So Youre Thinking About Becoming A Truck Driver

So Youre Thinking About Becoming A Truck DriverAs weve said so many times on this site, if youve got a long attention span, a tolerance for a demanding schedule, a drivers license and a love of life on the road, trucking can be the perfect job for you.Nearly half of all Americans know someone who works in the trucking industry, so odds are you already have a professional contact googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1472832551951-0) ) Long-term driving can involve from 2-4 weeks away from home on the road, which can be hard on a familybut for a born nomad, its a match made in heaven. You spend a lot of time aloneso introverts have an advantagebut truck stops are open 24/7 and there will always be colleagues on the road to talk toSkills RequiredWhen asked about the crucial qualifications for their job, most drivers most often cite long haul skills focused, experienced driving, the ability to adapt to all kinds of weather and other challenging conditions, and prof iciency in basic servicing for your vehicle. Maintenance of your truck and being responsible for your own sense of professionalism often boost truckers self-respect and can even translate to other career fields down the road.Here are some of the skills and certifications many employers currently look for in their professional driving staff. You can acquire the basics, like a CDL license, at any of the reputable driving schools in the country. Source WantedAnalyticsCompensationOne of the major benefits many truckers mention is the freedom to pretty much live anywhere along their main route. And while these salaries represent the lower end of the scale, many drivers report income as high as $70K within three years of regular, full-time driving. Source WantedAnalyticsJob OpportunitiesTop employers include, no surprise, companies with long distance shipping needs like Lowes, Walmart, Nestle, and Costco. You can also function basically as a freelancer when you work with an independent companydispatchers will put out calls for drivers and if youre available, you can snag the job.Some states are even exploring lowering the interstate driving age the current regional age is 18 in many areas, but drivers arent allowed to cross state lines. Current legislation may change all that.And if youre in search of perks, some trucking companies are investing in high-end, luxury-packed vehicles.You may find theres no place like home, and that home just happens to be on four wheels and pulling a trailer.Future prospects when youre ready to get off the road might include being a dispatcher.Dispatching rigs requires many of the same road-savvy skills as driving, with an added layer of multi-tasking and organizational strategies.3 Sample Job PostingsJob postings for truck drivers are fairly simplemostly they need to know whether you can show up to pick up your load and deliver it on time.TRUCK DRIVERAthens, NYVillage Oil is looking for a competent fuel truck driver. Full time seaso nal (winter) to start, could lead to year-round employment. Salary based on experience/ability. JAYLOR TRANSPORTATIONis looking for OTR drivers. We have a Team and single loads available. Loads are straight out and back. Loads are no touch, no drops. Experience necessary, clean driving record a must. Mecical benefits available. Vacation pay after the first year. Well-maintained equipment.LOWESPosition Description Responsible for planning and executing delivery activities, preparing delivery loads, following planned delivery routes, and assisting with merchandise installations or returns, unloading, installing, and checking appliances and store equipment. Also responsible for the cleanliness and standard maintenance of delivery vehicles, observing safety procedures regarding Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, Hazmat, and power equipment tools, maintaining DOT and CDL certifications, and complying with reporting.Job Requirements Requires morning, afternoon, and evening av ailability any day of the week. Physical ability to move large, bulky and/or heavy merchandise. Physical ability to perform tasks that may require prolonged standing, sitting, and other activities necessary to perform job duties.Minimum Qualifications Valid Class A (with air brake endorsement) license Ability to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction). Minimum 21 years of agePreferred Qualifications 3 months experience operating a forklift or Moffett onloading/offloading a vehicle. 1 year experience driving a semi-truck/trailer OR certification from a driving school. 6 months experience performing in-home delivery OR retail customer service.Whether you find the prospect of long hours of your own company appealing or want to landsee more of the country before settling into a driving occupation closer to home, explore truckingsee if its the right lane for you

Having a Bad Day at Work 7 Hacks for Transforming Your Mood

Having a Bad Day at Work 7 Hacks for Transforming Your Mood We all go through ups and downs in life. Its completely normal to have a schwimmbadeanstalt day here and there, even at work. But when it does happen while youre at the office, you cant always remove yourself from the source of the situation that is bringing you down.This tends to leave people feeling strapped or stuck. Whetherit is a less-than-ideal performance review, a missed deadline, a conflict with a coworker oryour boss, sometimes a resolution for your lousy day isnt readily available or even possible.This is where your emotional intelligence comes in. You may not be able to control the situation thats bringing your down, but you can control the degree to which it affects you and how long you feel this way. This philosophy is one of the fundamental principles that make up positive psychology.Turning a bad day aroundHere are seven ways to cope when you are having a bad day at work and cant get away1. Play your favorite music or podcasts.If you dont have the luxury of having your own space or officeand lets face it, most of us dontyour headphones are your best friend. Put on your favorite tunes on Spotify, block the world out, and get lost in the world of music. Another way to improve your mood is to listen to a light or humorous podcast. One good choice for taking your mind off of your bad mood is WNCYs 2 Dope Queens.2. Make yourself a cup of your favorite tea.I keep a box of herbal tea with six different flavors at work. I save each different flavor for a separate occasion, and I reserve my favorite one for the most difficult moments. There is something sacred and special about making my favorite flavor of the tea. I find the process of making the tea and watching the tea leaves relax and float in steaming hot water very relaxing and soothing.3. Talk to people who need you.Do you have family members, friends, colleagues, or other people who always come to you for advice or lean on you when they need someone to listen to them vent? plek up the phone and call them. Talking to people who need you and your advice is always a good mood booster.4. Meditate or journal. Or do both.Even if youre not in the habit of meditating or journaling, and even if you have given it a try in the past and didnt find that it had much of an effect on your mood, just do it. Theres something about submitting to a simple, predictable action and going through the process of completing the action that is satisfying in itself.When you journal, try to write down 10 things for which you are grateful in your life. Gratitude produces happiness. Over time, the habit of meditating or journaling will build up your shield against emotional turbulence and help keep you balanced and clear-headed, even when youre having a bad day at the office.5. Create a simple to-do list (preferably including only mindless tasks), and crank the items out.We all have tedious tasks at work that we put off until the last minute, wh ether its logging data into a spreadsheet, taking mandatory employee training and learning programs, or deleting files from your computer that are taking up too much storage space. When you need your mind to let get of the persistent, negative feelings, completing mindless tasks and checking them off your to-do list is a good way create a sense of accomplishment.6. Do something nice for someone else.When we are trapped inside our own thoughts and focusing on our misery or bad experiences, we are only thinking about ourselves. But humans are social animals, and we thrive on collective joy and the joy of others. So take a moment to make someone elses day a little bit better. Go to a Starbucks and pay for the next customers drink. When you head out to lunch, bring a box of donuts back to work for your coworkers. Write an email to a coworker, complimenting her on an accomplishment. When you create a positive experience for others, youll be able to take pleasure in the happiness of other s and your own spirit of generosity.7. Watch 10 minutes of Animal Kingdom Kitten Cam.This is the penicillin for everything that could possibly go wrong in the world.At the end of the day, remember that you have control over how you feel, even at work. In face of difficult, annoying situations that leave you feeling icky, focus less on resolving the issue in the moment and mora on how you feel or react in response. There are some problems and setbacks that are beyond our control, but developing the ability to cope with challenging situations can keep them from overwhelming you.--Jessica is a writer, a digital marketer, social media aficionado and a lifestyle blogger at

How to make a million dollars

How to make a million dollars How to make a million dollarsPosted April 11, 2014, by Marni Williams Ive recently turned 30 and a decade-old weight has been lifted from my shoulders. No, its bedrngnis that Ive bought a house. Been made permanent. Finally apologised for losing that ring of my mothers. Its that I have just paid off tens of thousands of dollars in HECS-HELP debt. Now thats a milestone I believe in celebrating Before you bother to do the math no, I have elend been earning the big bucks. But lets be real I studied a Bachelor of Art History and Theory and a Masters of Arts Administration graduation was hardly going to be a licence to dive into a basement full of hundred-dollar notes Scrooge McDuck style. And this is certainly not a tale of woe. I consider myself pretty lucky I have managed to be consistently employed in jobs Ive actually wanted since I graduated and even occasionally nudged a tax bracket that I thought was reserved for people with real degrees. But I h ave to admit that I have at times questioned whether racking up all that debt straight out of high school was ever going to be worth it. And, like me, you probably wonder whether your studies will actually continue to have any effect the further you get into your career. (I know at least in the short term I will enjoy the extra $50 a week that used to go to the ATO, thats for sure. Store-bought coffee, anyone?) The good news is that I found some interesting answers recently in an AMP.NATSEM report entitled Smart Australians Education and Innovation in Australia. It even talks to us in a language we all understand dollars and cents.It states In early working life, average annual income across educational levels ranges between $48,000 and $62,000, with those obtaining a bachelor degree earning more annually than all other education categories. So thats a good abflug, but its hardly news. Heres where it gets interesting The gap between those with a higher education and those with lower education continues to widen across the life cycle, with people unternehmensverbund a postgraduate degree surpassing those with a bachelor degree at around age 3539 years. So, study might take a while to have its full effect, but just how wide does that gap gradually become? You might need to read this next bit a few times in order to absorb it, so Ill slow it down for you over. a. million. dollars. wide. A person with a postgraduate degree will earn more than $3.17 million over their lifetime, almost 1.8 times the projected lifetime earnings ($1.74 million) of a person with just Year 11 or less education. Average annual employee income for persons of working age 2559 years Average annual employee income for persons of working age 2559 years, 201112 So that decade-long coffee allowance is starting to sound like a small sacrifice, really. Even the Scrooge McDuck reference is sounding less ridiculous at this point. And the higher earnings arent just for postgr ads, either A person with a bachelor degree will also have a high return on education, earning around $2.9 million over their lifetime, or almost 1.7 times someone with Year 11 or below. Lifetime employee income of persons at age 25 years, highest educational attainment Lifetime employee income of persons at age 25 years, highest educational attainment Before you start to think I cant see past the dollar signs in my eyes, I know what youre thinking yes of course it does make a difference which industry you work in. For example, hospitality workers earn a mere $1.6 million on average, where high-skill industries such as engineering would earn nearly $3 million over their working lives. However, even within the same industry the financial prospects of those who have the most education are markedly different. The report makes the point that those with university degrees working in management and commerce and society and culture are likely to earn almost twice their peers with no un iversity degrees across their lifetime. Lifetime employee earnings over the working life of persons at age 25 years Lifetime employee earnings over the working life of persons at age 25 years With todays universities opening up places based on student demand, we might ask what happens when university degrees become more common, then? Were already seeing graduates in some areas such as Veterinary Science struggling to find positions. The answer may lie in the value of education in encouraging higher thinking. Professor James Arvanitakis, Head of the Academy at the University of Western Sydney and recipient of the 2012 Prime Ministers University Teacher of the Year award, pointed to this on Radio Nationals Life Matters program last week Most degrees should have two aims the first thing is to learn the skills that you need for a job study accounting to become an accountant A good degree also gives you the second thing you learn to learn that ability to critically think, to confro nt challenges, to work across issues, to see the problems in a slightly different way and I think thats what a degree has to give you, it has to give you both of those things. Bruce Guthrie, Policy and Strategy Advisor at Graduate Careers Australia, also responded to the prevalence of degrees, noting an increase in the number of people doing postgraduate study, particularly masters by coursework and graduate diplomas Its whats called credential creep what used to take you just a Year 12 high school diploma then started to take you an undergraduate degree, and possibly now a postgraduate degree because of the competition in the labour market. So the pressure to be qualified is only increasing and, as Guthrie points out, the current reality reflects this, with unemployed non-graduates already doubling the number of unemployed people with degrees. In todays knowledge economy Australia needs a nimble, educated workforce to take advantage of changing opportunities. And with such a w idening gap between skilled and non-skilled workers, perhaps the question becomes not whether its worth doing further study, but whether you can actually afford not to. If you want to earn over a million dollars more in the course of your working life, then Im afraid your parents were right when they told you to stay in school. And with most university fee repayments only kicking in once you earn over $51,309, its a low risk, high return decision. Some would say a no-brainer. Getting into debt is starting to look like the best thing I ever did. Now what will I spend that extra million on? Ready to start cashing in? Learn while you earn by finding a course that you can study online. The stats show its an investment you wont regret. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchescar eer advisor onlineunsw early entrystudy in australia for international studentsyear 10 work experience ideasflexible entry usyd CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineMarni WilliamsRelated ArticlesBrowse moreEmployment trendsFreelancerAustralias Freelance Revolution (And How To Join It)Freelancing used to be considered something you did in between real jobs, but the portfolio career is growing in popularity and its not just because of the GFC or volatile job markets. Marni investigates why the workforce is more fluid than ever.Master of her own fate 13-year-old begins postgraduate studySushma Verma is about to commence a Master of Microbiology...at just 13 years old.Which jobs will benefit from the carbon taxThe proposed carbon tax is proving controversial on many fro nts, but when it comes to jobs one thing is clear certain sectors will benefit enormously.

11 Cool Jobs Paying Over $100k Hiring Now

11 Cool Jobs Paying Over $100k Hiring Now11 Cool Jobs Paying Over $100k Hiring Now Its not all about money. But if youre logging 40 hurs - or mora - each week of your life at work, you might as well be making major moolah, right? With Glassdoors Salary Estimates , you dont have to waste your time applying to jobs that dont bring home the big bucks. Instead, you can easily spot jobs with high salaries and apply to them. And weve done some of the work for you by finding these 11 cool jobs that pay more than $100,000.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $153,000/yearJob Details As a Software Engineer on the Engineering Infrastructure team at Oculus, youll ensure the delivery of a world-class developer and customer experience by building tools and services to assist with developing, building, testing, releasing, and monitoring the life performance of Oculus software. Youll have the chance to work with many teams (e.g. product development, infrastructure, automation, researc h, production engineering) across Oculus and Facebook. We have the opportunity to leverage Facebooks infrastructure, which allows us to do drive this in a scalable, reliable, and quick manner and provides unique opportunities for career growth. The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented engineer, with a passion for building great software products.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $107,000/yearJob Details This position is critical in delivering to the Co-ops aspirations to get known for experiences. We have a different proposition to offer our customers than we had 80-years ago, and that is amazing ways to engage in the outdoors, in addition to selling the best gear around. From REI Adventures, to our Outdoor School, to Events and New Ventures, this position will lead the development of marketing strategies, plans and execution teams to amplify our experiences voice in the marketplace. This role works with cross-divisional leaders in eCommerce, Retail, Public Affairs, Direct Sales, Outdoor Programs and Outreach and Marketing to deliver an integrated, cross-channel customer experience related to marketing programs and content strategy.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $117,000/yearJob Details As a starting point, this position has the core responsibility to play a programmatic role for the Zero Based budgeting (ZBB) product. This includes working with the Consulting Manager, Center of Expertize (currently based out of India) as well as Bain parteners to deliver the ZBB product in end client engagement. The role would also provide the opportunity to work with the BCN head and Practice/Product Leader to design the optimal approach to ZBB product delivery by leveraging the appropriate offshore-onsite model. Over time the role has the potential to build up to lead multiple product delivery teams for one or more high growth areas for the firm.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $134,000/yearJob Details Hilton is looking for a Lead Architect to be a part of the Corporate System Build team . As the Lead Architect, you will be a critically important technical resource deployed within the context of business technology solution delivery projects to ensure the overall stability and performance of our world-class websites. You will also drive internal and external technology experts and vendors in deep-dive architecture reviews, as well as make technical development and design decisions to ensure the optimal outcome.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $125,000/yearJob Details As businesses discover the power of Apple computers and mobile devices, its your job- as a Solutions Engineer- to show them how to introduce these products into their workplaces. You collaborate with customers to create unique and elegantly simple technical solutions. Youre also part of a dynamic team at the Apple Store thats passionate about delivering smart solutions to business users. You challenge yourself to keep building your technical knowledge and professional skills. And you truly understand how App le technology can work in any environment.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $132,000/yearJob Details The Systems Engineering and Architecture team is seeking systems architect to work alongside our elite engineers to build a world-class video entertainment system. Successful candidates yearn to dig in to understand problems and then propose solutions. Above all, the role requires someone with the drive to learn new things and always go above and beyond what is required.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $134,000/yearJob Details You will be responsible for contributing to and helping guide the future of our systems that hold petabytes of data, serve millions of queries per second, and are used by hundreds of millions of Twitter users as they connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. You will develop highly-performant algorithms and data structures, solve complex distributed systems problems, and envision and innovate the next solutions that will bolster the foundation of St orage and Messaging infrastructure.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $129,000/yearJob Details You will be part of a blended cross-functional team and tackle all aspects of the design process. You will be passionate and focused, creatively solving complex problems from a diverse set of perspectives, contexts and research inputs, while applying their own informed views and taste. Charged with helping lead client engagements and guiding other members of their design team, you will define and drive the design process moving from insights to ideas, threading design and business thinking together to deliver inventive, durable and thoughtful, solutions from concept to launch.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $137,000/yearJob Details We are adding the role of Senior Product Manager, Intelligent Knowledge Platform to our KMC team in reservierung to build and drive a new product management team dedicated to developing a completely new and innovative, machine learning based intelligence platform at BCG. I n this role, you will be on the leading edge of key knowledge, collaboration and data driven technologies.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $120,000/yearJob Details Amazon is looking for a Technical Program Manager to join the OpsTech IT Development team. We are looking for a passionate, hard-working, and talented Technical Program Manager who wants to build innovative, mission critical, scalable tools and applications to enable our IT Support Engineers to resolve issues more efficiently. As a member of the team you will work among world-class people in a fast-paced environment with the entrepreneurial feel of a start-up. This is an opportunity to help us design and build systems that will enable a high level of support on a massive scale. Youll be surrounded by people who are wickedly smart and believe that world class service is critical to customer happiness.Glassdoor Salary Estimate $111,000/yearJob Details Nike, Inc. Technology is responsible for making the worlds largest sport bra nd run faster, smarter and more securely. From infrastructure to security and supply chain operations, Technology specialists drive growth through top-flight hardware, software and enterprise applications. Global Technology aggressively innovates solutions to drive growth while creating and implementing tools that help make everything else in the company possible.

Boosting Solar Cell Efficiency

Boosting Solar Cell Efficiency Boosting Solar Cell Efficiency Boosting Solar Cell EfficiencyUniversity of Minnesota engineers have added an innovative feature to a standard solar-cell design that boosts its electricity-generating potential by up to 26%. This remarkable improvement may help researchers push the record power conversion efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells beyond 12%.Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are made from titanium dioxide (TiO2), an affordable compound that makes ansicht solar cells less expensive than traditional silicon solar cells. A big reason for the lower efficiency of DSSCs compared to other solar cells is that they do not capture enough infrared light from the electromagnetic spectrum.Eray S. Aydil, professor of chemical engineering and materials science at the University of Minnesota, and then-graduate student Bin Liu (now a professor of engineering at Nanyang Technological University at Singapore), investigated how the integration of layers of nanometer-sized and micrometer-sized particles into the DSSC design impacts cell performance. They theorized that the addition of these particles would extend the distance the light travels within the cell, thereby converting mora infrared spectrum into electricity.Professor Eray Aydils group is applying nanotechnology to produce lower-cost, high-efficiency solar cells. Image University of Minnesota.Experimental Cell DesignThe key component in a DSSC is the photoanode, which is made by depositing a porous, nanocrystalline titanium oxide (TiO2) film on a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) glass. A layer of a photoactive dye is then adsorbed on the TiO2 surfaces to absorb light and generate photoexcited electrons.Dye-sensitized solar cells make use of excitation of a dye adsorbed on titanium dioxide or a pigment to generate electricity, says Aydil. We engineered the pigment both at the nanometer and micrometer scales to trap more light onto the pigment.Photoanodes were assembled that included alternating layers of both micrometer-sized and nanometer-sized TiO2 nanoparticles and porous TiO2 microspheres. A two-step hydrothermal method was developed for synthesizing the TiO2 microspheres. These additional surfaces provided more internal surface area, which increased light scattering.The micrometer-scale microspheres with nanometer pores were placed between layers of nanoscale particles. The spheres act like the bumpers on a pinball machine, disrupting the light path and causing photons to bounce around before eventually making their way through the cellthereby traveling a greater distance and allowing the solar cell to absorb more of the light.Various combinations of microsphere layers and nanoparticle layers were tested as photoanodes. The highest power conversion efficiencies resulted from cells that consisted of multiple layers of microspheres and nanoparticles, compared to single-layer cells. This is thought to be due to enhanced light scattering by the porous TiO2 microspheres. Each time the photon interacts with a sphere, a small charge is produced. The interfaces between the layers also help enhance the efficiency by acting like mirrors, keeping the light inside the solar cell where it can be converted to electricity.Moving ForwardIncorporating alternating layers of nanoparticles and microspheres in dye-sensitized solar cells can increase efficiency up to 26%. This approach for increasing light-harvesting efficiency can be easily integrated into current commercial DSSCs, as well as opening up more research possibilities for DSSC solar cells. For example, Liu, at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, is exploring how to use these structures in photocatalysis and hydrogen generation by water splitting. He is also trying to engineer these titanium dioxide nanostructures to absorb light in the visible spectrum, without the need for dye.While we were successful in trapping more light using these layered structures, whether these l ayers are mechanically robust and strong enough to survive the beating solar cells take over many years is an important and unanswered question, says Aydil. I think exploring the limits of these layers, and how to make them stronger and adhere better, are key issues for mechanical engineers in the future. Developing new low-cost alternatives to traditional silicon solar cells is gaining importance because reducing the cost of silicon solar cells is becoming increasingly more difficult.Mark Crawford is an independent writer. For Further DiscussionDye-sensitized solar cells make use of excitation of a dye adsorbed on titanium dioxide or a pigment to generate electricity.Prof. Eray S. Aydil, University of Minnesota

More College Students Are Pursuing Science and Technology Degrees

More College Students Are Pursuing Science and Technology DegreesMore College Students Are Pursuing Science and Technology DegreesMore than ever before, our economy is driven by science and technologyand college students are responding with resounding enthusiasm. Welooked at data from mora than2000 U.S. universitiesover the past two decades and found that degrees in science and tech have reached an all-time high.From 1992 to 2014, U.S. college students graduatedwith degrees spanningmore than 60 majors. We grouped these into three categoriessocial science, humanities, and science technologyand discovered some interestingtrends.The percentage of majors in the humanities (as a proportion of all majors) remained steady, averaging23.7 percent of all degrees conferred between 1992 and 2014. As shown in the above graph, there was a slight increase in humanities majors between 2003 and 2011, but the highest deviation was only 2.6 percentage points from the overall average.A more distinct ch ange occurred in the social sciences, themost popular category over the longest period of our study. Majors in this category declined from a peak of44.3 percent in 1992 to an all-time low of 35.8 percent in 2014.Despite this downward trend, social sciences remained the dominant area of study until 2012, when it was edged out by science technology majors for the first time in 19 years.Science and tech majors reached an all-time high in 2012and continued to increase through 2014 (and quite possibly, to present day). A closer look at the graph reveals two notable periods of growth one begins in 1994, the other in 2011. Is it coincidence or correlation thatthese two periodscoincidewith the dot-com and tech bubblesin recent history? We thinkits correlated.So we dug deeper by looking at computer science degrees (a sub-set of science and tech)conferred at Stanford University, located withinthe epicenterof the technology industry. We discovered that computer science trends at Stanford (see graph below) were similar to that of science and tech (see graph above). In fact, the computer science trends at Stanford were even more pronounced.Perhaps ourmost surprising finding came when we looked at the gender breakdown of computer science majors. Since the dot-com boom in 2000, the percentage of women graduating in computer science declined and never really picked back up despite the increasingnumber of computer science graduates.In a time where research by the Department of Labor in2012 showedwomenmakingup only 26 percent of the computing workforce, this trend can be concerning.When reviewing trends over the past two decades, its clear that science and technology degrees have become all the rage. Social science degrees still rank high in popularity, but are waning. And humanities degrees, though relatively steady through the years, look like theyre taking a dive. As the economy develops, college students flock towards degrees most useful in todays world. After all, money t alks.Stay tuned as we take a deeper look into these three categories of degrees over the next few weeks.

Best Career Advice from Michelle Obama, Jeff Bezos more

Best Career Advice from Michelle Obama, Jeff Bezos moreBest Career Advice from Michelle Obama, Jeff Bezos more 2018 was quite a year. Therbeie was no shortage of headline-making moments or reasons to grab your smartphone to instantly like, share or comment. Amongst the years highs were also some very defining moments for industry titans and influential people. And along with that, pivotal moments for everyday people like you and me. Career highs and professional opportunities abounded.Looking back, we took stock of some of the best career advice of the year. Here are five people who share five gems of advice that will inspire us today and into 2019.In a recent shareholder letter , Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos borrow down two basic kinds of decisions you can make those that are easy to reverse and those that are nearly impossible to reverse. He advises notlage to be paralyzed by doubt, but to clearly evaluate whats in front of you.Some decisions are consequential and irr eversible or nearly irreversible - one-way doors - and these decisions must be made methodically, carefully, slowly, with great deliberation and consultation. If you walk through and dont like what you see on the other side, you cant get back to where you were before. We can call these Type 1 decisions, Bezos writes.But most decisions arent like that - they are changeable, reversible - theyre two-way doors. If youve made a sub-optimal Type 2 decision, you dont have to live with the consequences for that long. You can reopen the door and go back through. Type 2 decisions can and should be made quickly by high judgment individuals or small groups.As organizations get larger, there seems to be a tendency to use the heavyweight Type 1 decision-making process on most decisions, including many Type 2 decisions. The end result of this is slowness, unthoughtful risk aversion, failure to experiment sufficiently, and consequently diminished invention. Well have to figure out how to fight that tendency.At the first-ever Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa in December, Oprah Winfrey spoke to thousands on what would have been Nelson Mandelas 100th birthday. While speaking about the legacy of the former South African President and activist, Oprah shared a tidbit that we can all apply to our careers.In her speech, she said , Let me tell you, no matter whats going down in your life, theres always somebody out there whos not as blessed as you have been.Oprah continued, If you do even one small thing every day, youll be building your own legacy. Because as Maya Angelou taught me Your legacy isnt some big grand gesture thats waiting to happen, your legacy is every life you touch. So Ive been fortunate to witness up close and personal that when you help someone else, your blessings return to you 10 times.Former First Lady Michelle Obama has a track record that anyone would be envious of Princeton University undergrad, Harvard Law School, jobs in corporate l aw and public service, wife, mother, and, of course, First Lady. And while it may seem like her path has been a straight one, she insists in her new book Becoming that it doesnt have to be.In the book, I take you on the journey of who that little striving star-getter became, which is what a lot of hard-driving kids become a box checker, Obama tells Oprah Winfrey in an interview. Get good grades check. Apply to the best schools, get into Princeton check. I wasnt a swerver. I wasnt somebody that was going to take risks, she says.However, Obama admits she wasnt happy. I narrowed myself to being this thing I thought I should be. It took loss- losses in my life that made me think, Have you ever stopped to think about who you wanted to be? And I realized I had not. I was sitting on the 47th floor of an office building, going over cases and writing memos. I was like, I cant do this for the rest of my life. I cant sit in a room and look at documents.So what changed? Barack Obama taught me how to swerve, admitted the First Lady. Winfrey chimes in, What I loved about it is, it says to every person reading the book You have the right to change your mind.When youre a more seasoned professional, you have experienced both the ups and the downs of professional life. You may have been laid off, fired, missed out on a promotion or made a seemingly career-defining mistake. However, Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu insists that fear should not paralyze you forever.Before directing the box-office hit, Chu directed the failed neugestaltung of 2015s Jem and the Holograms . It scored a 19% on Rotten Tomatoes and was pulled from theaters early. Getting back into the directors chair on the book-to-screen adaptation of the Kevin Kwan hit was daunting, needless to say.The fear of doing Jem again was definitely present, he said . I always told myself after Jem, I dont want fear to change my choices. Fear is a destruction of creativity. Any time I had a fear about this movie I would go to that idea, dont let Jem determine your choices here. You were destined to be here and do this movie.Three simple words pack a lot of punch when delivered by one of the wealthiest and most successful investors in the world. Warren Buffet shared this quick, but meaningful, insight with a start-up co-founder when asked for the advice hed give to new graduates about to enter the workplace.Buffet responded Invest in yourself.The chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway then continued, The one easy way to become worth 50 percent more than you are now at least is to hone your communication skills - both written and verbal. If you cant communicate, its like winking at a girl in the dark - nothing happens. You can have all the brainpower in the world but you have to be able to transmit it. And the transmission is communication.Buffetts advice speaks volumes. Investing in yourself and in your communication abilities can take you from 0 to 100 instantly. You will be able to deli ver a better elevator pitch, answer an interview question perfectly, pitch an idea to an investor, and make the case for a raise or promotion.Take time today to internalize the advice from seasoned pros and make tomorrow your best day ever