Make The Move Into Management...And More Money

The right training and education can prepare you for a corner office - and a high salary.

It's not enough to tell your boss or potential employer that you want to move into management, you need to show them. 

Earning a management degree or certificate will highlight your drive and desire, while also giving you the cutting-edge skills you need to climb the corporate ladder.
To put it another way, to get ahead in the business world, you need to move forward. By adding a management degree or certificate to your qualifications, you'll do exactly that.
Check out these degrees that can help you move into management.

General Management
Thinking big about a business management career? There are several degrees that can get you there, but a master's of business administration (MBA) is widely considered to be the best of the best.
The Job: Businesses are always in need of qualified managers who have the practical knowledge and latest skill-set to plan, manage, and get the job done. By earning your management degree, you'll learn how to manage and make the critical decisions that are a part of every organization. Whether it's crunching numbers or evaluating personnel, you'll analyze the latest business models and corporate communication techniques. Why wait?  Learn more about management degrees and management certificates today.

The Payoff: Because of the strong background that a management degree provides, it allows for a wide variety of career paths. Management analysts, just to name one of many potential occupations, typically earn between $50,860 and $92,390.

Human Resources Management
Think you might enjoy recruiting and coaching people in the business world?
The Job: Lead a team of professionals who are committed to building a company the right way with the right people. While earning your human resources management degree, you'll study team-building exercises, recruiting and retention strategies, employment law, diversity in the workplace, benefits and compensation, as well as topics like work productivity. If you've already earned a degree, you might consider earning your human resources management certificate to get you up and running in this field.

The Payoff: A typical human resources manager can expect to earn $103,920 annually, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, with positions in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Delaware paying up to $131,620 on average.
Health Care Management
Stay ahead of the curve by studying management techniques in one of today's fastest growing and evolving industries.
The Job: Health care is very much on the minds of many ordinary Americans these days, and employers are no exception. They are actively looking for skilled managers who can come up with creative solutions to the complex problems in this profession. Earn your health care management degree and you'll have the broad-based background you need to lead a department, doctor's office, hospital, or corporation.

The Payoff: Employment opportunities in health care management are growing at a healthy 16 percent clip through 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The average annual pay for health care managers hovers between $57,240 and $94,780.

Hospitality and Restaurant Management
If you work well with others and draw satisfaction from your ability to satisfy them, a career in hospitality and restaurant management could put your career on the fast track.

The Job: Hospitality and restaurant managers juggle many tasks while overseeing their employees and keeping their customers and clients happy. The ability to interact and react positively to all kinds of people and problems is essential.
Earning your hospitality and restaurant management degree will qualify you for leadership opportunities and give you the practical skill-set you need to manage a resort, restaurant, club or catering company, just to name a few of the many exciting opportunities out there.

The Payoff: Salaries vary greatly depending upon the size and sales volume of the establishment, but many managers earn bonuses of up to 50 percent more than their salary. Tips are also a big part of service industry earnings.

Online MBA Facts and Fictions

The real scoop on earning your MBA online.

If you're weighing the pros and cons of earning your master's in business administration (MBA) online, you're not alone. After all, with more choices come more questions.
Aspen University Online offered the very first accredited, online MBA degree in 1987. More than 20 years later, there is a much longer list of schools offering MBAs online.
Let's play true-false to examine some differences between online and offline MBA programs.
TRUE OR FALSE: An online business education can't compare to face-to-face learning.
FALSE - In fact, a 93-page Department of Education report outlined in The New York Times found that online students outperformed classroom-based students in a modest but statistically meaningful way using comparative research gathered from 1996 to 2008.
"The study's major significance lies in demonstrating that online learning today is not just better than nothing - it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction," said Barbara Means, the study's lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International.
Add in the fact that many online learning tools - like streaming video, email, instant messaging, and teleconferencing - develop key communication skills that every modern business executive needs, and it becomes apparent that online programs can offer some competitive advantages that a typical classroom-based education can't.
TRUE OR FALSE: MBA degrees earned online are a scam perpetuated by unaccredited diploma mills.
FALSE - Thereare literally hundreds of accredited schools and universities offering online MBA degree programs. Take, for example, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a highly-regarded accrediting agency which has given its stamp of approval to many online MBA programs.
Yet AACSB accreditation is not the lone indicator of quality when considering an online MBA program. "If it's not accredited by the AACSB," writes Jeffrey Gangemi in Business Week, "then you should look for regional accreditation. This means that the organization examining the program is approved by the U.S. government."
TRUE OR FALSE: There are benefits to a campus-based MBA program that can't be matched online.
TRUE - No matter its advantages, online learning simply cannot replicate face-to-face interaction with your instructor or in-person networking in a classroom with your peers. 
Yet career networking does exist in online MBA programs, albeit with a different format.
"There's a really strong, off-the-radar network building up on its own," says Michael Goess, chairman of the Division of Business for Graduate Programs at Regis University, which offers one of the largest online MBA programs in the country.
Additionally, online MBA programs offer career counseling services to their students, not to mention a much more affordable price and the flexibility to keep your day job while earning your MBA, no matter your zip code.
TRUE OR FALSE: Online MBA degrees are a fad that will go the way of the pet rock.
FALSE - Ever since Aspen University Online offered that first accredited, online MBA degree in 1987, online programs have become commonplace and changed the concept of business school forever.
Businesses have changed too, now viewing online MBAs as acceptable credentials, both during the interview process and when considering employees for promotion. 
In other words, potential employers are asking the exact same kinds of questions that you're asking. Is the online MBA program properly accredited? And how reputable is the institution?
The fact is, while earning a degree online may feel like a brand-new phenomenon, it's not. Although it may surprise some, the concept of distance learning actually pre-dates most brick-and-mortar educational institutions.
Indeed, the University of London was the first to offer distance learning degrees as early as 1858. Capitalizing on 19th-century postal innovations, the university began awarding degrees via mail correspondence to deserving students, regardless of location, race, religion, and gender.
Online MBA programs are a natural extension of that forward-thinking philosophy. It goes to show that, regardless of the year, decade or even century, new technology means new possibilities.
Take a look at these online business school programs and see if there is an ideal match for you.

Practical, Solid Steps to Getting The Type of Job You Want

This is the little known formula that will get you a juicy job in less time. I call it the Direct Marketing Job Hunting Approach because it follows the same idea that Direct Marketers use to sell their goods and services. The
usefulness of this approach lies in the fact that
. You target the decision makers directly.
. You don’t struggle with thousands of other job seekers trying to get interviewed
. You have the opportunity to negotiate your pay package
. You sell yourself directly to the company of your
choice without distraction.
Now, we are through with the preamble. Here are the ten steps to landing the fat-paying job of your choice:

FIRST, Identify the exact kind of Job you want and the exact job position or title

SECOND, Identify three possible firms or companies you will love to work with

THIRD,— Pick the first company, Research it, get the contact address,, Name(s) of decision makers of the firm and their accurate positions. Next, find out the skills, qualifications etc required for the particular kind of job you want.
Eg if you want work as a Network/ applications engineer and you have identified maybe three firms like Starcomms, Reltel Wireless and Globacom to work for, you now have to find out what the required skills are for a network engineer.
You can find out the required skills by making enquiries from the employees of the companies you shortlisted who can tell you what it takes (This is not the time to be shy or lazy). You can also find out the requirements for that job by looking at past vacancy adverts in newspapers relating to that type of job and by adding one or two of your own
analysis.

FOURTH, Evaluate yourself. Are you in a position to take the job? Look at your strengths versus your weaknesses.
If for eg ( I like teaching with examples ) you are attempting to land a job as Regional Manager in an organization like the Department For International Development (DFID), you can find a past advert in newspapers for the post of manager by the same DFID. The requirements may include;
• Fluency in English language
• A good Bachelor degree in Social sciences, or Administration
• Numerical ability
• Sound financial knowledge and skills especially in Budget monitoring and implementation, accounting and bookkeeping
• Experience useful but not necessary
• Sound human relations skills
• Good ability in use of Microsoft Office ( Word, Excel, PowerPoint )
Let’s say the above are the required skills and qualifications you discovered for this kind of job.
Now, looking at yourself and the skills and qualifications you have you can draw up your Strengths vs Weaknesses table
Maybe you
• Know how to speak English very well,
• You are very good in managing and leading others( you have held various leadership positions in the past where you have done well)
• You are proficient and capable in the use of all the listed Microsoft Office programs
• You have a good degree in a social science
• You have good financial knowledge (in fact you have an
OND in accounting or any other financial course)
These become your strengths i.e. the required skills and qualifications you already have.
Your weaknesses then become the skills you don’t have or those knowledge you don’t have that will hurt your chances of getting the job.
If perhaps you are weak in mathematics and numerical calculations, this becomes your weakness.
So your Strengths vs Weaknesses table will look like this
STRENGTHS
* Good communication skills (you have written several good
reports and speaks well )
* Skilled in managing and working with people (give instances
of past positions held and successes recorded )
* Very skilled in all Microsoft Office
applications
* Good financial knowledge (state Qualifications if any like
Ordinary National Diploma ( OND ) inaccounting or simply,
can read and interpret financial statements, draw and interpret
budgets and forecast )
* Good first degree in social sciences
WEAKNESSES
* Poor Numerical Ability

FIFTH, Add to your strengths, Erase your weaknesses as much as possible. If for example using the above illustration your only weakness is poor numerical ability you should then undergo training on relevant mathematics and statistics to improve your numeric ability.
Thus you can erase your weaknesses by undergoing seminars, trainings, or programmes that will give you the required kills that you don’t have.

SIXTH, Design your extra-ordinary CV using the Instant Job CV Guide. Most CVs are not spectacular but if you go through the three page CV guide I’ve prepared you’ll discover how to make a CV that will impress the
potential employer.

SEVENTH, In place of the usual dull cover letter, write a 2-3 page convincing letter selling yourself, your skills, your goals for the company and why you are qualified to seek for that particular job with the company.
(Repeat these processes for the other shortlisted companies you intend applying to.)
Watch out for my explosive sample of “The Instant Job Application Letter: How To Write A Job Letter that Will Get Companies and Organisations To Call You”
It will teach you all you need to know to write a killer letter that will attract attention to together with your well made CV.
EIGHT, Package the CV and Job application letter in a neat envelope and address to the person who is in the situation to take a decision.
Here’s a guide to use
a) If the company is a large one eg Globacom, Nigerian Breweries etc, send a copy each to the Human Resources Manager ( or Head, Human Resources ) and to the Managing Director.
Better still, get the direct fax or personal email of the person or persons in charge of hiring and send the CV and letter to them. This is to avoid any middle person in the company blocking your application from reaching the right persons.
How can you get the personal mails or fax number of the big manager you might ask? It requires creativity and boldness. Go through the secretaries and receptionists or through a worker at the firm who can give advice on
how to make your application reach the right persons.
You need to develop friendships with insiders in those companies you want to get employed in.
This is not the time to be shy and afraid. If you want this advice to be useful to you, you must implement these pieces of advice we give you. If you can succeed in sending your application direct to the person or persons concerned your chance will be increased greatly but if you just send to the general head office, even though in the envelope you addressed it to the managing director or Head of human resources your application might stop on the waste bin of a secretary.
b) If the company is a small or medium sized one that doesn’t have a Human Resources Manager send to the Managing Director/ CEO.
NOTE; Find out the full names and title and use that on the envelope plus the company name. Example;
To
MR DAN KEYAMO
MANAGING DIRECTOR
On the back side
LONGMAN COMMUNICATIONS
12 NAWFIA STREET,
INDEPENDENCE LAYOUT,
ENUGU,
ENUGU STATE.
(This is just an example and not an actual address)
NINTH,-Send by courier (if possible ask for a confidentiality seal on the envelope, it shouldn’t cost more than a thousand naira to send). Your letter
will be delivered to the person who should get the letter.
But if you can get hold of the fax number or email like I told you before that should be better, faster and more direct in order to jump all the middle
persons who may stop your application.
TENTH, Prepare for interview when you’ll be called.
This is the ten step magic to landing a lucrative job. It is not a strategy for the faint hearted and will require a lot of determination and willpower.

How To Write an Attention Pulling Job Application Letter That Will Get Employers to Call You for Interviews

You have to be able to write the kind of letter that will grab the attention of the company you are targeting and not the dull, unconvincing application
letter that most job seekers write.
I call this type of letter the Job Application Sales Letter because in it you are selling your abilities to them and trying to convince them to hire you.
Here’s a sample that you can follow; Change the content to suit your own conditions. If you are good enough you can even make some slight changes to this one. The purpose is let you know that writing an application or cover letter shouldn’t be the same dull type used years. Your application letter should be an excellent attempt to tell the employer why you should be hired.
Remember you don’t need to apply for jobs only when you see vacancies in newspapers. If you have read The Ten Steps to Landing a Good Job you will understand how to apply for jobs in organizations where you want to work even if they are not currently hiring.
The sample application/cover letter below is for a job seeker who wishes to get a job but doesn’t have much experience. It gives an idea of how to approach the problem of lack experience. In the letter you also explain why you are applying to be given the job without seeing any vacancy advertisement by the organization.
Chief Dan Longman
Managing Director
Vanguard Newspapers Ltd
Independence Layout
Enugu
Enugu State
20 Festival Crescent
Ajangbadi Estate
Ikoyi
Lagos State
23rd April, 2011
Sir,
SPECIAL PROPOSAL/APPLICATION
I am Chris Okon, a 24 year old graduate of Political Science of University of Ibadan.
I humbly write to seek for the opportunity to work in your establishment as a political analyst/deputy political editor.
Prior to writing this letter, I saw no vacancy advertisement by your company anywhere but I am seeking for this job in your firm because I have always
followed its progress and would love nothing more than to test my vast abilities and creativity as a political analyst in your firm.
As a political scientist the vision of Vanguard Newspapers Ltd align with my beliefs. I know I can thrive in your firm and attain the greatest heights of
creativity and productivity working for you.
Do I qualify to work for you?
In answering this question I will state Sir, that as a young graduate I haven’t had a spectacular working experience. However, my natural ability in analyzing political trends stands me in good stead.
As you may see from my CV, I have been very active throughout my undergraduate days in learning the important aspects of my field.
My experiences for the job include;
- One year tenure in the University of Ibadan Student Union Government as the Secretary General
- Over three years of active political unionism
- Chapter President of the League of Lagos State Students Activists (LESSSA) which I co-formed (This actually taught me a lot about the intricacies of forming and running a virile grassroot political organization)
- Two years as youth political writer with several published articles (attached with this application)
Moreover, I count my love and enthusiasm for this position as a strong point in my quest to succeed in your organization.
If granted the opportunity, I will work to meet and surpass the firm’s goals and aspirations.
My Curriculum Vitae, photocopy of relevant official qualifications and other materials to show my experience are attached with this letter.
I eagerly await your favourable response.
Yours Truly,

JOB and Career Search Guie Sites

After a few weeks of research we proudly present the list of top 13 job vacancies and career advice blogs in Nigeria.
These are the top ranked job blogs most visited by Nigerians in 2011. The selection was done using Alexa rankings.
Don’t hesitate to let us know through the comments box if there are any good blogs that should be in the top 13 list that we omitted. We’ll take a look at it and include it in subsequent updated versions of this list.
We have excluded job forums from this list.
Here are the job vacancies and career blogs currently topping the charts in Nigeria by amount of visits and page views;
1. ngcareers.com: A deeply informative job vacancies listing blog with information also on job interview tips, job search help and general career advice. It has a global alexa ranking of 16,500.
2. Latestnigerianjobs.com: Lists job vacancies and has global alexa ranking of 26,220.
3. Gblcareers.com: has a global ranking of 38,135 and publishes global jobs vacancies in Nigeria, West Africa and indeed the globe.
4. Naijajobslink.com: has an alexa ranking of 32,370
5. Joblistnigeria.com: Publishes job vacancies, education news, and job advice. It has an alexa ranking of 32,746
6. Jobberman.com: Lists job vacancies and publishes career advice. Has a rank of 36,614
7. Hotnigerianjobs.com: Is a job vacancy blog that also allows visitors post their job vacancies for free. It has an alexa rank of 38,312
8. Careersnigeria.com: Is a recruitment and job portal that publishes only job vacancies that the recruitment firm has under its belt. It has a ranking of 56,901
9. Jobsfornaija.com: Publishes job vacancies and has alexa ranking of 63,283
10. Ngjobsncareers.com: A career advice and job vacancy listing blog. It also publishes current and relevant career and labour news in Nigeria plus career development advice on workplace relations, job search, job interviews etc. It has global rank of 73,828
11. Nigerianjobhub.com: Is a job portal that publishes job vacancies and related information to subscribers. It has a rank of 97,322
12. Jobseekerszone: Publishes job vacancies and has ranking of 132,085

These ranking are correct as of 15th May 2011, and may have change based on traffic. However we will attempt to update this list every month to reflect new changes in rank.

How to Crack, Exploit and Profitably Tap into the Hidden Opportunities in the Labour Market

The Web is usually the first place people go to find a job, and many fill their days blasting resumes in response to online job postings. That’s a classic mistake, says Donald Asher, author of Cracking the Hidden Job Market: How to Find Opportunity in Any Economy. In this job market, “people have to do something different to find a job,” says Asher. If you are simply applying to posted openings, there will always be someone who has a little more edge than you’ve got ”

Frustrating as it may be, about half of all new jobs are filled before they ever make it to the online posting or newspaper vacancy stage. And in a bad economy, even more jobs go to those who know someone on the inside or approached the company at the right time. For those job openings that are advertised online, hiring managers may get hundreds—if not thousands—of applicants. But if you’re working the “hidden” job market, you’re more likely to compete with six to 10 other applicants.

Tapping into this hidden job market—and effectively turning yourself into an insider—takes some creativity and plenty of initiative. Here are a few strategies:

Make a connection. Instead of waiting for a job to be posted, initiate contact with a hiring manager at a company you want to work for and create a dialogue. If you don’t know anyone at the company—or know anyone who knows anyone—scan the website for employee E-mail addresses.

But try to avoid the human resources department. Ask these employees to refer you to the correct department head. Ask a specific question, and be precise. For example, if you’re looking for a job in sales or accounting, ask who you should speak with about that subject.

Find the person who makes decisions and talk to them—they’ll know that they have hiring needs months before they post a job opening. When you finally do make contact with a decision maker, ask for advice and ideas.

“If you ask for advice, you’ll get a job faster than if you ask for a job,” This could lead to information that, for example, you need more training or education to get a position in the field or that this particular company is growing and may be hiring soon. But for this strategy to work, you must be sincere.

Cast a giant net. Someone who can vouch for you is a powerful tool in snagging a job before it’s posted. But even if you don’t personally know someone who works for the company, you can still get a referral, Asher says. “Go to LinkedIn and find someone who went to your school, who maybe you’ve never met, and ask them to drop your resume,” he says. The site can also direct you to friends of friends who work for a particular company. Another option is to contact a member of your professional association who works for the company, using the association’s directory. “You don’t have to be buddies. You don’t actually have to have ever met. That’s why you go to association meetings,” says Asher.

Tap your network strategically. Once you dust off your network, proceed carefully. “Don’t make your first query about how you’re [looking for a job],” says Asher. “Say, ‘I saw that the Giants won last night, and it made me think of you. I hope you’re doing well out on the West Coast.” After that, don’t hide the fact that you’re on the job hunt. “What makes people unhappy is when you call them up and say you want a position at their company. Let them know you’re not leaning on them,” he says. “You should be calling them regardless of whether you want a job at their company. You want to go for the information—information leads to jobs,” he says. That could be anything from industry gossip to leads on companies that are growing. Sometimes, your contact will tell you to apply for a job online. “Say, ‘Absolutely, but who can I talk to to learn more about the opportunity?’ … [apply], but keep pursuing other avenues of access,” Asher says.

Talk to everyone—even strangers—about your job search.It’s crucial to log off your computer, get out of the house, and talk to people, face-to-face, about your job search. “Tell every single human being what you’re looking for, and ask ‘who do you know?’” says Asher. “When you start asking, the connections can be wacky.” Dog walkers, cab drivers, and hairdressers “are some of the best sources because they talk to a lot of people,” he says. “It’s all about information, not about power.” It’s important to look beyond your close friends for job leads, because they usually have the same knowledge as you, says Asher. So instead focusing only on your Facebook friends, try chatting up people in line at the coffee shop.

Top Highest Paying Certifications You Need for Excellent Career Progress

According to recent salary surveys by ZDNET's Tech Republic organization, the following are the highest paying certifications to have in the technology industry.

Following each certification is the average annual salary being paid to individual responders that hold the certification. I have also listed training resources to learn more information about how to acquire each of the highest paying certifications.

1. PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)

With an average annual salary of $101,695, the PMP certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) organization tops the list of highest paying certifications for the current year.

2. PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

Next highest on the list of highest paying certifications is PMI's Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). The average annual salary for CAPM holders that were surveyed is $101,103.

3. ITIL v2 - Foundations

With an annual average salary of $95,415 the ITIL v2 Foundations certification came up third on the list of highest paying certifications. ITIL stands for the IT Infrastructure Library. The ITIL certification is designed to show expertise in ITIL service support and service delivery.

4. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

Coming in at a close 4th on the list of highest paying certifications is the Certified Information Systems Security Professional or CISSP certification from (ISC)2. The average annual reported salary was $94,018.

5. Cisco CCIE Routing and Switching

At $93,500 per year average annual salary, the Cisco CCIE Routing and Switching certification came in 5th on the list of highest paying certifications in the technology industry.

6. Cisco CCVP - Certified Voice Professional

Number six on the list of the highest paying certifications is the Cisco CCVP or Cisco Certified Voice Professional. The average annual salary of CCVP respondents was $88,824.

7. ITIL v3 - ITIL Master

The ITIL v3 certification - the ITIL Master - came in 7th on the list of the highest paying technical certifications. The average annual salary for ITIL Master certification holders was $86,600.

8. MCSD - Microsoft Certified Solution Developer

The MCSD or Microsoft Certified Solution Developer certification pays an average of $84,522. This puts the MCSD certification at number 8 on the list of highest paying certifications in technology.

9. Cisco CCNP - Cisco Certified Network Professional

Cisco Certified Network professional or CCNP certification is number 9 on the list of highest paying technical certifications. The average annual salary reported by CCNP holders is $84,161.

10. Red Hat Certified Engineer

The Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) came in at number 10 on the list of highest paying certifications. The average annual salary reported by Red Hat Certified Engineers is $83,692.

11. MCITP - Microsoft Certified IT Professional (Enterpeise)

The MCIPT certification (Enterprise), or Microsoft Certified IT Professional - Enterprise Support comes in at number 11 on the list of highest paying technical certifications. (The MCITP Database is number 14, see below). The average MCITP Enterprise salary reported was $82,941.

12. Cisco CCSP - Cisco Certified Security Professional

Coming in at number 12 on the list of the highest paying technical certifications is the Cisco CCSP or Cisco Certified Security Professional. The average annual salary reported by CCSP holders is $80,000.

13. MCAD - Microsoft Certified Applications Developer

With an average annual salary of $79,444, the MCAD certification, or Microsoft Certified Application Developer certification, is number 13 on the list of highest paying certifications in technology.

14. MCITP - Microsoft Certified IT Professional (Database)

The MCIPT certification (Database), or Microsoft Certified IT Professional - Database comes in at number 14 on the list of highest paying technical certifications. (The MCITP Enterprise Support is number 11, above). The average MCITP Database salary reported was $77,000.

15. MCDBA - Microsoft Certified Database Administrator

The Microsoft Certified Database Administrator, or MCDBA, comes in at number 15 on the list of highest paying technical certifications. The average annual salary reported by MCDBA respondents is $76,960.