Not apologizing when you succeed or complaining when you fail

Not apologizing when you succeed or complaining when you failNot apologizing when you succeed or complaining when you failThe greatest form of maturity is at harvest time. This is when we must learn how to reap without complaint if the amounts are small and how to reap without apology if the amounts are big. - Jim Rohn- - - Dont apologize when you succeed.Dont complain or blame when you fail.Completely own and take responsibility for what youve attracted into your life. Said Dr. Stephen R. Covey, We control our actions, but the consequences that flow from those actions are controlled by principles.You cannot change your situation until you own that youve contributed to your situation.When you take responsibility for what is happening in your life, youre no longer the victim of circumstances. You no longer have to be a reactive object being acted upon by your environment. Instead, you can proactively act as an agent who impacts and changes your circumstances.Dont apologize for succ essYou should only apologize if youve done something wrong. Apologies only make sense if you plan to never do something again.When youve succeeded, you have no reason to apologize. Of course, you dont need to flaunt your rewards or harvest.But you absolutely can and should own how youve been living and own what youre learning.All the while, remain humble to the fact that self-made is an illusion. You have taken responsibility, and you will continue to take 100% responsibility. Yet, at the same time, you know you are nothing without the help and grace of others. Therefore, you remain deeply grateful and humble.This humility and gratitude is your strength. But it certainly doesnt cause you to act smaller than you really are. That is a strange form of hypocrisy that is just as schwimmbad as pretending to be better than you really are.Dont lower yourself, your standards, or your results to make other people feel comfortable for their lack of progress. Instead, have candid conversations where all can learn from each other. Dan Sullivan, the founder of Strategic Coach, has said, Its better to be an example of someone living a powerful life than to live small in buchung to make other people feel comfortable around you.Dont attach your identity to outcomes. Instead, attach your identity to your WHY, and to your behaviors - those things you can control. Principles govern outcomes. You govern your behaviors and you define your WHY.Said Jim Rohn, When you know what you want, and want it bad enough, you will find a way to get it.You start with Reasons, and from those Reasons you select specific Results you seek to achieve. From those results you develop Processes or Methods.The Methods are the means to the end and should never become the end in themselves. Thats the problem with modern psychology - the emphasis has shifted from people to process.Process matters, but only in the context of specific results you seek to achieve.You absolutely should seek outcomes. The more specific the outcomes you seek, the more clear will be your goals. Having clear and timely goals is essential to success. If someone tells you not to seek or focus on outcomes, they are lying to you. Said performance coach, Tim Grover, When you crave the end result, the hard work becomes irrelevant. The more clear and compelling the desired outcome, the more inspired, relevant, and bold must become your process.Seeking outcomes is not the problem. Attaching your identity to outcomes is the problem. Because no matter how good or bad your outcomes have been in the past, you cant stay there. Getting stuck in the past is how you throw away your future. Hence, Dan Sullivan has said, Always make your future bigger than your past.Dont complain for failureLessons are repeated until they are learned.When you fail, dont complain. Theres nothing good that will come out of it. When you complain or blame, you immediately shut yourself off to learning. You halt your own progress and will inevita bly repeat the same blunder in the future.Failure is feedback. Failure is what neuroscientists call prediction error, which is essential to learning.You made a mistake. So learn from it. Be happy about it. You just stepped outside your small realm of understanding and now you have the opportunity to expand your worldview.If you allow this learning to sink-in, youll be empowered to create better outcomes in the future.In the book, The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge saidIt is tempting to think that just because one understands certain principles one has learned about the discipline. This is the familiar trap of confusing intellectual understanding with learning. Learning always involves new understandings and new behaviors, thinking and doing.If your behavior isnt changing, then youre not learning. True learning means you can produce a desired outcome. If you cant consistently produce the outcome you want, then you havent learned.According to Brain-scan studies, if you do not address a problem in 0.25 seconds after a mistake is made, you probably wont do anything about it. Youll brush-off the mistake and continue forward in the same manner youve been going. You wont be learning from your experience, and thus youll continue moving into your future by recreating your past.If instead, you would simply stop, address what just happened, and continue forward from a higher plane, you could then produce better outcomes in the future. You dont have to live in your past.This can only happen when you truly own when youve made a mistake. Rather than complaining for failures - or blaming the bad weather or something else - you learn from what is happening and adapt.Charles Darwin has said, It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. To adapt is to learn. The quicker you adapt, the better youll live. It doesnt matter what happens to you, it matters how you respond.Without questi on, environment influence matters. But what matters more is what you do about it. You can either continue living reactively as an object, or you can adapt as an agent in new and better ways to change your environment.ConclusionYou can learn your lessons.Success is yours for the taking.You can success bigger than you can presently imagine. Success begets success. When you begin making huge leaps - you open yourself to different worlds of possibility. When you have momentum, confidence, and inspiration, you begin taking on bigger and more powerful goals.Don t apologize when you succeed.Dont complain when you fail.Dont attach your identity to outcomes. But without question, seek very specific outcomes. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals. Then get increasingly better at applying principles and honing your process so that you can consistently yield desired outcomes.Ready to upgrade?Ive created a cheat sheet for putting yourself into a PEAK-STATE, immediately. You follow this daily, your life will cha nge quickly.Get the cheat sheet hereThis article first appeared on Medium.

5 Technology Hiring Hurdles and Solutions

5 Technology Hiring Hurdles and Solutions5 Technology Hiring Hurdles and Solutions5 TECHNOLOGY HIRING HURDLES AND SOLUTIONSStaffing firm Technology offers tips to combat common recruiting obstaclesWe cant meet our competitors salary offers.Strengthen your salary offers with non-monetary perks, like flexible work schedules, telecommuting options or additional vacation time, to entice top talent to join your team.We lose good candidates to a slow hiring process.Before posting an opening, establish the job description, involve key decision makers, and follow necessary HR procedures. Keep to a tight timeline and update candidates throughout the process.Job seekers dont know were a great place to work.Showcase your company culture in recruiting materials and on social media, emphasizing your organizations mission, community outreach and benefits for employees.We have difficulty competing with other local firms.Do some research on your competition. What makes your organization unique and w hy should a job seeker decide to work for you? Highlight these strengths when recruiting tech professionals.We dont offer unique and attractive perks and benefits.It may be time to update your compensation package. Check out the Technology 2019 Salary Guide* for research on what benefits, perks and incentives professionals want today.

10 Ways to Make Your Boss Smile - The Muse

10 Ways to Make Your Boss Smile - The Muse10 Ways to Make Your Boss SmileMaking someone smile is a nice thing to do regardless. But when that person is your boss? Not to be too Machiavellian, but happy bosses mean extra perks, better projects, and even promotions. Here are some ways to get your superior grinning, so you can start reaping the benefits.Thanks to emotional contagion, if you smile, your boss will, too. (Wall Street Journal)Matching your managers communication style will automatically make him or zu sich happier. (Hcareers)Pick up the book your boss is reading- and eight other ways to win him or her over. (Forbes) If you wear this color, your boss will view you as more focused, committed, and trustworthy. Definitely smile-worthy traits. (AOL Jobs) Want to make your boss smile without sucking up? Heres how. (Money Crashers)Or you could just figure out what compliments he or she loves to hear. (Lifehacker)While youre in the giving mood, here are 24 fun and cheap gifts for y our supervisor. (Business News Daily)To make your boss smile, ask these three questions. (Dont Panic Mgmt)Seven things you can do to make your boss think youre wonderful. (Forbes)Bring in cookies or start an arbeitszimmer round of applause and you might make your supervisors day. (Inc.)Want more? Check out some of our great articles on becoming your boss favorite. 5 Non-Brown Nosing Phrases Your Boss Wants to HearBosses Tell Us 11 Things That Will Get You Promoted7 Ways to Become Your Boss Dream EmployeePhoto of smile courtesy of ?joyousjoym Blessings?.

Overcome performance bias if you want to improve your team

Overcome performance bias if you want to improve yur teamOvercome performance bias if you want to improve yur teamEveryone loves high performers - hot shots who deliver exceptional work on a regular basis are unique.However, theres a problem I frequently observe when facilitating team offsite and workshops. ur obsession with top performers can backfire - managers quest for having perfect employees hinders performance rather than improve how people work. Not only it generates a divide that ostracizes low performers, but blind us - we believe top performers are perfect.Categorizing people by performance has its benefits. However, the performance bias can create more harm than good.Managers miss to realize that top performers have problems of their own they are anything but perfect. Also, the performance of a team cant depend solely on a bunch of exceptional people - improving the collective performance, notlage individual ones, is a more effective way to go.The performance bias can limit your companys potential. Dividing people into great and bad could be hurting, rather than improving, the overall performance. Let me explain how this bias manifests and how to overcome it.1. The halo effect - we landsee what we wantCategorizing employees helps assess the current situation. However, the problem is applying a black and white approach - to see people through a distorted and exaggerated lens. Top performers are perceived as superheroes and low performers as the villains.The halo effect happens when managers have a hugely positive view of a particular employee. They see them as more extraordinary than they actually are - they miss to acknowledge their areas of improvements.Low performers are also punished by the halo effect - their managers will exaggerate their flaws. As human beings, we all have a natural tendency to confirm our pre-conceived beliefs. This confirmation bias clouds our perception of people and events.Our beliefs encourage us to take sides, ra ther than to see other possibilities.The halo effect damages objectivity when assessing people - it affects management and peer-to-peer evaluations alike.What to do about itHave the team assess all the members rather than just the manager. Having different perspectives can factor out the bias.Approach performance with a more realistic approach. Avoid idealizing top performers or being too critic with low performers. Understand whats hindering performance - focus on the action rather than on the current status.2. Stigmatizing labels put people in a boxOur behaviors are dynamic, not static - even top-performing employees can get stuck from time to time too. However, tagging people as top performers and low performers creates the impression that employees belong to one group or the other. We are encouraging people to behave according to the label we assign them.Labels dont just limit employees, but managers perceptions too.Labeling people forces everyone to focus on the present rea lity rather than on the potential. Neuroscience shows that the words we use to describe others shape their self-image. Thats the problem with labeling they limit peoples development by putting them in a box - they become the label.What to do about itShift from a static to a dynamic approach - instead of labeling people, focus on what conditions can be modified to unleash peoples potential. Google and many other companies found that, by rotating low performers into a different team, they drastically improved their behaviors and contributions.Similarly, are you providing a safe space where people can bring their best selves to work? Many times, what managers see as low performers are people who are merely silencing their best ideas because they are afraid of being punished. Also, extrovert managers tend to ignore the power of quiet people - being quiet doesnt mean not being smart, as I wrote here.Remember that the world is not divided between low or high-performers. The majority of people fall in between as shown below.Source https//markmanson.net/being-average3. Comparison the danger of applying external standardsRankings are good for competitive sports, not for encouraging teamwork. By forcing people to compare to others, rather than promoting development, we are hindering it.Comparing to others is an unhealthy practice - theres always going to be people who are either better or worse than ourselves.Focusing on the gap is deceiving - we will get either frustrated or too comfortable. Enron had a practice of grading their employees annually and firing the bottom 15 percent regardless of their absolute performance. If you were weak, compared to others, you got yanked (rank and yank was how employees referred to this practice).The everyone against everyone practice didnt work for Enron. The pressure to defeat internal competition forced a whatever it takes mentality - their executives decided to hide losses through accounting tricks. We all know how that st ory ended.What to do about itInternal competition is healthy to turn your team into competitors is not. Find a balance between being competitive and creating a winning at any cost culture.Move beyond the usual carrots and stick reward approach - internal motivation is more effective.As Daniel Pink explains, the motivation 3.0 approach is about autonomy, purpose, and mastery. Every person wants to be part of a mission bigger than themselves, to get better at what they do, and to have control over how they do their work.Telling people how to do things doesnt work - coach them to find their own solution. Comparisons make people focus on others rather than on what they must improve. Employees that behave autonomously become more accountable.4. Mental inertia - the tricks our memory playsThe ability to recall an employees performance throughout the year is almost impossible. Most managers suffer from mental inertia - they remember the most recent events (especially if they are negati ve).We are inclined to use our recent experience as the baseline for what will happen in the future.The recency bias can affect our objectivity - we make wrong financial or personal decisions. Though this bias can work fine most of the times it can be deceiving when dealing with people. Human beings can behave in ways that we usually wouldnt expect.Studies show that high-performers are more likely to quit in times when things get tough - those who are used to winning all the time or have very high expectations, usually fail to overcome adversity.The recency bias - focusing on recent or tiny negative incidents - creates the perception that employees are being micromanaged - they feel their bosses cant let go of details instead of focusing on the bigger picture.What to do about itMany companies such as Netflix believe that honest and straightforward conversations on a regular basis create better results than rating everyone on a five-point scale.Turn on-going feedback into a habi t. Encourage your team to identify and solve their tensions on the go - its easier to fix problems at an early stage than when theyve already become toxic. Also, performance improvement is critical to address it just once a year. Thats why many companies are replacing annual performance reviews with ongoing feedback, as I wrote here.5. Feeding envy - dividing the teamIdealizing top performers doesnt encourage others to improve their game. On the contrary, it positions them as threatening.When we fall short, envy clouds our behaviors - we focus on undermining others rather than on raising our own bar.Decades of research show that, when we size ourselves relative to others who are better than us, we experience discomfort and fear. Envy, a resentment toward others because of their possessions or success, divides teams.University of Minnesota studies suggest something even more frightening peers lash out star employees strategically - only when it is not in their best interest to su pport them.What to do about itAddressing individual performance is important, but avoid encouraging people to compare against each other. Reward collective behaviors and focus on improving overall performance.Shift the attention from sizing oneself relative to others how can everyone contribute to making the team better?Match high performers with low performers - having an accountability partner within the team is more effective than being told by ones manager what needs to be addressed. The accountability partnership invites people to commit to own their path towards constant improvement, as I explain here.Help people recognize the benefits of collaborating with high performers rather than seeing them as enemies.- - - Organizations must focus on collective performance - instead of dividing the team, coach them to raise their bar as one.Self-awareness is a powerful tool for team building - its about having an accurate view of ones skills, abilities, and shortcomings. Team aware ness is practicing it at a collective level. Research shows it increases decision-making, coordination, innovation, and conflict management.A self-aware team can regulate how each individual plays - when everyone shares the same purpose, they dont see each other as a threat, but as a partner who can help them become better.Though it sounds counterintuitive, its easier to improve individual productivity by focusing on the team performance than the other way around.Upgrade your performanceDownloadmy ebook Stretch Your Team - how to thrive in a changing worldget your free copy.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.

Entrepreneurial Strategies To Revitalize Your Business

Entrepreneurial Strategies To Revitalize Your BusinessEntrepreneurial Strategies To Revitalize Your BusinessEntrepreneurial Strategies To Revitalize Your Business MartinDoes it feel like your business is in a state of malaise? Are sales stalled in a recessionary muck? Instead of passively waiting for an economic turnaround, you can help revitalize your business right now by adopting unterstellung five strategies embraced by accomplished entrepreneurs.A newly published book, The Risk Takers 16 Women and Men Share Their Entrepreneurial Strategies for Success, profiles high-achieving entrepreneurs and highlights 10 broad strategies theyve employed to beat the competition and stay on top. Five of these strategies are particularly valuable in channeling your creativity to develop new products and expand your customer base.1.Go on a treasure hunt and find an underserved niche. Take a good, hard look at your business operations. Is there some way you can parlay your companys existing expert ise and resources to create new, more specialized products and services? Is there an underserved niche you could be targeting?You might take a lesson from David L. Steward, founder of World Wide Technology, a giant in the information technology field. Today, WWTs annual revenue approaches $3 billion.But years before he launched WWT, Steward acquired a small consulting business which audited freight bill charges. Most of the companys contracts involved auditing overcharges for customers of railroad freight services.Three years later, he tapped an underserved niche that nobody else had spotted identifying undercharges for the railroad companies.The railroads were losing revenue because of the undercharges.Other companies provided overcharge services informing railroad customers when they were charged too much, but nobody had ever worked the other side of the equation.He developed new electronic auditing processes that prompted Union Pacific Railroad to hire his company to audit three years worth of freight bills $15 billion worth of rate information for a single client.2.Spot a new trend and pounce.Often, a shift in cultural or economic trends will create new opportunities for product development or sales and marketing. Sometimes that shift arises from advances in technology or media. Think of the start-up software developers that have gained a foothold by developing applications for smartphones.Tova Borgnines direct-marketing beauty products company catalog orders were stagnant. herbei company needed a new, effective source to jumpstart sales if she was going to survive. She spotted a new trend women forsaking malls to instead shop from their sofas with the new cable-shopping networks. Borgnine lobbied for an appearance on cable TVs fledgling QVC network. The bold move worked. The glamorous Borgnine became one of the networks most popular pitch women. She saw sales of Tova Corporations beauty products skyrocket. Borgnine had identified a new, robust sales and m arketing channel for her products, one she simply couldnt cultivate in the pages of a catalog, and pounced before her competitors did. The Tova brand became so successful that QVC eventually bought the company from Borgnine for an eight-figure price.3.Hit em where they aint. An old baseball sluggers adage simply put set your sights on places where theres no formidable competitors. This is one of the strategies that helped catapult Curves from a small womens gym in Texas to a global multi-billion-dollar fitness empire.Curves was launched in 1992, when Gary and Diane Heavin spent their entire $10,000 in savings to open a womens fitness center in Harlingen, Texas. Curves targeted an underserved niche middle-aged and elderly women who needed a non-threatening place to finally get in good physical shape.After a second gym location and earnings reaching $250,000, Heavin decided to launch a Curves franchise system in small towns which had been ignored by the expensive, glitzy chains. His model small, no-frills operation worked even in sparsely populated areas that couldnt support more elaborate setups. Curves fitness centers fit perfectly within the confines of modestly sized storefront retail spaces found in any small-town shopping district or corner strip mall. So Heavin positioned his franchisees to hit em where they aint.Today, of course, Curves is everywhere. There are nearly 10,000 locations in 73 countries.4.Save your bucks and get noticed without expensive advertising.You may not have the money right now to launch an advertising campaign for your business, but that doesnt mean you cant promote your brand. Use your imagination to separate your company from the pack.Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad, was a master at this strategy. For years, he had no marketing budget for his Minnesota-based home-computer repair service. But he did have an offbeat sense of humor and an active imagination. He made certain the companys quirky identity got people talking. Wh en Stephens bought the first company car, a 1958 French-manufactured Simca Aronde, he dubbed it the Geekmobile and painted a giant Geek Squad logo on the door panels. The car was an eye-catching moving billboard.Since Stephens knew affluent people were more likely to use his companys services, he sometimes drove to cultural events such as orchestra performances and circled the block while attendees milled about outside the venue. Before long, Geek Squad was fielding customer calls from some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the Twin Cities area. Stephens eventually sold the company to Best Buy for millions.5.Exploit your competitors weakness and make it your strength.The sharpest entrepreneurs have a knack for viewing the world from the perspective of their customers. That quality can help identify competitors vulnerabilities and shortcomings.When Mal Mixon acquired Invacare, a wheelchair manufacturing company, in the early 80s, there was already a bodyguard competitor that control led 80% of the worlds wheelchair market.How do you overtake a gorilla? First, you discover your competitors weakness in this case, it was delivery times and make it your strength.Mixon recognized that when personal mobility is at stake, providers and their customers want a quick turnaround. He expanded his companys warehousing system across the country to speed deliveries to only one day after order placement. A series of other initiatives making Invacare more attractive followed.Since acquiring Invacare three decades ago at the age of 39, the company has grown its annual sales from $19 million to $1.8 billion.Its never been easy to run your own business, and this economy certainly poses plenty of hurdles. But these five strategies will help you to create a competitive edge, using your own creative skills and commitment to succeed.Author BiosDon Martin epitomizes the rags-to-riches entrepreneur success story. Raised in poverty in a small town in the Ohio Valley, over the next four d ecades he founded and built the largest privately held insurance brokerage in California Cal-Surance. Ranked in the top fifty of insurance brokerages in the U.S., Cal-Surance generated over $200 million in annual revenue.Renee Martin was a dynamic real estate broker when she switched careers entirely to work in community service as rape counselor, an advocate for The Childrens Court (CASA) and director of community relations of a child abuse crisis center. Renee and Don co-authored The Survival Guide for Women and she became a frequent and popular speaker at womens seminars across the country.

A Fools Handbook to Aws Resume Explained

A Fools Handbook to Aws Resume Explained The Importance of Aws Resume There might be jobs where familiarity with a particular technology or the AWS platform in general could be enough. Every cloud provider delivers some type of immutable component storage in the type of container or digital machine images. While it is largely helpful for debugging, it can be quite useful in some instances. AWS certs are the absolute most respected. These various levels of abstraction are usually thought of as XaaS. For full predictability you are able to conserve the strategy to be certain that if you run it nothing unexpected happens in case your present state has changed in the interim,. Along with continuous integralrechnung and continuous delivery pipelines, a high level of automation can be accomplished. In a manufacturing scenario its possible to select a distinct backend based on your requirements. Researching the geschftsleben and the work description, and including appropriate key terms and phrases, are crucial to your success. Once youve got an idea what sales resume keywords you wish to use there are a variety of strategies to insert them into your resume. From the sort of content to its layout, everything matters when youre attempting to get the utmost attention of the recruiter. There are a number of good beginner videos in the Amazon website that will allow you to understand the fundamentals and it saves lot of time to read the documentation.You can be quite sure that theyd use their competitors among their key terms. You would like to have more of the keywords they search for and several occurrences for each individual keyword. Some keywords may be required and others may be considered desirable. To start with, most keywords are nouns that are related to the abilities and have the employer is searching for in a candidate. The Hidden Facts About Aws Resume There is an enormous development of structured and unstructured data throughout the net. A s soon as you have signed up with completely free tier account, start working with the many services and learn the concepts by yourself. The easiest means to do so is to share numerical data that show youve contributed before and can, therefore, contribute later on. You get one point for each and every dollar spent on nearly all purchases. The bill must be generated of each and every buy or sale thats produced by the business enterprise. That means you would finally have another card at the very same shops for your small enterprise. Additionally, this card is solely readily available to those with great or fantastic credit. Our business enterprise credit cards comparison will prevent you from wasting time on inappropriate choices. Roles differ from project to project. Implemented CloudTrail as a way to capture the events linked to API calls made to AWSinfrastructure. They are made to install software and manage configuration on distinct servers. Its possible to specify your own S3 prefix that ought to be utilized to store all of the deployment artifacts. Then you ought to make a new user and assign total accessibility to EC2 so that we can conduct the necessary operations. Its possible to also install the AWS CLI, but it isnt required for Terraform to do the job. Self motivated Initiative with a high degree of energy. Self motivated, initiative, high degree of energy. Getting in a position to validate your experience is current and therefore relevant will be helpful. Amazon is most likely the one with more positions but should you have a look at Linkedin Jobs you are going to learn how a growing number of companies which use AWS want skilled architects. A fundamental job resume is ideal for candidates that are fresh out of college and are probably searching for an expert start. Finding clients and pitching services. Therefore, when you have a resume that isnt in an ATS-friendly format, it is probable you wont be contacted for an interview. B usiness can be war and it can be extremely rewarding at the identical moment.

Guide to tertiary qualifications which one is for you

Guide to tertiary qualifications which one is for you Guide to tertiary qualifications which one is for you?Posted October 13, 2011, by Mike KermodeThese days, there arent too many workplaces that rely wholly on on-the-job training to educate their employees. While this kind of instruction often forms the bulk of learning at a new job, to get your foot in the door you often need one important thing a formal tertiary qualification.Qualifications make job seekers employable, and they help employers sort the wheat from the chaff to sieve the skilled and knowledgeable from those without a solid knowledge base. They may not guarantee success at a job, but they act as assurance that candidates possess a foundation of understanding and training.The problem is that there are thousands of qualifications out there and it can all get a little confusing. Even if you know the field you wish to enter, it can be difficult to decide between a bachelor degree, a diploma or a certificate. A wrong cho ice at a vital educational crossroads could see you forking out unnecessary cash or spending mora time than necessary chasing a qualification you may not need or want.So you need to be informed. What are your options and how does this hierarchy of competencies break down? Broadly speaking, there are two categories of qualifications in Australia vocational and higher education. Under those two umbrellas, there are a sortiment of different qualifications tiered to provide different levels of training for different career outcomes.Vocational education and trainingVocational courses are usually practical courses aimed at preparing you for employment in a range of vocational occupations from IT to business admin, make-up artistry to bookkeeping.Certificate I and IIAfter high school, these are basic tertiary qualifications to prepare you to perform a range of relatively standard and defined activities and tasks. If you need a basic level of knowledge in something with little or no entry prerequisites, this is the way to go. A certificate I will normally take around four to six months, with a certificate II around six to eight months.Certificate III and IVThe difference between these and the certificate I and II comes down to the amount and breadth of information that you learn, and the level of responsibility this enables you to take on in your future role. A certificate III usually takes around 12 months and is ideal for people wishing to change occupations, or to move out of entry-level positions, whereas a certificate IV, lasting up to 18 months, caters more for those wishing to qualify for roles of greater responsibility and complexity. Certificate courses are usually delivered by TAFE colleges, community education centres, registered training organisations (RTOs) and private colleges.Diploma/Advanced diplomaBoth diplomas and advanced diplomas offer broader and deeper knowledge than those facilitated by a certificate III or IV. From this, youll be able to tr ansfer skills and concepts to a wider range of situations that demand problem-solving, and generally take on more responsibility. Advanced diplomas usually incorporate more management skills and take up to three years, whereas diplomas usually take up to two. Diplomas and advanced diplomas are for the most part offered through TAFE colleges, community education centres and private RTOs, but some are available via university study.Higher education/university qualificationsUniversity courses are usually more heavily grounded in theory and are generally considered more academic than their vocational counterparts. Theyre less about providing the specific practical skills youll need than giving you a framework of knowledge from which to work. Theres not the same emphasis on employability as vocational training and university degrees often take longer, but this is where you go if you want to get into a professional career.Associate degreeThis is a two-year undergraduate qualification tha t offers broad-based competency in a given field. In Australia, associate degrees are similar to advanced diplomas, but are more academic rather than vocational. Theyre sort of like a shorter bachelor degree offered by universities, private providers and VET providers alike. You can usually articulate into a bachelor degree in a related area of study.Bachelor degreeA bachelor degree is the standard university degree, usually taking three to four years of full-time study. Recognised worldwide, it is the main gateway to professional occupations. The range of subject areas is large, as is the depth of knowledge endowed. In essence, a bachelor degree teaches you the skills to understand and evaluate new information, ideas and evidence from a wide range of sources, and the ability to consolidate, expand and apply that knowledge. You will learn essential skills like critical thinking, research and writing that will hold you in good stead in any professional environment. Youll major in at least one area, but are usually encouraged to study broadly. You often also have the opportunity to extend the degree with a further year of honours study, where you can do advanced study in an area of choice for a full year. Studying honours is usually a prerequisite for postgraduate study, and demonstrates your passion, persistence and advanced ability.Graduate certificate and graduate diplomaThese are undertaken after completing your undergraduate study with the aim of deepening or expanding the knowledge established in your undergraduate program, or to develop knowledge in a new area using the skills youve already developed. Graduate certificates usually take six months, and grad diplomas 12 months, and both are offered through both universities and private providers.MastersA masters degree is designed to enhance specific skills, professional or vocational. Usually taking between one and two years, the masters is most commonly a combination of research and course work, and is a ll about acquiring in-depth knowledge in a specific area. Getting a masters says something similar to prospective employers as an honours degree that youre passionate about a certain area, and driven enough to devote the time and money to turn it into a career.DoctorateOutside of a medical qualification, this is what gives you the title of Dr and is the highest qualification attainable in Australia. It usually takes at least three years to complete and involves a substantial amount of research in a specific area, coupled with a large research project and thesis to contribute appreciably to the discipline as a whole. An honours degree or equivalent is needed to qualify for doctorate study.Some qualifications demand qualificationsWith the exception of certificate I and some vocational courses that demand nothing but practical experience, youll usually need to prove that youve got what it takes to complete a qualification, and often that means having a lesser qualification like having a higher school certificate to do a bachelor degree, or having a certificate IV to qualify for a diploma. If youre an international student and want to qualify for entry into Australian courses, you might need to complete whats called a foundation course. These are courses designed to give international students an entry point into undergraduate degrees in Australia. Usually one year in length, they differ depending on the discipline arts, science or business, for example. To get into a foundation course, youll need to pass some English language requirements, as well as your home countrys end-of-school certificate. A bridging course is for those who wish to enter a university course but for whatever reason, dont meet the assumed knowledge requirements. Its usually a short, intensive course, and not designed for international students.So whats best for you?The right qualification for you depends on two things where youve come from and where youre going. That means the experience you already hold, the job or career youre after, and the time and money you have at your disposal to complete a qualification. This is why you need to plan. If you want to do a doctorate, you need to follow the bachelorhonoursdoctorate route. Want to become an aged care worker? You could do a Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences (Community Services), but in most cases, a certificate III or IV is all you should need. In any case, getting qualified is your ticket to the career you want. Remember, a qualification isnt just a piece of paper, but vouches for your dedication, determination, passion, knowledge and skills solid proof that you have the intellectual ability and keenness to learn and get things done. Check out our full range of courses and qualifications. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice Ad ministratorPopular Career Searchescareer advisor onlineunsw early entrystudy in australia for international studentsyear 10 work experience ideasflexible entry usyd CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire zugnglich Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineMike KermodeRelated ArticlesBrowse moreEducationTeachingJobs in education boomingWhether you are interested in teaching kindergarten kids their ABCs or passing on your knowledge of quantitative physics to the next generation of Einsteins, there are plenty of exciting opportunities to snap up in the education sector.International StudiesTourismWhere in the world can international studies take you?One of those transferable degrees, international studies is a great option for anyone looking to learn about the world, around the world.Online studyThe advantages of online studyFlexibility and an improved work/life balance are just two of the reasons why online study is a smart choice. We take a look at why online study is fast becoming students go-to for further education.