How to Give Great Presentations (Part One)
By Jon Greer


I’ve heard a ton of people give advice about presentations, and most of it, in my humble opinion, is bad advice.

Tips such as “gesture with your hands” are not bad tips, per se, but they aren’t geared to the needs of people who actually have to learn to give better presentations. If you’re at the level of learning how to use your hands better, you’re an advanced presenter. And most of the people I see are so far from advanced it’s not funny. They need fundamental recommendations for giving great presentations.

That’s why I developed my list of the Top 10 Tips for Giving Great Presentations. These are designed to be fail-safe tips that, if followed, will surely improve the quality of any presentation.

Here are the first five (second half tomorrow):

Familiarize yourself with the venue: Check out the room: the configuration, speaker location, microphones, seating. This will increase your comfort level and decrease uncertainty while speaking

Know your audience:Who’s in the audience? What is their knowledge level of your subject? Will there be competitors in the room?

Know the context:When will you speak? How long? Who else is speaking? How will Q&A be handled?

Establish rapport: You don’t have to start with a joke, but it’s helpful to have a brief icebreaker at the beginning to show your humanity. Example: “I’m really glad to be speaking to you today and I’m honored to be on the same panel as the distinguished Dr. Smith.”
Look at individuals in the audience: Don’t stare into space, don’t watch your own slides, or look down at your shoes. Look into the faces of the people listening, one at a time. Speak to one, then casually turn your attention to another.

And here’s the uber-message: it’s all about the content and the storytelling. If your story makes sense because it has a beginning, middle and end, if you organize your speech to take the audience from Point A to Point B in a reasonable amount of time, then everything else will fall into place. If your presentation is an organizational mess, no amount of coaching or tips will save it.

Yesterday, I shared the first five of my Top 10 Tips for Giving Great Presentations. Today’s post continues with the second half of the list:

Simplify your presentation: No matter how technical your audience is, they aren’t as versed in your subject matter as you. Simplify difficult concepts, explain jargon, give examples, use anecdotes.

Start by giving the audience a roadmap to follow: Different than simply stating your “agenda” – the roadmap tells them the 3 or 4 key concepts you want them to take away.

Flag the concepts you want to make sure they don’t miss: Flags direct the audience’s attention to the most important material and bring wandering minds back to your presentation. Examples of flags: “Here’s the most important point…” “Here’s what I really want to get across…”

Repeat your points at the end: Don’t assume the audience was following your presentation to the letter. Include a brief summary slide that re-emphasizes your key points.

Relax: It’s not as stressful a situation as you think. The audience is rooting for you to do a good job and will happily forgive small gaffes or lapses. Give yourself permission to make small mistakes – everyone does. Don’t panic if you make a more serious mistake – stay calm, take your time and resolve the problem carefully.

And here’s a repeat of my “uber-message” from yesterday — it’s all about the content and the storytelling. If your story makes sense because it has a beginning, middle and end, if you organize your speech to take the audience from Point A to Point B in a reasonable amount of time, then everything else will fall into place. If your presentation is an organizational mess, no amount of coaching or tips will save it.


http://blogs.bnet.com/pr/?p=185

Five Dysfunctions of a Team - - Teambuilding games that bring this must read material to life
 

NY Times best selling author poo-poos teambuilding games!

When I first heard this I said "How could that be?!"

If you’re reading this post then you know that (intuitively or consciously) teambuilding games are the fastest, easiest way to help people “get it” at a deeper level.

So what is the deal?

Perhaps Lencioni has never experienced the effective INTEGRATION of an experiential learning exercise (teambuilding game) into a team development workshop. After all, many inexperienced trainers will lead teambuilding games in a disjointed and ultimately ineffective way.

This TeleSeminar will help you teach the principles of the Five Dysfunctions book in a fun and engaging way using the power of teambuilding exercises.

I love Lencioni’s book because the five principles he offers up provide a wonderful framework upon which to build a powerful teambuilding program. In case you haven't read this book, the five principles are:

Absense of Trust
Fear of Conflict
Lack of Commitment
Avoidance of Accountability
Inattention to Results

My personal favorite from this list is Absense of Trust. Can you guess why?

Which one strikes a chord with you? Which one is the pivotal dysfunction in your mind?

I have advised many a trainer to use the book as the framework for their team training event.

But Lencioni in all his wisdom offers no experiential learning activities to drive home the lessons of his book.


Wouldn't you love to overcome the five biggest blocks to great teams before they come up?

Meetings – 6 factors to consider before you call one

First appeared in ‘Advant Edge’ (U.S.A.)


Meetings are usually awful. They are possibly the most disliked part of modern business. It has been estimated that there are anything between 11 and 25 million meetings held per day in America alone. It’s far too many. If you feel you need to call a meeting. Stop. Take a deep breath and work through the following factors.


Factor 1: Purpose and Intended Result


Is there a definite, tangible purpose for the meeting and a clear intended result? If you can’t explain to yourself what you want from the meeting don’t hold it and carry out one of the following activities;


a) If it’s an information sharing meeting send a report, a video of a presentation, a link?

b) If it’s a decision making meeting - just make the decision and let people know later.

If you have a Purpose and Intended Result work through the remaining factors;


Factor 2: People


Who should attend? Don’t invite people to a meeting because they always come to these meetings. If you know people are only attending because of their position in the Organisation investigate it. The number of managers who rush to a junior member of staff before a meeting to be briefed then have to brief them after the meeting must be phenomenal.


Get the right person to attend - irrespective of their position. Also people frequently don’t need to attend all the meeting. Prepare a list of who should stay / go for each item on the agenda. There is nothing worse than sitting through a three hour meeting waiting for your ten minute slot at the end that will inevitably be postponed until the next time because you’ve run out of time.


Factor 3: Timings


Be ruthless. Schedule an item and schedule a time. If an item’s scheduled for 20 minutes and time’s up and you’re nowhere near a conclusion stop it - reschedule it and move on to the next item. This will be incredibly hard to begin with but people will soon learn to get to the point quicker.


Always start on time. If people are late they get to miss it this time. It will encourage people to get used to your way of doing things.


Factor 4: Content


What type of meeting is it? Separate information sharing meetings and decision making meetings. Inevitably the person who has presented the information will have a bias towards getting it accepted even if there are stronger arguments. Separate these meetings - ideally over a day or so to allow people to assimilate all the information, or at least take a break between the presentations and the voting.


Factor 5: Be Creative.


There are some different ways of holding meetings and different approaches that may not be popular with a few people early on but they will get used to it;

Stand up meetings. No chairs, no coffee - a quick Monday morning progress meeting would be a good candidate. People are surprising eloquent and to the point once they’ve been standing for 10 minutes or so.


You can have creative meetings - really. They can be fun and extremely useful. If you have a problem, or a proposal to look at try something a little different. One technique is to use the principles outlined in Edward de Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’; the chair will have the blue hat which manages the process. Other attendees are given a particular colour hat and must act out the process for that particular colour;

black hat is for negativity and why something won’t work,

white hat is concerned with information - facts and figures,

red hat deals with feelings and intuition,

yellow hat symbolises optimism and positive thinking

green hat focuses on creativity.


So, once these roles are assigned the topic is discussed. The black hat thinkers will look for reason this won’t work. The white hat thinkers will argue on the basis of facts and figures, and so on. The discussions are usually lively and productive. People don’t get trapped into defending positions but can explore ideas in a creative way.


Factor 6: Any Other Business


Never, ever have Any Other Business - ever. If people can’t inform you before the meeting - it can’t be that important, or they are doing it for tactical reasons.


There may be the odd occasion where you have to ignore these considerations but generally it is vital to work through a checklist. Meetings do develop a life of their own once they occur regularly and start taking over peoples’ lives.

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

More than any other time in history, small business owners around the world are looking to support each other to become more successful - to share ideas and resources in ways that not only allow us all to create more wealth, but also contribute more wealth as well.

With the reach of Roger Hamilton's XL Results Foundation, the world's leading entrepreneur and social enterprise network now spanning 53 cities in 22 countries "Your Life, Your Legacy" is the largest gathering of local and international entrepreneurs of its kind.

If you are a small to medium sized business owner looking to expand - or considering taking your first steps as an entrepreneur - this event will introduce you to a world of new possibilities.

Your Life, Your Legacy | An introduction

Over 2.5 days, Roger Hamilton, Chairman of XL Results Foundation and the creator of 'Your Life, Your Legacy' will guide you to develop six powerful tools central to every fast growth enterprise.

1. The power of a common language for entrepreneurs to use with their networks & teams.
2. The power of a global community of like-minded business owners.
3. The power of a clear, long-term vision for yourself and your business.
4. The power of an international resource base supporting you.
5. The power of associating with other thought leaders in business.
6. The power of trust - with your clients, employees, partners and networks.

Your understanding and implementation of these 6 principles will set the foundation for the "Your Life, Your Legacy" experience, however by no means completes the journey. We hope you can take to time to explore the different areas, using the tabs at the top of the screen, which will give you a deeper insight into what to expect over the 2.5 days.

Dear agung,

WELCOME to Dr. MICHAEL MERCER's MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS for this MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER

+ Inspirational Quotes

+ Article = "5 WAYS TO AVOID HIRING PSYCHOPATHS"

+ Do You Want More Articles or Info or Books on This Month's Topic?

+ Joke of the Month

+ You Can Publish Our Articles in Your Newsletter or Website

+ How Can You Contact Dr. Michael Mercer & His Staff?

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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

"You're going to face all sorts of obstacles along the way - and your desire has to outweigh your despair."
- Kenneth Brown, author of "From Welfare to Faring Well"

"Be strong and courageous."
- Joshua 1:6

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
- Walt Disney

"Let's go, and do some good."
- Larry-the-Cable-Guy in his movie "Witless"

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FEATURE ARTICLE = "5 WAYS TO AVOID HIRING PSYCHOPATHS"

Avoid hiring psychopaths using pre-employment tests, key job interview
questions, background and reference checks, and even their aura.

PSYCHOPATHS IN THE NEWS (& maybe in your company)

Recently, the news is buzzing about a high-level people who (a)
preached a high moral standard but then (b) acted using a low moral standard.
This includes elected government officials and even some clergy.
Unfortunately, sometimes employees violate standards of conduct or laws,
and this creates a big mess for a company.

Some of these trouble-making people are "psychopaths."

HOW TO SPOT A PSYCHOPATH

A psychopath
* has no conscience
* manipulates people
* preaches high moral standards, but lives low moral standards
* charms people
* seduces or acts inappropriate in that regard
* threatens other people in terms of their (a) well-being or (b) physical safety

Psychopaths prey on people who give in to their manipulations, verbal hostility, or physical intimidation. Their prey often do not tell managers or executives due to
(1) fear of how the psychopath will treat them if they snitch or
(2) psychopaths charming managers so much that the managers do not believe the "snitch" who reveals how the psychopath really acts.

MANAGERS MUST NEVER HIRE PSYCHOPATHS

It is crucial for managers to avoid hiring psychopaths. Harmony promotes productivity. Fear caused by a psychopath's threats, hostility and manipulations destroy harmonious work relationships. So, managers must not hire psychopaths.

5 WAYS TO AVOID HIRING PSYCHOPATHS

1. Pre-Employment Tests - especially certain test scores

From my research on pre-employment tests, there are specific test scores that may indicate a job applicant is a psychopath.

Specifically, psychopaths may get low or high scores on certain measures/scales in pre-employment tests:
* low scores on two measures - (a) Truthfulness and (b) Following Rules
* high scores on two measures - (a) Aggressiveness and (b) Power Motivation

Lesson: Be cautious with job applicants who get such scores on pre-employment tests.

2. Job Interviews
If you suspect a job applicant may be a psychopath, then you can ask questions to elicit answers revealing if the applicant threatens or intimidates people. Reason: Psychopaths get a huge thrill from intimidating through
(a) real or implied threats,
(b) verbal hostility, and
(c) manipulation.

So, managers need to ask questions that let the psychopath proudly tell you about getting their way through intimidation.

Examples of such job interview questions:
a. "Imagine two times you had difficulty getting co-workers or employees to use your very good ideas. Tell me exactly how you handled them to get them to use your ideas?"

b. Everyone has friction with co-workers or employees. Tell me two specific experiences in which you needed to work with an employee with whom you had friction."

After asking each question, listen for the job applicant boasting about implied or real threats, intimidating, anger, or ridiculing other employees.

Warning: Another red flag is if the applicant smiles at you, and says anything like "You had better offer me a job" - with the implication of "or else" between the lines.

3. Reference Checks
Call the job applicant's ex-bosses at home, and ask for a "personal reference." Obtain specific examples of how the applicant "handled difficulties and friction with other employees." Listen for warning signs of threats, intimidation, anger, or ridicule.

4. Background Checks
Fortunately, sometimes psychopaths bite the dust by getting convicted.
So, managers should uncover convictions for crimes that would concern a company, for example, stealing, fraud, DUI, or violence. Also, check to see if their claimed educational degrees and diplomas are real, and not figments of their manipulative lies.

5. Aura
Alright, I admit this is not scientific. But, if your gut-feeling about an applicant says trouble is brewing under the applicant's smiling, charming exterior, then listen to your suspicion.

If something about a job applicant "does not feel right," then you are better off finding a better applicant. Find a job applicant who does well in all your prediction methods. That includes doing well on pre-employment tests, interviews, references, and background checks.

Yes, that also includes finding a job applicant who exudes a good aura.
COPYRIGHT 2008 MICHAEL MERCER, PH.D.
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Dr. Michael Mercer is the Hire the Best Expert. Pre-employment tests he created help companies hire productive, dependable employees. His 5 books include "Hire the Best & Avoid the Rest" and also "Turning Your HR Dept. into a Profit Center." Many companies also use his customized interview method. Dr. Mercer delivers speeches and training seminars at companies and conferences. You can get his free 14-page White Paper on "Hire Productive, Profitable, & Honest Employees" plus subscribe to his free Management Newsletter at website =
http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com.
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DO YOU WANT MORE ARTICLES or INFO or BOOKS ON THIS MONTH'S TOPIC?

Articles = http://www.pre-employmenttests.com/articlesdemo.html

Books by Dr. Mercer touched on in this month's feature article:
a. "Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest(tm)"
b. "Absolutely Fabulous Organizational Change(tm)"
c. "Turning Your Human Resources Department into a
Profit Center (tm)"

Books = http://www.pre-employmenttests.com/storeonline.html

Pre-Employment Tests = http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com
---------------------------------------------
JOKE OF THE MONTH

The following comment was overheard at a Starbuck's coffee shop. Two
people were sitting together at a table, and one person said this to the
other person:
"Are we in this Starbuck's - or are we in the Starbuck's that's a block
from here?"
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YOU CAN PUBLISH OUR ARTICLES in YOUR NEWSLETTER or WEBSITE

Permission to reprint: You may reprint any item from "Dr. Mercer's
Management Newsletter" in your company's or association's print or
electronic newsletter/magazine - but you must include the following:

"Reprinted from "Dr. Mercer's Management Newsletter," a free newsletter
featuring tips on hiring and leadership. You can get a free
subscription to his Newsletter at http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com."

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HOW CAN YOU CONTACT DR. MICHAEL MERCER & HIS STAFF?

You can call Dr. Mercer and staff to discuss how his speeches, training
and pre-employment tests can help your company.

Phone = 847-382-0690

E-mail = DrMercer@MercerSystems.com

Pre-Employment Tests = http://www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com

Seminars & Speeches = http://DrMercer.com

COPYRIGHT 2008 The Mercer Group, Inc.

How to subscribe:
If you know people who will benefit from Dr. Mercer's Management
Newsletter, they quickly can sign-up for their own subscriptions at (1)
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Pain and Pleasure -- What creates change?
Tuesday, September 13 , 2005

What does it take to motivate someone (manager, team member) to change their behavior back in the office AFTER the teambuilding workshop?

I'd like to believe that a one day (once a year) teambuilding workshop will create long term change in a person but it usually doesn't.

The teambuilding workshop can create an "opening" - - a place for someone to create the initial shift. The workshop will not sustain the change. And some who attend the workshop will refuse to change their behavior (during or after the workshop).

What is it then that keeps a person "stuck" in old disruptive behavior?

The reason people don't change is that they associate pain to changing. Change requires moving into the unknown and many people associate pain to the unknown. The pain they experience now as a result of not changing is (they believe) LESS painful than going through all the effort of changing.

People are motivated by two factors:
1. The need to avoid pain
2. The need to gain pleasure
The brain is setup to do these two things on a moment to moment basis. It helps us survive. The brain is asking "Will doing this thing help me avoid pain? Will doing this thing help me gain pleasure?"

My dad was a near chain smoker for many years and had made feeble attempts at quitting UNTIL he had a heart attack. Prior to the heart attack he had associated more pain to quitting than not. After the heart attack he linked the intense pain he was experiencing to the smoking and he never picked up again. The pain of quitting became LESS painful than the pain he associated to remaining a smoker. When presented with two painful choices we will choose the less painful of the two.

The key here is what the person ASSOCIATES the pain to. Did my dad have to have a heart attack to stop smoking? No. He could have used his imagination to clearly associate intense (intense!) pain to smoking and he would have dropped the habit just as fast.

To get someone (a team member) to change their behavior long term they must associate massive pain to the existing old negative behavior and intense pleasure to the new (higher conscioussness) positive behavior.

When comparing pain and pleasure as motivators, pain is the greater motivator - - short term.

Long term, pleasure is the greater motivator.

How then to bring in the pleasure component?

Many people (many teams) are very clear about what they don't want. By helping someone become clear about what they do want in their life (the pleasure) I help them create a clear and powerfully articulated VISION that absolutely inspires and uplifts them. A powerfully articulated vision helps a person (a team) be drawn toward that which they desire. A powerfully articulated vision will help people have the courage and discipline to stay the course.

Are you ready to receive the benefits of a clearly and powerfully articulated vision for your team?

Go Back to School with Online Art & Design Degrees
by Chloë Dowley

As much as you'd like summer to last forever, fall's arrival is imminent, and with it comes 'back to school' season. If you've thought about turning your creativity and interest in interior design, fashion, or graphic design into a career, now might be the perfect time. As the air turns crisp and leaves begin to change color, there's no need to sit idly by and envy those who are beginning a new school year. Binders and mechanical pencils aren't just for 5th graders anymore, as more and more adults take advantage of the convenience of online educational opportunities. Why not join them as you pursue a degree in design?
The Ease of Online Education

According to Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006, published by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, nearly 3.2 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2005 term. That number continues to grow as increasing numbers of 2- and 4-year post-secondary schools create online courses and degree programs. When you consider the convenience and flexibility offered by online schools, it's no wonder that so many students are signing up for Web-based learning opportunities.


This growing interest in distance education provides increased options if you're searching online for a design school. Whether you want to begin a career in fashion design, attend interior design school, or take online graphic design classes, you should have no trouble finding a program that meets your needs.
Get Educated in Style

Your unique sense of fashion shouldn't have to stay in your closet. Give your fashion flair free reign by enrolling for formal training with fashion design and merchandising courses, some of which can even be taken online. While you probably can't justify a new wardrobe if you're going back to school via the Internet, you can certainly work on designing yourself some new duds as a fashion school student.

Two- and 4-year degrees in fashion design could help you launch a career in this highly creative field. As you dive into your online fashion courses, you can expect to take courses in color, textiles, fashion history, and computer aided design (CAD). In addition to the obvious benefits of pursuing a career in fashion, get motivated by the fact that fashion designers earned a median annual salary of $55,840 in 2004, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Redecorate Your Career

Thanks to Web technology, you don't have to live in a dorm room or even put up with cafeteria food in order to earn your degree in interior design. Next time you're thinking about redoing your home office, sit down at your computer and enroll in an online interior design degree program.

If you're serious about pursuing a career in interior design, academic preparation is very important. Because of the competitive nature of this field, and the licensure requirements, an associate's degree in interior design is generally the minimum education you need to qualify for entry-level positions. With a 2-year degree, you could be an assistant designer, while graduates with bachelor's degrees can participate as apprentices in a formal design program, which prepares them to take the licensure exam to become a certified, registered, or licensed interior designer.
Achieve Graphic Design Greatness

If your design interests lie in print, electronic, and film media, there's no need to keep your doodles to yourself. If you're serious about a career in digital arts & graphic design, it's wise to pursue formal training. According to a 2004 study commissioned by DesignMentor Training, more than half of all jobs in the graphic design field were awarded to individuals with a bachelor's or master's degree-level training. Fire up your computer and build your skills with online training!

Of all the design fields, graphic designers should see the biggest increase in new jobs over the next 7 years. To qualify for most entry-level jobs in this field, you need a bachelor's degree in graphic design. If you only have time for a 2-year degree, don't despair--some entry-level technical positions are available to graduates with associate's degrees in graphic design. With the proper graphic design training and a few years of experience under your belt, you could even qualify for a position as a creative designer, overseeing creative projects and managing design staff.
Study Design Online or On-Campus

If you have designs on a new career in these creative fields, seize the moment. Take your pick from a variety of campus-based arts schools and online design schools and get in the 'back to school' spirit by registering for classes online. A career in fashion design, interior design, or graphic design could be yours if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and get studying.

Magical Career Opportunities: Harry Potter Mania's Not for Children Only
by Chloë Dowley

Whether you waited in line all night for your copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows or you're sick of the Potter-mania, you--like the rest of us--see children's literature in a fresh light because of the Harry Potter books. Once relegated to the kids' corner of bookstores and to Sunday matinee films, young people's fiction and related industries are experiencing a renaissance, thanks in large part to J.K. Rowling's series.

Regardless of public controversies over the boy wizard and his friends, consumer money talks. Revenues at Scholastic and Warner Brothers are sky-high. But there's no reason that more of us can't benefit from the market created by the gang at Hogwarts. With the proper education (and I'm not talking about potions and spells), witches, wizards, and muggles alike can get in on creative career opportunities in Potter-inspired fields.
Be the Next J.K. Rowling


Once a starving single mom, Rowling is now the richest woman in England thanks to the amazingly popular world she created in the Potter series. As Rowling steps out of the limelight she will leave a void to in the children's section of Borders, giving aspiring fantasy authors a chance to make themselves known. If you have an active imagination and enjoy putting your thoughts on paper, maybe you should consider honing your skills with some professional training.

A liberal arts degree is a great way to learn how to do research and to express yourself more eloquently in writing. Associate's and bachelor's degrees in liberal arts are available from schools nationwide, and many offer online writing courses as well. As a student in a liberal arts degree program you could expect to take courses in disciplines varying from anthropology and political science to economics and literature. How else could you learn about magical beliefs, inter-school rivalries, the relative value of owls, or the fantasy genre? The research and writing you'll do to get your liberal arts degree could be just the motivation to take your ideas from notebook scrawlings to typed manuscripts.
Make Big Screen Wizardry

For those of us who aren't up to ingesting 700-plus pages of a book, the Harry Potter movies are an entertaining way to get a taste of the fun. Fans obviously agree, as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix broke box office records in its first few days of release. Bringing flying brooms, dragons, and dueling magicians to the big screen requires the work of highly skilled professionals, however, and the popularity of fantasy films is good news for anyone interested in a career in digital graphic design or animation.

If you'd like to see your name in the credits of the movie version of The Deathly Hallows, you'll need to get to work. Degrees in graphic design and animation can help prepare you for a creative career in this field, with training that focuses on using the latest computer software to make your imagination come to life. Although certificates and associate's degrees are available in graphic design and animation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that most entry-level jobs in this field require at least a bachelor's degree.
Build the Hype

Harry, Ron and Hermione might never have risen to stardom without the efforts of hard-working marketing, and public relations professionals. Get involved in this industry, and you could help spread the word for the next big fad. Advertising and public relations specialists sell ad space for radio, TV, internet, billboards, or printed publications. Professionals in this field are responsible for an array of activities, including conceptualizing and designing advertising campaigns and creating a positive public image for clients--be they humans, wizards, or movies.

In addition to the great people skills, creativity and ability to problem-solve that you may already bring to an advertising or PR job, it's wise to get some career training under your belt to prepare yourself for success. Some occupations in this field (such as assistant art directors or assistant copywriters) are available to individuals with 2-year degrees. If you'd like to work as a media-planner or as a public relations specialist, you'd probably benefit from a bachelor's degree in public relations or marketing.
Find Your Own Hogwarts

Thanks to online degree programs, getting a career-directed education is more convenient than ever before. While you won't find a professor quite as wise as Dumbledore or a campus with a Quidditch court, you will find a wide array of schools from which to choose. Earning your degree won't be as easy as waving a magic wand, but if you keep your career goals in mind you may find yourself enjoying the process. Harry Potter's fate has been written. Yours is up to you.

Choose a Creative Career That's Uniquely You
by Chloë Dowley

There's no need to blend in with everyone else if you have imaginative ideas to share with the world. Whether you choose to earn a graphic design degree, pursue a career in fashion, or attend interior design school, the right education could help you lend your distinctive look to everything you touch.
Video Game Design - Get in the Game

Halo was fun and Grand Theft Auto had its moments, but it's time for the next big thing. If you've been daydreaming about the details of your own game, stop playing and start studying. Degrees in the digital arts are readily available from a number of online schools which could train you for a career as a game designer. As a student in a digital graphic arts program, you could use your game idea for a senior project.

The Basics for Game Designers:
Fringe Benefits: Combine career training with your natural skills and you could have a high-tech, fun career in game design.
Earning Potential: BLS reports that multimedia artists (of which game designers are a subset) earned a median annual salary of over $50,000 in 2004.
Training: A degree in digital graphic arts could help you learn how to bring your ideas to life onscreen.
Fashion Design - Design and Market your own Clothes

Having a great sense of style doesn't mean that you can just whip up a cool pair of pants on your Singer. Without even changing out of your very chic pajamas you could work toward your fashion design degree and take your ideas from the sketchbook to your closet.
The Basics for Fashion Designers:
Fringe Benefits: Not only could you have a killer wardrobe, but how fun would it be to see your designs on others?
Earning Potential: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median salary of fashion designers was over $55,000 in 2004.
Training: Learn about fabrics, style, and merchandising at fashion school, and you could make a career out of your trendy fashion sense.
Web Design - Create a Cool Web Site

Instead of envying everyone else's Web site, earn your online graphic and web design degree and learn how to make your own home page equally awesome. A degree in graphic web design could help you give your blog or site a facelift and could even lead you down a new career path.
The Basics for Web Designers:
Fringe Benefits: The Internet doesn't show any sign of going out of style so your technical skills should be in demand for years to come.
Earning Potential: You'll reap the benefits of a highly visited Web site and median annual earnings close to $40,000.
Training: There are plenty of graphic design schools offering degrees that could train you to work as a professional Web designer.
Interior Decorating - Make Your Home Unique

Instead of rearranging your studio apartment for the umpteenth time, give your career a makeover by investing in an interior design degree. Learn the window treatment secrets of the pros, the basics of textiles and color combinations, and the best ways to maximize a small space. If your place looks nice now, imagine how great it could be once you've graduated from interior design school.
The Basics for Interior Decorators:
Fringe Benefits: What could beat getting paid to do what you love? Having the coolest apartment in your building could be just the beginning.
Earning Potential: Your salary will vary depending on your specific position and where you're employed, but BLS reported annual earnings of over $40,000 in this field in 2004.
Training: Because it's a competitive profession, you'll need to earn a degree in degree in interior design for most entry-level positions.
Logo Design - Create your Brand

Whether it's the swoosh on your sneakers, the golden arches on the corner, or the apple on your computer, logos are everywhere. Get in on the action by becoming a logo designer and create your own personal symbol that you could use on business cards, letterhead, or even as a monogram on clothing.
The Basics for Logo Designers:
Fringe Benefits: If getting paid to play around on your favorite computer graphics programs all day sounds good, this might just be the career for you.
Earning Potential: While there are no salary figures specific to this specialty, BLS reports that the median salary of graphic designers in the advertising industry earned in 2004 was just over $40,000.
Training: Depending on the time you want to invest, an associate or bachelor's graphic design degree should give you the foundations to start a career as a logo designer.
Life in the Creative Lane

Why work in a job that hides your creativity? Find the right school, get trained, and share your unique ideas with the world. Imagine the personal and professional satisfaction that earning your degree in fashion design, graphic design, interior design, or digital arts could bring.

Creative Careers: Turn Your Passion into a Profitable Profession
By Chloë Dowley

If you're most content when creating and designing, whether it be on paper, on a computer screen, or even on your living room floor, consider yourself lucky. The world needs more innovative thinkers, and with the right training you could make a living using your natural artistic inclinations.

Here are 5 career ideas for the creative mind:
1. Marketing & Advertising

Use your creativity to land a corner office as you bring together your business brain and artistic soul.

- Training: With a marketing degree, your creative nature can earn lucrative contracts and profits, whether you choose to work in business, entertainment, media, or any other field of your liking. Earn an MBA degree and give yourself a chance to really work your way up the corporate ladder.

- Salary: Advertising GMs earned median hourly wages of $55.06 in 2004.

2. Digital Graphic Arts

Get in on this growing multi-billion dollar profession that includes career opportunities in entertainment, print media, the internet, television, movies, business, and more.

- Training: You'll need graphic arts training from a respected art school, where you can apply your creative vision with the most recent software applications. After art school, a world of cutting-edge careers becomes available. You can specialize in, 3d animation, web design, marketing design, and even video game design. If you can visualize it, you can design it.

- Salary: Average salaries in digital graphic design professions range from $50,000 to over $60,000.
3. Fashion Design & Merchandising

There's always room for the next Vera Wang or Calvin Klein in this highly competitive field. If you have an eye for style, you may be suited for a career in fashion.

- Training: Two years of fashion school training is typically required for most entry-level jobs. If you've ever dreamed of seeing your creations on thousands of people, fashion school is the perfect way to focus your talents.

- Salary: $55,840 was the median annual salary in 2004.
4. Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management

Make mouths water while you make a living. Or, if you prefer to work outside of the kitchen, a career as a restaurant manager might be your cup of tea.

- Training: To become a chef or restaurant manager at a premier restaurant, a minimum of two years of culinary arts school or hospitality management training is essential. After that, the world is your oyster. You can focus your talents on food preparation and presentation, customer service, finance and budget, employee relations, or all the above.

- Perks: Median hourly earnings were $14.75 in 2004.
5. Interior Design

An eye for colors, textiles, and spatial relations is key in this profession. You can choose to be a general interior decorator, or specialize in areas such as kitchen and bath design.

- Training: Complete an interior design training program, and put in one to three years as a designer's apprentice. Twenty-three states require you to complete a licensing exam as well. Whether you specialize in home decorating or corporate design, interior design school will give you the tools you need to create dream interiors for your clients.

- Salary: Interior designers earned a median salary of $40,670 in 2004.
Tips for Success

The same great features that attract you to creative occupations are compelling thousands of other qualified individuals as well. Use these tips to set yourself apart from the masses.
1. Do Your Research

Interview a professional in the field about the best and worst parts of their jobs and follow them around for a day to see the reality of the job.
2. Train for Success

Most jobs in the creative sector are competitive, so the more creative training you get, the better qualified you may be for a position. Find an accredited educational program that can prepare you with the skills you need for your chosen career.
3. Build Your Portfolio

In the design and creative fields, your work represents you. Save copies of your finished products to show potential employers.
4. Network

Meet as many professionals as you can. The more people you know, the greater your chances of finding a job.

There's no doubt that your hobby could become a full-fledged profession. Are you ready to get the education and career training you need to take you there?

10 Hot Careers you can land with an Online Degree
by John Tuthill

According to recent estimates, approximately 3.5 million students are currently taking courses through online education programs, and enrollment rates show no signs of declining. Moreover, a recent survey by Eduventures, an education consulting company, found that about half of all prospective college students are interested in earning an online degree. The survey also found that many of these students are working professionals looking to change careers or younger individuals taking advantage of convenient and flexible online degree programs to prepare for the future.

After a decade of dramatic change in higher education, one thing is now clear: online education is here to stay.
10 Careers to Prepare for Online

You can train for just about any career field through online career training. Here are 10 high-demand careers you can consider if you are thinking about studying online.
1. Product Marketing Manager

Median Salary: $73,060
Fast Facts: Marketing managers need to be creative and have good administrative skills to coordinate market research, product development, and sales. Online marketing degrees help many professionals to shift careers and enter the growing field of advertising and product marketing. An MBA in marketing is an excellent stepping stone to even greater opportunities.
2. Health Services Manager
Median Salary Range: $57,000 - $95,000
Fast Facts: For most health and medical services management positions, a 4-year health care administration degree is the minimum requirement. Experience with providing health care, managing large numbers of employees, or running a business are pluses, as are advanced degrees such as the master's in healthcare management.
3. Accountant
Median Annual Earnings: $54, 630
Fast Facts: Entry-level accounting jobs typically require at least a bachelor's degree in accounting. Management-level positions usually go to workers with advanced business degrees, such as the MBA. Many mid-level professionals choose to study for an online MBA degree in order to make the jump to management.
4. Web Designer / Developer
Median Salary Range: $40,000 - $52,000
Fast Facts: There are two basic routes to a career in web design. With a graphic web design degree, you can focus on the aesthetics of website development. If you are more technologically-inclined and interested in coding the functionality of a site, then you might choose to pursue a degree in web development.
5. Hotel Manager
Median Salary Range: $32,000 - $58,000
Fast Facts: Although many hotel managers work their way up to management positions, workers with hospitality management training are at a significant advantage. Jobs at large full-service hotels and luxury resorts are usually restricted to employees with formal degrees from hospitality management schools.
6. Special Education Teacher
Median Salary Range: $38,500 - $61,500
Fast Facts: Special education teachers must be licensed by the states in which they work. Certification is completed through Bachelor's or Master's teacher training programs, and many universities offer online teaching degrees.
7. Graphic Design Artist
Median Salary Range: $30,000 - $50,000
Fast Facts: One out of four graphic designers are self-employed, and many work on a freelance basis. For most entry-level positions in the field, a formal degree from an online graphic design school is a good way to get a foot in the door.
8. Paralegal
Median Salary: $43,040
Fast Facts: According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of paralegals is projected to grow 22 percent over the next decade. Paralegal schools offer 4-year degrees that result in a Bachelor's degree and paralegal certification, as well as 2 year Associate degrees in paralegal studies.
9. Education Administrator
Median Salary: $68,340
Fast Facts: Education administrators can work as principals, assistant principals, or school superintendents. Most jobs require at least a Master's in education administration and experience in a field such as admissions counseling or teaching.
10. Medical Records Technician
Median Annual Earnings: $28,030
Fast Facts: Entrants to the medical records field usually have a degree in health information technology, and many choose to gain certification by becoming Registered Health Information Technicians.
Why an Online Degree Makes Sense

What makes these particular careers well suited to online education? For each of these 10 high-demand careers, training is available to nontraditional students who are looking to change careers or take advantage of the convenience of distance learning. Online career training is particularly attractive to students with professional or family responsibilities who find that they can earn higher degrees and improve their careers without commuting to a college campus.

Nearly twenty percent of all college students in the US took at least one online college course in 2006. This number is expected to grow by nearly 10 percent annually over the next few years. Online education is no longer considered a fad or even a trend. It is a phenomenon that is helping students across the country to achieve their career goals.

How to Grow Your Career in a Recession
by Clare Kaufman

The R-word doesn't need to spell trouble for your career. Education offers a powerful antidote to the whims of a recession-bound economy. With online career training, you can grow your career in any economic climate, rain or shine.
Strategy #1 - Outrun the Economy

Make yourself indispensable to an employer by enhancing your job skills. Online education can hone the advanced skills that see businesses through tough times: leadership, strategic planning, and innovation.

Here's how strategy #1 looks through the lens of accounting, business, design, and HR:
Accountant
Financial belt-tightening calls for a good accountant, doesn't it? Yes--but accounting is not the recession-proof career it once was, reports CFO.com. Outsourcing has taken a bite out of entry-level accounting jobs, a trend set to increase with the coming recession. Accounting clerks topped a March 2007 Wall Street Journal list of workers "most vulnerable" to offshoring. With decreasing margins, companies are prone to outsource collections, data analysis, financial reporting, and other basic accounting activities to offshore providers.

In other words, there has never been a better time to advance out of an accounting clerk position and into a secure Certified Public Accountant job. Online universities offer CPA courses, as well as bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting.


Business Operations Manager
When resources are tight, business needs to run as a well-oiled machine. Operations managers coordinate daily operations, formulating policies and procedures to ensure efficient use of all business resources--material, financial, and human.

Operations managers typically advance into the position with an MBA. Online MBA programs teach effective leadership and strategic thinking, the skills that differentiate a middle manager from an executive leader.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers are also vulnerable to outsourcing, according to The Wall Street Journal. Their secret weapon in an economic downturn? Creative development. While entry-level graphic design jobs can be shipped anywhere, creative directors are irreplaceable.

Advance into creative responsibility with a college degree in graphic design. Building technical skills is important--but in the current business climate, a creative portfolio and industry contacts really set you apart. Graphic design school fosters creative development and encourages professional networking.
Human Resources Specialist
Human resources specialists are responsible for creating a streamlined workforce--essential in a declining economy. HR assistants recruit, place, and train employees into the positions best suited to their skill set. HR managers maintain a broader outlook on a company's human resources strategy, in consultation with senior executives.

Be part of the human resources solution by upgrading your education. An online degree in HR or an MBA with a concentration in human resources management will help you develop the leadership skills and long-range analytical thinking to address critical business problems.
Strategy #2 - Find a Recession Haven

For some workers, the answer to recession vulnerability is a lateral shift into a recession-proof industry. Health care and education are perennially in demand, even in tough economic times. Here's how to retrain for three in-demand careers:
Market Research Analyst
In a recession "you need to know more than ever how consumers are redefining value." Invest in market research: that's BusinessWeek's advice to companies planning their marketing budget for 2008 and 2009. Market research becomes all the more important in an economic downturn, as companies target their products or services to an increasingly discriminating consumer.

Get into this recession-proof niche of marketing with an online degree in marketing. Research analysts collect and analyze statistical data, creating consumer surveys and studies. Courses in quantitative research, social psychology, and communications are critical.
Health Information Manager
Health care jobs make up almost half of the thirty fastest growing occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. One of the high demand fields is health information management. Health information managers maintain and ensure the security of patient records. Computer expertise and knowledge of legal requirements is critical.

IT professionals are especially well-positioned to transition into health information management. A degree in health information technology provides the necessary training in medical recordkeeping procedure and technology.
Corporate Trainer
Faced with job insecurity, workers have a powerful motivation to develop their job skills. That translates into increased demand for corporate and vocational trainers during a recession. Corporate trainers enjoy the best of both worlds: a secure, fulfilling teaching job at a private-sector salary. They typically consult with businesses to produce customized professional development courses.

An online bachelor's degree in Education lays the groundwork for a corporate training career. Many trainers go on to a master's degree in education or business with a concentration in corporate training.

A tough economy can spell opportunity for you--if you plan ahead. Become indispensable to an employer with an advanced skill set, or transition into a recession-proof career. Either way, strategic career training and education could be your ticket to job security.