Complete Finance Blog

The career landscape is always changing. No one knows what the Next Big Thing will be. However, it is fairly easy to spot trends in those industries that are dying. Some industries are dying because of the rise of the Internet. However, it is important to note that, even though some industries are dying, technology is providing new career opportunities.

Take a look at your current industry, and decide if maybe it’s time to find a new job.

5 Industries Fading Away

Here are a few of the industries that are dying right now:

1. Newspapers: Printed newspapers are moving online. I write a column for my local newspaper, and I’m pretty sure, in any given month, that I am just about to be let go. For me, it doesn’t matter a whole lot; it’s one column and I write it on a freelance basis. For many journalists, it might be time to take the skills online, and become a freelancer.
2. Wired telecom: With so many people preferring cell phones to landlines, it is little surprise that wired telecom companies are seeing difficulties. Some ar

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Crude oil broke through the psychological $100 a barrel mark this week for the first time since July, usatoday.com reported.

Heating oil prices are closely linked to those of crude. Crude has now surged 26 percent since the end of September and its rise will affect heating oil customers when it comes times to refill their home fuel tanks. The rally in world oil prices follows increased optimism about the US economy and growing tensions in major oil producing countries.

Crude settled at $102.59 a barrel on Wednesday but pulled back slightly yesterday. Fox News reported that West Texas Intermediate crude had not traded above $100 since July 26.

Though the US benchmark has climbed sharply in recent months, it is yet to reach its 2011 high of $114 a barrel that it posted in late April. Crude prices later fell on a faltering US economy amid fears of withering demand that sent prices crashing to $75.

But the US Energy Department reported this week that weekly crude inventories had fallen 1.1 million barrels, indicating steady demand.

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Displaying vital stats or research data is par for the course in most businesses.  You need to be able to plan, and to plan you need to discuss, and to discuss you all need to know what you’re looking at; the quicker and clearer the better.

But although many professionals have used infographic tools in the past, few of them learn how to make those bars, charts, and numbers sing – at least not a hummable tune.  Here are some tips that will have those quarterly report graphs jumping off the page and leading the chorus.

1. It All Starts With the Ingredients: Choose the Right Data

Think of it as cropping a picture: your co-workers don’t want to see anything that isn’t directly relevant to the goals of your presentation.  You have to be able to cut out as much detail as possible without losing the gist of the image.

It can be tricky, but it’s the first and most important step.  If you get it right, you’re sure to be on the right track; if you don’t, you’ll soon end up frustrated (and so will your team).  Once you get started on the wrong path, it’s just going to keep getting harder.

There’s an old Yiddish proverb: If you don’t know where you’re going, every road will take you there.  Know where you’re going, and you’ll be on the road you’re looking for.

2. Be Bold: Highlight the

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Losing sleep over how you’re going to pay for college? I’ve been there. Not every family has the savings or resources to support their college-bound students. The good news is, many people have survived paying for school themselves and there are a ton of resources out there. Here are a few things to look into:

1.    Fill out the FAFSA. When trying to get aid for college, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the place to start. You’ll receive a financial aid package that could include a lot of the elements below, based on need.
2.    Get scholarship savvy. Free money—it’s out there for everyone from violinists to aspiring physicists. To research the scholarships available,  click here.
3.    Go grants. More free money! Grants, unlike loans, do not need to be paid back. There are several sites listing available grants and how to apply for them, like this one.
4.    Say yes to work. Participating in the federal work study program or holding down a part-time job while you are in school can help you cover costs and get valuable experience. Find out about the U.S. Dept. of Ed’s program or sea

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