How Do Online Product Reviews Help Consumer Decision Making?

July 26, 2012 By

How Do Online Product Reviews Help Consumer Decision Making?

With the growth of online shopping on the internet, online product reviews sites are of great help in the decision making process for consumers. After all, they cannot gain physical access to a particular object one is considering to buy, such that they merely utilize the information provided for them by these sites to come up with a decision.

Online product reviews are known to be the latest emerging marketing strategy on the internet. Aside from the sites intended mainly for posting reviews about certain products, old or new, in the online market, there are also forums wherein people who have recently used the product can provide useful information for decision support on other consumers. In some cases, the feedbacks listed on the site can forecast the actual performance of the product or model upon launching on the market. After all, the pre-release marketing has been considered as one of the strongest factors that could indicate actual performance, especially with the high level of accuracy that reviewers have provided.

At its core, online product reviews sites are intended to provide product information and is geared more towards personal usage experience at the core of the review and evaluation of the product. Each aspect of the product or model is analyzed to suit each individual user’s needs and preferences. Whether users value affordability, utmost functionality, ease of use, or innovation of technology, each of these aspects are evaluated during product reviews for an idiosyncratic match. It is also a great way to promote the word-of-mouth marketing and create more buzz about a certain product.

For the reviewers, they use varying metrics to come up with a benchmark for a particular product or model. It is therefore a valid way to provide useful information for different population segments and come up with realistic feedback.

Aside from consumers, sellers also make good use of online product reviews. It allows sellers to come up with the counteractive marketing strategy to respond to the consumer reviews published on various sites online, which particularly tackle on two basic questions: when and how. The information provided on the consumer review utilizes two aspects of information regarding the product: the information attributed to the product and the information formulated by the buyer or tester of the product. The latter type of information has more weight since it expounds on the actual product performance aside from what the product claims to do or deliver.

The timing of release for consumer reviews for certain products therefore set as a strategic variable that both parties (consumers and sellers) can use to their advantage. Of course, how one person utilizes the information provided in the review is dependent on the individual preference and criteria that a consumer has created for them. Hence, one can notice the increasing amount of online product reviews currently available on the internet since they serve as a good source of information for those who want to make intelligent buying decisions. Just make sure that if you are going to utilize this information is to look at the site’s credibility to ensure that the consumer review information you got is valid.

How Do Online Product Reviews Help Consumer Decision Making?

How Do Online Product Reviews Help Consumer Decision Making?

One can notice the increasing amount of online product reviews [http://www.seek4shopping.co.uk/] currently available on the internet since they serve as a good source of information.

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The affirmations a person uses depend on many factors. What is the person trying to accomplish? Where is he or she now in relation to that goal or dream? What is their belief factor? Is he or she aspiring to something big or just looking for incremental improvement?

One of the biggest knocks critics have against affirmations is that they encourage unrealistic thinking.

It is ridiculous, they say, to encourage a sixth grader who can barely play “Hot Crossed Buns” on the saxophone to use an affirmation like, “I am a world-class saxophone player”. That’s just delusional, they argue, to have a child believing something so out of touch with reality.

I absolutely agree!

“What,” you say, “I thought you were in the business of promoting affirmations and encouraging others to follow their dreams?” I am. And, I still agree with those critics. Oh, I believe emphatically that affirmations are for everyone, but I do not believe every affirmation is for every person.

Yes. The critics are correct. This affirmation is completely unrealistic for any sixth grader who believes it is unrealistic.

They are also correct that a smart sixth grader is probably going to doubt the affirmation at some point. Sooner or later the sixth grader using this affirmation may have the thought, “I can’t even play ‘Hot Crossed Buns’. I’m not a world class saxophone player.”

These two pieces of information do not match up. The sixth grader, like most human beings, will search for a way to make the ideas congruent. When this happens it is decision time for the sixth grader and his or her dream of being a world-class saxophonist. Whether they know it or not the critics are citing and the sixth grader is experiencing a well-known psychological phenomenon called cognitive dissonance.

This theory states that when we hold two incongruent pieces of knowledge in our minds there is a very strong psychological impulse to bring the two conflicting thoughts into agreement. The idea being that our sixth grader cannot hold the thought, “I can’t even play ‘Hot Crossed Buns’,” in his or her mind while at the same time holding the idea, “I am a world class saxophone player.”

The classic example is the mother on the news who cannot reconcile the baby she brought into the world with the possibility that he may have committed a crime. So, she believes in his innocence even against overwhelming evidence.

Now, here is where the critics’ logic fails. They assume, I suppose, that the only option for this newly self-aware sixth grader is to stop using this unrealistic affirmation and stop pursuing such lofty and unrealistic dreams. Basically, “Give it up, kid, there’s no chance.”

The cognitive dissonance theorists tell us that there are actually three options (besides “getting real”) open to resolve this dilemma.

Change beliefs – the sixth grader can change one or both beliefs to be more in line. “I know I’m not a world-class saxophonist right now, but I can be someday.” He or she admits the first fact and changes the condition for the second to bring them into congruence.

June 26, 2012 By

Adding beliefs – the sixth grader can think, “It’s true I cannot play “Hot Crossed Buns”. It’s true that I’m not a world-class sax player right now.” “It’s also true that Charlie Parker was not a world-class saxophone player in the sixth grade and look what he accomplished.”

Alter the importance of the beliefs – the sixth grader can think, “It doesn’t matter that I can’t play “Hot Crossed Buns” right now. I will be able to some day. I still have it in me to be a world-class saxophone player.” He or she chooses to diminish the importance of the current state and focus, instead, on the future possibility.

Part of the confusion, candidly, comes from affirmation gurus who promote the idea that your affirmations must be adhered to with unshakable belief to make a difference. Doubting – the cardinal sin of affirmationdom – must never be allowed to rise or else the magic potion will be spoiled.

People are people. Some days we believe in our dreams fervently and other days we completely lose sight of them. That’s not being negative that’s just being human. The path is not lost by one moment of doubt.

This affirmation may or may not be appropriate for the sixth grader in question. It depends on how he or she resolves the cognitive dissonance associated with it. If he or she cannot come to terms with the disparity, then an affirmation like “I am becoming a world class saxophone player” or “I am a better saxophone player every day” may be more acceptable and reduce the cognitive dissonance.

Conversely, the previous affirmation is ideal for a college student majoring in music performance on the saxophone. That person has already put in many years and is now an expert on the instrument. He or she may be planning a career playing the saxophone. That college student certainly can realistically aspire to becoming a world-class sax player.

Here is what I have learned from more than 17 years experience working with affirmations. There really are two classes of affirmations – aspirational and incremental.

Aspirational affirmations are your “big thinking” affirmations. They are the ones that remind you that something far greater than right now lies within you. That knowing is not for anyone to label as delusional or unrealistic. It depends on you and your belief. Incremental affirmations are affirmations that are more finely tuned. They focus on specifics and immediate steps. They are the trees to the aspirational affirmations’ forest.

In my view, they are both part of a healthy affirmation diet. Just like protein and calcium serve two different but beneficial roles in the body. Both kinds of affirmations add value to your over all growth. One is today’s weather forecast and the other is the long range forecast.

Let me illustrate the difference with a couple examples.

A high school quarterback with big dreams might use both of the following affirmations:

Aspirational: “I am the next John Elway.”

Incremental: “My completion percentage is improving each and every game.”

A person trying to climb out of depression might use both of the following affirmations:

Aspirational: “I am completely happy with all aspects of my life.”

Incremental: “Today I am putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.”

A person focusing on creating a better financial future might use both of the following affirmations:

Aspirational: “My million dollar idea is on its way to me right now.”

Incremental: “Today I am paying my bills on time.”

It’s not about being unrealistic. It’s about using the very real power of your thoughts to support your immediate goals and your long term dreams.

So, if you are a sixth grade saxophone player with a passion to be the world’s greatest saxophonist, I say go for it! One thing is for sure. None of your critics will be there to beat you out!

Be peaceful Be prosperous!

Ray Davis is a writer, poet, and thinker based in the American Midwest. His writing advocates the principles of personal freedom and spiritual development. He has developed B2B sales training programs for a Fortune 40 company for nearly seven years. Prior to that he was a top producing sales rep for six years. He is the founder of The Affirmation Spot – http://www.theaffirmationspot.com

Affirmations are positive statements that inspire and motivate people to take active steps to enhance professional and recreational performance, strive to achieve goals, face challenges, modify or reinforce behavior, and improve the general quality of life. They are thought vitamins that fortify your mind the same way vitamins fortify your body.

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Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home is an Important Decision

June 18, 2012 By

Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home is an Important Decision

Choosing the right real estate agent to sell your home is an important decision which requires some research and thought. The person that you choose as your real estate agent can either be your best friend or your worst enemy, so it is important to investigate their credentials and have a face to face meeting with your candidates before signing anything if at all possible.

If you are selling your home locally it is a must that you go in for an appointment and see if you are comfortable with your agent and their staff. It is a good sign if they have a professional staff and return your phone calls quickly. To get the best price that they can for you on the market today it is important that your real estate agent is motivated to try to sell your home. You can’t afford to deal with a realtor that is not going to put any effort in selling your home.

Before your appointment with the realtor, write down a list of questions to ask the real estate agent before you commit to hiring them. Talk to your friends and acquaintances to that have recently bought or sold property in the area. People will generally be outspoken about the experience they had with their agent, and will be quick to praise them if the experience was a good one.

You will need to ask how he expects to get paid for selling your home. Ask them if they have a flat fee or if they charge a percentage of the sale price. Though a flat fee may be cheaper in the beginning, commission based real estate agents have a motivation to try to get you the best price for your property.

Ask the real estate agent to get you a Comparative Market Analysis or CMA, which displays the market value of similar type homes that are for sale or have recently sold in the area that you live. Ask them how they will go about deciding on a selling price for your home. Ask the agent if they have any strategies that will make your home more likely to be sold for the price you need in a reasonable amount of time. It is also a good idea to take your agent on a tour of your home so they can give you ideas that will make the home more likely to sell even in a depressed real estate market.

If you feel that the first real estate agent that you talk to is not the one you want to deal with while selling your home, thank them for their time and start the process over with another realtor. This can be aggravating and time consuming but you want to find a real estate agent that you can work with so that you can get the most for your home sale that you can.

After you have decided on a real estate agent to help sell your home, be sure to try to work with them and listen to their advice. Their job is to give you advice when you are buying or selling your home, but always remember that you have the final say. If you are not happy with something that your realtor says or does, it is important that you speak up and tell them so. After all, you hired them to do a job so therefore you are the boss and what you say goes.

Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home is an Important Decision

Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home is an Important Decision

Learn more about Anchorage Alaska Real Estate or search the Anchorage Alaska MLS on Ryan Tollefsen’s Alaska Real Estate web site.

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The Importance of Gathering Home Schooling Information Before You Make the Final Decision

March 20, 2012 By

The Importance of Gathering Home Schooling Information Before You Make the Final Decision

Home schooling is a tough decision. There are many people who think that schooling one’s children at home does not adequately prepare them for real life situations. They will miss out on the fun things that public school can offer, such as social interaction, team sports, drama club, and band activities. These activities are important for emotional well-being and emotional growth. If you have not researched home schooling, you may have this very impression. The fact of the matter is that school offers after hours sports and extracurricular activities that your home schooled child can take part in.

Conversely, many will argue that there is as much social stimulation at home as there is in school. Many home-schooled children have friends in the neighborhood who they hang out with. Some parents enroll their kids in after school sports programs at community centers. It is these after school sports events that can make home schooling more well rounded.

If you are considering home schooling your children, you should ask other parents who home school for more home schooling information-such as what activities they have used to engage their children and whether or not they have taken a facilitated self-study approach or a lecture-oriented approach. Both approaches offer advantages and you must decide which is better for your child(ren).

This will give you a better idea as to whether you are capable of handling a teaching job. Teaching is not always an easy profession. Making sure children are excited about learning, teaching at the right pace, and maintaining interest is very difficult. Schools offer teaching classes for those who want more home schooling information. I know of one m other of three (3) that studied to become a teacher and that made her even more qualified to home school.

Another place to get information is online. There are web sites and blogs which offer honest home schooling information. These sites are run by parents who home school and will give you more information about what problems they have encountered and what solutions they found. There is a real wealth of information on the internet that discusses both pros and cons of home schooling.

Even though teaching can be hard work, many parents find it rewarding and fun. Their children learn more in a controlled environment. They make friends by participating in sports and musical activities offered through after school programs, allowing them to get the best of both worlds-an excellent education and a fulfilling social life.

The Importance of Gathering Home Schooling Information Before You Make the Final Decision

The Importance of Gathering Home Schooling Information Before You Make the Final Decision

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. He has written many great articles on many topics, including home schooling. For more information, please visit [http://www.home-schooling-info.info/] You may also be interested in Keith’s other offerings at his site http://keithlondrie.com

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What exactly is an affirmation? It is simply a statement we make to help ourselves improve our life. Although the use of affirmations includes repeating them often so that our subconscious will take over, there is nothing “other worldly” about them. We are simply training ourselves to think positive.

Do affirmations help? Yes. Most definitely! Here is how to choose affirmations that will help you make your life better.

Make your affirmation believable

If you don’t believe your affirmation is possible, you won’t be able to put the effort into seeing it happen. For example, “I will marry a millionaire”, is so far from our current life that we can’t find it believable. It is a dream, not an affirmation. (Another note here: We recommend affirmations be in the present tense – but that’s another lesson. For now, affirmations can be future tense when we are setting goals.)

An affirmation should state what you want without being too much of an exaggeration. A much better affirmation would be: “I will marry someone whom I love and who makes a comfortable living.” This affirmation is one that you can believe and can take steps to achieve.

Repeat your affirmation often

In order for your subconscious to pick it up and make it automatic, it has to be repeated often. Basically, you are programming your mind to remember what you want so that you subconsciously make decisions that will help you achieve your goal.

One way to repeat affirmations is to put them on post-its that you place around your house (on the fridge, on the bathroom mirror, on the cupboard, and other places you’ll see them). This can be effective on its own, or can be used with other affirmation techniques.

Don’t try to control what happens

While you should take steps to achieve your affirmation, don’t try to control what happens in your life. If your affirmation was to marry someone who makes a comfortable living, and someone comes into your life who makes minimum wage, the decision is yours. You can choose to let go of your affirmation or to continue looking.

Creating Your Affirmation

Affirmations work best when they are stated in the present tense.”I will be a better parent” is a good affirmation, but it allows you to wait for it to happen.”I am an excellent parent” is better because it implants itself in your subconscious as current. You are doing it now. Your subconscious will help you do it.

March 10, 2012 By

Keep your affirmation as short as possible. It will work much better and faster than a wordy affirmation. (And it is easier to say.)

Repeat it often. Basically, you are programming your mind to remember what you want so that you subconsciously make decisions that will help you attain your goal.

Don’t use negative affirmations. “I will not bully my child” is not a good affirmation. It will work faster if you use the positive approach. “I am a calm parent” is positive and will reinforce your objective.

Make your affirmation feel right for you. The more you believe in the affirmation, the sooner you will achieve your goal.

Time your affirmations. Find a time to reinforce your affirmations. First thing in the morning as you brush your teeth is an excellent time to reinforce your affirmations. As you get ready for bed is also a great time. If you reaffirm your affirmations as you get ready for bed, your subconscious will continue your affirmation while you sleep.

You also want to repeat your affirmations several times throughout the day to help embed it in your subconscious.

You can create a better “you”. Create your affirmation, repeat your affirmation. Trust your affirmation. These tips will help you set and achieve your goals.

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The dictionary description is:

af-fir-ma-tion [af-er-mey-shun]

1. The act or an instance of affirming; state of being affirmed.

2. the assertion that something exists or is true.

3. something that is affirmed; a statement or proposition that is declared to be true.

4. confirmation or ratification of the truth or validity of a prior judgment, decision, etc.

Thoughts repeated regularly and systematically sink into the subconscious mind and become habitual. Affirmations as these are called are used by many children and adults to create lasting changes in their lives. Finding the right affirmations to use is much more effective if it is in your own words and way of thinking. It is important that your affirmations are written in your own words since the subconscious will react better to your own thoughts than to the thoughts of someone else. It is easy to understand that you probably would not trust anyone more than you trust yourself. Start by taking notice of what you want to change in yourself. Write down on paper your thoughts, desires, and feelings that you may wish to improve upon.

How to use affirmations

When wording your affirmation, you need to use words and phrases for your affirmations in a positive manner rather than a negative manner. As an example, if you wanted to quit smoking, you would not want an affirmation such as “Cigarette smoking makes me sick” because you will in turn cause yourself to get sick. It is better to phrase affirmations like “I am a non-smoker” or “I am healthy and dislike the smell and taste of cigarette smoke” thereby instructing your subconscious to see a different you. When your subconscious sees yourself different, you will become different. Whatever the subconscious mind believes, the conscious mind becomes.

It is important to choose your words wisely. You do not want to use phrases like “I want” because no change will take place since your subconscious is already there. In other words, affirmations worded with “I want” simply are a statement of what “you want”, this only affirms that you will always want whichever it is your affirmations are presenting. You must see yourself as a different you by visualizing what it is you would like to accomplish. Use words like “I am” or “I have”, this allows your subconscious to visualize and believe you are already what you wish to become instead of what you want to become.

Positive affirmations can enhance any area of your life, from improving health, skills, success, relationships and more to conquering bad habits like unhealthy eating habits, aggressive tempers and attitudes, biting nails, bed wetting, drug addictions, or lack of attention and motivation. There are many resources available to help those who find creating affirmations to be difficult. Affirmations can be found on the Internet or in books. Remember to try and use any outside suggestions only as an example and maybe rephrase it in your own words. Thoughts and phrases should come from words within your terms of speaking. If you wish to improve your health, you can find hundreds of examples on the Internet that reflect healthy aspects. Though if for instance you were to find some health affirmations worded in a manner that you would not typically speak, you need to re-write that affirmation into your own words so that you comprehend what your affirmation means. Your subconscious will work faster with affirmations spoken in your terms of speaking faster than that of someone else’s if you do not fully understand it. An example of this could be the legal terminology that most attorneys use, most of us can read it and somewhat understand it, but the lawyers are the ones that can pick it apart and know exactly what it is exclaiming to in ways we probably never imagined. If your mind does not fully comprehend the meaning of the affirmations you are feeding it, your process will not take effect as fast.

How long before you see results

It can take approximately 20 days to create a lasting change but can start taking affect on your behavior a lot sooner where you can notice yourself actually beginning to change in the way you have expressed through your affirmations. It does matter how you use the affirmations too, if you only use your affirmations during the day instead at night like suggested, it may take longer to take affect. Using a recorder or an affirmation unit such as the Mindmaster at night can allow you to create the change subconsciously without the common distractions one normally endures during the day with normal everyday life. Whether it is distractions with traffic, kids, work, cellphones, animals, you name it, they take away from the effectiveness of repeating your affirmations. You could also possibly take time out of your day to go somewhere that is maybe free of these distractions, but that is sometimes a luxury that many of us don’t have. It also takes away from getting other things done too. However, when you are sleeping you have no distractions and the subconscious mind receives everything you tell it. Since your subconscious never sleeps, it is even more receptive to receiving and retaining messages because any doubt and disbelief, which are conscious barriers, are dissolved while you are sleeping, allowing your subconscious image to be changed more effectively.

Affirmations and children

Affirmations though not as widely used as they are for adults can be used with children to help them overcome obstacles that they face with growing up. Fears of the dark, fears of the potty, eating habits, aggressive behaviors, controlling emotions, improving skills and confidence. There are many uses just like with adults that can help your child as well. They should be able to utilize all available tolls that they can when growing up, this shapes them into who they will become later in life. Using affirmations with a child can be a bit different from the way we may use them as adults. Adults have the ability to remember they need to repeat their affirmations where kids usually lack the ability to remember the simplest things they were just told to do. This is where targeting the subconscious mind works best. Much like how adults use recorders, there is a product on the market that is designed for children to repeat their affirmation back to them at night while they sleep on a timed program so it is not in a continuous loop. It has been proven to work successfully with speaking toddlers guided by their parents directive. If you are having problems with potty training for instance, children have stopped wetting the bed in as little as a week, for good and all on their own. This not only helps give the child a sense of accomplishment but also self confidence and belief that they can achieve their goals.

Some Simple Affirmation Examples Are:

* I am a great salesperson who is confident in my abilities to succeed.

* I am productive and a success in all that I do.

* I am efficient and stress-free.

* I am a non-smoker and in control of my health and wellness.

* I eat healthy and can control my weight by avoiding unhealthy choices.

* I have abundant energy to do all the daily activities in my life.

* My body is healthy and free of pain.

* I love learning and excel in school.

* I am capable of waking up at night to go to the bathroom so I won’t wet the bed.

* The dark does not scare me.

* My strength is in forgiveness to those who have hurt me.

* I am worthy of love. The more I love, the more love is returned to me.

* I am a creative person with lots of good ideas.

* I have a terrific golf swing.

* I love my body and it loves me.

* I have a kind personality and strong self-esteem.

* I spend money wisely and am rewarded for the work that I do.

* I am powerful in my life!

* I love the life I live!

* I CAN CHANGE ANY ASPECT OF MY LIFE!

March 9, 2012 By

Maximize Your Affirmations and find out more about how the Awake2000 unit works at http://www.Awake2000.com

Also visit the Awake2000 User Help Forum [http://www.awake2000.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=12]

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One of the most powerful tools we can use to change our beliefs and our behaviors is the tool known as affirmations.

Affirmations are simple, short, strong messages that we send to ourselves, by repeating them out loud or silently. Affirmations can also be written.

There’s a good reason why we should master the use of affirmations. If you don’t learn how to choose and use positive affirmations, you will be a victim of the negative affirmations you are already repeating to yourself.

Do you ever catch yourself saying something like, “There you go again, being stupid again. Don’t you ever learn? Can’t you ever do anything right?”

For many people, this is a typical affirmation that runs through their head many times a day.

If you take a look at this particular affirmation, you will notice that it is very, very negative. It says to the person, “You are stupid. You are always wrong, and you will always be wrong.”

Affirmations can be incredibly powerful, whether they are positive or negative. An affirmation acts like a form of hypnosis. It tells the listener how to be and how to behave.

Can you imagine the effect of such a negative affirmation, repeated dozens or even hundreds of times a day, over many years?

When you make the decision to start using positive affirmations, you will be challenging many years of negative affirmations that you have used in the past. You need to experiment and discover the best way that positive affirmations can work for you. There is a lot of information available about how to use positive affirmations, and not every technique is the same. Not every system will work well for each person, as we are all individual.

Still, there are many people who claim that positive affirmations don’t work for them. They try using positive affirmations for a while, and then they get bored, or they give up when they don’t see the results they want right away. Why do positive affirmations sometimes appear not to work?

Let’s get scientific about this. Get out a calculator, or a pen and paper. Now, take a bit of time to think how many negative affirmations go through your mind every hour. How often do you catch a subtle little thought fleeting through your brain that is really a put down of yourself and your abilities. Does it happen once an hour? Ten times an hour? More?

Now multiply that number by the hours you are usually awake during the day. Multiply that number by the number of days you have been alive since you were a child.

The resulting number will give you a rough idea of how many negative affirmations you have said to yourself during your life time. If you are like many people, the number of negative affirmations is a huge, astounding number, perhaps in the tens of thousands or even the hundreds of thousands of times.

Do you have an idea now why negative ideas can be so entrenched in your mind, and do you see why doing positive affirmations for a few weeks might not be enough to turn the tide of your own negative opinion?

For affirmations to work, you’ll have to commit to doing them long enough and often enough. That might mean, repeating your positive affirmations hundreds of times a day for many months. You’ll need to find a way to phrase your positive affirmations so that your mind can accept them.

If you give up on the idea of using positive affirmations, it’s all too easy to slip back into letting negative affirmations rule your life.

You are probably doing affirmations already, you just need to make sure the message you are affirming is the one you really want to hear.

February 18, 2012 By

This article was written by self help author Royane Real, author of the popular book “Your Guide to Making Friendly Conversation”. Discover more great self help articles and products at her new website at http://www.royane.com

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Choosing the Right Career – Employment Decision Using Friends and the Job Ad

February 9, 2012 By

Choosing the Right Career – Employment Decision Using Friends and the Job Ad

This article is intended to provide information on how to maximize your potential as an applicant in the job search process.

The questions we will cover in this article include:

1. What are my career options?

2. How does the posting process work?

3. What do I look for in a job posting?

4. What should I include in my application?

Introduction:

The questions above are often asked by job seekers. What are my employment options? What are my best traits and skills? How can I predict what they will ask in a job interview? What are they looking for? Well there are many ways to to approach these questions. One of the great sources of information to answer such questions lie in your friends and the other in the job ad.

Question 1: What are my employment options?

Career choices should not be made in haste; they involve thought, organization and planning. To begin a career planning process, it is important to assess your experience, values, skills and interests. This should first involve a self assessment, self assessment tools and workshops are offered by Service Canada like the “Career Navigator”, an online career assessment tool. You can access this tool at http://www.jobsetc.ca or you may visit your nearest HRDC employment centre or private career counsellors. However, a very good yet often over looked resource is your friends! Friends, colleagues and managers can help verify the reality of a self assessment. Begin by asking yourself these questions:

What past activities/positions have been important to my development? Why? (Consider experience inside and outside the company).

Personal values give meaning to our work and provide personal fulfillment. Personal values may include such things as being challenged, serving people, having a high income, being independent at work, etc. What are my most important values? Which of them are present in my current job? Which are not?

What are my most significant accomplishments? What skills are identified in these?

Interests are often expressed as working with data, people, things or ideas. Interest in working with DATA represents skills required to record, communicate, evaluate, and organize facts or data about goods and services. People who like using these skills typically enjoy working with figures, systems, and routines. Interest in working with PEOPLE represents skills used in helping, informing, teaching, serving, persuading, entertaining, motivating, selling, and directing other people. People who use these skills like to work for changes in other people’s behavior. Interest in working with THINGS represents skills used in making, repairing, transporting, and servicing. People with these skills like using tools and machinery and understanding how things work. An interest in working with IDEAS represents skills used in being creative, designing conceptual models and systems, and experimenting with words, figures, and music. People who like using these skills typically enjoy creating, discovering, interpreting, synthesizing, and abstract thinking.

In which of these areas do my interests lie? Which of my interests are met in my current job? Which are not?

While it is up to each of us to take responsibility for our own career, your manager can help by giving feedback, encouragement, information and ideas. He or she can also help you set goals, which need not involve moving up. Consider special assignments, lateral moves, and temporary assignments as developmental opportunities that may lead to career goals.

After you have answered the questions listed above or taken a self-assessment workshop, take another look at the career opportunities that interests you. You should now be in a better position to decide if it is a fit. What’s more, if it is, you should be well on your way to completing the application and preparing for an interview.

Question 2: How does the recruitment and selection process work?

The current recruitment and selection process generally follows the summary of steps below. As with many processes, however, slight variations may occur due to individual circumstances.

1. Job vacancy identified

2. Manager contacts Human Resources

3. Job analysis conducted by hiring manager and Human Resources to identify the criteria for the Careers posting

4. Posting issued in Careers

5. Applications received and acknowledged by Human Resources

6. Initial screen (short-listing) completed

7. Interview guide developed

8. Interviews conducted

9. References checked

10. Selection made

11. Position offered to successful candidate

12. Unsuccessful candidates notified

13. Feedback as requested

Question 3: What do I look for in a Job posting?

* The Job Posting

The job posting does a few basic things. A thorough review of the posting discloses not only pertinent details of the position itself but what to include in your application, and what you can anticipate in the behavioral interview. The following components are included in the posting:

* Job Competition Number

If there is a job competition number must be indicated on the application or covering letter.

* Closing Date

When are applications are accepted until? What is the closing date.

* Department, Location, Position Reports To, Classification, Salary Level, Salary Range

Essential details of the position may influence your decision to apply on the posting.

* Essential Requirements

The following items contain qualifications, skills and experience that through the job analysis, it has been determined the candidate must possess in order to be considered for the position.

* Experience and Education

Education and experience are used as screening criteria. It is important that you respond to each bulleted item individually by detailing how your formal education, work experience, etc. will provide the qualities looked for in a candidate. In your description include the types of experience, responsibilities or key activities, the scope of projects you have been involved in, the content of any courses you have taken, and whatever will make the hiring team aware of what you have to offer with respect to the qualifications asked for.

* Technical Requirements

Also used as screening criteria. Address each identified need separately. Outline the skills you have and the amount of time you spent gaining the skills, how you have applied the skills, etc.

* Managerial/Non-Technical Requirements

These requirements need not be addressed in the application. They will not be used as initial screening criteria but are the behavioral traits the interview questions will be based on.

* Additional Desired Requirements

May be used as an initial screening criteria. Describe how your background (education, experience, coursework, etc.) has developed your ability in each requirement identified.

* Forward Application To

The application is to be forwarded to the address indicated on the posting. Any questions concerning the posting process, etc. may be directed to the Human Resources Advisor or hiring manager whose names are identified at the bottom of the posting.

* For Additional Information Please Call

In most cases, this is the manager of the position. This is the individual to call with any questions about the position, duties, work group, etc.

Question 4: What should I include in my application?

When preparing your application, address EACH of the bulleted items under Experience and Education, Technical Requirements and Additional Desired Requirements. Your response should be designed to give the reader sufficient information about your skills and abilities, how you got them, how you have used or applied them, etc. to enable the hiring team to determine to what degree your skills match what is required for the position. Remember that the initial screening or “short-listing” is done using only this information.

* Personal Resume

The attachment of your personal resume to the application form may provide additional information about you.

* Covering Letter

The covering letter gives you the opportunity to go beyond the resume and application. Customize your cover letter as much as possible to target the needs of the particular position for which you are applying.

IN SUMMARY

* Effectively reading a job ad is one of the secrets to success in the employment process.

* An effectively written application and resume addresses the needs identified in the Education and Experience, Technical Requirements, and Additional Desired Requirements sections of the job posting.

* When preparing your written application, remember that it is preferable to address each bulleted item in these sections individually.

* The use of good spelling, grammar and punctuation is important because for this initial screening, your application represents you to the reader. It is in your best interest to make it easy for the reviewer(s) to read and understand the information you present in your application.

* The job posting also identifies the behavioral dimensions necessary for effective performance in the job. In response to this, effective applicants practice their STAR’s in advance of the interview in order to highlight items that they consider pertinent.

* Remember a well prepared individual is one that practices prior to an interview; don’t sell yourself short.

Choosing the Right Career – Employment Decision Using Friends and the Job Ad

Choosing the Right Career - Employment Decision Using Friends and the Job Ad

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Ethics and Decision Making in Education

January 10, 2012 By

Ethics and Decision Making in Education

When making ethical decisions in education consequensalism is often applied to the kinds of guides to action based theory of relativism. Philosophers and ethicists use the term teleogy, from Greek word telos, meaning end ( Beckner 2004 ). Consequentialism The term was first used for (1) a theory concerning responsibility, but is now commonly used for (2) a theory concerning right and wrong. (1) the view that an agent is equally responsible for the intended consequences of an act and its unintended but foreseen consequences ( Anscombe 1958).

Ethical theories that fall under the classification of consequentialism pose that the rightness or wrongness of any action must be viewed in terms of the consequences that the action produces. In other words, the consequences are generally viewed according to the extent that they serve some intrinsic good. The most common form of consequentialism is utilitarianism (social consequentialism) which proposes that one should act in such a way to produce the greatest good for the greatest number. Consequentialism is the name given to ethical theories that hold that moral right, wrong, and obligation depend solely on the value of the consequences (effects, results) of what we do. Ethical egoism states that moral right, wrong, and obligation depends solely on the value of the consequences for the agent (Brandt, 1959).

Utilitarianism (Lyon 1992) states that moral right, wrong, and obligation depend solely on the value of the consequences for everyone, including both the agent (thereby denying ethical altruism) and everyone else (thereby denying ethical egoism). Consequentialism says that we ought to do whatever maximizes good consequences. It doesn’t in itself matter what kind of thing we do. What matters is that we maximize good results. One popular kind of consequentialism is classical (hedonistic) utilitarianism. This view says that we ought always to do whatever maximizes the balance of pleasure over pain for everyone affected by our action. This view could be based on the golden rule, which leads us to be concerned about the happiness and misery of others. Or it could be based on God’s will, self-evident truths, or our own personal feelings.

Consequentialism’s basic idea is that the ethical status of an act depends on the value of its consequences. (Beckner, 2004). The concept of an act’s consequences is central to the theory. The first characteristic to note about this kind of consequentialism is that it will allow a wide range of states of affairs to count as consequences. Indeed any state of affairs that can properly be called an outcome of an act is one of that act’s consequences. An act’s outcomes are the states of affairs brought about by that act. So, for example, if an act fulfils a promise, the state of affairs of that promise’s being kept is an outcome of that act demands that you act so as to maximize, and the value of consequences in this broad sense. Taking such a broad view of consequences immediately makes available a potentially different set of responses to hypothetical examples.

On the other hand, the opposite of consequentialism is deontologism which ethical position claims that it is possible for us to identify a right act or a justified moral rule in other ways besides considering the goodness or badness of consequences. “The term denotology comes from the Greek words deon, meaning “duty”, and logos, meaning “logic”. With this system of thing, the focis of value is the act or kind of act,” (Pojman 2002, p.107). Deontological moral systems are characterized primarily by a focus upon adherence to independent moral rules or duties. Thus, in order to make the correct moral choices, we simply have to understand what our moral duties are and what correct rules exist which regulate those duties. When we follow our duty, we are behaving morally. When we fail to follow our duty, we are behaving immorally. Deontological moral systems also place some stress on the reasons why certain actions are performed. Thus, simply following the correct moral rules is often not sufficient – instead, we have to have the correct motivations. This would allow a person to not be considered immoral even though they have broken a moral rule, but only so long as they and obligations must be determined objectively and absolutely, not subjectively.

Some examples of deontological ethical theories include: divine command: one of the most common forms of deontological moral theories is those which derive their set of moral obligations from a deity. An action is morally correct whenever it is in agreement with the rules and duties established by God. Duty Theories: an action is morally right if it is in accord with some list of duties and obligations. Rights Theories is an action that is morally right if it adequately respects the rights which all humans (or at least all members of society) have. This is also sometimes referred to as Libertarianism, the political philosophy that people should be legally free to do whatever they wish so long as their actions do not impinge upon the rights of others. Contractarianism: an action is morally right if it is in accordance with the rules that rational moral agents would agree to observe upon entering into a social relationship (contract) for mutual benefits. Finally, the monistic deontology is when the action is morally right if it agrees with some single deontological principle which guides all other subsidiary principles.

Thus, McCain R. (1999) describes a mixed- consequentialism has the rational and ethically acceptable. To be rational is to advance the views to which one is committed; to be moral is to advance the views to which one ought to be committed. Mixed-consequentialism refers to moral decisions that may not depend on the consequences all of the time. Mixed-consequentialism involves the reasons for the rightness of actions in situations. Mixed-consequentialism is a combination of both consequentialism and deontologism and it only stands to reason that each approach has application in varying circumstances. “The specific situation and varying circumstances must be carefully considered and decisions adjusted accordingly”(Beckner, 2004, p. 151).

In sum, institutions are left with the perplexing thought which is should they make decisions that are only and solely connected to the results of the action or should institutions consider the virtues and character of the person making the decision. If institutions follow consequentialism entirely, then they can make any decision that augurs for the common good and has good consequences despite whether the decision is impelled by the individual or any specific concern for the individual who is making it. WE are separating the decision from the person.

References

Anscombe E. (1958) Modern Moral Philosophy”, The Anscombe Society

Brandt, R. B., 1959, Ethical Theory (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall).

Beckner , W. (2004). Ethics for educational leaders. New York: Allyn & Bacon

Lyons, D “Utilitarianism,” Encyclopedia of Ethics, edited by Lawrence C. Becker and Charlotte B. Becker (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1992), Vol. II, pp. 1261-68

McCain, Roger A. (1999) ‘Deontology, Consequentialism and Rationality’, Review of Social Economy, 49(2), Summer, pp. 168-195. [*0]

Pojman, L. (2002), Ethics: Discovering right and wrong, (4th Edition) Belmont, CA Wadsworth Publishing Comapnay

Ethics and Decision Making in Education

Ethics and Decision Making in Education

Bio-Dr. Maloney Rhonda Hunter-Lowe

My name is Dr. Maloney Hunter-Lowe, I believe that true education is the interaction of ideas and practice and I expect to facilitate and with integration of theory and practice to help bring new insights to all learners. I have an Associate degree in Business (A.s), a Bachelor in Psychology (B.S), a Master in Elementary Education (M.S) and a Master in School Administration (M.S) all from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry New York. A few weeks ago I completed my Doctoral Degree at the University of Phoenix Online in Educational Leadership (E.d.D)

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