3 Unusual Jobs That Pay Well

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Career Hunter|3 Unusual Jobs That Pay Well Looking for a career that is different and considered unusual can often be found at the top of career hunter’s requirements. As well as looking for something that is unusual you probably want to earn a decent wage at the same time. It can definitely be a challenge to find careers that pay well and tick the box when it comes to being a little different, it can be hard to find one that is going to give you both and so people sometimes compromise.

However, with a little bit of hard work and dedication, you’re sure to find that unique job that also enables you to earn a fantastic living. Check out these occupations that are seen as little unusual but still offer you a good rate of pay.

Acupuncturist

Most people will be familiar with or at heard of this ancient Chinese practice. It’s where fine, sterile needles are inserted into your skin at certain pressure points. Sometimes electrical stimulation, heat, and pressure are also used to provide therapy to these areas. Acupuncture is a therapy that is used to release energy blocks in order to restore balance. It is often used to treat disorders that are involved with cardiovascular, digestive, immune systems, and nervous systems. As an acupuncturist, you will be dealing with patients’ health history and issues by performing physical assessments and performing therapies. You will often come across conditions such as back pain, Anxiety, Addiction and Migraines. There are several different routes to becoming a qualified acupuncturist depending on your location so it’s best to research this.

DNA/Forensic Analyst

This is a very interesting and rewarding career that requires a lot of focus, patience, commitment and discretion. Made a little more well-known thanks to crime dramas such as CSI DNA Analysts career have become a little more sort after than ever before. However, this doesn’t make them any less unusual or rewarding. You will be working closely within crimes scenes and laboratories to help assess DNA from blood, hair, bodily fluids and saliva to convict or relieve and suspects in a crime. You will use specialist equipment such as DNA extraction tools, microplates and a 96 deep well plate to complete your work and be in charge of maintaining and keeping it clean. Although a very high demanding job and the chance of been called out at any hour this type of career can be very rewarding as it plays a critical role in our jurisdiction system now.

Food Scientist

Ever wanted to make food fun? Then a career as a food scientist may be the role for you! If you’re interested in science but also love your food you are onto a real winner. Nearly every single food product that you see on the shelves in the supermarket has been seen or dealt with by a food scientist. They are the people who have the responsibility for making sure the food isn’t going to make people ill, the levels of nutrients held within the products and developing new foods and tastes. Food scientists take charge and conduct research, experiments, and often complete clinical trials to help make safer foods and preservatives. They even have a hand in creating food processing techniques, packaging and new products that could benefit how food is preserved and developed for consumption. They are often the hidden masterminds behind all our favourite flavours and tastes. Educating yourself in microbiology, chemistry or food science is going to give you a good lead on starting a career like this.

Why Committing to Becoming 1% Better Every Day Can Turn Everything around

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Pursuit of Excellence|Why Committing to Becoming 1% Better Every Day Can Turn Everything aroundEveryone wants to achieve a degree of excellence in their lives, whether that means developing a killer business that takes the industry by storm, and revolutionises how things are done, or whether it means being the best possible spouse, parent, or friend we can be.

To that end, it pretty much goes without saying that, at any given time, hordes of people are doing their best to carry out ambitious plans for self-development, in the pursuit of that elusive and much-craved “excellence.”

Does your business involve a decent degree of marketing? Then, no doubt, you’re interested in applying next level channel marketing strategies to really kick things up a notch. Are you perhaps not in the best physical shape of your life, but really want to be? Then, you’re probably also one of the millions of people who sign up for the gym each January, in order to make good on a New Year’s resolution to get fit.

The only problem is, it’s actually legitimately difficult to become “excellent” in any given domain. Not only that, but it’s typically difficult even knowing how to begin setting about pursuing excellence in many dimensions of life.

The thing about big plans is that they are difficult to execute, difficult to keep track of, and are prone to all sorts of hiccups and mishaps along the way. It’s for this reason, among others, that Scott Adams – the famous creator of the Dilbert comics – advises that people should forget about goals altogether, and should focus on “systems” instead.

According to Adams, “systems” are the daily routines and rituals that you act out, that move you closer to success and prosperity in a given area; whereas goals are about setting a target for some point in the future, and then living in a state of permanent dissatisfaction and disappointment, as a result.

There are good critiques to be made of Adams anti-goal stance. But, there’s no denying that focusing on certain daily “systems” can be a powerful way of achieving excellence in work and life.

One “system” that has been promoted by many serious business and lifestyle gurus, is the pursuit of becoming “1% better” in a given area, each day.

Here are a few reasons why committing to becoming 1% better every day may turn everything around for you.

Because it’s a realistic scale of achievement and progress

To use the analogy of fitness, once more – setting yourself a goal like “I’m going to run an ultramarathon,” when you currently can’t even jog 1 mile without wheezing – or setting yourself a goal like “I’m going to bench press 300 pounds,” when you currently can’t even do a single push-up – may well not be the most productive way forward.

Among other things, setting yourself these kinds of major, ambitious goals right out the gate, puts you in a position where the scale of achievement and progress you’re aiming for is extremely difficult to conceptualise, or believe in.

It’s not that you can’t achieve those feats – it’s just that, until you get closer, you may struggle immensely to “believe in” them, or to feel satisfied by the progress you’re making along the path.

Striving to become “1% better each day,” on the other hand, represents a realistic scale of achievement and progress that just about everyone can believe in, regardless of where they’re starting off from.

Of course, “1%” isn’t a perfectly mathematical calculation, here. It’s just a euphemism for making really small, but consistent, improvements every day. Perhaps you went for a 10-minute jog yesterday, and felt exhausted. So, today, try to go for an 11-minute jog. this will be achievable for you, and you will feel good about achieving it, too. Then, tomorrow, you can go for a 12-minute jog. And so on.

After a year, you’re likely to be in such a dramatically superior position in life, that it’s hard to believe how far you’ve come.

Because momentum is a large part of what success in business is all about

Success in business, specifically, has plenty to do with things like innovation, and hard work, but there’s a good argument to be made that the most important skill for any aspiring entrepreneur, is simple grit, determination, and consistency.

Of course, this applies to just about everything else in life, too. It’s rarely the people who come out with a single dramatic “flash in the pan” burst of hard work who really innovate and transform things, and secure themselves a place in the annals of history.

Far more often, it’s the people who turn up to work every day, whether or not they feel like it, and who keep iterating and optimising, and moving forward, until things come together.

Focusing on becoming 1% better every day is a great way of building that sort of momentum, and of developing the kind of “staying power” that can really move mountains over time.

Striving to become 1% better every day is also a great antidote to the all-too-common tendency of many aspiring entrepreneurs, to want to spend an inordinate amount of time at the “drawing board,” as opposed to actually making things happen.

When you know that it’s about the journey along the road of incremental improvement, rather than the “single miraculous action,” you give yourself permission to actually get started, and work out the kinks along the way.

Because it will prevent you from backsliding

Setbacks inevitably happen, and you’re not always going to be in a better position, business-wise, today than you were yesterday.

All the same, one of the great things of striving to become 1% better every day, is that it puts you in a great frame of mind to avoid backsliding, and to fight against the ever-present threat of entropy.

Even if a crisis situation occurs in your business, and puts you on the back foot, striving to become 1% better will keep you pointed upwards, and will remove your excuses for compromising, or taking the easy way out.

Ultimately, guarding yourself against the tendency to backslide is just as important as anything else, when it comes to consistency and the pursuit of excellence.

Signs You’re In The Wrong Job

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It happens to all of us from time to time: you wake up one day to find that you are suddenly in the wrong job, and maybe have been for a long time. It is always disconcerting when that happens, and can actually be extremely worrying if you feel stuck and you don’t know what to do. But it does happen to everyone probably at least once or twice in their life, and by itself it is not necessarily a problem that you need to be concerned about. The thing to be concerned about is knowing whether or not it is just a pang, or whether you really do need to start thinking about getting another job. In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the clear-as-day signs that you might be in the wrong job. If you spot any of these, then you know it might be time to move on to something better.

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Wrong Job | Signs You're In The Wrong Job
 
It’s Making You Sick

This is one of those signs that you absolutely can’t ignore. It is one of the most serious too, and it’s something that you will definitely want to think about paying attention to should it becomes obvious that it is happening. If it gets to a point where your work is actually making you sick, then you will find that there is no clearer indication in the world that it is time to move on to a better job. But the question of course is how to know that it is the job making you sick, and not just that you are getting sick generally. You should be able to tell if, for instance, you tend to feel unwell when you have been working a lot, and then better on your days off. It might be as simple as the stress getting the better of you. That is a sign that you should really think about moving on.

Or it might even be more serious than that. Sometimes, you will get sick from a job because of the company’s poor approach to health and safety. This, again, is a real red flag, and one which you should wave to other people too, to help warn them of the company in question. At the extreme end of the scale, you might be working for a business that allows asbestos to be in use, and you could develop something as serious as cancer. If that does happen, you should be able to find a firm that handles claims of all sizes of this kind, and hopefully get what you are owed. But it is definitely a sign that nobody should be working for that company.

Sometimes it is a smaller infraction, but still something that shows that you should go elsewhere. For instance, if there is a constant attitude towards health which you find is making you a little sicker, then you should think about moving on to another job soon enough. As long as you are paying attention to these signs, you will hopefully move on before you get too ill, so that at least it doesn’t affect you all that much in the long run.

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Wrong Job | Signs You're In The Wrong Job
 
You Dread Going In

We’ve all been in that one job where we absolutely dreaded going into work. This is a horrible feeling to have, and if you do have it you should take it as a very clear sign that it is time to change jobs. Of course, you should wait it out a little first, to make sure that it is not just a temporary thing. These times can happen, and you are unlikely to be in love with your job every day of your life. But if you find that a feeling of dread persists, then it is no use remaining in that work – you should feel free to take yourself out of it as soon as you possibly can. Make sure that you identify what it is that you dread about it, however. If you are not entirely sure, you could end up accidentally recreating the same situation in another job, whereas if you are aware of what it is that is making you miserable, you can make a point of avoiding that as best as you can in the future too. That will lead to a much better quality of life.

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Wrong Job | Signs You're In The Wrong Job
 
You Complain About It

You might have noticed that you have started to talk more and more about what is wrong with your job, or that you are even just complaining about it in your head. These are signs too which should not be ignored. Probably the clearest indicator is if your friends say to you that you have been complaining about your work non-stop, especially if you didn’t even realize up to that point. When that happen, that can be an incredibly alarming situation, and it can really have a way of stopping you dead in your tracks. Once you notice just how often you complain, you can be sure that you are soon enough going to want to change jobs – and it is much better to put your energy into doing that, rather than the act of complaining itself, as much as you possibly can. Complaining is an indicator, but it’s not healthy to dwell in it too much, so make sure that you are able to get yourself out of it wherever that might be necessary.

You Dream Of Something Else

One of the more positive signs you can have is that you are constantly dreaming of doing something else for a living. This is one of the better indicators for the simple fact that it means you have a clear direction to move in. If you have a specific role in mind that you would just love to do, then you know that that is probably what you should aim for, and it makes sense to do so as soon as possible. The less time you waste on a job you don’t love, the better your life will be, so make sure that you are paying attention to yourself should you start to dream about another job in this way.

7 Signs Your Career is Impacting Your Relationship

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Work-life Balance|7 Signs Your Career is Impacting Your RelationshipA high-pressure job cannot only impact your general health and personal happiness, but it could also be taking its toll on your relationship with your partner.

As few things will be more important than your other half, it is important to identify how your career could be affecting your love life each day so that you can take the steps to improve your connection.

Here are seven signs your career is negatively impacting your relationship.

You’re Failing to Make Time for Your Other Half

If you head into the office early and leave work late, it is a clear-cut sign you are neglecting your spouse. If you want your relationship to work, you must set time aside in your busy schedule for your other half.

Even if you have the most understanding partner in the world, you must leave work on schedule to take him or her out for dinner or to enjoy some quality time at home together. It will make your partner feel both loved and appreciated, which could strengthen your relationship while providing you with a greater work-life balance.

You Allow Work to Cause Conflict at Home

As your professional and personal life can often intertwine, it can be easy to take various pressures and stress home with you after a tough day at work. Rather than seeking comfort and support from your partner, you might lash out at them for a small mistake or vent about your job.

It is, however, important to bear in mind that it is your employer or a client you are really mad at and not your spouse. It might, therefore, be beneficial to find more productive ways to unleash your anger or stress.

For example, you could:

  • Join a boxing class
  • Sweat out your stress in a yoga or dance class
  • Run on a treadmill
  • Regularly treat yourself to a relaxing massage

The next time you find yourself snapping at your partner after work, apologize for your behavior, and confide in them about your tough day. A kind word or hug from them might be all that is needed to lift your spirits.

You’re Avoiding Your Partner with Work

If you are regularly immersing yourself in your career to avoid returning home to your partner, take it as a warning sign that there are serious issues with your relationship, which you must address.

If you are unsatisfied with your love life, you cannot use your job to avoid your other half, as it is not fair on both you or them to do so. While work might provide you with a temporary escape from a difficult home life, you cannot allow the problem to persist any longer.

Instead, you must discuss your problems with your partner to identify the best solution for the both of you, which could be a trial separation, regular date nights, or marriage counseling.

Your Relationship is Breaking Down

Different factors can cause a relationship to breakdown over time, and it might not necessarily be one person’s fault. If, however, you are taking your stress out on your partner and returning home late from work, it could be affecting your connection.

While following the above steps can help, it is also wise to ask your partner if there are any changes you could make to restore your loving relationship potentially. For example, they might want you to stop working from home on your days off from work, to avoid taking work-related phone calls every evening or to stop consistently talking about your job.

However, a relationship breakdown might be beyond your control, as you could read these tips to identify if your partner is being unfaithful.

Your Work Priorities are More Important Than Your Relationship

While you might tell yourself that nothing or no-one is more important to you than your spouse, you could unwittingly be choosing work over your relationship.

For example, if you are missing important milestones in their life due to attending client meetings or adhering to tight deadlines, it is possible you are choosing your work priorities over your other half. Sadly, this could lead to resentment and conflict, as they might believe your job is more important to you than they are.

While you might work hard every day to provide a better life for you both, your job should not come at the cost of your relationship. For this reason, you must aim to switch off at the end of a working day, so you can both spend quality time together and share in each other’s accomplishments.

You’re Relying on Your Partner to Make You Happy

If your career is grinding you down, you might rely on your partner for personal fulfillment. Consequently, when you clash or argue, you might believe your whole life is falling apart, despite it being a perfectly normal blip in a relationship. If this is the case, you must take it as a sign that you are relying too much on your partner for joy and support.

Instead, you must find ways to improve your happiness and fulfillment, which could mean widening your social circle, finding a new career, embarking on a hobby, or discussing your heavy workload with your manager to take some of the pressure off your shoulders. It can remove some of the responsibility from your other half and could improve your relationship and independence.

You’re Too Tired After Work

Unfortunately, a demanding working day could drain you of all energy once you return home to your partner. As a result, you might have little energy to talk to your other half or to enjoy a fun activity together.

Sadly, your general mood and lack of energy could affect your spouse, as they could feel unloved and unappreciated. If you are struggling with extreme tiredness after work, it might be time to schedule a few well-deserved vacation days to restore your energy levels and give your partner your undivided attention.

The 5 People You Need Around You To Succeed In Business

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Success in Business|The 5 People You Need Around You To Succeed In BusinessSucceeding in business is not something that you can do alone. Whilst many of the ideas that you use will be entirely down to you, and you will be making all of the big decisions for your company, the truth is that you won’t make it unless you’re surrounded by some great, awe-inspiring people, who know the world of business like the back of their hands. But which people do you need around you if your company is going to become the next big thing in your field?

Here are 5 of them…

#1: The innovator
When you’re hiring for your business, you need to make sure that you’ve picked out some people that don’t always toe the regular business line. Whilst there are some things that are proven to work for most businesses, you’re never going to push through to the next level if you’re not surrounded by people who aren’t scared to take (well-informed) risks now and again, so pick out some innovators.

#2: The mentor
Whilst it’s a good idea to choose out some fresh talent, there’s nothing better than finding out a good mentor, who can tell you all that you need to know about your industry. Ideally, you’ll be able to talk to somebody who has a lot of years under their belt, and has owned various businesses (or one successful one) that has much in common with the direction that you’ll be taking. Seek a mentor!

#3: The expert
Most business owners do all that they can to teach themselves the various tricks of the trade. Whether you’re trying to figure out your IT, your finances, or that perfect logo for your brand, you have to understand sometimes that only the experts can get the job done properly. Seek out some IT support from places like https://www.capstoneitinc.com/location/treasure-coast/, and look into other ways to get the experts on board.

#4: The friend(s)
Often overlooked in discussions about business, you do actually need to have a good network of out-of-office, non-business friends. Not only will this keep you grounded, but having the support of your friends and family will really help you when you’re trying to make your way through the tough first few months (and years) of business, so don’t underestimate the importance of your support network.

#5: The passionate
You can have all of the people mentioned above around you in your business, but if there is no passion when you walk into your office, then you need to do all that you can to change this. Whoever you meet and manage to get on board, make sure that they’re bursting with passion, and that they really think about what they can offer to help make your vision a reality. Passionate people, apply within.

So, if you want to succeed in business, then make sure that you have these 5 types of people on board with you. It can make or break your company, so don’t get this wrong!