Time Management

Does time seem to slip through your fingers?  Are there not enough hours in the day to accomplish all you want to?  Does that frustrate you to no end?  You are not alone.  Time management is one of those skills everyone would admit to wanting to improve.  But even if someone who struggles with time management knows how to go about budgeting their time more effectively, will they have the time to do so?

From a professional standpoint, the ability to effectively manage one’s time can make or break a company.  One key method in learning how to make better use of your time is by simply recognizing “time wasters.”  KnowledgeCity’s Time Management course takes a look at how to avoid wasting time and make more effective use of the time you have. 

One of the resources highlighted in the course is Alec Mackenzie’s book The Time Trap, in which he groups the thirty-five most common time wasters into five main categories:
 

• Lack of Planning
• Being Disorganized 
• Staffing Issues
• Directing
• Lack of Control
• Poor Communication
• Ineffective Decision Making

Some of the specific time wasters include: a lack of objectives, priorities or a daily plan, a lack of deadlines, attempting too much at once, duplication of effort, multiple bosses, confused responsibility and authority, ineffective delegation, a lack of motivation, wanting all the facts before making a decision, etc

Check out three FREE previews of this course today!  It will be well worth your time.

Read More

Getting the Job you Want!

Searching for employment can be an intimidating process.  In today's economy, when unemployment rates often seem daunting, it is important to focus on standing out among the competition.  In order to shine throughout your job search, you must understand each part of the process—from writing an enticing and informative cover letter, to knowing what types of questions  to ask in an interview and how to follow up appropriately.

In Working to Get Hired, instructor Michele Jones explains the ins and outs of finding and getting your dream job.  She will give you the tools you need in order to: pinpoint your skills, discover your ideal career path, utilize the many different job search methods available to you, write an effective cover letter and resume, pick the proper interview attire, and prepare for your future interviews. 

In Chapter 1: Discover Your Skills, Jones will lead you through several exercises that will help shape your job search.  She will help you identify skills you didn’t know you had and as a result, discover career paths you have yet to consider.  In Chapter 4: Job Interview Process, you will learn how to effectively plan for your interviews.  Jones will advise you on the different interview techniques and how to approach them appropriately.

If you are looking to improve your chances in this competitive job market, then Working to Get Hired is the perfect course for you!  Taking this course will give you the knowledge and confidence necessary to be successful in your job search.

Read More

Personal Financial Planning

Financial anxiety is one of the most common stressors in life.  Whether it’s not having enough money, not knowing how to manage the money we have, or worrying about having money in the future, the unknowns of finances can grip us unlike anything else.  And unless you were one of the lucky few to have received sound financial advice from an early age, money management can be extremely intimidating and confusing.   

This is especially the case when facing major life changes, such as marriage, moving out, taking out loans to go to school, buying a new or used car, retirement, etc.   Even the terms themselves can be daunting to a newcomer!  Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, term vs. whole life insurance, estate planning—all concepts that are vaguely familiar but commonly misunderstood. 

What if I told you there is a course you can take that covers all these topics and more in a comprehensible and entertaining way?  In Personal Financial Planning, instructor Frank Paiano discusses important concepts such as: setting financial goals, money management, savings and checking accounts, credit, managing debt, mortgages, transportation costs, buying a new vs. used car, all the different types of insurance, stocks, and more!

An example of the useful advice you’ll find in this course involves determining when you should use credit.  In one of his lessons, Paiano divides credit purchases into “good” and “bad” credit.  Examples of good credit would be: the purchase of a home, paying for higher or career related education or making home improvements.  All purely entertainment-based purchases, made with “consumer credit,” would be considered “bad credit” in that they can interfere with effective money management and lead to bad financial habits.

If you’re feeling lost when it comes to budgeting or financial planning, check out KnowledgeCity’s free preview of Personal Financial Planning.  I can feel my blood pressure lowering already.

Read More

All your organizational needs, in one place!

What if I told you there was an easy way to synchronize your calendar, contact list, address book, to-do list AND your email account?  It’s true.  Introducing Microsoft Outlook—a staple program for businesses around the world for this very reason.  Yet many users fail to capitalize on Outlook’s vast number of features, limiting themselves to email and meeting appointments.  Last year, Microsoft released Outlook 2010, a new and improved Outlook with even more features to help make users’ lives just a little less complicated.  So why not see for yourself what this popular program is capable of? 

Our course on Outlook 2010 will guide you as you go beyond emailing.  Learn how to customize your calendar to fit your schedule, and how to create meeting appointments, including optional and mandatory attendees.  There are also lessons on using reminders, the difference between your task list and your to-do list, as well as tips and short cuts such as how to create meetings, new contacts and tasks directly from your emails.

Preview our first three lessons for FREE by going to our course page!

Read More