Which Firefighting Job Should You Choose?

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Which Firefighting Job Should You Choose?Firefighting can be an exhilarating career, filled with plenty of opportunities for advancement. There are many different jobs available in a fire department and knowing which one best suits you can help you determine what courses you’d like to pursue during training.

Investigator

Investigators do what the name suggests, investigate the probable cause of a fire. An investigator has typically undergone police training as well as receiving their firefighter certification Texas. If you like detective work and want to keep your fellow firefighters safe, this job may be for you.

Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshal

The fire marshal assesses situations and examines buildings for potential danger. They head up the Fire Prevention Bureau to keep their town and citizens safe. The deputy fire marshal works closely with the fire marshal and sends teams to inspect new buildings to make sure they’re up to code.

Engineer

The engineers on the team are trained to drive the various types of fire engines. They’re also responsible for providing water, maneuvering ladders and setting up equipment.

HazMat

These firefighters are trained in how to handle hazardous materials. If chemicals are involved in a fire, these technicians have the proper equipment and training to handle it safely.

Paramedic

Most firefighters must have a basic EMT certification to help them respond to medical emergencies on the scene. The paramedics have more advanced training and are sent in to cover the most severe medical cases.

Airport Fire Rescue

Firefighters need to be specially trained to fight fires that arise at the airport or on an airplane. Airport fire trucks have special equipment designed to respond well to this location as they need speed, high water-capacity and off-roading capability.

Captain

Once you’ve been in the firefighting work force for a significant amount of time, you have the chance to be promoted to captain. As the captain, you’re in charge of the fire station and you’re responsible for the other firefighters on your team.

Chief

The next step above fire captain is fire chief. They have similar responsibilities as the captain, but farther reaching. Instead of being responsible for one station of firefighters, they are usually in charge of multiple stations.

As you can see, a firefighting career can be diverse and fulfilling. With so many specialty training options, you’ll be able to tailor your career to your strengths. This will allow you to advance quickly through the firefighting ranks.

A Stagnant Career: Reasons It’s Not Taking Off

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Stagnant Career|A Stagnant Career: Reasons It's Not Taking OffEverybody starts a new job in expectation of a successful career. However, after a few years of performing the same duties, you begin to notice a failure to progress in the role. Add that to a static salary and unappreciation of your managers’ skillset, and you may have a stagnant career. Can you relate? For most Americans, a stagnant job is equal to unhappiness at work, and 52.3% of workers believe so. Read on to find reasons for your career stagnation.

1. The non-existence of opportunities for growth

The secret behind progression in any career is the availability of ample and realistic opportunities for growth. Unfortunately, if the company you work for fails to provide these opportunities to unearth all your talents, you will find yourself in a rut. In other instances, it will be entirely wrong to lay blame on your employer. The reason is, if you take an objective look at your situation, you will realize the fault may be yours.

Sometimes, it helps to accept that it is your inability to seize opportunities present at the workplace. Keep in mind that not every chance comes as a self-announcing opportunity. It will take a creative mind to detect how to make use of these cloaked opportunities. As a solution, always be on the lookout for how you can effectively seize these chances to remain and feel useful.

2. Your organization is going downhill

This year, many organizations went out of business due to the ripple effect of the pandemic. If the company you work for is one of such that suffered significant losses, it could be a likely reason for your recently stagnant career. An organization going downhill is only interested in recovering as many assets as it can. Such businesses may care little about employee engagement or harnessing talents. Should you notice such a trend, your best option will be to stay alert for better career prospects. You will likely be saving yourself from the effects of an impending recession or redundancy. Being proactive is of utmost importance here, instead of waiting to receive the terrible news from your bosses.

3. Failure to assess the full effects of a new job

Sometimes, in haste to earn a living after a long period of unemployment, you fail to properly evaluate the terms and conditions when you finally land a job. Unfortunately, this is the problem with most workers around the world, not just in America. For example, you studied music as a university course but failed to land a paying job to make ends meet. After a few years, you get the job opportunity to harness your vocal talents in a music studio. Due to the excitement of finally getting a paying job, you forgot to take necessary hearing loss prevention precautions and begin to lose gigs due to hearing issues. Hearing loss among musicians is a common side effect of this profession. Therefore, it is vital to invest in a custom fit and quality earplugs that musicians use to protect their inner ears.

4. You’re out of sync with your values and passion

Nurturing a career takes a significant dose of a balancing act. Without it, you will begin to feel the unwelcome effects of a stagnant career. Unfortunately, after performing so well in a specific role for years, the tendency to lose track of your initial drive and values is high. Others choose to describe it as ‘working on autopilot.’ It happens to a lot of people in the active workforce, so you’re not alone. To overcome this feeling, it helps to take an annual review of the things you consider essential to your professional life. Doing this allows you to recognize habits that are detrimental to your career’s progress. It will require a good dose of honesty and neutrality to identify unhealthy markers causing you to go out of sync with what drives you.

5. Constant failure to utilize all your skills

Have you ever considered why you were hired in the first place? If no, there you have your answer. Usually, employers hire staff with a skill set they deem necessary to increase productivity and company progress. After a few years (especially after conducting an annual review as mentioned in point 4), you notice most of these skills are still under wraps. Understandably, this causes frustration and a feeling of being stuck in the role. For other people, inadequate use of skills translates into a sense of being overqualified for the job. First of all, you need to determine if it is a matter of a wrong job role or a lack of interest in that career. If it’s either of these, express to your employer your desire to move on to another role within the business where you can employ all your skills.

Whatever your case may be, coming to terms with a stagnant career should be followed by your desire to do better. It is never too late to make a change as long as you identify the problem and how you can overcome them. A stagnated career can negatively impact your mental and physical health. Therefore, take action now.

Online Degrees – The New and Improved Normal

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Online Degrees|Online Degrees - The New and Improved NormalThe world has witnessed around 72,692,481 corona cases so far while encountering more than 1,619,801 deaths. These stats observed in a couple of months have changed millions of lives throughout the globe, calling it a pandemic situation.

So far, it has affected several families, businesses, professionals, and students to the core. While there are so many negative aspects, there are some positives of this pandemic too. And that’s the culture of online studies.

A news report by the U.S. News says that there are more than 6.3 million students in the U.S. enrolled in a type of online course. This number is accelerating in a blazing speed after the advent and excessive usage of virtual learning platforms and sites. Be it the workforce or the students; the present age is moving towards online mediums not to let any unpleasant circumstances hamper the work or studies respectively. This displays the increasing amount of passion and influence of online studies among students.

How can students still carve their career?

A mass majority of students have been considering COVID-19 global pandemic as the sign of ending up their careers and academic journey. But that’s merely a negative vision. The introduction and encouragement of online studies have given rise to many possibilities for students all around the world. With this, pupils can continue to learn and expand their vision of online learning.

So, here we have got you a string of some popular and highly-paid degrees to look upon and build a career with never-ending possibilities.

  • Petroleum engineering – This field is one of the types of engineering associated with the production of hydrocarbons. Generally, these are used in crude oil or as natural gases for multiple purposes. As the costs of crude oil (also referred to as ‘black gold’) is higher than usual, this increases the scope of getting better and higher salaries. A petroleum engineer makes $94,500 a year.
  • Computer science – This stream deals with the software development aspects of computer opening gateways for students to make their career as a software engineer or developer. Here, a student can enrol himself or herself in such programs via online courses and work in various fields like iOS, Android, Hybrid, mobile app development. An average experienced software engineer can make $88,000 per annum.
  • Psychology – Undergoing this academic stream comes with a lot of challenges but perks too. Suppose you decide to go for an online psychology degree. In that case, you open your gateway to multiple highly ranked designations like an educational psychologist, media role player, counselor, psychotherapist, researcher, and social psychologist. However, the actual pay scale depends on the stream you have followed.The last word –

The culture of online learning and studies have gone to the next level. This has resulted in an expanding number of online courses. Where some found it a dilemma to be a part of the online world, others fell in love with the concept of online learning as it introduces extreme flexibility and convenience.

Enroll Now: Job Roles after Masters in Management

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Masters in Management|Enroll Now: Job Roles after Masters in ManagementWith the growth of population and the advent of cutting-edge technology to the industrial world, business as a whole is growing massively and rapidly. As a result, the need for skilled workers in management and leadership has developed significantly over the ages and continues to grow even further. They are often the main reason for the industry’s growth, thus being an integral part of the business world.

Undoubtedly, with such employees’ absence, industries’ foundations would fall weak, and their growth would get stunted. With a master’s degree in management, you will help companies overcome their problems and secure your future. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, it’s the perfect win-win opportunity. After qualifying with a diverse variety of skills, such as excellent communication and leadership, there’s no doubt that many job opportunities can open up. Here are a few high-paying and in-demand jobs that you can get with a master’s in management to give you a more in-depth insight into this degree’s true potential.

Management consultant

Employers prefer high standards and qualified employees throughout all branches of business. For this purpose, quality education is of utmost importance; without it, it’s impossible to pursue any of the successful careers. So, before we jump to the main topic, it’s a good idea to secure this essential education by looking further into an online masters in management. It will equip you with the best skills.

Coming back to the topic, a management consultant is one of the most pursued careers by people with a master’s degree in management. The reason is its high-demand and salary in the competitive market. As the name suggests, a management consultant’s key role is to provide expert advice to companies in need. The strategic guidance provided by these managers is to increase the productivity and growth of the company. To develop the best plans and tactics, these managers research extensively and collect numerous data. They identify risks, and issues from their research, carefully creating an effective growth plan. To maximize growth and develop the best strategies possible, management consultants often work in teams, which requires excellent communication skills. They also can function with high authority and responsibility.

Business development manager

Suppose you have a deep interest in supporting businesses in the fastest and most efficient ways possible. In that case, a business development manager is one of the best careers to choose from so many options. In this job, marketing and sales techniques are combined with strategic analysis to generate effective plans to increase revenue. Business development managers usually prioritize increasing business partnerships to help the company increase sales. The task of dealing and negotiating with other companies necessitates them to have excellent communication and dealing skills.

A good understanding of technology is also required by business development managers, which gives them an edge over the competition. Problem-solving skills and the ability to oversee objectives, changes, and goals are essential parts of this manager’s job. All types of companies look for help from this type of management to specialize in technology, finance, education, and many more fields. Besides requiring a master’s degree, this job can prove to be quite successful for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Project manager

When companies and organizations launch a project, they often hire a project manager to execute and develop the project. Therefore, there are chances that these managers are highly responsible. They can work under pressure and lead the project to a successful launch under the specified time. Along with general management skills, project managers possess a wide range of other essential skills, such as resolving conflicts, detecting issues, working in teams, and having excellent communication methods.

The ability to make quick decisions to improve the project is also an integral part of this job. Other tasks carried out by project managers include time management, budget management, risk analysis, and business partnering. To carry out these tasks efficiently, project managers often utilize management software. Thus, being familiar with technology is also required for this job. With a master’s in management, you can take advantage of this high paying and in-demand career.

Financial controller

A financial controller manages everything related to a company’s finance, including tax preparation, handling transactions, and payrolls. These workers must collaborate with all company sectors to understand all financial procedures happening throughout the company. They lead in the preparation of budgets and can prove instrumental in developing monetary policies and strategies. For this reason, they are often known as the lead account of the company. Financial controllers are well-equipped to handle all their tasks effectively, such as analytical, problem-solving, and numerical skills. According to the bureau of labor statistics, 30% of financial controllers get employed by the finance and insurance businesses.

Supply chain manager

Supply chain managers help companies with shipment, manufacturing, and storage of products. They identify risks and issues while assisting a company. Like all managers, they also use research to aid their work and thus develop helpful strategies. All aspects of the manufacturing process are affected by a supply chain manager. Therefore, these managers must know how to influence and communicate with other workers. Keeping a detailed record and generating frequent reports to present to the company are typical responsibilities of a supply chain manager.

Furthermore, they have the responsibility of dealing with external parties, such as suppliers and distributors. The knowledge of dealing with legal documents can be quite useful for this job, as many instances require contracts. With a quality master’s degree in management, you can start your career with a job in supply chain management, which is likely to grow by 9% in 2026.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that a master’s degree in management can help you secure your future, unlocking a vast majority of jobs that are snowballing in demand. It’s the right time to pursue an education in management to take advantage of this opportunity if you aspire to succeed in the business world.

Why Should People Consider a Career in Therapy During the COVID19 Pandemic?

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Why Should People Consider a Career in Therapy During the COVID19 Pandemic?COVID19 has led to huge numbers of people seeking a career change, whether this is due to the loss of a current position because of redundancy or simply having time to reflect and put lives into perspective.

One increasingly popular question people are asking is ‘how do I become a therapist?. In this crisis, people are focussing on helping others in every way they can. While medical staff are proving their worth during this time and are incredibly valued, the long-term effects of the pandemic are predicted to impact mental health more than anything else.

How Many People Are Wanting To Become A Therapist?

One of the easiest and quickest ways to determine the demand for anything nowadays is by analysing Google searches. Research by RTT shows that the term ‘how to become a therapist’ and similar phrases have seen a 10x increase within the first 6 months of the pandemic compared to the same months of 2019.

What Is A Therapist?

Therapists are essentially a guide, they aid people with mental health disorders or someone who is struggling with their own mind, to understand their feelings on a deeper level and learn to manage these and cope.

It’s important to know that therapists do not ‘cure’ people. Instead, they provide a safe space for anyone who needs it to be able to talk through their problems and explore any underlying issues or repressed feelings.

Psychotherapists are specially trained therapists who deal with a severe mental health diagnosis but do not have the authority to prescribe medication.

Why A Career In Therapy Could Be For You?

There is never a definitive answer as to why people want to become a therapist but quite often is it because of previous personal experiences.

This could be having struggled with mental health yourself and witnessing just how much a mental health professional can positively impact your life and wanting to do the same for others.

Another reason is some individuals have seen a loved one suffer from mental health issues, whether they sought professional advice or not, many see just how valuable therapists can be.

However, some wish to become a therapist without any previous related experiences, the need to help others is ingrained within human nature and turning this into a career can be very rewarding.

With a lot more free time on our hands at the moment, training in a new career has never been more popular. While a career change can be scary and even risky, especially during the pandemic, the mental health crisis is just as imperative as the COVID19 one and therapists are rising in demand.

What Skills Do You Need To Become A Therapist?

Becoming a therapist doesn’t happen overnight, depending on the student, it can take a few years to be fully trained and practising. The most conventional way is to undertake a BA within a relevant field and then proceed to do an MA.

After this, internships within a clinical practice are done to then be able to apply and obtain a license.

However, there are other routes for those who can not attend university for whatever reason. Training and qualifications within the following sectors do not require a degree:

  • Hypnotherapy
  • Rapid Transformational Therapy
  • Life Coaching
  • Neuro-Linguistic Programming

All of these can be just as rewarding.

However, even the most qualified professional won’t be successful if they don’t have some key personality traits to begin with, such as:

  • The want to help others and give advice
  • Being a good listener
  • Putting others before yourself
  • Compassionate, non-judgemental and empathetic
  • Strong-minded (you may hear many upsetting things every day)

What Do Therapists Earn?

The average earning for a therapist in the US is $48,000 but this can vary between states too.

Opening your own practice can lead to substantially more earnings and you can earn upwards of $82,000.

In the UK, the average wage for a mental health therapist is around £32,000 but those in the industry report anything from £25,000 to £41,000.

If you are a compassionate individual who strives to make a difference in people’s lives, why not consider looking into the best avenue for yourself to become a therapist? While it isn’t deemed as the easier of jobs, it is certainly one of the most rewarding.