You may not have heard of instructional coordinators, but if you’re in school, they’re helping to determine what you learn every day.

One reason you may not have heard of this career is that instructional coordinators are also known as curriculum specialists, staff development specialists, directors of instructional material or other variations of those names.

While the job title varies, the main focus of this position does not. An instructional coordinator focuses on making sure that educational programs comply with school board and federal, state and local government regulations.

Instructional coordinators engage in a wide variety of duties at all levels of education. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, instructional coordinators “develop curricula, select textbooks and other materials, train teachers and assess educational programs in terms of quality and adherence to regulations and standards. They also assist in implementing new technology in the classroom.”

Most instructional coordinators are employed by the educational services industry, which includes elementary, secondary and technical schools, and colleges and universities. Some also work for state and local departments of education, as well for private companies that develop educational materials for schools.

Trends boosting job growth

The employment of instructional coordinators is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2014. That’s according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many factors are influencing this job growth. Deborah Hardy is the chairperson of school counseling at a high school. She explains the demand for this career. “As schools redevelop curriculum based on state regulations, educators are finding the need to have instructional leaders assist them with professional development, feedback on lessons, creative methods of instruction, identifying new programs and practices based on school and student needs, and developing delivery methods that benefit all students.”

During the next decade and beyond, instructional coordinators will be needed to develop new curricula to meet the changing demands of society and to train the teaching workforce. In order to stay up to date on new developments, more teachers will find themselves going back to the classroom.

An increasing number of schools are providing professional development programs for teachers, says Jeanette McDonald. She’s the manager of educational development at a university.

Teaching centers often include part-time or full-time faculty members, or professional staff members who work with instructors on curriculum initiatives, course development efforts, tenure and promotion, and teaching feedback, just to name a few, McDonald says.

It’s increasingly important that universities and colleges retain faculty and attract new faculty, McDonald adds. Those working in teaching centers help support those efforts.

“Institutional accountability to students, parents, government and other public and private stakeholders necessitates greater attention on teaching and learning,” McDonald says. “A growing literature base on teaching and learning also legitimates a focus on quality education and innovation in the classroom.”

The rise in distance learning at universities is another factor contributing to the growth of the field, says Peggy Brown. She’s the director of instructional design for a university. Her school offers the same graduate programs and certificates of advanced study through distance learning as they offer on campus.

It’s Brown’s responsibility to make sure the design for all distance learning and main campus courses flows together within the university’s learning management system. “I wear many hats, which include administration of our learning management system, course development, course design, faculty development/training, instructional resources and multimedia,” Brown says. “Being in this career allows me to be creative and have fun, while working hard.”

A promising job outlook

In the U.S., opportunities are expected to be best for those who specialize in areas that have been targeted for improvement by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) — reading, math and science. That’s according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“The accountability dial has been ratcheted up a few notches since NCLB,” says Fran Finco. He’s the director of instructional services a school district in Wisconsin. “Increasing student achievement has always been the goal of schools. NCLB brought into the forefront the need to meet the needs of all children. Instructional services people are needed to be the ‘go to’ people in the districts to lead the improvement movement.”

Hardy echoes those comments. “With the use of data warehousing systems that track assessments and student achievement in the content area, schools are looking for experts such as instructional leaders to work with teachers in innovative ways to deliver classroom instruction or update their library resources,” she says.

Hardy also sees a demand for instructional leaders and staff developers. “Instructional leaders look at the entire needs of students and curriculum, assess what is in place and revisit alternate possibilities related to programs,” she says. “Staff developers assist in training educators in their classroom environments, students and delivery of programs.”

Preparing for work

Those in the field say a career as an instructional coordinator can be rewarding.

“It is a ‘big picture’ position where the needs of the entire district are planned through this office,” Finco says. “You are in on the latest research-based instructional methods, you get to work with teacher and principal leaders in schools, you get to help plan staff development in areas of best practice, you get to facilitate data analysis and school improvement planning, and you get to participate in school improvement.”

The minimum educational requirement for instructional coordinators is a bachelor’s degree, and that’s usually in education. Many in this career begin their careers in teaching or similar positions. They prepare for a job as an instructional coordinator by completing a master’s degree in such areas as curriculum and instruction or educational or instructional technology.

Finco recommends students work on their organizational, technology, public speaking and multi-tasking skills. He suggests first earning a teaching degree and working in the classroom. A solid path of preparation, he says, would be to then earn an administrative degree and work as a school administrator before landing a job as an instructional coordinator.

A well-prepared instructional coordinator will be ready to meet the various challenges of this work, including keeping up on the latest educational initiatives and policies. Those in these positions often work long hours, attend many meetings and give presentations.

“Students need to have an ongoing desire to learn since there is always something new in the field,” Hardy says.

Students interested in working as an instructional coordinator also must be able to work effectively with people, have good communication skills and be a good observer and listener.

Net Sites

The American Association of School Administrators
Information on training programs and lists of colleges and universities offering degree programs in curriculum and instruction

http://www.aasa.org

The International Society for Technology in Education
Society for those advocating for technology in education

http://www.iste.org

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Working to improve education at every level

http://www.ascd.org

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Source: CareerProNews

Would you like to work in a sports career? The odds of becoming a professional athlete are pretty slim. But if you love sports, there are still plenty of career possibilities in the sports world, even if you aren’t on the all-star team. Sports fans can find a wide range of jobs working behind the scenes of the sports arena.

Sports are fun, but professional sports are also a business. And somebody has to keep that business running. That means lots of opportunities for people who can combine an interest in sports with other — less physical — skills.

Making the news
Jason Kay oversees sports reporters as editor of The Hockey News in Toronto. Sports reporters interview athletes, coaches and others involved in the sports world.

Kay says that his job offers writers and editors some perks: “I do get to attend any game I want to attend, sitting in the press box,” he says.

But he adds that his job isn’t just watching hockey. One of his least-favorite tasks is watching The Hockey News’ budget to make sure it stays balanced.

His writers don’t have to track the budget, but they do need to know how to write. Kay says he looks for a background in journalism, although it’s not necessarily a requirement.

A knowledge of the game is a definite requirement, however. Writers need to know the fundamentals of hockey as well the inner workings of the NHL.

There are reporters who specialize in other sports, too, from archery to wrestling. Some are able to write about a range of different sports. Sometimes, they are responsible for taking their own photographs, too.

There are also journalists who tell stories primarily through photographs. In sports, these photojournalists are known for their ability to capture the action at a game in striking images. While most pay hundreds of dollars for their own equipment, it’s worth it when they see their pictures in the pages of Sports Illustrated.

Other communications professionals in sports are media relations and communications officers. Working for an athlete or team, they write press releases, are interviewed by news sources, and write content for their client’s website. They may also arrange press conferences and organize meetings.

If you have a way with words, any of these careers could be your ticket to a career in sports.

The numbers game
Who said math and sports weren’t related? Sports teams need people to work with their financial statements — after all, there is a lot of money involved in professional sports!

Michael Aronesty is a senior audit manager for Deloitte and Touche. He works with the NFL and audits their financial statements. For him, working on teams and meeting young people are the best parts of his job.

Auditors are certified public accountants who check financial statements created by a company’s management. These statements must be examined by an auditor to ensure they are accurate.

Aronesty says his job can demand a lot of hours (about 60 hours a week on average), but it gives him some freedom as well: “I manage [an accounting] team of five to 20 people,” he says, adding the only person he must report to is a partner at the firm.

His advice for up-and-coming number crunchers: “Just be professional and prepare yourself to give it 100 percent.”

“Show me the money”
Anyone who saw the movie Jerry Maguire has an idea of what it’s like being a sports agent trying to survive with just one client. While it isn’t realistic for an agent to make a living with one client, having only a select number of clients does make for better relationships.

“Sports agents are not only into negotiations … they’re also mentors for the client,” says Lynn Lashbrook. He is president and founder of Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW), a sports management company that also offers sports job training programs.

Lashbrook started SMWW in hopes of giving everyone a chance to be educated in their dream job. He still works as a sports agent, but his primary goals are educating and training future sports executives.

Agents give advice to athletes, help them find sponsorship, and look for off-season career opportunities and financial investments for their clients. And you don’t have to be Tom Cruise to get the job.

“We’re giving all types of people the opportunity to get into sports,” said Lashbrook. “I believe deep down in my soul that sports should be a contribution to society, not a reflection of society.”

With schools like SMWW, students have a chance to study for a short time to see if there’s enough action for them in the career.

Other options
If none of the above appeal to you, don’t worry: there are plenty of other jobs in the professional sports industry. Think of any big business — a sports team needs many of the same professionals.

Other behind-the-scenes careers in sports include: event coordinators, ticket operations managers, scouts, athletic trainers, sports announcers, equipment managers, directors of player operations, facility managers, equipment managers and statisticians.

Net Sites

North American Society for Sport Management
Program and career information for students

http://www.nassm.com/InfoFor/Students

ESPN Online
Find out what’s happening in the world of sports

http://espn.go.com/

Women Sports Careers
Job boards, networking and tips for women

http://www.womensportscareers.com

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Source: CareerProNews
There are many reasons people want to become lawyers. One of the most common reasons is a desire to help people. Elder law is a legal specialty that helps a rapidly growing segment of the population — the elderly.

Elder law is a pretty new field. It began only two decades ago. The American Bar Association recognized it as a distinct field in the early 1990s.

Although it’s a new field, it’s expanding quickly. There are now about 5,000 members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) in the United States.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) predicts that demand for lawyers will grow at an average rate through 2014. However, the OOH predicts that elder law is one of the legal areas that will see the most growth.

Allan Bogutz practices elder law in Arizona. He says the recent development of elder law shouldn’t be surprising.

“In 1900, the average life expectancy was 46 years,” he says. “The causes of death were different. They were infection, industrial accidents and childbirth. People are living longer now. So when we talk about elder law being a new field, elders are kind of a new field as well. Law and aging is a new issue completely, because aging is a new issue.”

Shifting roles within families and social changes are also contributing to this need.

“Prior to World War II, we could expect that elder people would, for the most part, go to live with their families,” Bogutz says. “Care responsibilities for older people fell on daughters and daughters-in-law. Now, nobody’s home in two-income families, and also people retire to distant places and their family is not there. So contextually, elder law is a new field meeting a new need.”

What exactly do elder law attorneys do? Depending on their cases, elder law attorneys could work on issues such as age discrimination, elder abuse, long-term care planning and guardianship.

Bogutz says that within the field, some sub-specialties will likely be in high demand. These include family business succession (the logistics of passing on a family business), arrangements for disabled adult children, taxes and financial planning.

Ann Krauss is a spokesperson for the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). She says that as the baby-boomer generation ages, more people will be looking for information and legal advice on these issues.

Hugh McLellan practices elder law. He says that when he and his partner started their firm in 1992, they practiced both elder and labor law.

“After a while, we just thought, ‘This is crazy. We don’t need to do labor law, there’s so much work in elder law,’” he says.

McLellan believe elder law will provide opportunities for at least the next 20 years. During this time period, the number of people aged 65 and up is expected to continually increase.

Like other lawyers, elder law attorneys must first attend university. Then they attend law school. Law school is three years of study. Students must then pass the bar exams for their state. After completing this education, they can practice law.

Elder law training is similar to other legal specialties, but those in the field say elder law can provide some unique opportunities.

“Elder law is different from other areas,” Krauss says. She says elder law is not adversarial, in contrast to the perception many people have of law. “Individuals attracted to elder law seem to have that caring and compassionate willingness to go above and beyond for their clients.”

Krauss gives examples of NAELA members holding their clients’ hands in hospital emergency rooms and finding new homes for dogs after the death of clients.

Bogutz says those unique aspects of elder law require a special set of skills.

“Elder law has two components,” he explains. “One involves the specific areas of law that affect older persons, which include things like retirement, pensions, planning for giving your business to your children, planning for possible disability needs, age discrimination, planning for housing as people’s needs change and planning for what’s going to happen at the time of your death.

“The second component of elder law is the lawyer’s knowledge of the specific needs of aging clients. That involves things like dealing with special furniture for people who have difficulty getting up or down — and special furniture might mean nothing more than chairs with arms — making sure that buildings are accessible for people with disabilities, using larger print for documents, being available to provide home visits if necessary. Also being sensitive to the issues that are around changes of life, such as retirement or facing the end of life.”

Bogutz adds that the practice of elder law can also have many benefits. “It’s an extremely rewarding practice, professionally and emotionally,” he says. “I think you learn more from working with older clients, and many of us don’t get to be close to older people too much.”

At the same time, he recognizes the potential emotional downfalls of working with aging — and eventually dying — clients.

“At some point you acknowledge that the end of life is a natural, normal component of life,” he says. “Helping people to address that in a professional way, and making certain that all of their wishes are carried out and end-of-life care is going to be given in the way they prefer, gives you a certain satisfaction as well.

“So it can be frustrating to lose clients, but at the same time you have a sense of accomplishment that you helped them do it their way.”

Bogutz adds that elder law can also show a more positive view of growing old.

“We sometimes make assumptions about older persons that simply aren’t true.A very small percentage have substantial hearing loss. A very small percentage have physical disabilities. A very small percentage go to nursing homes. Many people are healthy, active and vital until the last couple months of their lives.”

Bogutz says that if students are interested in elder law, they can begin by getting involved with older people right away. He adds there are always opportunities to volunteer. “There are retirement homes, nursing home, retirement communities that are looking for people to assist with sometimes just looking in on people, sometimes with delivering meals, sometimes simply providing socialization,” he says.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Links to services and resources available to older people

http://www.n4a.org/

National Elder Law Foundation
Certifies experienced elder law attorneys in the U.S.

http://www.nelf.org/index.htm

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
National organization of elder law attorneys

http://www.naela.com

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As a reader of my blog and/or ezine, I know you have tremendous skills and abilities in the ways you can help companies grow or operate more smoothly or achieve their goals in some way. Spending some quality time looking inward and just identifying what you love to do and what happens when you do it is an important part of your job search success.

But what if you are one of those people that cringe when it comes time to communicate those strengths and “sell” yourself in a job interview?

I would like to offer you another perspective or belief system about what selling is – different from the one you might have now. It’s so important you know how to sell yourself because when you are able to communicate your strengths in a way that compels others, you are doing yourself and them a great favor. After all, you can’t help a company that doesn’t hire you.

To boost your know-like-and-trust factor in your job interviews, it’s vital you know how to encourage potential employers to hire you in a way that’s full of integrity and authentically you.

What this means for you is that you will attract the interest of more employers, receive bigger and better job offers, and feel confident in the way you’re communicating to the ways that you can help potential employers get the results they want…and that only you can deliver.

So, here are three tips to help get you started:

Tip #1: Steer the interview by frequently mentioning your value

So, if you’re offering turnaround expertise, you will frequently refer to your turnaround projects.

If you are a marketing expert, you will frequently share the results of your marketing efforts throughout the interview.

By focusing on the results you get, you will quickly and easily build the value of who you can be to your potential employers.

Tip #2: Create before and after stories
Everybody loves to hear before and after stories, even in an interview setting. And the best ones clearly paint a before and after picture

Think of all the problems, challenges and dire situations with your past company (or companies) and how great things are now that you have helped them.

Tip #3: Make THEM an offer they can’t resist

The point is to create an “offer” that’s so irresistible, your interviewers think, “We have to hire this person!”

To do this, you need to offer something they believe they can’t get anywhere else. Be creative!

Here are a couple examples:

One of my clients quickly received a robust offer because HE offered to produce at least two potential solutions to a challenge the company was facing and he said he would do it in 60 days.

Another client of mine set up as part of her interview process a 1/2 day on-site observation of the potential employer’s media company. She then presented an outline of 10 ideas to improve their work environment and boost their ratings. They offered her a whopping 100k over what she had been making previously. All this even after she was let go from that previous position. I love it.

When you learn how to communicate to your interviewers that you are willing to invest getting the right information into their hands that is going to help them, you are removing all the obstacles (including money, time and your competition) that might otherwise stand between you and the job offer(s) you want.

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Freelance illustrators turn art into careers. But it takes more than artistic talent to become your own boss and work as a freelance illustrator. Business sense is also required.

Freelance illustrators make their living by creating pictures for books, magazines and other publications. They may also create logos for businesses. Many commercial products, such as textiles, gift wrap, stationary, greeting cards or calendars, also require illustrations.

Jobs Illustrated

More than half of fine artists in the U.S. are self-employed. Compared to other American workers, that makes them 3.5 times more likely to be self-employed. That’s according to a 2008 report by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ian Challis has worked as a self-employed artist and designer in Seattle, Washington for 20 years. He says being able to work for himself from home is a great benefit to his job.

“I can make a decent living doing what I love,” he says. “It’s like getting paid for a hobby.”

However, he says that the salary can vary a lot. “You could make nothing to $300,000 per year depending on how popular your designs are,” he says.

One way freelance illustrators make money is by licensing designs to publishing or manufacturing companies. Most of their pay comes from royalties. That’s a percentage of the cost of the item that’s sold. If a product that uses your illustration sells well, you make more money. If it doesn’t sell well, the company will stop producing it, and your pay will stop too.

Getting Experience

Working as a freelance illustrator can be a part-time or full-time job. Many people who do this begin slowly. They do other jobs and begin to build a client-base to get some experience. Building a portfolio (a collection of best work) is important for illustrators so that they can show off their style and accomplishments.

There are no formal requirements to starting your own freelance illustration business. But in reality, artists are often well-educated. In the U.S., artists are twice as likely as other American workers to have college degrees.

The role of graphic designers and artists requires them to build a large foundation of skills to make a living, says Nancy Winberg. She is an illustrator and graphic artist in Seattle, Washington. She says it’s important not to limit yourself.

“Job descriptions are always changing with the advent of new technology, and it is important to keep up to date with the resources that are in demand,” she says. She has gained experience as a scenic painter at a theater, and as a graphic designer, web designer, desktop publisher and digital photographer.

Heather Castles is an illustrator and graphic designer. She went to college for illustration and design. Then she got a job and gained experience in the field. After a few years of experience with publishing companies, she went out on her own. She now finds employment by researching different companies online and sending them samples of her work. She used to do freelance work in the mornings and work for a design studio in the afternoons. Now she is a new parent and does only the freelance work.

“The lovely thing about freelancing is it’s such a flexible type of work, I can fit it in whenever I have time available and make my own hours,” she says.

Knowing the Market

To be able to market yourself to potential employers, you must know what kind of work is available. For example, you could create graphics for online stock use, the gaming industry, greeting cards or other retail items, even children’s books.

“The diverse applications for illustration require an artist to examine and focus in on what they want to specialize in,” says Winberg.

Most artists develop a certain style that makes their work suitable to a niche in the large illustration market. “In college, I was informed that the best way to create a demand for your illustration was to develop a personal signature style and to strive for a consistent look,” says Winberg. She adds that the gaming industry is another market that demands talented artists with sophisticated computer software skills.

Illustrators can work in fine art or commercial art. Fine art is created by hand and commercial art is digital. Work done by hand must be scanned and digitalized to make it suitable for printing or online use. Since that creates an added step, many artists now create all their work digitally.

“Regardless of the changes in graphic design technology, there is still a demand for traditional artwork. Most evidence of hand-rendered illustration can be seen in children’s books and editorial illustration,” says Winberg.

Getting Your Name Out

Online social networking is an easy and free way to advertise your illustration services. Kimberly Schwede is an illustrator and graphic designer. She uses Facebook to network. She has a “fan club” to advertise her most recent artwork.

She also joined a group of women entrepreneurs. This has brought her a lot of work, such as designing logos for new businesses.

When she was starting out she didn’t wait for work to find her. She went out and asked for it. She would look for websites that sold things that were cute and feminine. Her illustration style matches that niche. She would e-mail the website and ask if they needed a new logo.

“E-mailing is so easy. There really isn’t any rejection because if they don’t like your work they just won’t respond — versus meeting someone in person and having them say ‘sorry but we’re just not that into your illustration style’ to your face,” says Schwede.

She loves working for herself. “You definitely have to hustle though,” she admits. In addition to e-mailing, she also isn’t shy about mailing postcards with illustration samples to greeting card companies or publishers.

Ups and Downs of Freelance Work

Schwede encourages artists to consider a career in freelance illustration. But she says you have to be patient while building your career. “In addition, you have to be able to deal with criticism because not everyone is going to like your work. It’s good to be well-rounded too. For me, having basic graphic design skills where I can design a tri-fold brochure helps a lot with my salary. Living solely on illustration work is tough,” she says.

Freelance workers often find it’s a feast or a famine. One week they may be working long hours to meet multiple deadlines for different clients. The next week they could have no clients at all.

“Sometimes I get down when the work flow slows down, but I always have to remind myself things will pick up again,” says Schwede.

Society of Illustrators
An American society that promotes the art and appreciation of illustration

Set up an Illustration Business in 10 Steps
Great tips from Heather Castles

Creating Comics
Resources for illustrators

42 eXplore
Lots of fun links to get your pencils moving

Steve Lieber: Suggestions on Getting Started Learning the Craft
A successful comic illustrator shares his wisdom

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source: careerpronews

People have long been visiting the country to pick their own fruit. But these days, there are many more activities enticing tourists to the farm.

Farmers are finding unique and innovative ways to attract city slickers, not only to bolster income but also to promote agriculture and rural living.

According to Purdue University research, nature- or agricultural-based tourism is the fastest growing sector of the U.S. tourism industry, averaging a 30 percent increase since 1997.

From farmhouse bed-and-breakfast operations to winery tours, specialized product sales and Halloween attractions, farmers are taking a chance on tourism.

At nine years of age, Jerry Howell, living on a pig and chicken farm, decided to sell a few pumpkins from a wheelbarrow. Decades later, he’s running the Howell Family Pumpkin Farm, relying completely on revenue from visitors.

“I realized, heck at nine I’d made 28 bucks. So, the next year I asked my dad to plant more pumpkins and that year I sold a wagon load,” says Howell. “It just kept getting bigger.”

A jack-o-lantern display in the 1980s was so successful that the family started school tours and wagon rides. They also added a 3,000-square-foot haunted barn and a 25-foot robotic pumpkin dinosaur called Pumkinosaurous Rex.

There are pony rides, hay romps, a pumpkin catapult, animal petting areas, pumpkin carving demonstrations, scarecrow displays, puppet shows and a corn maze adventure.

“This [agritourism] is now our only source of income. There are no more chickens or pigs and we make all of our money in one month [October],” he says.

While the Howells rely entirely on agritourism, Mike Bose has successfully added a corn maze component to his existing turkey and vegetable farm operation.

“My family has been farming for over 100 years and been fighting for market share. This is a way for us to ensure viability of the farm and to bring people back out to the farm — to connect between urban and rural communities.”

Picking unique themes for the corn maze has garnered media attention, which Bose considers the best marketing tool.

“Ending up on the news does more good than anything and giving to charity is another way to get attention,” says Bose. His corn maze logos have included golf, football and hockey themes, as well as a bucking bronco.

Visitors come from around the world. The maze also attracts youth and church groups, birthday parties and other special events. “We do really big numbers in September and October. It’s big business,” says Bose.

Steve and Dorothy Enger open their 1,600-acre North Dakota farm to the public annually through the fall months. The couple expanded into agritourism as a means of additional income.

Known as Fall Family Fun on the Farm, attractions include a haunted house, indoor games, face painting, miniature golf and cow milking — all to supplement the growing of carrots and pumpkins. “It is treated as any other enterprise on the farm,” says Dorothy Enger.

And it began quite by accident.

“We were working with our church youth group and decided to have a Halloween party at our farm to raise money for [a charity]. It seemed like a lot of work to do for just our church for one night, so we opened it up to the public. People came and said they liked it and asked us to do it again. It has grown each year since,” says Enger.

Adding “agri-entertainment” makes for a very busy fall at the Enger farm. “It gets very hectic at times because the crops we raise and the fall activities in our yard are all taking place at the same time as harvest. It makes for very short nights of sleep and sometimes not even going to bed,” she says.

Each year, something new is added and is always home-made and self-financed.

“We find it virtually impossible to get finances for this. Lenders frown on it and so do insurance companies. One better be prepared to have the means to start themselves,” says Enger.

The U.S. government may provide funding through agencies such as USDA Rural Development, the Rural Community Empowerment Program, and the National Council of State Agriculture Finance Programs.

And while branching into agritourism has proven successful, Howell says he sees the need to further diversify. “We’ve been realizing that all our eggs are in one basket and we’ve had a couple of rainy Octobers, so we’re developing singing chickens as a side business.”

Howell is building animatronic chickens that pop out of crates. Chick-n-motion products will be marketed to other entrepreneurial farmers who have expressed interest in this type of attraction.

However, he says agritourism isn’t for everyone.

“It’s for people who like people…because at times the large crowds can be very stressful. It’s not for all farms.”

Enger agrees. “People who get into agritourism are a different thinking kind of people than the norm. They are energetic, creative, jack-of-all-trades kind of people. One can’t afford to hire all that is to be done.

“They need to work with and understand marketing, construction, be people-oriented and be willing to start from the ground up and build the business just like they did with their traditional farm,” she says.

While diversification is important for added income, farmers feel strongly that there should also be an educational component to agritourism operations.

“Seventy percent of the population used to have ties to the farm, which was huge, but now it’s just two percent,” says Howell.

“We are teaching what farms are all about, how plants grow, and that we need bees for pollination, etc. A lot of people don’t get exposed to it all.”

Loans for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Find out about an assistance program for beginning farmers

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/beg

loan01.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture
Get extensive information on a range of government programs

http://www.usda.gov/

The Maize
The world’s largest cornfield maze company

http://www.cornfieldmaze.com/site_list.html

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Source: Career Pro News
When Larry Ponemon first got into the field of business ethics more than 20 years ago, many corporations didn’t understand the importance of ethical behavior.

“Most companies didn’t see the connection between good business and good ethics,” says Ponemon. He is the founder of a couple business consulting practices.

Today, in the wake of scandals at companies like Enron and Tyco, more businesses appreciate the importance of having someone on hand to make executives more accountable.

The Ethics Officer Association had 19 members when it was incorporated in 1992. Today, it has almost 1,000 members.

“The career is growing with the exponential growth of concern with ethical issues in every part of our society,” says Cornelius Von Baeyer. He is an independent consultant on workplace ethics.

“It used to be that there was a story or two per week on ethics that appeared in the media. Now such stories are daily, and, in fact, many stories have an explicit ethics issue embedded in them.”

Von Baeyer says an ethics officer usually provides advice to employees faced with ethical dilemmas. Officers also accept complaints or allegations about misbehavior and attempt to resolve them.

He says many of those charged with handling a company’s ethics also have other responsibilities. “Often, managers responsible for human resources, legal services or even operations are asked to take on ethics-related duties as part of their normal work.”

But some companies employ full-time ethics officers. And many experts expect that the demand for these professionals will grow.

Ponemon says the career can be rewarding.

“A career in the business ethics field has a major advantage over other jobs,” he says.

“Not to sound too smug, but helping people and companies out of a serious jam or helping senior management solve complex problems can be very rewarding.”

Von Baeyer and Ponemon say that public and stock market sensitivity to scandals at Enron and the like play a big role in the increased recognition of corporate ethics officers.

But there are a number of other factors, including stricter laws. Plus, a number of business schools have included ethics education as part of their programs.

Still, only about a third of accredited business schools require business ethics coursework, says Diane Swanson. She is the founding chair of the Ethics Education Initiative at Kansas State University’s College of Business Administration.

She first got interested in the field while completing a PhD in business administration. At that time, she realized that ethics education was a major part of many business programs.

“When I realized that I got more ethics education while taking my MA in economics than most MBAs get, I began to be concerned about the lack of ethics education in most business schools,” she says.

“The eruption of corporate scandals is no surprise to me, given the amoral philosophy of business promoted in a lot of business degree programs.”

She says ethics officers can help fill that gap by providing training and advice that some business schools don’t offer. For instance, ethics officers at many corporations have created help lines that employees can call to report and clarify ethical concerns.

However, the role of the ethics officer in a company also depends greatly on how much a corporate CEO or board of directors values ethical integrity.

“Ethics officers can only make a difference if CEOs want them to make a difference,” Von Baeyer says.

“The support of the CEO is crucial. No doubt, in some organizations, the ethics program is primarily window dress. That’s a pity, given the real benefits that can be drawn from it, including increased customer loyalty, product reputation, investor confidence, employee productivity and risk reduction.”

Ponemon agrees that some companies hire ethics officers just to reassure the public, and then bury them in the chain of command.

“Unfortunately, many ethics officers are too low in the corporate hierarchy,” he says. “They don’t have the visibility or power to resolve serious problems.”

The experts agree that, to be effective, the ethics officer should answer directly to the CEO or board of directors.

“The signals sent from the top are those that really matter,” says Swanson. “If the CEO is committed to improving ethics, he or she can elevate the role of ethics officer meaningfully.”

You’ll need training in a number of areas. That includes not just business ethics, but also business law, human resource management and business and society.

Von Baeyer also recommends getting involved in professional activities as soon as possible.

“There are numerous round tables and workshops and conferences on various aspects of ethics in cities across Canada,” he says.

“Such events and the organizations sponsoring them are generally happy to accepts students and beginners and those who simply have an interest in the field.”

Ponemon says a good ethics officer also must have a number of personal qualities that can’t be learned. Obviously, that includes a strong personal moral code. “You must be principled, with the backbone to stand up for what is right, true and fair,” he says.

However, other qualities also are important, including good people skills and a strong commitment to your work. “This is a tough field,” Ponemon says. “To survive, you must be dedicated.”

But even in ideal situations, Von Baeyer stresses that the ethics officer isn’t a cure-all. “It’s obviously impossible for all decisions with an ethical component to be sent off to an ethics officer for resolution,” he says.

“The ethics official can only help employees to think through the ethical issues, remind them of basic corporate values and help defend them if their careful ethical decisions come under fire.”

Ethics Officer Association
A professional association that also provides training

http://www.eoa.org

Ethics Resource Center
Lots of resources here

http://www.ethics.org

Business Ethics
Read the latest articles

http://www.business-ethics.com/

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Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983. Since that time, the number of women in the scientific workforce has improved, but it hasn’t exactly skyrocketed. Aerospace engineering students are hoping to change that.

Aerospace engineering can be very exciting — it is rocket science! And women’s careers are taking off fast with opportunities that can be out of this world.

Women at Work in Aerospace Engineering

The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show women accounted for just 13.3 percent of the aerospace workforce in the U.S.. There is no question that engineering is a male-dominated field. But women interested in math and science should take a look at the rewards offered by this field of study.

“There are wonderful opportunities for women in engineering, and it can be a rewarding and interesting field of study,” says Amy Lang. She is an assistant professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Alabama.

“I myself have found at times both challenging and supportive environments as a female engineer, but by far usually supportive rather than inhibitive throughout my career. The biggest challenge has been in balancing family life with work, but that is the case, I think, in any high-paying career,” says Lang. She has two children.

Women do face unique problems which can be difficult to share with male co-workers.

“You do feel lonely sometimes. It is important to keep contact with other female engineers, both from aerospace engineering and other engineering disciplines,” says Bo Tan. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Ryerson University.

Being a Woman Can Pay Off

The lack of women in engineering can work to women’s advantage in many cases.

“Federal agencies offering scholarship and job opportunities recognize the lack of women representation in engineering, and aerospace engineering has some of the lowest percentages of female participation,” says Lang. She notes that this lack of female participation becomes more significant at graduate levels and beyond.

Female Students Outnumbered But Not Outperformed

Classrooms are also dominated by male students. Tan says that female students account for five to 10 percent of undergraduates and even fewer post-graduates at her university.

“Although they are outnumbered by their male peers, they usually do pretty well academically and are usually ranked high the class,” says Tan. “Young women who are interested in aerospace engineering should not be discouraged by the male-dominated work environment.”

Female participation numbers are a bit higher at the University of Cincinnati. “Of our aerospace engineering graduating class, 25 percent were women in 2005 and 2007,” says Professor Awatef Hamed. She is the head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at University of Cincinnati.

“I am sure they would agree with me that being female did not present a challenge.”

Professor Keiko Nomura works at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Although she is seeing more women in her mechanical and aerospace engineering classes, she recognizes that women may have difficulties.

“I do know and understand that it is very challenging for women students to be in a male-dominated environment,” says Nomura. She adds that is especially true when it involves dealing with subjects like airplanes and cars. There is a generalization that boys are more familiar and knowledgeable in these areas. “However, there are in fact many male students who are just as unfamiliar and inexperienced with these things,” she points out.

UCSD Girls Get their Motors Running

Building a formula race car may not be a stereotypical hobby for girls, but it revved up some young women engineering students in San Diego. A group of female mechanical and aerospace engineering students at UCSD entered the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) competition. They were the first SAE all-women’s team in the nation.

The competition involves designing, building and racing an open-wheeled, formula-style race car. “The UCSD student team has in the past been active but consisted of all-male students,” says Nomura. “This group of women decided to form their own team and together, learn how to design and build a race car. … They organized a workshop where they had a community advisor come in and give tutorials on automotive engineering.”

It took a lot of time and hard work to learn about race car design and how to work and use equipment in the machine shop. The team succeded in designing and building a car which then competed against over a hundred other colleges and universities in the annual FSAE event.

Female Students Speak Out

Don’t be intimidated by the guys, says Marina Selezneva. She is a fourth-year student of aerospace engineering. “All the girls that I know in engineering are doing great and get better grades than guys in general,” she says. “Plus it wouldn’t be too long until they get full respect from the guys; all it takes is a couple of good marks on midterms or projects.”

Irene Chan is a senior aerospace engineering student at UCSD. She is also president of the UCSD student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

“As a female engineering student, it is difficult to be taken seriously by your male peers. Some may refuse to work in a group with you because you are female, some may not want to study with you,” warns Chan.

Although there are some challenges to overcome, Chan is confident that she’ll be able to make a difference when she gets to work. “Female engineers bring a different perspective and skill sets that are beneficial to a male-dominated field: females are better multitaskers and can provide effective organization; their different, nurturing outlooks of the world provides insight on topics males may not think about regarding safety in their designs or facilitating communication in a group,” she says.

Net Sites

Women in Aerospace
A great support network

http://www.womeninaerospace.org

Society of Women Engineers
A great place to look for scholarships, support, career guidance and more

http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/

Women in Engineering Organization
This is a special page just for girls

http://www.engineering.tufts.edu/wieo/girls.htm

Sally Ride Science
The first American woman in space has a special page with resources for students

http://www.sallyridescience.com/for_girls

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Check out their Kid’s Place page for some fun

http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=473

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Here is a nice list from www.greencollarhirhing.com on the top 10 emerging “Green Jobs”. I am not a big fan of using our corn for Ethanol (hello: no GMO/worldwide food shortage/hasn’t worked yet etc…) but anyway I digress..

Here is the list:

10. Land Use Planner: One of the biggest changes necessary to bring our communities up to a level of environmental sustainability, is in urban development. Our cities need to be designed with their ecological impacts taken into consideration, if we are to attain any level of energy efficiency. Visionary planners dedicated to reconfiguring our communities around resource efficiency and decreased waste, will be essential.

 
9. Ecotour Operators: Ecotourism is growing at a rate 3 times that of the overall tourism sector. Knowledgeable workers committed to sustainability and education, will find a wide variety of opportunities within this space. Employees will get to travel while simultaneously helping to spread awareness about the issues facing our environment and society.

 
8. LEED Accredited Builder: The “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” initiative has given rise to a whole new set of rules and implementation standards for construction companies. Knowledgeable green builders will be in high demand as communities push to bring their properties up to these new standards and seek out accredited builders. Additionally, these new green builders will be able to command higher pay rates per square foot of developmen, due to their specialization.

 
7. Environmental Lawyers: When a corporation refuses to comply with its green initiatives and falls behind on its standards compliance responsibilities, an environmental law group steps in. Law professionals representing these cases, serve state and federal government agencies, nonprofit groups, and individuals, as they uphold justice and further the cause of sustainable living.

 
6. Green Building Manager: As buildings make the shift to cleaner energy sources such as sola, wind, and greywater recycling, a new batch of building managers familiar with high-tech energy systems, recycling measures, and energy efficiency standards will be necessary.

 
5. Environmental Engineer: Now that sustainability and energy efficiency have become key words in construction and urban planning, a new breed of engineers have come into favor. These eco-savvy engineers conduct environmental site assessments, create environmental impact statements, and use their knowledge of emissions calculations and soil testing, to coordinate building projects that have sustainability and minimized carbon waste in mind.

 
4. Green Brand Manager: As traditional manufacturing companies are pushed to offer more and more green products, they will have to develop new departments within their corporate structure to handle these projects. One position expected to see a sizeable increase in hiring due to this shift, is brand managers. These jobs will be rooted in communications, and contribute to the marketing of these new green products and services.

 
3. Solar Panel Installer: Solar energy production is one of the most mature businesses with the clean energy market, and its product will be increasingly integrated into both residential and commercial properties in the coming years. Installers for thin film PV modules are projected to be one of the most demanded service professionals as this technology spreads.

 
2. Corn Farmer: As ethanol and other biodiesels continue their ascendancy toward the mainstream, corn farmers will see their harvests increasingly demanded and used in a wider variety of applications. Corn prices have more than tripled in the last 4 years due to this increased demand, and there is no sign of this trend changing in the near future.

 
1. Green Venture Capitalist: As the cleantech sector grows, investors will begin shifting over from more traditional markets in search of increased returns. Renewable energy and other markets aimed at sustainability will see massive capital inflows. The venture capitalists spearheading this shift stand to reap the greatest rewards.

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I am delighted to share with my blog readers that the article below was just published in  Netshare’s latest newsletter – I thought I would share it here and hope it is helpful to job seekers everywhere! – MEB

Have you been exploring alternatives to traditional job search methods? If you have, congratulations! You are on your way to greatly increasing your results and response rates!

I believe you will find this does wonders not only for reaching your job search goals, but also in keeping up your excitement and confidence in the process.

Developing the right list of target companies for you is so important because, done right, it’s going to save you a tremendous amount of time, increase your interviews and save you from the frustration of doing it wrong, which can create an illusion that the reason you are not getting enough quality interviews is because there is something wrong with you or your resume.

So here are 5 tips on how you can get started developing your own amazing list of target companies today:

Tip #1: Focus – Example A
Let’s say for example you want to stay in the state of Georgia and you would like to remain in the field of Academia. Your challenge is to find the institutions potentially suited for you in your state. You need to identify where these lists of institutions are AND you need to track where the movement or growth is with these individual institutions. Your best bet is to check out your trade and association journals for these lists and late breaking news like campus growth, appropriated funds, and promotions etc… anything that might indicate growth or development and a great reason for you to connect. Start by Googling Academia+Georgia or Associations+Higher Education+Georgia.

Tip#2: Focus Example B
Perhaps you are in sales and marketing of consumer goods and you want to move into a senior sales role for the “green” market. You are open to relocating anywhere in the US. In order to not spread yourself too thin, you must come up with a nice handful of portals you can use to find emerging or developed companies that specialize in your “green” market of choice. Begin by Googling Green jobs+products. Interested in wind farms or solar? Google green jobs+wind farms and wind farms+USA. You can also try Googling wind energy+investors. These are just a few examples. Not only will you find companies and contact decision maker names this way, but you will also find articles and information on companies that are growing and developing new products and services. Any and all companies that you like should make your list!

To supplement this information I also highly recommend using Manta.com. Manta provides free company profiles and company information on US and International companies, including market research reports, business news, contact information and key contact names.

Tip #3: Create an Abundant List
The general rule of thumb is: the smaller your geographic parameters are, the more you really need to dig to add anyone and everyone that meets your career focus parameters to your list. If your list is too small, you minimize your responses. Try to begin with 30 to 50 companies, ideally.

Conversely, you may develop over 150 potential company picks in your industry of choice. If this is you, then consider sending your mailings out in phases or hiring a printer (I like Insty Prints) to help you with your mailings.

There is another industry school of thought that touts concentrating on just a few companies at a time. If you are not in a hurry and are willing to invest in learning about, and networking with, key decision makers in each of these companies then I would agree this method is also effective.

Tip#4: Get To the Decision Maker
Sending all of your correspondence to the human resource department will get you far less valuable connections and interviews – primarily because unless HR has been handed a job description that closely matches your qualifications at the exact time you send them your resume, they are probably not going to be interested in you.

So, don’t gamble your confidence away! Though rarely you might hit the jackpot, these just aren’t very good odds. Get to the decision maker… the person two to four levels above your ideal position that is going to be interested to hear about your successes in productivity, profitability and problem solving.

No offense to my human resource friends that serve a valuable and honorable function.

Tip #5: Follow Up
You have to be prepared to follow up with a phone call once you have sent out your correspondence. I know, you are thinking, “but it is so uncomfortable to follow up with someone I don’t know and ask them for a job!” Good news! You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) come right out and ask them for a job.

As a professional, one of the things you must do in your job is learning the basics of networking. We ALL have to do it, so let’s discuss for a moment the value of learning how to network in a way that is comfortable and breeds confidence.

Here is a technique that I use: when I network, I think about it in a way that does not put undue pressure on myself or the immediate outcome.

In other words, when you follow up, don’t set yourself up by rationalizing that the only acceptable outcome is a job interview. Here is your realistic goal: to make an introduction, either personally or via voice mail that you feel good about. That’s it. When you go on a first date do you berate yourself that no one got married at the end of it? Of course not! So just take a deep breath and give the situation a chance to materialize into something positive.

Okay, so here is how to leave a nice message you can feel good about. Try something like this: “Hi this is ____, perhaps my name sounds familiar – I sent you some correspondence last week and indicated I would be following up with you. Its Wednesday, 10am and I will be in the office all day. Please feel free to call me back at ____ and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.”

This is a nice general introduction. Not to short and not too long.

If you connect with your contact live, this is even better! Say hello, inform him or her why you are calling and then share what you specialize in. Perhaps you increased revenue in your division by 57% last year, or you are a turnaround expert or you just lead your corporation through a very successful merger. Whatever your latest and greatest achievement is, this is what you lead with.

State your achievement in just a sentence or two and then say that you greatly admire their company and for these reasons you wanted to introduce yourself and find out if he/she might have an interest in learning more. This structure concentrates on your quantifiable achievements, is short and is flattering – a recipe for success!

Using these simple tips will put your job search focus in order and allow for a smooth transition from one objective to the other so in no time at all you will have garnered positive results from your ideal companies!

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