Author: Staff (Page 36 of 62)

New Jobs: Electronic Medical Records Professional

In our series highlighted news jobs in the new economy, we found an interesting article about new opportunities for people to become an Electronic Medical Records Professional.

Just two years ago, about one in five hospitals used electronic health records (EHR). Thanks to an incentive program from the government, the number is growing fast: More than 3,600 hospitals (about 72%) received payments to transition to EHR as of the end of July. Much of the work remains, and the health care sector is scrambling for technicians and consultants to aid the switch.

Workers can start at $50,000 to $60,000 per year. With the explosion of electronic records for health care, and now with the new health care law that will bring millions more people into the system, there should be no surprise that this would be a growing field.

Make More Money Playing Poker Online

Poker is a fun game because it is based on strategy with an element of luck. However, there is a whole different dynamic to the game when you play it online instead of at a casino in person. Some people even think the chances of winning poker online are better than in person. You do have to have a different kind of skill, though. Take a look at how playing poker online is different than playing in person, and what you can do to improve your chances of winning.

Looking for Tells

When you play poker against people at a casino, you get to see them physically. So, you can look for your opponents’ bluffs by watching their body language. When you play poker online, you don’t get to see your opponents. However, there are still plenty of ways to tell when your opponents are bluffing. For instance, you can look for changes in your opponents’ behavior, like in the amount of time it takes them to place a bid, if they bid an amount that is out of the normal range of their bids, or if their chat behavior changes. When you play poker online you have to notice how your opponents play and make note of any changes — that’s how you make a lot of money as a poker player.

Placing Bids

When you’re playing poker for money, such as on sites like sportsbook.com, you have to keep track of the money you have on the table. This is a little more difficult to do online because you don’t have physical chips in front of you to remind you how well you’re doing. There is just a money number on your screen. Plus, it’s easier to get wrapped up in the amount of money you can bid when you have easy access to your bank account to get more money at anytime. Be wise with your money and don’t place bids that you wouldn’t do in a live casino.

Knowing When to Fold

Poker hands tend to go faster when you’re playing online, so it’s easy to be tempted to play every hand. You have to be careful, though, because if you don’t have a good hand, you might be setting yourself up to lose money. The rules are the same when you’re playing in a casino as they are when you’re playing online, but you can’t let the speed of the game throw you off so you play poker hands you shouldn’t.

It is definitely a different experience playing poker online, but the strategy is very similar. Be careful with your money, be wise about the hands you choose to play, and be on the lookout for your opponents’ tells. You’ll make more money that way and have fun doing it.

The Key to Creating a Spotless Online Reputation


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Whether you’re a brand, a business, or a singular entity, your online reputation precedes you. The Internet is permanent; once an item gets published, it’s floating around forever. That can definitely affect you—for better or for worse, depending on what you do about it.

Make Smart Publishing Decisions

Whether you’re interviewing for a job that has nothing to do with the Internet or opening a new restaurant, people will Google you. Although you can’t always control what others say about you or your business, you can and should control what you publish. It’s better, for instance, to have personal pages locked down so that only your friends see them. Make professional Facebook or Twitter accounts you don’t mind sharing with the rest of the world. Be especially smart when posting pictures or YouTube videos. If you don’t want a boss or a fan seeing it, don’t post it.

Google Yourself Frequently

Googling yourself is something of a dirty habit but it’s also necessary. Keep an eye out for what’s being said about you, your business, and your brand. Generally, if you’re not a huge mega-celebrity and if you haven’t rubbed too many people the wrong way, you have a shot at cleaning house and erasing any information you don’t like. Once you’ve done that, however, try not to make the same mistakes again. You might not get so lucky next time.

Get Good Page Results

Specifically, the first page of your search results define your reputation online. If the first few entries have negative information, then trust that people will think of those things first. Potential customers might avoid your online shop, your new book, or your restaurant simply because of one bad review. You don’t even get the chance to impress them. That’s also why it’s vital to practice good business sense. Be polite, accommodating, and professional no matter what.

Seek Help from the Professionals

There are lots of resources that tell you how to make the best Internet impression you can. There are books, like the Michael Fertik Wild West 2.0 publication; countless articles and videos; and even professional services available for hire. If you want to become Internet famous or simply beef up publicity for a new business endeavor, these resources will help you drum up the right kind of attention. That way, you won’t have to worry about any negative search results.
The Internet is a great place to find information, as long as it’s good. Make sure your Internet reputation heralds your arrival rather than impeding it.

How to haggle for a better salary


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Are you afraid to ask for a raise? That’s understandable in the current economic climate, but many employees have good arguments for a pay raise, and learning how to negotiate salary is very important for new employees and for employees looking for more compensation.

This article give some helpful tips, and the most important involves getting as much information as possible.

“You shouldn’t just pull a number out of a hat,” says Ofer Sharone, assistant professor of work and employment research at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. “Tell them what you’ve researched and explain why you’re worth more than the average person.” Pynchon agrees: Don’t make the discussion about what you want, but what you can provide. “Tell them, ‘I walk on water, and I can walk on water at your company too.’ ” It helps if you request a salary before they offer you one; the first number on the table influences the rest of the negotiation.

Be smart about this. You have to know about your situation, the realities as work and the nature of the market in your field. Good luck!

Dealing with rising college costs

The issue of rising college costs is a hot topic these days, as young students and families grapple with the issue of how to pay for a college education. Too many young people are saddled with crippling college debt, and as this has gained more attention, it has certainly focused the minds of many Americans as they weigh their options.

Universities are reacting as well, and some of the trends are very promising. Davidson College has created an innovative no-loan policy.

“When I got my acceptance letter and my tuition bill, it told us that everything was mostly paid for,” she recalls. “I had heard something about Davidson’s no-loan policy, but it didn’t make sense because it sounded too good to be true. My mom was like, ‘This can’t be right. We need to go talk to them.’ ” The admission counselor explained that, because of the Davidson Trust, the school was able to cover 100 percent of demonstrated need without loans. Her mother cried. “At the time, I felt kind of embarrassed. When we walked back to my car, she said, ‘I’m so happy. I feel like I should make [the counselor] something.’ ”

Other schools like Harvard are also making it much easier for students to get grants instead of loans in order to lower the student debt burden. Families and students need to do their research, and you have to factor in costs and debt into your decision. Otherwise students will have this debt hanging over them for much of their careers.

You can read more about the student debt crisis and the value of a college education versus the costs here, here and here.

Read all of these materials, and you’ll be much more prepared for the decisions you’ll have to make.

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