0 Careers Where Quiet People Are Assets

Feel like your quiet personality makes you the office outsider? Here are six careers where a reserved nature is an asset, not a limitation.

By Amy Howell Hirt
Does the phrase "small talk" make you cringe? If you're a quiet person, navigating the social niceties of the professional world could be a real drag. You may even feel like your personality is holding you back from getting a leg up in your current career.
But don't count yourself out just yet. A quiet demeanor could conceal great powers of observation or analysis.
"People who are quiet might focus on data and things, rather than people, so there are some occupations [in which] they might be able to do a better job," says Laurence Shatkin, a career expert and author of several books, including "50 Best Jobs for Your Personality."
Ready to let your quiet attributes do the talking? Consider pursuing these careers where your natural inclinations could be your greatest assets.

Career #1: Accountant

When data talks, are you usually listening? An ability to sit quietly while poring over numbers could serve you well as an accountant.
"Shhhh!" Factor: If you prefer to keep quiet and focus on the details, this number-driven occupation could play to your strengths, Shatkin says. Reviewing financial statements, computing taxes, and reviewing accounting systems are some of the duties required of accountants, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Accountants carry out their duties in either an office or at home, according to the Department of Labor. Sounds like you'll have plenty of quality time to spend with your number-friends.
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Just keep in mind that this job may require meeting face-to-face with clients on occasion, in order to provide recommendations or explain your findings, the Department notes.
Education Options:*

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field
• Master's degree in accounting, or business administration with a concentration in accounting

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Career #2: Graphic Designer

Would you rather express yourself through images than words? Your skills as a visual communicator could take center stage in a graphic design career.
"Shhhh!" Factor: Quiet people are often considered better listeners, Shatkin says, which means they may have an advantage in this creative field.
Why do graphic designers need active listening skills? In order to "really focus on what the client is trying to convey with the graphic," Shatkin says.
But taking direction from clients isn't the only time you'll find yourself keeping mum. As a graphic designer, you might spend much of your time figuring out the best way to use colors, images, text, and layouts to communicate ideas, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
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Sounding a little lonely? Don't worry, graphic designers aren't completely solitary. Being able to work in teams is also an important quality, as graphic designers often collaborate directly with a client or in conjunction with marketers, programmers, or other graphic designers, the Department of Labor notes.
Education Options:*

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design or a related field
• Bachelor's degree in another field and technical preparation in graphic design

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Career #3: Software Developer

If you come up with your best ideas during quiet contemplation, a career as a software developer could deliver rewarding work.
"Shhhh!" Factor: "Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs," according to the U.S. Department of Labor. While they may work in teams, most of the day-to-day work is solo, Shatkin says.
Daily tasks might include designing computer applications such as word processors or games, or creating the operating systems used in consumer electronics, the Department of Labor reports.
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Still, software developers don't work in a vacuum. They will need to address feedback from customers about programs they develop, says the Department.
The good news: if a customer finds a problem with a program, it's likely back to the quiet drawing board for the software developer, where he or she will work independently to fix it.
Education Options*:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field such as mathematics

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Career #4: Database Administrator

Do you like to quietly and thoroughly think over the task at hand before taking action? If so, you may want to think over a career as a database administrator.
"Shhhh!" Factor: Talk about the need for quiet concentration: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in this career "a minor error can cause major problems."
That's because database administrators are responsible for organizing large amounts of data for important processes, like credit card transactions, the Department of Labor reports.
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Of course, where there are important databases, there are also users of those databases, which is why this career can also require "a fair amount of collaborative work," Shatkin notes.
Education Options*:

• Bachelor's degree in management information systems (MIS) or a computer-related field
• Master's degree in business administration, with a concentration in information systems

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Career #5: Writer

Do you feel most comfortable when you're up to your eyeballs in research and facts - with not a person in sight? Then you might have a calling as a writer.
"Shhhh!" Factor: Quiet people often have a great ability to concentrate on slogging through information, Shatkin says. This kind of endurance can be a prized skill for writers, who, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, need to demonstrate strong research and proper citation methods to establish credibility in their work.
Writers produce work for many different mediums. In addition to writing for books and magazines, writers might create content for an advertisement, website, or TV or film script, according to the Department of Labor.
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Yes, writing is often a solitary endeavor, but a supporting cast is needed to see manuscripts through to publication. As a writer, you would likely communicate regularly with an editor or client, the Department notes.
Education options*:

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in English, journalism, or communications

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Career #6: Survey Researcher

Surveys are used regularly to help organizations test the waters of public opinion, but did you ever wonder who designs the questions? Survey researchers - that's who. If you're one for long hours of quiet contemplation, this could be the career for you.
"Shhhh!" Factor: The listening skills that seem to go hand-in-hand with quiet personalities can be the key to designing surveys that deliver reliable, meaningful results, Shatkin says.
No, surveys won't tell you how they should be designed, but your employers might. "Part of [survey research] is finding out what someone needs to learn from the survey, and that requires really listening," Shatkin says.
As a survey researcher, you could enjoy a good amount of silent work - like researching the survey topic, determining the best method for accurately capturing the desired information, or using statistical software to analyze the results, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Click to Find the Right Business Administration Program Now.
Just note that you won't be spending all of your time on Silent Street. Survey researchers can also be responsible for conducting surveys themselves by facilitating focus groups or interviewing people over the phone or in-person, according to the Department of Labor.
Education Options*:

• Bachelor's degree in business, psychology, or political science
• Master's degree in business administration

0 George McGovern dead at 90: Die-hard liberal drubbed by Nixon in 1972 election

George McGovern, former U.S. senator and Democratic presidential nominee who ran against Richard Nixon in 1972, died early Sunday, his family said. He was 90.

"Our wonderful father passed away peacefully at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, S.D., surrounded by our family and life-long friends," his children said in a statement. "We are blessed to know that our father lived a long, successful and productive life advocating for the hungry, being a progressive voice for millions and fighting for peace. He continued giving speeches, writing and advising all the way up to and past his 90th birthday, which he celebrated this summer."

McGovern, a three-term senator from South Dakota, ran a disastrous 1972 campaign, grabbing just 17 electoral votes on an anti-war platform. Nixon took 520--one of the biggest routs in American presidential election history.

Nixon, the incumbent, had just become ensnared in the Watergate scandal that would eventually throttle the White House, but McGovern "could not escape the embarrassing missteps of his own campaign of 1972," the Associated Press said. "The most torturous was the selection of Missouri Sen. Thomas F. Eagleton as the vice presidential nominee and, 18 days later, following the disclosure that Eagleton had undergone electroshock therapy for depression, the decision to drop him from the ticket despite having pledged to back him '1,000 percent.'"
Eagleton was replaced with R. Sargent Shriver on McGovern's ticket. The pair wound up with just 38 percent of the popular vote, carrying only Massachusetts and the District of Colombia.
Via Time magazine:

The egalitarianism inherent in McGovern's agenda seemed too radical to a country that still trembled after the perturbing 1960s, a decade of protests and social experimentation. Instead, Americans re-elected Richard Nixon with his promise of stability and his faith in individual endeavor, finding comfort in his evocation of Eisenhower era family values. Shortly after, the country would be rewarded for its choice with one of its worst political scandals—and Nixon would resign a presidency ravaged by Watergate.

"If we had run in '74 instead of '72, it would have been a piece of cake," McGovern joked in 2005.

McGovern, "a slender, soft-spoken minister's son newly elected to Congress ... went to Washington as a 34-year-old former college history teacher and decorated bomber pilot in World War II," David Rosenbaum, the late Washington correspondent for the New York Times, wrote in McGovern's pre-written obituary published by the paper Sunday. (Rosenbaum died in 2006.)

The South Dakotan "thought of himself as a son of the prairie as well, with a fittingly flat, somewhat nasal voice and a brand of politics traceable to the Midwestern progressivism of the late 19th century. Elected to the Senate in 1962, Mr. McGovern left no special mark in his three terms, but he voted consistently in favor of civil rights and antipoverty bills, was instrumental in developing and expanding food stamp and nutrition programs, and helped lead opposition to the Vietnam War in the Senate."

He lost a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968, but gained momentum in the 1972 primary.

The 1972 Democratic National Convention, however, was "filled with intramural wrangling and speeches that verged on filibusters," the AP said. "By the time McGovern delivered his climactic speech accepting the nomination, it was 2:48 a.m., and with most of America asleep, he lost his last and best chance to make his case to a nationwide audience."

More from the AP:

He'd had enough when a young man at the airport fence in Battle Creek, Mich., taunted that Nixon would clobber him. McGovern leaned in and said quietly: "I've got a secret for you. Kiss my ass." A conservative Senate colleague later told McGovern it was his best line of the campaign.

McGovern, the Los Angeles Times said, was a "liberal standard-bearer," "a war hero who opposed the Vietnam War" and "a die-hard idealist [who] inspired scores of budding politicians."

His campaign left a significant legacy, including his proposals, since fulfilled, that women be appointed to the Supreme Court and nominated for the vice presidency. He inspired scores of budding politicians: Bill Clinton was his Texas coordinator before becoming governor of Arkansas, then president. Gary Hart was his campaign manager before becoming a senator from Colorado, then a candidate for the White House.

McGovern was a die-hard idealist. His electoral loss embittered him, but not for long. He never abandoned his optimism or his faith in humanity. Neither did he give up his devotion to liberalism or what colleagues called his extraordinary sense of decency.

"For many years, I wanted to run for the presidency in the worst possible way," he said at a 1973 dinner. "And last year, I sure did."

McGovern won re-election to the Senate in 1974, losing a bid for a fourth term in 1980. He made another presidential bid, in 1984, but lost the Democratic nomination to Walter Mondale.

He taught at several schools, including Columbia and Northwestern University, during his post-Senate career, and was appointed ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome by President Bill Clinton. And in 2001, McGovern was named the first United Nations global ambassador on hunger.

0 Malala Yousafzai: Birmingham hospital charity fund set up

 

The Birmingham hospital where 14-year-old Pakistan schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai is being treated has set up a fund for charitable donations for her.

Malala arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QE) on Monday after being shot by a Taliban gunman.
She had a bullet removed from her skull last week.
A spokesperson from the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said more than 600 people had sent messages of support for Malala.
The teenager was targeted after campaigning for education for girls.
Malala remains in a stable condition and is responding well to her care, a QE spokesperson said.
An account within the main hospital fund of the Queen Elizabeth Birmingham Charity has been set up to support Malala.
The trust's website said: "When she is well enough we will ask her how she wants those donations to be spent in support of the care she is receiving."
A message book has been opened at Birmingham City Council and people visiting the trust's website can also leave an online message.
A vigil for Malala is due to be held by two organisations, Women2Gether and Amina Women's Group, outside Birmingham Council House in Victoria Square from 11:00 BST on Thursday.

0 President Barack Obama and Former Gov. Mitt Romney participate in a candidates debate, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York (For the President, Punch, Punch, Another Punch)

 
He waited all of 45 seconds to make clear he came not just ready for a fight but ready to pick one.

President Obama, who concluded that he was “too polite” in his first debate with Mitt Romney, made sure no one would say that after their second. He interrupted, he scolded, he filibustered, he shook his head.

He tried to talk right over Mr. Romney, who tried to talk over him back. The president who waited patiently for his turn last time around forced his way into Mr. Romney’s time this time. At one point, he squared off with Mr. Romney face to face, almost chest to chest, in the middle of the stage, as if they were roosters in a ring.

“What Governor Romney said just isn’t true.”

“Not true, Governor Romney, not true.”

“What you’re saying is just not true.”

For a president teetering on the edge of a single term, making a more forceful case at Hofstra University on Long Island on Tuesday night could hardly have been more imperative. Thirteen days after he took presidential decorum to a Xanax extreme, he tucked away a dinner of steak and potatoes and then went out on stage with plenty of red meat for anxious supporters.

Whether it will decisively reroute the course of the campaign remains to be seen, but the president emerged from the encounter having settled nerves within his panicky party and claiming a new chance to frame the race with just three weeks left.

Heading into the evening, the Obama camp said that he needed at least a draw to mute the commotion over the first debate and drain some of the potential drama from the final meeting next Monday. But the risk, of course, was that an acerbic confrontation could turn off the very swing voters he covets.

The strategy for Tuesday night was clear: undercut Mr. Romney’s character and credibility by portraying him as lying about his true positions on issues like taxes and abortion. Time and again, Mr. Obama questioned whether the man on stage with him was the same “severely conservative” candidate who tacked right in the Republican primaries.

He painted Mr. Romney as a tool of big oil who is soft on China, hard on immigrants, politically crass on Libya and two-faced on guns and energy. He deployed many of the attack lines that went unused in Denver, going after Mr. Romney’s business record, his personal income taxes and, in the debate’s final minutes, his comments about the 47 percent of Americans he once deemed too dependent on government.

“Governor Romney doesn’t have a five-point plan,” Mr. Obama charged. “He has a one-point plan,” which is to help the rich, he said.

He mocked Mr. Romney by noting that he once closed a coal plant as the governor of Massachusetts. “Now suddenly you’re a big champion of coal,” he said.

As for trade, he said, “Governor, you’re the last person who’s going to get tough on China.”

And he pressed Mr. Romney for not disclosing how he would pay for his tax and deficit reduction goals. “We haven’t heard from the governor any specifics beyond Big Bird and eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood,” he said.

Mr. Romney held his own and gave as good as he got, presenting Mr. Obama as a failed president who has piled on trillions of dollars of debt, left millions of Americans without work, bungled security for American personnel in Libya, done nothing to reform entitlement programs and deserted a middle class “crushed under the policies of a president who has not understood what it takes to get the economy working again.”

But it was Mr. Obama who was the central story line of the night, his performance coming across as a striking contrast to that of his first face-off with Mr. Romney. For days leading up to Tuesday night’s encounter, Mr. Obama huddled in a Virginia resort with advisers to practice a more aggressive approach without appearing somehow inauthentic or crossing over a line of presidential dignity. It was a line he would stride up to repeatedly over the course of more than 90 minutes, and some will argue that he slipped over it at times.

Along the way, he ducked some questions. He never directly answered a voter who asked whether it was the government’s responsibility to try to lower gasoline prices, instead giving his stump speech on energy. Nor did he respond directly to another voter who asked who denied extra security to diplomats in Libya and why, although he did say, “I am ultimately responsible for what’s taking place there.”

Nor did he offer an extensive articulation of what his forward-looking agenda would be for a second term beyond, essentially, arguing that electing his opponent would be moving back to failed policies of the past.

His aggressive approach came as no surprise to Mr. Romney’s camp. It was clear from the start when Mr. Obama made sure to use the first question — from a college student worried about finding a job — to jab Mr. Romney for opposing the way the president went about the auto industry bailout of 2009.

With each question that followed came another attack. When it was not his turn, Mr. Obama sat on a stool and looked at Mr. Romney as he talked, rather than staring down and taking notes as he did in Denver. There was little smirking, though he did project at times an air of tolerant dismissal.

Evidently intent on redeeming himself by getting in all the points he failed to get in last time, Mr. Obama pushed right past time limits and at one point even refused to yield when the moderator, Candy Crowley of CNN, tried to rein him in.

“I want to make sure our timekeepers are working,” he complained when she tried to stop him on another occasion — never mind that at that point CNN’s time clock showed that he had spoken 19 minutes and 50 seconds, compared with 17 minutes and 17 seconds for Mr. Romney.

By the end, he had dominated the clock, consuming 44 minutes and four seconds to 40 minutes and 50 seconds for Mr. Romney.

If that sort of score keeping gave it the feel of an athletic competition, Mr. Obama might not object. Aides and friends have long said he is a clutch player on the basketball court, the kind who turns in listless performances during practice but raises his level when the game is on the line.

The game was on the line Tuesday night, and he scored some points. But the final buzzer is still 20 days away.

0 Malala still on ventilator: ISPR

ISLAMABAD: A school girl, Malala Yusufzai shot in the head by the Taliban remained on a ventilator in hospital Saturday afternoon, as people continued to pray for her recovery, the military said.The shooting of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai, who campaigned for the right to an education, has been denounced worldwide and by the Pakistani authorities, who have offered a reward of more than $100,000 for the capture of her attackers.'(The) health condition of Malala continues to remain satisfactory. Her vitals are okay and she is still on ventilator,' the military said in an update. 'A board of doctors is continuously monitoring her condition,' it added.Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf visited Malala on Friday, paying tribute to her and two friends who were also wounded when a gunman boarded their school bus on Tuesday and opened fire.'It was not a crime against an individual but a crime against humanity and an attack on our national and social values,' he told reporters, pledging renewed vigour in Pakistan s struggle with Islamist militancy.Military spokesman Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa Friday said the next 36 to 48 hours would be critical for Malala. The attack has sickened Pakistan, where Malala won international prominence with a blog for the BBC that highlighted atrocities under the Taliban who terrorised the Swat valley from 2007 until a 2009 army offensive. Activists say the shooting should be a wake-up call to those who advocate appeasement with the Taliban, but analysts suspect there will be no seismic shift in a country that has sponsored radical Islam for decades. Schools opened with prayers for Malala on Friday and special prayers were held at mosques across the country for her speedy recovery at the country s top military hospital in the city of Rawalpindi.