The Most Unique Careers and Those Who Succeed in Them

The Most Unique Careers and Those Who Succeed in Them I am always fascinated by careers in which only a handful of people are able to succeed. When I was growing up, my parents used to tell me that it’s possible to make a living doing anything, as long as you’re the best. It seems that the more unique the career, the more disproportionate the income allotment.  A select few make very lucrative salaries, while the vast majority barely scrape by. Nevertheless, many are willing to take the risk for the love of the profession, or maybe for the thrill of the chase. Let’s take a look at a few unorthodox career choices, and those who have succeeded in their respective fields: Skateboarder: When I was a kid, my father took me to a local skateboard park to watch a skating competition. The winner was an unknown, skinny 16-year-old kid named Tony Hawk.  Ten years later, Tony Hawk was a household name, famous for his numerous contributions to the sport, like being the first to land a 900-degree mid-air rotation. Ask 50 people who made skateboarding as popular as it is today, and at least 48 of them will say Tony Hawk. After lending his name to a number of products including a series of video games, and starting his own extreme sports competition in Las Vegas, Hawk’s estimated net worth comes in at around $120 million. Songwriter: We can all name plenty of famous musicians who earn millions, but making a successful living as a songwriter out of the public eye is truly a feat. Ever heard of Max Martin? Unless you’re in the music industry, probably not. A former recording artist from Sweden, Martin has written many songs you have probably heard hundreds of times for such artists as The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, N’Sync, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi and Pink. Since 1999, he has written or co-written no less than 16 number one songs on the Billboard charts and has won ASCAP’s Songwriter of the Year award six times. For his efforts, Martin has amassed a net worth of $250 million. Video gamer: Making a living playing video games sounds like every kid’s dream. Turning this dream into a lucrative profession is something few would dare try. But for Johnathan Wendel, it’s just another day at the office. Wendel is considered one of the best professional gamers in the world, having won 12 world championship titles, including four Player of the Year awards with the Cyberathlete Professional League and one with the World Cyber Games. His endorsement deals include computer hardware companies, headphone companies and even food companies. Wendel was recently named the highest paid professional video gamer in the world by Business Insider, having earned a total of $454,544.98 from 35 tournaments. RELATED:  How a  Video Game  Designers Job Interview Blunder Led Him to Conquer The World Rodeo Clown: When it comes to rodeo clowns, or “bullfighters” as they’re known in the business, I don’t know whether to view them with great respect or as lunatics. Throwing themselves in front of a 2,000-pound bull night after night in order to protect rodeo competitors, injury is not just a possibility, it’s a certainty. Despite being a college graduate, Justin Rumford entered the profession in 2010 after being a competitor for 12 years. He quickly gained respect in the industry and in 2012, was named Clown of the Year by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. While this career choice has many downsides, like a fairly short time span, Rumford clears up to $150,000 a year for his work. Artist: The joke about artists is that they must die before their work is worth anything. One exception is Pablo Picasso. No real introduction is needed here. Widely considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Picasso is known for co-founding the Cubist movement, co-inventing collage and inventing constructed sculpture. Picasso died at the age of 91 with a net worth of around $50 million, and in 2010, one of his paintings set a record for fetching $106.5 million at auction. Note to anyone considering art as a career choice â€" you probably have a better chance of winning the lottery twice than achieving Picasso’s level of success in the field. Picasso was once quoted as saying, “My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.” If you’re just entering the workforce and are thinking about one of these careers, I wish you the best of luck. Someone has to do them, but only a few will be successful, and while it’s lonely at the top, sometimes it’s lonelier at the bottom. If you’re a recruiter and by some freak occurrence one of these positions happens to cross your bench, I wish you even more luck…but please, don’t call me.

Is Fear a Part of Your Professional Life - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Is Fear a Part of Your Professional Life - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career During my work with job seekers or those contemplating a job/career change, I evaluate the amount of fear that drivesâ€"or paralyzesâ€"my clients. To some extent, all of them exhibit fear originated by some threatâ€"or so they perceive. For a person out of a job, that feeling is not only a perception but also, unfortunately, a reality. The normal human body has a built-in mechanism to protect itself from such an emotion by either confronting it or running away from it. It’s also known as the fight-or-flight response. In more-extreme situations, such fear leads to anxiety, but I’ll let a mental-health professional explain that one. Paralyzed or energized? Conversely, a few clients indeed become energized by fear resulting from lack of employment. Their adrenaline levels rise sharply, and they’re ready to attack. They see opportunities coming out of this employment change, and nothing stops them from getting to their next assignment. They exhibit a go-getter mentality and thrive on even small incremental successes. However, the majority of those I see react to their unknown futures by clamming up and thus thinking they’re protecting themselves during this vulnerable stage of their life. I vividly remember my own situation during a transition. My entire attitude could have been described as, “The answer is no, so what’s your question?” It’s a shame that our emotions and our logic are not always congruent. In working with people who at times seem paralyzed due to their new, jobless reality, I try to clearly understand what’s behind the obvious fact that they don’t have jobs. That understanding is typically complex and intertwined with other, tangled elements. For example, embarrassment vis-à-vis family and friends, or self-humiliation as a parent unable to financially support a child who wants and deserves a college education, or, perhaps, aggravation of an already bad spousal relationship due to the inability to contribute to basic family finances for an extended period. And the list can go on and on. Attention to the positive In such a situation, my solution is to attempt to provide clients with (1) job search tools, (2) exposure to and familiarity with the job search process, (3) ample amounts of mock interviewing that increase clients’ knowledge and experience, and above all, (4) listening as they talk about their pain, and (5) an understanding of all they’re going through. Another tactic that’s proved successful is helping clients learn to divert their attention to something positive. For example, clients can learn to network effectively in order to establish new relationships with people who may be able to help them and whom in turn they can help. Clients can also learn to discuss volunteering opportunities that not only could lead to a job but in the interim could help job seekers mingle with other people. And, more often than not, volunteers could hear again the words “Thanks for a job well done”â€"a sentiment that for a while has probably been absent from their lives.

5 tips to help you get a career in digital marketing

5 tips to help you get a career in digital marketing 5 tips to help you get a career in digital marketing With many governments across the world heavily investing in digital based jobs, these types of roles are now predicted to increase greatly. In the UK alone there is an expected rise of over £120 million in digital marketing jobs the next three years, with even greater rises in the US and China.Here we take a look at some top tips to help you land your dream job in digital marketing and what sort of areas you should be brushing up on to stay ahead of the crowd and on the cutting-edge of innovation. Tip 1: Keep yourself informedIf you dont know your SEO from your elbow, it is definitely time to brush up on your acronyms! To be a part of the digital movement, being able to comfortably discuss digital marketing strategies with your interviewer is crucial. Having a firm grip of the correct lingo, such as PPC/ROI/CPC etc. will help to build your credibility with industry professionals both within your application with your resume and cover letter as well as during your live interview.T ip 2: Familiarize yourself with analytical toolsLong gone are the days when marketing relied heavily on coming up with catchy new phrases and visual images alone to sell a product or service. Digital marketing is far more data driven than people sometimes realize.   Having a firm understanding of how analytical tools such as Google Analytics work and how to use the insights these tools supply is essential if you want to become successful.Understanding how users interact with websites and social media platforms as well as being able to analyse the performance of different marketing channels is just as important to a potential new employer as being creative with words and graphics. Being able to demonstrate to your prospective employer that you know how having the right metrics in place can deliver a positive ROI will stand you in better stead for the job than someone who is a bit vague about analytics.Tip 3: Become a digital masterBecause there are so many areas to cover in digital m arketing, it can be a very interesting field to work within. However, just because there are lots of areas to focus on, it doesnt mean that you absolutely have to become an expert in everything. It is OK for you to become a specialist in just one area if you are particularly drawn to it. Many large corporations are now actively seeking out individuals who specialize in one particular area of digital marketing, so if your passion is for SEO, paid searches, social media, analytical analysis, or any other aspect of digital marketing, then you may find your specialization to be very sought after. Find your niche area and strive to become your own digital master!Tip 4: Be nice to people!How does that old saying go from Wilson MiznerBe nice to people on your way up because youll meet them on your way down.Digital marketing is hardly a cut-throat business, so being sociable to those around you can actually prove to be very useful. By forging good relationships with your peers, industry experts and new people you meet working in the same industry can often lead to great job opportunities.Dont be afraid to network. By attending industry meet-ups and digital marketing conferences on a regular basis, you can open yourself up to building offline as well as online relationships with people that can help you get a foot in the door. Surrounding yourself with innovative industry experts and appreciating any help they give you along the way can also a long way to boosting your career path.Tip 5: Build your own personal brandA great way to demonstrate your digital marketing skills to a potential new employer and to prove that you can walk the walk as well as talk the talk is to build your own online presence. Building your personal brand is like extending your resume online to better showcase your skills. You can do this through running your own personal blog, or combining your blog with an online V Card that features your resume and personal biography along with examples of your work. Position your online profile or blog with a clear and targeted vision. This can help you become more successful and appealing to potential new employers. Keep your profile updated and add fresh content to your blog regularly to demonstrate to recruiters that you are present and responsive.The digital marketing industry is constantly evolving. Make sure that you stay relevant and up to date with all the latest innovations and developments in this fast-paced sector. previous article Pristine in Peach â€" A Free Resume Template with Light Colors next article Creative CV Template Giveaway | Shades of Orange you might also likeThe Best Way to Explain Your Sabbatical To a New Employer

4 Ways to Stay Focused and Motivated When Working From Home - Classy Career Girl

4 Ways to Stay Focused and Motivated When Working From Home How many times have you gone on Facebook just to check the news feed for a moment, only to end up on your second cousin’s neighbor’s photos from last year’s summer vacation? Or went on YouTube to watch a tutorial and found yourself laughing at a random cat video 15 minutes later? Too many times. How productive are you when that happens? Probably not productive at all. Motivation and self-discipline are a freelancers’ worst enemies. There’s no regimented schedule like the one you get when you’re working in an office, no social interaction with co-workers, and no accountability via your boss. So how do you stay focused on tasks even when youre working out of a home office? 4 Ways to Stay Focused and Motivated When Working From Home 1. Get Up Early and Organize Your Work Day Traditionally When youre working from home, theres none of that snooze button drama â€" when just five more minutes turns into an hour, theres no one to scold you for being late because theres nowhere to be late to. Oftentimes people who quit their regular 9-5 job because sleeping in sounds like a dream job usually find that it doesnt really benefit them at all. Instead, you should train yourself to get up like there is a traditional job to go to. This will get you in a routine that promotes productivity. Productivity peaks do vary from one person to the other; some of us are early birds, others are night owls, while some do most of their work mid-day. All in all, take some time to determine when your most productive hours are and set your work schedule accordingly (and stick to it!). 2. Separate Your Bedroom From The Office Don’t work where you sleep is a lesson you learn early on working from home. Pajamas might seem like the most comfortable work attire, however, it is the most unproductive one. But its not just about what you wear â€" the same place you go to relax and sleep cannot be the room youre trying to concentrate and get some serious work done in. If possible, chose one entire room to be your office space. If not, then at least attempt to separate it in a way so youre not looking at your kitchen sink while typing. Or staring at your pillow, because sooner or later, you will find yourself daydreaming on a bed in the middle of a work day. [RELATED: Sit Up Straight and Relax! 3 Productivity Tips for Digital Nomads] 3. Set Up a Workout Routine One of the benefits of working at home involves being able to schedule certain activities you would normally postpone or not do at all if you had a full-time job. A regular workout would be one of these things, and when youre working from home, it comes as an absolute must. Most jobs these days are sedentary, especially when youre working from home. If you think about it, you only walk to your kitchen to get some coffee or make occasional trips to the bathroom. This way of life, in the long run, is extremely harmful to your health. No more excuses â€" get off your butt and hit the gym! If there are none in your neighborhood and the trip to the nearest fitness center takes too big a chunk out of your day, check out some home workout programs. Less, Mills, P90X, Insanity, or even Yoga are all workouts you can do from home. 4. Put on Some Real Clothes Those who work from home tend to make every day casual Friday and choose the most comfortable set of clothes. Since there’s no one to see you there’s no point in dressing up, right? Wrong. Just like you need proper workout clothes, you need a power suit for a day at the (home) office. You cant just wear ripped sweatpants and a saggy T-shirt all the time. According to Karen Pine, professor of psychology at the University of Herefordshire, when we put on an item of clothing, it is common to adopt certain characteristics associated with that particular garment. Throughout history, many clothing items adopted some kind of symbolic meaning. Whether we’re talking about professional work attire or casual weekend wear, what we put on inspires our brain to behave in a certain way thats specific to that certain outfit. In Conclusion: Unfortunately, working from home is not suitable for everyone. Introverts can easily work from home without socialization with others, but people who enjoy the company of other people will at some point crave those water cooler breaks. Even if you did choose this particular lifestyle, at times you will find yourself slacking off. Its quite a common side effect. That is why certain disciplinary measures  (so to call them) are necessary to keep yourself at the peak of productivity at all times.

Create Opportunities and Stop Reacting to Opportunities - Career Pivot

Create Opportunities and Stop Reacting to Opportunities - Career Pivot Create Opportunities and Stop Reacting Copyright: inueng / 123RF Stock Photo Create opportunities? As a baby boomer born in the mid-1950’s I was taught by my parents that I should go to work for a father-like-company that would take care of me. I went to work for IBM. I, therefore, would react when opportunities were presented and make a choice. For the next 15 years, I always reacted when my boss or someone else would present an opportunity. I never created my own opportunities. I am sure for many of you this sounds very familiar. Are You a Turkey? I have been speaking to a lot of turkeys lately. I wrote about the Turkey analogy in my postLooking at Your Career from a Turkey’s Perspective. The turkey metaphor comes from the book, End of Jobs by Taylor Pearson.Taylor compares our careers to turkeys. Taylor wrote in his book: A turkey is fed for a thousand days by a butcher; every day confirms to its staff of analysts that butchers love turkeys ‘with increased statistical confidence.’ The butcher will keep feeding the turkey until a few days before Thanksgiving…[The] Turkey will have a revision of beliefâ€"right when its confidence in the statement that the butcher loves turkeys is maximal and ‘it is very quiet’ and soothingly predictable in the life of the turkey.” N.N. Taleb From the day a Thanksgiving turkey is born, everything about its lifeindicatesthatthings are only going to get better. It’s hatched in a safe, sterile environment. It’s cared for and fed daily. Every single day, this pattern happens again. It wakes up to find plenty of food and a place to live. It is at themomentwhen the turkey has the mosthistoricaldata to show that its life is likely tokeepimproving, on the 4th Thursday of November, that it realizes â€" It’s not so good to be a turkey. Listen to the most recent episode Turkeys are victims to their own inertia. They do not create opportunities but they react when opportunities appear. Unfortunately, sometimes while waiting for the opportunities to appear â€" the 4th Wednesday of November arrives. Respond and not React In much of the 2nd half of my career, I can say I have responded and not reacted. During the holiday season of 1992, I ruptured the L4/L5 disc in my back. I had a choice: get operated on or spend 3 months on disability and let the disc heal. I do not like doctors with sharp implements and chose to let the back heal. During this time, my employer, IBM, nearly declared bankruptcy. When I returned to work in early April of 1993, chaos broke out. The full employment policy had been eliminated, thousands had been offered early retirement, and others offered exit packages. My time off was a moment of clarity. I was relaxed and my mind was clear. This could haveeasily been a “turkey moment.” I could have stayed in my current position as the lead in a technology transfer group. Instead of reacting with a “hunker down attitude,” I responded by asking to be transferred to a sales/marketing role in a customer briefing center. I crossed to the dark side and went into sale sand marketing. If I had stayed in the technology transferposition, I would have likely had my position eliminated and been laid off in a couple of years. Create Opportunities â€" Right-Place, Right-Time You are probably saying how do I create opportunities? You have probably worked with colleagues who seem to flow from one opportunity to another. It seems effortless. How do they do it? It is all about positioning. They strategically establish relationships in areas and companies where future opportunities are likely to appear. They follow a well-established playbook of strategic networking. You can read more about strategic networking in my post,Strategic Networking Playbook â€" Who, How and When! By being strategic in their relationship building, they are in the right place at the right time. Create Opportunities â€" Create a Job I have been talking with a variety of individuals who have been busy running around applying to jobs and getting very frustrated. Allof these individuals are over 50 and are refusing to see the world has changed. If you listened to my podcast Very Late in Life Career Decision Questions [Podcast],you would hear me say, “stop looking for a job ratherlook for a problem to solve.” Yes, you read that correctly:look for a problem to solve. In the podcast, I discussed the problem a 70-year old retired technology professional had posed to me. He had been retired for 18 years. He needed income because his retirement nest egg was disappearing. He assumed he needed to go find a J-O-B in the technology world where he retired from 18 years earlier. His biggest problems were that his professional network was largely gone and his technical skills were completely obsolete. When I told him to find a problem to solve, he immediately started talking about an issue that he had with his water well pump and the solution he had been working on. He entrepreneurial pump was primed. This could turn into a business, a product, consulting gig, or a job. He needs to start creating opportunities in completely new places. Like the Thomas Wolfe novel title, You can’t go home again. He needs to leave his technology roots behind and find something completely new. Pick Your Direction Are you a turkey waiting for the 4th Thursday in November? Will you become opportunistic in your networking and put yourself in the right place at the right time? Will you decide you want to control your destiny andgo find a problem to solve? Either way, you will be incontrol and you will not need to react to whatever opportunity that comes your way. For many of you, this will be a frightening thought but once you start you will find it very empowering. Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Barb Poole has been Recertified - Hire Imaging

Barb Poole has been Recertified - Hire Imaging Barb Poole recently was approved for recertification as a Professional in Human Resource (PHR) through the HR Certification Institute, an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Earning the PHR credential demonstrates knowledge of the most current principals and core practices of Human Resource management. Candidates earning this credential pass a rigorous exam (60% pass rate) covering six functional areas: Strategic Management Workforce Planning and Employment Human Resource Development Total Rewards Employee and Labor Relations Risk Management Recertification ensures current knowledge of changing HR laws, best practices and innovative labor strategies. It requires 60 credit hours in professional development that may include continuing education, instruction/teaching, on-the-job activities, research and publishing, leadership and professional memberships.

How to Create a Strong Resume

How to Create a Strong ResumeIf you are looking for ways on how to create a strong resume, the first step that you need to take is to make sure that you do not include any information that will make it easier for the employer to say no. In most cases, employers will be checking for relevant details on your resume that would help them decide whether you are suitable for the job or not. They are looking for your professional achievements as well as your current skills. This is why making sure that your resume is well written and well organised is a must.In order to have a strong resume, you should write down everything in detail and at a pace that the employer can read it quickly. Remember that these people have all the time in the world to finish reading your resume if they so wish. You should think about the mistakes that you want to avoid. Also, check whether your resume contains the correct and formatted formatting before you send it to the hiring company.You can also use a compute r and type it in a professional manner. If you do not want to spend a lot of money on it, then you can opt for a free resume writer to do the job for you. However, make sure that you are doing it correctly. If you make a mistake, then the employer might not like the resume and would probably think that the applicant does not have the required skills. So, it is very important to make a good resume that will help the applicant get the job.To give the resume a professional look, there are lots of services that can help you with professional writing and formatting. There are many types of resume formats that you can choose from. These include; professional and academic, scientific and technical, logical and analytical, and business and industry. But make sure that you pick a format that is most appropriate to your professional position. You should also make sure that your resume is clear and easy to read.This is the first step that you need to follow in order to get a perfect resume. By following the rules and regulations of the hiring company, you can ensure that your resume will be accepted. The company has all the information regarding the requirements of the position that you are applying for. It is also important to know that they have strict rules and regulations in order to prevent future rejections.Before starting the process of creating a strong resume, you need to check whether the employer is looking for someone with a certain educational background. For example, if the employer is looking for a technical engineer with a PhD degree, then the applicant needs to provide some proofs that they have a doctorate. Since most of the time, the educational background is irrelevant, the applicant must not mention their educational background as they can only help to mislead the employer. Also, if the employer is interested in looking at your educational background, then they can take the help of the Educational Testing Service to find out the exact information tha t they need.You should always remember that your professional qualifications are very important. The employer is looking for the applicant's knowledge, experience and also skills. All these things will help them decide whether you are good enough to carry out the job or not. In this case, you should always make sure that you have covered all the necessary details and information.Make sure that you do not copy information from another resume. Always ensure that you have your own professional resume. In addition, do not include irrelevant information in your resume. This will definitely help the employer to reject your application.