Consulting: Expanding The Definition
In my book “Anyone Can Consult!”, it has been brought to my attention that I use the masculine pronoun “He” in my writing. That’s because it was traditionally a male dominated industry, but that has changed now!
As women have broken the glass ceiling in almost every industry and enterprise over the last 30 years, so has the consulting business become more accessible to the fairer sex. I wouldn’t dare proffer the case that ANYONE can consult and leave out half of the population!
Until about a decade ago, the title “consultant” was more or less limited to retired diplomats and top corporate officers, recruited more because of their “contacts” rather than their practical knowledge. In other words, until recently, the consultant’s position was more honorary than actual. But that has also changed dramatically.
The number of consultants for almost any problem in life has increased tenfold or more during the past ten years and the field of consultants is continuing to grow. In fact, independent consulting is one of the fastest growing businesses in the country today!
Let me give you a simple and easy to understand definition of a consultant:
A consultant is an expert at recognizing problems and shaping solutions to those problems. The need for problem solvers among large and small businesses worldwide has never been greater. The ever-changing moods of the buyer plus the myriad of crisis situations that business people face almost daily, have created a “seller’s market” for the alert consultant.
So, in expanding our definition of what a consultant is and what he does we come to the inevitable question:
What area of work have you been involved in over the years? Remember, you don’t have to have a quarter of a century of work behind you in order to consult. Consultants come in all sizes and with all manner of backgrounds.
My mission has been to convince my readers that it’s true; anyone (YOU) can consult, using what you already know to help others and make a substantial extra income!
You can consult on any subject that you have top-notch experience in. Maybe you know how to sew with great precision; you have tons of tips and tricks that other seamstresses can take advantage of. You may start to consult clients on a part-time basis. You could offer a booklet of those sewing tips and tricks to clients.
In other words, if you’re an expert in any field, you can ‘farm out’ your expertise and gather increasing amounts of revenue in the process.
Reaching for a consultant when problems arise is as natural as looking for the sun to come up every morning. When you’re not feeling well, you call for the services of a doctor. If your car isn’t running right, you take it to a mechanic. And so it is with a businessman when he encounters a problem– whether it is in the field of accounting, legal, sales or customer relations.
Your field of expertise is valuable to some person or company right now!
Let’s stretch the commonly assumed boundaries of what a ‘business consultant’ is and realize that experts are needed for almost everything a person tries to accomplish in life:
Car Repair
Homemaking
Studies
Travel
Employment
Hobbies
Another side of this need for consultants is in the case of the over-enthusiastic entrepreneur who rushes headlong into a business where he has little or no experience. Many such dreamers invest their life savings in questionable projects without even considering the idea of bringing in a competent business consultant to analyze and evaluate their plans.
Even experienced people are prone to over-rate their own ideas. The image of the end result, and dedicated enthusiasm toward the attainment of one’s goal are prime requisites for success; however, un-merited enthusiasm and dedication can also be very dangerous; if it is not based on solid research, it may cause people to chase headlong after non-existent rainbows.
And that’s where you can fit in as a business consultant.
Please accept that it is not necessary for you to have owned or operated a successful business to become a successful business consultant. Nor is it imperative that you have been in management or have a titled position. You will, however, need the ability to sell yourself, and an up-to-date understanding of the area in which you intend to assist others.
Finally, I’d like to paint a picture of what the consultants’ life can be like. Though each consultancy is unique, just as each human being is different, there are some things that you can look forward to experiencing.
Another title for a consultant is: an ‘Independent Professional’.
Let that title troll around your lips for a moment, say it out loud. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?
That all-important independence is delicious. You are truly your own boss. While others may have to punch a time clock, adhere to many frivolous company policies and find themselves in a rut of sameness, the independent professional never does!
You don’t have to play ‘office politics’ because you’re independent.
You never have to go against your own inner truth to placate some ‘boss’.
In fact, you will be PAID to ‘speak your mind’. You can shock, surprise, and discover whole new areas of development for your clients. You never get bored because you’re always finding yourself in a fresh environment with new faces, new personalities and new projects.
The independent professional finds deep satisfaction in the work he or she does because each idea, projection, and solution comes from within them and has his or her unique style and content stamped to it.
Finally, as we expand our definition of consulting, it is important to know that it can be taken as far, or as little, as you decide to go with it. You may find yourself on the international stage traveling extensively, or you may work right in your own backyard a mere stone’s throw from your client base. You will set the perimeters of your lifestyle; no one else will control your destiny.
Telecommuting Idea: Online Tutor
There are a lot of kids from 1st grade to college that could use some help with their schoolwork. Parents are often not able to give them the help and attention they need to get them back on track on a particular subject. A tutor is the perfect solution.
While there are many people who will tutor locally, in the student’s home, or their own house, the idea of an online tutor is still fairly new. If you have been tutoring kids in your neighborhood, taking your tutoring job online to attract more clients may be a great idea.
If you haven’t worked as a tutor, but this sounds like an interesting idea, take a look at your skills. Are there particular subjects in school that you excelled at?
You will need a website to promote your service, as well as a way to communicate with your young clients and their parents. Let’s take a look at a couple of different ways you could tutor your students online.
Email
Your students can simply email you questions they have. You answer the email and send them exercises and practice tests this way. Even if you are not using email as your main means of communication, keep it in mind when you want to get something to your students while they are not online, or to send them exercises and other files.
Chat Program
Using a chat program will give you more one-on-one interaction with your student. You are able to respond to their questions immediately and will also get feedback from your students. You can check right away if your student understands the problem you are explaining. The students can also ask follow up questions immediately.
Instant Messenger
Instant Messenger works very similar to a regular chat program. There are quite a few instant messengers available for free download. You get the benefit of the chat software without having to install it. Most kids will already be familiar with using Instant Messenger, making it easy to get started.
Message Board
The message board is another great tool to stay in contact with your students. Just like email students will be able to ask you questions any time of the day and you can respond during your regular working hours. If you have a group of students on a similar subject, they may benefit from being able to read and discuss their questions among themselves in addition to getting help from you.
Video Conferencing
Video Conferencing is as close as you can get to being in the same room with your students. You will be able to see your students, observe how they are doing and are also able to read their body language, which can help you determine if your student understands what you are talking about or not. Video Conferencing services have become very affordable over the past year, making this a viable option for you as an online tutor.
You could even offer a subscription-based service that would give students and their parents access to a database of tutorials, articles, FAQ’s and other resources compiled by you to help the kids with their school work. If becoming an online tutor sounds like something you are interested in doing, give it a try. Get the word out and start accepting a few students.
The Concept of Paid Emails
Getting paid to read emails is one of the oldest concepts of making money online. Getting started with it is very easy, as the person who would like to enter into this earning opportunity requires having an email address alone with an Internet access. The concept is very simple. Many online advertisers send their advertisements through email to their members who would like to get paid for reading such emails as commissions. The member should click open the link and visit the website of the advertiser to earn money. If serious money has to be made, it is done through thousands of referrals introduced by the person under him. While doing so it is very important to choose only those companies that are legitimate in payment.
Making the paid email system work:
There are millions of products sold every day, every hour, as the products that are for sale should be known to everybody. Otherwise, it is not possible to sell them. This has made the concept of getting paid for reading emails emerge. When the members receive such promotional emails, they click the link to make them as if they have read them and get paid. This attitude has made many systems fail in the course of time. The advertiser wants people to have a look at his site not just to show they have been there but also to promote and earn revenue through their products and services. If revenue is not being generated from this kind of advertising the whole concept is lost and the system will ultimately fail. The following strategy will benefit both the advertiser and the person who is reading the emails to get paid.
The main aim of the person, who is going through the emails, is that he wants to earn money out of it. While doing so, if the person happens to come across some advertisement which may be lucrative to him and which is very affordable to buy he can buy it, as it may be a good deal to him. It needs to be bought in any case by the person either now or afterwards. If this continues the advertiser will also choose this option of placing their ads in the sites for paying to read, since they have tasted success through this concept. It becomes a win-win situation for both. Everyone buys products. It needn’t be from the same place. While reading promotional emails, in case of an opportunity of getting the product at a bargain price is found, it is wise to grab the opportunity. The person in turn can educate their referral members who are down the line with a customized email stating for whom they are working for and how they can too maximize the same way. It is not expected that everyone will take the advice and work accordingly, but if at least a minimum number of people take the advice, the system will survive for a longer term due to the results it produce.
The Role and Uses of Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Among the various kinds of virtual assistant profession, real estate virtual assistants are those who provide services to the real estate agents by taking the load off them. They are very similar to the virtual assistants except for the fact that they are specialized in real estate business providing specific and specialized services to their clients.
The real estate virtual assistant’s job includes the following:
The real estate virtual assistants maintain and update their client’s websites with the present information on homes, contact information; some may even create flyers, advertisement, logo, scheduling appointments with prospective buyers etc. A certified real estate virtual assistant can simplify the process for the realtors. They can handle queries more professionally, handle phone calls and do the general secretarial and administrative jobs, answering emails etc.
Advantages of using a real estate virtual assistant:
The realtor can achieve higher sales and increase the revenue generation when getting the assistance of virtual assistants. The business is well structured with their help and growth of the business is sure. The realtor gets more time for listing and selling homes than taking care of routine activities as they have the professional help got from virtual assistants. The realtor gets more leisure time with less amount of stress. Long-term clients can be taken care with their help by sending updates etc.
Real estate virtual assistants are capable of handling lead generation activities, follow-ups, client database management, coordinating online transactions, planning marketing activities and so on. They can assure the realtor for meeting overall objectives with greater satisfaction.
Virtual real estate assistants will be able to promote the important aspects of business called the “customer service.” Even though many real estate agents intend to send holiday cards, birthday cards, thank you cards and follow-up emails and cards to their customers and open house attendees, time does not permit them to do so. All these can be done with the help of virtual assistants, as a happy customer is a customer for ever. Apart from these services, a virtual real estate assistant can send closing gifts, creating and sending mailers, creating CD tours of real estate listings, planning events for the customers etc.
Hence the services offered by the real estate virtual assistants are crucial for running the business. It is very important to check the references before hiring a virtual real estate assistant. Hiring a virtual real estate assistant who is self-motivated and efficient is a priceless possession for a real estate agent or a realtor.
Enhance Your Career Through Internet Exposure
Are you a marketing guru? If so, you should use the power of the internet to help you gain more exposure for your business. Internet exposure is likely to increase your career options by enabling you to reach hundreds, thousands even, of potential customers for your business or service.
Career-minded individuals are finding their careers are helped tremendously through the power of the internet. Individuals who normally would be limited on exposure are now finding they have more business than they can handle thanks to the power of the internet. It’s all in learning how to gain exposure.
If you have a business or service to market, then learning how to market using the internet will not only put money in your pocket, but it will also enable you to find the best marketing for your advertising dollars. The power of the internet will help you to gain the customers you need with push-button ease to enhance your career.
Google keyword tools can help you learn to gain better placement for your website. E-books on ad words as well as other Google features will teach you to enhance careers and business. There are many tools you can use on the internet to help you shape up your image and these career building tools will give you a career enhancement fellowship to boot!
Career enhancements are realized through the internet because no other form of marketing and advertising will give you the coverage you need and want like the internet. You will find the internet is user friendly for marketing as well as advertising and the enhancement tools through the search engines such as Google will educate you on a better way to job enhance!
Internet exposure promotes you and your career enhancing process will begin with the virtual world so it is important to read up on the concept of text links and hunt for the best way to market your career through the internet. You’ll find your career can be enhanced quickly through the power of the internet and it’s the best value you can find to not only enhance your career but to also gain public exposure while building up job security!
Online Forensic Nursing Program
Forensic nursing just like traditional nursing has a lot of specialty areas. As a result, a forensic nurse may find work as a sexual assault nurse examiner, crime scene and death investigator, correctional nurse and psychiatric nurse.
Aside from courses offered in school, there are also online programs where you can enroll in. The best part about an online program is that you don’t have to be there when the class is in regular session since you watch the lecture some other time similar to what Tivo does as it records a show at a certain time so you can view this on your own convenience.
You will also be able to communicate with your instructor and classmates using email, instant messenger and in chat rooms.
Once you enroll in an online program, the school will provide you with special software so you can simulate your classroom and work on quizzes and projects.
The online program introduces students to the forensic aspects of health care and public service. Some of the other things which will be explored include acts of violence, human abuse, collecting and preserving evidence, documentation and follow up procedures as performed by a health care provider, mass casualty incidents, sexual assault and trauma.
If you want to go deeper and specialize in a certain field, some of the modules you can take may be clinical forensic nursing, correctional nursing, death investigation, forensic photography and forensic psychiatry.
One thing these models have in common is that it will explore victimology and how it relates to the changing trends of violence in society.
Most of those that will be doing the lectures are nationally recognized experts in their own field. With the number of people helping out, you will be able to build network and gain access to community resources for additional learning opportunities.
How much you know about the subject matter will be tested and graded. If you pass, the only thing you need to do now is pass the board exam so you can already find work.
Whichever medium you use, you should be able to;
1. Identify and properly collect forensic evidence within the health care setting to ensure that it will withstand legal scrutiny.
2. Communicate with the various members of the multi-disciplinary forensic team including victim advocates, law enforcement, and the judicial process in general.
3. Determine treatment for triage and emergency intervention for patients who exhibit potential forensic implications.
4. Identify basic policies and procedures required for conducting sexual assault examinations for child and adult women and men.
5. Analyze the social and political implications of escalating violence as it relates to law enforcement, criminal justice and domestic living.
A forensic nursing program will be easy to shift to if you are already a registered nurse or a licensed medical professional. But this should stop those who just graduated out of college because everyone has to start somewhere in order to become successful in their career.
The only thing to do now is decide what kind of forensic nursing program you want to enroll in so do some research. Better yet, try to get in touch with students who are currently in the program so you will know what it is like which will help prepare you for the challenges ahead.
A Computer Software Engineer Resume Should Highlight Your Advanced Knowledge And Technical Skills
A computer software engineer resume must highlight your technical skills. This article gives you some ideas of the sort of information that an employer is looking for in your resume.
Apart from the basic resume requirements like contact details, experience etc, a software engineer resume should include the following information:
A clear cut career and job objective which shows your sense of direction to the employer.
Your resume should have the names of each of your employers and your corresponding job titles.
Give a brief description about the employer like what they are doing, if they are not well known.
The number of staff that you manage (if applicable)
Include some of the topics that are applicable to you like technical certifications, hardware knowledge, operating systems, networking/protocols, programming/languages, web applications and database applications etc.
Include a statement of your goals which is the clearest indicators to a prospective employer to match you with the job position.
Include projects done with a brief description about it and the platform used, front-end, backend and programming languages used.
Mention any technical or computer qualifications and personality development, marketing diploma etc done as a course with its content in brief, the duration, institute and also its result.
Planning, analysis, design, implementation and testing responsibilities as computer software engineer.
If you had budgetary responsibilities specify some of the important impressive technical projects that you have worked on and whether you completed the projects on budget and on time and accomplishments gained.
Highlight your initiatives and performance that resulted in enhanced efficiency, faster work, and money savings.
Highlight your certifications like Sun Certified Java programmer or Microsoft certified programmer to stress your skills in that particular language.
Highlight, if you presented any whitepapers, or addressed any group of audience to showcase your expertise.
Showcase your learnability. With the changing technology every month, you are required to be a quick learner in the IT field.
Highlight any other achievements that have benefited your department and obviously your organization in general.
Should include the following information:
A clear cut career and job objective which shows your sense of direction to the employer.
Your resume should have the names of each of your employers and your corresponding job titles
Give a brief description about the employer like what they are doing, if they are not well known.
The number of staff that you manage(if applicable)
Include some of the topics that are applicable to you like technical certifications, hardware knowledge, operating systems, networking/protocols, programming/languages, web applications and database applications etc.
Include a statement of your goals which is the clearest indicators to a prospective employer to match you with the job position.
Include projects done with a brief description about it and the platform used, front-end, backend and programming language used.
Mention any technical or computer qualifications and personality development, marketing diploma etc done as a course with its content in brief, the duration, institute and also its result.
Planning, analysis, design, implementation and testing responsibilities as computer software engineer.
If you had budgetary responsibility specify some of the important impressive technical projects that you have worked on and whether you completed the projects on budget and on time and accomplishments gained.
Highlight your initiatives and performance that resulted in enhanced efficiency, faster work, money savings.
Highlight your certifications like Sun Certified Java programmer or Microsoft certified programmerto stress your skills in the particular language and your itnerested to go one extra mile for learning.
Highlight if you presented any whitepapers, OR addressed any group of audience to showcase your expertise.
Showcase your learnablity. The changing technology every month, you are required to be a quick learner in IT field.
Highlight any other achievements that have benefited to your department and obviously your organization in general.
Career Change Over 40
As populations in the developed world are growing older and many countries are experiencing a crisis in the pension system, we are facing the prospect of having to work past the usual retirement age. Yet, at the same time, older people are not always welcomed back into the work force. Many also have difficulty finding a new job if they have an unbroken track record and are simply looking for a change in career after the age of 40.
There are a number of steps you can take to maximize your chances of getting a job, despite negative views regarding age on the part of some employers.
When writing your CV or résumé, be sure to target it for the job in question. You can do this by highlighting all the skills and experience which are needed for the job and then proving that you have got them.
It is not necessary to put personal information on your CV – in many countries it is illegal to ask about age and this will also become law in the UK in October of this year. You should either leave out your date of birth completely or put it at the end. Do not mention your marital status or the number of children you have or their ages. This is not relevant to the job!
The fact that you are older means that you have valuable experience in many areas and you need to make good use of this in your application. Don’t worry if you are returning to work after bringing up children – soft skills, such as communication, time management and the ability to meet deadlines are crucial in the workplace today and all of those will be skills you have developed as a parent. So take a good look at all the skills you have acquired both at work and in other areas of life and make a list. You’ll be surprised to see how many you have and how many of them are transferable.
If you find your particular career favours youth, consider the possibility of self-employment. Could you use your existing skills as a freelance? If you aren’t up to date with computer packages, get your kids to teach you or find out about local classes, which are sometimes free. If there have been changes in your particular industry, look into refresher courses.
Many people make the mistake of assuming that they will get job satisfaction in one place, but this is the exception rather than the rule. So make a list of all the skills you’d like to use (or learn) at work and a list of the tasks which give you job satisfaction. Then consider the possibility of becoming a portfolio worker, that is, someone who has more than one occupation. You might, for example, work as a freelance in your existing career for two or three days a week and set up a small business doing something completely different during the rest of the week. Or you might write about, teach or run workshops in one of the skills you have developed. This doesn’t have to be work-related – it could be a hobby you’ve been interested in for years, it could be an aspect of parenting or coping with a health issue. Look at everything you’ve done in your life so far and you’ll find that there are several areas in which you are an expert.
If you are prepared to look beyond the conventional 9-5 job, you will find that there are many opportunities open to you, regardless of your age.
Career Training With Continuing Education
Career training is something many individuals seek through continuing education. Many local community colleges and some local high schools offer adult education courses and continuing education to guide individuals who want further career opportunities through career training.
Job placement after career training can offer individuals a better incentive for furthering their careers. Career training through education is one way to ensure candidates for jobs are well qualified for the positions they wish to secure. Often, career training programs offer degrees through continuing education as well as certificate programs.
The computer programming field as well as the medical field offers ongoing career training for individuals to pursue as they are working in their field of choice. Higher salaries are often realized as well as better job security following a career training program. Community colleges and high schools which offer career training programs will often schedule classes in the evenings and on the weekends so the working adult can benefit by scheduling classes after work and on their days off.
Career training is one of the best things you can do for yourself if you are planning to remain in the career of your choice for your lifetime. It not only gives you a competitive edge in the workplace but it also enables you to gain a more secure job realizing better rates per hour. Also, with more job training, individuals are likely to become recognized as an authority in their career of choice making the idea of career training that much more attractive.
The internet offers the working public a better way to seek further career training too. If you want to further your education or find better advancement within your career, log online and see if you can find internet courses which will enable you to reach your goals of career training. You can conduct keyword searches online to find the best opportunities to teach you more about a particular trade or a particular career.
Many colleges and universities have what they are commonly referring to as distance education and you may be able to find distance education courses offered online from numerous universities throughout the country which may appeal to you more than your local opportunities. Distance education programs range in all facets of job skills and requirements which can help you advance your career. Some colleges and universities will offer more training in your chosen field than others. Your local community college advisors may be able to help you with this if you are already taking classes to further your career locally. However, for the most part, distance education courses offered online will be something you can pursue on your own.
The important thing to remember when you are seeking more career training possibilities is to research your possibilities. With the internet, there are countless possibilities for you and you’ll find the job training you seek for on-the-job can be valuable to you as well. Talk to your employer, search the internet and get ready to advance your career through career training programs.
Career Tips for a Writer
A writer has the creative ability to draw word pictures. They have the ability to communicate through the written word. A writer’s work can be to write articles of fiction woven by a vivid imagination or to write articles covering non fiction like educational resources, news, reviews, technical documents, or articles on science, environment and health. Work could also entail creating summaries or huge tomes, writing for the web, researching on specific topics, or reporting on meetings and conferences.
When choosing writing as a career choice you must consider whether you want a full time job or whether you would like to freelance.
If you decide on freelance writing, the first thing you need to do is create a resume that highlights your talents. The second most important aspect is to create a list of clients. Networking, communicating well, and building a good relationship with clients is essential to freelance writing. Today the World Wide Web has opened up many more opportunities for freelance writers and there are job sites as well as sites where one can register and bid for projects.
If you choose to work full time you have a great many options. You could be a journalist, web content writer, or resume writer. These are just a few examples of the umpteen choices a writer has.
To be successful you must understand what the industry needs and sharpen your skills accordingly. Study the different writing styles as well as what constitutes good writing. To get the “perfect” job write a prize winning resume, next send out your resume with a brief but succinct covering letter to potential employers. Scan the classifieds as well as online job sites for vacancies that suit your profile. Consider registering with one of the agencies or online sites that specialize in jobs for writers. Another option is a paid job coach, agency, or resume blasting service.
When you go for an interview be sure to take along with you writing samples, a resume, and any publications in which your work has been featured. Do your homework well and find out about the potential employer and the kind of writing they need. You must be able to convince the company why you are a good candidate.
As a writer you must constantly update your skills to suit developments in the writing industry. Read writing tips given by experts, do a writing course, attend workshops and seminars. Become a member of professional writer’s guilds.
Train yourself in the use of personal computers and desktop or electronic publishing systems. Learn how to research competently using the World Wide Web. Have a working knowledge of graphic design, page layout, and multimedia software.
Statistics gathered by the US government indicate that 320,000 jobs were generally held by writers and editors of which more than 1/3 were self-employed. On an average, a full time writer could earn a salary of US$44,350 annually. And, if creativity flows from within you and your write a prize winning piece or best seller then you will soon be a millionaire.