Saturday, July 18, 2009

HotJobs 100: Updated for 2009

Find great jobs from our top 100 companies, hiring now

* Enhanced profile information available
1Tenet Healthcare Corp.
2Kaiser Permanente
3T-Mobile
4AT&T*
5Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings
6UnitedHealth Group
7Bayada Nurses
8Army National Guard
9Providence Health & Services
10Macy's
11Coca-Cola Enterprises
12Kindred Healthcare
13Catholic Healthcare West
14The Univ. of Texas Medical Branch
15Navy*
16Sutter Health
17ACS
18Verizon Wireless
19EMC
20RadioShack Corporation

What to look for in companies that are hiring now
When you're considering taking a new job, it's important to find out how a potential employer treats employees. But getting the answer to that question, along with others that will help you determine if you'll be happy at the company, may take some sleuthing.
Here are five questions that will help you decide if the company is a fit -- and some unconventional ways to find the answers:

What makes employees join this company and stay here?
You can always ask your potential manager this question in an interview. But if you ask the employees you see while walking around the premises, you'll get a wider variety of answers -- and possibly more honest ones.

How are people treated here?
You may not even need to ask anyone this -- just observe carefully from the time you set foot in the building. When you arrive for your interview, are you kept waiting with no explanation? Does the interviewer interrupt your conversation to take phone calls?
"Try to come at different times if you have multiple interviews," advises Gail Ginder, a leadership coach with the Claros Group in Healdsburg, Calif. That way you'll see if the mood around the building changes with the time of day.

What are the unspoken rules?
For this and other questions that are best asked of employees, you have two options. One is to use your network to find employees who work at the company but aren't involved in hiring you. The other is to ask your interviewer -- but only when it's clear that the interviewer has decided you're the best candidate and is trying to get you to sign on. "When they've decided you're the one, you can ask pretty much anything as long as you ask it well," Ginder says.

What happens when people make mistakes?
The answer to this will give you insight into the company's management and culture. You can ask it of an interviewer late in the interview process, or ask employees who aren't involved in hiring.
The key is to pose the question without sounding like someone who is planning to make a lot of mistakes. Use humor, Ginder advises. "Say, 'If I were lucky enough to be offered this job, I would never want to make a mistake. But what happens here when people make a mistake?'"

What is a typical week like?
The answer to this question can give insight into everything from how long the workdays are to how many after-hours phone calls you can expect. Vic Snyder, senior career counselor at the University of Washington's Center for Career Services in Seattle, suggests that in informal conversations with employees, you pair this question with one about how often employees take their full vacations.
Getting answers you need to these questions will help you make the best-informed decision about your next career move.

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Friday, July 17, 2009

Online Education - Advantages of Online Degree Programs

Online education is increasingly common because it offers convenience factors against which most 'traditional' university cannot compete—attend classes online anywhere and anytime you want; interact with students from all over the country and the world; continue to earn while you learn. For all these reasons and more, online education is a great option.

Is an online degree right for you? At Edvisors.com we help you to answer that question and provide you with the best online programs from accredited online schools.

Top Online Education Schools

University of Phoenix Online Now the largest private university in North America, we have nearly 200 educational facilities, as well as a flexible online learning format. University of Phoenix offers undergraduate and graduate programs in business, education, nursing, technology and human services.

Kaplan University Online We're a completely different kind of university. One that's using technology to rewrite the rules of education. One that's creating innovative programs to analyze how you learn best, so we can teach you better. One that comes to you, rather than you going to it. One that puts education above tradition.

Everest University Online Everest online education provides students with the convenience of earning their college degree completely online. They offer online college degrees in Accounting, Business, Computer Information Science, Criminal Investigations, Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Medical Insurance Billing and Coding, and Paralegal.

American InterContinental University The AIU Online degree programs allow students the freedom to study online anytime to achieve their Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's degrees in an ever-expanding range of degree programs.

South University South University is focused on the student experience and helping you to achieve your educational goal. Programs of study are offered at the associate, bachelors and masters level and include business, criminal justice, graphic design, health professions, information technology, legal, and nursing.
Online Education: Your Path to a Better Future
However far your education takes you is up to how much you put into it. And just looking at pure numbers, over 20% of the 17.0+ million higher education students enrolled are taking at least one course online. And this figure is on the rise. Traditional schools, employers, and students of all ages are recognizing online education as a legitimate and an endlessly useful tool towards starting, continuing, or finishing a degree. On average, a person with a Master's degree earns $31,900 more per year than a high school graduate and a person with a Bachelor's degree will earn, on average, almost twice as much as workers with a high school diploma over a lifetime ($2.1 million compared to $1.2 million). Online education simply reduces that gap between those who are able to attend traditional universities and those who are not.

With online education, it has never been easier to earn a college degree. Online education programs provide endless opportunities for a student to find a degree program that meets the challenges of his or her daily life. Most working adults can't forgo their day job for the sake of continuing their education. For the last decade, millions of professionals everywhere have been supplementing online course work to increase their earning potential while meeting the demands of their daily schedule.

Scholarship Points offers "free college scholarships"

Scholarship Points offers free college scholarships and scholarship contests for members of our program. Joining is free and easy! You can win by earning points and entering them into monthly drawings for our free scholarships. Members earn points by logging in each day, completing surveys and reviewing other sites and services. We help high school and college students pay for college as our way of thanking them for providing feedback on our services and supporting our network of Edvisors websites.

Edvisors Network is a leading education finance and marketing services company focused on providing a broad set of student loan products and education-related information to students, parents and the financial aid community. Our mission is "To Better Educate the World" by providing you with the relevant information and student loan products to make your higher education a reality. We accomplish this mission via:

The Student Loan Network is one of the nation's fastest growing providers of student loans and related information. Since 1998, we have helped approximately 25 million students and parents access over $1 billion in federal and private student loans, scholarships and consolidation funding for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education. Our loan products are available both on the Internet and by phone in consultation with our Financial Aid Consultants. Learn more about the Student Loan Network at www.studentloannetwork.com or by calling toll-free 877-328-1565.

Edvisors Online Education Services manages internationally recognized education websites offering information, advice, and services to students, parents, and the financial aid community. These sites provide the premier online education-related directory, information, and resources on how to get in to college, where to find scholarships, and financial aid news. In addition, we produce the award-winning Financial Aid Podcast and numerous education-related blogs.

The Edvisors Foundation , a certified 501 © (3) tax exempt foundation, was established in 2005 to enhance the Edvisors Network mission: "To Better Educate the World". The foundation supports local and national educational charities in their efforts to expand access to education opportunities and programming at all levels. For more information on the Edvisors Foundation, visit: www.Edvisors.org

Monday, July 6, 2009

10 Careers that Top $30 per Hour

In just 60 minutes, you could earn enough to pay for a tank of gas, the cable bill, gym membership, or dinner out. Thirty dollars still covers some of life's essential costs. Earn that much in just one hour on the job, and you have enough to build a comfortable life.
The latest U.S. Census Bureau figures put the median household income in the U.S. at $50,233. A $30-per-hour job brings in $62,400 before taxes, or 20% more than the national median. For many people, this extra margin is just one promotion or one credential away. To boost your economic security, consider these 10 careers with
salary data as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Database Administrator
Mean Hourly Wage: $33.78
Salary: $70,260


Database administrators perform a vital role in our information economy, managing the database systems that help companies store, process, and access data effectively. Job growth is stunning in this high-demand field as well -- the profession is expected to grow 37 percent through 2016. Continuing education is a must to keep up with evolving technology, but entry requirements are modest. You can launch this $30-plus-an-hour career with an associate's degree in database administration or
information technology.

Registered Nurse
Mean Hourly Wage: $30.04
Salary: $62,480

Historic demand for registered nurses is inspiring many people to reinvent themselves as health care practitioners. Nursing is projected to generate more new jobs than any other profession -- an estimated 587,000 positions through 2016, which represents a 23% increase in a decade. To take advantage of this boom, head to nursing school for your bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Accelerated programs are available for career changers who already have a bachelor degree in another field.

Technical Writer
Median Hourly Wage: $30.18
Salary: $62,780

Technical writers interpret engineering and scientific information for a lay audience, producing product documentation, user manuals, project proposals, and scientific reports. Most writers come to the field with a college bachelor's degree in a communications or liberal arts field. Some colleges offer specialized certificate programs in technical communication, which incorporate IT literacy training.

Fashion Designer
Median Hourly Wage: $34.22
Salary: $71,170

Fashion design has the reputation as an all-or-nothing labor of love -- you begin as a starving artist and ultimately attain celebrity stature designing haute couture. In fact, the majority of fashion designers -- 3 in 4 designers -- work secure, salaried jobs for apparel manufacturers. What these artists give up in suffering and glamour they make up for in a solid and stable paycheck. A job as a salaried fashion designer starts with an associate's or bachelor's degree in fashion design.

Accountant
Median Hourly Wage: $30.11
Salary: $62,640

Accountants should have no trouble finding work as businesses throughout the economy sort through the financial rubble of the credit crisis. Mounting federal regulation will also contribute to demand for trained accountants. Accountants working for accounting and bookkeeping services earn upwards of $30 per hour. These employers hire trained professionals with a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance.

Environmental Scientist
Median Hourly Wage: $30.71
Salary: $63,870
Environmental scientists will be the heroes of the coming era, developing much-needed strategies to redress environmental damage to soil, water, and air. The field is expected to grow 25% in response to new federal regulations and funding, as well as private investment. A bachelor's degree in earth sciences will get you started in this fascinating and important field. Many scientists go on to a master's degree to secure the best opportunities.

K-12 Curriculum Designer
Median Hourly Wage: $30.87
Salary: $64,220

Curriculum designers are at the forefront of educational research, developing new instructional materials and strategies to improve the quality of education in our nation's schools. The job typically calls for a graduate-level degree in the field, such as a
master's degree in education (M.Ed.).

Dental Hygienist
Mean Hourly Wage: $31.21
Salary: $64,910

To make about the same amount of money with a two-year associate's degree, enroll in a dental hygiene program. Dental hygienists work alongside dentists to promote oral health and hygiene. Hygienists enjoy distinction as one of the nation's fastest growing occupations, with 30% growth expected through 2016.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Median Hourly Wage: $30.05
Salary: $62,500

Solving crimes is all in a day's work for these criminal justice professionals. Criminal investigators can build their skill set by completing an associate's degree in criminal justice, where they take courses in crime scene investigation, criminal investigation procedures, and more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics rates job opportunities as "excellent."

Television Producer
Median Hourly Wage: $31.66
Salary: $65,850

Producers coordinate the television features we enjoy, from sitcoms to dramas to the nightly news. To build the necessary skill set, producers enter the field with an associate's or bachelor's degree in mass communications or broadcast media.
A tight economy hasn't stopped employers in these ten fields from hiring qualified grads. With the right degree, you can upgrade your career and find job security in the form of a $30-an-hour paycheck.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

College Admissions Help for International Students

International students often have a need for additional information about how colleges and universities in the United States work and how to pay for these colleges. The links below should help answer some of those questions. Of course, we encourage anyone with specific questions to contact us to discuss your particular issues.

Definitions
Here we provide definitions of a number of terms related to the college admission process in the United States.
How American Higher Education Works
Wondering how American colleges and universities work? And just what is the difference between a college and university? Here we have your answers.
Special Considerations in Admissions for International Students
Admissions for students from countries outside the United States often involves different considerations than those facing American students. Here we discuss some of those issues.
Financial Aid for International Students
If you are wondering about how to pay for college in the United States this will provide some guidance on what aid is available for students from countries outside the United States.
How We Can Help International Students
Still have questions? Still not sure about whether you can handle the process of applying to colleges in the United States? Check out what we can do to help and how we work with students outside the United States.
Links for International Students
There are lots of resources on the web that say they can help. Here are some of our favorites.