Anyone who has ever owned or worked for a small business knows the distinct differences from larger conglomerates. Indeed, our country is built on the small business model. But what does the future hold for the traditional mom and pop businesses? According to many, including career coach A. Harrison Barnes, it's all about customer service and overhead - two things small business owners have traditionally managed well.

While Big Business struggles with expensive layoffs and employee turn over, small businesses are building durable working relationships with those employees who have been with them for years. It's all about loyalty an doing the right thing. A. Harrison Barnes says the smaller businesses don’t have the frustrations their larger competitors have because the workplace is a bit more intimate and employees and employers often work side by side.  There's a true communications effort that is consistent and well, honest.

Even the Small Business Administration is reporting a steady influx of new business loans, even as bigger companies are relying on stimulus funds. These loans, of course, play a significant role in the economy as a whole. It's a cycle that when works, works well.  Small businesses borrow funds to grow or improve their equipment, locations and services; all the while, they hire local people to do the work, which stimulates local economies. And so the cycle goes. It's these thought processes our country was built on, after all.

And what about big job boards like EmploymentCrossing.com? A. Harrison Barnes says small business owners are just as savvy about recruiting the best employees for the positions they have available. Even the smallest businesses, those with less than five employees, are tech savvy and know the use of EmploymentCrossing.com serve a purpose as they seek new talent. Even better is the potential employees who began looking for job opportunities down one avenue are finding offers that while similar to their areas of expertise, are still challenging enough for them to consider working for smaller companies.  It turns out to be advantageous for everyone.

Health insurance and other benefits are always incredible bargaining chips; however, many job seekers know the odds of discovering these benefits with even the bigger companies can be problematic in current day.  Smaller companies work with their employers to find that happy medium; after all, they have families too. It often works to everyone's advantage to locate those smaller policies that provide coverage but don't cost the big bucks other companies routinely pay.

So is the new trend in businesses? Not necessarily; it's always been this way, the problem is, most of us were chasing the career opportunities at the larger businesses.  Many are discovering the trade-off of expense reports, company cars and other perks are worth the more conducive workplace and close knit relationships many small business owners have with their employees. As time has proven, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. While more of us are being reminded of the atmosphere at a smaller business, we're seeing first hand the many benefits of Mom & Pop USA.

There may be many reasons why you left or are leaving your current position. The trick is to make your departure sound positive and demonstrate why the new potential employer should be happy that you have left in hopes of obtaining this new exciting opportunity. Here are some basic general reasons of why you may no longer be with your past company: you got laid off, quit, or were fired.

Out of the above three, getting laid off is the easiest to explain. Lay offs are unfortunately a very common phenomena right now, and organizations choose who they let go based on their own specific standards. Some places let go of the most inexperienced employees first, whereas others choose to lay off the highest paid. When asked why you left your last job, simply explain that there were many cut backs, and you were one of the individuals who was let go. However, you did not get discouraged, but instead took this as an opportunity to seek a more fulfilling career with an outstanding organization.

What if you just quit? There are many reasons why a person quits his or her job, for instance no room for advancement, different ideals than the boss, did not get the desired raise, tired of the job, looking for something more rewarding, etc. If you were passed over for a promotion or were turned down for a raise, do not tell the hiring person this.

Making the right career choice can be a difficult decision for most of us. After all, this decision will effect the rest of our work life. Different people are guided by different factors in their career choices.  The common trend today is to opt for a career field that offers the maximum remuneration. There is no doubt that money has become the driving force for most of us.

Personality & Career Choice

Your personality & temperament can be another major factor that can effect your career choice. Here are some of the common personality types and the possible career fields best suited for people having such personality - 

1. Social - Those of you who are social, enjoy interacting with others and have good interpersonal skills can do well in fields such as Mass Media, Therapy, PR, Social Work etc.
2. Intellectual - If you are the intellectual type and goal driven, consider a career in Mathematics, Analysis, Research and Science.
3. Creative - For the artistic, jobs that allow you to show your creativity are often best suited. Avoid choosing careers that curb your identity and do not allow you to show your artistic side.
4. Conventional - The conventional people often opt for jobs in book keeping, accountancy etc.
5. Enterprising - If you are aggressive, enterprising and have a strong mind of your own, you can choose to become a marketing professional, business executive and a public person.

A word of Advice when choosing your career field -

• Do plenty of research into the career opportunities available and their prerequisites. After doing this homework, weigh your options and make a decision.
• Listen to others, take their advice but make the final decision yourself - one that you feel is good for you.
• Don't be afraid to make a decision you feel is the right one!
• During the course of your career, you will get plenty of opportunities to sit back and review your progress and satisfaction levels. Use this time to analyze where your career is going and where it is you want it to go!

Lots of working professionals fail to realize that the small mistakes they make in their everyday work schedule can severely hurt their career in the long run. There are no hard rules for being successful but there are a few simple mantras that every employee can follow to build a successful and long lasting career.

Here are a few to get you started -

• Plan and Aim high – Set personal goals for yourself on a regular basis. Look back on how you have done over the past few weeks. Set targets for yourself and try top achieve them.

• Prioritize – Work schedules can go haywire if you fail to prioritize. Make it a habit to spend a few minutes every morning and make a list of all the tasks that need to be finished today. Once you have a target in mind, it becomes easier to work towards achieving it.

• Build & Maintain Contacts – Whichever field you may be in professionally, it helps to network and maintain strong contacts with other professionals in your field. It will help you to get insights about your industry.

• Take Regular Breaks – Make efforts to improve and enhance your productivity at work. If you feel too stressed out, take a break and rejuvenate yourself. Go for a vacation or join yoga classes to deal with work related stress.

• Keep your Resume current & Relevant – Review and update your resume regularly. This will help you to be prepared when the need arises to apply for a new job. If you exceed some difficult targets, mention it in your resume asap – a great way to keep your resume current.

There is an ample scope for young graduates in the field of ‘Flight Catering’. Here they will learn how to match both luxury and efficiency for the benefit of airlines, for whom food is a top priority.

Food hygiene is the most critical aspect of airline catering. An aircraft is like a restaurant in the air, with people from all over the world coming together from different backgrounds. Though people from Asian countries have developed a good deal of resistance, most others are used to sterile conditions. With the result that on a seven to eight hours flight, an attack of food poisoning could be fatal with no ready medical help available at 30,000 ft in the air. Which is why airlines insist on menus that follow specific safety standards and local availability of ingredients, as well as caterers complying with HACCP/International Hygiene codes.

The airline food industry assumes great significance as a result of the increasing number of passengers, for whom market strategies must be consistently reviewed so as to maintain this Rs 250 crore industry.

Basic Qualification Required:

· Graduate in Hotel Management with specialization in Food &
Beverage are mostly preferred.
· A minimum year of service in various hotel sector is also essential
· Graduates in Home Science & Food & Nutrition can also apply having
some years of experience in catering.

Below are some details of where each sector do catering services for different airlines

There are three main Flight Kitchens operating in India:

OBEROI FLIGHT SERVICES (1979)
British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines, Thai International, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways and Aeroflot
·Number of meals prepared per day:
New Delhi: 5,000
Mumbai: 4,600

AMBASSADOR SKY CHEF (1942)
Indian Airlines, Air India, Lufthansa, Swiss, Saudi, Asian, Austrian Airlines and Air Lanka
·Number of meals prepared per day:
New Delhi: 4,500
Mumbai: 5,000

TAJ AIR CATERERS (1955)
Air India, Indian Airlines, Air France, Air Mauritius, Jet Airways, Cathay Pacific, Sahara Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and China Air
·Number of meals prepared per day:
New Delhi: 10,000
Mumbai: 15,000

“Confusion”…, it simply resembles to a mental state in which behavior of a person is characterized by a lack of clear and organized thought. When confused, we feel it very difficult to pay attention on anything and suffer a lack of ability to think and act correctly and make decisions. But your career is no softy matter that you can leave to fortune.

Penalty of Confusion over Career matter

What to Do To Come Out Of the Confusion????

Identifying your real passion or subject that truly excites you and you feel you are already conversant with the subject is the best way to face up to career confusion. Creating a career involves a thought process that broadly follows somewhat this path:

1. Mess Out your Negative Thoughts: You should say bye-bye to the negative attitudes like “I can’t face strangers” or “I may not face up to the challenge in the new job” are fetters that tie you to a place which is so down in the industry. These are just your fears, either genuinely due to lack of skill or because of a false lowliness complex.
2. Take Stock of Your qualities: Confusion also generates because of expectations of your parents, relatives or spouses. You need to refine your interests, strengths and weaknesses. Give instincts their due credit but have a matter-of-fact evaluation of what you can realistically do.
3. Every Dog Has His Day: Sometimes, you will simply have to just wait for your turn. Have faith that you are worth your salt. You can’t change what will or what has already happened;
4. Discuss through Your own Career Options: Follow a similar sequence of thought process using logic. Choosing a career from a handful of options is like choosing a shirt from hundreds of them.
5. Try Counseling: A professional counselor can systematically talk you through your confusion through counseling and career guidance sessions. Career counselors are professionals who understand your problems and can provide the right direction. A visit to career websites can give you some direction to pursue.
6. Get Some Experience: Getting experience in the career of your choice not just brings you closer to your dream job but improves your confidence level. Take up an internship, work hard and pay your dues. This helps build the skills which you need the most.