Five Tips for Successful Career Planning

1. Evaluate your current job satisfaction

So many of us are stuck in a rut at work, but it's often hard to work out what you want to achieve or change. It may sound laborious, but maintaining a journal of your daily reactions to your job can be extremely beneficial. List situations that you like and dislike and you'll start to observe recurring themes, to help you identify areas for change. Try to relate your dissatisfactions to what you are doing; for example, check whether the discomfort is related to the content of your work, volume of work, your company culture, or the people with whom you work. After a week or so, review this to see what you should start to change and what career and jobs match your personal goals.

2. Assess your values and skills

Take a few minutes to think about what your core values, strengths and weaknesses are. Remember you'll probably enjoy your role more if it plays to your strengths and interests. Think about what jobs you've done well in the past, situations where you've particularly enjoyed work and received positive feedback from peers and superiors. Write these down and use them as a guide to the type of roles and working environments you'll excel in.

3. Always keep yourself updated

Remain aware of trends in professions you are interested in and be on the lookout for roles you may be able to apply for.

4. Investigate educational opportunities

Don't get complacent in your role or progression may slip past. Make sure you keep on striving ahead, challenging yourself and staying on top of your sector, to keep the role interesting and avoid getting stuck in a rut. Talk to friends and co-workers, to identify courses that can help you take the next step in your career. Alternatively, if you're looking to move to a different field, contact professional groups in the sector for suggestions. By challenging yourself and improving your skills base, you'll enjoy your role more and make yourself invaluable to employers.

5. Look for ways to develop your skills

To further your career options, it is important to develop your existing skills as well as acquire new skills. For example, if you are working as a finance assistant, you could enroll for advanced accountancy courses such as ACCA to improve your employability, and open up new opportunities in the sector. If money or time is tight, then look at learning while you earn with an online or distance learning course, or attend occasional one day or weekend seminars.

How to Choose a Project Management Training Program?

Professional project / program management education is a crucial step in furthering your career aspirations in the current times. However the increasing number of training providers and their increasing claims has the scope to create confusion in most minds. How do you evaluate the different training programs available today? Here are some pointers that you may find helpful.

 -  First and foremost, it is important for you to evaluate why you wish to go for a training program and look for one that has the same objectives as you do. Are you looking for a tutorial that helps you clear a certification exam? Or are you interested in learning the right concepts and their practical application? The skills and concepts you learn in the program will need to be put in use on a regular basis. Hence, a program that helps you implement your knowledge and lessons on simulated and real projects are more effective in evaluation of how much you have actually learned from the program. Ask the provider about the workshop methodology, the goals of the program and check if they match yours; a fit between the two will avoid wastage of time, effort and money.

 -  Who is the course instructor? Even the best of training material and copious question banks are unhelpful, even dangerous if not interpreted rightly. It is the instructor who can transform the bookish concepts into ideas that you can relate to and even apply. So ensure you get complete access to the trainer profile, his/her credentials and training experience. Are you convinced that the instructor has what it takes to explain the nuances of Project Management? Also important - is the instructor a full time associate of the training provider or a part time professional working elsewhere?

 -  How long has the Training Provider been in business? What is their reputation? Their client base? The success rate of the participants who have attended the program? Do they provide support post training? Do they offer specific guarantee of some sort in case a participant does not clear the test? Do they have testimonials of past participants? Do they regularly participate in project management seminars and update their knowledge?

 -  Do not be misled by freebies, easy discounts and low cost providers. These only divert your attention from what should be your main and only point of concern - the training delivery. Ensure that you have all the information concerning this and only then look at the additional benefits.

10 Study Tips for Mechanic Training

1. Follow a healthy routine - Go to bed at the same time every night while you are pursuing mechanic training. A healthy lifestyle will help you get the most out of your auto technician training!

2. Make a study nook at home - Set up a comfortable place with good lighting in your home where you can focus on your mechanic training.

3. Make a file folder or binder for each class in your mechanic program - Store all assignments, notes and exams in the same place. This will help you avoid frantic last minute searching, and help you get more out of your mechanic training.

4. Form a study group - There are many different ways to avoid studying for exams at the last minute. One such way is to form a study group with other students in your mechanic program. A study group can meet regularly to review lessons learned in your mechanic training. It is a more humane, civilized way to study that staying up all night before an important exam.

5. Enter all assignments and exams on a central calendar - There is no need to ever be caught by surprise by an exam or an assignment. Most teachers in mechanic training will give you a course schedule in the first weeks of your auto technician training. Simply taking half an hour to enter these all-important dates on a calendar can save you a lot of grief.

6. Review your notes on a regular basis - Don't just take notes, be sure to read them after each class. It will help you retain more of the information from your auto technician training.

7. Take careful notes - Taking notes as you listen to your teachers in your mechanic program can actually help you retain more of the information. Having good notes can also make revising at exam time much easier.

8. Ask questions - Your teachers are one of the best resources in your mechanic training. Don't be afraid to ask them questions. Chances are that if you have a question, you are not alone. Your fellow students will appreciate your candour, and you will all learn more.

9. Keep up with your reading - Your teachers at auto technician training may assign several pages from your textbooks to read before each class. Reading them when they are first assigned will help you follow the in-class lessons better, and will prevent the pages from piling up to an unmanageable degree.

10. The number one best way to excel at your auto technician training is to attend every single class - No playing hooky! It will help you absorb your lessons more quickly and naturally, and will ensure that you remain on the good side of your teachers, who may be your best allies when seeking employment after finishing your mechanic training.

Five Reasons Single Parents Should Go Back to College

I hear a lot of single parents complain about how hard it can be making ends meet. They seem to feel stuck in their current circumstances, and are unable to see a way out. For many of these parents, they have had a tough road - some even working two or three jobs just to pay the bills and care for their children. I understand, because I've been there. If you find yourself wondering if you could possibly afford to return to school, or even if you could fit college into your busy lifestyle, then you need to know that college is actually a very practical solution, which will present a multitude of benefits to you and your children. Here are five reasons single parents should go back to college:

1. It pays to return to school. Literally. Chances are that you could qualify for student grants to return back to school. Grants are money you don't have to pay back (that's FREE money!), so if you do qualify for them, it only makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity to get paid to go to school.

2. It breaks up the monotony. Working full time and taking care of children is very rewarding, sure, but it is also extremely tedious and challenging. Do you find yourself getting bored with the routine of the old grind, and restless for something more? Going back to college is a great way to add something new to your life. Sure, it too will be a challenge, but it will also be a refreshing new take on the way you live your life.

3. It's a great example for your children. You encourage your children on a regular basis to do well in school, right? And you hope that they will pursue a college education so as to assure their financial security when they reach adulthood, right? Well, there is no better way to see to it that your children follow along that path of education than to show them you are serious enough about it to do it yourself.

4. It opens new doors for you. When you return to school, you will meet new people, learn new things, and expose yourself to a whole new world of experiences that were before closed off to you. How exciting!

5. It enables you to provide an even better quality of life for your family. Of course, the more education you have, the more options you have when it comes to employment opportunities. Envision yourself working your dream job, getting paid a great salary to do it, and not having to worry about how you will give your little ones everything you want to give them. College is the key to living the life of your dreams.

Trend Of Indian Business Graduate Immigration In The United States

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The US attracts a large number of foreigners to its workforce each year, and one of the most likely to apply for an immigration are Indian student now days, however international graduates of US institutions do not automatically have the right to remain in the country for work purposes upon completion of their course. In fact, as part of the student application process, applicants must state that they are not planning to immigrate to the US.

Indians are among the largest ethnic groups legally immigrating to the United States. The immigration of Indian Americans has taken place in several waves since the first Indian American came to the United States in the 1700s. A major wave of immigration to California from the region of Punjab took place in the first decade of the 20th century. Another significant wave followed in the 1950s which mainly included students and professionals. The elimination of immigration quotas in 1965 spurred successively larger waves of immigrants in the late 1970s and early 1980s. With the technology boom of the 1990s, the largest influx of Indians arrived between 1995 and 2000. This latter group has also caused surge in the application for various immigration benefits including applications for green card. This has resulted in long waiting periods for people born in India from receiving these benefits.

Asian Indian-American population, due to cross-cultural educational initiatives such as the Fulbright Program and the United States Educational Foundation in India. In this exchange program, Asian Indian and American scholars cross oceans to participate in research programs and professorships, in order to foster an appreciation for and understanding of the different cultures and nations. Asian Indian students come to the United States for different reasons; some want to get the type of education that is needed to exceed in India and return, while others plan to remain in the United States. Asian Indian Americans place a great emphasis on education and career success. Over 80 percent of Asian Indian men in the U.S. hold college degrees; five percent of all doctors in the United States received their primary education in India; and 65 percent of Asian Indians in the United States work as managers, or in the professional/technical category.

How About A Career As A Phlebotomist?

If you've ever sat in a doctor's office when a person walked in with a handful of test tubes, a needle and a rubber tube, that person is probably a phlebotomist. These people are trained and certified technicians who earn a median expected salary of $29,359 a year. Of course, that's a national median, and some phlebotomists earn less than this, while others earn more.

A more technical definition of a phlebotomist is a person who draws blood samples, verifies records and prepares specimens for analysis. The phlebotomist conducts patient interviews, checks vital signs and draws and tests blood samples to screen donors at a blood bank. Some phlebotomists receive special training in collecting arterial blood samples for blood gas tests.

Phlebotomists are in high demand

Whether it's a blood bank, a doctor's office, a medical clinic or a hospital, blood drawing from patients is an essential task. America's population is aging and as it does, it requires more medical care. More medical care means more of a need to draw blood from patients, which means the need for more phlebotomists.

In fact, becoming a phlebotomist offers the opportunity to be a part of the fast-growing healthcare field without having to become a nurse or doctor.

What it takes to become a phlebotomist

If you have an interest in becoming a phlebotomist, you will need to become certified. To become certified, you will need to take an examination sponsored by one of several different agencies, including the National Center for Competency Training, the American Credentialing Agency, the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification, the National Health Career Association and the American Medical Technologists. Phlebotomy is covered as part of American Association of Medical Assistants' nationally recognized exams. Certified Medical Assistants or CMAs are often hired to be phlebotomists.

If you already have one or more years of phlebotomy experience, there are some agencies that will certify you without a proctored examination. Other agencies allow employers to do the exam. However, not all certification options are honored by all healthcare employers. So if you would like to become a phlebotomist, you should choose your certification agency carefully.

How to become trained as a phlebotomist

Most phlebotomists today will train from two to four months - or for up to a year - in a career center or trade school. Alternately, a prospective phlebotomist can train within an established academic institution, in a hospital, medical facility or community college. Each training generally consists of a study of anatomy, legal aspects of blood collection, how to interact with patients, standard precautions and blood collection techniques. To qualify for phlebotomy training, you will need a to have a least a high school diploma or have passed the GED, be able to follow simple directions and procedures, and be comfortable working around blood and other bodily fluids.

In the face of fate, we should be shameless and defiant: Arun Shourie

Source: DNAINDIA

“The secret to writing 26 books is to be unemployed from time to time,” quipped Arun Shourie, author, journalist, scholar and politician, releasing Does He Know a Mother’s Heart? - his 26th book.

“I am not a creative writer. I am lawyer, and all my books are arguments for the prosecution, whether it is on Ambedkar or on suffering.” That was a comment well in character with the man who is known for persuasive arguments while remaining as much self-effacing as an active public life allows.

Does He Know a Mother’s Heart? critically examines the explanations for human suffering in various religious scriptures, and in the teachings of prominent spiritual masters.

Shourie is no stranger to pain. His wife Anita suffers from Parkinson’s syndrome. And their son, “Aditya, our life, is 35 now. He cannot walk or stand. He can see only from the left side of his eyes. He cannot use his right arm or hand. He speaks syllable by syllable. Yet he laughs,” Shourie writes.

This book comes from what his wife and he learnt over 35 years. “All religions explain suffering. But they do not stand up to strict examinations. The theory of Karma always ends up blaming the victim,” he said.

His long quest for answers has taken him to the teachings of Buddha. “There is no use looking for explanations to suffering. Instead, attend to the problem at hand, to the cause, as if you are attending to a man whose hair is on fire, Buddha says,” Shourie said.

Despite the personal nature of this book, Shourie spoke with much humour, citing experiences and even cracking jokes—a few courtesy Anna Hazare. When asked how he managed his active public life with a stressful private life, he said: “The secret is to have a wife who will let you do other things while she takes care of the real issues.”

On a more serious note, he said, partially quoting Pandit Nehru: “We simply have to stand up to life. In the face of fate, we should be shameless and defiant—even fast unto death,” he said, to laughs from the audience. “There is a reservoir of strength in all of us and we should tap it.”

Citing an instance from Mahadev Desai’s diary, where in 1920s Mahatma Gandhi had spoken of feeling so discouraged with the freedom struggle that he wanted to retire, Shourie said: “Even the greats felt discouraged at some point, but persevered. Their words of discouragement should be words of encouragement for us. Buddha says, ‘Begin and persevere. As a silversmith removes impurities from silver, so the wise man from himself. One by one, little by little’.”