Success

Leadership Styles in Management

November 30, 2012 by Melanie Bayon

Effective Leadership Styles

One of the most important tools for corporate managers is leadership. Corporate managers generally arrive in their successful positions through hard work, diligence, and the proper training and education. Often coming from executive MBA programs and other top schools, corporate managers will have worked their way up as specialists in their fields into broader roles that let them lead teams and large groups of people to ensure company success. Because team management can be stressful and project development often comes under a tight deadline, it is necessary that corporate managers have the leadership skills to ensure everyone they supervise fulfills their respective roles to the best of their abilities. A good understanding of leadership and leadership qualities is essential for the corporate manager. leadership styles in management

No Leadership Formula

There is no magic formula for successful leadership, just as there are no unique set of traits that leaders share that make them effective. Qualities like integrity and empathy, assertiveness and likability, good time management and good decision making skills are all qualities that good leaders can possess, either alone or in combination with one another. But an effective leader does not have to be well liked to motivate people, and a good leader can make good decisions without a strong sense of empathy. Thus, it is necessary to look more closely at the actions of leaders and the styles that leaders can adopt.

3 Different Leadership Styles

There are essentially three different leadership styles in management. Each has its place and is closely tied to [Read more…] about Leadership Styles in Management

Degrees in Communications: Disney’s Dream

November 14, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Mass Communications

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, the communications industry has a wide variety of interesting positions available, everything from graphics designers to reporters and technical writers to film editors. Plus there are announcers, photographers, translators, etc. And that doesn’t even take into consideration all the new media jobs coming online including things like game and app designers and social media coordinators. If you are considering a career in the world of communications you need to look no further than the master of mass communications– Walt Disney.

Walt Disney the Ultimate Role Model for Students of Communications

Walt Disney was a visionary leader in the field of mass communications. He always strove to make the impossible, plausible and he used the newest mass communications technology to enable his imaginary world to come to life on the big screen, TV, and even in the real world as he developed his Disney theme parks. Every advance in communications technology gave Disney a new way to expand his vision of bringing fantasy into reality.

In Disney’s world, anything could happen… mice could talk, Princesses could be awoken by a kiss and puppets could become real boys. Disney’s mastery of animation and his subsequent mastery of technology-empowered him to [Read more…] about Degrees in Communications: Disney’s Dream

7 Tips to Finding More Clients for Your Home Business

October 6, 2012 by Karen Schweitzer

More Clients for Your Home Business

Going into business for yourself may seem like a good idea, but you’ll soon find out everything isn’t peaches and cream. Running a home business is time consuming, and can be extremely stressful. Simply announcing you are in business isn’t enough. You have to promote yourself and your business in order to attract customers. Following are a few tips on how to find more clients for your home business.

1) Word of Mouth

Anyone who has been in business for any length of time knows that the best form of advertising is word of mouth. Satisfied customers won’t hesitate to let their family, friends, and neighbors know about their experience and will gladly recommend you. That means you must make every effort to give your clients what they need in a timely manner. In that way, they will have nothing but good things to say about you, because word of mouth works the same way if you provide bad service–you won’t get any new customers as a result of that client’s experience and you may lose potential or even actual clients. Businesses are built on repeat customers and will only be successful if you continue to give good service and have people come back–and hopefully bring a few friends along.

2) Satisfy Your Clients

Because word of mouth advertising is so important, it is essential that you do everything you can to satisfy your clients. A satisfied customer is a happy customer, and happy customers will more than likely return. It’s actually far easier to entice an existing client to return than it is to get new ones, so be sure to keep them contented. Once you’ve satisfied the customers you have, then you can concentrate on attracting new clients. One excellent book on this topic is Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service by Ken Blanchard.

3) Know Your Business

When someone is looking for the type of product or service you provide, they don’t want to [Read more…] about 7 Tips to Finding More Clients for Your Home Business

How to Land a Temp to Permanent Job

October 1, 2012 by Guest Contributor

A temp job helps you make money and gain experience. Such work can also help you build a solid resume. If you perform well in your temp work, the employer may hire you or consider you for a future permanent position.

What if the temp job requires you to work in different departments of the company?

Great, you have even brighter temp to permanent job prospects. It’s because you can get hands-on experience in diverse areas and the opportunity to work for (and thus impress) several different managers who may have the need and authority to hire someone.

With a temp job, you’ll develop references to give to another employer, if the temp-to-perm avenue doesn’t work out. Further as a person with skill and experience, you will be the first choice for the temp agency for future temp work.

Tips to Landing a Temp to Permanent Job

1) Begin your Work on Time: Punctuality gives you a high grade on the temp score card. If for some reason, however, you are unavoidably late to work: Did you miss the train? Or, are you stuck in a traffic jam? Call your temp agency and the company and inform them of your situation. Of course, you should also tell them what time you will make it to the office. As far who you should call first, always follow the instructions given to you by [Read more…] about How to Land a Temp to Permanent Job

How College Students can Write a Powerful Resume

September 26, 2012 by Tim McMahon

Resume Writing for College Students-

Gather the info: Get all of your data, such as your grades, main courses, projects, internship details, achievements and experience. With all the information in one place, you are ready to start your resume.
Understand the Job Needs: Read the job ad carefully and find out what skill and experience it needs. If you feel you are a good fit, begin to build a resume.
Tailor Your Resume to the Job: Employers only spend about 30 seconds on each resume unless you catch their attention. You need to make your resume look like you were custom tailored for the job. Explain how your specific experience makes you the perfect fit for the job. With the ease of Wordprocessing software, each resume should be [Read more…] about How College Students can Write a Powerful Resume

Job Success Tips for College Students

September 25, 2012 by Tim McMahon

How can College Students become Job-ready?

Are you in your junior or senior year of college? Prepare yourself for the job market now and don’t let the recession bother you. As a college student you might not find too many jobs. But, you can build a strong foundation for a future career.

Here are some tips for college students to lay a foundation while in college.

How can College Students be Successful in the Job Market?

A challenge for many college students is gaining experience. Training new employees, is expensive so companies often prefer to hire people who have the work experience, if they are available. So, how does a college student find a job?

Attitude Goes a Long Way

College students who have the motivation and who can work hard and smart can overcome the “experience” block. One key factor that employers look at is attitude. Often a future employer will choose the candiate with the stronger work ethic over one with more experience or better credentials. Become a hard worker, don’t expect to laze around and get paid for it. Show energy, enthusiasm for the job, a friendly attitude and be willing to learn. You can’t fake this, it must come from within. If you enjoy what you are doing you will have the right attitude. Don’t think of work as a drudgery that you have to do so you will have money to live on weekends. Think of it as an opportunity to do interesting stuff, meet interesting people and learn new things.

Gain Skills and Experience

Make the best use of your junior and senior years to gain [Read more…] about Job Success Tips for College Students

Why Accounting Is A Safe Bet

September 21, 2012 by Jorgen Rex Olson

Accounting-

In today’s economy, many people are looking for college majors that will give them a good shot at employment when they graduate. While many schools talk about the inherent value of an education, few students have the luxury of spending years at a private university exploring various arts degrees. In actuality, most students need to spend as little time and money in school as possible, then take their degree and get a well-paying job.

If you happen to be in this situation, it might be time to consider a degree in accounting. Accounting is a solidly growing career field, and it is projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to have 190,700 new job openings from 2010 through 2020. This degree is offered at a variety of colleges and universities, is relatively easy to obtain, and offers a relatively secure and easy path to a job after graduation.

An Education in Accounting

To become an accountant generally requires a Bachelor’s degree in accounting. Accounting degrees are offered at nearly every public college and university, as they are one of the most popular degree programs offered in America. This makes it easy to find a program that is located near your work and home. In addition, the popularity of the program makes it easy to transfer credits between schools. Classes are offered by many schools at night and on weekends and are also available online. This makes accounting an ideal program for anyone who needs to work while attending school, or who is unsure if they will have to move in the middle of their program.

Furthermore, accounting programs do not require a lot of prerequisites, class time, or background knowledge. While some basic math and reasoning ability is required, accounting programs do not require higher-level math or science skills. This makes it a good program for people who have been out of an academic environment for a while to jump into. [Read more…] about Why Accounting Is A Safe Bet

5 Ways to Get Money for Your Business Start Up

August 28, 2012 by Tim McMahon

Small Business Loans and other Financing-

Starting a business is an exciting experience, but it’s also costly. You’ll need money to rent office space and buy equipment and supplies. You’ll also need to have money set aside for marketing so that you can help your business grow. If you are going to have employees, you will need money to pay them. You’ll also need to pay for all other expenses associated with opening a new business. Fortunately, there are several ways for you to get the cash you need.

1. Sell Your Assets

Starting a business might require you to make a few sacrifices. Look over everything you own, and decide which assets are worth selling to help finance your business. Consider selling a second car that you don’t absolutely need or time-shares that you hardly ever use. If you own more than one property, look into keeping your primary residence and selling the rest. You should also take inventory of items you have in your home that might be worth a significant amount of money, such as jewelry or antiques.

2. Apply for a Secured Loan

Bank loans are another option for getting money for your business. If you’ve never opened a business before, most banks will offer you a secured loan. You’ll have to decide what to use as collateral for it. In most cases, this can be your car or your house. Make sure you’re willing to risk losing whatever you’re using as collateral if you fall behind on your payments.

3. Impress an Angel Investor

An angel investor is someone who will help finance your business under certain conditions. They might want to be part of your company as a silent partner or a member of the board of directors. In order to convince an angel investor to help you, you’ll need to impress them with your [Read more…] about 5 Ways to Get Money for Your Business Start Up

The Importance of Building Credit as a Young Adult

June 26, 2012 by Tim McMahon

Building Credit

If you are currently in college, or have recently graduated from college, you know how difficult it is to get a credit card due to a lack of credit history. For those of us who are a little older, this may seem unbelievable, because when we were in school, credit card offers would literally pour out of our mailboxes.

In the past, credit companies would practically beg college students to sign up for low-balance student cards, but thanks to the credit collapse of 2008, that story has drastically changed. It is now nearly impossible to get accepted for a credit card if you have no previous credit history, and this is really hurting a lot of young adults who are trying to get on their feet.

Why You Need to Build Credit

It is a giant “Catch 22” You need a Credit History in order to Build a Credit History

Building Credit History—natloans (Flickr.com)You have to have credit history in order to buy or lease a car… buy a home…be considered for a loan…

And when do people usually first need loans? Two to three years after graduating from college. Without a credit card, college students can’t build the credit they need to do these things, and this is why it is important for parents to start helping their kids build their credit starting their freshman year.

How Parents Can Help Build Your Credit

Parents can help their children build credit by opening a joint account with them; with parents as the owners and the child as the authorized user. Have one card designated as the “credit-builder card.” Only use it to buy things like school textbooks or supplies, and pay it off as soon as you make purchases. This will teach your children good credit spending habits and slowly build their responsibility. It will require parents to constantly monitor the card’s use and stay on the child about making payments, but if the student is mindful, there shouldn’t be any problems.

If a parent is concerned that [Read more…] about The Importance of Building Credit as a Young Adult

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?