Career skills - eBook & multimedia cd-rom

Module 1 - Winning at Interviews
This Winning at Interviews module covers all aspects of professional interview conduct; from analyzing your abilities against the job requirements to handling all types of interview questions and negotiating the best possible employment package. This module starts with an in-depth self-analysis in order that you can identify and promote your personal strengths, whilst managing any personal limitations as positively as possible. You will learn how to ‘market’ yourself as the ‘product’ that the interviewer is looking to ‘buy’ - in terms of optimizing your skills and experience and in how you present yourself at interview. You will understand all aspects of the interview process and be able to identify the underlying meaning of any interview question and respond accordingly; creating a powerful impression to make you stand out. Do you know how to... Identify and promote your most marketable personal assets? Analyze and reconstruct yourself as the right candidate for the job? Understand the meaning of any interview question & respond accordingly? Master all aspects of communication in the interview setting? Negotiate the best possible terms and create a winning final impression? Become the Winning Candidate Now! This Winning at Interviews module will help you to understand your personal strengths and ambitions; and then go on to get the job that will help you to realize them. You will be guided through a self-analysis that will answer many questions and give you new direction and focus. You will then be equipped with all the tools you need to achieve and succeed in future interviews. Its groundbreaking "personalized" approach helps you examine your own strengths & weaknesses to develop your ambitions and give you the interview skills to realize them.

Study Area 1 - Introduction
	Types of Interview - This section introduces the various types of interview that you may encounter, and explains how to adjust your approach accordingly.
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Study Area 2 - Preparing for Interview
	Assessing Your Strengths - Explains how to identify the personal qualities that could set you apart from the other candidates. It also provides an interactive session to establish your strengths and limitations and shows how you should promote these to emphasize your strengths in relation to the job.
	Management Self-Assessment - This section comprises an interactive self-analysis questionnaire that will help you to assess your own management abilities. This section is optional - for candidates seeking a management position.
	Addressing your Limitations - Explains why you should have a reasonable understanding of your own limitations, and how to address these issues effectively throughout the selection process.
	Creating Your Self-Image - A methodical approach to performing an analysis and peer review of your career to date. This culminates in the writing of your career statement, which is a 25-30 word summary of your achievements and aspirations. This career statement embodies the image that you wish to project and becomes the cornerstone of your approach to the forthcoming interview.
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Study Area 3 - Interview Techniques
	Interview Dress Code - Explains how to dress to ensure that you make a positive impression.
	Controlling Interview Nerves - Illustrates the common physiological and psychological responses to the stress of being interviewed, and explains some tactics that will help you to relax and adopt a positive frame of mind.
	A Winning First Impression - Why the first impression you make can be the key to a successful interview.
	Positive Body Language - Why you need to be aware of your body language from the moment you arrive until your interview is complete. The correct use of posture and limb positioning, and the importance of positive eye contact are all explained in detail.
	Sell, Sell, Sell - Shows why an interview is best approached as a sales meeting. How to communicate your key benefits to the interviewer and how to avoid, or dilute, any negative aspects of your employment history.
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Study Area 4 - Answering Questions
	Answering the Top 12 Questions - Highlights the three main categories that interview questions fall into, and illustrates how to use your pre-interview preparation to frame the ideal answers to the top twelve interview questions.
	Dealing With Difficult Questions - Difficult questions also fall into three main categories and this section describes how to use your pre-interview preparation to frame the ideal answers to these potentially damaging questions.
	Managing Disagreement - Explains why you should never argue with the interviewer even though there may be genuine points of contention. It also describes how to approach disagreements and communicate your point of view without provoking an argument.
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Study Area 5 - Making a Lasting Impression
	Asking Positive Questions - How to recognize when the interview is drawing to a close, and the kind of questions that you should ask the interviewer.
	Negotiating the Right Package - Negotiations form an essential part of the interview process, and this section describes why you must not psyche yourself into a weak position before these negotiations begin. It also describes a variety of factors other than salary, which together make up the overall employment package.
	Closing Effectively - Explains the importance of creating a positive impression at the end of the interview, including the need to clarify what happens next in their selection process and a professional approach to interview follow-up activities.
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Module 2 - Business Presentations
This Business Presentations module covers the whole process of creating and delivering a professional presentation; allowing you to create and communicate a powerful message that will captivate your audience. From how to conduct thorough research, to the preparation, creation and use of audio-visual aids and other props, the effective use of body language, audience interaction and how to deal with an unresponsive or even hostile audience; this module has it all! You will also learn how to profile your audience in advance, allowing you to fine tune your delivery to resonate with key personnel. It also describes some amazingly effective ways to ensure you adopt a positive attitude and control your nerves, enabling you to present with confidence and always stay in control. Do you know how to... Identify the key points that will communicate your message most effectively? Profile your audience in advance and target your message accordingly? Design effective props and aids that reinforce your message? Master body language communication and use this to your advantage? Control your nerves and present with confidence? Handle awkward questions - without getting flustered? Become a Master Presenter Now! This Business Presentations module will help you face and defeat your biggest enemy - fear. It is the fear of failure that makes presenting one of the most daunting of all business activities. This module will empower you; so that in future you will relish the challenge of presenting! Its groundbreaking "personalized" approach helps you uncover your own strengths & weaknesses to develop a presentational approach best suited to your needs.

Study Area 1 - Introduction
	Essentials of Communication - This section explains that communication is a complex two-way process, involving the encoding, translation and decoding of messages, and why you should translate your message in a way that is specifically designed for your audience.
	Your Aim & Audience - Highlights the importance of being absolutely clear about the aim of your presentation, identifying the personality types in your audience and fine tuning your presentation accordingly.
	Researching the Material - Careful research is the basis of a successful presentation. This section shows how books, media articles and new technology can all be valuable research aids and the importance of verifying the accuracy of internet based information.
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Study Area 2 - Preparing Your Material
	Identifying Key Points - Describes a presentation in terms of a journey designed to take an audience to a pre-planned destination, and how to divide this journey into stages and identify and prioritize the key points that will deliver the audience to each stage.
	Focusing on the Message - This section describes how to identify an overall message and the sub-messages needed to convey it, and the importance of basing your presentation on the message and not on the information and facts that support it.
	Planning the Structure - This section compares and contrasts the advantages and disadvantages of the three presentation styles most commonly adopted, and forwards useful guidelines for planning the structure of your presentation.
	Planning the Content - Explains how cue cards are used to hold the level of information you need to present in a natural and spontaneous way, and how to prepare your cue cards so that they can be used effectively and without distraction.
	Preparing Audio-Visual Aids - Compares the benefits of all commonly used visual-aids, illustrates how they can be used to add impact and clarity to your presentation, and explains why a presentation should consist of a speaker backed by visual aids and not vice-versa.
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Study Area 3 - Preparing Yourself
	Controlling Presentation Nerves - Explains the common physiological and psychological responses to the stress of speaking in public, and some proven techniques that will help you to relax whilst harnessing your nerves to generate a positive frame of mind.
	Rehearsal & Voice Training - The importance of carrying out at least one full rehearsal of your presentation; pace, pause, volume and clarity when speaking in public, and how to recognize and control aural punctuation, hesitation and verification.
	Personal Preparation - Illustrates the need to dress appropriately to ensure that the audience are not distracted and can focus on your message, and forwards some pre-presentation exercises that should ensure that you are well prepared physically.
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Study Area 4 - Delivering Your Message
	Preparing the Venue - Describes the importance of arriving early to familiarize yourself with the venue and checking any audio-visual equipment that you will be using, changing the seating layout to suit your style of presentation, and creating a friendly atmosphere as your audience arrive.
	Getting Started - Explains how to start well and inform your audience of the presentations overall structure, and style of interaction you would prefer, and the need to then focus on delivering your message without introspection.
	Using Audio-Visual Aids - This section describes how to optimize the practical and timely use of audio-visual aids when delivering your presentation, covering the full range of equipment from flipcharts to TelePrompTers.
	Body Language Communication - Why you need to be aware of your body language from the moment you stand up until your presentation is complete, and how to send appropriate signals to accompany your presentation.
	Staying in Control - This section describes the importance of dealing effectively with any members of the audience who may be hostile, handling the question and answer session in a constructive manner and closing in a memorable way.
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Module 3 - Business Meetings
This Business Meetings module will teach you to maximize your effectiveness in the highly visible forum of a business meeting and ensure that you make the meetings you attend more productive. You will learn how to set objectives and develop and use an agenda to lead discussion within a meeting. You will also discover how to identify personality types and target your own message for maximum impact whilst tactfully preventing others from taking control or holding up progress. You will learn the politics of meeting with subordinates, peers or superiors. You will also learn to encourage participation - so that all of the decisions made are owned by the group. For those operating in an overtly political environment there is also essential content covering role players, identification of factions within a meeting and anti-sabotage tactics including the judicious use of seating plans. Do you know how to... Identify key objectives and use an agenda to ensure they are pursued? Understand personality types & target your message for maximum impact? Master the politics of meetings – with subordinates, peers & superiors? Encourage participation, so that all decisions are adopted by the group? Maintain a rate of progress & tactfully prevent others from taking control? Raise your profile and productivity Now! This Business Meetings module will help you to master the art of contributing to, and leading, business meetings. This is an area of work where you are highly visible and a good knowledge of the meeting process and the impact of your contribution can pay lifelong career dividends. The groundbreaking "personalized" approach of this course helps you to tap into your own analytical and interpersonal skills and then to use these skills in order to maximize your positive contribution in forthcoming meetings.

Study Area 1 - Introduction
	Introduction - This section describes the importance of justifying meetings on the basis of their true cost, being selective about the meetings that you attend, and trying to influence all future meetings to ensure a positive outcome.
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Study Area 2 - Calling a Meeting
	Do you Need a Meeting - Explains why unscheduled meetings, which usually focus on a single issue, can be an efficient alternative to a formal scheduled meeting and how to decide which format is the most appropriate.
	Your Goals and Objectives - Describes why it is important to have a clear objective ahead of a meeting and how to focus any case you are presenting on a clear message and not just the facts and information that support it.
	Planning Your Agenda - Describes the meeting agenda which: acts as a reference against which to prepare for a meeting, provides a script for the meeting itself and represents a standard by which the meeting can be judged a success or failure.
	Preparing the Venue - Discusses the importance of selecting an appropriate venue, which matches the specific requirements of the meeting and how seating arrangements can affect the atmosphere and tone of the meeting.

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Study Area 3 - Controlling a Meeting
	Chairing a Meeting - Describes the role of the chairperson and why the chair should always strive to be seen as impartial, focusing on the processes of the meeting rather than the substantive issues it has been called to address.
	Subordinates, Peers and Superiors - Explains the different problems facing the chairperson depending on the composition of the meeting group, and discusses different strategies that are effective for chairing meetings with subordinates, peers and mixed groups.
	Opening and Leading - Describes the importance of making your style of leadership clear, ensuring that that each item is dealt with in line with the agenda and that all points of view get a fair hearing.
	Staying in Control - Explains how the chairperson can exert a positive influence on the mood of the meeting, the importance of responding quickly to any rise in tension and how to prevent the meeting being hijacked by someone with their own personal agenda.
	Closing Effectively - Explains how the chairperson should draw the meeting to a close, making any final remarks positive and forward-looking. It also describes the actions that need to be taken with regard to the minutes and follow-up activities.

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Study Area 4 - Presenting Your Case
	Targeting Your Message - This section details a simple but effective method for identifying the personality types in a meeting group, and how to target your message accordingly.
	Communicating Effectively - Explains how to read the body language of the other attendees, which should help you to focus your message where it can have maximum impact; keeping supporters with you, talking round those that can be swayed and trying not to alienate those who oppose your case.
	Using Positive Body Language - Explains how to use positive body language to reinforce the opinions you wish to express, and how to avoid negative or intrusive non-verbal communication that may undermine your message.
	Effective Audio-Visual Aids - Describes the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used visual aids, and how they can be used to support your contribution to a meeting.

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Study Area 5 - Dealing With Conflict
	Identifying Role Players - This section describes the main roles that individuals tend to adopt in meetings; how to recognize these roles, how to identify any disruptive participants and take action to prevent them from having a negative impact on the meeting.
	Controlling the Factions - Explains how splitting up known factions and the use of tactical seating arrangements can defuse a potentially volatile meeting and ensure that the agreed objectives remain the priority.
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This Career Skills self-development program is available in the following formats...

	eBook Instant Download - Only $35 This 351 page eBook is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and is fully compatible with all Windows PC’s, laptops, notebooks and PDA’s. It is printer friendly – both color and mono. Simply place an online order and you will immediately receive a confirmation email/receipt containing a download link. Once downloaded this eBook will provide you with a lifelong training resource. To read more about GetAhead eBooks click here.

	3 Multimedia CD-Roms - Only $79 This 15-hour multimedia CD-Rom training course will run on any multimedia PC and is presented using a combination of specially developed 3D graphics, animation and interactivity. This provides a stimulating one-on-one multimedia learning environment that is packed with interactive exercises, case studies and questions. This CD-Rom will be dispatched to you immediately and will provide you with a lifelong training resource. To read more about GetAhead multimedia CD-Roms click here.

	eBook & 3 Multimedia CD-Roms - Only $99 Why not get the best of both worlds - get the training you need right now (eBook download) and the interactive multimedia experience (CD-Rom). The 351 page eBook is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format & is fully compatible with all Windows PC’s, laptops, notebooks & PDA’s. Simply place an online order and you will immediately receive a confirmation email/receipt with a download link. The multimedia CD-Rom training course will run on any multimedia PC and is presented using a combination of specially developed 3D graphics, animation and interactivity and will be dispatched to you immediately.


GetAhead eBooks
This eBook represents approximately 15 hours of intensive training and is equivalent to a 5-day instructor led course. It is made up of self contained sections, each representing approximately 15 minutes of training, giving you the flexibility to either undertake intensive study or to fit your training into a busy work schedule. It clearly describes the underlying concepts which are then illustrated using a variety of real-world examples. It also includes exercises, case studies and questions to ensure that you understand and remember all of the key messages.

Features include:


1) An embedded active ‘Table of Contents’ for easy navigation. 2) Full Acrobat navigation facilities for targeted content searching. 3) Section Introductions are highlighted and identify key learning objectives. 4) Key Learning Points are highlighted within each self contained section. 5) Frequent and challenging Questions are accompanied by detailed feedback. 6) Detailed Graphical explanations are used to reinforce key concepts. 7) Section Summaries ensure that you remember all of the key messages. This Career Skills eBook (approx. 3MB) is in Adobe Acrobat format, if you don't already have the Acrobat Reader click here to download it free. Acrobat now includes the "Read Out Loud" feature - making your eBook a Talking Book.

GetAhead Multimedia CD-Roms
This multimedia CD-Rom represents approximately 15 hours of interactive study and is equivalent to a 5-day instructor led course. It is made up of self contained sections, each representing approximately 15 minutes of training, giving you the flexibility to either undertake intensive study or to fit your training into a busy work schedule. It clearly describes the underlying concepts which are then illustrated using a variety of real-world examples. It also includes fully interactive exercises, case studies and questions to ensure that you understand and remember all of the key messages.


Stimulating Interactivity Every title in the GetAhead series uses a combination of specially developed 3D graphics, animation and interactivity to create a stimulating one-on-one multimedia learning environment. This course represents 15 hours of intensive training and is equivalent to a 5-day instructor led course. Your own personal coach will guide you through the course, introducing each section, posing questions and summarizing the key learning points.
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Flexible Study All GetAhead courses are modular and are made up of self contained sections, each representing approximately 15 minutes of training. Your progress is recorded each time you use the course, giving you the flexibility to either undertake intensive study or to fit your training into a busy work schedule.
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In-Depth Content Each GetAhead title has been designed by experts in that subject area. Each course clearly describes the underlying concepts which are then illustrated using a variety of real-world examples. All of the content is fully narrated and includes interactive exercises, case studies and questions to ensure that you understand and remember all of the key messages.
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Challenging Self-Assessment A challenging self test is included with each GetAhead course, to provide you with an accurate appraisal of your performance. Each interactive question includes detailed feedback together with a cumulative score. You can take this test, and repeat any parts of the course as many times as you wish, until you are satisfied with your score and appraisal.


Do you know how to	... Identify and promote your most valuable personal assets? Analyze and reconstruct yourself as the ‘rising star’? Identify the key decision makers and raise your personal profile? Excel in all forms of business presentations and meetings? Tune into and understand office politics? Master all aspects of communication in interviews & appraisals?

Take control of your Career Now! This ‘Your Career’ self-development program will help you to gain recognition and raise your profile within any working environment. It comprises 3 modules which will help you to make a far more visible and effective contribution in your workplace and give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to move job - should this recognition fail to deliver the rewards you deserve.