Top 10 Tips of Achieving Financial Brilliance

Financial brilliance is not inborn nor does it happen overnight. We learn it from someone or through an experience. If you’re not doing well financially, you’re probably ready for some advice that makes sense.  Here are10 unique bits of financial brilliance.

1.    Stop buying “stuff” you do not need!– The little money you spend each day on unnecessary items add up to thousands in a month and hundred thousand in a year.

2. “Live within your means. – This is the best rule to live by as it gets you financial freedom. You will be able to say yes to the things that matter because you save on the areas that aren’t as important to you.

3. If you don’t have an emergency fund, start one now! – It is okay to find ways to live below your means so that you can save for retirement and other long-term goals but at the same time make it a priority to set money aside in the event an urgent need arises.

4. Financial freedom only solves small problems – Money only solves problem related to luxury but our happiness in life is determined by how optimistic we are. Do not be a slave of money.

5. Financial intelligence is your most lucrative financial asset – “Before investing in real estate or the stock market, invest in yourself by developing your own financial intelligence.

6.  Concentrate on your passions and money will follow – Making money is the by-product of our guiding purpose. Try doing something you love, and you’re more likely to put your all into it, and that will equate to making money.

7. Make money on the side – Start by spending less money than you earn and you will be able to save. Apart from saving, try and make an additional income on the side for them.

8. Dream big!  It will motivate you to save– Dream big and ensure that it is achievable and realistic this will motivate you to work hard and save more.

9. Wealth comes with wealthy thinking – Our thoughts influence our lives greatly. Make sure you think like a wealthy person and also value yourself highly.

10. Be careful when lending money to friends and family – The problem with lending money to loved ones is this:  If you lend serious cash to someone you care about, you still expect it back right?  The down side is, most of them have no intention of paying back.

10 Ways How To Spot a Job Scam

 Straight out of campus, I wanted to land my first job as soon as possible. So, as any other graduate out there I didn’t give much thought to the job ads that I could find especially on the internet. My work was to apply, apply and apply some more.

Imagine my joy when I answered my phone after making an application and someone on the other side said… “Tabitha, I would like to inform you that you have been shortlisted for the job vacancy which you applied for this morning.”

I could feel my heart beat fast and you should have seen my face then, I was all smiles as I received the good news. I mean it only took them a few hours to get back to me!

“However, we will need your bank account number, ID number for filing and you have to send 1500 shillings through M-Pesa to serve as the recruitment fee before you can show up in our offices for the interview.”

I didn’t have Sh1, 500 then but I said I would send the money and email them my personal information as soon as I hanged up. Sh1, 500 was not going to stand in the way of me landing a job.

“Ati elfu moja na miatano?” (What do you mean Shs1500?) My mum asked after narrating what had just happened. I could feel my heart sink as she told me there was no way I was sending that kind of money to a stranger. “They are thieves. Haven’t you heard how people are losing money to such people nowadays?”

She asked for my phone and dialed the number which had contacted me but it was now ‘mteja’. Days later when I tried the number again it was still “mteja”

Moral of the story…I was too naïve and desparate for a job that were it not for my mother, I would have sent the money and have emailed the goons my personal information.

Don’t be caught up in the same situation.

Here is how you can tell that a certain job is a scam.

1.You get the job right away. After hours after  applying, the ‘interviewer’ immediately contacts you to offer you the job.

2.The job advert is too vague on the job requirements and job description

3.Most job scams will have unprofessional emails. If the email contains spelling, capitalization, punctuation or grammatical mistakes, be on your guard.

4. They will ask you to provide confidential information such as ID number or bank information for them to be able to  set up direct deposit or transfer money to your account.

5. They want you to pay for something. Most scammers will ask you to pay for a chance to get shortlisted.

6. The job advert has a job with a title that doesn’t match the description.

7. They use strange sentences or misspellings.

8.They don’t provide contact information. A quality job advert will tell you who to email or give you a valid company website.

9.If the job description has a bunch of exclamation points and promises high income in one week. You have seen most of this advert with …NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED…HIGH PAY!!!

10. One huge indication of a scam is a job which offers a great deal of money or benefits which are much more that what is normal for that job. By doing this, the scammer attracts more victims.

Be Wise, make it a habit to vet jobs before applying.

How To Stay Motivated When Feel You Have Reached Your END

Have you ever noticed that sometimes it can be incredibly difficult to stay positive and motivated? Perhaps you’re not getting the results you expected for your goals. Or maybe you’re getting results, just not the celebratory kind or magnitude you expected. Perhaps you’ve been trying to achieve a certain goal for a while now and everything is simply taking longer than you thought it would. Under these common circumstances it’s perfectly understandable that your patience might be beginning to wear a bit thin.

And surely you won’t give up on your goals (after all, quitters never win). But, again, it’s definitely understandable if the roaring enthusiasm you once had for them is slowly dwindling.

Well, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Because the truth is that almost ALL worthy goals and dreams take longer to bring into fruition than we initially expect (which means everyone experiences dwindling motivation after sustained work, at some point or another).

But, as long as you stick with your plans and goals – and remain true to yourself – your dreams WILL come into fruition. That’s why it’s so important that you don’t give up.

So, the question becomes: How on earth do you stay motivated after you’ve been working toward your goals for a while, yet still haven’t actually achieved them?

Here are ways to keep your motivation high, even during those dreadful slump periods where you’re ready to call it quits:

1. Be honest with yourself – Now’s the time to take stock of your efforts so far.

Ask yourself:
•    What has actually worked up until now?
•    What’s giving good results?
•    What’s giving no results?
•    What’s giving results that you’re not really happy with because you think these results are too small?
•    What can be done to improve or increase currently working results?
•    What are some new methods or approaches for achieving your desired goals that you haven’t tried yet?

Write down the answers to these questions. Doing so will give you some much-needed clarity (and some surprising, newly invigorated motivation).

More importantly, taking stock of your efforts so far will show you what you should do more of, what you should stop doing for now (or do less of), and what new, unchartered approaches are available to you moving forward.

2. Switch it up - If motivation’s dwindling, one thing you can do is step back and take some time away from what you’ve been doing for a while. Often, the clarity we need is obscured by constant action…meaning that sometimes, the only way to get the clarity you need to move forward is by doing the counterintuitive thing: Taking a break.

And while you’re at it, during your break do something you know you’re really good at and always successful at. This will give you the confidence boost (and motivation boost) you crave when it comes time to revisit your long-term goals.

3. Remember, everything happens for your benefit - Often, when things aren’t going exactly as we planned (meaning our way) we feel frustrated, angry, sad, or hurt and motivation decreases accordingly. That’s why it’s key to remember during these times that everything that happens in our lives usually serves an ultimately positive purpose.

The world is not out to get you…if anything the world is fully supportive of your desire to succeed. And the fact that you have that desire to succeed means something (because a lot of people don’t have it at all).

So, take it easy. Just because things are panning out differently than we might expect doesn’t mean they’re worse (often they’re actually better). Keeping this in mind will give you the strength, courage, and creativity you need as you go for your goals and dreams…whatever they may be.

By: Cece Suwal & Mark Brener,

3 Important Things To Consider While Choosing A Career

A while back we told you about a story of one lady who was against Diploma courses in Kenya because she believed the root problem why she was not getting  job was because she had a diploma and not a degree, an MBA or a PHD for that matter.

You will find that countless job seekers in Kenya are hapless when it come to land a job.

The reason why this happens could be influenced by a number of factors but here is the BIG question….…did you choose the right career or were you persuaded by someone say your parents or peers to follow a certain path?

Here are three things to consider before you jump ship into just any career out there.

1. What you are passionate about.
Take some stock of what you love doing. Your goal should be to find a career in an area that you love that also puts your skills to good use.

For example, if you enjoy looking at buildings, drawin and are good at mathematics, your dream career could be in structural engineering. When you do this, keep in mind the saying that “If you follow your passion, the money will follow.” In other words, it is possible to do what you love and have enough money to be happy.

2. The Job market.
After identifying your passions, do some research. Get to know of things such as, Is it hard to get a job in that industry? Doing research also provides a sense of what degrees, certifications or experience you need to enter a particular industry.

It also should help you begin to map out your career path, according to the various options and specialties within a field.

3. The financial well-being of that career path.
To choose a career or profession that will not give you financial freedom is a deadly mistake and you will end up asking yourself why in the world you chose this path instead of another.

Before choosing a career, ask yourself: Is it going to satisfy my needs? Is it going to satisfy my family needs? Will it give me future security?

What To Consider When Creating A Powerful Cover Letter

Every time you send out a CV, you’ll need to have a great cover letter to send along with it. Poor cover letters get no love. A cover letter is a chance to make a case, cover everything we can’t express in our resumes – which is a lot – and come across as real people to potential employers.

It’s a good idea to customize your cover letter for each job you’re applying for. The cover letter is another way of introducing yourself to a potential employer. What it says about you can be the difference between getting in the door and missing your chance. Don’t throw a cover letter together in the hope that nobody will actually read it; to take advantage of its full potential, follow these steps.

Before You Write
Each cover letter takes preparation. Find your answers to these important questions before you start writing your cover letter:
1.    What is the complete name of the company to which you are applying for a job?

2.    What is the name of the person to whom you are addressing the cover letter?

3.    What is the address of the person to whom you are sending the letter?

4.    What is the title of the job for which you are applying and does it also have a reference number that you should include?

5.    What is the type of job or level of the position you are seeking?
•    entry-level
•    management
•    senior level

6.    What skills do you possess that you are not using enough in your current role? Would the ideal candidate for this new role be required to make more use of those types of skills? What opportunities are missing in your current role? Answering these questions will help you explain why you are interested in leaving current position. For example, are you looking for:
•    room for advancement
•    an opportunity to learn new skills

7.    What is your current job or educational position? This may seem like an obvious question, but knowing how to clearly define your current role is a tremendous asset. For example, you could be a:
•    graduate student in environmental science
•    customer service professional specializing in the high-end retail market

8.    What is a general description of your accomplishments/experiences in the field to which you are applying? For example, you could have:
•    fifteen years of excellent customer service experience
•    an outstanding background in scientific research and discovery
•    a solid history of dependability in the IT industry

9.    What key professional skills can you offer to the company? List a few in your cover letter, such as:
•    extensive experience with start-ups
•    demonstrated ability to solve problems
•    refined ability to manage teams

10.    What will you help the company accomplish, if given the job you desire?
•    increase its bottom line
•    meet its goal of providing only the best in customer service
•    expand its customer base and increase its revenue

Dorcas is a Human Resource Consultant at Corporate Staffing Services. Email:dorcas@corporatestaffing.co.ke. Website: www.corporatestaffing.co.ke

5 Financial Tips For Every Young Professional Should Know

Personal finance has not yet become a required subject in college or universities; so many people might be fairly clueless about how to manage their money when out in the real world for the first time. If you think that understanding personal finance is way above your head, though, you’re wrong. All it takes to get started on the right path is the willingness to do a little reading – you don’t even need to be particularly good at math, neither do you need a career in finance.

Here are some important things to understand about money if you want to live a comfortable and prosperous life.

1. Learn Self Control - There are many small unnecessary expenses that we incur every day which at the end of the month make us get into debts and loans. But the sooner you learn the art of delaying gratification, the sooner you’ll find it easy to keep your finances in order. You better spend on what is necessary otherwise you will keep spilling your cash to non existing avenues. Also, if you can’t afford something, leave it to those who can, then go work and raise money to a level where you will easily buy your item without debt.

2. Take Control of Your Own Financial Future - If you don’t learn to manage your own money, other people will find ways to (mis)manage it for you. Some of these people are in business and want to make money out of you, especially if you do not understand the basic personal finance.  So, arm yourself with personal finance knowledge by reading books on personal finance so that you are not caught off guard. Understanding how money works is the first step toward making your money work for you.

3. Know Where Your Money Goes - Work on a very reasonable budget to ensure your expenses aren’t exceeding your income. Once you see how your morning java adds up over the course of a month, you’ll realize that making small, manageable changes in your everyday expenses can have just as big of an impact on your financial situation as getting a raise. In addition, keeping your recurring monthly expenses as low as possible will also save you big bucks over time. If you don’t waste your money on a posh apartment now, you might be able to afford a house before you know it.

4. Start an Emergency Fund - One of personal finance’s habits that should be continually repeated is pay yourself first. No matter how much you earn or owe in loans or debts, it is wise to find some amount of money in your budget to be put aside every month. Having money in savings to use for emergencies can really keep you out of trouble financially and help you sleep better at night. Save by investing in zero risk investment avenues.

5. Know the difference between your risk fund and risk free funds - The art of growing money requires taking some risks here and there. Risk fund is the amount of money that you send out there to do business ventures, ready to take some losses, which if you lost it; your living standards will not change. While risk free fund is money meant for you which may include: rent, school fees, daily expenses, health and emergency. This is the kind of money that you should protect with your heart and soul otherwise your living standards will keep going down. Keep both funds aside as the risk fund determines your future as the risk free takes care of now.

How to Get Scholarships and Grants

Winning free college money is rather like earning money for writing. You have to work at it, and you only get paid if you do it right. But, unlike being a professional writer, pretty much anyone can win free money for college as long as that person educates himself about the process, completes the applications properly, and follows up on a timely basis.

Perhaps you're asking yourself, "Why would I get free money?" That's not the question to ask. The real question to ask is, "Why wouldn't I get free money?" It's available, so why not try to get some of it?

What's Rule #1 in the free money process? Apply! If you don't ask, you won't get. Applying for scholarships and grants doesn't cost you anything except the price of postage and a few hours of work. So, as long as you meet the qualifications, you have no good reason not to apply for as many scholarships and grants as you can possibly manage.

Understanding the concept of free money

To get free money, you need to understand how the awards system works, who gives away the money, and what these people want in return. Then you need to get organized, focus on and prioritize the best awards for you, do a great job on as many applications as you can handle, and send them out on time. It sounds like a lot of work, but after you get the hang of it, it's really pretty easy.

First, you have to know what you're applying for exactly. Free money is generally divided into the following categories:

• Scholarships: If you're awarded a scholarship, a person or organization gives you money for something you've done or can do, such as getting top grades, being a basketball star, or showing exceptional leadership in the community.

• Grants: You can get this money for just being who you are — the African-American daughter of a firefighter from Indiana who has the marks to get into college but only half the money to pay for it, for example.

• Low-interest or interest-free loans: You have to pay back the loan, but you get to use the money while you're going to school, so the money is free for now.

• Other stuff: Sometimes, you don't win money; rather, you get free books, housing, or other necessities of college life.

The words scholarships and grants are often used interchangeably, but they do have a slightly different meaning. Scholarships are usually based on merit, and grants are usually based on need or other circumstances. The generic term award is often used and can mean either a scholarship or a grant. Some awards are called prizes and other, mostly international, awards may be called bursaries. If an organization wants to give you money, it can pretty much call it whatever it wants.

Two other important financial aid terms are merit-based and need-based. Read on to find out what they mean.

Merit-based awards

Awards that are merit-based are given to whichever applicant is the best at the subject of the scholarship. One award may be for the highest overall grade point average (GPA) or highest marks in a particular class, such as chemistry. Another award may be based on one's ability to play softball, the flute, or do any number of things.

For a merit-based scholarship, your wealth (or your family's wealth) and income are completely irrelevant. You don't have to explain whether or not you can afford to go to college without the scholarship because you get the award for what you've done. Bill Gates' daughter can get a merit-based scholarship if she gets the grades, and so can you.

The moral of this story? Don't think that you shouldn't apply for scholarships because your family makes too much money.

Need-based awards

Awards that are need-based (primarily grants) are offered solely on the basis of financial need. You don't have to be the best student in the class, although you still have to get accepted at a college to qualify. Some need-based grants can require a qualifying grade level of, say 70 percent, but after you qualify, your grade is no longer taken into account. Then, the only thing that matters is your financial need.

Don't assume that you have to be living below the poverty line to qualify for a need-based grant. Many factors are taken into account, from your family income, to the number of dependents your parents are supporting, to the cost of living in the city in which your college is located. The important thing to remember is that need-based money is granted because youneed it, not because you have the highest marks.

The moral of this story? Don't think that you shouldn't apply for grants because you didn't make stellar grades.

Finding out who's giving it away

Rule #2 is, "Put yourself in the shoes of the people giving out the money." After you know why they're handing out free money for college, you can shape your application so that the awarders want to give the money to you.

So, why do people give out scholarships and grants? Well, the government does it as part of a larger education policy. Influencing the decisions of these people is tough because they base their decisions on numbers instead of individual people. That's okay; the process is pretty cut and dried. After you send in the correct (and complete) information, you're pretty much done.

Colleges, foundations, and institutions are another story altogether. These organizations give out a lot of need-based money, but they generally have other criteria to make sure that the individuals receiving their money are also meritorious.

Colleges

Colleges give money to superior students to advance the reputation of their institutions. Colleges are more attractive to top professors and students if they have a long list of distinguished alumni, and popular wisdom dictates that distinguished alumni are most likely going to come from the top students.

Distinguished alumni are also likely to have more money to donate to the college, and the college itself is more likely to generate larger corporate donations if successful students maintain the school's high reputation. In general, college-based scholarships and other awards are intended to generate money for the college in the long term.

The best strategy, therefore, is to impress upon the college scholarship committee members that you have a brilliant future, or that you can otherwise enhance the reputation of the school in the years to come.

Foundations, institutions, and individuals

These groups also have particular motives for giving away free money. Their intentions are partiallyhumanitarian, and you can't ignore that fact when you craft your application. Thus, it's in your own best interest to explicitly mention how generous these groups are to give away money for college students.

The other motive is promotional. These groups want to promote a particular field of study (scholarships for the top marks in economics, for example), a particular attitude (contests for the best essay about patriotism), or particular behaviors (awards for individual contributions to civil liberties). To succeed in winning awards, you need to concentrate on whatever these organizations want to promote. You should not fake your attitudes; instead, you should concentrate on those awards (and organizations) that mesh with your personality and beliefs.

Sometimes, hybrid awards are offered. They're given only to individuals of a particular background (such as descendants of Confederate soldiers) or individuals associated with particular groups (children or grandchildren of members of a specific trade union). However, within this group, the competition reverts to merit. The particulars of merit may be grades, essay writing, community service, or overall achievements, but the winner is the one who shines. Whenever criteria for an award combines a particular background, need and/or merit, it is considered hybrid.

How to Create A good cover letter

A cover letter is your introduction to a potential new employer and so it is vital that it not only gives the right impression but that it grabs their attention and entices them to read your CV.
the speculative letter - for use when approaching companies “cold”

When structuring the letter, there is a simple formula to follow:

First paragraph
Explain your reason for writing and, if this is a targeted letter, where you saw the advertisement. You should then grab the reader’s attention by including a few lines about what you have to offer, ensuring this is directly relevant to the specific role (targeted) or type of role (speculative) that you are applying for.

The next two paragraphs 
Focus on your skills, experiences and achievements. In the case of a targeted letter, it is important to demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria specified in the advertisement. If this is a speculative application, think about what skills are looked for in the type of role you are targeting and make these the focus of the two paragraphs.

A cover letter should also include something directly related to the company that you are writing to. It is a good idea to state what it is about their organisation that interests you and, if you can include any statistics or snippets of information, that indicate that you have done some research, this can only improve your chances.
End the letter on a positive note. Thank them for their time and consideration and proactively encourage an interview, stressing your flexibility with regard to interview dates and times.

In summary, your cover letter should pick out the very best bits of your CV, without just repeating the information verbatim. It should convey a positive approach and attitude and should grab the reader’s attention.

Here are our top tips on creating a CV Cover Letter 

There are two main types of cover letter:

the targeted letter - for use when responding to specific advertisements

The structure of both letters is very similar and there are some basic rules which should be followed to ensure your cover letter is as effective as possible.

The letter should be presented in accordance with standard business letter protocol and should be written in a simple and concise manner, with no spelling or grammatical errors. In addition, it should be four to five paragraphs and should not exceed a single side of A4. There may be instances when this is not the case, but always follow these rules, unless instructed to the contrary.

The final paragraph

Legal Advice: When is industrial action unlawful?

Under normal civil law, a trade union would be acting unlawfully by encouraging and inducing people to breach their contracts of employment. The employees in question would also normally be acting in breach of contract and therefore also potentially subject to civil action.

In order to get around this there are special laws in relation to trade unions which allows them to induce people into breaching their contracts, provided certain conditions are met. If these conditions are not met, then the industrial action could be unlawful.   The conditions that need to be met include the need for there to be a ballot and for employees to be in favour of the action. The recent planned British Airways strike was found to be unlawful as it was held that the trade union had balloted a number of people who should not have been balloted. This shows that these rules are inflexible in their application; although the additional balloting would have made no difference to the outcome of the ballot, there was still a massive majority in favour of strike action, it was still ruled to be illegal.

There are a number of other requirements that need to be met which include the requirement that there is a trade dispute, that the industrial action is not in support of another employer, and that notice of the intended action is given to the employer.   As an employer, when you first become aware of the prospect of industrial action, you need to ensure that you obtain legal advice from your employment solicitors. It may be possible, where there are illegalities in the industrial action planned, to get an injunction from a court to stop the action taking place. It may also be possible to use employment solicitors when negotiating to prevent the action and when attempting to make changes to the contracts of employees.  

It is rarely beneficial to have the strike action take place and it will usually be favourable to negotiate changes to contracts. In many cases, having a good team of negotiators and some flexibility towards the planned changes will make the difference when attempting to avoid industrial action.   As an employee, your employment rights are protected by employment law in regard to lawful industrial action. Therefore, it important to obtain legal advice from an employment solicitor if you are unsure of the legality of any industrial action you are being asked to take part in.  

Legal Advice: If you aren't trained properly then would dismissal for non-capability be unfair dismissal?

UK unfair dismissal laws require an employee to only dismiss their employee if they have a fair reason for doing so and if they follow a fair process. Whilst much is made of the unfair reasons for dismissal, such as discrimination or a failure to respect employment rights, it can be difficult to know what would actually constitute a ‘fair’ reason for dismissal.

Unsatisfactory conduct and non-capability are the two main ‘fair’ reasons for dismissal. Non-capability encompasses a fairly broad range of aspects of the employee’s factors that might contribute to an employee’s performance. A ‘capability’ dismissal relates to an employer’s skill, aptitude, health or any other physical or mental quality. A capability dismissal might be a ‘fair’ reason for dismissal if the employee is either incapable or unwilling to carry out their job to the required standard. Their non-capability may be because they are not suitably qualified or otherwise do not have the required skills or aptitude for the job. Or, it may be because they are ill and unable to regularly attend work or to perform their job properly whilst at work.

However, although non-capability can be a fair reason for dismissal, the employer must nonetheless still follow a proper process in making a dismissal on this basis. This usually requires the employee to have been given warning of their unsatisfactory performance and given an opportunity to improve their performance.

Employers must be particularly careful to follow a fair process when dismissing an employee on the basis of their health. Dismissals based on an employer’s health run the risk of falling foul of the UK’s non-discrimination laws as well as provisions regarding sick leave and medical needs. Therefore, when dismissing for health reasons it is advisable for an employer to get legal advice from an employment law solicitor.

Where the non-capability issue is regarding the aptitude or skill of the employee, the employer should carefully consider whether it has taken appropriate steps to ensure the employee receives training and support.

If you have been dismissed for your alleged non-capability, you may wish to seek legal advice from an employment law solicitor.

CV Writing: How Your Hobbies Could Be Derailing Your Job Search

By Dorcas Karuana,

In CV writing, hobbies are an important part which tells the employer the other side of you.Employers judge you by what your hobbies say about your personality, even before you have met them for interviews.

Sometime back I went to assist in conducting an interview in a well know real estate and they were looking for a General Manager. The Directors were looking for very many things apart from papers and experience in a candidate. Just before the candidates arrived we went through the hobbies section and they were specifically looking for someone who can play Golf.  3 out of 6 candidates passed this test. Secondly they stationed someone at the gate to look at the type of car each of the candidates was driving. Clearly it was all about image. Yes it does matter

The hobbies section is one part of a CV where you actually tell things about yourself in an unbiased and unfiltered way. So if in the body of your CV you paint yourself as sophisticated and refined then under hobbies you have football, singing, traveling, dancing and socializing you may just have contradicted the body of your CV.

Now you may need to get rid of those ratchet hobbies from your CV. All those things we love but are not fitting on a future C.E.O’s CV need to go. Rugby, soccer, basketball are not fitting hobbies. You need to replace those with golf, polo and or squash. Notice the higher up you go the smaller the balls become.

You need to find new swanky hobbies that allow you to knock balls with the who’s who, hobbies that allow you into high society by virtue of what you play. Instead of farming skuma wiki in your back yard, you need to consider growing orchids or better still get rid of gardening on your CV and add in viniculture.

Get rid of traveling on your CV, executives travel for work, they stopped enjoying it; add to your CV silence. No, I don’t know what that means either but it seems to impress prospective employers. If you’re trying for a creative, marketing or artsy position you may want to toss in photography and or wine tasting.

It’s not all glum and dreary pastimes on a CEO’s hobby list if you want to portray a more vibrant out going persona then add in, scuba diving, archery, target shooting, rock climbing, bungee jumping, snorkeling, rafting and rappelling. Of course it helps if you’ve at least attempted these sports at least once you’ll be surprised how affordable and enjoyable they are and you may actually pick up a hobby.

And while you’re at it be real don’t say things you have no idea about. Don’t be trying to impress someone and say you enjoy the Australia opening that happened in Vienna Austria. So get real hobbies, there are no people as sad as those who do not care deeply for anything in particular.

10 Steps to Writing an Academic Research Proposal

1. Determining the general topic;

1. Performing a Literature review on the topic;

1. Identifying a gap in the literature;

1. Identifying a problem highlighted by the gap in the literature and framing a purpose for the study;

1. Writing an Introduction to the study;

1. Framing research hypotheses and or research questions to investigate or guide the study;

1. Determine the method of investigation

1. Outline the research design

1. Define the Sample size and the characteristics of the proposed sample;

1. Describe the procedures to follow for data collection and data analyses.

Determine a General Topic

This hub discusses some of the common elements in a research proposal. Whether you are doing quantitative or qualitative research, it is important that you outline the reasons why you propose doing the study and what process or procedures you will follow to complete the proposed study.

Some of the important parts of a good quantitative or qualitative research proposal include:

The first step in writing an academic research proposal is to idenitfy a general topic or subject area to investigate. Usually this first point is the easiest because the research proposal will be tied to the overall theme of a course. In such a case, the the general subject for investigation is normally determined by a professor who is leading the class, the school's department chair, or academic advisory committee.

Perform a Literature Review

The next step is to read as much literature on the general subject matter as time will allow. While you read the literature it is advised to take copious notes and then summarize the purpose and findings of each study relevant to the general subject matter of the eventual research proposal.

Identify a Gap in the Literature

The general purpose of the literature review is not to have notes on a whole bunch of different journal articles and books on a particular subject. The purpose is to understand what studies have already been done on the subject and then to identify any glaring gaps in the literature. Identifying gaps in the literature will open up opportunities to add to the body of knowledge within the general subject area.

For instance, both Kimura and Coggins found that servant leadership is actively admired and taught in the Cambodian Christian community which makes up only a small percentage of the Cambodian population. However, no one has yet investigated attitudes towards servant leadership in the non-Christian Cambodian community which makes up over 90% of the population. This is an obvious gap in the literature.

Identify a Problem and Frame a Purpose Statement

After you have performed the literature review and hopefully identified an obvious gap in the literature, next you need to identify a problem related to the gap and frame a purpose statement as to why you are investigating what you propose and why other should care about the study. If your readers cannot answer the question so what? Or your answer the question why should I care? Then it may be interesting to you, but not relevant to anyone else. 

Write an Introduction

After you have identified a pertinent problem and framed a purpose statement, then you need to craft an introduction. Among other things, the introduction to the proposal will include

• The Problem Statement
• A brief summary of the literature
• A brief description of the gap in the literature
• A Purpose statement as to why you are proposing the study and why others should care about the subject matter tied to your research proposal.

Determine Research Hypotheses and or Reseach Questions

Next, you need to identify and craft carefully defined research hypotheses and or research questions. Research hypotheses identify what you are actually going to investigate and what you expect to find from your research study. Research hypotheses are normally found in quantitative research proposals which compare differences and/or relationships between independent variables (or causes of phenomena) and dependent variables (or the effects that result from causes). Research questions are normally found in qualitative research studies. Most importantly, in good academic writing, research hypotheses and questions must be informed or flow from the literature review.

Determine the Method of Investigation

The method section is the second of the two main parts of the research proposal. In good academic writing it is important to include a method section that outlines the procedures you will follow to complete your proposed study. The method section generally includes sections on the following:

• Research design;
• Sample size and characteristics of the proposed sample;
• Data collection and data analysis procedures

Determine the Research Design

The next step in good academic writing is to outline the research design of the research proposal. For each part of the design, it is highly advised that you describe two or three possible alternatives and then tell why you propose the particular design you chose. For instance, you might describe the differences between experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs before you elaborate on why you propose a non-experimental design.

Determine the Sample Size and the Characteristics of the Sample

In this section of your research proposal, you will describe the sample size and the characteristics of the participants in the sample size. Describe how you determined how many people to include in the study and what attributes they have which make them uniquely suitable for the study.

Determine the Data Collection and Data Analysis Procedures

The last section highlighted in this hub is the data collection and analysis procedures. In this section you will describe how you propose to collect your data e.g. through a questionnaire survey if you are performing a quantitative analysis or through one-on-one interviews if you are performing a qualitative or mixed methods study.

After you collect the data, you also need to follow a scheme as how to analyze the data and report the results. In a quantitative study you might run the data through Excel or better yet SPSS and if you are proposing a qualitative study you might use a certain computer program like ATLAi. to perform a narrative study or grounded theory study that exposes the main themes from the proposed interviews.

Today’s Inspiration 12 Reasons You Should Never Give Up

At some point in the various journeys we embark on in our lives, we get to a part where we feel like giving up. Sometimes we give up before we even start and other times we give up just before we are about to make that huge break-through that we have been putting so much effort in to achieve.

Here is a  list of reasons why you should never give up and I hope that you will find it before you give up, so that I can inspire you to keep going!

1 As Long As You Are Alive Anything Is Possible
The only valid excuse you have to give up is if you are dead. As long as you are alive (and healthy and free) you have the choice to keep trying until you finally succeed.

2  Be Realistic
The chance of mastering something the first time you do it is almost non-existent. Everything takes time to learn and you will make mistakes. Learn from them.

3 You Are Strong
You are stronger than you think. One little setback is not enough to stop you from achieving your goals. Neither are 10 or 100 or 1000 setbacks.

4 Prove Yourself
You don’t want to be known as someone that is weak and gives up. Go out there and prove yourself to the world and to yourself. You CAN and WILL achieve what you set out to do. The only time you fail is when you give up.

5 Has It Been Done Before?
If someone else can do it then so can you. Even if it is only one other person in the world that has achieved what you have set out to achieve, that should be reason enough for you to never give up.

6 Believe In Your Dreams
Don’t sell yourself short. In life there are going to be many people who will try to bring you down and tell you what you want to achieve is not possible. Don’t let anyone destroy your dreams.

7 Your Family and Friends.
Let the people you love and who mean the world to you be your inspiration to persist and persevere. Maybe you need to try a different angle, study more or practice more but don’t give up!

8 There Are People Worse-Off
Right now there are many people who are in a worse situation and environment than you are right now. Are you thinking about giving up running 5 miles a week? Think about the people who are unable to even walk and how much they would give to be able to run 5 miles every day.

9 Get Rich or Die Trying
Like Fiddy (50 cent) says, “Get rich or die trying”. 50 Cent is rich, he made it (although he did get shot 9 times). Face your fears and don’t take the easy way out by giving up.

10 Let The Haters Hate
There will always be haters. There will always be plenty of naysayers and people who try to tear you down. Don’t pay attention to them and don’t take what they say to heart. Let the haters hate and you keep believing in yourself.

11 Inspire Others
Be an inspiration to others by refusing to give up. Who knows what someone else can achieve because you never gave up and in turn inspired them not to give up.

12 You Are So Close
Often when you feel like you want to give up and you are about to give up you are so close to making a huge break-thru. Seth God in has written an awesome book about this called “The Dip” – a riveting read that teaches that at any given time you are always just a heartbeat away from success.