Guest Contributor

Going Back To School? Here Are The Top 5 Online Programs To Pursue

July 12, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Top 5 Online Programs

Today’s job market is tough. If you are thinking about going back to school but don’t want to waste your money on degrees that won’t help you find a career that is in demand, take a look at some online programs that will pay for themselves. One major benefit of taking classes online is that anyone from almost anywhere can have access to a computer these days. Case in point, in the picture below, a young Brazilian man checks out the new computer center in the city of Cabrália, Brazil. The center provides broadband access, 3G mobile Internet, and custom applications for managing fishing businesses, equipment, and training. Once trained and properly equipped, local fishermen, including those from the Pataxó indigenous ethnic group, will be able to broker deals with buyers, access weather information, and manage economic activities, all in real-time.

1. Business Administration

Online programs in business administration start at the associate degree level and go all the way up to the MBA, or Masters of Business Administration. If you have never attended college or didn’t earn a degree when you did, the two-year degree is a great place to start. You can always continue working toward a more advanced degree one step at a time. Expect to take classes in all areas of business for these degrees, including management, economics, and accounting to develop a broad knowledge base. According the the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Catalog a wide variety of jobs require an MBA, including everything from Financial Analysts, to Top Corporate Executives, Atmospheric Scientists and museum curators.

2. Education

If you love children, a teaching career could be a great fit for you in a growing field. It’s no secret that the world population is growing at an exponential rate, leading to an increase in demand for educators to teach the growing number of children. Bachelors degrees in education can be earned online, but many states require that you also spend a certain amount of time in a classroom to earn your teaching certificate. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the number of jobs for teachers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2018.

3. Computer Science

Computer science degrees are perfectly formatted for online learning because you are learning in the environment you will need to know inside and out to complete your degree. Whether you are interested in web development, computer programming or software engineering, you can find a specialized degree that you can complete 100 percent online. According to the BLS positions like software developers is projected to grow 30 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Start Your Career as a CNA?

July 4, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Nurses Aide Certification (CNA)

Pursuing a career as a Certified Nurses Aide (a.k.a. Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA) is a quick way to get into the field of nursing and health care. Any individual after completing their high school diploma or GED is eligible to take CNA certification classes and then the certified nurse assistant certification test, which is the first step in getting a job in a medical organization. For CNA certification, it is necessary to enroll in a certified nurse assistant program either at a bricks and mortar institution or in an online certified nursing assistant program. Certified nurses aides are always in demand and the pay scale is good compared to other professions at the same educational level. Along with this, it has career advancement possibilities, as you can become a license practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN), with additional education.

CNA salaries vary by state, ranging from $15,600 to $31,200. Another important feature of CNA salary is that it is paid on hourly basis. Currently, the highest wage offered is in the state of Alaska, paying $15 per hour. The second best states are California and New York, as both pay $14.5 per hour. CNAs earn the least in the state of Louisiana at $7.5 an hour. You can learn more CNA salaries at the ecnasalary.com website.

What Certified Nursing Assistants Do

In order to be a good nursing assistant you should have compassion and care for people. CNA’s help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. They are constantly dealing with sick and elderly patients who may be uncomfortable and even disagreeable.

Certified Nursing Aides will typically perform the following tasks: [Read more…] about Start Your Career as a CNA?

What Managers Want When Hiring Public Relations Specialists

June 30, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Public Relations Specialists

America’s biggest corporations are currently seeking exceptionally skilled public relations specialists with histories of exemplary performance. As many industry-leading companies reinvent themselves for the new millennium, public relations executives inspire employees, shareholders, clients and communities to support new corporate initiatives. The person who can use “the message” to turbo-charge the machinery quickly will rise to the top of the corporate pyramid. “PR is not sales,” one prominent CEO reminds his PR staff. “It is lightning in a bottle—a volatile, potent mix of inspiration and meaningful action in service of our mission.”
Employers Seek Strategic, Tactical Public Relations Professionals.

The Right Stuff For A Tough Market for Public Relations Specialists

Canny, insightful public relations executives teach their protégés the single most powerful secret of effective boardroom performance. One Fortune 100 PR miracle worker schools her staff, “The PR guys are the most powerful people in the big top-floor conference room, because they take command of the managers’ messages; they put the magic words to the managers’ goals, numbers and procedures. PR guys create the company’s story, take it out into the world, and always enjoy the privilege of the last word.” CEOs frequently regard their PR leaders as their most valuable allies precisely because they understand how to translate strategies and tactics into the company’s best practices. Therefore, prospective employers will scrutinize your application and resume in search of… [Read more…] about What Managers Want When Hiring Public Relations Specialists

Payday Loans: The Responsible Way to Go?

June 28, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Payday Loans

Even for people who are careful, life’s unexpected events happen. People who have their lives carefully ordered and their finances sorted can still have a temporary setback in which they will need just a little bit of immediate cash to keep the train on the tracks. Cars do break down and trees do fall on roofs. These things are a part of everyday life that cannot be exactly predicted.

What can be predicted is that when they happen they are expensive even with insurance coverage. Payday loan providers try to make the process as user friendly as possible for anyone who has regular employment. All you need is a bank account and an old pay stub and you can get the money needed on a short-term basis. Just go to the local payday loan office, fill in the paperwork and get the money you need. But once you are on the hook to them your problems just seem to get bigger. Even though the government has mandated maximum interest charges, payday lenders get around this by charging “fees” instead of interest. And the only thing worse than being in debt to a Payday lender is being in debt to a loan shark.

Editor’s Note:

Because “emergencies” can happen at any time you should be prepared for them. Proper budgeting involves a fund set aside to handle these intermittent but totally expected events. If a tire blows out you should be prepared knowing that tires don’t last forever. The same with washing machines, refrigerators, and roofs. Hopefully, they won’t all blow up at the same time. But if you don’t have an emergency fund that you are putting money into every paycheck in preparation then you are actually living beyond your means, even though during “normal” times it may not seem like it.

But eventually, something will happen and then you will have to resort to a payday loan and life will get much worse because you will not only need to pay for the repair but the high-interest rates that go with it. Plan for emergencies and they won’t be an “emergency” they will be a minor bump in the road of life. But if your credit cards are maxed out and you are living on the edge… a blown tire will force you to seek ever-higher cost forms of debt.

According to the Consumer’s Union: “Payday” loans are small, short-term loans made by check cashers or similar businesses at extremely high-interest rates. Typically, a borrower writes a personal check for $100-$300, plus a fee, payable to the lender. The lender agrees to hold onto the check until the borrower’s next payday, usually one week to one month later, only then will the check be deposited. In return, the borrower gets cash immediately. The fees for payday loans are extremely high: up to $17.50 for every $100 borrowed, up to a maximum of $300. The [annual] interest rates for such transactions are staggering: 911% for a one-week loan; 456% for a two-week loan, 212% for a one-month loan.

$17.50 may not sound like much but if you are working a near minimum wage job making $7.50 an hour you will need to work an extra 2 hours and 20 minutes just to pay the “fee”. $17.50 is 17.5% of $100 but since it is a “fee” and not “interest” it isn’t regulated in the same way. High-interest credit cards may charge 18% to 24% a Year compared to 17.5% a week for a payday loan. Thus you would still be better off with an Instant Approval Credit Card or a card for people with Bad Credit… even though the terms aren’t great… they are still infinitely better than the fees on a payday loan.

Post a comment and tell us what you think about Payday Loans.

Making a Decision: Individual or Group Life Insurance Policies?

June 28, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Individual or Group Life Insurance Policies?

These days it seems everyone is planning for their future. From choosing the right career, to when is the right time to have a family, there will be choices that will ultimately reflect things to come. One of these choices is choosing the right life insurance option for you and your family. Many choose to enroll in their employer-sponsored group life insurance, while others feel they need more. Here are the pros and cons of choosing your employer-sponsored life insurance and finding your own coverage.

Employer-Sponsored Coverage

There are many benefits to choosing life insurance offered by your employer, there are also a few cons that cause people to strike out on their own and find their own coverage.

Pros of Group Life Insurance Policies:

• Cost: This is often the number one reason to choose a group life insurance policy. As your employer is given a group rate, the savings are passed on and you pay less (or even nothing)
• Acceptance: With a group policy, the risks are spread over everyone who has opted into the policy. This means you are guaranteed coverage in most cases. If you choose to raise your coverage, you may be asked to undergo a questionnaire or doctor’s exam to determine your ability to be covered, but in many cases this is rare.
• No Increased Rates: One of the benefits of group life insurance is that it is not individually underwritten. This means you can have the worst health at work but still pay the same rate as the healthiest employee in the company.

Even though guaranteed coverage and low rates are good reasons to choose group life insurance, there are also cons that may make you think twice.

Returning to College for a Higher Degree?

June 22, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Moms Returning to College

We all know more education equals higher income and lower levels of unemployment. See: The Difference a Degree Makes in Unemployment Levels

Baby boomer will begin retiring over the next five years increasing job vacancies. This is just in time for moms entering a two-year graduate program now. In some fields, however, it may be best or even necessary to get a few years of job experience before applying for grad school.

Assuming positions are available, a master’s degree will lead to higher income. Just how much higher depends on the field. If you’re a mom considering grad school, it is essential to understand the expectations and use proven strategies to meet the demands of both school and family.

Moms Returning to College for Their Master’s Degree

Although Pell grants are still available for undergraduate expenses, graduate school is not covered. Adding up tuition, books, living expenses, and lost income will take the bill anywhere from $30,000 to $200,000 for a two-year program. The good news is that the average grad student can expect this investment to pay for itself in between three and five years with pay increases ranging from 10-300 percent.

Here’s the income difference for a few careers.

Elementary teachers can expect an average boost of over $10,000 with a master’s degree.
Degrees in accounting gross an average $45,893 and jump to $50,468 with a master’s.
IT and computer-related fields are growing, and they can return a huge increase of over $20,000 with graduate degree.
With a master’s in the arts and humanities, you can expect an average $7,000 boost in income over your four-year degree income.
Getting through grad school with a family is not easy, and you’ll benefit by knowing the demands upfront. [Read more…] about Returning to College for a Higher Degree?

The Basics of Starting a Small Home-Based Business

June 20, 2012 by Guest Contributor

A Small Home-Based Business

In today’s economy, there are definitely a lot of people that are struggling to find jobs, who don’t know where to turn. Instead of sitting around waiting for their unemployment benefits to run out or for someone to offer them a job, they are using the grace period of unemployment checks to start a small home-based business. A small home based business allows you to take control of your own financial situation, instead of having to rely on anyone else. In a small business, education and experience aren’t as important as the ability to get the job done. Having your own business also entitles you to a variety of tax benefits. If you are interested in starting a home-based business, here are a few things that you’ll need to do in order to be successful.

Handle the Business Formalities

Small Home based business, home red — Home business, home red—nikcname (Flickr.com)

A Small home based business is not a hobby or a lark it is serious business. So just like with a large business, you’ll need to handle some formalities when starting your business. These ensure that you are doing everything legitimately, and that you will not be in violation of any local laws. When getting started, most localities require you to get a business license.

To get a business license, you’ll need to go to the local court house and pay a fee and possibly answer a few questions. Some localities regulate the types of business you can run from your home. Most allow work done on a home computer or over the internet but some may have zoning restrictions if you are going to store chemicals or have customers visiting your home office.

Most of the time, you’ll also want to set up some kind of business entities so that you do not have to put any of your personal assets at risk. Setting up a corporation or an LLC is pretty simple, and can usually be done by filling out a few more forms and paying a state filing fee. Filing fees for an LLC vary by state and can range from $50 per year to $1000 or more depending on whether you are in a state like Delaware or California.

The Secret to Making More Money: Stay in School

June 19, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Stay in School=Make More Money

It’s no secret that the more you learn, the more you earn. The United States Department of Education estimates that young adults with a bachelor’s degree earn more than twice as much per year on average than young adults who didn’t graduate from high school. And according the the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the higher your education the less likely you are to be unemployed. See: The Difference a Degree Makes in Unemployment Levels

Learn how much more you can earn each step of the way with a higher degree and decide where you want your road to stop.

High School Diploma or GED

Staying in school long enough to earn your high school diploma will earn you approximately $30,000 per year, which is $9,000 more per year than if you drop out of high school. If you estimate that most people graduate high school when they are around 18 years old and work until they decide to retire around age 62, that calculates out to about $396,000 more over your lifetime just to stay in school until graduation day.

Stay in School 2 More Years- Associate’s Degree

If you decide to continue going to school after graduation but aren’t quite ready to commit yourself to a four-year program, associate’s degrees offer the opportunity to get out into the working world sooner while still having an advanced degree. Associate’s programs are great for people who want to go into technical fields or start at lower-ranking positions and work their way up. The average annual salary for someone with an associate’s degree is $36,000, indicating a jump of $6,000 per year over high school graduates and $15,000 more than students who didn’t earn their diplomas.

But what if you stay in school 4 more years?

How to Get a Career Instead of Just a Job

June 18, 2012 by Guest Contributor

I once met a young man who was complaining about change and this is what I told him.

” The only thing Constant in Life is change.
Those who adapt quickest thrive…
Those who adapt slowly survive…
Those who don’t atapt at all…
are relegated to the lowest levels of existence…
Poverty and misery.
The key to success is to adapt quickly…
it will put you at the head of the pack.”

In this article we will look at how change affects your job prospects and what you can do about it.

Tim McMahon~ editor

How to Get a Career Instead of Just a Job

Ever since 2008, government officials have been scrambling to put the economy back together, and it’s hard for someone without work to find a place for themselves within the chaos. The world has changed; products that were once the hallmark of American civilization are no longer in demand, and if they are, they’re shipped from another country. We’ve become a mostly service-based economy with millions of people that need jobs and few openings for them to fill.

Despite this, it’s a time of unparalleled opportunity. New niches are being created, new technologies are being introduced, and it’s never been easier to educate yourself, whether it’s through school or self-study, or starting your own business. Unskilled labor is disappearing, but anyone that can adapt has a bright future ahead of them.

The Top 5 Health Insurance Companies

June 16, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Finding The Right Health Insurance Company

With fewer jobs in the country due to a poorly performing economy and many large companies moving jobs offshore to reduce costs, many US residents have taken it upon themselves to open up their own small businesses. Naturally, these entrepreneurs are looking to find the best health coverage for themselves as well as for their families. Researching the right health insurance plan that will not only satisfy your individual needs, but also the needs of your family is no easy task, as health insurance coverage needs vary from person to person.

When conducting your research on what coverage you need for your health needs, the insurance company will consider the following factors:

Your age
Your Income
Whether or not you smoke/drink
Your Geographic location (not all providers are available in every state)

You on the other hand will be concerned with these factors:

What is the deductible?
How much is the co-pay for each doctor visit?
How much is the co-insurance? (The percentage you have to pay before you reach the out-of-pocket limit)
Out of Pocket Maximum Per Year
Maximum per Person / Per Family
Exclusions (for Preexisting conditions etc)
Limitations on which Doctors you can use
Acceptance at local hospitals
Out of Network Acceptance (if you are traveling)

An excellent way to reduce your health insurance costs is by using a Group Health Insurance Policy. If you can get insurance as one of the Benefits through your place of employment or even by join a group or organization, you may be able to reduce your costs by getting in on a group policy.

See: What is Co-Insurance?

Group Health Insurance Policies

How to Find the Right Health Insurance Policy?

Tim McMahon~editor

The Top 5 Health Insurance Companies

According to online sources, there are a total of 25 noted health insurance companies that rank well in the services they provide and the fees they charge. The Top 5 Health Insurance Companies are as follows: