announcing a new stop. march 26 career - Laura Benko...
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career 16 MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2004 announcing a new stop. grand opening march 26 queens center What’s you? Stopping YOUR ONE STOP SOURCE FOR...TRAINING! www.mpow.com Call T oda y! 1-800-869-2603 NETWORKING NEPC Package • Microsoft Office • A+, Network+ • MCSA, MCSE-Windows 2003 • Cisco CCNA • Sun Solaris Unix • Home Automation • Network Security • Resume Workshop • Job Preparation & Placement PROGRAMMING PPC Package • Microsoft Office • Oracle 9i Database - DBA • Web Design & Programming • Application Development- MCSD • Resume Workshop • Job Preparation & Placement MEDICAL Medical Billing & Coding • Medical Terminology • Medical Billing • Medical Coding • Medical Insurance • Medisoft Billing Program • Resume Workshop • Job Preparation & Placement EKG Technician* Reach the campus nearest to you Hauppauge 631-656-2940 Mineola 516-742-5913 Queens 718-507-2663 *Manhattan 212-279-2550 *Linden, NJ 908-587-9070 West Haven, Ct 203-479-4565 There are lots of good jobs out there. All you need is the right training and that training is available at Micropower. Every year companies from the tri-state area hire hundreds of Micropower graduates. Now is no exception. Call today and discover how Micropower can help you secure the career you’ve always wanted. • Focused Education • Industry proven programs • Job placement assistance • Flexible schedules ▲ ▲ BY KATHERINE BOYD Special to amNewYork Career Warfare: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand and Fighting to Keep It By David D’Alessandro McGraw-Hill, 2004 The Gist: A successful CEO gives solid advice on how to rise to the top. Lowdown: Despite the provocative title, “Career Warfare” is not about taking a tire iron to your professional rivals like Tonya Harding in a business suit. Instead, D’Alessandro suggests you build and maintain your brand (or “character”) through good manners, taking chances, keeping it real and making the boss happy. Tone: Your wise, charming, witty uncle takes you under his wing for a few hours. Highlights: D’Alessandro punctuates each idea with a real-life, often personal and always hilarious story. Best anecdote: Just as he’s about to receive a highly cov- eted promotion and raise, a young D’Alessandro pukes all over his boss’s boss. Drawbacks: Be prepared to spend a few sleepless nights agonizing that you’ve already inadvertently torpedoed your own brand. Nugget of wisdom: Taking an old-fashioned number from mom, D’Alessandro sums up a major point about getting ahead: “do the kind, polite, discreet, dignified thing whenever you can.” So much for career warfare. Who should read it: A must- read for beginning and mid- career professionals in any field. Older professionals might want to read it for the chapter on dealing with the media. Name: Laura Benko Age: 34 Position: Feng Shui Consultant What do you do? I go into people’s homes and businesses and I help them create a healthy envi- ronment that supports their life goals.... I walk through their home from the front entrance on in, looking at it in many different levels. I’m looking at the aesthetics of design. I’m looking at the balance of the elements, position of furniture, the flow of energy. And I’m also looking into eliminating the harmful bio effects from electromagnetic fields. Is a certificate required to practice? Not necessarily. How did you pick this field? After being diagnosed with a life-threatening blood dis- ease, I left my job to think about my life’s purpose and treat my illness through She’ll get your life in order HOW TO BE A ... MASTER OF FENG SHUI JOBPROFILE alternative means. The book, “Feng Shui and Health: The Anatomy of a Home,” by Nancy SantoPietro, literally fell on me as I walked through the bookstore one day. After reading the book and mak- ing changes in my home, I felt this immediate and pro- found difference. Shortly afterward, I found out the author was giving a lecture. I attended and was inspired by [her] work. I contacted her office and asked if I could work for her in exchange for going through her training program. After working for her for over a year, I decided to start my own consulting firm. What do you enjoy most about your job? I have looked at hundreds of floor plans and it never ceases to amaze me how the challenges that the occu- pant faces are clearly indi- cated to me in the imbal- ances I see in their sur- roundings. I love being able to help people create a bal- anced, harmonious and healthy environment where they immediately feel a dif- ference and are greatly affected by their newly adjusted space. The posi- tive feedback from clients I have helped has been quite rewarding. Any advice for people inter- ested in your field? If you feel this is your call- ing, I highly recommend training directly with the handful of masters in this field, diversify your mentors, study every day and follow your intuition. (Mina Hochberg) You don’t have to fight to get those top jobs NINE TO FIVE Q. My pay stub has an alphabet soup of cate- gories like FICA and FIT. What’s it all about? A. Two categories everybody will see on their pay stubs are FICA and OASDI, said Sam Kerch, a tax research analyst with Symmetry Software of Scottsdale, Ariz. FICA, which stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, is the line for the 6.2% of your wages that goes to Social Security. The employer is required to make a matching contribution. OASDI — which stands for Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance but is bet- ter known as Medicare — takes 1.45% of wages, and also gets an employer match- ing contribution. The next most common cate- gories cover taxes, Kerch said. These include FIT for federal income tax, sometimes listed simply as “federal” or “fed,” and SIT for state income tax, which also can be rendered as “state” or “st.” In some states, employees will also see a line for SDI, which stands for state disability insurance. (AP) Be nice to the crew Mean managers sometimes get pies in their faces BY PATRICIA ELIOT TOBIAS Special to the Los Angeles Times Dave Barry once said, “A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.” The business equivalent is: “A manager who is nice to clients but indifferent, unpleasant or unfair to the staff is not a good manager.” Which leads us to the very public troubles of Martha Stewart and Michael Eisner. Academics long ago learned that companies and business leaders fared better when they created positive, con- firming corporate cultures. A confirming culture is one in which employees feel val- ued. If you say, “I just turned in my project,” a confirming response might be: “That’s great! You worked hard.” People who receive con- firming responses tend to have better morale, work harder and longer, don’t jump ship, take fewer sick days and are more productive. But far too often, managers offer a “disconfirming” re- sponse: ignoring you, cutting you off in midsentence, chan- ging the subject, being con- descending, reacting ambigu- ously, etc. The subtext is that their time, their lives are more important than yours. When moguls Stewart and Eisner required help, the people they needed were the ones they had demeaned. The assistant who was treat- ed rudely by Stewart was will- ing to testify against her. The employees and shareholders at Disney made it clear that Eisner’s regime needed to change. Managers and corporate leaders should be as account- able to their subordinates as they are to the annual report. Otherwise, no one will catch them when they stumble.
Transcript of announcing a new stop. march 26 career - Laura Benko...
career16 MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2004
announcing a new stop. grand opening march 26 queens center
What’s
you?Stopping
YOUR ONE STOP SOURCE FOR...TRAINING!www.mpow.com
Call Today! 1-800-869-2603
NETWORKINGNEPC Package
• Microsoft Office
• A+, Network+
• MCSA, MCSE-Windows 2003
• Cisco CCNA
• Sun Solaris Unix
• Home Automation
• Network Security
• Resume Workshop
• Job Preparation & Placement
PROGRAMMINGPPC Package
• Microsoft Office
• Oracle 9i Database - DBA
• Web Design & Programming
• Application Development- MCSD
• Resume Workshop
• Job Preparation & Placement
MEDICALMedical Billing & Coding
• Medical Terminology
• Medical Billing
• Medical Coding
• Medical Insurance
• Medisoft Billing Program
• Resume Workshop
• Job Preparation & Placement
EKG Technician*
Reach the campus nearest to youHauppauge
631-656-2940Mineola
516-742-5913Queens
718-507-2663*Manhattan
212-279-2550*Linden, NJ
908-587-9070West Haven, Ct
203-479-4565
There are lots of good jobs out there. All you need is the right training and thattraining is available at Micropower. Every year companies from the tri-statearea hire hundreds of Micropower graduates. Now is no exception. Call todayand discover how Micropower can help you secure the career you’ve alwayswanted.
• Focused Education• Industry proven programs• Job placement assistance• Flexible schedules
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BY KATHERINE BOYDSpecial to amNewYork
Career Warfare: 10 Rules forBuilding a Successful PersonalBrand and Fighting to Keep It
By David D’AlessandroMcGraw-Hill, 2004
The Gist: A successful CEOgives solid advice on how torise to the top.
Lowdown: Despite theprovocative title, “CareerWarfare” is not about taking atire iron to your professionalrivals like Tonya Harding in abusiness suit. Instead,D’Alessandro suggests youbuild and maintain your brand(or “character”) through goodmanners, taking chances,keeping it real and making theboss happy.
Tone: Your wise, charming,witty uncle takes you underhis wing for a few hours.
Highlights: D’Alessandropunctuates each idea with areal-life, often personal andalways hilarious story.
Best anecdote: Just as he’sabout to receive a highly cov-eted promotion and raise, ayoung D’Alessandro pukes allover his boss’s boss.
Drawbacks: Be prepared tospend a few sleepless nightsagonizing that you’ve alreadyinadvertently torpedoed yourown brand.
Nugget of wisdom: Takingan old-fashioned numberfrom mom, D’Alessandrosums up a major point aboutgetting ahead: “do the kind,polite, discreet, dignifiedthing whenever you can.” Somuch for career warfare.
Who should read it: A must-read for beginning and mid-career professionals in anyfield. Older professionalsmight want to read it for thechapter on dealing with themedia.
Name: Laura BenkoAge: 34Position: Feng Shui Consultant
What do you do? I go into people’s homesand businesses and I helpthem create a healthy envi-ronment that supports theirlife goals.... I walk throughtheir home from the frontentrance on in, looking at itin many different levels. I’mlooking at the aesthetics ofdesign. I’m looking at thebalance of the elements,position of furniture, theflow of energy. And I’m alsolooking into eliminating theharmful bio effects fromelectromagnetic fields.
Is a certificate required topractice?Not necessarily.
How did you pick this field?After being diagnosed witha life-threatening blood dis-ease, I left my job to thinkabout my life’s purpose andtreat my illness through
She’ll get your life in orderHOW TO BE A ... MASTER OF FENG SHUI
JOBPROFILE alternative means. Thebook, “Feng Shui andHealth: The Anatomy of aHome,” by NancySantoPietro, literally fell onme as I walked through thebookstore one day. Afterreading the book and mak-ing changes in my home, Ifelt this immediate and pro-
found difference. Shortlyafterward, I found out theauthor was giving a lecture.I attended and was inspiredby [her] work. I contactedher office and asked if Icould work for her inexchange for going throughher training program. After
working for her for over ayear, I decided to start myown consulting firm.
What do you enjoy mostabout your job?I have looked at hundredsof floor plans and it neverceases to amaze me how thechallenges that the occu-pant faces are clearly indi-cated to me in the imbal-ances I see in their sur-roundings. I love being ableto help people create a bal-anced, harmonious andhealthy environment wherethey immediately feel a dif-ference and are greatlyaffected by their newlyadjusted space. The posi-tive feedback from clients Ihave helped has been quiterewarding.
Any advice for people inter-ested in your field?If you feel this is your call-ing, I highly recommendtraining directly with thehandful of masters in thisfield, diversify your mentors,study every day and followyour intuition. (Mina Hochberg)
You don’t have to fightto get those top jobs
NINE TO FIVEQ. My pay stub has analphabet soup of cate-gories like FICA and FIT.What’s it all about?A. Two categories everybodywill see on their pay stubs areFICA and OASDI, said SamKerch, a tax research analystwith Symmetry Software ofScottsdale, Ariz. FICA, whichstands for the FederalInsurance Contributions Act, isthe line for the 6.2% of yourwages that goes to SocialSecurity. The employer isrequired to make a matchingcontribution.
OASDI — which stands forOld Age, Survivors andDisability Insurance but is bet-ter known as Medicare —takes 1.45% of wages, andalso gets an employer match-ing contribution.
The next most common cate-gories cover taxes, Kerchsaid. These include FIT forfederal income tax, sometimeslisted simply as “federal” or“fed,” and SIT for stateincome tax, which also can berendered as “state” or “st.” Insome states, employees willalso see a line for SDI, whichstands for state disabilityinsurance. (AP)
Be nice to the crewMean managers sometimes get pies in their facesBY PATRICIA ELIOT TOBIASSpecial to the Los Angeles TimesDave Barry once said, “Aperson who is nice to you,but rude to the waiter, is nota nice person.” The businessequivalent is: “A managerwho is nice to clients butindifferent, unpleasant orunfair to the staff is not agood manager.”
Which leads us to the verypublic troubles of MarthaStewart and Michael Eisner.Academics long ago learnedthat companies and businessleaders fared better whenthey created positive, con-firming corporate cultures.
A confirming culture is onein which employees feel val-ued. If you say, “I just turnedin my project,” a confirmingresponse might be: “That’sgreat! You worked hard.”
People who receive con-firming responses tend tohave better morale, workharder and longer, don’t jump
ship, take fewer sick days andare more productive.
But far too often, managersoffer a “disconfirming” re-sponse: ignoring you, cuttingyou off in midsentence, chan-ging the subject, being con-descending, reacting ambigu-ously, etc. The subtext is thattheir time, their lives aremore important than yours.
When moguls Stewart andEisner required help, thepeople they needed were the
ones they had demeaned.The assistant who was treat-ed rudely by Stewart was will-ing to testify against her. Theemployees and shareholdersat Disney made it clear thatEisner’s regime needed tochange.
Managers and corporateleaders should be as account-able to their subordinates asthey are to the annual report.Otherwise, no one will catchthem when they stumble.
