Dr Marcel Smits

The Bedouin of the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula have long been convinced that the milk of camels can cure almost any internal disease, driving bacteria from the body.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations reports that doctors in parts of Russia and Kazakhstan often prescribe it to convalescing patients.

In India, camel milk is used therapeutically against jaundice, tuberculosis, asthma, anaemia and piles.

And there is some evidence of a much-reduced incidence of diabetes in parts of the country where it is regularly drunk.

European health food?

In the Netherlands, proving the veracity of such claims to a sceptical European audience has become a family concern.

When 26-year-old Frank Smits became Europe’s first commercial camel farmer, his father, Marcel, a neurologist at Gelderse Vallei Hospital in Ede, decided to help the cause by recruiting his medical colleagues to look into some of the alleged health benefits of his son’s product.

Three years down the line, Dr Smits has attracted enough interest and credibility for his research to win funding from the local health authority and nearby Wageningen University.

“I think this milk does have some potential to become a new health food in Europe, but I prefer health food when it’s proven scientifically,” he said. “And that’s what we are trying to do.

“For example, we did a study with diabetic patients, involving giving them half a litre of either cow or camel milk here in the hospital, starting early in the morning and monitoring their blood sugar level every 30 minutes for three hours.”

The patients were not told whether they had drunk milk from a cow or a camel, said Dr Smits, adding that the the full results from the tests would be available at the beginning of next year.

“In the meantime, we are starting a bigger study, lasting three months, with up to 200 diabetic patients and we would not be commissioning such a study if the results of the first research had not been encouraging,” said Dr Smits.

“We have also found evidence that diabetics feel better when they are regularly drinking camel milk, that their quality of life seems to improve.

“I don’t know if this is only the influence on the diabetes or if it is also other aspects of camel milk which improve well-being. And that is also one of the things we are looking into.”

Importing problems

Frank Smits set up the farm in 2006, on land near his student halls of residence in Cromvoirt, with three camels imported from the Canary Islands.

He now has 40 animals, not enough of which are yet old enough to produce milk to give him the quantities he needs to move into profit.

“I read about the health-giving properties of camel milk,” he said. “And I thought ‘why are there no camel farmers here in Europe?’”

In India, camel milk is used therapeutically against jaundice, tuberculosis, asthma, anaemia and piles

It was a difficult process becoming the first one, though. The initial problem was that the camel was not officially classified by the European Union as a production animal.

Mr Smits had to have special permission from the government, proving his ability to treat the animals well and humanely.

Then he was told it was forbidden to import camels from outside Europe.

Then there was the problem of milking.

Problematic temperaments

Frank Smits claims to have invented the world’s first effective camel milking machine.

It looks similar to a cow milking machine, but the vacuum function is different, the pulsation is different and the devices which attach to the camel’s teats are different sizes.

Smits now has some 40 animals on his Cromvoirt farm

At the same time, Smits had to ensure there was a market for his product. He began handing out samples of his milk outside local mosques, appealing chiefly to Moroccan and Somalian immigrants whose families back home were accustomed to it as a staple.

“Of course there was no demand for camel milk at the start because nobody knew you could buy it here,” he said.

“But word did slowly spread and he now supplies to more than 50 shops in Holland and exports to Germany and to the UK.”

Eventually, his hope is that camel milk will catch on widely among native Europeans.

There is one serious obstacle to mass production, however, which is the problematic temperament of your average camel.

This not only requires the presence of its calf to give milk but, according to Frank Smits, also has to be in the right mood away from the company of strangers.

We then set out on a career path with a clear starting point, a vague mid point and beyond that often a complete unknown.

Any thought of a subsequent career change is often put off. Instead promotions follow, headhunters call, offers are accepted and life goes on.

Then at some point, often triggered by a major birthday or a material change in personal circumstances or a significant external event such as redundancy, we reach a “career crossroads” when the idea of a career change becomes ever more attractive.

Perhaps our work-life balance is no longer acceptable or we are not enjoying what we do, which raises some important questions:

Am I going to seek a career change or continue what I am doing for the rest of my working life?

Is a major career change of direction feasible?

What do I really want to do?

And how am I going to make a career change?

The way forward is to take stock of where we are and decide where we would like to be and what it will take to get there:

Examine our skills, marketability and personal preferences.

Make decisions about what to do next, plan a strategy and then execute that strategy, just as we’d undertake a business project.

We now have a choice:

Do we try and struggle through this on our own?

Or do we consider enlisting professional support and know how, which will enable us to move forward more quickly and decisively and probably achieve a better result?

http://www.resumeclix.com/

You will generally find that career education courses and career training courses have a shorter duration than a degree course because they do not include general education subjects that you already learnt at high school. They also cover a wider range of subjects than you will find on degree courses.

If taking a degree course does not appeal to you or you would prefer a vocational course instead, career education and training may well be the right choice.

Online Career Education and Training

These days online learning is becoming an ever more popular way to gain career education and training. Consider these advantages:

• Because it’s less expensive than attending a college and enables you to work at your own pace and in your own time.
• Because you can often start at anytime although some online career education and training sites do have a designated start date.
• Because generally you can work at your own pace although be aware that some online course follow regular semesters.
• Because you won’t be on your own because most career education and training sites will appoint an instructor who will provide course material and set assignments.
• Because you’ll be working from home you will save on travel and accommodation expenses.
• Because mums can stay at home to study, enjoy not leaving their children and avoid costly childcare services.
• Because just like so much else on the Internet, career education and training courses are available regardless of your social status or whether you have a physical disability.
• Above all because there is no racial discrimination online.
• Because one huge advantage of taking a degree course is the chance to meet and interact with people from all walks of life and social backgrounds, which is also available through online career education and training courses because most offer forums where you can meet and discuss with other students who may be from anywhere worldwide.

http://www.resumeclix.com/

Co-education is a system of giving education to both sexes together. It has many consequences. It is economical and frugal. It generates a spirit of comradeship between boys and girls.

The problem of shortage of trained teachers can be dealt with by this system. Boys overcome their curiosity and girls, their shyness. They learn to respect one another. Though a few conservative people are against this system, their views do not hold ground. Co-education generates harmonious relationship, a sense of co-operation, and thus, helps in the progress of the nation.

Today, co-education is prevalent in almost all the countries of the world. In India, there are a number of co-educational schools, colleges and universities.

There are a number of advantages in the co-educational system of education. It is economical. Poor countries cannot afford to open separate schools for boys and girls. If boys and girls are taught together in the same school, then there will be no need to open separate schools for them. Thus, the cost to be incurred on building infrastructure, furniture, stationery, personnel recruitment, etc. will be saved.

There is a shortage of good trained teachers in developing countries like India. If there is co-education, same staff can teach both boys and girls at the same time in the same class, and the problem of shortage can be dealt with. Establishing more of co-educational schools can help in spreading literacy even with the limited teaching staff and infrastructure. Thus, it will be beneficial for both boys and girls and the nation as a whole.

Co-education helps the boys and girls to intermingle and understand each other well. They become more broad-minded and tolerant towards the opposite gender. They interact freely with one another, thereby overcoming hesitation and shyness. Thus, co-education leads to a healthy and harmonious relationship between boys and girls.

In a co-educational school, boys are free to meet and talk with girls. They develop a feeling of friendship among themselves. Boys then, usually don’t indulge in eve-teasing. Co-education contributes to the balanced development of the personality of boys and girls.

A new study has revealed that the co-educational schools are better as the presence of girls in classes restrains boys from indulging in unruly behavior and improves their academic performance. Infact, a higher percentage of girls not only lowers the amount of classroom disruption but also fosters a better relationship between students and their teachers. The researchers found that classes with more than 55% of girls resulted in better exam results and less violent outbursts overall. Boys with more female peers in their classes showed higher enrolment rates in both advanced mathematics and science classes, but overall benefits were found in all grades for both sexes. They conclude that this effect is due to the positive influence, the girls are adding to the classroom environment.

Infact the study found that primary school classrooms with a female majority showed increased academic success for both boys and girls. In the middle and high schools, the classrooms which had the best academic achievements overall were consistently those that had a higher proportion of girls enrolled. The researchers suggest that boys and girls may learn differently, but it is better not to send them to sex-segregated schools.

Boys become conscious of their dressing habits, behavior and the style girls. They work hard to remain ahead of one another. Co-education reduces gender bias in the society. It generates a feeling of equality between both and sexes. The feeling of male dominance may be wiped out from the society if this system of education is given importance.

However, some people are opposed to the system of co-education. According to them, this system is against the Indian culture and tradition. It is also argued that girls feel freer in an institution which is meant only for girls. As such they have greater scope of developing their personality. They also participate in sports, dramatics and debates more freely.

Teachers of some subjects like Biology also find it easier to explain some chapters more thoroughly if only girls or only boys are sitting in the class. Sex education has also been introduced and in co-educational schools even teachers find it difficult to discuss such topics in the class.

It is also felt that since students (especially teenagers 13-19 years of age) are of impressionable age, the possibility of their going astray is much more in co-educational institutions, where they enjoy more freedom of intermingling with the other sex. They also do not remain focused on studies.

It should be acknowledged that in the fast changing society of twenty first century co-education has to become the order of the day. Today girls are entering all professions in large numbers. Many of them are heading big organizations. Co-education will help young boys and girls to mix freely and understand one another better. Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens. We must encourage them to develop their personality in a free healthy atmosphere. Girls no more have to remain confined to the four walls of the house. Co-education will help both sexes to learn and work together for the progress of the country.

When the Duke of Wellington said that The Battle of Waterloo ‘was won on the playing fields of Eton’ he could have been stressing the importance of preparation. As with so much else in life, preparation for the first interview is pivotal.

To have a fighting chance at this stage, the candidate needs to treat it like an exam. Although recruiters will be aware that candidates could have interviews with other employers, they will want to be sure that a candidate has genuine reasons for applying to their company. Just wanting a job, rather than wanting a job with that particular company, is not going to get a potential employee very far.

The candidate should set about researching the company systematically. Key areas of research will be company history, leading executives, financial performance, recent news, global structure, recent successes and failures, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

This information serves as a minimum requirement to get through the early stages of the interview. The interviewee also needs an understanding of the basic functions of the department and the job applied for, as well as some background on the company’s graduate recruitment programme.

Candidates should also find out exactly what graduate position they are being considered for. There is nothing worse, for example, than going to an investment banking interview wanting to be a trader, when one is being interviewed for a back office position.

The first interview is normally carried out by a company’s human resources team. They are likely to be attending numerous universities interviewing for a number of different graduate positions.

From their point of view, the purpose of the first interview is to match potential employees’ character profiles with the corporate culture of the company and individual departments within it.

Interview check-list

A candidate should consider the following:

Questions

The purpose of all interviews is to enable both parties to make an informed choice. A candidate needs to perform a balancing act between conveying the right message in their answers, and asking the right questions to be able to make an informed decision if they are offered a job.

The first interview is a macro interview and questions should focus on the company and its approach to undergraduates’ hiring, training and development. Candidates should put time aside to prepare questions, research the answers and ideally ask for more information in the interview. The quality of a candidate’s questions says a lot about their research and the seriousness of their application.

Under the microscope

Everything that a candidate says and does is being assessed. The interviewer is assessing both style and content. This is a very subjective part of the process for the interviewer, who must whittle down a large number of applicants down to a manageable shortlist.

Enthusiasm

There is a saying that enthusiasm sells. So if a candidate feels enthusiastic about certain aspects of the company, the job or their own life, they should demonstrate it.

Know thyself

Recognize strengths and weaknesses. There should be alignment to the psychometric test or questionnaire. Candidates should be able to back-up any comments with real life examples.

Pressure

Be prepared for shock tactics: not every interviewer will be pleasant. There are many cases where there may be two or more interviewers involved at this stage, and it is not uncommon for someone to take on the ‘bad cop’ role. This person will put the interviewee under pressure by being confrontational, questioning answers aggressively and testing the resolve or depth of true knowledge, feeling or desire on issues.

Logic and consistency

The interviewer is looking for a consistency of message. For example, in the types of job and company applied for.

Presentation

First impressions last. Some people say that one never looks as good as at the first interview. Invest time into preparation. If in doubt, it is better to err on the side of being more conservative.

Punctuality

Be early, know where to go, and plan the journey. If an interview is at 1700 in London the time taken may be longer than it takes at 0800 because of rush-hour traffic, for instance. Being late for a first interview is a killer.

Top tips

Do not arrange an interview for the morning after a big night out. Chew a mint or gum before arriving, and watch out for cigarette or kebab breath. If nervous, put some tissue paper or a paper towel in a pocket – this is good for wiping the sweat from hands before handshakes.

http://www.resumeclix.com/

For business owners, who dream to make a distinct place in market, keeping a track of financial events and transactions is imperative in comparison to other factors. In businesses where accounting section do not get proper treatment and managerial efforts, financial problem keeps on rising. If you are planning to step into the corporate world and have comparatively less knowledge about accounting technicalities, then accounting outsourcing can be your best companion to get familiar with them. It makes you understand the power of perfect co-ordination of various pieces of the financial data. The management of financial records is far more important and endeavor intensive than most companies realize when they first enter the business arena. Approximately 40% of the total cost is needed to properly manage the accounting section; now you can guess that how much human and financial resources an accounting section needs.

Accounting outsourcing helps businesses in cutting that cost by providing them with cost effective accounting solutions. It is extremely important that company should retain a proper control over cash flow and financial events. The key person, who can help a company in finding out the most reliable accounting outsourcing service provider is financial coordinator as he will be liable to do all the research work for proposing best solution provider. If you are looking for the most suitable financial service provider then just hire a financial coordinator to seek best available option. With the help of a financial coordinator, you as a business owner will get help in understanding the accounting terminology. So what if you are not familiar with all aspects of accounting? With his you can find a cost effective and reliable service provider to entrust the accounting task of your organization.

As to maintain an unbeaten accounting system all terms and procedures must be simple and easy to access, professionals of hired accounting outsourcing firm categorized and process every section to make every term as simple as it can be. They possess insight to make new accounting strategies and enhance the existing one therefore you can rely on their financial repots to make any decision in relation to your company. If you really want a cost effective solution then contract negotiation is the key step in accounting outsourcing process. Discuss charges and negotiate if you really don’t find them reasonable; for solving this problem internet can also be used as there are various sites that provide details and cost comparison of top financial service providers.

Usually companies tend to forget that accounting outsourcing is not just abdication of accounting task but rather the leveraging of unique accounting capabilities that must be overseen by experts to get desired results. An efficient accounting outsourcing firm understands the need of functional coordination of various sub sections; therefore, it not only categorizes the accounting information but also makes reports to show their coordination. With these reports the analyst can be able to evaluate pros and cons of every applied strategy; moreover, he can also change them if he finds them ineffective or insensible.

Being well prepared for a job interview can make all the difference. Doing homework on the company and the industry can ensure that candidates have a steady stream of relevant answers when the interviewer starts asking questions.

But what is just as important is for candidates to have some questions of their own ready. This shows that the candidate is thinking about what has been said and is trying to better understand what is required.

Active listener, active contributor

The candidate should be an active listener, as well as an active contributor. Nothing loses the goodwill or interest of an employer more than a candidate who consistently misses the point and is not focused on what is being asked. This is often a result of nerves. If this is the case, the candidate should just pull back and concentrate on the point of the question.

Asking for clarification buys thinking time and teases out more information. To make sure that the next job is a positive career move and not a leap into the great unknown requires rigorous preparation.

Prospective employers, for their part, are not charities or foundations. They need candidates who can meet their requirements and bring something extra to the business.

A two-way street

Candidates should find out what they will be getting from their prospective employers. Not just in terms of remuneration, though it is important to think this through and to discuss it at the right stage, but also in terms of personal and career development.

The interview process is the first step in the relationship and needs to be a two-way street. The two key questions are: is this the right company for me and is this the right job for me? Some of that information can be found in company brochures and websites, but it is also crucial to make use of the interview process.

Find out what happened to predecessors

Candidates should ask what has happened to the last three people who did the job they are applying for. Have they been promoted through the ranks of the company and are they now enjoying heady perks at the top of the ladder, or have they been shuffled off sideways into a dead-end job?

Perhaps the predecessors no longer work for the company. If so, did the job catapult them into the managing director’s chair in a rival company or did they leave because the job was heading nowhere?

If predecessors are now doing exactly the sort of job the candidate is dreaming of, then the job could be perfect. If they are not, deciding whether the position is the right one may require further thought.

If applying to a multinational firm because the idea of travelling appeals, the candidate should find out what the opportunities for international experience are.

It is all a matter of asking the right questions and finding out exactly what the scope is before accepting the job.

Think big, but watch the detail The candidate should take a careful look at the employer and its departments. Also get a clear picture of where the company is going strategically. There is no point getting the ideal job in a company that will cease trading in a year.

On the other hand, an employer might not be able to offer the ideal job now, but it may offer great opportunities for the future. It is important to find out what the aspirations of prospective employers are. If a candidate is looking for US experience, a company that is just about to expand across the Atlantic could offer them a valuable opportunity.

To an outsider, the most mundane job can look glamorous if it is in the right wrapping. It is up to a candidate to peel off the layers and get down to the true essence of a position. That involves doing some background research, talking to people who work for the company and using that information to ask the right questions in the interview. Making an informed decision is at the heart of changing jobs.

http://www.resumeclix.com/

Preparation will also go some way to banish pre-interview nerves. But most importantly, research will help you to establish whether a company or industry can match your needs and ambitions.

Follow this advice to help you make a positive and memorable first impression:

• Start with the basics and read the company’s own material. Look at their website and get a copy of the annual report. This will give a clear picture of the firm’s products and services and its strategic direction.
• Get information from Justpeople.com, the national press and relevant trade journals about the company and its competitors. Find out what role the company plays in its business sector and where it stands in relation to competitors.
• Make a note of important facts, such as share price history, pending mergers and acquisitions, or changes in key personnel. Ask yourself what is special about the company, how it differs from its rivals.
• Find out about the key figures in the company and industry. You will begin to see a pattern of the abilities and temperament required to succeed. Notice also which skills are in demand – engineering, accounting, marketing?
• If possible, come up with original ideas that could add value to the company.
• A company’s philosophy, often captured in a lofty mission statement, may differ from the day-to-day reality of working there. To get a better understanding of a firm’s culture and reputation, talk to friends or relatives who work in that business sector, or who can put you in touch with people who do. You could also identify and make direct approaches to individuals who work in the industry in order to find out more. This is a good opportunity to establish useful contacts and get names of other people to talk to – but don’t be tempted to ask for a job there and then.

http://www.resumeclix.com/ ]]> http://www.ustaadkhan.com/ustaadkhan/596/feed 0 http://www.ustaadkhan.com/ustaadkhan/993 http://www.ustaadkhan.com/ustaadkhan/993#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:29:26 +0000 Abdullah http://www.ustaadkhan.com/?p=993

University of Calgary student Sheraz Ali Khan

It’s a place that brings children together — to laugh, learn and grow — and reminds these youngsters what it is to be a child.

Instead of working, over 25 Pakistani youth aged three to 13-years-old, are spending their youth alongside other children, learning English, math and Urdu in a small, one-room classroom.

Twenty-three-year-old University of Calgary international relations student, Sheraz Ali Khan, and 12 friends from the Pakistani Youth Organization started the initiative more than three years ago in their hometown of Karachi.

“It’s a large city, but there are so many areas where youngsters are deprived of quality education,” Khan explains. “…We went to the houses of every parent. It was one of the most difficult tasks, because each parent wanted their children to go and earn for them.”

Named after an ambitious young friend who died in a motorcycle accident at only 23-years-old, The Tauseef Memorial School is run out of Khan’s father’s home in Pakistan. Someday, the group hopes to move the school into a separate building.

So far Khan, who moved to Canada from Pakistan in 2007, has raised about $500. 

It’s less than half the amount ($2,500) he needs to move the school into it’s own building and register it with the government of Pakistan, yet he remains confident he’ll be able to raise the needed amount within a year.

So here are some tips on how to write a better resume:

Objectives
Your resume has two objectives:

1. To secure an interview by quickly showing that you fulfil the job requirements as described in the job advertisement or by the recruitment agency.
2. To act as a prompt for the interviewer by providing the details that back your claim to be a preferred candidate.

Remember: Your resume does not get you the job – just the interview.

Attributes

1. Your resume should enable the person screening a pile of them to quickly ascertain the salient points that will decide whether you are a potential candidate.
2. At the same time, it should also contain the detail that will interest an interviewer. To fulfil these attributes, it must be easy to read.

Layout
The standard way to layout a resume is as follows:

1. Start with your personal details: name, address, phone numbers and email address.
2. Continue with your educational qualifications, professional qualifications and skills including software and methods.
3. Follow this with your experience in reverse chronological order. List employers, dates and your title. Describe the skills and methods you used and your achievements.
4. It is vital that you are conscious of the skills and experience required by the position for which you are applying and weave your own experience of them into your narrative.
5. End with interests and hobbies but be careful: candidates with a consuming hobby that could interfere with the business day, might be avoided.
6. Many recruiters advocate that your resume fit onto two pages but don’t feel constrained by this if you genuinely need more space to relate your key skills and experience where they coincide with the requirements of the position for which you are applying.

Bespoke
It is essential that your resume clearly demonstrates your suitability for the position. So, consider producing a separate resume for each application that directly addresses a match between the skills and experience required and offered. The overall content may be the same but you could put your most relevant skills and experience first.

Typography
Your resume may only have a few seconds to impress the scanner before being relegated to the failed pile – also called the bin. So it is of paramount importance that your resume can be easily and quickly read. Achieve this by following some simple guidelines:

1. When word processing your resume, save it in Rich Text Format (RTF) to ensure that someone without your word-processing software can easily open and read it. PDF documents can also be read by anyone who has the ubiquitous and free Adobe Acrobat Reader but remember that readers will not be able to edit your Curriculum Vitae, which may or may not be desirable.
2. Use black ink printed on a quality bond paper.
3. Your resume must be easy to read fast. You can achieve this by the use of wide margins so that each line of text has no more than about 70 characters. Think about newspapers that print in quite narrow columns that can be read by scanning the eye down rather than from side to side. Conversely, narrow margins with wide lines mean that the eye struggles to move to the next correct line when the distance from the right side back to the left is too far. Try top and bottom margins of about ¾ inch or 20 mm with left and right margins of 1¼ inches or 33 mm.
4. Although san serif type faces such as Arial have a clean modern look, it is actually easier to read serif faces such as Times New Roman, Palatino or Perpetua because the little feet or serifs on each character form an invisible line for the eye to follow. Because Times is so overused, you may prefer to stand out by using Palatino or Perpetua. Whichever you choose, stick with one font throughout. The only other layout that looks pleasing and that you will see used in many newspapers and magazines is to use a sans serif face for all heads and subheads and a serif face for everything else.
5. Don’t mix lots of font sizes. Either use one size throughout – 11 point is a good choice – or use a font one point larger for heads and subheads.
6. A word-processor is not a typewriter, so don’t use the space bar to align text. Set proper stops instead. This will also make it easy if a recruiter needs to amend your resume to a standard house style because stops can easily be adjusted whereas unnecessary spaces take ages to remove.
7. Don’t use underlining or ALL CAPITALS. They are old-fashioned, look like shouting and belong to the typewriter age when they were the only way to highlight text. Instead, use bold, italic or bold italic but do so sparingly.
8. Above all, leave plenty of white space. Firstly, it makes your resume easier to read. Secondly, it gives the interviewer room to write notes.

http://www.resumeclix.com/ ]]> http://www.ustaadkhan.com/ustaadkhan/592/feed 0