University Career Centres Building Your Future Now

Utilizing College/ University Career Centres Building Your Future Now If youre a university or college student it is never too early to utilize your campus career centre. They have amazing job search/career development resources that can get you on the right path during or after you get your degree or diploma. By dropping in as soon as you can you are giving yourself another great option of attaining a job in your chosen field. The career specialists there can show you techniques and strategies for applying to jobs. You can get your resume touched up here as well as finding helpful online tools that typically only career centres offer. These career centres also have workshops geared for students. The topics run the gamut: interview prep to resume writing tipsthese workshops are great not only for the knowledge you take away but the fact that you will meet some like-minded peers as well. Even if you are already a graduate you can still utilize the career centre! Try booking an appointment there and find out what your options are. Having many different points of assistance can greatly increase your chances of finding and securing a good career opportunity. Image: Sasint

Career ruin homeschooling

Career ruin homeschooling When people tell me they want to stay home with their kids and they cant afford it, I want to yell at them about how when I was trying to write freelance and take care of the kids I had a babysitter refuse to come to the house because we had no food in the house. We had no food in the house because we had no money. I bought food on a day-to-day basis. That was me, affording to stay home with my kids and not work. I must also admit that I ended up in a mental ward. Maybe from postpartum depression, but probably from the stress of being the sole breadwinner and a stay-at-home mom. I am having flashbacks. Because Im homeschooling now both boys. I never really believed Id do this. When I launched my homeschooling blog I actually thought I was just exploring a trend. I thought Id just write a little about how its clear to me that there is about to be a homeschooling revolution. But thats not what happened. Because then I noticed how the US school system is really just the biggest babysitting institution in the world. My first clue, probably, was that I was dying to have my kids back in school so I could have my life back. What else can I do to get time alone? How else can I do some work? Work is very fun. I love work. I love how people tell me how great I am when I am right. I love when I sell something and make a lot of money, when I create a great job for someone, when I give great career advice. Work is so rewarding. I get accolades and I get money. Its a toxic combination. And kids at home without school is just impossible. There is no reward system. There is no announcement that the mom has done a good job. We dont even know what a good job is. So in the middle of realizing that school is really just a babysitting service, I became militant. I realized that public school is like Social Security. There is no money to do what we are pretending we are aiming to do. We should just grow up and admit that we cannot have effective public schools for everyone. Just like we cannot have Social Security for everyone. But parents in the middle class can have one parent working and one parent home with their kids. I feel like I have no choice. Because while I was waiting for the kids to go back to school, I was reading. And, of course, now my homeschool site makes me a magnet for research about school. And the evidence is overwhelming that schools are not meeting the educational needs of children: Unstructured play is more important than everything else for young kids. Test scores are not important. The homeschool trend is huge among educated parents. Passion-based learning is an impossible goal with 30 kids and one teacher. Almost all serious talk of school reform is about redefining what school is. I challenge you to read these links and tell me you dont think homeschool would be better for your kids. And this is why I tell myself that I have to make homeschooling work. Believe me. There is absolutely no evidence that middle class kids from college-educated parents should be sitting in a classroom. Find me some. Really. Put it in the comments. Because if I could have found some, my kids would be in a classroom today. But you know what? I cant figure out how to get my work done and do homeschool too. I cant figure out: Should I work more to pay for more childcare so I can work more? I know I dont want the pressure of trying to have a big job and be a mom. I want to be a mom and I want to have an interesting job. And, I guess, I want to figure out how much more I have to work in order to pay for somehow getting a break from the kids. I feel so bad writing that. A break from the kids. But thats what sending kids to school is. Giving the parents a break. So I guess Im still doing that. Im still planning to get some sort of break. Im just not calling it school. Last week, all I could think of for my break was shopping at Forever 21. And I am hopeful that maybe it counted as homeschooling, too.

Excel at Excel A Beginners Excel Cheat Sheet

Excel at Excel A Beginners Excel Cheat Sheet Many people, however proficient they are with computers, still get a bit intimidated when faced with an Excel spreadsheet. Many people, however proficient they are with computers, still get a bit intimidated when faced with an Excel spreadsheet. It might be due to an innate fear of math and numbers, whatever it is, Excel does not seem to sit well with most people. However, Excel is an undeniable necessity both in the workplace and in business. I, myself, have difficulty with using formulas in creating accounting sheets for my on business. However, I learned that my fear of Excel is unfounded and a life lived in fear is no way to live!  Using Excel can be much easier if you are equipped with enough knowledge and a few tricks up your sleeve. Enrich Your Skills with Web Resources Your business will require Excel to keep its transactions and databases organized. There are many resources  giving online training for  business, including excel training for businesses. Dont be afraid to seek help. Enriching your spreadsheet  skills assures you a more convenient way of going about your   business. Take Cue from Other businesses Look into your network and see if there are any friends or family  who have a template that they can share with you. Whether it is for  client database or for accounting, being able to simply add the data can save you a lot of stress in trying to figure out formulas.  You could also look for downloadable templates online. Make Life Easier with Shortcuts If you are already using Excel in your business, here is a very helpful infographic on Excel shortcuts for you to make life easier! Just like in other difficult things in life, the first step in conquering that fear is to simply dive in. Be confident and learn by experience NOW!

Cooking Up A Career Change or Two

Cooking Up A Career Change â€" or Two Ten years ago, would you have guessed that gluten-free crackers, salty savory chocolates, and popped potato chips would be popular and successful products? Probably not. After all, who in the world thought those things would actually sell? Rachel Hofstetter, a former Food Editor for O, the Oprah Magazine, wanted to know the stories behind such ventures â€" the wins, and the mistakes involved along the way. So she got to know the people behind companies like popchips, Justin’s, Evol, and smashburger. And then she wrote Cooking Up a Business: Lessons from Food Lovers Who Turned Their Passion into a Career and How You Can, Too. We recently spoke with Rachel, who has gone through a few career changes along the way, and she shared these nuggets of career wisdom with us: How knowing someone’s story changes everything (2:15) Why “loving what you do” isn’t always wine roses (6:18) How stress is actually good â€" and why you need it (7:10) How she knew she was in the wrong career (7:45) The one question you must ask yourself before leaving a job or career (10:30) The skills you need â€" but don’t necessarily show on your resume (12:00) How to painlessly build an amazing network (27:01) Her advice on approaching a career change (33:17) Hope you enjoy the interview!

Staying Productive During the Winter Months

Staying Productive During the Winter Months https://stocksnap.io/photo/A4MD0OAEJ0Winters are long. Too long in the Western Hemisphere!!And with winter comes shorter days, darker days, colder days and a loss in motivation. As a result productivity declines for most of us. I have felt this first hand over the past week. I already feel groggy,tired and unmotivated.I don’t think I need to give you tons of scientific evidence to prove to you that it is harder to stay focused and work on during the winter. You know how it feels!!evalI will be sharing some ideas on how you can stay productive during the winter months.a) RELAXI know this totally sounds counter-productive.If you are like most professionals- the last few weeks of December provides you with some downtime.Most of your colleagues clients are usually away or have already shut down for the year. So, don’t try to climb an uphill battle. Instead, take advantage of the downtime.Use this time to catch up with past clients. Meet up with colleagues and friends. Use the holida y spirit to boost up your spirits. A word of caution don’t go overboard with the celebrations. Too much drinking and eating during the winter months is detrimental. So exercise caution here.Take some time to smell the roses. Reflect on the past 11 months. Review your successes, trials, tribulations,lessons,failures,etc. This will help you set the groundwork for the months aheadb) SET GOALSevalMost people get too caught up in the Holiday celebrations. Carve out a day or so during this time to pause reflect. Don’t wait till January 1st to start making resolutions and goals. Start Planning on your goals right away.Infact, if possible start right away. For instance, if your goal is to lose weight. Don’t gorge until Jan 1st, gain 10 lbs to regret it later. It is impossible not to give into the temptations of the holidays. Realizing that in advance will help you to be smart about your choices.The same goes with career goals. If your goal is to have a stellar 2016 â€" start making p lans now. Decide what you would like to accomplish, what action steps you will take to make it a reality. And most importantly start today. Take small action steps, so when 2016 comes you are riding the momentum.c) STAY ACTIVEevalYou know that you will be eating a lot during the holidays. Trust me- it is hard not to.To counter that â€" add more physical activity to your schedule. Use exercise as an excuse for you to indulge in the sweets delicacies that come during the holidays. If you start the habit of exercising now â€" there is a good chance that you will continue the habit as the days get more colder.Your exercise schedule does not have to be crazy â€" even if you manage to spend few minutes a day with some cardio, push-ups,squats,etc. That small habit will build momentum as the weeks progress.d) LEARN SOMETHING NEWYou might not be excited about heading outdoors during the winter. That is great!! You can use this opportunity to grab same hot chocolate and catch up on some read ing.I use the winter months to read a lot. Also take advantage of online courses through Lynda or Udemy. Maybe you want to learn a new language. Now is the time to do it. In the summer months you will be too busy, and you will not get a chance to do much learning. Take advantage of the downtime in the winter.e) BE SMART WITH YOUR MONEYIt is hard not to indulge in over-spending during the holidays. Parties, events, family events and before you know â€" you have burnt a huge hole in your bank account. And thanks to credit cards we feel invincible with our spending So avoid the predicament in advance by being smart about your money starting now.I might have missed one or two other ideas. Tell me what are some other ideas you will use to stay more productive during the winter months.

One Simple Habit to Avoid Falling Behind in Your Career

One Simple Habit to Avoid Falling Behind in Your Career As Senior Advisor and Executive in Residence at Arizona State University, I get to spend some quality time on the university’s campus. I always find it so refreshing because it's an environment set up for learning and development. It’s an ideal situation for anyone interested in personal and professional development. In contrast, once we get into the work environment it can be difficult to keep learning and developing ourselves. There’s no instructor providing a syllabus and no set curriculum we're supposed to be learning. We don't have a major that we've chosen to help direct us to know which courses to take. This absence of guidance means you have to be much more intentional about your self-development if you don’t want to fall behind or get stuck in your career. In fact, there are two common challenges we all face that can keep us from continuing to learn and develop while we’re working. Two Challenges for Developing Yourself on the Job When it comes to developing yourself while you’re working, I’ve found there are two main challenges. Once you face up to them, you’ll be freed up to take action to keep moving yourself and your career forward. Challenge #1: What to learn? As a self-proclaimed “life-long learner”, I know how overwhelming it can be to sift through the vast amounts of information available to hone in on the right areas to focus on. I’ve also learned that it’s important to tie what you’re learning into your goals. That gives your learning a purpose which makes it much more likely you’ll stick with it. To figure out what topics to learn about, think about the following three areas for development. To what extent would you benefit from: Working on Your SelfThis is about your self-awareness. Notice your presence. How are you coming across? How's your mental game? Working with PeopleAre you being a good leader? Are you communicating well? How are you relating to stakeholders? Working on the BusinessAre you being strategic? Are you making good decisions? Growing the set of opportunities? Working on these three key areas will always stand you in good stead in your career. But to get the biggest pay-off for your efforts, it’s best to focus on one at a time rather than try to work on all three of them at once. So, choose the one that will most help you become more successful if you work on it right now. Focus on that area first. Challenge #2: How to learn? Once you’ve identified what you want to learn or develop, then it’s about finding the best way to go about it. As in how to do that learning. For some, it might be taking a course or even getting a degree. But for those of us who can’t or don’t want to take time off work to study formally, the easiest and most effective way to learn is to develop a reading habit. The easiest and most effective way to learn is to develop a reading habit. Recommended Reading To help feed your reading habit, there are three books I highly recommend â€" one for each key development area (working on your Self, working with People, and working on the Business). Start with the one that intrigues you or that will help you the most right now or both. 1. For Working on Your Self and Your Self-Awareness Mindset: The New Psychology of Successby Carol Dweck In Mindset, Carol Dweck talks about the difference between having a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. Guess which one will serve you better in your career? Yes, it’s the growth mindset of course! My biggest takeaway was how to think about failure. I've always had this huge fear of failure. That fear drove me to achieve and accomplish in my chosen field. But it also kept me from playing bigger and being the very best I could be. Early in my career, I was offered an opportunity to become a product manager which would have given me a new area of expertise as well as exposure to all the regional coverage bankers. But I turned it down because I was afraid. I feared I wasn’t technical enough to become a product expert. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to answer clients’ questions about the product. What if our market share dropped because I couldn’t do the job properly? My mindset kept me in my comfort zone, and it was only when my boss moved on that I (as his deputy) was forced to find a new role. But it was from a position of weakness. Unfortunately, this is just one example of how my fearfulness got in the way of my career. Reading Mindset has helped me see failure as a learning and growth opportunity, which has taken a lot of the pressure off for me. If only I had this book back in the day to keep my fear of failure from holding me back! Failing is not an endpoint. It’s a learning and growth opportunity along your journey. 2. For Working with People The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Foreverby Michael Bungay Stanier The Coaching Habit is about being an exceptional leader by using coaching techniques. My big take away from this book is that as a leader, you don't need to have all the answers. Which is a relief because none of us can know all the solutions. Often, the most important thing is to ask a good question. Asking a question can really empower your team and allow them to shine. Plus, as a leader you always have the option to share your input after they've given an answer. Asking a question can empower your team and allow them to shine. I’ve used this technique in my own team meetings with great results. We were in planning mode for our upcoming strategy session and I was all set to tell the team about the agenda I had put together. After all, I’m the one “in charge”. So it felt natural that I should “do my job” and “take charge”. At the start of our weekly team call, I was about to launch into, “Here's what we're going to do…” But when I looked at my team, I suddenly realized that I was surrounded by A players with diverse and relevant experience, including people whose backgrounds ranged from: COO for a $250mm business unit Member of a corporate strategy team Founder of a digital marketing business Analytics guru for a $1bn organization That’s when I put aside my planned script and said, “I want to tap into the wisdom of the group here. In your experience, what’s been effective in these kinds of strategy sessions?” This one question led us to a lot of great ideas that I hadn't thought of myself. Thank you, awesome team! 3. For Working on the Business The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goalsby Sean Covey, Chris McChesney and Jim Huling The Four Disciplines of Execution is about getting your most important strategic priorities accomplished and keeping the whirlwind of urgent daily tasks from knocking you off course. This book has been super helpful for me because I indeed work in a whirlwind â€" some that I create, and others that just happen. In my world, there are always deadlines, lots of things going on, and attractive shiny objects to chase! Sometimes, I wonder whether all my activities are the equivalent of splashing around in the swimming pool but not getting to the other side. This book has really helped me focus on the most important 1-2 big goals that are important but not yet urgent, and to make time to get them done. This includes getting my team to buy into them too so that we're all working together. That’s how we were able to plan ahead and deliver our Career Masteryâ„¢ Kickstart Summit in January with 50 experts sharing their best advice to help over 14,000 professionals get their careers off to a great start in the new year. All while doing our “regular work”. What’s on Your Nightstand? I hope these three suggestions give you some food for thought in your ongoing self-development journey. Whether you’ve got a reading habit already or need to make a fresh start, spending just 5-10 minutes a day can go a long way. Start by getting in touch with why you’re doing the reading. Link it to something important to you, whether that’s improving your skills and confidence so you’re able to get promoted to the next level, having more interesting things to say to your clients, or something else entirely. Then figure out what kinds of things you want to learn about to help you achieve that purpose. An easy way is to think through which of the three key development areas would most help you if you worked on it right now. Is it about working on your Self, working with People, or working on the Business? Then you’re ready to choose a book to start with, whether that’s by asking people for recommendations (a great way to connect with your network!), doing a few searches online, going to your local book store or starting with one of the three books listed here. So, what are you going to read next? What’s the book that you’re putting on your nightstand? Leave a comment and let me know.

What Is RSum?

What Is RSum?RSum (relative sum of independent transactions) is a tool used to determine whether you have an efficient trading strategy or not. It does this by determining the most profitable options from your position. If it finds one, it reduces the size of your position to zero and pays you a percentage of its profit. RSum will also keep track of your overall performance.The Technique: RSum comes in two variants: heuristic and algorithms. Heuristic algorithms are less sophisticated, while the more powerful algorithm requires a higher level of investment capital.Heuristic RSum is less precise. It uses the rules of the universe to reduce your losing trades. It gets its name from the fact that it tries to figure out what would happen if you placed one position against another.On the other hand, the algorithms work on a different principle and makes use of the principles of probability. In this form of RSum, you place as many bets as you can afford. It looks for the best win rates fro m each position and reduces them to one. After a short while, the algorithm will tell you which profitable options are the best options.Both methods are fairly reliable, but the algorithms are a lot better than the heuristic. It uses complex algorithms, so it may be better to try both when you first get started with trading.RSum and CFD: One of the best ways to utilize RSum is to use it in conjunction with CFD (contract for difference). A CFD is a bet that one side will lose more than the other. The reason why they work well together is because RSum takes the key factor of CFD and adjusts it in order to come up with more profitable options.The RSum Strategy: This RSum strategy is based on a combination of the heuristic and the CFD method. It may be of some assistance in helping you spot profitable positions, and then allow you to lessen the size of your position, since you're able to make a profit even when it loses.A lot of traders rely on RSum in order to make the easy way out of their trading. It doesn't require much time, and it doesn't require a lot of resources. It's easy to use, fast, and gives a more thorough and accurate analysis than most other methods.