From Advertising to Literacy Training

From Advertising to Literacy Training Success Story > From: Job To: Portfolio career From Advertising to Literacy Training “Over the years I fell more and more out of love with my work.” * From Advertising to Literacy Training Joanna Opoku knew she had tomake a change, but had no idea what else she wanted to do. Here's how, using a combination of approaches (and some practical ways to keep the money coming in), she's now found a role that feels right for her. What work were you doing previously? I was International Advertising Manager for an international magazine publishing company. What are you doing now? I work for a small company that has created an online literacy intervention to help struggling readers. I train school teachers in how to use the computer programme and run sessions. I also offer private tutoring in touch-typing and English as a Foreign Language. Why did you change? Over the years I fell more and more out of love with my work. When I started the job, ten years ago, I loved the fact that I worked for an international company; I used my language skills, and at the time I loved magazines. As time passed I realised that advertising and the world of magazines wasn't for me. When was the moment you decided to make the change? I'd considered a change for a long, long time, but had no idea what to move into. I knew that I didn't want to continue in advertising sales, but other than that I was quite lost. Eventually it reached a point where the frustration and stress of feeling stuck had built up so much that I was miserable. I went through a period of crying every day. Then, I realised there was one obvious option, which I had previously ignored â€" to simply leave my job. Are you happy with the change? I'm really happy with the change. I feel as though I've finally become the kind of person who can be brave, make big decisions, and make things happen! What do you miss and what don't you miss? The one thing I miss is using languages every day, but I try to get around this by going to language meetups and making friends with native speakers. I don't miss feeling inauthentic and trapped in an office I really didn't want to be in, spending my time working on projects I really didn't care about. I'm still friends with ex-workmates so I don't need to miss them! How did you go about making the shift? This was a really long process, taking place over several years. I started by reading books and blogs about career change, different ways of working, following your passion, confidence building and anything inspiring that I could get my hands on. I particularly loved the Careershifters weekly email and Tim Ferriss' Four Hour Work Week. A friend recommended the book What Colour Is Your Parachute?, and I completed the exercises which helped me to focus on all sorts of different factors, such as the kind of environment I wanted to work in and the kind of people I wanted to work with. I attended career change workshops,talks, and careerfairs;I saw a life coach for a short period; andI contacted people whose work sounded interesting to ask them about it. I even took a half day of holiday and work shadowed a friend of a friend who worked in international rights publishing. I started volunteering for a charity focused on helping children with creative writing, as a way of testing an area which I thought could be interesting. When I started to seriously consider leaving my job with no new role to go to, I took inspiration from a blog post on Live Your Legend and signed up to work for a translation agency as a freelancer. I started tutoring in touch-typing and English as a Foreign Language in my spare time. Knowing I could find work on the side helped to ease the fear of no longer having a steady income. After I left my job, I explored various different avenues. I gained a CELTA qualification (teaching English as a Foreign Language) and I did some life coaching courses. I continued with the private tutoring and freelance translating. I temped for a while, in admin andas a teaching assistant.I also spent a month living in Cuba and learning Spanish. Although it was scary at times when I didn't have any work on the horizon, it was exhilarating having the freedom to explore and try things out. Earning a small income from odd jobs helped to ease the anxiety of not having a fixed income. I was extremely frugal! Finally, six months after leaving my job, I saw my current role advertised on Escape the City and went for it. After so many years of trying to identify what I wanted to do next, I was amazed to find a role that ticked so many boxes. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? I don't think anything went wrong. In retrospect, I could have spent longer exploring Cuba (I was too scared about my finances to stay longer than a month), but there were no major mishaps. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? Around a year before I made the break I became quite obsessed with minimalism â€" decluttering and spending frugally. Looking back, I think this was possibly subconscious preparation for a big change. I sold lots of unwanted items on Ebay, gave stuff away, started saving like mad, and cut back on unnecessary spending. Tutoring in my free time helped, and I used Airbnb to earn extra cash. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Making the decision to leave my job with no new job to go to. I'd always believed that you had to move from one job straight to another. I discussed the idea with my parents after a particularly trying couple of weeks and as soon as I said it out loud it was clear to me that it was the right decision. The relief was instant. What help did you get? I had massive moral support from my parents and sister, other family members and friends. Seeing a life coach really helped in terms of motivation and taking action. And reaching out to friends of friends for advice, ideas and to hear about their own career changes was extremelyuseful. I found books and blogs so helpful. It was great to know that other people had experienced similar emotions and had succeeded in moving on, and to read about ways of working and lifestyles I hadn't previously considered. What resources would you recommend to others? Tim Ferriss' book The Four Hour Work Week. I still refer to it now, and I love the Tim Ferriss podcast for inspiration, too. Careershifters, obviously, Escape the City, and blogs such as Becoming Minimalist, Zen Habits, and Live Your Legend. Books such as Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, This Year Will Be Different by Monika Kanokova, Working Identity by Herminia Ibarra and anything by Dale Carnegie. What have you learnt in the process? I've learned that I really can't afford to waste any more time in situations where I'm not happy. I'm fully capable of making a decision and going for it, and making a success of it. And there's a lot of help and support out there, from people, free events, talks, books and blogs. What do you wish you'd done differently? I wish I'd made the break earlier. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Be brave. Making a jump and choosing not to take the safe, easy option is scary, but it's also really exciting. Read as much as possible for inspiration and ideas, and talk to people â€" not just friends and family but also friends of friends and acquaintances. This is invaluable for support, motivation and ideas. Write everything down in a dedicated notebook: ideas, contacts, calculations, everything. Then, really, it comes down to taking action, step by step. Find a way to try new things out, be it evening classes or experiments in your spare time. What lessons could you take from Joanna's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up Todays post will take us  down memory lane and challenge us to think about who we really want to be in life.      The author, Cheryl Rhody, has an appetite for ambition, a vivid imagination and an enthusiasm for public relations, marketing, digital media and ultimately brand amplification.   You can connect with her on Linkedin or follow her on Twitter @CherylHRhody. We’ve all been asked this age-old question, most likely inside of an elementary school classroom while introducing one of your parents to speak to your classmates for “Career Day”. (Luckily my dad designed jets, so I always had an interesting guest to bring along.) When asked this question over the years, my responses included whimsical things such as a fairytale princess, a ballerina or a high-fashion model until I ultimately realized that a 5’2 girl like me with an imagination the size of Texas was destined for a career in marketing and public relations. Flash forward several years later, I am still in love with my career choice (although certainly not grown-up!) However, there is something about our culture and society that irks me. You see, I think we have been asking the wrong question all along. While I take pride in my job, it is just one of the many things that define who I am. I believe we should be asking not “What”, but “Who do you want to be when you grow up? If I had been asked that question, perhaps my response would have been vastly different, with hopes and aspirations of being the best daughter, wife, mother, friend, pet owner, volunteer and colleague that I could possibly be. Here are a few tips to help you reconnect with the “who” we all want to be: Be a good person. It’s a simple as The Golden Rule. I am a big believer in karma and in not burning bridges. While your career or personal life might be thriving today, tomorrow could be a different story. By treating others with respect and kindness, you open up the doors to many new opportunities in life that you would have otherwise been unaware of. Be passionate. It is so important to have things in life that motivate and inspire you. Whether it’s the corner office or the coveted title of “Home Room Mother”, it doesn’t matter as long as you are passionate about your goals. If you don’t have an interest in what you are doing, you will ultimately run out of steam and possibly have a mid-life crisis. Be smart. The most successful people in life are those who continue learning and never allow themselves to believe they have reached their full potential. No matter where you are in your lifecycle, there is always more to be learned. Take a cooking class, travel around the world, learn to play a musical instrument, mentor children, visit the elderly…just do something Be real. By allowing yourself to trust your instincts, you become both vulnerable and empowered. Don’t embark on a career, relationship or any major life decision if you are simply “going with the flow” or following in anyone else’s footsteps, especially not if you are fulfilling someone else’s vision for you. Life is certainly not a “one-size-fits-all” piece of clothing. Be yourself! Take a look around. We all come in different shapes and sizes, with our own backgrounds and experiences. Quite frankly, it would be so boring if we were all the same! Embrace who you are, good and bad. A wise person once said there will always be someone who is better off than you are and someone who is worse off. Comparing yourself to anyone else is not only a waste of time, but is a huge roadblock in becoming the person you want to be and living the life you want to live. So I encourage you to take a trip down memory lane and recall what you wanted to be when you grew up. Flash forward to this very moment, are you who do you what to be today? The good news is that if you aren’t, there is still plenty of time and getting there is easier than you think. Start by treating people with respect, finding and following your passion, continue learning, be genuine and above all, be you! No matter what the answer to the question is, if your answer makes you happy, then you have successfully fulfilled your childhood dreams!

Sanity Strategies If You Have A Micromanager Boss - VocationVillage

Sanity Strategies If You Have A Micromanager Boss - VocationVillage Most experienced professionals have at least one horror story about working for a micromanager boss, the type of boss who wants to be involved in every tiny detail of your work. To help employees grappling with this unpleasant situation, I compiled this list of strategies to manage or escape a micromanager boss:Empathize.Coach, trainer, and speaker Lorna Weston-Smyth notes that leadership expert John C. Maxwell identifies three major reasons managers fail to empower direct reports: (1) Weak leaders worry that they wont be as valuable if direct reports are too competent on their own, (2) Some bosses fear change and loss of control as direct reports take ownership over greater amounts of work, and (3) Managers who feel powerless themselves arent skilled at empowering others.Also, a micromanaging style might stem from something so simple as fear of being blamed if something goes wrong, so bosses think they are doing a good job if they oversee every little detail. They fail to factor in the costs of time and employee demoralization when calculating how effective micromanagement is.It might not solve the problem to empathize with the fearful micromanager but it might help you to take the micromanagement situation less personally.Be an anthropologist.Dr. Donna Hartney, a performance consultant, suggests that you use your observational skills to determine if your boss micromanages all the time, with everyone, or only in specific situations.If you have co-workers who are not being micromanaged, try to determine what they are doing differently than what you are doing. Based on your observations, create a plan to become one of the people who are trusted rather than micromanaged.Build the relationship with your boss.Weston-Smyth advises investing some effort to understand what makes your boss tick. Pay attention to small clues found in informal conversations. Notice what improves your boss mood, what upsets/infuriates your boss, and what your boss priorities and values se em to be. Find shared interests and common ground. The better your relationship with your boss, the more likely your boss will back off from scrutinizing your every professional move.Decide if it is worth it to do things your boss way.Career coach Kathi Elster, author of Working for You Isnt Working for Me: How to Get Ahead When Your Boss Holds You Back suggests helping your boss feel a greater sense of control and less fear by showing your boss that you are listening to him or her and then doing things exactly the way he or she wants things done, no matter how ridiculous it may seem to do so. Using this strategy involves a gamble that if you help your boss become less anxious, things will improve over time.Jen Hancock, a writer and speaker specializes in humanistic leadership agrees. She says, Touch base with your manager on where things stand daily or twice daily if necessary. Should you have to do this? No. But you will be doing them and your fellow co-workers a favor by reducing your boss stress.Micromanage the micromanager.Gordon Veniard, a management consultant and author of Exactly What Kind of Boss Are You? suggests asking these five detailed questions:1. What, specifically, do you want me to do?2. When, exactly, do you need this by?3. How, specifically, do you want this delivered to you?4. How do you want me to keep you up-to-date on progress?5. What else do I need to know to do this right?Avoid surprising your boss.Probably the worst thing you can do to a micromanager boss is surprise him or her. If you realize you are going to miss a deadline or you need to deliver any other bad news about something happening at work, do everything you can to be the person to share the information with your boss before the news is conveyed via other channels.Realize that surprises may feel like a catastrophe to your boss who craves certainty and predictability, so your boss micromanaging tendencies might become worse after any surprise.Implement technology.Mark Rush worth, Head of Search at bluelogic recommends productivity tools like IDoneThis.com, RememberTheMilk.com, and Gantt style charts in Google Docs to facilitate communication and reassure anxious bosses that you really are getting a lot done.Rushworths tips are even more helpful for virtual teams where you cant just stop by someones desk to see how much work is getting accomplished.Change jobs.Rick Maurer, author of Why Dont You Want What I Want?: How to Win Support for Your Ideas without Hard Sell, Manipulation, or Power Plays says if none of the usual career advice works, you can either learn to live with the micromanager boss or change jobs to find a boss who is more reasonable.Carlyn Craig, a publishing professional, agrees. She recalls that when she worked for a micromanager boss, no matter how many strategies she employed, like frequent reporting, lots of communication, etc., her boss never learned to trust her, despite her strong track record of success in previous jobs. She rec alls, This particular boss had a habit of busting into my office and without any greeting, would start in on a game of twenty questions, which generally felt like a test designed to catch me out. It was disruptive and upsetting.Carlyn Craig left the job to start her own company, Post Hypnotic Press. Craig says that the employees in her old workplace tell her the micromanager boss is still stressing people out so much, they feel their blood pressure rising when they just hear him coming down the hall.Laurie Battaglia, career coach, concurs with the advice that you might have to seek new employment to escape the craziness. She says If you are feeling under fire all the time, start looking for your next role while you continue to do great work in this one.Decide how honest to be.Marian Thier, executive coach, agrees with all the standard career advice about micromanager bosses and she assists clients to implement the advice to try to improve their on-the-job situations. But once all th ose strategies have been tried and havent worked, she sympathizes with an employee who said to her micromanager boss, Youre watching much too closely. Im a professional and will accomplish the task on time and done correctly. Surely you must have something better to do with your time than watch over my shoulder.Clients have told me they were tempted to say even harsher things to their micromanager bosses. I recommend that clients take the long-term view. If you dont burn bridges, it is easier to secure a positive reference than if you slam your boss on the way out, although I certainly understand why employees sometimes snap and tell the truth.Keep the faith.So many people have survived and thrived after suffering through an experience with a micromanager boss, the odds are that you will be fine, too. Do your best to improve your current job situation but if you end up needing to move on, stay optimistic that you can find a better boss. One of my favorite quotes is, Living well is t he best revenge.

Personal Branding Interview Libby Gill - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Libby Gill - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Libby Gill, who spent spent fifteen years as an entertainment industry veteran,   heading public relations and corporate communications at Universal Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting. She was also the branding brain behind the launch of the Dr. Phil Show and the author of You Unstuck.   In this interview, Libby explains the psychology of getting stuck in a rut, strategies to get unstuck, and more. Why does everyone get in a rut? Does it happen more at a certain age? Everyone gets stuck in a rut at one time or another. Though the depth or type of rut may vary with age or stage of life, many of us experience ruts related to career, fitness, money and relationships. We fall into these ruts because of the limiting assumptions we come to believe about ourselves. These are unfounded conclusions, which we allow to dictate our actions, even when there is no objective data to support them. These assumptions often come in the guise of excuses such as “I’ll start dating when I lose 20 pounds,” “I’m just no good with money, “It’s too risky to change jobs right now,” or the perennial favorite, “I don’t have enough time to (you fill in the blank).” From your book research, what are a few of the most enlightening data points? One of the most interesting things I learned in my research was the way in which our brains process fear. Obviously, fear is a necessary biological instinct that helps safeguard our survival. But since we now live in an era dominated more by data and information than physical danger, the fear reactions prompted by our primitive brain are often inappropriate for situations such as making a sales call, giving a presentation or asking someone on a date. Yet, we often allow the embarrassing involuntary physiological responses from sweaty palms to shaking knees â€" to hold us back from taking risks that could move our lives in a more positive direction. Further, since our brains consolidate fear memories over time, when we think about a past event that caused us fear or anxiety, we’re calling up not just the precipitating event itself but all the memories that event. In other words, we’re remembering the memory of the memory of the memory. So with each thought, we’re breathe new life into old fears until they loom so large that we’re too frightened to go on an interview or a cocktail date. Name three strategies you would recommend to someone looking to get unstuck. As an executive coach, I’ve worked with people to increase bold risk-taking and positive change through a 3-step process I call “Clarify, Simplify Execute.” First, clarify your vision of success in your personal and professional life. Second, simplify the most direct route to realizing that vision including letting go of limiting assumptions and excuse-making. Third, execute an aggressive action plan against measurable milestones. And always add factors for accountability whether that means hiring a coach, joining My Accountability Club or having a family member keep you on track. If someone is having relationship issues and job issues at the same time, what would you recommend? Again, look at your limiting assumptions and listen to your own language. Maybe it’s your own belief that you don’t deserve a “good” job or relationship that’s holding you hostage. See if you can zero in on your own assumptions, then challenge them. Pick a place to start that is the easiest for you to tackle first. In You Unstuck, I describe what I call the “Escalating Risk Hierarchy,” where you chunk down your goal into tiny incremental steps, that is, pieces so small you wouldn’t even think of them as goals. For example, if you want to start a job search but the process has you terrified, start small by listing all the components of your search from reviewing your resume to asking friends for feedback to doing some research online. When you list the steps in order of comfortable to anxiety-inducing, then start taking action on the comfortable steps first, you build confidence and competence. As you work your way up the hierarchy and experience success, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll begin taking bold risks. You helped launch the Dr. Phil show. How did you go about building that brand? I was recruited to help Dr. Phil create a media and brand presence while he was still on Oprah. It was a real honor to help introduce his unique style to the press and the public. The key to creating Dr. Phil’s brand â€" and this is the same for anyone was to identify his authentic value, what he alone could do in a way no one else could do it. Determine what you bring to an organization, customer or client. When you can define and articulate your unique value in a way that resonates with your core audience, you’re on your way to having a powerful brand. - Libby Gill spent spent fifteen years as an entertainment industry veteran,   heading public relations and corporate communications at Universal Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting. She was also the branding brain behind the launch of the Dr. Phil Show.   Libby is now an internationally respected executive coach, speaker and bestselling author. She has shared her success strategies on the Today Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, CNN, NPR, Oprah Friends Radio Network, Fox News, CBS Early Show, and in Time Magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Self and many more.   Libby’s clients have included Microsoft, Pfizer, USAA, Lycos, Sprint, Capital One, Lockheed Martin, Deloitte Touche, and Hewlett-Packard. Her latest book is called You Unstuck.

LinkedIn Resume Tips For Success

LinkedIn Resume Tips For SuccessUsing LinkedIn resume tips is a great way to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd. The use of LinkedIn has become so common that it is almost commonplace. There are many reasons why you may want to use LinkedIn as your resume help, but the best reasons for LinkedIn resume tips is the fact that you can add your career on the web, help your search, and get free traffic to your website.The first thing you need to do is register for LinkedIn. Once you have registered for a LinkedIn account, you can either pay a small fee to access the platform, or you can simply create an account for free. You will need to create a user name and password for your LinkedIn account, but once you have done this, you can begin to search through the features available to you.As you browse through the different sections, you will find many LinkedIn resume tips that you can use to make your resume stand out among the rest. Many LinkedIn members list not only their skills and experience, but they also include a link to their resume, so that people can browse through them and decide if they wish to receive more information on the person listed. This is a great way to add extra information on your resume, which will also get you more searches.Another feature available on LinkedIn is a link to their career site. You can access this link to find out what opportunities exist in your area. If you have a great job offer, then this will be a great way to tell potential employers that you are seeking a new job.One of the most important LinkedIn resume tips is to know how to make your profile standout. Since LinkedIn is a social network, you will want to focus on creating your own personal style. The best way to do this is to focus on your professional history, skills, and experiences. By doing this, you will be able to add your career onthe web, and help your search as well.LinkedIn also offers a service called job boards. In this service, you can place your job application, and allow companies to locate you. This is a great way to get a great job, especially for someone who is looking for a full time position.In addition to the many LinkedIn resume tips, you can also add links to your LinkedIn pages to increase traffic to your website. A great way to help your website traffic is to add a link to your career profile on LinkedIn. Also, you can create a networking link for your business website, which can greatly improve your overall SEO rankings.If you are serious about your career, you will want to use LinkedIn as your resume help. The use of this tool has helped millions of people get great jobs. No matter what type of position you are searching for, there is always a good chance that you can find it with the help of LinkedIn.

Dont Let Negative Coworkers Ruin Your Job Performance

Dont Let Negative Coworkers Ruin Your Job Performance Increasing Your Burden Thanks to Monica Gomez for her guest blog. A brief bio is below. Amy Most of us prefer to spend time with positive people rather than spend time with negative people. Happiness is contagious, and we feel better overall when surrounded by positive people. Even if you know that you prefer to be around positive people, you may not realize that being around those who are negative actually has a negative impact on your life. Here are six ways that being around negative people can hurt your performance at work. Increasing Your Burden If youre one of the many people who prefer to be around positive people, you probably carry this preference into your work life. If you need help with a project or think a task is better accomplished as a team, you probably seek out positive people to work with. Whether you realize it or not, youre probably also subconsciously avoiding the negative people. This means that if there are a large number of negative people in your work group, youre likely taking on too much work yourself simply to avoid working with them. Making Things Personal Negative people are often negative in multiple areas of their lives. If theyre unhappy with their boss, theyre probably unhappy with several other aspects of their job. This unhappiness may well be projected onto you at some point. Whether its trashing your ideas, ridiculing the outcome of one of your projects, or something less subtle, it will be hard to feel like the negativity isnt a direct attack on you. At that point, you may begin to feel bad or to have bad feelings about the other person. The end result will be that the negative energy begins to take hold of you and your performance may drop as a result. Stifle Your Creativity Being creative involves taking on the risk that you will be rejected. Whether youre discussing ideas for how to handle office mail or the design of an advertisement, making a creative suggestion exposes you to the chance that someone will say no. Normally this is fine, but negative people often have the habit of simply being negative without acknowledging when the ideas are moving in the right direction. If you dont filter them out, you may find yourself unwilling or unable to propose new ideas in the future. Make You Dread Going to Work Most people dislike at least some part of their job. But they usually find something that makes them want to go to work each day, like the fact that they can leave early, or enjoy the paycheck. When youre surrounded by people who like to complain about everything, it’s not easy to stay focused on that one thing that keeps you going, and its definitely harder to do your best work when you start thinking about how much you hate your job. Harm Your Personal Life No matter what you think about your job, you probably enjoy the fact that you get to go home and forget about it each night. After all, you left everything at work and theres nothing you can do until the next day. When you come home with negative feelings though, you may project them onto your loved ones. This often creates a conflict that you will regret. Plus, you’ll harbor those feelings into the next day as youre trying to get work done. Demotivation from Supervisors Negative supervisors can have the biggest impact on your performance. As an example, in the healthcare industry, workers are under a lot of stress. These stressed out healthcare workers know how hard it is to work under a negative supervising physician while theyre trying to stay cheerful to help their patients feel better. The bottom line is that the captain steers the ship and that negative feelings from the top work their way down and inhibit performance. It isn’t easy to remove the influence of negative coworkers on your performance. The first step is to identify the negative people and determine what their negative behaviors are. At that point, you can find easy ways to remove their influence. You can: Talk to your co-worker or supervisor about the issue in a positive way framed as how you can do your job better. Control conversations with the person so they don’t go down negative paths. Limit your interaction with the person. Brainstorm with your boss about what changes you can make. If these short-term tactics aren’t affective then you may want to consider higher-level tactics like changing roles at work or engaging Human Resources for help. Hopefully it won’t come to that because just being aware of negative behaviors gives you control over how it affects you. Author Bio: Monica Gomez is a freelance career, health, and travel writer. She likes to inspire people to do their best whether it’s at work or in their personal lives.

Job Opportunities For A Healthcare Administration Graduate - CareerAlley

Job Opportunities For A Healthcare Administration Graduate - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. There are more than a few frustrated Healthcare Administration graduates, particularly at the Masters degree level, who are in search for a job. Yet once that initial goal is achieved, opportunities for future success abound. So the problem is not only how to get in on the ground floor, but where to go for the best opportunities. Here are a few pointers to get you started in the right direction. Lower Your Expectations Dont translate this to mean settling for less than what you are worth, but be realistic. The responsibilities of a healthcare administrator are significant and except on rare occasions, require working experience in the field. There are internship opportunities or lower level medical and hospital administrative positions that will provide relevant experience for your resume. There is a bridge that has to be built between your academic education and the real world problem solving experience necessary to fully use your acquired skill sets. Also be sure to remember the importance of dual degrees. If you can find a graduate program that combines somethign like a MHA and MBA, your skills will be much more in demand. Check out http://www.thebestcolleges.org for more info on degrees like this one. Four Fields According to an article published at Monster.com there are four major areas for the Healthcare Administration graduate to explore. Healthcare providers Healthcare suppliers Healthcare insurance organizations Healthcare policy organizations Source: (http://allhealthcare.monster.com/training/articles/223-where-can-you-work-with-a-masters-in-healthcare-administration?page=1) Each of these areas comes with its own package of requirements necessary before being allowed admission, so plan accordingly and construct your resume to present your strongest qualifications that are relevant to the specific area. Consider Relocation This isnt popular for many reasons the first is that many people hesitate to move away from family and friends to land in a place where everything is unfamiliar. But one of the reasons the healthcare industry as a whole is expanding is because of the growing number of baby boomers who will need medical services over the next 10 30 years. Therefore, it makes sense to go where your skills are needed the most. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a web page with projected demand of health service opportunities categorized by state. (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119111.htm) Cross-Training The author of the Monster.com article cited above recommends gaining healthcare experience as a clinical technician, CNA, or phlebotomist to build a foundation for your long-term goals. She makes this statement based on her own experience as an RN and earning a doctorate. (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/susan-odegaard-turner-rn-phd/12/738/1b8) Its clear that this is one path to maximizing your academic efforts, but there are others worth considering. Some graduates cant afford to relocate or need immediate employment to pay for basic living expenses. Take a survey of your strengths, both personal and academic, and assess where those strengths can be used in conjunction with your Healthcare Administration degree now. Entry-level opportunities are available in a wide variety of apparently unrelated fields that can land you an immediate job and lay another brick on the foundation of your career goal of becoming a healthcare administrator. Never lose sight of what your career goals are. A degree in Healthcare Administration will always be valuable as long as hospitals and healthcare agencies are in demand. Keep in mind that your choice of academic major is a journey, and it will take time for you to reach the end of that journey. The experience you acquire and the practical application of your education will combine to maximize both your potential and income opportunities. Becka Gonzalez writes all about education and employment. Her recent work is on the job market for law students. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif