How baby boomers will impact the nursing shortage

As baby boomers age, the number of people with multiple chronic conditions is expected to grow from 8.7 million today to almost 37 million in 2030. These boomers will need caretakers; if you’re researching accredited online nurse practitioner programs, you’re on your way to becoming a part of the nursing shortage solution. Learn more in the infographic below:

Maryville University’s Nursing Program

About Tracy

Tracy has been an education professional for over 20 years. She loves sharing knowledge, helping other find their path in life and everything coconut.

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Experimentation and Change in Facebook Marketing: ...

In every kind of business platform, greater risk always produces the extremities. Sometimes, always opting to go on the safe side may not really be safe for your business.

Moreover, in an almost digital dictated world, everything should and will change at an instant. Just take for example the social media sites. Everything in those sites, especially in Facebook, becomes irrelevant in a very short period of time. This is why businesses of any caliber, for that matter, should invest in experimentation and change.

Using Facebook as a marketing platform for your business involves a greater advantage because of its scope of demography. But other businesses are not able to garner success because they do not know how to maximize itspotential. Many go and buy Facebook likes, which is actually helpful as well.

Here are some guides on how to experiment on Facebook to put your pages to a higher level.

1. Scheduling your Posts

You have to take into consideration the time where most people are practically online for your ads and posts to be seen at a larger scale. This is just one part of the strategy. There will be times that you have to post even in not so traffic times; this is to make you and your business more consistent.

You also have to consider greatly on what you will be posting, this is the most crucial part of scheduling posts. You have to know what and how many to post in a given time. For example, you may want to post about something light in the morning and something more aggressive in the afternoon.

After deciding to this, you now have to change them or just reverse. This is so that you have something to compare about. Match them and see which works best, then apply them.

2. Give Emphasis on Current Events

People always want to look at something or read something that they may care about. The current events involve a great deal of scope. From what movies are now blockbuster hits, to what is now happening to the Pope, to will there be a typhoon somewhere. Most of the time, people will want to relate with these current events as these will be affecting their lives in the future.

3. Involve the FacebookCrowd in Decision Making

Your followers and fans are your main resource in Facebookmarketing. Aside from them being likers and sharers of your page and posts, make them feel more important by asking for their help in some decision making. The decisions are of course not grave ones. They may have to be just a little petty. Like for example, what might be a better color or design for the packaging of your product?

4. Relate and get Personal

People mostly remember those things that gave them something to ponder about, or even, something to reminisce. Post something that may give your followers and fans that “awwww” moment. Integrate your brand in these moments; for example, post something about how mothers are the best on a mother’s day. The key term here is being SOCIAL.

Remember that in doing all these, different techniques and appearances or situations are involved. In experimentation, you have to think of many things to compare so that you can arrive at which gives the more positive feedback and this process will take up much of your time, effort and sometimes money. Remember, High Risk equals High Return.

About Tracy

Tracy has been an education professional for over 20 years. She loves sharing knowledge, helping other find their path in life and everything coconut.

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5 Of the Comfiest Pieces of Clothing to Travel In

I’m heading out for some teaching trips at the beginning of 2015 and it got me thinking about what I should pack with my limited space. I’ll be on some flights and bus rides over 10 hours so i’ve got to be able to stay comfortable.

Of course everybody wants to look cute while traveling, but the reality is, you’re going to sit on your butt for the duration of the flight in the tiniest spot ever and looking cute is the last thing on may travelers’ minds. Unless, of course, you’re a celebrity since that’s where the paparazzi tend to congregate to snap photos of jet-lagged A-listers. That’s why most travelers pick out their comfiest clothing pieces. Here’s a list of five of the comfiest clothing pieces to travel in:

1. Harem pants

My husband bought me a pair of women’s harem pants from One Tribe Apparel and my god are they comfy! I basically live in them because I can do anything and still feel stylish which makes them the number one item on this list! Always in style, harem pants in a variety of patterns and colors are always chic and are super comfy to wear when you’re sitting in a tiny seat for a 5-hour plane ride.  Fashion bloggers and fashion’s elite swear by harem pants, so if you want to still look chic while running through airports as you live a jet-setter’s lifestyle, grab a couple of harem pants!

2. Loose or oversized sweater

Planes can get super chilly when you’re up across the Atlantic Ocean, which is why it’s essential to bring along a loose or over sized sweater whenever you travel. We especially love boyfriend cardigans that are super easy to fold up and place in your purse when not and use and they also double as a pillow when you’re trying to catch a few zzzs as you take a red-eye to Europe. And depending on the weather at your destination, it’s the perfect piece to throw on if it’s barely getting cold or if you have a layover at another chilly airport.

3. Yoga pants or leggings

Comfy is what you get when you roll up to the airport in yoga pants or leggings. Sure, they’re not runway items you’ll see model wearing, but they’re comfy as hell! You won’t have to worry about tight pants and they’re the perfect piece for both cold and hot weather. They’re warm enough on a chilly day and on an airplane, but cool enough if you’re headed to some beach destination.

4. Boyfriend jeans

Besides yoga pants or leggings, boyfriend jeans are pretty comfortable to travel in. They’re also perfect for trips when you don’t want to look too shabby (like when you’re visiting your long-distance boyfriend). They still look stylish yet laid back and are a great traveling piece when yoga pants just won’t do.

5. Sneakers

Only celebs travel in heels and that’s because they fly first class. But when you’re in economy, comfort trumps style…that is unless you have some chic sneakers on! Not only are they a fashionable option, but they’re also practical and can add a bit of flair to any ordinary airport outfit you put together! And they’re super easy to take off mid-flight!

About Tracy

Tracy has been an education professional for over 20 years. She loves sharing knowledge, helping other find their path in life and everything coconut.

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How Big Should Your Business Be To Open An Office ...

Opening an office space is often seen as a mark of success in business. After all if your enterprise now requires office space to handle all of its various functions then you must be doing something right. Figuring out whether your business should open an office space or not will depend in large part upon your business and what needs it has.

How Big Should Your Business Be To Open An Office Space?

This is the question many business owners are asking, but chances are that it’s the wrong question. The real question that should be asked is “what causes your business to need an office space?” In many cities like Austin, office space is highly sought after, so you need to find out exactly how big your requirements are.

Is size one of those factors? Absolutely! If a business employs hundreds of people and has hundreds (or thousands) of clients then office space will be required to manage human resources, to keep records, and to make sure that the proper licenses are renewed, appointments are kept, etc. But what about small businesses that have relatively few employees? Will they ever need office space?

Yes, it turns out. Businesses whose service is largely provided in an office-style setting such as call centers or debt collection businesses may find that office space is ideal for them right out of the gate. Businesses that require a central headquarters, such as a private security company or a lawn care service where employees go to care for the clients, may also find that office space is a necessity for conducting business. So while size is a consideration for getting office space it’s important to also look at the nature of a business and what it needs to function.

How Big Should The Office Space Be?

Once a business has decided it needs office space (for whatever reason) the next question is deciding how much office space is necessary. This is partially dependent on the office setup, how many people are going to be working there, and what the purpose of the office space is. A call center filled with cubicles can put a lot of people into some fairly small spaces, for instance. A legal office on the other hand might have different space requirements, setting aside individual offices for the attorneys and creating a work pool for assistants similar to the setup of a police bullpen. If there’s a huge amount of equipment or files that need to be stored on site then it might be prudent to rent a location with plenty of storage that can exist alongside a working area for employees.

The difficulty with these questions is that there really is no one, right answer that every business can use as a benchmark. Every business needs to evaluate its needs based on its goals, its staff, its operations, and whether or not acquiring an office space would be a boon. If office space is a necessity then everything from the layout of that office to where it’s located will need to be decided based on the business who’s acquiring the space. What’s right for a chain of supermarkets might not be right for a plumber’s union, for instance. There are many office spaces in Portland available that will be suitable for your company.

For more information on choosing the office space that’s right for your business simply contact us today.

About Tracy

Tracy has been an education professional for over 20 years. She loves sharing knowledge, helping other find their path in life and everything coconut.

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Future Designs: The Realities of Becoming an Archi...

​If you’ve ever gazed up at a building in admiration and been inspired to create something similar, you might want to consider architecture as a career. This discipline is a blend of art and science, on a truly colossal and visible scale.

Behind every beautiful building lies bureaucracy, procedure and precision. Every talented aspiring architect must hone their skills for years by learning about the trade and studying on architecture courses beforehand, then gradually transforming into masters of their art project by project. Still interested? Read on to learn about how you can make your dream job a reality.

The interest

Choosing to become an architect is a huge commitment: you have to be prepared to live and breathe design. If you are fascinated with the urban environment and the living spaces therein, if you always seek out the iconic buildings first when you visit a new city, and if you have a natural flair for interior design, these could all be clues you could have the right combination of passions to become a talented architect.

The skills

As architects have to be able to visualize and communicate their ideas quickly, fluent craftsmanship is a good place to start. Technical drawing is a skill that can be honed from taking an art or design qualification in school. More importantly, good spatial awareness is also important, as is being able to think outside the box and solve problems, and usually it will be a prerequisite to have good grades in both maths and physics.

Having sales skills is greatly advantageous; after all, you have to be able to sell your ideas to future clients, and in the short term, to a potential employer. A pathological attention to detail is critical, and good architects are rigorous in their approach to projects. If you’re laid back, slapdash or impatient by nature, it might be worth considering if your personality is a good fit with architecture.

The qualifications

Depending on the country you choose to qualify in, the route to becoming an architect can be variable, but it is always a long and rigorous journey. In the UK, qualification is quite straightforward, if arduous. In the US there are 117 schools which offer an accredited course, which will usually commence with a relevant Bachelor of Architecture or Bachelor of Science degree. Graduates must then complete an internship of 5,600 hours’ experience under the Intern Development Program, in a range of different areas of expertise. Finally, they can progress to sit their Architect Registration Exam, which comprises seven different exams.

If you have the determination, the commitment and the drive, there’s always the hope that the buildings you create will endure for generations to admire, and you’ll leave a lasting legacy long after you’re gone.

Image by George Smyth,

About Tracy

Tracy has been an education professional for over 20 years. She loves sharing knowledge, helping other find their path in life and everything coconut.

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Five exciting careers that require a degree

In the old days, everyone from World Leaders through to Era-defining inventors seemed to work their way up from the bottom rung of the ladder.

Today things are different, although there are still plenty of career choices that many people might not even associate with graduate-level education.

Here are five of the most exciting occupations that can benefit those having a degree.

Oil and gas industries

There are few careers that involve working in some of the harshest conditions on the planet, but for many people involved in the oil and gas industries, these are their daily working environments.

Graduate engineers make up a high proportion of the workforce on rigs and also get the benefits of large salaries and generous added extras.

Television

Broadcasting is another area where many people have famously just seemed to ‘wing it’ in the past, but today’s highly technological work practises revolving around cutting edge digital equipment demand the right skills and training.

Degrees for post production courses can open all the right doors and ensure that a career in TV gets off to a good start.

Police

photo credit: Chad Horwedel

The police force is one of the elements in our society that is essential to the smooth running of everyday life. Although it isn’t a career for everyone, today’s specialised police operations mean there is a call for skilled people with all sorts of different talents.

Graduate programmes mean that a degree can help you step up the career ladder quickly and salaries reflect the demand for candidates with a high level of education.

Music industry

photo credit: fr4dd cc

Probably the most famous of all jobs that seemed to be open to everyone in the past was working in the music industry. Tales of school drop outs becoming managers, record label bosses or the artists themselves are the stuff of legends.

With specialist colleges giving musicians all the skills they need to build a successful career through to business studies for those looking to get into the industry workings of music, there are plenty of degrees that can make the difference.

Astronaut

It used to be the thing that every kid wanted to be, and today international space programmes are probably busier than ever, even if there is no ‘big project’ like a moon landing to hit the headlines.

The EU has a space agency that is involved in everything from telecommunications to actual astronaut training, but of course a degree is an essential requirement for anyone truly looking to go where no man has gone before!

About Tracy

Tracy has been an education professional for over 20 years. She loves sharing knowledge, helping other find their path in life and everything coconut.

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A day in the life of an architect

Is becoming an architect your dream job? It sounds pretty exotic and adventurous, but do you know what the job involves? If you picture yourself designing ground-breaking buildings, you’re part of the way there, but there is also a lot of paperwork and meetings involved as well as research and customer interaction, which makes for a lively and varied role indeed.

If you’ve always wanted to become an architect or have just completed an Architecture Degree At Southampton Solent University, this guide will give you a better idea of what to expect as we go through a typical day for an architect, from the moment you get to the office to the minute you leave.

You’ll likely have to be suited and booted, and at the office by between 8 and half past, but closer to eight if you want to stay on the right side of your boss.

The first task on your to-do list is to tackle the mountain of emails that are sitting in your inbox. These might be queries from developers or consultants, the planning office or your colleagues.

It’ll take you an hour or so to deal with them all, but don’t be surprised if you’re interrupted by a meeting with a client. There’s a lot to do in and out of the office for the rest of the day, so you have to schedule in clients as and when you can.

The two-hour meeting turns out to be a disaster as your client threatens to leave the firm. Why? Because your initial costing was way off the mark and now the client is faced with paying thousands of pounds to get their build back on track.

Don’t forget, being an architect comes with a lot of responsibility. The decisions you make throughout the day not only affect your firm, but they can also have a much wider reaching impact on the lives of others.

The next hour or so might be filled with finalising the details on your report and researching building codes and zoning laws for a new project. Oh, and answering the phone to existing and prospective clients at the same time.

Your second meeting is much more successful, with the client thrilled with the work you’ve done so far. If there’s one word to describe the life of an architect it is without a doubt—varied.

About Tracy

Tracy has been an education professional for over 20 years. She loves sharing knowledge, helping other find their path in life and everything coconut.

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Careers in health: What opportunities are availabl...

Deciding to work in the health sector can be daunting. After all, with so many opportunities and job roles available, it can be hard to know where to start searching. The thought of working shoulder to shoulder with esteemed, highly qualified colleagues can also be incredibly intimidating, as can the thought of going up against numerous, equally determined candidates. However, the health sector is a vast and varied one, with numerous opportunities that a person may not even have considered.

Choosing a new career in the health sector

Including highly skilled clinical practitioners, junior medical staff, clerical, and support staff, the health sector is positively overflowing with job opportunities, while the industry itself covers a multitude of areas; from pharmaceuticals to optometry and dentistry to emergency medicine, each has something to offer those looking for a new career. However, the best way of accessing a career within the health sector is often the most overlooked – that of support staff. There are numerous supporting roles within the healthcare industry, including administration and clerical positions, clinical support workers, and healthcare assistants, and each offers entry into the world of medicine and a highly rewarding career.

These supporting roles are vital to the industry and can offer new employees opportunities that may otherwise pass them by. They are also a fantastic way of developing a meaningful, and long-term, career in the sector, while providing experiences that job seekers won’t find in any other position.

Job satisfaction at its best

As the largest industry and provider of employment in the US, the health sector is also thought to be one of the most rewarding, offering excellent job satisfaction to workers in every field, from the most entry-level positions upwards. Healthcare is a great setting for people to grow and flourish in their chosen careers, and positions offer job security, room for progression and personal development, with the potential for earning competitive salaries. With so many advancements in medicine and healthcare happening every day, there will always be a demand for health workers, creating unmissable opportunities for those who are truly passionate about helping others.

Working within the health sector is truly rewarding, offering employees the chance to make an impact on the lives of those around them on a daily basis. Whether that’s directly saving or changing someone’s life, facilitating those who do, or playing a key role within the community, there are few career choices that can boast such job satisfaction. Those who work in the field of optometry, will know about Stanton Optical, a company that takes as much pride in their dedication to helping people as those on the frontline of emergency medicine; the health sector is an all-encompassing industry, regardless of job title.

Choose to flourish

It is important for anyone considering a career within the health sector to think carefully about the area in which they would like to work, and any skills and qualifications they may possess that would help them best fulfill the role. Not all positions will require endless qualifications, and others will allow employees to access their education as they go, though it is always a good idea for candidates to match their experience and ambition with existing roles.

About Tracy

Tracy has been an education professional for over 20 years. She loves sharing knowledge, helping other find their path in life and everything coconut.

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