Author Archives: schatzi

Online Professional Writing Services – What to Look For and What to Avoid

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If you are looking for online professional writing services, then you need to have a set of standards that you need to go by. In the world of internet marketing, website promotion, and even in offline businesses, there is a great need for persuasive articles. You can either use them for advertising and marketing, product literature database and records, or for website content. For whatever reason you may use them, hiring the writing services of professional content writers can certainly save you a lot of precious time and money instead of doing the writing tasks yourself. Yet, it is necessary to remember and strictly follow your standards when looking for writers and agencies who can meet your writing needs. Here are some guidelines on what you should look for and what to avoid when looking for professional writing services online:

What to Look For

1. Quality over Quantity

There are many writers or writing agencies out there who think that writing persuasive articles are simply connecting words into sentences. This classic mistake often leads potential clients to look somewhere else. Look for those who have high standards themselves so you can be assured of high quality write-ups and content without having to tell them why this is important. While quantity is important, quality is still more important.

2. Reliability

Reliability in terms of producing fast output without having to sacrifice the quality of the write-ups is a necessary factor in looking for professional writing services. Look for writers who can meet deadlines as well as your specific requests. The availability of a qualified and experienced pool of writers for bulk writing orders is also a plus factor.

What to Avoid

1. Write-ups that Do Not Meet Specific Audience Target Needs

There are many different kinds of writing services. If you want to use articles for advertising and marketing, then you have to find writers who can write persuasive articles. If you want write-ups for a company profile or news reporting, then you need those which are concise and objective. If you want content for blogs, then you need to have writers who can mix creativity and literary ability to create articles specific to your needs. Avoid writers and writing agencies which cannot meet these terms.

2. Copied Content

The biggest no-no to writing is to produce material that is not original. In any field of writing, plagiarism is outrightly frowned upon. Make sure that you avoid writers who try to create fast write-ups which are not original.

Be aware of these important points when looking for professional writing services. With the hundreds of available freelance writers and professional writing agencies these days, choose one which meets your set standards and guidelines hands down. The name and reputation they carry means a lot to you if you want to get high quality persuasive articles and write-ups.

The Easy Way To Train Your Dog Using The Most Effective Techniques

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Whether you are the happy owner of a new dog or have had your pooch for many years now, it’s never too late to start a training program. Implementing a dog training problem is the best way to make your pup the best behaved dog on the block and strengthen the bond between the two of you.

Who’s the best person to train your dog? You guessed it – You are! Not only will your dog respond better to it’s owner, but your relationship will improve because of it.

One of the most common questions we receive is from people wondering what types of dog training they should use. We thought we would go over this quickly to help you decide what path to take.

Obedience dog training is probably the most widely known. This involves instructing you dog to carry out specific activities and commands. Some of these commands are the classic ones we have all heard such as “sit, stay and heel”.

This type of training is a good way to train your dog to act in a specific way on command. It’s a great feeling saying a command and watching your dog follow directions. It feels good to be listened to!

I included a link at the bottom of this article that you can use to learn about specific dog training programs that have been proven to work. They actually combine dog obedience training along with the next form of training we are going to look at quickly – dog behavior training.

With behavior training, you are teaching you dog how to behave in everyday situations. You are shaping their behavior in the situations where you don’t want to have to launch commands at them.

Potty training is a perfect example of this type of dog training. Your dog learns not to “do their business” in the house – they are learning this behavior and applying it to their everyday life. Teaching your dog when not to bark is another example of something people work on using behavior training.

A common mistake I see is people relying too much on one style of dog training. You want to mix it up in order to make sure you are covering all the bases.

Training your dog can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Your best bet is use a program that incorporates both obedience and behavior training so that you get the most out of your efforts and train your pooch to be the “good boy” (or girl!) you want it to be.

Atlanta Schools

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If you are a parent or thinking about starting a family it is important to consider school districts when looking for a new home. Not only will the quality of the local schools benefit your children, the school district will also affect the resale value of your home. The Atlanta metropolitan area, both inside and outside of the city perimeter, has several great public schools and plenty of private institution options. Here are some tips to help guide you in finding out more information about Atlanta educational
offerings.

  • Visit the Atlanta Public School web site at atlantapublicschools.us to see a map of the local school zones. You can also access a complete list of Atlanta public schools to find out in which zone each school resides.
  • Visit greatschools.net to see parent reviews of local schools. You can search by level (elementary, middle and high school), specific area and type (public, charter or private).
  • Visit the schools in your district. Schedule a sit down appointment with the principal and ask to see the classrooms and talk to a few of the teachers.
  • Use the AJC School Guide available at ajc.com to find local schools in the areas you are looking to purchase.
  • Speak with other parents in the neighborhood and ask them what schools their children attend and the parents’ opinions of the schools.
  • Talk to your local friends and find out what they know about the school districts. Most parents have done research on schools so ask for input from friends and family in the area.
  • Remember that children will grow and will have to transition to another school at some point, so plan ahead. Research all levels of the schools in your district and have a plan if one does not suit your liking.

As any big city, Atlanta has an abundance of options when it comes to education for your children. Do your homework and find out what public school options are in the areas you are looking to purchase. Even if you prefer to send your children to private school, the public schools in your district will affect the resale value of your home.

Learn How To Speak Chinese Fast

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In learning the Chinese language, a person can harvest a lot of benefits. That is why; studying the language is quite appealing these days. And more and more people are trying to look for ways to master speaking Chinese fast.

If you are one of these people, this article might help you with your goal in mind. You’ll gain an insight on how to begin your learning correctly to fully grasp the other necessary steps. So, continue to read on for you to learn how to speak Chinese fast.

Know the Tones

Basically, the most vital element in the Chinese language is their tone. These four tones will give a word a distinct meaning thus mispronouncing a certain word can bring a different implication. For this reason, you need to start knowing the different tones primarily before you can learn to speak Chinese fast.

Therefore, how to you go about learning the tones? A system known as Hanyu Pinyin is a great way which can help you to learn Chinese fast. This utilizes the letters of the Roman alphabet to facilitate faster learning of the language. Again, know how the words are pronounced first to avoid misunderstanding.

Learn the Basics

Once you grasp fully the tones, you’re now ready to learn how to speak Chinese. You can start by studying sentences of everyday conversation just like basic introductions and greetings. By doing this, you’ll accelerate your learning process and eventually you can speak Chinese in a short time.

And to fully comprehend what you’ve studied, you need to practice it. You can do this by talking to a Chinese friend or even saying the Chinese words repeatedly to yourself. In so doing, you’ll hear yourself and note if your pronunciation differs from that of native speakers. Interacting in an environment where there are native speakers can be very helpful.

Also, there are online tutorials that you can try which can promote your learning quicker. This is because they come with audio, video, games and is interactive. With this, you can learn quickly while having fun and you can be encouraged to participate in the course materials. It is vital to enjoy what you’re doing as it keeps you to be motivated.

These are just some ways for you to learn how to speak the Chinese language fast. Just bear in mind to keep yourself motivated in reaching your goal and no task will be as difficult as it may seem. That means effort plus motivation will equal to success. Hence, find out more on how can learn to speak Chinese in a fast and easy way.

USMLE Step 1 Exam Preparation – 3 Essential Steps For A Great Score On Your Boards

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Success on the USMLE Step 1 exam really does come from getting in the right frame of mind from the first day of medical school. Setting yourself up to get prepared from the very first day can help you significantly improve your score, so be sure you are studying withe the Step 1 exam in mind right from the get-go.

Along with that advice, here are three tricks for ensuring your success:

#1 – Combine your class notes with your study guide

It’s a fact that most people use a study guide in the last few weeks of their prep, so do yourself a favor and carry one with you during your classes and insert some of your class notes into the guide, as this will ensure that you not only touch on the highest yield stuff, but some of the peripheral information that you should know. What I found worked for me was to simply bring my study guide along with me to every class and to flip to whichever section we were discussing that day in class, then when something was mentioned that added to the value of the notes I would simply take note. In the long run this will give you a great tool for your USMLE preparation.

#2 – Do 1 qbank the right way

Instead of doing the same questions over and over again, take notes and truly learn the information. There is very little value in performing the same questions over and over again as all this does is test your ability to recall something you’ve recently seen. Instead, get a workbook and jot down notes with each question, taking your time and really getting the most out of your efforts. Not only will this strategy help you learn more and ultimately become a better physician, but it will save you a ton of time, energy, and money because doing multiple qbanks can really become financially troubling.

#3 – Perform at least 1-2 NBME practice exams

After you’ve prepared, now is the time to test where you stand by doing an NBME exam or two. This will tell you how well prepared you are for your exams and it will guide you as to which areas you need to work on a little bit more. The NBME exams are fantastic tools especially if you want to get into a tougher medical specialty, and can tell you if you are going to score high enough to be competitive. If you do one and you aren’t scoring high enough, go back and review then come back to see if you’ve improved your score.

Contractor Continuing Education – Online Vs. In-Person Seminars – Which Is Better?

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More and more construction State licensing boards are requiring that the construction contractor licensees complete between five to fourteen hours of continuing education depending on the State to renew their contractor license. This fact has increased the number on online continuing education courses available to a construction contractor dramatically in the last decade. Conversely the number of courses offered in-person at live seminars has decreased in some States and counties.

Some regulatory licensing boards continue to cling incorrectly to the idea believing that continuing education seminars attended in person are superior to online or live webinars. This is not accurate. The regulatory licensing boards should concentrate on what the construction contractors are learning and less on how the licensee is exposed to the course content.

Regardless if the continuing education course is online or in-person it should be approved based on the ability to interact with the course instructor, achievement of the learning objectives in addition to a timed attendance requirement. A course should expose the construction contractor to the changes in the rules, laws and regulations in their industry. Additionally the course should increase the contractor’s professional skill set in managing their business and technical knowledge in their trade.

The increase in availability in online continuing education courses offers many advantages to the construction contractor. This includes increased access to a specific course topic not offered in their geographic area, convenience, and affordability that would not be possible with mandatory in-person attendance.

It is the mastery of the course content that increases the contractor’s knowledge, and for the contractor to be aware of the changes in the laws, rules and regulations. This yields a better product and service to the consumer public, and results in a successful business for the contractor which moves the entire construction industry forward.

Live Seminars:

The live seminar offers the following advantages: face to face communication which for some individuals works best if the class size is not too large. As spur of the moment questions can be answered quickly and the resulting dialogue will clarify any ambiguities. The contractor also has the ability to network with other contractors as there are many different construction trades in attendance. During the course breaks (coffee, smoke and restroom time) the contractor can make business connections and discuss some of the ideas offered during the lecture.

The disadvantages of a live seminar are: the seminar is typically held in a hotel or convention center with seating arrangements and/or a room temperature that is uncomfortable. The seminar is held at a fixed and limited time frame with little to no flexibility to attendee for date & time changes. The time required to commute to the seminar site frequently requires overnight travel and added expense for hotel and restaurant meals. Next when a live seminar has too many attendees it is not practical for each person to ask questions. This results in minimal to no interaction even though the course is in-person.

Online Courses:

Online courses would include both static or recorded courses and live webinars. The courses typically have an assessment tool (true/false and multiple choice quizzes or exams) and a minimum time course time log attendance to receive a certificate of completion. One of the main advantages of online courses is accessibility with a computer or smart phone. It is almost impossible today to manage a construction contracting business without the use of either of these tools. No longer is technology a barrier as it was in the past. However the contractor needs to be proficient with the use of the computer, tablet or smart phone and the associated software.

Today the choices of construction continuing education course topics are immense. The contractor can take the types of courses they need that meet their current goals. Otherwise they only can take the courses that are offered in their city or within close driving distance – as few contractors will drive across the State due to time and the cost of travel.

The contractor can complete their continuing education hours at their convenience – at the office, at home, in the coffee shop or anywhere there is internet access. With online slide presentation courses the contractor is not restricted by a fixed date or time and without spending extra money for travel, food and hotel expense. They can log on for a few minutes or a few hours – whatever their schedule allows.

In both live webinar and recorded online courses the contractor can email or text message the instructor with a question. This would be an advantage for some as they may be embarrassed thinking their question was irrelevant or not of interest to others in a typical in-person hotel seminar. The contractor can easily repeat the prior course content by going back a slide or two if they did not understand the concept without having to feel embarrassed. This is compared to only hearing it once at an in-person seminar and then having to interrupt the person sitting next to them or stop the entire class to ask a question.

The contractor attendee still has access to course handouts, graphs, tables, and other articles associated with the course with just a click of the mouse as they would in an in-person seminar.

Online learning offers the construction contractor the advantage to complete their continuing education hours in small units of time, at a fraction of the cost, easily repeat the course material, and results in a more efficient use of limited time than what an in-person seminar offers.

If your local licensing board limits the number of online continuing education hours you may complete question them as why this is. Let them know that you want to learn and complete all of your continuing education hours online to increase the choice of course topics to better serve the consumer public and for you to have a successful construction business. Continuing education is not about if the course hours are completed in-person or online but that you do learn and continually improve your skill set.

Piano Lessons Course Secrets – 4 Vital Tips to Save Time & Money

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Finding a piano lessons course can be easy, but also can leave you with a large hole in your pocket with nothing to show for it.

In this article, I would like to show you how to pick the perfect piano lessons course which will ensure that you not only learn the piano at a level and pace that suits you, but also won’t rip you off or worse still, end up teaching you bad piano playing habits.

So, let’s quickly look at the key areas of a great piano lessons course…

1. Caters for all skills

Whether you’re a total beginner or an intermediate piano player, at some point you’ll move on to the next skill level. The question is, do you really want to have to keep buying new piano lesson courses each time you progress?

This is a bad thing, as the teaching style you become accustomed to is disrupted and this can and will have a negative impact on your learning and overall progress.

Therefore, aim for a piano course that takes you through all the skill levels consistently. This will also save you time and money in the long run too.

2. Who’s teaching it?

Of course, it’s important that you know who’s teaching the material. This is the single most important point, as bad techniques taught to you are very hard to undo.

Make sure you’ve got a course that is developed by someone reputable. You don’t have to know them, or even know OF them, but they must be able to show their credentials somehow.

For example, how were they trained? How are they qualified to teach (if applicable)? What experience of paino playing have they got?

3. Multiple teaching modes

It is often said that the best way to learn any new skill (or develop existing skills) is to learn through multiple modalities.

Just like at school when you would switch from text book to video, to blackboard (if you’re over 20!).

So in a piano lessons course, look for video, audio and text formats. This will help you grasp the lessons on a much more tangible level.  These multiple modalities will also help you to stay entertained and focused when learning to play the piano.

4.  Guarantee

Finally, above all else you must ensure that the piano course has a solid guarantee. Although if you follow the steps from above, you shouldn’t need to worry.

However, in the past I have purchased piano lessons online that had not lived up to their sales letter claims and I was inclined to ask for a refund. This is merely the global standard for most products sold, offline and online these days.

But when looking at the guarantee for piano lessons, it’s important to remember that you need a longer guarantee than you would for say, a pair of socks. 

This is because it may take you a while longer to settle into the piano lessons course, before you know if it’s right for you.

Conclusion

If you’d like to save many hours of hunting for the best piano lesson courses, and avoid all of these associated risks above, then I would recommend a visit to my personal review page of the best online piano courses [http://trustusreviews.com/Best_Online_Piano_Course] that your money can buy. Here, you’ll find an honest review of the top 3 online piano lesson courses, and the reasons why I have ranked them in their particular order.  This was designed to save you lots of wasted time and effort and will ensure you don’t pick up bad habits from the lesser quality piano courses.

When Should You Seek Private College Financial Aid?

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College financial aid for students attending college and graduate school can come from several sources, including scholarship, grants, federal loans and private loans. It can become a complicated labyrinth that isn’t always easy to navigate.

Most college planners urge students to tap out on federal funding before turning to other sources, because financial loans tend to be less expensive in the long run. Unfortunately, because college tuition is so high today—and expected to continue to increase—federal loans many times only pay for a portion of college costs.

And while scholarship and grant money are available, the number of students who attend college on a full scholarship are few and far between. The smart thing to do when planning to pay for college if you don’t have a huge college fund at your disposal (most people don’t) is to apply for federal loans. Here’s why: Federal student loans often have an interest rate that is far lower than private financial institutions, and also offer better and longer payment terms.

Usually, students don’t have to start repaying the loan until after graduation, and sometimes can even defer payment of an original loan if the student goes back to school for additional training.

These federal loans don’t pay for everything. The most a four-year student can borrow is $10,500 per year, which for some colleges is just a bite out of a much bigger pie. For graduate programs, the loans can go up to $20,500. What any particular student receives is dependent on several factors, including the college of choice and in which year the student is.

Students can choose from three federal loan programs:

—Stafford loans are available to students in two forms: for low-income students, who don’t have to provide credit references, and for other students, who do.

—Plus loans are low-interest loans taken out by parents to help pay the difference between real college costs and the amount of the student loan. Still, even with this loan tuition costs often exceed what the loans cover.

—Consolidation loans allow parents and students to consolidate multiple loans into a single loan with one monthly payment.

When students apply for a federal student loan, they fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which automatically includes their information for other programs, including scholarships, grants, or work programs provided by the federal and local governments.

Because financial loans are covering less and less a percentage of college tuition, private financial loans are becoming more popular. Unfortunately, as with any private loan, only those with the best credit scores will receive the best rates. Private loans can be expensive and most college planners urge parents to exhaust other financing methods first.

The best private loans have rates competitive with the federal low-interest rates, about LIBOR +/- 2.0. Watch for lenders that offer a low rate while the student is in school, then raise the rate when payments are due.

As with anything, shop around, do your research, and perhaps paying for college won’t be such a nightmare.

Coaching

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The first use of the word “coach” in English occurred in the 1500s to refer to a kind of carriage. “Hence,” say Witherspoon and White, “the root meaning of the verb to coach is to convey a valued person from where he or she was to where he or she wants to be.” Coaching is a process that helps executives learn, grow, and change. Although what coaching involves depends on the specific executive and situation, executive coaching falls into four categories:

Coaching for Skills

Coaching for Performance

Coaching for Development

Coaching for the Executive’s Agenda

Coaching For Skills is learning focused on a person’s current task or project. This coaching is usually needed for short term and the coaching goals tend to be clear and specific. Settings well suited for this coaching role are to support:

> Learning on the job (e.g., before or after a first board meeting presentation).

> Traditional classroom training.

> Changes in job roles and/or responsibilities.

Coaching For Performance is learning focused on a person’s current job. Typically, the executive feels the need to function more effectively at work, or to address performance issues. For executives having difficulty, the challenge is to correct problem behaviors before they jeopardize productivity or derail a career. This type of coaching is usually seen as appropriate for the short or intermediate term although there may be less consensus within the organization about the need for performance coaching. And because this type of coaching can feel more threatening to some executives than skills coaching, it tends to involve more time. This coaching role is best used to:

> Clarify performance goals.

> Orient and support newly appointed executives.

> Increase confidence and commitment after a career setback.

> Deal with blind spots that detract from otherwise outstanding performance.

Coaching For Development is learning focused on a person’s future job. Typically, the executive needs to prepare for a career move, often as part of succession planning discussions. Coaching for development tends to involve a deeper focus on executive development and personal growth. The coaching sessions here typically focus on development for a future job by helping an executive discover strengths and weaknesses, and to determine where growth is needed.

Since an executive’s agenda is often broad and evolving, Coaching For The Executive’s Agenda tends to involve learning in the largest sense. Often the executive desires a confidant to offer insight, perspective, and constructive feedback on ideas and experiences. The format for this coaching is ongoing, and coaching sessions evolve in response to the executive’s agenda. Frequently, this type of coaching is used to support change management by preparing an executive to successfully implement a change initiative, or to expand options when creative suggestions could improve the chances for sound decisions. The coach often acts as a sounding board and offers feedback and suggestions to enhance the executive’s ideas.

Career Moves: Take Responsibility for Yourself – Stop Blaming Others

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Take responsibility for yourself. The first real task you must take on is to accept that, when it comes to your life situation, the buck stops with you. Being willing to own your life is the foundation for all success. It is now widely recognised that your career is your responsibility, not any one else’s, including your current your employer.

Specifically you need to take responsibility for:
• Your career (others can help but no one can tell you what is right for you – it’s your life)
• Your employability (the only real job security is the career security that comes from offering up-to-date skills that are still in demand)
• Your ‘programming’ (parental influences and social conditioning).

Successful people accept responsibility to improve themselves, their career, and their situation in life. Unsuccessful people blame everything on everyone else: the government, their parents, the schools, the economy, the weather, or the lack of jobs. Successful people focus on what they CAN do given the circumstances they find themselves in. Simple? Yes! Powerful? Absolutely! Easy? No! It takes dedication, time, and effort!

So… are you taking responsibility for yourself?

Think about the following… Are you able to: Take responsibility, think of solutions, look for lessons, keep your personal power.

You need to avoid doing this instead: Blame others, make excuses, complain, give away power (be a victim).

Here are some questions for you.

Quietly, calmly, look over the following questions. In doing so, observe your emotional response. Don’t ask too much of your brain just yet. At this stage it’s not really necessary to provide any detailed answers.

1. Are my attitudes, beliefs or behaviours limiting or even sabotaging my career?

2. Do I know what my best skills are and what I want in return?

3. Are my career goals clear? Do I have a grasp on my short, medium, and long-term goals and plans?

4. Am I going to work thinking it is my employer’s fault that I’m not happy in my job?

5. Is my life in balance? How are other areas of my life going – partner, family, health, finances, etc.?

6. Am I over-stressed?

7. Am I getting good feedback from my employer and/or clients that I am adding value and developing myself appropriately?

8. Is my position, department, organisation or industry in danger of decline?

9. Are there better options out there for me? What are they?

10. Am I maintaining and expanding my network of acquaintances to keep me informed of opportunities?

11. Am I doing the same thing that I was doing five years ago?

12. What have I learnt in the last six months? Am I developing professionally?

13. When was the last time I reviewed my career action options with my current employer – project work, new tasks, reduced responsibilities and stress, relocation, promotion, lateral moves and new position proposals?

14. Am I taking action or procrastinating?

15. When was the last time I felt really excited about my work?

16. Am I enjoying what I do?

17. Am I accepting responsibility for my life?

Good luck in moving forward – it’s the decisions that you make today that will shape your future.