Author: Robt Barlow

Most degrees are obtained with the purpose of advancing your career prospects and job opportunities. The same is the case with an MBA degree; the only difference being that an MBA degree is considered as the most valuable post graduate degree in the world and has exciting career opportunities. People take the MBA program in order to further their careers in their current jobs or to get a better job on the basis of their MBA degree.

Most MBA programs regardless of the major focus will provide you with training in basic business principle needed by any business manager including, corporate finance, economics, strategic planning, marketing, basic accounting, etc. However, if you know which career field you are interested in, selecting a specific MBA focus will allow you to specialize and better prepare yourself for your career. This means you won’t just learn the basis of corporate finance, but rather advance corporate, investment finance, financial accounting and financial markets which will make you much more marketable as a financial analyst or banker.

Advance Your Career
Whether you’re a real estate agent, an ER doctor, an engineer, or an editor for your local newspaper, a graduate business degree can prepare you to move into a managerial position within your field.

Where you decide to pursue a general MBA or a specific specilization earning an MBA in any field is an excellent option – especially for students hoping to land excellent jobs once they graduate. Research indicates that individuals with an MBA tend to move up the promotion ladder much quicker than those without the degree. Not only that, but most employees possessing an MBA on average earn more than their lesser-educated contemporaries. These statistics should come as no surprise given the fact that MBA graduates are in high demand at multi-million dollar companies throughout the world.

Financial Value of an MBA
An MBA degree from one of the top business schools in America could set you back by up to $100,000. This is by no means a small amount and is indeed one of the largest investments that you are likely to make in your life. So it is necessary to evaluate the value of an MBA, strictly from a financial point of view as well. So you need to ascertain the return on investment on the amount that you are likely to incur in pursuing an MBA and see if it is financially valuable to you.

Calculate all the costs that are involved in pursuing an MBA, namely application fees, program fees, tuition costs, interest on any loans, cost of materials needed, travel costs related to training etc, test fees, and any other miscellaneous costs that you may incur. Once you have estimated the cost of your MBA, you need to assess the benefits of an MBA in terms of increased salaries, better wages, and more career opportunities to evaluate the monetary value of your MBA degree.

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Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1307467_36.html

Author: Robt Barlow

Are you over the age of 50 and looking for a new job? Have you discovered that the process of job-seeking is much more difficult than you had expected? Is it all too easy to make excuses: to say, for example, that you are too old to learn new things or too frustrated to show your best self?

No excuse is acceptable when you are searching for a new job. You are a successful, special person, and you can succeed in anything you want! Those who say “I can’t” and those who say “I can” are both telling the truth. So, which one are you? Are you of the optimistic bunch who can take a challenge and turn it around? Or are you a member of the pessimistic group who give up easily at the slightest obstacle or barrier? The job market has changed dramatically in recent years, and now we’re in a survival-of-the-fittest mode.

Only the best shall be successful in achieving their job goals. But what do we mean by “best”? It is critical to note that reaching a job goal usually has nothing to do with skills, experiences or attributes (though these are essential)-in fact, the final deciding factors are personality and attitude.

Start off by sitting yourself down, staring intently into the mirror, and honestly answering this question: “Is my age really an issue?” Your answer will determine how well you approach and perform within today’s job market.

Let’s take a moment to consider the number one challenge faced by those over 50 in search of a job. That challenge is packaging – in other words, how you go about inventing, marketing and re-inventing yourself to suit different employers, different job agents and the many different scenarios you will find yourself in as you pursue your job goal. At this age, one of the greatest dilemmas you will run up against is having a wealth of varying skills, experiences and attributes to offer. Where most people in this target group fall short is in knowing how to package these beneficial qualities appropriately by targeting them to suit each specific job opportunity they are presented with. To do this well, you must keep the following three key points in mind with regard to packaging:

Industry Requirement: Issues to do with industry evolving bringing about current trends, experience and specialist skills required. Do you know what these are and if you possess these current requirements at the expected level.

Job Role Requirements: Issues to do with job role tasks that are age sensitive. For instance role requiring heavy lifting or strenuous activities.

Your Requirements: Issues to do with your own personal values and why you are looking for a new job. For instance, are you looking for a more financial rewarding role, greater job satisfaction or perhaps a job that will keep you physically and mentally active?

How successful you manage these three key points depends largely on how good your job market skills are. So start off on the right foot by taking this FREE Job Market Performance Assessment to determine your current level of job market skills and discover what you could be doing better!

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Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1307465_36.html

Shepherd Engineering Services (SES) has been named as preferred bidder on six education sector contracts, which could show to those wanting to take electrician training courses that qualified workers are always in high demand.

It was recently revealed that SES will supply a number of mechanical and electrical services to schools in Bradford, Leeds, Durham, South Tyneside and Gateshead, including air-conditioning, ventilation, sprinkler, fire alarm, heating and CCTV systems.

The contracts will be funded by the government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme and Peter Lewis, chief operating officer for the firm, expressed his delight at being involved.

He said: “The Education sector is of great importance to us, so we’re delighted to have been awarded another six BSF schools.”

SES is part of the Shepherd Group, which was formed in 1890, and today boasts an annual turnover of more than £130 million and a workforce of 700 people nationwide.

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Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1310642_36.html

Author: Benjamin Cook

When you�’re sitting, waiting for your interview time to come up does the world suddenly seem more…detailed? You can hear the phone ringing, the clicking of the heater, the tapping of a pen on a desk, the muted sound of voices in another room, sounds outside from the bin lorry that�s picking up the rubbish, the traffic in the street� just about everything.

Do you notice that your clothes, so carefully picked to give a good impression, suddenly feel uncomfortable and that tie (or blouse) seems rather tight and scratchy, and now you’�re acutely aware of every thought and feeling that�s going through your head?

You start to feel hot, sick and nervous. Your limbs twitch uncontrollably. You start to feel light-headed or faint – and all you want to do is run away.

We�ve all been there, some more often than others, but if you ALWAYS feel like this in stressful situations� be reassured – THERE IS HELP!

First: the discomfort and the light-headedness and urge to flee is all caused by your stress state. Which means that YOU can fix it. That�s right, you�’ve been doing this to yourself (even if you didn’�t know it) and now is the time to learn to Let Go. And the easiest way to do that is to imagine the worst.

I know, I know – that’s what the problem has been all this time, but think about it: have you ever actively tried to fail? Given the most ridiculous answers? Modelled yourself on Borat and deliberately attempted to upset a potential employer? No. Obviously not. And even if you did – what’s the worst that could happen?

Second: if you can trace what past event has caused this anxiety, in your present you have a chance to Let the tension and dread Go.

YOU are putting yourself under extreme pressure; you are giving yourself a strong, unconscious response to the interview. Unless you take the time to rationally examine your fear you will remain at the mercy of your subconscious.

So� how do you make it stop?

In order to Let Go you must analyse the past event, intellectually examining it without re-experiencing the painful feelings. When you disassociate yourself from a memory you can learn to re-pattern your behaviours in a more productive manner.

So when you’ve figured out what is causing the fear, and considered what it is that you need to Let Go, you can positively picture yourself in an interview where you hope to do well but do not physically fear an unsuccessful application.

Third: remember the following tricks to help you calm yourself down when you begin to feel anxious.

● Touch your fourth (ring) finger to your thumb on both hands and breathe slowly and rhythmically. This is a breathing technique which will help calm your mind and body.

● Smile! It sounds strange, but sometimes looking up and smiling can help pull you out of an unpleasant emotional state – body language and posture play a decisive role in controlling how you feel.

● Nerves are heightened when we continually run an image or scenario in our heads – doing something to �break’ this state can help enormously. Standing up rather than sitting down, changing seats or focussing on something out of the window can all help ‘break’ your anxiety and lessen the dread.

● Picture yourself with a positive outcome – focus on the positive and ‘break’ any negative.

● Fake it! If you pretend to be calm and relaxed you will appear to be calm and relaxed – and will present better to an interviewing board.

So next time you take an interview, remember these tricks and I wish you luck!

——

www.benjamincook.co.uk Benjamin Cook is an NLP Practitioner and Hypnotherapist in Glasgow specialising in weight loss, phobia cure, smoking cessation and personal coaching

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1310297_36.html

Author: Source101

“Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all.” Arthur C. Clarke

Looking for a job can be an education in and of itself. The old saying is that looking for a job is the hardest job that you will ever have. That may well be true, especially in these trying economic times. You write, rewrite and revise your resume a million times. You send out query letters by the ream. You have filled out so many applications that you have carpal tunnel and permanent ink stains on your fingers. You have gone to interview upon interview, the faces of Human Resources all blending in to each other. What is holding you back? Why can’t you get a job?

One of the first things you should take a long hard look at is your education. Did you get handed your high school diploma and then stop trying to learn? Were your grades less than stellar? Were you satisfied with just good enough to get by? The world moves far too quickly for mediocre education, or for someone to just take yesterday’s knowledge and proceed into the future. Look at computers for instance. When I was in high school, computers were huge, block shaped behemoths taking up most of a desk. Computer class was only offered as an elective at that time. Now, my own children have been introduced to computers and their uses early and they are an integrated part of their regular education, not a side note.

In the business world, those who make decisions want to surround themselves with people who are smart, savvy, people who know things. Of course there is always some specialized training when a new job is started, but no one wants to start from scratch so to speak with their employees. An education that goes beyond what is required by law will say that you are dedicated to bettering yourself, that you are a real ” go-getter” and that just well enough will not be adequate for you. CEOs like that kind of attitude.

If there are too similar applicants for a job, Human Resources might use education as the tie breaker, and you want to make sure that you come out on top of that race. If your educational and career goals mesh up well, you will be sure to go far. It should be written above the board (or the clock where more students will actually see it) in every classroom across the country: Get an education and get a job.
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About the Author: Source101 Is A Directory Portal That Showcases Articles, Digital Products, Softwares And Videos! Find What You Want! http://www.Source101.Com

By: Vince Stevenson

Unemployment in a recession is a nasty business. It is a horrible shock for many talented people. However, it’s important to bounce back quickly. Get that all important sales document, your CV into shape and ensure that all of your recent achievements are highlighted. If you haven’t worked in a customer facing environment, it’s highly likely that your interview skills and confidence could well do with a boost.

Redundancy can be like a death in the family. It fills people with the fear of an uncertain future. When will I get that next opportunity to return to work? Would changing career path now be the correct decision? It hurts not to be working – it hurts not to feel needed. It hurts not to be surrounded with one’s friends and colleagues. If you are single and home alone, it’s quite an alienating experience. If you’re married, you have the personal uncertainty to worry about as well as the concern for your family’s future. Can you continue to afford piano lessons for your daughter? Are her drama lessons absolutely necessary?

The good news is that help is at hand and if you fall into the category of person who has had a job which is not customer facing, you will probably need that little bit of assistance to fire up your confidence and get you speaking and selling yourself like a professional.

The first thing is to update that CV. Keep it tight, accurate and full of your workplace achievements. For example, since taking over as Head of Export Sales in 2005, your sales figures have been best in the company and broke all industry trends. If it’s true, don’t be shy about making that very clear. The interview is the opportunity to put the flesh on the bones of this occurrence. Explain how half of your sales force left at Christmas 2006 and you recruited, trained and retained your new staff and received a prestigious sales awards. Tell them about your project management skills – how you had to manage your time between London and Tokyo, product launches across continents, languages and cultures takes some effort. Speak enthusiastically about your positive input – if you are not enthusiastic, do not expect your interviewer to pick up on your major achievements.

Enthusiasm is infectious – it sends positive vibrations of personal creativity and success. People like to work with successful people. People like to work with creativity. It is a personally rewarding experience. Confidence is the key. Sadly, if you have been out of work for some time, it’s highly likely that your confidence has taken something of a dent. However, there are people and organizations that can help you. Don’t be afraid of asking for help when it’s needed. Think of this learning opportunity as an investment in the future, not another cost when you can least afford it.

——

Vince Stevenson has been nominated for a number of prestigious awards for his work in the voluntary sector. Vince is a founder and director of the College of Public Speaking, one of the UK’s leading presentation skills companies and has taken over the personal development brief. Visit the College of Public Speaking at => http://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk/Interview_Skills.html
About the Author
Occupation: Director of Education – College of Public Speaking
Vince Stevenson is one of England’s greatest speaking enthusiasts, having competed for and won many prestigious competitions. Vince is involved with speaking at many levels and has just finished his year as District President of the South-Eastern District of the Association of Speakers Clubs having been involved in its educational development for many years. Vince is a founder and lead trainer at the College of Public Speaking, a business dedicated to improving effective communication skills in industry. He is also an in demand after-dinner speaker.

http://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk

Author: BradS1234

Being a freelance writer is a great gig. You get to make your own hours, you get to do something you love, and you get to work from the comfort of your home, usually without pants and while watching a stupid B-movie or listening to music as loud as you want. Unfortunately, there are a number of things to consider before giving up your day job and becoming a freelance writer, or, well, a freelance anything.

While the notion of creating your own hours and working from home indeed enticing, anyone who wants to get into freelancing should know that work is not always steady. One week you could be inundated with jobs that you have barely enough time to complete, while the next could be absolutely free of work. This, of course, can only happen AFTER you’ve established yourself as a freelance writer and can in some way stand out from the many thousands of other writers vying for the same jobs. There is a silver lining, however, as several sites offer flat fee writing gigs that pay per articles. Most require you to apply, but once accepted, you can work at your own leisure. Although some tend to make a living writing for such companies, many often find it to be a great source of supplementary income.

Once you’ve established yourself as a freelance writer, there is the matter of taxes. 99% of freelance work is paid out tax free, which means it’s up to you to keep a record of all your income so you can pay appropriate taxes come mid-April. Some freelancers choose to pay quarterly taxes as opposed to yearly to lighten the load. Nothing is more terrifying than having to drop a ton of money at once on taxes that are typically deducted from each paycheck. Most freelancers tend to set aside 10-20 percent of their weekly or bi-weekly earnings to pay for taxes when the time comes.

Another concern among freelance writers is health insurance. Since freelancers are self-employed, they are unable to receive health insurance or other benefits, such as 401K from employers. As such, they’re forced to either go without insurance or seek out independent insurance, which can be quite expensive. Some choose to join the Freelancers Union, which helps freelancers obtain affordable insurance. Although this can be a major turn-off, in some cases health insurance can be tax deductible.

Negative aspects aside, there are plenty of great things about being a freelance writer. In addition to the aforementioned ability to make your own hours and work from home, there is the benefit of weekly paychecks. Living paycheck to paycheck becomes a thing of the past, as freelancing, especially in the case of pay-per-article sites, you’re given the opportunity to receive weekly, sometimes twice weekly paychecks, depending on who you work for. If you’re a stay-at-home mother or father, freelance writing can enable you to earn income while still caring for your child.

In the end, choosing a career in freelance writing can be a rewarding decision, though the pros and cons should be seriously considered before making the transition. This career is especially effective for those with great discipline and the desire to get the job done at all costs.

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Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1309968_36.html

Author: Nell Taliercio

Okay, you’ve found a job advertisement that you could possibly apply to. Now what do you do? This is where your job researching will start kicking in. It’s important to know or at least have a good idea that the job ad is legit before moving on to the applying stage.

The first thing you need to do is read through the job ad carefully a couple of times. Does it appear legit by reading the ad alone? Are there things that don’t really ring well with you? For example, maybe the job ad is for an accounting position. If the ad says that you don’t need any experience and you’ll be making $1,000 a week, then discard it. It is a scam.

A legit ad will contain much the same as a regular onsite position would contain. Compare it with an onsite position job ad if you need to. If they come close, then you can move on to the next step. Some positions, like customer service or data entry may not need much experience, but specialized positions, like accounting would.

Who is the company hiring for the position? Is it a company that you have heard of before? If it is, you can move on. If not, then you’ll need to research the company to see if they are legit. Here are some ways that you can do that:

• Visit telecommuting or work from home forums and search for the company name to see if they have been talked about before. Don’t be afraid to join the forum and ask if you need to.

• Use your search engines and type in the name of the company and add the word scam next to it. See what comes up.

• Visit the company website, if they have one. Does the site look professional or does it shout out claims of -Work From Home and give you pictures of sports cars and mansions?

• Check out the Better Business Bureau website and type in the company’s name. If the company is listed on their site, look to see what kind of track record they have.

When you’ve gone through that part, now how do you feel about the job? Are you satisfied with what you’ve found or are you still hesitant? If you’re still hesitant, then you can always try contacting the company and ask them more questions. Legit companies will generally be happy to answer you, but it could take a few days.

If you think the job ad is okay, you can go ahead and apply. Don’t give them your social security number or financial account information until you feel confident to do so. Stay on your toes throughout the application process in case surprises pop up, such as them asking for money for training materials.

The job research process could take up a good chunk of your time, but it could save you from an unfortunate situation. Take your time doing your homework, because most legit jobs take a few days to a few weeks before they make a decision of who to hire.

Nell Taliercio has been working at home full time since 2004. She’s worked as a telecommuter, virtual assistant and affiliate marketer. In 5 years she’s discovered many secrets to finding legitimate work at home jobs and securing them. You can find work at home job information and tips at: http://www.justonlinejobs.com

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1309947_36.html

About the Author: Nell Taliercio has been working at home full time since 2004. She’s worked as a telecommuter, virtual assistant and affiliate marketer. In 5 years she’s discovered many secrets to finding legitimate work at home jobs and securing them. You can find her work at home job information and tips at: http://www.justonlinejobs.com

http://www.justonlinejobs.com

Author: JenB

Changing jobs is stressful, regardless of who you are. Take the time to learn ways that you can make the transition a little smoother and spend a lot less time worrying about what’s coming next. If you take your job changes in stride, you’ll be much better able to handle them in the long run.

Everyone changes careers at some point in their life. Whether the decision is voluntary or one that is made based on outside circumstances, you need to know that you are not alone in your switch. Some people don’t bother changing jobs when they should because of all of the stress involved in the job switch process, but it’s something that you occasionally might need to do, and that you can do stress-free as long as you are prepared. Here are some tips to avoid stressful job changes. Organization is key. You need to make sure that your life is organized, your job search is in order, and that you have everything in its place and a place for everything. Disorder is a big cause of stress during career transitions.

Focus, focus, focus. Don’t worry about this or that or the other. Stop, take a deep breath, and go one step at a time through the process. Focus on everything that comes along as it does. For example, focus first on a great resume. Then focus on finding the job that you want. When you land interviews, focus on interview skills. Don’t think of the process as a whole, but by each part of the process. Research when needed. Find jobs, or find where the jobs are. If you plan on moving in order to find jobs, plan out your relocation before you just pack up and leave. Being cautious and planning ahead will alleviate a lot of unnecessary stress in your life.

Nothing is certain, and this can cause a lot of stress in the job search. Try to be calm and accept that this is a scary process, but you can handle it. Accept that you’ll have to meet new people, fit in with new groups and try to make the most of every situation. Every time you start to worry, stop and say ‘oh well’. That stress-free attitude can help. Speaking of attitude, this is a big one. Stay positive, and leave the defeatist attitude at home. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by your options or everything that is going on around you. Take a minute to make sure that you are able to handle this, and then reassure yourself periodically that things are going well.

Career switches are never an easy thing. However, when you plan accordingly and adopt a positive attitude, you can generally beat most of the stress that comes your way. Don’t let yourself become so stressed about changing jobs that you stay somewhere where you aren’t happy. All in all, as long as you’re organized, focused, and prepared, you shouldn’t have too much stress when it comes to job hunting.

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Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1309913_36.html

By Karen Flowers

Ok, so you found the perfect position, right? Well if your resume is focused, strong and tailored to what an employer is looking for, you may have found yourself a new job! BUT, if you don’t let them know how much you want the job, you may very well be the wishy-washy candidate that ends up in the reject pile, and that is just not the party place to be.

When you invest time into your resume, whether you write it yourself, a friend helps or you hire a professional resume writer, it shows. Period. By investing the time into creating a resume that really highlights your go-getter attitude and take charge methods of work-mode, you are essentially showing the HR Manager that you are indeed the right choice to have on the company team.

The fact is, companies don’t want another boring office staffer. They want someone who is as eager for the company to succeed as the big boys in the corner offices are. You can place yourself right into that spot by a simple thing called, value proposition. This is just a fancy way of saying that you are capable of supplying their needs for this position. At the end of the day, you may not check every one of their boxes for a yes interview candidate, but if you can show them what you can do for them, in a way that is enticing, and makes them go hmmmmm they just might bring you in for an interview. It is at that point that you need to give it your all and really work your magic to get them to understand your ‘value proposition for their company in particular.

A resume with the right kind of value proposition garners interviews. All you have to do is catch the readers attention, and by transforming your resume from dull, dry and lifeless, to exciting, forward thinking confidence in your abilities. It isn’t as hard as you may think.

Start with the basics. List the job titles you have held as well as the duties that came with them.

1. Then, focus on the following: Achievements in each position, acknowledgments for project management, and goals completed.
2. Special areas where you helped save the company money, time, and also mention if you protected the company due to your due diligence and research.
3. Work along the basis of the job requirements for each position you apply to. Work your past into the future duties required of you at X company.

Follow those, and your resume will be rockin’ in no time. Happy interviewing!

Karen Flowers, aka The Resume Chick promotes being the best you can be before the job interview and after. Her clients have acquired numerous salary increases from her resume writing skills. True, sometimes a resume and one’s experience is all in the eye of the beholder, BUT when you can have SUCCESS sprawled out all over your resume, it is hard to look the other way! You can learn more about Karen and her resume writing services at http://www.theresumechick.com.

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