A little while back, I had the opportunity to help a student on some work for a personal finance class. I attempted to explain to this student the main differences between owning a share of stock in a company, and owning a bond. And here's the general gist of it, explained briefly in my own words, in case you ever come across this in class, too. Please note that I am not a financial advisor or expert of any kind on these subjects.
When you own stock in a company, you own a piece of that company. You're an actual owner of the business. Now, in very large, publicly-traded companies that have a national or even a global presence, there may be millions of other stockholders (also known as shareholders) of the company, but you're still an owner.
As a shareholder, the company may reward you from time to time in the form of a dividend. The company isn't obligated to make these payments to stockholders, and if it is currently making such payments, it can decide to lower, raise, delay, or eliminate them at any time. Dividends to shareholders are usually, though not always, tied to the financial performance of the business. If the company is performing poorly, chances are likely it's not going to be paying dividends. In times of poor financial performance, the value, or price, per share of the actual stock itself may fall, as well, so you may lose money on your investment that way, too.
On the other hand, when you own a company's bond (keep in mind that bonds can be issued by governments, as well), you do not own a piece of the company. You're not a shareholder. Rather, you are giving a loan to the business (or government entity). In exchange for the loan, the company is agreeing to not only pay back the amount of money you loaned to it - the principal - but it is also agreeing to pay you interest, as well.
The advantage to owning bonds is that they may typically be more financially stable compared to stocks - you're getting consistently stable interest payments from your loan to the company. As a lender to the company, you also usually have more rights in bankruptcy court than stockholders do, if the company runs into that situation. You're more likely to be compensated in a bankruptcy proceeding before shareholders.
A downside to owning bonds over stocks is that, even though stocks are usually far more prone to volatility, the possible financial rewards when stocks are performing well can potentially be far greater than bonds can ever hope to achieve.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Writing Contests
If you enjoy writing, check out the Poets & Writers magazine's extensive database of writing contests at www.pw.org. The magazine continuously tracks writing contests and updates its database regularly. All sorts of genres and formats are represented, and potential prizes include anything and everything from cash awards, to travel and speaking opportunities, and from stays on college campuses to research and work with students, to publishing of your work.
Happy writing, and good luck!
Read my previous post about the many career opportunities that writing skills open up
Happy writing, and good luck!
Read my previous post about the many career opportunities that writing skills open up
Monday, January 7, 2019
Exploring careers in the trades
Recently, I discussed career opportunities in fields like IT and engineering, and how you can pair the skill of writing with your hobbies and interests to become a recognized expert at things you truly love.
In this post, I want to talk about exciting opportunities in the world of trades. Examples of professions in the trades include that of plumber, electrician, machinist, painter, carpenter, welder, and mechanic, to name a few.
Skilled tradespeople are in extremely high demand these days, and that's great news for young men and women like yourselves interested in exploring these fields.
High demand means the labor supplies in these fields are low, and that means you and your skills are rare, or scarce. And that translates into high pay, solid benefits, and plenty of opportunities for advancement if you stick around and take your work seriously.
Why is that? Why is the demand so high for these valuable skills and talents? What are the reasons behind such low labor supplies?
For starters, so the story goes, the trades were often overlooked, downplayed, and just ignored outright for many years by high school guidance offices, teachers, parents, the media, and society in general. The trades took a backseat to the traditional four-year university, which became the popular talk of the town, so to speak. Everyone wanted their children to attend university, and if they were given other suggestions, they took offense to that, as if they were being told their children weren't good enough for university. Of course, I'm speaking in pretty broad, general terms, but you get the picture. The long and short of it is that students were steered away from the trades as an option post-high school. Because of this, not enough young people were going into these lines of work. Meanwhile, the tradespeople already doing this work are getting older and retiring or starting to think about retirement. There weren't enough younger workers to replace them, and there still aren't enough.
Now, we're at a critical point with the labor supply. Companies can't find enough skilled workers, or young people interested in learning. Case in point: Before arriving in my current line of work as an instructional aide at a public high school, I had always worked in business, and my last position before this one was as an office manager for a remodeling contractor in Muskego. We attempted to find a young apprentice, someone who would be interested in earning on the job while learning the trade of carpentry from our highly-skilled carpenters, who are aging and in need of additional help. I put out this job ad looking for an apprentice, and we advertised it heavily in our area. No one responded.
If you're interested in exploring careers in the skilled trades, here are some great Web resources and ideas to get you thinking further:
Do you have any shop classes at your school that you can try out?
Anyone in your family or family friends in the trades that you can talk with?
5 Booming Trade Careers That Don’t Require Student Loans
Skilled Trade Jobs in Demand
Careers in building and fixing things - Khan Academy
In this post, I want to talk about exciting opportunities in the world of trades. Examples of professions in the trades include that of plumber, electrician, machinist, painter, carpenter, welder, and mechanic, to name a few.
Skilled tradespeople are in extremely high demand these days, and that's great news for young men and women like yourselves interested in exploring these fields.
High demand means the labor supplies in these fields are low, and that means you and your skills are rare, or scarce. And that translates into high pay, solid benefits, and plenty of opportunities for advancement if you stick around and take your work seriously.
Why is that? Why is the demand so high for these valuable skills and talents? What are the reasons behind such low labor supplies?
For starters, so the story goes, the trades were often overlooked, downplayed, and just ignored outright for many years by high school guidance offices, teachers, parents, the media, and society in general. The trades took a backseat to the traditional four-year university, which became the popular talk of the town, so to speak. Everyone wanted their children to attend university, and if they were given other suggestions, they took offense to that, as if they were being told their children weren't good enough for university. Of course, I'm speaking in pretty broad, general terms, but you get the picture. The long and short of it is that students were steered away from the trades as an option post-high school. Because of this, not enough young people were going into these lines of work. Meanwhile, the tradespeople already doing this work are getting older and retiring or starting to think about retirement. There weren't enough younger workers to replace them, and there still aren't enough.
Now, we're at a critical point with the labor supply. Companies can't find enough skilled workers, or young people interested in learning. Case in point: Before arriving in my current line of work as an instructional aide at a public high school, I had always worked in business, and my last position before this one was as an office manager for a remodeling contractor in Muskego. We attempted to find a young apprentice, someone who would be interested in earning on the job while learning the trade of carpentry from our highly-skilled carpenters, who are aging and in need of additional help. I put out this job ad looking for an apprentice, and we advertised it heavily in our area. No one responded.
If you're interested in exploring careers in the skilled trades, here are some great Web resources and ideas to get you thinking further:
Do you have any shop classes at your school that you can try out?
Anyone in your family or family friends in the trades that you can talk with?
5 Booming Trade Careers That Don’t Require Student Loans
Skilled Trade Jobs in Demand
Careers in building and fixing things - Khan Academy
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Information technology careers
As a registered user of the Job Center of Wisconsin (JCW) Web site, I received the following information by e-mail, and thought it was worth sharing for anyone who may be interested.
The Event:
Training and employment funds available for IT careers!
The TechHire IT Program:
The TechHire IT program offers qualifying young people 17-29 years old (with some exceptions) with a high school degree or equivalent an opportunity to begin their career in Informational Technology (IT). Training and Job Placement will focus on IT-related jobs such as Network Security, Computer Systems Analysts, Software Developers, and Computer User Support Specialists. The TechHire program is Free.
The TechHire program has two options:
1) If you already have some work experience or education in IT, you can work one-on-one with a career coach to identify needed IT certifications or college courses to complete your degree and to find a job in IT. This program begins as soon as you are ready and registered!
2) You can attend an intensive, 4-month “boot camp” style training for certification in IT Service Center Help Desk Technician, including CompTia A+, work with a Career Coach and receive job placement services to start your new career. The next boot camp begins on Monday, February 11, 2019.
For more information:
TechHire
414-921-0711
Tech/Hire IT Service Center Technician Certificate Program brought to you by Employee Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC).
Please be sure to check out the Job Center of Wisconsin Facebook page.
JCW is a product of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and the Wisconsin Job Center system.
Sincerely,
Job Center of Wisconsin
https://www.jobcenterofwisconsin.com
(888) 258-9966
The Event:
Training and employment funds available for IT careers!
The TechHire IT Program:
The TechHire IT program offers qualifying young people 17-29 years old (with some exceptions) with a high school degree or equivalent an opportunity to begin their career in Informational Technology (IT). Training and Job Placement will focus on IT-related jobs such as Network Security, Computer Systems Analysts, Software Developers, and Computer User Support Specialists. The TechHire program is Free.
The TechHire program has two options:
1) If you already have some work experience or education in IT, you can work one-on-one with a career coach to identify needed IT certifications or college courses to complete your degree and to find a job in IT. This program begins as soon as you are ready and registered!
2) You can attend an intensive, 4-month “boot camp” style training for certification in IT Service Center Help Desk Technician, including CompTia A+, work with a Career Coach and receive job placement services to start your new career. The next boot camp begins on Monday, February 11, 2019.
For more information:
- For further information contact (414) 921-0711 or complete an online inquiry form at https://employmke.wufoo.com/forms/kefz7qh127ysaz/.
- Information sessions are scheduled for January 10 and 11 if you call or inquire. You're welcome to share this with others as well.
TechHire
414-921-0711
Tech/Hire IT Service Center Technician Certificate Program brought to you by Employee Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC).
Please be sure to check out the Job Center of Wisconsin Facebook page.
JCW is a product of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and the Wisconsin Job Center system.
Sincerely,
Job Center of Wisconsin
https://www.jobcenterofwisconsin.com
(888) 258-9966
Scholarships and financial aid resources
Following are a number of Web sites, resources, and ideas pertaining to scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid for college. I feature both Milwaukee-area and broader national information. Check back from time to time, as this page may be updated and expanded.
Milwaukee-area:
A Google search on "scholarships for high school seniors milwaukee"
South Side Scholarship Foundation
MPS Foundation
Cream City Foundation
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
Wisconsin Technical Colleges
National/both:
Check with your local chamber of commerce and community service clubs and foundations like Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, Moose, women's club, etc.
Check with your high school's guidance office.
Check with the colleges and universities you're interested in attending.
Check with any particular industry or trade organizations whose fields you're interested in working in.
STEM scholarships from the Department of Defense (DoD)
Everydae.com's Merit Scholarship Finder tool
Finding college scholarships (from this blog, April 2019)
Career options with writing skills
The many career opportunities that writing skills open up
By now, you know I possess decent writing skills, and you can probably tell that I enjoy writing. In fact, I genuinely love it.
In this post, I attempt to offer several concrete examples of ways you can pair writing with your own hobbies and interests - things you really love and can't get enough of - to land jobs, develop your career, meet new and interesting people, and even go into business for yourself. If you can develop your writing skills - the ability to tell a story, make a case, connect with and relate to others - an endless sea of possibilities awaits you.
An even more endless sea of possibilities awaits you, if there is such a thing, if you don't mind speaking in front of others or going in front of a video camera, and you can verbally speak as articulately and polished as you can speak in written form.
Come, let's explore further...
To begin, let's get your thinking going by asking, "What are your hobbies and interests?" Do you:
Now that you're thinking about your passions, let's start coming up with those practical examples.
If you love the game of baseball and its history, you can become a baseball writer and historian. You can write and talk about all your favorite aspects of the game - the lives and careers of your favorite players, the history of teams, playoff predictions, records and record holders, the rules of the game and how they've changed over time, etc.
If you love your city's or state's NBA or NFL team, you can write all about the team on a blog you create that's solely dedicated to that team. Start building a decent-sized following, and who knows - maybe one day you're following your team around the country as a sports reporter or game broadcaster. Maybe you can even work for the team some day in marketing or public relations! Sound exciting?
If you enjoy anything to do with cars, or you collect anything, or you're passionate about a certain subject or time period in history, or you're really into a certain genre of music - again, a blog might be an awesome start, and from there, who knows - you start getting your work in magazines, newspapers, books, catalogs, and/or on other Web sites. As an expert on something, you could be approached for interviews to share your knowledge and insights.
The same goes with your love for cooking and cuisine, works of art, and traveling - plenty of opportunities to position yourself as an expert within certain subcategories of these broad topics. Cookbooks, magazine and newspaper articles, interviews, blogs, etc., could certainly be in your future.
Here's a fact - there are experts on organized crime - essentially, the mafia - who have been writing, speaking, interviewing, and advising for decades. Writers like Selwyn Raab, Jerry Capeci, and George Anastasia, to name a few. Obviously, this must be a subject they were really passionate about, and they took that interest and turned it into long and successful careers.
Finally, and you may find this one especially fun at this point in your lives - social media. If you can connect with customers and potential customers in meaningful ways about products, services, experiences, recommendations, and through interesting stories and engaging reflections, there are plenty of small businesses around your area that can use your help with marketing on their social media pages. That's right - you can get paid to post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. I have a strong marketing background myself, and have certainly performed this type of work for different clients and employers over the years.
In closing, writing opens up virtually endless opportunities to make a comfortable living being an expert on something that you truly love and find interesting.
In this post, I mentioned a few times the idea of starting a blog. Here's a great article entitled, Why You Should Start a Blog in High School (And How You Can Do It). Here's another great article with a few pointers on how to make money with a blog. There are all kinds of ways you can sell advertising on, and generate other types of revenue through, your blog.
If you really enjoy writing, or you're starting to discover an interest in it, check out the Poets & Writers magazine's database of writing contests. Build your writing skills and your overall creativity with these writing prompts for fun and practice.
By now, you know I possess decent writing skills, and you can probably tell that I enjoy writing. In fact, I genuinely love it.
In this post, I attempt to offer several concrete examples of ways you can pair writing with your own hobbies and interests - things you really love and can't get enough of - to land jobs, develop your career, meet new and interesting people, and even go into business for yourself. If you can develop your writing skills - the ability to tell a story, make a case, connect with and relate to others - an endless sea of possibilities awaits you.
An even more endless sea of possibilities awaits you, if there is such a thing, if you don't mind speaking in front of others or going in front of a video camera, and you can verbally speak as articulately and polished as you can speak in written form.
Come, let's explore further...
To begin, let's get your thinking going by asking, "What are your hobbies and interests?" Do you:
- Enjoy playing and/or watching sports?
- Collect anything, like coins, sports cards and memorabilia, dolls, antiques, stamps, comic books, etc., etc.?
- Love a particular subject - it could be anything from biology or math to a particular period in history or a specific industry?
- Enjoy traveling?
- Like cooking?
- Get excited about anything to do with cars - it could be design, or working on them, or a particular brand or model, or a certain type of engine family?
- Like photography or any other form of art?
- Love certain types of music or follow certain bands?
Now that you're thinking about your passions, let's start coming up with those practical examples.
If you love the game of baseball and its history, you can become a baseball writer and historian. You can write and talk about all your favorite aspects of the game - the lives and careers of your favorite players, the history of teams, playoff predictions, records and record holders, the rules of the game and how they've changed over time, etc.
If you love your city's or state's NBA or NFL team, you can write all about the team on a blog you create that's solely dedicated to that team. Start building a decent-sized following, and who knows - maybe one day you're following your team around the country as a sports reporter or game broadcaster. Maybe you can even work for the team some day in marketing or public relations! Sound exciting?
If you enjoy anything to do with cars, or you collect anything, or you're passionate about a certain subject or time period in history, or you're really into a certain genre of music - again, a blog might be an awesome start, and from there, who knows - you start getting your work in magazines, newspapers, books, catalogs, and/or on other Web sites. As an expert on something, you could be approached for interviews to share your knowledge and insights.
The same goes with your love for cooking and cuisine, works of art, and traveling - plenty of opportunities to position yourself as an expert within certain subcategories of these broad topics. Cookbooks, magazine and newspaper articles, interviews, blogs, etc., could certainly be in your future.
Here's a fact - there are experts on organized crime - essentially, the mafia - who have been writing, speaking, interviewing, and advising for decades. Writers like Selwyn Raab, Jerry Capeci, and George Anastasia, to name a few. Obviously, this must be a subject they were really passionate about, and they took that interest and turned it into long and successful careers.
Finally, and you may find this one especially fun at this point in your lives - social media. If you can connect with customers and potential customers in meaningful ways about products, services, experiences, recommendations, and through interesting stories and engaging reflections, there are plenty of small businesses around your area that can use your help with marketing on their social media pages. That's right - you can get paid to post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. I have a strong marketing background myself, and have certainly performed this type of work for different clients and employers over the years.
In closing, writing opens up virtually endless opportunities to make a comfortable living being an expert on something that you truly love and find interesting.
In this post, I mentioned a few times the idea of starting a blog. Here's a great article entitled, Why You Should Start a Blog in High School (And How You Can Do It). Here's another great article with a few pointers on how to make money with a blog. There are all kinds of ways you can sell advertising on, and generate other types of revenue through, your blog.
If you really enjoy writing, or you're starting to discover an interest in it, check out the Poets & Writers magazine's database of writing contests. Build your writing skills and your overall creativity with these writing prompts for fun and practice.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Happy New Year 2019!
Wishing everyone a safe, blessed, and prosperous 2019! Thanks for dropping by. I hope you're finding this site to be of some value. It's an honor to be of service to you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)