Have You Been Singing the Blues at Work Yet?

(ARA) – Do you have problems sleeping on Sunday nights knowing that you have to return to work the next morning? Are you constantly daydreaming about your dream job? Are you always checking the clock at work, counting down the minutes until the day ends? If so, you might be suffering from workplace blues.

Don Thibert, director of academic affairs for Everest College, has decades of experience helping thousands of individuals a year move into progressive new careers. The seasoned career expert says it’s important to evaluate your work situation and offers great advice for finding career happiness.

“Most people are so desensitized by the daily grind that they don’t even realize they’re unhappy, let alone what to do about it. Given the recession, people are too busy just trying to keep their heads above water – they don’t have time to imagine the work situation that would make them really happy,” says Thibert.

To determine how blue you really are, Thibert suggests tracking your workplace blues for a month.

“Keep a daily record of what made you happy or unhappy each day and give yourself a score on a scale of one to 10, one being totally unbearable unhappiness and 10 being an absolute joy. By the end of the month you should be able to identify if you’re happy — specifically what you like and don’t like about your work,” says Thibert. “If your average score at the end of the month is six or lower, it’s time to start strategical methods for happiness.”

New evidence north of the border shows that Americans are not alone in experiencing workplace blues. A recent survey commissioned by Everest College found 59 percent of Canadians said 2009 was mediocre at best; one quarter called it either “a downer” or downright “depressing” and nearly three quarters said they suffer work-related blues at least occasionally.

“For some, it’s possible to find happiness in their current job,” explains Thibert. “But there are still many with a failing grade in the happiness department. In those situations, career training is a door opener to a more rewarding work life and greater overall satisfaction. Every day I see how it can really change your life and I encourage people to meet with counselors if they need some help to evaluate their career training options.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How to Use the Web for Targeted Networking

(ARA) – When searching for a new career opportunity, the traditional method of “pounding the pavement” has gone virtual. Companies are posting employment opportunities on their Web sites, and are also utilizing social networking tools such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to spread the message. To find the right job, use an integrated approach of social media, job search sites and targeted industry research.

Social networking sites act as an introductory service, providing people the opportunity to meet industry professionals through their own list of contacts. In this way, social and professional networking platforms make it easy for job-seekers to connect with former colleagues, while at the same time, granting them access to a person’s current position, previous employment and most importantly, their network of contacts.

“Using a site like LinkedIn, you can see the industry groups and professional associations that another user belongs to,” says Amber Kostik, career services adviser at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco. “You can look at a professional’s past experience, and that can give you an idea of what your dream company is looking for.”

Another tool is using job search Web sites like Monster or CareerBuilder, although it oftentimes proves more effective to specifically target companies you would like to work for. Individually targeting these companies helps define your career focus and allows you to customize your resume and cover letter to meet their company vision.

Job search Web sites can be a resource on many levels, including offering comparable job descriptions to ones that you have researched while targeting specific companies. This proves helpful in understanding what requirements and skill sets might be needed for a certain job. Another resource is recruiter listings, which include specific information about the company. When you come across a too-good-to-be-true listing but don’t meet all the listed qualifications, apply anyway. Recruiters list qualifications of their “ideal candidate,” but there is always room for negotiation if you can get your foot in the door. Also, look for niche positions, as these listings often receive fewer applicants, meaning you are more likely to be seen.

“These Web-focused tactics are key aspects when looking for job opportunities. To be successful in finding work you must tie them all together” says Nathan Small, career services advisor at The Art Institute of California – Hollywood. “When identifying your strengths and looking for work, you must take it one step at a time but continue to hold onto things that motivate you to achieve your goals.”

By using this combination of social media, job search sites and targeted industry research, your network can grow exponentially. This offers many more ways to not only locate specific job opportunities, but also provides you with direct connections to people that you can reach out to for personal recommendations, additional information, and insight into specific opportunities. Using these tools can improve your job search, and your feet will thank you, too. To learn more about The Art Institutes schools, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Making Money with Affiliate Mini Sites

If you can write, have the patience to do a little research, are open to suggestions and are quick to learn then creating a small website also called a mini-site promotion and marketing knowledge to publicize website content by means of writing articles or articles written by ghost-writers, becoming an affiliate for several companies may be a great choice for you to generate a descent income right from your own home in front of your computer.

You can do this by receiving part of the revenue off of sales that an affiliate program receives from visitors who “click through” from your website via the company’s affiliate links which that are placed on your mini-sites and/or websites.

Since you will be promoting a product or service, you will need to learn to write eye-catching sale pitches and website content to get your readers interested in the product or service you are promoting, convincing them that they must have or own the product, and to keep them coming back to your website time and time again for more recommendations and your useful informational content, which will get them clicking on your affiliate links once again. Although many affiliate programs only pay you money off of the initial sale you make from each visitor, you also have the option of promoting a good range of affiliate programs, so that you can still make a profit off of your returning customers. Read the rest at Affiliate Minisite Profits – [http://www.affiliateminisiteprofits.com]

Making Money with Affiliate Mini-Sites: 10 Important Factors

· How Much Money Can I Make?

· What Kind of Experience Do I Need?

· Choosing the Best Niche For Your Mini-Site

· Learn to Use Search Engine Optimization Techniques

· The Importance of Keywords

· Using the Yahoo Search Marketing Tools to Retrieve Free Keywords

· The Importance of Picking a Catchy URL – Domain Name

· Picking the Best Web Hosting Company For Your Mini-Sites

· The Best Place to Place Affiliate Links on Your Mini-Site

· Making Money with Banner Advertisements On Your Mini-Sites