There are opportunities to move overseas every day of every month of every year although you need to take an opportunity which best suits your lifestyle, your hopes and ultimately your financial situation. You need to make the most of your positive points while obviously being aware of any potential downsides because the chances are when you do move overseas it will not be 100% as promised “in the brochures”. The recession may well have impacted upon immigration figures but ultimately free travel around the world and the opportunity to re-locate will always be there.

Read the complete and recommended article here >>>

Extra income or serious business opportunity
ARCIS Insurance is seeking to expand the base of clients for the ARCIS Expatriate Health Insurance Plan. Therefore we are seeking (experienced) sales lead generators; referrers that are able to refer potential new customers to our business. We will be taking care of further processing of applications and for every successful referral you will receive a commission.

Clients are located worldwide in all time zones so you will be able to work the hours of your choice.
 
All work is on a commission-only contractual basis. Commissions are US $100 for every successful referral.
 
Looking for a business opportunity from home or just some extra dollars on the side?
 
Contact us at info@arcisinsurance.com for more information.

More about the ARCIS Expatriate Health Insurance Plan can be found at http://www.arcisinsurance.com.

We look forward to your responses.

ADVANCED WINDOWS CARE, a ONE CLICK PONY

Last year one of the computers started running slow and efforts to clean up the hard drive and get that fixed seemed not to make any difference: defrags, checks for malware and spyware and other nasties, nothing seemed to make a real difference. My good friend Michael Pokocky recommended I give ADVANCED WINDOWS CARE  a go. So I downloaded the free version. I was highly surprised to see the options offered already in the free version: system optimization, internet optimization, checks for spyware and junk files, defragmentation, privacy sweeps, registry fix are just a few of al the options all with the click of one button.

Ever since I put Advanced Windows Care on the computer it runs so much smoother. Best of all, it is very easy to use with a simple interface.
Imagine that just from the free version. Some of the benefits listed:

• Powerful Hard Drive Defragmentation
• Fast, powerful and incredibly effective Disk Defrag function to defragment hard drives – up to 10 times faster than other defragmentation tools.
• Next-generation Registry Clean and Optimization
• Safely remove registry junk, compact registry bloat and defragment the registry for blistering-fast performance.
• Defends PC Security with Extra Protection
• Scans and removes spyware and adware using up-to-date definition files. Prevents spyware, hackers and hijackers from installing malicious items on your computer. Erases and updates your PC’s activity history.
• Quick and Extensive Clean-up for Hard Drives
• Boosts your system’s performance by cleaning missing files, destroying unwanted files, deleting obsolete files, and removing junk files. Supports deep-cleansing of more than 50 types of junk files.
• Speeds Up PC Performance and Internet Access
• Tunes up Windows by releasing the built-in power of your system. Dramatically improves both system and Internet performance.
• Fixes Multiple System Errors
• More than a mere registry cleaner; it keeps your PC stable and running at peak efficiency. Eliminates system bottlenecks and prevents crashes.
• Extremely Easy to Use
• Completes its work with just one click! Scans, repairs and secures your PC in one minute.
• Safe and Free
• 100% free with no spyware or adware! Advanced SystemCare Free is safe and trusted PC protection and maintenance solution and comes highly recommended.

SECURITY 360 (3.1 Beta version), another ONE CLICK PONY

The other day when running advanced Windows Care, a suggestion popped up that said that I could have even better security from Security 360. Again I ended up being a happy customer.

IObit Security 360 is an advanced malware & spyware removal utility that detects, removes the deepest infections, and protects your PC from various of potential spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, bots, worms, and hijackers. With the unique “Dual-Core” engine and the heuristic malware detection, IObit Security 360 detects the most complex and deepest spyware and malware in a very fast and efficient way. IObit Security 360 has a real-time malware protection and frequent automatic updating for prevention of zero-day security threats. IObit Security 360 can work with your Antivirus for a superior PC security. It found several threats that had not been picked up by Advanced Windows Care.

Again what makes it so appealing is the ease of use: a click of one button will do.

Some of the feautures listed on the site are:

• Complete PC Security Care
  Antimalware, antispyware, anti-adware, anti-Trojan, anti-bots, and more. There are no antivirus and firewall functions but it assist your Antivirus defend any tricky and complex threats.
• 1-click Solution and Very Easy to Use
  Traditional Advantages of IObit. We love simple and automatic style.
• Fast and Light
• Finds the Deep Infections
• It uses DOG (Digital Original Gene), a novel heuristic malware detection method, to find the most complex threats.
• Automatic and Frequent Updates
• Work with All Antivirus Products
• Everyone needs a qualified antivirus software and it runs smoothly next to my existing antivirus programs.
• Free for Home/Non-commercial Use

BETA

Before you download and install Security 360, you need to keep in mind that this is a beta version: a program that is still in development and is published solely for testing purposes. A beta is a pre-release version of a product that has been opened up to public testing.

As a result “IObit makes no, and hereby expressly disclaims all, warranties, express, implied, statutory, or otherwise with respect to the software, including noninfringement and the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

You must agree that IObit shall not be liable for any damages to me or any other party in connection with this Beta program, whether arising out of contract or from tort, including loss of data, profits or business or other special, incidental, exemplary or consequential damages, even if IObit has been advised of the possibility of such loss or damages. This section shall survive termination of this License.”

HATS OF FOR IObit.
All in all, A BIG HATS OFF for the people at IObit.  Well not for nothing the company is awarded so many times and authoritatively commented on. And if you’d like to find out more yourself, both products can be downloaded via IObits site.

If you don’t want to risk using beta versions of software, I would definitely recommend that you give Advanced Windows Care a go, it is definitely one of my favorite maintenance an security applications. Give me a ONE CLICK PONY any day.

PhishBucket.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting job seekers from fraudulent job offers. Check suspicious offers, learn more about how to spot job phish, and search for REAL, phish-free jobs all in one place!

More and more I read about fraudulent or at the least fishy job offers. I guess it should not come a surprise looking at growing unemployment rates world wide.

Some tips to protect yourself in the online job market:
- BE A SKEPTIC;
- RESEARCH, VERIFY, CORROBORATE;
- LIMIT THE ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE INFO YOU PROVIDE AT ALL TIMES UNTIL
YOU THERE’S NO WAY AROUND IT AND YOU KNOW THE OTHER PARTY
- SPECIALIZED BEFORE GENERAL. CONSIDER NICHE SITES
- KYC/KYS: BEFORE GIOVING OUT SENSITIVE INFO, BE SURE YOU KNOW
WHOM YOU ARE GIVING OT TO
- CONSIDER LOW TECH AND LOCAL SO FACE TO FACE IS POSSIBLE

There are many valuable insights to be read on the site as well as suspicious and fraudulent offers.

Welcome to a new watchdog. A site with lots of valuable information: http://www.phishbucket.org/main/.
-

Posted via web from John Dierckx

Lonely Planet’s “Travel With Children” guide lists the top 10 cities around the world that are ideal to visit with children. This list is not endorsed by Reuters:

1. OAXACA, MEXICO
2. ISTANBUL, TURKEY
3. LONDON, UK
4. LOS ANGELES, US
5. VANCOUVER, CANADA
6. LISBON, PORTUGAL
7. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
8. SINGAPORE
9. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
10. ROME, ITALY

The full story can be found here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/international/2712609/Top-10-cities-to-visit-with-children.

With this in mind, the aspiring expats with children may want to keep this in mind when looking for a destination.

By Moira Herbst

Lured by the prospect of climbing to the top of his field, New Delhi native Swaroop Ganguly came to the U.S. 10 years ago and earned a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005. He became an expert in an emerging technology called spintronics, used to power semiconductors, and worked at several chip companies, including Freescale Semiconductor. But Ganguly, now 32, is moving back to India this summer. Although he has been doing postdoctoral work at the University of Texas, he figures his prospects for research and professional development are probably better in his home country. “I feel quite excited about going back,” he says.

Ganguly has already accepted a job as a professor of electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. The position will pay a fraction of the salary he had been earning in the private sector—about $15,000 compared with $100,000—but it will offer considerably more job security and the freedom to do the exploratory research he wants to do. “The real lure of being in the U.S. is to do really innovative work, but the space for that seems to be shrinking,” he says. “The Indian government is putting a huge amount of funding into science and technology, so even if they can’t pay high salaries, it’s an attractive prospect.”

Ganguly is one of a number of highly skilled immigrants preparing to leave the U.S. as the nation’s economy slows. With the U.S. unemployment rate approaching double digits, job opportunities are diminishing and calls to restrict immigration have gotten louder.

Read the full story here at BusinessWeek here>>>

According to Dutch newspaper NRC, the economic crisis is causing growing popularity of social networking sites such as Linkedin (http://www.linkedin.com). Considerable growth has been reported not just in the US. Globally around 45 million people are a member of this popular networking site, especially higher educated people. This would make Linkedin the most popular professional networking site of the web, leaving competitors like Plaxo and Xing behind.

Especially people employed in industries that see high redundancy figures appear to be organizing themselves on social networking sites. Changed circumstances make people active in ensuring they keep their jobs and are willing to go an extra mile to get a new one. Polishing up your online profile and entering into new relationships appears to be part of the process. In addition to this those networking sites more than once show you the networks of your own social network and can therefore be a valuable tool in identifying potentially interesting people that may be able to assist you in finding a new job.

The article (in the Dutch language) can be found here: http://www.nrc.nl/economie/article2310191.ece/Sociale_netwerksites_groeien_door_crisis.

Personally, when it comes to presenting yourself professionally online or build an eye catching CV, I prefer VisualCV at http://www.visualcv.com. At the same time however, the new functionalities and tools offered by Linkedin make it an attractive professional networking site and a great tool to make new connections. I guess for me it is the looks of Visual CV that I prefer. For an example: http://visualcv.com/johndierckx.

As far as Linkedin goes, even though the policy is that you should connect to people you know only, I have had the opportunity to expand my network substantially by accepting connection requests from people I did not know yet. At the moment my connections total over 2700 which allegedly gives my access to well over 15 million professionals worldwide. On many an occasion it has proven a valuable tool to identify relevant professionals and even get new work in. Most of all I have found the sharing of professional expertise and learning from one another the most fruitful aspect of most of these websites. For a more personal touch however, despite its considerably smaller size, my professional network of choice is still Ecademy (www.ecademy.com). Even though only marginal in size compared to Linkedin, I like the more personal environment of this network and suggest that you take the time to check it out.

Another use of these networking sites is for those that are considering a move to  a new country. These sites, both the professional and more social ones may very well offer you an opportunity to get introduced to people at the destination, bring you inc contact with people that may be able to (locally) assist you with the preparations of your move and able to refer you to valuable information and organizations in relation to your planned destination such as:

• housing agencies
• clubs, societies, churches, sport clubs
• schools
• costs of living
• taxes
• job sites or more directly companies that may be looking for someone like you
  
• other immigrants, expats and their experiences
  
• expat/immigrant assistance organizations
• car rental/ sales points
• restaurants, bars, theaters
• what keeps people busy/current affairs
• and the list goes on.   
  

For insurance you don’t have to think too long I would imagine as you know where to go: ARCIS at http://www.arcisinsurance.com, the best expat health insurance around.

Should you want connect with me on these networks, you can find me here:

·         Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johndierckx

·         Ecademy: http://www.ecademy.com/account.php?id=121134

·         Xing: (not really active) http://www.xing.com/profile/John_Dierckx

·         Plaxo: http://www.plaxo.com/directory/profile/180388749624/3e53a5de/John/Dierckx

·         Ryze: http://www.ryze.com/go/JohnDierckx

And of the less professional sites:

·         Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=501308215&ref=name

·         Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/johndierckx

·         Hi5: http://johndierckx.hi5.com/

·         Hyves (Dutch): http://johndierckx.hyves.nl/

I suggest you keep in mind that building connections is easy but building relationships requires a lot more effort. Both (can) have their own specific use and benefits. Also keep in mind that being pro-active is important. Don’t wait with building that network or those relationships until you need them, start doing it ahead of that and along the way I bet like me you will meet fantastic people, helpful people, interesting people and people with whom you may share all kinds of similar interests and expertise. Success and fun.

Check it out for yourself at Visual CV or as an example of how this could work out check my online resume.

SUCCESS!

Basics such as insulation, draft proofing, efficient and all over the house heating systems appear almost to be a luxury resrved for those that do not have the required toughness to make it through the winter in a singloet, a pair of gumboots and shorts or if you are one of the softer types pants, sweater, shoes, jacket and if you are really a softy a thermal. I have often wondered if the way traditional kiwis live and dress may be associated with the strikingly high number of people carrying around a puffer.

According to a recent survey by the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, “more than a million himes are not adequately insulated, and from a further survey it transpire that more than 400,000 homes could actually “be making their occupants sick, some seriously.”

From a survey of over 3,500 New Zealanders about the state of their homes it transpired that:

• 45% of existing homes are mouldy
• 16% of homes have no insulation whatsoever
• 21% of the people between 18 and 24 claim that their home is cold and uncomfortable
• Almost 66% of New Zealand homes were built before insulation became a legal requirement in 1979
• More that 25% of the New Zealand’s homes could actually be making the occupants ill

I guess that is something to think about when you arive here as an expat and are looking for a home. And remember, as an expat, renting a home you are usually liable for costs such as electricity. at the same time there is no onus on the landlord to have a certificate of energy efficiency, gas safety or electrical safety. On the other hand, asking direct questions about these matters to the landlord or agent about these matters, requires them to truthfully answer them.

The full report of the NZBCSD can be read here >>>

More information on tenancy can be found here >>>

• Inability of spouse to adjust to the new environment;
• Inability of the expatriate employee to adjust to the new environment;
• Other family problems;
• The personal or emotional maturity of an expatriate employee;
• Inability to cope with the overseas responsibilities (which are usually larger).

Personal factors to consider whether or not you may be suited are:

• Do you have sufficient stress reduction skills: an ability to recognize potential conflicts and circumvent the negative reactions that could come with them?
• Do you have the ability to replace the home activities you find pleasurable with similar or otherwise suitable activities overseas?
• Are you technically competent enough do accomplish (if necessary) tasks with little or no help and remain confident?
• Are you willing and able to develop longer lasting personal relationships with others hist country nationals?
• Are you willing and able to speak the language of the host country fluently and as often as possible without fear of being incorrect, sounding silly or stupid as part of your genuine wish to understand and relate to your overseas environment?
• Do you understand the importance of non-verbal communication (body language and facial expressions) in the host country?
• Do you respect and have empathy for others?
• Are you a non-judgmental type of person that rather waits to gather all relevant facts before bargig in with an opinion, stereotype and/or incorrect decision?
• Are you open minded and able to make correct assumptions about the reasons or causes of certain behavior of your overseas colleagues, are you able to anticipate how your overseas colleagues will likely react to certain situations?

If your company is not assessing these matters you certainly should have a good look at them yourself. While a lot has been published on the financial costs, the personal, relational and family costs may be way more important. And when it comes to families, here are some factors to consider:

• The level of of marital stability;
• Responsibilities (real or perceived) for aging parents;
• Chemical dependencies of anyone within the household;
• The emotional stability of your family members;
• The learning abilities and more important disabilities of your children;
• Teenage children and potential behavioral issues;
• Family ties with the community and other family members that are not going overseas;
• How strongly are your family members and especially the children attached to certain extracurricular activities;
• The cohesiveness of you and your family.

If not offered through your employer already, cross cultural training and  perhaps one or more exploratory trips to the destination country.

Below an interview that is probably very telling on a basic level of what may be coming to you.

This is not to say that expatriation is not something to do but most of all a call to you to prepare well before you go.