Posts Tagged ‘Money’

If you’re interested in Cisco training but you’ve no working knowledge of routers, then the qualification you require is a CCNA. This course is designed to instruct students who need practical know how on routers. Large companies that have different locations use them to connect their various different networks of computers to keep in contact with each other. The Internet is also built up of hundreds of thousands of routers.

You may find yourself employed by an internet service provider or a large commercial venture which is located on multiple sites but still wants secure internal data communication. This career path is very well paid and quite specialised.

The CCNA qualification is the right level to aim for; don’t be pushed into attempting your CCNP. After gaining experience in the working environment, you can decide if it’s relevant for you to have this next level up. If so, you will have developed the skills you require to take on your CCNP – because it’s far from a walk in the park – and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Incorporating examination fees upfront then including an exam guarantee is a common method with many companies. But look at the facts:

Obviously it’s not free – you are paying for it – it’s just been included in your package price. Students who take exams one at a time, funding them one at a time are much more likely to pass. They’re thoughtful of their investment and so are more inclined to be ready for the task.

Take your exams somewhere close to home and find the best deal for you at the time. Why borrow the money or pay in advance (plus interest of course) on examination fees when you don’t need to? A lot of profit is made because training colleges are charging upfront for all their exams – and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. Many training companies will insist on pre-tests and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass – which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on ‘Exam Guarantees’ is foolish – when a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools is what will get you through.

Training support for students is an absolute must – locate a good company providing 24×7 full access, as not opting for this kind of support could hold up your pace and restrict your intake. Many only provide email support (too slow), and phone support is often to a call-centre who will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor – who will then call back sometime over the next 24hrs, at a time suitable for them. This isn’t a lot of good if you’re lost and confused and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.

It’s possible to find professional companies that provide their students direct-access online support 24×7 – at any time of day or night. If you fail to get yourself 24×7 support, you’ll regret it very quickly. You might not want to use the service in the middle of the night, but what about weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.

Considering how a program is ‘delivered’ to you isn’t always given the appropriate level of importance. In what way are your training elements sectioned? What is the order and do you have a say in when you’ll get each part? The majority of training companies will set up a program spread over 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you pass each exam. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts: Many students find that the trainer’s typical path to completion isn’t as suitable as another. Sometimes, a different order of study is more expedient. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done within their exact timetable?

To be honest, the best option is to have their ideal ‘order’ of training laid out, but to receive all the materials up-front. Everything is then in your possession if you don’t manage to finish at their required pace.

Most of us would love to think that our jobs will remain safe and the future is protected, however, the truth for the majority of jobs in England right now seems to be that security just isn’t there anymore. Of course, a sector experiencing fast growth, with a constant demand for staff (due to a massive shortage of fully trained staff), opens the possibility of proper job security.

The 2006 national e-Skills investigation showed that more than 26 percent of IT jobs haven’t been filled as an upshot of a huge deficit of appropriately certified professionals. Therefore, for every four jobs available throughout Information Technology (IT), organisations are only able to find properly accredited workers for three of the four. This fundamental concept clearly demonstrates the requirement for more technically trained computer professionals in the UK. We can’t imagine if a better time or market circumstances is ever likely to exist for getting trained into this swiftly growing and budding market.

Commercially accredited qualifications are now, most definitely, starting to replace the older academic routes into the IT industry – but why is this the case? The IT sector now recognises that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, official accreditation supplied for example by Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance – for much less time and money. Of course, an appropriate degree of relevant additional detail needs to be learned, but essential specifics in the exact job role gives a vendor educated person a real head start.

When an employer understands what areas they need covered, then they just need to look for the exact skill-set required to meet that need. Commercial syllabuses are all based on the same criteria and can’t change from one establishment to the next (like academia frequently can and does).

My wife and I began selling photos online over two years ago as a way to earn a little extra money out of something we enjoyed. At the time we had a little 4 megapixel point-n-shoot camera but since my wife knew a little about photo editing from studying graphic design in college. At the time we thought we knew about photography, we soon realized we didn’t know that much at all.

We only earned $16 in our first month, but with persistence and lots of research we raised this to $270 in six months. As it was a part time hobby we didn’t expect it to earn so much so quickly, but this early success convinced us of the potential and we quickly invested in a digital SLR. Over two years later we’re now earning around $600 each month with a modest portfolio of around 700 photos listed with eight agencies. We’re still hobbyist photographers creating stock photos in our spare time.

Who sells photos in the microstock market? I’ve reached hundreds of other microstock stock photo sellers through the internet and have been amazed at the variety of individuals who are contributing to this market, each with a similarly impressive variety of reasons. There are retired couples who simply want to see their photos published and I have met people who make tens of thousands of dollars each month. For some microstock is their job and for others, like myself it is simply a portion of my overall income. Amazingly, one of the largest groups of contributors are photography students – both those who have chosen photography as their career and hobbyists who study for fun.

Why is microstock so good for students? The three main reasons include: freedom; money; and education.

To participate with Microstock is free and there are no set working hours, no bosses to order you around and no due dates. Microstock actually pays you money for your photographs, which is really great since photography is not a cheap hobby. Most importantly, if you’re interested in learning about the commercial side of photography Microstock is a great learning tool. Who could be a better instructor than a global market of photo buyers?

Isn’t microstock ‘bad’ for the industry? If you have been interested in selling stock photography for a while you may have already found that microstock is controversial. Since the concept works only with the Internet and high quality digital cameras it’s still relatively new. Because of that there are still many professional stock photographers with strong feelings about the impact microstock is having on the industry.

I have personally spoken with some of the world’s most successful stock photographers and they tell me that they’re not noticing any impact on their business from microstock. Photos compete on quality and not price (microstock photos sell cheaper but in higher quantity) and there will always be buyers interested in the top level of the market, regardless of the price.

It’s also makes sense to assume that the hundreds of photographers who now earn a living with microstock have displaced some ‘traditional’ stock photographers. This is a natural phenomenon and happens with any technological change as big as the Internet and digital photography and it’s completely understandable that those on the receiving end are not happy about it.

Microstock has also brought new buyers to the market. Small businesses, charities and bloggers weren’t big buyers of stock photos when they cost $350 or more. Now that blog size images are $1 and print size images are $10, you can imagine how sales have increased.

So how much can I earn in microstock? The amount depends on both the quality and quantity of photographs you can produce. Those who work full time with microstock and have a portfolio of 7,000 high quality images or more can easily earn over $20,000 per MONTH! On the flip side, those contributors who have only a handful of images earn just a few dollars. Like me, you’ll most likely find yourself between these two extremes.

I earn just a bit under $1 per photo per month. You can find monthly earnings, figures and links to various portfolios with a quick Google search. With this information you can quickly compare your portfolio or photography skills to figure out, more or less, how much you could expect to earn with your photos in the microstock market.

Is microstock easy? Not at the beginning, it isn’t. Many online agencies require a test submission which is generally stricter than their typical review process. Microstock agencies also review submissions based on what sells, which is images that are super sharp, noiseless and commercially appealing. Because of this initial review many of the established and highly skilled photographers experience early rejections and quickly dismiss the microstock opportunity. You can start with some of the middle tier agencies which don’t require you to pass a test. In doing this you can easily get an idea of what types of photos are being accepted and which ones sell well. After that, it’s relatively easy to start earning money.

Doing some research you can find examples the best selling photos. Typically most are simple shots taken with the intention of selling for stock, but with no more preparation that being in the correct spot with your camera. Many photos can earn over $30 per month though the potential success will vary between agencies.

It’s also not easy to create above-average success. The average per-photo earnings of many of the top microstock contributors can be up to ten times what I currently make, so you can imagine the difference in the quality and appeal of the photos they produce. They also need to repeat this success many times to create a portfolio large enough to raise their earnings above average.

How can I improve my chances of success? These are some hints for those who are interested in getting started selling their photos in the microstock market:

It is important to manage your expectations. I know this sounds easier than it actually is. A common sales pitch generally will read, “click here to start earning money from the photos sitting idle on your computer”. This is not very realistic and chances are you’ll quickly quit if you begin with this expectation. It is important to do your own research to figure out what sells, create those photos well, and be smart about how your contribute. Concentrate on workflow.

If you plan to contribute lots of photos it makes sense to have an efficient workflow so you don’t waste time doing unnecessary repetitive tasks. Do your research and refine your workflow so you can get a quality product into the market as efficiently as possible. Microstock is business. If you’re an artist more than a commercial photographer you may want to seriously consider if you and microstock are a good match. Artistic photos will sell in the microstock market, but not nearly as well as commercial photos.

Research. I’ve already given you some ideas to research but don’t stop with those. Get every one of your questions answered prior to beginning so you save time and don’t do anything that doesn’t work to your advantage. There are many things written on the internet for people who are interested in selling photos in the microstock market.

6 Microstock Sites Where You can Make Money from Your Photos Here are a number of Microstock programs that offer photographers money for their images: Shutterastock, Dreamstime, Crestock, fotolia, 123rf, Stockxpert.