Career Adrenaline News

If you have musical talent, are comfortable onstage and in front of a microphone, and love to perform, and you’re willing to work hard in a competitive industry, you may have a future as a professional musician.

Professional musicians play musical instruments, sing, compose or arrange music, or conduct groups in instrumental or vocal performances. They may perform solo or as part of a group. Professional musicians, singers, and related workers entertain live audiences in nightclubs, concert halls, and theaters featuring opera, musical theater, or dance. Although most of these entertainers play for live audiences, many perform exclusively for recording or production studios. Regardless of the setting, musicians spend considerable time practicing, alone and with their band, orchestra, or other musical ensemble.

Musicians often gain their reputation or professional standing
in a particular kind of music or performance. However,
those who learn several related instruments, such as the flute
and clarinet, and who can perform equally well in several musical
styles, have better employment opportunities. Instrumental
musicians, for example, may play in a symphony orchestra, rock
group, or jazz combo one night, appear in another ensemble the
next, and work in a studio band the following day. Some play a
variety of string, brass, woodwind, or percussion instruments or
electronic synthesizers.

Many professional musicians are also composers and songwriters. Composers create original music such as symphonies, operas, sonatas, radio and television jingles, film scores, or popular songs. They transcribe ideas into musical notation, using harmony, rhythm, melody, and tonal structure. Although most composers and songwriters practice their craft on instruments and transcribe the notes with pen and paper, some use computer software to compose and edit their music.

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Apprenticeships can be a great way to get your feet wet, spend some time working in your target career field, and find out if this type of work is right for you. But sometimes, for a variety of reasons, there may be no apprenticeship opportunities available to you.

If you can’t find an apprenticeship in your target career field, try this: take a look at vocational schools and community colleges. These schools prepare students for many skilled occupations, and this training often is faster than apprenticeship. To find training most similar to apprenticeship, students can choose a school with the following:

Recognized credential. Schools cannot offer journey worker certificates, but they do offer vocational certificates
or college degrees. To ensure the value of the certificates a school offers, ask which agencies accredit the school. Then, check that the accrediting agencies are approved by the U.S. Department of Education. And finally, call the accreditor to verify the school’s current status.

I never intended to start a web site about career change and finding your “dream” career. (I never intended to start an online publishing business, either, but that’s another story). It just seemed like so much work, and there are already other sites about careers and career change — from the Wall Street Journal to Monster.com.

But I felt an urge to share my experiences with others, and the Internet seemed like the perfect medium in which to do that. I’ve spent most of my life searching for the ideal career, the one calling in life that would integrate my values and passions in a meaningful way — and pay the bills at the same time.

I have an artistic side, and I spent most of my adult life learning and honing my chosen craft — short fiction writing. Along the way I met a lot of very talented people in all areas of the creative arts, from actors to painters to musicians. And we all shared that same dream of someday leaving our “day” jobs to pursue our real passions — our artistic endeavors.

It just seems like so few people really love what they do for a living. They got into a career field because their parents steered them in that direction, or a career counselor in high school told them they had to go to college and get a “respectable” job in business or the health care industry. And once on that path, it can be mighty hard to get off, especially when you have student loans, mortgages, credit cards, and other bills to pay.

Have you ever considered modeling as a career? Many people have at one point or another, but decided that they didn’t measure up physically, or they didn’t live in one of the fashion centers like New York or Paris. But you don’t necessarily have to be tall, young and beautiful to become a model (although it doesn’t hurt), and you don’t necessarily have to move to the Big City, either.

There are more opportunities for models than ever before. Statistics indicate that models of all types will be in demand well into the next decade. And in addition to the high fashion models you see strutting down catwalks in Paris, there are many other categories of models — male models, plus-size models, “mature” models (people over 40), hand and body part models, character models, etc. Models are needed for print and catalog work, commercials, working conventions and trade shows, corporate video productions, and more. And many of these modeling career opportunities are available around the country –and around the world, for that matter–not just in the fashion centers of New York, Atlanta, LA and Paris.

If you are young, tall and beautiful, you’ll probably want to go the high-fashion route. Many modeling agencies have open calls and “look sees” where they actively recruit promising young talent. But be careful. There are many scam artists out there looking to prey on young teenage girls, especially on the Internet. Never agree to meet anyone at their home, and if you’re not sure about an agency, try looking the company up in the Better Business Bureau. And just because someone has an impressive looking website doesn’t necessarily mean they’re legitimate.

All and all a modeling career can be a great choice for many people. There are opportunities to travel, meet a lot of interesting people, network, and build poise and confidence. And many have used their modeling as a steppingstone for other careers, like acting, photography, or even work as a modeling agent.

So if you’ve always wanted to try modeling, go for it. If you’ve got what it takes, work hard, and get a little lucky, you might just fiind yourself on the cover of a glossy magazine or in a television commerical in the near future!

While it’s true that on average, workers with bachelor’s degrees have higher incomes than workers without degrees, this is not always the case. In fact, there are millions of people without bachelor’s degrees who out-earn their counterparts with degrees, at least according to a government report on the subject.

According to the report, over 9 million, or 15 percent, of the full-time wage and salary workers age 25 and older who didn’t have a bachelor’s degree in 1998 earned more than $821 a week. That’s more than the median for college graduates. Many of these workers had Associate degrees or vocational job training, and they worked in industries like construction, auto and aircraft maintenance, electrical and electronic technicians, health and dental technology, law enforcement, and many others. And of course many of the highest earners were self-employed or owned their own businesses.

Earnings are just one measure of what makes a job good, of course. But don’t think that just because you don’t have a 4 year college degree you won’t be able to earn a good income.

Changing jobs doesn’t have have to be a traumatic experience. In today’s world, it’s a commonplace event. Most people will have multiple jobs — and even multiple careers — during their working lifetimes.
In fact, it’s a good idea always to be improving your skills so that you will be an attractive candidate for a new job, whether it’s within your company or with a different employer. That way, you’ll be in a position to make exciting and advantageous career moves in the future because you want to-not because you have to.

I always advise my career coaching clients to have a “Plan B” in place at all times. The question to ask yourself is this: what would you do if for some reason you lost your job tomorrow? This is especially important for older workers who have been at the same company for a long time. They’re usually the hardest hit by a sudden layoff or job termination.

The idea is to have a solid game plan in place before something like that happens, so you can hit the ground running and already be job prospecting, instead of scrambling around in a panic trying to figure out what you’re going to do.

I know from coaching clients and from my own experience that changing careers or starting an new business — especially in mid-life — usually brings up many questions, concerns, and downright fear.

A million scenarios run through people’s minds, many of them negative, as they contemplate of all the things that could go wrong. Will I have enough money? Will I face months of unemployment as I search for a new job? Will my new business fail before it can begin turning a profit? Am I too old for this? Am I too young?

Now certainly these are all legitimate concerns, and you should always weigh the possible negatives in a situation before taking the plunge into a new career or business. But you also don’t want to talk yourself out of what could be the opportunity of a lifetime.

One place to start is to do a brainstorming session where you write down all the things you enjoy doing. Even if they don’t seem to be career-related, write them down anyway. Something like playing golf, playing with your kids or grandkids, or shopping. Let your mind flow, and don’t do any mental censoring at this point.

Then put your notes away for a few days. Let your ideas simmer in your mind. Then come back to your list and look it over. Are there any jobs or business ventures that would match up with the things you enjoy doing? For example, if you wrote down that you love playing with your kids, you could open a day-care center, or get a job teaching children or special needs kids.

Almost anything people enjoy doing can be matched up to a business or career. Just be creative, and let your interests and passions be your guide.

Okay, so you’ve decided that it’s time to take the plunge and start making that new career you’ve been dreaming of a reality. You’ve identified your core values and life purpose, you’ve matched those up with your skills and interests, and you’ve taken the necessary courses or gotten a degree. You’re all primed to hit the job market, perhaps for the first time in decades.

So now what, you ask. Well, it’s a good idea to think of a job search in terms of marketing yourself. Just as a business needs to market itself effectively in order to gain new customers and turn a profit, a person changing careers will also need to network and get the word out to prospective employers (or lenders, prospective clients, and prospective partners if you’re going freelance or starting your own business).

It’s a good idea for new career seekers to start with a marketing plan. First identify the place or industry where you’d like to work, then try to get the names of the person in that company who does the hiring (there many be more than one). Then draw up your plan of action: how you’ll go about getting an interview, how you’ll get your resume, cover letter, or portfolio prepared, how many companies to target, how long to target one company before moving onto the next one, how to prepare a business plan if you’re seeking a loan, etc.

In essence you’re preparing a marketing plan for yourself. Just make sure it maps out your expectations, and highlights your experience and your strengths.

After all, if you don’t market yourself, who’s going to do it for you?

Are you a bit of a ham? Do you enjoy performing in front of the camera? Have you always wanted to be like the actors you see in films and in the theater? If so, an acting career might be right for you–although the odds of becoming a famous movie star are long indeed.

Modern acting covers a broad area. Basically, actors express ideas and create images in theater, film, radio, television, and other performing arts media.

Actors interpret a writer’s script to entertain, inform, or instruct an audience. The most famous actors work in film, network television, or theater in New York or Los Angeles. Many more actors work in local or regional TV studios, theaters, or film production companies. Still more are engaged in advertising, public-relations, radio, or independent, small-scale movie productions. Actors also perform in cabarets, nightclubs, theme parks, commercials, and ?industrial? films produced for training and educational purposes.

Be aware that most actors struggle to find steady work, especially outside the major markets of LA and New York. Still fewer ever achieve recognition as stars. Even some well-known, experienced performers may be cast in supporting roles. Others work as “extras,” with no lines to deliver, or make brief, cameo appearances, speaking only one or two lines. To support themselves, some actors do voiceover and narration work for advertisements, animated features, books on tape, and other electronic media. They also teach in high school or university drama departments, acting conservatories, or public programs.