Noncredit Continuing Education Courses
Fall 2010

NOTE: Room numbers are posted in each building lobby on the day of class.

Find Your Career Personality
Considering a career in computers, starting your own business, or something totally different? You are more likely to experience job satisfaction when your career matches not only your interests, but your psychological type preferences as well. This career assessment workshop, led by a certified administrator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, will help you discover fulfilling career choices. .6 CEUs. $99 (includes $50 materials fee*)

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Finding Work You Love
Whether you are just starting out in a new career, or have decided to change your career path, this course is for you. It is more than just finding a job, it is identifying what makes you happy in your work environment. Define your personality traits, and use that information to analyze and create career options for lifelong enjoyment. This course will guide you through self-identification and will then offer practical strategies and exercises to pinpoint the skill set needed to find your ideal career. This class is taught by Stephanie Smith, author and career coach. $59**

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Ten Steps to a Federal Job
The federal government is the largest employer in the U.S., with 1.8 million civilian employees. Over the next five years, 40 percent of the civilian workforce will be eligible to retire, with over 70 percent of the Senior Executive Service retirement eligible. You will be shown the ins and outs of the federal hiring process, how to search vacancy announcements, and how to navigate through the USA Jobs Recruitment One-Stop system. Using proven techniques from "Ten Steps to a Federal Job," you will create an effective federal application packet, which includes a federal-style resume, KSAs, and cover letter. Please bring your resume and a vacancy announcement to class. $70

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Federal Employment : Resume
Learn how to create an outstanding federal resume. You will target a particular occupational series using proven tips and techniques to improve your federal application packet and to ensure that you provide all required information. You will learn how to identify key words and use them effectively. Federal resumes will be converted into an online (scan-able) resume. Please bring your resume and a federal vacancy announcement to class. $70

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Writing Outstanding KSAs for Your Federal Job Search
Gain a deeper understanding of the federal hiring process and how to research federal job requirements. Most federal job announcements require applicants to address KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities). Discover the importance of KSAs and how to write required KSA statements using a proven formula to improve your federal application package. You can apply concepts learned in this class to develop great accomplishment statements for cover letters, resumes, and interviews. Bring your resume and a federal vacancy announcement to class. $70

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Acing the Federal Interview
"Your resume gets you the interview; the interview gets you the job." What should you do and say during the interview to get you that ever elusive job offer? The current buzz in federal interviewing is about "situational interviewing," which is based on your previous behavior. Studies show that the way you behaved in a previous similar circumstance is a strong predictor of how you will act in a future situation. The Merit Systems Protection Board is recommending that federal agencies use situational interviewing, a tried and true technique. Come find out how this knowledge can help with your federal job interview. $70

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Developing Sponsorship Opportunities: Hidden Dollars
Find out how to obtain sponsorships for your special events, develop associate memberships, and make the most of non-dues revenue sources on a year-long basis. $25**

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Introduction to Social Media *NEW!*
Social media has become extremely popular because it allows people to connect in the online world to discover, read and share news, information and content and to form relationships for personal and business purposes. It can take many different forms. In this class we will get you started with a few of the most popular examples, such as Facebook (social networking), YouTube (social networking and video and Twitter (social networking and microblogging), Wikipedia (reference), and MySpace (social networking). Find out why millions are choosing online networking profitable both socially and professionally. $50**; $20 computer fee* required at registration.

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ONLINE COURSE
Social Media for Business SERIES *NEW!*
Get in on this exciting and growing way to communicate, market and serve your customers and clients. For businesses, nonprofits, government, and other organizations. From Facebook to Twitter, blogging, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more, discover the new principles of communication that apply across all networks, how these specific social networks work, and possible uses for your organization. Complete the three one-month courses below for a certificate. To register, call 410-772-4680. (48 hrs total) $495 for  all 3 courses
XO 900 1000 Sept 07—Nov 26
You may also take these courses individually:

ONLINE COURSE
Introduction to Social Media *NEW!*
Get involved in the move from in-person to online communication. Learn what social media is and its role in your business and personal life. Find out the top sites and how businesses are using the sites for communication, customer retention, branding, marketing, market research, needs assessment, and customer service. Explore the options for your organization. Look at case studies of what other organizations are doing. Let your instructor guide your exploration of Facebook and YouTube. For anyone interested in social media. To register, call 410-772-4680. (16  hours) $195
XO 901 1001 Sept 07-Oct 1

ONLINE COURSE
Marketing Using Social Media *NEW!*
Develop a two-way communication and marketing strategy for your organization using social networks. Let your instructor guide you in exploring major social networks, including Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogging. Learn quick, easy ways to use Twitter, blogs and LinkedIn to engage your customers or clients and keep them interested in your organization or business. You’ll find out the advantages and disadvantages of each, and learn what’s right for your work and organizational type. (16 hrs) To register, call 410-772-4680. $195
XO 902 1002 Oct 04–Oct 29

ONLINE COURSE
Integrating Social Media in Your Organization *NEW!*
Take away a practical strategy and techniques for implementing social media for your organization or business. Learn how to create your own private social media using Ning, work socially using Google Docs and calendars, and transform your web site into an interactive Web 2.0 site. Learn to choose the right  social media tools for your situation, and then integrate them into your web site to develop a social networking strategy for your organization. Find out what you can be doing, what you should be doing, and take home a plan to integrate social media into your communication and marketing.  (16  hrs) To register, call 410-772-4680. $195
XO 903 1003 Nov 01–Nov 26

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Special Events
Have you ever wondered how the glitz and glamour of special events actually happens? Learn the basics of the event planning process. You will be taught the critical role of research, setting measurable objectives, marketing, and evaluating. You will also identify the Five Ps of successful planning and lay the foundation for expecting the unexpected. $55

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Marketing Your Meetings and Exhibits
Learn what to include in your marketing plan and how to understand the purpose of your meetings and exhibits. This class will show you how to analyze your target market, determine the factors that will affect your budget, how to identify and understand your competition, and how to monitor the results of your marketing plan. Plan, execute, analyze. $25**

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The Site Selection Process
Learn the basic steps of the site selection process. This course will review the legal issues in selecting your site, how to determine the physical requirements for the site, what to consider when selecting meeting rooms, the choices in configurations, how facilities charge for meeting rooms and the formula for determining what size room is needed. The right size room can save you money and make your attendees more comfortable. $25**

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Conference Planning Management
Perfect your skills in time management, delegation and client relations. Hot topics include goal setting, site selection, budgeting, planning creative functions, and managing meeting logistics. $50

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Working With Hotels
Anyone interested in planning an event at a hotel will benefit by understanding hotel profit centers, contract negotiations, legal issues and license requirements. This course covers writing a request for proposal (RFP), developing a meeting resume, and preparing addendums that will protect the organization. $25**

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Make Professional Looking Videos *NEW!*
With so many digital cameras having video capability, now's the time to learn how to take that video and make compelling movies. Whether you're chronicling a vacation, school event, or producing your own first short movie, this course will help you. Learn how to take your raw movie footage and get rid of what you don't need and keep what you want with professional transitions, your own voiceovers, and sound effects. You will even learn how to add titles and credits at the end of your movie for a professional look. Archive family memories or produce a fantastic gift for a loved one. Your computer should have Windows XP or newer. Bring a flash drive of at least 4 GB to class with little or nothing on it to take your video home. Also bring the cable that connects your camera to the computer. $220**

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Writing Grant Proposals
Develop and package convincing and hard-hitting grant proposals that will sell your capabilities and meet the needs of the funding organization. $50

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Business Writing
Improve your communication skills by studying effective writing strategies for the workplace. Write more efficient memos, letters, reports, and abstracts by eliminating bureaucratic language, jargon, vagueness, and wordiness. Improve your mechanics and proofreading skills to express yourself clearly. This is a noncredit course that may also be taken for credit (BMGT-178). Note: For the room assignment, please check your student schedule or phone 410-772-4659 between the hours of 8am-3:30pm. 1.5 CEUs. $109

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Developing Technical Writing Skills *NEW!*
From simple instructions to complex procedures, technical writing is an integral part of our lives. Unlike fiction writing, technical writing leaves little, if anything, to the imagination. Its sole purpose is to convey information. Therefore, technical writing must adhere to the seven "C's": it must be clear, concise, consistent, correct, current, complete, and, yes, creative. In this class you'll learn the basic principles of technical writing. Examples of technical writing will be evaluated, and you will be asked to create typical short technical documents, including a capstone project of your choosing. You are encouraged to bring samples of their work to class. Instructor Walter Rice is a senior technical writer/editor with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and a published author with 30+ years' experience in government, academe, and industry. $99

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Grammar for Your Job
Does grammar confuse or intimidate you? Is poor grammar holding you back in your career? This 10-week course reviews and reinforces common principles of English usage and improves your ability to communicate effectively. Includes a great up-to-date desk reference. This is a noncredit course that may also be taken for credit (OFFI-177). $195 (includes $95 materials fee*)

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Speaking With Confidence
Purge your fears and gain more confidence speaking before groups. This information-packed course, led by professional speaker and humorist Allan Misch, helps you to learn a fascinating new process to rapidly eliminate or severely reduce speaking anxieties. Gain confidence by applying powerful speech, organization, and practice strategies. A $15 material fee is due to the instructor at the first class. $74

*Fees not eligible for waiver.
**Neither XE courses nor their fees are eligible for waiver.
(T) Textbook recommended or required. Purchase at HCC Bookstore before first class.
(S) Supplies needed. Instructor will provide list at first class.