Let's Teach Our Baby to Read with Brillkids Little Reader

As a mom, I always want to help my child do well in school. I believe wholeheartedly that an ability to read will help my kid excel in school. I've used Brillkids Little Reader to teach my so to read. It's a great learning software for kids and you can click here to learn more about Little Reader and get a 10% discount when you buy the learning system from Brillkids.

What I love so much about this program is the ready-made curriculum.  The daily lessons were planned and laid out for you. You can start teaching right away after you buy the program. I've used Brillkids Little Reader to teach my son to read English. Also, it's a great tool for those who want to teach your child foreign languages as well.

Little Reader is quite similar yet different from other teach reading tools. Because it's the computer software, you have options to create, edit, customize, import, and export your lessons. With traditional DVDs, you can only let you child watch the lessons then move on to the new sets of DVDs. You can never edit anything but Little Reader gives you that features. It's so worth the money as you can use it forever! No expiration date and free lifetime upgrade too!

There are 2 sessions per day. Each lesson lasts only 3-5 minutes. Little kids don't have long attention span to sit still and watch long learning stuff. The short and well planned curriculum is perfect for those who want to teach baby to read but don't know how to start.

Another thing I love about Little Reader is that it is not only teaching whole-word but phonics as well. The Pattern Phonics and Word Split lessons in the curriculum are one of the most wonderful way to introduce decoding and basic phonic awareness to your young child. Each word is color-coded and grouped in the same word family, helping the child to intuitively figure about the code of the written language.

What's more, the Little Reader software itself is FREE. You need to sign up as a member to download the free trial and the Lite version, though. Try it out and sign up as a Brillkids member today. There are ten of thousands of like-minded parents in the Brillkids forum. You will be amazed and inspired by those moms and dads whose goal are to help their children reach their fullest potentials.

Cover Letters Resumes And The Job Hunter What's It All About

Any good job hunter needs a resume package. The cover letter and resume always go together and do the same basic thing in slightly different ways. A job hunter without both of them will probably not get very far in the search for a good career position. 

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what these crucial documents should do for you. The first part, the cover letter, is a short one page letter consisting of three or four paragraphs. It serves as an introduction to the resume. It is the part that will always be seen by the gatekeeper.

The second part is the resume itself. Many job hunters make the mistake of thinking they can just leave a resume without a cover letter. That is like putting on a suit and tie, but forgetting the shirt or the pants. They are a package and they go together.

The resume itself may be in either functional or chronological format. The functional format concentrates on skills. The chronological format concentrates on employment listings. The most effective resumes use elements of both formats to create a combination resume that gets results. It should be laid out in a graphically appealing style, with adequate use of white space, bullet points to draw attention to important parts, and conservative fonts used. While you will occasionally bold face or italicize a font to draw attention to a point or break up a large section of type, changing fonts often makes it hard to read, so stick with one basic font. Also never go smaller than ten point type, and if possible stick with twelve or eleven point. Those sizes are easier to read. If your cover letter and resume are in a small type and hard to read, they simply will not be read, and will not help you.

Many job seekers wonder how they should present the resume package to the decision maker. There are several acceptable methods. If mailing it, use a large nine by twelve white envelope to avoid folding your materials. The white envelopes look nicer than the tan manila commonly used in business. Also large envelopes are generally the first thing people open when they get their mail. If not the first then they may save the large envelope for last. Since people tend to remember the first and the last – the alpha and the omega – while forgetting much of what is in the middle, either first or last is a good thing.

If you are hand delivering your documents stop by an office supply shop and pick up a clear plastic folder with a pressure binder spine and place your cover letter and resume in it. It makes a great presentation and will complement it perfectly. Use these tools well and you are on your way.

Common Job Interview Questions And Answers

In preparing for a job interview it is important to list and plan your answers ahead of time so that you don’t panic when the time comes. Jotting down some of the possible questions and then figuring out the best answer for each will help to boost your confidence. 

There are ten interview questions that often times are the downfall of job seekers, especially if they are caught off guard. These top ten questions are ideal to be used when practicing for a job interview. The top ten questions are:

What are your weaknesses?

The best way to answer this question is to minimize your weakness and emphasize on your strengths. Mention professional traits that you deem as your weakness rather than concentrating on negative personal qualities. Likewise, it would be best to mention that you are doing something to improve yourself professionally in order to correct your weakness.

Why should we hire you?

This is another overwhelming question which can make any interviewee panic. An ideal way to handle this question is to start with summarizing your working experiences which may be important to the company. Remember be confident and show that you really are looking forward to becoming a part of the company.

Why do you want to work in our company?

The purpose of the interviewer for asking such a question is to make certain that you as the applicant are really interested in the job and not just simply applying because there is a job opening. As an applicant you have to convince the interviewer that you are serious and very much interested in the job you are applying for.

What are your goals? Or where do you see yourself five years from now?

It is better to answer this question with reference to short-term and intermediate goals rather than talking about some distant future. It is also advised to involve the company in discussing your professional goals. For instance, say that you see yourself as becoming a part of the company and helping it in achieving it goals and missions. Most interviewers asked this type of question to gain insight on the real motive of an applicant since there are some applicants who will just make a company their training ground and then after they have gained some experience leave to search for another job.

Why did you leave or why are you leaving your current job?

This is another question used to weigh the professionalism as well as the ability of an applicant to stay on a job. As an applicant it is not nice to say anything negative about your current or previous employer since it may reflect a badly on you. This will also create a “big question” in the mind of the interviewer why you are making such discriminatory remarks regarding your previous job. To prevent falling into this trap just say that you are looking for additional opportunities to enhance further your professional knowledge.

When were you most satisfied in your job?

Again, be very careful in answering this type of question since this will reflect a lot about you as a potential employee. A not so convincing answer may cause you to lose the chance of getting that job you want. Try to answer this question without any prejudice to your previous job, and concentrate more on discussing things that motivate you professionally. This will create the impression that you are a good employee since you refrain from creating any bad remarks regarding you previous job plus this will provide your future employer with ideas on how to motivate their employees.

What can you do for us that other candidates cannot offer?

Some applicants usually go blank when asked this question for fear that they may answer inadequately. Be confident and concentrate on discussing your positive traits and work qualifications that you deem as important and relevant to the job you are applying for.

What three positive things would your last boss say about you?

Simply tell them of your positive traits both as a person and as an employee which are noticed not only by your previous employer but likewise by your co-employees. Think of positive remarks that your previous boss may have told you and read through any performance related assessments you may have had for inspiration.

How much salary are you seeking? Or how much salary are you expecting?

When an interviewer asks you your salary requirements, it usually means they like you and considering hiring you to become a part of their company.

Some employers would even ask your salary history from your previous jobs. This will provide them with an idea of how much you would consider asking from them. A safe way of answering such a question is to ask for a salary that is similar or close to what you is previously receiving. Or simply tell them that you are willing to receive any amount that is rightfully commensurate to the position or the job you’re applying for.

If you were an animal, what can of animal would you be?

This question is geared more on knowing the personality that you have. Try to think of animals that are not harmful but rather exhibits good qualities that match with the type of position you are applying for.

Career Planning In Today’s Turbulent Times

What you were taught in school no longer applies to the job searching skills needed in today’s market. The rules have changed…from the resume through the interview. Don’t be caught with an “objective statement” on your resume, or asking the interviewer questions you should have researched on the web on your own. Here are some hot tips for being a savvy career planner:

1) Identify your top competencies, strengths, demonstration situations and high point stories – Different behaviors for different jobs are needed. Today there are sophisticated career planning assessments on the market to help you identify your ideal work environment. It is important for you to become very familiar with your strongest skills. Then, whether it is a resume, a job application, or a job interview, you’ll be able to articulate them succinctly and professionally.

2) Identify your competitive advantage – the single most important job search skill is your ability to communicate what you can do for a company! When the hiring manager believes that you can help solve the type of problems they face, you dramatically increase your chances of being offered the job. The fact is, companies will hire someone when they believe that the person will bring more value than they cost.

3) Selling yourself using high point stories and demonstrating your skills through examples – Your accomplishments or achievements can be identified in your demonstration situations. Using accomplishments in your letters, resumes and interviews gives a convincing picture of you in action. Employers today want do-ers. Your high point story should illustrate a contribution that you made to something that had a positive outcome.

Effective Resume Writing

Creating an effective resume is a crucial step in the career planning process. Most job seekers rush into creating a resume before they fully understand their product (themselves). A resume advertises you – it sells ability, experience, potential benefits and value. It stimulates the interest of prospective employers to find out more about you and invite you to an interview. A common myth is that a good resume will get you a job. The reality is, however, that a resume will at best interest the reader enough to want to meet you. Here are some helpful tips on writing an effective resume:

Career Outlook For Virtual Assistants

Government career outlook predictions aren’t developed yet for the Virtual Assistance industry, whether that’s because it’s a relatively new field or because the tasks done by VAs are as varied as the VAs themselves remains to be seen. One has to examine similar fields and skill-sets to see how VAs will fare in the years to come. By looking at these similar fields, you can see that the growth outlook for Virtual Assistance is above average. The question of “Will this job still be around in 20 years?” can be answered by looking at the services that a specific VA is offering and closely-related “traditional” employment fields.

With many businesses restructuring and downsizing (getting rid of middle managers), companies are utilizing more and more secretarial and administrative support staff to take over those duties. If you offer administrative support as a VA, and market yourself as an off-site solution to those downsizing companies, your “job security” looks pretty good. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you will have competition from on-site employees for these positions.

If you offer more specialized services than administrative support, you have different chances for sustaining an ongoing career. Here are two examples:

If you offer Public Relations (PR)services, your occupational outlook is rosy. With so many different types of organizations — such as businesses, nonprofits, universities, hospitals and more – looking for media specialists and PR specialists to do more than just “tell their story.” Creativity, initiative, good judgment and the ability to communicate effectively are some of the skills necessary to succeed in this job. There’s lots of competition in this role, but employment/contracts for PR specialists is expected to grow faster than average, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

If you offer Desktop Publishing services, your occupational outlook is also great. Many companies are beginning to outsource these services, as opposed to having in-house staff. With experience and/or a degree in graphic design or a related field, desktop publishers have a variety of different organizations to market themselves to. VAs offer an affordable alternative to hiring a graphic design firm.

Whether you specialize in desktop publishing and graphic design or public relations or another niche specialty, it’s clear that Virtual Assistance is catching on and the VAs who are out there aren’t going anywhere. With more and more employers and companies looking to outsource projects turning to offsite personnel to fulfill these needs, the view of using “virtual” workers is changing. It’s no longer as common to hear objections such as “How do I know you’ll really be working?” when proposing using a VA to someone who never has before. Many people have heard of VAs now or know someone who uses theirs. In most cases, once someone has a VA on their team, they don’t turn back to in-house staff to fulfill those duties.

The most important thing to remember, though, is to keep current with technology and software that can progress your business. If you only know outdated technology, then you and your business are outdated and your clients may go elsewhere for service. Keep adding to your services and learn everything you can about your niche market and what they currently need.

Can Full Time Mom Makes Money From Home

I found this article online and thought it's interesting! Read on!

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After a lifetime of working in various offices as a secretary, I suddenly found myself in the position of trying to figure out how to make money from home. Going from being handed a paycheck to creating one on my own required a total mental transformation. Was I up to the task? I had to be!

Mom and I had always been close (as the youngest of four, I think I’m her favorite!), so for me, it was a simple choice. I’d been brought back home for a reason, and the reason was now quite clear. Mom needed me.

My husband’s meager laborer paycheck just wasn't going to cut it. Mom’s pension and Social Security incomes were quite limited, as are most of them. As I would no longer be able to work outside the home, I put away my resumes and began to explore my options.

I thought a Virtual Assistant, typing for people by way of the Internet, sounded pretty cool. But there were deadlines to meet and I couldn't always be sure my home situation would mesh with that scene. After all, if Mom’s in the hospital and I need to be with her, my “virtual boss” might not be too understanding about why my assignment wasn't completed as promised.

OK, enough of this. I wasn't brought up with a “can’t do” attitude. I put away the thoughts of what I can’t do, and switched to the other side of the ledger. What can I do to make money from home? That’s when the fun really began!

From all the pop-ups, banners and junk e-mails I’d received through the years, I knew somebody was making money on the Internet. Could I do that, too? After a great deal of research, I finally found a program that was right for me.

Can you imagine how liberating that felt? I was no longer a victim of the “poor me, stuck at home” mentality. I’m blessed with the privilege of caring for my mother in the comfort of her own home, accompanying her to the end of life’s journey.

I’m doubly blessed to actually be contributing to the family income instead of feeling guilty that I’m not “doing something.”

Are you “stuck” at home, too? It’s truly a privilege, you know, to be a caregiver to a loved one. You are a Very Important Person in his/her life. Instead of turning your financial frustration into resentment, turn it into a lucrative career on the Internet! You can name your own hours, work as little or as much as you want, and still have a big part in making your family’s financial dreams come true. Do your research carefully, but rest assured–you, too, can make money from home.

My husband and I were already living with Mom, keeping her company after Dad died, doing the “heavy stuff” that she could no longer do. I happened to be between jobs when Mom was diagnosed with bone cancer, then her heart began acting up and she was reduced to the unenviable position of looking for a nursing home or being cared for at home.

Building A Professional Image For Data Entry Jobs

Brand image of any business activity encompasses a broader spectrum, which is the overall image of the business which includes the interior design, exterior design, marketing materials used, the web presence and also the staff members of the business. Data entry jobs too require image building to be successful.

Data entry jobs are abundant and so are the people who are doing it. Like the individuals searching for a reputed company, the same way the companies too search for quality and competent people who can finish the job on time with greater precision and professionalism. Hence, it is very important to build a professional image to stand apart from others who are in the same field to get data entry jobs to be done at home.

Steps involved in building a successful professional image for data entry jobs done from home:

The first step for the person doing the job for data entry from home is to analyze the key strengths and talents and jotting them down in key words or phrases. Unique features and values of his doing business should be highlighted. Then it has to be shaped in to a brand statement incorporating the uniqueness and advantages for the clients in getting the work done by him. This brand statement can be printed in all the business communications and displayed in all the ways to speak about the professionalism of the person.

Apart from doing all the above, it is very important to maintain a personal, professional image. The way the person presents himself before clients and customers matters a lot. He needn’t always be in formal attire while performing jobs from home, but at least should adhere to the dress code when a formal meeting is scheduled. It conveys the message, that the person has not taken the job lightly but is serious about the profession.

When changes like diversification or added services are included, the personal brand statement should be changed accordingly. If spending on building a professional image is required, it should be done without any hesitation, as it is only an investment rather than an expense.

A professional image is very important as it involves the decision making process of customers whether to do business with the company or individual, or not. The heart of the business is their logo. It signifies and represents the kind or nature of business and the activity which is carried on. The image or brand is the foundation for all the advertising and marketing efforts made and if the brand image is weak, the advertising and marketing efforts will go in vain. It is the identity to the business. Many entrepreneurs mistake the marketing, advertising and promotional materials as mere expenses, but actually speaking they are all investments. It the first impression created to boost the business. Logo and brand are totally different. Where logo is only a representation of the business and brand is the experience created with the customer or client right from the inception till the end of the business process.