When it comes to career planning, you tend to think the craziest things when you are young and not yet focused on life. When you're a kid you want to be the President, the Pope, a NASA scientist; kids tend to shoot for the stars, however, when you grow up, you need to aim realistically, not lower. When it comes to career goals you do not want to set the bar too high, but you do need it to be a slight challenged.

The only thing that you will want to worry about when it comes to picking a career is that it is something that you can reach. If you can see you can do it, right? Well sometimes, it depends on your means. When it comes to planning your career you need to think about support, money, and effort.

When it comes to support, you are going to need some family and friends to back you up when everything falls. You are going to need some people to act like a support system. You are going to need some people when things fall apart so that you can pick yourself up and make something of your life.

For the money, it depends on what type of career that you would like. Money is related to the years and amount of college education that you are going to have to have. Some college cost more than others and some careers take more college years then most. If you do not have the means to finance it, you may not be able to make it your number one career.

As for effort, how much are you willing to give to your career? How far are you willing to take your dreams? If you cannot drive yourself to reach your goals, you will never be able to make your dreams come true.

The most important thing that you will ever need is drive. If you got drive then you will find a way to make the money and the support system to appear. Money can hold a person back, but it can never stop something from following their dreams.

This is all good encouragement that you should always keep in mind so that you can make something out of your life and excel in your career.

How to Create a List of Warm Contacts

Usually when you are looking for a job, you would ask for help from family and friends. You would contact these people to ask for information on current job openings, business opportunities and tips.

Your family, relatives and friends belong to your warm contact list. The warm contact list is the list of people with whom you have or had some personal association. A former classmate, officemate or neighbor may belong to your warm contact list.

Who may be included in your warm contact list? Here are a number of selections.

* Relatives and Friends

These people are always willing to help you in your job search or business venture. They will be able to provide you information if they have some, or refer you to trustworthy people who will be able to help you. If they will introduce you to some of their contacts, they can surely provide honest information to you regarding the person you are going to associate with.

* Members of the church, political party, social club or fraternity or sorority

You probably did not expect it, but people who share the same faith, beliefs or hobbies may also help you with finding a job. You may have a different career from theirs, but they might know somebody who is in the same field or will be able to help you in your career.

However, depending on your level of association with them, they may think twice about giving their opinion or thoughts about their contacts. Their opinion can sometimes help you in making a strategy on how to approach and ask for help from their contacts.

* People who sell you things

You may think that your relationship with these people is purely based on trading goods and services, then paying for them. However, people who sell you things are also sources of information when networking.

Since these people sell their goods to different types of persons, they may have associated with somebody who belongs to the same field as you do, or have heard information about your target job from their other clients.

These people will also be happy to help you, since they know that maintaining a pleasant relationship with you means a stable business. Also, if you have a good job means you have increased your purchasing power, and then it could also mean that you may purchase more from them.

* Former employers, colleagues or co-workers

Maintaining a good relationship with previous employers and colleagues has more benefits than you can imagine. This is the reason that most people try their best to iron out any difficulties with their previous employers even if they are no longer associated with the company. Aside from the possibility that your potential employer will call previous employers when they review your job history, former employers and colleagues are also a good source of information related to that field.

When you ask for help from family and friends, there is the possibility that the information that they can give to you is just from another source. They may not be able to give you first-hand information or detailed information unless they also work in the same field that you came from or would like to go into.

This is very different when you consult former employers and colleagues from the same sector. They will be able to provide you with valuable information and may be able to clarify such information and answer you questions.

* Members of your professional organization

If you belong to a professional organization related to the field in which you are looking for a job, you can consult the organization for current posting from the members. If you don't belong to any, consider joining one since this will be beneficial to you career growth.

A professional organization can provide you unbiased information on current job openings from its members. The organization can also give you details on the company profile and even on current market and career trends.

These are the most important people that you should include when creating a list of your warm contacts. It is better if you contact them all so you can have as many options in your job search. When you talk to them, tell them that you are actively seeking a job.

There are a lot of businesses and opportunities from the area in which you live in and they will offer career day. You should go to career day because there are tons of companies that are looking for people to hire and there are lot of companies who would like others to take them as a serious potential employer. There is a lot that you can find at a career day that you will be able to make some serious plans for yourself.

Career day is where you get lots of ideas on your career and how you can begin to start the rest of your life. When you go to a career day you will feel out some applications, the companies will give you tons of information on the business that they offer to the community and how they can be a huge part of your life. You should fill out applications to places that you aren't sure about because you never know what the interview is going to give you.

Everyone has started in low positions and worked hard to make up for it. You are going to have to work hard and make yourself noticeable at the company. Other than, the opportunities that you may get offered to you, you would find that career day would give you more skills. They help people with their interview skills and they help you feel good about yourself as a businessperson. You will be able to show yourself off at a career day and show off all of the knowledge that you have.

You will also be able to communicate with them about what you have to offer the company. Career day is where you are able to sell yourself. Once you live from career day, you are going to find that there are some companies that you would like to work for. This is where you will want to take the time to send a resume to them and to keep an up-to-date list of employment opportunities that they offer. Career day is one way that you can get your foot in the door.

You will want to take advantage of career days and attend them not just to further your career, but make yourself known to other companies. You will be able to do a lot of career planning once you attend just one of these events.

Career in planning

When you attend college, you have a career in planning. College enables you to do something with your life. You will find that college is a great investment for the fact that you can do a lot more things afterwards. You will find that even though it is a lot of work, you are on a path to somewhere. You may not think that you have a career in planning, but college is the first step to going somewhere.

The second step to having a career is doing an internship. An internship, in college or out of college, is a great idea because you will be able to get hands on experience in the field. If it is something that you would like to do, you will find that you will be more prepared for your first real job in the career field that you have chosen. If you do not like interning then you can always rethink all of the things that you are capable of doing and that you are interested in during.

The third step to having a career in planning is to get comfortable with a company. You will find that if you really want a good career and a happy, stable life, you are going to have to do some time with a company. Your first company you may be with for a few years. Then you may end up getting a better offer or a more important job with someone else, however the time that you spent at the first job will be the reason why you are able to move up in the world.

The fourth step to having a career in planning is to think about the future. When you get comfortable with a company and you make a commitment to one, you will find that you will then have a need to think about your retirement. This is where you may want to take up some of the benefits that your company offers to you. This could be stock or a retirement fund.

You will always have a career in planning because the demands of living will increase as you go further into your career. At the end of your career, you need to make enough money to last the rest of your life. If you retire at 65, you could have twenty or thirty years more to live, but you need to make sure that you will have enough money so that you can live comfortably. This is why you will always be planning your career options.

When you come straight out of college it can be hard to find some direction for your life, however, you can find plenty of free career planning tools to help you.

When it comes to college, most people think that they may have a clue as to what they would like to do, but then when they get into the field, they seem to still have a void in their life. This is when you are going to have to get some plans for the future, but when you go online you will be able to find a lot of free career planning tools to help you get the future that you want and deserve.

When you are looking for career planning tools online, you are going to find that there are lots of sites that offer tests for you to take to help guide you. During your lifetime you will find that these tests are what help you pick a path to follow. Basically, you will notice that these tests will match your personality to some career direction so that you can find your dream job. You will find out what type of job you will want to go out for and then you will find that there are certain jobs that you are perfect for.

As for other free career planning you may want to enter some chat rooms and get a feel for some of the career fields that you may be interested in. When you enter the chat rooms you will be able to talk to others to find out if they like their job and if the career is more than you bargained for. You will find that there are lots of new career options for you when you do a proper online research.

Another way that you can get some free career planning advice is to use some of the online government sites about certain careers and job fields. The government takes stats about everything, including, the average salary and the future of the career. You won't have to pay at the government sites and you will be able to estimate how good a career could be for you.

When it comes to career planning, it's not hard to find someway to get all the information that you need and with the help of government sites you can make a lot of educated decisions for your career. When you use the internet you will be able to find a lot of information and help for career planning. You will find a lot of inspiriting ideas online and a lot of careers that are interesting to you.

If you are looking for free tools to help you with career planning you will want to go online, to counselors, career coaches, and even to the library for free advice and pamphlets on the importance of career planning; all will be able to give you some encouragement and advice.

As a parent, you may think that it is too early to start to have your child to plan their career, but soon they will be in college, and then they will definitely have to have some type of plan. You will want to make sure that you take steps to encourage your children to be whatever they want to be so that they can have the self-esteem to go for all of their dreams.

When it comes to planning your career as a student, you may find many helpful resources. Your teachers, your guidance counselors, and even the parental units will be given you tons of information in order to find some inspiration. You should stay open to all options that you hear, even if you know that you want to do nothing of the sort. It is important that you go for the dreams that you have so that you can feel happy and fulfilled with your life.

As a student, you may find it hard to keep the grades up, but you have to think about the grades as part of your career planning. The higher your grades the more options or leeway you have with going to college or finding a career. It is important that you know what you would like to do when you are starting college, however, you should be open to other options throughout high school. By the end of high school, you will find out what it is that you need for your life to be meaningful.

You should not allow your parents to pressure you to be a certain type of person. You should find strength in all the research that you are going to do about the job field and you will also find that you can get a lot of empowerment when you go for something that you really would like. Even when you talk to your guidance teachers and other teachers, you are going to find a lot of empowerment.

As a student, you will want to take a lot of steps to plan your career. You will find out that planning a career is very difficult for you to do, especially, when you are going to constantly be changing your mind and your life goals. There are lot of things that you are going to have to do in order to find some discipline so that you can make sure that you find a path and that you are able to follow such path.

As a student, you can overcome all of your challenges by doing research. The more knowledge that you have, the better chance that you will be able to make something out of your career and life.

Career planning middle school

You may think that it is outrageous for you to plan your career in middle school, but today you can never start to think about your future too early. You will find that your guidance counselors will teach you about some careers and try to get you interested in something. When it comes to career planning in middle school it is because you do a lot in high school to prepare yourself for your career or for college.

The parents should pressure career planning in middle school. As parents, you should give your children some guidance in careers that may interest them or by simply giving them information about certain schools; they will be able to get the hint that you are seriously concerned for their future. Even if your child likes art, you need to encourage them to make something out of their hobbies so that they can be happy in their career. As a parent, you should never pick the career for them. You just want to offer your guidance and support.

As a teacher, you should think about promoting thoughts about the future by giving your students a task of researching and defining a career that would make them happy. You should take time out of your class to allow the students to express themselves and you should support their dreams.

As a young student, a child needs encouragement to make something out of their life. Children need to dream in order to grow. It is important that you take the time to find something that will make you happy in life and for most people it is their career. If you hinder your child's dreams, no matter how wild they are you can seriously damage the way that they see themselves and the way that they grow up.

Career planning in middle school is very important. It is what makes high school so easy. It also makes choosing a college and finding a sense of career direction easier as well. Planning your future can never come too early.

Just because you are a teen doesn't mean you can't find a good job to either help you through schooling or to get a few extra bucks for your various hobbies and needs. Here are a few tips on bagging a great teen job

Labor Laws

You, of course, have to follow the law. And there are various laws that govern teen employment across different states. Teens that are hired to do non-farm work will at least have to be fourteen years of age to be allowed to work. Here are a few other restrictions. You will have to do a little research in the state you are at to come up to date with the latest laws and regulations.

Teens that are aged 14 to 15 are only allowed to work three hours per day, and eighteen hours a wee. When there are no classes and during summer breaks, this amount may be increased to eight hours per day, 40 hours per week. Also work for teenagers of this age is limited to up to 7 o'clock p.m. within school days and 9 o'clock p.m. during summer breaks.

Employment Documents

In several states, when one has not reached the age of eighteen yet, it is required get working documents which are officially known as Certificate of Employment or Age to be allowed to work legally. Schools are good venues for one to acquire these important papers.

The Department of Labor offers such service, too. Browse on the certification list for Age or Employment to know which rules apply to you. Your school's Guidance Office can be of great help. One's state office will assist greatly if one is directed to the Department of Labor. Particular states such as New York, for instance, have special web site sections on Youth Jobs, which will produce the information and documents you are required to have.

Fantasy Jobs

Make sure you take a job you can maintain interest in. You might want to consider after-school programs and working with kids. Or you may want to work part time on the beach, recreational facilities, zoos and other areas. The important thing is that you choose a job that you enjoy and can perform in with the best of your capabilities. It is very important that you do your best in your job and pick one you truly enjoy, as your experience with this job could very well dictate your future career.

Job Search

Your high school guidance counselor may be able to assist you with finding a part-time job that is just right for you. Aside from having contacts among local businesses, they may also help you evaluate which jobs you will enjoy and excel at.

It is also a good idea to tell everyone you know that you are looking for work. Don't underestimate your network of acquaintances. They may very well have other networks of acquaintances that may help you find good jobs.

There was a time when a person who wanted to find work had to buy newspaper and look through the classified ads section. The advent of the internet has changed that by creating opportunities for people to work either in a different state or in another country.

It has made the world a smaller place rendering it accessible for anyone with a computer to search for a job and apply to it.

There are many sites that offer such services. All the person has to do is open an account, fill up the necessary fields then submit your resume.

These sites usually ask for pertinent information such as the person's name, age, address, contact number and social security number.

Additional information that will be requested is educational background. Employment history is also another thing that has to be mentioned which includes the job description and highlights that one has experienced during that person's career.
A section in the account will also ask the preferred industry of work, if the person is willing to do field work or open to relocation and the expected salary should one be accepted for the job.

With all the information provided, these sites will then match your qualifications with the jobs available. This service is free and matches can be seen when the person logs on the account or gets a notice via email.

Some sites offer a service with a fee that will place the resume over other applicants giving that person more priority but even that is a not a guarantee that one will get the job.

Online job hunting is not just for professionals. It caters to anyone who wants to work either full time, part time or on a per project basis.

Applying online is not only done through job sites. You can also check the websites of companies that usually have a section on careers to see what openings are available. You simply have to go through the process of giving certain information and uploading your resume.

There are many jobs available in the market. The internet has made it easier for companies to make people aware that there are vacancies available. It has also made it convenient for applicants to apply online instead of walking to an office and dropping of a resume. With everything that is just a mouse click away, all it takes is a little effort on one's part to sit down in front of a computer and looking for a job.

Stress-free Job Hunting Guide
Hunting for the perfect job for an individual requires time, effort and knowledge.

For stress free job-hunting, every individual must first consider the following pointers before starting your job hunting process:

1. Know what type of job you would like to apply for. Gate crashing job fairs that offer work not related to one's degree or work preference would be a waste of time.

Consider your interests, preference of work location and job shifts (to be especially considered by professionals who have family members to take care of). If all these fit the category of the job opening available, it would be best to proceed with the application process.

2. Prepare possible needed documents or career portfolio. Have several copies of your resume, transcript of records and any certifications ready for immediate submission if needed.

3. Know where to look for job postings. There are various forms that offer listing of jobs. Below are some of these sites:

3.1 Internet. One of most widely used searching options is the Internet. Aside from the fact that browsing the Internet for available jobs is less time consuming than personal appearances to inquire at the offices, this can also be the least expensive form of job hunting.

You would not need to buy newspapers to browse through the ads for vacancies nor spend gas money to go to the offices.

Not only local or national vacancies can be browsed through the net, international job openings could likewise be easily accessed by the user, thus, offering one a much wider perspective in choosing the right job.

3.2 Newspapers. One of the most commonly used searching medium. Local newspapers advertise jobs that are within an applicant's commuting distance. Available jobs are usually printed on a regular basis.

3.3 Career or Job Centers. These usually offer jobs for ages 16-18 and rarely above 21 years of age. Though fully loaded with vacancies, it caters mostly to the younger applicants.

Job listings are frequently updated; therefore regular visits would ensure the applicants of new job postings.

3.4 Periodicals or magazines. Professionals are best advised to look for jobs on magazines since employers that would want to hire the same would advertise on such journals.

3.5 Offices. Most offices have postings of job openings on their Vacancy Boards. Applicants may directly go to the office to look for vacancies and then directly submit the resume or other pertinent documents to the respective division that receives such documents.

The second step in getting a job is having an interview with a potential employer. The first step was sending your application and after careful review by the company, you are seen as candidate for the vacant position.

The employer got this information through an ad that was placed in the paper, referred by someone in the company or a headhunter, or by a person who simply submitted an application via the company's website.

The first impression employers always look at is your resume. Given the many that apply, this usually takes about 30 seconds and so with the limited words, one must be sure that the resume is well written and grammatically correct.

During the interview, most employers want to know more about person since the resume only gives certain information such as the person's name, age, address, contact number, social security number, past and current employment.

The employer will likely ask about the experiences, lessons and accomplishments one has done and learned working for another employer. This will usually include how the person handled a situation in the company, the challenges of the job and the relationship with coworkers.

Another question will be the relationship between the applicant and family members. This shows character with how the person interacts with people who are close and those that know the person for a long time.

The employer will usually ask why the person applied in the company and where you would like to be in 5 to 10 years. Long term questions such as this will show if there is dedication for the job at hand and if the company can provide something beneficial for both the applicant and the employer.

Companies follow a certain budget in hiring qualified personnel which is why the interviewer will ask how much one desires to get for the job. If what is being asked is too high, the employer will usually ask if the salary is open to negotiation.

After the employer asks questions, room is usually given for the applicant to ask questions in return. This is the best time to know a little bit more the company one might be working in and to get a feel of the potential company.

If there are no more questions, the interviewer will then end the meeting and call the applicant back if the person has passed the initial interview so that the next phase of the application process can begin.

"Hot Tips on How to Job Scout"

Prior to looking for the specific job that would the best fit for you, learn how to effectively market your talents. This will help you gauge the possibility of landing on the job you want. First, skills and interests should be evaluated personally. Jotting down a list would definitely be the best way to define your capabilities; second, to know your limitations.



There are jobs that are too demanding that might not work for you, or jobs that you may be overly qualified for; and third, planning the time as soon as there is an inner instinct that tells you that you are ready and qualified. Once this has been done, go to companies and prospective employers early in the morning for this will give them a good impression and for the applicant, a time to complete the process the application if lucky. Remember, the early bird catches the worm.

The very first thing that needs to be done when looking for a job is to prepare an impressive resume. The resume will depend on the type of job being applied for. There are times when certain employers require curriculum vitae and even a cover letter or letter of intent. Every professional job you apply for expects to receive a well written resume.

After preparing the documents needed for application, the next thing that should follow is finding vacancies for new hires. Searching using the Internet will be very helpful for this activity. There are sites that provide this assistance like HotJobs, America's Job Bank, and Monster that utilizes resources and convenience for people to look for jobs.

Where else to look for job openings?

The initial step is to look at local newspapers for this provides information just by looking at the Classified Ads section and the lists of wanted personnel and employment opportunities will be read. Applying at several companies initially in a local area can save an applicant more time and money. If it so happens a job was found late in the day, call immediately for inquiries. Never let a day pass when opportunities come.

How to look for jobs that are not announced?

Sometimes companies and other employers do not really advertise any job openings in their organization. The best thing for an applicant is to weigh things if it will be possible to be hired by a certain company by just submitting an application form or resume. Start looking for the job personally. Tell everyone about your job hunting. Relatives and previous offices or company co-workers will be able to give hints on job vacancies in their current companies.



Professors or teachers will also be helpful in recommending schools and institutions that are now looking for new instructors. These people might not have any vacant position in their company in mind but they certainly know someone who knows or needs a new employee. That is what others call networking.

Often times, the Yellow Pages does the important job of providing information on how and where to call to look for a job. This gives an accurate list of companies and prospective employers in a chosen area. Visiting the library is also a tool than can be useful when looking for a job. There are libraries that have a list of local employers, just asks the librarian for more information.

Contact these employers personally, even if they did not advertise any vacant positions that needed to be filled
Lastly, be observant of signs posted on doors and windows of shops and stalls being passed by. If lucky, just walk in and ask for information about the job and how to apply.

After submitting application forms and resumes to the respective companies, keep track of the progress by creating a chart where you can jot down the name of the company and when the application was submitted.



Here's a job-scout checklist to help you along your way:



1. Identify experience list

2. Identify prospective employers

3. Prepare documents

4. Plan schedules

5. Contact companies and/or employers

6. Get ready for an interview

7. Evaluate how interview went along

8. Take the exams

9. Start with the new job!

Are you looking for a new job or a new career? If you are, your first step should be examining job listings. When it comes to finding job listings, you have a number of different options.

For instance, you can use your local newspaper, the internet, or career counseling centers. In a way, finding job listings is the easy part. Actually getting the job that you want is the hard part.

When it comes to landing a job that you applied for, your interview will play an important part in whether or not you are hired. If you are able to get a job interview for one of the jobs that you applied for, you are advised to proceed with caution.

Your actions or your responses during an interview can either make or break you. To increase your chances of landing your dream job, or at least the one that you applied for, you will want to continue reading on, as some helpful tips are outlined below.

When going to a job interview, it is important that you are properly dressed. You would actually be surprised to learn how many job applicants show up to a job interview in unattractive, unprofessional attire. Even if you are just applying for a job as a cashier at one of your local supermarkets, you are still advised to dress professionally for a job interview. Depending on the job you are applying for, a dress or a business suit may be called for; however, a simple pair of black pants and a white shirt is much better than a pair of jeans.

You are also advised to bring a couple of copies of your resume to your job interview. Yes, you may have already submitted your resume to the employer giving you the interview, but it is important to remember that they probably received hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes. It is not unheard of for resumes to get lost or misplaced.

Bringing along an extra copy of your resume shows that you are responsible and likely to always be prepared. In addition to brining an extra resume for the interviewer, it is also advised that you bring a copy for yourself. This will make reviewing your work history and education easier, as everyone would be on the same page.

During the interview, you will be asked a number of different questions by the interviewer. One of the most common questions asked is about your strengths and your weaknesses. One of the biggest mistakes that a job applicant makes is stating that they don't have any weaknesses. At the end of most interviews, most interviewers ask the interviewee, which would be you, if you have any questions. You are advised to ask questions. Many interviewers use the "do you have any questions," as a ploy.

Many are turned off by interviewees who do not have any questions. Some even associated it with not be interested in the job or the company. Even if you ask about how the company got started or what the chances are for moving up the company ladder, you are advised to ask questions. Of course, be careful with the questions that you do ask. You don't want to sound too pushy or overbearing.

At the end of your interview, it is extremely important that you shake the hand of your interviewer and thank them for the opportunity. It is hard for some to imagine, but a simple thank you actually goes a long way nowadays, as it is hardly spoken anymore. It is also advised that you send a thank you note the interviewer you met with. This may not necessarily increase your chances of landing the job, but it will make you look professional.

By keeping the above mentioned tips in mind, you should be able to have a successful interview. As a reminder, interviews are the most important part of landing a new job.