10 Movies That Show Us Why We Need Labor Day

I was searching for movies about work, and I found this great list of movies that show us why we need labor day. You can see the trailer of each one, and to have a more detailed information about each one of these movies, click here.

1. Office Space


2. Clerks


3. Falling Down


4. Waiting


5. The Devil Wears Prada


6. Nine to Five


7. Kindergarten Cop


8. Modern Times


9. Taxi Driver


10. American Beauty

I have to say that "The Devil Wears Prada" is my favourite. It's really funny and I just love how Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep work together. It shows how you get lost for a minute in the tough world of work but, fortunately, you find yourself again.

Source:
http://www.flixster.com/articles/work-sucks-10-movies-that-show-us-why-we-need-labor-day

Find your dream job

"Find a job you enjoy, and you'll never work a day in your life."

Today's work reality is the following: we spend almost 20 years at school to have a good education and get ready for the world of work, but then, only a little percentage of people really gets the chance of having their dream job. How many thousands of people are, at this precise moment, unhappy with their job? Most people don't care if their job pleases them; they just want to have money enough to pay the bills at the end of the month! Can you even imagine how it feels like when you have to work all your life in something you totally dislike? I think that would drive me nuts.



If you don't want it to happen to you too, you should focus. Not just think about it one minute. Oh, come on! That’s not focusing! You should sit down for a little and think “What do I really want? What would really make me feel fulfilled?” and then you should make everything you possibly can to accomplish that. And even if you fall, you’ll get up and try again. It’s your future. If you don’t fight for your future, no one else will do it for you. If you don’t do it, you’ll regret it one day, believe me. ;-)

So what is a dream job? A dream job is something you would actually do for free. You would love it so much, you would even do it for free because of the fulfillment it gives you.

Source:
http://www.wisebread.com/files/fruganomics/imagecache/blog_image_full/files/fruganomics/blog-images/lovejob.jpg

Laywers vs. Judges

Now, I'm go to talk a little about my dream job. Each time I say that I want to study Law in the University, most of people answer immediately: 'Ah, you want to be a lawyer' But it's not true. Studying Law is not just for lawyers. Who takes the final decision is a Jugde, and it is what I want to be. Now, I'm going to explain more about these two jobs very importants in the society.

A lawyer is a person who is graduated in law and authorized by the competent institutions of each country to exercise the 'jus postulandi', it means the representation of legitimate interests of people or legal entities in court. The lawyer is an essential part for the administration of justice and the basic instrument to ensure the protection of their clients' interests in court. The word derives from the Latin word 'ad vocatus', which means ''who was called'' , which in Roman law , was the third person called by the litigant to speak for defend its interests.

(The scales means the stability, balance, the justice.)

The judge, from the Latin iudex, is who is authorised for exercise the judicial activity , judging the conflicts of people's interests.
Judges must be impartial, fair, and of course, they must respect the law. Crimes as murders, robberies, rapes or things like divorces are the ''plate of the day'' for these professionals.
In Portugal, they are distributed by some classifications, depending on their workplace. If they work in a Court of 1st Instance or Judicial District Courts, they are just nominated of Judges. If it is a Court of 2nd Instance or Courts of Appeal, they are Associate Justice or Associate Judges. But, if they work in special courts or do other things connected with their job, for example, in Brazil, a Judge of Peace is who makes the weddings. The last rank is for who works in the Supreme Courts, the courts more important. They are the Judges of Supreme Court of Justice. (I couldn't find the right translation of it, in Portuguese it's Juíz Conselheiro.)

So, what do you think? It's a job that requires a lot of responsability, but it's an interesting challenge. When we do a thing with pleasure, we do it better. ;)


Sources:
* http://hsm.updateordie.com/files/2008/03/juiz2.jpg
* http://www.machilaw.com/criminal-defense-attorney/law1.jpg
* http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_U_qeDi3Pipo/ShBv8zRtm2I/AAAAAAAAAJw/rdlYRZ0gNwc/s1600-h/odeio-ser-advogado.jpg

Best Part-Time Jobs

I just found a list with the best part-time jobs in case you're interested. It'll help you in the near future, because if you want to go to university you might need some extra money ;) Also, the summer is coming and you'll have plenty of free time which can be used in a wise way, like working. ;)

1. Pharmacy
Technician

2. Accounting
Firm Partner

3. Dental Assistant

4. Home
Healthcare Aide

5. Receptionist

6. Library Assistant

7. Product Demonstrator

8. Child Care Worker

9. Personal Trainer

10. Physical Therapist Aides

Sources:
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/photos/best-part-time-jobs/

10 Most and Least Satisfying Jobs

Have you ever thought about which jobs you would never have? And what about those you'd love to have? I made a little research and found the most and least satisfying jobs, and I can assure you it's quite interesting. You can click in each job to see what it is if you're not sure. ;)




Most Satisfying Jobs
1. Clergy
2. Firefighter
3. Physical Therapists
4. Authors
5. Special Education Teachers
6. Teachers
7. Education Administrators
8. Painters and Sculptors
9. Psychologists
10. Security and Financial Services Salespeople



Least Satisfying Jobs
1. Laborers (outside the field of construction)
2. Clothing Salespeople
3. Packagers
4. Food Preparers
5. Roofers
6. Cashiers
7. Furniture Salespeople
8. Bartenders
9. Freight Handlers
10. Waiters

Interesting huh? What do you think that would be the most and the least satisfying job for you?

Source:
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1141115
http://psychology-careers.net/images/psychology_06.jpg
http://www.thefabricator.com/Articles/Photos/318/lead.jpg

What to Do or Not to Do at a Job Interview

Most of us never had a real job, maybe part-time jobs, but never a full-time one. When you go to your first job interview, you never know what to do/say, so I'll leave here some things you can or can't do in a job interview.

What you can do:
- Show enthusiasm in the position and the company
- Shake hands firmly
- Greet the receptionist or assistant with courtesy and respect.
- Wait until you are offered a chair before sitting.
- Make good eye contact with your interviewer.
- Avoid using poor language, slang, and pause words (such as "like", "uh", and "um")
- Show off the research you have done on the company and industry when responding to questions.
- Show what you can do for the company rather than what the company can do for you.
- Ask intelligent questions about the job, company, or industry.
- Close the interview by telling the interviewer that you want the job and asking about the next step in the process.
- Take down notes after the interview concludes so you don't forget crucial details.
- Write thank you letters within 24 hours to each person who interviewed you.



What you can't do:
- Chew gum during the interview.
- Rely on your application or resume to do the selling for you.
- Tell jokes during the interview.
- Smoke even if the interviewer does and offers you a cigarette.
- Act as you would take any job or you are desperate for employment.
- Say anything negative about former colleagues, supervisors, or employers.
- Answer questions with a simple "yes" or "no". Explain whenever possible.
- Bring up or discuss personal issues or family problems.
- Respond to an unexpected question with an extended pause or by saying something like, "boy, that's a good question".
- Answer cell phone calls during the interview.
- Inquire about salary, vacations, bonuses, retirement, or other benefits until after you've received an offer.

The more positive your first impression is, the more chances you have to be chosen.

Sources:
http://martyfahncke.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/interview.jpg
http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/13255/48_2007/Merinda_Epstein_job_interview.jpg
http://www.quintcareers.com/interviewing-dos-donts.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewsnetworking/a/interviewblund.htm
http://www.businessschooledge.com/35-things-to-avoid-at-your-job-interview

Unemployment

This theme is very familiar to me, because my mother is unemployed since last year.

It origines a very tough situation, because the things are getting more and more expensive, the bills needs to get paid and just a salary is not enough. It leads to an economic flexibility that can be avoid.

Now, talking in main terms, unemployment can be caused by some factors as:

• People haven't the specifics qualifications that the employer wants;
• Bad economic situation in the country;
• The integration of technology on work (it can cause unemployment too, because now, a machine, like a computer, makes the work that before was made by man.)
• Laziness (Sometimes, people say that it's crisis' fault or Government's fault , but if they don't look for a job, it will not just appear from the sky.)
  

In our country, there are a lot of unemployed people and the worse is, a big part of them have licentiates degrees and it's a serious thing that deserves all the atention. It's very bad...you spend years, studing hard at school and then, you can't find a job that fits on your area. In result of it, we see them working on supermarkets and other jobs.
It's really unfair.

Sometimes, people feel depressed and they are forced to emigrate, searching for better life conditions. I remember, when we studied the Industrial Revolution in History, we read that many people went to America and to Germany, to getting a job on factories, because they were on expansion. And also, many people who embarked on Titanic, which destiny was E.U.A, were following the American Dream, it means the promise of a job and great salaries, but they hadn't the lucky for their side and died on a terrible accident.

Here's a graphic that shows the world's unemployment rates:

(Click on the image to see it bigger)

In Portugal, the Government had launched several programs such as ''Novas Oportunidades'' to improve the Portuguese population's qualifications and to give a chance to adult people to come back to school. Visit its website: http://www.novasoportunidades.gov.pt/

Sources:
* http://lua.weblog.com.pt/hat_diploma_lg_nwm.gif
* http://ontologias.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/desemprego.jpg
* http://www.escbarcelinhos.net/apache2-default/images/M_images/novop.gif
* http://economiaonline.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/unemployment.jpg

Jobs from other centuries...

I'm sure that images like those below aren't familiar to us.
Jobs as tailors, shoemakers, among others just disappeared or are disappearing. In other centuries, they were essencial but nowadays, there are being replaced by lots of clothes' shops and shoes' stores.

I chose talk about tailors because we think they don't exist anymore, but it's not true.

It has another name...Let's see that.

According to the Tailoring's History:

"During the Middle Ages clothing had been regarded as a means of concealing the body. But with the Renaissance came the accentuation of the human form. The loose robe, that standard uniform of the medieval period so easily constructed from a single piece or two of cloth, was shortened and tightened, and eventually cut, pieced, and sewn together in attempts to bring into prominence the contours of the human form. This was the birth of tailoring and, in fact, of fashion.These attempts at re-constructing the human body in fabric called for a growing expert skill and division of labor. Soon the cutter (the one who makes the pattern) and tailor (the one who does the sewing) joined other craftsmen as important members of the community."

It means that a tailor is who knows and work on the art of making clothes, always in accordance with the policies and preferences of each person, without using existing standardized numbering and it's a job that exists since long time ago. Most of who executed this job was men. Currently, the very known Clothes Designers are the ''modern version'' of them. They can influenciated fashion, creating extravagants pieces. They must have, of course, creativity and have knowledge of Sociology, Modeling, Design and History of clothing.
In Portugal, the most known Clothes Designers are Ana Salazar, Fátima Lopes, Nuno Gama, among others.

Sources:
* http://arquivomunicipal.cm-lisboa.pt/ficheiros/88/20/ficheirotn2088_pxhtgzevyjy.jpg
* http://www.fashionbubbles2.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/alfaiate.jpg
* http://www.lnstar.com/mall/literature/tailor4.htm
*http://profviseu.com/pessoal/Junho2000/Grupo%208/cesteiro2.jpg

Different types of jobs

We did an exercice, in our class, about the different types of jobs. They can be classified as:

- Blue-Collar: These jobs involve manufacturing, building, mechanical work, maintenance and repair or technical installations. A member of this class typically performs manual labor and earns lows salaries. Their clothes are, normally, light or navy blue work shirts.
- Pink-Collar - These are jobs that are considered to be, traditionally, occuped by women.
- White-Collar - This is a category whose jobs were very common on XIX century.
- Professional - If you had studied on University and you have a licentiate's degree, you belong to this category. Lawyers, Doctors, Policemen, CEO...
- Artistic - You need some talent to have a job like this. Actors, Singers, Dancers, Painters and Sculptors are some examples of people who work on this area.

Now, images for illustrate these meanings:

So, we have on these images, for Blue-Collar, Navy sailors, for Pink-Collar, a Waitress and for White-Collar, a Secretary, for Artistic , dancers and a Doctor for Professional.



Sources:
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cargo_loading,_Operation_Deep_Freeze_2007_070208-N-4868G-323.JPEG
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Waitress_taking_an_order.jpg
* http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_U_qeDi3Pipo/ShB_PtUGz-I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/KEmBU-Yezbo/s320/200606280001picture+173.jpg
* http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_U_qeDi3Pipo/ShCAbAGg0vI/AAAAAAAAAKg/2PY2xIKxm5c/s1600-h/800px-HavanaDancers2.jpg
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Typhoid_inoculation2.jpg
* http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_U_qeDi3Pipo/ShCAM0pdpiI/AAAAAAAAAKY/JEEDOmqH-dU/s1600-h/474px-Two_dancers.jpg

[Movie] - Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire - More than a movie. A life lesson.

I saw this movie last month and now I think it's interesting to talk about it. The original title is Slumdog Millionaire and the main backgrounds are the Indian slums. It tells a story of a little boy, Jamal Malik who grew up in Mumbai and fell in love with Latika, a little girl who lost her mother like Jamal and her brother Salim. In their childhood, they go to a orphanage that uses children to earn money (They blind boys to be beggar singers and sell girls to be prostitutes). They lost contact and he will during the movie, make everything to see Latika again. A few years later, he is a tea server at a call center and he sees the opportunity he was looking for to find Latika, be a participant in the famous program ''Who wants to be a millionaire?''.

Now, back to the work topic, in this movie, we can see child labour - in the scenes that Jamal and her brother are forced to work to survive because her mother was killed when they were young. They live traveling on top of trains, selling things they stole like shoes, guns, clothes, they pick pockets and they also cheat tourists at the Taj Mahal, because they pretending be tour guides. It's a reality in our world, half super developped but it still exists lots of children suffer and working hard just for a piece of food.

These are some photos of the young actors (they are slums' children in real life):



- Ayush Khedekar as Young Jamal
- Rubina Ali as Young Latika
- Azharuddin Ismail as Young Salim


And these are the principal actors:



- Dev Patel as Jamal
- Freida Pinto as Latika
- Madhur Mittal as Salim

Considered by many people the movie of the year, it won several awards, such as Best Director, Best Original Song, Best Picture, among others.

This was directed by Danny Boyle, produced by Christian Colson and written by Simon Beaufoy.
Go to its website: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/
Here's the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Q
And here's a song of its soundtrack, named ''Jai Ho'': http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x84f74_slumdog-millionaire-jai-ho-dance-sc_shortfilms

Sources:
* http://www.aceshowbiz.com/movie/slumdog_millionaire/photo.html
* http://www.youtube.com/user/FoxSearchlight
* http://www.oscar.com/oscarnight/winners/

My Dream Job - Translator

When I was a little girl, people asked me quite often: “What would you like to do when you grow up?” I began by saying I’d love to be a vet. Then, I decided to be a biologist. Finally, I figured it out: my dream job is translating. It’s something I’d like to do very much, since I enjoy learning new languages. Interpreting is also quite interesting. Sometimes, there are people who think they’re the same, but translating and interpreting are different things.

Translating or interpreting?

On the surface, the difference between interpreting and translation is only the difference in the medium: the interpreter translates orally, while a translator interprets written text. Both interpreting and translation presuppose a certain love of language and deep knowledge of more than one tongue.

Translation

The differences in the training, skills, and talents needed for each job are vast. The key skill of a very good translator is the ability to write well, to express him/herself clearly in the target language. That is why professional translators almost always work in only one direction, translating only into their native language. Even bilingual individuals rarely can express themselves in a given subject equally well in two languages. And many excellent translators are far from being bilingual - they may not be, and need not be, fluent speakers of the source language (the language of the original text being translated). The key skills of the translator are the ability to understand the source language and the culture of the country where the text originated, and, using a good library of dictionaries and reference materials, render that material into the target language.

Interpretation

An interpreter, on the other hand, has to be able to translate in both directions, without the use of any dictionaries, on the spot.There are two types of interpreting: consecutive and simultaneous. In the most popular form of simultaneous interpreting the interpreter sits in a booth wearing a pair of headphones and speaking into a microphone. Strictly speaking, "simultaneous" is a misnomer: the interpreter can't start interpreting until he/she understands the general meaning of the sentence. Depending on how far in the sentence the subject and the verb are located, the interpreter into English may not be able to utter a single word until he/she heard the very end of the sentence in the source language! This should make it evident how hard the task of the interpreter really is: he/she needs to be translating the sentence into the target language while simultaneously listening to and comprehending the next sentence.

Sounds really nice and challenging, right? :-)

Source: http://world.std.com/~ric/what_is_int.html

Teen Jobs

Most teenagers, when they reach a certain age, feel the need for independence. That’s why they begin looking for jobs, to earn their own money, without having to ask from their parents. Others, when approaching college time, start working so they can save something to pay supplies, a room or house to stay, etc. So, which are the most common jobs teens choose?

Delivering newspapers: One thing that is important in this job is to get up early in the morning and meet the required schedule. Most all newspapers are to be delivered before seven a.m. but some could be earlier. There are weekly newspapers, daily newspapers and special flyers. Teens can deliver newspapers on foot, by bike, or sometimes by car. Depending on how long of a route and how many papers they have will determine what method of transportation they need to have. The paycheck can go from fifty dollars to seven hundred dollars or more a month, but this still depends on how many days a week and how many papers one delivers.

Make and sell bracelets: Bracelets and bands that are created by hand are always a popular item in schools and with children of all ages. These bracelets that are hand made are sometimes called friendship bands. They can also be worn by a boy and girl who are dating, collected by children to see how many different ones they can collect and wear at the same time. We can learn how to make these bracelets and bands online, in books or by asking other children who are wearing them. We’ll need some embroidery thread or yarn, sometimes-even macramé yarn, dangles, clips, scissors, and a place to get creative. It can be our bedroom, living room, or a space in the basement. We’ll be able to find supplies at craft fairs, at local thrift stores, in bulk online and in many other types of shops.

Children’s parties: Adults often have parties for special occasions for children for birthdays, kindergarten graduation and similar situations. We can help at children’s parties as a helper, as a clown, as a server, or just an extra pair of hands and make money at the same time. We can advertise our services by making flyers or small cards and passing them around. We must be sure to list our hourly wage on the flyer, so adults know if they can afford us or if they want the extra help for that price. We should be paid at the end of every job.

Babysitting: If we’re old enough, boy or girl, we can babysit other children that are younger, and make money while doing it. Parents often need a break, need to get out of the house when the kids are sleeping, to run errands even to go to work, and this is where your valuable services come into play. To start, we should at least take a CPR class. Most often parents will hire someone who has CPR experience rather than someone who doesn’t. We can advertise online in our local community site, hand out flyers house to house where we know that children are living, and have our parents spread the word.

Shall we... work?

Source: http://www.makemoneykids.com/

Female Workers

Unfortunately, many women are still discriminated around the world at their own workplaces. This is a very serious matter, since nowadays men and women all have the same rights, which includes career options. The following are some of the main reasons why there is gender discrimination at work:

Pregnancy - It is unlawful for the employer to dismiss a woman because she is pregnant or for reasons connected with pregnancy or maternity leave. It is also unlawful for the employer to deny access to holiday pay, sickness pay training or any other contractual benefit that all employees are entitled to. Pregnancy is not an illness and women do not suddenly become less capable of doing their job because of it. This video should be seen by every employer; a pregnant woman is as willing to work as anyone.



Pay discrimination - There are a number of ways pay discrimination can happen. Examples include:

- A woman is appointed on a lower rate of pay than her male colleagues a woman on maternity leave is denied a bonus received by other staff;

- Women's jobs are given different job titles and grades to those of men doing similar work;

- Part-time staff, mostly women, have no entitlement to sick pay or holiday pay.

Relationships - Some organisations have a policy of not hiring employees who have a relationship with someone who works for the same company. The term 'relationship' includes the following:

- A spouse or civil partner;
- A family tie;
- A personal relationship.

Professional associations with a "no personal relationships" policy may refuse an application for membership. Employers may refuse to recruit someone because of the policy, or they may use the disciplinary procedures against an employee who begins a personal relationship. This can sometimes involve dismissal.

Sources: http:// http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/
Video posted by YouTube user ITUCCSI.

The future for our jobs

Here are a few statistics on different types of jobs. As we can see, some sectors are expected to lose a large number of workers, while others will continue to grow. One of the reasons for this to happen is population changes. For example, a growing and aging population has increased the demand for health services. Equally important, population changes produce corresponding changes in the size and demographic composition of the labour force.

Office and administrative support occupations

Office and administrative support workers perform the day-to-day activities of the office, such as preparing and filing documents, dealing with the public, and distributing information. Employment in these occupations is expected to grow by 7.2 percent, adding 1.7 million new jobs by 2016. Customer service representatives will add the most new jobs, 545,000, while stock clerks and order fillers is expected to see the largest employment decline among all occupations, losing 131,000 jobs.

Education and health services

This industry supersector is projected to grow by 18.8 percent, and add more jobs, nearly 5.5 million, than any other industry supersector. More than 3 out of every 10 new jobs created in the U.S. economy will be in either the healthcare and social assistance or public and private educational services sectors.

Social Assistance and healthcare

Including public and private hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, and individual and family services, it will grow by 25.4 percent and add 4 million new jobs. Employment growth will be driven by increasing demand for healthcare and social assistance because of an aging population and longer life expectancies. Also, as more women enter the labour force, demand for childcare services is expected to grow.

Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting

Overall employment in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting is expected to decrease by 2.8 percent. Employment is expected to continue to decline due to rising costs of production, increasing consolidation, and more imports of food and lumber. The only industry within this supersector expected to grow is support activities for agriculture and forestry, which includes farm labour contractors and farm management services. This industry is expected to grow by 10.5 percent and add 12,000 new jobs. Crop production will see the largest job loss, with 98,000 fewer jobs in 2016 than in 2006.

Sales and related occupations

Sales and related workers solicit goods and services to businesses and consumers. They are expected to add 1.2 million new jobs by 2016, growing by 7.6 percent. Retail salespersons will contribute the most to this grow by adding 557,000 new jobs.

Source: http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco2003.htm