When Should You Seek Guidance From The Professors Of Your Courses?

There is never a bad time to seek academic guidance in your courses. Professors love when students drop by for office hours to discuss assignments or any questions the readings might have brought up for you. You should especially seek your professor's guidance if something in the course material is very confusing to you, if you've gotten a bad grade, or a combination of the two. Teachers do not like to hand bad grades back to students -- I don't, anyway -- and most are happy and relieved when you come around to find out how to take corrective action.

When Should You Seek Guidance From Your Academic Adviser?

You should make an appointment with your academic adviser to discuss any questions you have regarding your selection of a major, as well as any other concerns you have relating to your future academic experience at college. Think of your academic adviser as a guide who is helping you map out your future, because that's his or her job.

When Should You Seek Guidance From A Career Counselor?

Like any of the above examples, you're never making the wrong move by visiting a career counselor. Some students start plotting out their post-baccalaureate lives freshman year, or even before. Though these students might be exceptions to the rule, they have made a great start on finding out what career they want and getting it. If you are still in the process of figuring out what career you want, or if you know, but you're not sure how to go about getting it, stop by the Career Center, preferably well before graduation. In addition to helping you begin to define your career goals and path, career counselors can help you find internship opportunities within your field of choice that will give you exposure to the industry you're interested in. The experience you gain at an internship will help enhance your resume and your appeal as a job candidate after college.

When Should You Seek Psychological Guidance?

If you are feeling sad for days at a time, if you are experiencing loss of appetite and/or interruption of your normal pattern of sleep, you could be depressed, and you should make an appointment at the counseling center. You should also seek psychological guidance if you have thoughts about hurting yourself or other people, if you have an eating disorder, or if you've experienced a traumatic event.

Have you always wanted to be a fashion designer or create video games? Are you struggling with the "how to" part of making your dream come true? The problem with dreaming is that it is just that -- a dream. You actually have to do something about your dream in order to make it happen. Here are 5 ways that you can move to the next level of making your dream a reality by breaking into your industry of choice.

Earn a degree or certification: By earning a degree or becoming certified in a particular field provides you with credibility that you have the skills and knowledge of your industry. That piece of paper signifies to employers that you have been trained in their industry and you bring this knowledge and skill set to their table. Having your degree or certification helps you to help them and that is what the business world is all about, no matter if it is the financial services industry or the fashion industry.

Specialize: A great way to break into a particular industry is to specialize in one particular aspect of the industry. Find a niche that is unique or so specialized that there aren't very many people who can fill the role. For example, say it has been your life long dream to be a graphic designer. You are currently enrolled in the graphic design curriculum at your local university. You and your classmates recently attended a lecture given by a freelance graphic designer. The lecture hall was filled with freelance graphic designers who, you came to find out, were struggling to find steady jobs. Two days later you pick up a copy of Newsweek and as you flip through the articles you come across a small blurb that talks about the recent explosion of the video game industry and how major video game companies are looking for game designers. As you place the magazine on the table, you think you have just found your niche. By adding 3 video game design courses to your curriculum you can specialize in gaming design. Voila, a specialization!

This is just one example of how you can specialize. Specialists are called specialists for a reason. They are experts in their field and they are in high demand. By specializing it may be easier for you to break into your industry because you stand apart from the crowd. Those who stand apart tend to get noticed a lot faster than those that look just like everyone else in the crowd.

Network: Surround yourself by people related to the industry that you are trying to break into. These are people that are related to or currently working in the industry already. You can learn from them and if you make the right connection with one of them they may be able to help you in the industry. Look in your local or community newspapers. There are usually business sections there that announce events that are taking place around town. These may be business networking events or these may be fundraisers or community events. If the event is related to your industry, go and check it out. It is a given that industry related people will be there all in one room! It's like having a captive audience.

Join organizations: Find out what industry related organizations are out there that pertain to your industry. There is pretty much an organization for every industry you can think of. Industry organizations tend to help their members with educational needs, training needs, networking needs, and career placement. Again, the members of the organization are somehow related to your field so you will be surrounded by the people that you are hoping to be working with in the near future.

Get a mentor or coach: Everybody needs a little help and guidance sometimes. Life coaches are professionals who can help you make a plan and carry out your plan, which is to break into your industry. Some mentors or coaches specialize in particular industries so you may be able to hire someone that specifically works with people in your field of study. They will have tips and tricks that you can follow to break into a field a lot faster than you may be able to do on your own.

There is more emphasis on lifelong learning and adult education these days. More and more people are returning to college as mature students and some choose to attend night and part time classes. Some people also enroll in vocational courses where they can learn new skills to help them get a new job or just to enjoy learning.

There have been a lot of changes in the world of work in the last two decades. A person can be quickly left behind because computers and technology are developing so quickly. Fortunately, people can now get up to speed with computers through adult education IT classes. Proficiency with computers and a degree in IT are required in most jobs nowadays. In fact, there are even companies who pay their employees to go on computer related courses.

The popularity of language classes has also significantly increased in the past years. You can take a basic course which will help you to get by on vacation. You can also choose from different levels of courses to suit your needs if you want to learn a language to further your career. The number of languages on offer in adult education is expanding all the time to keep up with the demands of students.

You may prefer to do a distance-learning course if sitting in a classroom with others doesn't appeal to you. You can benefit from the flexibility of working at your own pace and setting your own hours with this form of adult education. You can still have guidance in class because some courses still provide a personal tutor. You can also enroll in some adult education courses, which involve going on residential summer schools. You can talk to tutors, share ideas and concerns with fellow students in these courses. Socializing with like-minded people can often be a morale-lifting boost to your studies.

On the other hand, you may just be interested in doing something for fun and not to get a qualification or pass an exam. You can select from many popular adult education courses in painting, yoga, cookery and carpentry. These courses will give you an opportunity to do something that you've always wanted and make new friends. You will also gain more confidence in everyday life and learn valuable lesson such as self-defense and car maintenance in these classes.

Interview technique is a skill that can be learnt and improved until it becomes second nature and a walk in the park.

One of the main reasons people do not do well at interviews is anxiety. They may be more than capable of doing the prospective job, but nerves get the better of them and they end up not presenting their case in the best possible manner.

Below are listed some common sense points for people going into interviews that can help ease the pain of the interview, resulting in a optimum performance.

Pre-Preparation:

It goes without saying, do some research about the company and the job.

Be clear about the role you are going for and have questions prepared.

Think about possible questions that you may be asked and prepare and practice responses.

Make sure you have smart attire ready for the day, and you have your CV, Business Cards and other relevant documentation ready and organised to take with you on the day.

Visualise the interview process, bear in mind that this is not about a bunch of people putting you under the microscope and picking on you. Think of it as follows,

The fact that you have been invited in for the interview is the first success. The company will have received many CV’s out of which they will shortlist candidates. Just think, you have made it to the shortlist, they like you.

The people in the company have invited you to the interview, because based on your CV they want to find out more about you. The interview will be your opportunity to tell them why they should pick you for the job, and the best thing is, they do really want to listen to what you have to say.

The interview is a two way process, it is also your chance to engage the people interviewing and make sure they answer all your questions, don’t be shy, just like they have the right to put you on the spot, you can also do the same to them.

So please remember, the interview is a two way exchange of information, and nothing more and nothing less. Think of it purely as a chance for you to talk more about yourself.

The Interview:

If you have done the pre-preparation, then you should be looking smart and have all the relevant paperwork organised and ready to present at the interview. Just make sure you arrive early, and relax.

Forget about everything you have heard before, about eye contact, firm handshakes and the way you sit and cross your legs and the way you place your arms. Thinking and paying attention to all of this makes you over-conscious and stops you from concentrating on the actual interview.

Just be natural, introduce yourself and shake hands the way you normally do, sit in a manner that is not offensive but at the same time makes you comfortable. If making constant eye contact makes you uncomfortable then don’t, and if keeping your hands in a certain position makes you happy then please do so.

Present all your details, CV, Business Cards and others in an organised manner.

Listen to what is being said and asked, be polite and don’t interrupt.

When responding to questions, don’t feel that you are under time pressure to answer, i.e. don’t think you need to answer within 5 seconds of the question being asked. Take your time, think about your answer and if you are not sure of the question, clarify. Don’t be worried that your answer may not be understood or that your answer may be incorrect. Give the best response you can give in your own time.

Don’t be shy to to display you personal mannerisms, if you need to umm! and ahh! in mid sentence then do so. If you wave your hands around when talking because this helps you express your point, then do so, there is no rule book that says your hands need to be in your lap throughout the interview.

Stepping on the land of hope and liberty is a dream for all who are born with a human heart and mind. The excitement encroaches all spheres of ones mind the day he/she starts preparing for it. There are hindrances, road-blocks and cumbersome paper works to be done to get the visa (no matter what type) to enter into this country. The hopeful he or she gets relaxed and relieved when the visa is through. But NO! Thats not the end of it. The struggle and responsibilities increase exponentially starting from that day onwards.

Dreams come true is always valid for guys with guts. The land of hope and opportunity gives you all that you want if you deserve it. You need to be brave, adventurous, willing to accept challenges and posses high energy to fight back. The career path is very bright here, but always exposed to intruders. The socio-cultural differences make one feel suffocated in the beginning. The extra liberty does attract newbies towards the wrong destination. Most important thing that an alien faces here is that he/she is all alone that means a lot.

The non-immigrant visa lets one into the country for a certain period of time. The person must go back to his/her originating country (country of citizenship) on or before the visa expires. At the time of entry for a non-immigrant alien, INS officers provide the I-94 form that is the proof of validity of the aliens existence in this country. The I-94 form indicates how long the person can stay in this country legally.

The INS officers always posses the right to refuge entry of an alien into this country. So the person should be very clear about what he/she is going to do in this country. Upon asked he/she should be able to explain properly about his/her intentions. There are cases where people have been refused and sent back to their countries (rare though). If the INS officer needs more clarification, then they may detain the alien for some more hours until they get the proper supporting evidence.

It is really a hardship to go through all this after a continuous flying for hours. In some states they have more custom rules and don't allow some items like plants, seeds and some food items. So be careful about your pack, both hand luggage and checked luggage. You may be asked to open the baggage before the custom officers. Once you pass through all these you are allowed to enter the country. Now you must know where you are going to and who is there to pick you up from the airport.

Hell lot of a job. Alas, you are relaxed to be in the land where you wanted to be. The struggle starts now. If you already have a project, you are going to join work the next day. The new country, where the culture is totally different, people walk on the right side, the day starts when it is evening in some of our home countries. The very first day you join your work place, you wanted to prove yourself to impress your boss, but this damn jet-lag made you drowsy. Dont worry, every one understands this.

If you are here through the Big Brothers companies like Satyam, Infy, TCS or their cousins like Birlasoft, Wipro etc then you have fewer headaches. If you are through a Desi consultant, then depending upon your MOU, you have to complete certain formalities on your own.

Insurance underwriting derives from the Lloyd’s of London insurance market in London, United Kingdom. The basics of underwriting are a process used to assess the process of providing access to insurance. The term ‘underwriting’ was for financial backers who would accept some of the risk on a venture in exchange for a payment, or premium. The financial backer would literally write their names under the risk information which was written on a Lloyd’s slip.

Insurance underwriters have the task of calculating the risk of insuring people and businesses. The insurance underwriter is responsible for determining the risk factor, how much insurance coverage the business or person needs and how much the business or person will pay for the insurance.

The risk is measured on an exposure scale and the premium is a charge to insure the risk. The primary function of underwriters in the insurance business are to write business (insurance policies) that will make the insurance company money and protect the insurance company from risks that have high potential for loss. To be short, underwriting is the process of distributing insurance policies.

Every insurance company has their own set of guidelines for risk and underwriting. In these cases, companies look at proposals from people or businesses and then decide on whether insurance will be granted. In the case of life insurance, the risk assessment and underwriting process usually requires that the applicant for life insurance provide medical evidence.

Underwriters have the ability to make counteroffers to proposals. Usually these counter offers have a significantly higher premium (considered a loaded premium). The counter offer from a high-risk insurance policy application may also include restrictions on circumstances in which a claim could be paid by the insurance company.

Some insurance companies have an automated underwriting system that uses the rules encoded, which helps reduce the vast amount of manual work required by an underwriter.

Lloyd’s of London insurance in London, United Kingdom is a society of underwriters and financial backers. This society can be approached by specially registered insurance brokers to obtain insurance. High risk insurance proposals sometimes have a difficult task of finding insurance, but societies like Lloyd’s of London specialize in such risk analysis. The premiums for extremely high risk business or people is often staggering, and the restrictions can be daunting, however, at the end of the day, it’s most important to remember that you have complied with insurance regulations set by your lease, company, loan agreement or other agreement and that you have met the compliance issues set out.