Monthly Archives: April 2011

Unique Jobs

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Does the thought of an 8:00 to 5:00 office job make you yawn?  Do you become restless thinking about performing routine tasks?  Perhaps you are in need of a unique job!  I recently stumbled upon the book Nice Job! The Guide to Cool, Odd, Risky, and Gruesome Ways to Make a Living. If you are determined to lead a less routine lifestyle, this book may be for you.  To peak your interest, I have included five of my favorite job positions for you to consider.

1.  Christmas Tree Farmer
A green thumb paired with a business savvy attitude makes for a successful Christmas tree farmer.  Today’s holiday trees sell for about $35 a tree.  Earning around $4,000 an acre, one could earn a comfortable living harvesting a 15 acre Christmas tree farm.  A successful farmer should be patient, have a background in marketing, and be knowledgeable of the land and farming procedures.  For more information, visit www.christree.org.

2.  Product Name Developer
The best marketing strategy a company can have is to find a catchy name for its products.  In this position, you would be responsible for brainstorming and generating lists of names for the new products of companies.  While each name suggested only earns about $1.00 each, a full time namer employed for a high-level company could bring in a six-figure salary.  Knowledge of linguistics and languages is helpful, creativity is common, and working to meet deadlines is a must.  Flexible hours and working in any environment are enjoyed by employees of this title.

3.  The Real World & Road Rules Editor
MTV’s real life soap operas aren’t captured as they appear.  A skilled film editor works through hours of tape to determine the best segments to include in each 22 minute film episode.  A person in this position needs a great sense of drama and an understanding of human behavior.  An eye for juicy and interesting subject matter is a must with film and script experience being helpful.  A perk of the job: you always know what will be happening before the rest of the viewing audience!

4.  Ice Cream Flavor Developer
Perhaps my favorite job: tasting and evaluating lots and lots of ice cream.  Ice cream flavor developers begin at a starting salary of $25,000 a year with opportunities to grow to $50,000.  Candidates for this position have sensitive, evaluative taste buds, are creative, and have the ability to deal with media.  Developers are involved in quality control, product development, and the training of ice cream sales people.  However, four to five hours a day can be expected to be spent on the tasting of ice cream.

5.  Bicycle Messenger
Bicycle messengers serve in both big cities and small communities as quick deliverers of packages, letters, and time-sensitive documents.  They can expect to bring home $500 a week before taxes while putting on 20 to 60 miles of bike travel per day.  Agility, quick-wittedness, and a powerful survival instinct make up the best bicycle messengers.  Keeping fit while on the job is a welcomed perk of this adventurous position.

These unique opportunities are but five of many.  If you are interested in reading the full book, there is a copy available in the office of Career Services as well as the OSU Library.  You might also check out the following websites:

A unique job may be the perfect fit for you.  Be creative, be persistent, and be open to adventure!

Posted by Bobbi Meyer, Career Services Graduate Assistant

Job Outlook Looking Better

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Preliminary results are in, college hiring is up 21%. “Employers expect to hire 21 percent more new college grads this year than they did last year, according to preliminary results of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook Spring Update survey.

Back in August, employers projected a 13.5 percent increase in college hiring for the 2010-11 academic year. However, since that time, other NACE surveys have pointed to college hiring gaining momentum. For example, NACE’s hiring index, conducted monthly October through February, showed an increase in the percent of employers planning to hire more new college graduates. In addition, NACE’s monthly recruiting activity index pointed to increased activity on campus: In fact, the index hit an all-time high in February, foreshadowing a greater increase in hiring for the college Class of 2011 than originally anticipated.

This is great news for graduating students! For students looking to find a job in 2012 – fall college recruiting also looks positive. “It’s early, but signs are good for fall recruiting”, according to results of NACE’s Job Outlook 2011 Spring Update survey.

Nearly 29 percent of employers that responded report plans to increase their fall 2011 recruiting over last year, and 41 percent plan to recruit at the same level.

NACE will poll employers this summer to gather more-detailed hiring projections for the Class of 2012.

This is very motivating information! If you need assistance with the job search process be sure to visit Career Services. We can help you learn more about careers that fit your strengths, interests, and values; assist you with researching companies, writing a resume and cover letter, practice interviewing, and networking/connecting with people in your field of interest.

We are also offering a Senior Job Search Group that meets on Tuesdays (April 26, May 3, 10, 17) from 4-5:30pm in Milam 033. We just met yesterday and provided tips and resources for students to help learn more about themselves so they are more prepared to write their resume, interview, and find jobs that are a good fit. The next workshop is on May 3rd and will cover researching companies and careers. You don’t have to attend all workshops, come to those that interest you. Hope to see you there!

Posted by Jen Busick, Career Resource Specialist

Farewell to an Amazing Person

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Career Services bids a farewell to one of our admirable counselors. She has touched a lot of people over the years.

Anne Lapour

Career Development Coordinator and Career Counselor

Goodbyes are not forever.
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean I’ll miss you
until we meet again!

–Unknown

Anne will be leaving Career Services and starting a new life. “I am having a baby, and plan to learn everything I can about my new job as a Mom.  Then I hope to ease back into working in the area of career or student development–maybe even at OSU,” said Lapour. Anne said that she most of all valued the people, both her colleagues and students that she worked with. “I loved how everyday was different, and I could expect to learn as much from my students as I hope they learned from me.” Even though she will be in Eugene, she will always be a beaver. Anne would like to thank her colleagues and friends here at OSU, she also shared one of her favorite quotes:

I learned this, at least, by my experiment; “that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” –Henry David Thoreau, from “Walden”

We will miss you Anne. Thank you for all your hard work and lasting memories. Best of luck in all that you do. And best wishes to you and your new family.

Posted by Hulali Kaapana, Career Services Assistant

Green Career Day at OSU!

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Oregon State University will hold its first spring Green Career Day during Earth Week. The event takes place April 21, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom. Green employers will be showcasing their sustainable efforts, networking with OSU students, and some will be highlighting employment/internships. The event will help students learn about career paths and strategies for entering the green job market as well as assist green employers to connect with OSU students.

Green Career Day combines education with professional development for students.  Students will learn about green companies and how to get a job in this area through a variety of workshops and also connect with local and national green organizations at the event. The workshops on Green Career Day include:

Green Jobs: Alumni Panel Discussion – Q&A with OSU alums who are now working at green companies.
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Memorial Union Ballroom

What is a green job and how do I get one? – Leonard Adler, the Founder of Green Jobs Network, will speak about the green industry and how to connect people who are seeking jobs that focus on environmental or social responsibility with jobs and career development resources.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., Memorial Union Ballroom

There will also be other workshops to help students get ready to meet employers on Green Career Day:

**All workshops take place at Career Services-B-008 Kerr Administration Building***

Monday, April 18th
10-11 Resume Writing Workshop (cookies provided)
12-1 Interviewing (pizza provided)
4-5 Effective Job Search (cookies provided)

Tuesday, April 19th
11-12 Effective Job Search (pizza provided following the presentation)
12-1 Internship Search (pizza provided)
2-3 Resume Writing Workshop (cookies provided)

For more information about Green Career Day and workshops visit the Career Services web site.

View employers/organizations attending

If you have questions and/or want more information please contact Career Services at 737-4085.

Posted by Jen Busick, Career Services Resource Specialist