Author Archives: schatzi

Writing Tips For Novice Authors

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If you are reading this article then you probably have asked yourself at some point in your life, “Do I have what it takes to become an author?”

I believe that successful authors, those who actually write and finish that novel, or book of poetry, or even that book of short stories, and see it all the way to publication, have certain characteristics.

Characteristics of Authors

1. They like to sit for hours in front of a computer screen (or with pen and paper), typing (writing) away.

2. They think about their book, even when they’re not writing.

3. They are motivated to finish their book.

4. They are motivated to proofread, edit and revise their finished book until it is the best it can be.

5. They are motivated to publish their book.

6. Once they publish the first book, they are already working on the next one.

If you answered yes to anyone of the above, then you have a good chance of attaining your dreams of becoming an author. Don’t listen to those people who say it’s a competitive market out there. Don’t listen to those people who say they’ve written five books and haven’t had one published yet. And don’t listen to those people who send you back your manuscripts! Listen to yourself. Listen to that inner voice, the one that is whispering now. But wait until you get started. Once your book is written and published, that inner voice will be roaring! And the whole world will hear about it.

I know, I know. I tend to be the optimist. But we have so many pessimists in the book business, we sure need some more optimists around!

For you, the novice writer who would like to start writing that first book, the best way to begin is to start writing. Yes, just sit down and do it. Stop the other activities, the television, the reading, the shopping, the chatting on the telephone, and find the time to devote at least one hour a day to writing.

What’s one hour a day in the scheme of things? It comes and goes like this, poof! What do you have to show after an hour of television? A lazy yawn? If that same hour were spent on writing, then there would be a product in your hands, something that will be shared, hopefully, one day with others.

So, go ahead, shut the door to the rest of the world for one hour (or more) and make yourself comfortable in front of the computer screen (or pen and paper). Let’s take the first step to becoming an author.

How To Begin

Foundation

Just like a construction company which builds a foundation to a home, you also need to prepare a foundation for your career in writing. Don’t skip this step, it’s important.

Your “foundation” will consist of basic writing skills. Remember those English courses you took in high school and college? If you don’t remember anything from those courses, then it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you found your old English textbooks, dusted them off a bit, and looked through their pages to refresh your memory.

If you haven’t taken any courses in creative writing, you might consider signing up for one. Check with your local community college. They often offer weekend and evening classes, and sometimes even online classes. If you’re on a budget, then visit the public library and sign out books relevant to writing.

In addition, it would be very useful to join a writing group (online or in your local area) that critiques your work and gives you the opportunity to critique also. The group provides wonderful support and an avenue to sharpen your skills as you gain experience in writing, as well as exposure to other people’s writing. For example, Writing.com is a good example of an online resource that provides many opportunities to share your writing, and get your work rated and reviewed. If you want to join a critique or review group, it offers that also.

The second step to becoming an author, is to have the right tools.

Tools Needed

Besides a comfortable chair, plenty of lighting, and a quiet room, you will need a computer with a word processing program (e.g., Microsoft Word), a printer, and plenty of paper.

Why a computer? First of all, publishers typically will request a copy of your files sent to them on a floppy disk. More importantly, working with a word processing program will aid you in many ways towards becoming a published author. It will provide the opportunity to save your work as a Word file, without having to use up tons of paper (as with a typewriter). This greatly aids you in keeping your work organized. It also gives you the flexibility to edit and re-edit large sections of your work quickly by allowing you to utilize the copy and paste functions.

Other advantages of using a computer word processing program is that it provides spell check capabilities, and also helps you count the number of words per page. In addition, when you want to spice up your vocabulary (For example, if you like to use the word “walk” often, and are getting tired of that word), place your cursor on the word “walk”, hit shift F7. It will give you a list of synonyms you can choose from – like stroll, amble, etc.).

The time saved by using a computer is very valuable. It gives you more time available to write! Of course, if you don’t have the above materials, don’t let that stop you from writing that book! Using a pen and paper is perfectly fine. Books were written with these two basic tools for centuries.

Let’s assume you are using a computer and a Word processing software. First of all, before you begin writing, form a subdirectory that you can add all your chapters to. Maybe you know the title of your book already. Fine, then form a subdirectory using the name of the title. After you finish writing that first chapter (oh joy!), just save it as Chapter 1 under the subdirectory. If you are writing a book of poetry, then you might want to save each poem as a separate file.

When I write my chapters for my novel, I format them in double space mode, with a Times New Roman 11 font. All the margins are at least one inch. This way it will be ready for manuscript submission.

Try not to add your page numbers until the very last revision. Page numbers constantly change when you’re revising, so wait until the end.

Finally, another reason for having a computer is for Internet access. As a writer, you will have opportunities to submit your fiction online, such as http://www.Writing.com, or even your articles online for e-zines, such as http://www.articlecity.com. Any chance you can get to write online, do it. As long as it doesn’t take too much time away from your book. It’s also a free way of promoting yourself before the book is even published.

So you need to balance your time in writing that book, honing your writing skills, submitting your work along the way for others to critique, and promoting yourself. Can you do it? Of course you can!

The third step to becoming an author is:

What to Write

If you are planning to write a novel, it would help to know what general category your book is going to be in. Will it be in the romance, mystery, or science fiction category? If you don’t know, take some time and think about it. Read some books in those genres. Which books seem to attract you the most? It’s highly likely that you’ll be writing in the category that you like to read. My preference is romance because I read those types of books the most. Once you decide the category, then you are closer to writing that novel!

For poetry, you might start by writing a poem and submitting it to a poetry journal, or a poetry contest. Gain exposure for your poetry. Join a critique group so you can sharpen your poetry skills. A chapbook usually consists of about 25-35 poems. For a poetry book, you’ll need at least 60 pages of poetry, if not more.

Types of Novelists

I have found over time, that there are two types of novelists. The first type is the writer who prefers drawing up a proposal or plan of what they will write about. The second type prefers to write whatever comes into their mind at that moment.

You decide which writer you will be.

Type 1 Novelist

They begin by describing the characters, their names, personalities, and sometimes their motives. Then they decide when and where the setting will take place. When will it take place? If it takes place before the 1900’s, then it will be considered historical. Also, will the setting be in the country, in a city (which city?), in a house (whose house), on a cruise ship? That needs to be defined also.

Once those decisions are made, they write brief sketches of each chapter. It could be a page or two long. Once all this is done, then the real writing begins. If this method works for you, then feel free to use it. It may take some time, but you will become more confident about what you’ll write once you go through this initial process.

Type 2 Novelist

What if you’re the type of person who doesn’t want to spend all that time writing proposals and character sketches? What if you’re like me, who prefers to just write whatever comes into your head? Then do it! Sit down and start writing. Write anything.

As the story develops, something wonderful begins brewing in your mind. Something called creativity. I’ve caught myself hours after I finished writing a chapter, and I’ll be preparing dinner, or walking somewhere, and a scene from my novel will begin to unfold. It’s called creative problem solving. My mind is working to solve the problem that the writing presents it, even though I’m not actively writing. When I get those urges, I immediately stop what I’m doing and jot down my thoughts. It’s helped me many times, particularly when everything clicks together.

How Long Will It Take?

It took me almost two years to write and find a publisher for my first novel, Lipsi’s Daughter. For other people, it may take longer or shorter, depending on the amount of time they allow for writing and how many pages they are writing. I know of authors that took six, seven, up to twelve years to write their first book. I also know of a famous author who writes two novels a year!

So unless you begin writing that first page of your book, you’ll never know how long it’ll take you to write it. Go ahead, make that first step, and good luck!

Top 10 Training Academies in India

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Training is what makes a person capable of doing something that cannot be done without proper training and knowledge. Training is very crucial for those activities that can be done only by knowledgeable people. Many people look for training in different fields and different streams in order to make themselves job-ready and achieve career growth on a faster basis. People choose the field of training based on factors like basic education, interest and scope of a field. There are various educational academies in India that provide in-depth training in different streams including fields like Information Technology, fashion and other fields. Training academies across India provide training for different courses of a particular field. The numbers of training academies are rising rapidly in our country. It is also quite difficult for people to choose the right training academy because of the huge numbers. There are few academies that advertise with false promises and create disappointment among the students. It is very much vital to choose the right academy based on factors like infrastructure, faculty, course content and so one. We have done an in-depth research in finding some of the best training academies in India. These are the top 10 training academies in India.

1. FITA

FITA has become more than just a training academy. It has become an established brand for job-assured training. It has transformed the lives of many students in a very short time. Students are passing out of Fita with immense knowledge and skills which give them the guarantee of placement. FITA provides training and certification in various Information Technology related courses like Java, Oracle, PHP, Hadoop etc and also provides training for digital marketing. It has already trained 10000+ students and given the best skills and knowledge they can get. Fita has expertise that meets global standards.

FITA Address: 37F, Velachery Main Road, Next To AdayarAnandaBhavan, Velachery, Chennai -600042. Phone: +91 98417 46595/044 42084566

2. NIVT

NIVT is a unit of Novel Research & Development India (P) Ltd. It was started in the year 2003 and has already trained many freshers and professionals. It is known to provide the best vocational training for various courses like Hadoop, Analytics, Web & Mobile technologies and Promotion Marketing. NIVT is the first institute in Eastern region of India to provide courses in business intelligence tool. It is also affiliated with the Government of India. It also offers scholarships for under privileged students. It is the best known for its Analytics courses. It is situated in Kolkata but is well known all over India.

NIVT Address: SDF Building, Module #118, Ground Floor, Salt Lake City, GP Block, Sector V, Kolkata, West Bengal 700091 Phone: +91 92306 13568

3. VECTOR

Vector is an institute that offers an all-in-one training courses on Embedded and VLSI systems. It is India’s first ISO 9001:2015 certified embedded & VLSI system training institute. The trainers at Vector have proven expertise in different fields and domains. They have designed an exclusive course content that meets global requirements. Vector has been meeting the demand for embedded system designers and has been supporting its students in getting placed in some of the best companies in the world. It is an institution with national recognition. It also offers short term courses to its students.

Vector Address: 33/49, 27th Cross Street, 12th Main, Jayanagar, 4th Block, Bangalore-560011 Phone: +91 87624 56789

4. ANALYTIXLABS

Analytixlabs, as its name suggests, it is an academy that concentrates more on Analytics and data management. It has branches in Bangalore and Gurgaon. Analytixlabs is known to have a huge network in the industry to guide and support students in placements. The students will also be guided on job applications and interview preparations. They have experts from companies like McKinsey, KPMG, Deloitte and Genpact to train students in the data analytics field with global knowledge. It also offers discounted rates for many courses that are in demand. It provides its services to both college students and working professionals to achieve career up gradation and acceleration.

Analytixlabs Address: Bldg 41, First floor, 14th Main Road, Near BDA Complex, Sector 7, HSR Layout, Bangalore – 560102 Phone: +91 95552 19007

5. ORANGETREE GLOBAL

Orangetree Global is located in various parts of north India like Pune, Kolkata and Mumbai. It offers courses that train students in business intelligence and business analytics. The Academy strives to impart knowledge to its students on various high-end technologies that will be of high demand in current as well as in future. It also offers resume building so that students learn to prepare professional resume suitable for data professionals.

Orangetree Address: 203B, Kemp Plaza, Malad MindSpace, Mumbai 400064 Phone: +91 98300 63222

6. IIHT

IIHT is located not only in India but also in Nepal. It offers various courses related Information Technology field. It has about 30+ job oriented courses that support the career of many students and professionals. It was found by some of the top veterans of the IT field, who have experience of more than 15 years. It has the separate range of courses for students and working professionals. Found in the year 1993, it has been successful in creating huge opportunities for students both in India and in foreign countries.

IIHT Address: No. 321, IInd Floor (Opposite to Stairs), Doshi Gardens, Arcot Road, Vadapalani, Chennai – 600026. Phone: 9677055562, 044-43069570

7. NETWORK BULLS

Network Bulls is a provider of exclusive networking based training and courses. It offers a wide variety of courses that support the job market demand for networking professionals. It has been in operation for more than 7 years. It is much of an exclusive academy with high-end infrastructure that supports and helps to learn and gain a lot of knowledge on networking. It is known to have the world’s biggest CISCO labs.

Network Bulls Address: SCO-9,10,11,12-2nd & 3rd Floor, Old Delhi Road, Sec-14, Gurgaon-122001 Phone: 1800 3070 7628

8. INVENTATEQ

Inventateq is an ISO 9001:2015 certified institute that imparts knowledge on various Information Technology streams. Interview questions and real case studies are provided to students so that the students gain as much as possible. It is a software training institute based in Bangalore. It has four branches in Bangalore.

Inventateq Address: 687, 1st Floor, 29th Main Road, Btm Layout 2nd Stage, Btm Lake Road, Bangalore-76 Phone: +91 080 42108236

9. VOGUE

Vogue is basically a fashion designing institute that provides post graduation also. It deals with not only fashion designing but also provides courses in fashion technology and management. It imparts knowledge that creates awareness about fashion merchandising. It is an institute based in Bangalore which is a hub of fashion and fashion merchandising.

Vogue Address: Plot # SW45-SW48, KIADB Apparel Park Phase II, Bangalore – 561203 Phone: +91 02261816372

10. DELPHI

Delphi is also another single technology based Academy in India. It is exclusively for SAP technology. It offers specialized SAP programs for individuals, professionals and students. It also offers SAP consulting services to some of the top companies which prove that the institute has been providing good on-field experience.

Delphi Address: 201A, Indira Building, Next to Titan Showroom, Bhandarkar Road, Pune 411004 Phone: +91 2040110500

Training is possible only through some of the best training academies. Training provides results that will give career acceleration to many people. Training imparts knowledge in various technologies that are of high demand and requirement around the world. We have listed out the Top 10 Training Academies in India that provide the best training like FITA Academy in the concerned fields and technologies like Java, Hadoop, Android, Selenium etc.,

Paying For Your Child’s College Education – Staying Out Of Debt

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1- Paying For College

Many Boomer’s have High School Juniors in the house and if you are one of them this article can give you some suggestions on how to fund your child’s college education.

If you have Kids already in college some of the scholarship info may be helpful.

If you don’t have anyone in college you can skip this article without missing a thing.

As I’ve said before to many clients(and heard from plenty of parents who disagreed) if you have less than 20 years till your retirement age and have less than $200,000 saved in your pension fund you have no business funding your child’s college education in total. Period!

Do you really want to spend your retirement working to pay off your Child’s college bills while failing to take care of what’s coming at you?

Remember, your child will have over 40 years to pay off those bills and save for their own retirement.

You, on the other hand, will have less than 20 years to pay college bills and save for your own retirement. You simply can’t do both.

That said, let’s get started on how your child can pay for her own college and keep her loans low.

The main thing you need to realize is that tuition for colleges range from unbelievable to very affordable.

George Washington University is one of the highest private colleges in the U.S. with annual tuition of $32,000 per year (housing not included).

One of the most reasonable colleges is San Diego University with annual tuition of only $2936 per year. This applies for resident students but residency is very easy to establish.

My point is that you need to check into colleges and tuition before deciding where to send your child.

Private colleges are good but very expensive. The total cost can be as much as some houses are selling today.

Your student can get the same education at a highly rated public college for a fraction of the cost.

And your student can make just as many important contacts affecting their futures at a public college as at Harvard (though Harvard grads will argue that point).

Helping your student make the best decision can be a tough assignment.

A former college roommates is now Dean of Students at a very well known college and I spent time pumping him for info on what colleges look for in giving out scholarships.

Here’s what he said – it makes for very interesting reading.

First, grades and scholastic scores are important but they are only one of many things most colleges look at. They also look at what a student does outside of school.

Your child gets huge marks if they spend some time volunteering in your community. They also get major points if they have a parttime job.

This shows the college your child’s dedication to something larger than themselves and the drive to pay for part of their own education.

If your child is active in her school it shows a desire to share her time and talents with her classmates.

Generally, these activities are other than sports related. Sports scholarships are something different.

If your child participates in any or all of the above and still maintains a high GPA, it shows any college that she has the talent and ability needed to succeed in school.

Second, decide on a college she will be attending early in her junior year of high school. You want to do this for several reasons.

1- You want to visit the college with your daughter to make sure it has the curricula she needs.

2- It will give her an opportunity to visit with an advisor (pre-appointment strongly suggested).

3- You will be able to spend time with the Financial Aids Department (very important).

According to my former roommate, students who visit a college before they can actually apply can make a huge impression for forward planning and organization.

Staying in touch with the people she meets means that she will be remembered when she finally does apply (especially in the Financial Aids office).

In your community, your child needs to research all the sources that give scholarships to graduating seniors and then start applying early in her senior year.

Fraternal organizations like the Lions, Rotary, Elks and Eagles all give annual scholarships ranging from $100 to $1000/year for 4 years.

Some organizations like your local Chamber of Commerce or FFA give scholarships to qualifying students.

And don’t forget the church you attend regularly. If your child has been an active member she could qualify for any scholarships they may give.

Finally, if your child intends to go to a private college, contact their Alumni Association to find out what kind of aid is available to qualifying students who are going to have trouble paying for college.

Don’t forget the Federally Guaranteed Student Loans either. These are great loans that will tailor a repayment schedule to your child once they graduate.

One final tip that is used by very savvy students. After your child gets to college have your child visit her Financial Aids Counselor before the end of the 1st semester.

Reason? Many scholarships go unclaimed because students figure they may not qualify for them so they don’t apply.

If there are unclaimed scholarships the counselor can point them out to your student and tell her how she can qualify.

Remember, the worst thing they can say is no – but if your student doesn’t even try these things, they can never say yes, either!

Just make sure she starts applying early in her Senior year and for as many scholarships as she can.

The final prize always goes to the most creative, the earliest and the most persistent.

How to Study and Pass the CPC Exam to Become a Certified Medical Coder

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If you’re looking for help on how to study and pass the CPC exam to get certified as a medical coder, you have many options. There are a lot of programs out there designed to help you out in different areas, with also the same variability in price. The presentation and format of these self-help or CPC prep course also varies so you should select one that will help you to best absorb all the information. These are among some of the options you have.

Online or classroom CPC prep course

The AAPC recommends that you take a medical terminology and anatomy course, then enroll in a CPC prep course before taking the exam. This is to make sure you are fully prepared before going for the CPC exam. So you have a choice of preparing in an online or classroom setting. Depending on your work and schedule you may go for either one, as they’re both excellent ways to get started. Either way you need the official CPC certification study guide for the current year of the exam.

Training camp

There are training camps available to help you review the topics and exam techniques before you go for the CPC exam. These are usually intensive preparatory courses that feature an expert and may include other speakers that last a few days. Some are specialized but most are to help you cover everything such as principles of ICD-9 coding, HCPCS coding, CPT coding, medical terminology, and others. You’ll find that these training camps are scheduled quite regularly throughout the year and nationwide to facilitate you. While they are intensive and feature great experts, these training camp prep courses are expensive. And if they are not available in your local area, you’ll need to shell out more for lodging and travel expenses.

Personal coach

If you can’t make it to a training camp, you could have the expert instructor come directly to you instead. You can approach a training company such as those that organizes the training camp and get a quote for on-site training. This option is of course more expensive but if you could try to get a bunch of people together then the cost could be reasonable. Otherwise you can directly contact the expert instructor you’re interested in to arrange a one-to-one consultation. The great advantage of having a personal coach is that you have their full attention. The prep course can be customized to work on your problem areas.

Webinars

There are a lot of resources online for you attend an online webinar conducted by an expert instructor. Usually webinars are included as part of an online CPC exam prep course to give exam takers further support. Webinars are excellent as you can attend in the comfort of your own home but interact with the instructor to ask questions.

Practice exams

You can also find plenty of practice exams. They are usually online practice exams so you can check your score instantly. But for true authenticity, you could also get paper versions as well. These are designed to simulate the CPC exam, where you’re given 150 questions to answer in 5 hours and 40 minutes. The questions are meant to be as close to the actual exam questions as much as possible, and some may be modeled after past exam questions. The CPC exam is a test of your time management skill as well as your coding skill as a lot of exam takers simply can’t finish answering all questions within the time. By doing online practice exams, you’ll be able to learn how to manage your time during the exam, which can determine whether you pass or fail.

Local AAPC chapters

Don’t forget your local AAPC chapter. They routinely organize CPC review classes conducted by expert instructors. You should attend if given the chance as the instructors could be your future exam proctors in your area. Their tips and advice will be suitably localized for your area where you just can’t get from elsewhere. Here you also have a chance to meet and mingle with other exam-takers to exchange ideas and learn from one another. CPC review classes organized by your local AAPC chapter are usually very cheap and very convenient for you.

Tips on How to Be Successful – Get a Coach

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What separates chumps from champs?

Let us consider two speakers getting ready for a competition.

The two speakers practice their speeches the same amount of time, spend the same amount of time revising their speeches, and both deliver their speeches with the same enthusiasm. With all those things equal, there is one thing that separates the great speaker from good. That one thing is a coach.

Coaching is not just in the realm of sports. Coaches exist for life, business, organization, and yes, speaking. In having a coach or group of coaches in many cases, you give yourself an advantage with all other things being equal.

Why?
Because having a professional coach gives you an experienced opinion on your performance. The coach provides feedback that others might not give because of politeness or they just don’t know what to look for. A good coach gives you unabashed feedback on your performance without excess commentary or pushing you to buy another useless product.

Being Coachable
Let’s go back to those two speakers we mentioned at the beginning of this post. Let’s now give them both coaches of equal coaching ability. What still separates the performance of the two speakers? Coachability.

You can have all the coaches in the world, but if you are not open to being coached then you will stay a chump. I have seen a lot of speakers practice, revise, get feedback, and practice more but are still unable to improve. The problem is that they get coaching, but don’t apply it to their situation.

What does it take to be coachable?
Someone who is coachable is open to feedback, listens twice as much than they talk, and puts direction into action first before saying it doesn’t work. It is not easy to be open to coaching. It takes a lot of self confidence to put your ego aside and listen to the honest feedback of another person. I know, because I have been there listening to a coach and thought, “They have no clue what they are talking about!”

But then, I changed my perception of the situation. I still struggle everyday to keep my mouth shut, listen effectively, and allow myself to be coached in all areas of my life. Is it easy No, but I know that I will be a better person if I get better at being coached.

Finding a Coach
“When the student is ready, the master appears.” ~Buddhist Proverb

Coaching is in. When looking for a coach, you can find life coaches, organizational coaches, relationship coaches, and even pick up coaches. The trend in the coaching market seems to indicate that if there is something in your life you think you need to fix, then there will be someone else willing to take on the title of “your problem” coach.

Because of the current interest in coaching, there are a lot of people willing to offer themselves up as coaches. Because there are so many people out there willing to be coaches, I would like you to consider the following when looking for a coach:

1. What have you tried already?

Many people are already doing what they need to do to be successful without having to hire a coach. I have found that most people that look for coaching have already learned most of the material they need to be successful. They don’t realize that they have all the tools they need to get done what they want to do and a coach would be nothing more than an expensive cheerleader. In that case I would recommend just doing what you want to do. Stop reading about organization, starting a business, or balancing you finances and just do it! If you realize that as you are doing it you need some help, then get a coach to help you fill in the gaps in your execution.

2. Do you really need a coach?

Are you willing to change what needs to be changed in your life to be successful? Most people are not willing to change what needs to be changed in order for them to succeed. It is the dark secret of self improvement; most people really don’t want to change. If you have not proven to yourself that you are able to change, then hiring a coach is going to be a waste of time.

3. How much are you willing to spend?

Coaching can be expensive. If you are looking to hire a coach that can help teach you do make the changes you want in your life, then you might have to spend $100 or more an hour. Because the experience that a coach has did not come easily and the coaching training they have was also expensive, so a coach has to charge a steep rate to make a return on their investment. Once you find a good coach, you will realize that the information they have, if you are willing to change, is worth the investment. Remember point two, you have to be willing to change. I don’t want people reading this to be throwing their money away when they are not going to change.

4. What do you expect to get from coaching?

A coach will not do your work for you. When you hire an organizational coach, expect them to set up a system and teach you how to use it. It will then be up to you to do the work of getting yourself organized. Being coached is a lot of work and you need to expect to put in one to three hours a day completing the tasks that your coach assigns. When you hire a life coach, expect to be doing a lot of writing, a lot of reading, and some deep hard thinking about what you really want to do with your life. A good coach is not going to tell you what to do with your life, but they will help you put the pieces of your puzzle on the floor and help you see what fits best together.

Getting Started
When you are able to really say, “Yes I am ready to change”, you can then expect to do well with coaching. When you really know that, and then ask yourself if you have already tried the things a coach might suggest, do you know what a coach does, and are you willing to spend the money on a coach?

If you are really still ready to be coached, then hang on, because in the next part of this series we will talk about how you can go about looking for a coach, what to avoid, and what questions to ask the coaches you will be interviewing.

Learning a Second Language: Why Is It Important?

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To know the answer to this question, one has to know the advantages and disadvantages encountered in learning a language, especially by those who are learning it not only for educational reasons but also for the expansion of their horizons on the means of communication from people whose culture is different from theirs.

For the individual, learning a second language takes him to a whole new dimension in understanding different cultures based on the language they use. Learning a new language differs from just watching movies or TV shows and understanding the conversation, it opens up the minds of those who learn it on the customs and traditions of others, based on the usage of words and idioms.

Though the learning process may prove difficult, the end results could extend to more than just learning a few phrases and expansion of one’s vocabulary. As a person learns, the brain is stimulated to function better; memory, word construction, evaluation, and self expression is enhanced and improved. As a person learns how others express themselves, the individual can find more ways to integrate this knowledge in his own native language, thus broadening his expressive skills.

On a larger scale, having learned a second language helps break down barriers which prevents people from understanding different cultures. It can be used to prevent or lessen discrimination, racism and stereo typing of different cultures. By having a second language, a person opens himself up to understanding more about the places, food and cultures of a foreign place. It can also put that person in good light with the locals, as having knowledge of the language usually shows respect for the locals thus removing distrust and avoidance between people of different cultures or countries, thus making the adventure more exciting and mind blowing. In having the ability to speak a second language, a person would not be limited in learning about others rather it would be a great tool in gaining more friends of other nationalities.

Consequently, having a second or even a third language would be beneficial for a person working in a global environment. As economies and businesses today are geared towards the international market, a person who possesses a second language would be a much coveted asset for any company involved in dealing with international clients. Having the ability to communicate fluently with customers in their own language increases rapport and good business relations between companies, thus increasing possibilities of increase in sales and further expansions, therefore a person who can communicate in behalf of the company with their clients, is as essential as having the right materials to manufacture their products.

Methods in Learning a Second Language

With the knowledge about the importance of learning a second language, we now tackle the different methods on how an individual can gain this new skill. How do we learn a new language? Just like any other project, studying a new language may have its difficulties, but as this skill is being sought for by more people, we find that it is being made easier by educators and others so that more people can avail of it. Here are the most common and most basic means of learning a new language:

1. Classroom Education: Though this is the most traditional form of learning a second language, it would be considered as the most effective. In a classroom setting, students or those who would want to learn a second language can choose from a variety of lessons, from the most basic to the very advanced forms. With the rising need for young people to learn a second language, most schools, especially Universities and private educational centers, have thrived in this business.

2. Electronic Networking: With the advent of the Internet and Social Networking sites, learning a second language is no longer confined in the four corners of the classroom. Most people nowadays would turn to the use of the computer to learn a second language. A host of services are offered via the internet; a student can now talk with a native speaker and therefore have first hand knowledge on the proper usage of words and pronunciation, just by the click of a button. Others would use the internet to learn more about a certain culture or a language, knowledge which would not be learned from a typical classroom setting. Although learning a second language via the electronic network lacks the Human touch associated with the traditional learning process, it is deemed more convenient for people who are on the go and would fit their lifestyles and schedules.

3. Personal Involvement: The most informal method of learning a second language. Personal involvement would be to integrate oneself to the culture one is interested in. A good example of this would be to stay or live in the place where one is interested in learning a second language; if a person wants to learn English, he would then move to an English speaking country to learn about its language and culture, or if he wants to learn Spanish, he would move to a Spanish speaking country. This, however, would not be true to all those who would want to learn a second language, so others would then attend organizations or clubs where they could interact with foreigners who speak the language they would want to learn. This type of learning would be very difficult at the very beginning, but with persistence, hard work and continuous practice, a person may improve his speaking skills.

Whatever method a person may choose, it is important to understand that learning a new language involves commitment and persistence, and for those who try to learn should look at the available resources they have in order for them to achieve their goals in learning a second language and make the process easier and fun.

Relevant MEWPs Courses in the Market

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In any working at heights industry, there would most likely be occasions where mobile elevating equipment or machineries would be used. It is important to ensure complete safety when using such equipment or machineries which are heavy, expensive and dangerous.

Those involved in this industry should take on relevant MEWP courses before indulging in the related operations.

Course training

MEWP or mobile elevating work platform courses allow one to understand the mechanics and electronics of such machineries and equipment to use them safely and effectively. Work can be handled and completed well when the right knowledge and skills are applied; this comes through taking up the appropriate MEWPs courses which are available in the market.

The MEWP Operators training course is a one-day course that is IPAF accredited. It is the agency’s most popular MEWPs course which can attract as many as 90,000 delegates every year at all IPAF approved training centers.

The course may be short but it covers sufficiently on the duties, responsibilities and safety aspects of the workers at height with relevant knowledge on the necessary MEWP equipment and tools.

MEWP courses would cover static vertical, personnel platform, static booms, van trucks, trailer mounts, mobile verticals, mobile VPP and booms.

Qualification

When the course candidates successfully complete this MEWP training, they would receive the coveted IPAF photocard, certificate, Operators Safety Guidebook as well as the PAL Card log. These esteemed entities would enable the candidates to be marketable in the construction industry for 5 years. After which, retraining or upgrade courses are highly recommended.

This qualification is necessary as part of the Work at Height regulations requirement by the state to ensure complete safety and successful development during and after the project. This MEWP qualification would equip the candidates with the relevant technical information on MEWP, tools, resources, safety and health issues with practical sessions for experience before entering the work field.

Supplementary courses

In line with the MEWP training, there are other related training courses to supplement the knowledge and skills picked up at MEWPs courses. These include PAF Scissor Lift, Scissor and Boom, Cherry Picker and Ladder Safety courses.

These are all IPAF approved courses which are relevant to the construction and development industry. There are more than 500 training centers which are IPAF approved worldwide to cater to the global development industry. These courses are recognized by many nations such as UK and USA. Their programs are certified by TUV which is ISO 18878:2004.

Why More and More States Are Starting to Pay Greater Attention to Early Childhood Education Programs

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Just a few years back, very few state education departments in the USA showed any willingness to devote their attention and resources to early childhood education programs. In those days, most of the attention would be focused on elementary, secondary and college education programs, leaving the early childhood system largely uncared for. The reasoning behind this was quite simple: that early childhood education didn’t matter, and that resources would be better spent if devoted to the higher education systems (where output is usually more tangible and hence more quantifiable).

Fast forward to today, and we see more and states devoting considerable resources and attention to the early childhood education system. There are a number of ways through which this is manifesting. We are, for instance, seeing more and more childhood education centers being built in low income areas, to encourage parents who wouldn’t otherwise put their children through ECD to do so. Many state governments are also employing more and more early child educators. And supervision for early child educators, even those not in the government payroll, is being tightened, to ensure that it is a quality education they are giving kids. In many states, we are increasingly seeing people aspiring to become early child educators being put through licensing processes. And more often than not, one of the conditions for licensure is that the person must have a good understanding of early education techniques – with quite a good number requiring aspiring ECD teachers to have degrees in the discipline.
So, the question that comes up is as to why more and more governments are paying closer attention to early childhood education.

And while several factors can be seen as being the trend where more and more state governments are paying closer attention to early education, it turns out that their efforts in that regard are mostly being informed by findings from education research. Those are findings to the effect that the quality of childhood education a person gets is one of the key determinants of that person’s educational achievement over a lifetime. This is where it emerges that people who receive good quality early education tend to go on to become educational achievers, with people who receive poor quality early childhood education (or no ECD at all) going on to become non-achievers education-wise, regardless of their natural abilities. The mechanism via which this trend manifests, it seems, is via the fact that it is in the ECD system that ‘attitudes to learning’ are developed. It follows, then, that good ECD would develop good attitudes to learning in learners, whereas poor ECD makes them averse to learning.

Governments are increasingly becoming awake to the fact that although the results of early education may not be directly quantifiable, childhood education still has a very huge impact on the rest of the education system over the years. Thus, they become aware to the fact that devotion of resources and attention into the early childhood is, in fact, an investment into future success for the (whole) education system. Conversely, it is now widely understood that neglecting childhood education would do the whole education system a lot of harm in the longer run. That would be happening as students with poor attitudes to learning (thanks to poor early childhood education) go through the system, and probably come out of it without attaining their fullest potential.

You Are Not Alone In Your After 50 Career Change!

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You are not alone in your after 50 career change.

After 50 is becoming more the norm as more people this age are planning to change or changing careers. It wasn’t too long age that it was more common for people to stay in the same career and perhaps the same job for close to their entire working life.

Moreover, there is the financial component to consider in the career changes. With Social Security becoming more unstable every day, with employers eliminating defined-benefit pension plans there is an increasing financial need to continued working. And with working longer there is added motivation to be doing something where there is increased satisfaction from the job and career.

Career change in the over 50 group is increasing. Some of the main reasons are the large numbers in the group, increased career opportunities, more careers being designed and created every day and the extended working careers as people are living longer.

With all this potential career change activity after age 50 there are a growing number of good career opportunities that, with the right career planning and positioning can lead to a more satisfying career. In a large number of situations the career changer after 50 can also get a long-term boost in income.

So as interests, skills, abilities and financial requirements evolve as people get older it is not difficult to understand why there is a growing number of over 50 career changers. In addition, many current retirees find that retirement is not all they thought so they plan on re-entering the workforce.

With less and less jobs requiring physical effort career opportunities for those over 50 is steadily increasing. Also, the explosion of the means and the vehicles of added learning is keeping pace with many of the career skill requirements.

Also, since learning is not longer limited to formal classroom type training the over 50 job changer has almost unlimited sources of adding to their skills and knowledge. Distance learning, self-study, seminars and workshops, tele-conferences, and career related conferences are just a few of the ways the older career changer can acquire the necessary skills and experience to qualify for a new career.

There is plethora of current job hunting resources that a few years age were not available, were too costly or were out of date shortly after they were printed. The internet has opened up career research, job sources, job hunting techniques and the important opportunities to network with like-minded career changers.

Further, many employers recognize the value of the over 50 worker and actively recruit them. The career changer after 50 has to be creative in how to communicate their transferable skills to the new career and demonstrate how they will bring value to the employer.

So even after 50, it’s really never too late to learn new skills and go after a dream job in a new career. If not financially rewarding the personal rewards are too great to pass up.

How to Choose the Right Law School in the US

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Typically, international students have to choose from many schools if they want to to get admission in a US law school. For them, it is a challenge to choose the best law school. They have to perform a lot of research before making the ultimate decision. If you want to choose the right school in the United States, follow the tips given below.

Check out the Law School Rankings

If you are exploring schools in the US, make sure you consider school rankings. In the United States, all accredited schools are ranked on an annual basis in light of different criteria.

For example, common criteria include placement success, selectivity, rankings by lawyers, and quality, just to name a few. Often, international students apply to law schools on the basis of these rankings.

Mostly, schools with higher rankings are preferred by employers when they accept graduates. We suggest that you check out the top 100 law schools in the United States.

Ideally, you may want to find out more about schools that you find interesting based on the courses, teaching style, location, and extracurricular activities. The school should offer quality education so you can hone your skills.

The Location of the School

Location is the most important thing when you are looking for a law school in the US. After you qualify, you will practice law in the same region where your school was located. Given below are some of the main reasons for this:

Law degrees are regional: Actually, law degrees carry more significance in the region you studied in. For example, if you got your law degree from a Florida school, chances are that you will be able to find work in one of the cities in Florida.

Alumni partners: Usually alumina partners tend to hire law students based on their alma meter instead of a different school.

State-based bar exams: Law degrees are regional because you will have to pass a state-based exam after you have graduated from a law school in the United States.

Based on the state, the law varies. So, if you studied in Georgia, you can’t pass the law test in Florida as you won’t have the necessary skills and knowledge to clear the test.

Of course, these rules have a few exceptions. In the US, the best law schools provide degrees that can allow you to work across the country. If you study at these schools, you can find work across the United States. And most law firms will be happy to recruit you.

Field of Study

You may want to choose the right law courses. Since different schools offer different courses, make sure you don’t get carried away just because a school is located in your desired area and has impressive rankings.

In some law types, some schools offer a much better education. Generally, reputable facilities have much better rates of employment. On the other hand, some law schools offer better internship and training opportunities like internships at the office of public or state defender in the United States.

So, if you are in search of a law school in the US, know that some schools are popular for producing great criminal lawyers or sports agents. Therefore, you should consider the tips given above to make the right choice.