The ongoing COVID-19 lockdown enforces rules such as social distancing and home quarantine to stave off the virus outbreak. Some employees who have flexible work arrangements in the information technology industry, statistics, accounting, etc were able to secure work from home. If you’re one of such, it will help to eat foods that can nourish your body and health to finish your task with quality and punctuality. Without healthy food, you’ll end up overweight, constipated and possibly develop complications from junk foods.  These foods can nourish your brain and improve your immune system. Further, these foods are high in fiber and less in sugar.   Avocado Photo by Ryan Quintal on Unsplash It’s often listed among health blogs as brain food. Avocados burst with nutrition - minerals and vitamins. Its buttery and creamy texture makes it a good condiment, ingredient and supplement. Avocados contain the folate, potassium and vitamins B6, C, E. Here are some of its benefits: Brain booster - Avocados, which include the Hass cultivar, are rich in oleic acid (a type of omega-9 fatty acid) and polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFA. Once oleic acid reaches the small intestine it becomes Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) which is linked to improved memory. A 2009 study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA found out that OEA improves memory. Fiber loaded - Avocados are laden with fibre that can lower your weight, risks of heart disease and blood sugar. (1, 2, 3) Absorb antioxidants - The Journal of Nutrition discovered in 2005 study that eating avocado increases the body’s absorption of antioxidants such as beta-carotene and lycopene. May promote weight loss - A study published in NCBI study reports about this benefit.   Peanuts Peanuts are abundant and cheap. For 10 to 20 pesos, you can eat a handful of fried or boiled peanuts. According to botanists, peanuts aren’t nuts but are a type of legumes similar to string beans. Peanuts contain B-vitamins, Magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. Although it’s high in calories, peanuts are low in carbohydrates. These quasi-nuts are also loaded with healthy fats such as the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that can help lower blood cholesterol, and risks of stroke and heart disease. A word of caution: For those who have nut allergies, you may try alternatives such as beans and seeds.   Canned sardines Sardines are also called the poor man’s food due to its low price. Some don’t know that sardines are nutrient-dense. The lowest-priced sardines is priced at 14.40 Php and the highest-priced is the Spanish style sardines in bottles priced at above 50.00 Php. Numerous sites and videos discuss the benefits of eating sardines as a condiment and main course. While it may not be the best tasting dish, it’s certainly an affordable and healthy meal for Filipinos. Contains minerals - niacin, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. Protein-rich - proteins provide essential and non-essential amino acids. Omega-3 fatty acids - Fatty acids are anti-inflammatory that can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and blood clotting. Lower risk of mercury exposure - Sardines are in the low part of the food chain so they are unlikely to eat mercury-contaminated food. Source: FDC During the time of this crisis, you can count on sardines as cheap and versatile food for your recipes such as stews with vegetables and other ingredients (Pechay or Chinese cabbage, moringa, cabbage, egg).   Canned tuna  Canned tuna is also inexpensive. Prices range from 18 to 40 php depending on the brand and serving size. Canned tuna is a versatile food that you can cook with other ingredients or add in some recipes such as salads and spreads.  Good source of protein  Contains omega-3  Contains nutrients such as selenium, potassium and B-vitamins. A word of caution: Not all canned tunas are made equal. Some are made with extenders and artificial ingredients. Another concern is that consuming too much tuna might expose you to high levels of mercury as this fish preys on smaller fishes. Here is a tip, canned light tuna appears to contain less mercury than white tuna. Look for high-quality brands.   Water spinach  Water spinach or Kangkong in Filipino is unrelated to the common spinach but it’s related to sweet potato (camote). Water spinach grows fast and costs less (about 10 php per bundle). You can cook it as a side vegetable in stews or as a separate recipe (adobong kangkong). This humble plant is loaded with the following: Fiber Minerals (Calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, selenium, zinc) Vitamins (Vitamin A , Vitamin B2, Vitamin C, Niacin, Folates, Pantothenic acid, Thiamin, Pyridoxine) A word of caution: Only buy water spinach from trusted and clean sources as it can be contaminated by intestinal flukes and microbes that parasitize humans and pigs. If you’re unsure of the source, clean and cook it thoroughly.    Tofu (Tokwa) Photo by Yoav Aziz on Unsplash Tofu (Tokwa) or soybean curd is a cheap source of protein during this time of rising prices of fish, chicken, pork and beef. In the absence of animal meat, you can use Tokwa as a substitute or add protein in your vegetable dishes. An inexpensive recipe is to cook it with water spinach or Pechay, onions, garlic and oyster sauce - stew style. When buying tofu, always make sure you get the fresh ones as they spoil easily. Spoiled tofu tastes sour and won’t be good for your stomach. If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, tofu is your veggie meat. Benefits: Full of nutrients: Contains isoflavone, calcium, copper, fat, magnesium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, protein, selenium and zinc. (1)   Cassava leaves and root Most people don’t know that cassava leaves can be eaten as a vegetable like pechay and water spinach. The plants’ roots are also a staple crop. You can also stew the leaves and mix it with coconut milk or add it with smoked fish (tinapa). Benefits: High in vitamins and minerals: Vitamin C and folate. Low in calories Provide other health benefits.    Long shelf-life foods Mung beans Mung beans belong to the legume family and are easy to grow and nutrient-dense.  Its small green beans can be stored 2 to 3 years without spoiling. You can store them in jars for later use. You can sprout with water for use as a vegetable. An easy recipe of this legume is to mix them with smoked fish or meat, onions, chicharron, sauteed onion and ampalaya leaves. Benefits: Loaded with antioxidants, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 Vitamins, calcium, copper, essential amino acids, folate, fiber, selenium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. For more info about the benefits of mung beans and the said nutrients, visit these links - (1) (2) (3). Note: There’s a belief that mung beans cause arthritis but this was disputed by health professionals and an article.    Oatmeal  Photo by Margarita Zueva on Unsplash When dried, oatmeal doesn’t spoil easily and can be stored in a cool dry place. You can eat it as a breakfast meal or as a mix with nuts, seeds (sunflower, squash). Oatmeal is gluten-free which means it’s Ok for people with celiac disease or difficulty in digesting gluten-rich food such as glutinous rice and wheat. You can also use oatmeal as an extender for meat recipes.   Seeds Sunflower, watermelon, squash and bitter gourd (ampalaya) seeds can be stored for a long time without spoiling or getting mouldy.  You can use them as a snack on their own (salted or sweetened with honey) or as an ingredient to stir-fries, veggie burgers, fish coating and salads. Watermelon (butong pakwan) and ampalaya seeds are also excellent snacks or as garnish to baked goods. Benefits: Squash seeds - Contains copper, vitamin K, iron, fat, carbs, fiber, protein, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, polyunsaturated fatty acids. (1) Sunflower seeds  - Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamins E, Minerals. (1) Watermelon seeds - Contains magnesium, amino acids, zinc, iron, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. (1) (2)

Computer historians regard the Antikythera mechanism as the earliest computer. The ancient Greeks made the analog computer 2,000 years ago. They used to predict the position of stars and planets. Subsequent computers of the late 1800s,  early and mid-1900s gave rise to the ENIAC, Z1, differential engine and advances in semiconductor and computer science made laptops, smartphones and programming languages. With such lightning-fast calculating modern computers, new jobs were made for the same purpose of improving technology, software, internet, and website. The following jobs include their descriptions and the table of soft and hard skills.   1.  DATA ANALYST Photo by Lukas from Pexels The job of the data analyst is to collect statistical data and translate them into plain English, chart tables, and graphs. In this role, you may use tools such as google docs, Yandex and Microsoft docs, MS Spreadsheet, SQL, Python and R and use them to work in companies dealing with consulting, stock exchange, credit bureaus, and insurance. You’ll help businesses make the right decisions by building the following four types of data analytics: Descriptive analytics - Taking a look at past data such as annual web traffic, revenue, a bounce rate of a landing page, and a number of visitors to a website. This data can help a company know trends. Diagnostic analytics - This involves comparing data sets as such can help a company to know the cause of the negative and positive outcome. Predictive analytics - Uses analytics and historical data to predict the future. Prescriptive analytics - This is about finding the best course instead of monitoring data. Soft skills Hard skills Active listening Conflict resolution Oral communication Teamwork Writing   Data visualization software Fusion Charts QlikView Sisense Tableau Machine learning MS Excel MS Powerpoint Programming languages R (statistical computing language) Python SQL   2.  NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels The information technology infrastructure and computers won’t be successful without an efficient networking system. Configuring and making such wireless and wired connections among computers and servers is the job of a Network Administrator. Companies/organizations use servers, and routers to store and exchange data. You’ll work in hospitals, insurance carriers, technical consulting services, hospitals, schools, engineering firms and computer systems design companies, etc.  Soft skills Hard skills Active listening Teamwork Conflict resolution Oral communication Writing Beginner CompTIA A+ - Computing Technology Industry Association CompTIA Security+  Cisco CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician) CCNA R & S (Cisco Certified Network Associate Routing and Switching) CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) Microsoft MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) MCSE (Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert) Cloud services Command-line MS Visio Networking Technical Writing   3.  DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR (DBA) Screenshot by Marcel Douwe Dekker and licensed under Creative Commons DBAs are masters of data and database which is a collection of information that could be numbers, texts, photos, graphics, and videos. They are also called Data Engineers. A day in the life of a DBA involves performing these tasks: Recovering data Setting up database standards Configuring database servers Designing tables Writing stored processes Extract, Transform Load (ETL) - The process of extracting or collecting data, transforming such data depending on rules/needs and then loading them into the database. Installing database software for servers Where do DBAs work? DBAs work in companies and organizations that use databases to retrieve and save confidential info. They work in the IT department of hospitals, banks, insurance, entertainment, web hosting. In a hospital, a DBAs and bioinformatician (a hybrid profession of IT and medicine) keep files of patients, make analysis, retrieve medical data and interpret biological data that can be useful for medical research and finding cures.  In banks, you’ll monitor, install, and secure databases of bank accounts using RDBMS (relational database management system) eg: MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, and MS SQL server. You will use codes such as SQL (structured query language), shell scripts, and Perl scripts. In plain English, SQL is a programming language used to retrieve data, shell script refers to a commands list run in Unix shell (a type of command-line or black screen with white text), and Perl (a multi-purpose programming language used for network programming and web dev and much more). Soft skills Software and RDBMS skills Active listening Creativity Learning Planning Reading Research Writing Database design Database theory Informix Networking Perl Relational Database Management System Azure SQL Maria DB Microsoft Access MySQL PostgreSQL SQLite Shell scripting languages SQL Storage technologies   4.  GRAPHIC ARTIST Photo by activités culturelles from Flickr and licensed by Creative Commons If you have an inkling for visual art such as drawing cartoons and making videos, this job is for you. You may work in advertising or marketing, television studios, software development, consultation, corporate branding companies. Your work is essential for websites as they require rich graphics for visual appeal. Another subset of graphic design in the video graphic artist who is responsible for making videos of animation, infographics or real-life videos.  Skills profile Soft skills Hard skills Active listening Communication Conflict resolution Creativity  Teamwork Time management Writing Adobe photoshop Adobe XD Colour theory Corel Draw Dreamweaver Illustrator  Indesign  Inkscape, GIMP Typography   5.  MOBILE APPS DEVELOPER Photo by Piqsels and licensed under creative commons The craftsmen behind messengers - WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, and Netflix are software engineers. You may make coding for computer apps and mobile phones using programming languages, code repositories, and test software before its rollout. You’ll also make patches or upgrades that are regularly released to the user. You’ll work in small, medium and large companies and a team of graphic artists, copywriters, DBAs and software testers. Soft skills Hard skills Attention to detail Clear communication Conflict resolution Creativity Customer service Problem-solving Teamwork Algorithm Relational Database Management System MongoDB Oracle Postgresql SQLite Data structures IDE(Integrated Development Environment) Code/Visual Studio for C#,C, C++ programmers Jupyter notebook, Spyder, PyCharm for C# programmers Networking basics Programming languages Javascript HTML and CSS Python Java PowerShell/Shell/Bash C# PHP C/C++ TypeScript C Ruby Operating System Software Development Cycle Spreadsheet Testing basics Text editors Version control system (Github and Git)   6. VIDEO GRAPHIC ARTIST Photo by Piqsels and licensed under creative commons Browsing through Youtube, Vimeo and Dailymotion and social media, you’ll find a lot of interesting shareable contents such as infographics, magazine clippings turned into video, animations and photo compilations. Interesting video content such as from Be Amazed and infographic show won’t be possible without the video or motion graphic artist. In this job, you’ll make motion graphics for large corporations, advertisement, marketing products, and technical shows. You’ll combine sound effects, photos, vector graphics and animation tweaks into a video. Soft skills Hard skills Active listening ​Conflict resolution Creativity Customer service Oral communication Teamwork Time management Writing Adobe Animate Adobe Illustrator, After Effects, Premier, Filmora, Mudbox Blender Cinema 4D Final Cut Pro Keyboard shortcuts Video editing essentials   7.  SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZER Photo by Photo Mix from Pixabay A search engine optimizer’s tasks are to increase the website’s visibility in a search engine by improving/optimizing the web page to increase the page rank. When a website’s rank increases, so too its appearance in search engine’s pages. You’re most likely to work in an SEO department,  front-end web development team, and marketing team but that depends on the company’s size and culture. Your work is crucial for the success of a website as your job’s purpose is to let internet folks know a website’s existence, otherwise, no one can find a business’s products and services. Soft skills Hard skills Conflict resolution Creativity Teamwork Time management Writing Word counter Browsers (Mozilla Firefox, Chrome) Browser extensions for SEO Analytics for Google, Bing, Yahoo and Yandex Keyword research Data Analysis Basic HTML Link building   8.  SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Photo by Piqsels and licensed under creative commons Dubbed as a social media manager, social media coordinators are masters in using Facebook, Twitter, Mix, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, and other social bookmarking/networking sites to reach an audience, increase subscribers, market products and services. This role is a subset of Search Engine Optimisation and some skills needed here overlap with SEO. You’ll likely work in a marketing, SEO and web development or media company. You may work as a consultant or a freelancer for a number of companies that maintain their website.  Soft skills Hard skills Creativity Customer service Psychology Sociology Time management Writing   Analytics Facebook Instagram Mix Pinterest Plurk SEO basics Tumblr Twitter Vkontakte   9.  TECHNICAL WRITER Photo by Judit Peter from Pexels A technical writer is another type of writer. A day in your job includes making technical documents that industries need to communicate clearly and efficiently. You may work in companies/organisations dealing with healthcare, software or web development, engineering, architecture, construction, aerospace, chemical processing, defense, controls, and instrumentation.  Your job is also called engineering writers as you’re expected to produce an accurate, clear, concise and useful technical document. Your writing style will be direct, plain, and clear sentences and paragraphs. You’ll also use charts, graphs, flowcharts, photos and vector graphics to make the technical document easy to digest.  For instance, if you work in a smartphone manufacturer, you’ll write a manual that explains how to use such a phone. If you work in an architectural firm, your task is to make manuals for building structure and design. Generally, across companies, you’ll write training guides, manuals, layouts, outlines, white papers, software test plans, project plans, and design details.    10.  CONTENT WRITER Photo by Startup Stock Photos from Pexels Content writers or copywriters write contents for the website's landing page (home page) and blogs for sub-page. Depending on the company’s size, training and culture, they may research keywords, use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques such as leaving links to social bookmarking websites. You could be a part of an editorial team, media team, research team. Content writers make up a crucial part of the front-end and SEO team as they provide readers with visual info through text. Soft skills Software Creativity Oral communication Self-control Teamwork Time management Writing Grammar Search Engine Optimisation Subject matter Text editors: MS Word, Libre office Writing styles   11.  WEB DEVELOPER Photo by Robi Pastores and from Pexels This job makes you a master of building websites that are made up of codes, texts, photos, and video info. You run these pieces of info through web browsers that are connected via the internet. You’ll likely work in web dev companies or as a support for an organization dealing with broad infotech services. Your role exists in three kinds - front end, back end, and full-stack. The front end makes the visual part of the website, the back end for the controls inaccessible to the user, and full-stack - the one who knows both types. What are the skills needed to be a web developer? Each of these skills gets updated as web development languages and new techs improve. These skills were updated for the year 2020 at the time of this writing. Front-end Web Dev’t HTML CSS Javascript Frameworks/libraries (Angular JS, React JS, Vue JS) Front End Frameworks/libraries(Bootstrap) CSS Preprocessors (SASS, LESS) REST (Representational State Transfer) API (application programming interface) Version control system (Git) Command lines Testing and Debugging Browser tools Web hosting Back-end Web Dev’t HTML CSS Javascript Backend languages (Ruby, Python, SQL, PHP) Java Some knowledge of Databases Web hosting Full-stack Web Dev’t HTML CSS CSS Framework/libraries Javascript  Javascript framework/libraries (JQuery, React JS) Backend languages (SQL, Phyton, Ruby) Node.js Python REST API Databases (MySQL, SQLServer, Oracle, MongoDB, MariaDB) Version control system (Git) API (REST and SOAP) Algorithms and data structures Web hosting Server (Apache and Nginx) Basic prototype design (UI/UX) Any of these software stacks (LAMP-Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP), MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.Js), MEAN (MongoDB, Express, Angular.js, Node.js)

The lockdown aims to keep people at home to protect everyone from the COVID-19 virus. The daily count for the infection, people under observation/monitoring and fatalities seems to be unabated. Some experts say that flattening the coronavirus statistics curve would take 2 to 3 months. Asymptomatic infections make it hard for people to avoid those who have been infected.  In this situation, doing self-quarantine inside your home is the best resort. This productivity and work from home can help you stay at home and get the best of your time. If you’re lucky to get an arrangement to bring your job at home, remember that not all people have the privilege to work at home.   Clean the clutter (Physical) If you have clutter lying around your table and room such as a plastic wrap, CD cases, drink bottles, coins, boxes, wrappers, shoes, bag, or even banana peel, chances are these clutter can affect your productivity. According to a study, clutter can make you distracted compared to being in a serene and organized environment. Jumbled things can negatively impact your resilience, mood and your ability to concentrate. •  Purging some things Most working or studying Filipinos are renting in a small apartment, condo and flat. Others are lucky to own their condos and house. You might be sharing bed space with your friend or your sibling. If you’re in this situation, you can purge things that you don’t need and keep them for sending to recycling shops. Sort all cardboards and keep them in a recyclable and biodegradable bin. You can all do this for old receipts, tickets and used printed material. You can also sell recyclable materials such as cans, plastic containers and paper. •  Maximize your closet space If you own a closet or wardrobe, you can use it to sort your apparel and other personal things. Stacking order: Basket (Contains things aren’t always used) Hanged clothing Drawer  Shoes Clean digital clutter Likewise, clutter isn’t only physical but also digital. Digital clutter refers to unorganized folders, photos, videos, and thumbnails that can turn your desktop into a digital version of an unkempt room. With different types of files just randomly scattered in your screen, it causes the same effect as of that physical clutter.  Don’t save your files on the desktop. Delete duplicate files. Categorize files - Make folders and label them.  Avoid using too many nested folders - This avoids a time-consuming searching and clicking on folders.  Use a non-distracting desktop theme - A non-distracting and low memory theme is good for your eyes and your computer’s memory. Organize computer files with these two systems: Date based and name-based. Use cloud backup - In case of computer trouble or power outages, you can always retrieve your files anytime and anywhere. Some of the best cloud services include Dropbox, Microsoft and Google drive. Take exercise This is no brainer. You can’t work and be productive without being healthy. Staying at home for the long term without exercise can lead to weight gain such as stomach fat. You may also experience a languid or fatigue feeling. If you don’t have a home gym or exercise equipment, you can walk 30 minutes a day. Walking is an underrated exercise as most think that a real exercise should be in the gym - pulling that dumbbell. In fact, walking for 30 minutes can burn at least 30 calories depending on your weight. A proper walking exercise includes these effects: Healthy heart Helps joints and muscles Improves blood circulation   Eat healthy foods The more you stay at home without exercise and eat foods laden with sugar and unhealthy fats, the more you get a quick ride to the unhealthy club. Here are some of the healthy but budget-friendly foods: Sardines Citrus food Tofu Seeds: Watermelon, sesame, squash seeds Fibre-rich foods: Leafy vegetables and whole wheat bread Learn skills online There are tons of massive online courses or MOOCs on the internet. Some are free and some are paid. Niches comprise web development, data analysis, grammar, foreign languages, writing, speech and graphics. You can earn certificates that you can imbed in your portfolio, print on a special paper or include in your resume. Online schools can help you brush up your existing skills. Alison   Coursera  Edukart Edx.org Futurelearn Iversity Khan academy Saylor.org The open university Udacity Udemy   Read physical and digital books Books are still a mine of knowledge even though ebooks and tablets are common things to read info. You could have a dozen or hundreds of books on your bookshelf. Reading books can help you practice your reading skills and comprehension. You can also find a vast number of ebooks on the internet. They are available in PDF, ePub and word format. Some people say that physical/tangible books are faster to read than digital books (e-books) and don't cause eye strain.   Designate a home office A working space must be free from distraction and noise. It should be ventilated but not overly exposed to bright sunlight that can cause glaring in your laptop and extra monitor screen. Your table should be sturdy enough to hold your computer and spacious enough to support your palms and arms.  What you need: Computer desk Laptop or desktop computer - Minimum specs of i3 or i5 and 4GB RAM depending on your work. Adequate lighting - The lighting should be enough to protect your eyes against eye strain from the computer screen. Headset with noise cancellation - You’ll likely converse over Skype or Slack. Rotating office chair or high-quality urethane chair (499 php) from the supermarket High-speed internet - 25 Mbps Extra pocket wifi with load or your smartphone’s hotspot function in case of internet outages Surge protector Extra monitor - This is ideal if your laptop screen is small. An extra monitor can increase your productivity and eliminate browser tab switching. Likewise, you can open more docs and apps and view them at the same time. Mouse rest - A pad made from rubber and to reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) which is a condition that causes numbness, tingling and pain in arms and hands. CTS is caused by resting your hand and arm on the table surface.   Protect confidentiality It’s likely when the lockdown started, you agreed with your company’s policies on confidentiality - that is to protect information related to your company’s trade secrets and all the things inside a laptop. Confidentiality policies depend on a company’s industry. Some are strict and others are lax when they have less confidential info. For example, Call centre companies are reluctant to let their employees work from home because of sensitive data such as social security numbers and credit cards. If you are working from home using your company’s laptop, make sure that you only have access by using an alpha-numeric password designated by your HR. Some of the sensitive information: Standard operating procedure Names of clients Content management system (Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal) passwords Email passwords Video conferencing app passwords  Take a regular break No matter how you’re dedicated or hard-working, you’ll always come at a point where your body tells you to quit and take rest. The reason is you don’t have an unlimited supply of dopamine (a hormone neurotransmitter that lets you feel pleasure). The more you work for longer hours, the more your productivity plummets. A way to take a break while staying productive is to use the Pomodoro technique. Use a timer such as your smartphone or dedicated alarm clock. 1 Hour Learning/working 15-minute break 1 Hour Learning/working 15-minute break   Minimize distraction Distractions can slow down your progress and decrease your productivity. To minimize distraction, follow the Pomodoro technique or set aside a break. Top distractions include: Phone alerts Social media (Facebook, Twitter) Emails Frequent eating Cluttered workspace Improper desk chair posture  Non-ergonomic workspace Procrastination Being hungry You can minimize distractions by: Splitting tasks into sections Eating a proper meal  Taking frequent breaks Put your phone into silent mode Rewarding yourself Working in a comfortable table and chair

Skills refer to a combo of talent and knowledge needed to complete a task or job. Let’s say you work as a website developer, your skills make up HTML, CSS, Javascript and libraries such as Jquery, Angular, Parsley (a javascript form validation library not the herb) and Bootstrap. On the other side, you may work as a kitchen commissary and your skills are various knife cuts, mise en place (preparation), cold kitchen, hot kitchen and costing.  When you change careers and you found using the same skill in your new job, then that’s a transferable skill. Even if you go for a career change such as from Statistician to Search Engine Optimizer and vice versa, you’ll still use one or two more of your skills.    Why know about transferable skills Knowing transferable skills allows you to: Identify your strengths and weaknesses Improve your skills set Capitalize on that skill for use in the second job  Categorize your skill Make career change decisions   Two kinds of transferable skills: Hard and soft skills Hard skills Hard skills are easily quantified because they are measured by educational measurement tests such as matching type, true or false, and reading comprehension tests. They are also called technical skills - specific language, device, computer programming languages, and software. Soft skills Soft skills, although they can be gauged by some personality tests, are hard to measure, because they are abstract quantifiably vague. They are skills that are not usually taught in classrooms or included in a curriculum. Soft skills Hard Skills Asserting Accounting Counselling Drafting Creativity Languages  Emotional intelligence (withholding emotional outbursts, listening, empathizing)  Painting Negotiating Programming languages (HTML, CSS, Java, Javascript, SQL) Self-discipline Typing Time management Welding   How Hard and Soft skills become transferrable Your soft and hard skills become transferrable when you found yourself using them in a second job/career. Your soft transferrable skills are always transferrable in jobs that need human interaction, even on the internet and home-based work and among different types of jobs (bartender, web developer, cook, foreman, engineer, welder).  Your hard transferrable skills are specific in one job (inventory control for warehousemen and cooking for cooks. Hard skills become more transferrable across related or partially related jobs and industry (IT-Staff vs Warehouse IT Staff, Web developer vs SEO Manager).   Hard transferable skills between partially related jobs In this illustration, a person who is an IT staff can apply the same skills in the second job as shown by the skills set in red and vice versa. The skills set in black are specific to that work while those in red are hard transferable skills. If you apply in a second job that is more related or partially related to your previous job, it’s more likely that you’ll use most of your hard skills and all soft skills.     Soft Transferable skills between two unrelated jobs Employers value soft skills since they are always sought in a work that needs human interaction or team building. Organizations use soft skills across different types of jobs. The texts in red are soft skills, those in black are hard skills. For example, if you change careers, such as from cook to a web developer or vice versa, you can apply the same soft transferable skills and spreadsheet skills (food costing for cooks).   

Photo by MART PRODUCTION When you ask kids what they want when they grow up, they may answer - I would like to be an engineer, teacher, doctor, and lawyer. But there are people who go for jobs that are uncommon because of the low number of people vying for such work. These jobs could be in the Philippines and other countries but they are less common compared to teachers, lawyers, call centre agents, web developers and other jobs supplied by graduates of common courses. Here are the jobs found here and abroad.   1.  Bouncers (Doormen)   Photo by Hans-Petter Fjeld and licensed under creative commons You might have already visited a nightclub wherein before you enter an entrance you have to be frisked or questioned by tall and burly men. What do these guys do? Those plainclothes or suit-wearing men are bouncers or security personnel tasked to secure night clubs and maintain peace and order lest bad guys spoil the night with broken bottles, bare knuckles, and cleavers. Famous bouncers and former bouncers include Vin Diesel, Dolph Lundgren, Mr.T and Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church before he entered the seminary in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Aside from using brute force against troublemakers (if maximum tolerance is exhausted), bouncers are tasked to check drinking and legal age. They also may refuse entry to the intoxicated.   2.  Paranormal Investigators Dubbed as ghost hunters, paranormal investigators (PIs) check and explore structures and places that are notoriously haunted places such as hospitals, schools, hotels, cemeteries, churches, alleys, roads, and prisons. Some houses could be haunted because it could be standing on a former graveyard, and stigmatized place. How does PI get their living? Here, you may be called by a homeowner to check their residences after he/she complained of spoons and chairs moving by themselves or apparitions appearing at the staircase or you’ll be assigned to a paranormal investigation team with a mission to check haunted castles and mansions. Real estate agents/developers may need your help to make sure that their properties are ghost-free otherwise, they’ll receive reports of homeowners and tenants running from doppelgangers, poltergeist and demons or tenants enduring sleepless nights after hearing disembodied voices and seeing shadowy figures. You may use gadgets to detect ghosts or signs of hunting - thermal cameras, EMF (Electromagnetic Field) meters, EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) recorders and Point of view cam. If you have seen the movie, Ghostbusters, you can see how they do their job expelling otherworldly creatures lurking in the library or in an attic.   3. Petroleum Engineers    If you’re interested in the energy industry and analyzing 3D models of oil reservoirs or visiting oil rigs and wells, then this career is for you. Your work may vary from a clean office to a dirty site akin to a civil engineer’s construction site. You may wear a hardhat and use tools such as laptops and professional sophisticated equipment (downhole recorders, pressure recorders, external casing packers, and coiled tubing tools).  You may join a team that explores for black gold (oil), designs pipelines, tanks, and pressure vessels. At the office, you’ll be in the comfort of an airconditioned room and doing a computer job using software for analysis. Outdoors, you may scout a team to look for sites possibly rich in natural gas and oil trapped hundreds of meters below the earth’s surface either at land or ocean. To be an expert in oil and gas exploration, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, and knowledge of thermodynamics, geology, and principles of engineering and certification. Other engineering specializations such as mining, civil, and mechanical may meet the employer’s requirements. Aside from their prestigious titles, petroleum engineers are the highest paid types of engineers - more than nuclear, civil, chemical and computer science. You’ll work in companies of petroleum exploration and production.   4.  Hyperbaric Welder (Underwater Welder)   Photo by Dr.E Lee Spence and Licensed under Creative Commons Hyperbaric means a welding process in an elevated pressure environment (usually underwater) although hyperbaric welding is also applicable inside a sealed chamber with gas. This job is similar to welders you see in a car repair shop or construction sites except - they weld underwater. Hyperbaric welders use a set of diving and welding gear such as electrodes, diving helmet, power supply, diving knife, backup gas, stinger (electrode holder) and diving suit. These marine welders work in bridge construction, mining, ship maintenance, dams, locks, offshore drilling rigs, nuclear power facilities, and docking facilities.  Hyperbaric welders are one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. They face dangers of depth pressure (called Delta P hazards) which can lead to drowning. Improvements in robotics, underwater ships and welding can make welding underwater safer. This job pays well in a short amount of time.   5.  Air Traffic Controller   Courtesy of Petar Marjanovic and Licensed under creative commons They occupy that iconic tower near the runway and watch blips on radar screens and high tech LCD screens showing inbound and outbound flights and flight data. In this profession, you’ll issue plan and flight clearances, provide instructions for orderly and safe landing and takeoff of the aircraft, direct the flow of planes, report any air traffic hazards/mishaps and assist pilots in the airspace. You may advise pilots and other ATCs of the weather situation.  To become one, you’ll need to finish a bachelor’s degree in air traffic control, understand the weather forecast, radar readings, and some knowledge of aviation. Like engineers and pilots, ATCs are also in the well-paid category. Their salary ranges over 30, 000 to 108, 000 per month depending on the position and experience.   6.  Beer Brewer/Technical Brewer   You may love drinking beer at parties or even alone when you relax from work or bask under the sun. This job will bring the joys of brewing until the beer is perfected. To become one, you have to finish one of these courses - chemistry, chemical engineering, microbiology, food technology, and food science. As a brewer, you may work in beer factories or breweries.  You’ll tackle tons of barley grains, use sophisticated equipment (vats, tanks, mixers), sample a raw mix inside the filtration tank, add hops and some spices for flavouring, operate a computer that handles data control systems of the brewing system. Then, you’ll work in equipment that adds yeast to start fermentation, and again in the filtration system that removes substances that cause a cloudy beer. If the beer passes your quality check, then those perfected liquid is now ready for bottling by a machine that can produce 1,000 beer bottles per minute.   7.  Crematorium Technician If you’re not squeamish and you’re brave to witness the reality of resting in the peace that humanity has never defeated, this job is for you. As a crematorium technician, you’re tasked to open the crematorium and its office, prepare the paperwork and preheat the oven. You may sign papers regarding the preparatory steps, legal paperwork (medical exam, certificates), and attach an identifying tag (a heat resistant metal) to the body before incineration to avoid mixing one’s ashes to other people (otherwise legal cases will follow). You’ll then prepare the body for burning by activating the conveyor machine to place the body into the crematory chamber.  After 2 to 3 hours, depending on the body’s size and sex (men yield more ashes than women), it will turn into bone fragments which you’ll have to collect using an array of tools - retort brush, clean-out tool, retrieval pan and transfer pan. You’ll retrieve a heat resistant tag to identify the person’s identity and avoid it mixing with other cremated remains. Then, using a multi-lift hand magnet, you’ll make sure that there are no pieces of iron and steel in the ash before placing it for grinding in the cremulator. Finally, you’ll then pour the fine ashes into an urn ready to be given to the family of the deceased. Interested in joining the people who operate such ovens like burners, you’ll need a degree in mortuary science and working knowledge of cremation.   8.  Food Taster   Photo by Pikrepo and licensed under creative commons Perhaps, this is one of the most exciting jobs since here you’ll do testing of manufactured foods such as ice cream, crackers, condiments, snack foods, candies, and chocolates. Some or most companies require applicants for this position to get a degree in food technology or sensory science.  This job has been featured on the internet as a highly sought one since food taster is thought here as munching on chocolate bars and eating gallons of ice cream but in reality, tasting is just one of the tasks of this job. In tasting, you’ll test the food’s flavour, colour, pungency, oil content and moisture.   You’re more likely to carry out food tasting sessions, record the food’s flavour, appearance, taste and smell, observe food samples using a microscope, refer to tables of viscosity, salt content, pH scale, moisture and solubility. You’ll use professional devices such as balance scales, pH meter, spectrometer, and distillation devices. In the end, you’ll observe test results and produce analysis reports. In the end, you’ll contribute to the food production by improving its taste, texture and appearance.   9.  Perfumer   Perfumers make perfumes, blend spices, and make sure that the perfect scent conforms to the company’s and people’s standard. In the end, they help companies produce scented cosmetics, shampoos and perfumes.  Perfumers use substances that are expensive such as rose oil, ambergris (whale vomit), iris-root butter, and agarwood and turn them into Eau de parfum, Eau de toilettes, colognes, conditioners and fabric softeners. A day in the life as a perfumer, you’ll likely perform physical and chemical tests, make an analysis of the product, make sure that the manufacturing process conforms to the quality standards and use gas chromatography to understand additives used in fragrances. As a senior perfumer, you may supervise staff to make sure of a safe manufacture process before sending to distillation.  To enter the club of perfume experts, perfume and cosmetic companies may require you to finish a degree in chemistry or chemical engineering and understand gas chromatography which is a method of quantifying and analyzing volatile compounds and using a gas chromatograph - a professional and expensive equipment costing $34,500.   10.  Sommelier   Sommelier is a wine expert. Here, you will work in fine dining restaurants, hotels and resorts known for luxurious food and drinks. You must know different kinds of wine, wine storage, food to wine pairings, and wine tastes. According to vice news, training for a sommelier is difficult as it involves the wine theory and history, serving wines, blind tasting and smelling. A few only pass the stringent exam. The most difficult part is identifying the name or wine type. Sommelier is a prestigious position that only less than 300 are master sommeliers in the world. Like other professions, to be a sommelier you have to pass an exam and certification. While passing this wine expertise exam can be difficult, the return of investment is high, as you can work in a high paying job in hotels, resorts, restaurants, and bars. In the Philippines, several training schools offer sommelier courses as part of the hotel and restaurant management degree or as an independent study offered by some colleges and hospitality schools.