How Social Media Certification Can Give You An Edge in the Job Market

Posted on by

Currently, there’s a big disconnect between how many companies are using social networks, and how many companies feel that their usage is effective. Specifically, a report by Harvard Business Review found that while 79% are utilizing social media, only 12% feel they’re doing so effectively. Because most companies now understand the importance of social media but still aren’t sure how to properly utilize these channels, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re looking for employees who do. And if you want to be a job seeker who does have those skills, social marketing courses can provide the training you need.

Why is Social Media So Challenging for Businesses?

One of the reasons that social media is so complicated for companies across a wide spectrum of industries is because there’s a lot to learn. While sites like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn have some similar characteristics, they each have their own unique traits. So just because a company has a successful presence on one platform doesn’t guarantee success across all of them. In order to reach that level, it’s necessary to really dive into each platform. With the help of social marketing courses, you’ll be able to do exactly that. Once you you receive your social media certification, you’ll have the skills and knowledge necessary to build a successful presence on each of the main social networks.

The Right Social Media Certification Can Boost Your Job Prospects

Since so many companies are now very interested in social networking, being able to put relevant skills on your resume can give you a significant edge. What’s really appealing about gaining these skills is you don’t have to drop everything you’re currently doing. Instead, you’ll be able to integrate this learning and training into your current schedule.

So whether you’ve got a job but want to start looking for a new one in the future, or your days are currently filled with a job search, you’ll be able to work towards your certification during nights, weekends and whenever else you may have downtime.

Another aspect that’s really appealing about investing in your social media education is the skills you’ll gain will be applicable to many different industries. That means instead of putting a lot of time into a single focus, only to discover that line of work isn’t the right fit for you, the resume boost you’ll get from social networking will be applicable regardless of where you decide to go.

Now is the Ideal Time for social networking Certification Training

Although there was a time when social media was regarded as a passing trend, the fact that multiple networks each have hundreds of millions of users and Facebook has over a billion has shown the business world that social network is here to stay. Whether you’re specifically interested in social networking jobs or just want to make your career outlook as bright as possible, social media marketing courses can help open a lot of doors for you.

Choosing Curriculum

Posted on by

After seven years of homeschooling I still don’t this curriculum thing down. I’m always asking myself, “Is this the right thing?” However, it’s the first thing new homeschoolers ask me, so I thought I’d pin down some concrete ideas to help make choosing curriculum easier.

Many homeschoolers like to use a set curriculum in a box, but I am not one of them. I like to mix and match. Unfortunately, this causes a lot of my problems. Since I’m always looking for something, I’m always wondering if I should get this history curriculum or that one? But I don’t think I could ever stay with a box curriculum and I always urge new homeschoolers to break out of that box, even just a little bit. So this article is focused more on those who enjoy some structure in their day and like to use workbooks and textbooks as well as supplement items such as videos and literature to correspond to what is learned.

So, naturally, the first step is to ask yourself the following questions:

What kind of homeschooling parent are you?
Do you desire structure? If so, a lot of structure or a little structure?
Are you a first time homeschooler?
Do you prefer to have lesson plans laid out for you?

Ask yourself these questions and Google homeschooling terms like unschooling, school at home, relaxed homeschooler, eclectic homeschooler, unit studies, classical homeschooling, literature based homeschooling and whatever other name you can think of. Read about these definitions. You will find that many people don’t stick to one definition of their homeschooling style, but by reading about these different types you will be more apt to discover what you are comfortable with as far as curriculum choices.

You also need to ask yourself What kind of learner is your child? Do they learn better if they hear something over and over? What about visualizing the subject in detail? Do they learn more by doing something, such as building a castle out of legos instead of just seeing it in a book? If your child is very young you may not know the answer to this question yet, so what are you to do? The answer to that is coming up. For others, there are some online tests to determine your child’s learning type. Just Google “learning styles” for more information.

Next, ask what are your goals for your children, for education and for life? These goals are based on the age of your child, their strengths and their weaknesses. What do you want to improve? If writing is poor, you may want to strengthen writing but not with a curriculum heavy in writing. If reading is slow and difficult, a literature based curriculum may not be right for your child.

What do you want to focus on during their studies for the upcoming year? Most parents not using a set curriculum get worried at this point. Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect curriculum. Even public schools teach different topics at different times of the year. They also change curriculum almost constantly. Usually the only subjects that build upon each other is math and English grammar. The various topics that cover science and social studies can by taught in any order during the elementary / middle school grade levels. It’s not until high school that the subjects are split into U.S. Literature, Grammar, British Literature, Physical Science, Chemistry and Biology. It doesn’t matter if your 5 year old learns about frogs before dogs or flowers before sea creatures, so relax as you begin to browse through homeschool catalogs and websites and thinking about all the possibilities.

So, now you have your goals. You know what type of learner your child is and you’ve taken into consideration your child’s strengths and weaknesses. You have an idea of a possible sequence you would like to follow. Now it’s time to look at curriculum.

There is so much out there and it’s amazing to think of all the material available. There are a lot of factors to choosing curriculum, such as religious or secular? What is the cost? Is it complete or do you need to purchase other items? How much parental time is needed for planning and teaching the material? Is the language easy or hard to understand? If your child is old enough, have your child look at the material with you if you can get some sample pages or see the curriculum at a book fair. Can they read and understand the instructions? Do they find it interesting? Do they like the format?

The biggest factor of curriculum seems to be the cost. When at all possible buy used, especially if it’s a new item you’ve never used before. If it’s a complete curriculum, see if you can buy just 1 subject to try out. If you love it, you can buy the entire set the following year. Most homeschool conferences and book fairs are around the end of the school year, usually in April or May. Have your top picks chosen before you go, or at least an idea of what you need with you before you go along with your budget. Don’t let the salespeople or frilly packaging make you spend more than intended. If you can’t find what you want used, then buy it at the cheapest new price you can find. Some online searching can dig up some great small homeschool bookstores that offer great programs at reasonable prices. If you are able to do so, keep the books clean and in good shape, then resell them to get money for the following year’s curriculum.

I also read homeschooling blogs to get ideas for William. Everyone is so creative. Sometimes I’ll read a blog where a mom explains how she helped her child understand a topic. I’ll hooray a bit to myself and let the mom know that my son was having the same problem and I’ll try her idea to see if it helps. This sharing of information is one of the best things about the Internet. If you read about a curriculum that helped one child improve a weakness, then find the website, check it out and see if it may help your child overcome the same weakness. Get involved in a homeschool group in the local area as well and find out what members are using for their children. Browse their books if possible so that you can really see what the curriculum is like before you buy.

While homeschooling is a lot of fun, remember don’t try to do too much. I loved the idea of a classical education, but that was my idea of fun, not William’s. Other stuff can be added in with time. When school time gets to be frustrating for everyone that’s when it’s time to cut some things back – whether it’s the extra activities outside the home or extra subjects that just aren’t working.

And the final thought about choosing a curriculum – everything changes. What you pick now may not be
right next year. But don’t choose curriculum out of desperation. Even if you withdraw your child in the middle of a school year in order to homeschool you don’t need to buy something quickly. You can take some time to let your child depress from school while you research and learn yourself. You never want to make a purchase in a rush.

Learning English in the Philippines – A Holistic Pedagogy I

Posted on by

Despite the meaningful role that education has played in the course of our experiences, educators still cannot come to terms with the definition of education beyond the technical. Educators and curriculum designers play an important role in the building of the human being who will tackle life head on. They are the role models who epitomize the integrity that their students have to live by.

Educators plant the seed that is re-echoed by future leaders of this planet. Also, as one enters the field of pedagogy, he must constantly reconcile the meaning of his calling with the responsibility to exercise integrity in his own life. An educator is called not to reshape the mold but to polish the created. * As Eckhart teaches, “God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction.” People living in the creation spirituality tradition learn how this is so. Subtraction can itself become quite an awesome game, a playful game, a ritual whereby everyone wins and no one loses.* Communication is an ever welcoming field for specialization and sub-specialization.

However, at the end of every day in the life of an educator, the ultimate test is to make their students more integrated persons. What makes a person “better”? Any language that is worth learning is never devoid of values and essence. Therefore, it is just right that the language educator imparts not only the skill in pronunciation, identifying symbols, decoding diction, organizing sentences.

The value of written and spoken materials is in how they are able to turn interlocutors into deeper thinkers who are more engaged, more relevant, more sensible. I once attended a trainers’ workshop where a foreign instructor was talking about parts of speech and conversation patterns. When I decided to use a sentence that somehow went beyond the depth of “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”, I was admonished for being too “religious” (he meant spiritual).

* Matthew Fox, Creation Spirituality, p. 91

Fox Backpacks For Men

Posted on by

The designs of Fox backpacks express the energy, optimism, and funky individuality of our age with bright colors and standout patterns, and come in many variants meant to be especially intriguing to women. The male side of the equation has not been neglected by these backpacks, either, however, and the sly emblem of the woodland creature can be found on many packs designed for men. These packs tend to make more use of solid colors and bulkier outlines, but are still extremely fashionable backpacks that fulfill the brash possibilities of contemporary aesthetics.

Types Of Fox Backpacks Include:

  • The Fox Flash Backpack is a basic black backpack made of rugged canvas, emblazoned with the “Fox” name and emblem in neon yellow. Zippered compartments, mesh pockets, and other storage areas are joined by a padded laptop sleeve in this design.
  • The Fox Natch Backpack is quite similar to the Flash, save that it features a slanting plaid design of white, light grey, taupe, and black. The same array of zippered pockets and compartments is present in this Fox backpack, as is the padded laptop sleeve. A single small “Fox” logo and the face of the fox itself appear on this bag in black.
  • The Fox Victory Backpack brings a hard-hitting biker aesthetic to the backpack design already seen in the Flash and Natch. A Fox head flanked by stylized wings and a skull and crossbones design accompanies jagged red and black “Fox” lettering that has much the same lightning bolt feel as the font used for SS emblems. Below, black on medium grey script declares “Honor Among Riders”. There is a laptop sleeve and other zippered spaces.
  • The Fox Shards Reload Backpack is designed the same as the Flash, Natch, and Victory, with a laptop compartments and zippered pockets. The backpack is medium grey and features a large, white, embroidered outline of the Fox backpack head, and blue “Fox” lettering.
  • The Fox Let’s Ride Backpack features extremely stylish grey herringbone cloth contrasting with black canvas. The fine, rich texture is offset by a black silhouette Fox head and herringbone lettering. There is a laptop compartment, zippered spaces, and a headphone port.
  • The Fox Step Up 2 Backpack is made up of blue and grey canvas with a large, bold, sweeping “fox” emblem including the fox’s head in front of the X. Numerous zippered compartments, a padded laptop sleeve, and two adjustable straps provide plenty of cargo carrying space.
  • The Fox Cyborg Backpack is a mix of plaid flannel and canvas in an ashen but striking plaid of light grey, dark grey, and black. Storage includes a padded laptop sleeve plus various voluminous, zippered pockets, including two large quadrangular compartments on the back. The Fox head appears on a knightly, heraldic shield that is quartered with the fox head, a checkerboard pattern, angled stripes, and a Gothic-lettering “F”.
  • The Fox Metric Backpack is a fairly simple black backpack with thin white and blue stripes suggesting wind, and a white and blue outline fox head to accompany these decorations. This Fox backpack for men includes a laptop sleeve, zippered compartment, and cargo straps for items that won’t fit inside. It, too, is made of canvas.
  • The Fox Showboat Backpack is also black with thin white outline “Fox” lettering in the lightning bolt shape seen on the Victory. Adjustable straps, zippered compartments, and a laptop sleeve fulfill the practical functions of this cutting edge Fox backpack.

When you need a reliable way to carry your laptop when travelling, you can count on Fox backpacks to provide it. Most of their backpacks contain a sleeve that will help keep your laptop safe from jolts and bumps, regardless of how active you are. Fox backpacks are just as tough as you are.

Integrated Digital Marketing – Top Tips For Successful Skincare Promotions

Posted on by

Creating an integrated online marketing plan can seem overwhelming, to say the least. There are so many different venues to consider and challenges to overcome. But if done correctly, there is no end to what your skincare company can accomplish through the powerful tools of the internet and the effective utilization of digital resources in your marketing campaign.

Reach out and “touch” your customers.

If your marketing efforts are aimed solely at delivering a consistent message, you are setting your sites too low. Each time you interact with your customers, you should be learning something about them, thereby increasing your company’s chances for a future or immediate sale.

Your customers are being bombarded daily with messages from any number of sources; your skincare marketing messages need to find an effective way to cut through the clutter and reach out to them at the most opportune time. You’ve got to have an online presence where and when your customers are looking.

Remember, with a single click of the “unsubscribe” button, you will have lost the potential for reaching another customer and building a relationship with them.

Know what you’ve told them and what you’ve sold them.

Think about it…when executing your skincare marketing plan, does it make sense to send the same message to an existing customer as it does to a first-time visitor? No. So you’ve got to be aware of what you’ve already told them, as well as what you’ve already sold them. If a customer is at a place where they are ready to buy your skincare products, you’ve got to target them with a timely and relevant message.

To accomplish this, you need to collect and manage all their information at the customer level and communicate to them with a solid knowledge of all incoming and outgoing correspondence, any and all transactions with them, etc. How can you accomplish this in your skincare marketing campaign? Start by collecting – at a minimum – the following data sets which are

unique to each of your customers and prospects:

o Email address;

o Cookie ID;

o Wireless ID (if possible);

o Demographics;

o Completed transactions.

You should also be using integrated digital marketing to solicit feedback from your prospects and customers. Listen to what they’re saying, and then approach them with a message that shows them you’re listening.

The power of the “search”.

Like any other industry, search marketing is at the core of a solid digital skincare marketing campaign. Brand recognition is no longer “enough”. Keep these things in mind when creating your search marketing campaign:

o “Local” search options cost less, so you’ll get the maximum return with the minimum investment.

o High search engine rankings, coupled with creative online marketing campaigns can quickly transform prospects into buying customers.

o Regardless of the size of your skincare competitors, with effective SEO and PPC strategies, you can level the playing field and position your company for growth.

o Investigate to determine what skincare-related key phrases are taking visitors to your competitors’ sites and then incorporate them into your marketing mix.

o Pass on the “flash”…stick to html for higher indexing capabilities. Search engine spiders go for the text; adding flash to your site makes it nearly invisible to them.

Two simple keys to insuring your success?

1. At every point of interaction, you must have the ability to recognize customers and prospects and create the best message to deliver to them…at the best time.

2. Investigate and utilize applications that collect your customers’ interests and compare their browsing and purchase patterns; you can then target them with relevant messages offering them what they need, when they need it.

Best Guitar Learning DVD

Posted on by

Many new players often have this question when looking for guitar lessons on DVDs: “How to I Pick the Best Guitar Learning DVD?” In view of the amount of guitar DVDs available on the market today, this article was written with the purpose of providing you some insights of choosing a good guitar DVD course.

If you want to learn how to play the guitar but don’t have the time or money for a guitar teacher then you should consider a guitar learning DVD. It allows you to learn while in the comfort of your own home and at your time. Most tutors would create a set time that you would need to come each week to practice. If you are one that can learn on your own then a guitar learning DVD is perfect for you.

You want to make sure that the DVD you pick has structured lessons for a beginner if you are just starting out. How many lessons are on the DVD? If possible you could purchase a combo pack that would include beginning and intermediate courses at a discount. As an alternative, you can also look out for special deals during festive periods.

The best guitar learning DVD’s will allow you to play a simple song once you’ve completed all your lessons. You should demonstrate to your family and friends your progression level. If you cannot do that you will find that you aren’t having fun and become frustrated. When someone inquires can you play you can tell them yes and provide a performance.

What is the return policy of the company that you are purchasing your DVD from? If you find that it isn’t what you expected can you return it? Do they provide you with a contact number? You want to see what others have stated about their customer service level. If others were unhappy you might not want to buy from them.

Your dream of playing the guitar and starting your own band can still be a reality. Once you learn how to play. If you are taught to learn how play in a fun and entertaining manner it will be a breeze. It won’t feel like a chore and you’ll pick up the lessons quickly and easily. You will actually retain what you have learned. Once you pick the best guitar learning DVD that appeals to you your lifelong guitar playing dreams will come to fruition.

Small Business Ideas That Will Make Quick Money

Posted on by

Are you looking to make a little extra income? If you are nodding your head yes, then you are certainly not alone. At one point or another, we have all been a little strapped for cash, and needed some to tide us over until our paychecks hit the bank. Maybe some unexpected and pesky expenses have come out of nowhere, or maybe the holidays are coming up and you haven’t finished all of your shopping. Whatever the reason, if you need extra money and you need it quick, there are lots of great ways to bring in that money.

One great idea for bringing in some cash is to do online surveys. You may be thinking online surveys aren’t for you, but why not try it out? Companies value the opinions of consumers. They use them to build marketing strategies to hopefully sell more products. Since opinions are so important to businesses, they are usually more than willing to pay you good money for yours.

A great thing about online surveys is that you can do them at any hour, and you can do as many as you want, for as long as you want. There really is no limit to how much money you can make this way. Another great way is simply to have a yard sale.

If you think about it, you probably have all kinds of stuff just sitting in your garage or house that you don’t even use anymore. Why not sell it all for cash? With a little creative thinking, you’ll be pulling in cash in no time at all!

Hollywood and Fashion

Posted on by

If you are a follower of fashion then you’ll know that it is always changing. It is hard to keep up to date with what is hot and what is not because there is so much that fashion covers.

However life is made easier by the fact that by definition, fashions are popular. This means you can look to what other people are wearing and use this to influence your own style.

Hollywood has always been an influence on fashion, simply because it is packed full of well known names. People often strive to have the life of a celebrity and being able to dress like someone famous is often the first way to go about achieving this.

Hollywood Through The Ages

We are well and truly in the midst of celebrity culture. Thanks to the media and places like social networking websites, the influence that celebrities have is bigger than ever. Now we know exactly what all of our favourite faces are doing, more or less all of the time which means that we are more influenced now than ever before by their lifestyle.

However just because now seems to be bigger than ever that doesn’t mean that historical Hollywood hasn’t influenced fashions and trends. In the past, fashions may have been slower to catch on and grow in popularity but they have always been there. Even back in the day women strived to have a figure like Marilyn Monroe or a dress like Audrey Hepburn.

Modern Hollywood

There are many famous faces around these days that influence fashions and trends. Teen stars like Selena Gomez and Hilary Duff have had a massive affect on the way that the younger generation look. However it isn’t just the younger generation that are affected, people all of ages look up to their favourite celebrities when it comes to fashion.

These days fashions follow through make quicker because there are fashion blogs and media pages which detail exactly what each celebrity was wearing, where you can buy the outfit from and how to dress in a similar way on a budget.

Following Hollywood Trends

Many people panic about fashion and dressing well because they worry about how they are going to be able to dress like their favourite famous person.

Thankfully the world of retail is better than ever which means that being able to get hold of affordable clothing is hassle free. If you follow fashion blogs and even read things such as celebrity magazines you can usually get hints and tips on how to source clothes without breaking the bank.

This month saw Isla Fisher wear a long lace black and white dress to the Now You See Me Premier. This quickly got the attention of the media for all the right reasons. It is expected that similar dresses will soon be on the high street and become this seasons must have!

Lace is well and truly in trend this season, thanks to Isla Fisher and people like Nicole Kidman who wore a white lace dress to the Cannes Film Festival. Lace is definitely going to be top of the seasons fashion must-haves which is further proof to have much influence Hollywood has on fashion

A Change In Trends

We all know that celebrity popularity changes all the time, whoever has a film out or has done something good is usually the one making the headlines. It is then that these celebrities have the most influence – this is partly the reason why fashion and clothing trends change so often.

Online News

Posted on by

The internet changed the method of reading employment news and finding employment. It is easier to read employment online news today rather than look through printed newspapers on a daily basis. Employment online news is constantly available and updated frequently. Most major newspapers have online news on employment and job seekers can get updated employment news as job openings occur. The process of finding employment online is simple and job seekers merely need to open a web browser and search for a website with employment news on a search engine or search on the website of a newspaper for their employment news section.

Large newspapers and business newspapers have both employment online news on the changing employment scene and classifieds for employers who are seeking qualified employees. Some major publications that have employment sections include the New York Times the Washington Post Businessweek and Forbes. The convenience on employment news online is that it is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and classified advertisements are added and updated frequently.

Navigation through a website using search options is easier when searching employment news compared to traditional newspapers. One can post advertisements and answer advertisements relating to jobs easily for a fee in online news magazines or papers. Most online magazines or papers have archive sections for the reference of the internet viewer.

This convenience is not available when reading newspapers and magazines in print as keeping past issues for months together can be impractical. Searches among job posts can be customized so that readers read only what they want to read and job seekers can find only the jobs they want to answer while browsing employment classified advertisements in online magazines or newspapers. These online newspapers and articles also provide email alerts to give readers alerts when suitable jobs are available. Searching for employment information online is a cost effective and efficient method of finding online information about the employment scene and news about jobs available for job seekers.

Intelligence Community Jobs and the BRAC – Software Migration Jobs

Posted on by

The United States Military has proven itself as the best in the world and has clearly adapted to asymmetrical warfare. Opting for quality over quantity the Department of Defense has altered the basic make up and organization of the military.

A part of this effort is the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) that oversees existing military base closures, realignments and mergers. A number of BRAC efforts have been completed with the BRAC 2005 being the latest effort.

This is a multiyear, substantial effort and creates significant opportunities for software companies capable of database migration with cleared personnel. These jobs often require advanced degree and state of the art skilled individuals and often high level clearances.

In the Intelligence Community two locations are expected to grow substantially as commands from other locations are consolidated with existing Intelligence capabilities: Fort Meade, Maryland and Ft. Belvoir, Virginia.

Ft. Meade, Maryland

Ft. Meade is best known as the home of the National Security Agency but NSA is the largest tenant on what is a large army base. Because of the proximity to the NSA and for other reasons Ft. Meade was chosen to receive functions and employees from BRAC reductions.

The Defense Information Systems Agency accounts for the largest share of the BRAC jobs moved to Ft. Meade with more than 4,200 jobs now in Northern Virginia. Most of these jobs are information technology and communications specialists. Other commands will add to the increase.

Fort Belvoir, Virginia

Fort Belvoir is the home of Army Intelligence but supports a number of other tenant agencies. As a result of the BRAC, Fort Belvoir will add a net 12,000 employees and contractor FTE’s (full time equivalents) to its campus.

A major transition of an IC agency is the transition of a major portion of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency from the Washington Navy Yard (WNY) to an entirely new facility. NGA is included in the 2005 BRAC and will be moving its Washington, D.C. based facilities to the Engineer Proving Ground of Ft. Belvoir in Northern Virginia. Under the BRAC law, the move must be completed by September 15, 2011.

As a result of the 2005 BRAC Fort Belvoir, already a major employer in the Washington, D.C. metro area is scheduled to expand significantly. The facility relies heavily on contractors.

The Information Technology directorate at Fort Belvoir is sophisticated and effective and manages a large information network. As the BRAC proceeds, a large number of high level Information Technology and Cyber Security jobs will be created.

Skills Required

Both the military and the Intelligence Community manage their business using high performance databases that are networked for maximum performance. The physical movement of these databases requires planning, execution and familiarity with hardware and required network interfaces.

Vendors with required clearances and experience in high performance database migration will add significant value to the process.

Each BRAC move and migration has unique requirements, software and hardware standards and network interfaces so a variety of diverse skills is required. In depth experience in the following areas adds value:

Software Development
Software Testing
Software Engineering
Integrated Hardware & Software Testing
Data Preparation
Engineering Services
Distributed Processing
Analytics/Information Retrieval
Natural Language Processing
Software Analysis
Visualization/Human-Computer Interface Design & Development
Database/Knowledge Base Research & Development
Quality Control Inspection
Documentation
Multimedia Processing
Geo Location
High Speed Access
Emerging Mobile Technologies
Equipment Procurement, Storage, & Field Deployment

The Value of High Level Clearances

Both Fort Meade and Fort Belvoir are heavily involved with the collection, analysis and distribution of intelligence. Because of this vendors with staff that have high level clearances (TS/SCI, SI/TK and full scope polygraph) along with state of the art technical skills should be in demand.

Defense contractors specializing in the Intelligence Community now offer high salaries and excellent benefits related to BRAC redeployment efforts.