Thursday, 26 January 2012

goals/

Sunday, 22 January 2012

Life Coaching

Life Coaching and Its Impact on Someone's Future

Life Coaching and Its Impact on Someone's Future

By: Marty Morandi | Posted: Nov 29, 2011

Do you ever imagine yourself changing the lives of other people and seeing them make it? It's probably very rewarding to see someone whom you've helped at various stages finally achieve their goals and dreams. When motivating others comes easily to you, it's probably a good idea to enroll in a life coach course to further develop your skills in this area.

However, if you feel you need some guidance, then a professional life coach can help you get over your situation. To become an effective life coach, you need to have the kind of life that others would look to as an example.

Life coaches help people meet their objectives in life. However, the first step in this type of coaching isn't reaching your goals but identifying them from the outset. Most people are at a loss when asked how they see themselves several years from now. Setting your objectives may be a little tricky, especially when dealing with numerous aspects of life.

Along the way, you may encounter signification distractions and hindrances. Thus, you may have sacrificed some dreams to meet more pressing considerations. This problem is common among a lot of young professionals who are just starting with their careers.

Luckily, anyone can resolve this conflict by consulting individuals who have taken courses in executive life coaching. These experts can assist you in setting your objectives, eliminating obstacles to growth, and discovering the right tactics towards attaining your objectives. A lot of organizations nowadays invest in various life coaching opportunities to ensure they have a productive and highly motivated workforce.

What is so important about life coaching? If you really want to be successful in every aspect of your life but lack the will or the right perspective to do so, then life coaching can help you get your groove back to start hitting your goals. Organizations that include life coaching sessions in their staff development programs also reap the benefits of having a highly motivated and empowered workforce.

Professional life coaching can be instrumental in helping people become much better and effective individuals. It teaches participants how to maintain a positive outlook in life, deal with personal finances, face challenges head-on, and maintain great relationships with other people. So if you want to do something meaningful but don't exactly know how to start or where to go, then find a life coach who can give your life some direction.

About the Author

If you have questions, please visit us at www.CoachingByCoral.com for complete details and answers.

Printed From http://www.articlesbase.com/coaching-articles/life-coaching-and-its-impact-on-someones-future-5439233.html

Saturday, 21 January 2012

Future and High Demand Careers

Waves of the Future and High Demand Careers

Here are some of the "waves" that you will be riding into the 21st Century, and the careers that are predicted to be in high demand riding on those waves.

1. Information Revolution

Did you know that we have produced more information in the last 30 years than has been produced in the previous 5000? The information supply available to us doubles every five years. In developed countries, such as Canada, Australia and the United States, we now trade more in information and ideas than in goods. Developing countries can supply cheaper labour; so, for instance, they build the computers, but we design them. It is projected that the new jobs being created in developed countries will require more than sixteen years of education/training and that these will be the best paying jobs. Overall, the higher level of education you obtain, the greater the likelihood of being employed in the future. There is an increasing involvement by businesses in training and keeping employees up-to-date. The need for life-long learning continues. This will mean a demand in areas where people are dealing with a large amount of information, synthesizing it and teaching or training others about the developments.
High Demand Careers
  • Information System Librarian Specialist
  • Adult Educators/Trainers
  • Human Resources Trainer
  • Researcher
  • Financial Advisor, Actuarial, Auditor, Investment Advisor, Accountant
  • Manager in the Financial and Business Sector
  • Manager in Communications
  • Manager in Engineering, Architecture, Science and Information Systems

2. High Technology and Materials Creation

Technology creation continues to increase at a rapid pace, affecting all sectors of employment. Computer power is now 8000 times less expensive than it was 30 years ago. Most jobs in the computer area will be in research and development, design, engineering, software and customer support. The fastest growing area in developed countries is the invasion of the computer into the home, with resulting demands in entertainment and home education software. The future combination of computer, television, wireless and other telecommunication network services will have a further major impact on this area. The semiconductor and wireless communications industries continue to grow, but again not in the production area as much as in the design field. Did you know that one fiber optics cable can carry as much information as 300 tons of copper wire; one piece of plastic can replace as many as 40 to 50 separate pieces of steel; and a new type of ceramic blade can last 50 times longer than normal steel blades? The development of amazing man-made materials such as plastics, composites and advanced ceramics will continue to expand.
High Demand Careers
  • Systems Analysts
  • Software Developers
  • Computer Animators, Editors, and Camera Operators
  • Designers and Engineers in the High Technology field, such as semiconductors, microprocessors, microwaves and laser technology (Electrical and electronic engineers)
  • Designers and Engineers in the Advanced Materials area such as ceramics, plastics and composites (Chemical Engineers)
  • Electrical Trades
  • Electronics Engineering Technician
  • Network Security Experts
  • Technical Writers
  • Technical Sales Personnel
  • Equipment Maintenance Workers

3. Global Village

E-commerce, Internet, telecommunications, free trade agreements, open borders, cheap travel alternatives – these are all contributing to a shrinking world with business, trade and tourism happening on a global scale. More and more companies are doing business on a worldwide scale, both with having offices and employees around the globe as well as selling internationally. Do you know the most well known Red & White logo in the world? It isn’t the Red Cross – yes, it’s Coca-Cola! The Internet has opened both lines of communication as well as being an amazing venue for both retail and service sales. Borders are opening not only for business, but also for skilled immigrants, and many developed countries such as Canada, Australia and the United States are increasingly multi-cultural environments.
High Demand Careers
  • Internet Specialists
  • Web-page Designers
  • International Lawyers
  • Protocol Officers
  • Language and Cultural Experts
  • Translators
  • Sensitivity and Diversity Trainers

4. Natural Systems Awareness

There is an increasing awareness and concern with all natural environments and with treating our own bodies in a natural way. Businesses need to be “green” – environmentally conscientious – as more consumers and investors are demanding that we are aware of the impact we are making on Mother Earth. Consumers are also looking to natural medicines and alternative forms of healing, at times, as conventional medicine is unable to provide all of the answers. In amongst all of this is the development of biotechnology, nano-technology (research into protein synthesis in organisms), cloning, molecular engineering and gene replacement. This area holds the promise of developing better plants and animals, curing disease, and offering longer life spans, but it also comes with many ethical concerns.
High Demand Careers
  • Natural Healing Practitioner
  • Nutritionist/ Health Food Store Manager
  • Fitness Consultant/ Personal Trainer
  • Environmental Engineer and Scientist
  • Researcher in Alternative Energy Sources
  • Ecologist
  • Water Quality Technician
  • Waste Management Specialist
  • Soil Reclamation Specialist
  • Organic Farmer
  • Genetic Researcher
  • Life Science Professional
  • Researcher – Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
  • Biologist/Bioscientist
  • Alternative Clinics - i.e., Yoga Instructor, Stress Clinician, Massage Therapist

5. Demographics

Populations of North America and Australia are aging. In the 21st century an older “baby boomer” group reaching their 60’s and beyond will dominate these countries. This group has two subgroups – the “young old” who are healthy and active and the “old old” who are ill and often confined. This group will have the wealth and need assistance with wealth management. For the young-old, there will be an increased demand for leisure activities and alternative ways to work during retirement. For the old-old there will be an increasing need for health care, especially if it is offered outside of institutions and home care services. Of course, there is also the Echo Boom, the children of the Baby Boomer population, which is the second largest demographic group in North America and Australia. This group will be moving into their twenties having their own impact on the consumer and retail market. As the older population retires, there will be a demand for new workers and a need to keep those workers happy.
High Demand Careers
  • Financial Advisor
  • Human Rights Officer
  • Artist & Entertainer
  • Human Resources Personnel Officer
  • Estate Lawyer
  • Sexual Harassment Officer
  • Home Renovator & Related Trades
  • Non-vocational Educator
Any Health Care field if it is focused on the Elderly such as:
  • Physician/Surgeon
  • Osteopath/ Chiropractor
  • Audio/ Physiotherapist
  • Health Manager
  • Denturist/ Hygienist/ Periodontist
  • Grief and Retirement Counsellor
  • Medical Equipment Designer
  • Nurse/Nurses Aide
  • Pharmacist
  • Home Health Care Aide
  • Dispensing Optician/ Optometrist
  • Nursing Home Manager
  • Psychiatrist/ Psychologist
  • Funeral Director
Occupations in the Leisure Industry:
  • Travel Consultant
  • Hotel/ Resort Management
  • Gardening/Landscape Consultant
  • Electronic Game Designer
  • Ecotourism Operator
  • Hospitality Industry Personnel
  • Golf Course Manager

6. Patterns of Working

Small business (those with less than 20 workers) and entrepreneurism create about 80 percent of the new jobs. Organizations are staying “lean & mean” in the 21st century. They have learned a new way of obtaining the services they need, by hiring individuals or other small organizations as consultants, on contract, or as temporary workers. Individuals have found that they enjoy the flexibility, freedom, and tax breaks that come with self-employment. They no longer want to rely on one organization for their security and future. Many governments are realizing the benefits of having this type of workforce and are offering incentives and advice for those interested in becoming self-employed. This will be a hot area of employment for women, who often have the variety of skills that it requires to be successful in running a small business.

This is only a snapshot of a large number of trends and developments that are affecting the world of work. Remember, too, that trend information becomes outdated very quickly. You do not want to choose an occupation only because the future demand is predicted to be high: it needs to suit you!

To be even more future-oriented, consider the following list of Emerging Careers for the 21st Century. You may end up working in an occupational area that does not even exist today, so it is important to keep abreast of developing trends and consider ways to ride the trends in the direction they are already going. You can also check the Websites noted in the Electronic Research section.

Emerging Careers for the 21st Century

  • Space City Designer
  • Data Recovery Consultant
  • Aquaculturist
  • Vice-President Protocol
  • Bionic Electron Consultant
  • Cloning Expert
  • Personal Nutritionist for Busy Executives
  • Virtual Vacation Broker
  • Fusion Engineer
  • Legal Consultant on One-World Trade Agreement
  • Horticultural Therapist
  • Online Astrologer
  • Gene Replacement Specialist
  • Personal Efficiency Advisor
  • Cultural Protection Advisor
  • Materials Utilization Specialist for Resorts
  • Euthanasia Ethics Advisor
  • Forensic Entomologist
  • Robot Technician
  • e-Commerce Business Consultant
  • Multi-Generational Relationship Counsellor
  • Computational Linguist
  • Underwater Archaeologist
  • Credential/Training Advisor

Future Careers

Growth or potential growth areas:


Technology based areas
New High-Tech positions
Green jobs
Health care
Skilled Trades

http://www.poss.ca/en/jobhunt/education/careerswithafuture

Charity Village® Research: So You Want to be a Social Media Manager?

Charity Village® Research: So You Want to be a Social Media Manager?

So You Want to be a Social Media Manager?

Sondi BrunerBy Sondi Bruner
January 20, 2011


Bookmark and Share

On a bitterly cold, snowy morning in November 2006, Kate Barazzuol decided to work from home in her warm apartment instead of trudging into the office. The social media strategist for Vancity had just begun moderating an online pilot project called Change Everything, which encouraged people to make a difference in their communities.

It seemed like all of Barazzuol's friends had taken a snow day — except for one, who was working in the Downtown Eastside. She told Barazzuol it was going to be a tough day for the homeless in the frigid weather.

"I thought, I can do something about this," Barazzuol says. "So I wrote a blog post."

Within hours of asking for donations of warm clothes online, the Change Everything community had galvanized and Barazzuol spent the evening with a donated co-op car and a camera crew from Global TV picking up contributions. After 48 hours, over 4,000 items were donated to local shelters.

And Change Everything was transformed from a pilot project to a permanent community that Barazzuol still moderates today.

Welcome to the world of the social media manager (or social media specialist, or online community manager). No matter how you label them, these roles are changing the public face of organizations across the country.

What do social media managers do?

Depending on the organization, the job responsibilities of social media managers range from formulating high-level online strategies to updating Twitter feeds. They are always on the lookout for new and interesting material that will be relevant to their audiences, finding ways to engage their supporters, creating valuable content, listening to online conversations and making connections with multiple communities on the web. They may launch an awareness campaign one day and solicit donations the next.

"With the variety of work, I don't think you could possibly get bored doing online community management," says Theo Lamb, an online community manager for The Big Wild and BC Children's Hospital Foundation.

Whether an organization is on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Youtube, its social media presence is inextricably linked to its overall communications goals, mission, brand and messages. Social media managers get better results when they use social media tools to support and enhance existing communications strategies.

"I always try to remind people that social media is a game changer in a lot of ways, but it's not in a lot of other ways," says Barazzuol. "It's just a new tool to communicate."

Ultimately, what nonprofits are trying to do through social media is initiate two-way conversations that engage and build community.

"This is about building a community, it's not necessarily about a one-off marketing campaign," says Lamb. "You want to nurture relationships and treat each member — whether you have 30 Facebook fans or 30,000 Facebook fans — as a really valuable community member, because they are."

Education and experience needed

While courses are cropping up that address best practices in social media, you can't get a college or university degree in it yet. Since social media presences are often grounded in marketing and communications, having experience in these areas can help.

Lamb studied broadcast journalism and worked at a radio station before falling in love with social media, while Barazzuol's experience organizing people as an activist led her to online community management.

"I was an early adopter and an early online community developer," says Barazzuol, who used emails and fax machines to spur action before Facebook came along. "I was building communities online before there were really tools available to do that."

Elaine Wong, the e-philanthropy coordinator for the Alzheimer's Society of Ontario, has a background in fundraising. Though her job description didn't initially include social media management, her role has changed and evolved to use social media as a key tool for raising awareness and building relationships with potential donors.

One key element employers are looking for in social media managers is relevant, hands-on experience using social media tools.

Catherine Kenwell, director of marketing and communications at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, is in the process of hiring a social media specialist. While she's looking at candidates with communications experience, what she really wants is someone who lives for social media and has accomplished results using it.

"What I've seen in our applicants are people who have real hands on experience and have developed a ton of stuff," she says, "or I'm seeing the sort of theoretical people who say, 'Well, my background is in communications and journalism so I can do this'. I really want the hands-on person; I want to see what they can do."

Alexandra Samuel, a cofounder of Social Signal, the world's oldest social media agency, has been hiring candidates for social media positions for the last five years. She points out that in addition to being fluent in the social web, applicants with good social media connections are valuable.

"It's great to have someone who participates in the social media networks that are relevant to your audiences," she says. "So if you're a local nonprofit in Toronto, you want somebody who's been going to the Tweetups and Meetups and who is friendly with the major bloggers in town. The same way you'd hire a media relations person partly on the strength of their media relationships, you want your social media person to have good social media relationships."

How to be a good social media manager

Social media managers are great listeners, strategic thinkers, experienced content creators and conversational writers. They have creative energy, sound judgment, curious natures and innovative spirits. The online world moves at a very fast pace, so they need to act quickly, efficiently, accurately and wisely.

Samuel says that a social media manager's enthusiasm is crucial.

"One thing we think is really important is hiring someone who is passionate about the issue you are talking about or the kind of message you're delivering," she says. "Don't just hire someone because they have 5,000 fans on Facebook or 5,000 followers on Twitter. You want somebody who is really, deeply passionate about your subject because they need to be able to talk about it with people and to sound smart when they do."

Lamb believes that treating community members with appreciation and respect is one key to social media success.

"As an online community manager, you have to be excited by likes, posts, feedback, criticism — any indication that people are listening, interested and engaged," she says. "Continue to congratulate community members who contribute because that's such a big deal. There's so much going on out there. It's a lot of noise, so when they single your message out as being worth commenting on, donating to, or speaking out on behalf on, that's a gift."

Barazzuol thinks that a little patience goes a long way, too.

"You need to be really patient," she says. "You have to be a good listener and get people up to speed, and realize not everything will happen on your own time. People get really scared around social media, so you're almost like a counsellor than someone who's highly technical."

Speaking of the technology side, social media managers must be familiar with multiple social media tools and platforms, but they don't have to be supreme technical experts to be successful.

"You do have to have some technical experience, even if it's just enough so you know how to ask the right questions to the experts," says Lamb.

"You can teach anyone how to run a content management system or run a website, but what you can't teach someone is how to listen and how to see what's around the next corner," Barazzuol points out.

How to crack into social media management

It's important that employers can find you online. Have a profile on Facebook or LinkedIn, write an engaging blog or maintain a Twitter feed. You don't have to be on every platform, but you'll want to show prospective employers that you can use a few necessary tools.

And remember, you can use traditional job search strategies for online positions, too. For example, decide what kind of organization you'd like to work for - do you want to be in the health care field? Talk about environmental issues? Help single mothers or the homeless? Once you've matched your interests and passion with a field in the nonprofit world, start networking.

"I don't think the rules have changed. If there's an organization that you're interested in, what would you have done five years ago?" Lamb asks. "You probably would have reached out to them and explained what your value added is."

Sondi Bruner is a Vancouver-based freelance journalist and holistic nutrition student. Find out more about her writing services at www.sondibruner.com, and explore vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free recipes on her food blog, The Copycat Cook.