MFemy Team Member – Page 27 – My Freelance Academy

The Cost of Living in Belgium

You get the best dark chocolate in Belgium. The European country is famous for its architecture and environment. You will see a mix of cultures in Belgium, and it will make you feel at home. Belgium is one of the few European countries that offer very low tuition fees for international students.

The Belgian government and Academy of Research and Higher Education have made a rule that fees for international students shouldn’t exceed five times the fees of EU students. It goes to as high as 4700 euros.

Here is a breakup of monthly costs that a student has to go through as an international student:

Rent

Belgium is a big country, so the rent differs accordingly. If you live in student accommodation, you will be charged between 300 to 600 euros a month. Student accommodations are very cheap in Belgium, so you end up saving a lot of money.

If you rent an apartment, remember that most homes don’t have a living room. So it is only a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. A shared apartment will cost you around 300 to 400 euros. Electricity and gas are included in it.

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Food

Monthly grocery costs per person are around 150 euros. Total food costs might go up to 300 euros monthly if you eat out frequently. Some of the cheapest supermarkets to buy groceries are Red Market, Lidl, Aldi, and Colruyt.

Transport

The train is the cheapest way of traveling in the country. Students can avail themselves of a monthly train pass that costs 20 euros. Taxi is pretty costly in Belgium, going up to 25 euros for a 40-minute ride.

Study material

Since you don’t need to buy stationery every month, this cost varies. However, on average, it can cost you 30 euros a month. You don’t need to buy textbooks or anything because the university professors provide everything and you always go to the library to find references.

How To Get Your Book Published?

From JK Rowling to Salman Rushdie, there are plenty of examples to prove that writing and publishing are some of the highest-paying and most rewarding fields of all time.

From editorials to sales, marketing you can choose from a variety of disciplines as the publishing industry is so vast and brimming with job opportunities.

Of course, it depends on your area of expertise and interest.

You don’t always have to be a writer to be in the publishing business. There are so many processes that come into play to create a manuscript into a full-fledged book.

1. Book Editors

Book editors still make up the most important part of the publishing workforce. From finding new writers to reviewing their work and edit their books, the efforts of editors are indispensable to the publishing industry.

Strong writing skills and an eye for detail with a penchant for storytelling will help you with this field.

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2. Copy Editors

Copy editors are the ones who review and proofread content before it gets finalized for publishing.
From grammatical errors to contextual and political considerations, including or excluding certain points, the job requires a lot of precision, and you can work full time, part-time, or even freelance.

3. Literary Agents

With publishing houses being flooded with manuscripts every day, the presence of literary agents makes the job of finding literary talent easier.

The first step to getting your book published in today’s times is to find yourself a literary agent who can forward your manuscript to the publisher. They have the sense to make a marketable and attractive draft and are responsible for filtering out the good writers from the mediocre.

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4. Literary Scouts

Literary scouts are involved in scanning books written and published by foreign authors or even films and documentaries for being adapted into books by publishing houses.

A lot of experience as an editor and also the ability to look for innovative and unique content is imperative.

5. Publicists

The importance of the brand building is undisputed for any organization today, be it a corporate firm or a publishing house. This is where publicists come into play.

From working towards garnering media attention for their books and authors to designing strategies for promoting books along with reviewers, critics, media houses, to name a few, good interpersonal skills and a way with people is required to make a good publicist. Also, crisis management is of utmost importance.

4 Top Companies to Work In The US

There isn’t a single person who doesn’t dream of living the American dream. We’ve read several articles about the benefits employees get from working in Google, Facebook, and Buzzfeed.

One day, you can go and work there. Many other companies in the United States of America have a great work culture, just like Google and Facebook.

If you are wondering which are the top four companies to work in the US, here’s a list:

1. Google

Founded in 1998, Google is based in Mountain View, California. Sundar Pichai is the current CEO of the Company. He took office in 2015.

Employees at Google voted an employee satisfaction score of 4.4 out of 5. They feel that working on innovative projects that help the online community is the best part of their job.

2. Bain & Company

One of the top consulting firms in the US, Bain and Company has offices worldwide. It was founded 40 years ago and has been providing world-class critical solutions.

Bain and Company pay well, and the employee culture is simply unique. One of its employees expressed that working with the Company is continuous progress in your career. Employees rated 4.6 out of 5 stars for working at the consulting firm.

3. World Wide Technology

One of the best companies with work and life balance, World Wide Technology is a technology firm. It has a customer satisfaction of 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Employees working at the Company said that management works for the best interest of all employees. They are caring and have excellent work culture.

The management is always working towards making every employee feel comfortable.

4. In-and-out Burger

In and Out Burger is a very famous burger joint in the US. The pay is good and has a very positive work environment. One of the employees said that you climb to higher positions almost quickly with hard work.

Well, if you ever plan to work in the US, you got to try into these 4 companies.

All the best!!

4 Reasons You Should Get A Postgraduate Degree

Are you thinking about what you want to do once you get your bachelor’s degree? Doing a master’s degree or postgraduate diploma might not fit your family finances, but by not doing it, you are missing expertise.

Instead, you can take a break for a couple of years, save some money, and then start studying again.

Here are four reasons you should get a postgraduate degree:

1. You are missing on your expertise

Bachelor’s degree is elementary and gives you an idea of different possible expertise you can take up in the future.

Doing a bachelor’s degree will get you a job, but you won’t be able to choose where you want to work because someone of the same caliber is ready to accept the job.

2. Only a bachelor’s degree isn’t enough

You have minimal choices and knowledge. Apart from not getting paid enough, you will enter the organization at a superficial level, making it more challenging to reach the top.

Having one doesn’t make sense anymore in a world where people have over 50 educational degrees.

3. Earn better

A bachelor’s graduate in India barely makes Rs 500 a day. A postgraduate makes as much as Rs 2000 a day. I know you have to put in time and effort, which will reach the same level in two years if you put in work.

People with master’s degrees get better and quicker increments than people with bachelor’s degrees.

4. Meet your career goal

Moving up the career ladder is very difficult after a bachelor’s. Also, you are pushing yourself in the REAL world without knowing what to do.

You can’t utilize your knowledge to its highest abilities because people already know a lot more than you. Working under someone is a good experience, but I am sure you don’t want to do that for the best of your life.

So, now you can see why a master’s degree is essential. If you are a graduate, plan for your master’s degree. Find some of the best universities out there.

5 Corporate Looks for Men

There are corporate men today who keep their closets stocked with the latest fashion trends in store. This is the modern man who will rally for his position in boardrooms and presentations but still keep up with what is dominating the fashion market.

Here are a few of the corporate ensembles every progressive employer and employee should own.

Formal wear:

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This form of attire does not just mean suits and ties! It is a substantially higher dress code that used to be worn by high society heirs.

It’s not something anybody can wear any time they want. Reserve this for the very important meetings where you are scheduled to meet a lot of high-profile people. You can make a strong impression with formal wear.

Semi-formal wear:

Image by Olya Adamovich from Pixabay/Copyright 2021

Semi-formal attire will evolve by the time of day. In the evening, it is the popular black tie (tuxedo) ensemble, while in the daytime, a shirt with matching trousers is appropriate.

Business-class wear:

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Business dress codes to men mean matched suits. Add a couple of leather oxfords, and you will fit perfectly in your workplace. It can also be worn for lighter events like brunch meetings.

Casual wear:

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Casual wear is a statement of comfort and accessibility and is now accepted in many corporate environments.

Being yourself and feeling relaxed is the aim, but your effort must still show. You can always don casual attire without compromising your style. Make a classy blend of casual and formal.

Business-casual :

The quintessential casual ensemble is a navy blue blazer with light to medium grey slacks or khakis. This look has gained so much craze that it is now called the California suit. You can wear darker hues at night events and meetings and lighter shades during the day.

Opt for any one style but stick to it while putting your outfit together.

What Should You Do If You Dislike Your Job?

When Mondays become nightmares, and when the work deadlines consume your headspace, it’s time to accept that you don’t like your job.

Every weekend is about relief, but Sunday evenings turn melancholic as you have to visit that dreaded office again. Those faces, those files, that cubicle, every single aspect of your job seems to eat your happiness away.

You’re not alone. There are millions like you living helplessly trying to make sense of their jobs as they pay the bills. You can’t quit because there’s no Plan B at your disposal, so you just slog it off and try to make peace with your life, but all in vain.

So how do you make things easier for yourself? Quit and sit at home while living on welfare or facing the situation like the stoic hero you are? I guess the latter.

Here are some tips to help you tolerate that irritating job till you find something else.

1. Examine the scenario:

So what exactly bothers you at work? Is it the pay or the work environment? As soon as you’re able to analyze what truly is bothering you can easily address the problem and have a bearable stint at work.

You can work towards alleviating the cause of concern, so your life becomes much easier.

2. Confrontations:

After analyzing the cause of your disinterest at work, you need to approach the problem head-on. Whether it’s an overwhelming workload or unfair wage, or an uncooperative co-worker, you need to communicate your struggles to a position of authority, so you no longer end up frustrated.

This is going to be difficult, but it is a necessary step. Nobody is going to automatically find out the cause of your frustration with the job. You have to go out there and communicate with your boss.

3. Switch Your Perspective:

Changing perspective about your job is something you must have heard like a thousand times now. But it is valuable advice and helps you in the long run.

Instead of being sour-hearted about your job all the time, just change your approach about that job and take it not as a tunnel of fire but a feat to accomplish.

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4. Express yourself:

It is important to vent about your job frustration else; you’ll just keep boiling with it all through your life. Share your concerns with your friends. This helps you get lighter.

But make sure you don’t rant on a social networking site or to a co-worker, as that can impact you negatively.

5. Give it your best shot:

Your frustration with your job will lead you to do the bare minimum, which will make your work suffer. So the better option to avail is to give your best efforts, and the resultant appreciation and incentive will motivate you to carry on with the job.

Mediocrity is a vice, and its presence will just dip your career graph. And any lackadaisical performance will just add to your hatred and frustration for the job. It might not change the work scenario but will make you a little happier and confident.

4 Ways You Can Boost Your Productivity And Achieve More

You often wonder why some people are so successful while you yourself are not. Despite your best efforts, you always seem to lack the productivity that makes these highly successful people tick. So what can you do to increase your productivity?

Here are four simple tips you can use and tear through those tasks:

1. Schedule

Scheduling may not seem like an interesting exercise, but it has its uses. Make a to-do list so that you can actually decide when you can do each task in the day. When you have carved out your timetable, stick to it: no distractions, social media, email, or any other activity.

No. Other. Tasks. Period.

You’d be surprised at your speed when you are able to concentrate on the tasks at hand.

2. Prioritize

It is very crucial that you rearrange your to-do list in the order of importance. That way, you know the essential thing you have to perform every day to get results in a timely fashion. If you keep the most important tasks at the end of your timetable, the chances are that you might procrastinate or not do them at all.

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3. Reduce Multitasking

Multitasking may be an essential skill for some, but in reality, it can be a productivity killer. When we try to do many things at once, our brain has to perform extra work processing all that information.

Not only that, but our memory can be overloaded, and we might not remember little, albeit important details. And more often than not, we fail at multiple things instead of succeeding at a single one. So try to do one thing at a time if you can.

4. Systems and processes

It may sound daft to you but remember or document how you actually work. You’ll soon realize the repetitive patterns and make them work for you. It then becomes stupidly easy to do those tasks again.

So with these four simple tricks, you can be as productive as ever and achieve more success than you can imagine. And then others will start asking you for tips. How’s that for success?

The 5 Reasons You Need to Visit Switzerland This Year!

Switzerland is pretty small, but it is a powerful package of breathtaking destinations, good food, chocolate, and cheap public transport.

There is no language barrier in Switzerland as most people know to speak English. Visiting Switzerland is definitely an expensive affair, and that’s why you need to plan in advance. It is very safe to visit and not over-commercialized.

Here are five reasons you should visit Switzerland once in your lifetime:

Delicious Swiss cuisine

Switzerland is a paradise for food lovers. Since it is a landlocked country, its food is a reflection of its surroundings. In Switzerland, some dishes to try are Saffron Risotto, Landjager, and Raclette. Don’t forget to try cheese fondue that originated in Switzerland.

Photo by Patrick Robert Doyle on Unsplash/Copyright 2021

Visit Matterhorn

You would have seen Matterhorn before. Are you confused? Well, recollect the logos of Toblerone and Paramount. Take a photo in front of the mountain and go skiing on it too. It will be one of the best experiences of your trip.

Scenic train rides

If you hate train rides, think again. Public transport is the cheapest way to travel, but it gives you the best views. Travel through the lakes and mountains of Switzerland. The best trains to hop onto are Bernina Express and Glacier Express. They are much cheaper than flight rides.

Photo by Sven Fischer on Unsplash/Copyright 2021

Eat free Swiss chocolate

Yes, you can eat free Swiss chocolate, but you have to be smart. You will have to buy it later, but you can enjoy some free stuff. Before you buy chocolate, you can ask the shopkeeper for some samples, and that way, you get to eat the traditionally made Swiss chocolates. Some chocolate shops are as old as 150 years old.

Swiss farm-stay experience

Stay a couple of nights at one of the villages in Switzerland to experience the typical life of a Swiss. You will get detoxified physically and mentally too.

5 Ways to Motivate Your Employees

An organization thrives on the efforts of its employees. If they are working to their best ability, then there’s nothing it can do to stop the organization from progressing. And that clearly depends on the working environment of the office and the relationship amongst the employees and their bosses.

You need to constantly keep motivating your employees intrinsically as well as extrinsically to achieve that kind of success.

Here are five ways you can actually drive your employees and achieve unprecedented success in the industry.

Perks Perks Perks!

There should be incentives for everyone. At every step and duty completed, employees should receive a hike, a bonus, or something additional! This is material evidence of your organization valuing the work of their employees, hence building trust and confidence with them.

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Be there

You need to be extremely close-knit with your employees with a bond of faith and allegiance and emerge as a family. Always make your clients feel that they have your back no matter what. With insurances, crisis support, and even emotional support in times of distress, and even counseling facilities, you can make a lot of difference.

Never be overly critical

Excessive criticism can severely put down the morale of your employees. So you need to be extremely encouraging and respectful even when you point out your employee’s errors in a task handed out to them. Motivate them to do better without being harsh. This will help your employees be even more determined to be better at work.

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Understand your employees

Your employees are as human as you are. And many times, your employees may be fighting some personal battles which may affect their performance at work. Always be empathetic to them, and offer your assistance whenever possible. And just push them to battle their demons and work on themselves.

Appreciation

Appreciating your employees in front of your team goes a long way in pushing them to do better. Applaud them when they successfully reach a target. This is a method of extrinsic motivation that helps boost the self-esteem of the employees, and the psychological pursuit for this appreciation in the form of a reward pushes them to do better.

Is a Career in Food Technology Right for You?

Food technology can be defined as the science that combines the techniques and methods involved in the preservation, processing, and manufacturing of food materials.

This is an engineering specialty and is a branch of food science, hotel management, and home science.

What does a Food Technologist do?

A food technologist devises ways and methods for manufacturing and preserving food maintaining food safety and hygiene, and also looks for ways to improve food texture, color, flavor and makes food more resistant to pathogens and toxins.

What will be your organizational goals?

From packaging to labeling, to preservation and processing of food, to quality management and research for food products will be your organizational goals when you work for a food processing organization. Moreover, you will also be involved in research and development for dairy products, grains, confectionery, fish and meat, and poultry, as well as fruit and vegetable products.

What fields do you need expertise in?

You need to be well-versed in chemistry, biology, engineering, nutrition, and microbiology to ensure the safety, palatability, and edibility of the food, especially when you deal with seasonal food.

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What courses do you need to pursue?

Previously, food technology was used for the mere preservation and flavor enhancement of food, but now, there are new advancements that have made it possible to decaffeinate beverages and also make ready-to-eat food.

You can pursue the following courses to become a food technologist:

Undergraduate Courses:

Diploma Course in Food Analysis and Quality Assurance
Diploma in Food Science Technology
Diploma in Food Science, Preservation and Management
UG degree courses leading to the B.Sc and B.Tech with the duration of 4 years after 10+2 examination
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Food Technology
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Food Science
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Food and Nutrition
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Food Preservation
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Food Engineering

Postgraduate courses:

Master of Science (M.Sc) in Food Science
Master of Science (M.Sc) in Food Technology
Master of Science (M.Sc) in Food and Fermentation Technology and Food Science
Master of Science (M.Sc) in Nutrition and Food
Master of Technology (M.Tech) in Food Technology