Archive for the ‘ Career Advice ’ Category

Networking is extremely important when job searching. Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can help you connect with other career seekers, professionals, and recruiters. If you want to know the top 6 social media sites that can help you gain visibility in your job search, look no further!

However, don’t use these sites as a crutch for not finding a job. There are other avenues that you can take to help manage your career. These social media sites are an additional way to network effectively by posting useful information, links and comments, while getting the word out and might just land you the career of a lifetime.

Using Online Job Search Tools to Connect With Prospective Employers

Check out these top 6 social media sites to gain visibility in your job search and take your career to a whole new level.

1. Twitter – Twitter is a very useful and simple social media site that is increasingly becoming popular every day as a social networking service also. Build a network of professional contacts and get the visibility you want by inviting and joining others.

2. LinkedIn – This is a great online social networking tool for business professionals. Register and you’re good to go. Here you can immediately start making contacts, get recommendations from them and find leads to career success.

3. Google+ – Google+ is fast emerging as the forerunner in social media websites, and is gaining ground on Facebook as it offers greater privacy settings and allows for targeted networking.

4. Facebook – Access is very simple and free. Join and create a social media profile and begin connecting with other professionals and prospective employers.

5. MySpace – This is a great place to socialize while networking. Create your online profile and immediately connect with others and be part of a professional network circle.

6. Hi5 – Can I get a Hi5? Connect with a whole new online community and be a part of a growing community of professionals in over 199 countries and close to 61 million members.

Friends, which of the other social media sites are you using to search jobs? Also we would like to know how do you rate above mentioned sites on scale of 1-6 for their effectiveness & usefulness for new employees?

A career in academia isn’t one that will rake in the big bucks, at least not right away. That is why educators need to have a strong desire to teach, be committed to the profession and love what they do before they see a great financial reward. Most educators pursue their careers in teaching because they truly love the profession. Then if they become rich and famous, so be it. Here’s a brief roundup of the 8 wealthiest academics in the world.

Wealthiest Academics in the World

There are some educators who have become wealthy off their desire to learn, teach and make a difference in the world. They have turned their passion for educating others into a profitable career. Their commitment and dedication to their professions is an inspiration to college students all across the world.

Henry Samueli - Henry Samueli did not start out in the business industry. Samueli earned his doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering from UCLA, but today he is the co-founder, CTO, and senior vice president at the Broadcom Corporation. His net worth is approximately $2 billion. Not bad for an initial $5,000 investment.

Cyril Taylor - Taylor and a few partners started the America Institute for Foreign Study back in 1964. He plays a major role in higher education both locally and internationally. His estimated net worth is over 6 million dollars. He also serves as Chancellor and Founder of Richmond, The American International Univesity in London.

James Stewart - James Stewart is a retired mathematics professor. He became well known for his textbook series which can be found in high schools and universities all across the U.S. Stewart is a multi-millionaire with an estimated net worth at over $20 million.

David Cheriton - Since 1981 professor David Cheriton has taught computer science at Stanford University. However, he is most famous for his investment in technology companies that made him over $1.5 billion. He was ranked by Forbes as the 19th wealthiest Canadian and 692nd in the world.

Robert S. Langer - Langer is one of the top academics in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. He has a number of patents under his belt that have contributed to his fortune. Langer is a prolific inventor and holds more than 760 granted or pending patents. He has also authored more than 1,100 scientific papers and has participated in the founding of multiple technology companies.

Stephen Hawking - Hawking’ career in Cosmology and Theoretical Physics and the popularity of his books has helped make him one of the wealthiest academics today. He is worth around $20 million. He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age of 21. Stephen was awarded Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

David Silvers - A great professor and researcher in Dermatology at Columbia University. Silvers owns homes worth over 2 million and makes more than the president of the University. His skin cancer research is a source of inspiration to future professors and researchers.

Adi Shamir - An inspiring educator who worked at MIT as a researcher. He also taught classes at École Normale Supérieure, Paris. Shamir helped in the development of cryptography algorithms that brought him most ofhis wealth. He earned his doctorate degree in the late 70s. After a year postdoc at University of Warwick, Adi Shamir did research at MIT from 1977–1980 before returning to be a member of the faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Weizmann Institute.

This is a great reminder for all teaching enthusiasts out there that one can make money through this profession. There is always room at the top!

Whether you teach in traditional classrooms or online classes, Google can greatly help you integrate social media and technology into the classroom. Google Plus, the latest social networking website, offers some valuable online learning tools that you can use to make learning more fun and interesting. Here are 7 best Google+ tips for teachers.

Hangout on Google Plus: Through the new Google+ Hangouts, you can video conference and connect to other Google Plus groups. You can also add it to your current curriculum to make class time more manageable and effective for you and your students.

Update students with class work. Use the same hang out spot to share class materials, lesson plans, get feedback, make comments and have class discussions or even grading sessions online.

Develop professionally through Google+. Attend conferences, take part in discussions, and reach out and connect with other professionals who share the same interests. This is a great opportunity for you to take the time out for yourself and learn and enhance your skills and knowledge through helpful professional development tools on the web.

Integrate Google Docs into the classroom. Have students connect with each other on Google Docs. Here they can work together on projects and share their work and other information.

Spice things up a bit with remote guest speakers. Make learning more fun by inviting guest speakers into the classroom with only a click of the mouse. College students would really appreciate this.

Provide support with a click of a button. Use Google apps to help your students. You can answer homework and other class related questions with a simple click of a button.

No more office hours. Invite your students to meet up with you online instead of at the office.Students can still get the same one on one personal attention they deserve online.Help your students after class by offering your time and support without leaving the comfort of your own home.

There are tons of discussion groups, hang out spots, meet-ups, and other educational circles and self improvement groups that use Google+. It is a unique opportunity for you to learn, share and connect with online students and other professionals from around the world in a convenient and comfortable setting. Eliminate office hours altogether and enjoy hanging out instead!

Friends, what are some of your favorite tools on Google + that you feel have really made a difference? Don’t forget to share such helpful tools & tips with us and your fellow blog readers. Happy Blogging

The New Year is just around the corner and it’s time to get a fresh start on several levels. Get serious about investing in yourself, your career and of course your future. Be prepared and hold yourself responsible for a fresh start. As a college student, start your new year with a resolution to achieve your academic goals over the course of the year. Set a plan to ensure that you’re going on the right path to success. Here are a few tips and advices that help you become a successful college student in 2012 and help turn your wishes, goals and ideas into a reality.

1. Get Organized

In order to achieve your academic goals, it is advised to stay organized. Managing your space, work, family and social life will surely keep your college student life clutter free.

2. Don’t Procrastinate

Time is the most precious possession we have. Being an online college student, it is essential to learn good time management skills as online learning requires a lot of self discipline, motivation and commitment. Promise not to procrastinate, manage your time and increase your student efficiency. It will help you complete all your online courses within the given time frame.

3. Balance Work and Family life

Another important way to become a successful online student in 2012 is to manage your time in such a way so that you will be able to create a balance between your professional and family life together. Devise your work schedule in a manner that is most convenient to you and will not affect your family and social life.

4. Develop Good Study Habits

Students pursuing online college degrees are always advised to develop good study habits to make their learning style more effective. Try to begin your semester on the right foot as well as try to meet your projects and assignments deadlines.

5. Set Your Academic and Career Goals

To become a successful college graduate you need to set your personal, academic and career goals and learn how to improve your goal setting. As, goal setting is indeed the key to career success. Try to keep your expectations high.

6. Prepare for a Successful Career

Pursuing an online degree program from top online colleges will help online students to prepare for a successful career. Studying top online degrees helps students build professional skills and core competencies that are required for pursuing a successful career. Find the right degree program and make your career in that particular stream.

7. Manage Your Stress

Don’t let your stress get the best of you this year. Keep your stress level under control. Managing your stress is one of the most important ways that help you succeed in college life. In order to better cope with stress, spend more time with family and friends this year.

8. Have Fun

It’s critically important to have fun in your life. Stay connected with friends, maintain balance and avoid burnout. Listen music, go to the dance parties, participate in sports and paint are a few ways to cheer yourself up.

Following these tips and trick will surely help you become a successful online student, help you achieve your goals as well as accomplish your New Year resolution for 2012.

The New Year is about to start and you are all set to rock the world with your talent and passion. However the recent economy seems bent on not letting you succeed. How to checkmate it? One strategy to employ is to go for the degrees that will equate career success in the following years. Since we can’t foretell the future, we will place our bet on online degrees that find work in a variety of fields and that allow you to adapt yourself to change and to be flexible. We feel the following degrees will lead you to career success in the 2012.

Business Degrees Online

A Bachelor’s in Business Administration has been one of the most in demand degrees for the last couple of years and this trend will continue for some time. A BBA degree offers many specializations like accounts, finance, human resource, marketing, supply chain, operations and logistics, and entrepreneurship. The average starting salary for graduates with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration is $35,000-40,000.

Education Degrees Online

While a Bachelor’s in Education may not lead you to the highest paying jobs out there, it almost always guarantees employment, and can lead to a very satisfying career. This degree teaches career knowledge and skills needed to succeed as a teacher. If you really have the aptitude for it and are ready to advance your education and specialize then the career prospects are very bright. You can find a niche, such as secondary education and special education or you can even work as an administrator or join text book companies. The starting annual salary for graduates with an Online Bachelor’s in Education is $33,000.

Communication Degrees Online

Communications is a general liberal arts degree that equips you with skills that can be employed in almost any industry from social media to journalism to advertising, management, public relations, politics and journalism. Although the salary varies widely in the field of Communications, graduates can expect a median starting salary from $35,000-55,000.

Computers Science Degrees Online

That this degree will lead to success in the future is a no brainer. Every business today depends upon technology to grow and prosper and this dependence is likely to continue. A Bachelor’s in Computer Science equips you to use this technology in the real world and to help others use it as well. Computer science grads learn to code languages and solve problems and get jobs as software engineers, software developers, programmer analysts and networking specialist. The BLS predicts that it will grow at 37% till 2016 and their median starting salary is $56,400.

In order to succeed in this constantly changing technological landscape you need to either “Adapt or die!” Choose one of the above online degrees and guarantee your seat for the future.

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?