams, or prefer to assess you via essays and coursework. Youll have to adapt to this new style, and it can be quite jarring. Attending all of your lectures and seminars will help you clarify a few things, but its highly likely that most of your work will be done alone. From reading tons of books, to writing that 3,000 word essay. To avoid loneliness, I would recommend arranging group studies with your friends. That way you can spend some quality time with them whilst still being productive, Be patient it will get better! Everything will get better in time. You just need a lot of patience and strength to overcome potential obstacles. For the linguistic barrier, my number one tip is to not translate every word from your native language. Many phrases and words dont even exist, or mean a completely different thing. Find your way into the language by talking to others and learning organically. For making friends, get to know your fellow students on your course and start going out more often. What I personally regret the most is not staying in student accommodation during my first year. This is where most students make friends, so I’d highly recommend it for anyone studying abroad! Finally for the university assignments, don’t be afraid to ask for help â€" go see your tutor, attend practical workshops, and check the library website for style and referencing. Remember you’re at the very beginning, so you’re entitled to ask for help! Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Whos Hiring in Retail - CareerAlley

Whos Hiring in Retail - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Most, if not all, industries have been hurt by the current economy with Financial Services being hit the hardest in terms of job losses (so far). Retail is probably not far behind in job losses, factoring in recent announcements like Macys closing 11 stores and Circuit City shutting its doors. That being said, there are still jobs to be had in retail if you look in the right places. The best way to conduct targeted search is to leverage specialized recruiters, industry job search boards, industry trade publications/sites and company career sites. Todays post will represent each of these categories. Nordstrom Nordstrom is on Fortunes 100 Best Companies to Work for list. Their career site has a number of choices. You can click on start here (which links directly to the job search page), click on New Stores (provides a list of where and when new stores are opening), do a quick search or check out the new opportunities (listed right on the page). Doing a quick search without specific criteria returns a list of 575 jobs across the US. Narrow that down to Retail Sales and you still get a list of 231 opportunities. You can use their search criteria to narrow down the choices. AllRetailJobs.com This site specializes in retail jobs (as you may have guessed from the name). The main page is filled with the logos and links to over 20 retail companies that are hiring. Clicking on any of the logos will load a page with an overview of the company and a list of available job opportunities. Below that list is another list of featured retail jobs. You can register on the site and post your resume, review resources (such as resume writing) or search for jobs. The site indicates that there are over 32,000 retail opportunities on the site. Searching without criteria brings up a list of all of the companies that have opportunities (107 companies when I looked) with links and the number of opportunities for each company. Association for Retail Environments This is a retail industry website. The main page lists retail industry trade publications. There is a link on the left-hand side for retail jobs as well as a link to retail trade associations. Each of these are a good resource for your retail job search (as well as any other retail industry trade group). Dont forget to leverage your Unions resources as well (one example is the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union) Herbert Mines Associates This recruiter specializes in Retail and Consumer Products. Click on Retail on their main page for their retail practice. This page provides an overview of the practice as well as a listing of some of the companies they work with. Click on the contact us link to get their email address, mailing address and phone number. They do not have a resume posting process nor do they list current opportunities. Good luck in your search. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

How to get to The Land of No Regrets - When I Grow Up

How to get to The Land of No Regrets - When I Grow Up Sometimes, life can feel like one big board game and the goal is to get to The Land Of No Regrets. To get there, you have to move through tons of life lessons, tiring obstacles, and sometimes even Go Back to Start before moving forward again. While a board game is meant to be fun, this game can be tiring and make its players (re: budding business owners) confused. But â€" what if I told you I had a wild card? What if I told you I have a secret move that will help make the journey enjoyable and set you up to “win”?   Listen, all you need to do is… Follow the scary/exciting. That’s it. The scary/exciting will be equal parts nerve wracking and inspiring. It will feel risky and motivating. It will make you scared and excited. That’s the right way. That’s the path to follow. And believe me, I know I’m making it sound easy. I know big decisions aren’t usually easily compartmentalized into perfect emotionally-distinguishing boxes. So, here are a few decision making techniques I use when trying to narrow in on what my gut is trying to tell me: If you’re feeling just nerves and no excitement, that’s what I call The Uh-Oh Feeling. You don’t need to logically know why you’re feeling that way, but you do need to trust what’s in your gut and get out of that situation. If you’re in the opposite boat and just a ball of excitement without any nerves, you’re probably about to do something fun and awesome (yay!) BUT, it’s nothing that’s going to shape you long-term or teach you something of value (womp-womp). You need to follow equal-ish scary/excited feelings to get to The Land Of No Regrets. As a heads up â€" sometimes the scary/exciting pulls you in a different direction than you initially set out for. You might have thought you were supposed to swerve left when really it has you dipping right. Here is the thing: even if following this feeling doesn’t lead you to ~ThE wOrK yOu’Re GoInG tO Do FoReVeR~, it will guide you to the next right step!, and then the next, then the next. Sometimes after working with a client on one business, I notice years later theyre running a completely different business! Instead of being a copywriter like we talked about, shes suddenly an event planner. So me being me, Ill email her and ask, “Did I fail you? Because we planned on you being a copywriter? And, now you’re an event planner and do you want all your money back?” Their response 100% of the time is “I couldn’t be here without having gone there first”. They either weren’t ready for what they thought they wanted or would never have seen what they actually wanted in the first place. By following their scary/excited, they found their way and it led them to the evolution they needed. (I’ve also never had a single client who re-routed their business tell me they regretted their first stop!) Please remember: Starting and owning a business is never a linear process, especially for us highly creative, multi-passionate types. Route changes, curves, and turns might feel strange, but as long as you are following your scary/exciting arrow, you can trust you’re going the right way. I promise you this: At the end of the game, your new business is waiting for you in The Land of No Regrets, and it can’t wait to meet you. Feel that? That’s the exciting/scary calling while you think about launching your biz and working with your first client(s). One great route is by signing up for my Dream to Done year-long program. We’ll start at the beginning, and then hit one formative stop after the next. For the entirety of 2019, we’ll step into The Land of No Regrets together. Apps close Friday, so don’t wait!