Dr. L’esa, PhD.

It is true to say that the USA has the highest manufacturing rate of any country in the world at a little under 2.4 trillion dollars. Their nearest rival (China) peaked at just under 2.0 trillion dollars. What is alarming is that whilst US manufacturing productivity continues to rise, the manufacturing workforce is decreasing. Now one could argue that this could be down to the ‘computerisation’ of factories and processing plants, but the bottom line is that there is a definite shortfall in skilled manufacturing jobs. In fact Fisher Investments did a cool infographic explaining this in greater detail.

Check out what else Fisher investments are saying on Twitter: http://twitter.com/fisherinvest_mm

In a country that has over 14 million unemployed it seems strange that large manufacturing companies such as Siemens are reporting around 3,000 jobs not being filled. Other companies paint a similar picture and according the the labor department’s latest turnover survey, there were 240,000 open jobs in manufacturing at the end of August 2011. That figure is up by 38.7% on the previous year. This problem is sufficiently serious that large corporations are pushing congress to address the visa issue in order to hire more highly skilled foreigners to fill these vacancies.

Manufacturing careers range from highly skilled college degree type jobs in careers such as Aerospace engineers or on the job training such as those wanting to go into the textile industry or steel workers Please check out this bureau of labor statistics link for further details http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cg1002.htm

In years gone by, manufacturing jobs used to be hot, dangerous, noisy and smelly. However since the onset of computerization, the demographic has changed, as these were the kind of jobs that were automated first. This means that this type of work is now carried out by robots. Amongst the job losses this work still has to be monitored and workers are now more likely to be sitting in air conditioned pulpits monitoring banks of computer screens and supervising the whole process, rather than carrying out the entire dangerous processes manually.

There are many areas of manufacture that a person looking for a career can enter, so here are a selection of these:

• Aerospace parts and product manufacturing
• Non drug chemical manufacturing
• Electrical product manufacturing
• Food manufacturing
• Machinery manufacturing
• Manufacturing of Vehicle and Parts
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Steel Industry
• Textile industry
• Printing Industry

Whatever area of manufacture you chose, be aware that there is a shortfall of jobs. Skilled people such as welders, electricians or machine specialists with skills that go beyond pushing a button and stacking a box are in great demand. In fact a survey conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) back in 2005 stated that out of 800 companies surveyed, over 80% of these said that they were experiencing a skilled shortfall in workers. Here’s a great link to some eye opening manufacturing statistics: http://www.nam.org/Statistics-And-Data/Facts-About-Manufacturing/Landing.aspx

In a nutshell, what the figures show are that the entire sector has become specialized with firms being able to produce more with fewer workers. However skilled workers are, and continue to be, in great demand and with an average skilled US manufacturer earning around $74,000 inclusive of pay and benefits, there is definitely a ray of light for people wanting to join the industry.

My Husband John took me to my first 49ers game last week. He has been an avid supporter all his life and hasn’t had a lot to cheer about since the great teams of the 80′s. However since the appointment of head coach Jim Harbaugh at the start of the year, all that seems to have changed. At 3-1 there was a definite sense of optimism at ‘the stick’ as a little under 65,000 people crowded into the stadium. Looking at the NFL Schedule (the official refrigerator magnet schedule!) I say that they faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were also doing pretty well. It was going to be a tough match.

As I took my seat it struck me that for the next 2-3 hours 65,000 expectant fans would be watching the every move of just 22 players and I wondered what it really takes to be a professional athlete and to be on top of your game.

Oh, I guess at this point I’d better introduce myself. My name is L’esa Guilian and I am a professional career coach. In essence I help people find suitable jobs and careers. Anyway… you know when you’re about six or seven and the teacher always asks you what you want to be when you grow up…most boys will say something like a fire fighter, or a pilot, or a football pro. Well these guys on the field have probably had this burning ambition since they were that age, and more importantly they have succeeded where thousands of others have failed.

So it got me thinking…… given their short career spell (on average just 6 years) what does it take to make it, and what gives them the drive and ambition to succeed?

In any sport, you have to love what you do…actually it kind of becomes a way of life and those fantastic rewards that it can give you such as money, notoriety and fame are really secondary to the ‘love of competing’. The issue is that when these potential superstars begin on their chosen career paths at the tender age of say.. six or seven, they are thrust into a competitive world. This is a world where it is instilled into them that it simply isn’t enough to be ‘good’. Instead the child is looked upon to continually dominate and triumph over others. I guess that you could argue that it doesn’t have to be this way, but without this competitive edge, the child simply won’t get there.

The sacrifices that budding professional athletes make along the way are also huge. When all their buddies are out doing what guys or girls do, they are probably into a never ending cycle of training and fitness  They can’t go to the movies because they’ve got training or they can’t have a Big Mac and fries because they are on a special diet  Training regimes can be tough and can involve endless work outs before and after school. This means that there is no real time to hang out with friends.

For those that do make it, and we are talking around 0.02% of all people who dream of becoming a professional athlete, the journey has undoubtedly been a long hard slog. These are the chosen few, the ‘crème de la crème’ and now they have their chance in the spotlight.

So when I look at these 22 players taking the field, I don’t just see a bunch of football players, instead I see a group of young men who have triumphed over adversity to get to where they are today. The experience has given them an arsenal of life skills including steely determination and discipline which will stand them in good stead for whatever the future may throw at them.

Oh, and if you were wandering what the final score was…the 49ers won 48-3. They have had their best start to a season since 1998 and what’s more,  it put a beaming smile on John’s face.

Whilst for some people a choice of career truly is a fulfilling and enriching experience, for others a job is merely a means to an end that pays the bills and keeps a roof over our heads. A job offers a safety net in which we can care for our families and for this reason, many of us are understandably resigned to the fact that we are better off with the ‘devil we know, than the devil we don’t’

But what if this is not enough?  It is good to know that if you have somehow fallen into the wrong occupation and are looking for a change of direction, it’s never too late to make that change. So with this in mind how do you go about it?

Firstly, you may want to do a bit of soul searching. By accessing your options and writing them down on paper, it will  give you some idea of the career path you want to take. Take a look at your likes and dislikes, your skill set and what you want a career to give you. Also think about what you want to get out of your chosen career. Self assessment requires a great deal of honesty and for some  this can prove difficult. In many cases it is well worth utilizing the services of a career coach who can help you through this process.

Assessment tests can also be a good way of finding a career that suits your skills, needs and aspirations. The one thing to remember is that it is important to be brutally honest when doing these as they are only as good as the information that you give. These tests will allow you to take a look at the areas that you can improve, so that you can reach your chosen goal.

When you think that you have found the career for you, then you need to take a look at how you are going to achieve it. For the majority of people, going to college full time to retrain simply isn’t an option. Instead, you may want to look at a part time college course, distance learning or even night school. Whatever you decide it will take hard work and perseverance to get to where you want to be.

If you work for a large organization, there may be a chance for you to follow your chosen career path within the same company. It is really all about what makes you happy.  Whether it making Christmas cards or driving a truck, you need to find that inner peace. Depending on how serious you are, you could approach your boss about working on a voluntary basis with the department that pertains to your new career, and look at doing this on your day off. The benefits of doing this are that it would give you valuable hands on experience, it would also give you the chance to ask questions about the industry, and finally, you can see if this career choice [pdf], really is for you.

The bottom line is that it is all about self belief. If you can make a conscious effort to want to change your situation, then more often than not, doors will open. Try networking with people in your chosen industry, learn as much as you can and be ahead of the game. If you can do these things  and show that you are motivated to succeed, then you simply never know what’s round the corner.

In reality there is nothing worse than having a talent and not being able to express it. No more can this be said than for creative people. Creativity comes from within and being creative isn’t something that you can learn. So if you have this god given talent, and are not being able to express this in your day job, then you might want to think about a career change. With this being the case, there is no better way to bring out your creative side than a career in graphic design.

So what does it take to become a graphic designer?

It is well known that competition for graphic designers is intensely competitive. However, with the onset of the internet, it opens up new avenues and markets for businesses who will need the services of such people. The emphasis is now on design and printing media moving towards becoming totally digitized. In fact, the inventions of the Ipad and other types of smart phones are helping to bring businesses into the fray who before wouldn’t have needed the services of graphic designers.

Like all careers there are some qualities that a good graphic designer needs and they are as follows:

Creativity – This is primarily the key trait in this profession, however you don’t need to be able to paint like Van Gogh. Instead you need to have a great eye for color. If you can also sketch, this is a great help.

Visual problem solving – Any good graphic designer can look at a sketch and can visualize it slotting into a design space. They have the ability to be able to ‘jig’ the art around in their minds until they come up with a design that is visually appealing to their clients.

Being open to change -  Graphic design is a fast paced and changing world, and being open to such change, with a willingness to learn new technology is a real asset in this business.

Business savvy -  Whilst it is true to say that some designers are on salaried wages, the majority of people who work in this industry do it on a freelance basis. Therefore, the need to be ‘business savvy’ and possess the know how to be able to market yourself and your business is really important.

So what about qualifications?

Whilst it is true to say that you don’t need any qualifications to set yourself up as a graphic designer, it will probably stand you in better stead if you have some sort of certificate or degree from a professional body, as potential clients like this kind of thing. This being the case, there are many graphic design courses that you can take, some are online, others are full or part time. Some of the criteria that they might cover are multimedia, advertising animation, visual communication or website development to name but a few. Although they all come under the umbrella of ‘graphic design’ they are all ‘areas of speciality’ in their own right. You might decide that you want to focus in one particular area when qualified, however it is a good idea to primarily have a good grounding in all aspects of graphic design.

What industries need these services?

It is fair to say that the publishing and advertising industries are still the most predominant clients, however a diversity of industries now need services like, corporate brochures, logo’s for websites, cd covers, book jacket designs etc.

What about the pay?

Like in any profession there are degrees of scale, although one can expect to earn somewhere between $20,000 and $60,000 per year, depending upon experience and the demand for your work.

In essence, graphic design is something that is always going to be in demand and if you feel that you possess some of the qualities that are needed and feel that it’s high time for a career change, then it might be well worth looking into it further.

Conventions provide you with a favorable time as you obtain a good opportunity of getting together with the other business owners, consultants, vendors and professionals in the field. Hence, one should go for the business convention planning. Setting up a successful meeting, convention or trade show requires reliable, wide-ranging information that will let the decision-maker to weigh up all the facts before he take a lead on his last preference. In order to get the most out of your business convention, adhere to these guidelines –Provide the name and address of the person who will be responsible for planning this meeting. Estimate the number of persons expected to attend this event. This information is critical in planning sufficient space.

Take a look on an agenda much in advance. Make a decision of attending the workshops and plenary sessions only after weighing all the pros and cons of each alternative. You can also hand over this task of attending the workshop sessions to your colleagues who are traveling with you.

Bring business cards in a liberal amount and don’t be hesitant in giving-out them. Do the honor of introducing yourself and develop a set of connections wherever you can and get the hold of a full list of attendees, as well as company’s name, phone number, and e-mail address too.

You can make use of the most diverse media – Advertisement and press bulletins in the trade journals of the target group, regional press; press conference, trade fairs, internet, directories of events, mailings, banners and posters.

Being a party-animal can be very beneficial as it is an effective way to make a contact. So do hit upon the parties.

By means of gathering business cards, you can maintain a record of the contacts made by you at each convention.

I’m a junior in high school and i really need to start cracking down on college decisions. The problem is i don’t have a clue what i want to do or major in so i can’t really narrow down a list of colleges. So i thought i would try an aptitude test but i can’t seem to find any good, reliable, or FREE ones.
Any suggestions?

When you have free time, do you find yourself reading up on your industry? Do you brainstorm ideas on how to improve your company’s product, service, or customer experience on the weekends? When you wake up Monday morning, are you excited to start your day?