Job Search or Career Change Whats the Difference

Introvert Whisperer / Job Search or Career Change Whats the Difference What’s the Difference Between a Job Search and a Career Change? And Why Do You Care? I was recently questioned about the difference between a career change and a job search with the idea that the two might really be the same. There is an important difference; and the problem comes when a person in a job search is confusing the two. Many people facing a job search will often use that event to make a change from the career they have been in, especially those who have been laid off. I think that is a good time to consider a career change â€" nothing better than a swift boot out the door to make you finally reconsider your direction. However, you need to be sure to hold off on the job search until you’ve done the necessary work to identify your new career. If you don’t Self-Promote you, who will? I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now: CLICK HERE What is the difference between the job search and career change? A Job Search is a process of multiple activities where you ultimately obtain an offer for a job you will accept. A Career Change, if done right, is a process of self-discovery that will guide you to a decision about what career you would love. That decision can lead you to three possible next steps: Job search Schooling Starting a Business. These steps can be pursued in various combinations, depending on exactly what you intend to do. Job search = new job. Career change = career decision. What makes confusing the two a problem? Quite simply, a job search that is launched without clear direction on the job/career you intend to pursue is a messy, confusing, ineffective process. You won’t get where you want to go, because you have no idea where you’re headed. When you are clear about WHAT job you want, the entire job search process becomes a highly targeted, efficient activity where all efforts are leading to that one destination â€" the job you want. I recognize the fact that for many of us, we don’t know how to figure out the career of our dreams and therefore, when we are in the midst of our job search, we resort to the time-honored tradition of: “I’ll find something.” That’s also the reason why so many people out there working, don’t like their jobs. They “find” something that on the surface might sound acceptable, but without the work ahead of time to discover the type of career that will resonate, it’s like winning the lottery. You’re lucky if it works out. If you’re facing a job search and also contemplating a career change, do yourself a favor and work on your career decision first. If you’re not sure what to do to help make that decision, there are books and career coaches out there to help you. It will be worth it in the long run, to spend the time in self-examination and research the field of possibilities. Then, if your decision leads you to a job search, your search will go much better and your results will happen faster when you know where you’re headed. Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective. But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will? If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

Geometry help can decrease your tension with the subject

Geometry help can decrease your tension with the subject Today everyone is busy. Every busy people are into some or the other kind of work. There are various people related with these busy people who lives get affected. If parents are too busy with their work and job then the child gets affected largely. It is important for all of us to manage and balance life with perfection. The studies, their everyday lives and the entire atmosphere get affected once parents are into job. For a child it is not possible to take their own decisions and study with perfection. Every child is not serious with their studies and even is unable to understand the importance of it. It is the parents who help them and guide them towards a better future.  TutorPace is an online tutoring institute that is pretty reputed and so various students enroll their names in it. it can also help the student with Geometry help as well with perfection. For having a good life, it is important that one should be very particular about the base of their educational and moral guidelines. Education is very important for any child and so with proper education a child can shine easily and with much efficiency. The child needs education to build a better tomorrow. From the very initial level proper guidance is important. The parents who are working are not able to provide their child with such guidance due to lack of time and energy. So, they have to take help from the external sources. External sources mean from the private tutoring institutes. There are some subjects that can be easily overcome with. Social science, English, Hindi are some of the subjects that are easy to understand and much easy to get into the grip. These subjects can be dealt without the help of a teacher. But there are certain subjects that need the help of a teacher and without the help of a teacher; it is not at all possible to cope up with it. Such a subject is mathematics. Mathematics has various layers in it and every layer is important in a same manner. In this subject only there is a topic named geometry. Every student has to pass through this topic which is composed of angles, triangles, squares and many more shapes and sizes. The angles and degrees need to the found out mainly in such sums. It requires good level of intelligence to get into the skin of the topic and know the subject in a better manner. Difference between private and online tutoring Private tutoring can be a way through which students can easily learn. The availability of private tutoring is huge and in every neighborhood you will find such coaching classes. But have you being a responsible parent thought that how much is it effective. The private tutors in today’s era are not at all dedicating teachers and due to which the students suffer a lot afterwards. The base of a subject needs to be very strong so that the student may not face any hardships related with the subject in their further studies. But unfortunately, today’s students are not able to get such types of teachers who can help them to get into the roots of the subject and know the subject pretty well. In such a situation when you do not have any way out through which you can learn better then you can opt for online tutoring services. This is a new way of learning and helps the students in lot more ways than any private tutoring services would have ever thought.  The online tutoring services have a long list of benefits that can drag any parent towards such services. It is unique as well as much helpful than any other process. let us know get to know some of the merits of online tutoring that helps the service even more fruitful and better. Some merits of online tutoring Among the huge list of benefits that online tutoring has with it, I am sharing a few of them so that you being a parent can get an idea about the entire process. The online tutoring process is carried on by the help of internet. Today every child knows how to run internet and even knows that how to use internet in which manner. The entire process of online learning is carried on through emails, online chats, tele conferencing and video conferencing as well. This way of learning is a great way through which you can save your time and energy very easily. The online tutoring services do not need any real conversation of face to face with the teacher and student. The teachers who are present to teach the students are very much efficient. This is one of the best factor due to which parents can be easily put into much ease. The appointment of any of the teachers in the world of online tutoring is very tough and also very rigorous. The candidate who has potential with the subject and knows every single detail about the subject can only overcome this tough part of interview into any of the reputed online tutoring services. The qualification of a teacher matters in this scenario. The online tutoring institutes do not have any time limitation for its students. The students can avail the classes and the help from the teachers anytime and every time. It depends on the students as to which way they want to get help. The classes can be conducted all round the clock and throughout the year. This is one of the most comfortable way through which a student can learn whenever comfortable. There are pretty more services that are found in the world of online tutoring services, but it is not possible to write all. This much can be said that when a student avails the services, he or she can easily come across to know how the entire process is and how much it is helpful.

Looking A Gift Horse In The Mouth Learning About Proverbs in English

Looking A Gift Horse In The Mouth Learning About Proverbs in English One of my students recently asked me the meaning of the proverb Never Look a Gift Horse In The Mouth.  Have you heard this before? Let’s see what it means in this lesson.What is a Proverb?The word proverb comes from the Latin word proverbium. It is a short and meaningful or pithy saying that expresses some commonly accepted truth or piece or advice.What does Looking A Gift Horse In The Mouth Mean?Literally, the proverb means that you should never take your good fortune for granted or, in other words, be ungrateful when you receive a gift or have good luck.The phrase comes from the fact that a horse’s age can be estimated by the state of its teeth. As horses age their teeth project further farther every year so their age can be guessed by examining how prominent their teeth are.Literally, if you receive a horse as a gift, don’t look in its mouth to see how old it is.The origin of the saying is unknown however some say it can be traced back to St. Jerome in the 4th century.This s aying suits another proverb, It’s the thought that counts meaning that it is not so much the gift but the spirit of giving with which it was given that counts.Here is a cartoon based on the proverb:What do you think this cartoon is trying to say?Do you think you have ever looked a gift horse in the mouth? What was the situation?Did you find this blog interesting? Share it on Facebook and Twitter.

Aelfrics Grammar, the First Grammar Book Written in English -

Aelfric’s Grammar, the First Grammar Book Written in English - Aelfrics Life Probably not Aelfric If you are a fan of BBCs story of Uhtred and Alfred, The Last Kingdom, you might be interested to learn about an important scholar working at that time, called Aelfric. Who was Aelfric? Aelfric of Wessex (955-1020) wrote the first grammar of Latin in a vernacular language. The Historical Context ofAelfrics Life In the two centuries leading up to Ælfric’s birth, Latin scholarship was in such decline in England that when King Alfred came to the throne in 871, he complained that almost no one south of the Humber could translate a letter out of Latin. The principal cause for this decline was the constant harassment by the Danes during their prolonged campaign of incursion and occupation. However, the English enjoyed a short reprieve under King Alfred who did much to prevent further cultural and economic decline during his reign by halting the Danes at a line running northwest from London to Chester (Law, 1997). He managed this by buying a five-year peace with a large tribute, fortifying the South, and then taking and occupying London in 886. Thirteen years later, in 899, after devoting his remaining years to the restoration of English learning and culture, and promoting translation of Latin texts into the vernacular, King Alfred died. And it was only in 954, a year before Ælfric was born, that Alfred’s grandson Ædred managed to expel Eric Bloodaxe, the last of the Scandinavian kings, from England. (Hurt, 1972). Thirteen years later, in 899, after devoting his remaining years to the restoration of English learning and culture, and promoting translation of Latin texts into the vernacular, King Alfred died. And it was only in 954, a year before Ælfric was born, that Alfred’s grandson Ædred managed to expel Eric Bloodaxe, the last of the Scandinavian kings, from England. (Hurt, 1972). At the time of Ælfric’s birth, England was a very different place. Half of southern England was dense, virgin forest, and the total population of the island was only about one million. Although London and Winchester were not mentioned in the Doomsday census, York, a city of comparable size to Winchester at the time had 8000 people living there (Hurt, 1972). Today, Winchester has over a hundred and seven thousand (“National Statistics,” 2005) During Ælfric’s lifetime, four different kings occupied the English throne. The fourth in the list came to the throne when Ælfric was 23 years old. His name was King Æthelræd, a 10-year old boy known by the epithet Æthelræd Unræd, meaning “Noble counsel, no counsel.” His troubled reign (978-1016) was characterized by renewed attacks by the Danish and the six enormous tributes paid to buy peace from them. While the strategy had succeeded a century earlier under Alfred, during Æthelred’s reign paying tributes served only to strengthen the Danes and weaken the English. By all accounts, the political and economic situation during Ælfric’s lifetime was a disaster (Hurt, 1972). Aelfrics Life Ælfric was born somewhere in Wessex, England circa 955 A.D. At the age of fifteen, he entered the Old Monastery at Winchester, a training school for monks, where he studied under Eathelwold. It was there that Ælfric was ordained at the age of thirty, the minimum age for ordination in those days. Two years later, in 987 he went to the newly founded Cernel Abbey in present day Cerne Abbas near Dorchester to teach Latin. It is there between 993 and 995 that he wrote his Glossary, Colloquy and Grammar. In 1005, Ælfric became the abbot of the newly built monastery at Eynsham near present day Oxford (Hurt, 1972), and it was there that he died in 1020 (Crystal, 1995). Apart from this brief outline, not much else is known about his life. Aelfrics Grammar Earlier grammars of the major Greek and Roman grammarians were not generally pedagogical in nature. They were primarily inquiries into the structure of language for the benefit of native speakers (Hurt, 1972). In contrast, medieval grammars were intended above all as aids to learning a second language. In Ælfric’s time, the most common textbooks in circulation were in fact grammar books written by Donatus and Priscian. Born in the fourth century, Ælius Donatus wrote two grammars: Ars Grammatica and Ars Minor. It is from Donatus that Western European languages get their grammatical terminology. Priscian, born in the early sixth century, wrote Institutiones Grammaticæ, “the standard advanced textbook to which the student progressed after mastering the more elementary Donatus” (Hurt, p. 106). Ælfric’s grammar is organized according to the same plan using the 8 parts of speech used by Donatus (Hurt, 1972), but it was an abridged version of Priscian’s Institutiones known as Excerptiones de Prisciano by an unknown editor that Ælfric used as a starting point for his own grammar (Law, 1997), relying on Priscian for many of his examples and definitions. However, despite his debt to Donatus and Priscian, Ælfric’s grammar is more than a synthesis of the two earlier texts. A Grammar for Beginners For one thing, Ælfric wrote his grammar in English. By doing so, he was able to make his grammar suitable for students at a lower proficiency level than required to read either Donatus’ or Priscian’s grammars (Law, 1997). As noted above, with Latin suffering two centuries of decline, he needed his grammar to be accessible to monolingual language learners with little or no prior exposure to Latin. In his preface, he says how he expects to be reproached for this. His aim was not, after all, to train students to write Latin poetry as was the case with Bede and Aldhelm. Ælfric was attempting instead to redress the crisis of basic Latin literacy of his day that had lingered unresolved since King Alfred had complained of it 124 years earlier. Above all, he wanted to provide the key to understanding religious texts. His first hurdle to overcome in making that possible, therefore, was basic comprehension. Furthermore, Ælfric wrote for young students. To improve the comprehensibility of difficult abstract grammatical concepts that are often difficult for young learners, Ælfric developed a complete set of grammatical terms in the English of his day (Hurt, 1972)â€"though there is some evidence to suggest that some of his terms may actually predate him (Law, 1997). New grammatical terms Nevertheless, his literal renderingsâ€"while more comprehensible than their Latin counterpartsâ€"are veritable tongue twisters. For example, Interjectio thus becomes “betwuxaworpennys” and subjunctivus becomes “underðeodendlic” (Hurt, p.111). While it is unlikely that Ælfric intended for these renderings to be replacements for the Latin terms, showing no preference himself for either the traditional Latin or English versions, he did use some English terms consistently in place of the Latin terms. They were tid, cynn, word, and stæf for tempus, genus, verbum, and littera respectively (Hurt, 1972). Whatever his particular contribution to English meta-terms may have been, none survived the Norman invasion of 1066, and all the terms we have today are borrowings from Latin from a later time. Ælfric’s grammar is both a simplification and a clarification of his sources. He follows Priscian’s anonymous editor by leaving out all Greek from his grammar, but goes a step further by eliminating long lists and digressions retained by the editor (Law, 1997). Also, he leaves out an entire section on swearing (Hurt, 1972), pointing out the Christian prohibition against making oaths (Matthew 5:37). Additions, expansions, and substitutions Ælfric’s grammar, in some respects, expands on Donatus and Priscian. For example, he includes paradigms of each major type of noun within each declensionâ€"absent in Priscian.  Similarly, all regular and some irregular verb paradigms also not present in Priscian are added. Another insertion by Æflric is his digressions on aspects of Latin morphology treated inadequately in Donatus’s grammars (Law, 1997). Although he makes only a few Latin-English contrasts, he does make a point of illustrating how some words in Latin have a different gender in English. Also, he mentions how all six Latin conjunctions are equivalent to one word in English: and.   Among the similarities between the two languages, he notes that Latin and English both have 8 parts of speech and that both employ the impersonal mood only very rarely.  Most significantly, Ælfric appended to his grammar a several hundred word Glossary arranged by topicâ€"not alphabeticallyâ€"most likely based on Etymologies by Isidore of Seville (Hurt, 1972). Some substitutions are apparent. He replaces proper nouns with Eadgar and Dunstan, names familiar to him from his own school years. Pagan examples are Christianized with one example using Æneas being replaced with King David. He also disagrees with his sources on two occasions, citing evidence form biblical passages. In one, he challenges the Excerptiones on the form of the word sanguis pointing out that in scripture it is sanguinum. The second exception he makes is to a prescriptivist prohibition by Donatus against the compound adverbs de intus and de foris, both found in scripture (Law, 1997). Conclusion Using Crystal’s taxonomy (1995), Ælfric’s is a traditional grammar, presenting language forms in a highly analytical way and relying on high scripture for examples. While pedagogically prescriptive in the sense that it lists correct forms to be learned, it does not insist upon the prohibitions and forms of earlier authorities. One could almost say that it is descriptive in the sense that, for Ælfric, the Bible was his language corpus. In terms of his contrastive analysis, Law and Hurt both agree that his grammar offers little insight to the modern linguist into the nature of Middle English. Sadly Ælfric’s Grammaticus survives only as a museum piece. His (by some accounts) original metalanguage was lost, and his grammar is now of interest only to historians and specialists. While impressive for his time, the few books that are available on him at the Concordia library look as though they have never been opened. For instance, Hurt’s highly readable Ælfric, though printed 33 years ago, looks brand new. However, there is a lot that language teachers will find inspiring about Ælfric. His sincere dedication to the “ignorant children” in his care, and his energetic attempts to make the target language as comprehensible and practical as possible for learners is admirable for his or any age. Discussion Questions In what way are the challenges facing language teachers today similar to the challenges Ælfric faced a millennium ago?Does Ælfric deserve a place in the pantheon of grammarians or should he be passed over as a minor figure in the history of our linguistics?What is the pedagogical value of explaining grammar in the language of the learner, as opposed to using the target language as the language of instruction? References Crystal, David. (1995). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. Hurt, James (1972). Aelfric. Twayne Publishers, New York. Law, Vivien (1997). Grammar and grammarians in the early middle ages. Longman, New York. National Statistics, Retreived January, 2005, fromhttp://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/pyramids/pages/24up.asp White, Caroline (1974). Aelfric a new study of his life and writing. Archon Books, Hamden, CT. Grammar Checker The Virtual Writing Tutor is the first English Second Language grammar checker and probably the best grammar checker available for free today. On this website, you can get help with a variety of difficulties that learners of English at all levels face. If you are wondering how you can improve your English or how to prepare for the IELTS or TOEFL tests, or perhaps you are wondering whether beginners should learn essays or storytelling, there may be something of value for you on this blog. Alternatively, check spelling and grammar here. Please follow and like us:

6 Ways to Save Money on Food

6 Ways to Save Money on Food Image via Isorepublic.com Meal plan and prep An easy way to save money is to plan your meals in advance. A lot of the time, we college students spend a lot of money on food because we want to grab something quick and easy. Unfortunately, this is an unsustainable habit for both your wallet and your health. If you plan your meals, you won’t need to grab junk food, because you will already know what you’ll eat for your next meal. For extra bonus points, prep your meals in advance, too! It will save you so much time and money. I would recommend that you set aside one day every week to prepare your meals for the next few days. This way, you will have food ready to go when you are hungry, and you won’t have to resort to a quick and unhealthy fast food. By planning and preparing your meals in advance, you will save lots of money on food. Pack your lunches The easiest way to waste money on food is to buy your lunch every day. It’s convenient, but again, it’s not sustainable for your body or your wallet. Instead, pack your lunches. Chances are, the lunches you pack will be healthier and cheaper. If you need ideas on what to pack for your lunch, do a quick Google or Pinterest search. In other words, packing your lunches will help you spend less money on food. Limit the number of times you eat out per week It’s no secret that eating out is very expensive. We college students spend too much money on the convenience of having something quick and easy to eat. However, you will save a substantial amount of money if you limit the number of times you eat out every week. Rather than eat out, cook more of your own meals. Cooking is not only healthier, but it is much better for your wallet. Eating out is convenient, but limiting yourself to only a few times a week will save you lots of money. Use your student discount Using a student discount is a good way to spend less money on food. As a student, you will likely be able to get a discount at most restaurants, especially if you are in a college town. Of course, it’s better to pack a lunch rather than eat out. But if you must eat out, try to get a student discount. I would recommend doing your research to find out which restaurants in your area offer the best discounts. It’s also good to know if they have discounts on certain days or certain times. All in all, it’s a good idea to use a student discount if you eat out. Take advantage of rewards programs Some restaurants and grocery stores have a membership program that will reward you for spending money there. The trick is to join these programs at stores that you already shop at; if you aren’t already a regular customer, it won’t be worth it. If you shop there enough, you will soon get discounts or other perks that will help you save money. In other words, in stores you already shop at, you should definitely take advantage of these rewards programs because they will help you spend less money on food. Look out for promotions of your favorite stores and restaurants Similarly, another great way to spend less money on food is to constantly be on the lookout for promotions. You should always be looking out promotions for your local grocery store and for your favorite restaurants. For example, grocery store “BOGOs” (buy one get one) are especially useful for products that don’t expire, such as paper products. This way, you can treat yourself while also saving money. You can find these promotions with a quick Google search, or on an app. (It’s a good idea to download your local grocery store’s app, as you will likely be notified of good promotions!) Promotions will definitely help you spend less money on food. Going out to eat all the time is very convenient, since you can get food quickly and easily. This is tempting for us busy college students. However, these outings can add up, and we need to save as much money as we can. If you plan your meals in advance and take advantage of promotions, you will save tons of money on food.

Getting Involved with Autism Awareness Month

Getting Involved with Autism Awareness Month Image via Unsplash April is full of ASD-related events, sponsored by national and local organizations. These include gatherings for people with autism, informational meetings between parents that have children with autism, and so on. Keep an eye out for some special events by some talented folks as well â€" perhaps a local artist with autism is having debuting some of their art at a local gallery, or there might be a local music featuring performers with autism. Sometimes the best way to support your community is by showing up and getting involved just by listening or observing somebody’s hard work. Take an online course Image via Unsplash The importance behind Autism Awareness Month roots from the need to educate individuals within society about ASD. Many people do not understand autism because of the broadness of the spectrum. There are so many different behavioral patterns and speech patterns that are affiliated with ASD that vary from one individual to the next, and often times, it makes it difficult to wrap your head around what autism really means. By taking a short online course, you could answer many of the questions you might be having about ASD, or at least learn a little bit more so that you can share it with those around you. Autism Society offers a simple, thirty-minute course called Autism 101, and best of all â€" it’s free. The course is broken down into the following categories: Introduction to the Autism Spectrum Overview of Treatment Options Treatment Assistance Transition to Adulthood More Information and Resources Reach out to a local organization Image via Pixabay If you’re unsure as to how to get your foot in the door, whether you are a part of the autism community or just somebody interested in getting involved, the best (and often easiest) way to get involved is by reaching out to a local organization. If your town or city has a college or university, there is most likely a club or organization for ASD that is open to the public. If there are no local organizations, consider searching for local affiliates of national organizations, such as Autism Society. If you’ve done your research and you haven’t been able to find anything â€" start your own! There might have been countless individuals before you that have searched for the same kind of community, but you can make the change. Take a friend to see a Sensory Friendly Film Image via Pixabay AMC Theatres (AMC) and Autism Society work together in helping bring some of the coolest flicks to a theatre near you for individuals with autism and other disabilities to enjoy at least once every month. If you do not have an AMC theatre near you, often times, smaller theatre chains have similar showings as well. Take a family member or a friend to see one of their favorite movies this month. If you don’t know anybody diagnosed with ASD, consider fundraising or providing money to buy some movie tickets for a local special needs classroom or group. Self-advocacy is important within the autism community, so at the very least what you can do this month (and every month) is open up your ears and listen to what people with autism have to say about their experiences, identities, and needs.

Online Tutoring

Online Tutoring At Tutorz.com there is a discussion going on about the disruptive changes of Online Tutoring. In this article we explain why online tutoring constitutes a disruptive change and how the market has embraced to it so far. Then we go on to present the Tutorz.com strategy to online tutoring which is essentially a online tutor referral service. Finally we review a Skype, the Bamboo Tablet and Skrbl.com as communication tools to facilitate an online tutoring session. Disruptive Change of Online Tutoring Online tutoring refers to the process of tutoring within an online virtual environment or networked environment where teachers and learners are separated by time and/or space. Both student and tutor benefit through online tutoring as they do not need to be present at the some physical location. Participants save the time and money to travel. At this feature is welcome at times of gas prices and high traffic congestion. Furthermore, the location independent aspects of online tutoring make it a part of the globalization of the worlds economic system. Inexpensive and well educated tutors in India can help students in America with their math homework, course work and science problems. Due to these wage level differences American students pay less for online sessions in comparison to the pay for in-home tutoring. Online tutoring is also very welcomed by the overseas tutors. For example the hourly pay to an Indian online tutor ($3-$10) is far higher than of most educational professio nals ($0.50 to $5), including the hourly wage of an Indian teacher. If an online tutoring session was recorded the student could later go back and replay the lesson. This is a very useful feature when hard-to-understand concepts must be addressed. After all learning is a lot of repetition. Another benefit of a recorded tutoring session is that it can be added to an search index to make it easily retrievable in later years and/or by other students. Current Market Responses to Online Tutoring Playing the global income differences and elimination of location constrains a number of online tutoring services have been established. The biggest players in this industry include TutorVista.com, Tutor.com, SmartThinking.com, Tutoringservicers.com and Homeschoolmath.net. These company command a significant share of the tutoring market and its brands are recognized by the education seekers. The Babson Survey Research Group said that more than 60 percent of academic leaders at private-sector colleges and universities say that online learning is critical to their long-term strategies. Online student enrollments continue to be the fastest growing sector in higher education. The perception among private-sector leaders of online learning and its impact on learning outcomes has grown more positive over time, with the majority saying online learning is the same or superior to face-to-face learning, a trend that has improved steadily since initially measured by the Sloan Survey in 2003. Tutorz Strategy to Online Tutoring At Tutorz.com we think it is futile to directly compete against big player like TutorVista or Tutor.com. These companies are in the market for about 10 years, have well established brands and are backed by venture capitalist. Therefore, instead of competing directly with these heavy weights, we will focus on the sub problem of online tutoring referral. As users of Tutor.com will tell you they cannot choose from a selection of tutors, they are given one. But tutees like to be connected with the right online tutor, thus there is work to be done in this area. By channeling online tutors from all over the world, users of Online-Tutorz have a great choice and can find the best tutor for their budget, qualification and availability requirements. The referral-only approach also alleviates Tutorz.com from developing our own communication tools (VOIP, whiteboard, video conferencing). After all a number of really good tutoring/communication tools exist such as Skype, the Bamb oo Tablet and Skrbl.com. While leaving the details of how to solve the communication to these great providers Tutorz leverages its core competencies, that of algorithmic matching of students with tutors. Tutorz.com plans to enter the field of online tutoring in 2012. Review Online Tutoring Tools Skype.com is probably the most advance VOIP (voice over IP) services out there. Skype is great because if you and your communication partner both use it there is no fees and no advertisements involved. Furthermore, Starting from Skype 4.0 there is a video call feature. Skype is reliable and works well on all major platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux). The list of other useful Skype features includes the ability of screen sharing. For computer or programming tutoring screen sharing is extremely useful. File sharing is another useful feature. Simply drag and drop your Word document (or any other file) into the message box and your partner gets it on the other end. Going on there are Skype-to-Skype conference calls and instant messaging and group instant messages. Receiving phone calls from the telephony network or calling general phone numbers requires a Skype subscription. But these payable services are not really needed for online tutoring. Other online tutoring tools include Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, AOL AIM and MSN Messeger. These tools are quite good and each have their pros and cons. But Skype remains our online tutoring tool of choice. On May 10, 2011 Microsoft bought Skype. We hope this will have no adverse effects on great Skype service. Bamboo Tablet. It is an electronic (hardware) pen-on-paper solution that consists of a writing tablet and a pen. It has a natural feel of pen-on-paper. The Bamboo tablet plugs into your computer. As to its pros, it is sturdy, the pen is comfortable to hold and has a slight rubber feel to it, no battery needed, comes with easy to install and simple to customize software. On the downside it has a only a small drawing surface and the eraser is not pressure sensitive. Bamboo Tablet is sold by Wacom and it starts at $55 for the tablet and pen. Skrbl.com is a online whiteboard service. Being a Software-as-a-service (SAAS) solution, with skrbl there is nothing to download, or to install. It supports the freehand drawing, and text mode. Skrbl saves and syncs your whiteboard automatically. But since drawing and write is primarily accomplish through a mouse, the results can be a jiggly and uneven. However, the Skrbl service is great to augment a tutoring session where ideas are shared on a white board such as math formulas or sketches of scientific apparatuses. Acknowledgement I want to thank Chuck Koehler and Scott Bishop for inspiring this discussion on Online Tutoring.