Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Why You Must Gain Hands-On Experience Along With A Degree?



Do you want to become a manager? But do you have what it takes to be one? With increasing competitiveness in the global job market, earning a business degree is simply not enough anymore to get a lucrative job. You need to get hands-on experience as employers are now more focused on finding out how effective you are in the workplace. Read on to find out how you can gain the right degree and relevant experience...

Do You Need Management Experience?

I agree that in this current business scenario it has become almost imperative to pursue business education and acquire the necessary management skills and knowledge. However, the fact remains that most employers now prefer candidates who have adequate experience as well as a recognised degree. As most companies now expect fresh recruits to perform from the very first day, your work experience will give you the ability and confidence to prove your mettle in your organisation and advance your career. I believe one of the best ways to do this is getting a management internship and learning first-hand what a manager does.

Do you think that internships mean getting coffee and making photocopies? Then you couldn't be more wrong. Nowadays, you can find various internship opportunities which provide you hands-on experience in management and help you learn more about managerial roles. You will get a clear idea about the job, develop required skills and be more confident about your place in the company.

Streamline Your Internship Search

You must look for business and management internships in your desired as well as relevant industry. It's a fact that employers prefer applicants with hands-on experience in their industry or sector. After all, it only makes sense that when you have a clear understanding of the job to be performed by your team, you will be in a better position to lead, motivate and manage them.

What You Have To Do


During your management internship, you will usually have to shadow your senior managers and focus on different aspects of their work. You will need to work on surveys, analysis of data, observe the tasks of a senior manager and report to him. You must remember that management jobs tend to include both project management and people management.

Can You Get A Full-Time Job?


Although a management internship can certainly help you to get the best job opportunities, it does not guarantee a graduate job in the company. However, it will undoubtedly boost your chances for getting a full time job with the internship employer. All you need to do is showcase the technical knowledge and experience you have gained from the internship.

Earn A Degree Or Get Experience?

The fact remains that when you pursue a full time business and management course like an MBA, it is not feasible to do an internship or gain relevant experience. You will simply not be able to find time to attend scheduled lectures in the classrooms and work on your internship at the same time. So what should you do? Is there any way you can earn a degree and still find time to gain work experience?

Yes! Studying an online business management programme from a recognised B-school or university will enable you to work and learn simultaneously. Online business courses are designed to be highly flexible so that you can effectively study while you work. As you will learn the core business management concepts at your own pace, you will be able to apply them in your internship and further hone your skills. Online business courses are the perfect solution for earning an affordable degree and balancing your work and education.

How are you planning to gain experience while studying? Do you want to add to the discussion? Then feel free to share your ideas and thoughts below.....

Article source - bit.ly/1KZjY4i


Monday, May 11, 2015

A Guide to Financial Education for Doctors




Doctors are easy targets of financial theft

Doctors are high earners. Consequentially, they are one of the most heavily-hit target groups for financial theft. Issue, drawing attention of experts and analysts, have attracted comment from popular columnists like Rob Lieber who describing money-management difficulties for various professionals, have said commencing a discussion : 

We begin with physicians, for whom a combination of factors can conspire against success. They take eight or so years off from the world to do nothing but learn how to be doctors, then receive a six-figure annual paycheck with no real idea of what to do with it. If they can save lives, many believe, managing money ought to be easy. But self-certainty like that can lead to all sorts of horrible mistakes.” 

The fact of doctors being easy targets, considering their credulity, is also relected in the voice of another anonymous adviser : “Physicians are viewed as marks, because they are known to have money.”

 Various means of money-drainage 



As their no finacial training during career-building professional courses in medicine, doctors become vulnerable with huge income, but no experience in investment whatsoever. Lack of clarity regarding difference in concepts between 'Debit card' and 'Credit card', make doctors fall into the trap of bankrupting over-drafts. In the computerised world, the disclosure of confidential information regarding bank accounts etc., amounts to identity theft that doctors have to be aware of. Even decisions like Buying or Renting, or purchasing a car can place doctors in dilemma who are practical ignorants on financial matters. Many times, doctors go through legal challenges claiming compensation, or other legal complications in personal life, that is common to high-earners, that require compulsory maturity regarding financial matters.

 Providing financial training to doctors

Institutes across America are providing online courses to doctors to make them self-sufficient, self-contained decision-makers capable of using their monetary resources in efficient and constructive ways. MIT, University of California, University of Florida are in the list of service-providers. Apart from online courses, regular classroom education is also organised, that are managed by reputed professors of universities. 

Remaining aware of dishonest advisers 

But, doctors has to be aware of dishonest financial advisors as well. Workshops that promises free financial education, can also be a medium to access doctor's account(s) by dishonest counselors, posing themselves as helpers. 

Self-education in informal ways

There are lots of books written for those who don't go through formal training in institutes. And, financial education is not an exception. Something, as fundamental as financial education not only requires books, but also practical application in home environment. Charity begins at home and even though financial education is not quite charity, managing home and seeing kids grow up can be a good proxy for actual scenario in the outside world. For highly qualified people like doctors, assimilating a topic from a self-help guide in the form of a book that's not at all harder than the life-saving study of medicine and practicing in practical life to be a pro, is never a tough ask.

 Preparing the future generation



Doctors should prepare their kids to be wise in taking financial decisions in future walk of life. And, that starts at childhood, when they are minors, by participating in government sponsored stipended welfare programmes in schools, or even at home, under parents' supervision. This article provides link that explores the idea of taking education to the next level. 

Article source -bit.ly/1OCB20e , bit.ly/1cHypyL, bitly.com/1Djc0MW

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Top Free Apps and eLearning Services


Image Source : bit.ly/1gwkrlb

With the advancement of science and technology, the ways of education and learn have also changed drastically. The increasing use of computer and mobile apps has almost revolutionized the methods and modes of learning. Over the years, several apps have been devised to aid the learning process, and here are some most salient apps that are available free of cost.

Language Learning Apps


Rossetta Stone


Rossetta Stone is a great and valuable treasure for the people desiring to learn new languages. You can learn any one of the 24 languages, including English, Italian, French, German, and Spanish etc. In the first place, it makes the process of learning the languages quite natural and intuitive.

Duolingo


Offering the opportunity to learn anywhere and anytime, Duolingo teaches the language learners in a revitalizing manner. It is really a great fun to learn the new languages with Duolingo. It offers several entertaining exercises to learn languages through reading, listening, translation, and challenges with multiple choices.


Without making you feel the requirement or support of any teacher or an instructor, the above apps can help you to gain mastery over various prominent languages spoken across the globe.

Learning the technological features and functions

Image Source : bit.ly/1JWQ6TD

Learnable

Embracing the ultra modern technological features, it is one of the most trusted sources for education in Online Programming. It has a huge collection of a great variety of video tutorials. Also, it has the ebooks for the students of different levels. Starting from the basics, you can learn even more advanced features that can boost your career.

Bitfountain Mini Android Course

Comprising 9 lectures and some challenges, it offers a full course of on how to make an Android App. Along with the basic introduction to Java; it provides the best opportunities to learn about how to work in an Android Studio. What you just need is to have a browser and an internet connection.

WordPress Beginner Course

With the passage of time, the use and popularity of Wordpress have escalated immensely, and the Wordpress Beginner Course offers you free learning lessons on how to build a Wordpress site all by yourself. It is a free course that enables the learners to build the Wordpress sites quickly and easily.

Linux Academy

Offering the self paced courses on Linux, OpenStack, DevOps, and Amazon Web Services etc. It comes with a free 30 day subscription, and through the Linux Academy, one can gain mastery over these powerful systems.

Mammoth Interactive 5-hour Developer Bundle

For learning the fundamental of web designing and the basics of coding languages, the Mammoth Interactive 5- Hour Developer Bundle is one of the best self learning apps worldwide.

Whether you desire to learn the technological features for your personal use, or wish to boost your career; the above apps can be very much helpful in achieving the desirable objectives.

Enhancing the academic performance


Busuu

With the reading, listening, writing and speaking exercises and challenges, Busuu offers an opportunity to learn various foreign languages with the help of over 35 million native speakers. The interactive sessions and quizzes are a real fun while learning various languages through Busuu.

Kindle

With the Kindle reading app, you can turn your mobile device into a reading app. Without carrying the burden of papers, you can use this digital book wherever you go. The built-in dictionary offers a quick access to the word meaning.

Audible Listener (30 Day Subscription)

With over 180K Audio books, the Audio Listener offers the convenience of reading anywhere and anytime. It comes with a 30 day free trial and it can be very helpful in saving the time, money, and paper.

The above three apps not only facilitate a great convenience in learning, but at the same time, they also escalate the academic performance to greater heights.

Article source - bit.ly/1FPduoq

Friday, April 10, 2015

How To Avoid £9,000 Tuition Fees And Still Earn A Degree





Are you getting ready to study a university degree? Do you think it is good idea even as college fees are rising? What if I told you there is a better way to earn a degree without getting crippled with student debt? Here we are going to have a look at the rising cost of higher education in the UK and how you can study in an affordable way. Read on...

Education Is Expensive

Let's face it, rising college tuition fees is one of the most serious concerns for most aspiring students and their parents. As a result of this, majority of college-goers are feeling the compulsion to take out a heavy student loan to cover their education expenses. Apart from the United States, the United Kingdom is also struggling with rising student debt and how it is affecting the education, career and earnings of students. Even if the government is trying to deal with the situation, there are several factors that are creating obstacles and making the situation worse for most students.

Is There Any Hope For Affordable Degrees?

Recently, I found out that there was a notion to drop tuition fees across UK from £9,000 to £6,000, but the Labour party is now feeling the pressure get rid of the idea. Recently, former Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and present Business Secretary Vince Cable under Labour raised issues about cutting fees to £6,000 a year. According to Cable, the plans taken by Labour were nothing but a “populist gesture” and “very foolish.” Moreover, Lord Mandelson warned that such cuts in college fees can compel institutes to cut down on important courses like the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths).

Lord Mandelson said “Whilst I strongly welcome foreign students to Britain, I would not want to see them receiving preference over British students because of the greater income they bring to universities,” in a speech to university vice-chancellors. In an interview before speech he commented “I think you have to consider whether there is a clamour for change - whether there is a demand for it and whether taxpayers would be happy with the alternative use of funding it if the taxpayer part would have to rise.”

He believes that Labour must keep the door open for consultation if there is any possibility of moving ahead with such a pledge. He thinks that Labour also needs to clarify from where the funding would come in order to compensate the tuition cuts. Lord Mandelson added “Any solution that leaves the universities less funded than they are at the moment is not the right solution.”

Why You Need A Degree

Although he may be right, but like most students I do believe that a £9,000 tuition is excessive for earning a college degree. As a result of this most students are now wondering they should skip college and join the workforce. But starting your career by skipping college can severely damage your career and earning potential in future. The fact remains that most employers still value a degree and certain jobs require that you gain some specific skills to be even eligible for an interview. In this scenario, earning a higher education degree is a necessity for most students. But is it even possible to earn an affordable degree without taking student loan?

Online Study Is Exactly What You Need

Yes! Simply opt for an online distance learning top up programme. Online distance learning courses can help you to gain the right skills and knowledge without emptying your savings account. As this programmes are highly affordable and flexible, many learners from around the world are now pursuing online studies to earn an accredited degree and start their careers in the best possible way. As demands for distance learning is growing, many reputed UK universities are now offering their courses online to reach more students worldwide. This guarantees that you will recieve quality education as the programmes are primarily developed and conducted by in-house faculty.

When you pursue a distance learning top- up programme , you will receive various academic, professional and economic benefits. This is the reason why so many learners and professionals across the globe are choosing online study over traditional college education. Moreover, it will help to boost your career as numerous leading employers are now recognising and accepting online qualifications.

So if you want a great start to your dream career and wish to earn an affordable yet accredited degree, then studying an online distance programme is your best bet.

Are you an online learner? Or are you planning to study online? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with me by commenting here.

Article Source: ind.pn/1B4rBDZ

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Why Educators Must Use Social Media In The Classroom



With more and more young people talking to social media to express their opinions in a public platform, it's about time that educators realise its value in making learning more engaging and effective. Growing numbers of teachers are now increasingly using popular online websites to better connect with their students. Social media is now being used in classrooms across the globe to encourage learning, instead of being considered as a distraction.

Here we are going to share 6 excellent ways for you to use social media and improve your classroom-

Understand what students are actually thinking

Communicating online is usually very different from the way we do it in person. Those learners who are reserved and shy in the classroom often communicate and contribute openly through special media. You can effectively use Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus to encourage learners to engage with one another and ask questions online. This result in prompt replies, opinions and discussions that will add to the learning experience.

Easy access to real-time materials

As social media enables us to share information directly with one another, you will get instant access to important news and relevant resources. Facebook and Twitter are undoubtedly a great source for accessing viral news which you can then share with your students. You can also assign daily tasks to individual students for monitoring news for relevant stories and topics.

Connect your classroom with others

Earlier enabling our students to connect with relevant experts and guest speakers required us to send either a handwritten letter or an email request. Then we needed to arrange for a speaker phone in the classroom to conduct the phone conference. But all that has changed thanks to social media. Now almost all academicians, experts in various fields, scientists, authors and celebrities have some public social media account which enables their followers to communicate with them directly. You can also use Skype in your classroom and invite guest speakers for video conferencing.

Expand your reach

One of the greatest benefits of social media is that it allows teachers to effectively communicate with their peers in different parts of the world. If you are using Twitter, then you may encourage your students to follow specific hashtags and connect with other students on a global level. You can also follow different accounts of publications and teachers from various nations.

Interact with families

Social media can help you to easily connect with the parents of students. You can tag them in relevant posts and keep them updated about the class. Most parents prefer to get continuous updates regarding what their kids are learning.

Encourage students to learn outside class

Using social media in homework and assignments can help teachers to make students more engaged and involved in lessons not only in the classroom, but even after they leave it. You can encourage your learners to establish Pinterest boards to depict the interests of leading characters in a particular novel. They can even gather information for mathematical conversion practice with the help of metric measurements.

How else do you think social media can help your classroom? Feel free to add to the discussion by sharing your ideas below.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

How Smart TVs Can Help Teachers To Encourage Student Participation In The Classroom




If you are an educator, then it is imperative that you realise developing an ideal lesson will prove meaningless unless you are able to get your students engaged. Hence, educators need to focus on getting learners involved in various activities in the classroom which will encourage thinking, interaction and collaboration and get your students excited about learning. Believe it or not, one of the best ways to do this is using television sets in your classroom. Read on....

Why you need television in the classroom

TV sets have been used in numerous classrooms around the globe since the past 50 years to promote learning and student engagement. Initially, TVs only helped to show recorded lecture sessions and educational television shows. However, educational technology has advanced substantially since then. Many classrooms now use various forms of EdTech to help students learn better.

With the help of television, modern educators can add zing to the classroom by incorporating television and other technology to create an engaged and enhanced classroom. Now you can find a wide range of effective tools like whiteboards , Apple TVs and Smart TVs that can significantly help you in your mission. Most educators, who utilise the latest tech in the classroom, use at least one of these tools. Smart TVs are almost like traditional television sets with the added feature of being able to connect to the internet. This allows you to stream a wide range of programmes, apps and videos.

On the other hand, Apple TVs are advanced devices which you can use with iPads and projectors as well as a television set. These devices can also stream similar to the Smart TVs. However, these also the information available on the iPad to be shown or broadcast on a projector. Many teachers also use interactive whiteboards in their classrooms. Although these are not televisions technically, but you can connect them to a laptop or projector and use them along with advanced televisions in order to replace the traditional DVD players and whiteboards.


Using multiple approaches

Technology in the classroom can allow you to effectively use multiple teaching approaches so that you can help every type of student to learn in a better way. Televisions in the classroom allow learners to interact and receive information in different ways which best suits the individual needs of learners.

Flexibility in learning

Smart TVs offers enhanced flexibility to both teachers and students in learning. You can easily use relevant pictures and videos captured by students and educators outside the classrooms on iPad or laptop can be used to encourage discussion and improve learning on a specific topic.

Access latest information

Educators now have a wide range of options in their hands to allow students to access updated and useful information online. This will undoubtedly help learners to better understand the lessons.

Encourage student participation

With the use of Smart TVs in the classroom, you will find it much easier to encourage your students to participate and collaborate effectively for an enhanced learning experience. This can also inspire shy students to share their information who are usually shy and reserved in the classroom.

One of the first things you must do as an educator is to get your students excited about learning. Using televisions and other EdTech tools can help teachers to improve the learning experience and make education a fun, engaging and valuable experience. 

What do you think? Feel free to share your experiences and ideas with us by commenting below. We would love to hear from you.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Why The Global Business World Need More Women In Top Management?



Are you planning to become a successful business woman? But do you have what it takes? The fact is the business world is primarily dominated by men globally, but if you have the right postgraduate diploma and skills you can also become a prominent business leader. In fact studies reveal that companies with women in top management positions make more money than the ones managed by men. Keep reading to learn more about how you can become a successful woman entrepreneur.... 

How Opportunities For Women Are Growing
 
A new study has found that the number of women working in middle and senior management roles worldwide has increased significantly in the past 20 years. However, it was observed that women are underrepresented in prominent management roles even today. Although the pace has been slow, but there is notable progress in bringing more women into leadership. The International Labour Organization (ILO) said that at this current pace, it will take another 100 years to achieve parity between men and women managers. 

The ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities compiled data from different parts of the globe to create the latest global perspective on women in the corporate world. The report titled “Women in Business and Management: Gaining Momentum” has ranked different nations on women in management and female board representation. 

Director of the ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities, Deborah France-Massin, said “Our research is showing that women’s ever increasing participation in the labour market has been the biggest engine of global growth and competitiveness.” She added “An increasing number of studies are also demonstrating positive links between women’s participation in top decision making teams and structures and business performance.

But there is a long way to go before we achieve true gender equality in the workplace, especially when it comes to top management positions...Unless action is taken, it could take 100 to 200 years to achieve parity at the top.

Dearth Of Women At Top Management
 
The ILO study revealed that now there are more women managers and businesswomen than ever before, but a lack of women at top management still remains. Among the 108 countries that were surveyed by the ILO, in 80 nations the proportion of female managers has grown significantly in the past 20 years. However, only 5 per cent of CEOs in leading organisations around the world are women. The study said it was less likely that a woman would lead a business if the company was larger. 

Women Boost Business Performance

 
The International Labour Organization (ILO) also found that having more women managers at the top positions can actually benefit the bottom line. It said that there may not be any direct link and most businesses that have women on top tend to invest technology, innovation and research. However, The ILO added that many significant studies have shown that the participation of women in the decision-making process helps in boosting business outcomes. 

For instance, a study from McKinsey & Company found that European-listed companies with more women managers had 17 per cent higher stock price increase from 2005 to 2007. Moreover the average operating profit of these organisations was nearly twice the industry average. The ILO study added that now women manage and own over 30 per cent of all businesses, from small companies to medium and large enterprises. 

It stated “They represent around 24% of all employers in all regions except the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) where they are around 6%.” 

Can You Become A Successful Woman Manager?
 
Of course you can! If you have the required determination, skills and education, you can also climb up the corporate ladder to top management positions. If you ask me, apart from gaining relevant work experience, earning an accredited level 7 diploma in management will help you take advantage of excellent career opportunities and leave your mark as a businesswoman in the world of men. 

By pursuing a level 7 postgraduate diploma in management online you will learn about different aspects of business management like information systems, finance, human resource, marketing etc. An online management diploma will allow you to pursue your studies and concentrate at work at the same time. 

Moreover, you will be able to access study material easily from your smartphone, tablet or laptop. As you will gain a solid knowledge about your industry and business in general, you will improve your chances of becoming a woman manager and succeed in the highly competitive business world. 

What Are You Waiting For?
 
As a woman in the corporate world, you will surely face a lot of hurdles and obstacles. Your online qualification will enable you to hone your skills and gain required knowledge which will enable you to boost your career. 

Do you have what it takes to be a woman manager?? Share your views and opinions in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.