As part of the larger fields of building inspection and construction, the primary purpose of a home inspector is to ensure that building codes and ordinances, contract specifications, and zoning regulations are being followed and that the buildings are safe for people who will dwell or work in them as well as for the environment. Building inspectors also inspect sewer and water systems, bridges, dams, and streets and highways.

Home inspectors are hired by individuals who wish to purchase a new home but want to be assured of its structural elements. As a home inspector, you will check the foundation, roofing, plumbing, heating and cooling systems, electrical system, ventilation, and interior of a home. You will be relied on by the prospective buyers to help them ascertain whether or not the home is up to safety and durability standards. This has become a standard practice in the process of buying a home, so you will play a vital role.

Depending on the state in which you live, you may be required to be licensed or certified; this means you may need to pursue your education, gain experience, possess liability insurance, and/or pass an exam. Though many train on the job, home inspectors must learn record keeping, contract specifications, and building codes and regulations. You can learn all these by studying to earn your degree online; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those with career training in home inspection will have the best career opportunities.

The BLS has predicted an 18 percent increase in employment for building and construction inspectors between 2006 and 2016. They have also predicted a rapid increase in jobs for home inspectors; those who become certified and have a high level of experience, education, and skill will have the greatest opportunities. The BLS shows that median salaries for inspectors were approximately $48,000 in 2007.

Earning your online college degree in the field will help you to gain the necessary knowledge needed to have credibility.

Photo Credit: Stéphane Magnenat, GNU Free Documentation License

One of the most highly valued workers employed by all production or manufacturing companies is a quality and safety control specialist. Individuals who become safety and quality control specialists use principles of quality assurance; in other words, they draw from the standards that are within ISO 9000 as well as other similar guides to ensure the safety of products and/or employees and products that are considered to be top-quality by industry standards.

To become a safety and quality control specialist, you must be extremely detail oriented. With the right education, knowledge, skills, and experience, you can work in the automotive industry, engineering, or other manufacturing capacities; you will also be qualified for management positions within these industries.

Earning an online degree in safety and quality control offers you the opportunity to receive comprehensive instruction without actually having to be in a physical classroom. While each degree program will offer various classes, most of the courses you will take will include those in ISO 9000 fundamentals, auditing essentials, quality management, and Six Sigma.

Salaries, as with any type of career you might pursue, vary greatly and are dependent on the position and industry as well as level of education, location, and the amount of experience you’ve had.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that the median annual salary for industrial production managers was approximately $78,000 in 2006. Employers often prefer (and may even require) individuals who have a formal education, and they are usually inclined to pay individuals who possess a degree a higher salary than those who do not.

Become a Facilities Manager!

A branch of administrative management, facilities management deals specifically with physical spaces. As a facilities manager, you will be responsible for the supplies, equipment, grounds, and the building’s function as well as renovation and construction projects, residential or workspace design, and cost-efficient energy sources. You will need to be competent in areas such as information technology, engineering, and architecture. Some of your responsibilities will likely include:

• Budgeting
• Architectural planning and design
• Space/workplace planning
• Real estate and lease management
• Directing staff – custodial workers and maintenance and grounds crews

You will also, as a facilities manager, need to keep tabs on workplace safety at all times to ensure the workspace meets all maintenance and security standards. You, like many others, will probably divide your time between your home office, a branch office, vendors’ offices, construction sites, and property sales sites. A hands-on profession, working as a facilities manager will require regular supervision of parking, construction, landscaping, security, and grounds keeping. Typically, you will work a 40-hour week, but may be required to make yourself available during non-work hours as well if you are needed to address unforeseen problems.

Most facilities managers earn their online bachelor’s or master’s degrees in architecture, business administration, construction management, or facilities management. A focused degree in the field will offer you career-specific training that is found to be attractive by most employers. Employers also appreciate excellent managerial skills, effective leadership skills, the ability to be decisive, and great communication skills. You should also be a good multi-tasker; you will often be asked to coordinate several activities at once while staying on top of impending deadlines.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for facility managers in the near future should continue to remain strong. Median annual salaries for administrative services managers in 2006 were approximately $68,000; the federal government often employs facilities managers at a slightly higher rate of pay than average.

]]> http://ieducationblogs.com/2010/08/11/become-an-online-facilities-manager-when-you-earn-an-online-degree/feed/ http://ieducationblogs.com/2010/08/10/earning-an-online-degree-in-acquisitions-and-contract-management/ http://ieducationblogs.com/2010/08/10/earning-an-online-degree-in-acquisitions-and-contract-management/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:26:25 +0000 Stacey Boothe Snelling http://ieducationblogs.com/?p=1257

Earn Your Living by Shopping!

Acquisitions and contract managers – also known as buyers or purchasing agents – basically shop for a living; they are responsible for finding and buying the goods and services that allow their companies to continue running. While there are many similarities between a buyer and a purchasing agent, there is a distinct difference – buyers procure goods that are headed for resale, while purchasing agents buy the good and services their own companies need, i.e. raw materials and office supplies.

If you become a purchasing professional, your first concern will be finding the best deals (the highest quality for the lowest price) for your company by considering sales records and inventory levels, targeting potential suppliers, and staying aware of changing supply and demand trends.

To work in this industry, you will need to have a good understanding of economics and know everything possible about the specifics of the buying surroundings.

Nearly half of all buyers and purchasing managers work in manufacturing and the wholesale trade; their primary focus is increasing the revenue of their companies as much as possible. If you become a purchasing manager for the federal government, a major employer across the country, you may buy anything from machinery to airline tickets; you may also specialize in supervising and negotiating supply contracts.

While you will likely work from the comfort of a nice office, your hours will probably fluctuate during conferences or sales and with approaching deadlines. You might also enjoy a few days of travel each month; those working for international companies often even travel abroad.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities will be best for those who have earned a degree in Acquisitions Contract Management. Online degree programs usually provide students with a wide variety of course curriculum including legal and financial classes, business law, and acquisitions and contract management methods. Although the BLS predicts that there won’t be any immediate change to employment of acquisitions and contract managers, obtaining your degree will likely give you a great advantage in the field.

As with any career path, the more specialized training you receive, the better your resume will stand out from others who seek the same positions. If you wish to advance even further, obtaining an online master’s degree as well as garnering as much experience as you can will help you meet your career goals.

Studying Educational Technology

The combination of teaching and technology – called educational technology – is a very significant trend in education today. This field, while it is most often associated with computers, goes beyond the use of technical gadgets; it deals with design, development, implementation, and evaluation of new methods of teaching and learning.

Educational technology programs are typically offered at the graduate level, leading to a Master of Science or Master of Education in Educational Technology. You can earn anywhere from a bachelor’s to a doctoral degree through online programs allowing you to study and learn at your own pace from the comfort of your own home.

While working toward your degree, you will develop the skills you will need to work with the newest technologies in education. Multimedia tools, the Internet, and computer technology are a few of the major areas you will likely study while earning your bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Some of the courses you may take include:

• Distance Education
• Educational Media and Technology
• Educational Hardware Systems
• Developing Multimedia Materials
• Instructional Design
• Computer Interface Design for Learning
• Integrating Technology into the Classroom

When you graduate with a degree in educational technology, you will be able to work in a number of different fields, including teaching, school administration, and curriculum development. You will also find opportunities in private or nonprofit sectors as a training specialist.

Earning a graduate degree in the field of educational technology will prepare you to deal with the ever-changing demands of education by training you in ways to prepare and implement newer and more efficient and effective ways of teaching.

Job prospects are likely to be favorable as school districts come to rely more heavily on new technologies. While salaries vary widely depending on location, experience and position held, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, curriculum designers earned an average annual salary of more than $58,000 in 2007. During the same year, corporate trainers earned approximately $90,000 annually, teachers averaged an annual salary of $52,500, and administrators $82,000. A number of schools offer bonuses for teachers and administrators who earn their master’s degrees in educational technology.

Become a Photographer

If you crave flexibility and autonomy and have a creative, visual mind, a career in photography may be ideal for you. Those who are naturally drawn to photography have an artistic eye, technical skills, and the ability to tell a visual story.

The field of photography is changing rapidly as the need for business and marketing skills and the ability to work in a multimedia environment become ever-more important; a photography degree can provide you the career training you will need to have an edge in this competitive field.

An ever-evolving field, photography requires individuals to constantly update their equipment and skills; additionally, a formal degree is quite advantageous. Coursework will challenge you not only artistically, but technically as well, while exposure to peers and instructors can provide you with valuable insights and much needed connections.

Taking courses in business and marketing can be extremely helpful in addition to your formal photography training, which covers the visual designs and technical skills aspects of this field.

When you have graduated, you can work as a photojournalist (news photographer), portrait photographer, special events photographer, working at weddings, graduations, or religious ceremonies, or you may produce fine art that you sell to art dealers or stores. You could also find a position as a photographer within a scientific or commercial industry recording data for analysis.

The National Press Photographer’s Association, a professional organization for photojournalists, has stated that the profession continues to change rapidly, thus formal career training may be the best way to begin; photojournalism applicants must possess a larger set of skills and need to be able to tell a story visually in a variety of ways in a very rapid manner.

Become a Phys Ed Teacher

With more than 60% of Americans being overweight, it is obvious that the importance of physical and health education is higher than ever. Health and P.E. teachers can help students and the general public by promoting a healthy lifestyle. If you are someone who is committed to living an active, healthy life, earning your degree in physical and health education will give you the comprehensive career training you will need to become a K-12 teacher, instructor, private league coach, or personal trainer.

Degrees in this field are offered at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels; online courses are a great way to prepare for a particular concentration within the field of physical and health education, including certain sports, particular P.E. positions, exercise techniques and the like. There are many programs that utilize online classes to supplement on-campus learning, which allows you the flexibility you may need when attending a brick and mortar college isn’t practical for you.

Bachelor’s Degree

A four-year degree will prepare you for an entry-level teaching or coaching position as the coursework includes those in general education (liberal arts and sciences) in addition to your training in health and physical education. Examples are:

• Health & PE Theory
• Exercise Physiology
• First Aid and CPR Training
• Intercollegiate Sports Coaching
• Kinesiology
• Measurement and Evaluation in P.E. Programs
• Teaching Physical and Health Education in Elementary Schools

The sports-specific courses you might take include:

• Physical Fitness
• Aerobic Fitness
• Aquatic Fitness
• Racquet Sports
• Team Sports
• Gymnastics

Master’s Degree

In order to teach at the K-12 level, a bachelor’s degree is typically required; additionally, to become a teacher, you must become licensed with your state by completing a teacher training program and passing the state-issued exam. There are states that require teachers to begin working toward their master’s degree within the first few years of their teaching careers to maintain their licenses.

An advanced degree (masters or doctorate) can offer a stepping stone to more advanced, higher paying teaching and coaching jobs; you will also qualify to become a specialist in the field, such as an athletic program director. A master’s degree will allow you to learn a specialized area of health and physical education, like sports psychology and stress management, kinesiology and biomechanics, physical activity epidemiology, adapted physical education, child health education, exercise physiology, and more. You will also learn research methodology at the master’s degree level.

Doctorate Degree

To become a researcher, health education professor, athletics program director, and the like, you will need to earn your PhD by focusing on courses in research methodology and quantitative analysis. Additionally, you will receive career training in leadership, program assessment and evaluation, and complete other courses that are relevant to high-level administrative positions.
The job outlook and average salaries vary within particular specialties in this field; K-12 teachers are in moderate demand – a 12% increase is expected through 2016. The average salary for elementary school P.E. teachers in 2007 was approximately $50,000; high school teachers earned slightly more.

By earning an online degree in furniture design, you can turn your passion for this fun, hands-on hobby into a great career. When earning your degree, you will gain much needed understanding of the materials involved in creating uniquely designed furniture, such as metals, woods, plastics, and textiles, and how to combine the aesthetic and structural components of your designs. The skilled trade of furniture design is taught through practical education in the technology and technique behind this functional art.

Though traditional woodworkers who design and make one-of-a-kind items for their clients are still able to find work, there has become an increasing need in this field for furniture designers to develop a level of computer expertise. Modern wood shops have automated power tools and machines that will require a deep understanding of mathematics, geometry, and computerized programs; thus, the increased dependence on computer-aided design (CAD) programs have needed to keep current by incorporating CAD training into the coursework, teaching traditional drafting and technical drawing skills along with those that are aided by a variety of 2- and 3-D technologies.

You will need extensive knowledge of drawing, rendering, and color in order to work in the furniture design industry. You will additionally study other areas including conceptual and historical aspects of furniture design and contemporary aesthetics. Practical coursework will focus mainly on wood, welding, metal, and lamination techniques, but may also include ergonomics and research and development.

You can gain the knowledge and training necessary to work in the industry by earning an Associate of Arts or certificate through an online university. You might also continue your education in order to earn a Bachelor of Arts in furniture design, or industrial design with an emphasis in furniture design.

First working in a local wood or cabinet shop can help you develop hands-on techniques that will be beneficial in addition to your educational training. As a trained furniture designer, you may be self-employed or work for a small or large manufacturing company. Once graduated, some designers with one to four years of experience earned an average annual salary of over $40,000 in 2008. The job prospects in this field, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, will depend greatly on economic cycles as well as entrepreneurial skills for those who wish to be self-employed.

With the right combination of technical ability and creativity, you may find furniture design to be an excellent career choice for you.

Studying Media Arts and Animation

The world of computer animation has come a long way in recent years; it is sometimes mind boggling to compare the animation of more recent films such as WALL-E and Up to those made even just a few short years ago: Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, for instance. It is quite obvious that this type of technology has made astounding advancements.

Earning a degree in arts and humanities with a specialization in computer animation, visual effects, or gaming animation involves taking classes that will likely include those that teach computer-aided software programs and multimedia.

You will find, once you have graduated, that you will be able to find a position working for a video game company, a production studio, an architectural design firm, or a corporation that deals in marketing and media. Because the spectrum of computer animation has grown beyond the film industry, graduates have the opportunity to work in a variety of industries. Learning the technical aspects of animation, behind-the-scenes operations, storyboard creation, client business relations, presentation, and team building skills will provide you the education you need to be competitive in this field.

When you train for a career in Web design and animation, you will find a rich variety of topics will be covered:

• 3D animation skills
• 3D graphics design
• Movie and television production
• General computer animation
• Drawing and design animation
• Photorealistic and non-photorealistic animations
• Web design and Internet based skills
• Business building and marketing skills

Multimedia artists and animators, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, earned a median annual salary in 2007 of $54,550, with top earning animators commanding an almost double salary of $98,000. The median salary for graphic designers in 2007 was slightly more than $41,000 annually.

The top paying fields for animators in 2007 included: design services, Web search portals, motion pictures, and employment services.

The BLS indicates that job growth in the industry of animation and arts will grow by approximately 16% through 2016; during this period, graphic design should see a growth of 10%. Both fields are quite competitive, but if you have a keen eye for detail and a creative mind, an animation or design career may be the best career choice for you.

]]> http://ieducationblogs.com/2010/08/03/make-a-great-living-by-earning-an-online-degree-in-media-arts-and-animation/feed/ http://ieducationblogs.com/2010/08/02/earning-your-aerospace-engineering-degree-online/ http://ieducationblogs.com/2010/08/02/earning-your-aerospace-engineering-degree-online/#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:39:59 +0000 Stacey Boothe Snelling http://ieducationblogs.com/?p=1218

Become an Aerospace Engineer

If you are interested in studying to become an aerospace engineer, you may or may not already know that when you graduate you will be working on the design, development, and testing of satelites, space vehicles, aircraft, and guided missiles. This exciting, lucrative, ever-expanding field will offer you abundant opportunities as an engineering professional to share your special talents by working with either the U.S. Government or in the private sector. As an aerospace engineer who possesses formal training and holds either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in the field, will have the best opportunities for careers in this field according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If time constraints are somewhat of an issue for you, online classes can be taken in aerospace engineering, which will then lead to a two- or three-year master’s degree. Your courses will vary somewhat depending on the program in which you enroll, but will usually include: study of guidance control, defense aerospace products, instrumentation, propulsion systems, fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, advanced mathematics, and materials science.

According to government statistics, there were approximately 76,000 aerospace engineers employed in 2004. The department of labor has estimated that in 2007, the wages earned by professionals in the field of aerospace engineering were upwards of $50,000 for those who held bachelor’s degrees, and over $62,000 for those who earned their master’s degrees. Your salary, of course, will be subject to your location, your level training, and how much experience you have had.