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Whether you’re thinking about going to school for the first time or going back, education is key to getting the job you want and the salary you need. However, choosing a reliable career path with job growth is essential if you want to find lucrative opportunities after you graduate. Here are four fast-growing fields that will be sure to land you a job after you complete a program of further education.
Tax Preparer
“Death and taxes” is how the old saying goes—the two things that you can always depend on. Therefore, becoming a tax preparer means guaranteed employment since taxes aren’t going away anytime soon. Filing taxes can also be complicated for the average person, whether they’re a freelancer with two jobs or newly married. In order to make sure it’s done the right way, many consumers won’t hesitate to seek the assistance of a professional. A tax preparer generally requires an associate’s degree, with certified public accountants making 35 percent more than those without certification, according to Monster. This is a killer combo of qualifications that makes you extremely employable after you complete your education in a field that’s sure to exist as long as the world keeps turning.
4 Career Paths More Likely to Land You a Job
Healthcare
Healthcare has always been known as a job-creating industry. However, it’s become even more robust with last year’s healthcare reforms which increased access in 2013 for 31 million more people, according to US News. Whether you choose to spend many years in school to become a doctor or you’re interested in a shorter program like Medical Insurance Billing, the healthcare industry is where you’ll find huge opportunities. Not everyone has the time, resources, and patience to go to medical school to become a doctor, but that doesn’t mean you can’t claim a piece of the pie. There are lots of schools that offer both on-campus and online options for different positions within the healthcare industry. For example, institutions such as Vista College offer flexible courses that are available online, at night, or at other convenient times for someone who might be busy with a family or full-time job looking to switch professions. Whatever your situation, pursuing a position in the healthcare industry is not only smart in terms of job growth and opportunities, but it’s also travelable. If you need to move somewhere else or simply want a change of pace, anything in the healthcare field is guaranteed to be needed somewhere else. It also offers a huge array of positions with different levels of education.
Marketing
As of December 2014, the position of marketing manager has the highest number of job openings at almost 23,000 opportunities as compared to ten other popular positions, according to Fortune. Marketing is another profession that’s always in demand, especially in the current business climate where things like social media and public image rule all. Information travels fast for businesses, and they need someone who’s on the ball to keep up with their marketing campaigns. If you’re a creative person, this type of position is a great fit. Not only does it fall within the business world, which means decent money, but it also allows some ingenuity. To be a marketing manager, you need to have drive as well as good ideas. Marketing and advertising can be fun, but it’s also demanding. If you can keep up and are an organized person, then this is the right job for you. Hop aboard when the going is still good.
eCommerce Entrepreneur
These days, people are starting online businesses every day, and some of them even succeed. The key to being a successful eCommerce entrepreneur is planning, expertise in your chosen industry, and a lot of creative thinking. Entrepreneurism is one of the best and most rewarding parts of the American dream, and it’s still possible to realize even in this day and age. Online sales and business conducted over the Internet are climbing steadily, increasing much more each year as technology makes huge strides in allowing consumers to shop more easily. Between the ever-evolving hoard of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as an increasing demand for convenience, there’s no better time to enter the eCommerce game. The beauty of starting your own online business is that you also have the ability to be your own boss, work from home, and come up with ideas that you can instantly implement. If you have a family and need a flexible schedule, being an eCommerce entrepreneur is the way to go as the industry continues to grow.
These top four career paths all have their own individual requirements and perks, but you need to decide what’s right for you. Everyone has different needs, whether it’s a family or simply desiring a change of pace. One other thing that you may consider is online education, this will save you time and money when considering learning a new skill. Entering a burgeoning field with lots of opportunities will make it easier to find a job that can carry you to success.
Silk Road 2 says it has been hacked resulting in the loss of all its customers’ Bitcoins.
An administrator for the anonymous online marketplace said hackers had manipulated computer code enabling them to withdraw $2.7 million worth of the virtual currency.
It follows similar attacks on two exchanges that trade in Bitcoins earlier in the week.
Silk Road 2 is known for selling drugs and other illegal items.
The site is only accessible through Tor, a network that allows users to browse anonymously online. The virtual currency Bitcoin is often used in transactions as it also grants users a degree of anonymity.
The original Silk Road site was shut down by the FBI in 2013 but those behind it said they would start a new site and shortly afterwards Silk Road 2 appeared online.
In a statement posted on Silk Road 2 forums, the administrator of the site, known as Defcon, said: “We have been hacked.”
“Nobody is in danger, no information has been leaked, and server access was never obtained by the attacker.
“Our initial investigations indicate that a vendor exploited a recently discovered vulnerability in the Bitcoin protocol known as <<transaction malleability>> to repeatedly withdraw coins from our system until it was completely empty,” he said.
Silk Road 2 says it has been hacked resulting in the loss of all its customers’ Bitcoins
Transaction malleability involves someone changing the cryptographic code – known as a transaction hash – used to create an ID for the exchange of funds before it is recorded in the blockchain – a database of every transaction carried out in the currency.
This method can result in the system thinking a transaction has not been carried out when it has and therefore repeatedly paying out Bitcoins.
The two exchanges hit by attacks earlier in the week, MtGox and Bitstamp, had suspended transactions to prevent it happening again.
Defcon admitted that Silk Road 2 should have done the same.
“I should have taken MtGox and Bitstamp’s lead and disabled withdrawals as soon as the malleability issue was reported. I was slow to respond and too skeptical of the possible issue at hand,” he said in the forum posting.
On CoinDesk, a news site for digital currency, Danny Bradbury an expert on Silk Road, said that Bitcoin-based sites should put “Bitcoins under management in cold storage (i.e. stored offline) so that they could not be stolen by online attackers”.
Defcon said that all its customers’ Bitcoins were being stored online because of planned relaunches of some of the site’s features.
“In retrospect this was incredibly foolish, and I take full responsibility for this decision.”
Despite Defcon denying that he had “run with the gold”, several Silk Road 2 users questioned whether the operators of the site were involved or covering for people involved.
The site said as a result of the attack it would no longer host “escrow wallets” – an account where Bitcoins are held until goods ordered are delivered.
The chief executive of the company that runs the MtGox bitcoin exchange was confronted by an angry customer at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo this week.
Kolin Buges, a bitcoin trader from London, said he had travelled to Japan as he was unhappy at MtGox’s explanation for its recent problems on the site which prevented customers from making withdrawals.
He had 250 Bitcoins, worth $155,000 in his MtGox account.
“I want to get my Bitcoin back, or get MtGox to bring back public confidence that the company is solvent and people’s money [is] safe,” Kolin Buges told the Wall Street Journal.
One Bitcoin is currently trading for around $620, significantly lower than the $830 level it was at before news of the various attacks broke.
Apple will pay at least $32.5 million in refunds to parents whose children made in-app purchases without their consent after a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The refund agreement settles long-standing complaints over in-app purchases made by children without their parents’ consent.
Apple will also be required to change its billing procedures to make sure customers have given consent before they are charged for in-app purchases.
The company said it had settled rather than take on a “long legal fight”.
“This settlement is a victory for consumers harmed by Apple’s unfair billing, and a signal to the business community: whether you’re doing business in the mobile arena or the mall down the street, fundamental consumer protections apply,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez in a statement.
“You cannot charge consumers for purchases they did not authorize.”
Apple will pay at least $32.5 million in refunds to parents whose children made in-app purchases without their consent
The FTC’s complaint alleged that Apple failed to inform parents that by entering a password they were approving a single in-app purchase and also 15 minutes of additional unlimited purchases their children could make without further consent.
It also said that Apple often presented a password prompt screen for parents to enter their details without explaining that this would finalize any purchase made in the app.
The FTC also noted that Apple received at “least tens of thousands of complaints” about unauthorized in-app purchases by children.
This refund settlement only covers customers who have made purchases through Apple’s US app store.
The changes to Apple’s billing process, which means express consent must be obtained before in-app charges are made, must be in place by March 31, said the FTC.
Apple’s App Store offers many games for children, a large number of which allow in-app purchases to be made. These purchases can include virtual items or currency, and typically allow faster progression in the game.
In-app purchases can range in cost – from 99 cents to just under $100.
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Target is being sued by at least 11 customers over a credit card security breach that saw details of more than 40 million cards stolen.
The lawsuits, each seeking class-action status, were filed in US courts in recent days.
Meanwhile, major US banks have moved to limit damages by restricting spending on debit cards.
Security researchers said the stolen card numbers had been seen on underground markets.
Senator Chuck Schumer has called for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to investigate the breach.
The thieves managed to grab key details for so many cards by getting malware on to the computer systems at the checkout desks in almost 1,800 Target stores in the US.
It is still not clear how the hackers managed to get their malware on to the systems.
Target is being sued by at least 11 customers over a credit card security breach
The fraudsters had access to card data read at the tills for almost three weeks, said Target in a statement released after the attack.
Complaints against Target, seeking unspecified damages, have now been filed in Massachusetts by Amanda Tirado; in Florida by Maria Cruz and Jade Gray; in Oregon by Lisa Purcell; in Washington by Kathi Syvlester; in California by Samantha Wredberg and Jennifer Kirk; in Illinois by Janice McCarter and Veronica Ponce; and in Minnesota, the state where Target is based, by Sarah Horton and in a joint case by 0 and Bryan Barth.
In the complaints, customers who shopped at the retailer between November 27 and December 15 argue Target failed to notify them of the breach before it was first reported and did not “maintain reasonable security procedures” to prevent the attack.
They argue the “ramifications of [Target’s] failure to keep class members’ data secure are severe”, citing billions of dollars lost each year to identity theft.
If the cases are allowed as a class-action, it is believed the potential number of plaintiffs could be in the millions of dollars.
Meanwhile, JP Morgan Chase said it had lowered daily spending limits to $300 and daily cash withdrawal limits to $100 on potentially vulnerable cards as a “precaution”.
Reuters reported that other US banks are also believed to be putting stringent precautions in place that would help to spot if cards were being used fraudulently. In addition, Target said it would offer free credit monitoring for customers affected by fraud.
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China has banned its banks from handling Bitcoin transactions.
The ban came in a notice issued by the People’s Bank of China, financial watchdogs and the nation’s IT ministry.
Bitcoins are a “virtual good”, have no legal status and should not be used as a currency, it said.
The decision comes after bitcoins’ rapid rise in value was called a “bubble” by Alan Greenspan, former US Federal Reserve chairman.
The ban was imposed because bitcoins were not backed by any nation or central authority, said the notice.
It added that it was planning to step up its efforts to curb the use of bitcoins to launder cash.
China has banned its banks from handling Bitcoin transactions
Individuals were still free to trade in bitcoins but should be aware of the risks involved, said the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), adding that it planned to formalise the regulation of exchanges that dealt in the digital cash.
Experts told Reuters the PBOC was moved to make its decision because Chinese nationals were heavily involved in trading the virtual currency. Many believe this is because it helps them avoid controls on trade in the yuan.
The value of bitcoins traded on Chinese exchanges fell after the announcement was made.
Interest in the virtual currency has seen its value soar in recent weeks.
On November 28, the value of one Bitcoin surpassed $1,000 for the first time.
The swift rise in value led Alan Greenspan to say the exchange rate for the virtual currency was “unsustainably high” in an interview with Bloomberg.
“It’s a bubble,” he said, going on to question the financial value people had pinned on Bitcoin.
“You have to really stretch your imagination to infer what the intrinsic value of Bitcoin is,” he said.
“I haven’t been able to do it. Maybe somebody else can.”
On Cyber Monday, the biggest day of the year for e-commerce in the US, online sales rose 18.4% to $1.735 billion, a record for a single day, according to comScore.
Online sales grew at a torrid pace, rising 22% between Thursday and Cyber Monday, according to data firm comScore.
That does not include sales made using a mobile device such as a smart phone or a tablet.
Cyber Monday fell on December 2 in 2013.
The long Thanksgiving weekend sets the tone for the holiday season, when retailers get about 30% of their annual sales.
Total in-store sales between Thanksgiving Day on Thursday and Sunday rose 1% compared to the same period last year, while the number of visits to stores fell 4%, ShopperTrak said. ShopperTrak has forecast sales at stores will rise 2.4% for November and December together.
During “Black Weekend” 2013, shoppers spent an estimated $22.2 billion, compared to last year’s $22 billion, said ShopperTrak.
Cyber Monday fell on December 2 in 2013
On Sunday, the National Retail Federation estimated Americans had spent 2.9% less over the weekend.
Shoppers appeared to be waiting a bit longer to do their Christmas shopping, perhaps holding out for deals. An Ipsos poll of almost 1,400 Americans over the weekend found 77% had done at least some of their holiday shopping by Black Friday, compared to 81% on the same day last year.
According to IBM data, sales through mobile devices rose 55%.
The biggest beneficiaries of the surge in online sales were marketplaces run by e-commerce leaders Amazon.com and eBay, according to data released by ChannelAdvisor, a provider of e-commerce software to retailers that tracks online sales.
Sales on Amazon‘s and eBay‘s marketplaces rose 30% on Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
They did well in part because of how well suited their sites are to use on mobile devices, said ChannelAdvisor CEO Scot Wingo.
Wal-Mart Stores said Monday was the all-time highest online sales day but declined to give a figure or a growth rate compared with last year.
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World’s largest online retailer Amazon has announced it is testing unmanned drones to deliver goods to customers.
The drones, called Octocopters, could deliver packages weighing up to 5 lbs to customers within 30 minutes of them placing the order, Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said.
However, Jeff Bezos added that it could take up to five years for the service to start.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is yet to approve the use of unmanned drones for civilian purposes.
“I know this looks like science fiction, but it’s not,” Jeff Bezos told CBS’ 60 Minutes.
“We can do half-hour delivery… and we can carry objects, we think, up to five pounds, which covers 86% of the items that we deliver.”
The service will be called Prime Air and comes as Amazon is looking to improve its efficiency to boost growth.
Amazon also posted a video on its website showing a drone picking up a package from one of its warehouses and delivering it to the doorstep of a customer’s house.
However, it still has to wait for permission from US regulators.
Amazon has announced it is testing unmanned drones to deliver goods to customers
The FAA has approved the use of drones for police and government agencies, issuing about 1,400 permits over the past several years.
Civilian air space is expected to be opened up to all kinds of drones in the US by 2015 and in Europe by 2016.
Existing regulations are in place to minimise the risk of injury to people on the ground, said Dr Darren Ansell, an expert on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from the University of Central Lancashire.
“The UAVs do not currently have the awareness of their environment to be able to avoid flying into people. To deliver goods to people’s homes for example in residential areas, the UAVs must overfly densely populated towns and cities, something that today’s regulations prevent.
“Other things to consider are security of the goods during the transit. With no one to guard them the aircraft and package could be captured and stolen,” he said.
Amazon said: “From a technology point of view, we’ll be ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place.”
The FAA was “actively working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles”, the company said, adding that it hoped the green light would be given as early as 2015.
“One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today.”
Zookal, an Australian textbook rental company, announced earlier this year that it would start using drones to make deliveries from 2015 if approved by Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Australian law allows the use of unmanned aircraft for commercial use.
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Cyber Monday on December 2 kicks off Cyber Week 2013 at Wal-Mart.
Cyber Monday one of the year’s biggest shopping events for fantastic prices on electronics.
During Cyber Week, you’ll find special Cyber Monday deals that last all week long.
Cyber Monday kicks off Cyber Week 2013 at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart’s Cyber Monday deals and Cyber Week specials are some of the year’s best shopping values, so be sure to take advantage of these opportunities to shop and save. Plus, you’ll save even more with free shipping on thousands of items.
Get ready to save with these special Wal-Mart Cyber Monday deals.
Plus, sign up for Walmart.com emails, where you’ll find the latest updates on Cyber Week 2013.
As Black Friday’s deals tend to be steepest when it comes to technology and electronics, they also involve crazy crowds and long lines, you can take advantage of all the best Cyber Monday deals.
Amazon will surely be offering deep discounts but are keeping mum so far on the items. Bookmark Amazon’s Cyber Monday page to keep checking back for details and be set for the big day.
Best Buy will be offering a wide variety of slashed prices and doorbusters on all the tech items you want most: laptops, mobile phones, digital camera, HDTVs, and more. To stay on top of the deals, sign up for Best Buy’s Deal of the Day email to be among the first to find out about Best Buy’s great Cyber Monday 2013 deals.
Cyber Monday 2013
Target will be having an entire Cyber Week complete with daily doorbusters. While all the details haven’t been revealed, discounts on items like iPads, PS4, Xbox One, Blu-rays, and more will be on sale. To be one of the first to know about Target’s Cyber Week deals, make sure to sign up for Target’s special offers.
Wal-Mart is known for their insane Black Friday deals and while they have yet to reveal all their Cyber Monday deals, are bet is that they’re pretty sweet.
Sears typically offers an extra 5% to 15% off during its Cyber Monday sale. Sears will be offering a “Build-Your-Own” Play Station 4 Bundle for Shop Your Way Members. The sweet deal includes a console, controller, and a choice of four different games for $519.97. The purchase also comes with 10,000 points which is the equivalent of a $100 Sears/Kmart gift card.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest shopping days of the year, and companies go all out with marketing.
Most brands save their best online deals for the weekend after Thanksgiving, giving consumers a chance to buy coveted items at slashed prices just in time for the holidays.
Whether you are online shopper (and you love Cyber Monday) or love the thrill of digging through a bargain bin (and love Black Friday), we suggest preparing yourself for this momentous shopping extravaganza with these tips:
1. Create a budget
Before you create your list, you need a carefully planned budget. This will further help you avoid those impulse purchases.
2. Make a list and check it twice
Shopping a sale can be dangerous, as the idea of markdowns can have you purchasing items you don’t need. To avoid spending on frivolous items, make a list and don’t deviate from it.
3. Check return policies
The downside to buying on final sale or clearance usually means no returns. Or, the time period for returns is short, so know before you go.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest shopping days of the year, and companies go all out with marketing
4. Dress appropriately
There is no need to dress to impress on Black Friday. Everyone is there for one reason: to shop. Sneakers and leggings are appropriate attire for efficient shopping. Also, it makes time in the fitting room quick and easy.
5. Bring cash for Black Friday
The line at the register can seem neverending on Black Friday. Don’t be the one that holds it up because of a faulty credit card.
6. Check the lay of the land
It is best to know the territory. Time spent looking for the electronics section is time lost.
7. Drive-by shopping
Finding a parking space can be nightmare. And by the time you find a spot, the store would be practically half empty. Arrange for a ride there and home.
8. Shop with your home computer on Cyber Monday
If Cyber Monday is your day to splurge, make sure you do it in the comfort of your home with your own computer. For security reasons, you don’t want to be shopping on a public computer.
9. Shop with a credit card or Paypalon Cyber Monday
Scams are common online, so make sure you avoid the heartache that comes with bank fraud—read: don’t use debit cards. Most credit cards come with anti-fraud protection. Paypal is another secure way to shop online.
10. Get Cyber Monday coupons in advance
Most websites have promo codes a few days before, offering even more of a discount on select items.
1. Start tracking store sales in advance. Follow your favorite retailers on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest before Black Friday. Not only will they reveal details about sales before they happen, many stores will also offer exclusive discounts on those sites. In the past, stores like RadioShack have offered savings to shoppers who “checked in” with the brand on Foursquare, a common smartphone app.
2. Shop online in the wee hours of Thanksgiving. Many sellers activate their online deals the day before -typically between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. ET on Thursday morning. So if you have your eye on a particular product or store, look early that morning to see if the savings are live yet. Any sale will usually hold through Friday. True, prices may go lower on Cyber Monday. But the odds of finding a good price are in your favor.
Focus on only Black Friday’s best bargains so you’re not tempted to buy in the heat of the moment
3. On Black Friday, start online. The prices on Friday can be awesome, but about 70% of Black Friday deals are also available online, and 78% of them come with a free shipping offer, according to research from DealNews.com. Check just after midnight on Friday morning for new deals that didn’t go live on Thursday. Bonus: If an online retailer doesn’t have a physical store in your state, you may not have to pay sales tax.
4. Go for electronics. If you have a Blu-ray player or smartphone in mind, Black Friday is the day to shop, both online and in-store, according to experts. In past years, Apple has discounted iPads, iPods and other tech by 10% to 15% on Black Friday. Television prices will be at their lowest, too. In general, the best deal will be on an off-brand flat-screen, which is often discounted more deeply than a brand like Samsung.
5. Wait for Cyber Monday to purchase clothing. If you want a new outfit, hold off until Cyber Monday. Soft goods like cosmetics, shoes and apparel carry bigger discounts that day because retailers don’t want to compete with Friday’s giant tech bargains (a $5 shirt may not impress you when it’s next to a $200 TV). Last year Eddie Bauer gave 40% off on Cyber Monday, versus 30% on Black Friday. Also look for great travel deals on Monday.
Black Friday is just days away, and shoppers already have started to refine their shopping lists, searching for ads online that reveal gotta-have gifts and rock-bottom prices at major retailers.
The holiday shopping season represents the bulk of many merchants’ yearly sales, so luring shoppers early is important, retail analysts say. Dozens of Black Friday websites entice shoppers with early releases of ads.
Retailers count on shoppers poring over their newspaper inserts. Papers’ Thanksgiving Day editions often are the largest of the year.
“This is the one time of year when consumers have the opportunity to see all this sales stuff in advance,” said Brad Wilson, who has a website called BradsDeals.com.
“It gives people three or four weeks to strategize about what they are going to buy.”
Online sneak-peak ads for Black Friday come out earlier every year, he said.
Black Friday 2013
“Consumers love the game of it all,” Brad Wilson said.
“They want to find the best deals. And they want to be able to get to the right stores at the right time.”
Shoppers caught up in the adrenaline rush of getting the best Black Friday deals – like last year’s $97 flat screen television – will be in for even better deals this year, Brad Wilson is predicting.
“The bargains have gotten better every year for a while,” he said.
Some of the websites that already have started posting Black Friday ads:
• BFAds.net
• BlackFriday.com
• Brad’s Black Friday
• dealnews.com
• TheBlackFriday.com
A bill to support independent bookstores against competition from online retailers has been approved in France.
The new laws will restrict companies like Amazon from combining offers of 5% discounts with free deliveries.
France’s 3,000 independent bookshops have complained that they can’t compete with the cut-price offers online.
The new laws will restrict companies like Amazon from combining offers of 5 percent discounts with free deliveries
The opposition right-wing party UMP proposed the bill, but it also has the support of the left.
It has been approved by the lower house and will now be sent to the Senate.
French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti has criticized Amazon’s practices in the past, particularly free deliveries or its policy of “tax optimization.”
Amazon insists the arrangement is legal under the European Union’s single market rules.
In June, Aurelie Filippetti said: “Today, everyone has had enough of Amazon, which, by dumping, slashes prices to get a foothold in markets only to raise them once they have established a virtual monopoly.”
France is known for being proud of its local stores, considering them essential to bring culture to small villages.
