The COVID-19 Pandemic is still ongoing and it seems it won’t be subsiding anytime soon for the next coming week or month. According to some experts, there could be succeeding waves - 3 waves just like the 1918 flu. The pandemic killed lives and disrupted the economy and jobs. The good news is some jobs are flexible even during the forced lockdown and lack of transport. Video Game Developer/Designers Since the start of the pandemic, people have been advised or forced to stay at home to avoid infection. To fight boredom, those who are video gamers found video gaming a great pastime. With demand increasing, sales for video games also increased. Here are the statistics - Gamedaily.biz and Japantimes. If you’re a video gamer and a fan of some greatest games - Half-life, Counter-Strike and Resident Evil series, you can find many video games sold online. An increase in video game sales is a boon for video game companies as well as for their employees - video game developers and designers. Video game developers use programming languages such as C++, CSS3, Java, HTML5, Javascript and SQL to build the movement and game physics.   Webmaster (E-Commerce) When most people were advised or forced to stay at homes, eCommerce proved a useful tool for remote business. Such eCommerce involved online marketing of products such as ready to eat meals, pastries, bread, buns, coffee, jams, and condiments. Then there are non-food items such as plush toys, smartphones, electronics, ceramics, keychains and everything that you can sell legally online. The job of eCommerce site webmaster is to maintain websites, find bugs and update content. A need for COVID-19 safe business makes this job thriving.  For this job, you’ll need the following skills in: Web hosting Domain registration Finding and fixing bugs on HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP Customer service Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist  The job refers to the specialist of another information technology field. Here you are tasked to increase the website visibility in the search engine and recommend improvements on the website. The competition among eCommerce sites and the need to survive such brought more opportunities for SEO specialists. You’ll work with webmasters or web developers to make sure an optimised website. You’re also a part of the marketing team that makes sure that the website can gain web traffic and reach more potential customers. Just like web developers, your job is flexible and can be done at home and that makes your SEO job flexible and thriving even during Pandemic. Skills you need include: Data analytics Keywording Writing Webhosting Copywriter Copywriters are tasked to write blogs, landing page and subpage contents. A demand in website content and eCommerce makes the need for this job. Here you’ll also work with web developers and SEO specialists to make a user-friendly website. Depending on the company policy, client’s industry and workload, you might be asked to manage social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), write storyboards for videos, and edit articles and blogs.  Skills you need for this role include: Thorough understanding of grammar Ability to write for formal and informal style Write storyboards for videos Script for video games Research news, fact or statistics   Delivery Rider Delivery riders partner with eCommerce companies or online sellers and use the app to process the service. Here you may deliver fast foods, products from eCommerce sites and homemade products. For this, you’ll need the following:  Mobile application and mobile data Awareness of government lockdown rules and regulations Compliant motorcycle or car Customer service skills Graphic Artist A graphic artist is a diverse role that includes sub disciplines such as illustrator, photo editor, video editor and animator. Other internet sources distinguish graphic artists from animators and video editors. Here, you need a compliant laptop/desktop, reasonable internet speed, and comfortable table/chair. This role remains in demand as the IT industry survives during the forced lockdown. Skills needed: Vector graphics software (Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Inkscape) Photo editing software (Adobe Photoshop CC, Capture One Pro, GIMP) Understanding of colour theory Understanding of typography Computer: Laptop - 8 to 32 GB RAM, Processor: Intel i5/i7/9 Extra monitor   Technical Writer A technical writer is another type of writer. This role involves writing manuals, documentation, and  FAQs. Here you’ll write easy to understand and direct to the point sentences and paragraphs that turn the complex process into simpler and easy to understand documents. You might already have a new smartphone. The accompanying manual in the box is written by a technical writer. Many industries support this job that include: Information technology companies doing business in security systems, software, mobile applications, gaming, and security. Engineering and architectural companies Healthcare - Hospitals and pharmacies For this role, you need the following skills: Writing Knowledge of specific discipline (Architecture, Engineering, Medicine) Understanding of grammar Authoring tools such as Robohelp, Kotobee Flowchart makers such as MS Visio   Online Seller If you can offer any products and services and sell them online, then you can be an online seller. You can launch a website, make a social media page or join an eCommerce website. For example, you can make brownies or confections at home, package and sell them online. Contact delivery services and reach your customers. If you have writing, programming and graphics skills, you can sell them as digital goods or services.  Here are some ideas on products and services you can sell online.  Products and Services Digital goods 3D models Architectural/Engineering plan Astrology reading Business card design Cartoons CGI models Cliparts  Document templates Ebooks (fiction/non-fiction) Emojis and Bitmojis Fonts Infographic design Logo designs Lookup tables Music Plugins Research reports Resume making Stock photos/videos Tarpaulin design Tickets Translations T-shirt designs Voice over Applications Website design Website themes (custom and CMS) Worksheets Food Adobo Crispy wings Flavoured gelatin Flavoured pandesal Cake Ube halaya Leche flan Maja blanca Orange chicken Pancit Sashimi Sushi Vegan meat Pasta Furniture Computer table Ashtrays Laptop table Protective wears Gloves Face mask Face shield Sanitizers Alcohol/Alcogel Hydrogen peroxide Ornaments and arts Bonsai Diorama Potted plants Services Teaching Copywriting Content writing Technical writing Front-end/Back-end coding Social media marketing Web scraping Beauty consulting Home service haircut and rebond Home service manicure/pedicure Subtitler Subtitler refers to a work of hearing a voice from audio and video and transcribing them into text. A subtitle can help people (especially those with hearing disabilities) understand and enjoy the video more. Subtitles are also useful in understanding foreign languages. For this role, you’ll need the following skills: Attentive listening Knowledge of accents Typing skills English grammar Foreign language grammar

Some jobs are rare that they are hardly seen or noticed by the public. People who do these jobs are either specialists or living in their countries where industries support such work. Here are the weird jobs around the world. Professional Line Sitter Have you remembered waiting in line to buy something or withdraw from a bank only to find out there’s a long box office line? How about not having time to queue before the movie theatre? Here comes the professional line sitter that waits in line in place of the customer. People may leave their lines for temporary reasons such as forgetting something, going for a pee, and the lists go on. Not having someone to temporarily stand for you in line could risk others taking your place and thus having you to fall in line again at the tail of the queue. In fact, this job has already profited one guy from New York, USA. Here is a video and article. Professional Mourners Professional mourners are like actors who are paid to cry during the wake or interment. They cry loudly to show attendees and the family that the deceased is missed or revered during his/her days on earth. An example of this job is from Kenya; here is the video. Train Pusher Japan is known for its efficient transport system that includes trains, taxis and subways. Train operators also follow strict schedules to ensure that trains arrive on time. Unfortunately, during rush hours, train stations are packed with commuters. Here train pushers come to the rescue by pushing people inside the coach before it departs the station. Snake Milker Well, snakes don’t produce milk like cows as they aren’t mammals. The term “milk” here refers to the venom collected. The snake milker collects the venom for scientific and vaccine research. Snake milkers prepare and hold the head of the venomous snake until it can’t move. The brave professional pushes the snake’s fangs against the glass top covered with transparent plastic wrapper held by a rubber band. A video from Brave wilderness shows the milking process.  Snake milking is a dangerous job and must be done by a highly trained person. One mistake can lead to an instant death caused by the venom. Venoms are proteins, enzymes and toxins that can either shut down the nervous system or damage tissues. Here is the video of the effects of a one drop of venom in the blood - a venom clots the blood. Unless you’re the venom man, it’s too risky to do this job. Rental Handsome Man Handsome man for rent. One company in Japan rents their handsome men to women who are looking for some shoulders to cry on. These women are either stressed or coping with the recent heartbreak. The solution, hire a handsome man who is there to listen to their problems and emotions. The man wipes the tears from the woman’s eyes and consoles her with comforting words. Here’s a video from the National Geographic.  Pet Food Taster Pet foods are specialised and compact food for cats and dogs. Such food exists in pellet, jerky or meatloaf form. Human tasters make sure that pet foods are palatable for humans by recording their taste experiences. The only thing that you can make you wonder about this job - do human taste buds are the same with dogs and cats? Ostrich Babysitter Ostrich is the largest bird in the world and stands taller than humans. The bird’s egg is the largest. This job involves watching a baby or young ostrich keep them from running off and prevent pecking at one another. One ostrich farm from South Africa has this video. Friends to pose for selfies Family romance is a Japanese company that offers friends for rent. As you can know from the gist, friends for rent pose for photos inside the client’s house. A video from Vice Asia documents how a group of friends brought party foods and decors. They also posed for photos to make the client appear having a lot of friends attending his birthday and social media followers on Instagram and Facebook. Professional Armpit Sniffer Sounds gross, maybe for some, but professional armpit sniffers might be earning big bucks by smelling armpits of test models. They work for deodorant maker companies and record the smell. Their observations are vital for manufacturers who want to know the efficacy of their products. Ciudacarros Cuidacarros are people who earn their living by watching over your car to prevent someone from vandalizing or robbing inside your car. This job is found in Brazil and Costa Rica. If you happen to park your car in depressed or crime-ridden areas, then you may need Ciudacarros. Underwater Delivery Pizza Man An underwater delivery pizza man’s task is basically to deliver pizza underwater whether it’s 10 or 20 feet below water. At Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida, pizza delivery service is offered. The diver carries an oxygen tank, goggles and a waterproof suitcase holding the pizza. It could be a real pain if the customer orders the wrong pizza or demands an extra napkin. Visit this video for how this adventure is being done. Cuddling Girl Japan is known for innovations and also new things and services that can be rented. A cuddling girl refers to a service that includes sleeping and cuddling with a girl (no sexual services involved). Most clients are salarymen or young men dedicated to working for their earnings. The pay depends on the type of service such as sleeping beside the girl or cuddling the girl. Here’s a video.

One of the shocking and scary scenarios is to lose your job. Losing a job means you lose a recurring stream of income to pay your bills, rent, food, mobile and transportation. Being sudden out of job could be caused by mass lay off, firing, bankruptcy and downsizing. Losing a job means you lose the financial support that lets you live in dignity. But losing a job is not the end as you can still make ways to reduce the negative impact of unemployment while looking for a new job.  Get a side income Getting a side income such as part-time or freelance work can help you in three ways. First, you earn money while you are looking for a full-time job or while you’re learning to enhance/add your skills. Second, you’ll get the temporary experience that can fill up your time in order to avoid unemployment gaps. Third, you may be absorbed into the company as they may or might offer full-time positions. Freelance and part-time jobs can help you survive (buy food, pay utilities, pay rents) while you are actively pursuing a full-time job. Such incomes should let you have free time to look for a decent job. Freelance Freelance could be a computer-based job that you can start with a laptop, a stable internet connection and organized mini-space. Some freelance jobs require skills such as graphic design, copywriting, content writing, technical writing and others which will only need a little training to start. You can use the skills you used during your full-time tenure into your freelance jobs. Job name Knowledge/Skills needed Copywriter, Content Writer Grammar, Writing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Editing, Paraphrasing, Citation (MLA, APA) Graphic artist Graphical software (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator), Open source software (GIMP, Inkscape), Infographic maker software Online English teachers English grammar, teaching methods Moderator Content Management System (CMS), Internet browsing SEO Manager Copywriting, content writing, SEO techniques and practices Translator English, Japanese, Filipino, French, Spanish, Chinese Web development and design Front-end: HTML, CSS, Javascript, Library (bootstrap), CMS (Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento) Backend: PHP, SQL, Python, Javascript, Java Software development platform: Github   Part-time jobs Part-time jobs usually refer to outdoor jobs that are temporary and not bound by contract. Job Skills Cook Mise en place (preparation), recipes  Laptop repairman Laptop servicing, reading of multimeter, usage of tools Mail carrier Driving, geography, navigation Liaison officer Driving, geography, navigation, legal skills (for legal liaison officer jobs) Barista Knowledge of coffee, coffee machine operation, coffee making Expand and reach out to your network How large your network may affect your chances of landing a good job. In fact, a part of job landing success comes from the network or people you knew as working colleagues, friends and relatives. They may simply be those people you met in a convenience store. They could be a drinking buddy last night or a bystander asking for directions. Expanding your network means knowing more people - quality people whom you can trust. Expanding your network doesn’t mean you have to imitate a people pleaser dude. Here’s how to expand your network: Use alumni networks - They are your school buddies way back to your high school and college years. Get involved in social media - Promote your website or blogs and chat with people. These social networking sites are full of communities and groups sorted according to their niches.  Join an organization - You can join those groups, clubs or shared interest organizations. There could be a writer's guild, graphic artists’ organizations and aid for the unemployed organizations. Volunteer - Join an organization working for a cause or an interest you care about. From there, you’d meet different people who might be your future potential buddies, friends and even your future girlfriend/boyfriend.  Start a website and blog - By having your own website and blog you can make yourself known within or outside of your niche and expand your presence across the internet.  Nurture your network - While you don’t need to contact them daily, you do need to greet them either offline or online on a biweekly or weekly basis. You need to let them know that you care and that you exist in their minds.  Trim your expenses When you trim your expenses you remove those wants from needs. Such “wants” involve video streaming subscriptions and cable. Needs are those that you need to survive (food, water, medicines). Bulk cook - This means that you can cook various dishes which you can keep in the fridge and reheat. ​Share your internet - You can lower your internet bills by having others share with your internet. Cancel gym membership - Get free exercise by walking, jogging or buying your own free weights. Save energy - Use LED instead of fluorescent lamps.   Build better resume Preparing your resume requires updating your experiences and contacts, and upgrading some of your skills. A well-polished resume is crucial for your success as it shows your detailed career updates. Here’s how to update a resume: Make a format of your resume (chronological, functional and combined) Update Skills, Experiences and Education Create or update portfolios (sample of work for designers, editors, writers and web developers) Remove old or entry-level positions Refresh contact info if necessary Edit (checking for overall ideas, conciseness, tone) Proofread (checking for typing mistakes, spelling, grammar, formatting) Publish (make your resume public both offline and online) Outline of resume 3 resume formats Chronological Resume Format - best for all levels (Student-level, mid-level, senior) a. Contact information b. Summary c. Extra info d. Education e. Skills f. Work experience (covers most of the content) g. Job title   Functional Resume Format - best for Senior level a. Contact Info b. Summary c. Job title d. Skills e. Work experience f. Education   Combination Resume Format - Best for Mid-level and Senior level a. Contacts b. Summary of skills c. Other Skills d. Work Experience e. Education Expand your skills/knowledge You can expand or hone your existing skills by enrolling in online schools (some are free and some are paid) and training schools such as TESDA. Online schools offer the freedom of earning a short certificate or a degree in the comfort of your home. The pros of expanding your knowledge are that you’ll have the opportunity to add another skill and avoid employment gaps that could leave a bad impression in your resume and interview. Most online schools offer an online certificate that can serve as your credentials. Here are some online schools or Massive Open Online Courses - MOOCs School Business model Subjects Alison Free course content. Certificates are paid upon completion. Information Technology, Language, Science, Health, Business, Math, etc. Coursera Free to watch videos but the certificates and graded assignments are paid. Information Technology, Psychology, Business, Health, Data Science, etc. Edx Paid course content but the certificates are paid. Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics, Engineering, Law, Music, etc. Khan Academy Totally free Academic, IT, Sciences Udemy Paid training videos IT, Teaching, Business, Design, Marketing, Music, Business, Photography, Office Productivity, etc. Apply for an unemployment insurance Unemployment insurance refers to the benefits (money) granted to the unemployed while they are seeking a new job.  They are those who became involuntarily unemployed - people who lost their jobs due to bankruptcy of the employer, merger and reorganization. The Republic Act 11199 (Social Security Act of 2018) provides the legal basis for such benefit.  Eligibility Criteria/Requirements: Members of the Social Security System (SSS) of the Philippines.  Members must not be more than 60 years old during the time of involuntary separation (SSS Circular No.2019-11, July 8, 2019). Members must have made 36 months of contributions. Unemployed Members are those who have involuntarily resigned. Facts: The amount of cash given depends on the average monthly credit. Here’s the Monthly Salary Credit table from SSS  The SSS Unemployment insurance is not a loan and you do not need to pay the SSS for the cash assistance you received. The SSS Unemployment insurance does not cover those who resigned from work or people who lost their job due to neglect of duties and disobedience. The funding for the SSS unemployment insurance comes from the SSS Contribution hike. Do Some Volunteer Work Volunteering can do wonders for your career and social life. It can expand your network that could lead to a job opportunity and provide a learning opportunity. Having a volunteer experience in your resume looks great and appealing to interviewers. Some volunteer organizations provide allowances or some kind of perks for the members. Organization Activities CARA (Compassion and Responsibility for Animals) Promoting the safety and welfare of animals Feeding Sisters Making street feeding programs, delivering goods to the needy Greenpeace Philippines Promoting environmental care Habitat for Humanity Building homes for the homeless Hands On Manila  Promoting volunteerism for the community-driven programs Kanlungan ni Maria Helping the elderly My Superhero Friends Foundation Supporting kids and families affected by cancer. Does reach out activities and feeding programs PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare Society) Promoting the safety and welfare of animals Project 200 Providing food and support to the marginalized people. Project Malasakit Giving scholarships to children and volunteering in repacking and distributing goods. Project Pearls Helping children in their environment, education, and nutrition. UNICEF Helping children Apply for a job (In the right way) You can search for a job via online (registering and using job search sites) or offline (office visits and networking). Here are tips to increase your chances of landing an interview and shorten your job hunt. Send applications specific to your skills using the rifle approach (applying to vacancies you are qualified) rather than the shotgun approach (applying to many jobs as much as possible even if you don’t fit the qualifications). Send your resume to both solicited and unsolicited applications. Keep a database or spreadsheet of job applications for tracking. Research the companies and the roles (the HR will surely ask these things). Dress up for the interview. Follow up your applications.

Facts can refer to current and past events, things, objects that are proved or known to be true. Here we discuss some of the facts about the workplace that involve productivity, statistics, work language, environment and working practices. Multitasking can diminish your productivity. A lack of sleep, high caffeine intake and lack of exercise can contribute to the failure of multitasking. Working doesn’t guarantee an escape from poverty. More than 40% of workers don’t earn enough to get out of the poverty situation. Employees who have some sort of control over their work are happier and healthier while working. Photo by wallpaperflare A workplace with live plants can help in increasing productivity. Plants make the workplace more inviting. Plants serve as natural air conditioners that increase the oxygen level in the air. Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol can boost creativity. The key term here is moderate alcohol. Office workers who are near windows have a lower rate of absenteeism. Drinking enough water can increase up to 14% of productivity. Unhealthy food and lack of exercise can decrease productivity by 60%. Image by Pexels An organized desk can improve productivity. The term “boss” originated from the Dutch word “baas” which means master. Manual sewer cleaner is ranked as the world’s worst job. Procrastinating a work or project can increase efficiency and focus. This means redoing the work later so that you can have a fresh eye and mind. Sources: France, Netherlands, Japan, Philippines, South Korea Globally, the working hours range from 40 to 44 hours every week. Although, there are some countries that don’t follow these working hours. In France, it’s 35 hours per week. The Netherlands has 39, Philippines - 43.2 and Japan - 50. The Netherlands has the shortest workweek - about 29 hours per week. Fun working environments can reduce employee turnover and burnouts. Humour has been proven to benefit the mind and the body. The term “work” came from the Proto-Indo-European “werg” that means to do. Working 40 hours each week from the age of 20 to 65 is equivalent to 90,000 of working hours in your lifetime. Some worry that joking around while working can be distracting. On the other hand, studies show that encouraging workplace humour can help people complete their task or increase their productivity. According to this study, 61% of employees become more productive when they have relaxed dress codes.  The term “employ” comes from the Latin word “implicare” which means to associate, involve or enfold. People who work at night shifts are more prone to the following health and psychological  problems:  Photo by Pxfuel Accidents Memory issues High blood pressure Type 2 diabetes Low sex drive Irritability 24% of commuters who get stuck in traffic told that they are thinking about “deep thoughts”. According to this article, workers are willing to leave their jobs if they aren’t praised enough for their work.  Millennials, adults aged from 22 to 38 years, will make 35% of the global workforce.  Bonding in the work team can increase oxytocin - a chemical released during orgasm. Conflicts are necessary for the working teaching and learning opportunity at the workplace. It teaches people how to behave and forgive in order to become a good person. Photo by Miguelangel Miquelena The efficacy of music to a worker depends on the many factors. In other words, there are no “one-size fits for all”.  Working for more than 40 hours a week can decrease your productivity. Working adults who get 7.5 up to 9 sleeping hours of night sleep are more productive by 20%.

Deciding what course to take in college is one of the critical periods of one’s career. Herein you’ll need personal reckoning. The course you choose can ultimately affect your long-term career prospects. The importance of career preparedness can’t be ignored because of high perceived examples of new graduates who aren’t prepared in the Job world. According to a Strada-Gallup survey, a third of students out of 32,000 believe that they have strong knowledge and skills to survive in the job market. Knowing what is the best course to choose will save you tons of time and money. Research the industry Researching the industry means finding facts, lists and statistics about the specific job sector. This task can help you find your niche when you select the course. You can also ask a resource person or an expert in their field. For example, an education industry makes up the following jobs: Academic writer Librarian Online English teacher Professor Teacher Teacher aide Tutor The Information technology industry has these specific jobs: Back-end web developer Front-end web developer Database Administrator Network administrator Content Writer Graphic designer SEO Specialist Technical writer Video editor Research the job market Researching the job market can help you decide whether to switch college courses or stick with it. Should I continue accountancy or shift to nursing? Job markets can be affected by these factors: Technology advances Certain jobs that are menial can be easily automated by programs and robots. An example is a cashier who could be replaced by automated payment gates connected to a smartphone. In countries with higher technological penetration - that could be a reality in the near future. An increase in the use of robots in factories could send workers into the jobless zone and advances in accounting software may modify the daily tasks of auditors and bookkeepers. Economic factors that affect employment Job growth depends on the temporary projects available and the economic performance of a city, region, province and country. For example, a developed tourist site (beaches, waterfall, mountainous treks) will increase tourist arrivals and so too the number of restaurants, hotels, and handicraft production. A surge in tourists arrivals will also positively affect the number of airline and vehicle operations. On the other hand, a failing economy by changing demand for products and services can make it harder for companies to retain employees. Take note that job markets change and what is true for the present time may not be true in the future. Take personality tests Personality test refers to the method that assesses human personality. Such tests may differ in length and type of questions. Using tests may help you find your dislike, likes, passion and personality type.  How personality tests can help you choose a career Personality tests can help you narrow down your choices on a career path or job that is compatible with your personality, interests, values and skills. Keep in mind that some of these tests aren’t scientifically validated.  Here are some free personality tests online such as: 123test.com 16personalities.com PersonalityPerfect.com The most well-known personality test is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and covers these four categories: Extroversion and introversion Judging and perceiving Sense and intuition Thinking and feeling Build a career capital instead of following your passion You might have already asked your teacher, a friend, parent, sibling or a mentor, and they may all have told you “follow your passion”. Sounds like ultimate advice, but the problem with this mantra is that it assumes that your passion and interests are fixed instead of changing or fluid. Here are the reasons not to follow your passion but instead develop it and build a career capital.  Following your passion will likely make you give up soon once you hit a consistent and hard obstacle.  Hobbies and passions don’t always translate to successful careers It ignores the job market. It’s like putting all eggs in one basket. Develop your career capital by: Identify your values or beliefs Identify market needs Consistently improve your skills  Deliberately practice Pursue a craftsman mindset (a combo of learning and consistent hard work) Persist through hard times Re-evaluate your progress Invest in another time and energy Developing your passion by identifying strengths and weaknesses Unlike the common perception that strengths are something that you’re good at, an accurate definition of strength is something which makes you feel strong.  You can be good at one skill but at the same time, you don’t like doing it. A strength energizes you and a weakness weakens your feelings. Here’s how to find your strength and weaknesses Try a free test online or from your school - richardstep.com and 123test.com Use a professional test from career assessment centres in your locality. Find your weakness by finding your hard vs soft skills. Hard refers to technical skills such as programming, auto repair, cooking, etc. Soft skills pertain to emotional intelligence such as negotiation and anger management. Once you find your weaknesses on each of these types of skills, you can work on them to enhance hard and soft skills. Find tasks that let you forget your sense of time. Weigh the pros and cons of each course/job Each course or job could have pros and cons depending on its demand and availability in nearby schools. A specific course such as civil engineering and political science has this profile:     Civil Engineering    Pros Good pay More job opportunities when there are infrastructure projects (Middle East).    Cons Possible hazards at the construction site Deployment to remote sites Risks of liability and pressure Long working hours           Doctor of Medicine      Pros High Salary (depends on the hospital or company) Prestigious career (along with lawyers, doctors are among the jobs that are highly respected) Job security    Cons Can be stressful (being in the operating room) Exposure to biohazards Risks of lawsuits or loss of license due to medical malpractice Stress due to loss of patients under your care Long time to finish (8 years) Expensive education (most doctors came from affluent families although there are individuals who become physicians through scholarships)       Philosophy    Pros Improves your logical thinking Improves your problem solving Prepares you for a teaching career Prepares you for graduate school or another post-graduate course/career such as law, a catholic priest    Cons It may have few job opportunities so you may end up working underemployed or pursuing another course.   Ask a mentor or veteran A mentor or veteran refers to a person who is already in such a profession. So if you’re thinking of enrolling in a nursing course, you could ask for advice from nurses who are already working in clinics and hospitals. If you’re into graphic design or coding, you may set up some time with an experienced web developer or graphic designer to see how they are doing their job. To get most the advantage of a mentor’s advice, follow these: Set up a regular meeting Watch how your mentor is doing Keep your relationship and contact open Try to be like them but not exactly identical The pros of having a mentor are: You’ll get good advice from a professional. You’ll know the job trends. You may get a job right after graduation if that mentor decides or is willing to help you. You’ll get a second opinion. You’ll grow your network.