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  • Teaching English as a Career

    Teaching English as a Career

    The English language has a lot of short, easy words. Just think of words like “run” — a short, three-letter word that is easy to spell and easy to learn. But are they really that easy? Think of how many meanings words like “run” have. You can run a race or get a home run in baseball. A newspaper has a run, and you can run out of time. How can non-English speakers ever learn such a complicated language? That’s where English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers can help.

    Teaching the English language can be a good career option, especially for anyone who enjoys travel. Over 400 million people around the world use English as their first language, which is the main language that they are most comfortable using. However, over 700 million people use English as a second or third language, and the number is growing all the time.

    English is spoken all over the world and is the standard language used in many businesses, in technical and scientific studies, and for transportation on airplanes and ships. You might even hear a German-speaking airline pilot talking to a German-speaking airport employee, not in German, but in English. Most communication by computers and even traditional mail is in English, and use of the English language is still growing.

    As the need for English skills is increasing, the need for English teachers is growing as well. This kind of teaching goes by several different names which often reflect the needs of the students. Teaching English as a Second Language is often about teaching immigrants how to speak with their neighbours and co-workers. Practical vocabulary and grammar are important parts of each lesson.

    In other countries, English as a Foreign Language or English as an Additional Language (EAL) are often the terms people use. Without the chance to use English every day at home or at work, the students often have to work harder at getting a chance to practice their skills. The kind of help the students need is normally the focus of the classes. Lessons could focus on conversational skills or grammar or both.

    What does it take to work in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second or Other Language)? In North America and many other parts of the world, a Bachelor of Education with an emphasis on teaching language to non-English speakers is probably the best option. In some cases, a TESOL certificate or local training might be enough, especially if the school where you want to work has its own training program.

    Teaching English can be a good option if you love variety and adventure. You can teach in Japan, China, Mexico, or right in your own city. You can work with young children, university students, or retired people. You can teach in a classroom or tutor people at home. Wherever you go, teaching the English language can be a rewarding career for anyone.

  • Career Profile: Horticulturist

    Career Profile: Horticulturist

    Horticulture. What is it? In its simplest form we can define it as the cultivation of plants. But there’s a lot more to it than that.

    An individual who works in the horticulture field is called a horticulturist. Their duties consist of managing and coordinating anything that involves cultivating and breeding plant life. From working with landscape companies, to advising provincial ministries on proper techniques and maintenance of plants and landscapes; a horticulturist’s job often takes them from one job site to another and seldom leaves them standing in the same place.

    An ideal candidate for the horticulturist career path is an individual who enjoys working outdoors, nature, travelling and, well, getting dirty!
    Horticulturists may act as technicians or advisors for agriculture companies and provide information on techniques to yield a higher crop growth and impart pesticide-related info to both commercial and independent farmers. They may also work with landscaping companies to help them determine which plants will grow the most plentifully based on its required needs, like climate and precipitation.

    Horticulturists may choose to work as independent contractors or work directly for natural resource ministries to ensure soil levels are not contaminated and pose no threat to its vegetation or animals in the area.

    The career path of a horticulturist typically only requires some post secondary education as an apprentice. The individual could start out as a landscaper and gradually make their way to a horticulturist. If desired, university degrees are offered in the field of horticulture. These degrees may lead into other agricultural fields such as forestry and biology.

    So if you have always loved learning about plant life and even planting your own garden or flowerbeds at home, a career in horticulture could be perfect for you!

  • Career Profile: Librarian

    Career Profile: Librarian

    Imagine a stern-looking middle-aged woman wearing half-glasses at the end of her nose. What kind of job do you think she would have? Many people would say that she was a librarian. For them, librarianship is a job for plain, quiet people who enjoy spending all day with dusty books. These days, however, librarians and library technicians do much more than that. They can be important sources of information and research help for people of all ages and backgrounds.

    If you visit libraries, you probably know that libraries are about far more than just books. Most of them also have computers, videos, DVDs, and online catalogues where people can find information on what’s available in the library. Working in a library usually requires knowledge of many different computer programs and Internet sites. Library staff members might also need to know how to find information in special computer databases on medicine, law or other subjects. Helping people use and understand library materials like these is a large part of what librarians and library technicians do.

    Besides helping people find information or books and DVDs, library staff members do many other jobs. Some of them catalogue new materials by recording information such as the author and title and by choosing a number like 398.2 that tells people where to find the books or other materials. Some of them work with children’s programs or help organize events for adults, such as information sessions on job searching or on retirement. Others choose new materials and decide when to get rid of the old ones. Others hire and train new employees or work with budgets to decide what to buy and when to spend money. Even putting books and other materials back onto the shelves is a job for librarians, library technicians or library clerks.

    What education do you need to work in a library? That really depends on where you want to work and what you want to do. In the past, people needed a Master’s degree in librarianship to be put in charge of a library or to work in other areas such as the reference desk where they would answer people’s questions. Library technicians would get a certificate or diploma and learn to do jobs such as cataloguing. Library clerks would put materials back on the shelves and do other jobs requiring only a small amount of library knowledge. In many cases that has now changed, and people with different levels of education can work in almost any role. This is true especially in small libraries.

    If working in a library sounds interesting to you, you can already get started on preparing for your career. You can read different types of books and get to know how to use databases and other resources. If your school or public library has volunteer opportunities, you can begin to learn more about what a job in librarianship is like. That will help you decide what training to get and how to find the best library job for your skills and interests.

  • Career Profile: Agricultural Engineer

    Career Profile: Agricultural Engineer

    Agricultural engineering might sound like complicated work, but the nature of the job is really quite straightforward. It’s a collision of two worlds – bringing engineering solutions to agricultural projects, particularly concerning crop production and raising livestock.

    What is an Agricultural Engineer?
    An agricultural engineer designs the machines and tools used in farming including tractors, planters, animal housing facilities, harvesting machinery, drainage and soil conservation systems, water and flooding systems and much more. They are responsible for maintaining the efficiency of these machines and systems, making improvements to those that fail in order to meet the appropriate standards.

    Who do They Work for?
    Many work as consultants for large production companies or engineering firms that manufacture agricultural machinery and storage facilities. There are also teaching and research opportunities at colleges and universities and with branches of the federal government that deal with the farming industry. In some instances, they also work as sales representatives by selling products and engineering solutions to farmers and breeders in need.

    What Education Do I Need?
    If agricultural engineering is a field that piques your interest, it’s a good idea to focus on developing problem solving and critical thinking skills that enable you to think outside the box, so to speak. Typically, engineers will face problems with malfunctioning equipment and out-of-date practices that create time sensitive issues. Engineers must be able to think on their feet and discover solutions within the parameters given to them in the most efficient way possible.

    In high school, it is recommended that students take advantage of all available courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. In university, these courses are further explored with the addition of computer science, crop science, leadership, design and engineering courses.

  • Career Profile: Police Officer

    Career Profile: Police Officer

    People who are attracted to being a police officer highlight the many benefits associated with this position. They want to work as a police officer because of the thrill of working to promote a crime free city or country, or they want to have the structure that working for a large organization like the city police or the federal police offers. The job of being a police officer is often unglamorous and involves a lot of paperwork – not like the movies would have you believe. It does, however, involve working on a team and also being responsible for your own independent work. In order to prepare to be a police officer, there is training to be done either at the college or university level. This training involves taking courses in law or another social justice type field, like police foundations.

    In Ontario there are many colleges and universities that offer these types of courses. If you’re looking for something in French, you could try the College Boreal in Sudbury. If you’re looking for something that will allow you to get through your schooling in the timeliest manner possible, you can check out the program at Mohawk College in Hamilton which has a duration of one year. Advanced Police Studies at Conestoga College in Kitchener will also have you through courses and ready to work in a year. If you’re on route to a university degree already, you may choose to enroll in a program at Georgian College in Orillia for a Bachelor of Human Services (Police Services) with a co-op option. Fleming College in Peterborough offers a program of 4 semesters for a total of 2 years of Police Foundations studies.

    Once you have your college or university degree you are all set to apply to the organizations for which you are qualified. If you chose a co-op option, you will be even more prepared for the work journey ahead of you. Once you get in with an organization, you will be able to earn a comfortable living starting at $46,000 per year and progressing to $83,000 per year after 36 months (OPP website, 2013). You also receive a set amount to cover travel expenses and benefits from the beginning of your employment. This will vary as per the organization that you are working for, but it gives you a good idea of what to expect.

    If being a civilian police officer is not for you, then you can look into being a military police officer – a position in which you will have many opportunities to travel. This is a great option for someone looking for structure and the protection that comes with working in a large organization like the Canadian Forces. In order to be a police in the military, you have to go through basic training (which is mostly physical in nature) and then you have to go through 6 months of training to become an officer. Starting wages as a military police officer are approximately $33,000 per year(Canadian Forces website, 2013).

  • A Career In Writing

    A Career In Writing

    Do you enjoy writing? Have you spent years recording your thoughts in a journal? Is that enough to have a career in writing? Many people have dreams of becoming a famous author who is read by the masses, but how achievable is that goal? It all depends on what kind of writer you want to be.

    Print journalism requires a degree, preferably one in media, or writing. However, it is important to note that print journalism is a somewhat archaic career. There are so many changes that have taken place in the field in the last decade involving technology and the internet that it is worth taking a hard look at what these changes mean to the up-and-coming writer.

    Magazine writing is still a viable option, though it is very difficult to break into. Entering contests is a good way to get your name out there and to add something credible to add to a resume. The key to being a successful magazine writer is to continually submit material. Find a topic that you are interested in and that has potential to interest others and go for it!

    Writing a novel is entirely different than any other form of writing. Can anyone do it? Does it require skill or innate talent? The answer is a little of both with a whole lot of perseverance. The only thing holding back someone from being a published novelist is time and patience. It takes a long time to learn the ropes of novel writing and depending on the path you wish to go down, a lot of hard work.

    The online writing market is exploding – it is the future of writing. While the new writer must maneuver through a minefield of scams, there are more and more opportunities for the savvy writer with legitimate skills.

    Becoming a social media expert can also benefit you as a writer. Many potential clients are looking for that writer who can navigate the layers of social platforms. Knowing how to use contacts, how to build a following on Twitter and how to find your way around the multitude of other social media sites is now considered a valuable asset to your resume.

    So if you enjoy writing, keep doing it! Build your resume as much as you can and keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for writing opportunities.

  • Career Profile: Concept Artist

    Career Profile: Concept Artist

    What is Concept Art?
    Your passion for sketching and drawing may lead to a career path you might not realize exists. Concept art is a term applied in many different industries. Generally, it refers to the conceptual stage of production where drawings and sketches or any other form of visual representation is created to express design choices and flesh out ideas. It’s used most frequently in fashion, video games, movies, animation and graphic novels. Depending on your interests, there is a lot room for stylistic expression and individuality.

    What is a Concept Artist?
    A concept artist is responsible for creating illustrations of characters, objects and settings that don’t exist using the initial parameters and ideas set by the writers and other members of the creative team. The level of involvement required of the concept artist may vary depending on the project. That said, these artists are typically an integral part of creating the preliminary artwork and are oftentimes required to work with the next level workers that use the preliminary artwork to model the end product. These workers include graphic designers, animators or builders.

    Tools You’ll Need
    Concept artists have been known to use a variety of tools for their artwork. Some prefer using traditional drawing materials like pencils, sketch books, charcoals and acrylic and oil paints, while others favour a strictly digitized approach. Most will combine the two approaches. The recent development of software and technology, namely graphic design programs, colour blending features and hardware like graphic tablets, have led to an increase in digitized content.

    What Kind of Content will you Produce?
    The majority of concept artists find work in the film and video game industries, with the content created typically staying within the science fiction and fantasy themes. Naturally, there is room for a wide spectrum of artistic styles, from photorealistic to highly stylized work that more closely resembles cartoon animations.

    Who Can Become a Concept Artist?
    Concept artists come from a variety of backgrounds including the fine arts, graphic design, special effects design, architecture and more. There are many paths to becoming a conceptual artist making a degree like studio art a much more viable option for employment than it has been in the past.

  • Working As A Vet Tech

    Working As A Vet Tech

    Nature of the Work
    Pet owners, zoos and aquariums expect excellent care from their veterinarians and thus to provide the optimal services, veterinarians use veterinary technicians and technologists to assist them, much as doctors use nurses in the medical field. Job duties vary depending on the employer, but generally technicians and technologists complete similar tasks for their employers even though there are differences in the formal education and training of the two titles. Most technicians work in private veterinary practices; but because of their additional education and training, technologists can choose to work in jobs that are more advanced research related.

    Job Description of a Veterinary Technician and Technologist
    Veterinary technicians and technologists usually work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. They are often required to perform skills such as venipuncture, or skin scrapings to treat and diagnose health concerns of the animals as well as performing various medical tests. Tests they conduct include blood work ups, urinalysis, and taking tissue samples. They may assist in dental care and surgeries and may be required to perform and maintain anesthesia. Other duties might include taking patient histories, expose and develop X-rays and radiographs, dressing wounds, applying splints, and taking vital signs. There are a variety of diagnostic tests which the veterinarian may rely on the technician or technologist to conduct. Experienced veterinary technicians may be expected to train new personnel in the clinic or discuss a health issue with a pet’s owner. In some practices they may be required to assist in administrative tasks such as maintaining treatment records and inventory records of supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals.

    In most clinical private practices, the technician and technologist will assist in the care of small animals such as cats and dogs, but also may perform duties with animals such as cattle, horses, sheep, birds, mice and lizards. It is rare for a technologist to work in practices that care for both small pets and large wild animals.

    Another area of work for technologists and technicians is research facilities. In these facilities veterinary technicians and technologists work under the supervision of veterinarians as well, but they may also be supervised by a physician. The job duties in this area of the field may include administering medications, and recording information about the animals such as diet, genealogy, food intake, and weight. They may be required to monitor and record signs of pain and distress in animals, sterilize surgical equipment and provide postoperative care. Veterinary technologists may be required to give an animal a vaccination or euthanize an animal.

    In some instances, veterinary technologists assist in research projects that involve other scientists in medical-related fields. They can work in biomedical research, livestock management, pharmaceutical sales or wildlife medicine. There are increasing opportunities for technologists in the biosecurity and disaster preparedness jobs.

    Job Outlook
    The job outlook for veterinary technicians and technologists is excellent as there is a need to replace those leaving the field and there are limited numbers of qualified technicians graduating The demand for the positions is not expected to be met in the period of 2008-2018 as the field is expected to grow at a much faster rate than the average.

    The biggest factor in the expected growth rate of 36 percent is the attitude of pet owners. Pets are often considered part of the family and pet owners are becoming more affluent, knowledgeable and more willing to pay for advanced veterinary services for their pets. This is expected to continue to increase the demand for veterinary services and thus the increase in veterinary clinical practices that will need assistants.

    It is expected for the number of pet owners utilizing veterinary services to grow and increase job opportunities. Advanced services such as surgical procedures or preventive dental care will provide more opportunities for those technicians and technologists who specialize in those areas. Demands for feline services and medicine are expected to rise as the number of cats as companions is steadily growing. It is expected animal shelters, humane societies, animal control facilities, boarding kennels, animal hospitals and clinics will want to replace veterinary assistants with highly skilled technicians which will further the demand for workers who are specialized in specific areas.

  • Career Profile: Architectural Technician

    Career Profile: Architectural Technician

    Job Summary
    Preparing documents in construction and architectural design and constructional standard. Strong emphasis is placed on protecting the environment, energy conservation, sustainable design and construction strategies.

    Is it for me?
    This program is for those who like to be challenged and to be creative. If you like to design things or enjoyed building houses in the popular game “Sims”, this may the right path for you! A job as an Architectural Technician would guarantee you an exciting and rewarding career in the construction and design field.

    Summary of Duties
    Architectural technicians are responsible for:
    – The working of drawings
    – Construction design
    – Construction methods
    – Construction materials
    – Building science
    – Computer assisted design
    – Drafting and building information modeling
    – Protecting the environment and energy conservation through design

    General Information about the Position
    As an architectural technician, you will have career in the construction industry, working with architects, engineers, builders, contractors and municipal building departments. Using state of the art computer technology, you will prepare designs, construction drawings and specifications needed to communicate with the clients, construction professionals and approving authorities.

    The challenges of being an Architectural Technician
    Challenges vary from having tight deadlines (although you always manage to find a way to get there!) and coming up against unforeseen problems on site, which can vary from minor to major redesigns of a building. You will also be tasked with keeping up-to-date with the latest and most current legislation.

    If this sounds interesting to you, why not check out some of the career colleges and universities that offer this program? You can find them on our Education tab right here on JobsPeopleDo.com!