Author Archives: schatzi

Career Education and Planning Your Future

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You may or may not have had a career education course in your grade school, high school or even college years. This can be a great tool to help individuals discover the available career choices to them. But, even as a young or middle-aged adult you may have questions about your career path and you may want additional career education. You may be unhappy in your chosen profession, or you may want to update your knowledge and skills but you are not sure how.

The internet is one of the most beneficial tools available to people who need career education. You can find personality, skill, and knowledge assessments; there are online courses designed to give you continuing education, and even universities which offer very type of degree from an associate’s to a doctorate. Once you have gotten the career education, training and skills you need, you can even find a new job online.

Assessments can help you to narrow down your career choices. Many career education courses provide them for students. Online you will find assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Personality profile, conflict resolution style, negotiation style, and so on and so on. Once you have found out what your strengths and weaknesses are, you will be better able to choose a career. Some government agencies even offer career education and job counseling for individuals who are looking for a career.

It may be a helpful step to you, as you embark on your career education path, to set up a plan. You should think about your skills, your values, your interests, and your personality. Decide on a career and then outline exactly what you will need to do to get there. Update and change your plan as necessary-then comes the real career education.

You will be amazed at the number of online universities and training programs available. Some are offered as an extension of traditional universities as a distance learning program. Whether you are looking for a degree program or just a recertification or training program, you will need to make sure that the university or organization offering the courses or program is accredited or recognized by those in your field of choice. You can usually take the courses at your own speed. You can often find financing, grants and scholarships, to assist you if you need it. As you take classes, evaluate yourself from time to time to make sure that this is still your career of choice.

Now you are ready to look for a job. There are online classifieds and job search services for nearly every profession. Many are free and allow you to personalize your search as needed.

So, go online, and get to work.

Coaching Business Multiply Your Income With Multiple Revenue Streams

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There is a limit to the number of people that you can coach because there is a limit to the number of hours in a day that you can see clients. As long as you are trading time for money you are limiting the amount you can earn. When you add multiple income streams you increase your earning potential exponentially. You can increase your income by adding revenue through group coaching, membership sites, teleseminars, telecourses, joint ventures, and affiliate income.

Group Coaching
Group coaching is a way for you to help clients who cannot afford one on one coaching and earn more money per hour at the same time. In today’s economy many people are on a tight budget and cannot afford one on one coaching but still would like to have the benefit of coaching. Group coaching is a wonderful way to work with clients who have similar challenges or goals and are open to the idea in input for a group.

The group dynamic can contribute greatly to the client’s growth as they share with others they hear various ways of thinking and benefit from the input of many different views. Each person can pay a fraction of the cost of a regular coaching session and the total revenue for your hour of coaching can be far greater than you normal hourly rate.

Membership Sites
Membership sites vary greatly in design. They can be as simple as a group of reports delivered by auto-responder to a membership site complete with training videos. You can start a limited time membership site by delivering information in the form of written PDF reports on a weekly or monthly basis. As you move forward you can add audio recordings, videos, and webinars. You can design your membership site anyway you desire. The key is delivering pertinent information on a regular basis for a set monthly fee. One of the best things about membership sites is they deliver regular monthly income.

Teleseminars
Many clients and potential coaching clients will be eager to participate in teleseminars and telecourses that deal with topics that are of high interest to them. Teleseminars can be as simple as a single call on a free conference line. I suggest that you always record your teleclasses so that you can repurpose them in the future, so you may want to invest in a teleseminar service. Telecourses are a series of teleseminars related to the same topic. Often telecourses will include written transcripts, ebooks, workbook, or study guides. All of these materials are designed to enhance learning.

Joint Ventures
Joint ventures are created when two coaches or thought leaders join together to provide learning and information to a group. For example, a relationship coach and a conflict resolution coach can join together to develop a joint venture for couples dealing with conflict or couple who are considering marriage. Joint venture partners may use any of the methods we are discussing to deliver their message.

Affiliate Income
You can earn affiliate income by supporting and promoting others in your same niche or others in related coaching niches and you can increase your client base by asking others to become affiliates who promote your products. Information product producers often pay a fifty percent commission on the sale of their products. People who like your work and see great value in it are eager to tell others about it and are truly grateful to earn a bit of income in the process. You can also promote the work of others and earn an income from helping others get their message out.

You do not have to use everyone of these income producers but by adding a few to your marketing mix, you can increase your income and increase the number of people you positively affect with your message.

Learning Internet Marketing – A Simple Guide

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Learning internet marketing can be a good investment if you want to make money online or you want to put up an online business. Of course, if you will become an expert in marketing online, you will also master how businesses can make more profits by bringing their business online. Not only that, you can also have your own website and make profits from it as well.

If you are interested in learning internet marketing basics, here are a few things that you may want to learn to be able to have a good start with your online marketing ventures.

– Finding a profitable niche. If you want to be successful online, you have to learn how to find a profitable niche online. You also have to learn how to find the appropriate keyword for any business or website. A good niche is one of the main elements of online success, thus to be a good internet marketer, you have to learn some tips and tricks on how you can get the best niche for any business.

– Website design. Another basic element in learning internet marketing basics is to learn how to have a website design that can be both friendly to online readers as well as the search engines. In the online world, you have to grab the attention of your potential customers by having a website that is pleasing to the eyes at the same time has valuable information that they can use in solving their problems. Aside from these, it also important that you have a website that can easily be seen and indexed by the search engines to give it more exposure. Of course, you have to also make a website that is professionally designed as well.

– Copywriting and web content writing. Aside from a professionally designed website, you also have to take into consideration the contents that you have to put in your website. In online marketing, you have to take note that people need answers and information, thus you have to work on giving them what they need to know. Aside from your content, you also need to develop good copywriting to promote your website and your business. In creating a good copy as well as web content, you have to consider using keywords and learning how to place them strategically all your site.

– Building traffic. Another important thing that internet marketers should learn in online marketing is building traffic. Of course, if you want profit, you have to capture the attention of online customers and you have to bring potential customers into your website to boost your sales online.

– Online advertising. Another important element that you need to learn as well in learning internet marketing is to have a good knowledge in online advertising. Of course, part of your task as an internet marketer is to advertise, promote and market the website as well as the business and with the millions of websites already existing online, you have to learn how to beat competition as well.

These are just among the things that you need to learn to be a good internet marketer. If you can master these tasks, you will not only learn how to market your own business but will also make money marketing other businesses too.

Cisco CCNP / BSCI Exam Tutorial: Filtering BGP Updates With Prefix Lists

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A major part of your BSCI and CCNP exam success is mastering BGP, and that includes filtering BGP routing updates. In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at how to filter BGP updates with prefix lists.

R4 is advertising three networks via BGP. The downstream router R3 sees these routes and places them into its BGP table as shown below. R3 has two downstream BGP peers, R1 and R2, and is advertising itself as the next-hop IP address for all BGP routes sent to those two routers.

R4(config)#router bgp 4

R4(config-router)#network 21.0.0.0 mask 255.0.0.0

R4(config-router)#network 22.0.0.0 mask 255.0.0.0

R4(config-router)#network 23.0.0.0 mask 255.0.0.0

R3#show ip bgp

BGP table version is 4, local router ID is 3.3.3.3

Status codes: s suppressed, d damped, h history, * valid, > best, i –
Internal

Origin codes: i – IGP, e – EGP, ? – incomplete

Network Next Hop Metric LocPrf Weight Path

*> 21.0.0.0 10.2.2.4 0 0 4 I

*> 22.0.0.0 10.2.2.4 0 0 4 I

*> 23.0.0.0 10.2.2.4 0 0 4 I

R3(config)#router bgp 123

R3(config-router)#neighbor 172.12.123.1 next-hop-self

R3(config-router)#neighbor 172.12.123.2 next-hop-self

In turn, both R1 and R2 have these three routes in their respective BGP tables.

R2#show ip bgp

BGP table version is 4, local router ID is 2.2.2.2

Status codes: s suppressed, d damped, h history, * valid, > best, i –
Internal

Origin codes: i – IGP, e – EGP, ? – incomplete

Network Next Hop Metric LocPrf Weight Path

*>i21.0.0.0 172.12.123.3 0 100 0 4 I

*>i22.0.0.0 172.12.123.3 0 100 0 4 I

*>i23.0.0.0 172.12.123.3 0 100 0 4 I

R1#show ip bgp

BGP table version is 4, local router ID is 19.1.1.1

Status codes: s suppressed, d damped, h history, * valid, > best, i –
Internal

Origin codes: i – IGP, e – EGP, ? – incomplete

Network Next Hop Metric LocPrf Weight Path

*>i21.0.0.0 172.12.123.3 0 100 0 4 I

*>i22.0.0.0 172.12.123.3 0 100 0 4 I

*>i23.0.0.0 172.12.123.3 0 100 0 4 I

If we wanted R3 to receive all three of these routes from R4 but not advertise all of them to R2 and R1, we’ve got a couple of options on how to block these routes. Cisco’s recommendation is the use of prefix-lists, and once you get used to the syntax (which you should do before taking and passing the BSCI), you’ll see they are actually easier to use than access-lists.

In this case, we’re going to configure R3 to send only the route to 21.0.0.0 to R1 and 23.0.0.0 to R2. However, we do want these two routers to get any future routes that R4 advertises into BGP.

Since R1 and R2 will learn about these routes from an iBGP neighbor, they will not advertise the routes to each other.

On R3, we’ll write a prefix-list that denies 22.0.0.0/8 and 23.0.0.0/8, but permits all other routes. After applying the prefix list as shown, R1 sees only the 21.0.0.0 /8 route.

R3(config)#ip prefix-list FILTER_R1 deny 22.0.0.0/8

R3(config)#ip prefix-list FILTER_R1 deny 23.0.0.0/8

R3(config)#ip prefix-list FILTER_R1 permit 0.0.0.0/0 le 32

R3(config)#router bgp 123

R3(config-router)#neighbor 172.12.123.1 prefix-list FILTER_R1 out

R3#clear ip bgp * soft

R1#show ip bgp

BGP table version is 6, local router ID is 19.1.1.1

Status codes: s suppressed, d damped, h history, * valid, > best, i –
Internal

Origin codes: i – IGP, e – EGP, ? – incomplete

Network Next Hop Metric LocPrf Weight Path

*>i21.0.0.0 172.12.123.3 0 100 0 4 I

The paths to 22.0.0.0/8 and 23.0.0.0/8 have been successfully filtered.

We’ll do the same for R2, except the route not being expressly blocked is 23.0.0.0/8. The line “ip prefix-list permit 0.0.0.0/0 le 32” is the prefix list equivalent of a “permit any” statement in an ACL.

R3(config)#ip prefix-list FILTER_R2 deny 21.0.0.0/8

R3(config)#ip prefix-list FILTER_R2 deny 22.0.0.0/8

R3(config)#ip prefix-list FILTER_R2 permit 0.0.0.0/0 le 32

R3(config)#router bgp 123

R3(config-router)#neighbor 172.12.123.2 prefix-list FILTER_R2 out

R3#clear ip bgp * soft

R2#show ip bgp

BGP table version is 6, local router ID is 2.2.2.2

Status codes: s suppressed, d damped, h history, * valid, > best, i –

Internal

Origin codes: i – IGP, e – EGP, ? – incomplete

Network Next Hop Metric LocPrf Weight Path

*>i23.0.0.0 172.12.123.3 0 100 0 4 I

The paths to 21.0.0.0/8 and 22.0.0.0/8 have been successfully filtered.

To see the prefix lists configured on a route as well as the order of the statements in each list, run show ip prefix-list.

R3#show ip prefix-list

ip prefix-list FILTER_R1: 3 entries

seq 5 deny 22.0.0.0/8

seq 10 deny 23.0.0.0/8

seq 15 permit 0.0.0.0/0 le 32

ip prefix-list FILTER_R2: 3 entries

seq 5 deny 21.0.0.0/8

seq 10 deny 22.0.0.0/8

seq 15 permit 0.0.0.0/0 le 32

Get some hands-on practice with prefix lists and you’ll quickly master them. Prefix lists are an important part of working with BGP in the exam room and production networks, so it’s vital that you are comfortable working with them.

Complete Guitar Course – What Does it Consist Of?

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You have probably seen some of the popular online guitar courses for beginners. However, you have difficulty making the right choice as you are worried of wasting time and money on an incomplete course. You are looking for one that will show you everything step by step and explain in details with videos. Yet you do not know what a complete guitar course consists of.

As guitar beginners, you will likely to be clueless of the contents that should be taught. Find out what are the 5 components of a complete guitar course:

  1. Full Beginner to Advanced Lessons – The course should provide a series of lessons from beginner, intermediate to advanced level. It should start off with the basics such as holding your guitar, sitting and standing positions, holding a pick and learning the frets. Next, it should cover all the major guitar techniques (like strumming, alternate picking, bending, finger picking, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slide, vibrato, legato, palm muting), common chord types (major, minor, dominant seventh, minor seventh, major seventh and suspended 4) and major styles of music (like rock, metal, blues, jazz, country). Reading tablature is also one of the important skills to be included as it enables you to learn almost any song you like. The lessons should be in sequence where each module is built on the previous one. A play along track should be included within each lesson so that you can practice what you had learned so far. A structured course will enable you to see the improvement and feel the satisfaction each week.
  2. Video Lessons – The guitar lessons should be complemented with high quality video demonstrations. They will make learning new skills easy with built-in animated chords, progressions and strumming patterns. Both hands and notation are shown so that you can see clearly where to place your fingers on the fretboard as well as how to strum it.
  3. Chord Book – A complete guitar course would come with a chord reference book. Chord changes is the most difficult skill to master for beginners. Remembering the chord shapes is not easy either. Hence, a good chord book will come in handy as and when you need reference to it. The chords should be presented with clear diagrams and accompanied with high resolution photos to help you visualize and grasp each new chord. There are different variations for playing each chord. Moving from one chord to another can be really hard and sometimes all you need to do is to change the way you form the chord. It will be great if the book includes different variations for each chord. You can experiment the different chord formations and find the most appropriate shape to each progression.
  4. Guitar Care and Maintenance – A guitar course would be complete with information on setting it up and maintaining it. As guitar players, we should have basic knowledge of how to clean our guitar, protect it from moisture and heat, buy a new one to suit our style of playing, select new parts to improve its sound, change the strings, check the intonation, tuning it and cleaning it.
  5. Games – Besides the main course materials, it will be great if effective games are added to improve your guitar playing. They will make learning fun and challenging. The ability to recognize chords simply by hearing them and reading music are essential skills of a guitar player. Games enable you to revise what you had learned and will also speed up your learning process.

A complete guitar course consists of beginner to advanced lessons in a combination of digital books, videos and games, as well as a chord book and information on guitar care and maintenance. It is designed in an effective way of teaching yourself guitar so that any beginner can follow through the course easily.

Living on a College Campus

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One of the first questions that comes up after cost and location on any college search is where will I live? About 80% of four-year colleges offer some type of on campus housing. Many colleges strongly suggest (some may even require) that you live on campus for the first year. And other rules may apply too, like whether you can have a vehicle your first year. Always check for any special requirements for first year students.

Since you will be spending a lot of time in your college dorm room, you should do an onsite visit if at all possible. Many times photos are old and outdated and don’t reflect current conditions. It’s important to know how much space and what furniture and storage items may be included in your dorm room. It’s also a good idea to talk to actual students if you visit. You can find out more in 10 minutes talking to students than you can find in any brochure.

Why would a college want you to live on campus? Well, some would say it’s more money for the college and I’m sure many can use all the funding they can get. But in reality it’s been known for a long time that when you live on campus your first year you have a much easier time adapting and actually graduating.

The main reason is that you are in a better position to meet more peers and make new friends faster. Support systems are set up and you also have plenty of people to help with making the transition to college life. Everyone is in the same boat and for once peer pressure can be a good thing.

A big part of college is the social life, whether that means finding people with common interest or maybe your potential mate for life. You are also exposed to a diverse group of people that can expand your thinking in many ways. Another good thing about college is exposing you to information and culture different from your own.

Of course there are some downsides to dorm living. You need to learn how to get along, share things like bathrooms, common areas, and other resources. Privacy is difficult to find, roommates may not be a perfect match, and distractions are everywhere. But for most new students, the good things outweigh the bad in the long run.

On campus living can come in many shapes and sizes. Each school may have slightly different facilities but all fall into some general categories. And all have rules; in fact each type of dorm may have different rules due to the nature of the dorm. Some colleges cater to certain groups like international students and make special facilities and rules to fit.

Some common dorm types are single sex (male or female only), coed dorms (where both sexes may be allowed in many configurations), dorms for special needs students (more wheel chair friendly), and even type of majors (like all music or engineering majors), lifestyle (drinking, smoking, whatever), and student level (freshman, sophomore or above).

Dorm rooms come in all shapes and configurations. The two roommate models are the most common. But you also have single occupant, quad occupants, and everything in between. Cost is a factor in many of the layouts with the single being the most expensive. Bathrooms are almost always shared either between two or maybe even the whole floor.

Speaking of cost, each school can vary widely in cost. On the high end it can be around $6,000 per semester, on the low end it can be around $2600 per semester. Single occupant dorm rooms are the most expensive and the cost goes down with the number of occupants in the room. The age and special features of each dorm facility can have an impact on the cost too.

A big part of your first year of college is directly related to where you live. Don’t forget to check out any requirements and what facilities are available. If possible, try and visit the campus while school is in session. Take a look at the dorm rooms, talk to students, and get a feel for where you will be living.

Top Five Career Mistakes To Avoid

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1. Randomly pursuing jobs

Apparently, even the greatest of strategists do not have a clear plan when it comes to their own careers. Most, just accept jobs or opportunities that come their way, without ever thinking about where they will lead them. “Let’s just see where this job takes me,” is what most professionals tell me when they accept a new position.

It is very important to define both long term and short term career goals. If my long term goal is to be the director of a group, what short term goals should I pursue to get there?

2. Ineffective networking

An ineffective — or worse still, non-existent — networking strategy is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why even extremely talented individuals don’t succeed as well as they should. Active networking should be an integral component of any career success campaign.

Conferences, professional development events, trade shows, workshops, networking events (direct and indirect) — all of these are valuable avenues for multiplying your network, and thus your growth prospects. Every individual you meet is a potential contact and how you build and use the relationship is entirely up to you.

3. Sacrificing work-life balance

No, I haven’t spoken to your spouse, but I am dead serious when I say that lack of work-life balance could seriously impact your career progress. Our bodies are not designed to work 25 hours a day. Our careers form an important part of our lives, but there are other areas that need our attention as well.

We need to rest and recharge to deliver optimal performance. Working unreasonably long hours can wear us out and deprive us of the ability to provide fresh and creative ideas — and ideas are the fuel on which the career engine runs.

4. Allowing the opportunities pipeline to run dry

Ever spoken to a top-producing sales professional? They will never let the sales pipeline dry even if they have achieved their goals for the period. Generating new leads is the most critical element of their function. We, too, could learn some lessons here.

As individuals, we are not just employees; we are CEOs of our own careers. As such, we must make constant attempts to grow in our careers. This is applicable not only to job leads but also to internal opportunities, such as new projects and training initiatives. Don’t ever allow the disease of stagnation to seep into your careers. You shouldn’t go job-hopping by any means, but rather generate as many opportunities as possible to enrich your experience and profile. Take charge!

5. Not investing in professional development

I have always stressed on the fact that we are knowledge workers in this Information Age. Knowledge is constantly changing and by failing to stay abreast with what is happening in our professions, we are certainly losing out on valuable opportunities.

Create a professional development plan that will help you stay cutting-edge. Even if your employer doesn’t sponsor continuing education, set aside a budget. If you undertake the right training, this investment will pay for itself many times over.