No Act of Kindness Is Wasted - A Final Thought

Here's the Community Business College final thought for the week ending July 17, 2015.

As we ended the week of classes at Community Business College, we had a campus-wide student meeting where we could all just get together, share announcements and reviews of the week’s classwork and end with a “Final Thought For The Week.”
The college’s final thoughts can be profound, humorous, poignant, or, in the best cases, a combination of all three.

This week’s final thought was a simple and straight forward one – “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

It comes from an ancient Aesop fable and the moral is a good one – to do kindness whether you are reward or not.

What was particularly interesting about this one was to see how many people were familiar with the tale, but not necessarily familiar with Aesop’s fable itself.

Some have heard the story of the lion and the mouse in the fable, but it has been told and re-told that some remember it differently than others.

Here is one common version of the fable as told through Wikipedia’s Wikicommons:

 

The Lion and the Mouse

Once, a long time ago, a large lion was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face. Rising up angrily with a start, the lion caught the mouse and was about to kill him, when the Mouse piteously entreated, saying: “If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness.” The Lion laughed and let him go.

It happened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters, who bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came to his aid, gnawed the rope with his teeth, and set him free, telling the lion “You laughed at the idea of my ever being able to help you, to repay your favor; but now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to provide an act of kindness to a Lion.”

The moral of the story is “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

Now, some have heard that it was thorn in the lion’s foot, possibly mixing the classic tale of Androcoles and the Lion. Others have heard that the mouse did the favor first, with the lion then providing help to the mouse after.

However they initially heard it, the interesting thing about it all is almost all were familiar with the tale about the mouse and the lion in general.

Now, after we told the tale at the student meeting, one student laughed and said he thought there was going to be a cynical punch line to follow. Something like “no act of kindness ever goes unpunished.”

Or maybe something from a Banksy graffiti artwork. Maybe it demonstrates the snarky world we live in - it’s hard for people to express genuine positive attitudes without being sniffed at.

But the purpose of our final thought at the end of each week is to leave all of our students with something positive and uplifting. It’s a good way to wrap a good week of hard work and study and to kick off the weekend. The final thoughts have become so popular that one of the Community Business College instructors compiled them into a booklet called “Frana’s Collected Sayings” and hands them out at our graduation ceremonies.

That, in itself, is an act of kindness – spread good thoughts and hope they catch on like the next pop culture meme.

If you want to practice an act of kindness, you can contribute to the Community Business College crowdfunding project. More details can be found at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-adults-finally-get-their-high-school-diplomasA good point to remember - No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

Mastering Microsoft Office

Today, Community Business College had a record-setting day. One person was able to complete her Microsoft Office Masters certification by completing all four required tests in three days.

Test Strategy

Here’s what she did to strategize:

First pick the Microsoft Master certification you want.  Recently, Microsoft changed the system to include two different tracks that include two expert exams for Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.

Here are the Microsoft Office master certifications from which to choose:

Word 2013 Track

       Exams required:

              Word 2013 Expert Part 1

              Word 2013 Expert Part 2

              Excel 2013

       Elective exams (choose one):

              PowerPoint 2013 or Access 2013, Outlook 2013, or SharePoint 2013, or

              OneNote 2013

Excel 2013 Track

       Exams required:

              Excel 2013 Expert Part 1

              Excel 2013 Expert Part 2

              Word 2013

       Elective exams (choose one):

              PowerPoint 2013, or Access 2013, or Outlook 2013, SharePoint 2013, or

              OneNote 2013

Traditional Office 2013 Track

       Exams required:

              Word 2013 Expert Part 1

              Word 2013 Expert Part 2

              Excel 2013 Expert Part 1

              Excel 2013 Expert Part 2

Office 2010 Master

       Exams required:

              Word 2010 Expert

              Excel 2010 Expert

              PowerPoint 2010

       Elective exams (choose one):

              Microsoft Office Outlook 2010, or  Microsoft Office Access 2010, or

              Microsoft SharePoint 2010

In her case, she wanted the Microsoft Word 2013 Track because she uses Microsoft Word heavily at her work site. So that’s the one she picked.

The next strategy is to figure out where you strengths are. When taking the Microsoft Office exams, it helps to start off with a program you are very familiar with. That way you get quick passing grade and build momentum.

Here’s the way she did it: She did these two exams on one day:

       77-422: MOS: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2013

       77-420: MOS: Microsoft Office Excel 2013

Then this exam the following day:

       77-425: MOS: Microsoft Office Word 2013 Expert Part 1

And then finally this exam today:

       77-426: MOS: Microsoft Office Word 2013 Expert Part 2

PowerPoint can be a difficult test because a lot of people take it for granted. If you use a lot of its features though, or study up on the ones you’re not that familiar, it’s not too hard.

The recent change in the Microsoft Expert certification means that the Microsoft Word Expert exam is now split up into two 50-minute exams. It means you have to be familiar with a wider range of Microsoft Word functions in order to pass it.

Why Go To All That Trouble?

The Microsoft Office Master Certification demonstrates the highest level of proficiently when using Office programs. Many employers will use it as continuing education units or to meet certain job requirements. It certainly helps when you’re going in for an annual employee evaluation meeting.

Certification is Important

The need for Microsoft Office skills is increasing dramatically as more and more businesses are embracing newer technologies. Microsoft Office Specialist certification enables Office users to demonstrate their abilities to complete tasks and projects with greater ease and efficiency with proven Office skills. Based on globally recognized standards, MOS certification validates your skills, builds self-confidence and enhances professional standing among peers and managers.

Lifelong Learning

Getting certified through Microsoft also provides a good deal of personal satisfaction. Adults always need to practice lifelong learning and this is one way to do it. The new Microsoft Office Specialist certification validates the skills needed to use the powerful features and functionality of the Microsoft Office programs by passing a results-oriented computerized exam. Those who successfully complete a Microsoft Office Specialist exam have demonstrated the skills necessary to work faster and smarter while improving performance.

Bottom line – you get out of Microsoft Office only what you put into it. The more you know, the more you can do.

As you study and prepare for the Microsoft Office Master certification, you’ll find you learn a lot more about these programs than you’ve been using. Hopefully, you’ll be able to put what you’ve learned to good use in more efficient and time-saving work.

One of the nifty changes the testing system has made is they now offer certification verification. It’s sure easy for unscrupulous people who want to forge their own certifications to run off their own on a good color printer.  Microsoft Office certifications now offers this website : www.verifycertiport.com  where anyone can enter a code that appears on all official certifications

Need to brush up on your Microsoft Office classes before you look at the exams? Join us at the Community Business College campus in Modesto, California or use distance learning to take an online class. More information can be found at this catalog of Microsoft classes: https://cbc.ed4online.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=microsoft+office+certification

Need Your Driving Records For A Job? Here’s How To Do It.

A Community Business College graduate from 5 years ago came into the school yesterday and wanted to apply for a job that requires a clean DMV report. He needed to find out if he needed the official transcript or if he could use the one now available off the DMV’s website. He went back to the human resources department to ask.

“Do I need an official transcript,” he asked, “or can I use the online printout?”

“The online printout will be fine,” was the reply.

And so began his quest to quickly get his driving record from the DMV before his interview the next day.

He came back here to his alma mater for help and the staff here at Community Business College walked him through it.

 

DMV Quest

Turns out obtaining a driving record through the California DMV online system, it’s surprisingly pretty easy.

How do you do it?

First you need to set up a free DMV user account which can be done at this link:

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/SelfHelp/Registration

They’ll ask for your driver’s license information, current address, e-mail address, a new password for this account, and other pertinent information. It’s pretty standard stuff and, if you want to avoid the hassle of dealing with the DMV when it comes time to renew your driver’s license, you’ll be able to use this same account for that, too. So don’t lose the password.

Once you’ve got that done, just hop on over to the report request page. Here’s the link: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/online/dr

You’ll log in with the username and password. Then click the “Start” button to actually make the request.

The California DMV charges a $2 fee which can be paid with a credit card.

Enter your credit card information (after always double-checking to see that there connection is secure) and the system will generate a report for you and open it in a new window.

And that’s all there is to it.

Click the print button and get through the magic of modern printers, it will appear on a piece of paper, ready to turn in to a happy employer. If you’ve been through the Community Business College Office Specialist program, you’ll also know how to print it to pdf format. That way you can save it and send the document electronically.

The DMV report is a handy tool for jobs that require it.

What else do you need to get a job and build it into a career? Check out the college’s  Profressional and Career Development course. This distance education program includes an online mentor that helps you through the different sections of the program.

Legal Residency Rule Change for Real Estate Licenses

Community Business College has been informed today by the California Bureau of Real Estate of a change in license application procedures:

All individuals who submit an application for a real estate license received on or after January 1, 2016 will no longer need to submit proof of legal presence in the United States.

On September 28, 2014, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1159 (Lara, Chapter 752, Statutes of 2014), which adds Section 135.5 to the Business & Professions Code (BPC), changing the legal presence requirements to obtain a real estate license.

Up until SB1159, the law required an individual to provide proof of legal presence in the United States (either via proof of U.S. citizenship or legal alien status), in order to obtain a real estate license. The new law which becomes effective on January 1, 2016, will remove the legal presence requirement from the entire application process.

This notification is the California Bureau of Real Estate’s implementation of the new laws’ requirements.

The law change follows an earlier state Supreme Court case in which justices ruled that lawyer Sergio Garcia should be admitted to the California bar despite lacking legal status.

Since California Real Estate activity is regulated under the Business & Professions Code, the change affects all applications that are submitted after January 1, 2016.

An important note:  California Real Estate applicants will still be required to provide a social security number or an individual taxpayer identification number for licensure.

For more updates, refer to the Community Business College real estate web pages.

5 Solid Tips for Good Business Phone Etiquette

One of the very first classes we taught at Community Business College almost 18 years ago was proper phone techniques.

Why? It might seem so obvious how to handle phones that people don’t even need to think twice about it?

But, that’s part of the problem – phones have become so ubiquitous (one of our Words Of  The Day), that they’re taken for granted and almost seem to drift into the background of everyday life. That means that a lot of common sense can be ignored, especially in today’s business environment.

We taught the class because employers told us that one of their greatest pet peeves is when a potential customer is turned away because of a louse phone call experience.

Is it still relevant? Sure is. We just posted today’s Frank and Ernest cartoon about phone messages on our one of our Pinterest boards.

So here are the Community Business College Top 10 Tips for Presenting a Professional Phone Image.

1. Speak Clearly and Slowly. Because speaking on the phone has become second nature, it’s easy to end up with words that run together. Speaking a bit slower than you usually do is a good trick top help you contemplate the words you are saying and help your listener absorb your meaning. Remember, too, that now some voice mail systems are transcribing what you say and sending it to the recipient via e-mail. Computers are notorious for switching words that sound alike. You don’t want to ask someone to “make copies” and end up having them think they have to “make coffees.”

2. Listen Carefully. The ability to listen is always a valuable skill but even more soon the phone. The secret trick here is to repeat information back to the other speaker when they ask you questions or when you are taking a message. Not only does it mean the message is clearer, but you’ll sound smarter to the person on the other end of the line.

3. Don’t Get Distracted. This tip is a corollary to #2. It’s easy to think of phone calls as less important than a personal visit and to start doing other things while the person is talking. Some cell phones these days let you play games. Avoid this temptation. The mind cannot have two masters: it will love one and despise the other with sometimes embarrassing results (i.e. “huh? What did you just say…I missed it”).

4. Keep Your Listener In The Loop. Need to place callers on hold? Ask first. Let them know why and what you are doing. If the hold is longer than you thought, pick up the phone and keep the caller informed. If the hold goes on longer, don’t hesitate to inform your caller and give the choice of holding longer or receiving a call back.  The trick is to think of it this way – how long would you care to hold if you were on the other end. The Golden Rule works on the phone as well.

5. Be Concise. Keep phone calls brief and to the point. Try not to get side tracked. Each phone call, whether you are the caller or the receiver, has a point. Try to always come back to the point to make sure the business gets done. This can also be a timesaver because you won’t need as many follow-up calls to cover what you missed in the first call. The trick is to jot down the goals of the call and keep referring to that note as the phone call progresses.

Office machines may one day make phone calls and message obsolete but there are still millions of phone calls to take place before that happens.

Want to learn more? Take an office skills class from a professional instructor. Or brush up on a quick customer service phone skills course. Classes are now online for the convenience of our students, especially working adults with busy schedules.

Community Business College has been selected as a beta testing center for the international rollout of the new IC3 GS5 industry certification examination. The selection means the Modesto, California vocational college will be participating in the beta testing of the new IC3 GS5 exams and cloud-based testing environment. Officials at the school report they have started the testing with current students and graduates and are opening the testing to members of the public who would like a no-cost attempt at earning technical computing certifications.

  

What is IC3?

The IC3 abbreviation stands for "Internet and Computing Core Certification." The IC3 exam is a global certification, designed to certify an individual's digital literacy skills associated with fundamental computer and Internet use. IC3 is the first computer certification to be recognized by the National Skill Standards Board (NSSB). The newest edition of the IC3 certification track, known as IC3-GS5 (Global Standard 5), will be updated to include new technologies including Microsoft Windows 7 OS and the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

Community Business College was selected because of its expertise in the technologies required for implementing the exams and its extensive experience in beta testing technical certification exams.

To implement the program, Community Business College is providing free vouchers to those who want to assist in the beta testing of these fully online exams. In exchange for their evaluations of the exam system, participants will receive official certificates for each exam they pass. The school is absorbing all costs for this high-technology project and will provide these services all at no cost to the participants. The vouchers will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis up until the project is complete.

Dan Guerra Community Business College’s director, said, “The overall goal of the project is to test the functionality of the updated exams and their new delivery engine environment. Modesto, with its new initiatives to kick start its technology sector, is a great place for this to happen.”

The IC3 GS5 beta exams are completely interactive and consist of approximately 115 questions. Exam takers are given 120 minutes to answer as many questions as possible.

The IC3 exams are divided into three categories:

            Key Applications

            Computing Fundamentals

            Living Online

The exams test users’ abilities to solve basic digital literacy problems, use basic productivity applications, and understand the structure of common technologies. In addition, the exam questions assess the ability to apply existing knowledge to deal with unfamiliar situations and scenarios.

Community Business College is also offering a study guide and informational outline on its website for those interested in learning more about the exam. Once the beta testing is complete, the live version of the exam will be continuously available at the institution.

One of the reasons the college is participating in the program to help to continue to bring high technology certifications to California's Central Valley.

People who would like to participate in the beta test can contact the school’s main office either by phone or e-mail.

What Community Business College Does 

Community Business College also offers online short courses

Community Business College has been training people in workforce development skills for over 17 years. The school offers job placement assistance to its unemployed graduates and enrichment classes for its working graduates to meet its goal of helping students practice lifelong learning. On-ground and distance-learning vocational classes include Computer Office Specialist; Legal Secretary; and Medical Billing And Coding.

Students attending the school are funded by veterans programs, the MyCAA military spouse scholarship program, and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) training funding.

The school’s other enrichment programs include advanced technology training, specific software classes, Business Spanish, English As A Second Language (ESL) and certifications.

Enrichment courses focus on common operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Android. Software classes are based on Office applications (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Office 365, Google Docs, and iWork) and standard computer productivity applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, multi-media, and file and data management.

The college also participates in programs which assist adult students in completing high school diplomas and obtaining their GEDs free of charge.

The college maintains an A+ rating with the Ne-Cal Better Business Bureau.

CBC Receives Veterans/Military Family Award

Community Business College has been recognized by Military Advanced Education Magazine as a “Top College” in the 2015 Guide to Colleges & Universities.”  As such, the college received an award and an article in the 2015 guide published for military members and their families.

 

The magazine selected the college for its programs to help both veterans and military family members obtain new skills and jobs. It is one of the few vocational colleges in California to be included and it is the 4^th time the school has been so named.

 

Military Advanced Education is the journal of higher learning for today’s service member.

 

Community Business College has placed a high priority of training and services on veterans and active-duty military families. Working with the Veterans Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Defense, the school has been able to provide employment training and job placement assistance to California’s Central Valley military families for over 17 years.

 

“We’re excited that the college has once again been recognized for its efforts to assist the courageous men and women and their families serving our country.  They take time out of their lives to serve us and we appreciate the sacrifices they make every day. Military life can be very disruptive and our part of school’s mission is to do what we can to support them.

Community Business College provides “Thank You For Your Family’s Service” scholarships and support activities for active duty families. The school also provides active duty military spouses full training and job placement scholarships through the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA), G.I. Bill, and Work Investment Act (WIA) tuition programs to help eligible military-related students cover the costs of attending the school’s vocational training programs.

In addition to its regular vocational training courses and its assisted job placement services, the school provides specialized training programs for military spouses who don’t have high school diplomas or need to learn English as a second language.

An image of this and other awards received by Community Business College can be seen at the school’s Pinterest site on its awards board at: https://www.pinterest.com/businesscollege.

Military Advanced Education is a publication of the KMI Media Group.

The 2015 Guide to Top Colleges and Universities is published each year with only the top scoring universities and colleges making the list. The goal of the guide is to measure best practices in military/veteran education.

 

Community Business College offers both online and campus-based vocational classes to help adults obtain the skills they need for employment. Throughout its 17-year history, the college has always placed a special emphasis on veterans, military spouses and military dependents.

In addition to training in portable skills, the school offers test preparation in a wide range of industry-recognized exams and also offers “Where You Go, We Go” job placement assistance.

As part of its special practices for military family, the school is also currently offering military-related job seekers a free “Job Search Tool Kit” which includes package a professional resume review, a job search guide, and help military family members complete their high school diplomas or earn their GEDs.

Staff and students of the school collect items and send care packages to troops stationed overseas. School personnel also send expired grocery coupons to overseas military families who can use the coupons for up to 6 months after their printed expiration date.