There’s nothing like a New Year’s party to boost up your optimism and catapult you into forming New Year’s resolutions. However once the booze starts to wear off, it’s difficult to hang on to the positivity unless you have objective, concrete steps towards your career.  Here are five steps you can take to ensure 2012 is your best year yet, career wise.

Have a tete to tete…with yourself

Sometimes we are so focused on just finding a job, starting work and making money that we bounce on the first job vacancy we find. Fast forward a couple of years and many of us find ourselves stuck in a career that doesn’t speak to us. As this year comes to an end, take the time out to reconnect with yourself and find out what exactly is it that makes you feel fulfilled and satisfied. Take the top down rather than the bottom up approach and understand how you can express your creativity and talents to the world. Once you are clear about that, move on to the following tips to convert your passion into a career.

Continue to learn

You either grow or you stagnate, there is no middle ground in this competitive age. Whether it’s an online certification (http://aboutonlinedegrees.org/onlinecertificate.php) or a diploma or an advanced degree like an online master’s, always keep updating your skills and knowledge. If there is one thing that can guarantee 2012 will be better than 2011, its constant and never ending improvement, Tony Robbins style.

Network

This one cannot be emphasized enough as your network can really help you out in the job hunt.  You need to mark out a certain amount of time each week for networking purposes. Use social media and networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn and leverage it to your advantage. Join clubs and associations that are related to your field.

Bounce on opportunity

You might be saying this goes directly against number one but it doesn’t. What I meant was that you shouldn’t pick up the first job that falls in your lap till you are clear about. Once you are, scream “Bring it on!” it’s time to pounce on every opportunity, or better yet create one. Get to know all about your field through college brochures, intern, do freelance work, and do contract work or whatever else it takes to get a head start.

Review last year objectively

Hindsight is always 20/20. You need to carve out time to carry out an objective SWOT analysis of last year. Chart your progress, see how many goals you managed to achieve last years, look at the misses, learn from the mistakes and above all thrive on the feedback that you get.

If 2012 is going to be the end of the world as we know it ;p , why not end it on a high note?

As the U.S. economy continues to salvage its traction, online degrees for finding a better career are in high demand. More and more US students are now considering to enrolling in an online degree program to expand their knowledge and expertise in order to beat the fierce competition in the job market.

Undoubtedly, distance learning has now made it possible to get quality education from the comfort of your own home. Now you can receive an accredited degree online in a variety of subjects and prepare you for better career prospects. The rising trend of getting online degrees among US students highlights the fact that online degree is undoubtedly the most significant yet flexible way to improve your knowledge and help you find a lucrative career.

Most Popular Online Degrees

Online degree programs are becoming a versatile, viable and popular alternative to traditional degree because more and more people gain access to the Internet. Here is a list of some most popular online degree programs that has gain tremendous popularity among US students.

• Accounting
• Marketing
• Business Administration & MBA
• Criminal Justice
• Early Childhood Education
• Healthcare Management & Administration
• Human Services
• Nursing
• Medical assistant
• Psychology
• Graphic Design
• Information systems management
• Web design and development
• Engineering

Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that job prospects in these industries are expected to increase in the coming years. That is the reason why more and more US students are enrolling in online degree programs. Once you achieved your degree, you will have plenty of career choices in numerous rewarding fields.

Get the Job that You Want with Online Degree Programs

Online degree programs are available in a wide variety of subjects allowing students freedom to locate the one that’ best for them as well as their career objectives. Find out your area of interest and select the degree level, online courses, or certificate programs of your choice. Opting for the right online degree program is now easier than ever.

Reasons Why US Students Consider Online Degree Programs

• The most significant reason of considering an online degree program is convenience. Distance learning allows students to access course material through the internet anytime and anywhere.
• Online education is a dynamic learning approach that gives students lots of flexibility, allowing them to expand their knowledge and competencies while maintaining a balance between work and social life.
• Another important reason that makes online degree programs more demanding is that it increases your chances of getting lucrative job opportunities. Students who wish to advance in their career to those who want to begin an exciting and rewarding career should consider online degree program.
• Opting for online degree programs helps you get the job that you want. It prepares you to work in numerous areas such business, healthcare, accounting, engineering, finance, education etc. In fact, you can attain valuable skill sets and competencies required to work successfully in today’s tough job market.

All in all, earning an online degree program is a more accessible and convenient option for students looking for better career opportunities and wishing get succeed in job market

Social media has brought a transformation in the way people seek employment and has made the recruitment process easier for many. This digital platform is being used extensively for personal as well as for professional use. It can be used for hiring prospective employees as well as for firing those who are not performing.

Using Social Media for Recruitment

When a business is considering recruitment of new employees, various social media websites, like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter come in handy. Through these social media websites, companies can view various social media profiles and gather more information and different perspectives about those they want to recruit or those who have already applied for a specific position. Social media is more informal and going through social media profiles of prospective employees reveals a lot that a C.V alone cannot show.

Using Social Media for Getting Recruited

If you are interested in pursuing a career of your choice and are on a lookout for a suitable position, you should use social media to network. There are numerous career opportunities that you can pursue with the right one.

Social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can help employees network and can result in job opportunities as well. Many people have been employed through LinkedIn as this website includes references of potential employees from ex-colleagues as well as officials from previous companies. Millions of potential employees update their social media profiles regularly on this site. Though job sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com have been helping business in recruitment, social media sites have gained popularity in recent years to fill senior level positions.

These websites help in different ways in the job market, like helping in placement of qualified personnel in small and large businesses. According to a recent survey conducted by social media monitoring service Reppler, over 300 professionals were questioned about when and how recruiters check the social media profile of its job candidates. The study indicates that over 90% of recruiters check these profiles on social networks while conducting screening. 69% of them have not employed people after checking the content uploaded and updated in their social media profiles. About 68% have been recruited based on just their presence on these sites.

Current recruitment strategies of businesses are changing and are shifting from brick-mortar recruitment agencies to social media sites. In spite of having best college degrees, prospective candidates should actively use these sites for networking as this leads to better chances of getting employed in a business and field of their choice.

What is the biggest time waster these days? Facebook! However did you know that Facebook is also a treasure trove of various high-end applications that can help college students excel. These apps enhance productivity, organization and time management, and allow communication and networking with like-minded people. Here we present half a dozen Facebook apps that can help college students, especially online college students, enhance their productivity.

6 Facebook Apps to Ace Your College

Statistics indicate that Facebook is used by over 160 million people daily. Out of this large number, most users are college students. Initially, it was launched with the intention of being a student-based social networking website and hence it contains various apps specifically for students. Some of them are:

1. Weekly Schedule – This Facebook app caters to online students who need to keep a track of their weekly schedule. It enables students to find out when their friends or classmates are free and has a schedule comparison feature. College students claim that this app helps them manage their time more effectively.
2. Yearbook -Yearbook is a virtual classroom which can help students connect to their classmates and students from both college and university. It can help students to improve upon and develop an assignment which they can pass on to their friends for suggestions and advice.
3. Quiz Monster – This app can help college students prepare for various exams. Students can create their own exams and evaluate themselves. As online education involves self-study, this Facebook app can help you get the necessary practice.
4. CourseTopia – CourseTopia helps students keep a track of the schedule for classes within a specific course. This ensures that there are no gaps and that no classes are missed.
5. Docs – This is a collection of assignments, schoolwork and lecture notes. It includes over 50,000 documents and has over 70,000 monthly users. However, special care should be taken to use Docs only as reference material and not for plagiarism as online instructors also make use of this app.
6. Scholarium – This app specifically caters to the needs of online students especially those attending university. It enables them to share their timetable with friends, search for their classmates and rate their professors. This can be then referred by other students so that they can find out more details about a specific professor.

There are many other Facebook apps as well which can help students ace their studies. These help students save valuable time, allow them to schedule their online courses and lets them complete it at their own pace. The best Facebook apps are those that utilize the tremendous networking power of Facebook and allow students to use this to become more productive.

If you are already working full time and want to change your career, you can opt for various online degree programs. Distance learning offers you maximum flexibility so that you can plan your schedule and study at your own pace.

Preparing For a New Career without Discontinuing Your Job

Students choose online degree programs for various reasons; predominantly due to the convenience they offer. For those working full time, online degrees help them in developing a career or in revamping their existing one without discontinuing their existing jobs and allows them to avoid a break of two- or four-year from work which they would otherwise have had to take in order to pursue higher education.

Online colleges help you to opt for online degrees at any place and can help you complete the course from the comfort of your home. According to the statics, in the fall 2009 term, over 5.6 million college students opted for at least one online course.

Getting Ready For a New Career

People working fulltime who are pursuing an online degree in a specific field need to follow certain things to ensure that they are ready for a new career. Firstly, they should be careful to opt for the degree that can help them revamp their career.

Moreover, they should not get distracted and stay focused. Though they are working, they should spend adequate amount of time on their assignments which are related to their online degree program. They should be disciplined and should manage their time effectively. They should dedicate enough time for their online degree program and plan a schedule that allows them to give proper time to the everyday activities.

Apart from gaining knowledge, they should also develop the necessary skills required for a new career. If need be, they can even opt for internship or on-the-job training specific to the chosen career. Online certification programs are also beneficial in developing careers in niche areas.

Are you an online teacher looking for a few suggestions on what your New Year’s Resolutions should be? Take a look at my top New Year’s Resolutions as an online teacher for 2012.

Attainable New Year’s Resolutions for Online Teachers

Whether you are an online high school teacher, or a college professor, you must have some New Year’s resolutions that you want to accomplish in 2012. Pick a few suggestions from my list to start off with. Here they are:

1. Plan lessons in advance.
2. Be patient.
3. Give one-on–one attention to each student.
4. Make sure students understand the lesson.
5. Take control of the classroom.
6. Keep students motivated.
7. Make sure every student participates in classroom discussions.
8. Don’t compare yourself to other online teachers.
9. Incorporate different styles of teaching in your classroom.
10. Make learning fun.
11. Give students their test results more quickly.
12. Eat a healthy meal before class.
13. Get enough sleep so that you can focus in class.
14. Try new things in your classroom.
15. Search for new ways to present class material.
16. Stop worrying about whether you are liked or not.
17. Learn more about online teaching techniques and strategies.
18. Stay current with online learning.
19. Leave classroom stuff behind at the end of the day.
20. Get to know your students and fellow teachers better.

Realistic New Year’s Resolutions for Online Teachers

Are you good at keeping New Year’s resolutions? Most New Year’s resolutions are broken in the first few weeks because most of us set unrealistic goals. So the best thing to do is to set goals that you know you can accomplish and that are not too difficult for you to handle. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals. Treat yourself in 2012 by setting career goals that are attainable. That way you are much more likely to follow them through till the end. Isn’t it time you made a list of New Year’s resolutions that you can actually accomplish?

Do you have other suggestions for New Year’s Resolutions for online teachers that you would like to share with us? Go ahead and share them with us in the comments section.

Happy New Year!