Perhaps some of you are acquainted with the Monty Python skit about the seasoned accountant who, bored with his career, wanted to become a lion tamer. Adamant though he was, poor Herbert Anchovy (who only wanted his name in lights) made a fundamental error in his career analysis: he mistook an anteater for a lion (I could tame one of those; I don’t know what all the fuss is about).

While this is a bit silly, it illustrates a good point, viz., that careers with animals can be dangerous. We all learned that recently with the untimely and indeed unusual death of animal-loving adventurer Steve Irwin. Of all things, a stingray—who’d have thought?

So, if you plan on having a career involving animals, remember this: animals are still animals, and they are born with a nature that is fitting for their species. Yes, you can change that to a point, but it can never be eliminated. Just as Siegfried and Roy.

In short, don’t let your love for animals be the be-all and end-all of your career choice. Rather, let this love develop through the appropriate research, training, and experience necessary to succeed in your field.

Where can you learn more? Google’s a great place to start. Depending on exactly what you want to do, you can search for veterinary, animal trainer school, animal careers, etc. If you have a local school that offers animal-related courses, it’s a good idea to check with them as well. 

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Before the test: Okay, I think I’ll take this online personality test. It’s a good idea to know my strengths and weaknesses. After the test: Oh no—how can I be this different from how I perceived myself to be???

Like so many things, an online personality test has to be taken with a grain of salt. Sure there is likely to be some validity to such a test, but it’s not going to be foolproof. How could any instrument perfectly measure something as complicated as a human being?

With this in mind, here are some tips for getting the most out of such an assessment tool.

First, take it with a grain of salt. Yes, I realize I already said this, but I want to emphasize it. No test knows you like you know you. If you have your heart set on being an accountant, but the online personality test indicates you’d be better suited to be a belly dancer, don’t panic (and don’t sign up for belly dancing lessons unless you really want to).

Whatever motivates and inspires you (unless it’s something wrong, like being a gangster), that’s what you should strive for. Use tests like this to help you see weaknesses and improve them, and strengths, which you can further develop.

If you’re uncertain about what career you’d like to have, tools like this can be valuable in helping to figure out which way to go. But this is only one tool. You should also utilize the advice of family, friends, co-workers, and others, as well as conducting your own research.

One other thing. With any test, do be honest. This will help you get the results that will be of most benefit to you. And did I mention that you have to take these things with a grain of salt?

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Previously we looked at the first five (entirely subjective) entries of what are the ten hottest careers. Here are the remaining five from my personal list.

6. Nature photographer

Okay, so you go to places like the Grand Canyon, Nairobi, India, and some of the most beautiful places on earth. While there, you take pictures. Your trips are paid for, and your pictures are published in widely read magazines. You get rich doing it. Yeah, that would work.

7. Copywriter

That’s the jargon term for someone who writes ads and marketing material. A chance to be highly creative and have fun. If you’re in the right company, you can make a very satisfying career.

8. Relief worker

Here you won’t get rich. But you will get to bless the lives of perhaps thousands of people, and you will likely be in a new and interesting culture. Not for everyone, but fulfilling? Definitely could be, but it’s one of those things you’ve really got to want to do. If it is, you’ll probably enjoy your work more than most.

9. Law enforcement

When I was at university, I was amazed at how huge the law enforcement enrollment had become. But it makes sense, as this field encompasses so many opportunities. Sure, you can be a cop, but there’s also FBI, CIA, ATF, TSA, and a host of other government acronyms to provide a secure, stable career.

Additionally, there’s no question that the aspect of service is a significant factor in one’s choice to pursue law enforcement. Helping make your community, state, or country safe is rewarding in itself. Kudos to all who have so chosen to serve.

10. United States military

This list would not be complete without mentioning the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and National Guard. The brave men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us at home and abroad deserve our respect and gratitude.

As for making this one’s career—or simply a part of it—it’s a good move. The tangible benefits include everything normally associated with government work, with the added bonus of paid education and assistance with housing and healthcare. The intangibles include the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping defend freedom; as perks go, that one’s pretty hard to beat.

So, there’s my list; I hope that someone may find it helpful.

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When someone mentions jobs in education, it is natural to think of teachers and administrators. However, these days, there are many other opportunities available. One of these is the role of adjunct faculty, specifically, online instructor.

To be an online instructor, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree, although many institutions require a master’s; universities often demand a doctorate. To teach online, you will also need to be able to use modern technology. Most classes will be asynchronous, but it’s still a good idea to know about chatting.

It is especially important to be accessible to students, who may send an email query at any time. Ideally, an online instructor will monitor his or her email no less often than once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening. When email is received, it should be replied to immediately if possible.

To really succeed in this venue, in addition to the above, it can be a great help to students if you use more than one method to impart learning. For example, the addition of a PowerPoint lecture to a unit of a course can add a visual reinforcement to the text students have been reading. Likewise, links to additional sources of information and other resources can be quite helpful.

An advantage to teaching online is the opportunity to work from home, generally at the hours of one’s choosing. It’s a great way to pick up some extra money, although it can be difficult to find enough courses to end up teaching on a full-time basis. Besides the general unavailability of full-time employment, another drawback is the lack of benefits. Adjunct faculty are usually classified as 1099, independent contractor. Consequently, healthcare is usually not offered, although some employers will make stock and retirement options available.

Online teaching is just one of the ways that education jobs are opening up for the 21st century

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Want to be a job finder? You’ll need to do the right preparation, keep the right attitude, and stay focused. Here are some tips about what successful job finders do to get hired.

Once you learn of a job you’d like to get, it is important to properly prepare for the pre-interview, interview, and post-interview scenarios.

Pre-Interview
1. Tailor your resume to the job, highlighting experiences relevant to the position.
2. Write a cover letter that accentuates relevant skills and accomplishments.
3. Consider following up the submitting of your materials with a phone call.

Use the job ad’s keywords whenever possible, doing so in a “natural” (i.e., non-contrived) way.

Interview
1. Learn everything you can about the position.
2. Get at least a solid, general knowledge of the company and what it does.
3. Prepare for standard interview questions.
4. Have a great, can-do attitude, knowing that whatever happens, you’re going to be fine.
5. Get enough food and rest before the interview.
6. Leave stress or worry behind—don’t bring your problems to the interview.

Post-Interview
1. Be prepared to start doing what you’ve been hired to do.
2. Have enthusiasm, friendliness, and especially, focus.

Above all, you need to keep a positive attitude. If you think you won’t get hired, you won’t. If you think you will get hired, you will naturally prepare as well as possible. And then if you end up not getting hired, it won’t be a totally crushing blow, even though it may certainly be a big disappointment, especially if you really wanted that job.

When you succeed in getting the job you want, congratulations—you’ve just gone from the pool of job seekers to the much larger pool of job finders.

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