How to Hire an Educational Consultant

A very recently published article on The New York Times has provoked an explosion in diverse opinions. The article “Before College, Costly Advice Just on Getting In” talks about independent college counselors and the job we do. However, the author, Jacques Steinberg, seems to have done his job partially, depicting the larger pool of educational consultants in the same manner as he would a smaller breed of unethical counselors, who most of us, have nothing in common with.

But instead of focusing on this incomplete piece, I would rather share with you some valuable insight. What are we to expect when seeking help from an educational consultant? How do we choose a consultant who will do the job right? What is a job well done in educational consulting?

Here are some true observations and information you should have handy when choosing someone to work with you or your family (son / daughter) in college admissions:

1- Seek a professional with at least some experience in the admissions field. Someone who has worked as interviewer or within an admissions office, can provide an insider´s perspective on how admissions work. Also, this professional will probably have passion for the field, having demonstrated work experience in it, working with students and in academia.

2- Find someone who is familiar in working with students. A professional who has been in teaching, education, who has gained exposure in working with teenagers will be able to connect with the student better than someone used to work with executives.

3- Certifications exist! College advisers and Independent Counselors can get certified. At present, there are three certificate programs available, one provided by UCLA and called The College Counseling Certificate Program. This extensive online program not only demands hard work (usually takes over a year to complete), but it consists in seven classes, the last one being a practical course to be conducted in the college counseling office of a high school. It is a very rigorous certificate to complete. Same goes for the College Counseling certificate program offered by UC Berkeley, and the CEP – Certified Educational Planner, for which you can only apply after earning years of expertise in the field. Independent consultants can and should get certified. Ensure the person you are seeking advice from is!

4- One step above a certification is having earned a master in education or in counseling. Several graduate school programs allow for more expertise in the field. Even an MBA can work when considering the expertise of a college adviser, however, not on its own. An MBA plus experience in the field and a certification can provide a great combination of skills, allowing the professional to have a background in marketing, easily applicable to candidates, plus keen interest in education.

5- Membership to leading industry associations. There are several associations that group educational consultants, colleges and professionals related to college and graduate school admissions. Some of them are IECA, NACAC, SACAC, HECA and AIGAC. If you do not have at least three years of experience in the field, you cannot be admitted as a member. This means that professionals involved with these associations have to abide by certain rules and regulations that are hard to follow and comply with. These associations not only provide opportunities for continuing education, they also set standard laws for the industry which have to do with ethical and unethical behavior, what is expected and what is not allowed. A professional involved with these associations is one that you will be able to have more confidence that he/she will do the job ethically and responsibly.

6- Continuing education through educational consulting associations. Professionals that keep up to date with the latest market trends, technologies and industry information are the ones that will allow you to continue progressing when seeking your goals. Continuing education is as important in this field of educational consulting as in any other.

7- Crazy fees are not directly related to results. Some consultants decide to offer advice for tens of thousands of dollars, while others offer reasonable fees well below ten thousand. The ones that are able to provide more reasonable fees most of the times consider that the student should lead this process, working in their college admissions while continuing to be a high school student, teenager, sportsman, or anything else he/she desires to be. If college admissions will be the sole thing in the student´s life for months or years, the college adviser is not doing his job right. College counseling is a part of life, one we must dedicate energy to, but not devote completely ourselves to. Find someone who thinks this way and you will have one happy and triumphant teenager who feels good about him/herself and the next step they will be taking in their lives.

What do we look for in a great college admissions process? We focus on finding the right fit for the student academically, socially and in every single aspect of their lives. We seek an institution that will inspire the student to seek their maximum potential and provide growth opportunities like the student never imagined. This is the goal of college admissions and a truly great adviser, who is worth every penny of their wages.

By Claudine Vainrub, MBA and UCLA Certified College Counselor

Principal of EduPlan

¿Primera o segunda ronda? Cuándo enviar la aplicación a un MBA

Por Claudine Vainrub, MBA

Buscar admisión para un programa de Master en Administración de Empresas (MBA) requiere de mucho análisis. Deberás congeniar varios elementos a la hora de seguir el proceso de solicitud. Una de las decisiones más difíciles es decidir cuándo presentarse. Muchos de los programas de MBA ofrecen tres fechas para aplicar, mientras que otros pueden tener dos o cinco. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los candidatos deciden presentarse en el primer o en el segundo llamado.

A continuación, esbozamos acerca de entregar la aplicación en la primera ronda.

En la primera convocatoria, es muy común que se presenten las solicitudes de los mejores estudiantes. Muchos de los que deciden aplicar en esta fecha son candidatos con altas calificaciones, excelente experiencia laboral y un buen nivel de organización en sus actividades.

Si te consideras un candidato fuerte, esta es la mejor oportunidad para presentarte. En el artículo “Timing Your Applications” (“Coordinando tus solicitudes”) del sitio web Accepted.com, Linda Abraham aconseja: “Presenta tu solicitud en la fecha más próxima, siempre y cuando esto no comprometa la calidad de la misma.”

Obviamente, esto no implica que si no eres un candidato estelar, te presentes en el primer llamado. Si tus resultados en el examen de aptitud académica para entrar a un MBA (más conocido como GMAT, Graduate Management Admission Test ) superan los 700 puntos, el primer round también puede ser favorable para ti. En la primera fecha, el número de postulantes es considerablemente menor. A muchas personas les ofrecen puestos, y rechazan los mismos en busca de mejores oportunidades. Dichas bancas pueden ser aprovechadas por ti. A pesar de que las universidades tienen un número de asientos disponibles, la realidad es que pueden haber más que los que ofrecen y puedes llegar a conseguir asiento en la primera ronda, aún cuando tus competidores sean estudiantes de alto calibre. Para ello requerirás una presentación prolija que incluya un compendio del detalle de tus competencias, calificaciones y ensayos bien redactados.

Algunas instituciones ofrecen observaciones a los estudiantes que no ingresan en la primera ronda. Éstas pueden ser utilizadas para aplicar nuevamente de manera efectiva. En el artículo “First Round Frenzy” (“El frenesí del primer llamado”) del sitio Business Week, Abraham explica: “Un postulante que se presenta por segunda vez y presta atención a las observaciones de su primera postulación, seguramente será admitido en la primera instancia el año siguiente”. Esta puede ser otra de tus opciones disponibles.

En referencia a la segunda ronda…

Es común ver que muchos postulantes se presentan en el Segundo llamado, y por lo tanto, son más los candidatos con los que se debe competir. Algunos programas de MBA reciben más de dos mil solicitudes durante esta etapa. Los estudiantes con mejores condiciones por lo general se presentan en la primera fase, por lo cual, los que se presentan luego son generalmente a quienes les va bien, pero presentan mayores debilidades –aunque esto varía año a año en las diferentes instituciones. En mayor o menor medida, estos serán los competidores que enfrentarás en esta ronda.

Si tu puntaje en el GMAT es menor a 600 y sientes que podrás hacerlo mejor si tomas el examen nuevamente, optar por el segundo llamado puede ser una alternativa conveniente para ti.

En resumidas cuentas, elegir en qué instancia te presentarás como candidato se relaciona directamente con cuál es la ronda en la cual tu solicitud se verá más favorecida, teniendo en cuenta que el único factor que no debe alterarse es la calidad de tu aplicación. Además, si hacerlo en la primera ronda significa que la presentación ofrecerá menos que lo mejor de ti, será mejor que pospongas tu presentación ya que tus chances de ser aceptados serán menores.

Cualquiera sea la instancia que elijas, pon tu mayor esfuerzo en describirte profesionalmente y personalmente y cómo aportarás un valor agregado al programa de tu elección. Sin importar cuál sea la ronda, toma este momento para hacerte cargo y acechar tus aspiraciones más ambiciosas en la admisión a programas de MBA.

Links de Referencia:

http://www.mbaprograms.org/mbaadmission/7criteria3.asp

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/dec2005/bs2005127_7505_bs001.htm

http://www.accepted.com/newsletter/2004/1004news.aspx#essay

http://accepted.mbablogs.businessweek.com/archive/2005/12/08/1byqs44pwf3vy

Aplicaciones exitosas a Universidades en USA:

Cómo encarar el proceso de admisión universitaria en USA

Por Claudine Vainrub

Este es el momento del año para ocuparse… ¡Es el tiempo de presentar las aplicaciones a las universidades! A los estudiantes de los últimos cursos del colegio secundario les cuesta mucho decidir cuál institución será la más adecuada, cuál presenta la combinación perfecta entre nivel académico, vida social, ayuda financiera, y posibilidades de crecimiento en la carrera a futuro. Los asesores universitarios ofrecen talleres para la redacción de ensayos, seminarios acerca de la solicitud gratuita de ayuda federal para estudiantes, y orientación vocacional, entre otros. Sin embargo, el foco en la mente del estudiante es en qué forma sobrepasar las dificultades para realizar la más correcta selección de sus opciones educativas. Lo que más preocupa a los estudiantes es presentar una correcta aplicación universitaria.

Todos los años, miles de aplicaciones son enviadas a los diversos comités de admisión de las universidades en los Estados Unidos, buscando que las mismas sean juzgadas correctamente basándose en diferentes factores. ¿Cuáles son estos factores? ¿Cuáles son las características más importantes? ¿Cuáles no tienen tanta importancia?

Si bien muchas solicitudes son aprobadas, algunas de ellas son rechazadas, y aquellos estudiantes se quedan con la duda de por qué ocurrió eso. ¿Qué hizo que su solicitud fuera menos efectiva que el resto? La respuesta a esto es que actualmente, los encargados de admisiones no buscan solamente estilo e intereses personales en las solicitudes.

Una solicitud de ingreso a la Universidad debe reflejar inteligencia, personalidad y por sobre todo, pasión por aprender. Como estudiante, deberás dejar ver tu ser interior y no exagerar tus cualidades para causar una impresión y lograr la aceptación. Algunos trucos como inscribirse en clases extracurriculares o participar de programas especiales de aprendizaje son recursos que conocen bien. Por lo tanto, no resultará efectivo que te muestres como diplomático para obtener la admisión.

Las universidades orientan su búsqueda al “interés demostrado” o atracción verdadera hacia las universidades en las cuáles solicitan ingreso. Esto debe ser presentado de manera verídica y genuina. La verdadera razón por la que ocurre, es que las universidades ya no buscan estudiantes que sumen en cantidad, sino que esperan sean los estudiantes quienes busquen las instituciones con una idea de aprendizaje en mente y poder colmar sus expectativas enfocándose en sus necesidades. En resumidas cuentas, lo que ellos desean son estudiantes que puedan hacer valorar su institución y metodologías de aprendizaje.

En primer lugar, comienza demostrando cuán valioso puedes ser para la universidad, argumentando cuál puede ser tu devolución para la misma, y cómo crecerás en esa institución para convertirte en un miembro ejemplar de su grupo de ex alumnos. Podrás describirlo en tu ensayo dentro del paquete de admisión.

En este ensayo, deberás resaltar tus cualidades de forma casual, sin sonar como cliché. A los comités de admisión les gustan los estudiantes que se proyectan a sí mismos de manera abierta con un nivel de madurez intelectual. Asegúrate de presentarte como un estudiante serio con buenas calificaciones académicas, o logros en deportes, o menciona cualquier otra actividad de liderazgo en la que hayas sobresalido. A su vez, si en algún semestre en particular no te ha ido muy bien, menciónalo. Por duro que parezca, ser honesto en esta instancia cuenta, aún más que esperar a que el comité de admisión no lo note.

Durante la entrevista, intenta proyectarte como una persona tranquila, confidente y capaz de asumir sus responsabilidades con eficacia. Esto puede sonar difícil, pero es muy sencillo si te organizas de manera correcta.

Luego de conocer esta información, la mejor recomendación profesional que puedo hacer es que ¡seas tú mismo! Represéntate a ti mismo de la manera más cercana a la realidad posible, dejando que tu personalidad, tus preferencias y aspiraciones se reflejen en tu solicitud. Los encargados de admisiones podrán evaluarla luego y decidir si eres un buen candidato para esa institución o no. Si no lo eres, de todos modos no querrás ir allí, ya que generalmente te sentirás abatido – esto ocurre desafortunadamente. Pone tus mayores esfuerzos en ofrecer la mejor descripción de tú mismo, creado con excelencia y dedicación. La decisión será positiva si eres correcto para ese lugar – los responsables de admisión son expertos en evaluar candidatos, y ellos lo sabrán.

Elige la institución no solamente por su nombre reconocido, sino porque la misma sea capaz de proveerte el tipo de ambiente en cual puedas prosperar, y además, porque ésta agregará un inmenso valor a tu vida. ¡Esto es lo que significa lograr el éxito en el proceso de admisión universitaria en los Estados Unidos de América!

Which Job Search Methodology is Right for Me?

A look at the many means of finding a job today

Today’s job market offers a wide array of job search opportunities. Long gone are the days when jobs were sourced mostly by newspaper ads or recruiters. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of July 2008, there were 3.4 million job openings available across the United States. With so many opportunities available, you need to use the right methods to find one that suits your career aspirations.

When the time comes for you to conduct job search, think about the many possible ways of securing a position. It is not enough to choose just one means of job search, your chances of finding a suitable opportunity will increase when utilizing various job search methodologies.

Here is an overview of some of the most useful job search methods available:

Online Job Boards - This is by far the most popular means of finding a job today. Recently, Beyond.com carried out a poll involving more than 6,000 business professionals across thousands of sites. Their findings revealed that 47% of these professionals posted their resume to three or more job boards. This statistic reveals the popularity, and in a way, the effectiveness of finding a job through this method.

If you want to post your resume on a job board, you will need to create an account and post a text or ASCII version of your resume. Sorting out industries, experience level, salary requirements, job location and many other categories is possible. Post your resume in sites such as Monster, Dice, CareerBuilder, Jobing, Nettemps, Computerjobs, Telecomcareers and you will find jobs suiting your qualifications coming right into your mailbox. It’s a quick way to find numerous job opportunities that you will be able to sort out later on.

Employment agencies / Recruiting Firms / Headhunters – Finding employment or recruiting agencies in your locality, and even ones that service the entire U.S. is easy through the internet and also through textbooks available at your local bookstore. These agencies will do all the peripheral work for you. They will provide advice on how to enhance your candidacy. They will give you tips on handling salary negotiations, and completing the formal contract once an offer is extended. However, you need to check out the reputation of any agency before taking up services with them. This way you will be sure of getting professional services. Beware also of reverse recruiting firms that offer to find jobs for candidates – usually their fees are steep and candidates are responsible for them (as opposed to employers) – these firms could be making promises that are hard to deliver – borderline impossible (and you might be getting into a large financial commitment.)

Job Fairs – This is a very interesting means of job searching because you will come face-to-face with your prospective employers. You might also find surprising the kind of job opportunities available through fairs.

Before you attend a job fair, make a list of employers recruiting at the fair. From this list identify those you wish to apply to. When going to the fair, look your most professional and be prepared for a short discussion / interview. Provide a professional resume printed out in 32lb. resume stock and ask for the employer’s business card. After you complete a round with all the employers in your list, talk with those not in your list. This might open unexpected job opportunities you might have not envisioned to find, and it could help you with your networking.

Newspaper Ads – The local newspaper classifieds is still a place where candidates search for jobs. You can find a good number of local opportunities here. When companies are in desperate need to source a position, they usually invest in a newspaper ad to get more visibility. However, the internet is becoming a more popular arena for finding the right job opportunities, thus, newspapers’ careers sections are getting thinner very fast. Do not be too quick in discarding this job methodology, though. About 10% of all jobs are still sourced through newspaper ads.

Networking - This is the one method that no matter what, you need to make a must in your career. As a student just out of high school or out of college, you may find it easier to get a job through people you know, like your friends, your college professor or your school teacher. Just give each such person you know, your resume so that they are aware of your specialization and your skills. Follow leads given by any one promptly. When the time comes for contacting an employer, from any of your known sources, be sure to specify your source as this will work out for you in your favor.

As a seasoned professional, this can be a great weapon for career growth, new business ventures, and achieving favorable negotiations in almost any aspect of your work. Networking can help you not only when looking to develop professionally, but also when looking to excel in your job. This is the one constant you will need and use when well developed throughout your career.

With social networks online becoming increasingly visited by professionals, start registering and making new contacts to expand job search opportunities. Find associations with causes that you believe in, and become a proactive member. Take on leadership roles within non-profit organizations related to your industry or trade.

With all these different methodologies to conduct job search and career development, you will have your hands full of “to-do´s.” Not a moment to spare! Your next career opportunity awaits!

Referred Links:

http://www.rollins.edu/careerservices/jobsearchtechniques/jobsearchmethodsandresources.htm

http://www.employmentmetrix.com/blog/recruitment_trends_/

http://www.bls.gov/jlt/

Social Networks and Job Search – A Delicate Combination

A look at how social networking can help or hurt your job search

By Claudine Vainrub, MBA

Can social networks help you find job opportunities? The answer is a definite “Yes!” However, depending on your approach, social networks can also harm your job search process. There are many things to consider when meeting professionals online, garnering opportunities and presenting yourself as a candidate.

Getting access to optimum job opportunities when you are a job seeker largely depends on the places you search for them. It is vital then, to choose the right sources for finding jobs, or else it becomes increasingly difficult to come across career opportunities that suit your specific skill sets. One of the foremost tools used today for finding jobs is social networking. According to experts, about 80% of jobs are found today is through social networking sites.

Social networking sites can help you to find that dream job by bringing you closer to employers, recruiters and other job sources. This can mean encountering some of the best opportunities to meet the right people at the right place and the right time. Many times, when you search for a job posting in a job board, you can also have a hard time differentiating yourself from other candidates. You might also find it hard to identify postings that suit your specific skill sets. This is because most job requirements in job boards are not too specific, general in natural. This issue is solved through social networking sites.

Social networking sites are the places to find hidden job offers that don’t surface in your regular job boards. This is why social networking sites are more popular as they help employers to get across to candidates they would normally not have come across through other means of recruitment.

The main benefit in using social networks for job search is that you can post information about yourself and do it in an interactive way, to bring out the best that you know to the people looking out for your services. It is an informal presentation of your skills and experience to a prospective employer. Both beginners in the job market and experienced professionals could find social networking sites to work out for them.

Using social networks for job search, is not as cumbersome a process for job searching as sending in your resume, facing an interview, doing a test and in short going through the whole recruitment circle. When networking online, you might find you gained a head start by letting the recruiter learn about you and get interested in your profile. This is a big part of the battle – winning that “personal brand recognition.” You have one foot in the door.

If you are a professional with a specialized skill set, using social networks is the best way to find a job that requires your talents. There are social networks specifically available for certain kinds of professionals in specific industries. For example if you are a professional photographer, you would want to join flickr.com. When using social network sites for job search, take care to put in references as this gets you noticed quickly.

The drawback to using social network sites can be that your personal and professional information is accessed by random individuals. However, there are privacy settings in each site that you can use to protect yourself. Once you register, the networking process takes a while even if you are actively putting yourself out there. This can be a problem for the job seeker in a hurry, you may find this process too slow and passive for your needs.

Since the meetings in social networking sites are informal in nature, make sure to stand out by being very professional and making the best impression from the get-go. Some job seekers fail to read on this point and when they become informal, they risk losing opportunities for productive networking. A professional and formal online identity and behavior is essential when participating in LinkedIn, and even Facebook. Be aware of this before joining a social network – if you are looking for a job, refrain from having an un-professional online brand.

For social networking to show you the best results, you should be informed on which sites to register with, which ones you will gain most benefit from. Some of the most popular social networks that can take you across to the right employers are Linked.com, MySpace.com, Facebook.com, Plaxo.com, Meetup.com and Orkut.com.

So, what are you waiting for? Put forward your most professional image, achieve the process with formality and energy, get empowered to communicate effectively. Complete the registration process, and start getting closer to your aspirations of achieving a successful career move.

Referred Links:

http://www.vicinityjobs.com/tips/using-social-networking-websites-such-as-facebook-and-myspace-as-a-job-search-strategy/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-Using-LinkedIn-for-Your-Job-Search-and-Career-Networking&id=1052139

http://ezinearticles.com/?Job-Search-Strategies—Using-Social-Networking-Sites&id=1411167

http://bhopu.com/2008/07/03/Hiring-Through–Social-Networking-Sites

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/networking/Will_Social_Networking_Get_You_a_Job__20060911-082016.html?subtopic=Networking+Tips

http://www.rileyguide.com/network.html

First Round or Second Round? Tips on timing your MBA applications

Applying to a top MBA program requires a lot of thinking. You have to put together many components in this arduous application process. One of the tough decisions to make is when to apply. Many MBA programs have three application periods. Some have five, some have only two. However, mostly the choice is between applying for the first round or the second round.

Let’s see what the scenario is like in the first round.

The first round sees some of the best student applications. Those who apply on the first round are candidates with good grades, great work experience and a high level of organization in their activities.

If you are a strong candidate, applying in this round is the best choice. In the article “Timing Your Applications” on Accepted.com’s site, Linda Abraham says “Submit in the earliest round possible provided you don’t compromise the quality of your application.”

This does not imply that you should not try if you are not the stellar candidate. If your GMAT scores are above 600, the first deadline applies also to you. In the first round, the numbers of applicants are fairly smaller. Some people, who are offered seats, reject them for better seats. Such seats can come your way. Though colleges put out a certain number of available seats, reality is that they have many more available. You can get into the extra seats in the first round itself, even if your competition consists of extremely high-caliber students. You will require a neat presentation of your core competencies, decent scores and well-written essays.

Some schools provide feedback to students who don’t get in on the first round. This feedback can be used for effective reapplication. In the article “First Round Frenzy” on Businessweek’s site, Abraham says, “a re-applicant who heeds a school’s feedback becomes an obvious round-one admit the following year”. This is yet another option available for you.

Now, going into the scenario in the second round.

What you see in the second round is a lot of applicants. There are more candidates to compete with. For some MBA programs, they are receiving over 2,000 applications together during this round. Students of the best caliber usually submit during the first round. The kind of applications seen here are of students who generally do well, but could present more weaknesses – although this does vary from school to school and from year to year. More often than not, these are the kind of students against whom you would be competing during this round.

If you have a GMAT score that’s lesser than 600 and you feel strongly that you will do well in taking this test again, opting for the second round in MBA application might work the best for you.

In short, it is choosing which round is best for you as a candidate that works out to favor your application. The one thing that cannot be compromised is the quality of the application. Thus, if applying earlier means sending out an application package that offers less than the best of you, you might as well postpone your submission since your chances to be accepted will be slimmer.

Whatever round you choose, put in your outmost effort in expressing who you are professionally, personally and how you will bring an added value to the programs of your choice. No matter what round you choose, it is your time to take charge and pursue your most ambitious MBA admissions aspirations.

By Claudine Vainrub with references from:

http://www.mbaprograms.org/mbaadmission/7criteria3.asp

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/dec2005/bs2005127_7505_bs001.htm

http://www.accepted.com/newsletter/2004/1004news.aspx#essay

http://accepted.mbablogs.businessweek.com/archive/2005/12/08/1byqs44pwf3vy

What is a successful college application?

How to approach the college admission process

Tis’ the time of the year to get busy… It’s college application time! High school seniors struggle in deciding which schools are right for them, presenting the perfect mix of academics, social life, location, financial aid and future career growth opportunities. College Advisors provide essay writing workshops, FAFSA seminars, career guidance, and all they can think of to ease the pathway towards higher education choices. But what concerns students the most is submitting a successful application package.

Every year, thousands of applications are sent to colleges all over the U.S. Admissions committees looking into them judge each application based on several factors. What are they? Which are more important? Which less?

While many applications are approved, some do get rejected and the rejected students are left wondering why this happened. What made their application less effective that the others? The answer to this is that now-a-days admissions officers are looking for a lot more than just personal style and interests in college application.

A successful college application is one that showcases intelligence, personality and above all a passion for learning. As a student you should bring out your inner personality and not try take up things just to make an impression and get into college. Gimmicks such as enrolling into some special extracurricular classes or taking up some special learning programs are something that professors see through very well. So, it isn’t effective to be tactful just to get admission.

Instead, what colleges seek is ‘Demonstrated Interest’ or real appeal as to why students like the college to which they are applying. This should be presented in a genuine and true way. The reason for such expectations is that colleges are no longer seeking students to join them in numbers. Instead, they want students to seek them out with specific learning purposes in mind and they want them to bring out such expectations in a focused and thoughtful way. In short, they want quality students that value their institutions and learning methodologies.

Start by showing how valuable you can be to the college, what you can give back, and how you will grow from within their institution to become an exemplary member of their alumni. You can portray this through the college application essay.

In your college essay, you need to bring out yourself in a casual way and not sounding clichéd. Professors instantly take to students who project themselves openly, and with a level of mature thinking. Be sure to project yourself as a serious student with good marks in academics, or achievements in sports, or other leadership-related activities where you have excelled. Extra-curricular activities are not as important. Furthermore, if you have not done well in a particular semester or you did mess up things, mention it. Hard as it may be, being honest here does count, rather than hoping the professor will let it pass by.

During the interview project yourself as calm, confident and able to handle your responsibilities well. This may sound like a big line, but it is actually very simple to do, if you organize yourself well.

So, after knowing this information, here is probably the most important professional advice I can give: Be true to yourself! Represent yourself as close to reality as possible, let your personality, likes, aspirations, and vision come through your application. Admissions officers will then be able to evaluate your candidacy and really assess whether you are the right fit for their school or not. If you are not, you will not want to be there anyway, since you will most probably be miserable – this does happen, and it is unfortunate. Put your out most effort in providing the best portrayal of yourself, created with excellence and dedication. The decision will be positive if it is the right fit – college admissions are experts at evaluating candidates, and they will know.

Seek a school not because of its “brand name” but because it provides the type of environment where you will thrive, and because it will add tremendous value to your life. This is what achieving success in the application process really means!

What you should expect from a Professional MBA Admissions Counselor

We received today this statement from one of our MBA candidates this year (we keep the name confidential, as per NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practice - SPGP regarding client confidentiality). If you are seeking a college counselor or graduate school admissions consultant, this can help you evaluate if a consultant will provide the support you need…

“It is my pleasure to recommend a marvelous professional, Claudine Vainrub, and to write this letter on her behalf. We worked together for almost 6 months in the preparation of my applications to an MBA. She helped me through every phase of my applications, from understanding the MBA program as a whole and the particulars of each school, to applying, interviewing, getting accepted and even getting a full scholarship.

At first she executed a series of test to pinpoint my unique value as a professional and as a human being in a process called “Personal Branding”. This process lasted close to a month, during which I completed various assessments while members of my family, friends and co-workers answered questionnaires about me, my personality and my ethics in general. I was amazed by the results of this Personal Branding process, it basically captured in one single line the uniqueness that describes me.

Parallel to this, we were scouting various MBA programs and we narrowed the selection down to 3 programs and a backup MBA program, just in case. The chosen MBAs where: MBA 1 (omitted for confidentiality), MBA 2 (same), MBA 3 (same) and MBA 4 (same) (My backup school, were I could attend while living in city with my family).

The application process was for me a real pleasure, while I saw many of my friends battling to get through it, I really enjoyed it. With the guidance of Claudine, her motivation and energy, I was able to write all the essays before the first round of my three main schools, while a previous employer and my thesis tutor wrote the recommendation letters. Together we delved into the intricacies of every essay topic and choose the best life experience to match what the school was expecting from a prospective MBA student.

A couple of weeks after I confidently submitted my applications I received calls from the three schools to schedule interviews. Immediately Claudine gave me the coaching I needed to not only get through an interview successfully, but also to thrill the interviewer and leave him with a feeling of “I wish I could go back to the MBA with you”. With her direction I felt absolutely comfortable in all the interviews, and that made a big difference.

Within a month after this I received the responses from the schools. Take into account that I’m a 23 year old Venezuelan and I only had at the time a little over a year of work experience, which is well below the regular requirements for an MBA.

MBA 3 put me in their Waiting List, I talked to Claudine about this and she already had a plan to start getting MBA 3’s attention and get an official acceptance. The plan included diverse actions, first to write a letter, then to go visit the campus and then to follow up with a second letter trying to attack any weaknesses that they may have perceived of me as a candidate.

MBA 2 accepted me. This was a joyous moment for me and Claudine. All the work had, thank G-d, paid off, and now I was accepted to one of the top ten business schools in the country. But I couldn’t decide yet, I had to wait for all the answers.

MBA 1 accepted me also. Not only they accepted me, but they offered to sponsor half of my tuition. We didn’t even ask for a scholarship, which means that the application really impressed them. Now I had a tough decision to make, should I do everything in my power to get into MBA 3? Should I negotiate a scholarship with MBA 2? Should I forget about the other schools and just go to MBA 1?

At this point in time you would think that Claudine’s work was over; she got me into two top business schools and even got me a scholarship in one of them. But, she counseled me and analyzed with me the pros and cons of all my options, not to make a decision for me, but to allow me to realize what my decision should be.

The first decision was not to even apply to the MBA 4, which was no match for the other programs I got in. After this, I talked to the schools without making a decision and to our surprise I immediately got a FedEx package from MBA 1. They decided to offer me the Dean’s Scholarship, a full scholarship to an MBA. This was very exciting news!

Any regular person would tell you to run to MBA 1 and accept the offer. But, Claudine gave me a better recommendation, she told me to avoid making a decision only based on the money I could save, I should further analyze the kind of life I could have in each of the cities, the life my wife would have and the better return on my two year investment.

This was great advice. I took a plane with my wife to city we checked out the city, the Jewish community, the student life and many over things. At the end of the trip, we were both sure that MBA 1 was the right option, not only because of the scholarship, but more importantly for the kind of life we could live while I studied at MBA 1.

I can never express my full gratitude to Claudine for all the help and support she gave me in this whole process. During the whole time she was fully involved and always injecting me with energy and enthusiasm to do the best I could. One of the biggest surprise while working with her is that instead of me calling her and asking for her help, she was always one step ahead of me, she would call me before I did and she was fully accessible anytime.

Bottom line, I was 1000% (yes, One Thousand percent) satisfied with her work and I’ve recommended her to all my friends, and that is why I took the liberty to write this letter of recommendation on her behalf, because I believe everybody is entitled to know that if you are seeking for this kind of high-level assistance, in an ethical way, to apply to any program, you can find that in Claudine Vainrub.

Sincerely,

MBA Student

Class of 2010″

School were not disclosed in publication to protect student identity – Schools included Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Management, Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, The University of Miami School of Business, and The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

2008 – 2009 SAT Dates

Here is the 2008-2009 Calendar to take the Standardized Tests – SAT´s:

2008-09 Test Dates	Test
		Regular Registration Deadline	Late (a fee applies)
October 4, 2008	SAT & Subject Tests	September 9, 2008	September 14, 2008
November 1, 2008	SAT & Subject Tests	September 26, 2008	October 11, 2008
December 6, 2008	SAT & Subject Tests	November 5, 2008	November 8, 2008
January 24, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	December 26, 2008	January 4, 2009
March 14, 2009	SAT only	February 10, 2009	February 7, 2009
May 2, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	March 31, 2009	April 10, 2009
June 6, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	May 5, 2009	May 15, 2009

Scholarship for College Applicants and Students

As just published by the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, NACAC, a new college scholarship opportunity has opened.

Provided by The Journal of College Admission and NACAC, the organization will grant US$1,000 to the seven students selected for submitting student-written articles about the college-transition and admission process (the college search, application process, transitioning from high school to college, etc).

This contest is open to high school juniors and seniors, as well as college freshman and sophomore. The work of all finalists will be published in the Winter 2009 Special Edition of Journal of College Admission, entitled The Student Perspective: My Transition Experience.

For more information on how to be eligible for this special opportunity, please contact EduPlan at 1.888.661.8234.

New Job Postings – Contact EduPlan for more information on any of these jobs!

1404	Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant	Albuquerque, NM
1403	Therapists	Albuquerque, NM
	Manager Compensation and Benefits	Anchorage, AK
1456	corporate and corporate finance associates	Austin, TX
1470	Manager, Business Development Services	Baltimore, MD
1469	Sr. Program Manager	Boca Raton, FL
1455	Accounting Supervisor	Boston, MA
1431	associates, paralegals, legal secretaries	Boston, MA
1407	dave siegel’s boston legal positions (cont)	Boston, MA
1414	Principal Engineer	Camp Hill, PA
1447	Chicago associates	Chicago, IL
1448	Chicago: Project Assistant	Chicago, IL
1325	Managing Tax Partner	Dallas, TX
1326	Senior Tax Accountant	Dallas, TX
1467	Senior Tax Accountant	Dallas, TX
1405	Tax Accountant	Dallas, TX
1441	temp to perm Events Coordinator	Dallas, TX
1446	Corporate/Equipment Finance associate (2vp)	Washington, DC
1402	Quality Assurance Manager	Elmsford, NY
1362	Regulatory Compliance Manager	Englewood Cliffs, NJ
1472	Senior Engineer	Englewood Cliffs, NJ
1409	Dave Siegel Connecticut attorney openings	Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford, CT
1393	electrical engineer	Holbrook, NY
1391	manufacturing engineer	Holbrook, NY
1426	Applications Developer (eDocs – LDAP)	Houston, TX
1468	Audit Manager	Houston, TX
1457	Corporate/Lending, Global Projects/Energy, Corporate M&A, Tax associates	Houston, TX
1427	Financial Reporting Analyst – Internal Management Reporting	Houston, TX
1350	International Tax Manager	Houston, TX
1252	Materials Balance Manager	Houston, TX
1249	Project Engineer	Houston, TX
1439	Sales & Marketing Rep Fuels & Raffinates	Houston, TX
1428	Senior Financial Reporting Analyst-Internal Management Reporting	Houston, TX
1351	Senior Tax Analyst	Houston, TX
1429	Senior Tax Analyst	Houston, TX
1352	Tax Analyst	Houston, TX
1424	Environmental Scientist II	Locust Valley, NY
1406	Litigation attorneys w/ trial experience	Long Beach, CA
1461	Labor & Employment, Mergers and Acquisitions associates	Los Angeles, CA
1432	paralegal, litigation associates, real estate associates	madison, NJ
1398	Equipment Development Engineer	Manchester, NH
1397	Manager, Manufacturing Product Engineering	Manchester, NH
1401	Business Development Coordinator – Website and Collaterals	Manhattan, NY
1395	facilities manager	Manhattan, NY
1394	UG Mechanical Design Engineer	Medley, FL
1444	corporate associates (hHrLlP)	Miami, FL
1400	Sr. Engineer SCCM – MSP	Minneapolis, MN
1373	Dave siegel attorney postings for NJ	Morristown, Bridgewater, Roseland, Florham Park, Newark, NJ
1419	Senior Electrical Engineer/Project Manager	Mt Laurel, NJ
1418	Senior Mechanical Engineer/Project Manager	Mt Laurel, NJ
1434	litigation and insolvency associate, executive asst.	New York and Wilmington, NY
1445	bankruptcy associates (1vp)	New York, NY
1462	commercial, corporate, financial restructuring, m&a, and tax associates	New York, NY
1452	Conference Center Staff, Legal Secretary,	New York, NY
1443	corporate associates (hHrLlP)	New York, NY
1371	dave siegel NY attorney openings	New York, NY
1422	Engineer IV- Transportation/Transit	New York, NY
1368	Judy Morgan MAR. 2008- NEW YORK ATTORNEY OPENINGS	New York, NY
1450	PC/LAN Technician / NOC Engineer	New York, NY
1453	tax, real estate, employment, and a variety of coporate associates	New York, NY
1436	Tax/T&E Private wealth candidate	New York, NY
1451	Trusts and Estates Paralegal	New York, NY
1421	Sr. Application Developer	Newport News, VA
1449	Application Programmer/Analyst	New York, NY
1408	dave siegel NY legal positions (cont)	New York, NY
1473	Controller	North Dallas, TX
1390	Design Engineer	Northern Mississippi, MS
1387	Sr. Dishwasher Design Engineer	Northern Mississippi, MS
1388	Sr. Ventilation Product Design Engineer	Northern Mississippi, MS
1389	Supplier Quality Engineer	Northern Mississippi, MS
1442	Legal Secretary/Assistant	Oak Lawn area, TX
1440	Claims Examiner (Workers Compensation)	Peoria, IL
1412	Engineer III Structural	Phoenix, AZ
1413	Sr. Bridge Engineer	Phoenix, AZ
1423	Technical Designer III	Phoenix, AZ
1250	I & E Maintenance Engineer	Port Neches, TX
1251	Reliability Engineer	Port Neches, TX
1433	associates, assistant, finance analyst, accountant, tax mngr, IT support, Sr messaging ENG	Providence, RI
1438	Senior Level Reciprocating Compressor Engineer	Quincy, IL
1471	Business Development Manager	Ramsey, NJ
1463	Corporate/M&A associate	San Antonio, TX
1416	Civil Engineer V	San Francisco, CA
1420	Engineer II Transportation/Transit	San Francisco, CA
1464	Labor and Employment associate	San Francisco, CA
1411	Technical Designer II	San Fransisco, CA
1465	Intellectual Property Litigation associates	Silicon Valley, CA
1430	Paralegals:	Stamford, CT
1377	Item Processing Manager	Tallahassee, FL
1435	Network Administrator	Tallahassee, FL
1460	Corporate/ M&A/Securities associaes	United Kingdom
1425	Engineer I Transportation/Transit	Valley Forge, PA
1417	ITS Project Manager	Valley Forge, PA
1415	Sr. Bridge Engineer	Valley Forge, PA
1466	Corporate, Financial Restructuring, multiple diverse intellectual prop, and M&A associates	Washington, D.C., DC
1459	Accountant	Western Suffolk County, LI, NY
1458	Manager – Financial Reporting	Western Suffolk County, LI, NY
1410	Manager of SOX Compliance	Worcester, MA
1353	Oracle Applications Functional/Technical Lead	Worcester, MA
1396	Senior Production Planner	Worcester, MA
1399	Photolithography / Stepper Engineer	Worchester, NH

You make us Proud!

Congratulations to our College and Graduate School Admissions Customers this year! 

Not only have you achieved acceptance in top U.S. programs, but you have also earned Merit-based Scholarships at

Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, Columbia University and Hartford University by proving to be outstanding International Applicants.

 

Only a very small percentage of International Candidates receive these type of Scholarships each year.

We commend you on these awards and hope to continue

helping you achieve great career success!

 

Seek Employers that understand Diversity as an Asset

Coming from Venezuela, a country where only a very small percentage of workers are non-immigrants, and little diversity discrimination is felt, we perceive drastic differences between the views of diversity and minorities in the U.S. and other countries in the world.

Reality is that the business world is every day more global. Minorities are rapidly growing, especially Hispanics, and so is our buying power. Quoting the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, “The buying power of Hispanics — now the nation’s largest minority group — will exceed $860 billion in 2007 and is whizzing its way to more than $1.2 trillion five years from now.”

With this said, can a Fortune 500 corporation afford not to acknowledge the importance of including minorities as part of their staff? Would you want to work for a company, even if it is a Fortune 500, that does not embrace diversity?

Looking for a job can be a daunting task. It is easy to get depressed when knocking employers doors and getting “dings” (rejection letters). This is why, as I career coach, my advice is, don’t let it happen very often! Do as much as you can to ensure that when you find an opportunity, it will be a lasting one.

If you are a minority recruit, here are some criteria to evaluate if a company would be a good fit for you, from an article by The Star Tribune of Minneapolis entitled Look for clues to company’s attitudes about minorities. Ask your interviewers:

• ”Does the company have a director or vice president of diversity?

• Is there a minority internship program?

• How diverse is the board of directors? The majority of Fortune 500 companies have directors who are mostly white and male. There are some companies, however, that have women and minority directors who can and do shape the company’s business direction and culture.

• Is there a diversity statement on the company website? If the company has a diversity statement endorsed by the CEO, then chances are good that there is a strong commitment to diversity.”

Also consider what initiatives is the company taking towards marketing for diversity customers, do they conduct diversity advertising, do they contribute to diversity non-profit organizations.

Employment interviews always allow a chance for the recruit to ask questions. Take that chance and ask what initiatives the company is leading to get a piece of the $1.8 trillion minority buying power. And then evaluate, is this a winning corporation, one where I can have a long-term success career?

Immigration law reform á-lá-Bill-Gates

Are tough immigration laws impeding leading corporations from hiring the talent they require to maintain their leading positions? Highly-skilled immigrants have it as hard as ever these days, to legally adjust their status to work in the U.S. Could this have a negative effect in the U.S. economy? Undoubtedly YES! There is a registered shortage of skilled workers, and the aging/retiring boomer generation is only going to increase the lack thereof.

Fortune 500 CEOs are complaining, but also, they are not sitting down and waiting for someone to make a decision. They are taking charge of the situation by moving their research and development facilities to Canada and other countries where highly skilled workers can obtain work visas without the hardship immigrants go through in the U.S. Is this in the U.S.’s best interest?

The Society for Human Resources Management addresses this issue:

The failure of Congress to pass immigration reform has exacerbated an already grave situation related to the “gathering threat to U.S. pre-eminence in science and technology innovation,” Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., told the House Committee on Science and Technology on March 12, 2008. Gates proposed a four-point plan to help the country maintain its position as the world’s innovation leader:
* Revamp immigration rules for highly skilled workers so U.S. companies can attract and retain the world’s best scientific talent
* Strengthen education so U.S. students and workers have the skills needed to succeed in the technology- and information-driven economy
* Increase funding for basic scientific research
* Provide incentives for private-sector research and development

The U.S. economy depends on the ability of innovative companies to attract and retain the best talent regardless of nationality or citizenship, but the immigration system makes attracting and retaining high-skilled immigrants exceptionally challenging for U.S. firms, Gates said. For example, the current cap of 65,000 H-1B visas awarded annually is… so low that it virtually assures that highly skilled foreign graduates will work elsewhere after graduation,” Gates said.

While Congress considers increasing the H-1B visa cap, there are actions lawmakers can take that would help foreign-born engineering, math, and, science graduates of U.S. universities remain in the United States, Gates said. Those actions include:
* Revamping the H-1B visa system, because under the current system an H-1B petition generally can be filed only on behalf of an individual who has a degree, but most graduates receive their degrees in May or June, well after the H-1B application filing period has closed in their graduation year.
* Expansion of the “optional practical training” (OPT) program from 12 months to 29 months. The OPT program allows F-1 visa holders to obtain temporary employment as a means to gain practical work experience.
* Creation of a “streamlined path to permanent resident status for highly skilled workers,” so that foreign students can remain in the United States if they want to.

During 2007, the “counterproductive immigration policies” of the U.S. prevented Microsoft from obtaining H-1B visas for about 33 percent of the “highly qualified, foreign-born job candidates” the company wanted to hire,” said Gates. The U.S. H-1B policy is forcing companies to locate such high-skilled staff in third countries so they can do work that would normally be done in the United States. “No policy related to H-1B will impact the percentage of foreign labor that works in computer science; all it will affect is the portion of that is done in the United States,” said Gates.

Source: Career Management Alliance and SHRM, Global HR Focus Area, March 2008

Employment statistics in decline

Here are the latests statistics on the Job Market:

• An index intended to show the economy’s future direction fell 0.3% in February, the fifth consecutive monthly drop, according to preliminary estimates by the Conference Board.
• The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment insurance increased sharply last week, matching a two-and-a-half-year high.
• The Conference Board said Thursday that its composite index of leading indicators fell to 135.0 in February after a revised 0.4% drop in January, with declines of 0.1% decline in December, 0.5% November, and 0.5% in October.
• The four-week average of new jobless claims rose by 6,000 to 365,250, the highest level since October 2005.
• Employment markets have weakened sharply in recent months. Non-farm payrolls fell by 22,000 in January, the first time in over four years, and then fell at a faster pace (63,000) last month. Those declines convinced many Wall Street economists that the economy is now in recession.
• In response, the Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates aggressively, including a 0.75-percentage-point reduction in the fed funds rate target on Tuesday to 2.25%. Officials have lowered the fed funds rate by three percentage points since September 2007.
• The unemployment rate for workers with unemployment insurance rose 0.1 percentage point to 2.2% in the week of March 8.

Source: Career Management Alliance Newsletter and The Wall Street Journal, March 20, 2008

Law School Rankings… Official?

What would you think if you saw this?

(From Daniel Solove´s Concurring Opinions Blog)

I almost fell for it, but then again, is it too far from reality? Do you know how the ranking process really works? If you do not, you are one of many.

Here is the official info on the criteria used for the US News college rankings (applicable also to US News graduate school rankings):

“The U.S. News college rankings, published on usnews.com Aug. 18, 2007, are based on several key measures of quality, described below. U.S. News uses these measures to capture the various dimensions of academic quality at each college. These measures fall into seven broad categories: peer assessment; graduation and retention rate; faculty resources (for example, class size); student selectivity (for example, average admission test scores of incoming students); financial resources; alumni giving; and, only for national universities and liberal arts colleges, graduation rate performance. The indicators include both input measures, which reflect the quality of students, faculty, and other resources used in education, and outcome measures, which capture the results of the education an individual receives.”

Read more HERE!

College Tuition Rates Up, yet again!

New College and Graduate School Statistics on Admissions, Tuition and more…

Published by the United States Government Accountability Office, a report on Tuition Patterns gives us new data on college and graduate school admission.

Their summary of findings indicates that  more students are enrolling in college than ever before (approximately 19% more in public institutions, and 15% more in private since 1996-1997).  62% students are full time, as opposed to 58% in 1996-1997. Colleges are seeing a special increase in minority student applications.

Although tuition has increased all accross institutions, the lowest increases are seen in colleges and universities with the largest student populations.

83% of all students are enrolled in public institutions, 17% in private institutions.

“In the 2006-2007 school year, 58% of Hispanic student were enrolled in 2-year schools” reports GAO, in comparison to 43% White/Non-hispanics.

Tuition fees increased on average +/- by 20% from $2,091 to $2,510. The highest increase was experienced in 4-year private research/doctoral institutions, with a 38% increase from $19,185 to 26,515.

Please visit the National Association for College Admissions Counseling – NACAC and the Government Accountability Report for more detailed information.

If you´d like a copy of this report, contact EduPlan.

EduPlan Job Board – New Job Postings!

Contact EduPlan at 1-888-661-8234 to apply to any of these positions:

1. Applications Developer (educes – LDAP), Houston, TX                    
2. Associates, assistant, finance analyst, accountant, tax Manager, IT support, Sr messaging ENG, Providence, RI                   
3. Associates, paralegals, legal secretaries, and accounting/finance, Boston, MA                      
4. Attorney postings for NJ, Morristown, Bridgewater, Roseland, Florham Park, Newark, NJ, Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford, CT                     
5. Audit & Accounting Manager; Audit & Accounting Senior, NY                     
6. Audit professionals, Southport and will consider Hartford, CT                     
7. AUSTIN, TEXAS ATTORNEY OPENINGS, Austin, TX                            
8. Business Development Coordinator – Website and Collaterals, Manhattan, NY                     
9. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Albuquerque, NM                      
10. Civil Engineer V, San Francisco, CA                           
11. COLLIN COUNTY (Far North Dallas) attorneys,  Dallas, TX                               
12. CORPORATE ASSOCIATE, Boston, MA                    
13. DALLAS, TEXAS ATTORNEY OPENINGS, Dallas, TX                              
14. Design Engineer, Northern Mississippi, MS                          
15. Electrical engineer, Holbrook, NY                             
16. Embedded software engineer, Lancaster, PA                    
17. Engineer I Transportation/Transit, Valley Forge, PA                         
18. Engineer II Transportation/Transit, San Francisco, CA                     
19. Engineer III Structural, Phoenix, AZ                         
20. Engineer IV- Transportation/Transit, New York, NY                         
21. Environmental Scientist II, Locust Valley, NY                       
22. Equipment Development Engineer, Manchester, NH                     
23. Facilities manager, Manhattan, NY                          
24. Financial Reporting Analyst – Internal Management Reporting, Houston, TX                          
25. Flexo Process Engineer, Stockton OR, CA                             
26. HOUSTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY OPENINGS, Houston, TX                    
27. I & E Maintenance Engineer, Port Neches, TX                    
28. Inside Sales Broker Position, Dallas, Fayetteville, ARK; Vancouver, WA, TX                             
29. Internal Auditor I, Houston, TX                 
30. International Tax – Alternative Investments, New York, NY                          
31. International Tax – Levels needed (Sr Associate, Manager & Director), New York, NY                      
32. International Tax Manager, Houston, TX                              
33. Item Processing Manager, Tallahassee, FL                           
34. Item Processing Manager, Tallahassee, FL                           
35. ITS Project Manager, Valley Forge, PA                   
36. Junior to Mid-Level Public and Structured Finance Associates, New York, NY                         
37. Junior, Mid-Level and Senior Associates, Denver area, CO                           
38. Junior, Mid-Level and Senior Intellectual Property Litigation Associates and Patent Associates, SAN FRANCISCO, PALO ALTO AND SAN DIEGO, CA                      
39. Labor and Employment Attorneys, NASHVILLE, TN                          
40. Legal Contracts Administrator, Ft Lauderdale, FL                               
41. Litigation and insolvency associate, executive asst., New York and Wilmington, NY                           
42. Litigation attorneys w/ trial experience, Long Beach, CA                               
43. Manager of SOX Compliance, Worcester, MA                    
44. Manager, Manufacturing Product Engineering, Manchester, NH                                 
45. Manufacturing engineer, Holbrook, NY                  
46. Market Intelligence Analyst Job Code: * MR-MIA-DL, Dallas, TX                
47. Materials Balance Manager, Houston, TX                             
48. Network Administrator, Tallahassee, FL                
49. NEW YORK ATTORNEY OPENINGS, New York, NY                             
50. Oracle Applications Functional/Technical Lead, Worcester, MA                  
51. Paralegal, litigation associates, real estate associates, Madison, NJ                          
52. Paralegals, Stamford, CT                              
53. Photolithography / Stepper Engineer, Worchester, NH                 
54. Principal Engineer, Camp Hill, PA                              
55. Project Engineer, Houston, TX                  
56. Quality Assurance Manager, Elmsford, NY                           
57. Regulatory Compliance Manager, Englewood Cliffs, NJ                  
58. Reliability Engineer, Port Neches & Houston, TX                               
59. Sales & Use Tax – Senior Associates, New York, NY                          
60. SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ATTORNEY OPENINGS, San Antonio, TX                  
61. Senior auditor; tax preparer; CPA, Manhattan, NY                           
62. Senior Electrical Engineer/Project Manager, Mt Laurel, NJ                           
63. Senior Engineer – System Center – MSP, Minneapolis, MN                          
64. Senior Erlang Developer, Needham, MA                               
65. Senior Financial Reporting Analyst-Internal Management Reporting, Houston, TX                            
66. Senior Java/SWT Developer, Needham, MA                       
67. Senior Mechanical Engineer/Project Manager, Mt Laurel, NJ                      
68. Senior Production Planner, Worcester, MA                         
69. Senior Production Planner, Worcester, MA                         
70. Senior Tax Analyst, Houston, TX    
71. Senior Tax Analyst, Houston, TX                               
72. Sr. Application Developer, Newport News, VA                  
73. Sr. Bridge Engineer, Phoenix, AZ                              
74. Sr. Bridge Engineer, Valley Forge, PA                     
75. Sr. Cooking Products Design Engineer, Northern Mississippi, MS                               
76. Sr. Dishwasher Design Engineer, Northern Mississippi, MS                          
77. Sr. Engineer SCCM – MSP, Minneapolis, MN                      
78. Sr. Internal Auditor, Houston, TX                             
79. Sr. Refrigeration Design Engineer, Northern Mississippi, MS                       
80. Sr. Ventilation Product Design Engineer, Northern Mississippi, MS                           
81. State & Local tax (Income & Franchise) – Sr Associates & Managers, New York, NY                            
82. State & Local tax (M&A) – Sr Associates & Managers, New York, NY                         
83. Supplier Quality Engineer, Northern Mississippi, MS                       
84. Tax Accountant, Dallas, TX                          
85. Tax Analyst, Houston, TX                             
86. Tax professionals, Southport and possibly Hartford, CT                 
87. Tax/T&E Private wealth, New York, NY                  
88. Technical Designer II, San Francisco, CA                
89. Technical Designer III, Phoenix, AZ                          
90. Therapists, Albuquerque, NM                   
91. UG Mechanical Design Engineer, MEDLEY, FL                     
92. Vendor Rep * MR-VR-JF, Jacksonville, FL                             
93. Vendor Representative * MR-VR-DL, Dallas, TX                
94. Word Processing Coordinator for large downtown law firm,  Dallas, TX                   

Can “Happy and Successful” go together?

Always on the lookout for interesting information, my father sent me this article, the closest to a “to-do” list to find success and feel joy at the end of the day (or journey). A very successful entrepreneur, my father is a testimony that if you follow this recipe, it works!

Here is the To-Do list (excerpts from Paul Johnson´s Forbes article):

1. Combine the pursuit of wealth with creativity. Go into business making something real, tangible; creating something where there was nothing.
2. Produce something useful, delightful, beautiful.
3. Generate satisfaction in others by creating jobs that justify themselves. Give others the chance to support themselves with honor and usefulness.
4. Seek a moral basis, not just the pursuit of a financial goal that satisfies material needs, but also nurture emotional and spiritual needs with your occupation.

Read the whole article…

Can “Happy and Successful” go together?

Always on the lookout for interesting information, my father sent me this article, the closest to a “to-do” list to find success and feel joy at the end of the day (or journey). A very successful entrepreneur, my father is a testimony that if you follow this recipe, it works!

Here is the To-Do list (excerpts from Paul Johnson´s Forbes article):

1. Combine the pursuit of wealth with creativity. Go into business making something real, tangible; creating something where there was nothing.
2. Produce something useful, delightful, beautiful.
3. Generate satisfaction in others by creating jobs that justify themselves. Give others the chance to support themselves with honor and usefulness.
4. Seek a moral basis, not just the pursuit of a financial goal that satisfies material needs, but also nurture emotional and spiritual needs with your occupation.

Read the whole article…

Personal Branding Magazine Free Sample

Here is a wonderful tool to learn more about a very hot and fascinating topic – Personal Branding. For those who have yet to discover it, in essence, this career growth and individual marketing methodology helps uncover your true differentiation from your peer competitors. I know this is a very simple way of illustrating a very elaborate process that can add so much to your career – think of Donald Trump and the images that you instantly picture in your head – money, success, power – you surely agree with me that he holds at least some of these attributes. That is a strong personal brand.

It is of no surprise that The Donald was featured in the first issue of the Personal Branding Magazine, published by Dan Schawbel. Now, Dan brings a free sample, so you can savour the concept applied to “business celebrities” such as  Google founders (Sergei Brin/Larry Page), and web celebs such as Gina Bianchini (Ning), Gina Trapini (Lifehacker), David Weekly (pbwiki), Om Malik (GigaOm) and Matt Mullenweg (WordPress) and Mark Frauenfelder (Boing Boing).

Enjoy… www.PersonalBrandingSample.com.

Jobs – check out these new listings

·         Environmental Scientist/GIS Analyst, Camp Hill, PA $35000 – $60000 Yr

·         Sr Geotechnical Engineer, Jacksonville, FL $41000 – $70000 Yr

·         Engineer VI/Architect VI, San Fransisco, CA $102000 – $172000 Yr

·         Technical Designer II, San Fransisco, CA $58000 – $95000 Yr

·         Engineer V, San Fransisco, CA $80000 – $138000 Yr

·         Civil Engineer V,  San Fransisco, CA $80000 – $138000 Yr

·         Wastewater Process Engineer,  Harrisburg, PA   $35000 – $60000 Yr

·         Principal Engineer, Camp Hill, PA $66000 – $111000 Yr

·         Senior Mechanical Engineer/Project Manager, Mount Laurel, NJ $80000 – $138000 Yr

·         Senior Electrical Engineer/Project Manager, Mount Laurel, NJ $80000 – $138000 Yr

·         Senior Bridge Engineer, Phoenix, AZ $66000 – $111000 Yr

·         ITS Project Manager, Valley Forge, PA $59000 – $91000 Yr

·         Petroleum Engineer, Dallas, TX $80000 – $150000 Yr

·         PeopleSoft Developer/Supply Chain Management, Osseo, MN $70000 – $80000 Yr

·         Project Engineer, Houston, TX $80000 – $110000 Yr

·         I & E Maintenance Engineer, Port Neches, TX $80000 – $110000 Yr

·         Reliability Engineer, Port Neches, TX $80000 – $110000 Yr

·         Materials Balance Manager, Houston, TX $90000 – $120000 Yr

·         Sales Analyst, East Texas, TX $70000 – $85000 Yr

·         IN HOUSE LITIGATION / EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEY, LAKE SUCCESS, NY   

·         IN HOUSE TAX ATTORNEY, Basking Ridge, NJ      

·         BANKRTUPCY ATTORNEY, New York, NY               

·         TAX ATTORNEY, New York, NY   

·         Corporate/Finance Associates,  New York, NY   

·         Real Estate Finance/Capital Markets Associate,  New York, NY   

·         Senior Sales Engineer, Washington DC, DC $100000 – $120000 Yr

·         Corporate Sales Engineer, Fremont, CA $100000 – $125000 Yr

·         Senior SQA Test Engineer, Fremont, CA $80000 – $110000 Yr

·         Director of Global Strategic Sales, Fremont, CA  $220000 – $240000 Yr

·         ETL Developer,  San Francisco, but can be done remotely, CA $60 – $70 Hr

·         financial analyst, New Britain (Hartford area), CT $55000 – $75000 Yr

·         Sr. accountant,  Darien, CT $75000 – $85000 Yr

·         Trademark Paralegal/Legal Assistant, Dallas, TX  $60000 – $65000 Yr

·         Commercial Transactions Associate, Cincinatti, OH                           

·         Family Law Associate, Philadelphia, PA  

·         Intellectual Property Litigation Associate, Philadelphia, PA           

·         Intellectual Property Litigation Partner, Philadelphia, PA              

·         Intellectual Property Litigation Partner, Philadelphia, PA               

·         Intellectual Property Patent Associate, Philadelphia, PA               

·         Real Estate Partner, Philadelphia, PA     

·         Tax and Wealth Management – Tax Associate, Philadelphia, PA 

·         Tax and Wealth Management – Tax Partner, Philadelphia, PA     

·         Tax and Wealth Management – Tax Partner, Philadelphia, PA     

·         Tax and Wealth Management – Trusts and Estates Partner, Philadelphia, PA       

·         embedded software engineer, Lancaster, PA $60000 – $70000 Yr

·         SOX Sr. Financial Analyst, Lancaster, PA

·         Manager, External Reporting, Richardson, TX $93500 – $110000 Yr

·         Senior IP Customer Engineer, State Street Plaza, New York City, NY $110000 – $125000 Yr

·         Inside Sales Broker Position, Dallas, Fayetteville, ARK; Vancouver, WA, TX           

·         Customer Sales Support, Dallas, TX         

·         Insurance Sales Representative, New York, NY $80000 – $130000 Yr

·         Legal Sales Rep, NEW YORK, NY  $70000 – $120000 Yr

·         Regional Sales Manager Position, EDISON, NJ $50000 – $50000 Yr

·         Internal Auditor,  Dallas, TX $65000 – $80000 Yr

·         Senior Investment Accountant, Dallas, TX $55000 – $75000 Yr

·         Business Development Manager, North shore, South Shore, Central and West Massach, MA $85000 – $100000 Yr

·         Account Execuitve/ Business Development Managers/ Outside Sales, NJ             

·         Oracle DBA, Union, NJ $90000 – $110000 Yr

·         Business Analyst – Ecommerce, Union, NJ $85000 – $95000 Yr

·         Tax Accountant, Dallas, TX $55000 – $80000 Yr

·         Tax Accountant, Dallas, TX $55000 – $80000 Yr

·         Tax Accountant, Dallas, TX $55000 – $80000 Yr

Found a posting you would like to submit your résumé to? Call us at 1-888-661-8234 to inquire more, or send us your résumé at info@eduplan.us to be considered for the position.

Going for an MBA? Break a leg!

When we enter a competitive MBA program, we expect hard-core finance, marketing, corporate strategy, entrepreneurship courses, tests, case studies – lots of hours in front of the PC digesting data. I know I did, when I attended the Ross School of Business MBA Program.

I also knew something about the Business School Follies… Being an amateur musical play producer myself and a theater enthusiast, to say the least, I was excited to participate in the show, acting and singing in some skits, and making my colleagues have a good laugh! 

Little I knew business schools would promote drama classes, as part of their formal MBA work – and, to me, it makes all the sense in the world!

Business and drama make a great couple – and I dare to say, one cannot live without the other. We learn business management concepts, then we need to conduct corporate presentations, to communicate our findings. A drama class can provide the tools to communicate concepts effectively, while enticing an audience to achieve the presenter´s goal.

With the addition of a drama class in some business schools, their MBA experiences will be as enriching as ever. “Taking you out of your comfort zone” to make you a better communicator in any environment. This is one of the truly valuable lessons I took from my MBA studies.

Read more on this topic at Business Week.

Hot College Majors

Did you know that Songwriting is the fourth most popular college major searched on AOL? I guess it is safe to say that many Millenials are looking for careers with spark! Four of the top ten within the performing arts industry.

Check out the top ten searches for college majors in AOL search:

1. Major in government
2. Colleges with dance majors
3. Business forensics major
4. Songwriting major
5. Neuroscience major
6. English major
7. Broadcasting major in college
8. Biology major
9. Colleges with jazz music major
10. Colleges with commercial music major

Read more on this subject HERE!

New Job Search Statistics

As commented by the Career Management Alliance, here are some interesting recent statistics on job search trends:

College Grads find job search success at college career centers, according to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). NACE’s 2007 Graduating Student Survey found that:

* 52% of students who reported securing full-time jobs had applied for a job through a campus career center-sponsored career fair.

* 41% had posted their resumes through their campus career center’s website.

The study also found that the most effective methods weren’t the most popular among students:

* 71% of the 12,000+ students applied for a job by sending their resumes directly to an employer’s website.

* 47% of students mailed a resume directly to the employer.

* 44% applied at a career center-sponsored job fair.

* 34% posted a resume through a career center website.

Source: www.careercornerstone.org/scccnews/issues/2007/scccnews1107.htm#scccnews3

New Job Search Statistics

As commented by the Career Management Alliance, here are some interesting recent statistics on job search trends:

College Grads find job search success at college career centers, according to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). NACE’s 2007 Graduating Student Survey found that:

* 52% of students who reported securing full-time jobs had applied for a job through a campus career center-sponsored career fair.

* 41% had posted their resumes through their campus career center’s website.

The study also found that the most effective methods weren’t the most popular among students:

* 71% of the 12,000+ students applied for a job by sending their resumes directly to an employer’s website.

* 47% of students mailed a resume directly to the employer.

* 44% applied at a career center-sponsored job fair.

* 34% posted a resume through a career center website.

Source: www.careercornerstone.org/scccnews/issues/2007/scccnews1107.htm#scccnews3

Job Board – Check out these new job postings!

For the first time, EduPlan offers a list of job postings. These positions are available now. For additional information on these work opportunities, contact us at info@eduplan.us and send us your resume. We will be glad to assist you in your job search.

We will be sending more job postings in following newsletters, as positions become available.

Feel free to refer this information to others who you know are in the market for a new opportunity. Don’t forget to keep the reference number of the position you are interested in.

Good luck in finding a new opportunity!

• Counsel for Investment Bank – Broker/ Dealer -
  New York, NY (0015)
• Project Architect -Health Care – Houston, TX (0019)
• Corporate Attorney – Dallas, TX (0091)
• Senior Electrical Engineer – New York, NY (0056)
• Tax Account – Dallas, TX (0011)
• Senior Software Engineer – Atlanta, GA (0034)
• Sr. Regional Manager – Miami, FL (0077)
• Business Analyst I – Sales Order – Houston, TX
  (0045)
• Business Analyst II – Equipment Maintenance -
  Houston, TX (0032)
• Banking and Finance Attorney – Atlanta, GA (0065)
• Development Project Manager/ Senior Project
  Manager – Melville, NY (0095)
• Real State Paralegal Needed (ASAP) – New York,
  NY (0082)
• Labor & Employment Attorney – New York, NY
  (0022)
• Tax Attorney – Dallas, TX (0055)
• Sr. Basis Administrator – Long Island, NY (0087)
• Team Lead Software Developer – Melville, NY
  (0068)
• Commercial Sr. Architectural Planner – Houston,
  TX (0051)

Social networks – Powerful career growth tools

How Facebook, Linkedin and other networking tools increase your chances of career advancement

Recent research shows that at least half of all jobs are filled through personal contacts.

Social networking is one of the newest, most effective and less costly job search methodologies.

Ultimately, we hear about how Social networking has become a cultural phenomenon. The extraordinary proliferation of online social networks is changing the way we communicate. It could also help professionals find opportunities, providing a chance to develop their entire careers.

Datamonitor states “the current growth in social networking offers new opportunities to develop business supplying infrastructure platforms to run such sites, and it advises technology providers to look for ways to support social networking services in the areas of availability.”

Networking tools such as Facebook or Linkedin are not specific job search devices, but provide access to contacts that can support professional development.

Among other internet networking tools, Facebook introduced a feature to allow users to post free classified advertisements within the following categories: sales, housing, jobs and other.

Some employers look into those networking tools to evaluate new qualified employee prospects.

Information posted on those websites is potentially accessible to employers with faculty or alumni accounts.

All in all, we never know where or when we might meet someone who can provide job search assistance, thus, it can pay to invest time nurturing your presence in these social networking sites.

We agree on what Gerry Crispin -Principal at Career Xroad- said: “Networking is about what you give… if you do it well, you will be part of a network that will be tremendously helpful to you.”

Most Depressing Occupations

Are you in the market for a career change? Before you decide what you are passionate about, check out this list of occupations that have high depression rates.

HEADS-UP: The fact that they result to many in depression means that, in order for you to succeed in any of these occupations, you need to have in-depth understanding of what your Personal Brand is. In other words, if your true passions, strengths, interests and attributes (among other personal branding components) are aligned with the occupation, you are likely to succeed in its exercise. However, if this occupation has just a certain match percentage, you are highly likely to be affected by this statistic.

Take a look…

“Percentages of full-time workers age 18 to 64 reporting depression lasting two weeks or longer, by categories of occupation, as provided by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health using 2004 through 2006 data:

1. Personal Care and Service: 10.8

2. Food Preparation and Serving Related: 10.3

3. Community and Social Services: 9.6

4. Health Care Practitioners and Technical: 9.6

5. Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media: 9.1

6. Education, Training and Library: 8.7

7. Office and Administrative Support: 8.1

8. Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance: 7.3

9. Financial: 6.7

10. Sales and Related: 6.7

11. Legal: 6.4

12. Transportation and Material Moving: 6.4

13. Mathematical and Computer Scientists: 6.2

14. Production: 5.9

15. Management: 5.8

16. Farming, Fishing and Forestry: 5.6

17. Protective Service: 5.5

18. Construction and Extraction: 4.8

19. Installation, Maintenance and Repair: 4.4

20. Life, Physical and Social Science: 4.4

21. Engineering, Architecture and Surveyors: 4.3

Sources:

AOL Jobs 

The Associated Press, using data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Let’s talk about Careers!

Welcome to my new blog, where I hope to provide information requested directly by yourself!  Please feel free to post any question on careers, including resume writing, job search issues, interview tips and anything at all that has to do with your quest for professional success.

Let’s talk about Careers!

Welcome to my new blog, where I hope to provide information requested directly by yourself!  Please feel free to post any question on careers, including resume writing, job search issues, interview tips and anything at all that has to do with your quest for professional success.

Marketing vs. PR vs. Advertising vs. “Personal” Branding

A few days ago, I found this rather interesting caricature on adsoftheworld.com that draws very well the difference between the concepts of Marketing, PR, Advertising and Branding.

This illustration recreates vividly the added value Personal Branding has.

Since Personal Branding is ALL about individuals, portrayed here is a simple and generalized view one of the important results from a well conducted Personal Branding process..

Laurence, blogging in ProNet Advertising  added some clever variations to the original script…  Enjoy!

1. You’re a woman and you see a handsome guy at a party. You go up to him and say, “I’m fantastic in bed.”

That’s Direct Marketing.

1. You see a handsome guy at a party. You go up to him and get his telephone number. The next day you call and say, “Hi, I’m fantastic in bed.”

That’s Telemarketing.

1. You’re at a party and see a handsome guy. He fancies you, but you talk him into going home with your friend.

That’s a Sales Rep.

1. Your friend can’t satisfy him so he calls you.

That’s Tech Support.

1. You’re on your way to a party when you realize that there could be handsome men in all these houses you’re passing, so you climb onto the roof of one situated towards the centre and shout at the top of your lungs, “I’m fantastic in bed!”

That’s Junk Mail.

Lying on your Resume can get you Fired

How to safeguard your documents against background checks

Can you honestly say that all information on your resume is 100% accurate? If not, which data is questionable and how questionable is it? As a professional resume writer, this is part of our daily business.  Reminding our customers the importance of making sure all said and written is sustainable and as close to the truth as possible.

With background checks being more frequent, the availability of public records on the internet and the immediateness of information, nowadays it’s very easy to identify inaccurate data.  If you are misrepresenting yourself on your resume, it is wise to come clean, admit your mistake and revise the data before someone uses this against you.  And sooner or later, they will…

It is not the first time we hear on the news about key business leaders resigning or getting fired for misrepresenting themselves on their resumes.  However, this seems more prone to happening now than 10 years ago, when our lives were not as immerse with technology and the internet. 

As we brand ourselves and grow within our companies, we need to ensure that our resumes will be used to enhance and not to hurt our careers.  How do we achieve this?

Following are some steps to safeguard your documents from false statements:

1. Revise all dates for any work or education achieved, making sure they are correct.  If you do not recall a month, it is better only to list the year than to guess the month.  Complete month information when you have the accurate data

2. Information on education must be 100% accurate.  Ensure degree, name of the institution, years if attendance and date of graduation are correct.  This is very easy to verify, institutions will offer this information to recruiters as public records.  If you have incorrect information in this section of your resume, fix it in each and every document that represents you.  This will be less painful than the alternative of losing a job for not admitting your mistake.

3. Beware of creating false positions in your work history.  This is also public records, a piece of information that companies are able to disclose freely.  If your position was different from what a company states it was, you will not appear truthful on paper.  There are certain instances when your official position does not match your title.  When this happens, achieve an agreement with the company to change your title officially to represent you as you deserve before changing it on paper.

4. Do not overstate your knowledge of languages or computer software.  Be prepared to talk fluently and write in Mandarin if you are stating you have good Mandarin skills.  Same goes with computer languages, you can easily get tested – your real skills are easily visible.

5. Numbers, numbers, numbers… If you want to say that you achieved excellent sales results, better say that you achieved 100% sales goal (if it is true) than to use a qualitative term.  Make sure always to use the right percentages and dollar amounts.  If you are not sure of the exact number, approximate to the lesser amount and state that you surpassed this amount.  Be accountable for the numbers you choose to use.

Although in some stages of our career we might believe that a title, a special degree or one unique achievement will take us places, no one event in our lives makes that difference on its own.  Companies judge professionals in their capacity to achieve respect of others.  Having excellent work ethic and pursuing tasks with integrity are worth a million titles for any CEO recruiting. 

As we stand out as professional by being accountable and having the character to do what’s right, the sky is the limit!

Are you On the Web?

Are you on the Web?
Why Personal Websites are an Important Career Success Tool

If the answer is no, you are taking a risk… If we look back only 10-12 years ago, the Internet was just starting and we hardly used it. Nowadays, I know you would agree with me when I say that one day without the internet is almost inconceivable! General job-seekers today present themselves with formatted print resumes.

But if you want to be a professional and a job seeker that is ahead of times, such as the ones companies want to hire, a web resume will give you that EDGE!

Publishing a resume on the Web is advantageous in many ways. Here are other reasons to consider getting one…

Employers have access to your resume anytime, anywhere! If you’re talking on the phone with an employer in any location and they want to see a copy of your resume, you can give them your URL – web address and they will immediatly be able to take a look at your profile.

A personal website will provide you with opportunities to not only post your resume but also include a Bio, work samples and other tools that demonstrate that you are the right candidate for the Career you Seek!

A web resume will enable you to demonstrate your technical skills. EduPlan will coach you on how to complete the personal website design so that you can rightfully take credit for this work.

And lastly, if you are not actively looking for a job, recruiters and companies will be able to identify you on Web as a “passive candidate”. This means that you could get leads on new Career Growth opportunities easier than if you are not on the Web.

We at EduPlan truly believe this is a resource you will not want to discard!

This is why our fees for this service are low. We want to encourage you to utilize this resource and with it, maximize your potential to achieve your Career Goals!

By Claudine Vainrub

Ready, Get Set, MOVE

Moving to a new country or city can be a daunting experience. With big changes in culture, lifestyle, support system, personal economics, among other things, we undertake a venture that will surely shake our ground, making us very vulnerable.

There are some things we can do to make a smoother transition. Here is a list of six to maximize success in your move:

1-. Accept the new culture

The first and most crucial thought to grasp! The new place will have its own set of cultural rules on how things are done. Our chance to achieve our goals increases when we play the game, not when we try to reinvent the wheel. Learning the customs, ethics and attitudes from peers with experience in this new location will help us understand the potential and real opportunities available. In-depth analysis of the work environment is important to adapt and internalize this new culture, making it our own.

2-. It’s THE LAW!

Beware of following the law in every aspect of your new life. We need to ensure the learning of the new law system, as new countries have different sets of rules and different ways to penalize the non- compliant. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse for liability. To ensure our safety and the safety of our new lives, becoming knowledgeable on our home, business and professional liability is a top priority.

3-. Learning from others

It is often wise to seek employment when entering a foreign country. Although this task can be hard to achieve, by being an employee, we can learn about this new environment while getting the steady end- of-the-month paycheck. If interested in opening a new business, this is the safest way to test the waters.

4-. Find a new support system

Professional and personal relationships can provide the very needed encouragement and support, when adapting to a new environment. And the good news is that community-oriented organizations are available almost everywhere. Whether they are local business chambers, professional associations or faith- related groups, they provide opportunities to meet others with common interests. An important part of adapting to a new place is finding that social environment that will make it feel like home, once again.

5-. It’s never too late to study!

This does not mean pursuing an equivalency of a long gone diploma. Most of the times, a certification will take us far in learning about this new culture, the legal aspects of our previous trade, and establishing relationships. This can be a fruitful way of getting immersed in this new location’s lifestyle, while learning something useful that can lead us to higher unexpected places.

6-. Be in tune with your family members

Last and very important, to maximize your opportunity to succeed, your family needs to agree on a life-plan for the next 3-4 years. The more in- tune all the members of your family group are, the more everyone will paddle in the same direction. You will get further in a shorter amount of time. Make sure your family prepares for hard times – emotional, financial, social, professional. No matter how acquainted you are with the new location, it is wise to prepare for a cultural shock. Being a team makes us stronger and more solid when confronting these difficult circumstances.

Moving can be approached and completed with success. Inspired by new beginnings, with hard work and a solid foot on the ground, we can achieve this new step and build a better life your us and our families.

EduPlan at the NST

EduPlan was invited once again to conduct a seminar at the National School of Technology. This time, professionals were exposed to internet search tools and resume webcasting. The event counted with full attendance and proved successful as a hands-on interactive learning experience for its participants.

Beware of Popular Tax Scams

Get ready for tax season!

What appears cheap can end up being very expensive. Make sure your tax advisor is someone you trust professionally. Taxpayers could face heavy fines and even imprisonment for filling faulty tax returns.“Here is a list of the “dirty dozen” tax scams which the IRS urges you to avoid:

1) Offshore transactions
Use of an offshore account, trust, or other arrangement to hide income or claim false deductions is illegal.

2) Identity theft
Beware of any suspicious letter from a bank requesting you to verify personal information in relation to your taxes. It may be a trick to try to defraud you and steal your identity.

3) Phony tax payment checks
Con artists will try to sell false checks to use to make your tax payment. These checks have no financial value and are worthless.

4) Slavery Reparation Credit
There is no such credit due to African-American taxpayers as reparations for slavery. Beware of anyone offering to prepare your taxes who offers to file this credit for an additional fee. The IRS reports that this was the #1 scam of 2002. 5) No taxes withheld from wages
It is illegal to ask your employer not to withhold federal income tax from your wages. This scheme is based on an invalid interpretation of tax laws.6) Improper home-based business
You cannot deduct personal expenses and try to pass them off as business related expenses by setting up a “bogus” home-based business.

7) You’ve won a prize!
But you have to pay the taxes first — a caller will inform you that you’ve won a fabulous prize, but in order to claim it you must pay the income tax due on the prize’s value. Baloney! Any taxes due for winning a prize are payable to the IRS, not the company or person offering the prize.
The Secret That Lets You Not Pay Taxes, only $49.95
There is no secret way not to pay taxes. The U.S. courts have shown such arguments to be frivolous no matter what you’ve heard about taxes being “voluntary”.

9) Social Security tax scheme
In this scam someone will offer to get you a refund of your Social Security taxes or overpayment for a fee and a percentage of the refund. There is no such thing as overpayment of social security taxes or a refund due to taxpayers.

10) Bigger refund for a fee
Don’t believe anyone who offers to help you get a bigger refund, especially without knowledge of your tax situation.

11) Sharing or borrowing earned income tax credit (EITC)
It is illegal to split or share legitimate EITC in order to get the maximum credit allowed.

12) Home collection of taxes due
Beware of anyone claiming to be an “agent” of the IRS and visiting your home to collect your tax payment. A legitimate agent of the IRS will carry a picture ID and normally call before any such visit. Also the IRS does not go door to door to collect payments.”

Source: www.collegecentral.com

H1-B Visas

Now is the best time to start your H1-B Job Search!

"Every year – over 80% of H1B job hiring and recruitment takes place between January and April.

Get An Advantage – start preparing now to find H1B Jobs before they are released on the open market and your competition increases ten-fold. (…)

Due the Increasingly High Demand for H1B employees by US employers – The Rush is about to Start. Don’t get left behind – thousands of US Employers will be actively recruiting to make sure that they get their share of new H1B job seekers, as fast as possible !

Based on previous years, the new H1B’s will not last long. (…) As one Fortune 500 company recently told our H1B Research Group – “International H1B job seekers who do not start now, will miss this narrowing chance to work in the US. It is crucial to find an H1B job within the next few months, to even stand a chance of being counted towards this years quota”. This is common feelings and sentiment from many of the H1B sponsor companies within our partner network.

Many of the top US sponsor companies who were shut out in the cold, due to last years H1B Cap being reached very early, are doing everything in their power to ensure they get their fair share of new H1B visa employees – as fast as possible!

IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to Start Your H1B Job Search Now to Maximize Your Chances. Fact: the longer you wait, the less chance you have !

To Obtain Your H1B Visa …. Step 1) you MUST first find a job with a company who will ’sponsor’ your H1B visa Step 2) your new employer (sponsor) then files your H1B application Step 3) your visa application is processed by the US Immigration Bureau Step 4) you can start work for your new employer (H1B sponsor company) in the USA."

Source: www.h1bbase.com

EduPlan offers a service that distributes your resume to a network of recruiters working with H1-B sponsoring corporations. For more information on this service, please contact EduPlan at info@eduplan.us.