Hofstra Continuing Education Blog

In Daniel Pink's bestselling book, A Whole New Mind, he discusses the important role humor plays in business:

"Humor is showing itself to be an accurate marker for managerial effectiveness, emotional intelligence, and the thinking style characteristic of the brain's right hemisphere. And joyfulness, as exemplified by unconditional laughter, is demonstrating its power to make us more productive and fulfilled."

If you’re looking for a fun and unique way to set yourself apart in the business world, join Hofstra University Continuing Education’s exciting 6-session improv comedy course on Monday nights from June 4 to July 9, 2012. 

While it might not be the traditional business training environment, this improv comedy course could make a noticeable difference in how you interview, connect with teammates, negotiate business deals, and impress customers. Appropriate humor in the workplace can also make you a more approachable leader and help break up tension and stress for others.

As you’d expect, this course is loads of fun, but it will teach you important skills directly applicable to business.  You'll learn to loosen up and think quickly, for example. Whose-line style games and exercises teach you to stay present and active in the moment and react well to changing situations.  Creativity, leadership, adaptability, communication, new ideas, and improved self-esteem for both on and off stage – for business and life – follow.

Perhaps the most critical skill to be learned in this course is the “Yes, and…” principle, which is about listening to what is said with suspended judgment, and then building on the situation.  It’s about accepting and dealing with something exactly as it is, all while keeping your cool.  There’s nothing like improv comedy to teach you these skills! 

Ready for prime time?  You’ll get the chance to practice your new comedic skills on friends and family in the final showcase of the course.

If you’re ready to learn to harness the power of humor, improve your listening skills, and become more adaptable with quickly changing situations in business, this is the course for you. No experience is necessary, and enrollment is limited, so register for classes today!

You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere.  -Lee Iacocca

The importance of effective writing is often overlooked in business.  However, it plays a critical role in everything from email to proposals to press releases.  In fact, business writing may be the most challenging type of writing since a great deal of information has to be conveyed clearly and professionally with as few words as possible!  Honing your writing skills could not only help you better achieve the goals of whatever you seek to achieve, but also help you stand out in your career as a great communicator. 

To help you polish your business communications, Hofstra University Continuing Education (CE) is pleased to offer a 4-session course on becoming a confident business writer and a 1-session course focused on writing press releases. 

Become a Confident Business Writer!

June 6, 13, 20, and 27

Tailored specifically to business and not-for-profits, this course will equip you to understand and apply the principles and practices you need for great writing.  It includes various writing approaches (and when to use which method), grammar, precision, style, and clarity.  It will also help you to understand the interplay between written and verbal communications in the context of overall business relations.  Practical, real-world business situations will be used to show how these skills apply, plus we’ll include a special section on digital communication and the opportunities and challenges that new communication technologies present. 

Writing Press Releases

June 11

One of the most important niches of business writing communications is the press release.  It serves as your herald to the world when you want to trumpet a new product, announce an event, tout an in-house expert, or otherwise attract press attention to your business.  But there are many heralds, so how do you get yours to stand out?  In this 2-hour clinic, you’ll learn how to create a “hook” and create a professional press release that gets noticed.  (You’ll also learn how and to whom to send the press release – we wouldn’t want your herald wandering around aimlessly!)

Ready to be the Shakespeare of sales brochures, Poe of press releases, or Eliot of email?  Click on the course titles above to register!

Drive around most neighborhoods in the U.S. right now, and you’ll see many “For Sale” signs.  Selling a home in a market flooded with options is extremely tough, so how could a homeowner or realtor make a home stand out in the crowd?  Many turn to professional home staging, the fine art of making a home look like it jumped right out of HGTV!  Staging homes gets attention, sets it apart, and helps make the sale.  It's all about creating the “wow” factor!

If you’re interested in a career in real estate staging, you’ll be glad to hear that Hofstra University Continuing Education (CE) has partnered with Certified Staging Professionals (CSP®) to offer a 3-day intensive course from 1-3 June 2012.  Our instructor is Cathy Hobbs, founder of the interior design firm Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes™, a 5-time Emmy award-winning television personality, and an HGTV Design Star Season 6 finalist.  Ms. Hobbs has also introduced two new interior design services:  Design Recipes™ resource guides for interior design and Design On Delivery™ for do-it-yourself (DIY) design enthusiasts.

In Hofstra University CE’s course, she'll teach you both the fine art and the business sides of being a staging professional.  The course will include:

• Home staging principles and techniques
• CSP’s extremely effective (and famous) 8-7-6-5 approach
• Color mapping theory and its application to interior and exterior home staging
• Business modeling to achieve your goals
• Administrative and management policies to stay in control of your business
• Management and control of your inventory / staging resources

There’s nothing like hands-on application to seal in learning, so on the third day of this fabulous course, students will get to apply their new knowledge off-campus in a real home setting.  At the end of the course, successful students will receive Certified Staging Professional certification, proving their new expertise and helping them become sought-after real estate staging professionals.

Ready to learn how to bring out the beauty of a home and give it that “wow” factor?  For more information, a video introduction with instructor Cathy Hobbs and to register, go to our CSP® Home Staging Certification page.

The importance of social media for business and marketing cannot be overstated.  In fact, 88% of respondents in a social media marketing report indicated that it has improved their business exposure (2011 Social Media Marketing Report). 

If you understand that sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ can benefit your business, but haven’t figured out how to use them effectively, then Hofstra University Continuing Education’s social media for business workshops are for you.  We’ll overview these three vital sites and provide hands-on lab learning.

Facebook

Did you know Facebook has more than 845 million active users?  For many, it’s becoming the one-stop shop for information.  Beginning May 2, 2012, these workshops will help you understand the best practices of Facebook pages for businesses, including how to build a fan base and engage with it, how to prepare for and use Facebook advertising effectively, and how to analyze your efforts using Facebook Insights.  (Please register for a personal Facebook account in advance.)

LinkedIn

While it may not have as many users as Facebook (a mere 130 million!), LinkedIn is the acknowledged go-to site for professional connections.  It represents a unique opportunity for your business to acquire new customers, find potential vendors, employers, and employees, build an expanded professional network, and even raise funding.  The Hofstra University CE workshop on May 7, 2012 will teach you to make your profile stand out!  We’ll also overview LinkedIn groups, business pages, and advertising.  (Please register for a LinkedIn account in advance. This workshop has limited enrollment.)

Google Plus

Google+ is a newer player, but still very important.  Starting June 12, 2012, these workshops will teach you how Google+ is different and how it can be used to help your business.  Learn about circling, posting, profiles, business pages, and best practices.  (Please register for a Google+ account in advance.  This workshop has limited enrollment.)

It might seem daunting to master all of these sites.  But as our instructor, Craig Yaris, said, “These courses are tailor made for individuals and small business owners without experience using social media.  Using a hands-on approach in an easy-to-understand fashion, students will leave with the tools necessary to help launch their own social media campaigns.”  Hofstra University CE’s hands-on labs will prepare you to get started intelligently and effectively.  

Register today by clicking one of the links below:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Google+

H.G. Wells is quoted as saying, “Nothing leads so straight to futility as literary ambitions without systematic knowledge.” 

If you’re looking for the right way to get your book published, you’ll find this to be very true!  In today’s non-traditional publishing world, it’s not that difficult to be published.  As a result, however, it’s far more likely that a new author will be greeted with silence than applause, thanks to the huge volume of books on the market.  To stand out, an author needs to know not only how to be published, but how to be successfully published.  Achieving true success in the book world is still a daunting task. 

But what if you could turn to an expert to teach you the ins and outs of the industry?  In Hofstra University Continuing Education’s 1-day workshop “How to Get Published Successfully,” you’ll have access to two top experts on the subject:   Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry. 

Eckstut and Sterry are the co-founders of The Book Doctors, a company dedicated to helping authors get successfully published, and co-authors of The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published: How To Write It, Sell It and Market It...Successfully!  Eckstut is also an agent at The Levine Greenberg Literary Agency and author of eight books, while Sterry is a bestselling author of thirteen books, the last of which appeared on the cover of the Sunday New York Times Book Review.  

Eckstut and Sterry know the business from all angles, and they’ll show you what you need to know in our workshop on  July 28, 2012.  Topics will include:

• Choosing the right idea
• Creating a blockbuster title
• Crafting an attention-getting pitch
• Putting together a selling proposal/manuscript
• Finding the right agent/publisher
• Publishing effectively with ebooks, print-on-demand, or traditional printing
• Developing sales, marketing, and publicity savvy
• Producing a video book trailer and helping it go viral
• Building a following through social media

Don’t let your great idea get lost in the shuffle!  Get the systematic knowledge you need to successfully publish and promote your book in today’s market.  Register today to join leading experts Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry for Hofstra’s exciting workshop “How to Get Published Successfully.”

It’s one thing to work in accounting; it’s another thing entirely to be a CPA.  CPAs are recognized for their superior education, professionalism, high ethical standards, and finely honed skills.  Businesses value the credential because they know the candidate has taken the time and effort to achieve a difficult accomplishment, and that they’re very likely to exhibit the same drive and personal accountability in their work.  Accordingly, they tend to make more money -- 10 to 15 percent more even when just starting out.

Looking for the perfect course to prepare you to take the CPA exam?  Do the math, and you’ll conclude that Hofstra University Continuing Education’s CPA Review Course is the best option.  It’s packed with benefits you won’t find anywhere else.  For one thing, the course uses CPAexcel™ course materials and learning tools and comes with a CPAexcel™ Traveler 16GB Flash Drive ($150 retail value).  You’ll benefit from the wide variety of teaching methods, like video lectures, digital CPA flash cards, past exam questions, student discussion, and mentoring from subject-area professors.  All CPA exam topics will be covered, including:

Auditing and Attestation (AUD)

The auditing and attestation portion of the CPA review offers both a breadth and depth of coursework, efficiently covering the topics on the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Content Specification Outlines, professional standards, and the primary testable concepts.

Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)

It’s essential for CPA students to understand the business environment and its impact on business strategy, financial risk management, financial management processes, and strategic planning.

Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)

This portion of the CPA Review Course provides students with insight into the generally accepted accounting principles for business enterprises, not-for-profit organizations, and governmental entities.

Regulation (REG)

This course provides the information CPAs need to know regarding federal taxation, ethics, professional and legal responsibilities, and business law, plus how to apply them.

Besides all this, Hofstra offers an unconditional guarantee for free updates and course repeats until you pass.  There’s no expiration date, no retake fees, and the online course content is always updated.  It all adds up to the best CPA exam course on the market.  Click here to register today!

When I was in school, I was too busy sticking gum under the desk to notice the people who ensured everything was prepared, maintained, and managed for the students.

But maybe you paid more attention!  If you have an interest in managing school facilities, Hofstra University Continuing Education (CE) has the certificate program for you: the school facilities management certificate program, offered in conjunction with the Nassau County Superintendents of School Buildings and Grounds Association. 

The certificate program includes the following courses:

Building Cleaning and Maintenance

What does it take to keep a school building in ship shape?  It takes a proactive preventative maintenance program to keep it clean, perform inspections, plan long term, and manage cost impacts.

Management

This course gives you the management techniques you’ll need to effectively supervise and counsel employees, conduct interviews, perform evaluations, understand union contracts, conduct meetings, present in public, and report status.

Organizational Structure of the School District

Be prepared to understand the full scope of people involved in school facilities management decisions, including the school board, superintendent, assistant superintendents, principals, teachers, PTA, union groups, students, and constituents.

Safety

As you might expect, safety is an important consideration for school managers.  Learn about the safety regulations for NYS public schools and how to establish, monitor, and control your safety program.

Business Functions

Ready to prepare a budget and 5-year plan?  How about addressing staffing needs and monitoring construction?  This course will get you ready for all this and more!

Construction

Going more in depth on construction concerns, this course will give you the knowledge to review SED regulations, prevailing wages, blueprints, etc., and teach you to supervise projects and work with firms, architects, and engineers.

Energy Management

This course will teach about the many energy concerns you need to know to effectively manage school facilities, including photovoltaic, mechanical and electrical systems, lighting, HVAC, and energy conservation.  You’ll also learn about new technologies to decrease energy and water consumption.

IAQ and Green Cleaning

The EPA Tools for Schools program, NYS GREEN cleaning standards, mold concerns, federal Right to Know regulation, and related areas will be covered in this course.

As for the gum?  Perhaps you’ll be the first school facilities manager to find a way for used gum to be a green energy source.  Well, perhaps not, but Hofstra’s school facilities management certificate program will certainly prepare you for the greater challenges!

You have a great voice.  Don’t be shy – you know it’s true!

Have you ever considered putting it to work for you, either as a career or as a supplement to your current income?  Well, if you have a great voice you’d like to put to work, we have the perfect course for you.  Hofstra University Continuing Education’s course “So You Want to be a Voice-Over Actor?” provides an overview of everything you need to know to get started.  A working professional will teach you what it means to be a voice-over actor.  Guest lecturers will also provide additional viewpoints on the business of voice over.  You’ll have the opportunity to read copy, record in the studio, and have your voice evaluated.  You’ll also learn the ins and outs of how to get paid to talk.

Worried that voice-over acting is too obscure of a profession to be a sound career path?  On the contrary!  Voice-over actors are used for commercials, of course, which can be lucrative.  How about movies, like the unforgettable James Earl Jones as Darth Vader in Star Wars, or Emma Thompson as the queen in Pixar’s upcoming movie Brave?  But the primary arena is in narrative voice over – the audio book industry alone is expected to grow 500 percent in the next 24 months!

Other acting course offerings include “From Broadway to the Boardroom,” which will show you how acting skills can apply to many facets of life and help you improve your interactions even in business; “Introduction to Acting,” in which professional actor Kate Beckman will teach you the foundations for solid acting skills; and “"Yes and ?": An Introduction To Improv Comedy,” which will teach you to think very quickly on your feet while having a whole lot of fun.

Ready to show off your acting skills?  Check out Hofstra’s acting courses here.  Ready to use your amazing voice to be the next Darth Vader or the next hero in an animated film or audio book?  Hofstra’s “So You Want to be a Voice-Over Actor?” course is for you.  Classes begin very soon (6 March 2012), so don’t delay!