new direction/ desktop publishing specialist/ working efficiently

Oct. 9 New direction: In 2011, I gave a 100% effort all year long to find an office/ administrative assistant position.  I traveled all over Edmonton to do all these job interviews. Last week, I went into a new direction.  I get all these career ideas from the work book Multiple Choices: Planning Your Career for the 21st Century.  I have been researching all these careers in industries I'm interested in like business, education, entertainment, publishing, and hospitality.  I have tried to get into the TV industry this yr by applying to all these TV production companies in Edmonton.  I've also been pitching my script for years already.  It's a hard industry to get into, so I'm expanding my horizons and and going into another industry. Desktop Publishing Specialist: It's like working in the publishing industry.  There seems to be use of computers and graphic design.  The duties are getting information and being creative, both I like.  From Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Desktop publishers use computer software to design page layouts for newspapers, books, brochures, and other items that will be printed or put online. They collect the text, graphics, and other materials they will need and then format them into a finished product." However, it says the job is in decline because the printing industry is declining. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/desktop-publishers.htm At My Majors, it says: "Create special effects such as vignettes, mosaics, and image combining, and add elements such as sound and animation to electronic publications."  http://www.mymajors.com/careers-and-jobs/Desktop-Publishing-Specialist Business counselor: I Google in "how to be a business counselor."  The results were business consulting and I already did research and write about it on my blog: http://badcb.blogspot.ca/2012/08/consulting-writing-consultant-job-advice.html Career coach: It did lead me to being a career coach.  It's easier to be a career coach, than a career counselor.  A counselor needs a master's degree. http://www.fabjob.com/careercoach.asp Conservator: I looked in the fine arts and crafts industry.  My Career Counselor said maybe I should work in a museum.  A museum conservator takes care and keeps track of the artifacts in a museum.  http://www.degreefinders.com/education-articles/careers/how-to-become-a-museum-conservator.html Workopolis: I got this email that Workopolis will be replacing working.com. Oct. 10 Crazy day: I got to work today, and I was told that I was supposed to work yesterday and today was my day off.  The schedule had changed last minute, and I thought yesterday was my day off so I didn't come to work.  I told the boss about it and he was understanding.  I then had to stay the whole day.  The morning was quiet, but lunch was somewhat busy. Government: One of my friends work for the govt., a server told me to apply there, and then today another server told me to apply there because she did an interview.  I haven't been to the website in a long time.  She said there are a lot of communications and information jobs in the provincial govt.  I finally took a look, but I didn't find any.  I'll try again. Oct. 13 Govt. pay: I got this article through Job Boom.  It's "High Govt. Pay is Unsustainable."  An administrative assistant for the govt. could get paid $90,000 a yr.  Higher wages means higher taxes and more debt on the govt, and let's mention the Greece govt. in 2011. The solution was the public sector should be paid fairly like private sector employees. http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/Columnists/TheDuel/2012/07/08/19964321.html Survey: Last week I did a survey on the phone with this computer voice.  Then they called me back with a real person because I said it was okay if they contacted me again.  They told me I would get paid if I attended a session one day a week for 6 weeks.  I needed to think about it and tell my boss that I needed the following days off.  They said they will call me back in a couple of days. I got my days off and then they didn't call me back.  I left 3 messages on 3 different days to say I wanted to do it, but they didn't get back to me.  Fine, whatever.  I'll still use these days off to be productive. I had to think about it, and talk it over with my dad.  He says it would be good and to expand my world.  I did expand my world by going to counseling, and working on those temp jobs like in April, and those telemarketer jobs. Job articles: Job Boom emailed their newsletter.  Nobody sends me job articles through my blog anymore.  I get nanny articles sent to me from my blog. Difficult jobs to get: It listed, astronaut, referee, model, private chef, professional athlete, and forest fire inspector. http://lifewise.canoe.ca/Investopedia/2012/07/18/20000461.html Working efficiently: Here's a good article with tips: 1. "Clarify your role and responsibilities." 2. Prioritize.  Create a list like urgent, must do, and someday.  A good question is: "Who needs your work to be completed so they could complete their own work?" 3. What do you need to learn?  "Skills are tougher than knowledge -- you have to actually do something." 4. Give yourself a break. 5. Ask for feedback. http://career.jobboom.com/survival-guide/managing-stress/2009/03/25/8880096.html Disabilities: Here's an interesting stat: "But of the 44% of businesses that have hired a person with a disability, 77% said those workers either met or exceeded their expectations." http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2012/10/02/56-of-small-businesses-have-no-disabled-employees-survey BYOD: This stands for Bring Your Own Devices at work.  Sometimes work gives you a cell phone or laptop, but they can see how much work you're doing and how much time you're surfing the internet. http://technology.canoe.ca/Columnists/Canton/2012/04/27/19690426.html Aging: As people get older, they retire, and less people are working.  Also the age is raised from 65 to 67 to get Old Age Security. http://www.canoe.ca/Canoe/Money/News/2012/04/04/19594416.html Pink hair: Job Boom also sent this article about a man who dyed his hair pink for National Cancer Survivor's Day.  They suspended him when he refused to cover his hair and dye it a more natural color.  He has quit and works for a moving company now. I have to side with Sleep Country company.  Pink hair is unprofessional, though the charity reason is good.  The man should have done something else to support cancer like join a run or something. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/05/26/19803416.html Hospital: A Tim Horton's in a St. John's hospital was going "to offset the cost of delivering health care is going fully private after years of losing taxpayer money."  The TH's workers were hospital employees getting benefits and $20/hr.  I applied as a casual food worker at a hospital, and it pays $15/hr. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/05/31/19820881.html