Saturday 22 June 2013

Four Reasons Chris Freville Thinks You Should Pursue a Higher National Diploma Qualification



In 1989, Chris Freville earned a Higher National Diploma Qualification with Distinction in Information Technology. Earning the degree with distinction means that Chris Freville passed the exam with more than 70%. The High National Diploma is a qualification that is earned by some students in Britain, as well as in countries that have British ties, like Malta and Nigeria. The Higher National Diploma is a vocational degree equal to two years of a three-year university degree and Chris Freville considers it to be a strong asset for anyone considering higher education in Britain.

One reason to consider a Higher National Diploma Qualification is that the qualification can be considered a safety net, explains Chris Freville. The qualification is a widely recognized achievement and can be used to attain a number of jobs, but it can also be a stepping-stone to higher education and a university degree. It can be used to enter the university, but it is also a stand-alone qualification that you have, even if you are not successful or do not desire to pursue a university degree.

The fact that the Higher National Diploma is a vocational degree is another reason why Chris Freville recommends it. Earning this qualification means actually practicing the skills you will use in your professional field. Having a tangible skill set can be the greatest determinant of employment. In fact, the coursework leading up to the diploma cover what are considered Key Skills – the tools that you will use to actually be hired in your field, explains Chris Freville.

Finally, Chris Freville recommends the Higher National Diploma even to those who know they want to attain a university degree. This is because the program is run in part through the university, without actually being of the university. By the time you formally enroll, then, you will be highly familiar with the resources of the university that can help you to succeed.

Three Great Destination To Take Your Kids To: Insights From Dad Chris Freville



Chris Freville and his family vacation all over the world. As a father of four, Chris Freville and his wife, Teresa, are always careful to choose family friendly locations. Three of their favorite vacation destinations include Antigua, Disneyland Paris, and San Diego California.

Antigua is one of the more recent vacation locales where Chris Freville and his family have vacationed. This Caribbean island is beautiful and has warm weather year round. One of the things that Chris Freville’s children enjoyed the most in Antigua was the chance to swim with dolphins. Many of the hotels in Antigua offer childcare services, as well as kids’ clubs, game rooms, and multiple swimming pools, including wading pools for the littlest swimmers. Chris Freville’s family stayed at the St. James Club, a resort location that included all of the amenities, as well as being situated near Galleon Beach.

Disneyland Paris is one of the newer branches of the Disney family, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Children under 7 are free at Disney hotels and parks, a clear sign that this resort puts children first. At Disneyland Paris, children have the chance to visit with the characters they love and go on an assortment of rides, says Chris Freville. There is enough to do at the park to keep a family busy for several days.

San Diego is a great city for families to vacation in and it is a favorite for Chris Freville’s family. San Diego has mild temperatures year round and is home to SeaWorld as well as the world famous San Diego Zoo. San Diego is also a prime location for whale watching, a great adventure for families to share. Chris Freville’s sons particularly enjoyed Legoland California. Chris Freville’s family also went scuba diving in the warm waters surrounding San Diego, where they saw beautiful tropical fish.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

How Data Warehousing Can Help Your Business: Technology Specialist Chris Freville Weighs In



Data warehousing is the way in which information is stored for analysis and it is one of Chris Freville’s specialties as an internet technologies specialist. Data warehousing brings together diverse data to help people in managerial positions to create quarterly reports and other analyses of business information. During his nearly two decades as a freelance technology worker, Chris Freville discovered a number of ways that data warehousing can benefit companies.

ª One of the baseline benefits of data warehousing is that it can speed up the production of technical reports about your company. Data warehousing generates information quickly and allows things like annual reports to be written with due speed, says Chris Freville.
ª Data warehousing can also be a good way to maintain a kind of archival history of business data, explains Chris Freville. Data warehousing allows businesses to provide a set point in the past and call up information as it was at that time.
ª One of the best things about data warehousing it that it helps companies convert information into business intelligence by slicing and dicing data cubes. By tracking business trends, businesses can make smarter decisions, explains Chris Freville. Being able to use real information instead of just intuition to make business decisions is a huge advantage in the marketplace.
ª The information that can be derived from data warehousing can help businesses get closer to customers by drilling down within your data. If you understand customer behavior, you can engage your clients more effectively, says Chris Freville. Data warehousing allows you to bring in customer data from different areas and see trends in customer behavior that might not otherwise be obvious.
ª Overall, data warehousing is the key to competitive edge. Chris Freville recommends that all companies bring in a data warehousing specialist at some point. It is not difficult to maintain the system once it is put in place and the information that the system provides can be invaluable for tracking business trends and making strategic decisions.

Friday 14 June 2013

Why Freelance Work Might Be Right For You: Some Insights From Chris Freville



Chris Freville worked as a freelancer for nearly two decades, from 1989 until 2008. Chris Freville’s work was primarily in programming and software development, along with data warehousing and business intelligence. Freelancing, while perhaps not the most reliable form of employment, can be a great choice and comes with more freedom than doing temp work, which is in some ways similar. Freelancing, or working as a contractor, gives you a lot of control over where and when you work and might be the right choice for you.

ª Are you a self-starter? People who are self-motivated make better freelancers, observes Chris Freville. Even if you are reporting to an office daily for a period of time, you need to be able to search out jobs and negotiate with bosses. Freelancers also need to be able to supervise themselves in many cases because they are brought in to fulfill a special need that the office does not already have expertise in.
ª Chris Freville believes that freelancers typically do better work than employees with more secure job positions. Because freelancers must rely on the recommendation of their most recent employers to be references for their next job, they are constantly motivated to do their best work.
ª Freelancing might also be a good choice for you if you are a skilled networker, says Chris Freville. Oftentimes, your next job is the direct result of personal connections that you have made. If you are good at chatting with people at cocktail parties and at maintaining those relationships, you might be well suited to freelancing.
ª Finally, if you want to work as a freelancer, you should be a good negotiator. As a freelancer, you have a lot more control over your salary and you will be engaging in significantly more negotiation scenarios than someone with a stable job position. Hold a strong position, says Chris Freville, and ask for what you need.

Tuesday 11 June 2013

Traveling With Children: Some Tips From Chris Freville on Traveling With the Elementary School Set



Chris Freville is a married father of four and his family loves to vacation, both to neighboring metropolitan areas and to more exotic locales. Traveling with four children can be a challenging task, but over the years, Chris Freville and his wife, Teresa, have developed some tricks to make traveling with elementary schoolers less stressful.

ª  Dress you children in shoes and jackets that they can take on and off on their own if you are traveling through an airport, suggests Chris Freville. This makes getting through security just a little bit easier and allows parents to keep an eye on their children and juggle bags without having to stop and help them with these tasks.
ª  Bring plenty of coloring and puzzle books to entertain children during flights. Chris Freville suggests packing the crayons in a small tupperware or other container that will keep them from falling on the ground and getting lost.
ª  Especially if your child is traveling by a new form of transportation for the first time, make sure to bring motion sickness medication. Just because you child doesn’t get carsick when driving, doesn’t mean that they will be fine on an airplane or train. Hopefully you won’t need it, says Chris Freville, but they are a good safety net to have.
ª  Make sure you pack any security objects in your carry-on, rather than in your suitcase. Your child might become anxious during the course of the flight and it is useful to have these soothing objects on hand. Chris Freville has made this mistake before.
ª  If you have a portable DVD player or iPad, consider bringing it with you, especially for longer flights. Make sure you have headphones and a splitting device so that more than one child can listen to the movie at a time. Having a DVD player with you can be helpful for winding children down in the evenings during your trip, as well, notes Chris Freville.