How to Know Which Career is Right for You?

Have you found yourself questioning yourself which career is for you? It’s normal if you’ve pondered it. After all, if you’re choosing a career, you want to assure yourself that you’re choosing what is right for you and one you will enjoy. So, how can you determine which job is right for you? Before deciding you are going to have to do some introspection to know more about yourself and what better way of understanding than by asking yourself some questions.

Introspection:

Ask yourself what you see yourself doing? What do you enjoy the most? Get to know yourself more to get the job you want but remember to set reasonable expectations. Once again, when setting expectations within reasonable measures, you need to ask yourself what matters. Is love for a job all that matters or feeling a steady calm for the next 5 to 7 years? Try aiming for loving your career about 90 percent of the time. Chances are you aren’t going to love your job the whole 100 percent; it’s unrealistic because you’ll probably have your ups and down with your job.

Motivation:   

Determine what motivates you! It’s important you remain honest here especially when you’re figuring out what’s driving you to make your career decision. If your motivation is closer to your actual job, the more engaging it can be for you. Three motivators are at play:

  • The work is rewarding because we gain enjoyment from merely doing the work.
  • The purpose which is the outcome of the work we do. We usually feel purpose when our values align with our work.
  • Potential can lead to something important like a long-term career goal. We can find potential in the work we do.

These are three motivators which can lead us to choose a career, and it’s something to consider and take into account.

Revisit Topics, Subjects, Skillsets, and Experiences:

When searching for the right career, sometimes we have to revisit the things we love and bring interest to us. Coming back to individual subjects can help us figure out which career we would want to pursue and go into for a profession. The more experience we gain in an area, the better off we are in being able to make the switch to a career we enjoy being part of. At times it’s about reflecting on ourselves and seeing where we thrive more and where we feel the most enjoyment.

Build a Network:

Talking with others and getting a career mentor is a good idea to hear what others like about their career. A career mentor can even help you figure out what is right for you. Sometimes getting a third perspective can help us assess things more clearly. Not to mention a strong network is key to finding the right opportunity. Networking with others gives you an inside look into what are the job functions and learning more of about the industry. Dig in to discover more! Figuring out whose career you want to emulate is one way of understanding the process of what it took them to get where they are and how they got where they are now.

Compromise:

Know what you are willing to compromise and what you’re not. Don’t go for the first offer if it’s not what you’re interested in and what motivates you. Don’t compromise that if you’ve been working to get the career right for you.

Follow these tips to find the right career for you! Life is short, I know it’s clichè but life is short not to choose a job you right for and where you can start thriving in. Don’t compromise for a career you will later resent or regret. Get to know more about yourself and discover where you want to see yourself working in the next couple years. Find the career for you so you can start achieving and succeeding in what you want to do. We wish you the best of luck in your journey.     

 

Can You Become a Hygienist if You Are a Dental Assistant?

Can you be more than a dental assistant, say a dental hygienist? Yes! As a dental assistant, you have many options for professional growth and to expand in your career. Being an assistant to a dentist is a great start to see whether going into the dental field is right for you or not.

If you’re a dental assistant now and want to make the transition to becoming a dental hygienist, you are one step ahead! Being a dental assistant now gives you the experience of being in a dental environment where you are continually being exposed to challenges and learning experiences a textbook can’t teach, not to mention the observations you make working alongside the dentist. The transition is smooth since you already obtain knowledge from your work environment other students may lack and have acquired skillsets necessary to make you a successful hygienist.

Being a dental hygienist means you’re moving towards a more dental field than a dental assistant might. Your responsibilities and tasks will become more independent and advance as you engage one-on-one with patients and focus in the dental area. There is more hands-on with cleaning a patient’s teeth if it’s something you are looking forward to doing. The perks of being a dental hygienist are an increase in pay and a more flexible schedule if that’s what you are in search for, a balance between your work and life.

So, what are the requirements of becoming a dental hygienist? You will need to earn an AA degree in dental hygiene and complete licensing examinations specific to the state you inhabit. Some programs for dental hygiene require 2 to 4 years of schooling depending on where you decide to go. What are you waiting for to further advance your career? You have the knowledge and have established an understanding of what it’s expected within a dental environment, take the leap and become a dental hygienist today!    

 

Key to Success, How to Take Calculated Risks

How can we continue to succeed without potentially risking everything? Tony Robbins mentioned an interview before that successful people have two things common: not losing money and asymmetrical reward. Asymmetrical reward is another way of how wealthy people weigh their options of risks and rewards which we can apply to succeed. The key to success is taking calculated risks with minimal risks and maximum positive outcomes, in others words rewards!

Wealthy, successful people do not get lucky overnight. There is more to taking a risk than just plunging yourself into an opportunity. It involves a lot of research and diligence to know and understand the chances of success are higher than failure. Three obstacles we might face when trying to calculate the risks involved the presence of fear, no fear, and emotions.

Sometimes we can confuse our level of fear with the level of risk we might face. The fear we might be feeling can cloud our judgment and overestimate the risk of an opportunity. However, when there is no fear present we can quickly be taken by the excitement and underestimate the risk because we overestimate our abilities and chances of success. There needs to be a balance in our fear and being able to distinguish whether our fear is getting in the way of making logic judgments. Our emotions can be a problem when calculating risks. It’s important to assess the level of risks by looking at the facts which consist of the pro and cons and potential risks and benefits that can come from taking the opportunity. Yes, it’s essential to have our emotions invested but do so keeping a level head. But how can we make calculated risks? Here are few tips to help you calculate potential risks to find success.

Understand the details: knowing and understanding the little details about your decision. This requires research, lots and lots of research to identify potential outcomes of the opportunity you are to take. What the benefits of taking the opportunity? How long will you have to wait to see results? What or how much might you risk and at what ratio? This the time to ask questions you have and to find answers. It’s about assessing the situation before you can make the final decision.

Anticipate Mistakes: a crucial part of making a decision is anticipating the pitfalls and accounting for them. Recognize where there can be mistakes and focus on those to help you weigh out whether you should make the decision or not.

Set Short-term Goals: not all opportunities will have results right away which is crucial to set checkpoints to keep you on track and to follow up. Initially, you want to make sure you have set short-term goals in place before deciding to be able to pinpoint where the highest level of risk is and if you can tolerate it.

Be Ready to Pivot and Willing: when comes to taking risks, you have to be prepared or handle what happens. Being able to know in advance the potential downsides can help you develop and cope when it goes sour. You have to be willing to make adjustments if something doesn’t go as according to plan; it’s like rolling with the punches by acting quickly with precision to keep yourself afloat.

Learning When to Say No: the word “no” is your friend! You can be a great idea thinker, but you can’t always jump on every idea you have. You have to learn when to say yes and when to say no. It’s a vital skill to gain from both a personal and professional aspect. If you say yes to everything, you might miss the chance of saying yes to better opportunities or ideas. Saying yes means you have to assess the opportunity and thought you plan on pursuing which is why you need to know as much as you can.

Taking the Leap: learning to leap when it feels right is the last significant step you have to do. If you have done your diligence and intensive research and you feel good about the opportunity or idea then take the leap. Take the risk after you have calculated the potential loss and rewards. You want to make sure you have the facts before jumping, but you also want to ensure you agree with your decision.

Always assess your opportunity and calculate the potential downsides before making a final decision. Remember you can’t be afraid to fail, how else can you learn to improve and to succeed if fear dedicates the risks you take. You want to find a balance between your emotions and logic as you evaluate every detail to understand everything before making your final decision. Step out of your comfort zone and take calculated risks to find the success you want.  

 

Which Traits Are the Most Common Among Successful People?

Success, we all have different definitions of what it is and what it means. For some it’s about wealth and money; however, there are other aspects to what makes us successful in life. One thing is certain, success doesn’t come overnight, and there’s no one single path to it. Whatever we aim towards in life, personally or professionally, we aren’t guaranteed to avoid failure to succeed. We can, on the other, learn what key traits successful people have that we might struggle with or lack and how we can apply the same discipline in our lives.

Some common core traits we can find in successful people are:

Enthusiasm

Successful people show great passion towards their work because they love what they do and are more likely to gravitate towards others who display the same energy and self-confidence. Being enthusiastic about projects is key to achieving what you set out do or want.

Inquisitive and Self-Aware

They know learning doesn’t stop after formal education. There is always room to learn and understand to access tools and resources needed to reach a goal. There will be times where we will have to seek help which it’s okay to do. We need to learn and know our abilities and limitations to focus on the things we excel in while leaving other jobs to people with different talents and knowledge.

Goal-Orientated

Success doesn’t just happen; we have to work for it. A task or project is always easier when it’s broken down into smaller pieces. Setting goals helps eliminate high expectations and unrealistic standards. Successful people plan for how they want life to pan out, and goals drive that plan to a reality.

Self-Discipline

This is very critical to staying focused and on task. Did you know successful people are awake before the sunrise? It’s an interesting fact once you think about it and how early mornings can set the tone of the day and your productivity. Focusing isn’t just one the aspects to self-discipline, accountability plays a role in self- discipline since at the end of the day we are responsible for our accomplishments and failures first.

Hard-Working

Success people know to succeed they must be willing to put in the hours and effort. We have to be ready to dedicate quality, focus time, or skill that will make us an expert. Hard-working is a must, and yes, there will be times where sacrifices will have to made for achievements.

Persistence

With hard work, we must persist even if we fail. Failing comes before success, and we can’t have one without the other. The urge to quit or move on because of a failure is universal when we fail over and over again; however, successful people persist after failing by learning and moving on to make adjustments instead of dwelling on a setback.

Risk-Taker

Successful people know they have to go all in and commit wholeheartedly without any holdbacks. It’s about learning to take calculated risks and if we fail, learning to take time from our mistakes before proceeding.

Good Communicator and Delegator

Communication is crucial for any project or when working with others. We have to be able to communicate and articulate ideas especially to others efficiently. Delegation is integral to your success and that of a company. Entrusting someone can be hard even more so when it has to deal with your project but knowing how to delegate is key to success. Learning what to let go and outsource is what enables successful people to focus on what is important to them and can be done by them. Shouldering everything is a risk, we can’t overestimate our capabilities. We are human and need breaks besides we don’t want to burn out.

Adaptability

They understand change is inevitable and are going to have to roll with the punches if a change occurs. They find ways, methods, coping mechanisms, and deal with new challenges when they present with changing circumstances. This is a valuable skill to apply for our personal and professional environment.

How many of these traits do you have? Are there some traits you can adopt into your life that can lead you to your success? Success is more than money; it’s about accomplishing what you set out to do for yourself and is meaningful to you. So before you think about giving up or trying, ask yourself what changes you can make to help on your path of success. Let us know what works for you or if you have specific traits that attribute to your success in the comments below!   

 

Which Jobs Have the Biggest Pay Raise?

Do you think about a new job opportunity or change in career direction? If you are, what are you considering before making the switch or seizing the job opportunity? Our focus might be brought to the beginning salary, but it’s crucial for us to consider the long-term potential of the job we choose. The medium base pay of the job is different from the year-over-year pay growth and is an aspect of the job we need to focus on. There are jobs with a high pay at the start but has a limited mobility upward where there’s slow growth. Some high paying jobs are associated with low pay growth, and low paying jobs are associated with high pay growth; however, not all jobs fall into this pattern.

In Glassdoor’s Local Pay Reports, they highlight 14 career industries that show the medium base pay and the year-over-year (YOY) pay employees or prospective employees can experience. For example, the medium base pay of a human resources manager is $68,100 which is relatively high compared to what a recruiter makes, $50,491. However, a recruiter will see a 4.8% pay growth year over year than the manager who will be seeing a 1.1%. This kind of pay growth can provide stability in an occupation if that’s what you aim to have. Regarding what jobs have the big high raise, according to cnbc, jobs with the big raise are:

  1. Recruiter with a 6.5% YOY
  2. Barista with a 6.4% YOY
  3. Restaurant Cook with a 5.8% YOY
  4. Bank Teller with a 5.3% YOY
  5. Claims Adjuster with a 4.8% YOY
  6. Truck Driver with a 4.3% YOY
  7. Delivery Driver with a 4.3% YOY
  8. Pharmacy Technician with a 3.9% YOY  
  9. Warehouse Associate with a 3.7% YOY
  10. Construction Worker with a 3.9% YOY

It doesn’t mean you have to choose a career from the list above or have to go into that specific industry. Not all occupations have the same wage since no job is alike. Other factors contribute to the salary. So before choosing another opportunity or career, you might want to look at all aspects of the job from the starting pointing of when you will begin to the future of what the profession will have in store for you. Learn as much as you can about your field and the occupation you want to have; it is better to know going in than not. Assessing yourself and asking yourself what you want and expect from your career is one way of knowing your expectations. Do you think knowing what the potential pay growth year-over-year will make a difference in choosing your career or accepting a job opportunity? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Which Social Media Apps Work for Your Business?

Social media apps are becoming an integral part of what builds a business, but not all social networks apply to all businesses. It isn’t a matter of what is in or out but what best suits the needs of your business. Knowing how social media apps can work for you will help you understand which apps are still great for business and specific to your professional needs. With so many social media networks coming out and million of users signing in, we have to be able to stay updated with social networks and how they can work for us.

Benefits of Social Media:

The accessibility to communicate with others and share information is far quicker than before. We‘re in a growing age where information and others’ feeds are open to the public to read and re-share which makes social media important to the success of businesses, especially if there’s a B2C relationship. Social media networks allow businesses to connect with existing customers while introducing new customers to their services and products. It broadens the opportunity to improve communication with current customers and potential customers since you gain insights into what they like, who they are, and how they feel about your brand and business. Through social media, you can gather customer data to make smarter business decisions by engaging in the conversation that is happening around your business, which in turn can improve your brand awareness.

Increasing your brand awareness is essential to you, and your customer and social media can help support you. By being actively involved in social media, customers can connect with you and find your business meaning you’re likely to increase your customer retention and loyalty. Remember we need customers for our business to succeed and flourish. Besides keeping customers loyalty, social media can provide an enriching experience, a valuable experience that now measures if others will be likely to choose your business.

In addition to the customer aspect of your business and social media, it provides you with the marketing platform to target specific demographics, increase website traffic, and share content faster and easier. The material we share can be about anything from the products we have to our services to promotions we might have going on to increase a buzz around our business.

Which Social Media Apps:

There are plenty more uses to what social media platforms can do for you as business owners. So, how can you know what social media app is great for business and is suited especially for your business? Ask yourself who you are trying to reach and why you want a social media presence? To generate sales, build brand awareness, or to be a socially active? Answering specifics provides you with a better understanding of what you should select for your business. But for the most part, the highly used social media apps business have are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Facebook is excellent for business and the most commonly used social media network since it connects people, companies, and brands all in one plus, it’s highly targeted for digital advertising. It’s used as the home base of social media as your website is. Not to mention Facebook allows you to boost not only on Facebook but on Instagram which helps reach a broader audience on both social platforms. It’s a platform permitting us to try new features where we can interact and improve our approaches to others.

Instagram is more visual and owned by Facebook, and it’s a perfect fit for those businesses with visual or physical products. Let’s face it with little attention span from internet audiences visual content is becoming as important as the content we write. Telling a story through images engages the audience while showcasing our products and services. It allows businesses to create high levels of engagement through images, the live story feature and use of hashtags.

Twitter is an excellent place to find trending topics and news, to give short updates and communicate people. A great tool to see people who are having problem with your business and addressing it. It’s becoming a social media app where the value is climbing in the ability to communicate with one another in real-time which is perfect for real-time customer service.

Youtube is another social app you might want to consider using. It can sound strange, but youtube is a popular video platform where the quality and value of the content matters. This is another platform to engage with, if you have video content to share plus, it becomes accessible and searchable on Youtube and Google.

Yelp is one of the social networks you should have an eye on and be on. Why? Well, Yelp is a major reviewing site where existing customers share their experience and review with others. It has over a million active users and is one of the social apps that’s trusted. This is a great platform to gain insight into your business and how people feel about it, it can even be a way of acquiring business if reviews are positive and ways to improve. Again, the platform is used and steered towards the customer service and experience customers have at your company.

Asking what apps are great for business depends on what your business is more geared towards, but Facebook is a social app that should be on your list of must-haves. Social media apps help us create and enrich experiences and services including the ability to digitally advertise and promote our business. Staying up with business innovations means we have to appeal to audiences who spend time on the internet and social networks. We know other social apps are extending beyond the ones we’ve mentioned and talked about and if there’s a social app that you use and has proven to be valuable to your business tell us all about it in the comments below! We would love to hear how social media apps work for you!  

 

How to Get Super Rich According to Tony Robbins

Who wants to learn how to get super rich? I know I do, although, it is more of the financial freedom that comes from having more money that’s more appealing. Tony Robbins sat down with Larry King to talk about what he learned from writing his book, MONEY Master the Game, and how to become rich through investments. Who’s Tony Robbins? He is a life coach, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He has written self-help books and is a motivational speaker to motivate people to improve their lives including the financial aspect.

In the  interview with Larry, Robbins discusses two things wealth people are commonly obsessed with: not losing money and asymmetrical reward. The asymmetrical reward is a system where you take the least amount of risk to get possibly the biggest reward. It’s about calculating the risks and taking lowest chance to gain significant rewards which require us to have an understanding of both the risks and rewards and assess the potential downsides before making a decision. According to Robbins, you don’t have to have a lot of money, and it’s a wrong assumption we have about investing. What makes the difference and make us money is taking small amounts of money and compound it to make us money over the years.

He talks about the first things we need to do which is become an owner or investor no matter how much money we have. It’s about saving a small percentage of 10 or less to a saving account or in a retirement account. The idea is to trick ourselves into keeping more money in the years to come by having the first percentage taken away from our check.

In addition to keeping an eye on how you handle your money, Robbins found that a common thread among the wealthy is hunger. He isn’t talking about food hunger but the hunger to strive. A desire to be more, do more, and give more, eventually a hunger that never ends. Someone one who is continuously striving to improve and better result into having people who are the best at whatever they do. There needs to be a strategy with the motivation and energy driving you to move otherwise there is no real meaning to what you’re doing. He mentions that what he’s learned is you get what you tolerate in yourself and life. This an interesting concept to think of and ask ourselves when we reflect on our personal and professional life, and whether we want to change that about us. One of the advice given to him from his previous mentor and he now shares is “for things to change, you have to change; for things to get better, you have to get better.” It’s insightful advice to give since it requires us to reflect on ourselves and how were the ones who can make the difference in our lives. What are some key points you will be taking from Robbins to apply your life to achieve your personal and professional goals?  

 

Health Tip’s For School

The school year has already started, and even though we are hitting the ground running with energy and staying on top of our school, work and home responsibilities, it gets difficult to stay afloat over the year. We know the all too familiar feeling that comes from keeping ourselves on the go nonstop.

In addition to the responsibilities we have, our health is and should be our top priority! If time is what you lack to care for yourself, then make the time. Not taking the time to care for our health and wellness can stop us from feeling the strive and wearing down. A healthy body and mind keeps us happy and moving forward. Being healthy doesn’t just constitute of what we eat but our actions as well, remember for overall health we need to take care of it from the inside-out.

Let’s strive for a great year by supporting our body through our diet, exercise, sleep, mental health and through our illness, if we become sick. Here are some great tips to keep in mind and use while you’re in school to keep yourself healthy!

Diet:

Our diet is an important part of getting the nutrients we need to keep our body running. Be mindful of your food choices since they have an impact on how we feel and how our body reacts to it.  

  • Vary your meals- changing your diet is important part of good nutrient to take advantage of the selections
  • Eat breakfast- helps your metabolism start and concentrate.  
  • Eat healthy snacks- keeps you energized and less likely to eat junk food
  • Drink water- it’s crucial to stay hydrated every day since most of our body mass is made of water and is continually releasing water.
  • Limit the sugar and caffeinated drinks- while they are great for the time being they drain you of energy.
  • Don’t skip meals- it’s easy to skip a meal but doesn’t mean you should since it can cause fatigue, low blood sugar, and make us overeat.   

Exercise:

Exercise eases the tensions we create from sitting or from the stress we have. Try exercising for 30 minutes to an hour. There are many ways to incorporate exercise into your daily activities that can keep you moving and be less stress. Here are a couple of ways to add exercise.

  • Go to the Gym- some school provide gym facilities that are part of tuition fees so take advantage of the sources you pay.
  • Play a Sport- playing a sport for fun creates the fun in the exercise and creates friendly competition.
  • Take a walk or bike- walk to class or bike to school if they are within a reasonable range.

Sleep:

We all need sleep including you! Sleep can do many wonders for our health and our eyes! Our eyes need to be healthy to function at their best and to keep our vision. Sleep requires us to be consistent and a full 7 to 8 hours to help us feel energized. Naps are great for energy boosters but make sure they are no longer than an hour, keep them short.  Try sleeping at the same time each night to set your biological clock and avoid all-nighters! You can not catch up on sleep that is a common misconception! Not to mention is impairs your abilities to function at optimal level. Sleep is the time to disconnect from electronics and others; it is your time to relax and support the functions of your body and brain.

Mental Health:

Our mind is an integral part of how we perceive, process, and function. We need to have a healthy mind to lighten the stress of our everyday responsibilities but also to tackle them with grace and efficiency. Here are some helpful tips to support a healthy mind:

  • Set limits/boundaries- this could be time limits which help compartmentalize and feel less stress.
  • Taking breaks- we need breaks to let your body rest.
  • Relax with hobbies- keeps us calm while destressing
  • Find support in family and friends- a good support system makes it easier to cope and understand situations we might find ourselves in.
  • Setting goals- keeps us grounded in reality and helps us know our limits.

Illness:

Being in school makes us vulnerable to common colds, flu, and viruses if we aren’t careful. There are many ways to keep us from getting sick such as:

  • Washing your hands- we use them for everything and are constantly filled with germs.
  • Drink fluids- plenty of fluids to replenish the body
  • Avoid sick people- try limiting the amount of time you spend with people who are sick   
  • Vaccination- they help prevent catching a serious illness.

   Our health is essential to everything we do and what keeps us moving forward. Taking care ourselves requires us to make the time even if there is no time. The more effort we put into our health as the rest of responsibilities in school the more likely we are to achieving a great year. Take some of our tips and apply it to your routine to maintain your health!   

 

Is Dental Administration a Popular Career or a Unique Niche?

If you’ve considered taking up dental administration as your next career change but aren’t sure about it, then consider the aspects of what it could offer. Dental administration is a niche career providing a mixture of business and healthcare into one. Entering the administration field of a dental healthcare opens many opportunities that can be challenging, prospective, and rewarding. But is it still a niche or is it a popular career?

It can be said that what is now a niche is becoming a popular career, although, the niche of the career can lie in the specialization of the dental field. The field of dentistry is one that is always changing and innovating itself to account for patients. A profession in dental administration indicates there is business aspect added to the customer care of patients that can be transferred into other career pathways. Being an administrator broadens your job perspectives in the positions of dental receptionists, office manager, treatment coordinator, human resources, marketing and account management. All these positions aim towards incorporating and enhancing the business and healthcare aspects to keep up with the ways the field of dentistry is changing. This makes for plenty of room to learn, train, and grow in the career of dental administration for those already in the profession and those wanting to enter it.  

According to the U.S Bureau Labor of Statistics, there is a growing percentage in administration careers for dentistry. Dental office receptionists who work with dentists and other office personnel are looking at a 10% growth from 2014-2024 in job opportunities. There is an even bigger increase of job opportunities as an office administrative assistant with a growth of 21% from 2014-2024. Employment in dental administration is projecting to grow (18%) with a with the continuation of oral and general health care.

So if you’re interested in being part of a growing career then consider enrolling into our dental administration program where you’ll train and develop in both business and healthcare education to prepare you for success.