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

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.

Aviation Mechanics and Technology

In 2007, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the air transportation industry employed approximately 486,000 individuals. To pursue a career in this field, aviation mechanics and technology degrees can provide you the crucial foundation of knowledge you need. You will be trained in a wide variety of aspects of aircraft repair and maintenance – from motors to computer systems used in air traffic control – while earning your degree. Jobs in the industry are expected to expand as the economy recovers and the population increases. The median salary for aviation mechanics as well as other aircraft technologists, according to the BLS, was approximately $57,000 annually in 2007. Those who have earned their degrees have the best chances of securing positions as well as higher salaries; most jobs offer great benefits including pension plans and heavily discounted travel.

When you pursue your aviation and technology degree online you will be studying a variety of applications to hone your skills; options for training include:

• Avionics
• Aviation electronics
• Aviation maintenance management
• Aircraft computer systems

You may be able to complete your online degree in as few as 18 months; with more training, you might diversify your skills or specialize in a particular field in the industry, such as computer systems for air traffic. These more advanced programs will allow you to secure a career that pays more and may lead you to pursue your associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

Online programs allow you to build your work experience while you are working toward your degree; current technologies for interactive usage and simulation make earning your degree online easier than ever before.

]]> http://ieducationblogs.com/2010/07/29/pursue-a-lucrative-career-in-the-air-transportation-industry-with-an-online-degree-in-aviation-mechanics-and-technology/feed/ http://ieducationblogs.com/2010/07/27/get-your-online-degree-in-the-ever-advancing-field-of-biotechnology/ http://ieducationblogs.com/2010/07/27/get-your-online-degree-in-the-ever-advancing-field-of-biotechnology/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:17:47 +0000 Stacey Boothe Snelling http://ieducationblogs.com/?p=1183

Biotechnology

Do you have a decidedly scientific mind and the desire to apply that knowledge to practical problems? If so, you’ll likely be very interested in pursuing a career in the field of biotechnology. This field combines science with real-world issues allowing biotechnologists to discover and implement important advances in technology.

Biotechnology is one of the most active in the scientific fields, attracting a fourth of development funding according to the National Science Board. This exciting field combines the study of applied technology and biology to solve the pressing issues of today’s study of science and society. Researchers have developed new vaccines and drugs, better ways of handling hazardous waste as well as disease-resistant crops. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the focus of biotechnological research should continue to drive employment growth and generate an average yearly salary of approximately $66,000 for researchers; income is predicted to grow further with the extent of money being given to biotechnological research.

A degree in biotechnology focuses on practical applications of biotechnological science; biology degrees focus on the science itself. If you study for either, your coursework will likely include:

· Manufacturing practices

· Drug design

· Food biotechnology

· Basic concepts of biotechnology

· Biological computation

Certificate programs in biotechnology are also offered as a broad introduction to the field and will often lead to a position as a research or laboratory technician. Associate’s degrees are more in-depth and have a greater focus on technical skills and research; this degree may lead to a job as a research specialist. Bachelor’s degree programs usually concentrate on one area of biotechnology, while earning your master’s degree will require you to do independent research; this will often lead to doing more advanced research at a PhD level. The further advanced your degree, of course, the higher your salary will likely be.

Financial Planning

The need for financial planning, while always important, has grown tremendously over the past several years, particularly with the baby boomers’ threat to current savings practices. With this need comes the demand for those who have training in financial planning.

It is the job of financial planners and analysts help guide individuals and businesses when they need to make investment choices. Both analysts and planners conduct financial research, which is used to provide investment recommendations to their clients; however, they differ in the type of clientele they have and the information they provide.

Financial analysts evaluate the economic outlook of a variety of industries in which businesses may be interested in investing. Personal planners advise their individual clients, focusing on a broad range of personal investment areas, like helping with major life milestone goals – their child’s college tuition, retirement, etc.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classified 176,000 employees as personal financial planners in 2006; this figure is expected to rise for two reasons: 1) demand is increasing and 2) it has become increasingly easier for individuals to gain the knowledge they need through online education.

Earning a certificate in financial planning online can be much more manageable than having to attend an on-campus university. You can learn statistics, investment, accounting, savings, and basic economics all from home. Over the last few years, banks, brokerage firms and insurance companies have broadened their services to include investment advice; banks that have become involved in brokerage and investment activities need qualified financial advisers to support their new clientele.

According to the BLS, the demand for personal financial planners in the next decade is likely to be above the average of all other occupations. As the population ages and people begin to plan for retirement, the increase in 401(K) investments and other individually managed retirement accounts will presumably persist.

Roughly four out of 10 financial planners are self-employed according to the Department of Labor. While certificate programs cannot guarantee specific salary figures, the median income for personal financial advisors in 2007 was approximately $68,000.

All of us have indirect contact with technical writers on an almost daily basis; every booklet, guide, or manual you use to familiarize yourself with products – anything from a clock radio to a new computer – was written by a technical writer.

Because of the constant innovations in science, technology, business, medicine, electronics, and computers, technical writing has become more and more important. In order to communicate technical details in a way that will be understood by a broad audience, technical writers must master writing and critical thinking skills; you can learn these skills through a technical writing degree program.

Earning an online technical writing degree will help you learn to explain technical details in a way that can be easily read and understood. Writing within a particular field – i.e. the automotive industry – requires that you take specific courses to prepare.

Those studying technical writing will take classes in several disciplines including technical writing for industry, communications, electronic document design, editing, interpretation, graphics for technical documents, manual development, and others.

Earning a certificate in technical writing may be the best option for you if you already hold a bachelor’s degree, but wish to enhance your skill set so you can enter a new field in writing. Certificates are non-degree credentials showing you have mastered the essential elements of the field of technical writing.

As a technical writer, your job will be to interpret instructions, complex ideas, or procedures in a manner that will be easily understood by readers. Many have been frustrated by poorly written, overly complicated, or unclear instruction manuals; it will be your job to create manuals that are easy to interpret.

Approximately 49,000 technical writers were employed in the U.S. in 2006. Jobs in the field are expected to be the most plentiful in the writing industry, but competition will be strong. An increase in demand for writers who have specialized in law, business, electronics and medicine is anticipated. The median pay for technical writers is roughly $62,000.

If you become a customer service representative, you are agreeing to be the public face of the business for which you are working. You will be fielding comments, questions, and complaints from customers, so you will need to possess in-depth knowledge of the services or products they offer as well as the company’s policies and regulations. You must also have excellent communication and conflict mediation skills.

Working in a call center as an operator will usually involve data entry for which you will look up a customer’s profile in the company’s database and edit his or her information while you are speaking. It will be important to respond to complaints as prescribed by the company guidelines, and answer any questions the customer has. You may need to ask the customer for more details to discern the nature of the problem and look up information to satisfactorily resolve the issue or concern.

Call center jobs are frequently demanding; operators are typically given another call as soon as they’ve finished with the previous. Call centers are also often open all hours of the day, so you may need to work odd hours.

All customer service positions are not, of course, in call centers. Some require answering questions and responding to complaints via email, while others will require face-to-face discussions with customers.

You will find numerous customer service training programs offered by online universities; most offer courses in general business practices with emphasis on customer services. When you’ve graduated, you will have earned a certificate, associate’s or bachelor’s degree, depending on the length of the program you choose.

As a graduate, you may find work in a bank, retail organization, or insurance company, manufacturing service, or telecommunications provider, among others. The details of your job will vary greatly with the institution in which you find work; customer service positions can often lead to higher positions with a company, such as management or product research.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job prospects for careers in customer service to grow by 25 percent in coming years; bilingual employees, in particular, can anticipate favorable job prospects. In 2007, the median earnings for customer services representatives was just under $15.00 per hour. You may earn more if you have special skills such as technical support or management experience.

While it’s the designers who put the latest and greatest trends in fashion up on the runway, it’s the fashion marketers who get them off the showroom floor and into the stores so customers can buy them.

An online degree in fashion marketing will provide you with the training you need to succeed in this exciting industry. When you earn your college degree online, you’ll get an education and career training during the time you’re available, not a predetermined schedule that may or may not work for you.

Typically, the coursework you will take will include:

• Fashion design and technology
• Communications and promotion
• Visual merchandising and store display design
• Marketing and management

Graduates in the field of fashion marketing can begin their careers in a wide range of jobs – merchandising managers, visual merchandisers, retail store managers, and purchasing agents to name just a few. Becoming one of these professionals allows you to spend time arranging merchandise, pricing clothing, and attending fashion shows. You may also be consulting with fashion designers, keeping track of profits and losses, or designing ad campaigns.

The entry-level salaries for those in the fashion marketing industry was approximately $37,000 in 2006; according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in this field is expected to grow faster than average.

Forensic Science Degree Programs prepare students to become forensic experts and medical professionals who are integral parts of the justice system. Graduates in this field can become doctors, nurses, technicians, or forensic pathologists who will use scientific procedures as well as medical procedures to analyze physical evidence that has been identified as being associated with an investigation of a crime.

As a forensics healthcare professional you will need to have excellent scientific and mathematical knowledge, which is best developed in a program specifically designed to provide you with a degree in forensic medicine.

To determine if this is the right course of study for you, consider the following:

• You should enjoy and be skilled at detailed, complicated scientific procedures with an affinity for math and science. Working toward a forensics medicine degree involves advanced, intense study of chemistry, physics, biology, and math.

• You should possess a strong commitment to contributing toward a safer society.

• Seek the advice of a professional forensics healthcare professional; he or she can offer invaluable advice, ideas, and guidance, as well as tell you what the day-to-day tasks are, the education requirements, and career advancement opportunities. Shadowing (following a professional for a day) is an excellent way to gain this type of exposure.

There are many types of forensic medical careers, most of which combine the field of medicine with the legal pursuit of justice and safety. The following are some of the career choices you can make with this degree:

• Medical Examiner
• Forensic Nurse
• Forensic Physician Assistant
• Forensic Consultant
• Forensic Pathologist
• Crime Lab Director

Forensic Science Associations:

• The American Academy of Forensic Psychology
• American Board of Forensic Anthropology
• National Association of Medical Examiners
• International Association of Forensic Nurses
• American Board of Criminalistics
• American Board of Forensic Toxicology
• American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators

Religious Studies Programs Offer Many Opportunities

Online graduate religious studies programs focus on the rational study of the history of religion as well as modern religious issues in a way that gives equal consideration to all religious traditions. As a student of religious studies, you will receive the same advantages that students who are earning a liberal arts degree will, which is to say a broad-based foundation of artistic, cultural, and historical background. This will help you to hone your abstract reasoning, direct observation, and research abilities. You will, while earning your degree, learn to exercise original thinking and strong analytical skills and evolve your ability to empathize with a wide variety of religious perspectives.

The curriculum of the religious studies student offers an academic forum for asking the fundamental questions of human existence. This understanding encompasses the realm of great literary and artistic achievements as well as many of our world’s greatest conflicts and social movements.

In today’s global society, good interpreters of information are in demand; the knowledge of other cultures and perspectives on religion is indispensable. Developing a tolerance and understanding of various cultures and their beliefs translates into the workplace well, particularly in jobs that rely on employees to relate and reach out to others, build relationships, and incorporate perspectives.

Religion degree programs are similar in nature to those in history or English; a purely academic track will provide an education similar to one in philosophy, approaching questions with the same critical thinking, well-organized patterns of argument, and methodology of debating. Students will learn to understand, rather than practice in, religion by examining ritual, myth, and symbolism. Knowledge of archaic and/or foreign languages can help a great deal in understanding many of the diverse texts one might come across when studying religions of the world.

Graduates of religious studies often go on to work in positions in the following areas:

• Business / international business - Marketing and management
• Counseling and Social Work
• Marketing and management
• Journalism / publishing
• Non-profit or non-governmental organizations
• The government, foreign service, or the Peace Corps
• Education
• Event planning, hospitality, or the service industry
• Law
• Medicine
• Museums and the arts

For teachers, instructors, and professors, the American Academy of Religion (AAR) is a professional association in which membership has an interest in the ongoing study of religion.