Archive for the ‘Entrepreneurial skills’ Category
It’s Time to Unleash Your Ideas
Friday, October 22nd, 2010In November, millions of people around the globe will participate in the world’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship. Thousands of events in more than 100 countries will celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010 (GEW), Nov. 15-21. Now in its third year, the event will bring together aspiring and inspiring entrepreneurs, helping them embrace originality, imagination, and ingenuity through local, national, and global activities.
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation will host the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) Global Finals during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2010. The GSEA Global Finals will be held in Kansas City, Mo. on Nov. 17-19, 2010. GEW is Nov. 15-21, 2010.
The GSEA Finals brings together high school, university, and graduate student entrepreneurs from around the world to compete for the title of “Student Entrepreneur of the Year.” Prizes include cash and in-kind business services, and access to the Global Entrepreneurs’ Organization Network to grow their businesses and skills.
In the span of two short years, Global Entrepreneurship Week has inspired more than 10 million people in 102 countries to unleash their ideas. It has touched aspiring entrepreneurs from major cities to remote villages.
Find an event near you here
Promote Yourself without Being Self-Promotional
Thursday, October 21st, 2010Explaining why someone should hire you, or introduce you to a friend who is hiring, can be uncomfortable.
You need to sell yourself, but you don’t want to sound like a salesperson.
Instead of detailing what’s so great about you, tell a story that covers the following:
Situation. Explain the problem or situation that you, your unit, or your company faced.
Tasks. Outline what your responsibility was in solving the problem.
Achievements. Make clear what you did to meet your responsibility.
Results. What happened as a result of your achievements? Did revenues increase? Did customer satisfaction improve? Use specific examples to pique your audience’s interest.
Source: Harvard Business Review
Why do Students Need Business Cards?
Saturday, September 11th, 2010Student life does not ordinarily revolve around business cards. But it is important to start building your personal brand already during your university years. Doing so will get you ahead of the majority of your classmates and will serve you well when the time comes to start applying for that first job.
Having business cards on hand will help when…
… you suddenly meet an employee of a company you’d like to work or intern for
… you want to differentiate yourself at a careers’ fair
… a recruiter asks for your contact information
… you want to seem professional
… you receive someone’s card and they ask for yours as well
… you’re talking to someone who has your dream job and you want to be able to follow up and get some more tips on how to get where they are
What should I put on my card?
How can I get my cards?
Continue here
By: Anna Manasova
Source: Student Branding Blog
Have you used business cards as a student before? Tell us about your experience in the comments.
If you need help with your business card or job research, please contact us here
Alumni panelists exchange business cards with students and fellow USC Law grads
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.
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?
How To Achieve Your Childhood Dreams?
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010Almost all of us have childhood dreams. When our parents ask us what we want to become when we grow up, some would say: “I want to become a doctor someday.” “I want to become a lawyer.” Or some would say “I want to become a famous singer or a famous Hollywood artist like my idol!”
We want to point you out to a remarkable speech by Ryan Pausch, Professor of Computer Science in Carnegie-Mellon University who has pancreatic cancer and died last July 25, 2008.
His last lecture was entitled “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” delivered on September 18, 2007, and was watched by almost 12 millions of people on youtube. Ryan Pausch achieved a lot of his dreams: Walking in zero gravity, designing a theme park for Disney, helped develop Alice, a computer software used by the university, to easily create 3D animations, etc.
Here are some of the remarkable insights that he shared to his audience:
“Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things.” – because the brick walls are there to stop people who don’t want badly enough.
“It’s not about how you achieve your dreams but how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the good karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.
“Almost all of us have childhood dreams; for example, being an astronaut, or making movies or video games for a living. Sadly, most people don’t achieve theirs, and I think that’s a shame. I had several specific childhood dreams, and I’ve actually achieved most of them. More importantly, I have found ways, in particular the creation (with Don Marinelli), of CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center of helping many young people actually achieve their childhood dreams”
In this lecture, Ryan gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals. He taught how to pursue our dreams. But the most important of all is that we should abide by the golden rule of life and that is to do good on others. By helping people to achieve their dreams, you are also helping yourself to achieve your own dreams.
So continue dreaming, do good to others and take action. Let’s achieve our dreams and once achieved, let’s also help others achieve their own dreams.
What are you childhood dreams? Are you chasing them? How do you lead your life? How do you want to help other achieve their own dreams?
Download Transcripts here
For more on Randy, visit here
Learn how to support the Randy Pausch Memorial Bridge, visit here
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
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