Non Profit Jobs in Houston: How to Prepare

Although the nonprofit sector has suffered under the hands of the economic recession, there are still plenty of opportunities for those seeking non profit jobs in Houston.

If you're looking for an upper-level position in the nonprofit sector, you may want to consider getting a Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit Management. A degree of this caliber would allow you to pursue careers in the nonprofit, public, or government sectors.

So how do you know if an MBA program is right for you? While traditional MBA candidates want to work in high-paying positions at for-profit companies, those who pursue an MBA in Nonprofit Management are more concerned with helping others.

If this sounds like you, there are a few things you need to accomplish before starting your MBA program. You should first obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college and gain a year or two of experience. You also will need high test scores, letters of recommendation, and an admissions essay.

Once you have those things in order, you can then apply to the MBA program of your choice. Most programs take two to three years to complete, although there are some accelerated programs that only take about a year and a half, according to Education-Portal.com.

As a whole, the MBA program will focus on the theoretical and practical knowledge you need to successfully manage a nonprofit organization. You'll learn about the financial, operational, and management aspects of a business and most likely participate in an internship to gain some experience.

The program will cover courses in business administration, including: volunteer management, business ethics, nonprofit marketing, effective grant writing, and strategic program evaluation. You also may be able to take some liberal arts and humanities electives.

Once you get your degree - that's it! Start applying to jobs and networking with other professionals. Also, be prepared for the fact that some employers may want to take a look at your criminal background. Check out http://crimcheck.com for more information.

How to Prepare for Family Therapist Jobs

Family therapist jobs are extremely lucrative - they pay well, there will be plenty of employment opportunities in the coming years, and they offer the chance to help others. However, it's important to get the proper education before you can begin practicing.

Family therapists work with individuals or groups to treat mental and emotional disorders that are affecting the family dynamic. Their main goals are to modify perceptions and behaviors, enhance communication and understanding, and prevent crises.

It's typically required that you obtain a master's degree before you can become a practicing family therapist, but many students choose to go one step further and obtain a doctoral degree. In order to decide which degree is right for you, figure out what you want to accomplish as a family therapist.

If you simply want to work as a family therapist, then a master's degree will be sufficient. If you want to eventually have other career options in research, administration, or education, then a doctoral degree would be the better choice.

Once you decide what degree to pursue, it's important to choose a college or university that suits your needs. According to Education-Portal.com, the largest schools that offer family therapy programs include:

• Arizona State University
• University of Florida
• University of Central Florida
• Michigan State University
• Florida State University
• Brigham Young University
• University of Southern California
• University of Iowa
• Texas Tech University
• Nova Southeastern University
• East Carolina University
• Western Michigan University
• University of Akron Main Campus
• Drexel University
• University of Louisville
• Syracuse University
• Northwestern University
• Saint Cloud State University
• Wright State University-Main Campus
• Appalachian State University

Employers can search resumes of potential applicants.

Denver Manufacturing Jobs Cut by Drug Company

An up-and-coming drug maker has cut many Denver manufacturing jobs.

Allos Therapeutics recently laid off 25 employees, or about 13 percent percent of the company's total workforce. The majority of those job cuts affected research and administrative workers, as Allos plans to leave its sales and marketing staff in tact.

The company eliminated jobs in an effort to cut costs and place a stronger focus on sales. Allos, a drug manufacturing company, predicts the job cuts will save about $4 million per year. The company currently employs about 190 people.

The recent job cuts shouldn't have a large-scale effect on Denver's economy. During November 2010, the city's unemployment rate increased to 8.7, after remaining at 8.2 percent for two consecutive months. That rate was still lower than the national average at the time of 9.8 percent.

The Denver-Aurora-Broomfield area employed 1,194,200 workers during November, which is up from 1,192,400 workers during October and a .2 percent increase from the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to an article by the Denver Business Journal, Allos is most well-known for its production of the drug Folotyn, which is meant to fight the growth of tumors by killing cancer cells. The drug has been approved for sale to patients who have advanced cases of relapse or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

So far, the company has delayed any effort to conduct clinical trials to determine whether or not Folotyn could be sued to treat other illnesses, such as non-small cell lung cancer. Instead, Allos is focusing on gaining regulatory approval to sell Folotyn in Europe.

Allos Therapeutics brought in a revenue of $11.8 million from Folotyn sales during Q4 2010, which is a 27 percent increase from Q3 2010. The company also has $98.6 million in cash and investments and has no current debt.

Austin TX Jobs Continue to Benefit from Stimulus

The economic stimulus has created hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout America, including billions of Austin TX jobs.

A recent report from Onvia Inc. found that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created about 800,000 private sector jobs during the last two years. The stimulus is expected to continue creating jobs during 2011, as only 30 percent of the funding has been used so far.

Texas is expected to receive a total of about $16.4 billion during the life of the stimulus. To date, the state has received about $6.7 billion of that funding, which has been used to create roughly 46,134 jobs.

According to an article by the Austin Business Journal, the Austin area received the most stimulus funding in Texas, bringing in about $1.9 billion so far. The Texas Governor's Office received the majority of the city's funding, followed by the Texas Education Agency and the City of Austin itself.

The positive effects of the additional funding can already be seen throughout the local economy. During November, the Austin area's unemployment rate jumped from 6.9 percent to 7.1 percent, but that was still lower than the national average at the time of 9.8 percent.

The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area employed a total of 778,500 workers during November, which is up from 774,600 workers during October and a 2.2 percent increase from last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Austin, Texas, and the rest of the nation should continue to benefit from the ARRA this year. Onvia predicts that government spending at state and local levels will drop slightly from 2010, but that spending will continue to create several new jobs. Check out this list of government job description.

"The $5.5 trillion government marketplace will continue to be a source of revenue and growth for many thousands of businesses in 2011 and beyond," Hank Riner, president and CEO of Onvia, said in a statement.

Glendale Jobs Get Bleak Outlook

Although this will remain a tough year for local residents, there are still plenty of places to find Glendale jobs.

Following in the footsteps of 2010, this year looks to be grim for the Glendale community and local job seekers. Last year was marked by fights with a Native American nation and a struggle to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in town. Local officials aren't expecting 2011 to be much better.

"Next year will be grim," Yucca District Representative Joyce Clark told Your West Valley News. "We are going to be dealing with more of the same economically and perhaps another wave of foreclosures. These are things that affect a city's budget and we are going to have to deal with those challenges."

"I believe in terms of fiscal policy we need to be conservative," she continued. "We need to keep focused, because unfortunately the current economic picture may be the normal economic picture for a while."

Even though the future of the economy is still pretty uncertain, local officials plan to maintain services by scaling back efforts on major projects. The community as a whole remains optimistic that Glendale can get through these trying times, in part thanks to the local employees.

"Our employees have been spectacular," Clark said. "They have had mandatory furlough days equal to a 5 percent reduction in salary. They've had no raises. They've been given greater responsibility with less money. Every department in the city has taken a budget cut. Based upon that kind of climate, our employees have risen to the task, done everything asked of them and more and still delivered the same or better service. That's not going to change."

If that sort of optimism flows out into the community, it should help everyone have a successful 2011. As time goes by and the economy continues to get better, more jobs will be created and the city, its employees, and local residents will find themselves in a better position.

The grim picture painted by local officials doesn't mean there aren't any jobs available. In fact, the greater Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale area continued adding jobs on a monthly and yearly basis during November as unemployment remained at an even 8.5 percent.

There are plenty of Phoenix engineering jobs (Click here), healthcare positions, education openings, and other employment opportunities to be had.