The NCIDQ: What it is and How to Prepare

When aspiring interior designers begin exploring education programs, one thing that they may notice is that most programs refer to the NCIDQ, or National Council for Interior Design Qualification, exam. Most programs tout the fact that their coursework is geared toward successfully passing the exam – but many prospective students aren’t exactly sure what the exam is, or what it means for their careers.

Essentially, the NCIDQ is the objective standard by which interior designers can prove that they have the required knowledge and experience. However, it’s not a test of whether a designer has the taste or ability to create an attractive room. Instead, the NCIDQ is devoted entirely to ensuring that designers know what needs to be done to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the people using and living in the spaces they design.

Qualifying for the Exam

Like many examinations that lead to a credential, the NCIDQ exam is limited to those who meet the requirements for education and experience in the field, who can demonstrate their knowledge of the subject area.

There are six paths to meeting the eligibility requirements for the NCIDQ exams, each with varying combinations of education and experience. For example, those who hold four-year degrees from Council of Interior Design-accredited interior design schools can qualify for the exam after 3,520 hours, or about two years of full-time paid work experience. Those who hold degrees from non-CIDA accredited schools, or hold degrees in other fields, can also qualify with more work experience and additional approved coursework.

It’s important to note that the work experience requirements are very specific. For example, if you received academic credit for the experience, such as through an internship, then those hours cannot count toward meeting the testing qualifications. However, it is possible to start fulfilling the work experience hours while you are still in school, once you have completed at least 96 hours of formal design training. In addition, you can only receive 100 percent credit for the hours you’ve worked if your supervisor is NCIDQ-certified. If your supervisor holds other credentials – or none at all – the experience is then evaluated and rate accordingly.

You will need to provide proof of both your education and work experience when you apply for the exam; however, the exam board doesn’t review portfolios, client lists or other evidence to prove your eligibility, or make exceptions to the rules.

The Exam

Once you qualify, the NCQDQ exam itself is a comprehensive exam covering several subject areas. It’s not a test of your knowledge of facts, but instead, how you would apply your knowledge to real life situations. It’s divided into three sections.

• The first section covers your knowledge and skill in codes, building systems, construction standards and contracts.
• The second section tests your knowledge of design application, practices and project coordination.
• Finally, the third section is more practice-based; you’ll receive a series of design challenges in several areas, including lighting, space planning and restroom design, and need to come up with solutions that follow the established guidelines.

The NCIDQ exam takes place over two days and is broken into four sections that last four hours each. It’s offered twice a year, usually in a major city. You’ll need to apply to take the exam at least four months in advance.

Why Take the NCIDQ?

In some states, the NCIDQ designation is actually a requirement for anyone who wants to work as a licensed interior designer in that state. Not all states license interior design professionals, but for those that do, the NCIDQ is the standard for determining license eligibility.

In addition, holding this credential indicates to potential employers and clients that you have at least a basic understanding and competency of interior design principles. You can have all the talent in the world when it comes to creating attractive spaces, but if it is not safe or healthy for inhabitants, then the design could be considered unsuccessful.

While the requirements are stringent, and the exam itself challenging, earning the NCIDQ credential is a worthwhile endeavor. It demonstrated your commitment to the field of interior design, and helps you earn more assignments, and eventually, more money. Look for an interior design college that will prepare you for this important exam and you’ll be on your way to a successful career from the start.

Image from Flickr’s Creative Commons

Paula Willette is an NCIDQ-certified interior designer. She works for a large architectural firm, designing interior spaces for office buildings. She enjoys creating hip, functional and sleek spaces that inspire people and make them happy to come to work. 

The Top Degrees in Healthcare Administration

The healthcare industry is seeing massive growth. As long as there are people, there will be a need for healthcare. There is no way to change the simple fact that people get sick and injured every day. They need help in order to get better. These people are the doctors and nurses that we rely on, but there is an entirely different population of the healthcare industry; the healthcare administrators. These jobs do not require a medical or nurse related degree, but they will require a specialty healthcare administration degree. Choosing which degree is the best for these job positions can be confusing. Each degree is unique, and because each degree is unique, they all have different requirements. These requirements are typically the amount of time it takes to earn the degree.

How Much Time Do You Want to Invest?

Any career path is a huge decision. Part of that decision will be determining how much time you want to invest in your education. Degrees are usually categorized by the amount of time that is needed to earn them. Deciding how much time you want to devote to your education will make it much easier to choose the right degree for you.

Many people will choose an entry level degree that will grant them an entry level position into the job market. This will allow them to get a taste of what the career choice is really like without having to devote a lot of time towards their education. You can always choose to further your education if you really enjoy the career path that you have chosen. Researching healthcare management online will give you a better understanding of the different types of jobs available in this industry.

Associate Degree

This is an entry level degree that is perfect for anyone that might not be 100% certain that a career path in healthcare administration is right for the individual. This degree typically takes 12 months to earn. Many students are choosing to enroll in online courses that allow them to learn at their own pace. Some students are earning their Associate degree online in less than 12 months. This might not be the best opportunity for everyone. Earning a degree online grants a student a lot of freedom. It is easy to abuse this freedom. Earning a degree online takes a lot of hard work, dedication and self-discipline.

Many jobs in healthcare administration can be obtained with an Associate degree. If this career path is something you enjoy, you can always further your education by earning one of the other two degrees mentioned below.

Bachelor’s Degree

This is the next level of healthcare administration degree. It will open more doors simply because it requires a longer period of time to obtain. This specialized degree will provide students with a better understanding of health services. It will also give students the chance to work in many different areas of healthcare. It touches on some of the fundamentals of marketing, financing and leadership within the healthcare industry. This degree can take anywhere from 2-5 years to earn. If you already have an Associate degree, many schools will allow you to apply the credits that you already earned from your Associate degree towards your Bachelor’s degree.

There are also many great Bachelor’s degree programs available online. This makes it easy for anyone who is currently working a full time job to further his or her education and their career at the same time.

Master’s Degree

This is usually the highest degree that a person obtains in healthcare administration and management. If you already have an Associate degree, or a Bachelor’s degree, then obtaining your Master’s degree will be much easier. Every school is different, but the average amount of time needed to earn a Master’s degree in healthcare management is anywhere from 2-5 years. Just like the other two degrees, students have the opportunity to earn their Master’s degree online.

Healthcare management jobs are predicted to grow by as much as 16% in the next few years. It is an industry that is in high demand, and every job position within this industry earns a competitive salary.

Jane Steward recently completed her BA in healthcare management. She has worked for a private healthcare clinic near Mt. Hood, OR for the last 2 years.

 

 

 

Engineer Your Resume To Stand Out From the Crowd!

Your resume is your first impression with a prospective employer. Resumes must highlight your accomplishments, illustrate your strengths and persuade employers to bring you in for an interview – all on one page. Larry Maier, president of Peerless Precision, a manufacturing plant, states that it takes no longer than 30 seconds to review a resume.

Glenn Shagena, the director of human resources at the Chrysler Group, says that they receive 10 to 50 resumes for every job posting. Both of these statements mean that it is crucial you engineer your resume to stand out from the rest if you wish to earn an interview. Below are strategies for crafting a resume that will stand out and give hiring managers exactly what they are looking for.

Strategies for Resume Success

These are time-honored strategies that will help you create a resume that informs hiring managers of exactly what they want to know – with no pointless information.

Craft A Job-Specific Resume – Perhaps you have a number of degrees, talents and qualifications that allow you to pursue a number of careers. Do not try to cram all of that information into one resume. Create multiple resumes for each of your specialties. Larry Maier stated that when he receives resumes from technical applicants, all he wants to see is highlighted technical training and relevant work experience – nothing more.

Use Direct Language – Be direct in every area of your resume. Your resume is your time to brag about yourself. There is no need to try to rely on implications or be modest. According to Peter Kistler, contributing writer for Brand Yourself, be very specific about your accomplishments. For example, instead of saying, “Responsible for making collection calls”, say, “Called customers who were late on payments and generated a 50 percent call-to-payment ratio.” Simply stating you were responsible for something does not say how successful you were at it.

Highlight Recent Accomplishments – John Challenger, executive at the consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, advises resume creators to focus on accomplishments and relevant work experience within the past 10 years. Do not treat every job you’ve held equally, and completely leave off irrelevant information.

The one exception to this rule is education – always detail formal education received. For example, if you are applying for a job in the public health industry, mention that you have completed public health masters programs. Additionally, if you received your degree online, explain that it was an online degree. To an employer, there is essentially little to no difference between an online degree and a traditional degree.

Edit, Edit, Edit! – Editing is the most important step in engineering your resume. The quickest route to losing a job prospect is to have spelling or grammar errors in your resume. Read your resume multiple times aloud to yourself. Run it through online proofreading tools. Kistler suggests sending your resume to two or more friends and having them proofread your resume. Additionally, ensure that you edit your resume down to a single page. It is fine if it goes beyond one page when initially writing it, but it must be refined to fit on a single page.

Use Proper File Names and Types – Now that your resume is ready to send, ensure that it is saved properly. According to Kistler, the preferred file extension is .PDF. Most word processors will allow you to save your document as a PDF. This file type saves all of your formatting and avoids aesthetic or functional issues that can arise from different versions of word processors. Lastly, the file name should be FIRSTNAME_LASTNAME_Resume.pdf. Imagine you are a hiring manager who received 50 emails each containing a resume. You save them in a special folder. If they are all named “resume” you may end up deleting them, accidentally (or on purpose). Having a personal file name helps the hiring manager keep them organized – something they will appreciate.

Engineer Your Resume to Meet Success

The above strategies can be successfully employed to tailor a stellar resume that helps you stand out from the crowd. Even though many of these tips and strategies have been around for a while, hiring managers still appreciate them. You may be surprised how many applicants employ distasteful and time-wasting practices. These strategies are designed with the hiring manager in mind and assure them that you are a professional that is worthy of their time.

William Miller is a masters-level student on in an online human services degree program who also works as a consultant when he’s not busy studying or writing papers.

So You Got an MBA. Now What?

You’ve spent the past two years taking courses, writing papers, preparing case studies and perhaps completing an internship to earn your Master of Business Administration or MBA. When you entered the program at first, you had a vague idea of what you wanted to do when you graduated, but now that the day has arrived, you’re feeling a little lost and unsure of which path to take.

The good news is that now that you have the MBA, you have opened the door to a wide assortment of options. Thanks to your commitment and all of the hard work you poured into your studies, you have far more career options that you did before you began the program.

Move Up the Ladder

Many people enter MBA programs with a desire to move to the higher levels within their career, whether at the company they currently work for or at a new company. With the practical knowledge and skills that you gain while studying for your MBA, combined with your performance on the job, you can often rise to the top of the candidate pool for open positions. In fact, in a survey by the staffing firm Accountemps, more than 80 percent of top-level executives indicated that an advanced business degree is a required for moving into executive positions.

And, in most cases, the work that you put into your MBA shows in your paycheck. As you move up the ladder, you can expect to earn more than you those in lower level positions, and those who do not have the advanced degree.

Get a Job

Almost no one enters an MBA program thinking that they are going to immediately retire or head to the unemployment line. It’s a sad fact though, that many college graduates these days finish school without a job lined up and it often takes them months, even years in some cases, to find a well-paying job in their field.

While getting an MBA is not a guarantee that you’ll get a job, it increases your chances of joining the working world exponentially. A recent survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council found that the job market for MBAs has improved considerably over the past few years. Of the 216 international companies that were surveyed, almost 75 percent indicated that they plan to hire MBA graduates in 2012, an increase of nearly 20 percent over 2011.

And it’s not only domestic opportunities that are increasing. MBAs have more international employment opportunities than ever before, especially in Asia with its rapidly growing economies.

Change Your Career

MBA programs today offer more specialization than ever before; in fact, very few students actually earn a strict “Master of Business Administration” but instead choose to focus on a specialty area, such as marketing, accounting, finance, organizational leadership or economics. While the core subjects of the MBA program are similar across the board by specializing in an area outside of your experience or undergraduate degree, you open the door to more opportunities. For example, you may hold a degree in accounting – and have several years of experience in the field – but studying marketing at the master’s level allows you to move into those types of positions.

Keep On Going!

For many students, earning an MBA is the end goal; they do very well with that as the terminal degree. However, for others, the MBA is just a stepping stone to further education. Accountants, for example, may seek an MBA in Accounting to meet the prerequisites for becoming a Certified Public Accountant, while finance majors seek an MBA in preparation for taking the Certified Financial Analyst exam. In many cases, the work you do as a graduate student will meet the requirements for standard certification, which improves your employment prospects and earning potential in the long run.

Earning an MBA is an accomplishment that cannot be understated. Unlike other degrees, which may prepare students for a specific career path, MBA studies open a whole world of opportunity. Whether you want to climb to the top of the ladder, change your career, move forward with a higher level of certification or even own and operate your own business, this versatile degree will help you to meet your goals.

This article was written by Justin Davis who has been pursuing his MBA online and expects to have his degree by next year.

The Top 4 MBA Programs for Entrepreneurs – A Guest Post

In the business world, the current trend has crowned the small business king.  With internet technology vastly expanding the horizons of small businesses and making it easy for anyone to start and run a business, entrepreneurs are springing up as if from the earth itself and giving big business a run for its money.

Glamorous as it may look, however, starting a business is extremely hard work, and entrepreneurs are some of the most ambitious, talented, and innovative people in the working world.  Instead of working for someone else, small business owners have decided to go up against international chains, million and billion dollar companies — and if that wasn’t enough, many of the most successful entrepreneurs are under thirty years old.

Where do these business pariahs and prodigies come from? Where did they develop their impeccable business acumen?  For many, the answer is business school.

If you’re looking to start your own business and take the ultimate risk as an entrepreneur, business school (or B-school, for the initiated) may be one of your best bets.  But not all business schools are created equal.  In fact, some of the most successful entrepreneurs of our age never even went to school, or if they did, they dropped out.

Here are the top MBA programs for those brazen individuals we call entrepreneurs:

1. Stanford Graduate School of Business.  Consistently ranked as at least the second best MBA program in the nation (if not the world), the Stanford Graduate School of Business in Stanford, California is a visionary program for business students, focusing on innovation and change in the business world.  Their unofficial tag line says it all “Change lives. Change organizations.  Change the world.”  The connections you make at Stanford will be some of the most important, long-lasting, and powerful you’ll make anywhere.  It’s the network you pay for, and it pays you back with interest.
2. University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  The Booth School of Business in Chicago, Illinois has one of the most innovative and hands-on entrepreneur-developing environments in the academic world.  The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship on campus connects graduate students with entrepreneurial alumni to establish a mentor/mentee relationship, and allowing the students to experiment with ideas and use successful entrepreneurs with real-world experience as sounding boards.  The Booth School of Business also awards $100,000 in business plan competitions every year.
3. Rice University Jones Graduate School Entrepreneurship Program.  Located in Houston, Texas, one of the largest metropolitan and business cities in the world, the Jones Graduate School Entrepreneurship Program boasts a faculty comprised entirely of prior and current entrepreneurs.  Learn the trade from people who know it, and compete for a piece of the $1,311,150 in business plan competition money awarded each year.
4. The School of Hard Knocks.  Also known as “the streets.”  One of the most important lessons to be learned from entrepreneurs is that you don’t necessarily have to go to business school to be successful.  Yes, graduating from one of the schools listed here will certainly help your network and give you the resources you need to know how to start a business — but the only way to actually start a business is to do it.  And you don’t need a professor to tell you how to do that.  All you need is an enterprising spirit, a great idea, and a willingness to hit the grind stone every single day.  You can make all the connections you need, and learn every single lesson there is to learn on the streets, it just might take a little longer, and be a little more difficult (understatement).  Still, it’s possible, and some of the most famous entrepreneurs out there took this path.

No matter what school you attend, you will find that entrepreneurship is more about initiative than expertise.  Knowing something inside and out will certainly help you along the way, but without a healthy dose of perseverance and absolutely no fear of failure, an expensive education will be wasted.  That’s probably why Stanford, as prestigious as it is, generally doesn’t accept undergraduates right after they complete their first degree.  They prefer their students to have some real-world knowledge and experience under their belts because they know that initiative can’t be taught.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for accredited online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99@gmail.com

Why I am not going to TJY-2011

Yes, as I’ve written sometimes back at the time applying for the Tata Jagriti Yatra -2011 that I am quite sure that would be visiting the same this time.

I got selected for the same this time around also and it really feels good to be on the list. But unlike planed I have decided to drop out from the same. I know it was a hard decision for me, I had been dreaming and planning since last year. As I said at the time of applying that I was selected for the TJY -2010 also but couldn’t visit due to some medical reason with family. This time around I was determined to be on the train and enhance the spirit of entrepreneurship but reasons those made me to pull my name out of the TJY -2011 are …

I kept thinking since the time I applied this time that whether it would be useful for me? Will it make any difference knowing that I am already involved in many social organisations working with tribal, downtrodden people here in India. Knowing that I love writing very mush and I would love to be a writer one day, knowing that I’ve to work on the  business plan that I have, knowing that I’ve to work for the disadvantaged people. I mean I kind of know what I want from my life and what I should be doing, then would it be much useful for me to visit TJY-2011. I know it feels really great to see and meet influential people but would it bring me a step closer to my goals?

I’ve been living in the mining area since last almost 4years and I’ve witnessed the lives of people who don’t have anything to wear, eat … and TJY is doing the same, i.e. they will take us to disadvantaged societies and make us work closer to them what I have been doing since last 4years. Would it add anything to me? Am I sounding some kind of selfish?

There were few other reasons also those made me to pull myself from the TJY this year also, such as money i.e. coast of visiting TJY and professional goals.

After thinking over whether it would add anything to my personality and considering other minor reasons I decided that it would be great if someone else visit on my place and he/she would be able to utilize this opportunity more usefully. I know, I’d be at some disadvantage for not visiting and would be losing the contact with hundred like me but I will try to cover that online via visiting and walking online through the TJY.

For future applicants, I would suggest don’t try to be someone, else just try to be yourself and you will be in. One thing more I would be available for reviewing any application for the TJY in the future years also, as I think I know what TJY guys are looking in you. So, one can email me (see my email id in “About Me” section) and I hope would be able to suggest you something good.

P.S.:  TJY is now JY only! Visit at http://www.jagritiyatra.com/

Startup America Young Entrepreneurs Panel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myC-2WCUt3Y

 

 

Look at the Economy!

Earlier in the post, I had asked my blog readers that Is it a right time to go for MBA when US and all other markets are falling steeply?

I got few interesting replies and I’m sharing here with all of you the article written by R. Todd King, an MIT MBA on http://www.bschooladmissionsformula.com under the name of “Look at the Economy! Is now the right time to apply to Business School”

Mr. R. Todd King mentioned my previous post and gave important lessons.

If you are working toward a firm career goal along your current career path or on one close to it, then apply.  That is true regardless of the state of the economy.  However, if you plan to pursue a new career path very different from your current one, or if you have no career goal in mind other than something that pays very well, and you want an MBA simply to help you switch careers, then reconsider—because in a troubled economy, recruiters in your new field will likely not hire you without previous related experience and you may find yourself unemployable.

You can read the complete article from here.

Is it right time to think about MBA? Are we welcoming another recession?

Is it a right time to go for MBA when US and all other markets are falling steeply? Are we on the verge of another recession? I am just watching market details of various markets of world and finding everything in red though I am trying hard to get few green signals! It seems like after S&P’s downgraded the rating of US from AAA to AA+ market is falling freely and  going against the Newton’s law of gravity! US’s market Dow, Nasdaq; Europe’s market FTSE, DAX; Asia’s market Nikkei, Hang Sang and India’s market BSE and Nifty everyone is in blood red and seems like there will be a more blood in coming days!

Earlier there were dark clouds over the Europe market but those dark clouds have moved to US and almost all other countries to downpour and make billions dream shatter.  Experts are saying this time recession will affect Asia the most, the fact that is making me sick!

Now, the question is it is right time to go for MBA when we are welcoming (disheartened) recession! Few people will reply there is never a bad time to add qualifications but I think MBA is not just another degree.  Would it be better to get a MBA online at this time, then getting it through a traditional school? One need to think seriously about this before going for MBA if one is young with not much experience and in the earlier days of his career. One also needs to take care of personal and family commitments keeping forthcoming recession in mind.

I’m really confused now and can’t collect my thoughts right now. I think I need some help from everyone, please reply in comments.

Here are few of the related links:

The Economist:  Think twice

Is a Recession a Good Time to Get an MBA?

Monday Motivational Video