Archive for the ‘Business Skills’ Category
How to succeed as International Students in the USA?
Friday, August 27th, 2010Good-bye, summer — hello, school! The 2010-11 academic school year kicks off this week for most area schools.
Thousands of you from across the globe are traveling or returning to America in order to attend college or do internships. Congratulations on your achievements and first steps.
In the weeks and months to come, you will experience a wide variety of both encouraging and negative feelings, such as excitement, surprise, happiness, loss of identity, anxiety, disorientation and confusion, while facing language, academic and integration challenges. You will even sometimes feel like children.
Don’t worry. These feelings are normal. They don’t come to Stay. They come to Pass.
Be patient; your dreams will not come true overnight. But start now, and go with love and courage and confidence. It’s up to you what comes to pass, and if you keep your thoughts positive and strong: your dreams will come true. It’s just a Matter of Time.
As you might know, in 2006, I left my corporate job at HP France to move to Los Angeles as an international student. I wanted to improve my English language skills, learn about the American way of doing business and eventually start my own. More importantly, I was in search of making meaningful changes in my life in order to add value to my own existence while possibly making a positive difference in the lives of others.
My life in Los Angeles has been full of challenges, the biggest of which have been dealing with the unexpected, adjusting to my new environment and getting everything done within a time frame.
Thankfully, some great people both from my university, UCLA, and off campus taught me the skills that I needed, showed me around, helped me adjust to the American culture, and inspired me. Some also provided me knowledge and methods for a better understanding of the ins- and- outs of running a business in this country, encouraged me to challenge the conventional thinking, and helped me discover and articulate my greater purpose.
I am here today to share with you some my insights.
To reach your goals in the United States, I believe it’s important to:
- Believe in yourself
- Discover your driving motivation for action (purpose, cause or belief)
- Be disciplined and Stay on your chosen path
- Remain active
- Stay focused than to sit around complaining
- Speak up and Take Actions
- Take risks and be willing to lose yourself before reaping the fruits of your efforts
- Build your Network. “Your Network Determines Your Net Worth”
- Have an insatiable thirst for knowledge
- Be able to articulate clearly your value proposition
- Sharpen your personal brand to achieve career success
- Get out of your comfort zone
-Master Team working skills
- Familiarize yourself with the American business environment
- Challenge others and yourself to get results
- Don’t settle for anything less than your best
- Develop and master your capacity to think critically and independently
- Develop and master your ability to understand how people of different cultures and values think and behave
- Develop your communication skills
- Develop a global mindset
- Immerse yourself into the American Culture
- Volunteer into your communities
- Think out of the box
- Learn how to understand the greater context of problems
- Be intensely curious
- Accept others as they come
- Look at everything as an amazing learning experience
- See the opportunity in every difficulty
- Share your experience with others
- Be concerned with time limitations
- Listen up
- Read as much as you can –pick up books that you like, books you don’t like and books you never pictured yourself reading.
- Gain control over all the tasks and commitments that you need or want to get done
- Keep track of your goals
- Be accountable for your actions
- Have a stubborn insistence on pursuing our dreams.
Over all, it’s about maintaining a good life balance with the seven following building blocks :
1-Peace of Mind
2- Health and Fitness
3- Loving relationship
4- Control of my finance
5- Career goals that fit my personality
6- Pursuing my ultimate life goals
7- Life Balance (Career, Personal relationship, Friends and Family, Spiritual, Continuing education, Rest, Health and Fitness, Relaxation, Fun)
Finally, I will leave you with this quote that I learned from my mentor, Les Brown.
“If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it, to work day and night for it, to give up your time, your peace and your sleep for it … if all that you dream and scheme is about it, and life seems useless and worthless without it … if you gladly sweat for it and fret for it and plan for it and lose all your terror of the opposition for it … if you simply go after that thing you want with all of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and confidence and stern pertinacity … if neither cold, poverty, famine, nor gout, sickness nor pain, of body and brain, can keep you away from thing that you want … if dogged and grim you beseech and beset it, with the help of God, you WILL get it!” Written by author Berton Braley
Source : Les Brown – Live your Dreams. Click here to Listen to Les Brown.
Best Wishes,
Jean-Marc Dedeyne
contact us here.
How to nail an interview by video
Monday, August 23rd, 2010These days, a job seeker can land a job without ever setting foot inside the company’s office, traveling to the city where the office is, or even meeting the company’s recruiters in person — thanks to video communication tools such as Skype that connect employers with candidates over the Internet.
Several people in the career and job-search industry say video interviewing using remote technology software is on the rise for a broad swatch of industries and companies.
“This type of interviewing, for campuses as well as for businesses is becoming more and more prevalent,” said Doreen Amorosa, associate dean and managing director of MBA career management at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.
Continue reading here
Who Do You Compete Against?
Saturday, August 14th, 2010Who Do You Compete Against? is the title of an enlightening and truly inspiring post written by one my mentors, Simon Sinek.
As Simon said, most people compete to beat others. This is true in businesses and for individuals. And as valuable as a competitive spirit may be, perhaps there is a better way.
To illustrate his point, he selected a video about Ben Comen that ESPN produced a few years
Ben Comen is a cross country runner who has run on the TL Hanna High School cross country team for five years, completing his senior season in 2004. Ben has cerebral palsy that affects his balance, so he has to work a little harder than his teammates. He typically finishes last in his races. Ben inspires.
His lesson is more valuable than perseverance. His lesson is more important that never quitting.
Ben shows us, that when you decide to compete against others, no one will help you. But when you decide to compete against yourself…everyone will help you.
More:
Ben Comen: Truly Living Without Limits here
What do you think? so, who do you compete against?
Tips for Personal Branding
Monday, August 2nd, 2010In the current job climate we all need to learn personal branding. Dan Schawbel of Millennial Branding sat with Alison Bologna to discuss all this and more.
Weather it’s beefing up your Facebook contacts, connecting with hiring managers on twitter or learning how to turn your passion into your new career. At any age, your brand is important in the work force.
Dan wrote “Me 2.0″ which shows job seekers and established professionals how to use the power of online media for personal empowerment and career success.
Me 2.0, Revised and Updated Edition: 4 Steps to Building Your Future
What do you think?
How do you use social networking sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook in your job search?
Do you know how to build your personal brand?
If you need help with personal brand and job search, contact us here
Why we do What we do?
Monday, July 26th, 2010In 2006, I left my corporate job at HP France to move to Los Angeles as an international student. I wanted to improve my English language skills, learn about the American way of doing business and eventually start my own. More importantly, I was in search of making meaningful changes in my life in order to add value to my own existence while possibly making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Not only was coming to the U.S. difficult, but once I arrived, I experienced a wide variety of both encouraging and negative feelings, such as excitement, surprise, happiness, loss of identity, anxiety, disorientation and confusion, while facing language, academic and integration challenges. I sometimes felt like a child.
Thankfully, some great people both from my university, UCLA, and off campus taught me the skills that I needed, showed me around, helped me adjust to the American culture, and inspired me. Some also provided me knowledge and methods for a better understanding of the ins- and- outs of running a business in this country, encouraged me to challenge the conventional thinking, and helped me discover and articulate my greater purpose.
I believe that the majority of international students and foreign exchange visitors to the United States face the same challenges. However, not all of them are lucky enough to receive the same attention, care and consideration — helping them to improve their experience, develops a better understanding of people of different backgrounds, or even get the tools needed to realize their dreams. For those people, I founded “U in the USA”.
In brief, our mission is to simplify international students’ and foreign exchange visitors’ lives, to help them interact more effectively with Americans, and to assist them in achieving their goals. We also try to encourage them to take advantage of this program to create connections and even make lifelong friends.
To learn more about what we do, and how we do it, please visit us www.uintheusa.com or contact us at www.facebook.com/uintheusa
Jean-Marc Dedeyne
President and Founder of U in the USA
Tel : 1-800-464-7681
Ten Top Smartphone Apps for College
Saturday, July 17th, 2010If you’re headed to college in the fall, it might be the last thing on your mind in July. But summer’s the perfect time to explore the world of smartphone apps, particularly those designed with college students and MBAs in mind. Even the best ones are free and they offer functionality that includes everything from increasing the size of your Facebook following to boosting your vocabulary. We’ve compiled a list of 10 useful applications—most available on iTunes—that cover both prepping for school and succeeding once you’re there. Take a look, explore your favorites, and begin downloading. Continue here
By Sommer Saadi
Source : Business Week
To Help you Live Your Dreams we added a New Member
Monday, July 12th, 2010Hello Fans,
I hope you had a great weekend.
I wanted to take some time to thank you for your positive interest, constructive comments and continuing support.
Because we want you feel more comfortable, have a superior experience and more importantly achieve your goals in the United States, I added a new member to our International Team.
It’s now my pleasure to introduce to you our new member, Bethiël.
Bethiël Tekle Mariam is an Eritrean lady, born and raised in the Netherlands. She moved to the sunny California 6 months ago to pursue her American Dream. Currently, she is enrolled in an International Management & Operations Certificate program at the University of California, Irvine, and she plans on starting off her professional career this fall within the field of International Marketing & Communication. This 26 year-old has a passion for travelling, and she is fortunate to have seen all the major cities in Europe and the USA. While studying abroad in St. Louis, Missouri and Valencia, Spain she understood how much cultural differences can make someone not feel at home. In St. Louis, Missouri, she was involved in the International Business Club and the International Student Organization. During her recent experience in the United States, she learned how to overcome and adjust herself to any obstacles she ran into.
Bethiel joined U in the USA to share her experience, help you feel more at home within the American culture and more importantly help you live your dreams. In the days to come, she will personally connect with each of you to discuss your interests, questions and ways to reach your own goals.
I will appreciate your help in making Bethiël feel welcome in our community.
Thank you.
Jean-Marc Dedeyne
U in the USA
“International Students & Visitors. Life Simplified!”
Want to know more about Bethiël click here
How to Mix with People at Parties?
Saturday, July 10th, 2010This week on Wordmaster, Avi Arditti, Rosanne Skirble and Jeanne Martinet give us some tips about mixing with people– what works?”Jeanne Martinet offers some help in an updated edition of her popular book “The Art of Mingling.”
“Well, what doesn’t work is that you should never walk up to somebody and ask them right away what they do for a living. It’s not only sort of rude, and it’s sort of like ‘who are you, are you worth my time?’ But it’s also bringing up a conversation that you don’t know what you’re bringing up.Read more here
Listen to the story here
Source : VOA News
The Art of Mingling: Proven Techniques for Mastering Any Room
Want more?
The Art of Mingling : Lear How to Be a Party here
25 useful resources to improve your writing
Thursday, June 24th, 2010If you’re interested in improving your writing skills, Online MBA just did you a big favor. They’ve compiled twenty-five handy references and resources to help you tighten your form, grammar, style, and punctuation.
Get the goods at Online MBA.
