Your Morning Joe

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Normally I write about tips and guides on how to succeed in the professional world. These articles are for college students and recent graduates because I myself am a soon to be recent grad. Every now and then I stumble upon little news in various topic that I want to share with you all. Off Topic Tidbits is a series of just random news and events I think you may find interesting.

Apple is a company unlike any other company. This is the company that removed the headphone jack from its smartphone and bragged about the courage it took. The use of the word courage to describe the removal of a staple feature to its customer base took a certain level of arrogance I believe no company has shown before. That being said, I shouldn’t be shocked by the bloated ego of this company and figured it has reached its peak during that moment. Today, Apple has outdone itself.

Apple, turning 40, will now sell you a book containing 450 professional photos time lining their various products and tools from the past 20 years. It’s essentially a picture book for the minuscule price of $300. The video that accompanies the product page is pretentious to say the least. I struggled to hold back my gags as the video consistently strokes its ego over and over again at how amazing their design language has been and still is. Although some would argue it has been increasingly one-note these last couple of years.

Granted Apple has pioneered the technology design game and almost single handedly drives innovation in various areas of consumer electronics. This does not excuse the audacity it takes to sell off a minimalist picture book for $300, but hey you can always opt for the smaller version for the bargain price of $200. For what it’s worth the pictures are numerous, and photographed beautifully with Apples favorite background color of choice, white. Hell, even the cover is white, at least until its covered in coffee stains.

You really have to hand it to Apple for creating a fan base that is so loyal and die-hard that they will shell out for a $300 book that takes Apples arrogance to all new heights…and believe me, they will.  Designed by Apple in California is the name and it is now available for purchase. Although, if you are such a loyalist to the Cupertino based company and planned on buying this, you probably already knew all of that.

Big thank you to our sponsor Ray and Jay Photography. Click here to find beautiful images on high quality products. Everything from posters mouse pads Iphone cases and much much more. 

We all want that perfect job. That dream mix of atmosphere responsibilities and pay. It’s a recipe for success and happiness. Hectic schedules due very little to help this notion and could end up leaving you with very little options. “Perfect jobs” is a series of articles that will help you get an idea of what jobs are best suited for you and your chaotic schedule.

Volume 1: Technology Students

Education gets a bad rep in 2016 due to its lack of available jobs and lack of pay. Though there is some semblance of truth to both of those points, education is not a forsaken career path. It is rewarding in many aspects and can be financially rewarding as well. Reaching that financial goal will require a hefty investment in terms of education. For a college professional, working in the field of education as well as pursuing that ever so necessary master’s degree can be a tricky feat. Vol.2 has us garnering some tips and compiling a guide to help you in your journey.

After School Assistant Teacher:

Going to school every morning can be problematic for your bank account. An after-school assistant teacher fits into the availability of a busy college students schedule quite well. They typical work two to around six at night assisting with classroom curriculum and lesson plans. Postings for this job typically range in the $15 to $18 an hour range. The only downside to this choice would be the fact that you may be unemployed come summertime. Although, if you’re in the education field you may be expecting that and possibly even looking forward to it.

Online Tutor:

Online tutoring is a great way to work when your schedule permits. Tutoring students online allows you to set your own schedule and work from the comfort of your own home. Picture working from the library when on lengthy breaks in between classes. Online tutoring is replacing traditional tutoring and ramps up around popular school times. Beginning of the semester, midterms and finals reasonably sees a massive increase in students tutoring. According to Chegg.com listing for online tutors, top tutors can earn over a grand a month and pay starts at $20/hr. The better tutor you are, the more opportunities you will get passed your way.

Tutoring can be very rewarding. It's a good look for a resume and great way to make some cash with a hectic schedule. Photo Credit: via startupstockphotos.com

Activity Specialist:

An Activity Specialist is mostly a part time position in the after-school hours, that works with youth in a variety of programs. These programs range from sports to computer programming and all subjects in between. The position entails engaging students in weekly activity lesson plans and activities. They must be able to provide strong classroom management and behavioral skills. Activity Specialists are mentors that must be able to coordinate well with children and adults alike. The position pays anywhere from $14 to $30/hr which coincides with experience. Education requirements can range anywhere from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree. From my research, I concluded that this position is perfect for morning continuing students who currently possess an associate’s degree as those positions seem to be in the upper end of the pay scale.

Being a college professional is never easy. The fact that the field of education may not be growing at an exponential rate doesn’t help the situation either. Don’t be fooled though, it certainly has its fair share of life left in it. Finding the right job is crucial as the amount of education needed in order to reach a financially successful career is extensive. You may not find your perfect job until after completing an extraordinary amount of education but with some deep dive job hunting you can certainly make a case for a better resume and bigger bank account. Happy hunting my friends.

Finding the job is only half the battle, learn how to ace a phone interview here.

Big thank you to our sponsor Ray and Jay Photography. Click here to find beautiful images on high quality products. Everything from posters mouse pads Iphone cases and much much more. 

We all want that perfect job. That dream mix of atmosphere responsibilities and pay. It’s a recipe for success and happiness. Hectic schedules due very little to help this notion and could end up leaving you with very little options. “Perfect jobs” is a series of articles that will help you get an idea of what jobs are best suited for you and your chaotic schedule.

With V1 I thought where better to start with this new series than with my own field. Technology. Tech is an ever-growing field and is surprisingly versatile. Now, you won’t get to the heavy hitting jobs until you reach a BS or have stacks of certifications but options exist to fit nice and snug into you’re messy or jam packed schedule. From hospitals to schools to tech dedicated companies, everywhere has jobs in the field of tech. With this massive collection of places to work the shifts vary, making a job a tech extremely accommodating for a college professional.

IT Help Desk:

The help desk is a great place to get off the bench and on to the tech field.  It’ll be the position most people will tell you they started with because of its extreme flexibility. Help desk positions can require a decent amount of experience and maybe even a degree but I’ve seen listings for junior positions and even senior positions that only require minimum experience. The great thing about this job, like every job in IT basically, is that you can work anywhere. Hospitals are a great place to look into applying to because they have shifts 24/7. A potential downside is this job often comes with weekend work though.  The national average for Help Desk positions is 38k according to glassdoor.com

Jr. IT Analyst:

A very broad term meaning different things to different companies. Being an IT analyst comes with a variety of responsibilities that could differ company to company. “Performs related duties as assigned.” Is a sentence you’ll see often under the job description. You do it all. Usually IT analysts help implement hardware, test and rollout system/application software and monitor systems, among other tasks. You might see under qualifications that this requires a degree but often times professional experience and internships will suffice for the junior role. Jr analyst can make anywhere from 50k to up to 70k in New York according to glassdoor.com These jobs are usually 9-5 but sometimes could have an afternoon shift of 12-8 making it ideal for early birds.

Microsoft or Apple Store:

You may think working at either of these stores is more of a retail than a tech job. Both the Microsoft and Apple store offer positions outside of the sales floor that require a surprising amount of troubleshooting and technical skill. The ability to troubleshoot and solve software and hardware issues is a must for these positions. These jobs often pay more than the sales floor and will look better on a resume as well. Since this is indeed the retail industry the hours you work can be switched and changed depending on your school schedule. This is another great place to start out since qualifications will vary but will not come in the form of a degree or certification. Service advisors at Microsoft make $18/hr according to glassdoor.com. This may not be your ideal view when you first think of breaking into your field but it checks all the boxes for a technology oriented college student. It’s a bonus that the Microsoft/Apple problems you encounter may help you in your further support oriented jobs.

Junior Programmer:

Maybe you’re like me. Maybe programming isn’t really your strong suit. Maybe you’d rather do literally anything else other than program. If you’re not like me, you may be extremely capable at web programming or application programming. These skills are invaluable in the world of technology and with them you can land a job almost anywhere at the snap of your fingers. Better yet, with entry level programming positions really all that is required knowledge and experience in the required language. This is great for early college students who may not have their two-year degree yet. I’ve even heard stories that many jobs that list the necessity of a degree will waive that if the skillset and experience is there so apply apply apply. Salary usually coincides with experience but entry level programmers make an average of $51k via glassdoor.com If you have the skills I highly recommend starting out with a programming job which will open up your future opportunities immensely.

Being a college professional is never easy. It can be taxing brutal and downright stressful. Finding time for a job in your field can be a taunting task. Luckily jobs in technology are versatile and plentiful. You may not land that trifecta of money responsibilities and atmosphere until after college but you should have plenty of opportunities in this field to bring some balance to your hectic schedule. Happy hunting my friends.

Finding the job is only half the battle, learn how to ace a phone interview here.