Women Career and Education

6 Points to Consider before You Going Back to School

Career Education Expert — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:16:15 +0000

Going back to school is a serious decision, and returning to a campus after years of having a job or taking care a family must be awkward for many. Before you deciding to go back to school, consider these 6 points and see if you have made the right choice.

1. What are you thinking about going back to school?
Be sure that you are going back to school for the right reason, or you would not have the much needed determination to go through. Make sure you have considered your reasons; is it for earning the new degree that would help you with your career? Or is it for your own personal pleasure in pursuing something new, or are you just bored and want something else to do?

2. What do you want to accomplish?
Usually, if you already have a degree, you can broaden your options by taking specialization. Or maybe, you want to start a new career and need a certain degree to achieve that. Choosing the right option will make your journey more efficient and more economical. Know what is involved in getting exactly what you want.

3. Can you afford it?
Perhaps one of the most important factors to consider, school can be very expensive these days. If you do not have the savings you need, or cannot find any financial aids, you may want to think twice. Then ask yourself if your level of desire is worth the cost. Do you want to go back to school badly enough to make the work and expense worth it?

4. Is this the right time in your life?
Life demands different things of us at different stages, especially when you already have your own family and career. Is this a good time for you to go back to school? Do you have the time you need to go to class, read, and study? Do you know how to manage stress? Will you still have time to work, to enjoy your family, to live your life?

5. Is the right school within your reach?
Depending on your goal, you might have lots of options open to you, or very few. Is the school you need available to you, and can you get in? Remember that getting your degree or certificate might be possible online.Consider which school best matches what you want to achieve, and then find out what their admission process requires.

6. Do you have the support you need?
Remember that adults study differently from children and teenagers. Think about whether or not you have the support you need to go back to school. Are there people in your life who will support and help you? Do you need someone to help you with child care while you go to school? Will your employer allow you to study during breaks and slow times?

Tips to Improve Memory while Studying

Career Education Expert — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 06:45:49 +0000

Becoming an adult student has its own challenges. Not only we have to balance our life and study (which is not so hard among many younger students since most of them do not have responsibilities as many as adults), but also deal with cognitive problems related to things such as memories.

There are many ways to improve memory while studying, contrary to popular beliefs about sitting-still style of studying. If you think that you have difficulties in retaining your memory during your study session, here are some tips based on New York Times article by Benedict Carey, “Forget What You Know about Good Study Habits.”

1. Vary the study space
Dr. Robert A. Bjork, psychologist at the University of California, L.A., stated, “What we think is happening here is that, when the outside context is varied, the information is enriched, and this slows down forgetting.” In other words, to have better result and improve your memory, you should vary your study space. That means having a neat, well-lit study room or space, with windows that enable you to see the view.

2. Vary what you study
In the world of sport, athletes practice cross-training to improve their skills. This can also be applied in studying. Varying the type of material studied in a single sitting, such as alternating between vocabulary, grammar, and listening practice when studying English, leaves a deeper impression on the brain than does concentrating on just one skill at a time,

3. Test yourself often
Having a test is not only beneficial for evaluation purpose; it also serves as reinforcement for the brain to memorize certain information. By challenging the brain to regularly retrieve information, it will be restored in the brain in a more accessible way for the future use. Dr. Nate Kornell, a psychologist at Williams College, stated, “The idea is that forgetting is the friend of learning. When you forget something, it allows you to relearn, and do so effectively, the next time you see it.”

What Not to Wear to Job Interview

Career Education Expert — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:01:50 +0000

When you are going to be interview, image is everything. Your appearance is the very first impression that your employer will get from you before you even open your mouth to speak. Understandably, a slight fashion disaster can really lead you into your downfall. In order to make a good impression, you must dress professionally, and that includes understanding about what not to wear to your job interview.

1. For accessories, do not wear flip-flops or sneakers, and flashy jewelry that visibly hangs from your neck or ears. Also, avoid big, flashy hair clips or excessive arm jewelry.
2. Even if you are a trendy-type woman, avoid wearing shorts and jeans, pants that are too tight or low-rise, skirts that are too short, blouses that are too skimpy or low-cut, and visible underwear. Do not wear any underwear that shows, even if the straps match your tops. If you wear a thong, make sure that it does not show above your pants.
3. Tattoos and piercings are a little tricky; depending on where you are interviewing, you may want to consider covering your tattoos and taking out your rings. There are companies that have policies which limit both.
4. Watch out for your scent of perfume or cologne. If your favorite perfume has strong or overwhelming scent, do not wear it to your job interview. It can be a distracting factor and even creates more subliminal impact, since scent is one of the strongest senses. A bad choice of perfume or cologne can be a strong negative point that makes your employer-to-be crosses you from his or her list.

Since a professional look tends to be conservative, your personal style can be very different from it, and that is fine. They do not have to mesh; you can have a closet full of fun clothes and a wardrobe of work clothes. In fact, if you own at leats one or two pieces of conservative suits in your wardrobe, you will be ready for any unexpected interview.

At last, remember that a classic interview suit that will last for years is a better investment than the latest trendy attire that will only last a season.

How to Properly Negotiate Salary

Career Education Expert — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:24:08 +0000

Many job applicants and employees do not put salary negotiation, whether it would be for a raise or possible salary of a new employee, on their top of the must-do list; in fact, negotiating salary is a very important step to make sure that you are paid what you are worth. Job applicants perhaps think that negotiating salary is a bit bold, but as long as it is done properly, negotiating salary can help you getting the salary that you deserve without so much fuss.

These are some tips of how to properly negotiate salary.

1. Do not put your ground reason on the salary of employees from different fields. You may be envious of your friends who are earning more money than you are. However, if they are not working in the same field you should not make those comparisons.

2. Researching is useful to make sure that your salary demand is still making sense. Look at recent salary surveys, talk to others working in your field, and contact your trade or professional association to find out what other people are paid for doing the same work. Remember that salaries differ by geographic region.

3. Consider also your experiences. Naturally, those with more experiences can hope for much more money. Remember to talk about the amount of experience you have if it will help you negotiate a higher salary. If you do not have a lot of experience, you should be realistic about the salary for which you can ask.

4. In some cases, you must be flexible. When going through a salary negotiation, you would not always get the amount of salary that you expect. You will probably have to compromise. The trick is to figure out how much you are willing to compromise and what you will do if your boss does not offer you a salary you find acceptable.

5. Do not tell your boss about the reasons of your request in salary negotiation, such as your high amount of bills, your rising mortgage or your child’s college tuition payment. Exposing those private things are just a big no.

Advices from Young Millionaires to Entrepreneurs

Career Education Expert — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:13:19 +0000

Stories of people who become millionaires in a very young age, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Dell, sound like too good to be true. But these people are also like many of us; they got ideas, developed them, and added some extra recipes to make their dreams come true. Here are some advices of success for entrepreneurs from famous young millionaires, or people who became millionaires when they were young.

1. Mark Zuckerberg
His creation, Facebook, now becomes a part of many people’s life, from New York to Bangkok and Madrid. Not long after his 23rd birthday, Mark Zuckerberg became one of the most famous young millionaires in the world. He urges young people to use their potentials to their fullest, and success does not have anything to do with age.

2. Michael Dell
Michael Dell was dropped out from his school when he was 19 year old, not long after he had started a company that sold computers directly to consumers with lower price than the retail price. When he was 24 year old, his company, Dell, earned $258 millions. His advice for entrepreneurs is to really look for what becomes their passion, and develop it instead of struggling to get big ideas out there.

3. Jermaine Griggs
This music teacher has become a millionaire since he was 23, by starting a website called HearAndPlay.com, designed to help people who want to learn the piano, guitar and drum without reading notes. His advice for entrepreneurs is to understand the power of selling instead of just getting a big idea. Learn the business and people who have started the similar business or have the same aspiration, before really jump into the battlefield.

4. Juliett Brindak
Brindak has drawn various teenage characters since she was 10 year old, and she then used her characters in her website, MissO and Friends. She has become a millionaire from her site since she was 19 year old. Her advice for entrepreneurs is to fill the team with people who believe with our ideas, and get rid of them who do not believe you.

5. Cameron Johnson
Johnson started a small company of greeting cards at home when she was 9 year old. At 12, she helped her sister making the collections of Beanie Baby and got $50,000 profit. Now, she owns several websites and her own show in BBC called “Beat the Boss.” Her advice for entrepreneurs is to start from something small but valuable for other people, and make your business climbing slowly but sure.

6. Sean Belnick
At 16, Belnick has become a millionaire by selling office chairs at BizChair.com. He did that while studying at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. His advice for entrepreneurs is to never stop looking for new ideas, and there are no words ‘too fast’ to start something.

7. Catherine Cook
Cook and her brothers, David and Geoff, started myYearbook, a very popular social network site among teenagers, while they were still at school. Her advice for entrepreneurs is to stop thinking and start doing something, especially when we are still young. The worst thing that can happen is a failure, but there are many ways to change that failure into success.

Common Mistakes before Changing Your Career

Career Education Expert — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:06:29 +0000

These days, moving out of the job and getting the new one every few years is not a new thing; many employees do this as a tactic to raise their selling points or getting higher earnings. However, moving out of the job is also a risky step, especially when you commit some of these common mistakes.

1. Having no exact reason to move out
Some people based their decisions of moving out from trivial things, especially when they have very high obsession or easily annoyed by small, unpleasant things as a part of their daily routine. Career changing is not a trifle; many companies will be afraid to accept you if you have history of moving out every 3 months.

2. Being lack of experience
For those who have reached mature age, changing careers into completely different fields is a risky step, since the new company will consider all of your past experiences that are related to what they require. If you want to move to a completely different field, learn all the knowledge that you need to know about the new field.

3. Using money as the main reason
Many people moved out of their previous job only for getting higher earnings, without actually ponder about what they really want. Remember, your job is your daily life, and you will likely to get stress, frustrated, or even depressed if you work in an environment that makes you uncomfortable, although the payment is high.

4. Being lazy in upgrading resume
Most people do not really understand about the importance of a resume. A bad resume can send bad statement about you, no matter how skillful you are. Prepare a detailed yet straightforward resume, and put emphasize on your previous related experiences as well as supporting personalities and interests.

5. Being tempted by developing fields
Often, a new, popular, and developing field or industry gives temptation and promises of a bright future. However, everything goes back to you. Will you feel comfortable working in this field, or is this field related with your experiences? Once again, research is everything.

6. Being lack of mission statement
Mission statement is important to determine your future goal. Without a strong, clear mission statement, your plan and career paths will be all over the place. Make a detailed mission statement by searching for and analyzing the opportunities before really jumping to the new field.

7. Depending on other people
Career counselor, job searching agency and headhunter are there to help you change your career, but without your own control and determination, you would not know if their results match your need and interest or not. Do not just sit and wait for their calls, but also do your own searching.

8. Having narrow vision and focus
Many people who think of changing their careers forget to open their mind for other specific things that might be more suitable for them. Remember, a new career choice can come up and might be just right for you, if you want to broaden your vision and focus.

Fixing Your Mistakes at the Workplace

Career Education Expert — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:50:51 +0000

Everyone makes mistakes, whether it is at the workplace, house or school. While some mistakes can just be corrected or even forgotten, making mistakes at your workplace can be a serious problem, affect the whole performance of your co-workers or partners, and even shake the company’s bottom line. Simply correcting your mistakes may be not enough if your mistake is quite grave or significant.

Hiding until someone uncovers your mistakes is surely not an option, so do not try to hide your mistakes. Instead, try to fix them up by following these tips.

1. Admitting your mistakes is the first and foremost thing to do. The sooner you tell your boss about your mistakes, the better. The only exception is if you make an insignificant error that will not affect anyone.
2. Before you go to do step one, you better have also equipped yourself with some plans to fix your mistakes. Present your plan clearly. Tell your how long it will take to implement your plan and if there are any costs involved.
3. Do not start the blame game. Once a mistake was occurred, blaming someone is not much useful and will not help anyone. In fact, you should encourage those who may share responsibility to follow your lead in confessing to your boss.
4. Apologizing is a must, but do not beat yourself up. There is a big difference between admitting a mistake and beating yourself up about it. Take the responsibility, but do not berate about it to your boss, especially in public.
5. Finally, correct your mistake at your own time. Since you have to face the consequences, naturally you should use your extra hours and do not expect to be paid for that. You can also use your lunch hour, or come to the office earlier instead.

Formal E-mail Etiquette We Need to Know

Career Education Expert — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:36:02 +0000

Many of us know and remember well the basic etiquette of formal letters, but we often forget the same etiquette when we are dealing with formal or business e-mail. Basically, the basic etiquette of formal e-mail is not really different from formal letters, and here are some points to pay attention to.

1. Mind the manners
Use the same proper manners that use with formal letters; do not forget to write ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ appropriately, use proper calling like ‘Mr.,’ ‘Ms.,’ ‘Dr.,’ and only address someone with first name when it is okay to do so.

2. Be concise
In writing a formal e-mail, you want to get to the business as quickly as possible, without leaving important details that will help your recipient answer your query.

3. Be professional
Avoid unnecessary abbreviations and the using of emoticons. Also, do not use cute or suggestive e-mail address for formal or business communication.

4. Use correct spelling and proper grammar
When we are dealing with professional or formal e-mails, there is no excuse for this one. To make sure that you have written something correctly, get a dictionary handy, or at least turn on the spell-checker. While you can write in a conversational tone (contractions are okay), pay attention to basic rules of grammar.

5. Confirm before sending attachments
Virus threat makes people become more careful when they are opening attachments, so make sure you ask the recipient if you may send any attachments.

6. Wait to fill the ‘TO’ e-mail address
Career Planning Site visitor Larry Batchelor says, “I never fill in the ‘TO’ email address until I am completely through proofing my email and I am sure that it is exactly the way that I want it. This will keep you from accidentally sending an email prematurely. In the past, I have accidentally clicked on the send icon, when I really meant to click on the attachment icon.”

Questions before Accepting Job Offers

Career Education Expert — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:33:29 +0000

When a job offer (or perhaps several offers) finally comes, we feel happy and congratulate ourselves for the finally paid off efforts. However, since our job is something that will last in a long time, there are some questions that we should consider about before really accepting the job offer, so that you could save yourself from regrets when you realized you have accepted unsuitable job for you.

1. Is the salary fair?
Sure money is not the only important issue when you do a job, but you should be paid what you are worth. Research is important here; make sure that you have gotten a good picture about the standard salary of other employees in the same field, and take into account your experience and your location.

2. What kind of boss will I get?
There are many kinds of boss, with various personalities, and we cannot deny that. But at least you can make sure that you can get along well with him or her. First impressions are usually important, but use your instinct nonetheless.

3. How about my potential co-workers?
Co-workers are people that you are going to spend time, work together, and share ideas with. You probably have not had the opportunity to get to know your co-workers, but if you were given a tour of the office during your interview, you at least got to see them. Did they seem friendly and happy to be there?

4. Is the work environment comfortable for me?
Some offices have strict rules, while others are more relaxed. While you may be more comfortable in one type of environment over the other, neither may be the wrong place for you to work. If you do think you will uncomfortable in a particular environment, consider looking elsewhere though.

5. Is the corporate culture in line with my values, attitudes, and goals?
Is the thought of working eighty hours a week make you cringe? Does the company refuse to give you flexible time to pray according to your belief? Does the company apply animal testings, which you think do not suit your own values? Consider all similar factors before you decide to accept a job offer.

6. Can I handle the commute to this workplace?
Driving an hour to a job interview is one thing, but making that trip twice a day, five days a week may be too much. Before you accept a job offer, consider the amount of time you will spend in your car or on a train or bus.

Turning Your House into Office

Career Education Expert — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:09:54 +0000

Setting up your house into your own office does not only mean preparing a special room to put your computer, stationery, and papers. A good, structured office will make your business goes more smoothly, no matter how small the initial size is. To effectively turn your house into office, here are some steps to consider:

1. To make it easier, start from the blank canvas; remove all unnecessary existing furniture and plants from the room or space that you will set up as an office. If you need some remodeling done to accommodate your home office set up, the next step will be demolition to remove existing partitions or shelving that are not part of your new home office design ideas.

2. Install any electrical, phone or cable outlets, cabinetry, shelving and wall partitions as you plan while the space is still empty.

3. Thoroughly clean, paint, add wallpapers, cover the floor, hang light fixtures as such before bringing anything into your new office. However, while you do not want the furniture in the way at this stage of setting up your home office, you will want to make sure you know exactly where your furniture and equipment will be placed in the room.

4. Start bringing the largest furniture and gradually turn into the smaller pieces; dust and polish your office as needed.

5. Bring in your home office equipment and place it where it needs to go in the room. As you place each piece, check to see if it needs to be cleaned, oiled, or otherwise serviced, and that all cords are long enough to reach your outlets or power strips.

6. Before connecting everything, make sure you approve the layout of your work area and that no unexpected problems have cropped up, such as a monitor screen receiving too much glare from a nearby window, or your desk area not receiving adequate light. Sit in your desk chair and take in the view.

7. Place your wall hangings, artwork, bulletin boards, white boards, chalkboards and other items.

8. Bring in smaller items to complete the set up of your office at home, such as lamps, organizers and desktop items. If needed, clean or dust them as you place them in the room.