Get A Solar Contractors License In California

By Fida H

job, jobs, career

Solar energy has consistently grown 33% in the past thirty years within 1979-2010. It is projected to be over 40% for this decade. With an estimated 32 GW of solar power installed globally, 7.2 GW was installed last year alone, according to John Addison, publisher of the Clean Fleet Report.

Solar energy is becoming more marketable by the day, and now represents a large portion of new construction related jobs. If you are a contractor or interested in becoming a contractor, be a part of this rapidly growing industry by getting your solar contractors license.

The basic steps below highlight how people with solar training can get a solar contractor's license in the state of California. It is important to understand that processes slightly differ from state to state. Thus, Licenses acquired in the State of California may not be recognized in another state.

Step 1 - Go to State License Board Website

Visit the California State License Board website at cslb.ca.gov.

Step 2 - Confirm License Classification

The classification for a Solar Contractors license is Class "C", which is for specialty contractors. According to the California State License Board, there are 41 separate "C" license classifications for contractors whose construction work or primary contracting business requires specialized skills, building trades, or crafts. The exact "C" license for solar is C-46. C-46 is the license classification that should be applied for to obtain a solar contractors license.

Step 3 - Be Qualified

Make sure you qualify. The state of California requires journeyman level experience through apprenticeship training or college education, and an actual business entity. Without prior solar training and experience you will not be considered qualified.

Applicants should have at least four years of experience in solar. Nonetheless, the California State License Board may grant up to three years of credit towards the four year requirement for completed education and/or apprenticeship programs in the solar specialty. Education can include a Bachelors degree, certificate, and credited solar courses. Thus, if you don't have any prior experience in solar, you may begin by taking solar training.

Step 4 - Thoroughly Complete Application

Complete the appropriate application form and submit it along with a nonrefundable application fee. Application forms must be fully complete! Incomplete applications will be rejected. Wait four to six weeks for your application to be processed. Once processed you will be sent an examination date. In some cases it can take much longer than four to six weeks. Completing and accurately filling out all the requested information within the application form helps reduce the processing time. The application form can be printed at the California State License Board website.

Step 5 - Wait & Prepare

Generally, it takes approximately four to six weeks before your application is processed and a notice is sent to you to appear for examination. Use the waiting period to refresh your knowledge through study tools, or even attending related review courses and additional solar training.

Step 6 - Take the Test

Once approved you should receive your examination date and location. Testing locations are distributed within eight cities. These cities are: San Diego, San Bernardino, Buena Park, Inglewood, Ventura, Oakland, Sacramento and Fresno. You will be assigned to the nearest location of your business address.

If this is your first contractor license examination, you will have to take two exams. The first exam is the general law & business examination and the second will be the trade examination. In this case your trade will be solar. The examinations will each be given two hours and thirty minutes to complete, making it a total of five hours.

Failure to show up will result in a $50 rescheduling fee. You are granted eighteen months after the approval of your application to achieve a passing grade. Within this time period, you can take the exam as many times as necessary until you pass.

Step 7 - Wait for Score

Wait to receive your score. If you failed you are provided with a breakdown of your percentage score for each section of the examination and can reschedule to take the examination again. If you passed, you are simply told you passed in the letter. A certificate and your license number will then be sent to you.

In conclusion, experience plays a major role in qualifying for a Solar Contractors License. If you do not meet the required experience but you're interested in getting a solar contractors License in the state of California, start with a certificate program. There are great renewable energy institutions that offer solar training certification. As mentioned earlier, education in your trade can be credited towards the four years of required experience. Don't waste anymore time, register to a solar training certification program today!

Getting Your First Job - Interview Tips For Teenagers

By Steve Humphreys

job, jobs, career

You can prepare for your first interview through practicing with friends and family. Don't get discouraged if you don't pass the real interview when it comes up. Often, employers will do phone interviews to screen prospective applicants out.

You will learn what to say and what not to say with each interview. It just takes a little practice and confidence in oneself. It has been said that it takes about ten interviews to land one job. This may or may not be true for you, depending upon the job you want to get into.

As a teen, you are presented with many challenges. The biggest challenge though, is in getting to know what kind of person you really are. This will come through time, through your own growth. People usually don't change personally, but some of their interests will change as they get older.

For example, a career chosen as a teen may not serve him well in later years, because he will have matured. That same career may then not be as interesting. Then, it may be time for a change of careers. Many who are working do not like their careers, but may not know what else they want to do for a living.

Teen Quizzes can help you locate a field of interest. To be happy in a career, one has to be interested in it, and have a passion for working in that job. If one knows which careers he has an interested in, all he needs to do is choose one that fits his personality, natural abilities, and aptitude.

Signs That You Are Being Bullied

By Larry Icabandi Nabiong

job, jobs, career

In every 10 workers, one of them has been bullied in their career.

Yes, in every workplace there are bullies who victimize other workers simply because of their false belief to maintain control or status quo, or when they are feeling" threatened" of a smarter neophyte, or simply because of some psychological problems they may have been suffering since childhood. Just like children bullies, these professionals whom respected by their peers and subordinates alike have this aberrant behaviors which should be checked asap by their superiors or managers before it could wreck havoc to the company.

A victim of bullying must say foul! and do the necessary steps to vindicate him-her/self and have the bully faced the consequences of his/her acts. However, if the company has a culture of tolerating bullies for one reason or another, better for the victim to leave the company asap and seek one with sane principles and live a life sans the presence of a pest bully.

Bullying is a form of an abuse. A victim suffers tremendous psychological and physical harm. In fact, a study reveals that some health-harming manifestations such as high blood pressure, heart attack, depression, etc. are common scenario to bullied individual where as a victim he/she suffers tremendous emotional torture, especially if is what we call " mobbing" or simply put, a group of bullies picking on one victim till the he/she opts to resign.

The author had to walk the plank once due to "mobbing" and now trying to share wisdom from the said experience. Thanks to my bullies; however, sorry to disappoint you guys, am back in the arena and wiser not committing same mistake again.

Common signs that you are being bullied, as what I experienced then:

1. You dread Mondays... you do not have the energy to go to work. You feel sick...as if you did not have a good night sleep, too lazy to move and worse, you feign sick just to evade your tormentor even for a day.

2. They yell at you -- in front of other people--during meeting as if you were a slave and they were your masters.

3. They exclude you in meeting and other activities giving you feeling isolated as if they were against you... for no apparent reason at all. Well, this is the price to pay for being young or smart or kind --sort of you are cursed for being given such enviable characteristic.

4. Always the last person to know about changes in the company's policies, etc. making you look naive at your co-workers' assessment.

5. Your tormentor spreading rumors discrediting you, say assaulting your reputations and in the process, gain control over the social environment for his/her own advantage, thus giving him/her the feeling of superiority and the like.

6. They are talking behind your back ( means you are two steps ahead ) and when you are present, they have innuendos, etc. aimed at you.

Subtle ways of bullying someone is giving a victim a feeling that he/she is nothing compared to the tormentor by giving one condescending or insulting look, and sans giving other people around a hint that bullying is happening. Well, others are just clueless, or simply naive about it. And they will be surprised when the victim opted a resignation than prolonging the agony of being bullied sans seeking help from indifferent co-workers.

Bullying is a kind of cruelty; sometimes, the tormentor does not know that he/she has been a bully to someone, sometime, somewhere... lest he/she is a psychopath bully; no remorse or a tinge of guilt is seen from him/her. Beware of this kind of bully; a snake clothed in a man's suit ready to devour an unsuspecting victim in the workplace.

Would you rather be a victim or a witness to bullying? Which would you prefer?

Leader Productivity Vs The Fatigue Demon: Six Steps to Keep Fatigue From Eroding Your Productivity

By Geraldine Markel, Ph.D.

job, jobs, career

Fatigue plays a critical part in the performance of current or aspiring leaders: it impairs leadership effectiveness, inhibiting productivity and excellence. If the leader of an organization functions without energy and enthusiasm, she or he is not a good role model. Any negative effects of the leader's performance can cascade down through the organization.

Fatigue operates as an insidious barrier to leader productivity. Like a mysterious and demonic force, Fatigue saps the energy required to engage in critical leadership functions. Leaders need stamina, mental energy, and enthusiasm to:

• Spark their creativity: to think out of the box, see the big picture, and gain long-term perspective.
• Engage in analytical thinking, problem solving, and decision making.
• Become lifelong learners. Who can read, remember, and apply information when they are too tired to focus and concentrate?
• Persevere under stressful conditions and be resilient when a crisis strikes.

Is the Fatigue Demon undermining your ability to be a leader? Has Fatigue teamed up with some of the other Demons of Distraction in your life, such as Technology, Stress, Illness/Medication, Others, Activities, Spaces or Unruly Mind?

The most common cause of fatigue is poor sleep or lack of sleep. There are between 50 and 70 million Americans living tired lives, with about 40 million of those reporting some type of sleep disorder. Unquestionably, exhaustion has a negative influence on attention, memory, mood, safety, and general performance. For example, driving under the influence of fatigue can be as devastating as driving under the influence of alcohol-and you can't be inspiring at work if you don't make it there safely.

Fatigue can also be related to leader burnout, a particular problem in the "new normal" climate of technological and economic realities. For example, there are estimates that 247 billion emails are sent per day. How many of these are delivered to a leader's mailbox? Receiving hundreds of messages each day is overwhelming and often leaves no down time. The artificial sense of urgency generated by message technology further erodes the amount and quality of sleep. One study reported that over 65 percent of respondents answered email in bed, while over 45 percent placed devices (cell phones, for example) on their nightstands--and kept the audible message alerts switched on all night long.

Regardless of the reasons underlying fatigue, feeling tired makes you more vulnerable to other Demons of Distraction. For example, the more tired you feel, the more vulnerable you are to stress and its effects. This can leave you more apt to procrastinate or avoid a tedious task, causing even more stress. Therefore, any improvement in sleep will help reduce your vulnerability to stress, and any improvement in stress management will help you be more energized and focused.

How do you know if the Fatigue Demon has become a serious threat to your leadership abilities? Due to the "24/7 Warrior" mentality in the business world, leaders may not even be aware of the extent of their fatigue and its effects--but there are telltale signs. Family members or co-workers may be the first to notice:

• Poor emotional regulation as seen with irritation, impatience, or angry outbursts
• Rigid thinking as seen in an all-or-none, now-or-never mentality
• Physical signs including slouching, walking slowly, yawning, or holding your head
• Work slippages including inaccurate, incomplete or missing work
• Forgetfulness, disorganization, inattention, and poor time management

Whether you seek others' input or they volunteer observations on your behavior, don't shoot the messenger. Denial and defensiveness won't help you regain your leadership edge-but the following steps will.

Six Steps to Stop the Downward Spiral of Leader Performance:

Step 1: Increase awareness. Ask, "How often am I running on empty? Is fatigue interfering with creativity, motivation or memory?" Keep a sleep journal; identify any problems such as insomnia, snoring, sleep apnea, etc. Ask, "What is sapping my mental energy?"

Step 2: Take action. Reorganize your sleep routine so you can be better rested. Make sleep a top priority: get to bed earlier. Consider setting an alarm an hour before bedtime as a signal to stop activities and wind down. The bedroom should be a "No Fly Zone" for electronic devices such as email alerts that unnecessarily interrupt sleep.

Step 3: Stop the constant state of overwhelm and stress. As a leader you have the legitimate power to impose the rules; say no nicely, be ruthless about delegating, and take a break or two during the day. Leaders need quiet think-time to analyze and solve problems. One strategy is to impose an electronic lockdown; a specific period of time during which technology does not distract you.

Step 4: Stop multitasking. Don't buy into the myth that it helps you: recent research indicates that it's ineffective to do two things at the same time. It drains your mental energy and leads to inaccuracies.

Step 5: Consider fatigue and safety. When fatigued, don't drive, use power tools, or undertake risky activities such as climbing ladders.

Step 6: Increase the use of exercise and stress management strategies to bolster physical and mental energy, endurance, and resilience.

Sometimes, the simpler a suggestion sounds, the more difficult it is to do. Start with one thing at a time. Even the smallest change can yield positive results.

Opening a Yoga Studio - The Process From A to Z

By Lisa Jenkins

job, jobs, career

Many yoga teachers love practicing and teaching yoga so much that they decide they want to open up their own practices. While their intentions are positive, the decision to create a new yoga studio in the community is one that requires a great deal of careful consideration, planning and support.

Business Plan

A business plan is the best first stage of planning when deciding to go down the entrepreneurial path. A business plan is a document that includes your vision, as well as the financial, marketing, staff, sales, hiring, bookkeeping, start-up and maintenance aspects that are involved in building and sustaining your dream.

Setting Goals

When writing a business plan, the vision statement is the crucial first step. You must decide what the purpose for your yoga practice will be, as well as the type of clientele you would like to serve. It is important to narrow this target clientele as narrowly as you can to take the next steps to attract this group of people.

Record your goals for your studio as part of the visioning process. Write down specific key measurable results you aim to achieve through running your own business.

Determine the strategies you will have to use to financially sustain the studio. Hosting workshops, teaching yoga classes, having retail and online sales, private clients and teacher training programs are all potential income generating ideas.

Assessing Available Resources

At some point during the business planning process, the question of your available resources is certain to arise. Some practitioners decide to have investors get involved in financing their studio, while others refinance their own home to do so. Still others get part-time jobs to save the funds necessary to start a yoga operation, or seek small amounts of money from supportive friends and family members. Some people hold garage sales or do bake sales and other creative fundraising events.

It is helpful if owners can rent space in the location they wish to create a studio in, as this can save a lot of time and money. A place that used to serve as a yoga studio or fitness center is ideal, though it is also possible to use a space that was once an office or store. In the case of using a space that was not used before for yoga, it is important to take into consideration the tremendous potential costs of renovating the place to make it suitable as a studio.

Figure out how many classes, workshops or teacher trainings you will have to teach per year to cover your annual and start-up costs. Make sure you do not overestimate these figures, as they are very important in the planning and fundraising process.

Naming a Yoga Studio

Once you have written a thorough business plan and assessed that you have the necessary resources available to manifest your yoga studio vision, it is important to consider naming your studio. It is best to contact a trademark attorney at this point to see if your desired name is available. If you are unable to afford an attorney, you can see if anyone else is using the same name you have chosen by searching online.

Trademark Process

If you find that no one else is using the name you have selected for your yoga studio, you can visit the website for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Check if anyone has a pending application or federal registration for the name you plan to use.

After doing this, visit your state's trademark database to make sure that your desired name has not been taken by another yoga business, fitness or wellness center.

When going to file your business name online, be ready to pay approximately $335 to register your trademark. It is helpful to work with an attorney on this process to try your best to prevent receiving trademark application rejections.

Though opening a yoga practice is a challenging process that requires a lot of patience, persistence and commitment, many entrepreneurs will tell you that running a studio is well worth the effort it takes to create one.

Boss, Apakah Rapat Yang Anda Pimpin Sudah Efektif?

Boss, Anda pasti sudah pernah memimpin rapat, salah satu aktifitas penting yang umum dilakukan dalam sebuah korporasi atau organisasi. Pertemuan yang diadakan secara rutin maupun insidental adalah kesempatan bagi Anda sebagai pemimpin untuk mengkomunikasikan segala perkembangan terbaru dalam perusahaan, memantau perkembangan terakhir dalam kinerja tim Anda dan membahas serta mendiskusikan solusi masalah yang timbul dalam sebuah tim. Secara teori, meeting juga bisa jadi tempat yang melahirkan ide-ide kreatif, sarana untuk menyelesaikan konflik yang tidak bisa dirundingkan melalui email, telepon atau memo, serta efektif untuk menyampaikan sebuah maksud karena arti dan perasaan 55% ditunjukkan dengan ekspresi wajah dan sinyal non-verbal (Penelitian Dr. Albert Mehrabian).


Namun keuntungan dan hal positif tersebut hanya bisa diperoleh jika Anda merencanakan, memimpin dan meninjaklanjuti hasil meeting dengan efektif. Rapat yang tidak dapat memutuskan atau menghasilkan apapun dan berjalan tidak ada ‘juntrungannya’ adalah aktifitas yang membuang-buang waktu dan tidak akan memotivasi anggota tim Anda.


Ada tips yang bisa membantu Anda untuk memimpin dan menindaklanjuti rapat dengan efektif agar maksud dan tujuannya bisa tercapai :

1. Undang karyawan yang benar-benar berkepentingan. Pastikan setiap peserta adalah karyawan yang pekerjaannya memiliki kaitan dengan tujuan dan agenda meeting.

2. Informasikan agenda meeting. Saat mengundang anggota tim, sampaikan dengan jelas agenda rapat tersebut agar mereka bisa mempersiapkan diri sebaik-baiknya. Dengan demikian peserta sudah siap dengan materi rapat sehingga waktu yang dihabiskan untuk rapat bisa lebih efektif.

3. Tuliskan di whiteboard atau bacakan agenda pertemuan. Dituliskan memang akan lebih baik karena ada ‘penanda’ yang bisa dilihat semua orang yang mengingatkan Anda dan peserta saat rapat mulai keluar dari rencana awal. Hal ini untuk mengarahkan para peserta dan Anda agar tetap pada ‘jalur’ pembahasan yang benar sepanjang rapat.

4. Buka meeting dengan mengevaluasi goal, pencapaian dan aktivitas yang telah dilakukan selama ini. Hal ini akan mengingatkan kembali setiap anggota tim Anda tentang pencapaian dan ‘janji’ target mereka yang belum dicapai. Puji dan ingatkan mereka yang sudah mencapai target agar mempertahankan kinerja mereka. Secara singkat ingatkan karyawan yang ketinggalan deadline atau target agar lebih memacu kinerja mereka. Jika perlu jadwalkan langsung pertemuan untuk mendiskusikan masalah dan solusinya deadline tersebut.

5. Try to keep it short. Meeting tidak akan jadi efektif bila berlangsung terlalu lama. Karena itulah pentingnya untuk tetap menjaga agar diskusi tetap pada agendanya. Anda tidak harus selalu serius dan memasang wajah ‘tegang’, tapi saat Anda melemparkan candaan, pastikan hal ini tidak berlarut-larut.

6. Libatkan semua orang. Jangan biarkan salah satu dari peserta pertemuan yang Anda pimpin tertidur saking bosannya atau menunggu giliran presentasi sampai terkantuk-kantuk. Encourage diskusi yang hidup dan biarkan setiap peserta mengemukakan pendapatnya tentang informasi, ide atau tanggapan peserta rapat lainnya. Biarkan perbedaan pendapat hadir dalam meeting.

7. Catat setiap ide atau masukan dari setiap peserta rapat di whiteboard. Hal ini akan memberikan kesan bahwa sebagai pimpinan rapat Anda menghargai setiap pendapat para karyawan Anda. Melihat pendapat mereka ditulis di papan dan dilihat orang lain juga akan mendorong peserta lain untuk turut sumbang ide atau saran. Hal ini sangat diharapkan terlebih jika rapat yang Anda pimpin adalah brainstorming yang diharapkan bisa melahirkan ide-ide segar.

8. Jangan lupa siapkan notulensi. Setiap pertemuan di kantor harus dibuatkan notulensi atau minute meeting. Selain berfungsi sebagai dokumentasi, notulensi adalah bukti untuk menindaklanjuti hasil keputusan rapat tersebut di masa yang akan datang. Jaga agar bentuknya singkat dan berorientasi pada hasil yang disepakati oleh peserta rapat, bukan percakapan setiap orang di meeting tersebut.

Remember!
Ruang rapat seringkali menjadi arena Anda melatih kepemimpinan Anda, so setialah.

Chandra Ming (General Manager JobsDB.com)

Job Info , Jobs , Employment

5 Tips for Talking Money With a Potential Employer

Robert Half International

Discussing compensation and benefits with a potential employer when the economy is humming can be nerve--wracking; in a recession, it can be downright scary. But applicants should be ready -- and willing -- to bring up the topic with hiring managers. In fact, more than half (56 percent) of senior executive surveyed by Robert Half International said they are comfortable with applicants asking about salary in the first or second interview.

Following are five tips to help ensure you're well-prepared to negotiate compensation:

1.      Do your homework

Conduct research to determine your market value, or, in other words, what the skills and experience you possess are currently worth. Begin by reviewing salary surveys and publications such as Robert Half's annual Salary Guides, talking to colleagues and recruiters, and checking salary comparison Web sites. Keep in mind that your geographic area plays a significant role in determining pay levels -- it's unlikely that an IT manager in Boise, Idaho, will be paid as much as one in San Jose, Calif., for instance.

2.      Research the company

Is the firm in a position to bargain? Find out before attempting any salary negotiation. If you've been offered a job as a Web designer at a newly formed startup or a company that recently announced layoffs, your bargaining power may be limited. If the firm isn't able to offer the salary you seek, consider negotiating other elements of the compensation package, such as benefits, vacation days or flexible scheduling. Another option is to see if the company is willing to re-evaluate your compensation six months or a year after you start, assuming you've met performance expectations.

3.      Look at more than money

Whenever you are offered a new position, make sure to consider all aspects of the job. Will you gain more responsibility or work on a high-profile project that will be a valuable addition to your résumé? These factors may make up for a smaller compensation package. Consider the benefits package, too. In addition to health insurance and vacation time, some companies provide perks such as tuition reimbursement or on-the-job training. Determine which factors are critical to you -- perhaps that you have access to a retirement savings account -- and on which ones you're willing to compromise.

4.      Show them your value

Be prepared to show how the company's investment in you will pay off. Provide quantitative examples of your contributions to previous employers. Explain how your knowledge of a particular software program could save the business 10 percent in outsourcing fees or that your experience leading a product rollout will allow the company to complete the project more quickly. If you can provide a high ROI, you might be able to negotiate better compensation.

5.      Get it in writing

Once you've agreed on terms, ask the employer to draw up a letter that outlines the specifics to the offer, such as the position's key responsibilities, salary and any special arrangements that resulted from the negotiations. Having everything in writing will prevent misunderstandings down the line.

Flexibility and an open mind are critical to successful salary negotiation. By researching your market value, assessing the company's financial position and demonstrating return on investment, you'll most likely find an offer that's agreeable to both you and your new employer.

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