Things to Consider When Changing Careers

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If you are considering a career change then this is the post for you. There are some things to consider before deciding to move from your current field to something completely different. With many people having lost their jobs due to the global pandemic you may have decided the time is right to change careers. While there is a downturn in many markets, now could be the best time to retrain and learn new skills. Below are some things to consider before you do change careers.

Research

Your career is a journey so don’t look at this change as anything other than another step along the journey. Conducting research into the field you wish to enter is a good way of understanding the industry and the outlook for the sector you wish to enter. This means searching government websites for statistics on the specific industry to see what the demand is within that particular field.  

Talk to People

Another good option is to talk to people within the field you wish to work in. Getting the real story within an industry is great as it will give you the information you need to make a decision. If you wish to work for a particular company, again talk to people who work there or who have worked there to get a sense of the values of the company and how they treat staff. Find out if it is the best place to work or study, companies that allow employees to continue learning and studying is important as staff development means they value their employees.

Assess Your Skills and Experience 

While you may be entering a new field, list your skills and experience that could be transferred to your new career. This is an advantage to any potential new employer, especially the experience you have built up in working within a team and working to your own initiative. 

Linking Career Paths

If you don’t wish to take a leap from one career to a completely different career, you could decide to take small steps to that big change. This means finding out how to get from one career to the other by finding a job that will link the two. This means you can build up experience as well as work on any new skills or qualifications you will require for the final leap to a full career change. This may mean staying in your current field of expertise and finding a new role, one with more responsibility or asking your current employer to pay for courses that you can use in your current role.  

Conclusion

So whether you are stuck in your current job or have lost your job, changing careers may be for you and if you follow the information above it should help you along your career journey. The above will help you enter a job career that is both rewarding and fulfilling. Remember, there are millions of people who have made the decision to change careers, working out the best way to go about it will help you make an informed decision.

Secondary Income: How to Find the Right Side Gig

It’s no secret that many people have a secondary income. They’ll often ‘moonlight’ to supplement their primary income if they don’t earn enough money or want to save money for something.

You’re likely reading this article today because you want to boost your income, but you haven’t found a replacement job that pays more money. Plenty of people have side gigs alongside their day jobs. The trouble is, which side gig is right for you?

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Here are a few hints and tips to help you find the perfect side gig:

How Much Time Can You Devote?

The first thing you need to consider is how much time you can devote to your side hustle. Some work is more time-demanding than others, so it makes sense to first check you’ve got enough time to commit to a side gig.

For instance, restoring furniture can be more time-consuming than copywriting or graphic design.

What Would You Like to Do?

You’ll need need to decide what type of work you want to do in your side hustle. As you can appreciate, there’s a variety of different options open to you. The big question you probably need to ask yourself is, what do you enjoy doing that you could apply to a side gig?

Here are a few examples to help give you some inspiration:

Writing

If you enjoy writing, there’s a raft of secondary income ideas you can consider. For example, you could do some freelance copywriting in your spare time. Or, you ghostwrite some books for other people.

Driving

Are you someone that enjoys getting behind the wheel of their car and going out for long drives? If so, you could become a delivery driver. You can search for driving work that suits you, such as local or long-distance deliveries.

Talking

If you’re someone that loves to talk, why not put your passion for chatting to good use and make some extra cash? You could work as a remote call center worker or a virtual assistant, for example.

Drawing

It might surprise you to learn that creative illustrators are always in demand from various industries. For instance, you could lend your services as an illustrator for book publishers. Or, you could work as a graphic designer that specializes in illustration work.

Would You Like to Work From Home?

Many people looking for a side gig want flexible work because they need it to fit around their work and existing lifestyle commitments. If that applies to you, it’s crucial that you choose work you can do from home.

Thankfully, there are hundreds of secondary income jobs you can do from home - some of which have been mentioned on this page.

Of course, you’ll have more work options if you can do work away from home as well. But that doesn’t mean you’ll never find a side gig that you can do from home.

Hopefully, you’ve found the tips on this page useful for you today. Good luck with your side hustle journey!

Why You Should Still Be Studying Even With a Comfortable Career and Job

People often think that studying is something you do to achieve your dream job. Once that’s done, you don’t need to learn or study anything more because all of that necessary knowledge just comes from your experiences. While they’re not particularly wrong, they’re also not completely in the right.

For most of us, learning is seen as something we do at the start of our life with school, colleges and university. After that, we can actually put that knowledge to use in our jobs. However, the reality is that we’re constantly learning through experiences and practical applications. As such, we should start adopting the idea to never stop learning and to always seek out knowledge whenever possible. With this kind of mindset, anything is possible and it’ll reinforce our knowledge to give us peace of mind with our careers.

So here are a couple of good reasons why you should still be studying even if you have a comfortable job and career.

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Studying can open new doors for you

Studying is one of the best ways to seek new opportunities. Even if you have a comfortable job, there are always ways to upgrade your position and have your skills and experiences recognized. This gives you a higher salary, it gives you a better position at work, and it helps to secure your finances.

There are some great examples of seemingly irrelevant courses that can actually help you advance your career. For example, you should consider the best CISM training courses if you’re looking to take on a more enterprise-focused technology role with another company, or you can even study more about programming languages if you want a more tech-focused role at your current workplace. With so many options available, it can be exciting to see just how far you can take your career.

Studying is possible even with a full-time job

It’s possible to study while holding down a job, even if you work a typical 9-to-5 job. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to actually study with the internet. There are loads of online courses that you can take at any time of the year, and you can also learn from listening to podcasts and watching videos. You can do this at work, during your commute, or even shortly before bed. With so many sources of information, you can easily become an information sponge and just absorb everything around you. Just be careful and make sure that you’re not overdoing it because you can easily commit a lot of useless information to your memory.

As long as you manage your time correctly and commit some of your existing free time to study, you can easily pick up new skills and knowledge that will be incredibly helpful for the future. Just make sure you don’t overdo it by signing up to multiple courses that you don’t have time for. It can be tempting to try, but it’s going to burn you out if you don’t study in moderation.

Hobbies That Allow You to Embrace Your Inner Child

We all need hobbies to keep us occupied, and that’s perhaps true now more than ever. If you’re looking for a new hobby, it certainly makes sense to choose one that’s going to allow you to embrace your inner child and reconnect with that side of your personality. Many of us lose touch of those things over time but it shouldn’t be that way. Read on to find out about some of the hobbies that help you do that.

Mountain Biking

If it’s been a long time since you got on your bike and enjoyed the thrill of riding through a hilly countryside or through a rugged forest, now is the time to change that. Mountain biking is so much fun and many teenagers love it and then lose touch with it as they grow older, but that doesn’t need to be the case. Maybe it’s time for you to get back in the saddle today.

Retro Gaming

Retro gaming is more popular than ever before right now, and it’s not too hard to see why. As modern games get bigger and ever more convoluted, maybe of us pine for the days of simplicity and cling to nostalgia. That’s what retro gaming can be all about. So why not find that dusty old console that’s been sitting in the attic for a long time and get it out once more?

Building Model Cars

Building model cars, model trucks and model trains is certainly a nerd’s pursuit, but what’s wrong with that? I find the process of building something, carefully putting it together and then painting it to be very rewarding. And you have something that you made with your own hands that can sit on your shelf at the end of the whole process.

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Figure Collecting

Collecting figures is definitely something that’s gone from something that was marketed at kids to being a much more adult-centric kind of thing. The kinds of figures and models, such as these goku figurines, are very detailed and aimed at the adult market. Figure collecting can be a lot of fun and certainly allows us to embrace our inner child from back when collecting action figures was one of the most exciting things in the world.

Re-engage with Your Creative Side

Being creative is something that tends to be much more common for children. When was the last time you got out some paints and paintbrushes and simply let your creative side loose. It’s probably been quite a long time, right? It was probably much more common for that to happen when you were a child, so why not take the time to re-engage with your creative side again?

Each of the hobbies we’ve talked about here is perfect for not only keeping yourself occupied and entertained during good and bad times, but also ideal for helping you reconnect with a side of yourself that you might have lost touch with in the past. Most importantly, it’s about having some fun.

5 Things College Medical Students Can Learn From Practicing Doctors

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For many students, college is about gaining skills that allow you to enter a profession. And nowhere is that truer than when trying to gain entry into the medical industry. You often need to go through years of study to learn the skills that will allow you to treat patients effectively. 

College, though, isn’t the only place medical students should be looking to hone their skills and bring themselves up to the standards required by patients. They should also be observing what the best-established physicians are already doing to excel on the job. 

Building Trust

The vast bulk of medical college education dedicates itself to the study of the human body and pathology. 

But being a doctor is much more than that. It also involves forging close relationships with patients and building trust. Those are skills that are difficult to teach. 

If you’re a young medic, take a look at how experienced physicians deal with patients. Look for the methods they use to build rapport and trust, and think about how you could emulate them. 

In many cases, the best approach is to simply use methods that chime with your personality. 

Take Account Of Outside Factors

If you look at the profiles of experienced medics, you’ll often find that they take a holistic approach to their work. Dan Mintz (DMG) on LinkedIn - a healthcare professional with more than 14 years of experience - focuses on outcomes. And that usually means looking at other factors in patients’ lives that could be leading to disease. 

Pay attention to the kind of issues that trained medics bring up with their patients. Listen particularly to the lifestyle questions they ask, such as whether a patient smokes or has a stressful job. These factors can contribute massively to a better understanding of their pathology. 

Be Flexible 

Doctors can get into the habit of being very rigid in their approach to patients. But medicine is not a one-size-fits-all craft. Everyone is different.

Being flexible can be a challenge, especially if your education tells you that there’s a right way of doing things. But sometimes, patients won’t play ball, and you’ll have to think creatively about workarounds. 

Create Different Personas

You’ll notice that some experienced doctors create multiple personas for interacting with different types of patients. It seems strange when you first see it in action, but there are good reasons for it. Some patients expect a particular kind of personality when they go to the doctors’ office. 

It also helps to understand the basics of how the system works if you want to become a well-rounded medical professional. In today’s world, it’s not enough to know how to prescribe drugs or fix a broken leg - you also have to know the basics of management and technology as well. 

Wear Curiosity As A Badge Of Honor

Finally, many of the best doctors are the most curious. They don’t assume that they know all the answers. Instead, they approach each patient with a sense of the unknown. That way, they keep their options open, just in case the individual has a rare or undiscovered disease.

Should You Be Twitching In Your Free Time?

As much as students might need to focus up and hit those books, it’s easy to spend a little too much time working and not enough playing, which can lead to burnout much more easily than you might think. One of the hobbies that have recently taken the online world by storm is that of streaming online. If you’ve been watching streamers and thinking you could do that, here are a few ideas on what you need.

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Stream what interests you most

Streaming used to be a thing done predominantly by and for gamers. That’s still true to an extent, but people have found audiences streaming a lot more, whether it’s talking about all manner of topics, art forms including visual art and music, travel, and much more. If you’re going to stream games, know what kind of games you should focus on and, in general, make sure that you have a huge interest in what you’re getting into. Otherwise, it’s going to become a slog real soon.

Find a unique approach

You don’t have to entirely reinvent the wheel, but you should make sure that people have a reason to come to you aside from others. Take a look at some of the most popular streamers online and it becomes easy to see that they have a distinct brand or focus set-up that allows viewers to get what they’re about more easily. Your personality can be your niche, as can your community. But if you’re not confident in the strength of either of them just yet, think about what fun or unexpected elements you could incorporate.

Be visually engaging

Your video game or the subject of the stream might take up most of the screen, but you need visuals beyond that. If you’re using a webcam, try to make sure that your background is visually interesting. Show off merch or decor related to your hobbies, learn how to install LED strip lights yourself to add a flash of color, and so on. Otherwise, think about what overlays can be added to your stream and try to come up with a consistent and attractive visual style.

Be interactive and communicative

Your audience is going to do a lot of the legwork of helping you grow. The better you are at keeping them active and engaged, the more that tends to draw a buzz and more people alongside that. Taking the time to talk to them, get to know them, and remember details beyond just their name helps. However, there is also a host of fun intractable widgets and point rewards you can use in-stream to keep them even more engaged. Remember, they’re not just there to watch you, they could see a YouTube video for that. They’re there for the community feeling.

Before you start streaming, make sure you have some realistic expectations. It’s extremely unlikely that you’re going to be making even four figures from it by the end of the year if you are lucky to start getting paid at all. Treat it as a hobby and have fun.

4 Steps To Help You Choose The Right College

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Does the idea of choosing a college make you feel old? Has it been a while since you were enrolled in formal education? Don’t worry if the answers to these questions are “yes” and “yes” because there isn’t a time limit on wanting to be better. If anything, going back to school is an excellent decision for anyone who plans on boosting their career.

Whether it’s learning a new skill to enable you to launch a startup, such as leadership, or taking your current expertise to the next level to climb the corporate ladder, the collegiate system welcomes you with open arms.

However, deciding that you want to enroll is only the beginning of the journey. Before you can experience lectures and classes online and in-person, you have to pick an establishment. Choosing a place to educate yourself is imperative as not all universities are created equally. Some are better than others regarding specific subjects and departments, for instance.

Therefore, you should think about your options carefully before applying. After all, it’s a long and expensive process if you get it wrong. For those who don’t know where to begin, please read the advice below. Here are the four main steps to consider to choose the most suitable college.

The Endgame

Hopefully, you have thought about where you want to be in the next five years. A plan is imperative as it’s a type of career roadmap that lets you avoid the pitfalls and follow the path of least resistance. Sadly, far too many students fail to recognize their planned endgame when evaluating their options.

There are several factors to consider, including price (more on that later), yet the crucial factor in your future is what you want to be and how your college can help you get there. If you take a look at the top nurse practitioner programs in the country, you’ll notice the courses are with specialist organizations, such as Walden and Creighton University.

While Yale or Harvard are among the most prestigious schools in the world, let alone the US, their resources might not give you the boost you are searching for as there isn’t a strong focus on nursing. As a result, even if you are lucky enough to attend, it could be a waste of time and money.

Always keep your career goals and targets in the forefront of your mind to avoid venturing off track.

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The Affordability

It is naive to pick a college without factoring in the price. Your education shouldn’t come at a cost, but it does for many students, even older ones who have incomes. Remember that any pay bump will be offset against your loans, so the entire point of attending university again could be negated if tuition rates are high.

However, it’s about picking the cheapest college with the lowest “sticker price”. Think of your education like clothes. The biggest brands are less affordable upfront, yet they save money in the long-term due to their greater quality. You need to strike a balance between affordable now and further down the road.

There are three options - private, public (out-of-state), and public (in-state). The former is the most expensive, but it also has grants and bursaries that make it cheaper for the less wealthy. Then, there are full and part scholarships for brilliant students. You might get your tuition subsidized due to your circumstances.

Financial aid is available. Unfortunately, the sticker prices of affordable universities indicate the costs regardless of your circumstances. As always, it’s wise to crunch the numbers to figure what you can and can’t afford.

In-Person Viewings

Once you have a ranked list of your top choices, you’ll find it tough to split them because they all have pros and cons. Sometimes, the attributes on paper are misleading, or they are understated. Plus, there is one feature you might not consider - the atmosphere. The environment in which you will study is essential because it should challenge you to strive for more.

The only way to get a feel for the vibe is to visit a college. When you are on-campus, you can gauge how happy people are and how much they enjoy their education. You can talk to the teachers and understand their philosophies. You can even ensure the rooms are light and bright and not dungeon-like!

Wherever possible, you should visit your shortlist of colleges at least once. However, the more the merrier as you will miss things during the excitement of your first viewing. Of course, online universities are different as everything is done virtually. In this case, a virtual open day is a smart move.

Whether it’s remote or face-to-face, don’t forget to ask powerful, open-ended questions that will give you an insight into the teaching and social culture. For instance, “Do your professors hold office hours?” highlights how far teachers are willing to go for the sake of their students.

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Your Commitments

The process is simpler for younger generations. With fewer responsibilities, they don’t have to worry about how much the course will take out of them and whether it will be worth the hassle. They invest in the experience from the outset and take stock when the three years are over.

You’re different. With a significant other and kids, you can’t disappear for hours on end and not take their feelings into account. Sure, your family wants you to follow your dreams, yet they also need a partner and a parent to help them through challenging periods.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go back to school. Instead, it means you might need to make compromises. Choosing an online course is a prime example since the virtual nature of the classes provides you with extra spare time. When you don’t need to travel to attend, you don’t have to worry about lengthy commutes on top of a full-time job.

Once you find a college that can balance your commitments, you shouldn’t procrastinate. Finalizing your application early gives you the best chance of being accepted!

Only you can decide, so which establishment will you choose to further your career?

You Must Always Keep These Things In Mind As A Gamer

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When you are a gamer, there are certain games that you’re going to enjoy more than others, and this on its own is not a bad thing. The problem comes when this gets coupled with bad behaviors and can even become obsessive. It’s for this reason that you must keep your eye on certain things to ensure that nothing is getting out of hand. In this article, we’re going to be looking at what some of these things are, so keep reading if you would like to find out more.

How Much You Spend

The first thing that you are going to need to keep your eye on is how much you are spending when you’re gaming. Games add up when you purchase them on their own, but when you add in the fact that you may want a new console, a new PC, a new controller, and in-app purchases, the amount that you spend can quickly add up. It’s for this reason that we highly recommend you set yourself a budget for how much you can spend gaming per month or so, and then make sure you stick to it. If you think that you’re going to be too tempted, then have a completely separate bank account for it. Ensure that you only ever transfer the right amount over, and that it’s reasonable to how much you have on the whole to spend on gaming.

It can be really easy to get too into a game and spend far more than you ever intended. As such, you should make sure that you’re only playing games that you really enjoy, and if you’re going to be looking at playing gambling games online, you only use the best online casino to do so.

How Much Time You’re Gaming

Another thing that you’ve got to be careful of is how much time you are spending gaming. Gaming addictions are a real thing, and it’s not something that you want to experience so it’s best for you if you limit how much you actually game. Come up with a reasonable amount of time that you will allow yourself to game each day, each week or each month depending on how you want to do it, and then stick to it. This way, you still get to play the games that you love, but you’re also not in danger of developing an unhealthy obsession with them.

What You Play

You also want to keep in mind what you are playing. Some games have certain content in them that is triggering for some people, and you need to be wary of this. Games are supposed to be fun, and if you don’t feel like you’re having fun, then you shouldn’t be playing that specific game anymore. You are in control of what you play, so don’t put yourself in a position where you aren’t happy doing so.

We hope that you have found this article helpful and now see some of the things that you must always keep in mind as a gamer. Gaming can be a super fun way to pass the time and get some enjoyment out of life, but you need to be careful then your behavior doesn’t cross over into dangerous territory.

Christmas Gift Ideas For The Gaming Fanatics In Your Life

Christmas is just around the corner and if you haven’t already started, you might be thinking about beginning your Christmas shopping. Buying the perfect gift for your loved ones can be a challenge for even the most experienced shopper, and when you’re trying to buy for gaming fanatics, you can be left wondering what to buy them. After all, gamers are well known for saving their money to buy the latest consoles and games, so what could you buy them that they haven’t already got? We’ve got some fantastic Christmas gift ideas for the gaming fanatic in your life.

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Make their gaming experience more comfortable

Anyone that’s ever found themselves immersed in a game will tell you how easy it is to lose track of time. Minutes turn into hours at the blink of an eye, and even the more experienced gamer can begin to feel the aches and pains of sitting still for so long. Make their gaming experience more comfortable buy choosing gifts such as:

• Gaming chair with built in surround sound

• Cosy slippers and dressing gown - comfort is essential when gaming!

• A mini fridge to keep refreshments to avoid timely trips to the kitchen

Introduce some nostalgia

There’s nothing better than switching on a game from your past that you’ve enjoyed and feeling that wave of nostalgia as you race through levels and complete missions. A great gift this year would be the latest Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1&2 remastered for those that loved the original game all those years ago. If you’re buying a gift for someone in the 25+ bracket, you may look at GBC Roms to really take them on a nostalgia ride.

Kit them out with their favourite merchandise

If you’re not sure what kind of game to buy or whether or not they already own a particular game, you could turn to merchandise instead. Many games have an array of merchandise that you can buy straight from the website such as mugs, tshirts, posters, caps and even car accessories! All you have to do is discreetly ask your loved one what their favourite games are.

Pre purchase their next expansion

As mentioned earlier, many gamers are pretty well known for staying up to date with the latest game releases or expansions. While you may not be able to beat them to it and buy it as a gift in time for Christmas, you could still pay for the new release or expansion for them! Many gaming outlets sell gift cards, or you could simply give your loved one some money for Christmas with a note. Alternatively, you could find other ways to prepay for their games. World of Warcraft, for example, allows users to pre purchase their next expansion after the press release, giving players months to save for the expansion.

Buying gifts for those who love gaming doesn’t have to be difficult, and with these ideas and some discreet investigative work, you’ll find the perfect gift for sure.

How To Help Your Child Choose The Right School

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Choosing a school is an important decision. It’s possible that there could be many schools in your area to choose from - you need to work out which is the best for your child’s development and ultimately their future. Below are some things to consider when helping your child to choose a school. 

Do your online research

You can find out a lot of information about schools in your area online. Go to each school’s website and you should be able to find an online high school learning guide that answers FAQs about that particular school. There may also be information on the resources available.

It’s worth also researching into each school’s reputation by checking out local parent forums, local news sites and grades rankings sites. If there’s a lot of negativity about a school online, it could be a red flag not to send your child there. Meanwhile, if people have lots of positive things to say, it could be a sign that it’s a good school worthy of your trust.

Attend open days

Open days can allow you to get a better feel for the school and see what it is like in action. Some schools may host open evenings when there aren’t actually any students around - these events may not be the best opportunity to judge how good a school is as you won’t be able to see how teachers interact with students.

You can usually find information on open days online. If you’ve missed the open days, don’t worry - many schools may still allow you to organise private tours providing that you warn them in advance.  

Ask the right questions

It’s important to ask the school staff and students any questions you may have. Don’t be afraid to address any concerns you may have to staff such as how they deal with bullying or how much homework is given out. You may want to write down a list of questions to ask or for your child to ask so that you don’t forget any important questions. 

Consider your child’s individual needs

Some children may have disabilities or learning difficulties that need to be accommodated to. In these cases, you may want to weigh up a mainstream school with a school specifically catered to those with disabilities - which will benefit your child the most? Similarly, if your child is particularly gifted at a certain subject, you may want to consider which schools can help your child to excel. A school for gifted children may be better suited than a mainstream school in some cases. Obviously, specialist schools may cost more - which is also something to weight up. 

Other needs to consider could include how your child gets to school. The school will need to be close enough that they can travel to it easily. If it’s not in walking distance, make sure that there is at least a bus route with stops nearby (unless you are prepared to drive them to and from school every day). It is likely certain schools will not accept you if you are located a certain distance away. This is particularly the case with popular schools.