Graduates with arts degrees often feel some difficulties to determine their career goal in the initial stage. In general view, most of jobs seem to suit the arts degree graduates but when come to decide a career goal, it seem like hard to define one. Unlike graduates from science and technology fields, graduates from the arts fields feel that their program of study hasn't necessarily prepared them for specific jobs or careers. Many arts degree graduates become apprehensive once graduation approaches.

Are these the facts of art degrees? Is pursuing an art degree a waste of money and will only get you a job flipping burgers? These popular art degree's myths affect many students who are interested in art degrees and they stop moving their step into art fields and force themselves to take science & technology related degrees for a brighter future.

The Facts versus Myths

In actual, the facts are contrary to the popular art degree myths, a variety of career possibilities await art graduates, almost half of all job vacancies available to new graduates are open to students with arts degrees. These employers are particularly interested in transferable skills.

Let review the true facts of these popular art degree myths and you will realize that you are totally employable with your Arts degree and arts degree graduates are really in high demand in the jobs market with well-paying positions.

Myth 1: A Bachelor of Arts degree is not enough to find a well-paying, interesting job. You need to go to Law School, the Faculty of Education, or a technical training institute to be competitive for professional employment.

Fact 1: Based payscales.com salary survey conducted in 2006, average salary for bachelor's arts degree graduates in various job fields at United States are ranging from $32,000 to $55,000 annually, without having any further college or university study.

Myth 2: A Bachelor of Arts degree will get you a job of flipping burgers.

Fact 2: Based recent job survey conducted by a well-known survey company, arts graduates are often employed in a professional or managerial capacity (50 - 81%). This compared favorably with those in Commerce (60%) and those with technical or vocational diplomas from colleges and technical institutes (24 - 35%).

Myth 3: A Bachelor of Arts degree is a waste of time and money and does not earn as much money as a bachelor degree in science and technology.

Fact 3: According to a job survey report from "Express News" of University Alberta, Those with a general arts degree do well in the long term, although initially they may not make as much as graduates of professional faculties, what's really striking is the gains they make over five years, the gap starts to close. This is because Arts graduates emerge with highly developed research, communication, creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills that are in high demand because they are difficult to teach in the workplace. Many employers want this type of well-rounded employee, who can be trained for more specific skills.

Are you desperately on a lookout for a new job? Well don’t worry; I’ve surely been there myself. It is not easy finding the right job that best suits your interests and one that also pays the bills. For sure, who doesn’t dream of a career that allows us to kick back with our 1000 dollar shoes up on the desk and gaze happily out at a million dollar view each day. And oh! It’s got to be from the hundredth floor of some billion dollar business. Now did I leave anything out? Well unfortunately most of us don't find that exact job, however we do have the capability to find a career that makes us happy. Have you checked online for any jobs lately? I am sure you will definitely stumble across a job opportunity if you do some browsing. The World-Wide-Web is practically overflowing with them.

For starters, what type of job opportunity are you out looking for? The other day I asked my 17 year old daughter since she's about to graduate. She cast me a serious look and proudly said she would like to be the head of some large, billion dollar corporation. I was truly speechless. Then she said, "How can I do that right now?" Honestly I couldn't help but laugh. I really don't know what kids are thinking lately. I looked her square in the eye and said, you can't. The first thing you have to go to college, acquire a bachelor's degree, then perhaps a master's degree. After which your diploma will only be followed with an entry position at some company, and you will continue to work your way up. She wasn’t too pleased and possibly thought I was nuts. For sure, in the real world no one enters a company after high school and becomes a CEO or president. As much as that would be ideal, it just doesn't work that way.

For those who are looking for a job opportunity, then the perfect place to begin is online. So you've got your bachelor's degree and you're seriously looking for that ideal job opportunity that suits your skills. It's time to hope online and pop open Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com. These are easy to navigate websites that will help you discover that perfect job opportunity. You not only have the option to browse positions in your immediate area but also nationwide. Go ahead and punch in the field you prefer and do a quick search. Say, if this doesn't give you the desired results, you can also type in your degree for more feedback. Don’t worry that job opportunity you're looking for is sure out there if you browse in the right place. Of course, you can even send your resume to a potential employer via Cyberspace.

A certified financial planner is a much-needed for all those who are looking to secure their financial future. There are a number of reputable governing boards that monitor the certification and the continuing education of these planners. These independent boards help make sure that each certified financial planner meets certain necessary requirements. With a certified financial planner, you not only get someone who has a established knowledge of financial planning, but one who has been trained in and is familiar with the ethical issues that surround financial planning.

For all those who wish to become a certified financial planner, one must go through extensive training and answer a test. Many certifications also require that their certified financial planners take a certain amount of continuing education credits in order to keep their credentials up to date. This generally consists of a class or two every year or so, just to keep their knowledge current and so that each certified financial planner can keep his or her skills sharp. Also, in order to become and keep certification, financial planners have to fulfill a certain set of rules and guidelines and act in good faith.

Taking on a certified financial planner has many benefits. With the services they offer you can start with confidence toward your financial goals. A certified financial planner will not only help you figure out how you are going to make payments for your home, send your kids to college, but even if you want have the luxury of retiring.

A financial planner who has been certified can also help you stay updated of all the latest news and trends and help you take advantage of the markets to maximize the returns on your investments. Every certified financial planner is trained to assist you benefit the most out of your financial situation.

Over the past couple of years, many people have become acutely aware of ethics violations among financial planners. Though many financial planners have pleaded ignorance when confronted with violations; for instance trying to get customers to buy a specific stock so that the value of their own stock would rise. While others admit that they simply didn't realize that they were doing anything wrong.

While no certification can guard completely against unethical behavior, a certified financial planner is required to go through extensive training in the law and ethics of financial planning. There are some things about financial planning that can seem morally ambiguous. Teaching a soon-to-be certified financial planner about the pitfalls can avoid problems later on. If you need a certified financial planner, finding one is as simple as asking friends and family to recommend someone. If someone close to you feels convinced and secure with the financial services they are receiving, you can feel confident in making an appointment to meet with them, so you can make your own determination

If you are looking for a new job, you should prepare a great resume, read up on hiring and firing in the corporate world . . . and take in a movie.

In the feature film The Pursuit of Happiness, Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a struggling single parent. Set in 1981, Chris is a salesman of a high-tech medical gizmo that most medical facilities can do without. Chris has no future selling these gizmos and he knows it. He can't pay his rent. He can't pay for childcare. He can't even pay his parking tickets. He's looking for a better job, a better product, and a better life. Chris sees an opportunity. He applies for a prestigious stock brokerage internship. It's a gamble. Only twenty applicants are selected from a huge file of wannabes. Chris doggedly pursues the job by searching out the manager who reviews the applicants. He is relentless and lands an interview. The night before the interview Chris is painting his apartment and is arrested for not paying his parking tickets. He writes a check, but must wait for the check to clear, just 45 minutes before his interview.

Shirtless and smeared with paint Chris rushes to his interview. Knowing that he is underdressed and looks without merit, he does what we should always do, anyway. He tells the truth. He is hired. His determination and of course his dress, while going after the job carry the day.

In an interview, you can forget all the flash and dash. What matters is the truth and your desire for the job. If your qualifications match up with those of the job and you look like you both can handle the job and want the job, you have a great advantage over those who are simply looking for a job.

IT pros are leaving the corporate world like traders at the closing bell on Wall Street--fast and en masse. That's the inside scoop from an IT executive friend of mine at a Fortune 500 bank. According to my source, in the last two months 70 percent of his IT employees that quit their corporate jobs are leaving to become consultants.

The reasons are typical--consulting simply offers techies more money and personal flexibility than the corporate grind. While the gleam of freedom and riches is still bright in the eyes of newly minted contractors, I decided to ask a simple question: In the long run, will these contractors succeed?

Five Best Practices for Consultants I've written in the past about the success factors of contractors, including planning for downtime, a rainy day fund, insurance, retirement, and networking.

But this recent revelation prompted me to look more deeply into the things HotGigs has learned about the contractor marketplace. We've learned that successful consultants follow a core set of best practices, including the following five behaviors:

1. They stay current on technology.
2. They invest in themselves with training and new skills acquisition.
3. They know how to run the "business side" of being a consultant.
4. They think more about long-range career opportunities, not just money, when considering a new gig.
5. They know how to market themselves and they do so frequently and consistently.

While these five strategies keep a contractor vital, busy, and at the head of the profession, the reality is most contractors need to modify their behavior to live up to these high standards. Most Contractors Not Following Best Practices HotGigs' study of the state of the IT marketplace showed stark gaps between what contractors say they do and what they should be doing. For instance, being schooled in the latest technology is essential for a techie. But a whopping 49 percent of contractors surveyed said they only invest $1,000 a year--or less--in training and skills acquisition. This meager investment is hardly enough to bone up on a new programming language or qualify to sit for a certification exam. Business acumen was woefully inadequate, too. The majority of contractors ranked business skills first and second in importance out of a list of seven skill types they want to acquire. They said they want to learn more;

* bookkeeping
* time management
* negotiating skills

A good step in the right direction to help consultants manage their business. When asked about their least favorite aspect of consulting, the majority of contractors said they "didn't really like at all" locating new leads. Negotiating rates, invoicing, and accounting issues ranked second among the least popular activities. Money Holds Too Much Allure Money drives most consultants too much. As my executive friend at the Fortune 500 bank pointed out, contractors are seduced away from their day job by the whisper of higher earnings as consultants.

HotGigs' survey showed that money was the number one deciding factor for consultants selecting new projects. But money isn't always the best consideration when examining a contract. Things like the prestige of the project or the company and the ability to network your way into more contracts may be a better consideration when thinking about a long-term career. Marketing Skills Weak The majority of tech contractors surveyed said that marketing continues to be a weakness. Contractors rely heavily on referrals to land new opportunities. While important, word of mouth is a passive way of marketing that may keep you hovering in the safe zone--in the same pay scale and type of project, further limiting your ability to learn new programming chops.

Only 32 percent of respondents were people who I'd call "active" in terms of marketing themselves. Active means seeking out new contract opportunities at least six to 12 times a year. With so many projects only lasting three to six months at a time, the importance of continually getting your name in front of prospects cannot be overemphasized.

When you enter the market as a consultant, you face the consequence of becoming unemployed if you fail to rigorously market yourself. Additionally, you're at a disadvantage when negotiating contracts and rates if you're desperate for work. You'll compromise your pay, accept work that may not interest you, and ultimately shorten your long-term prognosis as a contractor.

It's Possible to Obtain Better Contractor Skills Of course, all of these counterproductive behaviors are reversible. Sites like HotGigs that offer techies a suite of products, contractor management, and networking tools make it easier to break out of self-limiting behaviors as a contractor.

For instance, online training is a click away, with HotGigs E-learning. You can even research consultant bill rates and monitor who is checking you out. This makes it easy to follow up independently with a phone call or email to the hiring manager. You can also import a list of contacts, invite them into the HotGigs network, and promote your availability to them with a simple click. In the coming months, more features will further enhance the Consultant Desktop on HotGigs.

A vendor management system (VMS) promises freedom from the chaos that can be caused by juggling the vast array of components in a staffing supply chain. It does this by pushing everything through a central processing point. Yet the business side of making these transitions can be complicated and disastrous if not well planned. How do you ensure a successful VMS implementation? After spending months with companies and vendors in developing ContractCentral we’ve learned some valuable lessons about making the transition to vendor managment system.

1. Know why you’re buying a VMS

Organizations deploy VMS systems for different reasons. Will your VMS foster competitive bidding to lower staffing costs? Speed requisition broadcasts? Reduce the time it takes to find and manage contract workers? You’ll save time and money by building a prioritized list of those reasons, understanding must-haves and trade-offs, and using that list to spec, evaluate, plan and build a VMS solution tailored to your business.

2. Establish success metrics up front

How will you define success or failure in your VMS implementation? Identify at least one measure of success for each of the items on your priority list, and develop metrics that enable you to prove the value of the new system. Establishing metrics early, before the project has started, allows you to create and track baselines. These days CFOs are increasingly concerned with making total cost of ownership (TCO) and return on investment (ROI) a central facet of the solution. Establishing a hard dollar value can be tough (be sure to ask prospective vendors for suggestions) but can go a long way toward winning loyal support from senior management.

3. Map VMS against your own business processes

Any major solution implementation can require a few tweaks to your business process as it’s deployed. The trick is to prevent tweaks from becoming major process re-engineering (unless, of course, a re-engineering is part of the plan).

Before telecommunications company ADC deployed HotGigs ContractCentral, it studied its existing staffing operations and determined that some re-engineering was necessary. Those changes became an early part of the deployment plan, allowing the team to craft retraining and support strategies to ensure a smooth transition.

4. Understand your costs

The industry rule of thumb says a VMS shouldn’t cost more than 1 to 3 percent of your hiring budget, and you can anticipate saving 10 percent to 25 percent of your staffing costs through increased efficiencies and more competitive bidding.However, don’t overlook hidden costs. How will your employees manage staffing during the transition? Have you budgeted for retraining your users and participating vendors? Does your contract include post-deployment enhancements? Is there an early penalty for canceling a VMS purchased for a set term?

5. Put yourself in your vendors’ shoes

Be realistic about your staffing vendors’ costs as well. The higher the cost of integration with your new VMS, or the more deltas there are between their system and yours, the less likely you are to get accurate inputs and prompt responses.

5. Build a training plan

If training is needed, are there online training and support modules available? How much training time will each user need? Are there different views available of the user's desktop in the VMS based on their role and relationship to the system?

6. Plan to scale

One of the greatest success factors of a software application is its rate of adoption with the people who are supposed to use it. If your initial roll out is successful, your users will inevitably begin to use it in new ways, find new reporting requirements…and sooner or later you’ll be faced with a need to scale. Make sure your VMS can handle the load without the need for extensive custom-coding, an expensive proposition. In addition, opt for the smartest, most flexible reporting structure possible.

In order to land that cruise ship job that you hope for you are going to need to learn what job to apply for, how to apply for the cruise ship job, and what skills you will need to possess in order to get that job. It is important to do lots of research when you first begin looking for your cruise ship job and the Internet can be a very powerful tool when compiling your research.

You will need to first decide on what job appeals to you, the last thing you want to do is apply for just any open position. You want to look professional. If the cruises line thinks you'll take any job then they'll think you are just looking for a free vacation not a job. So do your research and know what job you are applying for.

Once you have decided what cruise ship job to apply for then you need to mold your resume to suit that position. You mold your resume by targeting your skills and experience to best suit you for that position. For example, if you apply to be a waiter on the cruise ship then your skills and experiences should be tailored to best suit you for being a waiter.

Some of the cruise ship jobs available will require you to have specialized knowledge in a particular field especially for jobs like medical staff, fitness instructors or youth counselors. Other jobs, like retail jobs, won't require this specialized knowledge but all positions will require excellent customer service skills.

If the job that you are best qualified for isn't quite what you want to do during your cruise ship career then just use that experience to get your foot in the door. Once inside you can use your connections to move to a more desirable job.

The cruise lines can be pretty fussy about the whole job application process. If you provide any inaccurate information or any incomplete or poorly written information then you can pretty much be sure that you have just wasted your time. When going through the cruise ship job process make sure you double check everything on every step of the way.

Knowing how to speak English is also very important since most cruise lines cater to Americans and other English speaking people. You will also need a valid passport and if your are not from North America then you will also need a Seafarers Visa, this visa will allow you to legally work at the ports in the United States.

Also, when doing your research please be aware that there is a lot of outdated information out there in the cruise line industry. If you are going to purchase an ebook make sure that you check out the authors credentials and make sure that the ebook is updated on a regular basis. Make sure the information that you are getting is correct and up to date.

In summary, finding that perfect cruise ship job will require a lot of research and time but it will all be worth it in the end when you find the cruise ship job that suites you perfectly. Make sure that you have your passport or visa up to date and make sure that you fill out all of the information correctly. Cruise ships jobs can be hard work but the positives far outweigh the negatives. See the world... Make friends... And make money... Enjoy your cruise ship job.

You’re performing well in your job. You’ve even been told that you’re up for a promotion. Yet, getting the promotion seems to be taking a long time and you’re getting impatient.

Are you wondering how you could make it happen faster? Are you thinking about what else you could do to make yourself the most likely choice for promotion?

Of course, there are factors such as budgetary constraints, lost contracts, etc. that could influence the timing of your promotion. You have little control over these factors.

However, there are things you can do that would set you apart and catapult your name to the top of the promotion list. Wouldn’t you want to know how to improve your odds of landing your promotion sooner?

Take this quiz to find out where you stand in the pursuit of your promotion. Answer yes or no to the following questions. Each yes answer counts as one point. Compare your point total to the scoring key below.

1. I’ve successfully executed projects beyond my current job responsibilities.
2. I’ve gotten outstanding performance reviews for the last two years.
3. I’ve recently discussed my desire to be promoted with key power brokers in the company including my boss.
4. I’ve mastered all aspects of my present job.
5. I feel ready for, and excited by, new challenges.
6. I’m handling the stress of my current life/job well.
7. I continually seek ways to save the company time and money and raise the company’s profile.
8. When a project doesn’t go as planned, I learn from the experience.
9. When someone receives a promotion before I do, I redouble my efforts to improve my skills and standing within the company.
10. I have a network of colleagues that I can turn to with questions, for support and impartial advice.
11. I keep my cool when faced with challenging people and situations.
12. I’ve got a sense of humor and can laugh at myself.
13. I share my boss’s vision and have made his/her goals my own.
14. I know how to say no to protect my time and energy without alienating people.
15. I am capable of managing multiple priorities and I juggle them well.
16. I am optimistic and don’t complain, whine or engage in gossip about others in the office.
17. I have attended, and am comfortable at, office parties and social events with my co-workers.
18. I keep people’s confidences.
19. If I manage a staff, I am fair and proportionate in giving praise and feedback.
20. I have professional work habits (grooming, dressing for success, on-time to meetings, organized).
21. I embrace change and do not hold onto the old way of doing things.
22. I share the credit and accolades with my team members.
23. I am good at motivating my staff and team members to achieve their highest level of performance.
24. I am comfortable using technology (i.e. Blackberry, IM, the Internet) and it makes me more effective.
25. I have documented my successes and can present them at my next performance review.

Old fashion Hollywood style glamour photography is an untapped gold mine of profits just waiting for you to capitalize on. It is the simplest and easiest portrait technique to learn but is often under utilized because most photographers tend to complicate things with all their fancy equipment and lights.

In Glamour photography there are four main lighting techniques. They are: 90 degree Split, 45 degree Rembrandt, 15 degree Paramount (taken from Paramount Studios) and the classic Zero Degree Hollywood lighting of just one main light being set directly in front of and up high over your subject.

This lighting technique eliminates shadows and tends to smooth out facial wrinkles creating a very glamorous look with just a single light. Add a small background or hair light into the picture and you are ready to rock and roll your way into earning a fortune with your 35mm digital or film camera!

Many amateur photographers who dream of turning their passion of taking pictures into a full-time career will soon discovered that the world is full of thousands of very talented photographers who are far more creative and experienced than they will ever be. I’m not going to steal away anyone’s dream of developing a photographic career because I know just how really easy it can be to earn over a thousand dollars per day shooting portraits in a simple studio set up in ones own living room.

The truth is - any average amateur photographer who learns how to market really does stand a very good chance of earning a full-time income working part time hours. I know because I have trained many people as photographers for several large studio’s over the last 20 years and learning to take great portraits is really a lot easier than what conventional thinking would lead you to believe.

Most people think that it takes years to learn how to produce high priced Glamour portraits. What they don't know is in reality it only takes two to three weeks of on the job training to know what you are doing.

There are two easy ways you can tap into the highly lucrative glamour photography market. The first way is to simply apply to any of the National Studio’s for a position as a photographer trainee and get paid to learn how to set up and shoot glamour portraits.

There are many advantages of starting out this way. Instead of investing years and thousands of dollars studying photography at a University or Art school you will be paid to learn how to take portraits.

One disadvantage however in that most portrait studios with trainee program have no lack of applicants applying for the positions and new trainees must sign a non-compete contract that prohibits them from working in the industry for several years after leaving their employment.

National studios have no intention of training their future competition. They are fully aware that with the right training almost anyone can learn how to turn out sellable Glamour portraits overnight.

However, provided you sign a no compete contract they will hire and train you to take, show and sell portraits. But what they won't teach you is the real key to your freedom. They won't teach you how to find customers and market yourself. They will keep you so busy focusing on working in the business that you will never have time to step back and take in the whole picture.

The other easy way to tap into this profitable fun niche photo market is to invest in learning from experts through attending live training workshops or taking home study courses. But your key to developing a big time money making photography career lies in first learning how to flood your studio with paying clients and then to continually hone and improve your skills everyday.

So get out your camera on start focusing on the fun and profitable glamour photography market today because the more pictures you shoot the better you will become and the more you will make!

In our technological age, a large percentage of the population is becoming more familiar with computers. This is largely because of information technology careers. Computer-based positions have flooded the job market in the last decade.

If you decide to acquire degrees in computer science, programming or software, you will have a good chance of succeeding. Trends have shown that this field is constantly expanding. These days, it’s a good idea to get involved with new-age computer hardware, software and the Internet.

Are you considering information technology careers? Millions of new students are going to information technology colleges all over the country every year. This is one of the best bets when it comes to useful degrees. I'm not dismissing other degree programs; however some of them tend to lead graduates to nowhere.

Many people are finding it difficult to find good paying jobs with their Liberal Arts degree. I'm not saying that it's worthless, but opportunities with information technology careers are much more numerous than art-based career openings.

You can easily find the most sought after jobs on the Internet. If you pop open your Google search engine and check it out, you can easily bring up websites like CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com.

You can then type in the job of your choice, such as nursing, law, freelance writing or information technology careers and you will be rewarded with numerous career opportunities.

Since my brother was looking for a job up north, I did a search a few days ago. I took it upon myself to check out the current information technology careers available.

I was able to come up with several options within a few minutes. I saved the links and emailed them to my brother. There are plenty to choose from when it comes to information technology careers.

It doesn’t matter if you're looking for a job down south, in the Midwest, or on the west coast, you are sure to spot something worth your while. Hop on your computer today and check out the Internet for all the requirements for information technology careers. Your dream job may just be at your fingertips.

Income for paralegals and legal assistants varies, depending on education and training, work experience, geographic location, and the employer by size and type. Typically, paralegals working for large metropolitan law firms earn more in salary and benefits. According to the U.S. Department of Labor in May 2004, “full-time wage and salary paralegals and legal assistants had median annual earnings, including bonuses, of $39,130. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,040 and $49,950. The top 10 percent earned more than $61,390, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $25,360.” In addition to their salary, many paralegals receive bonuses. It is unclear whether bonus reporting was included in the statistics; if not, those earnings would rise even higher.

Continuing with the Department of Labor statistics: “Median annual earnings of legal secretaries were $36,720 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $29,070 and $46,390. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,270, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $56,590.”

Thus, by comparison, paralegals have greater opportunity to earn a higher salary than legal secretaries.

Do legal secretaries earn approximately the same as other types of secretaries? No, it is higher. Referring back to Department of Labor compilations: “Medical secretaries earned a median annual salary of $26,540 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $21,980 and $32,690. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,140, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $39,140. Median annual earnings of secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive, were $26,110 in May 2004.”

Let’s compare the median annual salaries:

Paralegals - $31,040 to $49,950
Legal Secretaries - $29,070 to $46,390
Medical Secretaries - $21,980 to $32,690
Secretaries (Except Legal, Medical and Executive) - $26,110

Which type of position is more attractive based on salary?

It is highly advisable for young people to earn college educations. Competition for jobs is fierce, and particularly with current technological advances, higher education is just plain required to land career jobs. Players in the game of Life who go straight to work rather than the college route, in reality, may wind up with dead-end jobs and victims of the saying, “he worked until the day he died.”

With paralegal salaries registering at a higher rung than the other office positions, it is reasonable that legal assistants would more than likely require the most education and training. Employers hiring any of the above positions may consider candidates with general course work, but specialized training would naturally be given greater consideration. Specialized training suggests a new hire will pick up the work ball already running. This may also be less costly to the employer during in-house training.

Explore your opportunities for higher education, and consider a career as a paralegal. Salaries are good. The work is interesting. With advancement potential, a paralegal career is an excellent choice. Is it the right one for you?

Are you fascinated by trials? Do you like helping people? A career as a Paralegal is challenging, rewarding, and NEVER boring. Sign up for free newsletters that show you how to step into this exciting career. Adventures await you....