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Results tagged “finding your passion”

Career Center Blog | Things I wish I'd known before my first job

New college grad? Congratulations! Now it's time to find a job and begin your career. Feeling nervous? Don't worry -- starting a new job often strikes fear into the heart of even the strongest person. As one of my clients

Career Center | Thanks, Mom: Readers share mothers' work wisdom

By NWjobs staff In honor of Mother's Day, NWjobs asked readers to share what their fathers taught them about work. Here are excerpts. “The best advice my mother and grandmother taught me about work was to always take advantage of

Career Center | Q&A: Firefighter needs career-escape plan

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: I have been a firefighter for 13 years, and I also have ADHD. I went into firefighting after reading an article that said it was a good career choice for someone

Career Center | Good Job: Kate Murphy of Hunger Intervention Program

What do you do? I am the program manager for the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP). At HIP, we provide nutritious meals, basic cooking skills and nutrition education to underserved individuals in Seattle. I oversee the weekly meal programs and create

Career Center | Career makeover: Longtime IT manager must draft new career plan

By Lora Shinn / Special to NWjobs For 17 years, Barry Nichols was the IT manager at the U.S. Census Bureau’s Seattle regional office. But in 2012, the bureau office closed, forcing Nichols to look for a job for the

Career Center Blog | Dreaming of being a writer? Here's how to get started

Are you sitting at work thinking about your childhood dream of becoming a writer? Learn how to transition from working 9 to 5 to becoming a published author with these tips from award-winning author Pam Binder. Pam is a Seattleite

Career Center | Picking a path: Students need skills to pay the bills

By Rex Huppke / Chicago Tribune Parents are often told -- by magazines, television news shows and Oprah -- that they are doing things wrong. Don’t give kids regular milk; give them organic or they’ll turn into mutant cow people.

Career Center Blog | Achieve work-life balance naturally with these 5 tips

We all know at least someone who amazes us with the amount of energy they have and the ease with which they juggle demanding careers and social lives. They seem to not only excel at their jobs, but also find

Career Center | How to prepare kids for careers in changing times

By Cindy Krischer Goodman / The Miami Herald My daughter, a high-school junior, wants to be a teacher. That doesn’t sit well with my husband, who worries about the state of education and the job outlook. He and I regularly

Career Center | Q&A: Out of a work rut, into a financial one?

By Karla L. Miller / Special to The Washington Post Q: I work for a small company that I'm nearly positive won't exist in five years. Since I don't dig the "sinking ship" vibe, I've been trying to get out

Career Center | It's a career ladder, not an escalator

By Rex Huppke / The Chicago Tribune While I'm watching television, the remote control occasionally gets knocked off the couch, presenting an epic quandary. Do I get up and retrieve the remote, disrupting my carefully crafted comfort zone? Or do

Career Center Blog | Do you have a terrible job or just a bad attitude?

We've all had some jobs in our experience that we regret — the high-school cash register job, the unappreciated office drone, the back-breaking summertime construction job. They're all part of our career evolution. But have you ever been in a

Career Center Blog | When life gives you lemons, squeeze them into your resume

The current employment climate can create many unlikely scenarios on the job market. As candidates vie for a shrinking number of positions, they get increasingly creative in their tactics with hiring managers. For instance, there's the story of Greg Drevenstedt,

Career Center | Green jobs: Earth-friendly work options are growing

By Dawn Dugan / Salary.com Do you care about making a difference as much as you care about your career? “Green” jobs — defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as jobs that produce goods or services that

Career Center Blog | First be good at what you do and the passion will follow

Follow your dreams? Just child's play. Discover your true calling? An impossible fantasy. Work your way up the company ladder? Sucker! While never stated quite this bluntly, these are some of the harsh admonitions that author Cal Newport aims at

Career Center | Seattle Storm emcee Shellie Hart's cool job

What do you do? I am the on-court entertainment emcee for our two-time WNBA Championship team, the Seattle Storm. How did you get started? Since the tip-off of the first season in 2000, I volunteered when I could to emcee,

Career Center | European tour specialist Robyn Stencil's cool job

What do you do? I work as a tour operations specialist for Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door, managing the Germany-Austria-Switzerland, Berlin-Prague-Vienna, Ireland, Scotland and Adriatic itineraries. My job is to assist in planning and coordinating these itineraries; organize

Career Center Blog | Perennial 'Parachute' still guides job seekers at 42

Few mass-produced books have shorter lifespans than guidebooks. Whether the subject is world travel, local restaurants or advice on how to find a good job, most of these manuals can help you immediately, but they become obsolete within months of

Career Center | How to pursue a job you aren't qualified for -- on paper

By Ken White / Special to The Washington Post Have you ever seen a job posting that looks like a great opportunity -- if only you met the qualifications? It may not be exactly what you “do,” but don’t let

Career Center Blog | Millennial job seekers have good reason to stay in Seattle

Of all the demographic groups that have been studied for their economic vulnerability, the Millennials arguably have become the poster children of post-Great Recession victimhood. These young workers in the Seattle market, however, may soon become a bellwether for better

Career Center Blog | Avoiding the pitfalls of merging freelance and full-time work

During your search for a new job, have you ever had the urge to drop it all and just start your own business? After filling out endless applications, micromanaging your ever-changing resume and practicing your elevator speech into the wee

Career Center Blog | To stand out, focus on 'why' instead of 'how' or 'what'

The changing nature of today's job market has caused many job seekers to fiddle almost daily with their resumes to cater to specific audiences. From past work experience to lists of relevant skills to job-specific training programs, the variations of

Career Center Blog | Learning from the 'Missed Ops' in your job search

New job opportunities can pop up when you least expect them. And sometimes, even when you think you've weighed all options, fate throws a wrench in the plans. A few years ago, I got a call out of the blue

Career Center Blog | Certificate programs might be your ticket to a career boost

If you've been thinking about increasing your skills, retraining or exploring a new career but don't want to spend the equivalent of a full college degree (and don't have the time for more intensive schooling), you might want to consider

Career Center Blog | 'Not Working' reflects the adaptability of today's workforce

A woman finds out she is being laid off from her bank job via email attachment after 22 years of service. A man shows up one morning at his office to find a padlock on the front door and all

Career Center Blog | Moving on: How to bounce back from career setbacks

Getting laid off is a sad fact of life, especially in the last five years following the global financial meltdown. Most of us manage to bounce back by redefining our goals, establishing a networking strategy and settling into a job

Career Center Blog | Start me up: 5 tips for budding entrepreneurs

For those with an entrepreneurial spirit who are nevertheless stuck in the job-search loop for extended periods, the urge to strike out on their own has been stoked in recent weeks by anecdotal reports of a resurgent venture capital market.

Career Center | Pie-maker Dani Cone's cool job

What do you do? I own Fuel Coffee and High 5 Pie; these days, I spend most my day making pies and drinking endless amounts of coffee. How did you get started? I have been a barista since about 1992.

Job Calendar | King County Library System job-search workshop

KCLS librarian Laurie Finlayson will host a free WorkSource workshop that demonstrates the latest job-search, career and financial tools available through the library homepage. She will cover websites and databases that are geared for searching for a job, finding a

Career Center | Model Tristyn Rowlan's cool job

What do you do? I’m a [Seattle-based] fashion model represented by Heffner Management. How did you get started? My ex-girlfriend always suggested I should do it. I took the time out to do the research on where I needed to

Career Center | Niche nursing: Specialties that are in demand

By Katie Ormsby / Special to NWjobs May 6 marks the start of National Nurses Week. The annual celebration emphasizes the value of nursing while educating the public on the important role the profession plays in meeting the country’s health-care

Job Calendar | In Pursuit of the Perfect Career

Feel stuck in your job? Find yourself daydreaming about a new career? Come hear Puget Sound Career Development Association panelists and learn how they successfully changed career direction (some more than once) and found satisfying employment. These career changers will

Career Center Blog | Are you hot or useless? Career rankings may predict success, or not

If you know your way around a blood-pressure cuff, tartar scraper or bedpan, it appears that you're golden. You're also lucky if you do network administration, data analysis or computer programming. If, on the other hand, you're in touch with

Career Center | Naturalist Kevin Mack's cool job

What do you do? I am the naturalist in charge of the release program at the PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood. Our center is a full-service wildlife hospital that rehabilitates sick, injured and orphaned wild animals with the goal of

Career Center Blog | Is 2012 your year to become an entrepreneur?

Tired of the 9-to-5 slog? Want to be your own boss and pursue only what you are most passionate about? This could be your year. 2012 will be the year of the entrepreneur, predicted Time magazine. With technology offering low-overhead

Career Center | What to do if the spark is missing at work

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: I am a happily married man in my mid-40s with three young children. During my career, I have built a successful business and accumulated enough wealth so that I have no

Career Center Blog | What 'The Hunger Games' can teach us about work

A challenge, a test, a modern coliseum of brutal competition and limited rewards: At one point or another, for many of us, the workplace can be all of these. I was thinking about the similarities between the gauntlet of job

Career Center Blog | Bridge of bitter flames might not be the best exit strategy

Most of us have been there at some point, maybe more than once. You're sick of your job. The very idea of waking up in the morning and hauling yourself into that soul-deadening place, where you are overworked and underappreciated

Career Center | Cookbook author/foodie Becky Selengut's cool job

What do you do? I'm a private chef who prepares dinners for small groups of diners. I teach cooking classes out of my home, in client's homes, at PCC, Bastyr University and The Pantry. I lead foraging trips in the

Career Center Blog | Making the 'leap' to a career that you love

As calendar events go, Leap Day has always been a bit of an afterthought. It was tacked on to our calendar by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. to make up for lost time when it was noted that a year

Career Center Blog | Career consciousness among the younger generation

When I was in high school, I don't recall average students (including myself) giving all that much thought to what they wanted to be when they grew up. Sure, there were a few bright kids who seemed hell-bent on becoming

Career Center Blog | Should you venture into business with your Valentine?

You may have promised to love each other in sickness and health, for rich or for poor, but what does it take to be partners in love and in business? Lots of couples take the plunge: According to a U.S.

Career Center | Documentary food photographer Clare Barboza

What do you do? I am a food photographer, with a particular passion for documenting how food goes from the farm to the kitchen to the table. I shoot for chefs, farms, cookbooks and magazines, and also teach food photography

Job Calendar | Refocus & Reinvest: Career Management in the 21st Century

Carol Vecchio, the founder of Centerpoint Institute for Life and Career Renewal, leads a Seattle University Service in Action workshop for individuals who want to revisit what they find meaningful and understand how to create career fulfillment. Registration fee includes

Career Center Blog | Review and reflect (be honest!) before setting career goals

Around this time, when the calendar rolls over and our 90-day streak of straight rain begins, we're always so quick to jump into the New Year mentality: What are my goals? How can I start fresh? I'd better list those

Career Center Blog | A little fatherly advice about finding your dream job

At least once a year, it's a good idea to find someone in your network from whom to get advice about taking the next step in your career. For me, one of my indispensable advisers was my father, Robert Woods,

Career Center Blog | Sometimes a job is just a job (and other career lessons learned)

This will be my last post on NWjobs. In the three-and-a-half years I've been blogging on this site, I've learned countless lessons from the workers and career experts I've interviewed, as well as the many readers who've taken the time

Career Center Blog | Holiday gift list: New confidence, new job

This is a week of making lists (checked twice, of course) and looking forward to a new year of possibilities. We seem to be doing well with the gift list, according to the latest figures for retail sales and other

Career Center | Work/study: Sometimes, to get ahead, you have to go back (to school)

By Randy Woods NWjobs Making school work Include your family/support system. “Everyone has to understand that you must take time out of every weekend, so you may not be as available as you were,” says Antioch University’s Douglas Arnold. Prepare

Career Center Blog | How professional envy can help your career

We're told not to get hung up coveting the careers of those more successful than us, to stop getting bogged down by what we don't have and focus on building up what we do. However, new research on envy shows

Career Center Blog | So you want to be a published author? What you need to know

If there's one good thing that's come out of this rotten economy, it's that Americans have gotten more creative -- and not just in how far they can stretch a dollar. Having finally realized that corporate America is no

Career Center Blog | Career lessons from Steve Jobs

By now, you've probably read Steve Jobs' words on a friend's blog or Facebook page: Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results

Career Center Blog | How to keep the conference high alive after you get home

I spent this past weekend at the most inspiring writing workshop I've attended in I don't know how long. [Flickr photo by jemsweb] No matter how energizing a professional event, though, my usual MO is to slip back into

Career Center Blog | What if you don't know what you want to do?

One of the questions I'm asked most in my workshops is, "What if I don't know what I want to do?" Taking the time to answer this important question is invaluable, as we spend a good amount of our lives

Career Center Blog | Why applying online first is a waste of time

I recently gave a presentation called Career Search Optimization to professionals in transition, emphasizing the need to become more strategic if they want to find their ideal job. Many, if not all, job seekers are so focused on advertised openings

Career Center | Plan B careers aren't always the dream jobs people hope for

By Alex WilliamsThe New York Times Rona Economou was a lawyer at a large Manhattan law firm, making a comfortable salary and enjoying nights on the town when she was laid off in 2009, another victim of the recession. At

Career Center | Cool Job: Chief Formulation Officer Eric Butler

What do you do? I am the founder and CFO (chief formulation officer) for Eric’s Energy Co. (a small all-natural beverage company in Mill Creek). I create the recipe for each custom formulation that bears the Eric’s name. How did

Career Center | Wide gap in skills leaves many unemployed, many open jobs

By Drew DeSilverSeattle Times business reporter At age 46, with three grown kids and nearly three decades in sales behind him, Chris Mugler of Auburn is two places he thought he'd never be: unemployed and back in school. Four days

Career Center Blog | What if this is an opportunity?

In my monthly career seminars, I ask who among the participants is unemployed. When most folks raise their hands, I congratulate them. Why? Because few people love what they do. If you're unemployed, this is your opportunity to find your

Career Center | Five hot jobs: Digital age, aging population reshape employment projections

By Dave Carpenter The Associated Press If you’ve been fantasizing about becoming a farmer, it’s time to pick another daydream. No other occupation category has seen a bigger decline, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Twitter strategist or

Career Center | Cool job: Costume designer Emily McLaughlin

What do you do? I am lucky to work at the Seattle Children’s Theatre in wardrobe for the Mainstage Season and as one of the Costume Designers for the Drama School Summerstage Season. I also work as Costume Designer for

Career Center | Why we stay: Unhappy in your job? Focus on what would happen if you changed

By Andrea Kay / The Associated Press Bob was 50 and miserable, working as a doctor in his own practice but unwilling to call it quits. He just couldn’t get his mother out of his head. “She told me I

Career Center Blog | Best-selling author shares tips for career success

I recently interviewed Andrea Cagan, ghostwriter of Wendy Walker's recent book "Producer: Lessons Shared from 30 Years in Television" (the topic of last week's column, "Career lessons from Larry King's senior executive producer"). Andrea's career history was not only fascinating,

Career Center Blog | Curious about a career in the arts? Free UW classes Thursday can help

Interested in a more artistic career but not sure where to begin? The University of Washington's Professional & Continuing Education division has your back. This Thursday evening, May 19, UW's continuing ed folks will offer free previews of several of

Career Center Blog | Women: What to do if you're undecided about your career path

One of the drawbacks of having infinite career options is the indecisiveness that can ensue. Such is the plight of many young women today, writes mother and daughter team Barbara and Shannon Kelley in their new book Undecided: How

Career Center Blog | Could your name predict your profession?

A new LinkedIn study says yes. [Photo by Swift Benjamin] LinkedIn data analysts evaluated more than 100 million profiles on the business networking site to suss out the most common CEO names. The top name for women CEOs? Deborah.

Career Center Blog | Resources for finding a job you love in your encore years

My previous post featured a Q&A with Marc Freedman, author of the new book The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife, about redefining work and retirement for Americans over age 50 and 60. [Marc Freedman | Photo

Career Center Blog | Redefining retirement, work, and play for those over 50 and 60

Over 50 but feel like those AARP notices you keep getting in the mail aren't speaking your language? Feel more like you're embarking on a new chapter of life than moving toward retirement? Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of

Career Center Blog | Between jobs and looking to publish your book? These classes can help

We all know involuntary unemployment is no picnic. But as some of the nation's pink-slipped have noted, the upside of losing your job is that you finally have the time to pursue those long-neglected hobbies and side projects. [Jennifer

Career Center | Find your true (job) love: Soul searching can lead you to your passion

By Cody Ellerd Bay Special to NWjobs Some people will wake up on Valentine’s Day ready to embrace the day with a big bear hug. For others, the day will mean just another Monday that they won’t be feeling the

Career Center Blog | New year's resolutions: It's not too late to salvage them

Now that we're five weeks into the new year, I have to ask: how are those resolutions going? [Photo by graymalkn] If your best-laid plans to work out before work, get more rest, or investigate making a career change already

Career Center Blog | Is the magic gone from your career? Free teleclasses that can help

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Seattle career coach Curt Rosengren is offering three free, one-hour teleclasses (conducted over the phone) designed to help you: Rekindle your passion for the way you make a living, Replenish your lagging energy

Career Center Blog | How to survive grad school while working full-time

Before the holidays, I mentioned that the University of Washington was hosting a panel for professionals thinking of enrolling in graduate school while working full-time. [Photo by alamosbasement] If you missed the event, you're in luck. UW Professional and

Career Center Blog | Prediction: The biggest workplace stories for 2011

Although it was no 2009, this past year was another doozy for the U.S. workforce. So rather than reminisce about the many ways 2010 whooped the collective hide of the working public, let's look forward to the new year. Following are

Career Center Blog | Questions about grad school? Free UW event on Nov. 10 can help

Pondering graduate school while working, but not sure how you'll handle hitting the books on top of holding down a day job? The University of Washington wants to help. On Wednesday, November 10, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., UW Professional

Career Center Blog | Forging an encore career in today's tricky job market

The IT professional turned social worker. The lawyer turned schoolteacher. The corporate accountant turned non-profit fundraiser. In the past year, you've no doubt heard stories like these of professionals who -- thanks to layoffs, burnout, or general job dissatisfaction --

Career Center Blog | Trying to get noticed online? How to rise above the digital din

Ever since "tweeting" and "personal branding" became household buzzwords, business experts have been beating us over the head with the notion that if we want to attract employers or customers, we have to jump into the social media fray and

Career Center Blog | So you want to work for a nonprofit, part two

In my last post, I spoke to Heather Krasna, author of Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service, about the difference between job hunting in the nonprofit sector and the for-profit world. [Heather Krasna |

Career Center Blog | So you want to work for a nonprofit, part one

It's no secret that the recession has left many displaced and disgruntled workers wondering whether they can find a more meaningful way to make a living. Working in the nonprofit sector is obviously one option. But as local author Heather

Career Center Blog | The myth of following your bliss

It's unfortunate that our nation's collective body of career advice has led so many young workers to assume that there's a single vocation out there for each and every one of them that will provide them with an unlimited

Career Center Blog | Five alternatives to graduate school

I recently received the sort of email that I hate to see. "Paul," a thirtysomething laid off from an unsatisfying administrative job, was confused about what career steps to take next. He wanted work in a field he found

Career Center Blog | Embrace diversity: Small business conference focuses on multiculturalism

In the past two-plus years, I've mentioned a handful of local small business conferences on this blog. It's rare, however, that I see an announcement for a multicultural-minded conference aimed at our region's small business community. That's why I was

Career Center Blog | Artists: How to stop hating your day job, part two

In my last post, I gave suggestions for artists and other creative types who feel frustrated by their day jobs, based on a conversation I had earlier this month with Summer Pierre, author of the new book, The Artist

Career Center Blog | Artists: How to stop hating your day job

"As an artist, I have always felt I was living two lives -- my 'day job life' and my 'real life' as an active artist....I thought until I 'made it' I didn't have a choice. 'Making it' meant fame,

Career Center | Management material: Do you have what it takes to be a boss?

By Sandy Shore The Associated Press (Dan O’Brien) Some people are natural managers. They love to lead, drive performance and contribute to the broader goals of a company. The perks also can be enticing — more money, an office,

Career Center | Corps values: Service organizations give college grads a head start

By Jean Parietti Special to NWjobs College graduate Rachel Miranto is gaining hands-on environmental experience and training during 10 months of service with Seattle-based EarthCorps. (Jean Parietti) Rachel Miranto grins as she tugs out the offender — an invasive

Career Center Blog | And the award for Least Trusted Profession goes to...

...Politician! Congratulations, Politician -- come up here and accept your award! In a new survey commissioned by Sandler Training, a sales and management training company, 68 percent of 1,200 U.S. adults polled chose politicians as the profession they trust

Career Center Blog | Career change for people unsure which path to pursue next

We talk a lot about career change on this blog and on NWjobs in general. But what if you hate (or lose) your job and have no idea what work you'd like to do next? In the newly updated

Career Center Blog | Need a new career? There's an app for that

We chat, shop, check directions, and make restaurant reservations on our smartphones. So why not use them to revamp our careers too? [Great Career iPhone app | Photo courtesy of Franklin Covey Co] Several new smartphone applications help you

Career Center | For love or money: Workers weigh passion against the need to make a living

By Michelle Goodman Special to NWjobs Chris Pesce of Seattle was a lawyer before he decided to transition to a more satisfying career as a high school math teacher. (Linda Hughes) Financially speaking, Chris Pesce had it all: the

Career Center | Best job of 2010: Actuary, often 'at the bottom of the geek chain,' tops study

By Bill Glauber Associated Press John Bazemore / Associated Press Harry Lutz works at BHA Consulting in Georgia as an actuary. They are the odds-makers of life. With computers, calculations and curiosity, they place a financial value on risk

Career Center | A match made at work: Office romance turns into marriage for some local couples

By Michelle Goodman NWjobs Courtesy Kris Hoots and Steve Thomas Co-workers Kris Hoots and Steve Thomas married three months after their first date. The way former co-workers Kris Hoots and Steve Thomas tell it, they were the last to

Career Center | Winning workplaces: NWjobs People's Picks honorees triumph in a tough climate

By Cody Ellerd Bay Special to NWjobs ANIMAL CRITICAL CARE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES Allison Dietz (with Reggie), Yvonne Victor (with Gordie) and Shannon Brown (with Mowgli), from left, work at Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services. The Lake City

Career Center | Following your heart: Jobs with impact, 'social capital' gaining popularity

By Emily Glazer Associated Press iSTOCK Now that the financial system has been rocked to its core, “social capital” is getting a lot of buzz. But what is it? It boils down to putting your efforts into jobs with

Career Center | Grateful patient became a nurse educator -- and many more like him are needed

By Linda Hughes Staff Writer LINDA HUGHES Nursing students watch as educator Neil Foltz prepares a needle for an injection. From left, Magdala Thermidor, Caroline Fewing (seated) and Kelly Finn are students at Renton Technical College. When ironworker Neil