Careers, should they be your passion or a means to an end?

So this is an apology for my readers, whoever may be kind enough to actually visit my blog that is. I know I have said that I would make more of an effort to post on a regular basis but I have been so busy with work for the last 2 months. Ohh yeah! I got a job! I am extremely lucky to have found something after the countless amounts of applications I filed out. Trust me I know this (and if it feels like there is a but coming here, then you my friend are correct) but, it hasn’t been all that I thought it would be.

I know for a fact this is not the industry nor the position I want for my career. It is not something that is particularly interesting to me and I am not in the slightest passionate about it. It’s a paycheck though, right? So what do I do? Do I stick it out for the “required” year as it is my first job or do I try to find something while working here.

I  am the type of person who needs to feel like they are making a difference, not just at work but in the world. I don’t feel either in my current position. The work I do only makes the owners richer but doesn’t do much as to make the world a better place in any capacity. What I truly love to do as many of you know, is to write. To create content. To inspire. To make some kind of positive impact with my contribution.

What I really want is a job in the social media/PR/creative industry where I can be & use my creative side. I want my juices flowing. I don’t want to sit at a desk and just twiddle my thumbs. It is a cross roads that the majority of us find ourselves in. We get stuck in a job we don’t like but we just say “we’re supposed to hate our jobs anyways. No one likes work. That’s just life.” I don’t agree with this sentiment at all. You don’t have to hate your job. You can find something you truly love and are passionate about. You need to get out there and network. You need to add skills so you can be a valuable piece in the industry in which you want to work in. And that is exactly what I am doing right now. Hopefully this will open up a door to a job I truly am passionate about.

Being stressed and having a job I have no passion for has been taking control of my life for the past 2 months. I haven’t had a chance to write at all. I haven’t really been able to do much of anything. I just come home exhausted and feeling almost depressed. I know i am unhappy in this situation but I am being practical because I need the money right now. Not for myself, but to take the burden off my parents who have supported me for 24 years. I owe it to them to stay at this job until something better comes along. But boy I hope something good comes along soon! This was just my little way of venting to you beautiful people : ) Hope you don’t mind!

What are your takes on finding a career in which you can truly be happy in? Any tips or advice? Please chime in and reblog to see what others think. I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts!

Until Next Time ~Peace, Love & Respect~

How to make a Webinar

 

I told you what a webinar is, but now how do you go about in making one? There are several factors that you need to take into consideration so you can have a successful webinar. First off you need to put together a support team. In general there are three main players in making a successful webinar. You have your organizer, the presenters and the assistants. These roles can be designated however you see fit but it’s a good idea not to do it yourself, as it’s extremely overwhelming. The organizer is responsible for developing the webinar topic, locating a speaker, marketing the event, setting up the registration etc.. The presenter is the individual who speaks during the webinar and the assistants take care of everything else that you delegate to them such as answering technical and logistical questions.

 

Next you should figure out the format you want to have, a webinar can be structured in a variety of formats to suit different purposes. Such as having only one speaker, keeping an interview style or having an interactive format. There are pros and cons for every style but you need to determine what would suit your topic and audience. Webinars rely heavily on audio and visuals to get the message across, both should be engaging. Therefore prepare your visuals beforehand to have a smooth flow to your presentation. Next in the process is to determine what web conferencing platform you want to use. Factors to take into consideration when making this decision are- how many people will the tool accommodate? How much will it cost? What features are included? You can find articles on TechSoup.org and Idealware.org that help you understand and pick a tool for your webinar.  

Next you should have a dry run of the webinar to work out any kinks there may be. During your run make sure to note that you have all the proper equipment and a backup plan because technology can be unpredictable. Next you need to figure out your price structure.. Keep in mind that some webinars are free, most usually cost anywhere from $25-$40 and others may be upwards of $200. You need to assess your audience, but be cautious because raising your price might drive people away. Something you can do is ask for optional donations until you figure out your audience. Lastly, you need to promote and provide essential info on the webinar. It’s hard work but if done right the payoff is huge.

The Digital Divide

 

The digital divide refers to the difference/gap between people who have access to computers and the internet to those who do not. This can usually be divided by race, income, gender and educational attainment. Many of us may not realize it in this day and age but there are many individuals who still can not afford home internet access. Depending on the areas, they may not be able to obtain access at the schools either, which leaves them behind their peers and the rest of the world. As the middle class shrinks and the economy struggles the divide will continue to grow if something is not done about it soon.

According to an article on Mashable.com by Jessica Goodman she stated that “In June, a White House broadband report concluded the divide is still very much present in the U.S. Though the report found that 91% of Americans had access to high-speed Internet service of at least 10 Mbps downstream, only 71% of Americans actually subscribed to broadband at home — an adoption rate lower than other nations with a similar GDP.” This shows that if the economy still continues to struggle that the divide might grow even more. It is because the group that is most without technology is Hispanics and African Americans, and these are the same groups that will make up a majority of the population and workforce in the coming years. It is important to take into consideration however that many individuals opt out of home internet access because they use their smartphone as their primary source to access the internet. With this though many individuals also have a lack of simple computer skills and they can’t complete the same type of work on smart phones as they would on computers.

As stated in the paper written by Robyn Broadbent and Theo Papadopoulos titled “Bridging the digital divide-an Australian story”  “There is increasing evidence that the lack of access to information and communication technology (ICT) or the ‘digital divide’ severely limits education, employment and economic prospects.” The digital divide harms students on an incredibly large scale as almost everything nowadays is done on the computer and with the help of the internet. I personally wish I could use the computer less but there is no way around it because all my school work, all the research for papers and many times the method to turn in assignments requires the use of the internet. When it comes to lower income communities there really aren’t other alternatives unless outside sources help them out. For instance, non profits like Close the Gap who “is an international non-profit organisation that aims to bridge the digital divide by offering high-quality, pre-owned computers donated by large and medium-sized corporations or public organisations to educational, medical, entrepreneurial and social projects in developing and emerging countries.” If children fall behind at an early age and don’t gain the proper skills we will be creating a future workforce who will not be able to compete at a high level.

I believe that there should at least be an attempt to lower the cost of internet as it is something everyone requires and that they suffer without it. With corporations though all they usually see is profit so it is a long stretch to see that happen without any government interference and that would bring in the question of “isn’t this a free market?” As I see it, it would be very beneficial for local libraries to be set up if not already there and then for them to have wi-fi which most if not all already do. This is how I got by when I did not have internet at home. There are many different issues at play here from minimum wages, to technological advances, neighborhood atmospheres and many more. How I see it though having a community center such as a library would be very beneficial and groups like Close the Gap who do so much to help out are the best options. Sadly I don’t ever see everyone being equal but they should have equal opportunities to basic needs and the internet has become one.