A CAREER AS TRAVEL AGENT?

Most of us have used the services of a Travel Agent for our commuting needs.

A Travel Agent understands an individual or a group’s travel needs and facilitates the most appropriate travel arrangements. A Travel Agent’s services may be specialized for say tours or business or leisure (such as cruises/ vacations, etc) or regions ( Africa or Asia) Some travel agents are more customer focused and focus on the whole enchilada for specific clientele. The strength they bring to us is their ability to understand our needs and provide us travel options that are convenient and suited to our budget. Some of them may also assist in related documentation work such as visa, etc.

While an educational qualification is not demanded for this profession, a high school graduation is normally desired by most employers. Further accredited travel related courses provide for future growth. A travel agent is required to rely on basic computer capabilities for ticketing and other functions. Thus, knowledge of computers, foreign languages, geography are great asset for this profession.

Soft skills that are an advantage as a Travel Agent include sales skills, good written and oral communication skills.

According to payscale.com, a travel agent’s salary can be between $27,000 and $41,000. The sky is the limit for those with an ambition for growth.

For more information on a great career that you can have as travel agent, visit: http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents

On the lighter side:
From a Travel Agent - A Senior Vermont Congressman called, furious about a Florida package we booked for him. I asked for details of what was wrong with the hotel in Orlando. He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that is not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, 'Don't lie to me. I am looking at the map, and Florida is a very thin state!!!'

"WHAT NEXT" is provided by Ramesh Anand, President, American Personnel Resources LLC. ( http://www.aprllc.com/ )

Please conduct further research for this and other careers of your choice.

A CAREER AS AN INSURANCE SALES AGENT?

Insurance sales agents, commonly referred to as “producers” in the insurance industry, sell various types of insurance, such as property and casualty, life, health, disability, and long-term care. Property and casualty insurance agents sell policies that protect individuals and businesses from financial loss resulting from automobile accidents, fire, theft, storms, and other events that can damage property. For businesses, property and casualty insurance can also cover injured workers' compensation, product liability claims, or medical malpractice claims.

Life insurance agents specialize in selling policies that pay beneficiaries when a policyholder dies. Depending on the policyholder's circumstances, a cash-value policy can be designed to provide retirement income, funds for the education of children, and other benefits, as well. Life insurance agents also sell annuities that promise a retirement income. Health insurance agents sell health insurance policies that cover the costs of medical care and loss of income due to illness or injury. They also may sell dental insurance and short-term and long-term-disability insurance policies. Agents may specialize in any one of these products, or function as generalists, providing multiple products to a single customer.

While college graduation may not be a pre requisite, most companies prefer a degree as it will assist in understanding the products being sold. Certifications may be need from the state, etc depending upon the level of insurance and other related services being sold by the individual.
My friend Ramesh Cherivirala at New York Life Insurance in Houston is always looking for individuals wanting to make a career in insurance. He is an ideal example of how one can succeed in a career in insurance sales. You may want to look up companies like NY Life, Metlife and more for the opportunity of your choice.

Earning potential: The sky is the limit for those with an ambition ..

For more information on a great career that you can have as an Insurance sales agent, visit: http://www.collegegrad.com/careers/marke04.shtml

"WHAT NEXT" is provided by Ramesh Anand, President, American Personnel Resources LLC. ( http://www.aprllc.com/ )

Please conduct further research for this and other careers of your choice.

CAREER AS AN ENROLLED AGENT

The IRS defines an Enrolled Agent as a person who has earned the privilege of practicing, that is, representing taxpayers, before the Internal Revenue Service. Enrolled agents, like attorneys and certified public accountants (CPAs), are unrestricted as to which taxpayers they can represent, what types of tax matters they can handle, and which IRS offices they can practice before.

This is a great opportunity for individuals seeking to either start a career or shift careers due to issues with one’s present career. I have first hand experience of close relatives who have started at ground zero and done extremely well within a short period of time.

To become an Enrolled Agent, one needs to pass a test by the IRS. Please visit http://www.prometric.com/IRS/default.htm for more information. Former IRS Officers have an alternate path to become Enrolled Agents.

Salaries for a normal Tax Preparer vary from $20,000 to $40,000, while an Enrolled Agent can vary between $35,000 and $95,000.

For more information on a career as an Enrolled Agent, visit: http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/agents/article/0,,id=100710,00.html

Visit here for more information on a great career you can have as an Enrolled Agent: http://www.naea.org/memberportal/Resources/ForTaxpayers/whatis_EA.htm

"WHAT NEXT" is provided by Ramesh Anand, President, American Personnel Resources LLC. ( www.aprllc.com )

Please conduct further research for the careers of your choice.

Career as a Nurse?

The ANA (American Nurses Association) defines nursing as:
“Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.”
According to the BLS, there are three educational paths to becoming a nurse. A Diploma from an accredited nursing program or hospital, an Associate’s degree in nursing (ADN – a two-year program), or a Bachelor’s degree (Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or BSN). Diploma tracks have become less popular over the years, as most candidates opt for associate’s degrees or bachelor’s degrees, due to their availability and versatility. Finally, before becoming licensed and practicing as a nurse, one must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), or for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN).
According to Payscale.com, Nursing salaries range from $48,000 to $67,000. However, nurses have potential to earn more working weekends and on difficult shifts. Nursing with specialized skills command a higher salary too.
For more information on a Nursing career, visit: http://www.allnursingschools.com/faqs/careers

"WHAT NEXT" is provided by Ramesh Anand, President, American Personnel Resources LLC.

WHAT NEXT? Career as Software Engineer?

A software engineer is a skilled professional focused on the design and creation of software. They may or may not actually code. Because they are interacting with both business functions and programmers, Software Engineers should have excellent communication skills and should enjoy working as part of a team. They will often have to explain business functions to programmers and technology restraints to non-technical business managers.

Education:
Usually requires at least a BS in Computer Science. Should be very familiar with specialized languages relevant to the technologies employed (Java, C++, C#.NET as examples)

Salaries:
Average salary is around $80,000. A fresh graduate in California may start at around $45000.

CNN Money Magazine rates Software Engineering among the Top 10 great jobs –
Software engineers are needed in virtually every part of the economy, making this one of the fastest-growing job titles in the U.S. Even so, it's not for everybody.

Designing, developing and testing computer programs requires some pretty advanced math skills and creative problem-solving ability. If you've got them, though, you can work and live where you want: Telecommuting is quickly becoming widespread.

The profession skews young -- the up-all-night-coding thing gets tired -- but consulting and management positions aren't hard to come by once you're experienced. According to the magazine, there are about 44,800 average annual job openings for Software Engineers.

For more information on a career as a Software Engineer, visit: Visit http://computingcareers.acm.org/?page_id=12