PRINCE2® What you need to know

PRINCE2 ® What you need to know by Michael Cheary Looking for a career in Project Management? We’ve got just the right course for you…Whether you’re looking to progress within project management or you’re just starting out, a PRINCE2 ® qualification could be the perfect way to kick-start your career.Not sure where to start? Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know:What is PRINCE2 ®?PRINCE2 ® (which stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a world-recognised project management method, endorsed as the industry standard by the UK government.In a nutshell, PRINCE2 ® helps you plan and control a project of any size around a structure of key activities, ensuring that the benefits of a project always outweigh the costs.PRINCE2 ® courses are divided into the following three classifications: PRINCE2 ® Foundation, PRINCE2 ® Practitioner and PRINCE2 ® Professional.What are the different PRINCE2 ® qualifications?PRINCE2 ® Foundation â€" Entry level qualification, providing an introduction to the principles of PRINCE2 ®. Can be taken online, and will last between 20 and 50 hours. No formal pre-requisites.PRINCE2 ® Practitioner â€" The next step after Foundation level, putting your knowledge of PRINCE2 ® into practice. You must have PRINCE2 ® Foundation qualification to get started.PRINCE2 ® Professional â€" The highest level of PRINCE2 ®, aimed at experienced project staff. You must hold the previous two levels to take this course.Why do I need PRINCE2 ®?PRINCE2 ® has become an essential benchmark of capability within the industry, and is considered a pre-requisite for many project management job vacancies. In fact, it is estimated that there are over 300,000 practitioners of PRINCE2 ® across 57 different countries.It has become shorthand for successful project management, and displays that you are qualified and experienced in many of the major elements needed to successfully manage a project from start to finish.What methods of learning are there?For a PRINCE2 ® Foundat ion qualification, you can choose to tailor your learning to what works best for you. If you’re looking for something flexible, then online courses are available to help you learn from home. If you feel more productive in a classroom setting however, more traditional based learning is also available.For PRINCE2 ® Practitioner and PRINCE2 ® Professional courses, you will have to take the exams in a classroom or assessment centre.Find out what type of course is right for youAdvantages of becoming PRINCE2 ® qualifiedBased upon best practicesIt’s a worldwide-recognised project management qualificationProvides a standard and tested framework to manage projects of different kindsIt gives you a script to explain what   you are doing, when you are doing it, and how you are going to deliver the final resultsIt can be tailored to properly manage any project, regardless of its size and regardless of its industryWill help kick-start your career in project managementSix reasons to become  PR INCE2 ® qualifiedWhat PRINCE2 ® students are saying“A PRINCE2 ® qualification is a great asset for your CV and gives project managers the skills and confidence to manage a wide range of projects. Since becoming a PRINCE2 ® Practitioner I have found it much easier to structure my projects, and it’s really helped me communicate with all members of my team more effectively, so that they know what’s expected of them. Being able to have a consistent approach to each project has been invaluable.”(Sam Clark, Junior Project Manager)Ready to get started with  PRINCE2 ®?  Not sure which course is right for you?  View all available courses now.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the

From Application to Settlement, Know What to Expect

From Application to Settlement, Know What to Expect I believe the concept of Murphys Law if something can go wrong, it will go wrong was created around the time of the first real estate settlement. I do not mean to make light of one of the most trying and stressful events any of us will encounter. However, it seems that no matter the planning and care put into making things go smoothly, somehow a wrench will always get thrown into the works. Even with the most seasoned of real estate investors, there always seem to be last minute demands for paperwork, unwanted delays, or some other unexpected surprise. So what is it about real estate settlements that are so enigmatic? It helps to understand all the moving parts that are involved in getting a mortgage to know where issues can and most often will arise at settlement. Pre-Application: This may be one of the most important times in the entire process as expectations are established between you and your mortgage banker. It is not uncommon to ask for interest rates, payment scenarios, or even a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) before submitting an application. However, the information provided to you will be based on any discussions you have had with your loan officer but not a fully underwritten loan. Even so, you would be surprised how many people with excellent credit fail to mention the fact they were late on this payment or that one which most likely will negatively affect their credit score and their interest rate. One thought on the GFE this is an estimate. Your lender can identify the fees, if any, associated with doing the loan with his bank; however, everything else is an estimate of third party fees or estimates of taxes, insurance, existing loan payoffs, prepaid items (that will change depending on what day you settle), to name a few. Instead of a lender generated GFE, ask the designated settlement company for a pre-HUD1. Although not carved in stone, it is a more accurate estimate of closing costs especially from third parties. Application: Honesty is the best policy and it could not be more true than for the information you provide on your application. It is important to be as thorough as possible on your application and provide your mortgage banker with as much information up front. If you leave required information off of the application, you will eventually need to provide it (see processing and underwriting below), but this will only delay getting your to settlement. The last thing you want to do is surprise your banker with undisclosed information or have it turn up in the ‘11th hour. Processing: This is the behind the scenes part of the application process you do not see, but it is an essential part of getting your loan approved. Information about your work history, income, credit history, previous addresses, among other areas needs to be verified or validated in order to get your loan approved. The loan processor assigned to your file is responsible for checking to make sure this information is true and accurate. For example, if you have a three month gap in employment for whatever reason, it will need to be documented appropriately. A common hold up in processing is the transfer of funds between accounts. If you are buying a home and are putting money down, the bank needs to see where that money is coming from. If you transfer money from one account to another, you will have to provide the paper trail explaining the large deposit and where the money came from. Seems simple but this can often cause unnecessary headaches. Appraisal: If you have ever been pre-approved for a loan, you will see that it is always subject to a satisfactory appraisal. And whether you are buying or refinancing, some kind of appraisal needs to be done on the ‘subject property. It is this appraised value that underpins the entire transaction. However, appraisals are most often provided by third party vendors not your bank or lender. Make sure the appraisal is ordered as soon as possible and make sure someone you or your Realtor is available to let the appraiser in to see the property once it is scheduled. By delaying the appraisal or not providing timely access to your home to the appraiser can create the most significant delays for closing. Appraisals can make or break deals. If you tell your mortgage banker that your house is worth $400,000, but the appraisal comes back anywhere below that even by a $1 the whole nature of your transaction can change or even fall through. In a market where values are stabilizing, providing a fair estimate upfront can be the most helpful step to get your loan to close. Speaking of closing, it is common to receive a copy of your appraisal at closing. Be sure to ask for yours then. Underwriting: This is where your application, credit profile, validated information, and appraisal all come together so your loan can be approved. These days it is not uncommon for banks to use electronic or desktop underwriting systems. Whether electronically or manually underwritten, the information in your file is evaluated relative to the guidelines for the loan you requested. Here your loan can get the coveted approval; however, any approval will be subject to certain conditions. These conditions come down to the validation of the information provided on your application which takes us full circle to the processing piece of the loan. This is why accuracy on the application is so important. Remember you are getting approved based on the information you have provided as it applies to specific parameters of the loan you discussed with your loan officer. Title: While your bank is working on getting your loan approved, the title company is simultaneously working on preparing the title work for your property. They are looking to see that the title is clear or that no one else has a legal right to the property, taxes have been paid, there are no judgments, or liens. You can imagine houses in and around a city with a history as rich as Washington DC have some remarkable title issues. It also is amazing to see that some title companies will uncover issues that other companies have overlooked in the past. So even refinancing your own home, when you think your title is clear, can turn out to be an eye opening experience. From before you even submit an application, the stage is set for a successful or frustrating settlement experience. Getting to settlement is rarely a perfect process and there are many working parts and many third parties involved. Working closely with a knowledgeable mortgage banker and Realtor who you trust is critical to helping to make the process go as smoothly and painlessly as possible. There also has to be a shared commitment to getting you to close which requires open and honest communication. But, we can not forget Murphys Law. So having some patience may be the most important element to a successful real estate closing. Copyright FELA, Inc. 2009

Personal Brands Have Unrealistic Expectations - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Brands Have Unrealistic Expectations - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I just plunked down a sizeable portion of my total net worth, investing it with someone I believe in. He’s a first time entrepreneur, except for being the helpful, handy neighbor boy while he was growing up. Among his credentials is this: no one has ever handed him anything â€" he’s always earned his way. And, by the way, he doesn’t have a clue what a personal brand is, whether he has one or what it could be. The relentless brand Long ago he created his company’s name and drew its logo, thinking one day it might make a great tattoo. He’s kept a notebook about his vision hidden in his bookshelf, along with artwork and other little known talents tucked away because they’ve been called unrealistic. He was too humble to think that his vision would be more than ink on his skin. What impressed me was how hard he’d always worked. It’s an ethic that started way before I knew him, when he was about eight years old. He got a wheelbarrow and some mix to make concrete. Then he went neighbor by neighbor asking if he could patch up the short wall that stood between their houses and the lake they surrounded. He did it year after year, adding snow shoveling, and leaf raking to his services. He liked the feeling of being a little handyman, earning his own money and self-respect. More than daydreaming By 14, he joined ski club in school and was the only kid who doled out $100 of his own money to buy a ski jacket. He bought his bikes, his video game tokens, his books, his cars and so on, as the prizes of his desire got bigger. Eventually, and I mean eventually â€" about ten years â€" he worked his way through college. By then he had worked as a chef in a fine dining restaurant, when he turned down the offer of a full time job there â€" because the drinks were free and he couldn’t recall a day without a beer, actually several of them. Oh, and on one of the three jobs he did to keep himself in school he was blinded when an industrial lawnmower launched a rock at his face. The doctors said his eye had exploded and they would have to remove it. In fact it didn’t, so he got to keep it, but he never regained much sight in it. Yet, he’s a free ride downhill mountain biker, mogul skier and the guy who believes, “if you can’t get killed doing it, it’s not my kind of sport.” The most remarkable theme that runs through his life is how many people doubted his will, his talent, his aptitude, his abilities and his character. The only other consistent theme is how he persisted against the odds. So, when I met him I was pretty impressed with his relentlessness. If I would get to name his personal brand promise, it would be complicated. He is courageous, strong, meticulous, resourceful, charismatic, honest, strict with himself and a great judge of character. The only things he hates are intolerance and eggplant. He plays a great bass guitar in his garage. As if the universe is making up for a lifetime of being discounted, he now has an abundance of people cheering him on in his new venture. I am only one of them. Personal brands: what would your prospective investors, referral sources, recruiters, clients, prospects, boss, co-workers, and the janitor say about you? Do you help the box boy pack your groceries? Are you first to offer jumper cables? Would you wake up early on Saturday to help a friend move a couch? Personal brands: Avoid anyone who’s telling you “you can’t succeed,” or “this is a tough economy,” or anything else that makes your life more difficult. Focus on being more than a human doing; consider who you are as a human being. This is the time to have unrealistic expectations and ignore the madding crowd. Just because things don’t add up logically, don’t think your dreams don’t count. Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen.

The 11 Best Spring Reads For Female Entrepreneurs

The 11 Best Spring Reads For Female Entrepreneurs If you’re working on a goal for 2019 to be more successful, educated, patient, or just a better leader in general, you’ve come to the right place. A wonderful way to keep moving towards your goal is to pick up impactful books. But as a female entrepreneur, how do you know what to read? Your time is, after all, limited when you’re busy building a business. You want to be smart about your choices. We’ve curated a selection of the best books for female entrepreneurs to read in 2019 picked directly from the bookshelves of a diverse group of impactful leaders around the globe. There’s something for everyone in this listâ€"and plenty of small business management lessons you can carry through the remainder of the year to spark inspiration, creativity, and success. 1. The Lean Startup by Eric Reis, Picked by Sheryl Sandberg Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, lauds The Lean Startup for entrepreneurs who are starting out. The book helps entrepreneurs build that effective, sustainable, and (of course) lean business model that’s often so hard to plan. If you’d like to build a new business plan, or refine your own, in the New Year, you can learn lessons around how to focus your organization as well as learn from failures. 2. Its Not About the Coffee: Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks by Howard Behar, Picked by Katrina Lake In a business leadership world dominated by men, Katrina Lake has made a name for herself. The founder and CEO of clothing subscription company Stitch Fix, Lake has not only built a distinctive business, but also taken her company public with an IPO. Business goals! She recommends the retired Starbucks’s president’s book, which she told Entrepreneur helped her create a healthy company culture with defined core values. 3. Radical Technologies by Adam Greenfield, Picked by Indra Nooyi Indra Nooyi may have stepped down from her post as CEO at PepsiCo late last year (she’s currently the chairwoman), but her business insights are still invaluable. And as a leader herself, Nooyi also spends time reading upâ€"including Radical Technologies, which she told the Wall Street Journal stood out to her. Providing a picture of how innovation has affected both the current world landscape and will make a mark on the future, Greenfield’s can help you understand both why your business is where it is now, and where it could go, too. 4. Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos, Picked by Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann Interested in changing the world? Then understanding the world is a big part of that. CEO of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, told Fortune that Evan Osnos’s Age of Ambition had a big impact her on, helping her get a unique, unfiltered perspective into China. 5. Fish: A Proven Way To Boost Morale And Improve Results by Stephen C Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen, Picked by Renu Sud Karnad In India, HDFC Bank is one of the leading home loan lenders for the booming country. Karnad, who’s been among HDFC’s top managers since 2010, recommends this beautiful book to help approach work with fresh eyes. She says that its “lucid and simple style of narration” and curious setting in a fish market helped her understand how important bringing passion into the workplace isâ€"and makes a huge difference for team (and personal) morale. 6. A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson, Picked by Oprah Winfrey When Oprah speaks, people listen. Which is why you might want to consider listening to her book recommendation. The CEO of the OWN Network, and entrepreneur in so many other respects, loves the number one best-selling A Return to Love, which she said moved her the most any book ever has. (And Winfrey has read a lot of super-soulful books.) It’s definitely a spiritual readâ€"as is Oprah’s styleâ€"but at its core can help you understand where your pain and struggles originate, enabling you to find happiness and fulfillment both professionally and personally. 7. The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism by Olivia Fox Cabane, Picked by Marissa Mayer and Laura Lang This one gets a double stamp of approval, courtesy of former Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer as well as digital media and advertising CEO Laura Lang, formerly of Digitas and Time Inc. Both influential leaders, who are each used to being in the public eye, have recommended The Charisma Myth. Lang says the book is a useful, practical guide you can use as a leader to understand the relationship between your personality and authority. 8. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy, Picked by Maria Ramos You may not have heard of Maria Ramos, but she’s a name to know. The Portugal-born CEO now heads up financial services company Absa Group (formerly Barclays Africa)â€"which is just about as big as it gets in Africa. Among Ramos’s reading list is the second novel from Booker Prize-winning Arundhati Roy. Yes, it’s fictionâ€"but there’s an endless number of lessons to learn from this delicate, complex novel about the lives of many different people in one of India’s toughest period in history. Understanding humanity, and what makes people tick, is vital to becoming a compassionate, empathetic entrepreneur. 10. Enter Helen: The Invention of Helen Gurley Brown and the Rise of the Modern Single Woman by Brooke Hauser, Picked by Teresa Clarke Another recommendation from an African executive comes from Africa.com chairwoman and CEO Teresa Clarke. This pioneering black entrepreneur with an investment banking background has first-hand experience as a modern leader (or lady boss, whichever you’d prefer). So, it’s no wonder she’s read Hauser’s biography of publishing trailblazer Helen Gurley Brown. If you want to shake things upâ€"like Gurley Brown or Clarkeâ€"you’d be well served to understand the past success of those who did, too. 11. The Firestarter Sessions by Danielle Laporte, Picked by Joanna Lord In cities and towns around the country, ClassPass has redefined how people book and discover boutique fitness. ClassPass CMO Joanna Lord told Fast Company how much she liked The Firestarter Sessions to help guide building both a career and life full of happiness. She stands by the book so much that she’s actually gifted to dozens of her own employees, citing what an impact it’s made for everyone who cracks it open. This post was authored by the staff of Fundera

The Thing About Hard Work

The Thing About Hard Work Hard work.We don’t like it but it’s what we must do to achieve success. Taking note that we have our own definition of success.But the thing with hard work is that it always pays off. You won’t go wrong doing hard work especially if you love what you do and feel that your work is your purpose.evalHard work means sacrificing some things such as time with friends, going out to party, and taking a vacation because work becomes one of our priorities and we’re only human, we don’t have time for everything and we need to get some rest to energize ourselves.If there’s one thing you don’t ever sacrifice for hard work, it’s your health. How can you still do the things you love and achieve success when you’re not in good shape, right? And if you can’t do it all, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Even superheroes need help.Hard work doesn’t mean you have to do it alone and you have to burn yourself out.In that note, I think you’ll find this infographic made by Darius Fo roux and Visme. Darius Foroux perfectly reminds us how to work hard the safe and peaceful way.Infographic Credit â€" dariusforoux.com

Power Networking! Simple Tips to Change your Career Fast

Power Networking! Simple Tips to Change your Career Fast Power Networking! Simple Tips to Change your Career Fast Power Networking! Simple Tips to Change your Career Fast August 6, 2010 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas Leave a Comment Prefer to listen to the podcast version of this post? Powered by Podbean.com You can also subscribe to our Career Coaching 360 podcast RSS feed. Career Coaching 360 podcasts are also available on iTunes. If you have you been thinking about making a career change, networking should be in your Career Change Toolbox. But, whats the right way to network? Here are my tips for Power Networking to make a faster career change as a professional or executive. The next time you find yourself in a room with someone youd like to meet, look around to see if theres someone else around your know who could introduce the two of you. Then, keep the conversation focused on them. (Its not about you! At least not yet, anyway!) So, ask them about their latest marketing campaign or product launch, or comment on something new or interesting thats going on inside their company. Next, try to get their business card by simply saying, Id love to stay in touch how about if we exchange business cards? Then,

A Basic Guide To UTSA Resume Writing

A Basic Guide To UTSA Resume WritingUtmost care should be taken while writing a UTSA resume. It is important to know what UTSA means before you can truly understand the right way to prepare a UTSA resume. Utsa is a scientific term that represents an enzyme in the body called urease. This enzyme is responsible for breaking down uric acid.A UTSA is represented as a central figure, which represents the entire health condition of the patient. The central figure often has a name like, Antonio, J.G., Rene, or Monica. The person of their choice is their dream employer. They are prepared to present their case to their employers. It is an emotional experience for them and they find it exciting to be able to present themselves to a number of people.The UTSA resume is divided into several sections. One is the CV (Curriculum Vitae). It is also known as the 'Curriculum Vitae'. It must be well-written with only positive aspects included on it.The next section of the resume is the letters. These le tters must contain the unique details about a person. You can include about 2 letters if you want to.The next section is known as the academic facts. These include the names of all high schools and colleges attended by the person. The college transcripts must be included along with any other documents related to their course of study. In the letter, they must describe the qualities they possess that make them good candidates for the UTSA job.The next area is the achievements. They should write about the areas they excel in. They should be able to enumerate some areas that they are a strong candidate in. They must also tell about the things that they have achieved through hard work.They should also include the list of positions they held and the type of jobs they held in each one. Each one must include a brief description about the job. They must also state why they were successful in the job. They should also mention about the major activities they engaged in to gain employment. The re must be a brief section which describes the obstacles that they overcame.This is very essential for any person who wants to get a position as a human resource officer. Before you are able to prepare a UTSA resume, you must be able to read through the CVs of people who have applied for this type of job. The next thing that you need to do is to make a list of the things that you want to include in your own resume. These things can be modified depending on the personal requirements of the people.