Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Graduation

I'm about to graduate from Texas A&M - Commerce with my Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction. It is the first time this particular degree will be awarded from this university. It is interesting because when I started on this journey a few years ago, I set out to get my Masters degree in Elementary Education. I've been told that the new degree is more well-rounded. And, it is. The part I find strange is that I wasn't consulted about the switch. I was told about it after the request for the change had already been made by my academic advisor.

So, in a few weeks, I will have a degree I didn't expect to have in a field that is already saturated with teachers seeking employment. Perhaps I should keep going to school. ;) Professional students still exist, right?

Monday, June 20, 2011

40 Top Interview Questions

Here are 40 Top Interview Questions

You know you are going to be faced with a lot of questions in your next interview, right? Take a look at the job interview questions shown below and use them to prepare yourself for the next opportunity you will have to sit across from a hiring manager.

Job Interview Questions

1. What is the scariest thing you have ever done?
2. Who do you admire? Why?
3. What do you get passionate about?
4. How long would it take for you to make a meaningful contribution?
5. How does this assignment fit into your overall career plan?
6. Describe your management style.
7. Have you ever managed a conflict? How?
8. What concerns you about our company?
9. Do you consider yourself to be a cheerful person?
10. What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
11. What is more important to you: integrity or success?
12. How would you characterize your work ethic?
13. What else besides your school and job experience qualifies you for this job?
14. How do you determine or evaluate success?
15. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
16. Do you have any hobbies? What do you do in your spare time?
17. Are you easy to get along with?
18. What do you see as the future of the Internet as a business tool?
19. Have you kept up in your field with additional training?
20. What does "failure" mean to you?
21. What questions didn't I ask that you expected?
22. What do you know about our competitors?
23. How will you fit in with the corporate culture here?
24. How do you deal with competition?
25. If a background check were performed on you, what would it show?
26. What are some things you would like to avoid in a job? Why?
27. What are two things at your last job that you believe you did well?
28. What was wrong with your current or last position?
29. What kind of hours are you used to working or would like to work?
30. Do you have your reference list with you?
31. Tell me about your salary history.
32. What will make you successful in this job?
33. Would you like my job?
34. What do you do when people disagree with your ideas?
35. Would you be willing to relocate in the future?
36. How long will you stay with the company?
37. What types of pressures do you experience on your current job?
38. What plan of action do you take when facing a problem ?
39. What is the most boring job you have ever done?
40. What is the most creative thing you have ever done?

For more information about the job interview and strategies to succeed at job interviewing, take a look at these pages:

Top 10 Job Interview Questions

Job Interview Secrets

Boring Job Interview

Have a great day!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Is SBI! for everyone?

Is SBI! for everyone?

If you already have a successful online business, then you may not need SBI! Most people have a web "presence", but not necessarily a money-generating online business. Unless your site is generating a healthy income (mine brings in a couple thousand per month), then you might want to consider SBI. My site generates that much in passive income each month and I don't have to do anything except watch the money get deposited into my bank account. Well, I do still get real checks from one company who runs ads on my site. The rest is literally, money in the bank.

The reason SBI! works so well for so many people is because it is so versatile. While I don't know much about html or css, many people do and use it beautifully on their sites. I use another process called block-building, which is for the less-than-tech-savvy crowd. If you use Dreamweaver, Frontpage, Photoshop, and/or Flash, you can juice up your site as much as you like. My site is fairly simple, but it proves you can earn good money without having to know a lot of extra information.

If you want to create a successful website, you want SBI. It offers so much for the money. For less than $1 per day, you get:
  • templates for site layouts - fully customizable
  • website hosting
  • domain name registration
  • block-by-block page creation
  • blogging and RSS feeds
  • keyword research
  • traffic statistics - broad and by content page
  • search engine optimization
  • auto-responders
  • form builder and footer builder
  • graphic manager
  • XML files for search engine sitemaps
  • web-based email
  • free support
  • ezine/newsletter management and statistics
  • forums that provide amazing assistance
  • free site review (within forums)
If you go elsewhere, you will eventually remember SBI and seek it out. It happens to so many people. You cannot find everything Site Build It offers anywhere - not at any price. It does not exist. SBI! Now, let's say you have an off-line business and you want to create a website, but you don't have the time. You know that SiteBuildIt is awesome. You just can't spare a moment to use it effectively. Well, here's the answer for you: SiteSell Services Let someone else do the site creation. You outline what you need and a professional website designer will provide exactly what you need. If you want to look at my website to see how a non-techie does it, please feel free to do so. Professional-Resume-Example.com My site is 4 1/2 years old and is a raging success. I know it's hard to trust a stranger, but I'm the real thing and SBI! is the real thing. On my home page... that's me. I love SBI! and I love helping others. Take a look and see just what SBI! has to offer. You'll be so glad you did. How SBI! works

Monday, May 3, 2010

Top 5 Highest Paid Careers

What are the Top 5 Highest Paid Careers?

If you have interest in a particular subject you have a jump on most folks. However, if you are still at the crossroads of choosing your career- or you are wanting to change careers - you might want to take certain things into consideration.

One of the most important considerations is obviously the expected job satisfaction of doing something you really want to do, while other considerations such as monetary returns are equally important in the real world. If you are interested in a number of subjects and you think you can do equally well in all of them, the returns on your investment can be the overarching factor for choosing your stream.

Though the statistics differ from country to country, here is a list of the general Top 5 Best Paid Careers that can help you make your choice. Medical and dental- Medical profession is the highest paid profession across the board. The surgeons make the most of money out of their profession, closely followed by anesthesiologists, obstetricians and gynecologists in that order. The next category is psychiatrists. Next highest paid jobs are in the field of business and management. Starting from the CEO of a company to computer technology managers, this field offers vast opportunities with respect to making money. The third most paid job is airline and space. This field ranges from airplane pilot to air traffic controllers. Then comes the field of law with attorneys and judges. The last in the list are the engineering and science field where in the natural science and petroleum managers are the highest earners.

If you want to earn as much as the Top 5 Highest Paid Careers pay, then you’ll need a good education and dedication to seeking out the right job opportunities.

Brought to you by: Professional-Job-Search.com

_________________________________________

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Do you have a web site or a web business?

Do you have a web site or a web business?
What is the difference?


Think about this question: Is a web site a business tool or is a web site a business? It's a trick question. It's both.

As examples: For the small business owner, a web site is a sales and marketing tool. For the most of us – and probably all of us - a web site is a business.
Web site: A web site can be a family site with pictures and details of the family's life events. A web site can be a showcase of an individual's poetry.

Web Business: A web business offers part or all of the business processes on one web site. This could involve web-based marketing for a local printing company, a lead-generation site for a network marketer, an infopreneur site focused on affiliate programs or ebook sales, an interior designer who sells products via the internet.

If you want your web site to be a business, you have to treat it like a business.

So, how do you review your site in an objective manner to determine if it meets the criteria of a web business?

As Stephen Covey so aptly put it: Begin with the end in mind.

In evaluating your site, the first thing you want to look at is how you are making money from it. Are you selling products or a service? Are you generating income with Google Adsense?

You need to determine what it is that you want your business to accomplish. What is the goal of your site?

Your Most Wanted Response
What is it that you want your visitors to do? Do you want them to make a click? do you want them to purchase something? That's your Most Wanted Response.

Once you ascertain how you want your visitors to behave, you can determine if your site leads them to that goal. Does your content lead your visitor to your MWR? Do you pre-sell or do you sell?

Traffic
Now that you know what your site is going to accomplish, you have to figure out how you will reach your target audience. You need a real marketing plan – as all successful businesses do. You have to assess and adjust your marketing scheme based on your audience and your goals.

I am not going to market my interior design service the same way I market my herbal remedies affiliate programs. They are two totally different objectives and have to be handled in different ways. I can market my interior design service via craigslist, but I'll do better posting on alternative health forums for herbal treatments.

Marketing your site on-line comes in the form of traffic generation and it can be done in many ways: social bookmarking, article distribution, free and/or paid directories, press releases and more. Find out what works for your target audience – and don't be afraid to try new ways of drawing traffic.

Presentation
What does your site look like? Does the look and feel match the site concept? If it doesn't, change it. Get someone else's opinion – friends, family or even in the forums. Make sure your site looks professional. If you need to hire a coach to update the design, do it. It will be worth it in the long run.

Is your site easy to navigate, with Tier 2 pages that sub-divide well and naturally lead to several Tier 3 pages?

Site structure (i.e., natural sub-categorization/flow/linking to numerous TIER 3s) is also important. Your visitors must feel that you have presented your site in a logical, easy-to-follow manner.

And lastly....

Content
Your site must provide real benefit to your audience.

A Web site's reputation is based on the "realness" of information and value that it provides to its visitors. You must be the expert in your field. If you are running a business, you have to represent yourself as a business owner, not as a hobbyist who wants to make a little money on the side. Well-written, keyword focused content pages are what ties your business goals to your visitor's needs. When you satisfy their hunger and thirst for information, they will reward you with their moolah.

Conclusion
So, next time you look at your site, evaluate it with these ideas in mind and make sure your web site is truly a web business.

How did all this amazing knowledge come about?

I work for SiteSell and in the past 4 years, I've learned a lot about search engine optimization, generating free traffic, ranking highly in the search engines and making thousands with Adsense.

Here are two of my sites: The Medicine Hut and Professional-Job-Search.com

If you want to know more about creating your own website, please contact me at: smiln32@gmail.com and put "WEBSITE" in the subject section. Or, follow this link: Creating a Web Business


Carla

Monday, March 29, 2010

Alzheimer's Disease

My Dad's father had Alzheimer's Disease for a long time before he passed away. I remember being pregnant with my second child at his funeral. In some ways, it seems like a long time ago. I still miss him. At the end of my grandfather's life, he did not recognize any of us. I would greet him with a "Hi, Grandpa" and he would smile and give me a thumb's up, but I knew he had no idea who I was.

His decline was gradual - and sometimes very difficult to watch. There was one occasion at church when I could visably see his frustration at not being able to work his way through a sentence. It wasn't long after that he stopped coming to church. He couldn't hold a normal conversation with people and he was aware of it - and embarrassed by it. I thought that had to be the most frustrating thing to experience. I don't mean the problem of wanting to communicate and not being able to do so, but rather, knowing you USED to be able to communicate well and being fully aware of the fact that you are losing the ability to do so.

The whole process of Alzheimer's disease taking over my grandpa's brain was a surprisingly slow one. He was put on an experimental medication as a part of a "trail" of the drug and that did seem to help. We knew he was on the medication instead of the placebo by the side effects. For awhile, the spiral downward slowed.

My Dad, his brother and their two wives did a fantastic job of taking care of grandpa. Sometimes, grandpa would do things that made someone mad. Other times, he would do something that scared someone. Throughout all of it, my grandpa maintained his desire to work outdoors. That was one thing he never forgot. He loved working outside.

One year, we all went fishing at Tablerock Lake - a family "tradition" since my childhood. We took grandpa with us as it would be unthinkable to leave him with someone else. Fishing was as much a part of my grandpa as breathing. He loved it. I have some wonderful memories of running trot lines, fishing before breakfast and spending long days in the sun on the lake. At one point, I saw grandpa moving things around in his suitcase. He did it for what seemed like a very long time. I asked my Dad what he was doing and he responded that grandpa was sorting his socks. I raised an eyebrow questioningly and my Dad told me that it was related to the Alzheimer's disease and grandpa's deterioration.

When my grandpa passed away, I put together a posterboard of pictures of his life. It was my way of recognizing the man I knew and the memories I would always cherish. I enjoyed having him for a grandfather. I know that everyone has to die of something, but there is something especially heartwrenching about watching it happen a little at a time over a span of years. Alzheimer's disease is cruel that way.

Each year, for my Dad's birthday, I contribute a small donation to the Alzheimer's Association in my grandpa's name. Interestingly, my Dad and his Dad shared the same birthday. It isn't a symbolic gesture - that small donation. I truly hope it helps pave the way for a cure.

If you want to learn more about Alzheimer's, I want to provide a few links:

Warning signs of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Association

Alzheimer's Information

__________________________________________

Monday, March 15, 2010

42 LIFE LESSONS

Adapted from Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, OH with some additions.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. He gets angry, too.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
11. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
12. Never pass up an opportunity to do something nice for someone else.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age or money.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Do all things in moderation.
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time lessens the pain of almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Growing old beats the alternative --- dying young.
36. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
40. Envy wastes time. You already have all you need.
41. Be generous with your hugs.
42. Share not only what you have, but who you are (with others).