Career College Zone

My horseback riding instructor and I have one thing  in common: We’re both self-employed.  Today we were talking about how much we love it that we can set our own schedules.

If this is something that is important for you in your career — being able to set your own schedule — you can plan your education with this goal in mind.  Think of your interests, and then try to brainstorm ways that you could turn these into your own small business.

For example, my instructor both teaches horseback riding lessons and trains horses.  She does work with an established lesson barn, but many of her lessons — like the ones she give me — are also via her own business.  Her background is extensive — she has been riding since she was a kid, and she also went to college to learn how to train horses.

As another example, I got my degree in English with a concentration in literature.  After a year or so as a technical writer, I realized this was something I could do on my own, and I’ve been freelancing ever since.

Your niche doesn’t have to match either of ours.  For instance, if you have an interest in the culinary arts, you could attend a cooking school to add to your knowledge and refine your techniques.  With that degree, you could open your own catering business, bakery, or write a recipe book.

There is a way to turn just about any interest or education into a small business opportunity.  Do you have any ideas for what YOU might be interested in doing?

Technorati Tags: cooking school, Culinary Arts, small business ideas, technical writer

When I was in my junior and senior years of high school, the guidance counselors started coming around to all of our classrooms and giving us career aptitude tests.  The idea was to help us prepare for college by giving us a better idea of what we might like to go to college for in the first place.

If you are considering going to college, or perhaps going back to school, but don’t know yet what you want to study, you can take these tests even if you aren’t in high school or (if you are) don’t have conscientious guidance counselors.  There are plenty of career aptitutde tests online that you can take for free.

Basically, the idea of a career aptitude test is to highlight in which industries you might be most interested in working.  They don’t tell you a specific career you should pursue, but they identify the areas that you are most interested in.

For instance, if you enjoy working with your hands, a career aptitude test will note this, and provide you with a list of careers that should interest you: auto mechanics, woodworking, HVAC, etc.  On the other hand, if you are interested in math, the test might suggest careers in the financial sector, such as banking or investing.

Once you get the results and identify a general direction for your career, it is up to you to find out what education will set you on that path.  Usually college admissions counselors can help you with this.  For instance, if you want to be a mortgage broker, they can tell you what mortgage training is necessary for SAFE mortgage licensing.

However, it is important not to expect miracles from a career aptitude test.  Because the test is self-reporting — that is, it is based on the answers YOU give — it can only make sense of what you already know (even if you don’t realize you know it) by making generalizations about what jobs you might enjoy or be good at.

Technorati Tags: career aptitude test, mortgage training, SAFE mortgage licensing

There are both positive and negative aspects to being a mortgage broker.  Before you spend money on FHA training, you should consider your career path carefully to make sure this is something you really want to do.

For instance, as a mortgage broker your income will be entirely based on commissions you earn from lenders by setting up loans for your customers.  This kind of income can be unpredictable and difficult to rely on, particularly for a mortgage broker just starting out.  It takes a special and very dedicated type of person to be able to get past the awkward initial stage to where their income becomes more steady and reliable.

Of course, the con here can also be a pro — once you establish yourself as a mortgage broker and get through that awkward initial stage, you can actually earn quite a respectable income.  The more connections you have and the better known you are, the more business you will get, and the more commissions you will earn.

But of course, the biggest pro here — at least in my mind — is the ability to work for yourself.  With the proper mortgage training and licensure, you have everything you need in order to go into business yourself.  And as your own boss, the only thing you really need to let rule your business decisions is your need to make a decent income.  Time off, how many and which clients to accept, what hours to work — those are all decisions only you can make for yourself.

Like any job, how you weight the pros and the cons of being a mortgage broker ultimately depends on your personality and preferences.  Are you really driven and have lots of time to dedicate to getting a business off the ground?  If so, then you probably won’t find the commission-based income to be as much of a con as some people would.  But on the other hand, if you like having a boss to tell you what to do, going into business for yourself won’t be as appealing a pro as it is for others.

Technorati Tags: commissions, FHA training, mortgage training

For those of you aspiring to become professional golfers, let’s take a moment and become realistic.  No matter how good you are, or think you are, very few players every truly make it in the golf world.  This is true with all industries.  You may have exceptional talent, but only the best of the best play regularly on the professional golf circuit.

You really need to consider what will happen if you don’t make it.  What type of skills will you have that are marketable?  One option to consider is one of many golf academies.  Golf academies, or colleges, allow you to not only work on your game, but also prepare you for other types of golf employment.

Golf management schools will give you skills needed to take on a variety of roles ranging from running a golf course to working in a management capacity on one of the major tours.   There are also options for you to become a club pro at a local course.  In this type of career, you can teach future golfers how to improve their game and to better enjoy golf.

I am not saying that you will definitely not make it on one of the pro golf tours.  What I am saying is to have a backup plan in the event things do not turn out as planned.

Technorati Tags: golf academies, golf employment, golf management schools

Working in a resort town can be a lot of fun, particularly if you enjoy working in the service and hospitality industries.  The weather in resort towns is typically fantastic, as most people like to vacation in areas that has warm weather year round.  In addition, you generally find higher pay in these areas, and in some cases housing might be provided by the resort (if you don’t mind living with your co-workers!).

Here are three great resort town careers to capture your interest.

1. Work as a guide. If hiking, rafting, scuba diving, horseback riding, or other outdoor, resort-style sports are your thing, you might beable to get a great job in a great place doing exactly what you love.  For instance, horseback riding on the beach is a popular vacation pastime in resort areas such as Florida and the Caribbean.
2. Work at a golf resort. If you are passionate about golf, there are many golf careers that revolve around resorts and vacation towns.  For instance, you could get a job providing golf instruction at a posh resort, or any other number of golf jobs, such as grounds maintenance, landscaping, or even selling golf equipment in the resort’s golf store.
3. Work as a chef. All resorts pride themselves on having top notch dining establishments.  As a chef, you could easily get a job making great food at a great resort, and in a great location.  There are many culinary schools nationwide where you can get the education necessary to get one of these highly sought-after chef jobs.

Too many people hate their jobs, probably because they do the same thing day in and day out, without anything to keep their careers interesting.  The combination of location and the interesting jobs available ensure that working at a resort will never be tedious or boring!

Technorati Tags: golf careers, golf instruction, golf jobs, golf resort, horseback riding on the beach, resort town