Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: What Will Future Jobs Look Like?

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video, economist Andrew McAfee thinks through what future jobs might look like, and how to educate coming generations to hold them.

Learn more in the video below:

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Holiday Movie Lessons

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 8 Career Lessons from Your Favorite Holiday Movies: "As silly as it sounds, your favorite holiday movies can teach you valuable lessons, which you can absolutely apply to your career."


• End of Year Networking Tip: Keeping Your Network Engaged: "This time of year offers a great opportunity to re-engage your network with a small amount of effort. Keep it simple, keep it social."


• 4 Clever Ways to Connect with Powerful People: "Would you like to have [someone famous] in your network? Of course. The real question is, what can you offer someone who’s better-known or more famous than you are?"


• 5 Career Boosts for Your Holiday Break: "These are the realistic things I can do to help me when I go back to work after the holidays."


• Top 10 Resume Tips for 2014: "While you’re busy ramping up your job search, here’s a handy guide to help you give your resume [and cover letter] a nice competitive boost."

Green Job Series: Careers in Biofuels [Fourth Installment]

The biofuels industry employs a wide range of workers in a variety of occupations. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series profiles agriculture occupations in the biofuels industry.

Agriculture Occupations

Farms are needed to grow corn, soybeans, and the other feedstocks used in making biofuels. These crops must be planted and cultivated before they are harvested and transported to grain elevators and processing plants.

Job Duties

Farmers and other agricultural managers, sometimes called growers, run establishments that produce crops that are used to make fuel. They supervise work being done by laborers and make decisions about where and when to plant various crops. They oversee the day-to-day operations of the farm or agricultural establishment.

Agricultural laborers maintain the quality of farms and crops by doing manual labor under the supervision of agricultural managers. They plant, cultivate, and harvest crops, which are used as fuel feedstocks.

Agricultural equipment operators operate farm equipment, such as tractors and combines, to sow seeds, and maintain and harvest crops.

Education

Farmers and agricultural managers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, although some may have a degree from an agricultural college. Prospective farmers and agricultural managers typically train and gain experience under more experienced workers. Those farmers and agricultural managers who don't have any postsecondary education may take a longer time to learn some aspects of the job.

Most agricultural laborer and equipment operator positions do not have a formal education requirement. Workers typically learn through on-the-job training. It is important for these workers to have strength and stamina because the work can be physically demanding. Good hand-eye coordination is often needed to harvest crops and operate farm machinery.

Earnings

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) currently does not have wage data specific to the biofuels industry. However, BLS does have green goods and services (GGS) wage data for occupations in agricultural production. The table that follows shows GGS-OCC wages for selected agricultural occupations in November 2011, for establishments that receive all of their revenue from green goods and services. The wages shown are GGS-OCC median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	$52,180
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	$19,130
Agricultural equipment operators	$21,340

For more detailed information on agriculture occupations in the biofuels industry, click the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week’s biofuels industry installment: Plant Operations Occupations

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: A New Mission for Veterans—Disaster Relief

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video, Jake Wood, co-founder and the president of the disaster relief nonprofit Team Rubicon, explains how military veterans can effectively contribute to disaster relief responses—and in the process, regain purpose, community, and self-worth.

Learn more in the video below:

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Goofy Freelancing Advice

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Top 10 Pieces of Goofy Freelancing Advice: "Here are some common examples of goofy freelancing advice [and] a few tips on how to pick good freelancing advice."


• 7 Pieces of Career Advice You Wished You Had Known Earlier: "Through trial and error, and the wisdom of others, I now know 7 things to do that I wished I had known when I started out on the path of each career."


• What To Do When Your Field Is Oversaturated With Talent: "Companies are looking for top talent for the lowest cost. The goal of the job seeker is to rise to the top of the pile."


• 4 Ways Your Personal Brand Wins with No: "Refusing work for small business can be a real issue for young entrepreneurs. In order to establish your small business [though], it will be necessary to take a stand and refuse some work requests."


• 10 Holiday No-Nos for the Office: "The holiday season—while filled with joy and good cheer—can be a landmine in the office if you’re not careful. Here are 10 potential pitfalls you should watch out for this season."

Green Job Series: Careers in Biofuels [Third Installment]

The biofuels industry employs a wide range of workers in a variety of occupations. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series profiles construction occupations in the biofuels industry.

Construction Occupations

Construction workers build the processing plants where biofuels are made. Much of the future construction needs from the biofuels industry will be driven by cellulosic technology, using nonfood biomass to create biofuels. The advances in processing additional feedstocks have created demand for processing plants that can convert multiple crops into fuel.

Construction workers are also needed to convert existing infrastructure at gas stations so that they can support higher blends of fuel. There may also be career opportunities in the design and construction of feedstock pre-processing facilities to condense biomass feedstocks before transportation to fuel production plants.

Job Duties

Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from early development to completion. They oversee new construction of biofuel and feedstock processing plants as well as the retrofitting of existing plants. Construction managers work with various specialists, such as architects and engineers, to get the plant built on time and within a budget.

Construction laborers perform tasks that require physical labor on construction sites, many of which are physically demanding. They build new biofuel plants and convert existing plants so that they can also produce fuel using cellulosic feedstocks. And as more ethanol blend fuels are made available, these workers will build new tanks to hold them or install blender pumps to existing tanks.

Construction equipment operators drive, maneuver, or control the heavy machinery used in construction. They operate various types of equipment, such as bulldozers, forklifts, and cranes. They use these machines to build processing plants and to install new fuel tanks at gas stations.

Education

Most construction managers have a bachelor's degree in construction science, construction management, architecture, or engineering. However, a combination of work experience and an associate's degree may meet the qualifications of some employers. Managers must have time-management skills and decision-making skills to ensure that each task involved in a project is assigned to the appropriate party and that each task is completed on time.

Most employers hiring construction laborers do not have a formal education requirement. The majority of laborers learn their skills through on-the-job-training, either informally or through an apprenticeship program. Construction workers must have strength and stamina for lifting heavy objects and performing other strenuous tasks throughout the day.

Construction equipment operators may learn the skills needed for their job through on-the-job training, an apprenticeship, or at a trade school. A high school diploma and a commercial driver's license may be required. They should have good eye-hand-foot coordination because they control powerful machinery.

Earnings

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) currently does not have wage data specific to the biofuels industry. However, BLS does have wage data for the basic chemical manufacturing industry group; the following table shows wages for selected construction occupations in that industry group for May 2011. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Construction managers	$101,970
Construction laborers	$29,730
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	$33,440

For more detailed information on construction occupations in the biofuels industry, click the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week’s biofuels industry installment: Agriculture Occupations

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video, social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing”—standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident—affects our body chemistry, influences how others see us, and might even have an impact on our chances for job interviewing success.

Learn more in the video below:

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Staying Positive After Layoff

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Careers: Top Ways to Stay Positive After Being Laid Off: "While becoming laid off can be a very devastating experience for a number of reasons, it is important to take positive steps in your approach to this situation."


• 7 Ways You’re Making the Job Search Even Harder: "Many job seekers are trying to apply what worked in the past in a new set of circumstances. Much of their delay in landing that next position is self-inflicted; they are making the job search even harder."


• What to Do If You Lose Your Job: "If ever found in the position of losing your job, having a plan with the right attitude and approach to taking the step forward in the next chapter in your career helps."


• 4 Ways to Ignite Your Job Search Right Now: "We’re in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season but that doesn’t mean career dreams need to be put on pause. There are a few ways to rev up that search even when it’s tempting to convince yourself the holidays will stall it."


• How You Should Address Getting Laid Off On Your Resume: "For your resume, there are a few tips those with job gaps should consider to up their chances of getting the interview."

Green Job Series: Careers in Biofuels [Second Installment]

The biofuels industry employs a wide range of workers in a variety of occupations. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series profiles engineering occupations in the biofuels industry.

Engineering Occupations

In the biofuels industry, many engineers are involved in much of the same work as scientists, evaluating both existing and potential feedstocks, and examining which sources provide the best energy at a reasonable cost. However, they also may work on processing facility design and be familiar with industrial equipment.

Job Duties

Agricultural engineers study existing and potential feedstocks to determine which plants can be best used to produce fuel. They must consider the best time of year for various feedstocks to be grown and the best location to cultivate them, as well as the waste products that will be generated in their production.

Chemical engineers design plant equipment and establish various processes and protocols for manufacturing biofuels as well as the chemicals that are used to convert raw materials into fuel.

Chemical engineers and biochemical engineers often work together in a biofuel production facility. For instance, biochemical engineers develop and implement a fermentation process for production of ethanol from sugars, and chemical engineers distill and purify the compound.

Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of biofuel processing plants. When designing a plant, they consider a number of factors, including costs, government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and proximity to feedstocks. They may need to retrofit an existing petroleum plant or convert a biofuel plant so that it can process additional types of feedstocks.

Electrical engineers may work with various motors, power generation equipment, lighting, or any electrical controls for industrial equipment that are needed for a biofuel plant to run.

Environmental engineers work to improve waste treatments and water systems, and to find ways to limit emissions from fuel processing. For instance, an environmental engineer may work to minimize the natural gases that are released while burning materials at a biofuel plant, thereby preventing or reducing the degradation of the atmosphere or local soil and water systems.

Industrial engineers may work to determine the most efficient way to use workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make biofuels using a given feedstock or chemical process.

Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build, and test mechanical devices, including tools, engines, and machines used in a processing plant. They may work on developing precursor equipment that can begin the process of breaking feedstocks down into sugar before they are transported to a processing plant.

Education and Licensing

Engineering jobs typically require a bachelor's degree in a related engineering field. However, some jobs, particularly those involved in research and development or those at the managerial level may require advanced degrees or work experience. Many engineer jobs also require a professional engineer (PE) license, which requires a degree, work experience, and passing written exams. Civil engineers who exercise direct control of a project or those who supervise other engineers must have a license.

Earnings

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) currently does not have wage data specific to the biofuels industry. However, BLS does have wage data for the basic chemical manufacturing industry group; the following table shows wages for selected science occupations in that industry group for May 2011. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Agricultural engineers	$74,630
Chemical engineers	$96,870
Civil engineers	$96,370
Electrical engineers	$85,350
Environmental engineers	$89,070
Industrial engineers	$79,530
Mechanical engineers	$88,320

For more detailed information on engineering occupations in the biofuels industry, click the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week’s biofuels industry series installment: Construction Occupations.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video, Canadian educator, storyteller, and youth advocate Larry Smith calls out the absurd excuses people invent when they fail to pursue their passions.

Learn more in the video below:

Green Job Series: Careers in Biofuels [First Installment]

The United States has increasingly sought ways to develop alternative fuels, such as biofuels. Biofuels are defined as fuels composed of or produced from biological raw materials. Biofuels can reduce the use of oil-based fuels and the release of greenhouse gas emissions.

The biofuels industry provides career opportunities for a vast array of workers, who do such tasks as developing biofuel technologies, growing crops, and processing and selling the fuels. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series profiles science occupations in the biofuels industry.

Science Occupations

Scientists work to find the best, most cost-effective way of turning feedstocks into fuel. They often work for a wide variety of organizations, such as colleges, private and nonprofit companies, and government agencies. Scientists generally work in offices or laboratories, though some may work in a production plant.

Job Duties

Biochemists and biophysicists study the chemical and physical principles of living things and biological processes. Those who work in alternative fuels may research various technologies that can be used to break down feedstocks into fuel.

Chemists study the properties, structures, compositions, and reactions of matter. They study various chemical processes that can be used to more efficiently produce biofuels. Chemists blend various compounds to see what inputs yield the best quality blends of fuel at a reasonable cost. Based on their findings, they develop new protocols for blending fuels to ensure quality control.

Microbiologists study the growth, structure, development, and characteristics of microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, algae, or plant cells. They may use their knowledge of various forms of bacteria to improve the fermentation process used to make ethanol or to develop new ways of cultivating algae to use as a feedstock.

Soil and plant scientists conduct research on soil, crops, and other agricultural products to find new and improved ways to use various agricultural products for fuel. A plant scientist may test several types of perennial grasses to see which can be most efficiently broken down into simple sugars. Plant scientists also work to improve crop yields by using techniques that could enhance feedstock production efforts.

Education

Most scientist positions require a bachelor's degree from a program that includes both coursework and laboratory hours. A scientist who is leading a research team or conducting independent research may need a master's or doctoral degree to do so. Biochemists and biophysicists typically need a doctoral degree to enter the occupation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) currently does not have wage data specific to the biofuels industry. However, BLS does have wage data for the basic chemical manufacturing industry group; the following table shows wages for selected science occupations in that industry group for May 2011. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Biochemists and biophysicists	$63,530
Chemists	$75,550
Microbiologists	$57,350
Soil and plant scientists	$58,940

For more detailed information on science occupations in the biofuels industry, click the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week's biofuels industry series installment: Engineering Occupations.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Dan Pink on the Puzzle of Motivation

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video, Dan Pink, author of five bestselling books about the changing world of work, explains what social scientists have proven but what hiring managers have yet to grasp: intrinsic motivators—autonomy, mastery, and purpose—are more meaningful to the 21st century, global workforce than solely extrinsic incentives, such as bonus, raises, and promotions.

Learn more in the video below: