Posts Tagged ‘hobbies’

Real Estate Contact Management- Why Agents want to Forget about Tech Support!

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Over the years I’ve tought real estate agents how to utilize technology to their advantage as far back as when DOS was around. Seriously, this was the time when mobile phones were called “car phones.” Probably one of my most memorable achievements was working for the company that introduced laptops to the world of real estate. In the good old days they were heavier and weighed about 10lbs. Heck the hard drive was even smaller than what an iPod Nano uses today. My point is; many things have changed over the years and real estate contact management is one of them.

One thing that hasn’t changed in all these years is the pain and hassle of calling for technical support when your little do-dad won’t turn on or freezes like a deer in headlights. I have two PowerPoint slides I still use today in seminars that list the answers to this article’s title. Two of my favorites are: “Do you have a brick or a sledgehammer handy?” and “Please hold for Mr. Gate’s attorney.” I’ll hang on to the rest in case I’m ever in town for a live seminar ;) .

The truth about tech support, especially as it pertains to real estate software, is the fact that almost none of the people you call have actually used the software you are calling about. In fact, it would be safe to say that NONE of them have ever sold real estate. In other words, the people you are calling don’t know how the software “works,” they just know how to handle error messages. It’s this little subtlety that is at the core of so much dissatisfaction with technical support for programs like Top Producer and AgentOffice. Here’s an example: you are trying to do a mail merge in the word processor for a group of contacts and every time you click the print button you get one letter and then the printer stops. After three or four tries you finally call tech support to find out what is wrong with the software. After a few minutes (or hours) on hold you finally get to speak with a technical support person who takes you through a series of questions like: “Does this happen when you use other programs to perform a mail merge?” to which you answer, “I don’t know, I don’t have another program that performs mail merges.” They then take you down a rabbit hole of different diagnostics with your printer only to discover that there’s really nothing wrong with your printer. After another hour of running checks on the software you are informed that there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with the software either. I even remember one particular customer who was told by a tech support person that, “Maybe you shouldn’t try to use it to do mail merges!”

Sadly, the problem all along was not with the software. You didn’t have a “technical” issue; you had an “educational” issue. It turns out you were trying to prepare a form letter from the wrong part of the program or you were skipping a simple step that was telling the software to print “to the contact” not “to the group.” Even more sad is the fact that most tech support people don’t want to admit that they don’t know all the steps to preparing a mail merge and they do their best to make you feel like the idiot while they get on to the next waiting victim.

Can you believe you have to pay for all this nonsense? Top Producer claims your tech support is free, but they charge you $39 a month to use the software. AgentOffice on the other hand will give you 30 days free, but once this is over and a problem comes about, you have to pay $295. This is the cost of the entire program!

My point here is, if you just take the time to get trained on the program you purchase, life with Real Estate Contact Management software will be much easier. Just think of it as a good health strategy. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you take this route you won’t have a tech support person say; “We can fix this, but you’re going to need a knife, a roll of duct tape and a car battery.

If you are in need of Agent Office Software than look no further then AOExperts.com. AOExperts.com are expert in the field of Agent Office Support .

Learning The Judicial System By Visiting A Court Docket

Monday, March 8th, 2010

The judicial system is a fine-tuned machine that operates according to a certain set of rules that must be followed. If you are new to the court system, and have a pending case, it would be within your best interest to attend a court docket to see what you will face.

Knowing how the court room operates is incredibly important. Knowing your way around the court room, and the procedures required in order to be admitted, is ideal for getting in and out without fuss. You will be subject to metal detection devices, for instance, to prove that you are not concealing a weapon officers are not immediately aware of.

Learning how to speak to the judge, and how not to do so, is also important. Since civil trials will be decided upon by the judge, being on the bad side of the judge will result in a poor outlook for your case. Always succeed any question or targeted statement with a formal, your honor. Be polite and speak in a concise manner.

If you do have a future court case pending, you should try to find a date in which cases similar to yours are to be presented. That way you will be able to see what the judge allows and what he or she doesn’t. Knowing what frustrates or angers the judge is also important so that you do not trip any alarms. Observe best practices so you won’t make mistakes.

An important lesson learned in a docket is that you might have your case shifted around. It isn’t uncommon for a scheduled case to be delayed or even shifted forward, depending on what the judge wants to do with cases with varying lengths. That means you should be present as early as possible, even if you are scheduled to be at the end of the docket. If you miss the court case, you will be out of luck and will likely get no appeal.

Overall, attending a court docket for a civil or criminal trial is an important life lesson. Even if you aren’t soon to be in court, it’s nice to go and see how the judicial system works first hand. The public as able to go to these dockets freely in most cases, and you will be free to leave at any time so long as you don’t cause a ruckus.

In Conclusion

A court case is something that puts the average citizen through a lot of stress. Relieve your stress by learning the system early, and knowing what you should be doing to prepare. You will have one step above the opposing party in the matter.

Learn more on criminal and attorney.

United States Laws Regarding Texting While Driving

Monday, March 1st, 2010

It seems that all the teens these days are doing a dangerous act- and for some states, it isn’t illegal! Texting and driving is a new act to address as mobile phones become more popular. Studies show that with proper legislation, driver safety will surge.

Current laws in the United States vary based on each state. There is no current federal law that outlaws texting while driving, but the majority of all states are either limiting the act or banishing it completely. At least half of the current states such as Washington have put groundwork down in making it a crime to text while driving.

Oddly, some states have instead opted to only ban texting while driving for certain ages. Missouri is a good example, as it bans texting while driving for any teens under the age of 21. Those over this age are still able to do it, at least by current laws. The current fine for Missouri is only $200 for those who are caught or admitted to the act- perhaps too low, as some proponents of harsher legislation claim.

There are studies that are coming out all the time in regards to texting and driving. Some scientists have even shown that it is quite related to the acted of driving under the influence, which as we know carries a large fine and jail sentence for those convicted. Because it is so serious, parents in the United States should observe good parenting practices by teaching their kids not to use their mobile phone while operating a car.

The same technology that allowed texting and driving could also remedy the problem. Mobile phones are now implementing software that can detect voice and translate it into words of text. This operation is far from perfect, however, so it is not widely used today. Other solutions are in development by mobile phone companies, who know that their products are being used to contribute to unsafe driving behaviors.

If you text and drive, it would be smart to find smarter solutions. Sometimes just having a conversation with the individual you need to contact via phone is better. In that case, you save time and also don’t endanger yourself by having to constantly look at your mobile phone. Sometimes even this isn’t a solution, as some states frown upon even talking on the phone while driving. Unless its an emergency, you are better off just not using the phone.

Final Thoughts

In the end, United States citizens should just practice common sense when talking and texting. Driving while doing anything other than paying attention to the road is going to be dangerous. Limit dangerous acts so that you won’t have a wrecked car and a disaster to deal with.

Learn more on Missouri legal settlements and New Study Indicates Many Trucking Companies Violate Federal Safety Laws.

The Truth About Mark McGwire’s Admission

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Recently, Mark McGwire came out with an admission that many people were shocked to hear. He had taken steroids from 1989 through the end of his career, despite his unwillingness to speak on the issue during a congressional hearing five years ago.

What may have been more interesting is the fact that McGwire claims to have used these drugs not simply as a means of getting ahead. McGwire says he took steroids because he believed that they would help him heal from injuries more quickly.

This seems very believable when you look at the career path that McGwire followed. Through 1989, his playing time had been seriously hampered due to injury, and many felt that he would otherwise be the best home run hitter in baseball if not for his injury issues.

It looked as if McGwire’s plans worked to perfection. The first baseman enjoyed a fruitful era of power hitting that saw a much lower incidence of injury issues.

No year was more indicative of his steroid use than 1998 was. This is a year that you very likely remember, as he belted 70 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals, breaking the single season home record previously held by Roger Maris.

While McGwire was worshipped by baseball fans as he broke this record, things soon changed within the span of a few years. Talk of steroids began to mar the baseball world and its recent milestones, including the record that had been set by McGwire.

In retrospect, it should have been obvious that McGwire and others were using illegal substances. There was no other way to explain the unprecedented jumps in production, and the baseball world should have been keen to this.

Despite this all, one has to wonder if McGwire should be chided or praised for his recent admissions. While his numbers will certainly hold very little credence, he was a brave man to do what far too players have been willing to do up until now.

Read more of this author’s advice about the wooden bar stool and wooden step stool.

The Options For Plumbing Qualifications Around The UK

Friday, February 12th, 2010

The salaries of Plumbers are often highlighted in the national press. Figures of 30-70k p.a. are touted, alongside much talk of the profound shortage in the number of Plumbers within the UK. So, are we being told a story or is this the genuine picture? For an experienced Plumber, this amount of salary is both realistic and feasible. Whilst salaries of 70-100k p.a. are possible, it remains chiefly for self employed people, rather than those working in the customary routes.

If you enter the traditional work environment, primarily working for an established employer, then working hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm are standard. From UK companies comes the standard reward such as holiday pay and sickness allowance and a potential wage of between 15k and 30k p.a. However, if the self employed person is willing to work longer than the normal working hours then more money can be earned. Without a doubt in the domestic market many clients require evening and weekend visits and self employed plumbers have to meet that need.

Around which is the question of self employment which appears to fit some people. Equally there is a need to manage good ‘business sense’, with items such as advertising & marketing factors as well as correctly assessing your own hourly rate. There are additional charges levied to people who work for themselves including legal and accountancy fees as well as those relating to materials and transport. Whilst it is expected that the benefits will be high, the costs can mount up though they should always remain a small part of the income overall. Plus the profits nearly always beat the odds!

Initially, by searching for standard work a Student Entrant can get the majority of training especially with working knowledge and experience. Alternatively, the Self Employed Entrant needs to quickly establish those certificates that they will rely on in industry. In fairness it is the ‘domestic’ market rather than the commercial sector that attracts the majority of the self-employed workers in the UK. (Whilst not everyone does the majority do!)

With reference to education in Plumbing, there is a likeness needed by each part of the industry in relation to the certification elements. The issue of NVQ’s (or SVQ’s in Scotland) nevertheless appears to cause some difference.

At first, the Student Entrant does appear to depend much more on the NVQ structure than the Self Employed Entrant. The Self Employed Entrant will often call upon a wider range of certifications right from the outset; in order to satisfy their perceived client’s requirements. In order to be able to meet the needs of the typical household, self-employed persons will need to rapidly gain key domestic-centred qualifications. The Student Entrant will often carry on their studies in the workplace under an apprenticeship where the NVQ element can be assessed. Due to the cost effectiveness of this study the Student Entrant can make strong savings from the outset. That said it is the ability to gain real financial rewards long before the Student Entrant that encourages many Self-Employed Entrants to gain certifications faster and be motivated by a stronger commercial attitude.

This clearly demonstrates the need for talk about careers, covering the certification and study required along with the expected financial rewards. It is extremely difficult for adults with a family to look after and needing 20kp.a. to consider going back to college and spending 3 years on low paid-apprenticeship work. It is by having their courses paid for them that many Student Entrants can submit to the courses, simply put the more mature self-employed students have to pay for their education themselves. Depending on the level of certification sought and the course itself the costs for people can run into 3k to 10k+.

The study process is often split with Student Entrants studying at recognised further-education colleges whereas the mature Self Employed Entrants going for a wider range of private run technical schools. Commercially oriented plumbing course companies will provide an established path of training which ultimately leads into recognised skill-sets and qualifications. Of a key opportunity is the ability to train out of hours – evening, part time and self study classes that allows Self Employed Entrants to continue training whilst continuing with their job and maintaining their financial situation. With so many training colleges available, it makes sense to gather information from as many sources as possible. Having provided an option for you to come back and review the links and adverts from several sites, why not book mark this page (CTRL-D).

By going on added training programs many plumbing students seek to increase their ‘marketability’. These courses can provide a range of additional certifications in areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical. As part of the commercial and domestic heating procedures, Gas training continues to be popular with Plumbers.

Gas Training, with subjects followed by a focus on NVQ’s is recognised as an accurate and exact training program. For those who trained as a plumber first and are now looking at extra skills this also offers many options for their on-going development. From this idea the mature student works better with a fusion offered by Gas/Plumbing training. By reducing the NVQ parts the Mature Student appears to be able to allow the focus on the core subjects.

The self-employed professional appears to benefit from this distinct training mixture. The opportunity to learn a wider range of perceived skill-sets (whilst earning money from them) becomes the attraction. This adds to their overall package rather than having to rely on sub-contraction of key skills to third parties. Sub-contracting can not only reduce the earning potential of a job, but also erode the value in the customer’s eye, as they may have to wait for key stages to be handled by someone else before the final completion of the job. The more skilled a plumber is in their job role – the more that they have to offer their client base.

In conclusion, the Self Employed Entrant can enjoy a much higher (and more quickly achieved) income than a Student Entrant, but they would have to work at developing a broader range of certifications (and consider the business side of things too.) Note: This information deals with industry requirements and policies for the UK market alone.

Copyright 2009 S. Edwards. Go to www.AdultRetrainingCourses.co.uk/jadreco.html or Plumbing Qualifications.

Comparing Plumbing and Heating Courses Across The UK

Friday, February 12th, 2010

The figures explaining how much Plumbers can earn is often talked about in the papers. It is this need for trained Plumbers that has led to salaries of 30-70k p.a. being advertised. So, is this the truth of the matter, or are we being lied to? Certainly this level of payment is both possible and achievable for the correctly qualified Plumber. Those taking the more conventional ways to work will find it hard to reach the incomes of 70-100k p.a. that are sometimes achieved by the self-employed.

To be fair being with a regular employer often results in working from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm as standard. Salaries of between 15k – 30k p.a. are easily achievable and will include typical benefits such as holiday pay and sickness allowance – what you’d generally expect from any UK employed status. That said it is by working longer than typically 9am to 6pm, Mon to Fri that self employed people achieve higher incomes than those adopting a traditional approach. This is more common in the domestic market where self employed plumbers often have to work evenings and weekends to suit those clients that work during the week.

There is also the issue of self-employment itself – which definitely suits some people more than it suits others. The inclusion of key elements such as utilising good ‘business sense’, covering areas such as advertising and marketing and getting your own cost-per-hour correct is integral to the picture. To be fair most self-employed people will have to prepare for additional costs including those relating to legal and accountancy fees as well as those of transport and material usage. While these costs can mount up, so too do the benefits, however the costs should always remain a smaller part of the income generated. And the benefits nearly always far outweigh the downsides!

From the outset it’s the double offer of teaching them from experience and covering most of their working needs that Student Entrants are looking for in employment. On the other hand, the Self Employed Entrant needs to increase their list plumbing credentials as soon as possible. That noted the main drive of self-employed workers is towards the ‘domestic’ market and not that of the commercial sector. (Not all of them, but the main do!)

There does appear to be some union between certification relating to each path of Plumbing education and hence the industry. Without a doubt the issue of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland) raises a constant concern as to the way forward.

To begin with the NVQ structure appears to be much more important to the Student Entrant than to the Self Employed Entrant. By calling upon a wider range of qualifications Self Employed Entrants will be able to meet their clients’ needs from the start. Certainly, the self-employed person needs to rapidly gain the key domestic-centred qualifications that will satisfy their typical household-based clients. It is within the workplace – where the NVQ element can be appraised that many Student Entrants carry on with their apprenticeship after having covered the key fundamentals through a college scheme. Considerable savings potential exists to the Student Entrant by taking on this cheaper form of study. It is often by gaining certifications faster, by being motivated by a more commercial standpoint that the Self Employed Entrant will achieve considerable financial benefits before a Student Entrant.

It is by covering the study needs along with those of a clear careers discussion that meet the financial rewards. It would generate serious hardship, for example, for an adult requiring 20k p.a. (to provide for their family,) to go back to college and spend 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work. It should also be borne in mind that many young Student Entrants have their studies paid for them as part of their overall apprenticeships, whereas the self-employed student generally funds the course themselves. It is often the course structure and the level of certification that can run into costs of around 3k-10k+.

Self Employed Entrants can consider a wide range of private technical colleges as opposed to the reliance on further-education colleges and that differentiates them from Student Entrants. Certain plumbing training companies deliver the accepted skill-sets and qualifications providing the basis for education. One of the main advantages of this method is the opportunity for evening, part-time, and self-study classes – allowing Self Employed Entrants to train whilst continuing with their existing job, thus maintaining their financial situation. With so many colleges at hand, the key is to secure as many with technical data sources and gather them. We’ve provided links and a book mark to this page (CTRL-D) so you can come back whenever you wish and review the adverts and options available to you.

Plumbers ‘marketability’ is often increased through the use of additional courses. Key certificates in areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical training can be provided by these courses. A popular route for Plumbers involves that of the normal domestic and commercial heating system training program of Gas Training.

It is with its main subjects, alongside added NVQ’s, that result in Gas Training being viewed as a technical program. It also features many options for on-going training, especially for those who trained as a plumber first and are now looking at some extra skills to add to their stable. It could be said, from that viewpoint, that a hybrid of Plumbing/Gas training would be more suited to the mature student. Indeed, the path for the Mature Student seems to be to drop the NVQ elements and to focus on the core subjects.

It is this distinct training hybrid that appears to suit the self-employed professional. Without a doubt the appeal is to learn a greater range of skill-sets and at the same time earn money from them. Instead of having to rely upon third parties to complete certain skill-sets, this adds to their commercial viability. Whilst sub-contracting can reduce the earning of a particular job perhaps more important is the deterioration of the value in a customer’s eye as they have to wait for jobs to be handled by others before completion of the overall task. To have a higher value within their client base a Plumber needs to consider their relative skill sets that they offer.

Whilst the Student Entrant has the chance to develop through an established employer a Self Employed Entrant can utilise their skill levels through business skills and develop a broader range of certifications to achieve a higher income stream. Note: This information relates to the UK market, policies and industry requirements alone.

(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Go to Click HERE or Plumbing Training.

The Facts On Electricians Courses

Friday, February 12th, 2010

It’s notable that a career within the electrical industry, with its attractive options, remains a choice for lots of people. Although often assigned to as ‘Electro-Mechanical Engineering”, we will simply refer to this as the Electrical Industry. Also, for ease we will concentrate on those principles that sit within the domestic and commercial markets for the UK. As this is such a wide ranging subject matter we’ll begin by sticking to the main area first and come back to the ‘add-ons’ later.

Essentially, we see two distinct forms of entry into the electrical market. To being with we have the older apprentice course and then secondly we have the option for those who wish to make a career change to join the industry. For the sake of clarity throughout, the first will be known as ‘Junior Entrants’ and the second simply known as ‘Mature Entrants.’

Many Mature Entrants enter the market so they don’t have to rely on others, especially when they can work on their own building ideas and not have to pay for anyone else to help them. On the other hand, to gain further credentials and experience ‘Junior Entrants’ tend to work for a recognised electrical firm. This could be a young apprentice’s first position since leaving school, so it will be necessary to pick up supplementary working skills.

These two distinct types of entry have two separate modes of training: Junior Entrants are heavily linked with NVQ’s (or the Scottish equivalent – SVQ’s.) The core syllabus is similar to non NVQ commercial training, but the certification is compulsory. As a result students often have to find their own work programmes to give them the relevant testing and course work covered by most apprenticeships.

Mature Entrants do not appear to seek the NVQ element but instead they go after the most commercially suitable qualifications. Such as obtaining documentation that gives them the best chance to gain from their training endeavours and thereby the best financial rewards. This method allows for a quicker route to the market and does meet the necessary trading elements for the areas concerned despite reducing the overall qualification set.

Salaries are often simply broken down to those that relate to self -employed people and those in general employment. The question remains as to how much work per week a self-employed person puts in – for the sake of this review we assume that it is full time. Salary options are often affected both by the know- how and the knack for doing things as well as any perceived formal levels of understanding.

The basic salary for Junior Entrants tends to start around the 12-15k mark, but rises regularly to around 30k with the right level of experience. On the other hand experienced self-employed electricians have been known to earn around 70 thousand or more within the UK. It should be remembered however that a self employed person must often bear additional costs for items such as vehicles, tools and clothing. They will also have to make allocations for personal or professional insurance and accountancy. That aside, whilst the work is open to market-forces to some degree, the current skills shortage in the UK means that there’s a high work-load available. Certainly, working a full week is a realistic possibility for those who want to. It should be understood that the 70-100k figures that we see thrown around in newspapers are not easily achieved, and would either require working long hours or having assistants (or both.)

For the most part there is a strong difference between the Junior and Mature Entrants’ working week. ‘Junior Entrants’ would normally be required to work Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. While on the other hand, the opportunities in the domestic market (where mature entrants often work) can be heavily dependent upon when the clients get home. Again, this varies considerably, and many self-employed electricians make the mainstay of their income from office and small business installation, testing and inspection, which is Mon-Fri 9-5pm.

To be fair it’s often the boss of a company who states the type of specialist knowledge that Junior Entrants gain whilst in their employ. The mature entrant, on the other hand, may seek training outside of their core electrical field, possibly including plumbing and gas work. This gives them the chance to complete work for domestic clients without having to sub contract jobs out every time.

‘Green Engineering’ is another area to consider. This requires new skills and working knowledge and is one of the fastest growing areas today. The opportunity to provide both employment and potential service contracts, especially in the UK and the EEC sectors, mean that this area is of interest to both Junior and Mature electricians.

(C) 2009 – S. Edwards. Try 2391 Courses or www.AdultRetrainingCourses.co.uk/kadreco.html.

Golfing for Beginners: Part I

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

The popularity of the game of golf has increased tremendously over the past forty-five years, giving us great champions like Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, and Tiger Woods and world-renowned courses like Pinehurst, St. Andrews, Augusta National and the Blue Monster at Doral.

Why has golf become so popular these days? Its the opportunity to be outside, to get a good whole body workout, network with friends or business colleagues at a leisurely pace, and to play a game that you can never play perfectly.

Your scorecard shows your progress, or lack of it, and this can spur you on to want to play again.

This is the first lesson for the novice golfer who doesn’t know anything about golfing.

A round of golf is usually played on an eighteen hole course. Each hole has its ‘par’, which is the total number of tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short shots near the ‘green’) and putts on the green, it should take to sink the golfball in the hole.

‘Par’ is determined by the length and difficulty of each hole and can range from three to six. So, if you get the golf ball in the hole in six shots on a ‘par six’ hole, you ‘made par’; if you make it in five, it’s a “birdie” or seven, a “bogie”.

‘Hazards’ or obstructions are usually placed before all the holes. Ponds, sand bunkers and trees are positioned in such a way as to make it more difficult to reach the green. Novice golfers should try to find a course with fewer hazards, which is therefore easier to play.

Players keep their own score of the total number of shots taken for each hole. After the eighteenth hole, they add up their scores and the one with the lowest is the winner.

Please don’t take your score or your lack of skill to heart when you are a beginner golfer, because, although the professionals make it look simple, it takes many years to play the game well.

Take a lesson or two at the start of your golfing ‘career’, because it will help you develop a proper swing and help you get off to a good start.

Are you new to golf? We have some great tips for the beginner golfer at Golfing Tips for Beginners You are welcome to reprint this article – but get your own unique content version here.

Training for Microsoft MCSA-MCSE Support – News

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Are you toying with the idea of doing an MCSE? Then it’s likely that you’re in one of two situations: You’re currently an IT professional and you want to enhance your CV with an MCSE. Or this could be your first step into commercial IT, but it’s apparent to you there’s lots of demand for qualified people.

When researching training companies, make it a policy to stay away from those who cut costs by failing to use the most up-to-date Microsoft version. Such institutions will hold back the trainee their knowledge will be of an old version of MCSE which doesn’t match the existing exam programme, so it could be impossible for them to pass.

Don’t be pushed into a computer course without the right advice. Look for a computer training company who will put effort into advising you on the most suitable training path for your needs.

The best type of training course package will also include wholly authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages.

Often students can be thrown off course by practicing questions for their exams that are not from official sources. Often, the question formats and phraseology can be completely unlike un-authorised versions and it’s vital that you know this.

As you can imagine, it is vital to ensure that you are completely prepared for your actual certification exam before taking it. Going over mock-up exams logs the information in your brain and helps to avoid wasted exam attempts.

Most commercial training providers will only provide office hours or extended office hours support; most won’t answer after 8-9pm at the latest and frequently never at the weekends.

Never buy certification programs which can only support students with a message system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Trainers will always try to hide the importance of this issue. But, no matter how they put it – you want to be supported when you need the help – not at times when they find it cheaper to provide it.

If you look properly, you’ll find professional training packages that recommend and use online direct access support all the time – no matter what time of day it is.

Seek out a training provider that offers this level of study support. As only true round-the-clock 24×7 support provides the necessary backup.

Now, why might we choose commercially accredited qualifications rather than traditional academic qualifications obtained from tech’ colleges and universities?

Corporate based study (in industry terminology) is more effective in the commercial field. The IT sector has acknowledged that a specialist skill-set is what’s needed to handle a technically advancing workplace. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the big boys in this field.

Typically, only required knowledge is taught. It’s slightly more broad than that, but the principle objective is to focus on the exact skills required (with some necessary background) – without trying to cram in everything else (as degree courses are known to do).

In simple terms: Authorised IT qualifications let employers know exactly what you’re capable of – it says what you do in the title: i.e. I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003′. So companies can look at their needs and what certifications are required to perform the job.

Watch out that all accreditations that you’re considering will be recognised by employers and are current. Training companies own certificates are generally useless.

From an employer’s viewpoint, only the top companies like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA (as an example) will get you into the interview seat. Anything less won’t make the grade.

Author: Scott Edwards. Visit Course Interior Design or CLICK HERE.

Examining Electrical Training Courses – A Closer Look

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Due to the exciting choices available, the electrical industry offers jobs that many people choose. From here on we will use the phrase of Electrical Industry to explain the more accurate term of “Electro-Mechanical Engineering”. Also, for ease we will concentrate on those principles that sit within the domestic and commercial markets for the UK. Since there is such a wide list of choices in the electrical industry, we’ll start by looking at the main themes first and then come back to any ‘add-ons’ later.

Really there are two main ways to enter the electrical market. Whilst many candidates opt to join later on in their life, there still exists the more traditional route of the apprenticeship. Throughout this document we will simply refer to two types of people the ‘Junior’ and the ‘Mature’ entrants.

People who do not want to pay any extra salaries, but want to enter the industry with the focus of being self employed are who we refer to as Mature Entrants. By contrast, Junior entrants would seek to work with an established electrical firm and build their skill-sets as they train. This could be a young apprentice’s first position since leaving school, so it will be necessary to pick up supplementary working skills.

Clearly these two options have both differing training styles and methods of entry. NVQ’s are the key factor for all junior entrants. Whilst the core syllabus is relatively similar to non-NVQ commercial training, there is a particular requirement to attain the actual NVQ qualifications as part of the overall training program. This requires being in a directly-related work program or apprenticeship of some type, so as to meet the testing and course-work requirements.

Instead of seeking a work-based training environment, the Mature Entrant often seems to focus on working as a self employed person where different qualifications to NVQ’s are preferred. Having said that, the mature student does aim to gain the necessary skills to do the job, whilst at the same time reducing their training costs at all times. This method allows for a quicker route to the market and does meet the necessary trading elements for the areas concerned despite reducing the overall qualification set.

With regard to regular earning potential we have two clear paths – one for employees and the other for the self-employed. Whilst we will focus on full time employment, there exists the issue as to whether self-employed people are doing this full time or part time. Certainly, whilst salary levels can be affected by knowledge and qualifications, they can also be affected by competence and aptitude.

Wages for ‘Junior Entrants’ can become as high as 30,000 or more per annum with the right experience, although starting salaries are around 12,000. That said, due to the UK press telling people that electricians can get salaries in excess of 70k p.a., it is more difficult to gauge incomes for ‘Mature Entrants’. That aside, many added costs need to be remembered by self employed people in order to make their business work. Self employed people also have to allow for added expenses. In the UK there is a lot of work for electrical professions due to a short fall of current skilled people. Without a doubt, the market would allow for some people to work a full seven days a week. Although by working very long hours and having assistants to help, the figures of 70-100 thousand advertised in newspapers might be achieved, it wouldn’t be easy.

It should be noted that the working week for most electricians differs between the Junior and Mature Entrant markets. For a ‘Junior Entrant’, most work is on a simple working week basis. To be fair, if the Mature electrician is focused on the domestic market then they often find themselves working out of hours, especially to support their clients when they get home. And yet, a huge number of self-employed electricians operate during the main part of the working week by focusing on office and small business systems.

Any specialist knowledge the Junior Entrant gains whilst in someone’s employ is usually down to the sectors of industry that company works in. Whereas the mature entrant can gain knowledge from any trade source – even one outside of the core of electrical work. They can take on larger jobs and do all the work themselves then – which is a particularly great benefit to domestic clients.

One new, fast growing area – one that invokes a wide array of skills sets and is new to the industry overall – is that of the ‘Green Engineer’. The curiosity of both Junior and Mature Electricians to this new industry is well founded especially when considering the power of the UK and the EEC markets in areas of growth and governmental projects.

Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Check out Click HERE or Electrical Training Courses.