AU Blogspot

              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 Every month I had it automatically withdrawn from my bank account.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…)

              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…)

                        Image courtesy of deadgirlbelchesstars. 

Of all the forms of reluctance, shyness around other people tends to be very resistant to change. I suspect that everyone is shy from time to time and that oftentimes shyness gets in the way of taking advantage or new opportunities or new relationships.

While it is true that there is an inherent interest by many in overcoming shyness, as a counter-weight to that appal, there is a case to be made on the other side. The following quote is from Isaac Bashevis Singer:

“I don’t think that people should get over being shy. It is a blessing in disguise. The shy person is the opposite of the aggressive person. Shy people are seldom the great sinners. They allow society to remain at peace.”

Indulging those who seek relief, let me pass on some tips for overcoming shyness that I collected from an article by Roger Elliott.

1. Practice becoming fascinated by other people. Ask them about themselves, and concentrate when they answer you. Remember what they tell you about themselves so you can talk about it later, or on another occasion.

2. Great socializers make other people feel comfortable and interesting. How do they do that? By being really, genuinely interested in other people. If you are talking to someone and you feel boring or inferior, ask why that is. Is it really all your fault? (more…)

 
                                Image courtesy of Wikimedia.

It’s true: it’s all about relationships. And I’m not talking about the kind of endearing friendship that you might share between your spouse and yourself. I’m talking about professional, long-term business relationships. You see these kinds of relationships all the time: doctors, dentists, accountants, bankers, “your tax guy”, etc. Truly becoming successful within your career is something that isn’t measured by any one given value. For some, it’s purely monetary, while for others it may be a combination of physical satisfaction, monetary accumulation, and mental stimulation.

I know of one person who goes into work everyday and works her butt off just because she knows that it drives the girl in the booth to the left of her insane. And I’m not even joking. Regardless of your motives for working, there’s no denying that building strong, sustainable relationships is key in progressing quickly and smoothly through the career path. Some people will provide opportunities, and others will help build your skill-set. Chances are good that there’s always someone who can help you in one way or another. (more…)