Daily Career Connection

After More than 50,000 Women Applied for First Round Scholarships eLearners.com and Five Online Colleges and Universities Make Back-to-School Possible Once Again for Working Moms
Hoboken, NJ, June 23, 2008 – eLearners.com, a web resource of EducationDynamics, today announced the launch of “Project Working Mom 2”, an advocacy campaign that provides working mothers the opportunity to receive a full-ride scholarship to online colleges and universities.  The first $2 million in scholarship funding, which was awarded around Mother’s Day, attracted more than 50,000 applicants, prompting eLearners.com and five schools to offer another $2 million in scholarships to working moms, in time for the back-to-school season.  American Sentinel University, Ashford University, Capella University, Everest University and Penn Foster College have joined forces to help working moms overcome the obstacles of time, money and confidence and achieve their educational dreams.  The deadline to apply for a scholarship at www.projectworkingmom.com is August 31.
“When we launched Project Working Mom, we had no idea that the need and aspiration of working moms to advance their education was so enormous,” said Terrence Thomas, EVP Marketing Operations at EducationDynamics.  “The sheer volume of the applicants and the heart wrenching essays demonstrated a national imperative to support working moms to better their lives and the lives of their families.”
To help finance a college degree, in addition to the full-ride scholarships provided through Project Working Mom, eLearners.com provides a database with $15 billion in scholarship opportunities.  Visitors to www.projectworkingmom.com will also find a comprehensive interactive website with online education resources, profiles of working moms going to school online and a community of women sharing their experiences. 
“In light of today’s competitive job market, a college degree is more important than ever,” continued Thomas.  “Project Working Mom allows women to learn how online education can help them overcome the barriers of time, money and confidence to earn their degree.  The site provides a wealth of information, quizzes and tips on how to succeed as an online student.”
The full-ride college scholarships through Project Working Mom 2 are for online programs from the associate’s to Ph.D. level at American Sentinel University, Ashford University, Capella University, Everest University or Penn Foster College.  To apply for the scholarships, working moms submit a short application and an essay with their life, education and/or career goals, and explain how an online education will allow them to achieve those goals.   The recipients will be announced in September.
Editor’s Note:  To interview one of the scholarship recipients from the first round of Project Working Mom, a member of Project Working Mom, a current online student, or a member of the participating universities, contact Jenny Foust at 303.433.7020, jfoust@csg-pr.com. 
About eLearners.com®
The eLearners.com website is one of several high visibility, high-quality prospecting tools offered by EducationDynamics, LLC.  Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting learners to online education, including online degree and certificate programs, specialized career training, and a variety of online courses. For prospective students, eLearners® provides a powerful search engine for users to find thousands of online program offerings, as well as educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. For colleges and universities, the eLearners.com website offers a low-cost, performance-based method to provide national exposure and increase enrollments in their programs.  For more information on eLearners.com, visit http://www.elearners.com/.
About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics, LLC, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is a leading interactive marketing and information services company focused on helping higher education institutions find, enroll and retain students. Home to some of the most visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, and StudyAbroad.com, EducationDynamics is one of the leading providers of qualified leads for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of web-delivered products and services to manage a school’s relationship with students across their entire life cycle from inquiry through enrollment to retention. For more information on EducationDynamics, please visit http://www.educationdynamics.com/.
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In utmost sincerity, it has nothing to do with how much you like (or dislike) your boss; how much money you get paid (or don’t get paid); how much praise you receive (or don’t receive).

The good assistant knows it’s all about business. Whether you’re the assistant to the neighborhood drycleaner, an intern at a media factory, or the executive assistant to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the good assistance knows it’s all about the business. Period.

In fact, the “job” isn’t to appease the employer, rally behind the team or make sure there’re donuts on Friday mornings. The “job” is always to consider, “Is it good for the company?”

If you ask yourself that question each time you hear idle gossip, each time your employer asks you for your honest opinion, or even if you’re answering calls, you’ll never go wrong by keeping that thought in the forefront of your mind.

The good assistant knows that the boss isn’t necessarily the person who signs your paycheck, or the person whose name is on the door. Your boss-your real boss-is the corporation itself. As an assistant, you have a higher calling than many of those even in upper management. You are likely privy to more information than even department heads. You likely know that a new candidate will be hired, or that a long-term employee will be fired, long before the information’s made public. You can never take your position for granted.

The good assistant knows there’s a fine line between ‘lunching’ with her colleagues and ‘hanging out’ with the gang. While she appreciates sharing encouragement with other staff members over a meal, she recognizes that nighttime social events could cause confusion among those same peers, especially those who are not mature enough to respect her clearly defined position within the organization. “Letting her hair down,” particularly among co-workers, could diminish respect for her in the eyes of others. To the good assistant, respect is key to her success, and she guards it carefully.

The good assistant knows when idle chit chat is fun and when it’s disturbing. She’s never in the company of others who are gossiping and tarnishing another’s reputation, but she’s good for a joke or two and even enjoys a harmless prank (that doesn’t detract from getting the job done).

A good assistant knows when to keep silent. She knows it’s not important for others to know what she knows, but it’s equally important for her to know what others know…and what they think they know. Yet she’s trustworthy to keep that info safe.

She understands that everyone has a bad day, and doesn’t pre-judge simply because someone’s made a thoughtless comment. And if she’s the offender, she knows how important it is to apologize - and be sincere when she does.

The good assistant is tactful, never tacky…and always reveals truth as she knows it to be…even if that truth is painful to reveal, and even more painful to hear.

She’s encouraging and helpful, and her compliments are seasoned with good taste and fine words…not simply sugar-coated to hide her true feelings. If she says it, she means it.

She has the admiration of others in the company since she’s proven to be valuable in times of distress, a pleasant breeze after “it” has hit the fan, and strong shoulder to lean on in times of professional strife and personal duress.

Her humor is always tasteful. And her poise is matched by her consistent attire, always clean and classy. Her wardrobe is not gaudy or trashy. You won’t get a glimpse of her underwear, and her cleavage is never revealed. To her, “Dress Down Day” doesn’t mean flip flops and bare midriffs, but means attire that is more laid back than usual.

Her nails don’t resemble eagle’s claws, but is well manicured and tastefully designed.

The good assistant does whatever comes next. She isn’t above emptying the trash, cleaning the kitchen or scrubbing the toilet when necessary.

She’s the heart of the organization, the face known to the public, the confidante to the person in charge, and the defendant of all those in need of support.

And lastly, while the good assistant knows that she’s a valuable asset to the company and that it simply can’t thrive without her, she’s gracious enough not to say it.

*For the sake of this article, the good assistant will be referred to in the feminine sense.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judith_Brown

For life fulfillment, career happiness and satisfaction is a major bonus.

When first seeking a direction, the first thing that you will need to know is whether your interests are aligned to the profession or not. It is always far better to follow a career path that is in line with one’s inclination.

If you are a person who likes to talk to people, you may want to find a job that allow you to do just that. If you have the gift of gab and can persuade others through your speech, you should put your speech talent to good use.

Some careers rely on the persons’ ability to convey information and messages. These careers use the spoken language extensively.
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More evidence of an economic downturn and imminent recession presents itself every day. And no aspect of living appears to be exempt from the crunch. From daily visits to the supermarket to weekly trips to the gas station, the pinch is like an unavoidable slap in the face. Compound the grim economic outlook with high unemployment rates and massive layoffs and the picture isn’t pretty.

We’re living in one of those times that call for making lemonade with the lemons, especially if you’re out of work. The job security enjoyed by previous generations is gone and shows no signs of returning. While no one career is recession-proof, some choices are better than others are, and they all can be managed to reduce the risks and impact.

It’s time to be proactive. Think of these suggestions as a personal career insurance plan and a way to build job layoff immunity: Being proactive sounds like simple advice. The term is sometimes tossed about casually and almost a cliché in the world of career advising. The truth is that career planning should be constantly in motion. The downward spiral created by an unanticipated layoff does not have to exist. The best time to update a resume is not when you’re preparing for a job search.
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