Cindy’s path to becoming an attorney was anything but straight. After several detours, she obtained both an undergraduate and graduate degree in psychology, and founded the Miss American Petite Pageant. While running the Pageant, she had a lawyer on retainer to assist her with various legal issues. Seeing the value of the attorney’s skill, Cindy went to law school in order to better run her Pageant business. However, after spending her summer between her second and third years at law school with a large New York City law firm, she decided that the legal profession was right for her, and closed down the Pageant shortly thereafter.

Cindy does not regret her previous educational and life experiences, as they have shaped the type of lawyer that she is. Her psychology degree taught her compassion, while her experience as a businesswoman brought her understanding for clients. Her advice to aspiring lawyers is to study really hard and make sure your first year law school grades are very good. She finds being an attorney to be very rewarding and she very much enjoys the field, especially when she obtains a good result for her clients.

We hope that Cindy’s story will inspire you to consider a career in the law. If you like to write, argue and think on your feet, the law may be a perfect fit for you!

Top-Tier Tutoring is very excited to bring you the web’s first “career day” podcast series – what we call “Ear on Careers.” This series of podcasts is designed to introduce our listeners to successful leaders in a variety of different fields, including business, industry, medicine, the arts, and so much more.

We welcome your feedback. Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212.

In this twist on the traditional job resume, your academic resume markets you to colleges. It focuses on your strengths and shows how you will make the most out of what the university has to offer. Your academic resume lists your interests and identifies what you intend to do after college.

Also, do not shy away from your weaknesses; your academic resume is your opportunity to show how you are working to rectify a possible perceived flaw. For example, if you have a low GPA or SAT/ACT scores, indicate that you are taking summer courses or tutoring to improve your results. Have historically few volunteer experiences? Create a solution by listing a new volunteer position you have just begun.

We welcome your feedback. Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212.

In this episode of “Ear on Careers”, we are pleased to welcome Sarah Ober, an accountant with Tobia & Hillyer in Fairfield, New Jersey, www.tobiahillyer.com.

Sarah’s path to becoming an accountant is not at all what you would imagine. She never even took one accounting class in college! She graduated from Seton Hall with a degree in International Relations and a minor in business, and planned to work at the World Bank. A requirement before applying there, however, was having experience in the working world. It so happened that Sarah was hired by the accounting firm of Tobia & Hillyer as an Office Manager, and simply fell in love with tax returns!

Sarah has now worked at Tobia & Hillyer for seven years, and has earned two Master’s Degrees in Tax. In her position, she reviews bookkeeping and tax returns for small companies and individuals and says that there is no typical day. In fact, during tax season, Sarah logs 12 hour days, 7 days a week, and loves every minute of it. Sarah is very proud of her recent IRS win in tax court, as she is an enrolled agent with the IRS and was able to secure a sizeable victory for her client who had lost all receipts in a fire. She credits her win to her knowledge of tax law and her people skills, obviously an unstoppable combination.

Sarah offers the following advice for aspiring accountants – take advantage of any internships offered at your college. She also suggests taking accounting classes and learning how to multitask. We hope that Sarah’s story will inspire you to consider a career in accounting, a complex field that challenges you to provide answers to clients in all types of situations.

Top-Tier Tutoring is very excited to bring you the web’s first “career day” podcast series – what we call “Ear on Careers.” This series of podcasts is designed to introduce our listeners to successful leaders in a variety of different fields, including business, industry, medicine, the arts, and so much more.

We welcome your feedback. Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212.

Mike then goes on to go over the differences between Early Decision and Early Action programs. For Early Decision, your application, once accepted, is binding. This means that you can only apply to one college using the Early Decision mechanism and upon acceptance, you must withdraw any other outstanding applications. Moreover, an early deposit will be due and you must attend this college. Some schools, such as Princeton and Harvard have stopped using the Early Decision process.

On the other hand, Early Action is not binding. You may apply to as many colleges as you want using the Early Action procedure and, when you are accepted, you are under no obligation to attend. Your decision will be required in the Spring, when regular acceptances and deposits are due. Mike prefers applying Early Action, if you are inclined toward early application.

A hybrid of these two is called the Single Choice Early Action plan. This plan is not binding like Early Action; however, you can only apply to one school using this process like Early Decision. The hybrid is less common than Early Decision and Early Action plans.

We welcome your feedback. Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212.

In this episode of “Ear on Careers”, we are pleased to welcome Marlene Waldock, a communications specialist based out of Verona, New Jersey, www.becausewearewomen.com. Among other things, Marlene is the founder of 1^st Impression Communications and of Because We Are Women, a teen counselor at the Rothman Institute and the immediate past president of the North Essex Chamber of Commerce.

Marlene received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Adolescent Psychology, with the goal of helping teens transition to young adults. However, early in her working life, she went into sales and eventually became a Regional Training Consultant. In the mid-1990’s, Marlene turned to communications and public speaking Throughout her career, Marlene has constantly doing public speaking in front of groups, either while training or as a television host on NJ Channel 12. In-between, she obtained a management degree from Georgia State.

In her role as a Communications Specialist, her typical day consists of prioritizing activities based upon what is important rather than what’s urgent. With regard to public speaking, she encourages young people to “go through” their fears; anxiety before public speaking is actually a good thing. Marlene notes that communications and psychology are about changing behaviors, and encourages young people to believe in themselves and reach for your dreams.

We hope that Marlene’s story will inspire you to consider a career in communications, a challenging field that constantly prompts professionals to reinvent themselves and stay ahead of the curve.

We are very excited to bring to you another episode in the series we call “Ear on Careers.” This series of podcasts is designed to introduce our listeners to successful leaders in a variety of different fields, including business, industry, medicine, the arts, and so much more. Consider this your podcast “career day”!

We welcome your feedback. Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212.

In this podast, Mike Rivera introduces our listeners to one of Top-Tier Tutoring’s College Counselors, Falynn Bleiberg. A New Jersey native, Falynn attended Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, where she majored in media and communications and film. During her collegiate days, Falynn helped freshmen make the transition to undergraduate life. After graduation, Falynn put her degree to good use, and worked in the music industry. However, she felt that something was missing in her life and remembered her time at Muhlenberg assisting freshmen. After some soul-searching, Falynn decided to change her career’s direction, and enrolled at Montclair State University in New Jersey, to pursue a graduate degree in college counseling.

Today, Falynn is a college counselor with Top-Tier Tutoring. Her approach is holistic, meaning that she does not only offer advice regarding college alone, but seeks to reach beyond to the student’s life in the working world. Falynn explains that while school counselors do their very best to guide their students, it is normal to only be able to meet for 20 minutes twice a year, which is why independent college counselors are such a valuable resource. As an individual college counselor, Falynn gets to know the student personally, and tailors a plan that fits each student’s needs. In addition, both the parents and students are able to meet with Falynn and craft the best plan of attack for the college admissions process.

Falynn is both knowledgeable and receptive to new ideas. She really cares for each of her students and assists them in determining the best colleges for them, and how to make the best impression on the college admissions counselors. To learn more about how a college counselor can assist you on your journey to college, or to schedule your complimentary initial meeting with Falynn, simply email us at info@Top-TierTutoring.com or call us at 973-243-1212.

In this episode of “Ear on Careers”, we are pleased to welcome Bernard O’Rourke, an associate College Professor in International Business at Caldwell College in Caldwell, New Jersey. Caldwell College can be found on the web at www.caldwell.edu.

Bernie hails from Ireland, where he earned his undergraduate and law degrees. After college, Bernie was sent by the Irish Government Development Office to the United States to promote inward investment to Ireland. While here, he met his wife, got his M.B.A. at Fordham University and held positions within various corporations.

In this podcast, Bernie discusses the different types of professorships. He shares his love of college campus life with our listeners, finding his role as Professor never tedious. Bernie genuinely enjoys teaching (and learning from) his students, and is extremely fulfilled in his chosen occupation.

His tip for aspiring college professors? Secure the best credentials by way of degrees. Experience counts, but credentials are key. We hope that Bernie’s story will inspire you to consider a career in academia!

We are very excited to bring to you another episode in the series we call “Ear on Careers.” This series of podcasts is designed to introduce our listeners to successful leaders in a variety of different fields, including business, industry, medicine, the arts, and so much more. Consider this your podcast “career day”!

We welcome your feedback. Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212.

The SAT is designed to test a student’s test taking skills and innate ability, as it was designed based upon the IQ test. It runs three hours and forty-five minutes, has 140 questions and tests critical readying, writing and math. The perfect score is 2400; 1/4 point is deducted for each incorrect answer.

On the other hand, the ACT tests scholastic achievement, and it was designed based upon the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. The ACT is three hours and twenty-five minutes long, has 215 questions and tests math, English, reading, science and writing. The perfect score is a 36. No points are deducted for a wrong answer.

Both the SAT and the ACT are accepted at virtually every college. Starting with the class of 2010, the SAT joins the ACT in allowing you to select which scores (entire test) to send to the colleges. The bottom line: take practice exams for both exams to determine with which test you’re most comfortable. Then, study for that one, and get the best score possible!

We welcome your feedback. Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212.

J.P. Hamel

In this episode of “Ear on Careers”, we are pleased to welcome J.P. Hamel, the publisher of The Essex Fells Magazine. J.P. grew up in Rahway, New Jersey, and attended Albright College in Pennsylvania. In college, J.P. majored in biology and math, intending to enter the biotech/research field. However, his first job took him into the marketing and recruiting field and in January 2009 – the same time that Top-Tier Tutoring was launched! – J.P. started his franchise business with N2 Publishing, www.n2pub.com.

Publishing, according to J.P., requires him to coordinate material for the monthly publication. He is always seeking relevant and creative content of interest to the readership. In addition, a publisher functions in a business development capacity, as advertising provides necessary funding. Accordingly, J.P. has to both find advertisers and maintain good relationships with them.

J.P. says that no one type of major is required to enter the publishing field. His degree in math and biology provided him with a solid foundation, as the scientific/analytic approach he learned in college enables him offer his publication to advertisers as a logical business decision. J.P. notes that his career in sales also has benefitted him tremendously in his role as publisher, especially when dealing with business development. We hope that J.P.’s story will inspire you to consider a career in the publishing industry, an exciting field that brings much needed information to the people!

We are very excited to bring to you another episode in the series we call “Ear on Careers.” This series of podcasts is designed to introduce our listeners to successful leaders in a variety of different fields, including business, industry, medicine, the arts, and so much more. Consider this your podcast “career day”!

We welcome your feedback. Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212.

Marie holds a degree in accounting, and is a College Financial Aid Counselor with Garretson Financial, located in Cranford, New Jersey – www.garretsonfinancial.com. Marie’s interest in the field stemmed from very personal reasons – her children were of college age! Now she helps parents understand the process and receive the most aid for which they are eligible – and even illustrate how a private school could be less expensive than a public institution!

During the podcast, Marie discusses the FAFSA form – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is through this application that the “expected family contribution,” or the minimum amount a family can pay, is calculated. All colleges receive this report and some also have their own separate supplements, which Marie also touches upon.

Marie’s advice is to plan early. The best time to meet with a financial aid counselor is when your child is in freshman or sophomore year; no later than junior year. Marie stresses the importance of the deadlines, noting that the system is based upon a first come, first served model. So, be quick to download this podcast and get all the information about this very important aspect of college selection!

For our first episode, we are pleased to welcome Pat Nocito, a Vice President and Branch Manager at Capital One Bank in West Caldwell, New Jersey. Pat’s route to banking was certainly anything but direct but, in hindsight, his undergraduate degree in psychology (with a minor in finance) prepared him well for the tasks he faces daily. He explains that banking is not just crunching numbers, but really is all about people – connecting businesses to other businesses to develop relationships, and enhance everyone’s bottom line. A “typical” day for Pat consists of multitasking; dealing with the finance side of the business as well as the various people, from bosses and mentors to staff and business and consumer clients. For those considering entering the field of banking, Pat recommends becoming a teller, taking advantage of local college programs as well as applying for paid internships.

Pat stresses the importance of his college education. College taught him life lessons, brought him out of his shell and expanded his horizons, all of which serve him well as a banker. A native of Vineland, New Jersey, Pat attended St. Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania on a full scholarship. We hope that Pat’s story will inspire you to consider a career in the banking industry, as it’s not just about making deposits anymore!

We welcome your feedback. Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212

Jeff holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Secondary Education from the University of Scranton. While there, he also was enrolled in pre-med courses. At the present time, he is going for two masters degrees – one in Mathematics from Montclair State University and another in Administration and Curriculum from the University of Scranton. Jeff is a math teacher at Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls, NJ. Ironically, Jeff says that it was tutoring that got him into teaching!

During the podcast, Jeff explains his philosophy about tutoring, and how he makes students feel “safe” with the subject matter, which leads to their success. We were skeptical at first of how such a math whiz could really connect with students (or anyone for that matter!), but once you listen to this podcast, we’re confident that you will agree that our skepticism was unfounded.

We welcome your feedback.  Send us an email or give us a call at 973-243-1212

During July and August, Mike discusses how Top-Tier Tutoring is challenging all students to Seize the Summer by enrolling in its College Prep Boot Camp. This series of 8, 1-hour workshops will address a variety of topics related to college planning, such as selecting the right schools, creating your academic resume and writing your essays and short answers. One lucky listener to the Top-Tier Tutoring Podcast will be selected at random to win free admission into the College Prep Boot Camp (a $300 value). To enter this contest, please send an email to info@top-tiertutoring.com with “Free Boot Camp” in the subject line.

Mike has been a tutor and college counselor for over 3 ½ years as well as in the financial industry for over 16 ½ years. Mike holds a BA from Seton Hall University, an MA from Kean University and a JD from Fordham University School of Law. He applies humor and a dose of reality into his tutoring sessions, to help his students see the big picture. Rhonda, who does sales and marketing for Top-Tier Tutoring, earned her BA from Bucknell University and a JD from New York Law School. Both have seen the value of education as providing a firm foundation in today’s changing world.