Hello everyone,
Welcome — and thank you for being a part of Live Your Life Learning.
This project began as a way for me to combine two things I love:
content creation and teaching.
I’ve always believed that when we share information and ideas, we can truly impact people’s lives.
What’s Changing
Now, I’m excited to explore a new direction —
I’m beginning a new journey: interviewing people who have stories to tell.
This series will be called Live Your Life Conversations.
Right now, I’m still early in this process, so the style and structure of these interviews may evolve over time. But I do have five core categories that will help shape the content I create:
The 5 Interview Categories
- Content Creators (YouTube & Podcasts)
Interview Content Creators on their content.
Get their stories about themselves and their content.
Interview YouTubers and podcasters about their creative process, business models, and personal stories.
May also interview people besides YouTubers and podcasters, but I think most of the Interviews in this area will be YouTubers and podcasters.
- Careers & Life Paths
These interviews will explore real-world career journeys — from traditional jobs to unexpected pivots — with insights for anyone curious about how people build meaningful work lives.
- Entertainment & Media
Connect with musicians, performers, radio hosts, production staff, and other creatives who bring entertainment and storytelling to life.
- Local Events & Cultural Life
I’ll talk with people who shape local culture — including folks from museums, libraries, theater productions, and more — to spotlight what’s happening in the community.
- Curiosity & Knowledge Tellers
These are people who help us understand the world: historians, educators, authors, and those who explain interesting topics.
What’s Staying the Same
While interviewing will become the main emphasis, I’ll still continue to create occasional content on remote work and workforce development — a space I’ve worked in for a long time.
My current plan:
- 1–2 remote-related posts per month
- 1 course offering every few months
Final Thoughts
So that’s the new direction:
More conversations. More stories. More learning from people’s real experiences.
Thank you again for being part of the Live Your Life Learning journey — and now, the Live Your Life Conversations journey too.
Stay curious — and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Live Your Life Learning Blog
Hello, everyone. I am sorry for not posting content sooner; life gets busy, and I have many things going on.
Interview – Focus (I am considering)
One thing I was exploring is changing the emphasis of this channel.
I am considering adopting a more interview-focused approach for the channel.
I enjoy interviewing, so it’s fun to learn about the lives of others, and I hope the audience will enjoy listening to what they have to say.
I plan to conduct more interviews, speak with people in various fields, and then post those interviews.
I will still create content on work-related topics, such as remote careers. However, I am considering making interviews my primary focus and work-related issues (like remote careers) my secondary focus.
I will give further details in a future post.
This week, we are going to look at tools to evaluate a potential employer.
Some of those tools can be:
(1) Employee Reviews
You can sometimes find Employee Reviews on a potential employer.
You can find these employee reviews on sites like Glassdoor and Indeed.com.
(2) Customer Reviews
You may find out information from a potential employer by reading customer reviews.
You can learn what some customers think of that potential employer.
One place to find customer reviews is on Google Search.
Search the name of a potential employer on Google, and you may get information on that potential employer, including customer reviews.
(3) News
You may find that potential employer in the news.
You can do a Google search and type in the word “News” with that potential employer.
News coverage may help you evaluate a potential employer.
(4) Employee Handbook
Sometimes, organizations provide their new employees with an employee handbook.
The Employee Handbook can provide new employees with details about the organization.
You may find digital copies of an employee handbook available on Google to read before accepting employment at a potential organization.
Search on Google with the word “Employee Handbook” and the name of the potential employer you are considering.
Also, check the date of the Employee Handbook. If you find an Employee Handbook several years old, it may not be very effective.
The Employee Handbook may also be referred to by other names, such as Staff Handbook, Employee Manual, Staff Guide, or Company Policy Manual. I
(5) Informational Interviews
You may do an informational interview with the organization you are considering. You can contact a person and ask that person for an interview about a particular profession. As the person talks about their profession, you may also get details on that potential employer. You may find contacts through LinkedIn.
Be aware that some national organizations may have independent franchises that are owned by individuals other than the national organization itself. The information you read about the national organization may be incomplete if your potential employer is an independent franchise of it.
You may find some tools to evaluate a potential employer. Assessing a potential employer may help you find an employer that works for you.
Live Your Life Learning Blog
This week we look at Omaha, Nebraska remote opportunities.
We look at remote opportunities for Omaha, Nebraska, for hospital systems.
Contact different hospitals in the Omaha area, asking about remote opportunities.
Places to contact:
(different hospital systems that I know of)
- CHI Health System
- Methodist Hospital System
- Nebraska Medicine Hospital System
- Veterans Administration Hospital System
I either contacted places by email or filled out an information screen on a hospital system web page.
I have heard nothing yet; if I hear anything, I will give you additional updated information.
Here are the questions I asked about the hospital systems:
Some questions I asked were:
I am asking different hospital systems the following question.
Question
(1) Does your organization offer remote opportunities?
(2) If you have remote opportunities, what are some types of remote opportunities you have?
(3) What are some good ways for a person to find out about your remote opportunities?
(4) Do you have any suggestions for someone looking at remote opportunities for your organization?
(5) Any other advice you would like to offer?
May everyone be successful in their remote opportunity journeys.
Live Your Life Learning Blog
This week we look at Career Associations; we will focus on where one can go to find out what career associations may exist for a particular profession.
Career Associations – National/Regional
Career Associations are people grouped together related to a particular career.
You can have both national career associations and regional career associations.
The regional career association may have different career resources than the national career association; When looking at career associations for job openings; look for job possibilities at both the national and regional career associations (sometimes the job positions will be different). Both the national and regional career associations may have different websites.
National Career Associations focus on the entire nation
Regional Career Associations will focus on a particular region of the nation.
Differences in the number of remote job positions found may exist between National and Regional Career Associations.
How to find career associations in a particular field
You may not know the career associations of the profession you are interested in.
You may have different ways to find career associations in the profession you are interested in.
Here are some different ways to find career associations in your particular field:
(1) Online Search (Search engine like Google and A.I. tool)
You can do a Google Search (or some other type of search engine) and type in the word “career associations” and the name of the profession you are trying to find. “Career associations” could have other names like “Career groups”. And see what other options you may have.
You can also use A.I. tool to create a question where you ask A.I. on what career associations may exist for a particular profession.
As with any online search, just spend some time verifying the results of the search; sometimes the results of a search can be wrong.
(2) Occupational Outlook Handbook–how to find career associations
One way to find career associations is by using the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a government publication that describes career fields.
Sometimes the Occupational Outlook Handbook will list career associations when describing particular professions
A job seeker can look at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
A job seeker could search for the profession of interest. Let’s say, for example, Training and Development Specialist.
You can do a browse or keyword search to find your profession
Let’s say, for example; you want to do a browse search to find information on the Training and Development Specialist Profession
We look at the different categories on the left part of the screen:
You click the link that says Business and Financial
You then get a screen called “Business and Financial Occupations.”
You get more detailed information about the occupations in the Business and Financial area.
You will have a list of occupations in the Business and Financial area on the left side of the screen.
You can then scroll to the bottom part of the screen
Click the link called Training and Development Specialist
(The link is at the very bottom of the list of career categories; you will have to scroll down the page)
You then have a more detailed job description of the Training and Development Specialist profession
You get a screen called “Training and Development Specialist.”
You will have different categories boxes on the top part of the screen
Click the category link called “More info” (the link to the farthest right side of the screen)
You can see a listing of career associations for the Training and Development profession
(3) Informational Interviews
An informational interview is where you talk to a person going into a career you are interested in. You can ask the person you are interviewing if they know about any career associations in their profession.
(4) Librarians
In your local library, trained informational professionals, can help answer your question about career associations for a particular field.
You may find information on your remote career using career associations. You can have different sources that give you information on where to find career associations.
Live Your Life Learning Blog
This week, we have two posts.
In the second post, we are going to look at Internet access
Sometimes (for whatever reason), you may not have Internet access at your home. You may need to find other places where you can find Internet access.
Here are some other places where you can find Internet access.
- Library – Public Libraries
- University – may be able to access the Internet from a university library –
- State employment agency (Workforce Development)
- Non-profit—You may be able to access Internet access and a computer from a non-profit; check with the non-profit to see what resources may be available.
Sometimes, you may need to access the Internet in a different location; here are some additional places to do so.
Live Your Life Learning Blog
This week, we are going to have two posts.
In this first post, we are reviewing Martin Yate’s The Ultimate Job Search Guide (copyrighted in 2017).
The book gives different ideas about the job search.
- Company owners design companies (mostly) to make money.
- Jobs (mostly) are designed to solve problems.
Ideally, you want to express how you can solve their problems with a potential employer.
If you can help solve problems for a company, you can make the company more efficient and help its owners make more money. You then have more value to the company.
Chapter 3 “How to Build a Killer Resume” (p.33)
Chapter 3 describes the importance of a resume.
The chapter discusses the importance of writing a resume.
The chapter mentions that the resume is a critical document to create.
A good resume can open new opportunities for you.
The chapter gives suggestions on how to write a good resume.
The chapter also gives some suggestions on how to write a cover letter. (p. 62)
Chapter 4: “Networking and the Successful Job Search” (p. 65)
Chapter 5: “Professional, Alumni, and Community Networks” (p. 92)
Chapters talk about meeting people in different ways
Job Hunting is meeting people.
The book mentions that the job search involves conversations with people.
You will often have to get into conversations with people to get employed. Ideally, you want to talk with people who can hire you.
Chapters suggest ways to contact people, including LinkedIn, Professional Associations, and Alumni Associations.
Chapter 6 “Network Integrated Job Search Techniques” (p. 106)
The chapter gives ways to search for a job.
Chapter 7: Making contact (p. 136)
The chapter gives ideas on how to directly contact a potential employer.
The book gives ideas on how to make direct contact.
In a phone conversation, the chapter gives ideas on overcoming some objections you may have in the phone call.
Chapter 8 “Ace the Telephone Interview” (p. 101)
The chapter advises on how to conduct telephone employment interviews.
The chapter suggests that one should never decline an employment interview.
Job Searching a skill
You want the practice of doing employment interviews to get better at doing employment interviews.
Chapter 9 “Dress For Job Success” (p. 173)
Chapter advice on how to dress for job interviews.
Part III of the book gives ways to answer interview questions.
These are some job ideas from Martin Yate’s book, The Ultimate Job Search Guide. They may be helpful in your remote job search.
Book details
The Ultimate Job Search Guide
By Martin Yate
Published by Adams Media
Copyrighted 2017
Live Your Life Learning Blog
This week: Book Description–Get Hired Fast! Tap the Hidden Job Market in 15 days (By Brian Graham) (Copyrighted in 2005)
This week, we will describe a job-hunting book called Get Hired Fast! Tap the Hidden Job Market in 15 days.
The book was copyrighted in 2005.
So, some specifics may be outdated, but some general ideas from the book may still be helpful.
How can you contribute to a potential employer?
The book talks about thinking about your background and skills and how you can be helpful to a potential employer.
How to contact a potential employer
The book mainly focuses on different ways to contact a potential employer.
The book gives a list of different ways to contact a potential employer in
- Chapter Three: Should you use still use traditional job-hunting technique?
The book discusses some traditional ways to contact a potential employer. Some of these traditional ways are:
- Apply for job positions
- Network- Talk to people you already know
- Recruiters
Direct Contact How to Contact a Potential Employer
Then, the book talks about the Direct Contact method
Direct Contact is when you contact a potential employer to see if they have opportunities even if you do not see any job advertised in the job field you are looking for.
The book gives ideas on how to do Direct Contact.
- Chapter Four Identify Your Targets – And Know What They Want
The chapter focuses on research.
The book explains the importance of researching potential employers.
The book gives a way to organize the research with two sheets to organize the information, including:
-
- Company Research Worksheet
- Hiring Contact Status Reports
The book suggests having 150 contact names you can contact.
You can have several names from the same potential employer.
The chapter focuses on making Contact.
Chapter Five: Making Contacts Your Fifteen-Day Action Plan
The chapter gives ideas on how to contact your potential employers.
On page 78 there is a script that you can use to contact potential employers
The chapter also deals with some objections you may have to deal with when contacting potential employers.
The last part of the book deals with employment interviews, both over the phone and in person.
The book suggests that you ask about how the job will be evaluated during an interview. On p. 130, ask, “How would my performance be measured?”
Direct Contact may be a helpful job-hunting tool for finding a remote position. You may gain insights on how to make Direct Contact.
Live Your Life Learning Blog
This week, we look at the remote opportunities in different economic sectors in Omaha, Nebraska.
We are looking at remote opportunities (if any) for the Omaha financial sector.
I emailed different places in the finance sector in Omaha, Nebraska, asking them about remote opportunities (if any).
Some places that sent out information are:
- Pinnacle Bank
- First National Bank of Omaha
- Centris Federal Credit Union
- Omaha Federal Credit Union
I have not obtained any information so far; if I hear something, I will update this post.
Thanks for reading. Thank you.
Live Your Life Learning Blog
This week, we look at Career Exploration tools
We look at Career Associations as a way to explore a career.
Career Associations are (at least one definition) people grouped together related to a particular career.
National/Local Level
Career Associations may have both national and regional career associations. The regional career association may have different career resources than the national career association. So, you may be able to get information from both the national and regional career associations to help you with career exploration.
Here are some ways career associations can help you with career exploration
- Career Association may have detailed information about that profession
- Publication catalog – a career association may publish a publication catalog listing different publications (like books and magazines) that a career association may produce; you may get more information about a profession.
- Career Journals—A career association may have a career journal, Which is a magazine that the association produces. The journal covers current topics in that profession.
Annual Review
A career journal may also publish an annual review edition, which gives the reader valuable information about the profession’s current state over the last year (not all career journals will have an annual review). The annual review may include information on job prospects, salary rates, and educational standards.
- Membership directory—A career association may provide a membership directory, which you can use as a source for informational interviews.
- Job Openings – a career association may provide job openings; you may get more information about a profession by looking at the job openings of that profession. You may learn, for example, skills that are needed, what educational requirements are requested, and the typical work activities being requested in the job positions of that profession.
- Conferences – sometimes, a career association may offer a conference where you may learn more about a profession. Conferences may allow you the following.
- Hear speakers about the current topics in the profession.
- You may be able to visit commercial business booths at the conference. The commercial business booths at the conference sell different products and services that would interest people attending the conference. You may learn about some of the products and services used in the profession by looking at commercial business booths.
- Employment service – sometimes conferences may offer an employment service – you may be able to learn about the profession by seeing what opportunities may be available. The competition for those opportunities at the conference may also give you an idea of how competitive it may be to find opportunities in that profession.
Here are some ways to find career information to explore a career.
Career associations can help you explore a career.
Live Your Life Learning Blog
Be aware that there are different job search techniques; you have more job search techniques than just applying for jobs. In this post, we will explore some different job search techniques.
You can search for your remote job position using different job-searching techniques.
Some of the different techniques are:
- Applying for job positions
- Applying to organizations directly (You can apply to an organization to ask about opportunities even if you do not find any job positions)
- Volunteering (sometimes volunteering can lead to a job offer)
- Job Fairs (Job Fairs can lead to job opportunities)
- Networking (someone you know gives you information about a job opportunity)
- Career Offices in Colleges and Universities (if you are a student or alumni of a college or university–you may find your next opportunity from a career office)
These are some of the job techniques you may use; you may find it valuable to use different methods to increase your success in the job search.
You are not likely, nor would I recommend, trying to do all the job search techniques you can find. You will probably get too exhausted trying to use all the different job search techniques. I would recommend concentrations of two or three methods.
Career Feedback
The other piece of advice I would give regarding job search is feedback.
Find a career expert to advise you on your job search; feedback can be a critical element in helping you get better.
The 2013 edition of What Color Is Your Parachute
The 2013 edition of What Color Is Your Parachute lists different job search techniques (and gives the success rates of different job search techniques).
Google Searches
You may also want to do a Google search using “Job Search techniques and success rate” (or a similar phrase). You may find some resources on Job Search techniques and success rates.
Different job search techniques may increase your odds of finding a remote job.
Live Your Life Learning Blog
