Lots of lattes, mochas, espressos, cappuccinos and plain ol’ cups of coffee are consumed by folks in these fields, who no doubt battle coffee breath daily, too.
Whether you’re starting off in a career from the ground (get it?) up, or going to college to get an advanced education in a field where you are employed, coffee breaks may be part of your regular routine.
Here’s a look at professionals who need a java jolt to get through the daily grind.
If you’re already working in these fields or taking classes in one of these job sectors, are you finding you’re heading to the coffee shop or plugging in your coffee machine more frequently?
Groupon keeps reminding me about two purchases I’ve made – two-for-one movie tickets from Fandango and a half-off deal for a photo album that I haven’t gotten around to creating. It’s also helped me take part in unique events, such as a barbecue lunch with the Neelys from Food Network and a symphony performance under the stars.
The other day, a Groupon deal showed me that the trendy site has the potential to remind some folks of their dream to finish their degree or go back to school to pursue a new career or get advanced education.
Groupon was offering more than 50 percent off a $2,232 graduate-level introductory teaching course at National Louis University in Chicago (the Groupon price was $950).
Surprise – a school actually lowered a price for students! In these days of bargain hunting and discount seeking, it seems that a college education is one of the few places where individuals seem resigned to pay higher and higher prices. I’ve seen friends invest in starting a master’s degree, only to find they can’t afford to continue the program or can’t juggle it with jobs and family (and refunds aren’t available for those courses).
The idea of purchasing something like education on Groupon may be a bit “out there,” and maybe the school only did it for publicity, but it is refreshing to see a school willing and able to lower its price on a course.
It got a lot of attention because it’s the first time the “deal is on” coupon site has offered a deal on tuition that counts for academic credit. The school says 18 individuals purchased the Groupon.
Dr. Nivine Megahed, president of National Louis University, said in a press release: “This deal will give participating students a chance to take one course and see if they are ready to make the time and financial commitment to follow through with the entire graduate program.”
Students need an undergraduate degree to be involved in the 10-week course, which counts toward three credit hours, of a 36-hour master’s degree from the school.
University officials told the AP that many of its students – the average age is 34 – are part of Groupon’s target demographics. So adult learners could be seeing more of this, via Groupon, or from other coupon sites. It could be a bonus for students already in pursuit of a certain degree, or it could be just the thing, even if you don’t get that deal, to make you reconsider college.
What do you think? Would you ever buy a Groupon for school?
“Show me your teeth,” growls Lady Gaga in her aptly named song “Teeth.” Is she reliving one of her dental nightmares through music? Nope, she’s just emulating other pop stars who have gotten lyrical inspiration from the human body.
The body has certainly offered plenty of fodder for songs over the past decades. Some artists have taken it literally, others figuratively, and still others have taken it right to the gutter. We opted to keep our playlist fairly clean from head to toe (check them all out on our YouTube channel’s playlist!), and true to form, we gave you some great ideas as to where you can study more about that particular body part.
“Hair” – Lady Gaga
I just wanna be myself
And I want you to love me for who I am
I just wanna be myself
And I want you to know, I am my hair
Bodily inspiration hit Lady Gaga once again for her song “Hair,” and though it’s not exactly the anti-war anthem from the musical of the same name, it does the job when it comes to declaring a person’s unique personality.
Head over heels
Where should I go?
Can’t stop myself
Outta control
This fun all-girl punk band made us all feel the cool West Coast vibe during the 1980s, but this song affirmed that even California dreaming can get a bit overwhelming at times.
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“Bette Davis Eyes” – Kim Carnes
She’ll turn the music on you
You won’t have to think twice
She’s pure as New York snow
She’s got Bette Davis eyes
Whether you love or loathe Carnes’ raspy vocals on this song (which won Record of the Year at the 1981 Grammys, by the way), you’ve got to admit that this song further cemented Bette Davis and that sultry gaze of hers in our pop culture. Interesting fact: Davis’ large peepers were caused by a mild form of Grave’s disease, in which an overactive thyroid causes one’s eyes to bulge.
“You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth” – Meat Loaf
And then you took the words right out of my mouth
Oh, it must have been while you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
And I swear it’s true
I was just about to say I love you
Before Meat Loaf (born Martin Lee Aday) became the obscenity-spewing human whirlwind on “The Apprentice,” he enjoyed his celebrity as a rocker and sometimes actor. “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” might be his biggest claim to fame, but “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth” is just as lyrically pleasing—not to mention a whole lot shorter.
Won’t you wear my ring around your neck
To tell the world I’m yours, by heck
Let them know I love you so
And let them know by the ring around your neck
This song might not be as well known as some of Elvis’ other hits, but it does remind us of a time when the symbol of “going steady” was a guy’s class ring dangling from his girl’s necklace. You’ve also gotta love that “heck” rhymes with “neck” in this verse. Wonder what Elvis would have thought about today’s song lyrics?
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“Stomach vs. Heart” – Barenaked Ladies
I gained all this weight out of love, not hate
I’ve got so much love to give (give me a break!)
I’d love to sleep in late, but that dessert looks great.
Was it something I said or was it some I ate?
Leave it to BNL to take on two major organs in one song. Sure, it’s yet another take on the heartbroken love song, but kudos to the band for rhyming “gratification” with “constipation”…
Picture yourself in a cardiac sonography program at Argosy University.
“Fat-Bottomed Girls” – Queen
Fat-bottomed girls you make the rockin’ world go round
Freddie Mercury wasn’t singing about the robust rump of Kim Kardashian, but perhaps this fun little ditty–along with Sir Mix-a-lot’s “Baby Got Back”–was a foretelling of society’s obsession with curvaceous women.
A program in Pastry Arts at one of The Art Institutes will have you creating diet-demolishing desserts.
“Legs” – ZZ Top
She’s got legs, she knows how to use them
Though you might need eye bleach after a glimpse of those down-to-there goatees, you had to hand it to ZZ Top for writing a song about gams to last for the ages. Feminists called foul, while the clever ad campaign behind L’eggs Sheer Energy found the perfect song for their commercial during the 1980s.
Now I gotta cut loose, footloose
Kick off the Sunday shoes
Please, Louise, pull me up from my knees
Jack, get back, come on before we crack
Lose your blues, everybody cut footloose
This anthem from the movie (and musical and movie remake) of the same name is about breaking free of society’s mold, but it will forever be associated with Kevin Bacon’s ecstatic dance of teenage repression.
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“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – Frank Sinatra
I’ve got you under my skin
I’ve got you deep in the heart of me
So deep in my heart that you’re really a part of me
I’ve got you under my skin
“Old Blue Eyes” immortalized the body’s largest organ, using it as a beautiful metaphor to explain how smitten he was with his lady. It’s fitting that this song gives many Sinatra fans goose bumps; his music had a way of getting under people’s skin itself.
Naturally, there’s a bunch of other body-related songs that didn’t make the list. Don’t forget to check out the cool YouTube playlist we put together just for you — lots of fun retro music videos to enjoy!
**What’s your favorite? Leave a comment (keep it clean!), and tell us which song gets to you.
We love it when celebrities advance in their education, such as country star Garth Brooks, who earned his master’s degree this year from Oklahoma State University. (And we checked – it wasn’t his old rock alter ego Chris Gaines who earned the degree).
In honor of Brooks – the No. 1 selling solo artist in U.S. history – we had fun taking a look back at some of his famous song titles and connecting them to the life of students in school.
“Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up)”: Those nonstop study sessions or remaining hours until a project or paper is due might have you staying up all night to make the grade.
“Friends in Low Places”: You may need to be the one to encourage your classmates, if they get down about the amount of work needed to complete their degree or if they don’t perform as well as they wanted to on an exam.
“If Tomorrow Never Comes”: Sure this is intended to be a love song, but you may feel overwhelmed by so many exams, like tomorrow will never come. But don’t be discouraged. You’ll get there!
“Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)”: If you’re in a class with younger students, or “tougher broncs,” as Garth says, you may start out the semester feeling your age. But recognize that your life experience can be a plus in school, and you have learned what it takes over the years to persist and be successful.
As a student, what’s your school theme song? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook, or Twitter.
Stop and share this news with your smartphone: More American adults (35 percent) own a smartphone than a bachelor’s degree (27.5 percent)!
I have both – a two-year-old Blackberry Storm (although I’m eagerly waiting for the new iPhone to give it a try), and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, which I earned in 1995.
I love my smartphone (oh, the instant access to e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, photos, TV shows, and more!) and my degree. So I figure that’s enough of a qualification to share my three reasons why a bachelor’s degree is more important than a smartphone.
1. A smartphone may make you feel smart, but a degree gives you a key credential to show potential employers.
It takes dedication and determination (not to mention a financial investment) to earn your bachelor’s degree. Once you have it, it shows employers that you have met the college’s requirements and have a strong aptitude for the subject. Sure, you may be able to quickly pull up restaurant reviews, the latest YouTube videos, and beat friends in Scrabble by using your smartphone, but I doubt any of those will impress an employer during a job interview.
2. A smartphone helps you be connected at all times, but a degree gives you potential connections for a rewarding career.
If you love the instant access to email, text messaging, photos, videos, and other information that you get from a smartphone, you’re likely the type of person who likes to be in the know and on top of the latest trends and news about your friends, celebrities, or things that you’re passionate about. A degree offers those same kind of connections. You’ll form relationships with professors and students who could lead to your first job or big career steps. You’ll learn about industry groups and major companies to follow (even by using Twitter on your smartphone) to find out about the latest trends in your field and make you a smarter employee or job candidate.
3. A smartphone’s battery life will lessen as you watch TV, movies, and video, and just use it on a daily basis, but a degree will boost your life professionally.
My biggest problem with a smartphone is how much just daily use sucks the life out of my battery, often causing my phone to die until I plug it in and resuscitate it. Earning your bachelor’s degree won’t harm any of your career aspirations, but will juice up your professional life, increasing your earning potential and allowing you to find a job in a field you love.
There’s one thing a smartphone and a bachelor’s degree have in common – it takes research when deciding what type of smartphone to purchase and what type of bachelor’s degree program you want to pursue. We can’t live without our smartphone, but if you’re only living with your smartphone, consider pursuing your bachelor’s degree, too!
With the “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games” series over, let’s face it, we all know enough about vampires and postapocalyptic worlds and can focus on some career reading this summer.
Slip one of these books into your beach bag this long holiday weekend, and get inspired about your career or furthering your education.
These authors make it easy to soak up both the rays and important information about earning a first-time degree or advanced degree to move up the ladder professionally. Just imagine what were to happen if Katniss was to combine her Hunger Games experience with a college education – she would be even more unstoppable!
How to Get Any Job: Life Launch and Re-Launch for Everyone Under 30 (Or How to Avoid Living in Your Parents’ Basement) by Donald Asher (Ten Speed Press)
Asher, a career consultant who is author of several books, encourages people to think about their “top five issues in this world” as part of considering a career path and gives the low-down on education options, recognizing that career paths can change over time. Plus, there’s a special chapter on summer jobs.
Bossypants by Tina Fey (Reagan Arthur Books)
It’s your typical career book, but Fey’s hilarious memoir shows what it’s like to succeed in a male-dominated industry, working at SNL and having her own Emmy Award-winning show, “30 Rock,” and how she balances being a mom in show business. You get all that, and be prepared to hide under your oversized beach hat because you may be embarrassed at how much Fey’s essays are making you laugh.
If you’re considering earning your MBA, you probably need a summer vacation from all of that research. This book presents the MBA pursuit from the mindset of how you can be a compelling candidate to a college, written in a way where you feel like you’re chatting with a friend – albeit a very experienced, knowledgable friend who is an educational consultant. Forster’s insider’s look into getting into a business school is fueled with stories of applicants, making it an easy summer read.
Let us know if you’ve found other career- or education-related books or biographies that have inspired or informed you to take your next career step!
With the release of Cars 2, we decided to take a look at the man behind the wheel of one of the biggest franchises in Disney history. Animator-writer-producer-director John Lasseter, the movie’s director and chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, is well-known as a pioneer in developing the art and science of computer-generated animation. If you’re seeking career inspiration, look no further than the incredible life (yes, he was also the executive producer of The Incredibles) of John Lasseter. Start with his on-screen advice below, and read on for other career lessons we’ve adapted based on his story:
Career Lesson #1: Create your own opportunities.
When Lasseter discovered that there are people who actually get paid to make cartoons, he didn’t leave his animation aspirations stuck in the pages of his personal journal, or even in those “What do you want to be when you grow up?” essays you have to write for school. In high school, Lasseter actually wrote to Disney Studios, saying he wanted to be an animator. And Disney wrote back! They encouraged him to get a great art education, learning the basics of figure drawing, design, and color.
Career Lesson #2: Don’t be afraid to explore new educational avenues.
It gets better. In his senior year of high school, Lasseter got another letter from Disney, this time saying they were starting a character animation program at California Institute of the Arts. It was a new, untested program – going to his mom’s alma mater, Pepperdine University, would have been a safer bet – but Lasseter took a chance, got himself a scholarship, and enrolled in the inaugural year of the program. He learned from the Disney greats and earned his B.F.A. in film in 1979.
Career Lesson #3: Forge your own path.
When Lasseter graduated and got a job with Disney, he discovered a sad truth – at that time, the animation studio was not being run by great artists and visionaries like the ones who taught the Cal Arts program, but by lesser artists and businesspeople. He could have just kept his head down and maintained the status quo – how many of us do that? – but instead, he became increasingly enamored with the possibilities of using computer graphics in animation. Unfortunately, Lasseter’s enthusiasm for this fairly new technology earned him a reputation as something of a loose cannon at Disney, and he got fired.
Career Lesson #4: Keep your dream alive.
Getting fired might sound like a death sentence, but we all know that wasn’t the end of the story for John Lasseter. His next gig – at Lucasfilm, which later became Pixar, which was later bought by Disney – wasn’t far behind. After he got fired, Lasseter went to a computer graphics conference, met up with some contacts he had made at Lucasfilm, and got himself a job that same day. Notice that he didn’t sit around waiting for an offer to come to him – he went out and made it happen! He believed in the possibilities of a new technology and found some other people who believed in it, too.
Career Lesson #5: Be true to yourself.
At 54 years old, Lasseter claims he is still a little boy, and making animated movies is a great way to let that little boy out. Obviously, this is a job where thinking like a grown-up is not always the best thing. But even if you don’t have aspirations in the cartoon world, your childhood interests can still serve as inspiration for your present-day career. Just look at how Lasseter, the son of a manager at a Chevrolet dealership, used his lifelong love of cars!
When John Lasseter gave a commencement address at Pepperdine University in 2009, he encouraged the graduating class never to let anyone kill their dreams. Coming from the man behind the Disney/Pixar magic, that’s good advice.
Every summer, my TV is constantly tuned into Wimbledon, where with every serve, volley, and amazing backhand, I am amazed by how important the medical staff is to the players battling to win the championship.
Some matches are paused as players seek help of trainers to diagnose problems and give them the medical help they need to make it through each game, set and match.
In defending champion Rafael Nadal’s match Monday, he called for a trainer, who taped his left foot and give him cream to help with the pain, and then he went on to beat Juan Martín del Potro to make it to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Nadal got an MRI exam on his foot to determine the severity of the injury, a procedure that requires the expertise of a radiology technologist.
There’s not only the physical strain when playing tennis, but mental strain in often evident when playing solo or communicating with a partner. Even viewers can feel mentally and emotional exhausted after seeing favorites such as the Williams sisters and Andy Roddick lose or watching intense matches. Sports psychologists can be beneficial to players, whether they’re at the height of their career or not living up to expectations, or just needing to control their outbursts (remember Serena Williams’ profanity-filled tirade against a lineswoman at the 2009 U.S. Open?).
Other professionals, such as chiropractors, massage therapists and physiotherapists, also can make up a tennis players’ entourage or be used by players at tournaments. Of course, it’s not just for tennis but all other sports, where the medical profession is a key behind-the-scenes member of the team.
As you’re considering job choices, realize how choosing the health care industry is not only leading to jobs in hospitals and doctors offices but in active settings where immediate attention often is needed. For tennis players at Wimbledon, the medical assistance can be a factor in dominating opponents in this summertime Grand Slam event.
Once upon a time, computers were cool. And then the dot-com bubble burst, and technology became a bad word. Now the industry is making a comeback, with Hollywood and celebrity entrepreneurs leading the way in their glamorous portrayal of the tech world. Check out some tech icons – real and fictional – who are making computer science cool again.
Mark Zuckerberg As if being co-founder, CEO, and president of Facebook weren’t enough, entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg is now immortalized in film. (Yes, we’re talking about “The Social Network.”) The programming prodigy began writing software in middle school, well before his Harvard dorm room days. We’re guessing that the billionaire’s real-life story is not as sensational as the movie makes it seem – but we’re certainly paying attention to computer geeks now.
Chloe Sullivan She wasn’t in the original Superman comics, but on the WB’s “Smallville,” which just finished its 10-year run, Chloe Sullivan (played by Allison Mack) won over even the most hard-core comic book geeks. Chloe was always something of a computer whiz, but once she launched Watchtower as the heroes’ base of operations, she truly became a force to be reckoned with. The erstwhile best-friend-in-the-shadows was transformed by her own techie talents and tenacity. So go ahead and let your geek flag fly.
Stevie Richards Wrestling fans know him as Stevie Richards, but the former ECW, WCW, WWE, and TNA wrestler has been getting his real name – Michael Manna – out there as a tech guru. He founded the T4 Show (Tech Today Tech Tomorrow) to cover the world of technology in a way that’s fun and easy to understand. He became “chief technology evangelist” for PhoneFusion to help the company with phone upgrades and updates. And this past March, the pro wrestler scored some serious geek cred by being the first person to pitch a perfect game in Major League Baseball 2K11. Looks like computer geeks come in all shapes and sizes.
Chuck Bartowski Chuck Bartowski (played by Zachary Levi) is just your average computer whiz – until he opens an encoded e-mail and all the government’s secret info (a neural supercomputer called the Intersect) is embedded into his brain. NBC’s action-comedy series “Chuck” hasn’t necessarily changed the image of the computer geek – the title character is the head of the Nerd Herd at an electronics retail chain, after all – but it does open up lots of inspiring tech career possibilities. Who wouldn’t want to use their IT know-how to become a smokin’ secret agent with a sexy theme song?
Dennis Crowley Lest you think geeks are out of your league, consider the case of Dennis Crowley, co-founder and CEO of Foursquare, the super-successful location-based mobile platform. Back in his days at Syracuse University in the late ‘90s, the wunderkind couldn’t even get into a computer science course. He says he was bad at math, so he ended up teaching himself programming later on – out of a book. So even if you didn’t catch the computer science wave in college, it’s not too late to get started. For Crowley, all it took was a great idea and passion to persevere.
If you’re interested in a tech career, sign up for a few computer science courses to hone your skills. There’s a lot more to learn than just programming languages – you can take courses in computer graphics, artificial intelligence, and gaming, to name just a few. And with technology jobs growing at twice the rate of job growth overall, there’s never been a better time to get your geek on.
Sleaze in politics is nothing new. Anthony Weiner’s sexcapades are just the latest in a very long line of politicians’ indiscretions – think John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, to name just a few of the more recent offenders. But there’s a lot to be learned from the scandals that dominate headlines. And yes, we can even apply the lessons learned to our careers.
Career lesson #1: Be careful when mixing business with pleasure.
For today’s savvy professionals, social media like Twitter and Facebook have become excellent platforms for self-promotion and career advancement. Still, you have to be careful about what you release into the black hole of cyberspace. Consider keeping separate accounts – one for your professional network, and one that’s just for friends. If that distinction is blurry, edit yourself. Anything you put in writing – even if it’s just a text – can find its way back to you. That goes quadruple for photos.
Career lesson #2: Learn the ins and outs of social media.
As Weiner learned, the stakes on Twitter are higher than on plain old e-mail. When you mistakenly send an e-mail to the wrong person, at least you’re messaging someone in your address book. But if you’re attempting to direct message someone on Twitter and you type “@” before the username instead of “D,” your message becomes visible to anyone with a Twitter account. Don’t become a victim of the DM fail. If you have private info to share, go with e-mail. Better yet, pick up the phone (but not at work!).
Career lesson #3: The higher you go, the farther you fall.
Sending lewd photos can get you fired no matter what your position. But the higher you go in your career, the more people pay attention to what you’re doing. Weiner is certainly not alone in his sexploits, but ordinary joes don’t make headlines for their wrongdoings. If you have your eye on a big promotion, keep your act clean. Don’t be deluded into thinking that a position of power makes you invincible – if anything, it makes you even more exposed (no pun intended).
Career lesson #4: Take responsibility for your actions.
It’s simple – if you mess up, ‘fess up. The truth has a way of coming to light, and your personal and professional prospects will look much, much better if you’re the one shining the light rather than getting caught in the glare. Weiner’s story would have had much less traction if he had told the truth right from the start, don’t you think? Adding lies to your indiscretions, whatever they are, will not endear you to your clients, your colleagues, or your boss.
Scandals have been around since the beginning of time, but social media has given us an all-access pass to every sordid detail and blurred the public-private distinction. If you want to succeed in your career, consider keeping your personal life to yourself… and put your camera away!
The CollegeSurfing Insider is here to tackle some common career education questions, debunk career school myths, and share unique insights about various professions. Consider us your bloggin’ classmate!
All the cups of coffee you’re consuming as a college student may not stop, depending on your profession.
Sleaze in politics is nothing new. Anthony Weiner’s sexcapades are just the latest in a very long line of politicians’ indiscretions – think John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, to name just a few of the more recent offenders. But there’s a lot to be learned from the scandals that dominate headlines. And yes, we can even apply the lessons learned to our careers.
