Learn About Being a Police Officer

Learn About Being a Police OfficerLearn About Being a Police OfficerPolice officers work in partnership with the public to reduce crime and enforce federal, state and local laws through the legitimate use of force. Job Duties Police officers conduct patrol duties and investigate crimes through gathering evidence and interviewing victims, suspects and witnesses. They also maintain buchung by directing traffic, conducting arrests, issuing traffic citations, preparing crime reports and responding to incidents of public disorder. Police assist at road-related incidents, collision scenes, and vehicle check points. They also assist in criminal prosecutions and provide deposition and court testimony in criminal cases. Education Police officers must have a minimum of a high school education or its equivalent, and larger departments may require one or two years of college. Federal and State agencies typically require a college degree. Since civil service regulations govern the appoint ment of police in most jurisdictions, officers must pass a civil service examination. Officers usually undergo a variety of testing including a physical examination, drug testing and a background check, personality test and/or lie detector test. Officers also usually complete approximately 12 to 14 weeks of training in a regional or state police academy. Skills Police officers interact with witnesses, victims and the public on a daily basis and must possess strong interpersonal skills including social perceptiveness and listening skills. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are important in analyzing a situation and determining a course of action. Physical agility and strong investigative skills are required for the job as well as life-saving skills such as CPR and first aid. Since police work can be stressful and dangerous, officers must possess courage, stamina and stress management skills. Salary Police salaries range from the low forties to mid-nineties, dependi ng on the size and location of the department and the officers experience level. An officers total compensation frequently exceeds his salary due to overtime pay, which can be significant, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Police officers often have generous benefits plans, uniform allowances, and pension plans. Job Outlook According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of police officers will experience average growth through the year 2014. Competition should remain high due to attractive salaries and benefits, particularly with state and federal agencies. Increased crime and a mora security-conscious society should contribute to the increasing demand for police services. Applicants with college training in police science, military police experience, or both should have the best opportunities. Additional Resources National Sheriffs Association Federal Bureau of Investigation Secret Service Recruiting Hiring Coordinating Center Source U.S. Department of Lab or, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Help Desk Technician Career Advice

Help Desk Technician Career AdviceHelp Desk Technician Career AdviceThe IT industry is on a roll, and help desk technicians have many opportunities to catch the wave. If youre not happy with your present position for any reason - anemic salary, few advancement options, lack of professional development - theres no need to settle for the status quo. Heres some career advice to boost your chances of landing your help desk dream job.Understand industry trendsThree major IT trends that will have an impact on help desk technicians in the near future are mobility, bring your own device or BYOD, and real-time beistand.With so many workers using mobile devices (and many of them self-supplied through BYOD policies or in spite of them), help desk professionals are seeing a rapid increase in the number and variety of gadgets they need to support.Businesses are pushing the boundaries of mobile and cloud computing, but some IT departments and management systems are struggling to keep up. While s martphone and tablet apps are a positive consumer trend, delivering value at a lower cost and with shorter lag times, they can challenge the help desk.When technology allowed mora workers to telecommute, help desk professionals found themselves supporting user-supplied equipment. But mobile devices broke the floodgates. Even for companies that do not support employee devices, the mobile market is changing so quickly that it is an effort just to keep up with company-provided mobile devices.One example OS X is no longer a niche operating system (OS). Although Mac desktops and laptops are still more commonly found in education and creative fields, the dominance of iPhones and iPads means help desk professionals need to know both Windows and iOS systems.Real-time support expectations have put an additional burden on help desk professionals. With a user waiting on the other end of a phone, chat window or screen-sharing session, there is a much higher expectation that help desk technician s have the answer on hand. They also need to have outstanding customer service and organizational skills to handle the pressures that a real-time support situation requires.The career advice here is simply for help desk professionals to be flexible and willing to learn. Instead of being resistant to change, see it as an opportunity to add to your tool kit and further your career. Look at what tools consumers and corporations are using, and be prepared to support them.Expand your skillsHelp desk technicians usually enter the field with general computing knowledge and receive further training from their employer. To rise up through the help desk tiers or someday land a leadership position, develop the IT support skills - including the nontechnical variety - that can help set you apart from the crowdExperience with networking protocols and widely used OSsKnowledge of common software and appsFamiliarity with cloud-based platforms on a variety of web browsers and OSsCustomer-focused te mperament, including friendliness, courtesy, patience, initiative and a sense of humorProblem-solving skills, such as analyzing a clients situation and researching solutionsExcellent written and verbal communication, especially to explain technical issues without using jargonThe ability to listen with an open mindTier 1 positions call for general troubleshooting and minor triage. To meet the qualifications for upper-tier support jobs, it doesnt hurt to specialize. Some in-demand fields today are mobile, networking, data security, cloud products, healthcare and advanced server hardware.Find out the salary ranges for help desk and desktop support rolesDOWNLOAD THE SALARY GUIDEGet trainingSome additional career advice Take your help desk career to the next level by advancing your education. Youll likely find most employers prefer IT support staff to have at least a two-year technical degree, and relevant certifications are a big plus. Some of the most in-demand credentials are CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, Microsoft Certified Professional, HDI and Cisco. If you dont have an associates or bachelors degree, earning one can be a good way to unlock opportunities higher on the job ladder. Some employers offer tuition assistance.Dont miss out on greater job satisfaction and a higher salary in the help desk profession. Our best career advice Whether youre after a promotion, raise or a new position this year, set yourself up for success by attaining the skills, specializations and certifications IT employers want most.

Visualizing the best and worst paid jobs in the tech sector

Visualizing the best and worst paid jobs in the tech sectorVisualizing the best and worst paid jobs in the tech sectorMost people think getting into the upper middle class is straightforward go to school, study technology, and get a job somewhere in the tech sector. But is it really that simple? We did some research and discovered that there are plenty of great high-paying gigs out there, but there are also several positions with relatively low pay.Our data come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks a wide variety of metrics on jobs and the American economy. We took a subset of figures from the technology sector and placed the 15 highest and lowest paying jobs in a unique visualization. Think of our graphic as a two-sided pyramid, illustrating in a vivid way the highest and lowest rungs of the tech ladder. We included average base salary expressed both as an overall number and on a per hour basis. This lets you easily landsee which jobs are worth going after (and which on es are probably a dead end).As you might expect, managers generally sit at the top of the food chain. Computer and Information Systems Managers take home the best money on average, pulling in just under $72/hour. Compare that with lowly technical support representatives at the bottom, who make roughly 75% less at $16.70/hour. Remember to be nice to the guy who helps you the next time you have a technical problemOur two-sided pyramid also reveals a few key insights about the tech sector. First off, things arent actually so bad at the low end. Keep in mind all the jobs in our visualization pay above average compared to the rest of the economy. Median household income in the U.S. is about $59,000. Two spouses who both earn $16.70/hour would pull in over $69,000 a year. Thats great work if you can get it.The visualization also suggests that slight changes in a job title can directly impact compensation even if the on-the-job duties are very similar. Look at all the positions with repres entative, specialist and administrator in the title. They come with lower pay as opposed to analyst, developer and architect. But whats the difference between a specialist and an analyst?This makes us believe that changing your job title might be worth it in the long run even if it doesnt mean getting an immediate raise.Data Table 1.1This article first appeared on HowMuch.