Istanbul Of The American West

Austin, NV – named for Austin, TX but that’s where the resemblance ends – got its start when Wm. Talcott, a Pony Express agent, discovered silver at this point along the legendary trail that is today Highway 50, “the loneliest road in America.” The silver boom is long gone, but Austin remains the richest source of entertainment in Nevada. I say this with all due deference to the Strip. This weekend was my annual visit to St. George’s, Austin.<br /><br />Saturday evening began with dinner – a meatball sandwich – at the Last Chance Saloon on the east edge of town. Despite its name The Last Chance is “a clean well lighted place” (Hemmingway) with a homey atmosphere. The proprietor gave me a favorable review of our new priest Darla Cantrell’s first time officiating at a wedding and gave me the card for her bed and breakfast, which is a castle 12 miles out of town. I later learned her husband is building an actual water filled moat around it. It sounded eccentric to me until I learned Austin has another castle, this one built in 1897, modeled after a Roman watch tower. A few weary gold miners were dining at the Last Chance as well. When they left, the miners gave me all sorts of brochures for local archaeological sites, caves, petro glyphs, pictographs, etc. That was pretty hospitable for tired miners on a Saturday night.<br /><br />I then made my annual pilgrimage to the International Bar, not “a clean well lighted place” – a deliberately darker ambience. Odo the bar dog remembered me – or feigned recollection with the pastoral pretense common to bishops and bar dogs. The crowd was thin this time, but the television was showing The Magnificent Seven so I settled in for a long slow drink watching the complex heroism of Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and the ptsd/ alcohol afflicted Robert Vaughn (the character, not Vaughn himself) unfold for the cause of justice in Mexico. The other patrons were well drillers. Austin is home to quite a gathering of well drillers this year since they discovered a hotbed (so to speak) of geothermal energy. There was much talk of virtues of geothermal in contrast to oil and coal. But the conversation also drifted to Emiliano Zappata and Pancho Villa. I am not sure they noticed the connection to the movie.<br /><br />At one point a driller from California discovered that someone had written “(expletive deleted) yeah” on the wall. He was greatly offended – not by the expletive per se – but rather because he believed he had coined the term “(expletive deleted) yeah” 30 years ago. He regarded the graffiti as an infringement of his intellectual property rights in the expression.<br /><br />Back at the Pony Canyon Motel, I fell quickly asleep but was awakened early by the television on the other side of the paper thin wall. It was saying “Thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents. That's right. Only thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents a week.” I hastily showered, dressed, and headed off to breakfast at the Toiyable Café.<br /><br />The Toiyabe is a wonderful place complete with deer heads. I sat there waiting for my breakfast reading the emotivist rather Zen verse of Alberto Caerero, a heteronym of the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa – poems written in 1914 generally about how things are only what they are but that’s just fine. Reading Pessoa/Caerero in the Toiyable struck me as perhaps somehow out of step. Then a couple sat down in the next booth. The man was large and white bearded; the woman a bit younger and subtly artsy, but very subtly. They began talking about visual arts in conceptual terms I did not understand. Their conversation turned to matters of technique which I also did not understand, but I could tell the woman was making a case for simplicity. She said something like “I just used pieces of purple cut glass. Some of them were pie shaped. Some were carrot shaped. I put them in triangles and that was enough.” The last part captured my attention. “That was enough.” Caerero’s Zen simplicity seemed right at home.<br /><br />Then I stepped next door to St. George’s, the quaintest of quaint old brick churches with ancient gnarled poplars in the front yard. You may recall from earlier posts that St. George’s, a building on the historic registry, is also distinguished by its bell tower which doubles as the restroom. Worship at St. George’s was warm and engaged. Their veteran priest, Estelle, has been away quite awhile now with health problems. But their new priest, Darla, the Lander County dispatcher, fighting crime by day and preaching the gospel on weekends, is doing a magnificent job of holding the community together. They sang out the hymns with gusto accompanied by an ecclesiastical karaoke machine. They nodded and facially encouraged me through the sermon. They said the responses with energy and received communion with reverence. The morning could not have been better.<br /><br />Then it was back to the Toiyabe for lunch with about half of the congregation. The server spoke to each and every one of them by name. One of the congregation, Frank Whitman, is working on a pictorial history of Austin and likes to wander the cemetery looking at tombstones. He described the tombstone of one Kee Lee whose epitaph read “Here lies a good Chinaman.” Ethnic sensitivity had apparently not made it to Austin by the time of Mr. Lee’s death. But the “unfortunate language” (Barak Obama speaking of Sen. Reid) was redeemed when it turned out most of the people at the table had actually known Kee Lee and remembered him with affection and respect as a wise and artful story teller.<br /><br />Austin refuses to be reduced to any simple characterization. It is a post modern mountain mining town where geothermal green energy is discovered and developed among the ruins of played out silver mines and archaeological relics of human habitation 8000 years ago. It is pride in crude expressions set alongside sophisticated artistic minimalism. This is surely the Istanbul of the American West compressed into a village -- all this without broad band access. Every visit to Austin amazes me and I know I have barely scratched the surface.

Istanbul Of The American West

Austin, NV – named for Austin, TX but that’s where the resemblance ends – got its start when Wm. Talcott, a Pony Express agent, discovered silver at this point along the legendary trail that is today Highway 50, “the loneliest road in America.” The s…

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Yummy breakfast

I don't post for an entire week, then I post twice in one day. I may even post three times today because I want to do <a href="http://kgershman.blogspot.com/">Kyle's</a> Two Thumbs Up post today, or maybe tonight. I love his idea.<br /><br />About my breakfast, this was absolutely delicious and low point. Since I ate at 11 a.m. I considered it sort of a brunch meal. It's 5.5 Points for a huge serving of yumminess.<br /><br />Open-faced breakfast sandwich<br /><br />1 egg<br />4 thin slices of Canadian bacon (only 1 Point - Costco brand), chopped<br />1 yellow bell pepper, chopped<br />1 cup red bell pepper, chopped<br />1/2 cup onion, chopped<br />3- 4 cups fresh spinach<br />2 wedges of light Laughing Cow cheese<br />Hot sauce, to taste<br />1 Sandwich Thin (I use Franz, more fiber, less calories, less weird ingredients and they taste better than Oroweat thins)<br /><br />Spray a little Pam in a skillet, add veggies (except spinach) and Canadian bacon. I added a little water so it wouldn't burn. Cook until the veggies are soft. Add the spinach and maybe a little more water, cover with lid. Steam for a few more minutes until spinach is soft, then mix all ingredients. <br /><br />You should have some liquid in the pan from the water you added and the spinach. Add the Laughing Cow cheese and a dash of hot sauce (I used Frank's hot sauce, used about 1 teaspoon). Mash the cheese and thoroughly mix in. I use a rubber spatula to squish the cheese. Let it cook until nice and bubbly. <br /><br />Once the sauce has thickened (it only took a couple minutes) pour over an open faced sandwich thin. Cook the egg in the skillet. I just did an over easy egg with some Pam. Place the egg on top of your open faced sandwich. Enjoy.<br /><br />This was super delicious, with lots of veggies, and it made a huge serving. You get a lot of protein, 24 grams, so it really has staying power. I love my protein.<br /><br />I know the light Laughing Cow Cheese and the sandwich thins probably weren't in my grandmother's cupboards, so I consider it a little cheat to my "try to eat clean foods" policy. Totally worth it!

Yummy breakfast

I don't post for an entire week, then I post twice in one day. I may even post three times today because I want to do Kyle's Two Thumbs Up post today, or maybe tonight. I love his idea.About my breakfast, this was absolutely delicious and low point. …

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Let Your Favorite Color Guide Your Career

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/1q/ar5f7k36p3mp3b422f1q.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/1q/ar5f7k36p3mp3b422f1q.gif" /></a></div>In today's challenging economy, you have more career opportunities than you might think. Modernize your dream career into a higher paying, more job opening niche or related occupation. Don't be afraid to get nosey and take the time to look around or invest in developing a specialized skill inside your chosen field. Use every opportunity to network and promote yourself.<br /><br />· Everywhere you go, ask questions like, "What do you do during your workday?" "What's fun, not fun?" "Any opening in your company?"<br /><br />· Be a temp. Ask for short tem assignments so you can taste different jobs and learn about opportunities. <br /><br />· Join career specific organizations and get your friends on board. <br /><br />Dreams come true with niche-specific educational training or on-the-job experience. Looking for the perfect niche? Consider the scientifically valid Dewey Color System test that measures career satisfaction at record-breaking accuracy. It lists the top 50 careers suited for you, plus hundreds of related occupations, niches and career specific organizations. To provide accurate and thorough results, data was obtained from 750,000 CareerBuilder online users.<br /><br />In order to take the test, you first have to choose the color you like most from yellow, blue and red. Then choose which color you like most from green, purple and orange. Remember your choices and see what your selected combination says about your career prospects:<br /><br />Yellow-Green <br /><br />If you selected yellow and green: Your ability to understand others' viewpoints and diplomatically express your thoughts increases efficiency. You know how to make products, systems, and services best fit the environment. <br />Make more money by seeking careers where you can assemble support structures or make living situations more comfortable. <br />Consider niches as in landscape architecture or real estate sales, or consider a career as a counselor, designer or social worker.<br /><br />Yellow-Purple <br /><br />If you selected yellow and purple: You prefer fast-growing companies with non-repetitive jobs that offer a constant barrage of fresh perspectives and non-stop new tasks. Your ability to communicate with finesse breaks down barriers and opens profitable doors. <br />Make more money by developing and communicating strategies for project-oriented settings that involve constant change. <br />Consider niches as a public relations representative, corporate communications manager, youth counselor or radio/TV announcer. <br /><br />Yellow-Orange <br /><br />If you selected yellow and orange: You know about the newest available resources, pertinent facts, or innovative ways to solve workday pressures. Your open-minded yet analytical approach creates must-do activities and programs. <br />Make more money by inventing new ways to market your business, better utilizing resources and talents, or making what you do more efficient. <br />Consider niches as a statistician, geologist, researcher, librarian or product developer. <br /><br />Blue-Green <br /><br />If you selected blue and green: You are at your best when you can anchor others with supportive suggestions. Your personable listening skills make you a success with colleagues, customers or clients who trust you with even their most crucial decisions. <br />Make more money by seeking environments that give you the opportunity to manage people, information or workplace environments. <br />Consider niches as a writer, actor, accountant, psychologist or departmental manager.<br /><br />Blue-Purple <br />If you selected blue and purple: Use your big-picture thinking to develop new markets, new ideas and new businesses. You can see what's missing and know how to get things done. <br />Make more money by working in environments where you can organize, develop and bring situations, people or markets together. <br />Consider niches in advertising and sales or as a public relations representative, trial lawyer or research scientist.<br /><br />Blue-Orange<br /><br />If you choose blue and orange: You're a natural both at developing new products or procedures and delegating tasks. You prefer a busy environment because you enjoy learning. Pressure stimulates you. <br />Make more money in careers where you can gauge productivity, analyze efficiency, and oversee or implement change.<br />Consider niches as an operations manager, civil engineer, builder or product salesperson.<br /><br />Red-Green<br />If you selected red and green: You know value and how to best use resources to make money. Your practical guidance keeps others focused on the bottom line and expenditures under budget. <br />Make more money in positions where you decide how to best utilized resources or spend money. <br />Consider Niches as a securities manager, auditor, banker, teacher, property manager, nurse or surgeon. <br /><br />Red-Purple<br />If you selected red and purple: When others speak, you sort out the facts from the emotions and establish a step-by-step action plan. You know how to calm those around you and offer quick solutions. <br />Make more money by selecting work environments where you're in control of all necessary resources and can offer win-win suggestions. <br />Consider niches as a human resources interviewer/manager, event planner, editor or executive assistant.<br /><br />Red-Orange<br />If you selected red and orange: You use facts compiled from past mistakes and successes to deliver strong opinions that are hard to refute. Others learn invaluable information from your critiques about the efficiency of a project. <br />Make more money in areas where you can sail your own ship by constantly examining, in detail, what needs to be done and express your opinion when things go off course. <br />Consider niches as a budget analyst, computer support specialist, production manager, manufacturing manager or business owner.<br /><br /><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=xa-4c276e331d7dbd3d"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border:0" width="125"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=xa-4c276e331d7dbd3d"></script><br /><!-- AddThis Button END -->

Let Your Favorite Color Guide Your Career

In today's challenging economy, you have more career opportunities than you might think. Modernize your dream career into a higher paying, more job opening niche or related occupation. Don't be afraid to get nosey and take the time to look around or …

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Be Choosy About Sharing Your Profile

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/t4/ar5l3mv5zjby09c9kgt4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/t4/ar5l3mv5zjby09c9kgt4.gif" /></a></div>Your job is no longer just about your résumé and cover letter -- it's about your résumé, cover letter and your digital footprint.<br /><br />"Be sure to clean up your online presence before job hunting. Try to remove anything negative," says Susan Kennedy, founder and president of Career Treking and author of "The Job Coach for Young Professionals." "One of the first things a potential employer will do is a simple search for you online -- you don't want any surprises coming up. This is your chance to make a first impression, and you want to ensure that it's the right one."<br /><br />When it comes to your job search, everything from your pictures and tweets to your eBay transactions counts, according to a 2010 study from Microsoft. Seventy-nine percent of prospective employers review online information about job applicants, according to the survey. The study of 1,200 hiring and recruitment managers in the U.S., the U.K., Germany and France what they use to research applicants found that 78 percent use search engines, 63 percent use networking sites, 59 percent use photo- and video-sharing sites, 57 percent use professional networking sites, 48 percent use personal websites, 46 percent use blogs and 41 percent use news-sharing sites.<br /><br />While most employers search on their own for your digital dirt, nowadays some employers ask you outright to share your information. This confuses many job seekers, as the line between what to include and what not include is often blurred. <br /><br />"The main reason you would need to be choosy is if you haven't taken care with managing your online presence in the past," says Cath Duncan, career coach. "If you've been happily uploading videos of your drunken escapades or commenting about how bored you are at work and how much you've been skiving off, or if your Facebook page shows that you've been playing Farmville all day during work hours then this will reflect very badly on you with potential employers."<br /><br />Even so, your online presence doesn't have to work against you. If you play your cards right, you can use your social media existence to help your job search, rather than hinder it.<br /><br />"Social networking is an extraordinarily useful collection of tools for personal branding, seeking to create serendipity through online collaboration, interacting with peers from your college, your industry, even your company's competitors," says Barry L. Davis, director of career services for LMA Consulting Group. "The intelligent individual will use these applications to show their aspirations as well as their accomplishments, seeking opportunities to stand out from the mass of job seekers out there."<br />So, if an employer asks you to share your social networking profile, here are some things to keep in mind, according to Duncan.<br /><br />1. "Facebook probably isn't a good platform to share with your employers or potential employers. It's designed to be more social and you can't control what your friends post on your wall. Facebook also doesn't have the best features for displaying yourself and the value you can add to potential employers," she says."<br /><br />2. "LinkedIn has better features for displaying your value to employers. You should upload your CV, you should collect recommendations, and you should record your employment history," she says. "You can also link to your Twitter account and blog and other relevant information about you. Your connections on LinkedIn tend to behave more professionally on the site than they do on Facebook, so you're not going to have them commenting inappropriately on your page. LinkedIn is the more appropriate profile to share with your employer or potential employees."<br /><br />Jessica Silverstein, principal of Attorney's Counsel, a résumé and cover letter review and interview skills assessment firm, says LinkedIn profiles are generally used for professional purposes and can work to bolster a candidate's application when used correctly. <br /><br />"LinkedIn, like a cover letter, should be used as an addition to your résumé. Use the summary section to highlight your achievements and relevant work experience. Always be careful of typos and language. LinkedIn is your opportunity to show others your interests and affiliations without adding unnecessary information to your résumé," she says. <br /><br />3. "If you're using your Twitter account, blog or similar as a way of sharing your ideas -- the stuff you're enjoying reading and what's getting you thinking -- and you're keeping these aligned with your personal and professional brand then its appropriate to share these," Duncan says. "Remember that these are probably public anyway and will be found if they [search for] you. Consciously decide who you want to be and align your life and your online presence with that. When people [search for] you, they'll find more information that reinforces what you've already shared with them."<br /><br />By Rachel Farrell, CareerBuilder.com writer <br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

Be Choosy About Sharing Your Profile

Your job is no longer just about your résumé and cover letter -- it's about your résumé, cover letter and your digital footprint."Be sure to clean up your online presence before job hunting. Try to remove anything negative," says Susan Kennedy, found…

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Looking for a New Career Opportunity? Consider Temporary Employment

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/hm/ar5l4gj67775xw2dqyhm.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/hm/ar5l4gj67775xw2dqyhm.gif" /></a></div>In recent years, many freshly laid-off workers have maintained optimistic attitudes, despite the ever-changing, uncertain conditions of the global economy, anticipating that they would eventually find new positions that would allow them to advance their skill sets and career goals.<br /><br />Does this describe you? If so, it seems that you may finally be reaping the benefits of your long-term patience and perseverance. While full-time positions are not as readily available as they were before the beginning of the global economic recession, the availability of temporary, contract, and project assignments has steadily increased in the past few months.<br /><br />An increase in contract or project work, along with a lackluster number of available full-time positions, can lead unemployed professionals to ask a variety of questions. Why is there still a lack of full-time, salaried positions? Will these positions increase anytime soon? If companies are unwilling to hire full-time employees, why do they seem to be able to steadily hire contractors?<br /><br />Of course, such questions lead to a two-word answer -- the economy. Until the recession begins to slow down and the economy further improves, most organizations will simply not have the funds to provide full-time, salaried positions to prospective employees, no matter how qualified they are.<br /><br />Ideally, all unemployed workers should have opportunities to improve their skill sets and to display their talents within their desired industries. At the same time, all professionals truly deserve to earn wages according to their past work experiences and skills. However, full-time positions are so few and far between that many workers have focused on another career opportunity for the time being -- temporary, contract, or project employment.<br /><br />In the meantime, contract employment can provide positive experiences to unemployed workers. Some of the benefits of contract positions include:<br /><br />Freedom and flexibility -- Many contract workers are able to work according to their own pre-determined hours, providing them with a sense of freedom and flexibility that full-time employees may not enjoy. If contract employees happen to work more than 40 hours, they are paid overtime. This is not always the case with full-time employees. <br /><br />Opportunity to discover new career options -- Through temporary or project assignments, individuals are able to attain a variety of positions within different industries. By obtaining work experiences in various fields, contractors are able to identify what type of career they would likely enjoy in the future, as well as which ones they would never like to experience again. It is important to realize that many contractors do indeed discover their dream jobs through contract engagements -- you can too! <br /><br />Networking -- During contract employment, individuals meet and network with a large number of employees within a wide range of industries. By developing such a vast and varied list of contacts, you can learn about temporary and full-time positions that are currently available, outside of your usual career field, before the positions are posted on career websites. Networking can lead people to acquire unique, highly enriching careers that frequently change their lives. <br /><br />By accepting contract assignments, you will not only receive regular, weekly paychecks, but you will also acquire meaningful work experiences that will possibly lead to a full-time position once the economy improves and the recession lightens. Often times, many contract workers are well-rewarded for their achievements, as well as the positive impacts they have on their organizations, as they are typically notified of full-time offers within their current organizations.<br /><br />Looking ahead<br /><br />If they are not offered full-time jobs, some contract workers may also learn about permanent positions that are available at a variety of other organizations, due to the relationships they have developed through networking. By maintaining a high level of positivism, as well as continuous persistence, you will not only thrive as a contract employee, but you may also succeed in a full-time setting once the economy improves.<br /><br />Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions. Kelly offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct hire basis. Serving clients around the globe, Kelly provides employment to 480,000 employees annually. Revenue in 2009 was $4.3 billion. For more information, please visit www.kellyservices.com.<br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

Looking for a New Career Opportunity? Consider Temporary Employment

In recent years, many freshly laid-off workers have maintained optimistic attitudes, despite the ever-changing, uncertain conditions of the global economy, anticipating that they would eventually find new positions that would allow them to advance th…

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How to Help, Not Hover, in Your Child's Career Decision-Making

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/9g/ar5l89g5yqmmy075ny9g.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/9g/ar5l89g5yqmmy075ny9g.gif" /></a></div>It's become much harder than it used to be for young people to launch a career after college. Many graduate without essential work-ready skills or a clear understanding of which jobs suit them best. Even those who do often flounder in the job market because they don't know how to market themselves to employers or stand out from more experienced candidates.<br /><br />As a result, many parents feel pressured to get more involved in their child's career planning. And while this is certainly an important step for them to take, career counselor Barbara Cooke, M.A., warns parents that there are constructive and destructive ways they can do this.<br /><br />"The term 'helicopter parent' has been used in recent years to describe adults who pay extremely close attention to their children, particularly when they're making college and career decisions. You've heard the horror stories. For example, consider stories you've heard about parents who insinuate themselves into their child's job search, sitting in the waiting room while they interview for a job and hounding human resources to negotiate a better deal," explains Cooke. <br /><br />"Chances are you don't want to be labeled a helicopter parent. You understand the long-term problems your child will face if you micromanage his young adulthood. At the same time, given what you are paying for college and the uncertain job market your child will face, you want to be involved." <br /><br />In her book "Parent's Guide to College and Careers: How to Help, Not Hover," Cooke offers parents a wealth of advice for how they can better prepare their children to make tough decisions about their education and career without hounding them in the process. Below are a few of her tips:<br /><br />Consider the difference between guidance and control<br /><br />Guidance is helping your child identify his strengths and connect those strengths to opportunities in the economy. Control is dictating your child's career choice. Guidance is helping your child get firsthand information about the opportunities that are out there. Control is doing the research yourself. Guidance is saying, "I want you to talk to two engineers before you reject an engineering major." Control is saying, "I won't pay for college unless you major in engineering."<br /><br />Take the pressure off the career-planning process<br /><br />Help your child separate career information gathering from career decision-making. All you are asking your child to do at this point is to gather information. You are not asking him to make a decision based on that information. Encourage your child to see himself as an objective journalist who is conducting research, interviewing people and observing work environments. He can decide what he wants to do with this information later on.<br /><br />Encourage informational interviewing<br /><br />Consider family, friends, colleagues or other people you know who have experience in a career field that interests your child. Help your child arrange a meeting with these people to gather information about that person's daily work tasks, background, likes, dislikes and suggestions for entering the field. <br /><br />Have your child complete a career-interest inventory<br /><br />This is a print or online questionnaire that helps individuals identify the pattern of their interests according to the framework of the test. Your child would answer a series of questions about school subjects, activities, occupations of interest and other preferences. After your child's answers are scored, he will receive an interpretative report that includes a list of job titles that connect to his interests and abilities.<br /><br />Direct your child to print and online resources<br /><br />A wealth of materials online, in libraries and in bookstores can help your child discover and learn about hundreds of careers. From information about a job's earnings and education requirements to its projected growth and average annual openings, these materials can answer key questions you may not know the answer to or that your child may not have thought to ask.<br />Selena Dehne is a career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers. She is also the author of JIST's Job Search and Career Blog (http://jistjobsearchandcareer.blogspot.com/). Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SelenaDehne.<br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

How to Help, Not Hover, in Your Child's Career Decision-Making

It's become much harder than it used to be for young people to launch a career after college. Many graduate without essential work-ready skills or a clear understanding of which jobs suit them best. Even those who do often flounder in the job market …

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High-Paying Jobs for Your Personality Type

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/vm/ar5l60p5x8myn757y9vm.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/vm/ar5l60p5x8myn757y9vm.gif" /></a></div>Consider how many times you've heard yourself or someone you know say something such as, "I really love my job, but I wish I made a lot more money" or "I make a ton of money, but I'd give it all up for a job I actually liked."<br /><br />Sound familiar? That's because many people in the world of work are still struggling to achieve it all: financial abundance and meaningful work. When searching for jobs and defining their career goals, people often underestimate the value of both high pay and enjoyable work activities. This misstep prompts many to sacrifice one for the other, which may lead them into jobs they'll someday dream about quitting.<br /><br />"They truth is people can have a job they love and make a lot of money doing it," says Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D. In his new book "250 Best-Paying Jobs" he encourages people who want a high-wage job to consider their personality type when exploring their options.<br /><br />"Your personality type not only predicts how well your skills will match the demands of the work tasks in a particular job; it also predicts how well you will fit in with the culture of the work site as shaped by the people who will surround you and interact with you," he explains. "Thus your personality type affects your satisfaction with the job, your productivity in it and the likelihood that you will persist in this type of work."<br /><br />Below Shatkin briefly explains each of the RIASEC personality types, which are Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. Then, he identifies some of the best high-paying jobs suited for them. <br /><br />Realistic personalities<br /><br />According to Shatkin, people with realistic personalities "enjoy work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They also like dealing with plants, animals and real-world materials such as wood, tools and machinery. Often the best occupations for realistic people are the ones that do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others."<br /><br />Oral and maxillofacial surgeons<br />Median annual earnings: $166,400+<br />Percent growth: 9.1 percent*<br />Average annual openings: 400 <br /><br />Airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers<br />Median annual earnings: $111,680<br />Percent growth: 12.9 percent<br />Average annual openings: 4,073 <br /><br />Civil engineers<br />Median annual earnings: $74,600<br />Percent growth: 18 percent<br />Average annual openings: 15,979 <br /><br />Investigative personalities<br /><br />"Investigative people love working with ideas and thrive in jobs that require an extensive amount of thinking," says Shatkin. "They enjoy activities that let them search for facts and figure out problems mentally."<br /><br />Orthodontists<br />Median annual earnings: $166,400+<br />Percent growth: 9.2 percent<br />Average annual openings: 479 <br /><br />Physicians and surgeons<br />Median annual earnings: $166,400+<br />Percent growth: 14.2 percent<br />Average annual openings: 38,027 <br /><br />Petroleum engineers<br />Median annual earnings: $108,020<br />Percent growth: 5.2 percent<br />Average annual openings: 1,016 <br /><br />Artistic personalities<br /><br />"Often, artistic people are best suited for jobs that involve working with forms, designs and patterns," explains Shatkin. "These people require self-expression and work that can be done without a clear set of rules."<br /><br />Art directors<br />Median annual earnings: $76,980<br />Percent growth: 9 percent<br />Average annual openings: 9,719 <br /><br />Architects, except landscape and naval<br />Median annual earnings: $70,320<br />Percent growth: 17.7 percent<br />Average annual openings: 11,324 <br /><br />Technical writers<br />Median annual earnings: $61,620<br />Percent growth: 19.5 percent<br />Average annual openings: 7,498 <br /><br />Social personalities<br />According to Shatkin, social people enjoy working with, communicating with and teaching people. "They generally get the most fulfillment from occupations that involve helping or providing service to others," he adds. <br /><br />Law teachers, postsecondary<br />Median annual earnings: $93,210<br />Percent growth: 22.9 percent<br />Average annual openings: 2,169 <br /><br />Physician assistants<br />Median annual earnings: $81,230<br />Percent growth: 27 percent<br />Average annual openings: 7,147 <br /><br />Radiation therapists<br />Median annual earnings: $72,910<br />Percent growth: 24.8 percent<br />Average annual openings: 1,461 <br /><br />Enterprising personalities<br /><br />"People with an enterprising personality type like starting up and carrying out projects, leading people and making many decisions," says Shatkin. "Taking risks and dealing with business matters is exciting to them."<br /><br />Chief executives<br />Median annual earnings: $158,560<br />Percent growth: 2 percent<br />Average annual openings: 21,209 <br /><br />Engineering managers<br />Median annual earnings: $115,270<br />Percent growth: 7.3 percent<br />Average annual openings: 7,404 <br /><br />Lawyers<br />Median annual earnings: $110,590<br />Percent growth: 11 percent<br />Average annual openings: 49,445 <br /><br />Conventional personalities<br /><br />"If you enjoy setting procedures, establishing routines and working with data and details much more than ideas, you may have a conventional personality type," says Shatkin.<br /><br />Actuaries<br />Median annual earnings: $84,810<br />Percent growth: 23.7 percent<br />Average annual openings: 3,245 <br /><br />Computer systems analysts<br />Median annual earnings: $75,500<br />Percent growth: 29 percent<br />Average annual openings: 63,166 <br /><br />Financial analysts<br />Median annual earnings: $73,150<br />Percent growth: 33.8 percent<br />Average annual openings: 29,317 <br /><br />*Percent growth based in projections through 2016.<br /><br />By Selena Dehne career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers. She is also the author of JIST's Job Search and Career Blog (http://jistjobsearchandcareer.blogspot.com/). Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SelenaDehne.<br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

High-Paying Jobs for Your Personality Type

Consider how many times you've heard yourself or someone you know say something such as, "I really love my job, but I wish I made a lot more money" or "I make a ton of money, but I'd give it all up for a job I actually liked."Sound familiar? That's b…

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Build Up Your Job Search Motivation

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/19/ar5l2ds6rdbzp46py019.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/19/ar5l2ds6rdbzp46py019.gif" /></a></div>"Rejections are not unlike breakups," says Marian Schembari of New York City. "I remember one time I was rejected from the perfect job and spent the day in bed like a love-struck teenager eating ice cream and watching movies. Maybe not the most productive way to spend my time, but it definitely made me feel better!"<br /><br />Anyone who has ever suffered through long-term unemployment can identify with Schembari's scenario, and such comforting may be just what is needed before sending out another application. But what happens when your desire to persevere needs an extra boost?<br /><br />Before reaching for another scoop of Ben & Jerry's, check out these motivational tips from experts and fellow job seekers.<br /><br />Start your day with structure<br /><br />"Get up every morning at your usual time and dress as if you're going to work -- because you are going to work, except now your work is finding a new job," says Richard S. Deems, co-author of "Make Job Loss Work for You."<br /><br />While it may be tempting to sleep in or lounge around in pajamas, getting your day moving can provide a psychological boost. "I think that keeping a schedule has helped me," says Cherie C. of Denver, who has been unemployed for nearly a year. "I wake up with my partner as he prepares for work, shower, dress and tackle the job search."<br /><br />Use your computer – and then get away from it<br /><br />Chances are you've used a computer to scout job postings, but have you explored the full potential of technology?<br /><br />Erica Myers of London spent seven months without a steady job. During this time, she learned new ways to connect to others and get an edge in the application process. Her tips to rev up job-search motivation by rethinking computer time include:<br /><br />Use social networking sites and Google searches to find a person to contact directly instead of sending a blind résumé. <br /><br />Build an online portfolio or a free website. (It not only looks great and tech-savvy, but it secretly gets you organized.) <br /><br />Read the websites of companies that interest you. <br /><br />Use connections and build on social media by looking through friends lists for useful contacts, searching through Twitter keywords and adding people on LinkedIn. <br /><br />Designate certain periods of the day as computer time -- then resist the urge to constantly check e-mail or see if one new position got posted. Too much screen time can zap energy. Instead, find other productive ways to pass the time.<br /><br />"Do as much face-to-face networking as possible," Deems says. "Even if you've talked with your network two weeks ago, contact them again." He also is a fan of hand-delivering applications, noting that the return rate for mail-ins is about 3 to 5 percent. <br /><br />While some job seekers may feel guilty about spending free time doing anything besides looking for employment, exploring interests can be rejuvenating -- and potentially rewarding -- during a trying time.<br /><br />"If someone is job hunting without getting the response they want, volunteering at a local hospital or for a nonprofit organization where they will meet new people who can extend their networking reach is a great game plan," says Debra Yergen, author of "Creating Job Security Resource Guide." "Not only will they keep their skills sharp, they'll also have an opportunity to make a larger networking base aware of their availability."<br /><br />Give yourself a break<br /><br />The familiar advice of persistence paying off holds true for finding a job. After all, you can't land a position if you don't even apply. Yet, while dedication will pay off in the long term, sometimes it helps to step away for a bit.<br /><br />"On days when I lack motivation and don't want to send a résumé, I really try to push myself to keep working, but sometimes I've found it's best to wait a day," Cherie C. notes. "Sending a résumé while in a sad or defeated mood could lead to typos or other errors that could cost me consideration for the job. I take a short break and try to refresh myself."<br /><br />It is easy to feel frustrated when your inbox is filled with rejections or (worse yet) you aren't even acknowledged after pouring your heart into landing a seemingly perfect position. Job seekers are often hard on themselves when faced with such disappointments, but it pays to remember that setbacks are only a bump on a long career path that will have ups and downs. Take a look at your résumé to remind yourself of what you have accomplished, and when you're feeling better about your capabilities, get back to sending it out. Someone out there is waiting to read it. <br /><br />By Beth Braccio Hering, CareerBuilder Writer <br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

Build Up Your Job Search Motivation

"Rejections are not unlike breakups," says Marian Schembari of New York City. "I remember one time I was rejected from the perfect job and spent the day in bed like a love-struck teenager eating ice cream and watching movies. Maybe not the most produ…

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Mookie, where are you?

<em>I wrote this at 4 a.m. today, but then I fell asleep sitting up and finally went to bed without hitting publish.</em><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_45fgZK4bhNNPDgEihZajVj9bYtccV_wChyphenhyphenDvB6eOBurwSDXnFdQPwEPLa2i6-o_dNAemjsr0E5wrQamTq1ioW4xArpo6YPlmr6_XqYEngG2_eXSiztRtTzmKYkJUQnSKx7E7QepQJT6_/s1600/Mookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_45fgZK4bhNNPDgEihZajVj9bYtccV_wChyphenhyphenDvB6eOBurwSDXnFdQPwEPLa2i6-o_dNAemjsr0E5wrQamTq1ioW4xArpo6YPlmr6_XqYEngG2_eXSiztRtTzmKYkJUQnSKx7E7QepQJT6_/s320/Mookie.jpg" /></a></div><br />It's almost 4 a.m and I've been up since 1 a.m., after all of two hours of sleep. Yes sir, still sleeping the sleep of the damned, waking up in the middle of the night unable to fall back to sleep.<br /><br />To add a little drama to my morning I thought our new, ten-week old kitten, Mookie, had escaped. I had the back slider door open for a split second, and I wasn't paying attention. Sometimes I forget we have a tiny kitten that has to be watched like a hawk or she tries to escape. She's so little and curious about everything.<br /><br />One second she was playing and he next second she disappeared. I was horrified to think she got out when I had the door open, and she was out walking the streets. After searching for 20 minutes, inside and outside the house, I decided to wake my husband to help me hunt for her. By this time I was in tears. I just knew we'd never see her again.<br /><br />We looked for her for about an hour, searching our yard with flashlights, and walked up and down the street shining the flashlights under every bush and into every yard.. I was crying and saying it was all my fault, devastated I'd killed our Mookie by subjecting her to the horrors of the night , raccoons, coyotes, and dogs just waiting to attack a tiny, defenseless kitten. <br /><br />Finally, at 3 a.m. we both came back inside the house. I sat down on the couch and said I couldn't believe this had happened. My husband kept questioning me if I'd search everywhere in the house, and I said "of course!". <br /><br />Then I noticed some movement under the dining table, on one of the chairs. It was Mookie! She'd never even left the house and was asleep the entire time I was calling her name. Going up and down our street like an idiot, calling "Mookie, Mookie! Here kittty kitty."<br /><br />I've never been so happy so see a tiny bundle of fur in my life. Thank God she's okay. I mean literally, thank you God. I think this means I have to go to church this week. :)<br /><br />A little about my week..<br /><br /><strong>Women's support group</strong><br />After giving a speech at Toastmasters last week where I divulged some personal things about myself, a therapist in the group insisted I join her Summer 2010 over 40 women's support group. I sort of blew her off and said I'd think about it. Then she emailed me and called me. She talked me into attending just one meeting to see if I liked it.<br /><br />I had no idea what to expect but I loved it. It's just some women, so far only three others and the therapist, and we sit around and talk about stuff. The therapist has us do self-evaluations and then we discuss what we write about ourselves. <br /><br />One question she asked was to rate our self, the value we would place on our self, on a scale of one to ten, with ten being perfect. I rated myself a seven. When asked why I rated myself so low, I said I rate myself how I thought other people would rate me, then I had to explain who I thought would rate me so low. It was a real eye opener that I place so much value on what others think of me. I need to get over caring so much about what other people.<br /><br />It's only seven meetings, on Monday nights for an hour and a half. At the next meeting there will be four more women attending, for a group of seven plus our therapist. I'm actually looking forward to the meeting (although I do have some homework). I felt an odd connection to everyone at the first meeting, which was totally unexpected.<br /><br /><strong>The food, the exercise, and "why aren't I losing more weight?"</strong><br />I'm not gaining weight, so that's a good thing. I'm just maintaining around 162. I'd really like to lose 23 additional pounds. I'm just not wanting it bad enough to starve myself to get there. I also don't want to exercise any harder or more often than I do now. <br /><br />I work out about an hour and twenty minutes, five to six times a week, at a pretty high intensity. That's enough, any more would be insanity. Been there, done that, and I'm not doing it again. <br /><br />I eat very healthy foods, but I'm eating too much. I'm still completely avoiding sugar and eating as little processed food as possible. I'm trying to follow the rule that if it wasn't in my grandmother's cupboards, then I shouldn't eat it.<br /><br />I've decided not to beat myself up about not getting to my goal weight. Even if I maintain my current weight for a while, that will be okay. All my clothes fit, and I feel healthy. That's really all that's important. I'm still planning on getting to goal, but I guess I'll take my own sweet time getting there.

Mookie, where are you?

I wrote this at 4 a.m. today, but then I fell asleep sitting up and finally went to bed without hitting publish.It's almost 4 a.m and I've been up since 1 a.m., after all of two hours of sleep. Yes sir, still sleeping the sleep of the damned, waking …

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Planning de la semaine du 28 juin au 02 juillet 2010

<BR><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Permanences<br /></span></strong></h2><ul><br /><li>Le <strong>Conseil Général du Loiret</strong> sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans<br />- le lundi 28 juin de 9h à 12h30,<br />- le mardi 29 juin de 9h à 12h30 et de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le mercredi 30 juin de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le jeudi 1er juillet de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le vendredi 02 juillet de 13h30 à 17h.<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/11/solidarits-nouvelles-face-au-chmage.html">Solidarités Nouvelles face au Chômage</a></strong> - mercredi 30 juin de 10h à 12h30<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/11/boutique-de-gestion.html">Boutique de Gestion</a></strong> - vendredi 02 juillet de 09h à 12h30 (sur rendez-vous)</ul><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Ateliers</span></strong><br /></h2><br /><ul><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2008/12/atelier-parcours-emploi.html">Parcours Emploi</a></strong> - mardi 29 juin à 09h30<br /><br /><li><strong>CV</strong> - mardi 29 juin de 9h à 12h30 et mercredi 30 juin de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Lettre de Motivation</strong> - mardi 29 juin de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Pôle-emploi.fr</strong> - vendredi 02 juillet de 10h à 11h30<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2009/07/atelier-situtilises-tu-trouves.html">Sit'Utilises tu trouves</a></strong> - vendredi 02 juillet de 14h à 16h</ul><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Information collective</span></strong><br /></h2><br /><ul><li><strong>Boutique de Gestion</strong> - lundi 28 juin à 14h<br /><br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2010/06/presentation-de-la-chambre-de-metiers.html">Chambre de métiers</a></span> - mardi 29 juin de 09h à 12h</ul>

Planning de la semaine du 28 juin au 02 juillet 2010

PermanencesLe Conseil Général du Loiret sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans- le lundi 28 juin de 9h à 12h30,- le mardi 29 juin de 9h à 12h30 et de 13h30 à 17h,- le mercredi 30 juin de 13h30 à 17h,- le jeudi 1er j…

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