16 Oct 10 Retirement A Dirty Word?
The days when men had to retire at 65 and women at 60 are now long gone. Many people now want to continue to work, some because they have to for financial reasons, but others simply enjoy feeling that they are still a useful part of Society. Until recently, there was very much a feeling in the workplace that once you reached 65, you were pretty much past it and really you should go home, look at your retirement clock and go on cruises. My how times have changed!
Now there is an increasing feeling that people have a lot to offer after the age of 60 or 65. After all with age comes experience and that can often be life experience. Many older people are also very patient, so they can be calm in a crisis and not panic when all does not go to plan.
Many people find that they enjoy a second career, very different from their first one. So someone who has been the MD of a company may enjoy working with young people, or gaining skills in IT and then mentoring younger people. Gardening, odd job work, tutoring are all really worthwhile careers that can offer people over the age of 60 a chance to learn new skills and sharpen up their existing skillset.
You will find that if you sign on with a recruitment agency that age doesnt necessarily have to be a barrier, although some jobs cannot be undertaken after the age of 70. But really there are lots of opportunities available, whatever your age.
So retirement should not be viewed as something that is automatic and that you have to do. When and if you retire should be entirely your choice and something that happens when you want it to be. Retirement is therefore not a dirty word, but something that can be done when you choose and you will enjoy it much more, rather than if you are forced to retire.
Tags: Career, Cruises, Dirty Word, Jobs, Life Experience, Lot, Many People, Odd Job, Recruitment Agency, Retirement Clock, Skillset
15 Jul 10 How To Start Your Voice Over Career, Part 1
If you have ever been told that you have a great voice, then you may have thought of making use of that great voice in a professional way, as a singer, announcer or as a voice over talent. Voice over, or adding your voice to advertisements and recorded messages, can be a very lucrative field for a trained talent. If you would like to get the training necessary to succeed as a voice over talent then here are a few steps to take.
But first before I give the step-by-step guide to a career in voice over, remember one thing: in the commercial world all kinds of voices are needed: low voices, whiny voices, gravelly voices, flat voices and even average voices. So, even if you dont have a classic good voice you can enter the field if you have determination. Here is what you should do.
1. Take Acting Classes:
Yes, take acting classes if you are in a major city. Find a course and enroll in it. Why acting classes? You need to know how to create the characters who speak in a commercial. Just taking an animation class wont do it. You need to start the process organically. Its not about the voice, yet, its about the intent beneath the voice that shapes the voice.
2. Take a Voice Over Class
After youve opened yourself up for three months in an acting class, time to move into specifics with a voice over class. In L.A., the best resource is http://www.voiceoverresourceguide.com. It lists all the studios as well as all the classes in L.A. At the top are http://www.voicecaster.com and http://www.kalmenson.com.
3. Start Practicing at Home
In addition to class, listen to any and every commercial on the TV and radio. Mimic them. Pick up magazines and read aloud the ad copy as though it were a commercial. Get so used to your voice that silence sounds wrong.
4. Find Your Niche
Once youve gotten a handle on your instrument – your voice – you need to know what your range is and, by association, what your market is. Are you the classy BMW voice, the GenX hamburger guy, the Don Pardo game show host? You could be all three and more. Knowing all that you can do will help you with confidence and direction when promoting yourself.
So, start studying, keep practicing and try to determine where your voice would fit in best.
In the next article, I will discuss how to get your demo reel ready and made, how to find an agent, and how to book the job.
Tags: Acting Class, Acting Classes, Advertisements, Animation Class, Bmw, Bmw Voice, Career, Class Time, Hamburger, Lucrative Field, Magazines, Niche, Radio, Shapes, Silence, Sounds, Specifics, Three Months, Voice Over Talent, Voices
08 Aug 09 Career- Are You In The Right Seat?
We all have a chair that designates a position in our career. For most of us the position, the responsibilities, the growth prospects and many such factors decide if we are happy in our seat? Sometimes, we may be unaware that another seat may send us much higher in the hierarchy and satisfaction level. Sometimes we are frustrated with our job for no easily identifiable reason. There are many such factors that determine if we are on the right seat. Let us examine some of them.
Involvement
How involved we are with what we do? Are we so engrossed with our job, that we have no time to think of anything else? Or we are so less connected with our job that having it or not makes no difference to us? Albert Einstein, the great scientist was so involved with his job of thinking and finding solutions to mysteries of physics and cosmos that he had no time left for anything else. His involvement was total. Do you have such an involvement?
Joy
Do we feel joy in what we do? I have taken this right near the top, because if we are dissatisfied for any reason, we will never get joy. If we get joy then most of things are going in the right direction. So think if you are getting joy in your job?
Respect
If you are working with the right people and doing the right job, you will always get the respect of your colleagues. If the respect is missing, please take that as a red signal telling you that something might be amiss.
Skill
Do you find your skills and aptitude matching the job requirements? You might be made for greater things in life. Please get your skills assessed and find out if you are wasting time with a low skilled job, when you should have been working with something requiring great skills and abilities.
There are other factors such as vision for the job, future growth potential, learning opportunities and such other factors that decide if you are on the right seat. The right person for the right job – are you the right person for your job and more importantly, is the job right for you?
I have given some pointers for thought. Ultimately, it is your life goals and values that will always decide if the job fits you. That can be done only by you. What is most important is that you review your job and your satisfaction level at frequent intervals and bring changes to create a more meaningful life. So find out today if you are in the right seat in your career.
Tags: Albert Einstein, Aptitude, Career, Colleagues, Finding Solutions, Going In The Right Direction, Growth Prospects, Hierarchy, Job Requirements, Mysteries, Physics, Reason, Red Signal, Right Job, Satisfaction Level, Scientist, Skilled Job, Skills And Abilities, Wasting Time, Working People
22 Jan 09 Career- Are You In The Right Seat?
We all have a chair that designates a position in our career. For most of us the position, the responsibilities, the growth prospects and many such factors decide if we are happy in our seat? Sometimes, we may be unaware that another seat may send us much higher in the hierarchy and satisfaction level. Sometimes we are frustrated with our job for no easily identifiable reason. There are many such factors that determine if we are on the right seat. Let us examine some of them.
Involvement
How involved we are with what we do? Are we so engrossed with our job, that we have no time to think of anything else? Or we are so less connected with our job that having it or not makes no difference to us? Albert Einstein, the great scientist was so involved with his job of thinking and finding solutions to mysteries of physics and cosmos that he had no time left for anything else. His involvement was total. Do you have such an involvement?
Joy
Do we feel joy in what we do? I have taken this right near the top, because if we are dissatisfied for any reason, we will never get joy. If we get joy then most of things are going in the right direction. So think if you are getting joy in your job?
Respect
If you are working with the right people and doing the right job, you will always get the respect of your colleagues. If the respect is missing, please take that as a red signal telling you that something might be amiss.
Skill
Do you find your skills and aptitude matching the job requirements? You might be made for greater things in life. Please get your skills assessed and find out if you are wasting time with a low skilled job, when you should have been working with something requiring great skills and abilities.
There are other factors such as vision for the job, future growth potential, learning opportunities and such other factors that decide if you are on the right seat. The right person for the right job – are you the right person for your job and more importantly, is the job right for you?
I have given some pointers for thought. Ultimately, it is your life goals and values that will always decide if the job fits you. That can be done only by you. What is most important is that you review your job and your satisfaction level at frequent intervals and bring changes to create a more meaningful life. So find out today if you are in the right seat in your career.
Tags: Albert Einstein, Aptitude, Career, Colleagues, Finding Solutions, Going In The Right Direction, Growth Prospects, Hierarchy, Job Requirements, Mysteries, Physics, Reason, Red Signal, Right Job, Satisfaction Level, Scientist, Skilled Job, Skills And Abilities, Wasting Time, Working People
