Career Options in 2011

Rising unemployment rates in the recent past have made hunting for a job a guerilla search. The good news is that while most sectors in our economy have suffered cutbacks in employment, many of them are now back in business and are ready to hire. Here’s what you should be doing.

Still in college or heading there? You have the opportunity to make the smart career choices now that can hone your skills for the job opportunities that are in greater demand today.

Already employed? Now is the time to consider upgrading your credentials with a course that could augment your skills and qualify you for promotions or a new career.

Careers that Show Excellent Growth Prospects

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, certain sectors of our economy are showing more optimistic signs of growth.* To enhance your job marketability, below are a few career options you should consider pursuing in 2011.

Healthcare. Its not for everyone, but if you’re looking for the likelihood of job security, this could be the place for your skills. During the recession, the healthcare industry was one of the few industries that actually hired more people. Plus, employment rates have been rising in almost every field of specialization. Career options are open in nursing, healthcare management, medical assisting, and accounting in hospitals and long-term facilities.

Energy Sector. As gas costs continue to rise, focus today has turned to saving energy and discovering alternative fuel sources. Opportunities lay ahead in marine, wind, and solar energies, carbon management, and more.

Business Administration. Business will always require administrators and managers, and opportunities are growing. Sales and customer service representatives are also in demand. Plus, with business gone global, more multinational companies are looking for people who are willing to travel or relocate to different parts of the world.

Information Technology (IT). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, IT is one of the fastest-growing job markets.** There is a huge demand for a top-level, higher-end IT workforce, which includes talented systems designers and software developers. Internet publishers have good job prospects as well. The IT industry is dynamic, and a bright future could lie ahead for those who can keep up with the pace of information technology.

Good News for Fresh Grads
The job market for fresh grads is growing. Entry-level job postings for candidates with less than one year of experience have increased by 13 percent from the previous year at the end of 2010.***

Courses can prepare you both practically and academically to face real-life challenges in todays job market. There are a wide range of degree programs to consider in order to pursue a career in any of these growing fields, including health sciences degrees nursing administration degrees, information technology degrees and more.

*United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Statistics.” dol.gov/dol/topic/statistics/index.htm
**”Fourth Quarter 2010 Career Trend Analysis Report” Beyond.com, Inc. beyond.com/Media/BeyondcomCareerTrendAnalysisReport-4QT10.pdf
***Koc, Edwin and Mimi Collins. “Job Outlook 2011: College Hiring Outlook Positive in All Regions.” NACE. naceweb.org/Press/Releases/Job_Outlook_2011__College_Hiring_Outlook_Positive_in_All_Regions.aspx

Chef’s Culinary Garden at Beechwood Inn

The Chef’s Culinary Garden at Beechwood Inn, Clayton, GA

The Northeast Georgia Mountains are home to some of Georgia’s leading fresh food producers. Vegetables, fruit, flowers, cheese, wine, nuts, grain, poultry, eggs, fish, pork and cattle are all seasonally available throughout the area. An abundance of fresh water, combined with soil rich in nutrients and a temperate climate offer a recipe for great fresh seasonal foods. Rabun County is particularly known for its cabbage crop. Maybe it’s the soil, but the cabbage grown here just tastes better. As spring moves towards summer we can hardly wait for our first ears of Osage Silver Queen Corn.

With all this local abundance we fret each spring as to what things we should plant in our culinary garden next to the Inn. We’ve been to restaurants where just moments before you are seated for dinner you observe the chef clad in her white coat tip toe into the gardens to snip fresh herbs and edible flowers. You just know you are in for a treat. We want to offer the type of experience where the diner sees and tastes things on their plate they know came out of the garden minutes before. The chef’s culinary garden should provide wonderful products but also needs to be close to the kitchen’s back door so it is as handy as walking into the pantry. And we want the garden to enhance and add to the variety, color and unique flavors for our guests’ dining experience.

Through the years we have honed our culinary garden to our style of cooking. Here is what we have planned for this year. We will plant a hedge of Genovese basil, as well as about 8 other varieties and colors. Other necessities include bay, dill, English thyme, tarragon, mints, lavender, oregano, rosemary, sage, parsley, savory and fennel; a rainbow of toy box tomatoes, lemon verbena, bee balm, heirloom tomatoes, edible flowers to bloom in succession. We also have an established asparagus patch, raspberries, blueberries, two varieties of crabapples, wild cherries (for drying), peaches, plums and a forest of Chanterelles. We can also count on Leckie Stack supplying us with some seasonal fruits from the Stack farm including Asian pears, persimmons and grapes. And Jenny Sanders will share with us wild ingredients in season such as ramps, elderflowers and berries, fiddleheads and a variety of mushrooms.

We would plant an acre of basil if we could. To many gardeners, basil is the king of herbs. Basil can play many roles while basking in the sun. Basil is essential in our kitchen, but it is also highly ornamental in our gardens and on our tables. We add branches to bouquets of flowers. Hot summer days become bearable if I can pluck fresh basil and use it in pestos, herbal vinegars, vegetable dishes and, most heavenly of all, nestle the leaves between slices of fresh bread along with a large slice of a ripe heirloom tomato and some creamy homemade mayo. Members of the mint family, basils are native to India, Africa and Asia but have a long, rich history of legend and use worldwide. Basil is best used fresh. Small leafed varieties can be grown in a pot on a sunny windowsill during the winter. To preserve summer’s flavor for winter make plenty of pesto and freeze it. We make sure that each year our garden has several Thai Basil plants. It is characterized by a strong licorice fragrance and flavor. Thai basil has many applications in the Beechwood kitchen due to its flavor appeal. It is the highlight of many Asian cuisines, including Thai, Vietnamese and Indian fare. The inn’s specialty is Thai Basil Rolls with Satay Peanut Sauce.

Another staple that we plant each spring is lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla). It is native to South America and grows well in North Georgia, but it does not survive our winters outdoors. The Spanish brought it to Europe where it was used in perfume. It has been a favorite for garden rooms in North America since its introduction in the 1800’s. It has a clean, sharp lemon scent that makes it the Queen of lemon-scented herbs. In Gone with the Wind, lemon verbena is mentioned as Scarlet O’Hara’s mother’s favorite plant. One whiff of the smell, and I predict you will not want to live without this luscious smelling herb.

The inn’s specialty is lemon verbena ice cream but we use the leaves in a number of recipes. It makes an excellent tea, especially when blended with mint. It can also be used to brighten the taste of fish, poultry, veggie marinades, stuffing, salad dressing, sorbets, pana cotta, jellies, and vinegar. As the leaves are tough, remove them before serving. Finely crumbled dried leaves can be added to the batters of carrot, banana, or zucchini bread. Try adding some to cooked rice just before serving.

A rainbow of toy box tomatoes is essential to our culinary garden each year. They are cherry and grape tomatoes in a variety of wonderful colors and flavors, some heirloom some hybrid. The most important thing to the chef is the palette of colors and unique flavors they offer. Some are sugary and sweet some are puckeringly tart. But oh are they beautiful in tarts, salads, bruschettas and as garnish. Last year we planted about a dozen varieties and I had to resist eating them while I picked them fresh off the vine. We plant them in giant containers and they surround the Beechwood gardens. We will often see guests plucking a sample as they walk by.

Our heirloom tomatoes are good in almost anything but one of our favorite recipes is Black Krim Tomato Marmalade. Our wild cherries and crabapples are very tart, so they are best used in coulis, jams and remoulades. The blueberries and raspberries will find their way fresh to our breakfast table and also baked into muffins, breads and sinfully wonderful desserts.

The gardens also yield a succession of seasonal edible flowers. Today, many restaurant chefs and innovative home cooks garnish their plates with flower blossoms for a touch of elegance. They can be sprinkled on salads or added to your recipe. The secret to success when using edible flowers is to keep the dish simple. Most edible flowers have a very delicate taste, so when using them as a flavor component do not add them to something that already has strong flavors. Today this nearly lost art is enjoying a revival.

Not all flowers are edible, and the edible varieties should be grown without the use of pesticides or other chemicals. Edible flowers should be carefully identified and in some cases there are only parts of the flower that are edible (in some flowers the anthers should be removed). The Beechwood Chefs will often use a flower as the central part of an appetizer or entre. For instance, we use colorful organic daylilies and fill them with a light stuffing of local goat cheese and fresh herbs.

Writing about our culinary garden and thinking of these recipes makes us long for tomato season once again. Planting our culinary garden each spring renews our spirit and brings us joy. We appreciate the efforts brought to bear by local farmers and ranchers, but most of all we thank God for the variety and abundance of fresh products we bring to our table.

by Chef David Darugh http://www.beechwoodinn.ws

Beechwood Inn is Georgia’s Premier Wine Country Inn

Looking For The Best Digital Marketing Colleges In Delhi

Are you looking to pursue your graduation in Digital Marketing? Those days are gone when it was nowhere associated with marketing as today digital marketing is an inherent part of marketing and considered to be one of the most effective and economical type of marketing compared to other options.

As its name suggest, digital marketing is related to market strategies developed for digital means like Computers, Laptops, Mobiles, Television, Internet etc. the need for this type of marketing is growing day by day and in largely adopted by many people who want to make their career in marketing.

If youre interesting in making online marketing as your profession, you should first understand that this is a field that involves lots of challenges. This career field demands for high level of visualization and market understanding. To achieve ultimate success in this field, an individual should get the proper training. To provide this much-needed education, many reputed colleges have started various career-oriented courses that allow aspirants to ensure the best knowledge they can get about digital marketing.

Being the national capital of India, Delhi is home to many reputed digital marketing colleges. Finding one of the good digital marketing colleges in Delhi is no longer a tedious task until you made a smart decision regarding your career. Alike any other college program, this program involves both classroom training and practical training. There are many areas of learning in digital marketing such as video, script writing, marketing CGI, etc. Today there are many software programs available that assist in carrying out various marketing activities efficiently.

Before you choose one of the digital marketing colleges in Delhi, it is very much important to carry out a dedicated research on all the available options. Internet is the best research partner you could have as it allows you to get loads of information in a short period of time. Check for the factors like faculty, infrastructure, and industry exposure, technical support etc. keeping an eye on these factors would help you get the best education in the respective field.

With so many marketing communication courses available in the market, it becomes imperative for an individual to choose a course that can bring fortune to his career. Choose a college that not only offers quality education but lucrative placement services to students after the completion of course. Dont think any further and put your career on high growth path by joining the field of digital marketing.

Looking for the best digital marketing colleges in Delhi? IIMCM is a leading marketing college in Delhi offers a wide range of marketing communication courses to aspirants looking to build a lucrative career.

Create an Outdoor Haven with Steel Jardinieres and Everything In-Between

Spring outdoor design ideas are not hard to come by with the age of the internet and the newest raved about online pin board. In this weeks article we’ll explore the newest trends on how to focus all these design ideas into two simple rules and transform your backyard into a landscaped outdoor haven.

Right now is the time of year when most of the country is enjoying every free moment they can outdoors. Winter has past and warm sunny afternoons are upon us. Why not jump ahead a bit and get to work on designing a chic landscaped backyard. Treat your outdoor space with care and create splendid simple comfort with these two rules. Buy french steel jardinieres and naturally pair them a garden pendant lighting scheme.

This years unique jardinieres and creative lighting schemes are transforming outdoor spaces into landscaped outdoor havens. By building boundaries and sectioning off different areas in your yard you can create comfortable eating and sitting areas with minimal effort. Most outdoor design lovers are not always familiar with our french terminology so we’re also going to give you a short lesson on the meaning of the word, popular shapes and styles as well as where you can find these beautiful works of art in your very own local marketplace.

A jardinire is a receptacle (usually a ceramic pot or urn) or more rarely a stand upon which, or into which, plants may be placed. (The French themselves refer to tabletop versions of such receptacles as cachepots.) Jardinires tend to be highly decorative. They are sometimes used as garden accent elements for large plants and for raised culinary and herb gardens. Jardinieres come in all shapes and sizes but for this particular season large steel octagon jardiniere are la crme de la crme. It’s common design practice to combine three different sizes of the octagonal jardinieres together forming a triangle visual pattern. This placement also allows taller plants to grow vertically in the background and gorgeous hanging plants to spill out in front. You can easily bring lavishing color and balance to your outdoor space by filling these few different sized steel jardinieres to the brim with unique trees, perennials and succulents. Mixing and matching these beautiful pallets of floral colors create focal points for your guest to enjoy during the hot summer months. A few world renown artists have beautifully custom designed these popular octagon jardinieres in the Malibu California area but, if you’re not living in close proximity contact your local ceramist and see if they can’t create a mold for you. If you live for the best contact Malibu’s ceramist and have one shipped to your local area.

After you place your jardinieres around your landscaped backyard accent them with some key lighting. Garden pendants and custom outdoor chandeliers are a spectacular option for producing a elegant space. Buy a plain frosted glass light fixture or brighten up your garden with a hint of color. This season we’re in love with rose color pendants and bronze accented chandeliers. Either way these articulate lights paired with those octagon jardinieres will add a chic modern style to your outdoor landscape and transform your backyard into an outdoor haven. Enjoy!

Culinary Delights and Culture from Birmingham Serviced Apartments-00-4062

The Library of Birmingham couldnt be more different from its predecessor, the Birmingham Central Library – a Brutalist concrete structure that is a labyrinth of corridors and escalators inside. The new library, which is due to be finished in the summer of 2013, is a glass building, colourful and full of light, and will certainly be a more contemporary and attractive addition to Birminghams cityscape.

It will also be much more than a library. The new building will share a reception and box office desk with the Birmingham Rep Theatre, and within the building there will be an outdoor amphitheatre, music centre, exhibition gallery and a gilded 10th-floor Shakespeare pavilion. Supporters of the library hope that it will show other libraries how to adapt in response to an ever changing, digitalised society.

The new library is just part of a cultural and architectural regeneration that has made Birmingham a thriving centre of business and innovation. The Bullring, which was completed in 2003, and the office developments in Brindley Place and other canal-side locations have helped to make Birmingham an attractive place to locate a business. This has been supported by innovations in business accommodation; in particular, there are now a number of Birmingham serviced apartments in the centre of the city. Some of these, such as the serviced apartments in the Rotunda building, make the most of Birminghams heritage by restyling old architecture with contemporary furnishings and facilities.

Birmingham is one of the UKs most populous cities, but its importance as a cultural destination is often forgotten. The city is home to a number of theatres, as well as one of the countrys oldest cinemas, the Electric Cinema, and fascinating areas such as the Custard Factory where local artists have set up individual shops and cafes. This is another facet of the city that makes it an attractive location for business visitors, and because the city centre is easy to get around on foot, the serviced apartments Birmingham has to offer are all within easy walking distance of these attractions.

Staying in a Birmingham serviced apartment also allows guests to enjoy Birminghams many and varied culinary delights. Although its famed for its balti houses and traditional pubs, Birmingham also has a number of high-end restaurants, from French bistros such as Chez Jules to the Indian fusion restaurants that line Broad Street. A number of farmers markets are held across the city each month and the area is dotted with delicatessens and food shops, from independent stores to larger shops such as Selfridges. Living in one of the serviced apartments Birmingham has to offer allows business travellers to buy food in the city centre and cook it in the privacy of what feels like their own home. They also, of course, have the option of eating out in one of the citys many restaurants whenever they choose.