Spotting A Job Vacancy
This guide is one in a series that will help you find a job. It contains information about whereto find out about potential vacancies.Understanding the job marketTrying to find a new job can be both exciting and rewarding. It doesn’t need to be hard work ifyou know where to look and how to go about it. Every day hundreds of new vacanciesbecome available. The trick is to find out what’s on offer and respond quickly.Employers recruit in a number of ways, and you may be surprised to learn that only one thirdof vacancies are ever advertised.
Consequently, to be successful at finding a job that suitsyou, you need to use all of the usual channels but also look at other methods of finding outabout vacancies. Most Jobseekers look at newspaper adverts to find vacancies, so do thisbut also go to your local Jobcentre and register with recruitment agencies.Know what you wantBefore you start looking for a job, take a little time to work out what you want and what youcan do. Consider your skills and experience. Doing this will save you a lot of time when youbegin applying for jobs.Remember, you don’t always see your own strengths. Ask your friends, family and previouswork colleagues what they think your strengths are. Even if you’ve never worked before, youwill have qualities that employers will be looking for.
Make a list of what you want, including:• Location• Full time or part time• Temporary or permanent• Hours• Training or opportunities to progress• PayNext, make a list of your qualities:• Skills• Experience• Strengths• Qualifications• PersonalityEmployers place a great emphasis on personality and attitude. If you’ve got a friendlypersonality and a good attitude to work and responsibility make sure you show it.When you review your lists you may feel you’ve set what you want at a higher level than theskills and experience you’ve currently got. This isn’t a problem. In this case make what youwant your goal and look for jobs that will be the starting point for you to develop theexperience and skills you need to grow your career.Check out the options
Once you have identified the type of job you want the next step is to look for suitablevacancies. Let’s look more closely at the three main routes to a job and then at some of theless well known options:• Newspaper adverts: most newspapers, local or national, have jobs sections. Thedaily papers usually have a special jobs day each week when most of the vacanciesappear. Your newsagents will be able to tell you which days these are. Remember,you don’t have to buy the newspaper as the local library will have a reference copyyou can look through.• Jobcentre: Jobcentres display a wide range of vacancies which are updated daily. Ifyou can it’s worth visiting the Jobcentre everyday so you can respond to opportunitiesas soon as they are displayed.•
Jobseekers Direct: if you find it difficult to get to your local Jobcentre then you canuse the telephone job service line. For the cost of a local call, you can contactJobseekers Direct to find out more about current vacancies. In some cases, theymay be able to arrange an interview for you while you’re on the phone.• Recruitment agencies/consultancies: it is worth registering with recruitmentagencies because they are paid a fee by employers for finding suitable candidates fortheir vacancy. Consequently, the quicker they find you a job they quicker they getpaid. They are also a good place for getting advice on finding a job and they mayhelp you to prepare your CV and with interview techniques. It’s worth knowing thatsome agencies specialise in specific industries or skills. Others are more generalist.Shop around to find an agency that covers the type of vacancies you are interestedin.If you are considering temporary work then compare agencies. The rates they payfor the same type of work may differ. A good agency will give you a fair rate of payand treat you well.
Don’t forget that working as a temp is often the foot in the dooryou need to get a full time job. It gives you a chance to show potential employerswhat you can do, so don’t rule out temporary work.• Careers Advisory Services: If you are 16 -19 the Careers Advisory Services willoffer you advice about your career. They will help you identify the right trainingopportunities and provide plenty of support during your search for a job. Theircontact details are:England• The Internet: there are a number of websites that advertise jobs. On most of theseyou can register your details so that companies can view them when they are lookingfor staff. If you don’t have access to the Internet, you can access it at your localLibrary, usually free of charge or for a small fee. Using the internet is really easy; allyou need to do is type ‘Jobs Nigeria’ into a search engineYou can also look at all of the Jobcentre vacancies on line at www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk. All these websites are updated regularly throughout the day.
In addition to the specialist job and careers websites, many companies advertisevacancies on their own websites. It is worth making a list of companies that mighthave a vacancy that is suitable for you and visiting their websites. If they have a jobssection you could visit the site on a regular basis.• Careers and jobs fairs: an increasing number of job fairs are being held that coverlocal jobs for local people of all ages and skills. Employers, particularly larger ones,attend to promote their companies and find potential workers. On the day you will beable to meet employers and also get specialist advice about finding a job. Someemployers may even take applications on the day. The fairs are usually held in hotelsor recreation centres will be advertised in your local newspapers.•
Networking: tell your friends and relatives that you are looking for a job. They mayhear about job opportunities that you can apply for and may even be willing torecommend you to their employer.• Work experience: joining a work experience programme has its benefits. Not onlywill you be learning or developing your skills, you will also be getting valuableexperience by actually doing the job. It also gives you the opportunity to get your footin the door of a company where you can demonstrate your strengths.•
Teletext: some companies choose to advertise their vacancies on the text services.These are updated throughout the day – the page number you need is:Teletext, page 690 (Channel 4).• Notices in shop windows or notice boards: more and more companies, especiallyretailers, are advertising vacancies in this way. As there is no way of knowing whenthese vacancies will be advertised, it’s just a matter of keeping your eyes open andbeing quick to respond.• Promote yourself: this option involves applying for vacancies that may arise within acompany. The ‘anticipating future vacancies’ guide will give you ideas on howto promote yourself.However, start by identifying 10 companies in your area that employ people in thetype of roles you are looking for. Read local business news to see if you can spotany companies that are expanding or moving into the area. They may have a futurestaff requirement so write to these companies, introduce yourself and ask to beconsidered for any vacancies they may have. Attach your CV to the letter; there is aguide in this series that can help you prepare one.It’s always a good idea to phone the company to check if they have received yourdetails. If they have no vacancies available ask them to keep your details on file sothat you can be considered in the future.
Finally, keep records of who you have contacted and their response. If you dohappen to see them advertising a vacancy in the future that may suit you, call thecompany and remind them they have your details.The purpose of this guide was to help you identify the best routes to finding a job.Points to remember:• Understand the job market: only one third of vacancies are ever advertised.• Know what you want: make a list of what you are looking for and match jobvacancies against it.• Know your strengths: list your strengths, skills, experience and qualifications andmatch them against what the employer is looking for.• Use the channels: only one third of vacancies are ever advertised so use all theoptions available to improve your chances of getting a job.• Promote yourself: send your details to companies and ask them to keep them on fileuntil they have a vacancy that you could fill.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Mega Business Ideas
The Million-Dollar Home Page
Learn how this 21-year-old entrepreneur made more than $1 million in five months.
Take one college-bound student with an overdrawn bank account and one 20-minute brainstorming session on how to raise money to pay for school, and what do you get? A million-dollar idea that's had people around the world slapping their foreheads and muttering "Why didn't I think of that?" ever since.
With only one month to go before he was to begin classes at a three-year university--and no money in his bank account--Alex Tew was determined to find a way to avoid student debt. Armed with a notebook and pen, Tew stayed up late one night brainstorming ways to make some quick cash.
To help jumpstart his creativity, he wrote down just one question on his notepad: How can I become a millionaire? Twenty minutes later, he had his answer: Sell one million pixels of advertising space on a website for $1 each. "I thought, 'This is one of those crazy, quirky ideas, but it just might work…I've got nothing to lose.' "
Runaway IdeaTew already had some experience with website design, so with a paltry $100, he quickly bought a domain name and some basic web hosting services and had his website, MillionDollarHomepage.com, up and running in two days.
The concept was simple: Businesses could buy 10x10 or larger blocks of advertising space for a $1 per pixel and place their logos and links on his site. Tew knew no one would be interested in buying pixel space if he didn't get the ball rolling, so he convinced some family and friends to chip in to buy the first 1,000 pixels. He also thought it would be a good story for the media to pick up--"Broke student has quirky way to raise money for college"--so Tew took the money he made from the first 1,000 pixels he sold and used it to write and send out press releases to the local media near his hometown of Cricklade, England (about an hour and a half west of London.
The UK media quickly took the bait, but what was even more remarkable--and proved to be the most effective marketing tactic--was that bloggers, online forums and chat rooms also began to embrace the story. Word of mouth through all the varied media attention quickly snowballed, and within two weeks Tew had sold $40,000 worth of pixels--enough to cover his entire three years of college. It didn't take long before media in 35 other countries got wind of Tew's million-dollar homepage idea. In just five months, Tew reached his goal of selling a $1 million worth of pixels. In the past two weeks alone, he's received close to 4 million unique hits.
Part of that traffic was due to his exposure on eBay. With only 1,000 pixels left to sell on his site, he had hundreds of people wanting a piece of internet history. "I thought the only way to logically meet some of that demand without starting another page was to put the last 1,000 pixels [up for sale] on eBay."
On January 11, the winning bid of $38,000 bought the last ad space on his site, putting him well over the million-dollar mark. "I've spent probably about $40,000 maintaining the site and publicizing it, so there's been some degree of expense to keep it going. But still--it's a healthy profit at the end of the day."
Learning to AdaptIf it sounds like Tew skipped all the way to the bank with his 20-minute idea, think again. A large part of his success is hugely owed to his ability to quickly find solutions and adapt to the many problems that unexpectedly popped up during the past five months.
"It's been quite overwhelming because everything has just blown up in such big ways that I never really prepared for," Tew says. "I had to adapt quite quickly due to the sheer volume of interest."
One of the first problems he encountered was that his website wasn't equipped to handle the volume of traffic he began receiving. In the beginning, he had to manually upload every single image and all the links himself. As hundreds of orders began pouring in, though, Tew was forced to hire two people to help maintain the website's database and deal with customers.
The next major problem was that PayPal blocked his account. (PayPal's anti-fraud policy automatically blocks accounts with high volumes of transactions in order to avoid money-laundering schemes.) Tew was forced to quickly come up with an alternative payment method to keep up with the volume of orders he was receiving. Within three hours of PayPal going down, Tew had found a replacement. And although PayPal eventually enabled his account again, Tew kept both payment options open to prevent a similar problem in the future.
Tew also had to learn to release control to others. "In previous projects, I've wanted to do everything," he says. "With this, I had no choice but to get other people involved." So he enlisted the help of family and friends and even a PR person in the United States to deal with the international media. Tew adds, "I've learned the value of letting other people take responsibility for different aspects of the business."
The Next StepFor now, Tew is deferring his college degree until next September in order to take time to reassess his career path to determine which direction he really wants to go. "I've had a lot of job offers from some of the hugest internet companies, but I think my long-term future is going into business to do my own thing."
In the meantime, Tew plans on donating a portion of his site's profits to a local UK charity that helps young people start their own businesses. The same charity once helped him secure a $3,500 loan to do music-related projects.
"It'll be nice to give something back," he says. "And if I can be anything of an inspiration to other young people wanting to start businesses, well, that's a good thing as well."
A Young Entrepreneur's AdviceJust 21 years old and already an experienced entrepreneur, Alex Tew has some sage advice for anybody looking to start their own business.
· If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail. "That old saying is a cliché, but it's absolutely true," says Tew. "Had I known this was going to be so successful I would have probably prepared a lot better for it. But playing it by ear and making adaptations along the way has been a valuable learning experience, and I know what mistakes not to make next time."
Part of being prepared means writing a business plan. "It can be difficult to do cash-flow forecasts when you haven't started a business or to write a proper business plan when you don't know how much you're going to make," Tew says. "But you have to lay out in your mind exactly what you're trying to achieve."
· Be creative. "The biggest thing I've learned is to have faith in creativity because ideas work," Tew says.
· Go big. "Make sure your hobby is big enough to make money," Tew advises. In 2002, Tew launched Humanbeatbox.com, an online community for vocal percussionists. The site now has more than 11,000 members and is one of the largest sites for beatbox artists, but the experience taught Tew a valuable lesson. "The mistake I made was that beatboxing was such a niche thing that there wasn't enough money to make a sustainable business. As people start businesses based on hobbies, [they should] make sure there's a big enough market for that hobby."
· Keep trying. "I've had lots of ideas over the years that haven't necessarily been as successful as this one, but I've learned lots of lessons with each one," says Tew. "There's no such thing as a failure because every time you fail, you learn something that you don't do next time. So always keep going. And good luck."
Learn how this 21-year-old entrepreneur made more than $1 million in five months.
Take one college-bound student with an overdrawn bank account and one 20-minute brainstorming session on how to raise money to pay for school, and what do you get? A million-dollar idea that's had people around the world slapping their foreheads and muttering "Why didn't I think of that?" ever since.
With only one month to go before he was to begin classes at a three-year university--and no money in his bank account--Alex Tew was determined to find a way to avoid student debt. Armed with a notebook and pen, Tew stayed up late one night brainstorming ways to make some quick cash.
To help jumpstart his creativity, he wrote down just one question on his notepad: How can I become a millionaire? Twenty minutes later, he had his answer: Sell one million pixels of advertising space on a website for $1 each. "I thought, 'This is one of those crazy, quirky ideas, but it just might work…I've got nothing to lose.' "
Runaway IdeaTew already had some experience with website design, so with a paltry $100, he quickly bought a domain name and some basic web hosting services and had his website, MillionDollarHomepage.com, up and running in two days.
The concept was simple: Businesses could buy 10x10 or larger blocks of advertising space for a $1 per pixel and place their logos and links on his site. Tew knew no one would be interested in buying pixel space if he didn't get the ball rolling, so he convinced some family and friends to chip in to buy the first 1,000 pixels. He also thought it would be a good story for the media to pick up--"Broke student has quirky way to raise money for college"--so Tew took the money he made from the first 1,000 pixels he sold and used it to write and send out press releases to the local media near his hometown of Cricklade, England (about an hour and a half west of London.
The UK media quickly took the bait, but what was even more remarkable--and proved to be the most effective marketing tactic--was that bloggers, online forums and chat rooms also began to embrace the story. Word of mouth through all the varied media attention quickly snowballed, and within two weeks Tew had sold $40,000 worth of pixels--enough to cover his entire three years of college. It didn't take long before media in 35 other countries got wind of Tew's million-dollar homepage idea. In just five months, Tew reached his goal of selling a $1 million worth of pixels. In the past two weeks alone, he's received close to 4 million unique hits.
Part of that traffic was due to his exposure on eBay. With only 1,000 pixels left to sell on his site, he had hundreds of people wanting a piece of internet history. "I thought the only way to logically meet some of that demand without starting another page was to put the last 1,000 pixels [up for sale] on eBay."
On January 11, the winning bid of $38,000 bought the last ad space on his site, putting him well over the million-dollar mark. "I've spent probably about $40,000 maintaining the site and publicizing it, so there's been some degree of expense to keep it going. But still--it's a healthy profit at the end of the day."
Learning to AdaptIf it sounds like Tew skipped all the way to the bank with his 20-minute idea, think again. A large part of his success is hugely owed to his ability to quickly find solutions and adapt to the many problems that unexpectedly popped up during the past five months.
"It's been quite overwhelming because everything has just blown up in such big ways that I never really prepared for," Tew says. "I had to adapt quite quickly due to the sheer volume of interest."
One of the first problems he encountered was that his website wasn't equipped to handle the volume of traffic he began receiving. In the beginning, he had to manually upload every single image and all the links himself. As hundreds of orders began pouring in, though, Tew was forced to hire two people to help maintain the website's database and deal with customers.
The next major problem was that PayPal blocked his account. (PayPal's anti-fraud policy automatically blocks accounts with high volumes of transactions in order to avoid money-laundering schemes.) Tew was forced to quickly come up with an alternative payment method to keep up with the volume of orders he was receiving. Within three hours of PayPal going down, Tew had found a replacement. And although PayPal eventually enabled his account again, Tew kept both payment options open to prevent a similar problem in the future.
Tew also had to learn to release control to others. "In previous projects, I've wanted to do everything," he says. "With this, I had no choice but to get other people involved." So he enlisted the help of family and friends and even a PR person in the United States to deal with the international media. Tew adds, "I've learned the value of letting other people take responsibility for different aspects of the business."
The Next StepFor now, Tew is deferring his college degree until next September in order to take time to reassess his career path to determine which direction he really wants to go. "I've had a lot of job offers from some of the hugest internet companies, but I think my long-term future is going into business to do my own thing."
In the meantime, Tew plans on donating a portion of his site's profits to a local UK charity that helps young people start their own businesses. The same charity once helped him secure a $3,500 loan to do music-related projects.
"It'll be nice to give something back," he says. "And if I can be anything of an inspiration to other young people wanting to start businesses, well, that's a good thing as well."
A Young Entrepreneur's AdviceJust 21 years old and already an experienced entrepreneur, Alex Tew has some sage advice for anybody looking to start their own business.
· If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail. "That old saying is a cliché, but it's absolutely true," says Tew. "Had I known this was going to be so successful I would have probably prepared a lot better for it. But playing it by ear and making adaptations along the way has been a valuable learning experience, and I know what mistakes not to make next time."
Part of being prepared means writing a business plan. "It can be difficult to do cash-flow forecasts when you haven't started a business or to write a proper business plan when you don't know how much you're going to make," Tew says. "But you have to lay out in your mind exactly what you're trying to achieve."
· Be creative. "The biggest thing I've learned is to have faith in creativity because ideas work," Tew says.
· Go big. "Make sure your hobby is big enough to make money," Tew advises. In 2002, Tew launched Humanbeatbox.com, an online community for vocal percussionists. The site now has more than 11,000 members and is one of the largest sites for beatbox artists, but the experience taught Tew a valuable lesson. "The mistake I made was that beatboxing was such a niche thing that there wasn't enough money to make a sustainable business. As people start businesses based on hobbies, [they should] make sure there's a big enough market for that hobby."
· Keep trying. "I've had lots of ideas over the years that haven't necessarily been as successful as this one, but I've learned lots of lessons with each one," says Tew. "There's no such thing as a failure because every time you fail, you learn something that you don't do next time. So always keep going. And good luck."
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Bill Gates Third Richest Man In The World.
Warren Buffett has become the richest man in the world according to the Forbes business magazine which ranks the billionaires of the world each year. The famous stock market investor has long been denied the number position by his friend and bridge playing partner Bill Gates.
Bill Gates held the number one position on the world rich list for the past thirteen years in a row. The Microsoft billionaire didn't see his fortune disappear over the past twelve months, his wealth just didn't grow as quickly as the world's most famous value investor.
Mr. Microsoft is still worth an impressive $58 billion, which is an increase of $2 billion over the past year. Gates is now in third place with the richest Mexican Carlos Slim Helu taking second place. If investors in Microsoft were happier with its bid for the Internet company Yahoo! Gates may still have held onto his number one position on the global rich list. Since Microsoft made a bid for Yahoo! towards the end of January through to the Forbes cutoff date on the 11th of February Microsoft saw its share price head south by 15%, which may have been enough to knock Bill Gates off of his perch.
Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway has seen its share price increasing despite the turmoil that has hit world share markets over the past 12 months. Buffett saw his personal fortune rise by $10 billion, giving him a net worth of $62 billion.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Getting the Right Job
Getting the Right Job in Tough Times
Introduction
The job market can be tough. Perhaps you’ve got the credentials that qualify you for a good position, but getting from here to there is not going to be easy. Those credentials (your certificate, diploma, or degree) that you’ve worked so hard for are now really just a hunting license to go out and look for a limited number of jobs amidst the hundreds and maybe thousands of other people with the same credentials. To stand out from the crowd you are going to have to market yourself to your perspective employers. There are a lot of things that you cannot control in the process, but you can maximize those things that you can control.
The job application
At some point in the process, usually the very first or the very last thing, you will have to fill out an application. Your application is going to be your representative to people that you’ve never met. Whoever is reading it will make decisions about you, your character and your abilities; if their first impression is that this is someone who is sloppy, incomplete, or can care less about the job then your chances are cut to slim right off the bat.
Application hints
1. I encourage people to ask for two applications, one to use as a first draft and one for the final copy. Make sure that you keep the final copy clean and wrinkle-free.
2. Fill in all blanks; if something does not apply, write in N/A instead of leaving it blank.
3. Make sure all of your dates and places are correct and in order. Note that on applications and resumés everything is listed in reverse chronological order, listing the most recent first then working backward.
4. On applications they quite often ask something like ‘salary desired.’ I encourage people to write in ‘neg.’ or ‘negotiable’.
The cover letter
If you are submitting a resumé, you will need to accompany it with a Cover Letter. The purpose of the cover letter is to introduce you to the potential employer and convince them to read your resumé. If an employer has a position open and gets 50 – 100 resumé responses, they are not going to want to read through each and every one of them. So your cover letter will briefly tell them who you are, what you want, how you qualify, and how to contact you. This can be done in four or five brief sentences and may determine whether your potential employer goes on to examine your resumé.
Your resumé
The next step is to submit that resumé. It will tell them your potential employer who you are, your education and/or qualifications, your experiences, your work history, any professional organizations that you are involved with, any awards you may have received, and that you have references. Resumé’s are a crucial step and can make nearly all the difference. This is not an area to ‘cut corners’; I would encourage you to take a community education class on resumé writing if it’s available. Also many colleges such as ours have a person in student services who has the duty of helping students write a good resumé. There are also many books/manuals out there that show how to build one. My two least favorite methods, although they can be effective, is to buy a computer program that will put one together for you or hire a professional resumee writer. Finally, some do’s and don'ts about resume’s; do use high quality resumé paper with a ‘water-seal”; also it is a plus to use the same paper for your cover letter. Use paper that is white or a very light color such as ivory, beige, light gray or light blue. Do keep the length to two, no more than three pages. Finally, do be 100% accurate in your information. Editor’s note: “Fudging”—stretching the truth or actually making up information—while seemingly either inconsequential or a falsehood you can’t imagine ever being caught at, could actually, In our computer age, be discovered way down the line and ruin your career.
Resumé don’ts
Do Not put down any type of identifying numbers, such as birth-date or social security numbers. This was common practice at one time, but in these days of identity theft, it is no longer done.
Do Not list your references… simply put ‘references available upon request’; this lets the employer know that you do in fact have them if they later want them.
Do Not let the resumé get stained or wrinkled.
The Interview Process
Remember the purpose of the resumé is to get the employer to offer you an interview. When that happens, there are tasks that need to be done. The interview process can be divided into three stages… the ‘pre-interview’ the ‘interview’, and the’ post-interview’. In the pre-interview you are simply preparing for the interview. You must dress appropriately; males need to dress in black, navy, or gray; khaki is acceptable also for a ‘service industry’. Females customarily can have a little more color but not too much. Be conservative with jewelry if you choose to wear any; cover any tattoos if need be. Know a little about the company beforehand… there are five questions that you will be asked in some form or another, so prepare answers to them beforehand. Most likely you will be asked the following questions in some form or another:
· What do you know about our company?
· Why are you interested in this position?
· What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
· Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
· What would you like us to remember about you?
Also in the pre interview you need to scout out the location of the interview. It is traditional to arrive for the interview at least 10 -15 minutes ahead of time. Do not be late… if something unexpected happens ( for instance being stuck in traffic due to a previous car accident) call ahead if possible. When you arrive, let them know you’re there, sit down and relax.
When someone comes to get you for the actual interview, smile, look them in the eye, and give them a good firm handshake as you say hello. The handshake is very important, it tells the person meeting you about your self confidence. It should be a good firm ‘palm to palm’ grip, this is especially true for females.
You may be interviewed by one person or several people at once. You say hello if need be and have a seat wherever they put you. They will begin to ask you questions and you merely answer them as confidently as you can. Remember to maintain good eye contact with everyone in the room, project your voice well, don’t ‘squirm’ and try not to ‘talk with your hands’. Attempt to appear confident but not arrogant; never talk bad about anyone nor blame anyone for anything. Also to remember that their standpoint is, “ what can this person do for me/us?” Just as they are ‘sizing you up’ you are sizing them as well. Perhaps you don’t want to work for that company; if you have this feeling you can always decline the offer of employment. At the end of the interview they will probably ask you if you have any questions. Try to have at least one, it shows interest. If you had one but they somehow covered it, you can just say so here and then ask, “…if any come up, may I call you?” When the interview is over, smile, shake hands, and thank them for the interview as you exit.
Finally comes the post interview which is simple yet many people neglect it; it can be the deciding factor in hiring. Simply put, you merely send them a ‘thank you’ 24 – 48 hours after the interview. You say ‘thank you’ for the interview and ‘I look forward to hearing from you.’ This can be done by email, but again I am partial to a handwritten ‘thank you’ card.
Conclusion
Understand that job hunting sometimes is a ‘numbers game’ and that the best person for the job doesn’t necessarily get it. There are so many other variables in play that you may have done everything right and still not get the job. If that’s true, try to honestly look at how the process worked, both the positive and negative, make the necessary adjustments, and move onto the next one. Eventually it will happen for you.
Good Luck!!!
Introduction
The job market can be tough. Perhaps you’ve got the credentials that qualify you for a good position, but getting from here to there is not going to be easy. Those credentials (your certificate, diploma, or degree) that you’ve worked so hard for are now really just a hunting license to go out and look for a limited number of jobs amidst the hundreds and maybe thousands of other people with the same credentials. To stand out from the crowd you are going to have to market yourself to your perspective employers. There are a lot of things that you cannot control in the process, but you can maximize those things that you can control.
The job application
At some point in the process, usually the very first or the very last thing, you will have to fill out an application. Your application is going to be your representative to people that you’ve never met. Whoever is reading it will make decisions about you, your character and your abilities; if their first impression is that this is someone who is sloppy, incomplete, or can care less about the job then your chances are cut to slim right off the bat.
Application hints
1. I encourage people to ask for two applications, one to use as a first draft and one for the final copy. Make sure that you keep the final copy clean and wrinkle-free.
2. Fill in all blanks; if something does not apply, write in N/A instead of leaving it blank.
3. Make sure all of your dates and places are correct and in order. Note that on applications and resumés everything is listed in reverse chronological order, listing the most recent first then working backward.
4. On applications they quite often ask something like ‘salary desired.’ I encourage people to write in ‘neg.’ or ‘negotiable’.
The cover letter
If you are submitting a resumé, you will need to accompany it with a Cover Letter. The purpose of the cover letter is to introduce you to the potential employer and convince them to read your resumé. If an employer has a position open and gets 50 – 100 resumé responses, they are not going to want to read through each and every one of them. So your cover letter will briefly tell them who you are, what you want, how you qualify, and how to contact you. This can be done in four or five brief sentences and may determine whether your potential employer goes on to examine your resumé.
Your resumé
The next step is to submit that resumé. It will tell them your potential employer who you are, your education and/or qualifications, your experiences, your work history, any professional organizations that you are involved with, any awards you may have received, and that you have references. Resumé’s are a crucial step and can make nearly all the difference. This is not an area to ‘cut corners’; I would encourage you to take a community education class on resumé writing if it’s available. Also many colleges such as ours have a person in student services who has the duty of helping students write a good resumé. There are also many books/manuals out there that show how to build one. My two least favorite methods, although they can be effective, is to buy a computer program that will put one together for you or hire a professional resumee writer. Finally, some do’s and don'ts about resume’s; do use high quality resumé paper with a ‘water-seal”; also it is a plus to use the same paper for your cover letter. Use paper that is white or a very light color such as ivory, beige, light gray or light blue. Do keep the length to two, no more than three pages. Finally, do be 100% accurate in your information. Editor’s note: “Fudging”—stretching the truth or actually making up information—while seemingly either inconsequential or a falsehood you can’t imagine ever being caught at, could actually, In our computer age, be discovered way down the line and ruin your career.
Resumé don’ts
Do Not put down any type of identifying numbers, such as birth-date or social security numbers. This was common practice at one time, but in these days of identity theft, it is no longer done.
Do Not list your references… simply put ‘references available upon request’; this lets the employer know that you do in fact have them if they later want them.
Do Not let the resumé get stained or wrinkled.
The Interview Process
Remember the purpose of the resumé is to get the employer to offer you an interview. When that happens, there are tasks that need to be done. The interview process can be divided into three stages… the ‘pre-interview’ the ‘interview’, and the’ post-interview’. In the pre-interview you are simply preparing for the interview. You must dress appropriately; males need to dress in black, navy, or gray; khaki is acceptable also for a ‘service industry’. Females customarily can have a little more color but not too much. Be conservative with jewelry if you choose to wear any; cover any tattoos if need be. Know a little about the company beforehand… there are five questions that you will be asked in some form or another, so prepare answers to them beforehand. Most likely you will be asked the following questions in some form or another:
· What do you know about our company?
· Why are you interested in this position?
· What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
· Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
· What would you like us to remember about you?
Also in the pre interview you need to scout out the location of the interview. It is traditional to arrive for the interview at least 10 -15 minutes ahead of time. Do not be late… if something unexpected happens ( for instance being stuck in traffic due to a previous car accident) call ahead if possible. When you arrive, let them know you’re there, sit down and relax.
When someone comes to get you for the actual interview, smile, look them in the eye, and give them a good firm handshake as you say hello. The handshake is very important, it tells the person meeting you about your self confidence. It should be a good firm ‘palm to palm’ grip, this is especially true for females.
You may be interviewed by one person or several people at once. You say hello if need be and have a seat wherever they put you. They will begin to ask you questions and you merely answer them as confidently as you can. Remember to maintain good eye contact with everyone in the room, project your voice well, don’t ‘squirm’ and try not to ‘talk with your hands’. Attempt to appear confident but not arrogant; never talk bad about anyone nor blame anyone for anything. Also to remember that their standpoint is, “ what can this person do for me/us?” Just as they are ‘sizing you up’ you are sizing them as well. Perhaps you don’t want to work for that company; if you have this feeling you can always decline the offer of employment. At the end of the interview they will probably ask you if you have any questions. Try to have at least one, it shows interest. If you had one but they somehow covered it, you can just say so here and then ask, “…if any come up, may I call you?” When the interview is over, smile, shake hands, and thank them for the interview as you exit.
Finally comes the post interview which is simple yet many people neglect it; it can be the deciding factor in hiring. Simply put, you merely send them a ‘thank you’ 24 – 48 hours after the interview. You say ‘thank you’ for the interview and ‘I look forward to hearing from you.’ This can be done by email, but again I am partial to a handwritten ‘thank you’ card.
Conclusion
Understand that job hunting sometimes is a ‘numbers game’ and that the best person for the job doesn’t necessarily get it. There are so many other variables in play that you may have done everything right and still not get the job. If that’s true, try to honestly look at how the process worked, both the positive and negative, make the necessary adjustments, and move onto the next one. Eventually it will happen for you.
Good Luck!!!
Monday, May 26, 2008
8 Habits of Millionaires
In order to develop a Millionaire Mind it helps to understand the habits of millionaires and simply mimic those behaviors. So let’s take a look at the characteristics and habits that are common among self-made millionaires. What are the fundamental rules that have made most millionaires their hard-earned money? And how do you develop these habits of millionaires in order to become one yourself:
1. Earn to Invest, Not Earn to Spend: Sadly most people work hard in order to pay off their credit cards and support their lifestyles. The wealthy class understand that their money is better off being put to work in order to make more money and increase their net worth.
2. Have a Plan and Work the Plan: Self-made millionaire don’t normally become wealthy on accident. They are driven to become rich and formulate a plan to get them there over a lifetime of investing and accumulating wealth.
3. Make More Money: Sounds obvious, but wealthy people are constantly seeking ways to produce additional income streams in order to put more money to work for them.
4. Understand Their Finances: The wealthy class are aware of their personal income statements, and know how much cash flow they have coming in and how much is going out.
5. Risk Takers: Measured risk is a must in order to increase your net worth. Without taking some chances, your money never has an opportunity to grow. Risk is never taken without an exit strategy and insurance to protect the downside.
6. Patience: Self-made millionaires did not become that way overnight. They understand the power of compound interest and that consistent investment effort will be rewarded.
7. Great Team: Wealthy people who stay wealthy surround themselves with financial and legal advisors that are the best in their class. They don’t go at it alone.
8. Involved: While self-made millionaires seek advice of their trusted advisers, they listen intently, do their homework and ultimately make the decisions. They are actively involved in creating their own wealth.
1. Earn to Invest, Not Earn to Spend: Sadly most people work hard in order to pay off their credit cards and support their lifestyles. The wealthy class understand that their money is better off being put to work in order to make more money and increase their net worth.
2. Have a Plan and Work the Plan: Self-made millionaire don’t normally become wealthy on accident. They are driven to become rich and formulate a plan to get them there over a lifetime of investing and accumulating wealth.
3. Make More Money: Sounds obvious, but wealthy people are constantly seeking ways to produce additional income streams in order to put more money to work for them.
4. Understand Their Finances: The wealthy class are aware of their personal income statements, and know how much cash flow they have coming in and how much is going out.
5. Risk Takers: Measured risk is a must in order to increase your net worth. Without taking some chances, your money never has an opportunity to grow. Risk is never taken without an exit strategy and insurance to protect the downside.
6. Patience: Self-made millionaires did not become that way overnight. They understand the power of compound interest and that consistent investment effort will be rewarded.
7. Great Team: Wealthy people who stay wealthy surround themselves with financial and legal advisors that are the best in their class. They don’t go at it alone.
8. Involved: While self-made millionaires seek advice of their trusted advisers, they listen intently, do their homework and ultimately make the decisions. They are actively involved in creating their own wealth.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Tips on Choosing Your Home Business
You want your own business, maybe to be financially independent, be your own boss, work at your own time, and maybe, just maybe, retire as a multi-millionaire at the age of 35! But do you know what business you should start?
Selecting the right kind of business is a difficult process for any starting entrepreneur. Many dream of starting their own businesses, but remain frozen in status quo mainly because they do not know what business to engage in. Good ideas seem to be a dime-a-dozen, with newspapers filled with stories of how teens are reaching financial nirvana on very simple business concepts. Unfortunately, the next big business model perfectly eludes you!
Here are ten tips on selecting the home business most suited for you.
1. Instead of choosing the first business that comes to mind, take time to explore various options. Check out other business ideas! Read books providing ideas for possible home-based or small business, and trade magazine articles on trends and market demands. With the phenomenal growth of the Internet, information is now literally at the tip of your fingertips.
2. Find out what type of business appeals to you most. Determine your goals, interests, wants and capabilities. You can turn your fascination for miniature shoes into a business; or your skill and expertise in designing graphics into a fledging business enterprise. The important thing is that you must enjoy your business. The most successful entrepreneurs feel passionate about what they are doing. You cannot feel passionate (and hence more driven) about your business if you do not like it!
3. Choose a business that will be personally satisfying as well as profitable. While you may have passion for your hobby or craft, always consider its business potentials. Do you think there is a demand for it? Will it bring you recurring income? How saturated is the market? Are there barriers to entry? Will you have economies of scale? Start a business that you think has a solid potential to be profitable. You will need to do a lot of pencil pushing and calculating to determine the financial viability of a business. This will entail analyzing your market and conducting a break-even analysis, a preliminary financial projection that shows you the amount of revenue you'll need to bring in to cover your expenses. It may sound like a lot of hard work, particularly if you’re not a financial whiz, but this is one of the important steps in assessing whether the business you’ve selected can make you money.
4. Think whether you can and want to handle every aspect of the business. When you start your new small business, you may not have the luxury of a full-time staff complement to help out in some aspects of the business. Instead of simply focusing on the strategic direction of the business, you may be required to collect receivables, track expenses, cold call customers, and do thousands of other tasks. Be aware of the other tasks that you have to do in your business.
5. Draw a layout of your intended work area to see how it will fit into its allotted space into your home. Remember, you are starting a business at home to save on overhead costs, so make use of every possible nook and cranny that you can use in your house. If you want to start a cake decorating business, you need to have a large kitchen. Forget about starting a dance instruction class if you live in a studio apartment!
6. Make sure the business meets high safety standards, esp. if you have children at home. This is particularly essential if your business deals and uses chemicals and other harmful substances. For instance, keep all the chemicals used for a carpet or upholstery cleaning business in a safe place in the garage beyond the reach of children.
7. Check with an insurance agent to determine the kind of insurance coverage the business is going to need. It is good planning to determine what insurance is necessary to minimize your risks and protect your business. General categories of insurance include property, licensing, liability, health, disability, workers' compensation, and life insurance.
8. Ensure compliance with zoning laws and ordinances in your area. Visit your city hall or the planning office to see whether zoning regulations would prevent you from selecting a specific location. Carefully note the regulations governing business signs and types of businesses that are allowed at different locations. You do not want the city hall folks to come knocking down at your door asking you to cease operations after you have spent thousands decorating and equipping your business!
9. Select a business whose organizational characteristics are compatible with yourself or your family. You should select a business that fits well with the schedule of your family. If you have a newborn baby in the house and your husband works full time, you should look for a business that would allow you to take care of your baby. Businesses that would compel you to actively seek clients out like a real estate endeavor may not be suited for you at this point.
10. Get your family members involved in the business and have fun together working for its success! Every telecommuter dreams of merging home and office, career and family into a symbiotic blend of harmonious bliss. It is not always easy, but one way will be to involve your family in your home business. During summer, you can ask your kids to help in the packing of your product. Or your teen son can help design your Web site. Your spouse can help in negotiating with your clients. The most important thing, though, is that everyone in your family enjoys working in your business.
Selecting the right kind of business is a difficult process for any starting entrepreneur. Many dream of starting their own businesses, but remain frozen in status quo mainly because they do not know what business to engage in. Good ideas seem to be a dime-a-dozen, with newspapers filled with stories of how teens are reaching financial nirvana on very simple business concepts. Unfortunately, the next big business model perfectly eludes you!
Here are ten tips on selecting the home business most suited for you.
1. Instead of choosing the first business that comes to mind, take time to explore various options. Check out other business ideas! Read books providing ideas for possible home-based or small business, and trade magazine articles on trends and market demands. With the phenomenal growth of the Internet, information is now literally at the tip of your fingertips.
2. Find out what type of business appeals to you most. Determine your goals, interests, wants and capabilities. You can turn your fascination for miniature shoes into a business; or your skill and expertise in designing graphics into a fledging business enterprise. The important thing is that you must enjoy your business. The most successful entrepreneurs feel passionate about what they are doing. You cannot feel passionate (and hence more driven) about your business if you do not like it!
3. Choose a business that will be personally satisfying as well as profitable. While you may have passion for your hobby or craft, always consider its business potentials. Do you think there is a demand for it? Will it bring you recurring income? How saturated is the market? Are there barriers to entry? Will you have economies of scale? Start a business that you think has a solid potential to be profitable. You will need to do a lot of pencil pushing and calculating to determine the financial viability of a business. This will entail analyzing your market and conducting a break-even analysis, a preliminary financial projection that shows you the amount of revenue you'll need to bring in to cover your expenses. It may sound like a lot of hard work, particularly if you’re not a financial whiz, but this is one of the important steps in assessing whether the business you’ve selected can make you money.
4. Think whether you can and want to handle every aspect of the business. When you start your new small business, you may not have the luxury of a full-time staff complement to help out in some aspects of the business. Instead of simply focusing on the strategic direction of the business, you may be required to collect receivables, track expenses, cold call customers, and do thousands of other tasks. Be aware of the other tasks that you have to do in your business.
5. Draw a layout of your intended work area to see how it will fit into its allotted space into your home. Remember, you are starting a business at home to save on overhead costs, so make use of every possible nook and cranny that you can use in your house. If you want to start a cake decorating business, you need to have a large kitchen. Forget about starting a dance instruction class if you live in a studio apartment!
6. Make sure the business meets high safety standards, esp. if you have children at home. This is particularly essential if your business deals and uses chemicals and other harmful substances. For instance, keep all the chemicals used for a carpet or upholstery cleaning business in a safe place in the garage beyond the reach of children.
7. Check with an insurance agent to determine the kind of insurance coverage the business is going to need. It is good planning to determine what insurance is necessary to minimize your risks and protect your business. General categories of insurance include property, licensing, liability, health, disability, workers' compensation, and life insurance.
8. Ensure compliance with zoning laws and ordinances in your area. Visit your city hall or the planning office to see whether zoning regulations would prevent you from selecting a specific location. Carefully note the regulations governing business signs and types of businesses that are allowed at different locations. You do not want the city hall folks to come knocking down at your door asking you to cease operations after you have spent thousands decorating and equipping your business!
9. Select a business whose organizational characteristics are compatible with yourself or your family. You should select a business that fits well with the schedule of your family. If you have a newborn baby in the house and your husband works full time, you should look for a business that would allow you to take care of your baby. Businesses that would compel you to actively seek clients out like a real estate endeavor may not be suited for you at this point.
10. Get your family members involved in the business and have fun together working for its success! Every telecommuter dreams of merging home and office, career and family into a symbiotic blend of harmonious bliss. It is not always easy, but one way will be to involve your family in your home business. During summer, you can ask your kids to help in the packing of your product. Or your teen son can help design your Web site. Your spouse can help in negotiating with your clients. The most important thing, though, is that everyone in your family enjoys working in your business.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Top business Idea
I used to use Internet Shopping for my grocery shop when I couldn’t drive, a disabled family member also uses it a lot. My question is how far could services like this go?
We both work fulltime, and having met up after work on Thursday the dry-cleaners where we were doing our shopping was shut - she has a priority card for them to get the cleaning done quickly, but what use is that when they are shut?
I managed to finish work early on the Friday and drop it in, and I was pleasantly surprised when the assistant said, “Oh it will be ready on Sunday!”, wow that’s service!
Normally a Sunday collection would be fine, but we were away for the weekend and got back before the early Sunday closing time. Monday we worked until after they were closed, Tuesday we were both off work but had a string of appointments and completely forgot, so here it’s Wednesday and we still haven’t collected the dry cleaning!
Supermarkets have moved into the late night and 24 hour arena in recent times, which is great when you want to go shopping late, or go shopping at 4am! But what about other things?
I’d be interested to see the pricing of a shop/service that was only open in the late afternoon evenings (say 4pm - 10pm) that would do the following:- Drop things off to the correct people during office hours (whether that be Dry Cleaning to the Cleaners, or my eBay parcel to the other side of the world, to the Post Office).- Allow me to have my Post Office parcels and packets delivered to them and them sign for them because our collection office closes at 2pm (I know they open at 5am but that’s not the point, I want the packet that evening).
There’s probably a multitude of other things they could do as the business grew (couriering as they’d be on the road locally anyway etc.), initially I think it would make a loss, they’d be costing petrol for just a few people’s items probably all to different places. But you’d probably want to play a volume game, you’re only going to have to go to the post office once in a day whether you have 2 parcels from the evening before or 50! The same with the dry cleaners.
Does anyone have any other ideas for what a service like this could involve, or indeed know of one and the pricing structure?
We both work fulltime, and having met up after work on Thursday the dry-cleaners where we were doing our shopping was shut - she has a priority card for them to get the cleaning done quickly, but what use is that when they are shut?
I managed to finish work early on the Friday and drop it in, and I was pleasantly surprised when the assistant said, “Oh it will be ready on Sunday!”, wow that’s service!
Normally a Sunday collection would be fine, but we were away for the weekend and got back before the early Sunday closing time. Monday we worked until after they were closed, Tuesday we were both off work but had a string of appointments and completely forgot, so here it’s Wednesday and we still haven’t collected the dry cleaning!
Supermarkets have moved into the late night and 24 hour arena in recent times, which is great when you want to go shopping late, or go shopping at 4am! But what about other things?
I’d be interested to see the pricing of a shop/service that was only open in the late afternoon evenings (say 4pm - 10pm) that would do the following:- Drop things off to the correct people during office hours (whether that be Dry Cleaning to the Cleaners, or my eBay parcel to the other side of the world, to the Post Office).- Allow me to have my Post Office parcels and packets delivered to them and them sign for them because our collection office closes at 2pm (I know they open at 5am but that’s not the point, I want the packet that evening).
There’s probably a multitude of other things they could do as the business grew (couriering as they’d be on the road locally anyway etc.), initially I think it would make a loss, they’d be costing petrol for just a few people’s items probably all to different places. But you’d probably want to play a volume game, you’re only going to have to go to the post office once in a day whether you have 2 parcels from the evening before or 50! The same with the dry cleaners.
Does anyone have any other ideas for what a service like this could involve, or indeed know of one and the pricing structure?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)