Foreign Credential Evaluation Services - what are they?
by Matt Lister
Even if you are highly educated and have degrees from your country, they are not recognized in the US and hence you cannot take full benefit of them if you wish to come to the US and study or work here. As the level and system of education is different in various countries, it is necessary to have your educational background formally assessed for employment, continuing education and immigration purposes. A Foreign Credential Evaluation Service is the agency that provides this service.
People from all over the world are keen to come and live in the USA - whether to carry out further education or seek employment. However, to enter the USA or to continue to stay there, they need visas which have to be issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Most work related visas require foreign education to be evaluated in terms of education at accredited colleges or universities in the United States of America by an agency providing foreign credential evaluation service.
Foreign education is evaluated by independent private agencies who are providing foreign credential evaluation services. There is no governmental body in the United States that approves agencies that offer this service. To find an agency visit - A Guide to Selecting a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Service - NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
Credential evaluation reports are of the following types:
A Document Evaluation Report states the US equivalence of the credential evaluated. The evaluation determines the level of education, the number of years completed and the specialization. It does not list the courses taken, the grades received or the US grade point average (GPA). Document evaluations are used for education, when transferred credits and courses taken are not relevant, employment and immigration.
A Course by Course Evaluation Report lists the courses the applicant has taken, the grades received and the credit equivalence earned in the United States, in addition to the information provided by a document evaluation report. Course by course evaluations are used for continuation of education, including high school admission, college/university admission, employment and immigration.
An Education and Work Experience Evaluation Report provides a document report for the years of education and verified work experience. Education and work experience or work only evaluations follow the immigration rules to use work experience to add to incomplete university work, or replace university work, or add to a bachelors degree to result in a higher degree. These reports are generally used for employment and immigration purposes.
There currently is no single, comprehensive source of all foreign credential evaluation service providers and your best option would be to search for one on the World Wide Web. Choosing a foreign educational credential evaluation service is similar to choosing other professional service providers. You can follow the general guidelines listed below that tell you what to look for in an agency offering foreign credential evaluation services.
- What kind of evaluations do they offer?
- What are their fees?
- How are the evaluation reports provided to the client? Written report, electronic copy or other format.
- What is the turnaround time for these? what about during rush periods and emergency requirements?
- Are they or their evaluators members of any association? Membership may include but not be limited to any of the following: AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators), AMIDEAST (America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc.), ATA (American Translation Association), EAIE (European Association ofInternational Education), NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services), NAFSA (NAFSA: Association of International Educators), and AEA (American Evaluation Association).
- Do they have client relationship executives who are well-trained and can answer all customer querries on the phone?
- How flexible and easy are they to deal with?
- What policy do they have to handle disputes ?
- How long have they been in this business?
- What resources are available to them?
- What client references they can offer?
- How long do they keep records?
Although very few people are aware of Foreign Credential Evaluation services, it is soon becoming a very important service, as more and more people are wanting to come and settle down in the United States of America. An evaluation report can play a vital role in deciding their future.
Matt Lister is an author of several articles on education in the USA for Education Consultants and Evaluators International. http://www.eceinternational.com
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How To Structure Articles For Businesses From Home
by Francina Smit
When trying to make money online with Businesses from home, we all know that traffic is a lifeline and social book marking and article marketing are good ways to get that traffic to your Business from home.Two keys to success for getting the best results from article marketing are to publish articles frequently and to submit the articles to a large list of Ezine publishers. By the very nature of article marketing, we can assure that the links we grow for our websites reside on web pages that are tightly focused and targeted to the content of our websites.
Articles that are used for article marketing tend to be short, so they will not take you long to read or write. Unfortunately, many beginners do not realize the importance of a good quality article and think that anybody can throw some words together. The first step in article marketing is to develop an article that is clearly written, provides value, and constructs believability. Nonetheless, none of that will make any difference if you do not know the first steps in really writing an article. Because articles become viral, your message literally travels far and wide, increasing traffic to Businesses from home websites and increasing newsletter sign-ups.
An article has 5 essential elements:
1. The Title. Make this key word rich at the start and make it long enough for you to entice the reader and tell them how it will benefit them. Titles are very crucial and should at once capture the reader’s attention.
2. The Introduction: Just a sample of what you will be writing about. This will normally be the first paragraph.
3. The Body. This is the larger portion of the article where you will elaborate on what you mentioned in the title. Read Directory guidelines to make sure how many words are acceptable and write shorter paragraphs for easier reading. It ordinarily varies between 400 and 750.
4. The closing. This will be a short summary of what you wrote about or it can even be a replicate of the introduction using another way of saying it.
5. The Author/Bio box: Here you can put a link or links (depending on the directory) to you website. More about this in another article.
Have content that attracts hungry search engine spiders. Over and over again. Make sure that your articles render usable, fresh content. Most recently known by its new name, bum marketing, article marketing is a very viable long term attack to promptly and easily generate hundreds of premium one-way back links to your sales site, content site or blog.
Thus, it is vital that you stake a claim for your content by posting it on your website before any distribution campaign. Whatever your area of expertise, there are people out there who want to learn more, and publishers who are looking for free content. The more thought you give to the content writing procedure, the more your content will charm your target audience. When people hunt for data on your topic, their search brings them to the directory, they read your article and they visit your site OR they may publish your article on their website, keeping all of the content, links, and your bio 100% whole, generating traffic for Businesses from home.
Francina Smit is the owner of InHouseDollars.com and several other websites. She writes articles on various subjects regarding Businesses From Home. http://www.InHouseDollars.com/newsletter-signup.htmlhttp://www.WWTravelSite.com
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The Biggest Barrier To Building Relationships- One Way Conversations
by
At a recent event, I met a speaker and consultant who told me her specialty is leadership and communications development. Perhaps “met” is the wrong word to describe our exchange. “Listen to her tell me all about herself ” is a more accurate description of our all - too - long one - way conversation. Once she had finished with her autobiography, she looked over my shoulder and spied another target of opportunity. And away she went without asking a single question about me. It may not be fair, but her conduct reminded me of the saying ” you can tell a lot about the kind of person someone is by watching how they treat people they believe can neither do them any harm or any good.”
I suspect she made “contact” with at least twenty people at this event - I suspect most of her “conversations” were the same as mine.
That kind of behavior has probably cost her more valuable contacts and relationships than anything else she could do. And I’ll bet she has no clue. By definition, one - way conversations don’t provide much feedback.
One - way conversations make it easy to come to the conclusion that the person doing the talking thinks they have more to say than the listener does. It may be a bad conclusion to draw, but it’s a very human one. And in arriving at that conclusion, potential relationships slips away.
We’re all guilty of “all talk and no listen” behavior from time to time. Excitement, nervousness, passion and commitment, exposure to new stuff , the assumption that we share the same interests - all can lead to one way conversations. And as long as they’re the exception and not the rule, that’s OK. Most people like to see excitement, conviction and other positive emotions in communications with others. But we all want to see a curiosity about us - as well. Failing that, we tend to draw conclusions - negative ones - about the person who goes on about themselves.
To check out your own behavior, after a conversation, ask yourself one question. “What have I learned from this conversation?” Your answer will tell you whether you had a two way or a one way conversation.
The good news is that one - way conversation behavior is very curable.
The cure starts with the belief that everyone has something to offer. That’s key to two way conversations - and developing relationships.
Then the engaging behavior - an example:
A friend who has terrific engagement skills always starts by introducing herself and asking the other person their name. She then repeats their name and gives her ten second “what do I do or who I am ” statement. Whenever possible she compliments or remarks on something about the person she is talking to. By offering that information she opens the door to her conversation partner sharing the same kind of information. Then, she will ask a “how, what, when or where” question relevant to the event or venue. She avoids “why” questions as too intrusive, particularly at the beginning of the conversation. Her goal is to create conversation on a personal, but not too personal level. From that point on, the conversation will flow - or not. It’s important to realize that not everyone responds to good engagement skills. If they don’t, she tells them it was good meeting them, and goes looking for someone else to engage. Her goal in every conversation is to give and get. To give information about herself and to get information by showing a genuine interest in what the other person does and who they are.
It sounds like such a simple behavior, and yet it’s amazing how often people give information - on the assumption that what they have to say has so much value - but they don’t think to get information. They lack the belief that everyone has something to share. It’s the difference between being a living, breathing billboard, and being a living, breathing, engaging, unique person with a curious and courteous nature.
Which one would you rather be?
Andy Cox helps his clients select and develop teams and talent. He focuses on helping leaders and emerging leaders define and develop their skills and talents using goals. He can be reached at http://www.coxconsultgroup.com , or at acox@coxconsultgroup.com
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Sony Ericsson in 2008 - world domination through mobile phones ?
by Matt Sharp
What plans do Sony Ericsson have in 2008? How do they intend to rule the world of mobile phones? let’s find out!
Sony Ericsson C905 - the best camera phone ever
First up is the Sony Ericsson C905, the mobile phone that is sure to take the camera phone prize. And the reason for that… it’s the first mobile phone in the UK to have an 8 megapixel camera. Not only that , but it’s an 8 megapixel Cyber-Shot camera, letting the Sony Ericsson C905 neatly stuff all other camera-equipped mobile phones on the market. It doesn’t just rely on its camera, though (although it could), because the Sony Ericsson C905 is packed with loads of extras, like an amazing multimedia player, for watching your videos, listening to your music, and generally kicking back and relaxing; GPS for geo-tagging your photos, and for actually finding your way to interesting stuff to photograph it; and HSDPA for lightning fast internet access. The Sony Ericsson C905 is quite simply one of the best mobile phones ever.
Smartphones for the masses - the Sony Ericsson G-Series of mobile phones
Another area that Sony Ericsson have always excelled in is smart phones, mobile phones designed to do more, to be more. Well now, Sony Ericsson have made a range of smartphones for, well, non-smartphone users, the G-Series, starting with the Sony Ericsson G900. Built on Symbian UIQ, this beauty takes all the cool, top-end features of a smartphone, and squeezes them into the body of a normal mobile phone. Kind of a stealth smartphone, really. So, you get 5 megapixel camera, a touchscreen, and bags and bags of useful and cool features. If you want a smartphone, but you’re nervous about moving away from normal mobile phones, then the Sony Ericsson G-Series is for you.
Redefining awesome - Sony Ericsson Xperia mobile phones
Once you’re got the middle bit of the smartphone market tied up with your mobile phones, you need a top-end product to blow everyone’s minds; that’s what Sony Ericsson do with their X-Series ‘Xperia’-branded mobile phones, starting with the Sony Ericsson X1, a Windows Mobile phone full of features, with a massive touchscreen, and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. This is the smartphone for the discerning user, the person who knows what he/she likes, and won’t settle for anything less than perfection in their mobile phones. It doesn’t end with the Sony Ericsson X1, either, because the Xperia range is all set to get bigger, with some even higher spec mobile phones due to be announced!
Music, the Sony Ericsson way - the Walkman phone
Of course, Sony Ericsson have one more famous brand: ‘Walkman’; and that name is synonymous with music. Music mobile phones are big business nowadays, and Sony Ericsson are right up there to take their share. There’s due to be a new flagship Walkman mobile phone announced soon, which, if rumours are correct, will let Sony Ericsson corner the market all over again. It’s rumoured to have 16Gb of memory and a full touchscreen interface, and as you’ve probably worked out, that means Sony Ericsson are out to take on one of the newcomers to the world of mobile phones. Yep, that’s right, this new, unnamed Walkman phone is going to be designed to take on and beat the iPhone 3G. Since Sony Ericsson always seem to make two version of their flagship music phone (W950/M600, then W960/P1), we can realistically assume they’ll do it again; in fact, there are already rumours of a new Sony Ericsson super-phone on the way, codenamed as Hecaro. No-one knows what it is, but if it’s as high-spec as everyone is thinking/hoping… then no other mobile phones will be able to beat it!
Expert on mobile phones and mobile broadband, having worked in the industry for over 7 years.
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How To Buy Great Gifts Online And Save Money At The Same Time
by Jenny How
Buying things online has literally change the way people shop nowadays.
Ever since stores introduced the idea of sales there have been bargain hunters seeking out the best available prices on products and thrifty consumers are always seeking out ways to save money while shopping.
However, online shopping offers shoppers many new ways to save money.
Savvy shoppers can not only find the best deals online but can also find ways to further reduce the cost of these great deals.
This article will discuss some of the ways savvy online shoppers can save money and will also discuss how these smart shoppers can also help to ensure the authenticity of an item when they are shopping online.
One of the greatest benefits of shopping online is the ability to comparison shop with ease. While comparison shopping at traditional stores may takes hours, days or even weeks for traveling from one store to another to determine which store is offering an item at the best price, online shoppers can typically accomplish the same task in a matter of mere minutes.
In some cases of online shopping, finding the best deal can be as easy as going to websites which provide listings of online retailers for a particular item and produce comparison charts providing the information about the cost of these items from each retailer.
This is an extremely easy method of comparison shopping and finding the best deal. However, even when this option is not available finding the best deal on a product online is typically not difficult.
Savvy online shoppers can find often find the best deal online by simply visiting websites of several online retailers and noting the price at which they are selling the item in question.
A very easy trick to compare deals online is open a new browser window for each retailer’s website. This way the online shopper can simply browse through the open windows all at once and then only keep open the browser windows from online retailers offering the item at the best prices.
Once the online shopper narrows the search down to a few online retailers who are offering the item at a favorable price they can use other factors such as shipping prices and incentives offered to buyers such as future discounts to make the final decision and determine which online retailer is truly offering the best deal on the item.
Never skip doing comparison when you shop online. You can locate the best deals when you do this. And then decide which bargains really save you money.
One way to do this is to seek out promotional codes offered by online retailers. This can often be accomplished by doing an Internet search including the name of the online retailer as well as phrases such as, “coupon,” or “promotional code.Using a search this way will show you a number of sites which compile coupons and discount codes for many online retailers.
These coupons and promotional codes often offer the online shopper savings such as a discount off the final price free shipping. However, it is important to note that not all of these codes will be valid.
Online shoppers should not only verify the promotional code is still valid but should also carefully review the restrictions involved with using the promotional code to be sure the buyer is eligible to use the promotional code to obtain a discount.
Savvy online shoppers also realize it is necessary to verify the authenticity of an item before making a purchase online. This is extremely important as it keeps you from buying replicas of the items you are looking for.
One way to know if you are buying an original version of an item is by shopping from online retailer who have legitimate license to sell them. However, problems may arise when the shopper is purchasing an item through auction websites or through individual retailers.
Or it could be a mistake on their part. Regardless of whether or not the online retailer is attempting to deceive the buyers or simply makes a mistake, online shoppers should know how to determine the authenticity of an item.
This ability usually comes from researching the items well and being aware of the key features of the items.
Copyright (c) 2008 Jenny How
Jenny How began hunting online coupon codes 2 years ago after buying her Dell Laptop online for a $299 discounts. Her new book “Great Gifts Small Budget” reveals how to buy gifts online this holiday season and cut down your expenses by 50%. You can learn about it at http://www.couponcodescash.com
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