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Careers in Money Management: Controller vs. CFO

Making prudent financial decisions is about more than just knowing the present financial situation. It’s about understanding the past and all the possibilities the future holds. These decisions require a big-picture approach, and the experts who make them must keep an eye on all types of revenue and expense streams to paint the most comprehensive financial picture possible. Such professionals need a specific mix of technical abilities and analytical skills to perform their work. Controller Overview Controllers oversee a company’s financial picture. They are in charge of the accounting and bookkeeping. Controllers ensure the work done by accountants is accurate […]

Comparing Careers in Tech: Coding vs. Programming

In the early days of computing, programmer and coder referred to the same job: someone who could command a computer to do things. However, the business world has redefined the two fields, separating programmers and coders. Both are necessary in any company interested in application development, and businesses that maintain custom-coded apps are key employers. So, where does the split of coding vs. programming stem from? What Is Coding? Coding is the art of writing computer code that will compile and run to produce a desired output if given a valid input. Coders might be involved in directly using computer […]

Active vs. Reflective Leadership: Two Educational Styles

The authoritarian style of leadership no longer has the influence it once did in classrooms or businesses. This shift is particularly important in higher education, where faculty and staff have the potential to influence thousands of students. Why Leadership Styles Matter How leaders act plays a major role in the environments they create. Poor leaders can destroy morale and hold an entire business back from reaching its potential. Strong leadership can push a group of successful employees to new heights. In higher education, leadership styles at the top have a direct impact on students. Professors who feel motivated by their […]

Celebrating Women’s Equality Day: 4 Women Pioneers in Gender Equality

Woman holding a sign and shouting as she demonstrates with a group of women.

Throughout history, many brave women have helped shatter glass ceilings on the path toward women’s equality. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, for example, played pivotal roles in helping women gain the right to vote when they founded the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869. In 1916, birth control activist Margaret Sanger opened the nation’s first birth control clinic, which eventually became Planned Parenthood Federation of America. And Rosa Parks became a civil rights icon in 1955 when she took a stand against racial segregation and refused to give her bus seat to a white man. The passage of the 19th Amendment in August 1920, […]

Self-Improvement Books to Help You Achieve Personal Growth

Have you been looking for a way to improve an aspect of your life? If so, you’re not alone. A growing number of people are realizing that they want to improve themselves and are turning to self-improvement books to do so. Self-help book sales in the U.S. nearly doubled between 2013 and 2019, reaching 18.6 million units, according to The NPD Group, a market research firm. Sales of motivational and inspirational books, the most popular category of self-help books, more than tripled over the same period. If you’re interested in developing a new perspective or working toward a long-term goal […]

MIS Degree vs. CIS Degree: Differences and Career Opportunities

Businesses use information systems to collect, process, and store data, from invoices and human resources files to budgets and sales goals. This technology improves a company’s operations and efficiency to deliver better products and services to customers. Aligning management information systems (MIS) and computer information systems (CIS) with business goals can provide companies with a competitive advantage in the market. Management Information Systems (MIS) Management information systems provide vital information to business professionals and play an integral role in a company’s operations. They involve the people, technology, organizations, and relationships that affect a company’s management, operations, and efficiency. Some MIS […]

Business and Technology Education: MIS Degree vs. IT Degree

Computer networks, information systems, and data management are vital parts of nearly every company’s digital infrastructure. Without professionals working behind the scenes to support these essential networks, analyze their efficiency, and protect data, companies couldn’t effectively provide services and products, or even operate competitively. As you consider degree options, you will encounter some similar paths in the digital technology realm. You  may wonder about the differences between a management information systems (MIS) degree and an information technology (IT) degree. MIS Degree Overview An MIS curriculum can be thought of as half business, half IT. MIS students spend time learning computer […]

The Study of Human Nature: A Communication Degree vs. Sociology Degree

Our ability to communicate complex ideas is one of the most compelling characteristics that distinguishes humankind. Not only can we communicate from one person to another, but from city to city and even across the globe, spanning thousands of miles and bridging gaps of language and culture. We aren’t the only species capable of communication, but science has yet to discover another species that possess the complex communication strategies humans have developed. Communication degrees and sociology degrees are two bachelor’s programs that focus on how humans communicate and the effect of communication on the population at large. While both of […]

Systems Analyst vs. Software Developer: Complementary Technical Experts

As you are evaluating your college plans, you know you want to pursue or advance a career that is computer related. You love working with existing software, creating new software, and keeping up with rapidly changing technology. You may wonder what the difference is between a systems analyst and a software developer, and want to make sure you choose the best possible educational path for your interests and skills. While both careers focus on computer systems, there are some differences. A systems analyst works with existing systems and software to make improvements. On the other hand, a software developer creates […]

SEM vs. SEO: Comparing Two Key Marketing Terms

Search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO) have become two of the most commonly used marketing terms in digital media campaigns. The page that you’re on right now was most likely suggested to you by a search engine, thanks to SEO. Search engines drive the majority of internet traffic, and LYFE Marketing reports that over 90% of traffic goes to URLs on the first page of Google non-paid results. Because of this statistic, the push to make it to Google’s first page has spawned the entire industry of SEO. In relation, SEMrush notes that 4 out of 5 […]