AU Blogspot

 
                Thanks to superbomba for permission to use this Photo.

I think the biggest challenge for me personally is trying to study and keep after my daughter at the same time.  She is 15 months now and is into anything and everything, so the only time I get to study anymore is when she’s in bed.  

I’m an Army wife, so spending time with my hubby when he’s actually home cuts into my study time as well.  Between being an Army wife and a mommy; between cooking, cleaning,  bathing, chasing, and keeping the little one happy; it gets rough trying to get my school work done. 

Yet…it’s all worth it though! 

I’m glad Ashworth allows me to work at my own pace or I think I’d be up a creek without a paddle! 

Lynn
Ashworth High School Student 

Dr. Tom Guarrielo is a member of the Ashworth University contributing bloggers network.  In his real life, Tom 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!

 
               Thanks too Margaret S for permission to use this Photo.

I’m new at Ashworth University.  I have been reading the book on becoming a Master’s Student. I’m not sure if anyone has had the same experience I did, but working through the exercises provided in the first chapter of this book has made me realize so much about myself.

Unknowingly, I have gone into a self discovery that I never knew existed inside of me.  Simply by being honest with myself, I was able to see what I need to work on. The funny part is that in the back of my mind I knew I did a lot of these things, but I would always have an excuse for myself on why I did it.  

The reason for this message is that I want to share this experience with some other students that are possibly having a hard time with all the topics this book covers. I was bothered enough to actually take out the time to write this message.

When I say bothered, it’s because this discovery has pierced into my comfort zone. It actually made me feel nervous. The type of nervous you feel when you sense your relationship with your partner is ending. I thought It was something bad, but I sat down to analyze the feeling and I understood  where was it from.

For all those who haven’t read this book—you should.  Even those who have simply read it and and answered the test can find a lifelong lesson hidden in there.

Vanessa
Student
Ashworth University Business Administration Program

Believe it or not, I temporarily worked as an Admissions Specialist at “AU”. I guess you can say the awe-inspiring stories I heard each day from prospective students had a lot to do with me finally going back to school.

Another reason is a little friendly family competition I’m having with my 18-yr old son who will be attending Georgia Military College this fall. I’m somewhat ahead of him already because his semester tuition is $7000 and mine is $1200.   That doesn’t really matter since I am studying for my Associate Degree in Finance; I’ll be able to put a plan in place for him to pay off his student loans in record time!

My goal is to finish my degree in one year; I made 100% on my first exam today. Yesterday was my birthday and it feels great that I am no longer making excuses about not continuing my education -Thanks Ashworth University!

Melissa
Student
Ashworth University Associate Program in Finance

The job interview process is generally a stressful experience for most people, but this stress can be controlled, potentially heightening our performance levels if we place ourselves in a position to succeed. This postion (the ends) can be achieved from preparation, confidence, and the channeling of both these characteristics (the means) through a well conceived communications strategy. One of the most predictable, yet often difficult questions to answer relates to our former place of employment. This aspect of our job history can trouble us because we’re not sure how we were or are perceived by ”old bosses” and we tend to overanalyze the interviewee’s intentions in assessing our attitude towards our professional past.

In this short video clip, an interview expert takes a direct approach to handling this type of questioning. She offers some practical advice that we can all keep in mind to remain calm and focused. The interview process will never be easy, but there are techniques we can practice to reduce our anxiety and make a lasting impression.

Ryan Rode
Ashworth University

           Thanks to soundfromwayout for permission to use this Photo.

If you are convinced that your dream internship is out of reach, we’re willing to bet that you’re wrong. Landing internships at the Goldmans and McKinseys of the world may be a challenge, but that’s OK. We’ll help you develop a strategy to go after your top choices.

Before we talk strategy, we’d like to give you examples of students who landed their dream internships using our tactics:

Binghamton’s Thomas Burke landed an internship at the Mercantile Exchange through family friends. 

Cabrini’s Dennis Beovich landed an internship as an analyst at a top investment bank through his father.

Sacred Heart’s Joseph Churba landed a Big 4 Accounting Firm internship through a professor.

These are just a handful of students who took their internship search to a new level and scored their top choices. Now we’ll show you how you can do the same.

Dig for connections you never knew you had

The first and most important action you should take is to get in touch with alumni from your school’s alumni network. The majority of alumni will be thrilled to help you, especially if they have made themselves available on the school’s network. If you do not know of such a network at your school, visit your career center and ask for a list of alumni who work in your industry. Remember to always start these conversations with questions, showing interest in the industry, and never with requests for interviews or resume pushes.

Next, take 15 minutes to compile a list of all your family members and friends. When you finish, go through the list and figure out who you will see within the next week. Plan on asking them who they know in your target industry. Email or call everyone else on your list and find out who they know. Make sure you have good questions prepared for your conversations.

If your first contact is unable to help you, ask about introducing you to three people who can. You have the advantage of being a college student and many people will be helpful. (more…)

 
                    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 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…)

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

                Thanks to Symxx15 for permission to use this Photo.

Today I decided to give you some thoughts about how you should promote or market yourself at work, this is from my own experience and it has helped me a lot. I think that this is the five most basic things you can do and probably the five most important things, if you consider how little work that`s involved. It`s very easy to do, everybody can do it and it doesn`t matter how much (or little) education you have or what kind of job title you got. Well, not even work experience is required. You can do it and I have been doing it for a long time now.

• Never say no
• Never close your door
• Always eat lunch with your colleagues
• Once a month, do something not work related
• Be personal

Never say no
This might sound rather weird, but never say no has helped me a lot. Your boss and your colleagues will know that they can always count on you and that you will always help no matter what kind of tasks they got for you. By never saying no to anything, you will become popular, at least if you do the tasks they give you and you do it the way they like. Of course, there will be things you have to say no to, but by having the attitude that you never say no, you have a positive attitude that people at your work will appreciate.

Never close your door
I never close the door to my office, it`s always open. People will see me sitting there, and when they see me, they will say hi more often than not, and they will stop by and talk to me, even though they were really just passing through. By leaving your door always open, you are giving a signal to people at your work that they can always come to you if they want to talk or if they need something.

Always eat lunch with your colleagues
This is important to me. When you have some time off from your daily work routines, like when you are having lunch, you should spend it with your colleagues. We have 30 minutes lunch break during the day, and we use this break to talk about everything, both related to work and everything else. This way, we will share important information, information that will help us to become closer and information that will tell you a lot about a person. Don`t sit alone in your office during lunch, even though you think that you have to work during the break. It`s very important to hang out with your colleagues during this short break. (more…)