Should I Follow My Heart Or My Head

“Should I Follow My Heart Or My Head” Help from our Community “Should I Follow My Heart Or My Head?” * Felix has reached a turning point in her career. Her heart tells her to chase her passion unreservedly; her head tells her it's not realistic. When you're being pulled in different directions, how do you decide which voice to follow? What's your career history and current job? I do copywriting for a web design agency. I write for mostly industrial clients, from construction to retail to aerospace, writing product reviews and descriptions, basically almost anything they ask for. I've been doing that for a year. Previously I worked in advertising. How do you feel about your work? I picked this because it was lucrative, stable and something to do with one of my passions in which I have a degree, writing. Originally I had wanted to pursue illustration and animation in school, but I was feeling the weight of both cultural expectation and some family obligation to do more of a professional, full-time role, and so I changed my plan. When I started the job I was quite excited because it involved writing but it's become less and less creative. My company tend to throw a lot of the technical writing at me, which I don't find satisfying. I prefer coming up with new ideas, strategising and developing content pieces, but I don't get to do much of that. I don't enjoy the business end of things and I'm sick of the overflowing work. It also gets demoralising when clients think they know better than me. I'm tired of feeling constantly drained by the 9â€"6 corporate life. I feel like a fraud pretending to be passionate about social media content trends. I don't want to still be in the corporate world in ten years' time. What would you like to be doing instead? I want to do something I can dedicate my life to mastering. Something where I can learn a skill and connect to audiences in a meaningful way, doing something that genuinely interests me. My number one choice of career would be illustration and animation, but I'm not sure how viable it would be in terms of time or money. I've done some online research and looked at courses. I've spoken to a course counsellor and, from what I've found, online freelance work is hard to come by in this field. I feel that I have two choices. The one I really want â€" illustration and animation â€" may not lead to a stable job or even a job at all! The other choice is to develop a portfolio career using my hobbies and my writing skills. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? I feel pulled in two different directions. Should I follow my main passion for illustration straight away because it's what I want more? Or should I start a portfolio career now, with a junior role in animation where there are more opportunities? That way, I could at least earn a bit of money and so study illustration on the side. I can't decide what's best; I feel like I'm delaying what I really want to do and wasting my time. My heart says to just go after what I really want, now, but my head warns that I'm being blinded by the idea of instant gratification. What should I do? Can you help Felix? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? How do you think Felix could move her shift forwards? Do you know anyone she could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support. Give Felix a cheer of encouragement by hitting the thumbs-up button here:

The Art of Assertiveness

The Art of Assertiveness As humans, we are uniquely social creatures.  Much of our lives are built around the relationships and communications we have with others. And the artful use of assertiveness is critical to those relationships and communications.  It allows those interactions to blossom while supporting us and our own needs.  Heres how to master it. Understanding Artful Assertiveness In The Assertiveness Guide For Women, author Julie De Azevedo Hanks defines assertiveness as a way of communicating that is clear, confident, and self-assured.  It enables you to express your thoughts, feelings, needs, and wants without infringing on the rights of others.  At its core, assertiveness is about the courage to express difference. Her book is an outstanding read, by the way.  Its set to be released about August 1, so mark your calendar and pick up a copy, and a new highlighter, because youll have lots to highlight. So assertiveness isnt about control or bullying.  Its about honoring yourself while also honoring those around you. In order to accomplish that, its important that compassion and calmness prevail.  And a key ingredient to achieving that is through the use of curiosity.  Because by remaining curious, its easier to evaluate the position of the other seeking to understand rather than forming judgments. Calmness Mindfulness is a buzzword we hear frequently.  To a large extent, its about maintaining a state of calmness.  In our hurried society, we receive a ton of information to process.  Doing so as more of an observer than a participant allows you to remain calm and deflect conflict. The elements of mindfulness can be found in meditation, yoga, and other similar practices.  And there are many resources both in print and online to help you learn those techniques.  But one easy to remember technique that can be practiced anywhere at any time is controlled breathing. We all know that we have to breathe to live.   Our body requires oxygen.  And the physical and chemical effects of proper breathing can be huge.  Oddly enough, few of us are conscious of how we breathe.  Pay attention to your breathing patterns.  Take deep breaths, and slow your breathing down.  Youll find it more calming than you might think. Compassion And Curiosity In our rush to do life, to get through another day, we frequently let our subconscious mind do a little more than is wise.  We mindlessly categorize things, people, and events without much if any thought. But in doing so it becomes easy to accept that our label is correct.  And then we react with a mindset of rightness about our opinion.  From there, we can find ourselves on the slippery slope of insisting that our way or view is best. Rather than doing life in that way, pay attention.  As you go through lifes experiences, add an element of curiosity.  Whats it like from the other persons perspective?  Then add some compassion.  How would I feel in their position?  Surprisingly, having that level of empathy is actually empowering.  Theres no longer an adversarial pall in the air.  Youre much more able to calmly hold, assertively hold, your position because you have a clearer understanding of theirs. I recently read Living Curiously by Becki Saltzman.  Its a great read to expand on the benefits of curiosity.  Coupled with The Assertiveness Guide, youll find a powerful course for doing life in a whole new way.  One that honors yourself, and honors the other side. For me, learning to become artfully assertive has created a new level of inner peace.  And we can all use more of that. Images: Curiosity  Ashley Harrigan

How To Find A Job When Youre Unsure of Your Career Path

How To Find A Job When Youre Unsure of Your Career Path There are many situations where you can feel like your career path is drifting out of form. Perhaps your current job is boring you, but you just cant figure out what else youre supposed to do. Maybe you have recently lost a job, but dont know which steps to take from here. When this kind of uncertainty lingers, you could easily rush into the wrong decision. However, for you, making a wise choice of career move can strongly depend on pausing and stepping back to take in the scene before you. Here is how you can do that and so help yourself narrow down the choices. Dont be afraid to shatter a long-held career model A few years ago, you might have had a career ambition which no longer seems quite as relevant to your values. You dont have to feel depressed about this, as our values can naturally change over time. The life priorities of a 21-year-old can significantly differ from those of a 30-year-old. Hence, the supposed necessity of continuing on a career path formed a long time ago is just a myth, says Fast Company. Furthermore, its dangerous to judge how you are faring compared to other people in your industry or age bracket. Career paths arent always straightforward; they can take unexpected directions, so dont be afraid to let your own career path do the same. What criteria do you want from a career? Write the answers down Tempting though it might be to just launch straight into a job hunt, it would be wiser to hold off on this until you have answered the question: What really holds meaning for me? Furthermore, you shouldnt be vague in answering this question. Note as many nitty-gritty details as you can. For example, you might like the idea of a job where you would daily interact with other people. You might also be attracted to the prospect of daily problem-solving in a career. List seven to 12 criteria, as doing this can bring you closer to deciding what type of job you genuinely want. Can you really marry a passion to a job? You might be familiar with the saying: Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. However, some passions dont always obviously lend themselves to financially palatable careers. Your Morris dancing hobby, for example, might have to remain just that a hobby. However, you can help iron out the discrepancies between your interests and the available job opportunities if you also specify the soft and technical skills upon which you can most effectively draw. You could then look for job listings that ask for those skills, says The Guardian. Even once you have reached this point, it could take time for you to land into what you would deem your dream job. However, by banishing uncertainty and laying down a more concrete path for your future career choices, you could more easily land jobs in IT, marketing and other fields.

How To Feel Confident At The Office

How To Feel Confident At The Office We all know that working in a company full of men is hard for every woman, so it’s not unusual to feel low at your workplace. Women were not allowed to work in high positions a few decades ago, but that has changed completely now. However, some businesses still consist predominantly of males, and that could be a determinant factor in your success at the company. Sometimes we feel like we don’t belong in that position, and our confidence takes a huge hit. That’s why we have to learn how to feel confident at the office. Boosting confidence can help anyone in a number of ways! A confident woman excels even more and gets more attention due to her determination to prove herself every day. Enhance Appearance The first step to feeling confident is enhancing our physical appearance. We all have those little things that we wish we could change on our bodies, and everyone can change something, whether it be big or small! Fixing those little tweaks will help boost our confidence, and when everything’s right on the outside, it is easier to concentrate on the inside. There are many ways to enhance our appearance. For example, fixing a bad set of teeth by getting dental implants, buying new and trendy clothes, getting those desirable heels everyone wants, styling hair differently, and many more! Find Out What Is Required on the Job Talking with a supervisor or someone respected in the company about what they need in that job position is essential to succeed in it. Making those needs a primary goal is what is going to make us feel good about the job we’re doing. Take into consideration the feedback we receive and focus all our efforts on accomplishing those required tasks. Get Over the Fear of Losing the Job When many people get a job, they immediately start worrying about losing it. They think that they won’t do the job well, and many other irrational thoughts. Pay attention to that behavior while in the office, and pinpoint those moments of fear. We always worry about our errors, but it is human to make mistakes! We often forget this, and that’s when we start getting anxious about our performance. Relax in the office, and take into consideration that everyone makes mistakes; nobody’s perfect. Be Awesome We all have an area that we’re good at and some areas that we are not. Getting an education and having a well-rounded set of skills are vital for performing an outstanding job. As people say, “the better you get at something, the more you believe in yourself.” No one feels confident in something they don’t know how to do! We need to invest in our skills in order to feel useful in our position. Final Thoughts We all struggle with confidence, but anyone can boost it with some simple tricks. Taking care of our outer appearance, obtaining better skills, and doing the tasks in an effective yet relaxed way, are some of the things everyone should do at work to give them that extra boost to feel confident at the office!

Career Resume Writing - How To Get The Best Resume Writing Course In Delhi

Career Resume Writing - How To Get The Best Resume Writing Course In DelhiResume writing course in Delhi, India is the best solution for the people who do not have time to handle their resumes properly. They want to write a good resume, but they lack the necessary knowledge about it. In order to gain enough knowledge about the subject, you need to enroll in a good school or learn online.The following are some of the advantages that you will get from enrolling in a school or taking lessons from a tutor like Diane's New York class. When you apply for a job and you get an interview then you will be asked to write a resume. You will have to fill out your resume properly and explain what your skills are in order to impress the interviewer.However, in order to prepare for the interview properly you will need to take some time off in order to go through your resume. So, you will be able to spend some time and get more knowledge about your skills. At this point you can look for resume writin g school in Delhi, India that will help you prepare for the interview.In most cases people look for ways to speed up the way things are done. However, this is not the case in case of resume writing. It is a very hard task and you will require some serious hard work to get all the required information about your skills. If you are one of those people who are looking for quick solutions then there is no problem.However, if you want to know about resume writing then the best option is to enroll yourself in a school that teaches resume writing. You do not have to look for cheap courses because those cheap ones are not as good as the ones that are well-qualified. However, there are several things that you will have to consider when it comes to enrolling in such a course.There are many ways to select the best one among them. First of all you will have to get your hands on the list of schools in Delhi that will teach resume writing. You will have to check the list to know the number of stu dents enrolled in that particular course.The next thing that you will have to do is to know about the number of students who are enrolled in the course so that you can inquire about their credentials. If you check with some of the schools in Delhi you will be able to find out the number of students who have successfully passed their courses. After knowing this information you will be able to select the one who has the best reputation among the other schools.The next thing that you will have to do is to get some assurance from the schools that the courses will be useful for you. At this point you will have to read the syllabus carefully in order to get a better idea about the quality of the course. With all these requirements in place you will be able to choose the best school that is available in Delhi.

5 Hot Careers in the Hearing Industry - CareerAlley

5 Hot Careers in the Hearing Industry - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. In recent years, there have been many advances in hearing aid technology. This has allowed individuals with hearing loss the opportunity to go about their daily lives without straining to hear the words of their friends, co-workers and loved ones. With the growth of technology, there is also an increase in the types of careers available in the hearing aid industry. Consider just a few examples of the most popular careers in this field and discover some of the details of each job. Hearing Screener What They Do A hearing screener determines whether a person has a hearing loss or normal hearing. This professional conducts fundamental tests with hearing equipment to see if a patient needs further evaluation. Some hearing screeners test students in public schools while others work in hospitals or in family physicians offices. There are many hearing screeners who test infants shortly after they are born to see if their hearing is at a normal level. Hearing screeners receive training from licensed audiologists to prepare them for this type of work. How Much They Make According to Career Builders salary calculator, the National Average Salary is $30,694. Audiologist What They Do Examining patients with hearing loss, diagnosing problems, measuring hearing loss and fitting people for hearing aids are just a few of the job responsibilities of an audiologist. This professional prepares for the profession by earning a doctoral degree in audiology. Also, audiologists are required to have a state license to practice their profession. Some audiologists treat the hearing issues of children and adults while others specialize in treating seniors. An audiologist works with cutting-edge technology including cochlear implants and undetectable hearing aids. Part of the personal and professional reward of being an audiologist is seeing a patients quality of life improve after receiving treatment for hearing loss. How Much They Make According to BLS, the median pay is $75,920 Audiologists Assistant What They Do This professional works closely with an audiologist to serve a patient who is experiencing hearing loss. An audiologists assistant helps to clean and set up hearing test equipment. Also, this professional helps an audiologist to keep records of patient examinations. An assistant may sit down with a patient to explain the various parts of a hearing aid and how it fits into the persons ear. In many cases, a person interested in becoming an audiologist works as an assistant to find out more about the day-to-day tasks of this professional. How Much They Make According to SimplyHired, the average salary for audiologist assistant jobs is $39,000. Salaries can vary greatly due to company, location, industry, experience and benefits. Hearing Aid Specialist What They Do This professional is responsible for taking ear impressions of patients with hearing loss. In addition, this person designs and adjusts ear molds so that patients get the right type of hearing aid. A hearing aid specialist must be precise in his or her work in order to provide patients with effective hearing aids. After fitting a patient with a hearing aid, this specialist must test the equipment to make sure its working as it should. A person with hearing loss depends a lot on his or her hearing aid, so its critical that it is working properly at all times. How Much They Make The average salary for hearing aid specialist jobs is $40,000. Finally, there are plenty of options available to someone who wants to pursue work in this growing industry. Someone interested in learning more about a career in this field may want to conduct research on similar jobs and positions in the healthcare field. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

What is Work-Life Balance Anyway - Kathy Caprino

What is Work-Life Balance Anyway Last evening, when my 11-year-old son begged me to play soccer with him (his favorite indoor past-time), and I said “no” for the tenth time (because I was feverishly writing my 100th work email for the day), I stopped in my tracks.     I lifted my fingers off the keyboard, swiveled around in my deskchair, looked into his eyes, and gave him a big, long hug.   I decided to walk away from working, and play indoor soccer instead.   (My daughter joined too, and we had a complete blast, laughing hysterically the entire time).   This morning, I began thinking (again) about work-life balance.   What is it, truly?   How do we (should we) define it?   I believe each of us needs to define it exactly the way we want to, but for me, work-life balance means these things:   I have control over what I say “yes” and “no” to (in work and at home) I feel good about my choices (I’m not over-ridden with guilt, confusion, and resentment over what I’m doing) I’ve stopped over-functioning â€" doing more than necessary, more than is healthy and more than appropriate (in both my family life and at work) I’m conscious of what motivates me to act as I do, and I’m ok with those motivations I’ve overcome my addiction to work I’m clear about how my behavior as a professional woman might impact (and provide a role model for) my husband, children, and others I’m open to feedback from others about my behavior, and I modify appropriately If I can say the above statements regularly, I feel I’m striking an important balance between my personal life, my work life, and the identities of both.   And when I can say the above statements with surety, it also means that my life is unfolding in a way that makes space for the following positive outcomes:   I’m dealing head-on with my responsibilities, in an empowered way I’m doing what’s necessary to keep me and my family secure and growing I’m observing that what I do matters I’m coping well with my stress I’m open about when I need help (and clear when I don’t want any more help) I feel in control My family is doing well, and my personal life is satisfying My work is going well, and my career is satisfying  No small thing, work-life balance, is it?     I’d love to hear from you…what does work-life balance mean to you?   How do you know when you have it, and when you don’t?     Do you believe work-life balance is achievable, in this day and age, and during chaotic times like ours?