AU Blogspot

 
                    Thanks to Torley for permission to use this Photo.

Hi everyone, my name is Camilla.  I am the proud parent of one little angel named Destiny.  She is the love of my life and I love her so much.  Having a daughter has opened my eyes to the realities of this world.

I have always been a very mature and responsible person, but had somehow managed to procrastinate taking my education to the next level.  I have been employed in the travel industry since I left college, which is a very challenging and exciting profession!

I have always put off pursuing my bachelor’s degree for a later date, but after having my daughter, I decided that I needed to do it now for many reasons.

Firstly, earning my degree in management is totally vital to me in terms of self satisfaction and knowing that I did all to achieve my ultimate educational goals. Having taken the necessary steps towards my goal, I totally intend to use this as an example of hard work and dedication to my daughter. 

Some people believe that when one has kids—it’s the end of the world; but it doesn’t have to be. Raising a child is just as much an opportunity to get to know yourself better as it is a life long process of discovery.

In addition, this degree gives me a better chance of earning a better salary, which will in turn help me care for my daughter much better financially.

Although it is very challenging to study and make plans when you are a parent, it is very important to find it in your inner self to make the time. Dedicate yourself to doing this and rely on your support system no matter how small it is.  Just keep staying focused on your ultimate goal.

However; I have also learned that no matter how urgent the deadline for an assignment might be—it is always best to take care of my daughter first, instead of ignoring her, and then get back to the assignment.

So to all fellow students who are parents (male, female, single, married, or divorced)—I say congratulations for making this step to advancing your education and wish you all the best with your endeavours!

Camilla
Bachelor’s In Management Program Student
Ashworth University

 
      Thanks to Geoffrey Chandler for permission to use this Photograph.

My favorite practice is to research the company that I am interviewing with and asking any questions about them that I can think of.

For me personally, I try to be myself because I want them to be able to evaluate whether or not I will fit into their corporate culture.

How I conduct myself in an interview also depends on the person interviewing me. Some more inexperienced interviewers will completely dominate the conversation—telling you everything they can think of without really finding anything out about “you”.

Always be prepared with an answer to:

“So, tell me about yourself”.

Most good interviewers realize that this is basically a useless question these days, but some still ask and you want to be able to answer that one without missing a beat!

That’s all for now!

Melanie
Associate Program in Paralegal Studies Student
Ashworth University School of Legal Studies  

                  
             Thanks to ankatank for permission to use this Photo.

If I were to ask you what your definition of success is could you answer it in a relatively quick fashion? Or would you do as so many do, fumble for an answer — rattling off the common responses which tend to show up when one is asked this question. Answers such as… I’ll be successful when I have x number of dollars in the bank.Or would you instead have an answer which is highly personal to you, to your own life, where you are now, combined with a carefully crafted vision of where you want your life to take you in the future?

As Henry David Thoreau so eloquently said — “Most people lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” In my humble opinion many people miss the mark, not because they lack the ability to achieve success in their given endeavors, but rather because they never take the time to truly identify what success means to them. And as a result end up moving aimlessly hoping to hit upon what it is they think they want to achieve — often not even truly realizing what it is they are seeking.

When we have a solid definition crafted we can use it to lay out a plan which we can follow that will naturally put us in alignment with whatever it is that we believe to be most important.Believe it or not I have had conversations with people who after taking the time to define what success means to them personally — realized in that very moment that they had in fact already experienced many times where they had met with great success in their life. Imagine that, here were people who longed to achieve this magical place, but up to that point hadn’t ever taken the time to get clear on what that “place” even was.Upon doing so, they acquired a different outlook, one which they could feel good about, knowing that they had already experienced many times where they’d already met with personal achievement. (more…)

              Thanks to Steve Evans for permission to use this Photo. 

The Ashworth University Career Center is a free student resource provided through our partnership with Experience.com, the nation’s largest career advancement site focusing exclusively on college students and young professionals.  You can access the Ashworth University Career Center through the Student Portal.  Simply click on the “Career Center” link on the left hand navigation bar after logging into the Student Portal.  Here’s an example of some of the very informative career enhancement articles you have access to within the Career Center:

The ability to plan ahead is a key trait of any good budgeter. Jenny, an Experience alumni, talks about planning for the unknown. “I’m sure I’ve gone over budget when I had my own company because of unforeseen things,” she says. “You end up eating it, and people are upset. But, you get better in time about knowing what things will cost. It’s a matter of experience. You find out what’s realistic.”

Because You Never Know…

“Unforeseen things happen. Say you’re in New York City shooting a sound shot and recording actors on a street corner. In New York, you’re given policemen on sets to help act as liaisons to the community. But, basically, a homeless man could come onto your set and start screaming. And there’s nothing that you can legally do. You can’t arrest the guy. The policeman could ask him to leave, but the man isn’t required to leave. It’s a public street. There’s freedom of speech. So, one person can basically ruin your entire day and cost you $50,000 or more. And there’s nothing that you can do about it.” In the spirit of random screaming homeless men, Jenny advises putting away a little money into your savings each month, just in case something comes up. “

I started to do that in my mid-twenties. I started off putting $50 into one of these automatic investment mutual funds. I didn’t even miss it. Every month I had it automatically withdrawn from my bank account. It’s great, because now I know if I got fired tomorrow, or if I lost my job, or if something happened and I had to take some time off, I have a little money. I know they say you’re supposed to have six months salary in the bank, but that’s a fantasy when you’re 21 years old. If you have at least two months worth, it’s a measure of comfort.”

Copyright © 1996 - 2008 Experience, Inc. - All Rights Reserved 

To read more of this great article, login to the Ashworth University Career Center through the student portal and click here.

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

The Ashworth University Career Center is a free student resource provided through our partnership with Experience.com, the nation’s largest career advancement site focusing exclusively on college students and young professionals.  You can access the Ashworth University Career Center through the Student Portal.  Simply click on the “Career Center” link on the left hand navigation bar after logging into the Student Portal.  Here’s an example of some of the very informative career enhancement articles you have access to within the Career Center:

Getting Great References 

By Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire

It’s inevitable that at some point in your job search you will be asked for references, and when you are, you want to be sure you have a great group of advocates who are prepared with answers that will help rather than hinder your chances at landing the position.

References are something you should think about at the beginning of your interview process and not just at the end when you are under immediate pressure to provide them.

Start by making a list of all the possible people you can use as a reference. Be sure to think about:

• Former employers
• Former Clients
• College professors
• Deans
• Family friends who have seen you in a professional setting
• Association leaders

Copyright © 1996 - 2008 Experience, Inc. - All Rights Reserved   

To read more of Tory’s great article, login to the Ashworth University Career Center through the student portal and click here:

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

 
                             Image courtesy of Matthias Meckel.

The Ashworth University Career Center is a free student resource provided through our partnership with Experience.com, the nation’s largest career advancement site focusing exclusively on college students and young professionals.  You can access the Ashworth University Career Center through the Student Portal.  Simply click on the “Career Center” link on the left hand navigation bar after logging into the Student Portal.  Here’s an example of some of the very informative career enhancement articles you have access to within the Career Center:

From Heather Mundell 

Being yourself during a highly stressful situation -like a job interview- can be a challenge. Here’s some information to help you remain true to yourself while making a great impression. Almost fourteen years ago I interviewed for a job with someone who would subsequently become my manager and mentor. The last question she asked me in the interview was this:

“What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned?”

Now when you think about it, that’s a whopper of a question. You can go broad with this one or stay narrow. You can get personal or keep it generic. You can be flip or be serious. But I didn’t think about it. The interview had gone really well, I was relaxed, I was feeling confident, and I simply answered what popped into my head, which was something like, “To always be myself. Pretending to be someone else doesn’t work.” I was 26 years old, and I was onto something. And I was hired.

The brilliance of my answer wasn’t what got me the job. It was a sincere answer, and one in which I still strongly agree with, but that’s not why I got the job. I got the job because there was a good fit between who I was, who my manager-to-be was, the job I’d be doing, and the company culture.

Copyright © 1996 - 2008 Experience, Inc. - All Rights Reserved 

To read more of Heather’s great article, login to the Ashworth University Career Center through the student portal and click here.

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

                       Thanks to harisssa sunshine for permission to use this Photo.

Read this post with an open mind, and for god sakes, do not decide that it’s too hard and you aren’t willing to do it. There’s no quicker way to sabotage your success than you over think everything right from the get-go. That’s how you take a million dollar idea and sit on it until it’s too late. Imagine if the guys behind Google had thought “nah, we’d have to get servers running and then we’d be competing with Yahoo! and Microsoft anyway.”

No, instead they did what they had to do and are now a pair of the richest people on the planet. So if they can take something from nothing and make it worth billions of dollars, surely you can take something and turn it into $500,000. I can already hear what some of you may be thinking: “well gee Cam, you make it sound so easy”. Well, yes, I make it sound that way because in the scheme of things it really is that easy. There is no rocket science that goes into making something work- it comes down to a good idea, some common sense, and a good amount of blood, sweat, and tears. Over the next few days I’m going to outline each step required to go from $0 to $500,00 a year. Remember to keep your mind open, but most of all, remember to think about how you can relate what I’m saying to you.

How to Make $500,000 This Year – Step One

The first thing that you need to establish is the vehicle that you are going to use to achieve your desired income level ($500,000 is just an arbitrary figure that I pulled from thin-air- you could use $100,00, $1,000,000… whatever, it’s all the same). If you’re of the enterprising ilk, it may be a business idea or investment opportunity. If you’re looking to bump your income while adding as little risk as possible, you may want to become comfortable with the idea of a career change or a chance in your employment situation. (more…)

When I received my first textbook in the mail, the first thing I did was go out and buy a planning book. I then scanned though my textbook and lessons to see about how much work was required of me and I just divided it up into smaller sections so that it wouldn’t be very overwhelming.

I just take my time and get things done when I have enough energy in me to do so. That’s the great thing about this place; you pretty much have all the time you need to complete assignments. You just have to find your pace and stick to it. It’s hard at the beginning, but once you get the momentum going it gets easier.

Shirley
Computer Information Management Student
Ashworth University

              Thanks to Toho Scope for permission to use this Photo. 

Today, make the choice to focus on your strengths. It is easy to look at oneself and see areas where you may need improvement. While it’s true that taking time for honest reflection on the areas where we’d like to see improvement is important — it’s equally  important to give yourself your due credit for all the wonderful talents you’ve already acquired — all the bits and pieces that go into making you the incredible person you are. 

Please understand that I’m not suggesting we live in “la la land”, acting as though there’s no area for improvement. Of course there are areas we can all improve in — that’s what personal growth is all about.Instead, what I am suggesting is that you and I spend at least as much time accepting and being thankful for all the positive traits we have acquired already — not just those areas we believe we need to improve. It’s all about balance. Seek ongoing to improve where you can, but be sure to celebrate all that makes up the amazing you as well!

Think about it like this — if you want to help someone improve, and in the process not have them take it as a personal attack — one way to approach the task would be to compliment them on something they are doing particularly well — acknowledging and pointing out one of their strengths (making sure it’s a genuine and sincere compliment of course) — and then bringing up ideas which might be helpful in improving in a given area. Along the same lines, give yourself the same positive boost by acknowledging the “good” things you’re doing, right along side areas that you’ve identified where improvement is needed. (more…)

 
           Thanks to David Churbuck for permission to use this Photo. 

Want to succeed in the workplace today? Success requires proficiency in three areas:

IQ: technical competence in your field of expertise

EQ: interpersonal relationships guided by sensitivity to your own, and others’, emotions; and

NQ: innovative intelligence, or openness and keen curiosity about ways of making novel ideas useful.

Click on the image above to watch my video discussion of these areas.  Enjoy.

Dr. Tom Guarrielo
CIO and Co-Founder of True Talk, Inc.
Co-Author of “Work Different: Design For The Rest Of Us” 
Ashworth University Contributing Blogger

*Dr. Tom Guarrielo is the Chief Idea Officer and Co-Founder of True Talk, Inc., a leading management development consulting company based out of New York. Through his popular and respected The True Talk Blog, Tom provides some of the best business innovation and organizational planning strategies on the web. We would like to thank Tom for openly allowing us share his perspectives with our Ashworth student community. He’s been nothing but helpful since we first contacted him. Visit the True Talk website to learn about the life and work of Dr. Tom Guarriello. Thanks Tom!