How Personal Brand and Your Career Goals Connect in Order to be Successful - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How Personal Brand and Your Career Goals Connect in Order to be Successful - Introvert Whisperer How Personal Brand and Your Career Goals Connect in Order to be Successful For the Twitter-minded, who like their quick hits, here’s the moral to this story: Your career is only going to go as far as your Personal Brand. That’s right. Your career goals and whether or not you achieve them and when you achieve them are completely driven by your Personal Brand. I don’t think many people really think of their Personal Brand as being such an impactful thing. Let me explain a few things about Personal Brand: Your Personal Brand is how you are perceived. It’s not about how you THINK you are, it’s about how others experience you. If those around you (especially decision-makers and management) don’t “see” you as X, then guess what? You aren’t going to be X. You create your Personal Brand by what you do. Simple concept. You might be a marketing who that just happens to geek out on making Excel spreadsheets for everyone. You’ve created a Personal Brand with both things: A Marketing-Excel God. Not bad unless you want to be a Corporate Lawyer. You can shape and re-shape your Personal Brand throughout your career. Rarely does anyone stay in 1 profession anymore. As we zig-zag our way through our career, we have to redefine what we focus on, talk about and do (our behavior) to go with each change. If we didn’t, there would be no zag to the zig. We’d be going nowhere. Your Personal Brand isn’t just one thing. You are one full recipe of a number of characteristics and attributes. It’s that combination of things that makes you completely unique. The question is: does that recipe reflect the career of your choice? If not, you’ve got changes to be making. You may not be that perceptive. Not only can be our own worst critics, we are often not very objective when figuring out how we come across to others. I’ve known of people who thought they were a darling but most people think of them as a jerk or wonky. If you’re out of sync between your perception and reality, that’s the reason you aren’t getting traction in your career. You need feedback on how you’re perceived and then you need to really listen to it. You have to perform. With all of this discussion about Personal Branding, at the heart of your Personal Brand is whether or not you are barely scraping by in your job or the resident rock star. You want to think of your job performance as the foundation of your Personal Brand. If you aren’t performing well, that is your Personal Brand. You can try to behave as a resident rock star, but you aren’t one if you can’t perform. Consider that your first step in Personal Branding if you’re sputtering. Think one step ahead. You always need to be thinking about what your next career step or progression is. You then need to be branding to that next step before you get there or you won’t get there. The President of the US doesn’t start acting like a President after the election. They begin branding as a President long before campaigning starts and if they don’t, poof goes that job potential. Is your Personal Brand adequately reflecting your career goal? If it’s not, the good news is you can reshape it to help you pave the way to success. Go to top Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.   I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.   In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression.   Get your copy now: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential. What’s one element of your Personal Branding that you’d like a little help with? Let me know in the comments! Image: Flickr

Math Tutoring in EdinburghÂ

Math Tutoring in Edinburgh   Find the Right Math Courses for You ChaptersExtra Mathematics Education by LevelIn-Person and Online Math Classes: A ComparisonMaths Help for Test PrepFree Tutoring for MathsHome to almost half a million people, the second-most populous city in Scotland is also its capital. Edinburgh has achieved many milestones throughout its almost 11-thousand-year-old history. While recent fame as the city that inspired the wildly popular children’s series Harry Potter has brought flocks of die-hard fans to the story’s birthplace, Edinburgh has been notorious throughout its long history.Famed extinct volcano Arthur’s Seat was actually one of the first places people settled in the city back in the Bronze and Iron ages. Holding claim to the title of being the first city in the world to have its own fire brigade and service, Edinburgh has recently also earned the record for the city with the most trees per capita in the UK.The home to the first ever Encyclopaedia Britannica, Edinburgh is the perfect place to perfect your arithmet ic, algebraic and trigonometry skills! If you’re thinking about getting help to supplement your mathematics courses but aren’t sure where to start looking, read this guide to find out how to find the perfect level for your math troubles. Get motivated in maths with the help of a tutor! MyriamMaths Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £200/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Dr parikhMaths Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KamalMaths Teacher 5.00 (9) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PetarMaths Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GowsikaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RubenMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ConorMaths Teacher 4.75 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsExtra Mathematics Education by LevelFrom arduous word problems to complex theorems, mathematics is a very broad and difficult field. Ranging from honours maths courses in elementary school to actuarial mathematics at the college level, finding the right math teacher for supplemental instruction can often be difficult to pin down. One of the ways you can narrow the field is by searching for tutors and tutoring services by your skill level.Those pursuing an MSc for math at a college of science or math will be more worried about research excellence and employability skills. Elementary school children, on the other hand, will have less concerns over discrete mathematics and informatics and more curious about numbers and arithmetic.Searching for mathematicians or services that specialize in giving individualized advice in the level you’re interested in for yourself or your child can be one of the best ways to ensure that your experience in being tutored aligns with your expectations and goals. Here are some of the services you might want to check out in the Edinburgh area!Looking for a maths tutor in Birmingham? Check out our guide!Elementary School MathEngaging with the services of a private tutor or tutoring centre can be a difficult choice to make for both financial and personal reasons. For elementary school children , parents might also want to make sure that their children’s learning environment is safe and reliable. Always go with a reputable service when browsing your options, which can be made easier if the tutoring centre follows strict employment guidelines.Explore Learning is a tutoring centre with locations in Blackhall and Murrayfield that offers help in subjects like English literature, writing and math. If you’ve already asked the math department at your school for recommendations or feel like your child needs extra support outside of a school teacher, Explore Learning can be a great option. Having a ratio of one math tutor to six children, this learning centre strives to offer personalized learning plans and guides for optimal learning. While specific membership fees are available upon request, you can book a free trial lesson for your child if you’re still hesitating. If the financial aspect might be a problem for you, ask about their scholarship and financial aid programs!Wa nt to know about tutors in Belfast? Here's our guide for maths tutoring!Middle School MathAt the middle school level, your child has to begin to juggle extracurricular activities, like participating in a student’s association, with the pressures of academic life. While they may have a specific interest in other subjects like linguistics or psychology, mathematics is a requirement they’ll have to face throughout their school career. If your child is struggling in topics like linear equations, inequalities and algebra, turning to a math tutor can be a helpful solution.Kumon, a notorious tutoring centre invented by a Japanese mathematician in the late 50s, offers tutoring services in both math and English. If you’d like the tutoring environment for your middle-schooler to mimic that of a math teacher while including an innovative approach to tutoring, Kumon can be a great choice. Having four locations throughout the Edinburgh area, you’ll have to register your kid for 35 pounds . Afterwards, the monthly plan of 64 pounds includes access to their facility two times a week as well as practice sets to complete at home. Providing personalized math counselling and preparation, this tutoring centre can be contacted if you have any questions on pricing and availability.Our guide on London maths tutoring will tell you more about Kumon! Practicing interactive math learning with a tutor can make a world of difference!High School MathThe department of mathematics at many high schools, while likely being comprised of only a couple of staff members, can be quite involved in school programs. However, there are still many high schoolers that simply can't grasp concepts in precalculus and geometry even with the help of supportive staff members. The math at this level starts to get a bit more abstract, leading into concepts like abstract algebra, differential equations and more. Even if you’re child isn’t vying to get into a school of mathematics, science and engineering, success in high school mathematics is still essential to graduating.Superprof, with its community of almost 150,000 maths tutors worldwide, offers tutors for all subjects in mathematics. Taught by people passionate about math, from mathematics department research assistants and undergraduates to retired teachers of mathematical sciences, you’ll have 350 math tutors to choose from in the area. From chemistry students at the University of Edinburgh to astrophysicists, you’ll be able to pick a tutor for the average price of 16 pounds an hour.Check out this guide for high school maths tutoring and more in Glasgow!Graduate and Postgraduate MathAccording to the QS World University Rankings, Edinburgh is home to some of the worlds most prestigious universities including Heriot-Watt, St. Andrews, and more. While the Edinburgh university and Edinburgh college system are rich in topics, covering social sciences, archaeology, and more - the mathematics department in various universities are a source of pride to Scotland.While world university or Scottish university rankings serve as a great university guide, life at university can be pretty stressful if you’re studying college math. Whether you’re an undergraduate, postdoctoral or graduate student, you probably have less interest in world university rankings and more concerned over passing your linear algebra or number theory courses. While you’ll be able to get help on Superprof for higher-level maths courses as well, you can also check out other platforms like Gumtree and Tutorful. Prices for tutors on Tutorful range from 15 to 75 pounds an hour. Gumtree offers tutors for a vast array of prices and availabilities as well.Learn more about post-secondary maths tutoring and more in Cardiff with this maths guide!In-Person and Online Math Classes: A ComparisonThe student experience can be a trying one no matter at every stage of the education system. Not only does this have to do with trying to also pursue your personal ambitions outside of being a student, but can also greatly impacted by the cultural, social and political atmosphere in your place of residence. Whether you’re interested in getting a tutor because you’re pursuing mathematics as a career or are simply taking a course to fulfill graduation requirements, there are many reasons why getting an o nline tutor might be more beneficial to your schedule and wallet.Firstly, online math tutors can be better for those working with an irregular schedule and need the flexibility of either working from home or at different hours than those of regular tutoring centres. Secondly, online tutors tend to have cheaper rates and, because of this, can be better for those looking to save money.Both Superprof and Tutorful have tutors available for online math lessons. Tutorful has 3077 tutors available for prices ranging from 15 to 75 pounds an hour. Superprof has a community of about 122,200 online maths tutors starting at 10 pounds an hour.Check out more great maths tutors in Manchester!Maths Help for Test PrepAll of the companies we mentioned have help for test preparation. Some of the tests you might be interested in getting a tutor for can be:11 PlusSATsIBA-levelsGSCEWhen looking for test prep help, regardless of the subject, keep in mind that the price is usually higher for these services .Learn more about GSCE prep in the UK with our guide!Finding online resources can mean getting access to free math programsFree Tutoring for MathsIf you don’t have any room in your budget for math tutoring or simply want to try free resources first, check out your local library to see if they have any free, volunteer-based tutoring programs. If not, using the internet will be your best tool.Maths Tutor UK is a great website for those in primary through secondary school. Created by UK mathematicians, the site covers seven subjects like arithmetic, geometry, and integration. If you’re looking for higher level help, make sure to check out tutorials online such as Khan Academy’s great selection.Here's more about maths tutoring throughout the UK!

6 Tips for Accepting and Giving Constructive Criticism

6 Tips for Accepting and Giving Constructive Criticism Constructive criticism can often feel uncomfortable, vulnerable, and even unproductive. It can seem like a roadblock to completing a project or your overall work. However, if framed correctly, constructive criticism can be one of the most helpful ways to move forward in your work, and can also be an opportunity to support your peers. When accepting constructive criticism, its key to be open to feedback and willing to create a plan of action based off of it. If youre asked to give constructive criticism, its important to be specificand kindwith your input and to tailor your feedback to the correct context. Learning to graciously accept constructive criticism, and thoughtfully provide it to others, can greatly elevate your learning. Keep reading to discover six tips for accepting and giving constructive criticism. Tip #1 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: be open to change When receiving constructive criticism, its easy to become defensive about your work. While its completely human to shield yourself from discomfort, and it can be vulnerable to share your work, the key to getting the most out of constructive feedback is to be open to change. Constructive criticism may include suggestions like: Deconstructing a project Discarding certain parts and starting over Trying a drastically different strategy within your piece of work Helpful feedback is structured in a way that encourages you to see the full potential of your work. This perspective of trying something new can help unlock things you hadnt previously thought of. [RELATED: Top 10 Essay Editing Tips] Tip #2 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: plan action steps Receiving criticism can be overwhelming. To help with this, reflect on any feedback by free-writing, chatting with a classmate or colleague, or even meeting with your teacher or supervisor. Then, make a plan of concrete steps to take next. Break down large steps into more manageable tasks. Remember, especially if youve received conflicting feedback, you dont need to follow each piece of advice from classmates. Its more important to synthesize the input and take steps toward what you see as important for your project. Tip #3 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: remember the nature of criticism While receiving constructive criticism, remind yourself that this feedback is only for your specific project or performance, and does not have any bearing on who you are as a student, a person in your field, or as an individual in general. While this many seem obvious, its easyespecially in vulnerable moments of receiving feedbackto incorrectly apply the criticism to a bigger picture. In these moments, remind yourself that the scope of the feedback is limited. [RELATED: The Importance of Writing Skills] Tip #4 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: be specific One of the most helpful ways to give feedback is to be specific. Give exact examples from the workfor example, if youre peer-reviewing a classmates essay, quote actual lines and examples from the rough draft. Also offer specific strategies that your colleague can tryin the same scenario, suggest, for example, a rewording of the thesis or adding more evidence to support a claim. Specificity is important in both positive and critical feedback. Pointed positive feedback helps us understand what weve done well and can continue doing, while specific constructive feedback shows us specifically what we can focus on moving forward. Tip #5 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: dont be afraid to ask questions Tone is often misunderstood in written, or even oral, feedback. To help you convey your feedback more effectively, use language that centers around your experience of engaging with the work, rather than on what the person did wrong or couldve done better. You can use questions to both understand your colleagues project better and potentially help them better understand their own work, such as: What do you mean by this? Im confused by can you clarify? What are you trying to convey here? Tip #6 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: tailor feedback to the context When giving feedback, keep the larger context in mind. Consider the desired outcome, as well as appropriate etiquette for this context. More specifically, youll want to refer to a rubric or other established feedback protocol to guide both your wording and the amount of feedback you give. Lastly, keep in mind that your classmates work is not your own. While you might have done the project differently, your classmate has a unique vision for the work that could produce a strong, though different, outcome than one you wouldve come up with yourself. [RELATED: How Students Can Improve Their Research Skills] The discomfort of constructive criticism can often stymie a project or lead you to avoid any instances that involve it altogether. Thinking of it as an opportunity to reinvigorate your work is a great way to receive feedback. Dont forgetgiving feedback also develops your own critical perspective that you can apply to your own work. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Learning German Language The Best Friend of English

Learning German Language The Best Friend of English The Germanic Language Family: A Godsend for Those Learning How to Speak German ChaptersA Common DenominatorEnglish Words Which Have Crept into German VocabularyLearn German by Speaking English!Links Between German and English-Speaking CultureA large part of the native English-speaking population believes learning German to be a difficult task.According to the British Council, the European Survey on Language Competences showed that just 9% of British teenagers had progressed beyond a basic level in the language they were learning, compared to an average of 42% in other countries.With English being related to so many other European languages, the reason for this disparity between language students in Britain and the rest of the world seems to stem from the lack of necessity to learn a language, as the age-old excuse goes: “everyone speaks English anyway”.So, in theory, language learning shouldn’t be any more difficult for native speakers of English than for anyone else learning to communicate  auf Deutsch!The low level of progress in foreign language skills for English speakers could be due to British attitudes towards language learning.With the vast majority of pop culture featuring music, television and films in English, students are barely exposed to other languages and therefore, don’t feel the need to learn about German and improve their proficiency in other foreign languges.Non-English speakers, on the other  hand, are surrounded by the English language from a young age and can experience it passively.This means that by just tuning into the radio, they can start to pick out common English words and phrases and form a base for more formal learning.So, perhaps the difference in progress is down to the determination of the students.As it is so easy for British students to slip back into their native language, they can fail to recognise the benefits of achieving fluency in a foreign language.And as pop culture is dominated by the English language, making the effort to communicate in and appreciate a second language can seem more d ifficult than it actually is.Deutsch and Englisch, and refers to everything from borrowing English words to using them excessively and even adopting some English grammar.Other examples of the English invasion of the German language include downloaden (to download), which can be conjugated as a regular German verb according to the tenses and cases in a phrase.See where you can find a good German course here.Learn German by Speaking English!On this side of the channel and indeed throughout the English-speaking world, borrowed German words are far less common.You may not notice them, but they do exist!Some German gems we use in our day-to-day lives include:RucksackDoppelgängerWanderlustDelikatessenAngstFestPoltergeistAbseilJust like English words in German, these terms are lexicalised.This means that the umlaut on Doppelgänger may be removed, since English does not have umlauts or accents in its alphabet, and the plural form of Rucksack is pluralised with the addition of an ‘s’, rather than using the German pluralisation, Rucksäcke.This collision of the two languages can be explained by the special relationships maintained between Great Britain and Germany over the centuries.Despite the complex history of the German borders and more than one devastating war, the UK and Germany have a lot in common.Even from the 13th to the 17th century, the two lands engaged in trade as part of the Hanseatic League, which used German merchants to facilitate trade between cities across Northern Europe, including London.Later on in history, the British and German royal families began to intermarry, which, in the late 17th century, stood for healthy international relations.English, too adopts words from German such as 'abseil' ¦ source: Pixabay - Ellen26Up until the reign of Queen Victoria, the Germans and Brits more or less shared a royal family.In science and technology, too, Great Britain and Germany have been great allies, sharing ideas and pioneering research since the late 19th century.The German spirit for innovation is still present today, and German is the second most popular language for scientific publications, coming closely behind English.Links Between German and English-Speaking CultureLanguage and culture are largely interlinked, and since the English and German languages are so closely related, you can witness this in the geopolitical relations between countries speaking these respective languages.Regardless of the reported incomprehension between in the countries in the light of the UK's exit from the European Union, economic relations will always thrive.Today, there are around 100,000 Brits living and working in Germany, and some feel such a part of German culture that they have applied for German citizenship amid Brexit fears.So, the golden duo that is German and English goes beyond linguistics!The binding link between language and culture is the exact reason why total immersion in German culture will send you on your way to success. Over the course of your German lessons, bit by bit you will understand that despite their differences, German-speaking and English-speaking culture hold common economic and political values which go back centuries.This is why it is so important that students both on the continent and in the British Isles are given the opportunity to learn the other country’s language, regardless of how ‘useful’ it is perceived to be at the time.Learning languages quickly improves your career prospects as well as your ability to engage in intercultural communication.Another point English and German hold in common is that they are widely spoken languages. English is spoken as an official or primary language in more than 50 countries, and German in 25, including Switzerland, Liechtenstein and, of course, Germany.This means that both languages have a major influence across the globe, and knowing how to speak them both can only be beneficial for developing and maintaining healthy international rela tions.

Economics Tutoring - Making You Understand the Value of Learning Economics

Economics Tutoring - Making You Understand the Value of Learning Economics 0SHARESShare Economics is a basic study of human behavior in fulfilling wants and needs of individuals and society. Every individual’s good Economics knowledge is a sure stepping stone to successful economic condition of a country. Tutors in online Economics tutoring make students realize how valuable it is to learn the subject to improve their country’s welfare How online tutors in Economics make you understand the value of Economics learning? ? A country’s welfare basically depends upon its good economic features and positive developments in the areas of production, income and savings. Online Economics tutors make it their responsibility to inculcate the essential principles of Economics into student mind to make them understand how they could contribute to improve the economy of their country ? For this purpose, they make use of numerous online tools to show the students appropriate graphs, diagrams and pictures to analyze the concepts and laws like Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility and Supply and Demand. When the student understands that Economics basically deals with human attitudes for self fulfillment, he goes on to explore how individuals could share the responsibility of enhancing the economic condition of their country ? Economics help to grasp advanced levels of Economics makes room for comfortable learning levels for a student. The graphing tools and problem solvers online are handy measures to encourage positive learning of the subject Tutor Pace supplies good number of ways and means to understand the value of Economics learning for students. Get  Economics Tutor Online  Now! [starbox id=admin]

The Art of Being Productive in High School to be a More Attractive College Applicant (Part 1)

The Art of Being Productive in High School to be a More Attractive College Applicant (Part 1) ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog Most students know they need to be productive, because getting into an excellent college requires much more than good grades nowadays. It now requires a well written application highlighting many interests and accomplishments, including a high GPA. Webster defines productivity as “the effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input.” Indeed, students today are expected to do a lot in high school. How and why has the concept of productivity become so important for motivated high school students? Let’s start by acknowledging that high school (and college) and indeed the learning process in general can be negatively affected by too many concerns around productivity. Part of the “magic” of learning is engaging deeply with material, struggling hard to learn some things, really enjoying other things, and getting exposed to new ideas. The fact of the matter though, is that the college application process is competitive, and students do need to find ways to do a lot in high school to position themselves well in the eyes of top colleges. While it is tempting to just take for granted that motivated high school students must excel at multiple things to gain admission to highly selective colleges, it can be helpful to step back and remember how this situation came to be. The answer lies in how much more competitive and global the economy has become. Consider a high school student today vs. 30 years ago. 30 years ago, in far more parts of the country than is the case today, a large percentage of high school students did not plan on applying to college. There were well paying local jobs available for high school graduates in a variety of fields, most notably manufacturing. Much of the training required occurred on the job. This meant that in high school many students could opt to focus on maybe three major things: getting good enough grades to graduate, enjoying the high school experience (sports, social life, music, etc.) and perhaps working to start saving money. Of course, 30 years ago, many other students were indeed applying to college. But at that time, the number was lower, because of the other group of students I mentioned above. There were also fewer students from other countries applying to U.S. colleges and universities. The net effect was that competition to get into a good college was less intense. There just weren’t as many people applying. Contrast that with today. A very good college today might have a similar number of available spots in its freshman class, but 2 or 3 times as many applicants vs. 30 years ago, which simply creates a far more selective admissions process. Applicants have more people to “beat” for each slot. Whereas the primary criteria for admission in the past was grade point average, today GPA is just one of many factors. To be able to differentiate and choose amongst applicants, colleges today must look at all of the other things a student has been able to accomplish, both to identify applicants most likely to thrive in college, but also simply as a means of ranking students with otherwise similarly impressive GPAs. But, a word of caution; quality probably matters more than quantity. While students today do need to accomplish more in high school to stand out in the college admissions process, the quality of what you accomplish still matters. And, demonstrating that you put yourself in leadership positions is also very important. If you have a good but not great GPA, take 7 AP classes but get a B average in them, play three sports, are in three clubs, were in the school play, and are in the band, that’s impressive because it’s a lot of stuff. However, it might be more impressive if you had a higher GPA, took 4 AP classes and aced them all, and were the captain of one sports team as well as the president of a club. Remember, if two students take the same AP class and one gets an A while the other gets a B, one way to describe the situation is that the student getting the A was more productive with his or her time. He has an A to show for his efforts. Of course, if one student takes an AP class and gets a B and the other student doesn’t even take that AP class, that is also an example of one student being more productive in high school. So, how can high school students start to be more productive? Now, while being productive is important, let’s acknowledge that high school students are kids, and it’s important to enjoy the high school experience and have fun. Stressing yourself out by trying to join a bunch of activities you think you must join is a recipe for failure. You are less likely to excel at something you don’t enjoy. And as we’ve stated above, quality matters more than quantity. So, a productive high school student accomplishes more things per year, yes, but they also need to be the “right” things. As a college admissions officer, you’d also like to see a resume full of activities that hang together somehow logically. If you took AP biology, chemistry, and physics and were involved in some sort of pre-medicine or health careers club, that hangs together well. I think students should think about a six-step plan to becoming more productive and building a high-quality college resume: Identify the activities and subjects you value and are genuinely interested in Identify key areas of alignment between what you value and what colleges would also value to create “leverage” Set goals and build a plan to meet them Get organized Prioritize and re-prioritize Get help when you need it In our next blog post, we’ll dive deeper into each of these six steps.

GradSense A Tool For Your Future

GradSense A Tool For Your Future Photo by Simon Cunningham on Flickr.com According to the Project on Student Debt, 71 percent of college graduates in the class of 2011 had student loan debt, with an average of $29,400 per student. With the average debt increasing by six percent each year, these numbers can be very scary for undergraduate students, especially for those planning to continue on to graduate school. Debt is one of the biggest issues on the mind of your average college student, and many don’t know how they’re going to handle their increasing financial problems. Luckily, the Council for Graduate Schools (CGS), in collaboration with TIAA-CREF, a national financial services organization, has created a new tool called GradSense that is designed to help students manage their debt and plan their financial futures after graduation. “The GradSense website is really designed to help students make decisions about their finances with respect both to graduate education and undergraduate education,” said Daniel Denecke, Associate Vice President for Programs and Best Practices at CGS. According to this press release, GradSense’s primary tool is the Debt to Salary Calculator. The Debt to Salary Calculator combines two data setsâ€" federal data on education debt, and federal data on the median salaries for specific occupationsâ€" to help students get a comprehensive understanding of what their financial status really looks like. Photo by Tax Credits on Flickr.com “We’re bringing together two national data sets that have not been unified before,” Denecke said. “It’s designed to help students borrow money responsibly and to think about their future and the value of higher education.” Using the Debt to Salary Calculator is very simple.   Students simply enter their degree type, desired field of study, and preferred career. Then, they get to see what the average debt for students graduating in this degree field is, plus the low, middle, and high salaries that they can expect within their desired occupational field. “GradSense provides students with crucial financial information that was never easily accessible or available before,” said Debra W. Steward, president of CGS, in a press release. “This clear, customized tool empowers students to make more informed decisions about their educational and career pathways.” GradSense fills a need that federal data sets can’t. Although the government does provide information on education debt and median salaries, the information is in separate databases, making it hard for students to find, access, and, most importantly, compare. The Debt to Salary Calculator combines this information in a way that makes it very easy for students to use and understand. GradSense also provides a number of other tools for students to use to fully understand their monetary status after graduation. The site includes advice for repaying student loans and transitioning from school to career. In addition, it features tips for evaluating job offers, as well as a compound interest calculator, which shows what the long-term effect of common financial decisions (like that daily trip to Starbucks or your weekly Chinese food ritual) is. Photo by Tax Credits on Flickr.com “We’re trying to help students figure out the long term impact of some choices, like living more frugally, making your coffee at home, or buying a frozen pizza instead of going out,” Denecke said. The site is extremely accessible, and is designed to be easy and understandable for students to use. Complete with helpful links, colorful graphics, and an easy-to-navigate system, the site is the perfect tool for any student who is having trouble with their finances. GradSense was created as a part of CGS’ Enhancing Student Financial Education project, a program, in collaboration with TIAA-CREF, which gave grants to 15 colleges across the country, ranging from Cornell University to The Ohio State University to the University of South Florida, to try to develop programs that will help students create successful financial plans for their future. The project also has 19 affiliate university partners. The project was created because CGS saw a growing need for students to learn how to deal with debt. The goal of the project is to help encourage students to continue their schooling by showing them the value of pursuing higher education, specifically graduate school, and how getting a degree could transfer into future earnings. Photo by 401(k) 2013 on Flickr.com Although CGS designed the program to be aimed at graduate students, it is an extremely useful tool for undergraduates as well. “Each of the graduate deans on the campuses that we’re working with is partnering with the head of undergraduate programs at their university,” Denecke said. “We’re working to develop programs that will address the needs of both graduate and undergraduate students.” Because the project was just launched, there is still a lot of room for the tools to evolve and grow as users give feedback to the company. “We’re just really excited to be working with institutions to be very proactive in helping to address the financial situation that students are finding themselves in these days,” Denecke said. “We’re looking forward to developing this tool throughout this project.” If you’ve been wasting your valuable college years worrying about whether or not you’ll ever be able to pay off your loans, then GradSense is definitely the tool for you. Stop worrying, and start really planning for your future.

Why its important to complete your teacher profile

Why it’s important to complete your teacher profile The prospect of applying to teach abroad can feel a little daunting at the start. You create a Teach Away profile, upload your resume and find yourself staring at yet more blank fields to fill out. We get it - it’s easy to procrastinate and promise yourself you’ll get to it later. The fact is, a detailed and up-to-date teacher profile is a crucial part of your teach abroad application. And the good news is, once you fill out your profile, the hard part is over! Simply head on over to our job board and click the “Apply Now” button when you find a job that interests you. So without further ado, let’s get into some of the reasons why you need to get your teacher profile up to scratch - sooner rather than later: A complete profile speeds up your application. A candidate with complete profile details can be assessed immediately and sometimes a screening call can even be scheduled that very day. If a Teach Away recruiter needs to reach out to you to ask for more profile details to be filled in, we lose valuable time. This is especially critical if the program you’re applying to has interviews scheduled on set dates - sometimes that day’s turnaround time is enough to miss out on a great teaching opportunity. A complete profile makes the application review process run more smoothly. A resume can be very hard to read, since there is no universally accepted format. The Teach Away portal and its separate sections allow you to lay out all of your vital details in a way that makes it far easier to review, allowing us (and hiring schools) to better assess your candidacy. Your credentials and your work history are your own, and you want to feel confident that these come through clearly. Filling in the profile sections gives you the chance to verify and double check that your resume matches. That way, you don’t put off future employers with conflicts or errors you might have otherwise missed on your resume. A complete profile puts you in the running for more teaching jobs abroad. Providing us with a wealth of details allows us to filter through what we need. Avoid gaps in your credentials or work history that can turn off prospective employers. You don’t necessarily know what is relevant to recruiters or schools and you don’t want to leave something vital out. Substituted for six months? Definitely include that so the school doesn’t ask why (it looks like) you were unemployed for that time. A complete profile attracts more employers. We present your profile details to the schools/programs - and they are often more important than a resume to hiring schools. Breaking everything down means interviewers don’t have to dig through your history. Instead, they can spend their time getting to know you as an educator. Finally, remember that your application is your application. Only you can be sure that it is complete and correct. If you’re serious about applying to teach abroad, then taking the time to dot every “i” and cross every “t” should be one of your top priorities. So, now that we’ve convinced you, head on over to Teach Away and complete your profile today!