UNCOMMON CAREERS! UNCOMMON SCHOLARSHIPS! - Part 2

Willette Coleman ©2017

AS I pointed out in Part 1, some surveys revealed that “as many as 80 percent” of students “will switch majors at one point during their time in college.”  This happens when students stop “feelin’” their chosen field of study and decide to switch majors.  The point of this post is to help any student (in college or not) search for another  career option that will spark your passion.  

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Gemologist:  Ahhhhhh, the beauty of gems.  They dance in the light. And some people believe  they have healing powers.  For example, “Crystal healing is an alternative medical technique…,” according to LiveScience.com.  “Gems and stones have been believed to hold metaphysical properties, alter our moods, and remedy a spectrum of ailments for thousands of years.”   On the practical side, evaluating gemstones - considered a geoscience and a branch of mineralogy - has been proven to a gem.   

Education/Training:  Gemologists are academically trained or certified.  The Graduate Gemologist Program, Environmental Science.org (scroll down for a list of scholarships), and American Geoscience Institute offer scholarships.   

Income:  Depending on the sector (e.g.,  Instructor, Diamond Grader, Quality Assurance Gemologist, etc.) salaries range from $25,000 to $100,000.  See more salaries and sectors at YourGemologist.com.

 

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For students looking for an alternative health field on which to focus, Sound Therapist/Healer, is a worthy career possibility.  Also called vibrational medicine, the practice involves human voice vibrations as well as objects that resonate (e.g., tuning forks, gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, even drums).  A New York Times article reported that medical doctors as well as lay people employ sound therapy with some success.   

Education/Training:  The University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Sound Healer Association provides extensive information about this career option.  Scholarships for this career are not as clear cut as others, BUT, since it falls under the heading of Naturopathy or Holistic Health Education, you can get helpful leads at the American Colleges of Health Care Services and the Vibrational Institute.  Salaries start at $44,000.   

~ Tip ~

Remember - ALWAYS check an institution’s accreditation.

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When you hear the term “materials joining,” what comes to mind?  Applying paint to a wall?  Gluing a handle to a handbag?  Sewing two pieces of fabric together?  How about Welding?  This archaic craft of soldering, brazing, joining, and thermal spraying is needed for everything from plumbing to jewelry.   

Education/Training:  Considering this career option makes you eligible for The American Welding Society Scholarship.  The Work Ethic Scholarship helps “those qualified individuals who are interested in learning a skill and mastering a trade,” according to its website.  (Keep checking their website for the 2018 scholarship announcement.) 

Income:  Average income for a Certified Welder:  $32,944-$43,493.  Specialty welders, like commercial diving/welding and underwater welding of ships, bridges and so on, can earn $100,000 and more.  The Ocean Divers IDC Scholarship Program and the Women Divers Hall of Fame Scholarships target this specialty.  Again, keep checking their website for the 2018 scholarship announcement. 

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Ham Radio Operators are among rarely mentioned careers.  History has shown that these enthusiasts provide vital service during times of need or disasters (See:  Ham Radio Preparing for the Worst.).   

Education/Training:  You can follow this education and career “roadmap” at Be a Ham Radio Operator and The National Association for Amateur Radio (AARL).   As a focus, you could get a scholarship through the AARL’s Foundation.    

Income:  Salaries average $47,000 annually. 

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Blacksmithing:  This ancient iron and metal craft still holds a valuable place in our digital world - from making gates, grills, railings, and light fixtures, to furniture, cooking utensils, tools, agricultural implements, sculptures, decorative and religious items, and weapons.  Blacksmiths can be employed by engineering companies or be self-employed.   

Education/Training:  You can apply for "trade/vocational" school scholarships like those listed on Fastweb.com and Scholarships.com  The Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing (VIB) offers a Certificate of Artistic Blacksmithing.  And, Broken Hammer Forge; the DC Sculpture Center and Fontana Force in Washington, DC, offer classes. 

Income:   Salaries range from $34,000 to $68,000.

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A career as a Map Maker or cartographer is another career option when thinking about switching majors.  If you love traveling (or just the idea of traveling), it stands to reason that you have an interest in geography.  In this profession, you would collect, measure, and interpret geographic information in order to create (draw) and update maps and charts for regional planning, education, emergency response, and other purposes, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Detailed maps can be a one man or one woman endeavor.  Google reportedly has over 1,000 full-time employees and 6,000 contractors working on its digital maps.  Paper maps, however, are as important as digital and aren't as “old school” as some might think.  They are essential for navigation when cellular signals fail.  Also, specialized maps contain valuable information, such as hiking trail junctions or topography, which helps keep adventurers safe.  A bachelor’s degree in cartography, geography, geomatics (the discipline that combines science, engineering, math, and surveying) is the general path to this profession.   

Education/Training:  The Cartography and Geographic Information Society offers college scholarships.  Fastweb lists scholarships for cartography majors.   

Income:  $62,750 per year; $30.17 per hour. 

For more uncommon careers and scholarships see these links: 

Edvisors.com  

OddJobs 

10Strange Jobs that Pay Surprisingly Well 

https://www.totaljobs.com/insidejob/jobs-for-the-senses-smell/

10Unusual Jobs that pay Surprisingly Well 

Magic, Miracles & Blessings!
Your thoughts are welcome!

Thanks for visiting.

UNCOMMON CAREERS! UNCOMMON SCHOLARSHIPS! - Part 1

Willette Coleman ©2017

Image: www.lrpstore.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/5-college-majors.jpg 

Sometimes, actually many times, college students stop “feelin’” their chosen field of study and decide to switch majors.  Thus, the search for a new direction. 

Some surveys revealed that “as many as 80 percent” of students “will switch majors at one point during their time in college.”  Switching majors also means searching for scholarships for the “different” education focus.  Unlike scholarships for common professions - legal, health, communications, education, the arts, and so on - uncommon scholarships target unique careers, such as the study of grapes and winemaking, numismatics (the study of coins), ethical computer hacking, gemology, even candy (yes, candy) technology.  The point of this post is to help any student (in college or  not) search for career options that could spark your passion.

Image:  https://homeremedyshop.com/8-health-benefits-of-grapes/

Lets start with grapes.  We enjoy them – purple/black, green/white, red.  So, winemaking or as a wine expert could be a fulfilling uncommon career path.  It certainly is for Nadine Brown.  She's recognized as "DC's American Wine Expert."  A social worker by profession, Nadine was captured by the scent of grapes while employed as a hostess at a bistro in Washington, DC.  She  read books on wine, took classes; even studied French to strengthen her pronunciation of French wines.  Her next move....manager.  

Focusing on this branch of horticulture could get you a scholarship from the American Society for Enology and Viticulture.  (Viticulture, from the Latin word “vitis” for vine, is the science, production, and study of grapes and vineyard activities.)  The different career sectors within this industry include enologists (sometimes spelled “oenologists”), that are “primarily responsible for blending different strains of grape to create the best wines possible.”   Sounds like a fun chemistry activity.  Other sectors along with salaries listed on Winefolly.com are:    

• Winemaking Director ~$150k
• Winemaker ~ $90k–$125k
• Vineyard managers ~ $81k - $89k
• Lab Manager ~ $65k–$85k
• Assistant Winemaker ~ $55k–$80k
• Enologist ~$55k
• Cellar Master ~ $60k–$80k
• Cellar Worker ~ $35k–$40k

“Winery jobs are full time and the hours can be somewhat insane during harvest season.  It’s all worth it though, when everything [like the weather] goes right,” according to Winefolly’s website. 

Image:  https://homeremedyshop.com/

While enjoying the tempting treat, candy’s “science” rarely comes to mind.  But, you can learn some sweet stuff about confectionery technology, as insiders call it, at CandyIndustry.com and the University of Chicago Library.

Education/Training:  Interested college sophomores, juniors or seniors can apply to The American Association of Candy Technologists (AACT) for its John Kitt Memorial Scholarship.  Deadline:  April 2018.  

Income:  Quality Assurance Managers for food technology/candy start at $50,000.  Salaries for this and other sectors, and as an entrepreneur, can run close to $100,000.

 

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Students changing majors, as well as older adults making a career change, might consider following the MONEY!  No, not banking, accounting or other common financial services, but coins and currency.  For thousands of people, collecting coins and paper currency has transitioned from a hobby to a lucrative and engaging career in numismatics (studying and/or collecting coins, medals, paper money, etc.).  Buying and selling coins is also a lucrative business.  Recently, two pennies were auctioned off for a combined price of $35,625.  The 1982-D sold for $18,800 and the 1983-D sold for $17,625.  Besides possibly being lucky enough to find valuable coins, coins are educational.  The individual states quarter series, introduced in the late 1990s, contain geographical information.  The historical note on the flip side of the 1999 quarter, for example, reminds me that Delaware was the first state in the Union.  I learned this in school, but had forgotten.  (FYI:  Numismatist falls under the broader career category of curators.)
 
Education/Training:  The Professional Numismatic Growth (PNG), Learn to be a Professional Numismatist: PNG Numismatic Education and Intern Program awards certificate to students ages 21 to 32.  “Training from the Edward C. Milas School of Numismatics online courses” is a $1,000 fee.  Not bad.  Also, the Professional Numismatic Guild offers the Young Numismatist Summer Seminar Scholarship Program for applicants “between the ages of 13 and 22.”  Think about applying next summer.

Income:  Salary ranges from $50,000 to $122,000 annually.  Simplyhired.com’s list of career sectors include manager, cataloger, and order picker.  

P.S.  AARP’s Career Change page is a good resource for older adults considering reimagining themselves.

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The Word “hacker” is generally associated computers and criminal activity.  In our modern tech world, nearly on a daily basis, we hear or read about unethical computer hackers – from music and movies to banks, governments, medical records and corporate and individual emails.  Although technology careers have become pretty common, we seldom hear about Ethical Computer Hackers, better known as Cyber Soldiers.  These men and women use computer skills legitimately to find and fix vulnerabilities criminals exploit to break into computer systems and who create malware and ransomeware.  

Education/Training:  Although a college degree in computer science or IT is helpful, this is one of many careers that only require a certificate offered by hundreds of  nonprofit colleges and universities.  As I warned in my post Community College or For-Profit Schools?, beware of “for-profit/ career” schools.  As I warned in my blog and Linkedin post Community College or For-Profit Schools?, beware of “for-profit/career” schools.)  For anyone who has already earned a degree in technology and is headed to graduate school, (ISC²) Foundation Graduate Cybersecurity Scholarship offers a $5,000 scholarship.  Deadline:  May 4, 2018.  The foundation’s scholarship for women is $10,000.   Deadline:  March 19, 2018.

Income:  Salaries for this “counter spying” career range between $50,000 to over $200,000.

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If you’re the nosey type, or just like a good mystery (like I do) Computer Forensics Investigation could be a good fit.  This career path "integrates the fields of computer science and law to investigate crime," states Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science website.  "For digital evidence to be legally admissible in court, investigators must follow proper legal procedures when recovering and analyzing data from computer systems."  According to Techtarget.com, the investigator must maintain "a documented chain of evidence to find out exactly what happened on a computing device and who was responsible for it.”  While the TV show CSI New Orleans' wheelchair-bound computer investigator (played by Daryl Mitchell) doesn't always follow the law, he helps solve crimes.

Education/Training:  As with Ethical Computer Hacking, colleges and universities offer degrees, certificates and scholarships.  (See technology scholarships here.)

Income:  $68,000 to $120,000 annually according to Payscale.com.

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We’ll close Part 1 with a “spirited” uncommon career option.  Specifically…,  scientific investigations of psychic phenomena (telepathy, clairvoyance, psycho-kinesis, ESP/extra sensory perception, etc.).  This career path is controversial since  scientists debate whether psychic phenomena is real.  However, a recent 10-year investigation showed indisputable evidence that it’s the science “that’s broken,” stated Daryl J. Bem, social psychologist at Cornell University, as posted on Slate.com.  If you're a skeptic, check out this Washington Post story, "Is the White House Haunted?  A History of Spooked Presidents, Prime Ministers and Pets."

Education/Training:  The evidence in favor of  Parapsychology (which comes under the heading of social psychology), is solid enough to get a scholarship from the Parapsychology Foundation’s Annual Eileen J. Garrett Scholarship, the next time applications are open in 2018. 

Income:  The average salary, according to Psychologyschoolguide.net, is $69,280 annually. 

In the final analysis, uncommon career paths take us out of the “play it safe” zone.  It can be risky, but if successful, it can be extremely rewarding personally and for the global community.

 ~ P.P.S ~

For many young and some older people, part of life’s stress is not being able to determine the career they want.  Identifying your best career fit could be easier if, first, you do a self-assessment as discussed in helpful articles on TheBalance.com.  While not all online assessment tools are equal or effective (really good ones lets you assess and be clear about your strengths and weaknesses), completing a self-assessment “quiz” just might reveal your niche - common or uncommon.
  
AND......., as I’ve pointed out in past posts, HUNDREDS of scholarship providers offer FREE MONEY regardless of your major and whether you’re in college or a technical school; they just want to help you pay for your education or training.  So, always apply for “open-ended” scholarships, like those on Fastweb.com.  Remember, plenty of good-paying common and uncommon careers exist for people who don’t want to go to college as noted in my post:  I Don’t Wanna Go to College.

Magic, Miracles & Blessings,

MY WEBSITE:  www.careerscoach.wixsite.com/headsup