Information On Jobs Articles and News

Find A Work At Home Job at the Work-at-Home Search Engine

2007-11-16T02:22:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can start your own work-at-home business today and by tomorrow be making more money than you are on your day job? It's true. Thousands of people are doing it right now.

There is a place you can go to search for work at home opportunities. A search engine. You've heard of Google, MSN, and Yahoo, right? It's a little bit like one of those.

The difference is that this search engine is a work-at-home search engine. Yes, you can find work-at-home employment just by going online and finding it. It's right there at your fingertips.

All you have to do is type in your keyword in the work-at-home search engine search box and see what pops up. Just like at Google.

I'll even tell you what the Top 10 searches are at the work-at-home search engine. Ready?

"Work at home jobs" and "work at home" are the top two searches. But you probably could have guessed that.

How about the third most popular search? Well, "Aff Featured" is the third most popular search. Would you have guessed that?

"Work at home moms" also gets top billing at the work-at-home search engine. Other top searches include "home employment," "telecommuting," "online jobs," "work from home," "telecommuting jobs," and "computer jobs."

Of course, you don't have to perform "work at home" searches at the work-at-home search engine. Interested in a certain type of work-at-home job? Use that as your keyword.

For instance, if you are interested in typing medical billing forms, type in "medical billing" into the search engine search box. You'll get an entire list of medical billing work-at-home job opportunities.

The work-at-home search engine contains thousands of work-at-home opportunities for people who are ready to step out on their own. If you want to start a multi-level marketing business, you can. There are plenty of MLM opportunities listed in the work-at-home search engine database.

You can also search the full list of home business resources, learn all about Internet marketing, browse the listings of telecommuting jobs available, read about Internet opportunities that are open to you, and even take advantage of the several free resources offered at the work-at-home search engine. The opportunities are endless!

Do you have a work-at-home job opportunity you'd like to advertise? If so, you can list your business opportunity or web site on the work-at-home search engine. Just place a bid and you can be one of the many thousands of work-at-home opportunities getting clicked on by people all over the world. Become a member of the most trafficked work-at home search engine on the World Wide Web. You'll be surprised at the super low bids for some of the search terms.

If you like to work at home, you can find the job you want at the work-at-home search engine. Whether you enjoy licking stamps or making and assembling toys and other crafts, the work-at-home search engine has the job you are looking for.

If you are the type of person who enjoys getting paid for taking photos, shopping, or giving your opinion, then you can go to the work-at-home search engine and find the job you want - at the click of a mouse. Click coupons and make money, write jingles for companies who seriously need your writing skills, or get that dream job you've always wanted where you get paid good money for shopping for your favorite clothes.

Are you an eBay junkie? You can make money selling things around your house - on eBay. Those jobs are listed at the work-at-home search engine. Among many others.

This is not the day to put off your freedom. Take full control of your future and find that work-at-home employment opportunity today - at the work-at-home search engine.

Information Net Source Corp. has been helping people find the perfect work at home jobs, businesses and opportunities for the last 9 years. Visit us on the web at www.workathomesearchengine.com or reach one of our helpful work at home consultants at 1-800-488-5654. Let us share our work at home experience and guide you towards the right work at home position.

Article Source: Free Articles from http://www.ArticleSphere.com

http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Find-A-Work-At-Home-Job-at-the-Work-at-Home-Search-Engine/60895

Data entry jobs – Clerical job earns fast cash

2007-11-16T02:21:00.000-08:00

The IT services sector has led to the development of all countries in the technology field. This has increased the need to save and store data on a massive scale. Therefore, the need for data entry projects has increased enormously in the IT sector. Data entry has become such a huge industry by itself that data entry jobs are on the constant rise. What are these data entry jobs? Before we look into the jobs, let us see what data entry is all about.

The process of entering data into a computerized database or spreadsheet is known as data entry. Data entry can be performed by an individual typing at a keyboard or by a machine entering data electronically. Other methods of entering data electronically include the use of scanners, speech recognition and automatic device-to-system technology.

More and more companies are providing data entry jobs, only to manage the huge amounts of data collected through customer management, offshore projects and such others. Since it is possible to convert information on a variety of forms into digital data, it can be used for data mining, customer relationship management, web-based offerings and other marketing initiatives.

If a company, irrespective of its size, is always aware and conscious of the market,customers or clients, the better it can trace results, measure efficiency, and analyze data. This will lead to faster critical information. This applies to corporations, physicians, attorneys, automobile manufacturers, hospitals, marketing companies, and just about any other business one can imagine that needs information fast and accurate and up-to-date.

What has led to the rise of data entry jobs? It is not always possible to convert documents automatically to digital form. Handwritten and poor quality documents are often more cost effectively done by manual data entry and verification.

Many companies provide low-cost high-capacity services to key directly from scanned images or from raw paper, microfilm and microfiche. Keyed data is always linked to extracts of database if a database exists.

There are others who offer high quality, cost-effective data entry services ideally suited to high volume data entry applications such as mailing list compilation, key from images, data extraction from web, file conversion etc.

Data entry jobs literally help you to take the clerical burden off your shoulders. These jobs accurately input any type of data you have, saving your time and money. This also helps MNC's and huge corporate houses concentrate only on their primary business. People doing these data entry jobs focus primarily on speed and accuracy.

Companies often offshore data entry services. Data entry jobs include data entry, data processing, data mining, image data entry, conversion and data manipulation services.

High volume data entry jobs consist of database development and mailing list compilation, keypunching from images, data extraction from web, electronic publication, file conversion from pdf to word or capture of data in excel format.

Data entry jobs are perfect for stay-at-home mothers and housewives who have some free time on their hands. This does not require hi-fi technical skills, nor does it require eight hours of dedicated work. You can always choose a data entry job that suits your lifestyle. There are millions of data entry jobs available on the Internet. You just need to be computer-savvy and be very accurate and fast while entering these data.

I am a Senior SEO and Content writer by profession. I love to write and surf the net. That is what made me look for a profession in web writing. I read, listen to music and cook when I am free. I am from a very small and closely knit family. I have very few but very good and understanding friends.

I am currently working on data entry jobs, a client project. Other projects include - Website Design

Article Source: Free Articles from http://www.ArticleSphere.com

http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Data-entry-jobs---Clerical-job-earns-fast-cash/62727

Online Jobs - Work From Home And Make Money

2007-11-16T02:20:00.000-08:00

The internet has really changed the job market. Often, people cannot move hundreds or even thousands of miles to take a new job, or simply do not want to. But these days, it's simple to find a good, well-paying job without needing to relocate. Online jobs offer people a chance to earn money without picking up and moving across the country. Because all that they require is a computer with a good internet connection, online jobs create a wide-open job market and provide a wide variety of ways to make money today.

There are a variety of job types with numerous jobs available online. Telemarketing jobs are one example of the types of online jobs available. Working in an online sales department is another possibility. A third possibility is using an online auction site to sell products.

Telemarketing has a history of being a successful, lucrative market. Many more telemarketing employers are offering jobs that can be worked over the Internet. This allows the employee to work at home, saving gas money and eliminating a stressful commute to work.

These are excellent positions, since people can set their own hours and work from home. That means that people can work just part of the time and set the rest of their schedules around their work. As a result, high school and college students and housewives frequently take positions like these.

Through the internet, it is now possible to contact prospective clients, market and sell products while earning a commission from the privacy and comfort of your home. Working for a sales company in the online sales division is a lucrative way for those in the business of making money to make money from home via the internet.

Today's market is very stable, and as a result, many people are starting to sell products online. To meet their needs, online auction sites are becoming more and more common.

Many people are looking for ways to earn money without leaving home. Online jobs can provide this opportunity. Some pay enough to provide a stable income, and allow the employee to live anywhere in the world as long as an internet connection is available.

Article Source: Free Articles from http://www.ArticleSphere.com

http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Online-Jobs---Work-From-Home-And-Make-Money/105993

Online Jobs: Are They A Good Idea?

2007-11-16T02:19:00.000-08:00

Online jobs are a great way to earn money in today's society. There are many ways to make money online. Many of the online jobs are very lucrative jobs and are the easiest way to make money in the job market today. Many people do not have the ability to obtain jobs that are across the country. However online jobs give people the ability to take positions that are across the country or even overseas and thus open the market to more people.

There are a variety of job types with numerous jobs available online. Telemarketing jobs are one example of the types of online jobs available. Working in an online sales department is another possibility. A third possibility is using an online auction site to sell products.

Telemarketing is already large and continues to grow. It is, therefore, a lucrative market full of money making opportunities. This fact, coupled with the money and time saving conveniences of not needing to commute, makes choosing an at home internet telemarketing job a very attractive choice.

These are excellent positions, since people can set their own hours and work from home. That means that people can work just part of the time and set the rest of their schedules around their work. As a result, high school and college students and housewives frequently take positions like these.

The online sales divisions are also a lucrative market for people in the business of making money by using the Internet. The fact that you can work for a sales company through the Internet and use the Internet from home in order to contact prospective clients means that you are able to sell products and make commissions without ever having to leave your home.

Today's market is very stable, and as a result, many people are starting to sell products online. To meet their needs, online auction sites are becoming more and more common.

Online jobs are perfect for everyone. They can help you earn money to live a stable life, as well as serve as a small hobby in addition to your primary job. It also easy to get into, as you can do it anywhere, no matter where you live, or if you have a family.

Article Source: Free Articles from http://www.ArticleSphere.com

http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Online-Jobs--Are-They-A-Good-Idea-/106243

Jobs For Stay At Home Moms

2007-11-16T02:17:00.000-08:00

We see many searches sent to various search engines looking for jobs for stay at home moms, best jobs for stay at home moms, online jobs for stay at home moms, stay at home jobs for stay at home moms, work at home jobs
and there are many more.

Stay at home Moms are looking to the Internet for stay at home opportunities so that can take care of their families, make some extra money or simply want to work from home so they can take care of their children

After doing much research there are many ways moms can work at home. Here are just a few:

* Data Entry from Home
* Type at Home
* Rebate Processing from home
* Online paid surveys
* Telephone Answering
* Medical Transcription

and more and more. Most web site owners such as myself have researched and even put in place a specific web page for Moms looking for work, because of this huge demand.

There is minimal cost in getting your work at home project up and running and you need the very minimal of equipment to perform any task necessary.

You will need a computer, Internet Access, Word Processor, Spell Checker and a printer. Other than that everything else is a bonus.

It's important to select the right companies up front otherwise you will spend allot of time and money for nothing. As in anything there are some companies that are not as reputable as others and you will simply waste your time and efforts. Don't get discouraged. One quote that has always stuck with me is "Behind every successful person is allot of failures".

I cannot tell you the businesses I had tried over the years before being successful. It was worth the wait. You have to be willing to do your research, select the opportunity that is right for you, Join the program, have some patience and work at it to create success for yourself. It takes time and effort, but it can be done and it has been done time and time again. Most people simply give up just about the time they are getting ready to see success.

I suggest finding one of the many web sites that have done some research for you. Once you have found one email or talk to the owner of the site if necessary and remain loyal. I know I appreciate and look forward to feedback from my visitors. Your feedback and loyalty is important to me.

You will need to remember it takes a person with a certain discipline to work from home with no one watching over you. It is also important to note that you will have to WORK at HOME to get paid.

Having said all of that there are many moms doing quite well at home utilizing many of the above programs. It is more popular now days simply to operate out of you own home. You can earn some nice money, create a lot of free time and enjoy life a whole lot more should you choose to do so.

Please feel free to read more of this article by visiting my link in the resource box below. I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles or my site. Your feedback is important to me.

Michael Comeau has been owner of many successful businesses over the years including his current online business which can be viewed at www.workfromhome4dollars.com/ArticlesMomsJobs2.php . You may also find more articles by Michael Comeau at www.workfromhome4dollars.com .

Article Source: Free Articles from http://www.ArticleSphere.com

http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Jobs-For-Stay-At-Home-Moms/108261

Work at Home Jobs with Minimal Startup Costs for Stay at Home Moms

2007-11-16T02:14:00.000-08:00

The hunt for work at home jobs is a never ending one. For those Moms who are very keen on working at home there are several popular work at home jobs that can be started with minimal costs.
The problem is that most Stay at Home Moms are unaware that the talents and expertise they possess can be the nucleus for a variety of work at home jobs.

1. Data Entry Job.

Most Stay at Home Moms searching for Jobs to work at home will find Data Entry Jobs very attractive, since specials skills, training or previous experience is not required. What you need is basic typing skills, a computer and access to the Internet. It is ideal for stay at home moms and retirees who can spare a couple of hours a day. Today with most office and administrative work revolving around the computer, Data Entry Jobs are one of the most popular work at home jobs sought after worldwide.

2.Ghost Writer:

Ghost writing is another work at home job that is very popular among people who have the ability and talent to write. If you can write well and possess a good command of the language and grammar then Ghost writing can be a source of income for you. Ghost writing is actually writing Content or Articles for Website owners and Internet Marketers who do not have the ability to write or create it themselves. The more knowledgeable and versatile you are the more money you can make.

3. Tutoring Service:

Starting a Tutoring Service is another way of working at home. You can start a tutoring service for helping students who have difficulty in understanding their class work or who do not concentrate sufficiently at school. You should be sufficiently knowledgeable in the subjects you tutor and you should possess a lot of patience to handle backward students.
Initially you could get started by giving free classes and once you have built up a reputation among the students, parents and teachers, you could start charging a fee.

4. Child Care Center:

Since a vast majority of the parents can't afford the expensive Corporate or Franchised child care centers, there is a great demand for reputed affordable home based Child care centers. If you love children and care about them this is one of the ideal work at home jobs for you as a stay at home mom especially if you have had experience or training in child development.
To get started you will need to have adequate space in your house that is child friendly as well as be accessible to parents to drop and pick their children. You home based business will also need licensing, inspection and certification by the local councils or bodies.

5. Cake Baking and Decorating:

If you have enjoyed baking and decorating cakes for your children's birthdays and other events, then you can seriously consider making a living by baking and decorating cakes. A cake has become an important and integral part of most celebrations and functions and hence the demand for people with creative excellence who can produce beautiful and outstanding cakes. Before starting this work at home job you should check with both the health department and the local zoning board so that you don't contravene any laws.

6. Gift Basket Service:

In recent years Gift Baskets have become a popular choice among shoppers searching for something special to give friends and business associates. Companies too have realized that gift baskets are a great way to show appreciation to customers and employees.
Your chances of success depend on your ability to design, assemble and deliver unique and distinctive baskets that can capture the hearts of the shoppers and business organizations. Purchasing your gifts and materials at wholesale or specially discounted prices will be a critical factor for the success of your work at home job.

Conclusion:

These are popular work at home jobs that can be started and operated with minimal costs and ideally suited for Stay at Home Moms. The success of your home based business will to a great extent depend on how motivated and passionate you are.

Kanaga Siva is an Experienced Author and Marketer. Welcome to hisHome Based Business Website and Business from Home Blog for a Work at Home and Affiliate Marketing Experience that can help you make money from home.

Article Source: Free Articles from http://www.ArticleSphere.com

http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Work-at-Home-Jobs-with-Minimal-Startup-Costs-for-Stay-at-Home-Moms/111315

Work At Home Tips

2007-11-16T02:13:00.002-08:00

Working out of the home often means juggling multiple tasks and wearing many hats. But look out. When there is so much to do that there is little time left over for sales and marketing activity, sales can dry up and often do. Here are some ways to avoid that.

1. Monthly Focus - Each month, grab your calendar and see which holidays are coming up. Then focus some type of activity around them. At least minimally, setup a direct mail campaign through the U.S. Post Office site (usps.com) in these quick steps:

Choose one of their postcards.

With their online tools, edit the back with a quick note, sale of some type & referral request.

Load an Excel document of addresses, pay and send.

2. Ad Campaign - Plan ahead with advertising representatives by gathering their media kits and asking about special deals or rates they may have for you. Then follow up and plan a 12- to 16-month campaign, even if it's just a small classified that runs regularly. That way you'll always be covered whether you're too busy to care or not. You can always supplement with cross-promotional pieces. But at least, set up a foundation to get you through the year.

For inexpensive ads to run throughout the year, check out neighborhood newspapers and free or cheap magazines and papers that are placed inside public libraries, large grocery stores and country-type restaurants. PennySavers and Thrifty Ads are other sources.

3. Regular Income Stream - Don't just have all large projects. Set up a few (or several, depending upon your budget needs) smaller, regular income-producing projects to generate weekly / monthly income. And maintain a steady flow as much as possible. In other words, if five regular, smaller jobs pay the day-to-day bills, once one of them quits or runs out of work for you, replace it as soon as possible so that you maintain your steady 'five' as much as possible.

Some people setup affiliate programs in this manner; selling something for someone else and earning a percentage or profit for selling. They target so much income from one source of revenue stream to cover a certain portion of expenses. And if this runs out of steam, they beef up promotions or switch to another affiliate program. Learn more about affiliate options from a place like Commission Junction (cj.com). Or in your favorite search engine, type in 'affiliate programs' and see which ones are popular.

So when you juggle, remember to mix in SOME type of regular sales and income generating opportunities. You don't drop the ball!

About the author :
Annette Lucas

With too much factory experience and experience in Marketing and Advertising, Annette Lucas knew she wanted her own business. She found just what she was looking for with AmeriPlanUSA.

5 good reasons why you should consider starting a home business

2007-11-16T02:13:00.001-08:00

Looking for a work at home job? I'll give you 5 good reasons why you should consider starting a home business instead.
1. Telecommuting jobs are rare- are you? The only real work at home jobs out there are for highly specialized skills like programming, translation, transcription and such. What they all have in common is that they require special training and employers that hire telecommuters always require experienced candidates- experts in their field. Employers just don't hire people to do things like typing from their homes.

A home business can be anything you want it to be. You get to follow your passion and do something that you truly enjoy. I think that if we all couldn't wait to leap out of bed each morning because we loved what we do, the world would be a much happier place. So, unless you have a passion for learning MYSQL / SQL database structure or how to translate medical documents from English to Japanese, a home business can offer endless possibilities in an area that interests you.

2. Telecommuting jobs don't afford as much flexibility as you might think. Your boss picks your clients and coworkers, not you. You may or may not like the people you find yourself working with day after day, which can be like a slow form of torture.

With your business you choose who your client will be. Maybe you want to start a business that has to do with kids and all your clients have kids at home with them. They would be more likely to understand and appreciate kid noise in the background while on the phone with you. You get to create your own "company culture".

3. You're not in control of your job security. Corporate downsizing will still apply and even if you have that rare and special skill that they once found indispensable, you might find yourself back on the job search track. Also, unless you have a written agreement that your telecommuting arrangement is set in stone, employers can pull you back into the office at their discretion.

4. Big brother will be there looking over your shoulder. Employers need to know that their employees are being productive. They just can't help themselves. This puts more pressure on you to meet deadlines, to prove that you will be at least as efficient (if not more efficient) that your on-site coworkers. Even companies that champion telecommuting often have strict checks and balances to ensure that you're not lying around watching television or heading off to the beach. Supervisors are often suspicious to the point of micromanaging their telecommuters.

You just can't afford to be lured away by the many distractions of the home office. The television beckons, the kids want your attention, you just want to get a load of laundry in... This is not to say that you can succumb to these distractions as a home business owner, but the difference is that you call the shots.

With your own home business, you are Big Brother, Big Sister, The Big Cheese- your own boss. You set the goals and the pace and it's up to no one but you how and when you meet them.

5. And lastly, but most importantly... when you are a home business owner you get to take a vacation whenever you want. Could there be a better reason to stop looking for a telecommute job and start a home business?

About the author :
Sharon Davis

Sharon Davis, Work-At-Home expert, writer and consultant, helps people to achieve their goal of working at home, telecommuting or starting a home business.

Work at Home Jobs and the Internet

2007-11-16T02:11:00.002-08:00

People with work at home jobs should use the Internet to maximize their businesses. The first necessary Internet tool is a website. You can market and sell just about any product or service via a website.

How do you get a website? There are sites that provide website hosting services. They may be free or not. With a free host, you usually have to let them place advertisements on your site; you don't have any say in the advertising content. So if you opt to go with a free host, see what kind of advertisements they post. With a host you pay for, you determine the ads and other site content. Also, you can get more bandwidth or room to put content on your site.

With work at home jobs, a domain name( for example yourbusinessname.com) is important. A free host may put their name in the domain name which would look unprofessional. You can purchase your own domain name at certain sites to use with free and paid hosts.

Once you have a website and a domain name for work at home jobs, you have to determine how to build the website. You can build it on your own, or you can pay someone to design it for you. If you do it yourself, you can use templates and programs such as DreamWeaver to build your website.

Many of these can be downloaded for free off the Internet. You can read books and website content to guide you in website design. The basic knowledge you need is html, the language used on websites. You don't have to know what an experienced website designer would, but the more you know the better. If you want someone to design the site for you, you can find designers at various prices on the Internet.

If you're going to have work at home jobs on the Internet, you need an email address, preferably a professional looking one with no cute names such as koolkat@email.com. Also, it looks better if the address is not part of a free service such as yahoo.com or hotmail.com. Use your internet service provider's email account or an account provided through the website host(if there is one).

Less important but helpful items in work at home jobs are auto-responders and ebooks. An auto-responder will send an already written message to someone asking about your services. This helps to manage many requests at one time especially if you work by yourself. This allows the potential customer to get your information immediately, and you can make contact after that.

Ebooks or electronic books about working at home, marketing, and website design can be valuable tools in building your business. The authors are usually people who were in your position one time and can teach you from their experiences. Ebooks are sold are on the authors' websites or on websites that relate to the books' subjects. Using what the Internet has to offer can help you to work at home.

About the author :
Adrian Austin
http://www.treasureant.com/
Adrian Austin is a respected internet marketing expert, and the founder of a leading home based business and numerous marketing websites.

The Work At Home Dilemma...Should It Be A Job Or A Business?

2007-11-16T02:11:00.001-08:00

You have decided to work at home (either by choice or necessity) and now you are faced with the decision as to whether to pursue a work at home job or to start a home based business. That may sound like a minor distinction, but the differences can be significant.

A general psychological characterization of the entrepreneurial spirit, says they are typically people who have a high energy level, set long-term goals, feel quite self-confident, and view money and financial security as a measure of accomplishment and piece of mind.

They are further characterized as problem solvers, who take risks, learn from their failures (as well as those of others), accept personal responsibility, seize the initiative, and use all available resources to achieve their success.

Entrepreneurs compete with themselves and believe that success or failure lies within their personal control or influence. They do not see setbacks as failures, but rather as learning experiences. Most of all, they exhibit persistence and tenacity, never giving up and never quitting the quest for success.

If you fit most of these criteria, you would probably elect to start a home business instead of undertaking a work at home job. However, the decision to work at home does not necessarily mean that you want to be the owner of a business. You may prefer working at home for an already established company. This is often easier to do than owning a business yourself and you may not want all the headaches, responsibilities and obligations that come with owning your own business.

Regardless of which path (job or business) you choose, the first step is to figure out what business or work-from-home opportunity you want to pursue. There are many excellent information sources such as public libraries and Internet sites that list seemingly countless home business and work at home job opportunities. The abundance is so great that it might well lead to confusion.

One of the most important factors is often overlooked. This is your personal inventory. Often this will yield some direction and focus to the business or job selection process. Assess yourself and your situation. Write a resume for yourself that includes your background, education, training as well as any particular on-the-job skills you possess that could possibly be used in a venture or job. Also look at your leisure-time activities and hobbies, because many businesses result from a person following their "passion." Ask yourself how much time you can realistically put into a business venture, given your present commitments.

Once you have determined the general type of home business or work at home job that you want to undertake, it is of critical importance that you do your homework (research) to select the specific opportunity where you are going to make your "investment" (some combination of time, effort and money) in working at home.

About the author :
Kirk Bannerman
http://www.business-at-home.us/
Kirk Bannerman operates a successful home based business and coaches others seeking to start their own home based business.

You CAN Create Your Own Work at Home Job If ---

2007-11-16T02:09:00.000-08:00

Sick of working for someone else and believe you've got what it takes to create your own job?

You can create your own job if:

=> One: You believe in your products and services

You must believe in your products and services enough to be able to sell them consistently. For creatives, that means you must believe enough in yourself to *know* that you can create products people will want to buy, and then you must market, market, market, and market some more.

Stating the blindingly obvious, right?

It should be obvious, but it's not. The saying: "Love what you do and the money will follow" should be amended to: "Love what you do and be prepared to market it and the money will follow".

I've lost count of the number of writers I know who've decided to freelance, and then after six months decided that they couldn't take it and scooted back to the corporate world.

You must be passionate, but at the same time develop acceptance.

Passionate enough to put your heart and soul into your work, and into your marketing, and at the same time, accept that it will take time to develop your niche, and that you may be making less money than you could if you were working for someone else.

=> Two: You can work harder for yourself than you would for someone else

When you create your own job, you get to do it all. You're in charge.

A lot of the work that happens in a business is invisible to you if you work for someone else. The invisible chores include a multitude of tasks, such as keeping the computer system functioning, getting material printed, placing Yellow Pages ads, and returning phone calls. All this stuff takes time and energy.

When it's all up to you, you have to decide what's important for you to be doing right now. You need a list of what must get done today, this week, and next week, and you need to keep up to date, even if it means working on Saturday and Sunday.

=> Three: You're constantly learning

When you work for someone else, your employer trains you so that you can do your job effectively. When you've created your own job, your training is up to you.

Learning needs to be fun for you. You must see it as an investment in yourself. The Internet is a blessing, and you'll find many training packages online. You don't even need to leave the house to learn something new.

=> Four: You can ignore setbacks

Stuff happens. Your computer refuses to boot up. Instead of working on a client's project you need to take your computer to the repair shop. A client cancels a meeting that you've just cancelled another meeting to attend. You get the flu, and have to work anyway, even though you're so dizzy you can't focus on the computer screen.

After you've been working as your own employer for a while, setbacks like this will amuse you rather than defeat you. You know that in a week or a month, you'll be laughing about this, so why not crack a smile now?

=> Five: You're prepared to invest in your business

When you've created your own job, your business comes first. This means that when you get a hefty client payment, most of that money will have to go right back into the business.

You need to be clever about how you invest this money however. Do really you need a full page display ad in that magazine? Could you save money by placing a half page ad, or a quarter page? Do you need that new software package which costs a thousand dollars?

Is creating your own job for you? Only you know the answer to that question.

About the author :
Angela Booth
http://www.digital-e.biz
Veteran multi-published author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts words for your business --- words to sell, educate or persuade. E-books and e-courses on Web site. FREE ezines for writers and small biz: http://www.digital-e.biz

Landing The Perfect Telecommunications Jobs

2007-11-16T02:08:00.000-08:00

“The modern workplace is almost totally dependent on telecommunications companies and professionals.” Whilst this statement is incredibly broad, there is no doubt that the telephone, the Internet, and the ability to remain functioning around the clock are vital to corporate success. Telecommunications professionals help companies establish intricate networks of computers, cellular phones, and PDAs in an effort to maintain operations and reach out to new markets even when people are away from their desks; all in the interest of improving the ‘bottom line’.. This demand means that telecommunications workers are a hot commodity on the job market today. However, in order to leverage their talents to their best interests, telecommunications workers first need to consider strongly what the want out of a job.

Telecommunications professionals firstly need to assess their short and long term goals. Telecommunication engineers, designers, and managers are best advised to set manageable goals throughout their career and to appraise these when they consider a new job. The telecommunications worker that wants more freedom and input into the creation of new products should possibly work with a smaller cellular or data providing firm; those technically skilled workers who are concerned about money and gaining important corporate experience should work with larger telecommunication providers. In general, a review of short and long-term goals will highlight what a professional wants out of their new job.

Ultimately, the perfect telecommunications job is a matter of personal choice. Professionals in the field need to consider the status within the industry of any company for which they are considering working. For example, a design professional that is interested in growing with a small data stream provider may decide to follow another direction on reviewing the strong competition in the same market from similar companies. This is not to say that the professional should completely discount a company; rather that telecommunications professionals are so valuable in the economy that they need to consider optimising their talents by working with a strong company.

There are a number of other considerations for telecommunications professionals to make in finding the best job for them. Geographical location, which is becoming less important these days, is still important for those working at a corporate office. The possibility of future advancement and financial rewards is a necessity for most telecommunications professionals. Also, there may well be a consideration given by telecommunications workers to the ethics and public service aspects of a potential employer. All of these considerations should be weighed in the balance and a telecommunications professional is then able to be selective in finding the best job.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Stephen Trigg is the CEO of Quanta Consultancy Services, specialists in IT Recruitment and also Pharmaceutical Jobs in Ireland. Quanta also provide Employer, Candidate and Consulting Solutions.

http://www.articlerich.com/Article/Landing-The-Perfect-Telecommunications-Jobs/248203

Landscaping Jobs - article

2007-11-15T03:56:00.000-08:00

I have always found the field of landscaping to be one of the most exciting ones that exist. You see, I am a career counselor, but I've not gotten to this position in the usual way. I have tried almost everything, which makes me uniquely qualified to advise people on their possible future careers. All of the choices that are available to your average folk, I think landscaping jobs one of the best of them. You see, landscape jobs pose several advantages over most blue collar occupations. For one thing, landscaping jobs offer fairly high initial pay. Although the pay is not great, it is better than almost anything that you can get with no formal education. If you are physically capable of doing the heavy lifting, and are good at putting things together, you can turn a landscaping job into a landscaping career with ease.

Another great thing about landscaping jobs is that they provide people who have trouble in traditional educational institutions with a way to make a life for themselves. In landscaping jobs, especially if you are working for a small contractor or are self-employed, it is not how good you look on paper that matters most of the time, but whether or not you can get the job done. If you have good skills and good landscaping ideas, you have all that you need. Combine these with rudimentary interpersonal skills, and you will be able to sell yourself to almost any client. After all, people with the money to hire landscapers love to have their yards look good. If you have good landscape ideas and have the ability to implement them, people will be willing to pay you a small fortune to do landscaping jobs around the house.

Of course, landscaping jobs do have their drawbacks. There is a pretty high risk of injury, and almost none of the landscaping jobs have adequate job security if you are injured. After all, you are usually required to work as an independent contractor, which means that you assume your own risk. If you happen to be hurt well on the landscaping job, you are basically out of luck unless you have a great support system. Also, because landscaping jobs are at will, if you do not get along with your boss there is very little you can do. You could be fired for almost nothing, even if you did nothing wrong. In spite of all this, I think that landscaping jobs can be a great option for many people, as long as they are motivated self-starters.

http://www.refresharticles.com/articles/careers/landscaping-jobs-04.txt

Physician Jobs

2007-11-15T03:55:00.002-08:00

Physician jobs are classified according to a specialty, for example Gynecology or Anesthesiology, or according to a type of practice like General Practice.

Physician jobs involve the diagnostic and treatment of human diseases and may have to do with various medical research fields.

The general tasks of a physician are to conduct various tests on patients and to check the related medical records, to discuss the patient’s diagnosed conditions and to recommend treatments, to administer medical treatments and to advise diets and exercise routines, then to monitor the patient’s progresses and conducting regular check-ups

At the specialist level physician jobs may be classified into 40 major fields.
Some of the most common specialties are:

* Anesthesiology: Administration of various forms of anesthetic drug for diagnosis or during surgery operations.

* Family Practice: Physicians in this specialty are concerned with the health-care needs of families and they are proficient in general medicine, being capable of caring for 90 percent of all problems presented to them by patients.

* General Surgery: Manual and operative procedures to correct deformities, defects, and injuries.

* Internal Medicine: The diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the internal organs such as the heart, liver, and lungs.

* Obstetrics and Gynecology: The care of women during and after pregnancy and delivery, and the treatment of diseases of female organs.

* Ophthalmology: The branch of medicine dealing with diseases or defects of the eye.

* Orthopedic Surgery: The diagnosis and medical or surgical treatment of diseases, fractures and deformities of the bones and joints.

* Pediatrics: The branch of medicine dealing with the development and care of infants and children, and with the treatment of their diseases.

* Psychiatry: The treatment and prevention of disorders of the mind, including psychoses and neuroses.

* Radiology: The use of radiant energy including X-rays, radium, and Cobalt 60 for treatment and diagnosis of diseases.

Physician jobs require that you care for and are able to inspire confidence in your patients. You have to explain complicated conditions in simple language and you must be able to keep information private. Being able to stay calm in emergencies is very important. Physicians need to be reasonably fit and have good hand-eye coordination. Physician jobs require writing reports and working independently.

The qualifications required for physician jobs varies from country to country but are in most cases a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, an internship at a hospital and various postgraduate training.

Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com

Peter St-Germain offers you many career related articles and tips about jobs. Discover his website at: Physician Jobs

http://www.allaboutjobs.com/Physician-Jobs.html

Where the Jobs Are - Q3, 2005

2007-11-15T03:55:00.001-08:00

Once again, I'm taking a look at the current status of the programming job market. I guess my biggest interest is in seeing which programming languages are the most popular. Originally, I did an article about this 3 months ago (Decisions! Decisions!) as an exercise to see if where I was headed as a programmer was in tune with where the market is headed. When I go back a look at that article, I'm surprised at where I was heading. At that time I felt that C# was the best direction for me to look into. Well, now we're three months later into 2005 and I'm in a totally different direction. I guess it all depends on what the client wants and how good the project pay is. ;) While C# still looks like a very good market to be in, I'm currently involved with Java and FileMaker. Well, it's what the client wants!

Anyway, here's the chart for this quarter. Below the chart I'll discuss the interesting changes that have occurred just during the past three months.

(EZineArticles currently doesn't support the viewing of tables. But, you can view the table at www.timothytrimble.info under the ART of Software Development blog.)

Here's what I find interesting about this chart compared to three months ago:

* VB continues to hold a steady market share. This includes .Net and pre-.Net. There was only a .2% drop in job market share this quarter, which is hardly worth mentioning. VB programmers are still in high demand, especially when they have SQL experience.

* Contrary to what anyone says, C++ is still going strong and has gained job market share. This quarter has seen a 1.79% increase in the market. My guess is that this is due to the increase of the Linux market since C++ is the number one development environment for that platform.

* The biggest winners in job market share gains is Java with 2.33% increase, MS SQL with a 2.57% increase, and the number one winner is Oracle with a 2.88% job market share. Oracle continues to be the leader in job positions with a 27.74% of the market.

* The biggest loser for this quarter is Pearl, which lost a whopping 6.92% of the job market. I don't know what accounts for this decrease but it appears to be across all three of the major job posting sites.

* A surprise loser for this quarter is C#, which lost 2.54% of the market to end up with only 2.95% of the job market. Again, my only reasoning on why this is taking place is due to the impact that Linux is having.

Overall, this is a very interesting set of statistics. In no way is this scientific, and it only represents the local job market in Los Angeles. However, it shows that there is a trend in gains for programmers with Linux skills. And once again, if you have experience with SQL, especially Oracle, you're not going to have any problems at all with getting work.

Personally, I feel comfortable being focused on doing Java development. As far as FileMaker goes, well, it would be interesting if I did a comparison between the MS Access and FileMaker markets. I guess that's a personal nitch of mine that I intend to stick with. Not because of the job market numbers, but because I enjoy the FileMaker and Mac environments. Proof again, that just following where the jobs are is not always the most satisfying approach.

Be sure to check back in another three months, when I examine the job market once again.
Timothy Trimble - EzineArticles Expert Author

Timothy Trimble, The ART of Software Development

Timothy Trimble is a award winning, freelance writer, and software developer. He has written a book for Microsoft Press, articles for significant computer industry trade magazines, and is currently working on his second computer technology book to be published in early 2006. He is the Blog publisher of The ART of Software Development which can be found via his web site at http://www.timothytrimble.info Proud member of http://www.WordBrains.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Timothy_Trimble

http://www.allaboutjobs.com/Where-the-Jobs-Are-Q3-2005.html

A Look at Paralegal Jobs

2007-11-15T03:53:00.000-08:00

Paralegals support lawyers by organizing the massive amounts of paperwork law offices generate, running the office smoothly, helping to draft documents and interviewing witnesses. Paralegals may work for lawyers, corporations, or government agencies. In general, a college degree is sufficient education to become a paralegal, although courses do exist to train and certify paralegals. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations estimates that 84 percent of paralegals have some form of form paralegal education.

Several specific types of paralegal jobs are available. Litigation paralegals help prepare documents for trials. Corporate paralegals prepare paperwork for business dealings. Probate paralegals interview clients and prepare tax and financial documents. Real estate paralegals prepare closings and research land laws. Government paralegals work for the White House, the Justice Department, or the Federal Trade Commission and may organize evidence, answer questions for the public, or conduct hearings. Employment paralegals do work similar to a litigation paralegal, but work specifically with unions or discrimination cases.

The average starting salary of a paralegal is about $21,500 while working normal hours. Most law firms, however, require that paralegals work more hours than the typical nine to five, Monday through Friday work week. The extra overtime could bump a beginning paralegal?s salary up to almost $60,000 a year. An experienced paralegal can expect to make around $40,000 a year, about the national average, with life and health insurance benefits.

The National Federation of Paralegal Associations estimates that 84 percent of paralegals have had some formal paralegal education. A paralegal?s specialization determines what fields he could work in, for example medical law or labor movement organizations. According to a 2001 survey, about 25 percent of paralegals have an associate?s degree, about 50 percent of all paralegals have a bachelor?s degree, and eight percent have either a master?s degree or a J.D. degree. Certificate or degree programs are available for paralegals who wish to have more training. At a minimum, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations recommends that aspiring paralegals have a two-year degree with an emphasis on paralegal studies. A bachelor?s degree, however, is recommended.

A paralegal?s resume should list education, experience, awards and highlight writing abilities, professional and personal skills. Sample paralegals resumes are readily available on the Internet. Be sure to attach a cover letter, as you would when applying for any other job, stating your interest and describing the skills that make you a perfect candidate for the job. Sample cover letters are also posted on the Internet.

A simple way to find a law firm is to go to the local library and skim through Martindale Hubbell, an index of every lawyer in the country organized by city and law firm. Online sites also allow registered users to browse hiring law firms.

Paralegals Info provides detailed information about paralegal jobs, schools, training, courses, certificates, and services. Paralegals Info is the sister site of Notary Public Web.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kent_Pinkerton

http://www.allaboutjobs.com/A-Look-at-Paralegal-Jobs.html

Bodyguard Jobs

2007-11-15T03:52:00.000-08:00

The Bodyguard industry is quite a large industry, making the Bodyguard industry an attractive industry in which to find a job. Being such a large industry, the Bodyguard industry is less competitive than other job industries and offers a range of jobs.

Although the Bodyguard industry is less competitive than other job industries, you are still required to meet certain job criteria, prior to working as a Bodyguard. Usually, you are required to attend a Bodyguard training course, prior to working as a Bodyguard.

Most Bodyguard Training courses are designed to provide you with basic first aid training, self-defence techniques and sometimes weapons training. Although not all Bodyguard jobs require that you carry a weapon, there are some Bodyguard jobs that do.

A person with Military training, or Martial arts training, is usually highly regarded in the Bodyguard industry, as their skills are often needed in certain Bodyguard positions. Although you are not likely to ever have to physically grapple with a person, there is the possibility that it can occur, so knowledge of self-defence techniques are important.

There are many situations in everyday society that require a Bodyguard. For example, many film and music stars often hire Bodyguards to protect them from the possibility of kidnapping, or from the possibility of being attacked by a crazy fan.

There are also less glamorous Bodyguard positions, such as protecting a bank, shopping mall, or private properties at night. Often these Bodyguard positions require you to be on your own, hence the need for self-defence skills.

As a Bodyguard, you also have the responsibility of protecting other people, which is why you will often be required to have a first aid certificate. In the event of a shooting incident, or other form of injury, you will need to know how to help an injured person, while ambulance officers arrive.

As you can see, being a Bodyguard is much more than just standing around in a uniform, it requires a level of skill, confidence and professionalism. However, being a Bodyguard also requires you to be fit.

Fitness plays an important role in being a Bodyguard, as you may be required to run after someone, or may need to apprehend someone who is dangerous. Being fit will ensure that you will be stronger than you opponent and thus will be capable of apprehending them.

Although Bodyguards do not have the same legal powers of the police force, they play an important role as a supportive partner in conjunction with the police force. Often, a Bodyguard is the first at a crime scene and is often the person who contacts the police.

Bodyguards play an important role in society, making sure that everyone can live in a safe and comfortable fashion. The often silent, role of a Bodyguard is essential in preventing, kidnappings, bank robberies, public brawls and many other types of incidents.

P. Vermeeren is webmaster of http://www.about-valencia.com, the information site about Valencia, Spain as well as the owner of the martial arts and fitness portal http://www.kamikaze-portal.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Vermeeren

http://www.allaboutjobs.com/Bodyguard-Jobs.html

Bilingual Jobs - Then and Now

2007-11-15T03:51:00.000-08:00

?Appurate!? My grandmother yelled from the car. ?Hurry up!? My mother, yelled, as though attempting to drown her out. My mother and grandmother were at war with one another when it came to language. My mother, who emigrated from Mexico when she was sixteen and worked hard to overcome the language barrier, was convinced that Spanish would be nothing but a hindrance to us; a stigma. She still spoke Spanish to her sisters, but she always made a point to address us children in English. My grandmother ignored this mandate, and spoke (or more frequently yelled) strictly in Spanish. When we spoke English she stubbornly pretended she couldn?t understand us, though my mother pointed out that never seemed to have any problem following the plots or plays on words when watching her favorite TV shows. Though this battle between my mother and grandmother raged for years, in the end my grandmother won out. As it happens, so did I.

At first I didn?t see Spanish as an advantage. Spanish was a way to safely gossip while waiting in line at the grocery store; Spanish was a way for me and my cousin to trade secrets at school. Cursing was more satisfying in Spanish, love songs more mournful. But until the internet boomed, Spanish was a private comfort, not a marketable asset. All that has changed.

With the US census bureau projecting a 188% increase in our Hispanic population over the course of the next 50 years, corporations are scrabbling to catch up and meet the needs of an increasingly bilingual populace. Today, sites like LatPRo and bilingualcareer.com rival Monster.com as job search and hiring resources. These sites offer corporations a way to meet their growing need for industry specific bilingual professionals; they offer me a way to pursue a professional career from home. Despite these innovations I noticed that many childhood friends weren?t utilizing their bilingual advantage. Some worked at minimum wage customer service jobs when they could have been making considerably more money in a similar bilingual position. Others were professionals who were still making less money than they would have had they been utilizing their bilingual skills. Because they, like myself, were raised to think of their native language as a liability, they had never realized that it was now a marketable asset. After I introduced one friend to my favorite web-based job finders (bilingualcareer.com, LatPro, etc.), she is able to work half time and make the same amount she was making at her previous (non-bilingual) job. As a translator, I am able to work from home and spend plenty of time with my kids. Which ensures that, yes, they do speak Spanish.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felisa_Rosa

http://www.allaboutjobs.com/Bilingual-Jobs-Then-and-Now.html

Why Is It Useful to Change Jobs?

2007-11-15T03:50:00.000-08:00

Changing jobs is quite natural for many people nowadays. Specialists kept on switching companies looking for a better place to work at. But their functional responsibilities still remain the same. However, such rotation without the change of your occupation is not 100% useful. Psychological research has showed that a person will have more chances to succeed if he changes his vocation once 5 ? 7 years. Thus he will acquire new knowledge and experience and he will learn how to deal with new unusual tasks.

Even if you have created a dynamic plan for developing your career from a clerk to a senior manager in a particular company new responsibilities don?t substitute old ones, but are just added to the existing duties. In other words, you don?t change your activity ? but the sphere of your responsibility becomes wider. In fact, a person keeps on working in the same professional area. However paradoxical it may be, but after a few years since submitting your sales resume you are more likely to lose your sales competence than to gain or improve it. You get tired of routine work; you fulfill your duties mechanically with no zest and enthusiasm. That is why psychologists suggest changing the content of the work not its place. Human resource managers still make the same mistake: they are looking for the applicants with at least a year ? relevant experience. They don?t consider retrained specialists or those who have no experience in the pertinent area. They don?t take into account that inexperienced candidates have considerable advantages over the experts: they have no professional stamps/ clich?s, they are ready to improve themselves, and they have sincere interest for the new job and others.

Today more and more people are changing their specialty. Social psychology defines this phenomenon as professional reorientation. Mostly it applies to young people. Older people have less flexible thinking ? their professional life is influenced by prevalent stereotypes and they have too high demands for themselves. People older 35 are afraid of taking risks. Even if his life-time dream was to become an executive of car manufacturing company, he won?t set himself to writing a resume. The idea of cardinal retraining seems senseless and even careless to older people. Most of them can neither afford no do they want to spend their time and money for obtaining a second education. Two categories make an exception of this statement. They are housewives, who have adult children and now are free to take up their career. Another category is retired servicemen. Both groups come across a lot of objective and psychological difficulties. Psychologists admit that only few people with a specific temperament are capable of abrupt changing their professional life. The ability to take reasonable risk in your professional life - is the major factor of success. And on the contrary ? fear of changes or failure inhibit your success. You will always have a well ?paid job if you learn to regard studies and job changing as a natural component of your working life. A well ? known American businessman, the author of several books on business psychology wrote: ?It is not worth sticking to your primary vocation for being rewarded a golden watch when you are retired.? Think, may be it is time for you to stop sending your teacher resume from one school to another and consider better choices.

Denis Glover is a senior writer at ResumesExperts.com - Resume writing service. He has vast experience in producing different types of resumes (e.g. sales resume, teacher resume. He has been providing professional recommendations for jobseekers for 12 years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Denis_Glover

http://www.allaboutjobs.com/Why-Is-It-Useful-to-Change-Jobs.html

A Look At Some Out of the Ordinary Jobs

2007-11-15T03:49:00.000-08:00

What do you want to be when you grow up? Chances are if you ask that question in any third grade class, your answers will include at least one fireman, one policeman, one cowboy and an assortment of other jobs that are glamorized on television and books.

But there are far more jobs than those that make good reading and television. Some of the most interesting and unusual jobs are those that most third graders have never heard of - unless, of course, a relative happens to be a flavorist or a research chef.

A flavorist will go through five years of intensive post- degree training, take a certification test and spend two more years as a junior flavorist before having a chance at one of the lucrative jobs as a full-fledged flavorist for a major flavor house. What's a flavor house, you're wondering?

It's a research lab that develops flavors that are then purchased by soft drink manufacturers, baking companies, cereal companies and many other food manufacturers. Earnings prospects? In the neighborhood of $50,000 to $80,000 annually at entry level.

Perfusionist Since

I brought it up - a perfusionist is a specialist in keeping the heart functioning with heart/lung devices during, before and after heart surgery, as well as in some circumstances when the heart is failing. It's one of those jobs that offer many exciting moments - the perfusionist interviewed may work in the back of an ambulance, in an operating theater or even in a foreign country. There are only 21 schools in the country that offer the specialized training needed to complete program requirements for a perfusionist, and altogether they graduate less than 150 students a year. An entry level perfusionist can expect to earn $58,000 to $61,000 a year, and one with ten years experience can earn $85,000 to $100,000 a year.

For a flavorist, that expertise is in the blending of chemical components to create new flavors for use in the food industry. A chemist must put in up to seven extra years of training to be able to designate themselves as a flavorist, but at the end of that time, they can expect to earn well over $50,000 a year.

Usability Engineer

How would you like a job that lets you shape new software and web sites into something that most users will find enjoyable and easy to use? Usability engineer is one of the jobs that has grown more important over the past several decades. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists about 3500 people working as usability engineers in the country, but that number may be higher or lower than registered members of their professional organization. A usability engineer can expect to make in the neighborhood of $75,000 to $100,000 annually. Since the job is so new, there's no defined 'career path', but a computer related degree with a minor concentration in psychology is likely to help.

Other jobs may be in niche industries, such as museums or entertainment. Those might include jobs like clown and historical interpreter. Both are performers, but the aim of their art is very different.

Not all clowns are employed by circuses. There are many who freelance, working for flower and message delivery services and hospitals where they entertain children. They may do corporate events, children's birthday parties or carnivals and fairs. Their annual income is dependent on how well they can market themselves, who they work for, and whether or not they are employed full time.

Those are only five of the roughly two dozen unusual jobs highlighted in the Occupational Outlook Quarterly. In addition to the column "You're a What?" the OOQ features articles of interest to those entering or re-entering the job market, and those that work with them.

Those are only a few examples of non-traditional jobs that few people consider when asked 'what do you want to be...?

There are hundreds of others, ranging from personal concierge to dog walker to medical aesthetician. If you're interested in learning about other unusual jobs, pay a visit to the web site of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and wander through their handbook of occupations. You'll be surprised at the new horizons you'll find listed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edwina_Fits

http://www.allaboutjobs.com/A-Look-At-Some-Out-of-the-Ordinary-Jobs.html

"How You Can Find Freelance Editing Jobs"

2007-11-15T03:47:00.000-08:00

Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to know where and how to look for them. As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of companies that are waiting for you, right now, to fill their job vacancies. Each and every one of them has an exciting opportunity for someone. What are your areas of expertise? What can you do to benefit these companies? Finding freelance editing opportunities is simple when you know what you are looking for, who you are looking for, and where to find them.

Let’s begin with knowing what you are looking for. There are hundreds of jobs available in the realm of freelance. Editing opportunities can be found in many different avenues. You can work strictly with editing copy for websites, or work with developing and proofreading articles for the internet, newspapers, and even books. Knowing which way your career is going is essential. Knowing what you want to do will point you in the right direction of who to look for. Employment can come from many sources then. By knowing what you want to do, you can guide your search around the criteria for these companies. For example, you may be able to look strictly towards companies who deal with marketing or in the newspaper business.

From this point, you can tailor your search for freelance editing work towards the companies that serve your needs. You will need to know where to find them. Let us say you are dealing with internet based companies that you wish to find vacancies with. Your best bet would be to look for websites advertising for these jobs. Message boards or sites that deal directly with the field that you are working with can be an outstanding way to get the clients and employment you are looking for. These jobs are out there, it is a matter of knowing what you need, who has it, and where to find them.

About the Author

Visit http://www.FreelanceWritingResource.com for more Articles, Resources, News and Views about Freelance Editing Opportunities. Copyright © 2005 FreelanceWritingResource.com. All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and live links are included intact.

Niall Cinneide

Comma Usage Made Simple
Print-On-Demand - A Definition and a Comparison
How to Keep Growing as a Writer
Extreme Research: 10 Snappy Rules For Success
The Benefits of Submitting Articles
Get Rich Writing Fiction
The One-Plot Wonder
Learning How To Write
How to cash in on the huge online demand for writers
Lots of extra money waiting to be made from writing $5 articles
Free Poetry Contests
Increase Your Freelance Sales With an Online Resume!
Listen Up and Improve your Writing
Giving Yourself the Right to Write
How to Quickly and Easily Use The.......
Tips on Effective Selling
"How To Write A Dynamite Guarantee For Your Sales Letters"
Iozoo Web Directory

Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003

2007-11-15T03:43:00.000-08:00

On May 28, 2003, President Bush signed into law the “Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003” (the “Act”). Although not as large as the $726 billion tax cut originally proposed by the Bush Administration, the $350 billion Act is still the third largest tax cut in history and contains many aspects and variations of the President’s original proposal. The Bush Administration and Congress are hopeful that the Act will provide a much needed stimulus to capital investments by businesses and will further boost the struggling economy by putting more income back into the hands of individuals.

The Act contains immediate income tax relief for individuals, investors and businesses, although the tax cuts are currently scheduled to expire (i.e., “sunset”) beginning in 2011, with many provisions scheduled to expire over the next two or three years. The Act encourages capital investments by business of all sizes by providing for a 50 percent bonus depreciation deduction for certain tangible personal property placed in service during 2003 through 2005 and especially benefits small businesses who are the beneficiaries of a $100,000 first-year expense deduction for certain property placed in service during 2003 through 2005. Individuals and investors will also benefit by the Act’s reduction in marginal income tax rates, the reduced tax rate on most long-term capital gains and dividends, and from the “marriage penalty” relief provided by the Act. The Act also increases the child tax credit from $600 to $1,000 per “qualifying child” for 2003 and 2004 and, beginning in July of this year, many taxpayers will receive advance payment checks (up to $400 per “qualifying child”) with respect to the increased 2003 child tax credit.

Tax Breaks for Businesses

* “Bonus” Depreciation & Increased First-Year Small Business Expensing.

Bonus Depreciation. In 2002, Congress enacted Section 168(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) allowing a taxpayer to elect to take an additional 30 percent “bonus” first-year depreciation deduction (in addition to the regular depreciation deduction for the taxable year) for purchases of “qualified property” placed-in-service during the year. The Act increases the first-year bonus depreciation deduction to 50 percent of the adjusted basis of “qualified property” (again, in addition to the regular depreciation deduction for the taxable year) for electing taxpayers. Taxpayers may elect on an asset class basis to claim either the 30 percent or 50 percent bonus first-year depreciation, or may elect not to claim bonus first-year depreciation at all. For taxpayers electing either the 30 percent or 50 percent bonus depreciation, regular depreciation is calculated in the first and subsequent years under the general MACRS rules, with the property’s cost less the applicable first-year bonus depreciation (and, as discussed below, any Code Section 179 expense deduction) as the property’s adjusted basis. We note that not all states allow for bonus depreciation when determining state taxable income.

For purposes of bonus depreciation, “qualified property” generally consists of new depreciable, tangible personal property (including certain computer software and leasehold improvements to non-residential real property) that has a recovery period for depreciation purposes of 20 years or less and with which the original use of the property commenced with the taxpayer after May 5, 2003 and before January 1, 2005. Property does not qualify for 50 percent bonus depreciation if the property has been repaired or reconstructed or if a binding written sales contract to purchase the property was in effect prior to May 6, 2003. In order to conform the so-called “luxury automobile” depreciation limits to the new 50 percent bonus depreciation, the Act raises the bonus depreciation amount that may be deducted for certain business automobiles to $7,650 (plus the normal depreciation amount). Luxury SUVs, trucks and other automobiles weighing 6,000 pounds or more are eligible for the 50 percent bonus depreciation, provided that the business use of the automobile is greater than 50 percent of its total use. Bonus depreciation does not apply where the business use of the automobile is not greater than 50 percent of its total use.

First-Year Expensing. The Act also increases the first-year expensing limitation under Code Section 179 for small business taxpayers electing to take an expense deduction from $25,000 to $100,000 for “qualified property” placed in service during the taxable year. The increased Code Section 179 expense limitation applies to “qualified property” placed in service for taxable years beginning in 2003, 2004 and 2005 (the $100,000 limitation will be indexed for inflation in 2004 and 2005) and will revert back to its pre-Act limitation of $25,000 for taxable years beginning in 2006 and thereafter. For purposes of the Code Section 179 expensing deduction, “qualified property” continues to be defined as new or used depreciable, tangible personal property that is purchased for use in the active conduct of a trade or business and includes “off-the-shelf” computer software placed in service during taxable years beginning in 2003, 2004 or 2005.

The Act raises the phase-out threshold for the Code Section 179 deduction to $400,000 (from $200,000) of “qualifying property” placed in service by the taxpayer during the year. Accordingly, if the aggregate cost of qualifying property placed in service during the year exceeds $400,000, the taxpayer must reduce the Code Section 179 expense deduction dollar-for-dollar by the cost of qualifying property placed in service during the taxable year exceeding $400,000. If the taxpayer places in service during the taxable year qualifying property costing more the $500,000, the taxpayer is not permitted to take a first-year expense deduction under Code Section 179, although the taxpayer will still be entitled to bonus depreciation to the extent that the property placed in service during the taxable year so qualifies. The Act provides that taxpayers may now make or revoke a Code Section 179 election on an amended tax return without securing the IRS’ prior approval.

A Code Section 179 expense deduction may be taken in conjunction with a bonus depreciation deduction provided that the property qualifies under both provisions. However, not all property will qualify for both the 50 percent bonus depreciation and the $100,000 first-year expense deduction. In particular, the 50 percent bonus depreciation is permitted only for new property and there is no dollar limitation with respect to the amount of property placed in service during the taxable year, while a Code Section 179 deduction is permitted for new or used property and is subject to a dollar limitation with respect to property placed in service during the taxable year.

Observations: The Act dramatically increases the bonus depreciation and business expense deductions for businesses, especially small business taxpayers. The increased Code Section 179 expense deduction encourages taxpayers to maximize their tax savings by hand-picking qualified property against which to apply the $100,000 first-year expense deduction. In choosing such property, taxpayers should apply the expense deduction against qualified property with the longest recovery period in order to accelerate to the greatest extent possible the cost recovery of such property.

* Corporate Estimated Taxes

The Act postpones the due date of the third quarter corporate estimated tax payment from September 15, 2003 until October 1, 2003.

Individual Income Tax Relief

* Reduction of Marginal Income Tax Rates

The Act accelerates the reductions in the marginal income tax rates that were previously scheduled to occur in 2004 and 2006. Retroactive to January 1, 2003, the marginal income tax rates above the 15 percent tax bracket are 25 percent, 28 percent, 33 percent and 35 percent (from 27 percent, 30 percent, 35 percent and 38.6 percent, respectively). The rates are currently scheduled to sunset and revert back to the pre-2001 rates (28 percent, 31 percent, 36 percent and 39.6 percent) beginning on January 1, 2011. The Act also accelerates the increase to the taxable income level of the 10 percent income tax bracket for the 2003 and 2004 taxable years. The IRS has released updated income tax withholding schedules for employers and wage earners should expect to see an increase in their paychecks beginning no later than this July.

Observations: Since the marginal income tax rate reductions are retroactive to January 1, 2003, wage earners are encouraged to reduce (by filing with their employers a new Form W-4) the amounts that they have withheld from their paychecks to best take into account the prospective and retroactive nature of the rate reductions. Sole proprietors and taxpayers conducting business through pass-through entities such as partnerships, LLCs and S Corporations will also benefit from the marginal rate reductions. Taxpayers making estimated tax payments for 2003 may wish to adjust the amount of such payments to take into account the reduced marginal income tax rates, as well as the reduced dividend and long-term capital gain rates (discussed below).

* Alternative Minimum Tax (“AMT”) Relief

The Act increases the maximum AMT exemption amount to (i) $58,000 (from $49,000) for married taxpayers filing a joint return or for a surviving spouse, (ii) $40,250 (from $35,750) for unmarried taxpayers, and (iii) $29,000 (from $24,500) for married taxpayers filing a separate return. The increase in the AMT exemption amount applies to the 2003 and 2004 taxable years and, for taxable years beginning in 2005 and thereafter, the AMT exemption amount will revert back to its pre-Act amount.

* Marriage Penalty Relief

For 2003 and 2004, the Act increases the amount of the standard deduction for married taxpayers filing jointly ($9,500 for 2003) to twice the standard deduction amount of single taxpayers. Beginning in 2005, the standard deduction for married taxpayers filing jointly will return to its pre-Act amount of 174 percent of the standard deduction for single taxpayers and will then gradually rise to double the amount for single taxpayers by 2009.

The Act also expands the maximum taxable income level for the 15 percent tax bracket for married taxpayers filing joint returns to twice the width of the bracket for single taxpayers for 2003 and 2004. Beginning in 2005, the maximum taxable income level for the 15 percent tax bracket will revert to its pre-Act amount of 180 percent of the level for single taxpayers.

* Accelerated Increase in Child Tax Credit

The Act increases the child tax credit to $1,000 (from $600) per “qualifying child” in 2003 and 2004, accelerating the scheduled phase-in of the increase that was previously to have occurred between 2005 and 2009. For 2003, the increased amount of the child tax credit (up to $400 per “qualifying child”) will be paid in advance by the IRS to taxpayers who claimed the credit on their 2002 federal income tax return (based on information provided in the 2002 return) with respect to each child who will not reach age 17 by December 31, 2003. The child tax credit will revert to its pre-Act amount beginning in 2005, which means that the child tax credit will be $700 in 2005 through 2008, $800 in 2009, $1,000 in 2010 and $500 for taxable years beginning after 2010.

Observations: The IRS will begin mailing the advance payments in July 2003 and hopes to have all advance payments distributed to qualifying taxpayers no later than October 2003 (with no advance payments being made after December 31, 2003). Taxpayers who receive an advance payment will reduce the child tax credit taken on their 2003 federal income tax return by the amount of the advance payment received. Taxpayers to whom a qualifying child is born during 2003 will be entitled to the full $1,000 child tax credit for 2003 to the extent that they so qualify. The Act did not change the income levels at which the child tax credit starts to phase-out ($75,000 for unmarried taxpayers, $110,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return and $55,000 for married taxpayers filing separate returns).

The House and Senate has each passed a bill that would expand eligibility for the new $1,000 child tax credit to low-income taxpayers, although the bills differ as to whether low-income taxpayers would receive advance payment checks. Under current law, many low-income families pay too little in taxes to qualify for the child tax credit. The bills would also raise the phase-out amount for married taxpayers filing joint returns from $110,000 to $150,000 ($75,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns), although when such an increase would occur varies between the current House and Senate bills. The two bills also differ with respect to the sources of funding for the increased scope of the child tax credit.

Tax Breaks for Investors

*
Reduction of Long-Term Capital Gains & Dividends Rates

Capital Gains. The Act lowers the long-term capital gains rate from 20 percent to 15 percent and from 10 percent to 5 percent for lower-income taxpayers (i.e., taxpayers in the 10 or 15 percent tax bracket). The reduced long-term capital gains rates are effective for sales or exchanges of most capital assets (e.g., stocks, bonds and other securities) occurring on or after May 6, 2003 and on or before December 31, 2008, which were held by the taxpayer for more than one year prior to their disposition. The higher capital gains rates still apply to sales of collectibles (taxed at 28 percent) and to unrecaptured depreciation on certain sales of real property (taxed at 25 percent). The Act also did not change the 28 percent capital gains rate that applies to 50 percent of the gain from the sale or exchange of “qualified small business stock” held by the taxpayer for more than five years (the other 50 percent not being subject to taxation). The 5 percent long-term capital gains rate for lower-income taxpayers drops to zero percent for the 2008 taxable year. Beginning on January 1, 2009, the pre-Act maximum long-term capital gains rate of 20 percent (10 percent for lower-income taxpayers) will return. The 15 percent maximum long-term capital gains rate also applies for AMT purposes. Additionally, as under current law, short-term capital gains (i.e., sales or exchanges of capital assets held one year or less) are subject to tax at the taxpayer’s marginal income tax rate, which as discussed above is currently a maximum rate of 35 percent for taxable years through 2010. Deductions of capital losses against ordinary income also continue to be limited to $3,000 per year for individual taxpayers.

Dividends. The Act also provides that “qualified dividend income” will be taxed at a rate of 15 percent for dividends received by the taxpayer between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2008. Dividends received by lower-income taxpayers will be taxed at a rate of 5 percent for dividends received between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2007, with dividends received in 2008 not being subject to tax. Dividends not qualifying for the 15 percent tax rate will continue to be taxed at the taxpayer’s marginal income tax rate. The 15 percent dividend rate also applies for AMT purposes

In order to be subject to the reduced 15 percent tax on “qualified dividend income,” the security with respect to which the dividend is paid must have been held for more than 60 days during the 120-day period beginning 60 days prior to the ex-dividend date. Additionally, as is the case for long-term capital gains, dividends that qualify for the 15 percent rate are not treated as investment income for purposes of calculating a taxpayer’s deductible investment interest under Code Section 163, unless the taxpayer elects to have the dividend income taxed at the taxpayer’s marginal rate. Beginning on January 1, 2009, the pre-Act taxation of dividends return and dividends will be taxed as at the taxpayer’s marginal income tax rate.

For purposes of the Act, “qualified dividend income” includes dividends received by individuals, trusts, or estates from (i) domestic corporations, (ii) “qualified foreign corporations,” or (iii) non-qualified foreign corporations whose stock is traded on an established U.S. equities market. A “qualified foreign corporation” is an entity incorporated in any U.S. possession and generally includes any entity incorporated in a country with which the United States has entered into a comprehensive income tax treaty. A “qualified foreign corporation” does not include a foreign personal holding company, a foreign investment company, or a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”). The Act also provides that most dividends received from real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) are not eligible for the 15 percent tax rate and will be taxed at the taxpayer’s marginal income tax rate (this is the case as the income of a REITs is generally not subject to corporate taxation). The accumulated earnings tax under Code Section 531 and the personal holding company tax under Code Section 541 are reduced under the Act to 15 percent of accumulated taxable income and undistributed personal holding company income, respectively. The Treasury department is expected to issue guidance regarding the definitions of “qualified dividend income” and “qualified foreign corporation” for purposes of the Act.

Observations: With the spread between the maximum marginal tax rate for ordinary income (35 percent) and the tax rate for long-term capital gains and qualifying dividends (15 percent) now being 20 percent, recognizing long-term capital gains or dividend income rather than ordinary income becomes even more valuable to taxpayers in higher tax brackets. Therefore, taxpayers may want to reconsider the current allocation of their portfolio assets between interest bearing assets such as bonds and CDs and dividend paying stocks. For example, unless the interest rate on tax-exempt municipal bonds rise to take into effect the reduced tax on dividends, tax-exempt municipal bonds may prove less appealing to investors, although investors residing in states with high personal income tax rates may still favor tax-exempt municipal bonds over dividend paying equities. Taxpayers may also want to consider adjusting the assets held both inside and outside of their tax-exempt or tax-deferred retirement plans.
Under the Act, taxpayers borrowing money to fund their investments may find that less of their investment interest expense is deductible. This is due to the fact that any dividends subject to the 15 percent tax rate will not treated as investment income against which investment interest expense may be deducted, unless the taxpayer elects to have the dividend income taxed at the taxpayer’s marginal rate. In some cases, owners of S corporations (with accumulated earnings and profits) and closely-held C corporations may take advantage of the reduced dividend rate under the Act by paying dividends and other non-wage distributions to their employee-shareholders, rather than taxable wage compensation subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates as well as FICA and other employment taxes.

Additionally, with the reduced tax rate for long-term capital gains and dividends, taxpayers may wish to consider using Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (“UTMA”) or Uniform Gift to Minors Act (“UGMA”) custodial accounts as an alternative to (or in conjunction with) state-sponsored 529 college-savings plans as a way to save for college. In particular, taxpayers with appreciated securities may want to consider transferring some or all of such appreciated securities to a custodial account established for their children who are age 14 or older or who will be age 14 or older (and exempt from the “kiddie” tax) when the securities are sold (securities may not be transferred to a 529 plan). Assuming that the securities are sold prior to 2009 and that the child is in the 10 or 15 percent tax bracket when the securities are sold, any long-term capital gains recognized on the sale will be taxed at only 5 percent (zero percent for sales during 2008), compared to the 15 percent tax on such income that would be paid by the parent.

However, besides tax planning, there are other important considerations when choosing between a 529 plan and a custodial account. For instance, withdrawals of gains from a 529 plan are tax-free only if they are used to pay “qualified tuition costs,” while withdrawals may be made from custodial accounts for any purchase that benefits the child, such as a the purchase of a computer, travel or educational costs. Also, parents retain complete control over assets in a 529 plan for as long as such assets are in the plan and may generally switch the plan beneficiary, while with custodial accounts parents lose control of the account assets once the child reaches a certain age (usually age 18 or 21 depending on state law). We note that contributions to 529 plans and custodial accounts are generally subject to gift tax for contributions of more than $11,000 annually ($22,000 for married taxpayers), although each parent may generally contribute $55,000 to a 529 plan with no gift tax consequences provided as no other gifts are made to the child over the next five years.

State Relief

* Temporary State Fiscal Relief Fund

The Act provides relief to States by establishing a temporary fund to provide $10 billion divided among the States to be used for essential government services, as well as providing an additional $10 billion to the States for Medicaid.

http://www.wiggin.com/pubs/articles_template.asp?ID=116418192003

Discovery Wants To Do Your 'Dirty Jobs'

2007-11-15T03:41:00.000-08:00

Being an entertainment journalist is not really a dirty job. There might be the odd pair of shoes that never quite recovers from the mud of the "Deadwood" thoroughfare, or trousers coated with hair from a visit with the "Dog Whisperer," but that's about as bad as it gets.

One thing's for certain, Mike Rowe will never spend the day as a TV critic for his Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs," currently airing its third season on Tuesdays.

And, indeed, why should he, when he can revel in the delights of such occupations as roadkill collector, charcoal sorter, zookeeper, sewer inspector, pig farmer, owl-vomit collector and parade-float disassembler (a job far more gross than you could possibly imagine)?

Each week, Rowe heads out into America to see just how filthy he can get doing an honest day's work.

"I asked for it," he says. "No one to blame but me."

"Dirty Jobs" began as a segment Rowe did on unpleasant but necessary jobs for a local TV show in San Francisco.

"My feeling always was and has been," he says, "you can't honestly pay any kind of tribute unless you actually do the work. This needed to be both participatory and voyeuristic, but mainly hands-on. As it turns out, the audience just loved to see me get brutalized by good-natured, hardworking people that were better at what they did than I was."

Rowe submitted a clip to Discovery, where he also was host for the first season of the channel's crab-fishing show "The Deadliest Catch," which he still narrates. The next thing he knew, he was up to his knees, elbows and even chin in muck, grime, slop and every kind of excrement imaginable. And, on occasion, he gets to artificially inseminate livestock.

"I've violated every farm animal there is at this point," he says, "horse, pig, goat, turkeys, dogs, ostriches."

After days spent hot-tar roofing, cleaning up pigeon droppings, killing termites, doing autopsies on whales and catfish noodling (don't ask, you just have to see it to believe it), Rowe has little tolerance for the notion that Americans are no longer willing to get their hands dirty to make a living.

"I'm the wrong guy to talk to about jobs Americans won't do," he says, "because, for the last year, that's all I've seen. We've got the kinds of jobs that you look at and immediately understand and immediately get in terms of 'That's got to get done. I'm not doing it, but I'm glad they are.'"

He also has a theory why "Dirty Jobs" has been enough of a hit to warrant a recent marathon of episodes (and earn Rowe a spot as host of his own Shark Week specials).

"'Dirty Jobs' probably wouldn't have had an audience if it debuted 30 years ago," he says, "because, I think, 30 years ago, most Americans understood that society is held together by the grit and the grime, the nuts and the bolts, the men and the women who get in there with their hands.

"Today, it's entirely possible to not only make a good living but to go through your whole life without ever picking up a shovel or an ax, without ever getting really, genuinely greasy building a thing or accomplishing a thing. You can literally live your life and not just avoid it but thrive by not even getting close to it.

"So, not to overthink it, but I believe there's a collective guilt in the country. There's an awareness back in the reptilian part of our brain, that says, 'Somebody else is paying the freight.'"

Although the bio for the 40-something Rowe includes such esoteric jobs as opera singing (for the Baltimore Opera), doing commercials and selling "simulated diamonds" on QVC, the Baltimore native -- who now lives "five days a month" in San Francisco -- comes by his admiration for the American workingman honestly.

"My dad was a schoolteacher," he says, "but my folks were fishermen -- crabbers in Maryland, cod in Boston, all up and down the East Coast, but mainly the Chesapeake. I'm first-generation lucky."

As to whether he could ever envision himself doing any of the "Dirty Jobs," Rowe says, "Actually, yeah, but only in a relative way. A year ago, I wouldn't have made a list and said, 'OK, I want to be a chick sexer, I want to be an indoor-demolition expert, and I want to be an alligator wrangler.'

"But indoor demolition is like every kid's fantasy. They basically send this team of guys into an office building with picks and axes and big sledgehammers, and the mission is to destroy every single thing that's not a wall or a supporting structure, smash it to pieces. If it's in there, it has to go through the windows, down a chute and into a truck, where it's hauled away. I spent a day with those guys in Ohio somewhere. I remember thinking at the end of the day, 'I'm really tired.'

"So anyway, the short answer is, in a relative world, I could probably pick half a dozen jobs I'd be comfortable doing -- well, not comfortable, but able to do with enough competence and not perish in the process."

And while the dirty part of "Dirty Jobs" is its chief selling point, Rowe says, "I said this to somebody the other day for the first time out loud, and it hurts me that I was telling the truth, but this show is really a lot more about work than it is about dirt. It's a dirty world, but really it's work. That's the celebration."

Apparently, it's also become a focus for family viewing.

"Some parents point," Rowe says, "and say, 'See, that's why you go to college.' Others say, 'See, it's OK, that's why you should respect so-and-so down the street, your neighbor, the garbageman, all the people that make it work."

http://www.tv.com/tracking/viewer.html?tid=97116&ref_id=39657&ref_type=101&tag=story_list;title;0

Property Insurance Jobs - article by www.NkPk.com Article Directory

2007-11-14T01:05:00.000-08:00

Despite the complications involved in a property insurance job, getting it is not that hard. For instance, there are only two significant points that you need to consider before applying for a property insurance job.

One of the first things you should think about when you apply for a property insurance job position is education. Although a property insurance job only requires minimum education, a high school diploma perhaps, most companies prefer to take on those who have at least some college. So a college education is a step in the right direction if youre planning on taking a property insurance job.

Employment rates in the insurance industry may vary and this is what you need to understand when you apply for a property insurance job. The number of property insurance jobs open to you may change according to the dynamics of the insurance industry. For instance, taking on a property insurance job as a welfare eligibility clerk right now might not be a good idea. Because of the reforms going on in welfare legislation, the demand for applicants in this kind of property insurance job is not that high.

The writer of this article makes property insurance jobs more accessible to the average reader than most writers.

However, if the property insurance job you want involves customer relations, then you might just be in for a great ride. Since emphasis on customer relations are becoming a trend, a property insurance job as an adjustment clerk, otherwise known as customer service, is a good place to start.

Now, speaking of places to start, where can you find postings of property insurance jobs? Below are a few job sites that are currently posting property insurance jobs.

CareerMag.com Property Insurance Job Posting

CareerMag is currently posting a property insurance job vacancy at USAA. The property insurance job opening requires only a high school diploma. If you apply for this property insurance job, you will be based in San Antonio, Texas. The salary for this property insurance job is open for negotiation.

Nature of this property insurance job. The property insurance job as a Property Insurance Claims Examiner requires considerable skills in investigation, evaluation, and assessment. Since this property insurance job involves evaluating and assessing the eligibility of insurance claims filed, you will need to have exhaustive knowledge of all the terms and facts of the USAA policies.

The subject of property insurance jobs has rarely been so easy to understand.

Nature of this property insurance job. The property insurance job as a Property Field Adjuster involves direct contact since you will serve as a field customer contact representative. In this property insurance job, you will be investigating, evaluating, and resolving property claims. With that in mind, this property insurance job therefore requires extensive knowledge on the terms and conditions of USAA policy contracts.

ExecutivesOnly.com

http://nkpk.com/articles/insurance/property-insurance-jobs.txt

Shipping Jobs

2007-11-14T01:04:00.000-08:00

It is like hitting two birds of the same feather that flock together with one stone. Shipping jobs could mean many things depending on how you understand and scrutinize the undertones. But no matter how you deal with it, still it serves the purpose that you needed it to perform.

Although the writer of this article approaches the subject of shipping jobs from a unique perspective, he makes it universal.

Shipping jobs, for some could mean anything that is related to the maritime industry. Although shipping is not solely limited to water transport, they can also be done through the utilization of air and land transports. Shipping bulk packages in sealed wooden cargo crates to different destinations is one aspect of shipping jobs. There are many companies that are doing business in the shipping industry. There are diversified shipping jobs needed and performed to make that cargo reaches to the destination. The pilots, navigators and the drivers of the different modes of transportations coupled with the many staff like the other crew of the planes and ocean vessels are different key position as that make up shipping jobs.

Other examples of shipping jobs specifically include those in the cruise industry and other passengerial vessels. The operators of the ships hire manpower to complete the varied shipping jobs positions needed in the delivering quality service to the guests of the ships. Staff of cruise liners hold special positions and perform different functions with the same end goal that is to provide their guests the best comfortable stay in the ship. All in all there are plenty of shipping jobs related to the maritime field.

With the outsourcing phenomenon that is plaguing the United States where in most of the businesses are now being outsourced to developing countries like India, Costa Rica, and Philippines to name a few shipping jobs takes another form. Shipping jobs for the Americans means offshoring of jobs outside the American territory and boundary. Many US companies have put up assembly facilities in different sites, which are mostly located in Asia where the cost of labor is cheap.

Shipping jobs could mean different things just take your pick.

The subject of shipping jobs has rarely been so easy to understand.

http://www.nkpk.com/articles/other/shipping-jobs.txt

How to Find Office Management Jobs

2007-11-14T01:02:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in pursuing a career as an office manager? If you are, you may be unsure as to how you should proceed. Of course, it is advised that you develop a professional resume for yourself, but, after that has been done, you will want to place the majority of your focus on finding open office management jobs.

One of the best ways to go about finding office management jobs is by attending career fairs. Career fairs, also commonly referred to as job fairs, are events that that regularly take place in large public places, such as hotels or shopping centers. At a career fair, it is common for hiring companies to set up booths. These booths are not only designed to accept job applications, but they also take steps to inform you about the company in question or the job openings currently available. Many companies looking to hire office managers turn to career fairs.

Should you decide to attend a career fair in your area, it is advised that you dress professionally. Although many companies simply collect job applications and resumes, some are known for giving interviews or even hiring workers right on the spot. Depending on the career fair in question, you may gain instant access to as many as fifty or one hundred hiring companies. That is why it is important that you bring enough copies of your resume. When it comes to attending a career fair, the more resumes you have on hand, the better.

The employment section of your local newspaper or newspapers is another one of the many ways that you can go about finding open office management positions. In addition to examining employment sections, you may also want to search for career inserts. This inserts are common in larger newspapers, especially on the weekends. In a way, they are like career fairs, but in print instead. In addition to simply having information on open jobs, including office management jobs, many career inserts have information on training courses, the companies hiring, and so forth.

The internet is another great way to go about finding available office management jobs. For starters, you will want to examine online job search websites, also commonly referred to as career search websites. These websites enable you to browse through open jobs in your area or even in another part of the country. In addition to browsing, you can also tailor your search to include certain positions, such as that of an office manager.

In keeping with using the internet, it is also possible for you to find websites that are designed for those looking for careers in office management. These online websites can easily be found with a standard internet search. When performing a standard interenet search, it may be a good idea to use a phrase such as “office management jobs.” These websites may not only have information on open office management jobs, but they may also give you tips for developing the perfect resume or tips on how to have a successful job interview.

In addition to examining your local newspaper, using the internet, or attending career fairs, you may also find open office management jobs within your company. If you know of a job that opens up, especially one for an office management position, you will want to ask to be promoted from within. This is one of the best ways to find an office management job. Should you decide to take this approach, plan it out carefully. You will want to avoid making a casual promotion request. If at all possible, schedule a meeting with your supervisors.

The above mentioned approaches are just a few of the many ways that you can go about finding open office management jobs. These approaches are the ones that typically prove the most successful. As a reminder, be sure that you have a professional resume that can set you apart from all other job applicants.

http://infoboulevard.com/articles/internet/How-to-find-office-management-jobs.txt

Hot Magazine Jobs - Brief Article

2007-11-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

Which jobs are hot in magazine publishing today? If "hot" means those in demand by employers, with potential for growth and advancement, the answer is a bit surprising. It's not necessarily the highly specialized, needle-in-a-haystack positions that publishers are scrambling to fill. The people needed to move and shape magazine publishing in the 21st century continue to be those who, for the most part, perform the traditional functions of magazines: selling the ads, producing the copy, pulling all the images together.

What is changing is the way they're doing their jobs. Editors are writing articles for the Internet for readers to digest two minutes from now, not two months. Sales people are not selling advertising space in a magazine; they're selling a brand that encompasses multiple media platforms. Says Tom Moloney, CEO of Emap USA: "If you asked me five years ago, I'd say we were a magazine publishing company. Now I'd say we create environments. We're creating environments on paper, TV, radio, online - creating unique environments that bring together our readers and our advertisers."

Magazine publishing is itself, at this time, an environment thriving within the nation's robust economy. Combining the two - a growing industry and a tight labor market - spells unparalleled opportunities in an industry where traditionally, newcomers were long expected to pay their dues.

The priority now is securing the right people, and finding a place for them. "Recruitment has changed," says Gerry Nobile, director of human resources for Playboy Enterprises. "You don't just say, 'I have a job to fill,' and start looking. You look constantly."

That climate coupled with a need to train newcomers in new technology and strategies is good news for those out of college. Companies that in the past turned a blind eye to young talent are bringing them on board earlier. "One of the things our company hadn't put a good emphasis on in the past is college recruiting," says Leah Landro, who hires for technology publisher CMP Media Inc. "Now we're trying to grown our own." At CMP, the usual vacancy rate of 6 to 7 percent is now running about 10 percent--or about 200 openings at any given time. And CMP is not alone.

For those already in the industry, those high vacancy rates - especially at mid-level positions - offer valuable mobility. And for those just starting out, they provide unparalled opportunities to get on board and move up quickly. Says Ruth Diem, director of Human Resources for Hearst: "At the consumer magazines it is very tough to find good people with experience for the mid-level jobs. So it is a great area for people to go into now, when they come out of college. Right now it's really an amazing time for people entering the industry."

As a result, the hottest jobs in magazine publishing are less singular titles than they are career paths encompassing a skill set in demand by the majority of magazine publishers today. Magazine company recruiters say that their titles are, for example, pining for good editors - from editor-in-chief down to editorial assistants (the editors-in-chief of tomorrow)--with the greatest need, senior editors, falling in the middle.

Likewise, the market for experienced advertising account managers is downright cannibalistic--leading some magazine companies to take a second look at easing entry to this highly competitive and lucrative field, and rendering even a lower-level job a "hot" one.

What follows are five job categories that magazine professionals cited time and again when asked about their greatest needs for talent. Most of those categories encompass more than one job title--in many cases, the labels used at some publications vary from those categorizing the same job at another; others reflect varying experience levels on the same career path. Salary estimates, too, are merely benchmarks and may vary with a candidate's experience, the size of the publisher or title, and the market it serves.

"There are lots of places to go, lots of movement, lots of vitality," Nina Link, president of the Magazine Publishers of America, says in describing the industry. "Magazines have been around for generations and they're continuing to reinvent themselves. It's very exciting."

Editorial

IN DEMAND:

* ASSOCIATE EDITOR

* SENIOR EDITOR

* COPY EDITOR

* EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

One of the truths underlined more clearly than ever by the new economy is this: information is a product. And the producers of that product for the magazine industry are, and will continue to be in the foreseeable future, its editors.

The expansion of magazine brands to the Web, coupled with the demand for creative content on all Internet sites, has sapped the number of solid writers who otherwise would have seen their future in print.

The scarcity is felt especially beyond the entry level, says Lori Gaytan, director of human resources for Intertec. "It's harder and harder to find people at the associate editor level, with two to four years of experience. We see them jumping to other things--they're going to other types of companies, they're going to Internet sites. Filling those jobs has become tough." Top-level jobs, including editor-in-chief, executive editor, and senior editor are also getting harder to fill, says Jackie Riley, a recruiter with Lynne Palmer Executive Recruitment. Especially needed, she says, are editors with a background in finance, personal health and technology, at all stages in their careers. "If the market is hot, you're looking at editorial people at all levels," Riley said.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3065/is_14_29/ai_67718960

Networking Online As Your Mother Taught You

2007-11-14T00:22:00.000-08:00

There are jobs, and there are dream jobs. Jobs will come to you. Dream jobs have to be uncovered. How do you do that? Most experts agree that the best way to find the best employment opportunities is by networking. And while traditional networking is a widely understood (if sporadically practiced) skill, networking on the Internet is still a mystery to many of us.

I call this online activity “e-networking.” It’s guided by two very simple rules you probably learned from your mother:

The first lesson your mother taught you was almost certainly, “Don’t speak to strangers.” That’s true in networking, as well. People who don’t know you are unlikely to take the risk of referring you to friends or colleagues who may have an opening that is just right for you. The key to effective networking, therefore, is hiding in plain sight. The word says exactly what it means; it’s netWORK, not Netget-around-to-it-whenever-you feel-like-it. I recommend that you invest thirty minutes twice a week in networking online. Less that that will preclude you from building familiarity and trust with others; more than that will divert your attention from the other things you should be doing in a job search campaign.

The second lesson your mother probably taught you was, “It’s nice to share.” If you want others to share their knowledge of open positions and access to contacts, then you have to be willing to do the same. Think of e-networking as a collaborative activity, as teamwork. The most successful e-networkers treat that word as TEAMwork; they see themselves as an integral part of the group with which they are networking, and they view their role in the group to be one of proactive contribution. They will share the information and insights they have so that others can be just as successful in their search for a new or better job as they hope to be in theirs. Think of e-networking, therefore, as the adult version of the Golden Rule: it’s all about treating others as you would like them to treat you.

These rules, of course, are just as important in traditional networking as they are in e-networking. Its where and how they are applied that’s different online. Traditional networking is typically done one-on-one and in person. You network on the phone or in a meeting, and the key to success is “who you know.” If you know the right person, you can find one of those dream jobs.

eNetworking, on the other hand, occurs via e-mail at bulletin boards and discussion forums on the Internet. When you share information and contacts online, you are sharing them with tens, even hundreds of other people. e-Networking, therefore, is a one-on-many form of communication. It enables you to dramatically expand the range of people “who know you” (and may be willing to assist in your job search). And, you can do that while you sit at home in your fuzzy slippers and peck away at your computer.

Does that mean that e-networking is social networking in business attire? Absolutely not. In one you’re trying to find a friend or a date; in the other, you’re trying to find a job or advance your career. e-Networking is not a leisure activity; it’s an exercise in building work-related relationships. It’s best accomplished, therefore, at sites where others have the same intention. These include sites that are operated by:
Your professional or trade association; your undergraduate, graduate or technical school alumni organization; or an affinity group that is appropriate for you (e.g., veterans, women in technology, Java programmers in St. Louis).

In addition, you might also try:
An emerging kind of job board that’s best described as a “career portal” and offers features and functions for career advancement as well as job search or corporate blogs that a small, but growing number of employers (e.g., Microsoft, Honeywell) are starting to use on their sites to establish a dialogue with employment prospects.

You can find these groups and/or their sites by conducting a search at Google, Yahoo!, Ask and other search engines and through the Groups tab at Google and the Blog Directory at Yahoo!. You’ll probably uncover lots of places where you can interact with others who can be helpful to you in your job search. However, given that you will only be investing an hour or so per week in your e-networking and that you must share to be effective, I recommend that you find the one group where you feel most comfortable and limit your participation to it. Then, be conscientious about your involvement and generous with your contribution.

e-Networking is not a substitute for traditional networking. It is, instead, a way for you to uncover the dream jobs that most people will never even hear about … and show your mother that you were listening to her after all.

http://www.washington-dcjobs.com/articles/i/ac36/blogs/networking.htm

Matching Your Skills to Find Appropriate Jobs

2007-11-14T00:21:00.000-08:00

Skills refer to the things you do well. The key to finding the most appropriate jobs in the industry is recognizing your own skills and communicating the significance written and verbally to a probable employer.

Majority of the most viable skills are those that are used in a variety of work settings. What are these skills? Would matching your skills to find the right job be successful?

* Determine your skills. This would help you in becoming the lead candidate of landing the job. A skill does not necessarily mean it was adapted in a work environment. If this would be your first job hunt and you have no job experience to date, you still have a chance in the industry.

Majority of skills, including knowledge-based and transferable, could be absorbed and developed as a volunteer, a student, a homemaker, or in your other personal activities. The skills you have used for these activities can still be applied to your desired jobs.

Organizing and listing your personal skills could help you easily fill out job applications, provide useful information for job interviews, and prepare quality resumes.

First, you should categorize the skills by separating your interests and aptitudes from your work experience.

1) Aptitudes and interest. These include all of your hobbies, activities you have been involved in the past, and all the things that interest you. By listing all of these down, you could examine the skills it takes to achieve each item.

Skills from aptitude and interest may be homemaking, playing basketball, fixing cars and many more. All of these items could determine if you are capable of working with a team, able to handle multiple tasks, have viable knowledge of human development, knowledge of electronics and ability to diagnose mechanical and numerical problems. The list goes on, but make sure to consider the skills that would be beneficial for a working environment.

2) Work history. This includes volunteer, part-time, freelance, summer and full time jobs. Once you have listed all your past employment, examine the skills you do work each work duty.

* Ask for help. As soon as you have your list ready, you could now go to job services that could help you acquire your desired job. You could also search job yourself. However, always remember to match your skills and abilities in your list to the needed skills and abilities of various jobs.

In most cases, people who seek jobs are threatened with job titles. This should not be the case. As long as your skills and abilities could meet the requirements of the workload and job title, your possibility of acquiring your desired job increases.

http://www.daytimedreamers.com/articles/other/JH2-skills-matching-jobs.txt

Copywriting Jobs

2007-11-14T00:20:00.000-08:00

There are a great deal of copywriting jobs out there today. Within this article today, we will look at the future of copywriting jobs as well as where you can find more information.

The number of copywriting job is enormous. As of February 10, 2007, if you did a keyword search of "copywriting", there were 509 open jobs. This is only a small part of the market and you could find many other copywriting jobs on other websites as well. With the evolution of the Internet, there are more and more jobs available to write good web content among other things on the Internet. Often many copywriting jobs can be found where you will find a plethora of advertising agencies and a good example of this would be in New York. Within your area, there will be a good number of smaller marketing agencies where you may be able to find work as a copywriter. The number of opportunities for a copywriter is very high and this is a great feel to work in.

Copywriting salaries usually range from $41,000 a year up to $56,000 a year or more. From this website, 41,000 represented what the 25th percentile are making on average within the field whereas the people earning 56,000 a year were in the top 75%. This is a rough gauge on what you could potentially make if you decide to take a copywriting job.

To look just be on the realm of grabbing a job as a copywriter, you could also look at doing some freelance copywriting. If you're not happy with the amount of money that you could make within the copywriting field, you could look at supplementing this on the side by bidding for projects at either of these two following websites: www.elance.com or www.directfreelance.com . On either of these two websites, you are able to bid on projects that are listed as well as set up a profile to showcase your best work. You can create search criteria so that jobs that meet what you want can be e-mailed to you. This is a great way to supplement your income.

Copywriting jobs are out there for the taking. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, copywriting jobs will grow in line with the general economy over the next decade. This means that you will see probably about average growth for the industry but you could see a great deal more growth if you focus on Internet copywriting. This is a very flexible industry in which you have potentially a greater chance at dictating your terms and conditions and how you would like to work. This is something that you can look into when you start talking with a potential employer. Do not underestimate also the opportunity to work as a freelancer because you could command higher rates and this would increase the amount of flexibility you would have within your life.

http://infoboulevard.com/articles/copywriting/Copywriting-jobs.txt

Understaffed Data Centers Threaten Service Agreements, Study Finds

2007-11-14T00:14:00.000-08:00

Understaffed with workers that have inadequate skills sets, half of all large-scale enterprise IT departments have failed to meet internal service level agreements within the past two years, according to a recently published "State of the Data Center" research report by Symantec (NSDQ: SYMC).
More than half of the respondents to the survey say their data centers are currently understaffed, and 86% say they have difficulty finding qualified applicants. Nearly two-thirds of the companies surveyed believe their staff skill sets are too narrow, and 57% indicate that employees' skill sets do not match their current needs.

The Symantec survey focused on Global 2000-sized organizations and more than 800 data center managers and other IT executives were surveyed in phone interviews and focus groups around the world, said Sean Derrington, a director of storage management for Symantec.

Data centers managers are facing a growing list of challenges, Derrington said, as they attempt to reduce cost and meet service level agreements, while working with small and often ill-trained staffs in an attempt to address rising complexity.

"One participate in a focus group in London told us that while the service level agreements he was being asked to meet were 'absurd,' there was really nothing that could be done but adapt to the new levels of expectations for IT delivery," Derrington said. "But these data center managers are having a hard time finding qualified staff, retaining qualified staff, and finding administrators with the right skill sets necessary to deliver appropriate business application value."

Two-thirds of respondents say they have formal service level agreements inside their organizations, and 51% say they have failed to meet at least some of those agreements in the past two years. Part of the reason is that 85% of data center managers say service level agreements have increased over the past few years, while actual budget have remained stagnant.

According to survey, the data center operational costs are growing at 5% a year, and although the average IT budget is growing at 7%, when adjusted for inflation there is little or no actual budget growth, Derrington said.

Server virtualization and consolidation are considered top cost containment strategies for most respondents, with 90% at least discussing virtualization, and 50% implementing virtualization strategies. Ninety-one percent are at least discussing server consolidation, and 58% are actively pursuing consolidation efforts.

But consolidation and virtualization add their own complexities, and large enterprises are currently using multiple virtualization platforms within their organizations. According to the study, companies based in the United States have implemented 2.3 different virtualization platforms; while business outside the United States have implemented an average of 2.7 different virtualization packages.

"Not only is the physical data center heterogeneous and complex, but now the virtualized infrastructure is also heterogeneous and complex," Derrington said. "The day to day requirements for more centralized management were already increasing, and virtualized environments are making things even more complex while resources remain limited."

http://www.perljobs.com/Articles/default.asp

employers give laid-off staffers something extra to ease the pain of their job loss.

2007-11-14T00:12:00.000-08:00

A growing number of employers give laid-off staffers something extra to ease the pain of their job loss: continued access to employee-assistance programs.

So-called EAPs help people cope with stress, depression, marital discord and money problems. Most plans in the U.S. provide unlimited phone advice via 24-7 hotlines, plus face-to-face sessions with mental-health experts or financial counselors. In the U.S. alone, about 76% of employers with 500 or more employees offer the benefit to current workers, concludes a 2006 survey by Mercer, a human-resources consultancy. Large employers are more likely to offer the programs than smaller ones.

Proponents claim employee-assistance programs boost productivity because they help workers deal with disruptive personal issues, usually during their off-hours. At big companies, roughly 15% of the work force typically calls the EAP each year, estimates Ceridian Corp., a major provider.

Individuals who are laid off usually lose access to the service within weeks. But more than 100 employers with EAPs run by ComPsych Corp. have maintained the program for three to 12 months following layoffs, says Richard Chaifetz, chief executive of the big Chicago provider. Extended coverage "is starting to pick up," he adds. "We're seeing more of it over the last six months" as the economy has slowed.

Employers offering the continued benefit range from small businesses and local governments to major corporations. They hope to reduce resentment and litigation among those let go. Laid-off workers who quickly overcome their anger "are more likely to be able to find a job," Mr. Chaifetz says.

Aiding former staffers also earns management goodwill and bolsters a workplace's reputation, says Leonard Sanicola, benefits-practice leader at WorldatWork, a human-resources trade association. "That could improve survivors' productivity and morale."

Other providers of employee-assistance programs question these purported gains and say they see few clients offering to cover laid-off workers for extended periods. "The payoff isn't there for them [employers], because the employee is gone," says Zachary Meyer, head of the EAP business at Ceridian in Minneapolis.

When Mobility Electronics Inc. laid off 15 of its 93 U.S. workers in July, the Scottsdale, Ariz., maker of power adapters for electronic gadgets decided to continue health insurance and the employee-assistance program through September.

About 30% of Mobility Electronics' staffers used the counseling service during the first half of 2007, says human-resources director Joan E. Dawson. She hasn't yet tracked use among recently laid-off associates. Even if the prolonged benefit only "helps some folk, we have gotten our reward," she says. "It's not a financial burden" for the company, she adds.

Florida's Sarasota County extended access to its employee-assistance program for two months after laying off 64 of its 2,281 workers in May and August. The county spends $1.58 a month for each former and present staffer covered by the EAP, according to Sue Marcinko, executive director for talent and performance management. At that rate, "why would you not want to [continue] it?" she asks. An extended employee-assistance program represents a way "to remain an employer of choice," Ms. Marcinko suggests.

Gigi Bates shares that view. She was laid off as a county building-permit coordinator in the spring. Nearly two months later, the county's clerk of the courts offered her a deputy clerk's position. She decided to rejoin the Sarasota County government partly because officials treated her respectfully during her layoff.

Though Ms. Bates didn't turn to the employee-assistance program while jobless, its availability was "like having a safety net," she says. She had taken advantage of the service three times before, once when her son had problems at school.

Teresa Mast, a Sarasota County administrative assistant untouched by the cuts, says her morale improved after some laid-off colleagues praised EAP counselors for helping them overcome worries about self-worth and money. "I have even more respect than I did before for the organization I work for," Ms. Mast says.

Maureen Harkins's case shows how both employee and employer can gain from the prolonged benefit. Ms. Harkins felt "very unjustly treated" when a Long Island, N.Y., health-care agency dismissed her in April for alleged poor performance as an orders-department assistant. The Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., resident considered suing for wrongful dismissal.

The agency promised Ms. Harkins six sessions with a clinical social worker at National Employee Assistance Providers Inc. and six months of unlimited phone consultations. Her sessions ended in late July. Ms. Harkins remains jobless and says she is "still angry." Nevertheless, she adds, "I was able to let go a lot of the resentment I had."

Email your comments to cjeditor@dowjones.com.

http://www.penntechjobs.com/article_display.jsp?ARTICLE_ID=308081

Why Attention-Seeking Tactics Often Backfire on Job Hunters

2007-11-14T00:11:00.000-08:00

In an era when many resumes share a standard email-friendly format, it's no wonder some job hunters feel compelled to use creative tactics to stand out. But while a rare few succeed, most fail miserably, say recruiters and hiring managers.

A junior marketing professional tried sending his resume to a company hiring manager via homing pigeon, says Cynthia Shapiro, a job-search coach in Chatsworth, Calif. But as far as the job hunter knows, the recruiter wasn't interested, because the animal never returned, says Ms. Shapiro, who began working with the job hunter after the incident.

Such oddball gimmicks are more commonly used by entry- and mid-level professionals than by managers and executives, say recruiters. Yet a miscue can be even costlier for senior folks, because "they should know better," says Amy Hoover, an executive vice president and partner at Talent Zoo Inc., a recruiting agency with offices in New York and Atlanta. "Big gaffes certainly can give you an unflattering reputation regionally or across the board in your industry."

Professionals typically resort to unconventional tactics after bouts of rejection, says Ms. Shapiro, who has 17 years of experience working in corporate human resources. "It's really disheartening when you send your resume out there and you get nothing in return," she notes. "It just makes people feel like they have to do something crazy to get noticed."

Among the more bizarre gimmicks hiring managers say they've seen: a cut-up resume placed piece by piece inside a Russian stacking doll, a cover letter with an electronic key chain and a note saying, "The only noise you'll hear out of me are the ones generated by this letter," and a case in which a job candidate brought a Rubik's Cube to an interview to demonstrate her quick problem-solving skills.

Ms. Shapiro says a job hunter in a gorilla suit once dropped off his resume at her office at a construction company. Then, she recalls, he burst into a song describing why he would make a strong candidate. "The receptionist said he couldn't come in, but he kept running around with balloons and calling my name," she says. "Everyone thought it was my birthday. The CEO came out. It wasn't cool."

But even a relatively benign approach to dropping off a resume may not work. Carrie Pryor, a senior client partner at Korn/Ferry International, an executive-search firm, says professionals -- usually in normal attire -- show up at her New York office unannounced about once every three months. "It has a sense of desperation, which is not a good quality to be projecting to a recruiter," she says, adding, "It's also not terribly respectful of my time."

Approaching recruiters in a social setting about job opportunities is also unwise. Ms. Pryor says she was recently cornered by a job hunter as she was searching for a seat at her daughter's high-school volleyball game. "I was really more interested in focusing on seeing my child perform," she says. An acceptable alternative would have been to ask to meet in a business setting at a later date, she adds.

Another strategy sometimes used by job seekers is to send a recruiter a cover letter inside an unsealed envelope with no resume, says Ernest Feiteira, formerly a director of business development at NAS Recruitment Communications, a human-resources communications firm in Woodbridge, N.J. The goal is to make it appear that the person's resume fell out, prompting the recruiter to personally follow up, he explains. But this can also leave the impression that the job seeker is deceptive, incompetent or careless, he notes.

Some job seekers regularly email recruiters jokes, goofy photos or other unprofessional items just to stay on their radar, says Romayne P. Berry, a career consultant for Right Management in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and a former executive recruiter. Others send their resumes about once a month, noting that they made a change to the document even though the edits are usually minor.

Job candidates have also been known to offer recruiters free tickets to concerts or other events during interviews. Others send thank-you letters with a fruit basket or a bottle of champagne attached. Such actions are tantamount to bribery, which can be an automatic knock-out factor, recruiters say.

Still, the right attention-getting tactic can sometimes work, particularly when professionals tailor it for a specific recipient, says Harry Joiner, a recruiter in Atlanta who specializes in e-commerce. He recently received via FedEx a toy rubber sandwich wrapped in red cellophane with a note saying he wouldn't have to brown bag his lunch the following week if he'd let the sender take him to a restaurant. The strategy worked, Mr. Joiner says, because his personality "screams kitsch," a fact that can easily be discerned from reading his blog, www.marketingheadhunter.com, about careers in marketing. "This guy knew exactly who he was sending it to," he says.

But Mr. Joiner acknowledges that such a tactic might have the opposite effect on other recruiters. "This is a judgment call," he says. "Sometimes you've got to take some chances to break through the clutter." He advises job seekers to research recruiters' personal interests to identify ways to grab their attention using resources like the networking Web site LinkedIn.com.

Spend the bare minimum on your gimmick, adds Mr. Joiner. "You want to pick something that doesn't cost so much that you look like you're trying to buy the person."

Recruiters in creative industries like advertising, marketing and public relations may be more receptive to gimmicks than others, says Dave Willmer, executive director at Creative Group, a division of the recruiter Robert Half International Inc. He recommends looking for clues in job descriptions. A call for creative types that includes terms like "cutting edge" or "fresh" might indicate openness to such an approach, he notes.

One easy way to stand out is to include a link to a personal Web site or blog in an email resume, says Matt Schwartz, president of MJS Executive Search, an executive search firm in Tarrytown, N.Y. Just be sure the content on the site is appropriate. A professional seeking a head speechwriter job at a major consumer-goods company blew his candidacy by sending Mr. Schwartz a link to a blog that included a description of illegal drug use. Though this person was highly qualified for the $300,000 position, Mr. Schwartz says he was unwilling to overlook the faux pas.

It also is acceptable to send a card for a nondenominational holiday such as New Year's to remind recruiters of your interest, Ms. Shapiro says.

But avoid any stunts that might be deemed crass or unprofessional, says Dale Winston, chief executive of Battalia Winston International, a retained executive-search firm. She once received a resume with two Pepto-Bismol tablets attached and a note that read: "I'm one candidate that won't nauseate you. However, since I don't know how the rest of your day is going, accept some relief, compliments of me." Ms. Winston keeps it and similar items in what she calls her "funny file," she says.

And bear in mind that even if you do win a recruiter's attention using a creative gimmick, that doesn't mean you're a shoo-in for a job, Mr. Joiner says. "You still have to be good," he says. "There's no getting around that."

-- Ms. Needleman is associate editor at CareerJournal.com.

Email your comments to Sarah Needleman.

http://www.penntechjobs.com/article_display.jsp?ARTICLE_ID=302323

Job-Search Secrets For Hunting on the Web

2007-11-14T00:09:00.000-08:00

Job hunting has made a dramatic transition in the past decade as both companies and candidates have moved online. While surfing the Web may not get you a job, better Internet job-search skills can improve your odds of securing an interview. According to a 2005 survey from the Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Va., about 86% of human-resources professionals polled use Internet job postings to recruit candidates.

The first step when conducting an online job hunt is to specify clearly what you're looking for. Fewer than 5% of visitors to SimplyHired.com take advantage of the site's "advanced job search" tool, says Kay Luo, director of marketing at the Mountain View, Calif., company. The option, found on most job boards, lets users combine and exclude terms to get more targeted results, she says. For instance, if you're looking for a nursing job, you can retrieve ads showing the words "nurse" or "RN." At the same time, you can eliminate words such as "nonprofit" or "night shift" to avoid ads with those terms.

Job hunters may be unaware of such advanced search tools or assume they're complicated, Ms. Luo says. But they can be helpful, especially on "aggregator" sites like SimplyHired, that post job ads culled from all over the Web, she says. Some site visitors abandon searches early in the process, overwhelmed by too much information. By narrowing the types of ads you want, you should get fewer but better results, she explains.

"Job boards," which post classified ads, aren't the only sites job hunters should look for. Employment leads often show up on career-related Web sites, such as networking sites, blogs and discussion boards. Typically the leads come from participants who learn about openings at their employer or from people they know.

Since launching a job search in April, 55-year-old David Gransee of Connecticut says he's learned about more than a dozen jobs that interest him through TheFENG.org, the online home of the Financial Executives Networking Group. "There are jobs there that you won't see anyplace else," he says. It's free to join, but members must be sponsored by an existing member, according to the Weston, Conn., organization's Web site. Mr. Gransee, who was laid off in February from a controller post at a manufacturer that was acquired by another firm, says he's secured three job interviews through the networking site and three more through others like it.

When you find a lead you plan to pursue, research it to make sure it's valid, says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads, a recruiting-technology consulting firm in Kendall Park, N.J. For example, if you find one on a blog, he suggests emailing the writer to ask how he or she learned about it.

Some ads are "blind"--the employer's name isn't given. To find out what company is behind a blind ad, copy and paste the firm's description from the ad into a search engine, such as Google, suggests Randy Cyr, a vice president in the Wellesley, Mass., office of Gilbert Tweed Associates Inc., a New York-based recruiter. (At most search engines, you can put quotation marks around a phrase to get results with the exact words in between.) The company's Web site will likely be among the top results, because many recruiters copy a firm's description from there when writing job ads, Mr. Cyr says.

If the initial page of results doesn't lead you to the right place, "you're probably not going to find it," he adds. Apply only if you're 100% sure the ad wasn't from your current employer or one where you're already a candidate. "You want to err on the side of caution," he says.

Before responding to an ad, find out if you know someone who works at the company, says Kathy Simmons, chief executive officer of Netshare.com, a career site for executives. (Netshare is a business partner of CareerJournal.com, which is owned by Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal.) He may be willing to provide a referral or ensure that your application gets priority, she says.

Networking sites may help simplify the task. Florian Brody, 53, says he's found two jobs in the past year this way, using LinkedIn. Most recently, in August, he joined an online start-up company in Mountain View, Calif., as senior director of marketing communications. He contacted the company's president through the networking site's messaging system about his interest in a job, without knowing if a suitable one existed. "He said to come in and I did," Mr. Brody says, and a job offer soon followed.

If you're seeking a referral from someone you don't know well, give her a sense of your background, Ms. Simmons says. You want that person to feel comfortable since her reputation will be on the line.

Finally, if you can, apply to a person. Many job postings instruct applicants to send their resumes to a general email address and don't list an individual's contact information. "Companies don't want the hassle of having to answer tons of phone calls and emails," says J. Craig Honaman, principal at H&H Consulting Partners LLC, a career-coaching firm in Atlanta. "You have to beat that system and find a name."

Developing a personal connection can boost your chances of getting an interview by allowing you to demonstrate your interest, he says. Search the company's Web site to find the contact information for the head of the department you want to work in, Mr. Honaman says. If you're pursuing a finance post, look up the firm's finance chief. If the person isn't listed, call the company and ask for the information.

He suggests also sending an application to the address listed in the ad, so you aren't bypassing the human-resources department. "This way you've covered all bases," he says.

-- Ms. Needleman is associate editor at CareerJournal.com.

Email your comments to sarah.needleman@wsj.com

http://www.penntechjobs.com/article_display.jsp?ARTICLE_ID=292321

Your Salary Review

2007-11-14T00:07:00.000-08:00

Most employers conduct salary reviews as part of the performance review cycle. This is one of the best opportunities to negotiate for more pay. Startup companies and other employers may offer a salary review after the first three to six months on the job.

Many companies believe in separating the performance review from the salary review, because one is an evaluation and the other is a negotiation. But the business world moves so fast that that the two discussions are often combined.

Companies set budgets for pay increases. Usually the budget calls for the average employee to receive a 4 percent increase. Raises vary by position and by performance, however. Executives, IT personnel, and other employees in jobs in which salaries are moving faster may receive bigger raises. Within whatever range they operate, however, managers usually have the latitude to give some employees larger increases than others.

Remember: a pay increase below the level of inflation is not real raise because it does not keep pace with the eroding value of the dollar.

Many employers pay at or close to the prevailing market rate to retain good people. Research your market value and the typical raise for someone in your position in your industry before your salary review so that you can make the case for what you believe you deserve. Understand that the median salaries reported in studies are for people who are proficient in the job. If you are new to the role, don't be surprised if you are paid below the median. Then, as you develop skills to progress in your job, your pay should reflect your increasing proficiency.

Your employer also researches salaries, and is likely to have access to many data sources that are difficult or impossible for individuals to come by. Some progressive companies readily share this data with employees so as to foster an open dialog about fair pay. If you and your employer begin a dialog about data sources, you may be well on your way to a win-win negotiation based on market value.

In an ideal world, here's what a salary negotiation might look like.

* Your pay is aligned to your performance.
* You have a task-oriented job description and measurable performance standards.
* At your performance review, you and your employer agree about how well your performance measures up to expectations and how proficient you are in your job.
* At your salary review, you and your employer agree about the market price for your job.
* Your salary is set to coincide with your level of proficiency and performance in your job.

What to ask for

* As with any negotiation, thoroughly understand what you have to offer.
* Find out the market range for your job through research tools such as the Personal Salary Report.
* Consider your own value within that range given your particular skills and accomplishments.
* Find out the customary raises in your industry and your company through the Personal Salary Report, your network, and your human resources office.
* When presented with better information about the value of a job, a firm could make a considerable salary adjustment.
* Some companies offer only modest increases, even for outstanding performance.
* Remember that a cost-of-living increase that simply keeps pace with inflation is not a real raise.
* A promotion, usually accompanied by a raise, acknowledges your ability to handle additional responsibilities.
* Even without a pay increase, a promotion will signal progress in your career.

http://www.penntechjobs.com/article_display.jsp?ARTICLE_ID=250979

Top 10 Reasons To Leave Your Job

2007-11-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

Whether it is poor pay, lack of appreciation, a long commute, or a tyrannical boss, many employees across America have just about had it with their jobs. This has led some employees to either passively or aggressively seek to leave their job within the next three months. The compensation experts at Salary.com recently identified 8,000 employees likely to look for a new job in the next three months, and asked them what makes them want to leave their current job. The results may surprise you.

#1 Inadequate Compensation
Percent Responding: 57.2%

"Compensation for most positions is far below the market average for our region, no annual increases in the last 4 years."

Salary.com's survey results show that inadequate compensation is by far the number one reason that dissatisfied employees want to leave their job. It has been proven time and again that fair pay practices benefit not only the employee, but also the employer (by reducing unwanted and unanticipated turnover costs). Employees who are paid competitively, relative to their specific market, are generally much happier.

One way to find out if you are being paid what you are worth is to use Salary.com's salary negotiation tool, the Personal Salary Report. The Personal Salary Report will help you determine your value based on job title, industry, geography, company size, education, experience, and other personal factors.

#2 Inadequate Opportunities for Career Advancement
Percent Responding: 37.3%

"My boss has dangled the 'carrot' for a year."

Opportunity for career advancement is a major factor in retaining employees and keeping them happy. 37.3% of dissatisfied employees cited inadequate opportunities for career advancement as the reason they want to quit. Empty promises by upper management, such as promotions that don't pan out, have led many employees to give up on moving up the corporate ladder at their particular company.

#3 Insufficient Recognition or Appreciation
Percent Responding: 34.2%

"There is no recognition of my creative talent, training, or skills."

The three major portions of an employee's total rewards package are compensation, benefits, and the work experience. The work experience includes things like company culture, dress code, and how employees are recognized and appreciated for individual contributions and accomplishments. The fact that 34.2% of dissatisfied employees are disgruntled because of insufficient recognition or appreciation shows the importance of elements of the work experience, such as employee recognition programs. This proves that rewarding top performers with cash or gift certificates, or even just a pat on the back, goes a long way toward improving employee retention rates.

#4 Boredom
Percent Responding: 20.1%

"My job duties have gone from being challenging to boring."

20.1% of dissatisfied employees are unhappy because of boredom. There is only so much socializing with coworkers, surfing the Internet, or simply spacing out that an employee can do before it's time to find a new job.

The July 2005 AOL/Salary.com study on Wasted Time At Work revealed that the average American worker admitted to frittering away 2.09 hours per 8-hour workday, not including lunch and scheduled break-time. However, employees expressed that they are not always to blame for this wasted time. 33.2% of respondents cited lack of work as their biggest reason for wasting time.

#5 Inadequate Benefits
Percent Responding: 16.9%

"The insurance premiums I pay cut deep into my paycheck."

Results recently released from Salary.com's 2005 Small Business Basic Medical Coverage Survey show that nearly 90% of small businesses are paying more this year than last year for basic medical insurance for their employees. And these soaring healthcare costs are forcing small businesses, in many instances, to adopt measures that lower employee take-home pay. This has spurred some employees to start looking for work elsewhere, perhaps at companies offering more generous employer contributions towards the cost of basic medical coverage.

Use the Benefits Tab of the Salary Wizard® Calculator to see how your benefits stack up.

#6 Inadequate Opportunities for Professional Development
Percent Responding: 15.3%

"I'm probably too experienced and educated for this organization."

15.3% of dissatisfied employees feel as if they have reached the pinnacle of their professional development at the company at which they are currently employed. Whether they are leaving to further their education, start their own business, or find a job that promises more professional growth, opportunity for professional development proves to be an important factor in retaining and satisfying employees.

#7 Insufficient Job Security
Percent Responding: 11.8%

"My job is being outsourced to Mexico and Asia."

Insufficient job security is a result of a variety of different factors, including outsourcing, industry decline, lack of profits, competitive threats, and rumors that the company may be sold. The survey results indicated that many employees are searching for new jobs in response to the fact, or rumor, that their company or job is going under. Many of the 11.8% of respondents who cited insufficient job security as their top reason for leaving lack confidence in upper management's ability to save the company.

#8 Undesirable Impact on Health or Stress Level
Percent Responding: 10.5%

"This is bad for my health- my knees are hurting due to 12 hour shifts."

Many employees are working long, hard hours and are finally realizing the effect that their job is having on their overall health and stress level. Some of these employees are opting to leave the workforce entirely, while others are in search of a job that won't give them an ulcer.

#9 Poor Relations with Management
Percent Responding: 10%

"Management is incompetent, clueless, overcompensated, abusive, hostile and predatory."

Bosses everywhere, beware! Your employees are watching you and may leave because of your behavior. Even though poor relations with management ranked as the ninth most common reason unhappy employees want to leave their job, employees who dislike their boss provided us with some particularly entertaining feedback:

"Upper management has no spine, they are jellyfish."

"My boss has a diagnosed mental condition, but doesn't take his medication."

"My employer wants to disregard regulations and laws in order to meet company goals."

"My direct employer is sexist, tyrannical, and engages in extreme favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism."

#10 Undesirable Commute
Percent Responding: 9%

"My cost of gas versus my hourly income equals my net pay."

Rising gas prices have become an effective pay cut for America's commuters, and many are starting to think about leaving their job for something closer to home. Assuming that individual and company goals are met, employees can expect a salary increase of about 3.7% this year. They can also expect to pour 3.3% of their salary down the gas tank, virtually wiping out that increase. In fact, while salaries are rising 3.7% year over year, commuting costs have risen 50% in the last year.

In some metro areas, the average commuter is spending close to 5% of their salary on gas needed to get to and from work. See how your commute ranks in Salary.com's 2005 Gas/Salary Study.

http://www.penntechjobs.com/article_display.jsp?ARTICLE_ID=250974

PHP Developer - Cutting Edge Open Source Environment

2007-11-13T23:55:00.000-08:00

Join SellingSource.com, an industry leading developer of Technology Driven Marketing Solutions, as a PHP Developer and become part of a dynamic and fast growing team. Tackle a variety of projects on a daily basis, working with cutting edge technologies from multiple environments. Apply your PHP, OOD and programming experience to develop code for a range of web applications, and your success will lead to growth opportunities within the organization. If you’ve always wanted to move to Las Vegas, this is your chance, as SellingSource will assist in the relocation of the top candidate. To take a look at all the great reasons to move to Las Vegas, please visit http://netxstudios.sitestream.com/livinginlasvegas

Founded in 1997, SellingSource.com (www.SellingSource.com) develops technology-driven marketing solutions for the online marketplace. Its affiliated companies offer services such as enterprise software, campaign management solutions, online advertising, text messaging, online data verification, stored value financial products, software development and video production services. The firm’s unique approach to corporate development ensures that each affiliate company remains focused on developing, selling, and supporting customer solutions, while SellingSource.com provides consistent infrastructure, leadership, and financial stability to each company as it grows.

As a PHP Developer working in our Las Vegas, Nevada office, you will develop code for a variety of web applications, depending on the current needs of our business. A strong understanding of overall PHP programming techniques, including writing and interacting with objects, will be critical as you work with other developers, project managers and the software director to complete projects on a relatively short cycle time. You will work with the project lead to determine priorities, and then work autonomously to reach your goal. Comfort maneuvering in Unix is important, as that is our platform of choice, and the ability to write and debug SQL queries will also be helpful. Join a fast paced company where the impact of your work can be immediately felt, and take the next step in your career!

http://fastcreators.com/article/category/php-jobs/

Legitimate Part Time Jobs...

2007-11-13T04:14:00.000-08:00

Why do we fall for these things time after time and why are some people getting rich from these schemes at the expense of broken dreams and life changing decisions for the worse? In the next several paragraphs I want to warn you about these so called "part time jobs" lies.

First, before I lose people, there is such thing as a legitimate part time jobs but compared to the vast majority of these so call "opportunities" they are very few and rather far between. I mean sure there are people that because of the internet can carry on their job remotely from the location of their choice, but this is a far cry from the claims of many of these scams that offer you wads of cash for a couple hours of work per day and with no experience or training required. This is absolutely ridiculous if you think about it and that is the problem people would rather believe lies than face the cold hard truth that you have to work hard for a living.

Second beware of multi level marketing claims. They will claim that they are not a pyramidal system, which is illegal, but they are for the most part. They will talk to you about passive income all from saving you and your friends lots of money on products that are available to you at reduced rates. They will guarantee you a certain level of income with a specific number of team members. They will give you a "reasonable" time period for which this can all be accomplished. Basically what they are doing is feeding you a lot of bull about their "once in a lifetime" part time jobs.

Now I want to make it very clear that this is the vast majority, which means that there are legitimate chances to make a decent income while at home and on your own schedule but you must be ready to work hard and you have to be good at what ever you do. This will inevitably mean that there is a learning curve to any part time jobs, and that the rewards will increase according to the amount of effort that you expend. The saying "good things are worth waiting for" can't be more true than when applied to the legitimate chance to make an income in the comforts of your own home.

Articles Source - Free Articles

About the Author

Julee Mitchelsin has found a way to support her family and spend time with them doing part time jobs. Do you need more information? Go tohttp://www.parttimejobsplace.info

Work From Home Data Entry Jobs

2007-11-13T04:12:00.000-08:00

Working at home is certainly a dream many people have, simply sitting there, doing things at the comfort of their house and the best, getting paid for that. If you talk to some older people, you will see that this home jobs in the past, were mainly to put stamps on letters for big companies and get paid for each letter you stamp. But today, all this part is automated, so no one will pay you to do that.

Than, a new term appeared, the data entry, it is most likely a typist job, you would get some content, and write it, or you get paper material, sometimes handwritten, and type it. You do not need many skills to do that, basically, you have to read, write, and type. But of course, there are typists and "typists", if you have a good typing speed, you have a lot more chances to get some good jobs, and efficiency is the key for this kind of job, the closest to a perfect tying you get, the better positions you will get. To be good at data entry, you have to associate your typing speed with your ability to follow orders and discipline.

People say it is easy money, but it is not, it is a job, a big different, as you can do it from home, but it is still a job. Off line data entry companies are known to be more trusted, but there are serious ones on the internet too. Some time ago, there were plenty of jobs like this available on the internet, but now, the industry is filled with scam companies, that sometimes just try to steal your time and words, and sometimes even your money. So to get a good paying position, you have to search about good and bad companies, and do not be greedy, you will get paid for what you do, it is not a get rich quick scheme.

Finally, data entry is not a dream job, where you will get rich very quickly, but if you are really interested in making money and searching for the right opportunities, this can be a great part-time or even full-time job, a lot of people started on this business to get some extra money and ended up making a lot, you just have to want to do so, don't be greedy, have discipline, and you'll make a lot of money on data entry jobs, I assure you!

http://www.articles-hub.com/Article/172375.html

Job Interview Body Language - 6 Things You Can Say To Get The Job Without Speaking a Word

2007-11-13T04:10:00.000-08:00

Job interviews are your opportunity to communicate to the prospective employer why they should hire you. During a face to face job interview, you want your spoken words to match your unspoken words. And gestures and facial expressions can say a lot. Your overall presentation, which includes your body mannerisms, can be just as important as the verbal answers you give during your face to face job interview.

If you want your body to say:

1. ?I am interested?? Lean forward a little with your head slightly tilted when the interviewer is speaking, particularly about the company, the job description and duties. This can show the interviewer that you are ?physically? listening and interested in what is being said. This is also an opportunity to show you know the importance of your listening skills and using your 2 ears over your 1 mouth.

2. ?I am comfortable?? Have a genuine smile. A fake, plastered on smile just won?t do. Imagine how good you will feel your first day on the job or after receiving your first check. That is the smile you want to convey during your face to face job interview.

3. ?I am trustworthy?? Maintain good eye contact. It is an opportunity to establish trust with the job interviewer. But, be careful to avoid intense eye contact. Instead, aim to maintain eye contact about 75% of the time.

4. ?I am happy for this opportunity and I appreciate your time?? Give a firm hand shake at the start of the interview and at the end of the interview, if your culture allows. Think of your handshake as a piece of uncooked spaghetti, as opposed to a wet noodle.

5. ?I am alive and energetic...? Use hand gestures to express yourself . But only to bring home certain points or for emphasis. Don?t overdo it. You don?t want to look like a spastic chicken.

6. ?I am confident, prepared and alert...? Sit up straight with your shoulders back . Do not sit with your arms folded across your chest or with your hands. Instead you want to exhibit a an ?open? posture. Sit still and do not fidget. You do not want to make your interviewer sea-sick.

Your self- awareness of your job interview body language can be uncovered through the practice of your nonverbal communication skills prior to your next job interview. You can practice in the mirror, with a friend or family member or video tape yourself to see how you will really come across to the job interviewer.

RondaL Polhill is a Human Resources, Recruiting and Staffing Expert. She earned her B.A. from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. In addition, she holds three nationally recognized business certifications from the American Management Association: General Management, Human Resources Management and Marketing Management.

She is the founder of http://www.HireOrNoHire.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RL_Polhill
http://EzineArticles.com/?Job-Interview-Body-Language---6-Things-You-Can-Say-To-Get-The-Job-Without-Speaking-a-Word&id=555851

http://www.2myjobs.com/Articles/Articles.asp?xid=1086&Job+Interview+Body+Language+-+6+Things+You+Can+Say+To+Get+The+Job+Without+Speaking+a+Word

The Rising Importance Of Logistics Jobs

2007-11-13T04:08:00.000-08:00

The complexities of the modern economy in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the entire world have meant the increase in logistics needs. Logistics professionals essentially deal with the various shipping, production, and distribution methods as they happen in real time. Proper logistics planning ensures that all of the necessary resources, manpower, and structures are in place to complete the entire production and sales process. However, best laid plans can often go by the wayside due to a last minute client need or a production issue. Logistics jobs are becoming more important because accidents do happen and planning often doesn't reflect updated information by the minute.

Logistic jobs are important to every industry but there are a number of industries particularly affected by logistics needs. Construction, architectural, and engineering firms are influenced greatly by logistics issues. On the job site, logistic professionals can help out laborers and foremen by ensuring that they have the building supplies to complete the project. At architectural firms, logistics professionals are often the voices of reason in conceptual meetings by providing the financial and transportation realities of a specific project. Indeed, engineering firms need logistics professionals to ensure that every aspect of production is able to go off without a hitch for the same reasons as mentioned above.

Automotive companies need logistics professionals to stay ahead of the competition. Car, truck, and SUV producers have expanded to meet international needs. While business is good for most automotive firms, smaller companies looking to get ahead need to use logistics to their rescue. A good logistics department is able to ensure that production facilities have the raw resources they need, that designers have the information they need to create a reasonable product, and that dealerships are able to house a certain number of vehicles at their facility.

Companies with high volumes of sales for smaller consumer products are in need of exceptional logistics professionals. Warehouses, distribution centers, call centers, and retail outlets need to be coordinated in order to ensure that every customer gets what they need. Telecommunication companies need logistics professionals to coordinate shipping to get the most products possible to each outlet. Publishing firms need logistics professionals to coordinate author appearances with the shipment of the appropriate books to bookstores. Computing equipment companies need logistics professionals to ensure that custom created equipment meets the standards expected by the client. Logistics professionals are need throughout the UK to help keep the economy vibrant.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com

About The Author:

Mark Doherty is a Director of Alexander Chapel Associates. A specialist sales recruitment company with a focus in IT sales jobs, logistics jobs and supply chain recruitment.

How to Find Online Jobs

2007-11-13T04:07:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a work-at-home job? Have you searched online only to become frustrated and confused with the array of offerings? Are you weary of looking at site after site trying to make sense of what is real and what is a scam? How can you know whether or not a work-at-home offer is legitimate?

YOU SHOULD BEWARE OF THE FOLLOWING:

* Sites that make outrageous claims about earning potentials; they should be considered scams.
* Outdated listings containing phone numbers, links and/or email addresses that don't work.
* Work-at-home sites and companies that claim to find you jobs but only sell you information on how you might be able to make money.
* Pyramid or MLM schemes that try to get you to join them without selling a product or service.
* Someone who asks for your money without answering your questions.
* Use your common sense. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME JOBS:

Legitimate work-at-home jobs can be found if you know where to look. There are thousands of companies worldwide, on and off the Internet, who are willing to pay people to work from home.

Some companies require you to spend some time working at home and some time in a regular office environment. There are many major corporations now that offer this kind of flexibility for their employees. You might even be able to convert your present job into a telecommuting one. It never hurts to ask your employer.

There are many companies that allow you to work exclusively from home. The many possibilities in this category can include customer service, telemarketing, writing, sales, and graphic design. These jobs are usually pay-per-project or commission-based and can be full-time or part-time. If they are full-time, they may provide benefits such as health insurance, vacation time, and retirement plans.

There are many web sites that specialize in work-at-home jobs. Some sites offer a list of job openings that can be viewed by category. These categories include, but are not limited to, accounting, administration, clerical, finance, graphic design, marketing, sales, web development, and writing.

Other work-at home sites provide only a list of companies that will hire employees to work from home. A lot of these websites also offer excellent information on starting and maintaining a home business.

Legitimate work-at-home opportunities require certain skills and experience just as any regular position would. For some of these jobs you will also need office equipment such as a computer, software, printer, Internet access, phone, and maybe a fax machine.

In your quest to find a job, you should research all opportunities available in the work-at-home industry, as well as other online resources. There are many sites where you can search for home-based work.

THE BEST PLACES TO SEARCH FOR HOME-BASED WORK:

* Company and corporate websites - (IBM, Penney's, Disney, etc.) Whatever store, company or corporation you can think of, they will probably have a website. If they have a website, there will be a link for jobs.
* General employment sites - (jobs.com, monster.com, careerbuilder.com, etc.) There are MANY websites for general job searches. Just do a search for 'jobs' and you're off!
* Online Newspaper Classified Ads - Whatever newspaper you can think of, they will most likely have a website. You can also do a general search online for 'online newspaper classifieds' and you will get thousands of links.
* Work-at-Home Directory listings - If you do a search for 'work at home' or 'work at home directories', you will receive thousands of possibilities.
* Paid online survey sites listing companies seeking marketing research participants - Do a search for 'paid online surveys' and you will amazed by the number of results that come up!

The only requirements to finding a job online are time, commitment and perseverance. If you stick with it and stay focused, you WILL find something that works for you. There ARE jobs out there and there are good jobs out there. Hopefully, the tips listed above will help you in your quest to work from home.

The Perfect Job - Sit At Home, Relax, and Get Paid for What You Think! #1 SURVEY SITE! Legitimate companies that pay you to give your opinion.

Bookmark this article: AddThis Social Bookmarking Widget
Article Source: http://wah-articles.work-from-home-directory.com/

About the Author

Chris Chenoweth, author of the Do-It-Yourself Home, Health & Money Guide, writes articles pertaining to nutrition, health issues, budgeting, and work at home tips.

Is a Data Entry Job Working From Home Right For You

2007-11-13T04:06:00.001-08:00

While working at Data Entry Jobs sounds like the perfect job, working from home isn't for everyone. Having said that, it could be just the thing for many people, you just have to assess if you are ready and committed to take on a data entry job and make it a success. The attraction is that it is an amazing alternative to the daily chore of going out to work for someone else.

What is important is that you take a long hard look at your circumstances, your lifestyle, your commitment and your ability to motivate yourself. Don't just go out and resign your job before you have even tried starting a data entry job. Take a while to ask yourself some basic questions:-

- What are my strengths?
- What are my weaknesses?
- Do I enjoy flexibility?
- Can I plan the family activities so they do not interfere?
- Will my family support my new career?
- Do I have self-discipline?

Decide what your strengths are. There is not one type of person that is just right for this type of work. Everyone has strengths and you need to decide if yours are the ones you need for this kind of work. Some strengths that might help in this kind of work could be:-

- You like attention to detail
- You enjoy working on the computer
- You like to work on different projects
- You are dependable

These are just a few to give you an idea. There are so many things that you could consider a strength that would benefit you working from home.

Now take a serious look at your weaknesses. Decide if they will cause a problem or if you can work around them. For instance, you might say that your weakness is that you can't get up in the mornings. This could be a problem if you schedule your only work time at 8 a.m. but if you schedule your work for the afternoon or the evening then this would not be a problem. This is part of the benefit of working from home - you can decide for yourself how and when you want to work.

How flexible are you? If you are a person that thrives on flexibility then you will especially enjoy taking on different data entry jobs and allowing yourself to work at various times and for varying lengths of time. If you are not a very flexible person (be honest!) then you can still make a great job of this by being more diligent about scheduling your time and also by planning your jobs ahead.

If you are planning to work at a data entry job from home you will have to consider your family. While it is important to set aside time without interruption, it is not realistic to think that the family will never interrupt. There will always be times when you will have to change your priorities. A good discussion with your family outlining what everyone's expectations are would be a great idea.

Some people just know that they have great self-discipline while others are not sure. If you think you do then you won't have any problems. If you are not sure, don't despair. It is amazing where self-discipline comes from when you are interested in what you are doing. Many people find that the mere fact that they are working for themselves is a huge motivating factor. It is a very different feeling from grinding out the work for some one else. You may not have a boss breathing down your neck, but many people are surprised to discover that they will push themselves harder than any boss would have.

It is definitely a good idea to learn about how to prioritize and organize your work. As with any job or home business, there will be jobs that you will really enjoy and jobs that you will want to put off. Take some time to learn some simple routines for organizing such as making lists of things to do that day. Your lists could be split up into priority A and B so that you keep on track each day and stick to the most important tasks.

Organization is important, especially when you work at home. Make sure you have an area where you can sit at your computer and carry out the data entry jobs with everything you need close by. Try to separate your business things from your personal things.

In conclusion I would say that most people could be suited to working from home at data entry jobs if they just take the time to think things through and prepare themselves mentally and physically. The benefits of this kind of work are worth the effort it could take to adapt to this way of life.

Bookmark this article: AddThis Social Bookmarking Widget
Article Source: http://wah-articles.work-from-home-directory.com/

About the Author

Louise Nova, an entrepreneur for many years, started a successful business at the age of 20. Currently in the data entry industry, she has seen amazing results from this simple business. Visit Data Entry for the best data entry information online.

The Truth about Data Entry Work at Home Jobs

2007-11-13T04:04:00.000-08:00

Online data entry is an excellent career to consider if you want to work at home. The equipment needed for this type of job is very minimal. You only need a computer with an Internet connection, a table and a comfortable chair. Data entry duties include the inputting of correspondence, reports, and spreadsheets into a home computer and then transmitting that data using the Internet. Work at home data entry personnel may also proofread text, edit information, and maintain databases. Data entry jobs usually offer flexible scheduling, allowing people to work when they want to and as little or as much as they want to. Some of the growing fields for work at home data entry include medical and legal transcription, medical coding and litigation coding.

This type of work is becoming so popular that many fraudulent websites have emerged offering data entry jobs, which promise huge profits. The best way to find a legitimate data entry job is visit a reputable career website. You are more likely to find a genuine work at home job using these websites.

There are several freelance websites that post freelance data entry jobs. Avoid responding to ads that do not list a company name or contact information. There are many reputable freelance work forums that can provide you with work at home data entry job listings. The forums are usually free to join and provide trustworthy information. Once you have found an advertisement for a work at home data entry job, check out the company by visiting their website. You can also do an online search using the company name and visit the Better Business Bureau website to see if they have been listed as a fraudulent company.

Make sure you have a current resume once you have decided to apply for a work at home data entry job. The data entry field is growing, but it is still competitive. You need to apply for a work at home position just as you would a regular office job. A professional resume and cover letter could put you ahead of the other applicants.

More and more companies are beginning to outsource work a home data entry jobs, but it may a take a little digging around to find this type of work. If you?re looking for an opportunity to work at home, then the reward of finding a work at home data entry job will be worth the effort.

Bookmark this article: AddThis Social Bookmarking Widget
Article Source: http://wah-articles.work-from-home-directory.com/

About the Author

Harrold Swalve is a published author and successful online entrepreneur. For great work at home offers go to his awarded Work at Home Resource Center. To find answers on all your work at home questions visit his Work from Home Job Forum.

Best Work from Home Jobs

2007-11-13T04:01:00.000-08:00

Do you love to work out? Do you wish you could be around fitness all day long? Then the best work from home jobs for you would be in the fitness career. While most people think that the only home-based fitness job available is to become a personal trainer, there are several other options for anyone who loves fitness. So what are some of the best work from home jobs in fitness?

Personal Trainer - When someone says that you are considering getting a job in fitness, this is usually the first job that comes to mind. The personal trainer is one of the best work from home jobs in fitness, because it is the most well-known. While some people are willing to hire a personal trainer who has no training or certification, both training and certification will make you more marketable. Be warned, though, there is a lot of competition in the personal training business, so you will want to do what you can to make yourself stand out among the rest.

Fitness Instructor - If you have training or skills in a particular area of fitness, then you may want to consider teaching others. This is one of the best work from home jobs in fitness, because you are able to really set your own schedule. You can teach classes in clients homes or even in your own home if you have the space. Whether you are skilled in aerobics, yoga, tai chi, or more, you will most likely need to be certified in the area you are teaching, although many instructors start off on an informal basis.

Nutritional Consultant - Many people trying to get fit have issues with food, making this one of the best work from home jobs in the fitness industry. If you are going to be working with nutrition, you will need a certification to be taken seriously. You can help people set up diet plans and recommend supplements to enhance their response to exercise and improve their overall health.

Wellness Coach - You have probably heard of a life coach, and a wellness coach just narrows down the scope of the job. Basically, a wellness coach meets with clients to advise them about fitness, nutrition, weight management, stress, health risks, and reaching fitness goals. You will find solutions to their fitness problems and encourage your clients along the way. Most work can be done over the phone or in person, but this is one of the best work from home jobs if you are looking for flexibility. Although you do not need any specific licenses or certifications, a certification in wellness coaching is recommended.

Massage Therapist - A massage therapist is one of the best work from home jobs in fitness, although most people associate it with the spa community. When people work out, they often tear muscles, strain body parts, and add stress onto their bodies. A massage therapist can help the person heal through certain massage techniques. This career, though, does require certification, although there are plenty of schools that offer inexpensive tuition in this area.

Bookmark this article: AddThis Social Bookmarking Widget
Article Source: http://wah-articles.work-from-home-directory.com/

http://wah-articles.work-from-home-directory.com/at-home-jobs/best-work-from-home-jobs.html

Do's and Don'ts for Second (and Subsequent) Job Interviews

2007-11-12T02:16:00.000-08:00

It's gratifying to be called for a second or subsequent interview because you are another step closer to the job. Don't blow it now! Read our second-interview do's and don'ts.

* Do take a practice run to the location where you are having the interview -- or be sure you know exactly where it is and how long it takes to get there.

* Do pat yourself on the back for being called for a second interview. While some career experts say your chances are 1 in 4 to get the job at this point, others say you have as much as a 50 percent chance. Even with the field narrowing, it's important to distinguish yourself and ensure that you stand out above your competition.

* Do remember these three words: More, More, More. Compared to the first interview, a second interview will likely involve more preparation, more people, more questions, more intensity, and more pressure -- in addition to more likelihood that you will land the job.

* Don't neglect to review your performance from your first interview. Note any questions or situations that caused you difficulty and plan how you will handle those aspects better in the second interview. Derive confidence from knowing that if you hadn't performed well in the first interview, you wouldn't have landed the second. Think about what made you shine in the first interview, and plan to do more of the same. Further, brainstorm new information you can bring into the second interview -- new accomplishments, new examples, new evidence of how much you know about the employer.

* Do prepare -- even more than you did for the first interview. Presumably you researched the company before the first interview. Now it's time to delve even deeper into that research using our Guide to Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries. Some experts suggest that talking with company insiders is one of the most productive ways to prepare for a second interview. Before your second interview, consider conducting informational interviews with company folks who aren't the ones who'll be interviewing you. Consult our Informational Interviewing Tutorial to learn more. If you are a college student, particularly seek out alumni from your school or sorority/fraternity who work for the employer. Also be sure you're up to date on developments in your field or industry by reviewing trade publications.

* Don't be surprised if the second interview is actually a series of interviews -- in both individual and group/panel formats -- making for a long day. You may interview with managers, senior executives, department heads, and prospective team members. You may also get a tour of the workplace and be taken out to eat. For college students, this second-interview day may represent the first time the student has been interviewed in the employer's workplace. Plan to bring ample copies of your resume for all the people you may be meeting with. Read more in our article, Mastering the On-Site Interview: A Guide to Company Visits.

* Do try to find out in advance exactly what the agenda will be and whom you can expect to interview with. If you aren't given this information when the interview is set up, contact the assistant of the main person with whom you'll be meeting to see what you can find out. If you see that a workplace tour is not included on the agenda, ask if someone can show you around as time permits.

* Don't forget the cardinal rule of panel interviews: As you respond to a question, maintain eye contact with everyone on the panel -- not just the panelist who asked the question.

* Do be up on business dining etiquette if you are asked to dine with representatives of the prospective employer. Check out our Job-Hunting & Business Etiquette Resources.

* Do get a good night's sleep the night before this potentially grueling day. Also look for opportunities to refresh yourself during the interview day. If there's a break in the action, splash some water on your face or take a brisk walk to rejuvenate. You might want to take along a pocket- or purse-sized snack in case there is no lunch break. Breath spray or a mini-bottle of mouthwash is also not a bad idea. Be careful not to run out of steam toward the end of the day. Maintain your energy, confidence, and enthusiasm.

* Do be aware that you might be asked to complete psychometric tests dealing with such things as skills, intelligence, and personality. There's not a lot you can do to prepare for them -- but that good night's sleep will help.

* Don't slack off with your interview attire. A second interview generally doesn't denote a more casual interview. The former Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) had a protocol for the three on-campus interviews it conducted with college students that called for skirted suits for women for the first two interviews. Female candidates were permitted to wear pantsuits to the third interview. Check with company insiders to see what attire is expected for each interview.

* Do remember these three more words: Fit, Fit, and Fit. A major reason for the second interview is so the employer can see how well you fit in with the company culture. Put yourself inside the employer's head and realize that the interviewers at your second interview want to learn how well you will get along with other team members with whom you'll be interacting with every day. Deploy your very best interpersonal communication skills. Keep in mind the idea of showing your fit -- but remember that it's OK not to fit. If you aren't a good fit with the employer, you probably wouldn't be happy working there anyway. And remember, that this interview is also your opportunity to determine whether the company is a good fit for you. Think about whether you would accept if the employer extended an offer. Read more about fit with company culture in our article, Uncovering a Company's Corporate Culture is a Critical Task for Job-Seekers.

* Don't neglect to talk to other people beyond those you are interviewing with. Chatting up -- not too excessively -- the receptionist and prospective co-workers serves the dual purpose of giving you a better feel for how much you'd like to be part of this workplace culture, as well as making a positive impression on as many people as possible.

* Do expect to be asked some of the same questions you were asked in the first interview, but some new ones as well. Second-interview questions may delve more into your personality, or they may be more targeted toward specific technical skills -- or both. Plan to keep your responses fresh yet consistent for each person you meet with during the second-interview, and don't worry about repeating yourself since you will likely have a different audience every time you give roughly the same response. If you've followed the advice above to obtain the full list of interviewers, a good way to keep your answers fresh is to try to find out something about each interviewer and tailor your response specifically to that person. You can also vary your delivery to freshen your responses. Interviewing expert Carole Martin suggests that a good way for the interviewer to get to know about your personality is through the quotes of others; for example, tell the interviewer what your boss would say about you if asked.

* Do expect behavioral questions, which are commonly asked in second interviews, even if they haven't been in asked in the first interview. See our article, Behavioral Interviewing Strategies. Watch out also for off-the-wall questions. Prepare for those with our article, Don't Get Stumped by Off-the-Wall Job Interview Questions. The second interview is also a likely venue for case questions, especially in consulting firms. See our article, Mastering the Case Interview for how to handle this genre.

* Do listen for clues that get at the heart of what the employer seeks in the person hired for this position and key into the needs, concerns, issues, and problems that you would be expected to handle.

* Do prepare for as many kinds of questions as possible. You've already interviewed with this employer, but it wouldn't hurt to do a mock interview with a friend, family member, or career counselor/coach to prepare for the second interview. You may also want to prep with our Practice Interviews.

* Don't be shocked if some of the people you meet with aren't very competent interviewers. While managers trained in interviewing often conduct first interviewers, the array of people who might talk with you during the second-interview experience may include people lacking skills and training in how to conduct an interview.

* Do be prepared with lots of questions to ask. You will likely have more opportunity to ask questions in the second interview and will be expected to make more sophisticated inquiries than you did in the first interview. Although these questions are designed for informational interviews, many of them also work in a second-interview situation in which you are attempting to make a personal connection.

* Do get a feel for what second interviews are like. The University of Kent in the UK offers write-ups that describe second and subsequent interviews at numerous major, international companies.

* Don't be caught off guard if an interviewer raises the subject of salary and benefits. Be prepared to negotiate. Arm yourself by visiting our Salary Negotiation and Job Offer Tools and Resources, especially our Salary Negotiation and Job Offer Tutorial. You may also be asked about your willingness to travel and relocate, so be ready with your responses.

* Don't necessarily give an answer immediately if the employer makes an offer. Ask for a few days to think about it.

* Do ask about the next step in the process if you don't receive an offer. How soon will a decision be made, and how will they let you know?

* Do try to collect the business card of everyone you meet with. Keep a small notepad handy to write down names in case there's someone from whom you can't get a card.

* Don't forget the send a thank-you note or e-mail to everyone you meet with. That's right -- every single person. Aren't you glad you collected those business cards? You can write the same basic message to all, but vary it a bit in case they compare notes.

* Do realize that you have some degree of control if the interview process drags on. A job-seeker who had gone on six interviews with one employer and still had not heard a decision recently sought advice from Ask the Headhunter columnist Nick Corcodilos. Corcodilos's first-choice response was to simply ignore the indecisive company and pursue other opportunities. But he also noted that the job-seeker could offer a polite ultimatum: "I appreciate that you have internal reasons for this taking so long. However, I need to make decisions about some other commitments I'm facing. I'd like to set a deadline for us both, say, two weeks? If your team can't make a decision by that point, I need to withdraw my candidacy for the job and move on. I want you to know how much I've looked forward to working with you. I know I can do this job profitably for you, and I want to join your team."

* Do remember that most of the guidelines that apply to first interviews also relate to second interviews. Consult our Guide to Job Interviewing Resources.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Katharine Hansen is a former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and prepares job-search correspondence as chief writer for Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters. She is author of Dynamic Cover Letter for New Graduates; A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market; and, with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters and Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by Ten Speed Press. She can be reached by e-mail at kathy@quintcareers.com.

http://www.quintcareers.com/second_interviewing-dos-donts.html

Don't Get Stumped by Off-the-Wall Job Interview Questions

2007-11-12T02:14:00.000-08:00

Picture yourself in this scene: You're in a job interview. Everything is going better than you imagined it could. You look professional and fabulous. You are totally prepared. You are on a roll. You're nailing every interview question. You feel wonderful rapport with your interviewer. Suddenly, out of the blue she asks you:

"Imagine you could trade places with anyone for just a week. The person could be famous or not famous, living or from history, real or fictional. With whom would you trade places?"

It's all you can do to keep your jaw from dropping. You're stunned. You feel your mouth drying up and sweat forming on your forehead. Your head is spinning, and your mind is a blank. You're thinking, why in the world is she asking me this absurd question?

Welcome to the world of the off-the-wall interview question -- weird, wacky, gimmicky, and off-beat "wild card" questions that seem to have nothing to do with your ability to handle a job. If they're irrelevant to job performance, why do employers ask them?

They want to see how well you can think on your feet. They want to see if you'll get rattled. They may want to test your creativity or sense of humor. They want to challenge you. Employers who ask these goofy questions no doubt may feel the questions do relate to job performance. In creating stress by asking you a weird question, the interviewer may be testing how well you'll respond to the stress of the workplace.

And let's face it; job-seekers have vast resources at their disposal in the form of books, articles, and Web sites on how to respond to traditional and even those tricky behavioral interview questions (See our Job Interview Questions Database and Interview Question Collections.). So interviewers sometimes want to lob a curve ball at you by asking a question that you probably didn't prepare for. In his book, College Grad Job Hunter, Brian Krueger calls these question "dumb" questions, whose purpose, Krueger writes "is to get past your pre-programmed answers to find out if you are capable of an original thought."

Of course, we won't refute the possibility that some employers may just be sadistic and want to see you squirm, or they relish the amusement of seeing how you'll answer an oddball question.

Because an off-the-wall question can be virtually anything, they are nearly impossible to prepare for. Still, some, like the question about being/meeting/dining with a famous person, have been around for awhile and are worth preparing an answer for -- just in case.

The key to responding to an off-the-wall question is not to let it rattle you. Don't adopt a deer-in-the-headlights look if you get hit with one of these funky queries. Simply smile, take a deep breathe, and take a moment to compose your response. A little bit of silence is better than blurting out something even sillier than the question. You don't have to brilliant. You don't have to be witty. Just be yourself and give an honest response. If worse comes to worst, and you absolutely cannot think of an answer, ask if you can come back to that question later. You may lose a few thinking-on-your-feet points, but you'll gain points for handling a difficult situation with poise.

Above all, take comfort in the fact that there is rarely a wrong answer to these offbeat questions. True, some responses can raise eyebrows. When I taught college students and conducted mock interviews with them, I would occasionally get "Adolph Hitler" as a response to the famous-person question. Rather than thinking the student was a Neo-Nazi, I chalked up that answer to a student who probably knows so little about history that Hitler was the only person he or she could think of.

If you can turn your answer into something job-related, that's a bonus, but it's probably above the expectations of the interviewer. For example, if you're interviewing for a finance job and are asked what you'd do with a large windfall of money, you could give a clever response about how you'd invest the cash.

Below, we've provided some sample off-the-wall questions. The first group are questions submitted by readers, along with the answers they used. Be aware that studying this list of questions may be no help at all if you're ever asked a weird question because you may be asked something totally different from any of these questions. The point is to expect the unexpected, and looking over these questions will at least give you the flavor of what might be asked and enable you to do a little out-of-the-box thinking about how you might respond when you're asked a question as strange as these:

Shelley Feakes, resource navigator at Queens Career Resource Center in Nova Scotia, Canada, was asked: "If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet, what would you want?"

"I thought about this question for a minute," Feakes recalls, "then responded: 'First I would want to go change my clothes since the aliens just scared the crap out of me! ... then I would for a job as Chief Navigator so I could enjoy coming to Earth and scaring the crap out of other human beings."

Explains Feakes: "My strategy was this: I first thought that it was a psychological question, that the interviewer was trying to see how far up the ladder I desired to be ... then I thought twice and decided that I would express my creativity and go for an answer that was just as odd as the question itself. It must have worked ... I got the job!"

Another reader was not happy about the odd questions she was asked. "I was asked who my heroes were and how I felt about affirmative action in the same interview. Talk about loaded questions! Looking back, it was obvious that I would be required to be very [politically correct] and think just like them to work there. If I hadn't been a single mother and desperate for work, I would have answered, 'I think this interview is over.'" She doesn't remember how she actually did answer, but notes that "Those questions have nothing to do with the ability to do a job and are out of line. I'm probably lucky they didn't hire me because I'm sure I would have been unhappy there."

Still another reader was asked "if you could be any animal in the jungle what would it be?" He answered: "I would be a gorilla so I could be the king of the jungle because it is survival of the fittest in the jungle. I would also be able to climb trees well and get a bird's eye view of what is going on so I could stay abreast of what was happening in the jungle scene." The reader felt the employer liked his response because he got a second interview. "I thought it was a pretty good answer myself," he observed.

More off-the-wall "wild card" job interview questions:

* If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be?

* If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?

* If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

* If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?

* If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs - such as food and water - were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?

* If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with the time?

* If you had only six months left to live, what would you do with the time?

* If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be, and why?

* If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?

* If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

* If you won $20 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?

* If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?

* How do I rate as an interviewer?

* If you were a car, what kind would you be?

* Who do you admire the most and why?

* In the news story about your life, what would the headline say?

Links to sites with more off-the-wall interview questions:

* Irish Jobs: Daftest Interview Questions

* USA Today Careers Network: Be Ready for the Bizarre Interview Questions

* 10 Funniest Interview Questions

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Katharine Hansen is a former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and prepares job-search correspondence as chief writer for Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters. She is author of Dynamic Cover Letter for New Graduates; A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market; and, with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters and Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by Ten Speed Press. She can be reached by e-mail at kathy@quintcareers.com.

http://www.quintcareers.com/wild_card_interview_questions.html

The Art of the Follow-Up After Job Interviews

2007-11-12T02:13:00.000-08:00

Great! You’ve had the interview and now you wait anxiously by the phone. A cat watching a gopher hole, waiting for the little beast to pop its hairy head out any moment now could not be as anticipatory as you are. So what do you do to forestall driving yourself and your loved ones nuts during this time? Well, let’s back up a second to you at your interview.

When I was a career counselor with Snelling & Snelling, I told my clients to make sure that they asked the person interviewing them a very key question toward the end of the interview -- and to ask the question whether or not they thought they’d take the job if it were offered. The question can be phrased several different ways:

"Well, Ms. Babcock, we’ve talked about [name of job] and that you needed someone who can do a, b, and c for you. (Make sure you list what the employer says is desired in the new hire.) As I pointed out, I did "a" with XYZ Corp, "b" with DCW, Inc., and excelled at "c" with ABC & Co. How soon will you make a decision on whom you plan to hire?"

"Mr. Davis, you’ve said that you want a sales rep who has done a, b, and c. [List your former employers and cite what you did that meets or exceeds this interviewer’s expectations.] I think I’m a great fit for this opportunity. Is it all right if I call you Tuesday afternoon or is Wednesday morning better for you to find out how soon you’d like me to start?"

The interviewer should give you some faint outline of a schedule:

Mr. Davis: "Well, Terry, we’re having a staff meeting this afternoon at which we will discuss your qualifications. I should have an answer for you by Thursday afternoon."

You: "Great! Could I call you Thursday afternoon?"

Mr. Davis: "That will be fine. Keep in touch."

Now, what’s the first thing you do when you get home? Sit down and write a thank-you note to each and person with whom you interviewed. In these days of death by interview, that may be a whole pile of thank-you notes. When I interviewed with Fawcette Technical Publications, I interviewed with five people in several-hour segments all morning.

There are two standard thank you note formats with a few less favored ones:
# A Crane’s informal note in the same color as your resume
# An e-mailed thank you note
# A faxed thank you note.

Crane’s is a stationery company long known for producing very elegant and classy papers. Crane’s sells note cards that fold in half, with the edge of the paper a darker tone than the body (e.g., medium-tan edge on ecru paper, pale-blue paper with medium-blue edge). I suggest either tan, gray or light blue paper. Veer away from anything bright (neon orange, lime green). Open the card and on the inside handwrite*:

Dear _______,

Thank you very much for the interview today. In reviewing the opportunity with [name of company], I am most eager to start. In closing, let me say that no matter how many people you interview, what their education or experience is, you won’t find anyone who wants to work for you more than I do.

Very truly yours,

[your name]

[Editor’s note: For other suggested wording, see Quintessential Careers sample thank-you letters.]

For those of you who noticed the asterisk, here goes: *If your handwriting ranks slightly lower than a physician with chronic lack of sleep, then type or have someone with neat penmanship write the note out for you.

(Note: this same verbiage can be e-mailed or faxed to each of your interviewers. It is faster than snail mail and saves you digging around for stamps. Editor’s note: See more about faxing and e-mailing thank-you notes in our Quintessential Careers article, FAQs about Thank You Letters.)

Why is there a comma in the above suggested salutation? A colon indicates a formal letter and thus is very appropriate for the “Dear Ms. Babcock:” salutation. However, if she said during the interview, “Call me Barbara,” then your salutation should be the friendly “Dear Barbara,” for starters. Depending upon how formal the interview was, the salutation should follow that degree of formality. If the interviewer leaned back in the chair, put his feet up on the desk and got really comfortable, your thank you note should start, “Dear Tex,” and go on from there.

The closing is your choice. "Sincerely," "Respectfully yours," "Yours truly," are all good. Which one sounds the most like you? "Y’all come back now," is not one I suggest -- although I did see it once. Oh brother.

OK, you sent the thank you notes. It’s Thursday, and the phone is not ringing. Now what? Wait until Friday. Call or e-mail the main interviewer. “Hi, this is Terry Jones. How are you doing, Ms. Babcock? I interviewed with you on Monday. Since I am very interested in this opportunity, I thought I should follow-up with you. You thought you might have an answer Thursday. How is your decision process going?”

Three things happen here:
# You will either get an answer (you did/did not get the job) or
# They don’t know yet, so call back Tuesday or
# They don’t know and don’t have a call-back date to suggest.

If you did get the job, ee-hah!!! (That’s Texan for "yippee!")

If you didn’t get the job, that’s OK because there is a better one waiting. I once offered this piece of wisdom to a friend who had not gotten a job with a big insurance company and was quite down in the dumps. He argued that this job was as good as it got, gosh darn it. I told him that there was a reason he was protected and not hired there. Two months later, the company that didn’t hire him had massive layoffs. We don’t know how much he was saved by not getting the job there. Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off and keep looking. There will be a company smart enough to hire you. The right job is looking for you right now.

If Ms. Babcock says to call on Tuesday, do it. Whatcha waiting for????

The last one is the tough one. If you are in one of the more aggressive professions such as sales, you are almost expected to prove your aggressiveness by calling back every two to three days (unless told to wait) to find out how the decision is progressing. Do you have to call each time? No. Send e-mail.

Good Afternoon, Dave,

That interview with you was great! Thanks again. Just wanted you to know that I am very interested in this opportunity with [name of company]. Please call or e-mail me with an update at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Jerry Jones

If you are in a more relaxed profession (e.g., accounting), I would wait seven days after your last contact to call or e-mail again. Why? Accounting is not as pushy as sales, and therefore to apply sales pressure might frighten off your boss-to-be. Balance the aggressiveness of your follow-up with the field you are in; the more aggressive the job is, the more aggressive you should be in following up.

Some counselors suggest that you make something up to start the conversation but I feel this practice is a bit unsavory:

"Hi, Dave. This is Terry Smith. I enjoyed our interview on Tuesday. The reason I’m calling is that my answering machine went out, and I thought I might have missed your call. Since I am very interested in this job, I thought I’d call you and see how it was going."

Why do I disdain this method? While it is possible and even probable that answering machines fail, it seems a bit suspicious that it would fail right now during a critical job hunt. Right?

Always be professional. Always be courteous but with the enthusiasm of Golden Retriever puppy.

One fact to consider -- many companies don’t tell you their hiring decision (unless you’re the one they’re hiring), rude though that practice may be. They hope you will just give up and go away after three weeks. If no one returns your e-mails or voice mails after several weeks, let it go and presume that there will be no offer. If the hiring company were interested, your contacts would be picking up the phone. In that case, do you really want to work for someone too dumb to hire you? I thought not! Keep hunting. The right job will come.

And when you get a great response, thank them, hang up the phone, and PARTY. (“Terry, we are drafting the offer letter and should have it to you by Monday.”) Follow-up if the letter is late or doesn’t spell out the salary and perks you wanted (budget for training, sign-on bonus, etc.). If they want you, they will redraft the letter.

Hang in there! A great offer letter is just around the corner!

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Kathryn Lee Bazan has been in recruiting and placement for the last 20 years. She joined Snelling & Snelling in 1980 as the first technical placement specialist and set records for the largest rookie placement in the Newport Beach office. In 1981, she was recruited to Control Data Cybersearch to recruit computer hardware engineers. She wrote a college textbook, Job Hunting Made Easy for Environmental Health and Safety Professionals, based on papers presented at two international conferences. Kathy currently consults on Internet job hunting for professionals.

http://www.quintcareers.com/job_interview_follow-up.html

Closing the Sale and Overcoming Objections in the Job Interview

2007-11-12T02:09:00.000-08:00

The best job-hunters understand the power of marketing in the job-search, and comparing the job interview to a sales call is vital to achieving greater success -- in obtaining the job offers you seek. But the burden is not all on the job-seeker, because the employer also sees the job interview as a sales call -- and just as much as you are selling yourself as the product to be purchased by the employer, the hiring manager is also selling the employer’s value to you.

And anyone who knows even just a little about sales knows that the key to success is in overcoming objections and then closing the sale. This article shows you how you can do the same in the job interview -- and how using this technique will take you one step closer to the job offer.

Overcoming Objections
In sales, it’s a proven theory that if you can overcome all your prospect’s objections, s/he will have no choice but to agree to your offer. And while you are not doing the exact same thing for the same reasons, the logic holds that if you can overcome all the objections of the hiring manager, then you’ll be more likely to move on to the next step in the process.

Overcoming objectives can be done in a number of different ways, but the keys are to acknowledge the interviewer’s objection, understand the true cause of the objection, and respond with enough information to defuse the objection. It’s best to anticipate these potential objections before the job interview so that you’ll be able to practice your responses.

What do you do if no objections are raised? It might not mean that there are none, so it’s best to probe to uncover any -- again, because it’s much better to get them out in the open and address them than to let them sit, clouding your future. As the interview winds down, if no objections have been raised, you should consider asking a question such as, "Do you see any concerns that stand in the way of my succeeding in this position?"

Some Common Objections from Employers
Here's a collection of some of the more common objections raised in job interviews.

"I'm concerned you have too much experience for this position."

This comment is the most loaded of objections because it can mean one of several things -- and it is your job to discover which one it is. The good news is that if you are in the interview, there is something about your qualifications that make you an attractive candidate. Most often, this comment is concealing a concern about your age, attitude, or motivation. Obviously, the interviewer cannot ask your age, but someone with a lot of experience is often older, and the employer may have some concerns about fit, especially if the rest of the department is younger. Older workers also sometimes put out a vibe that because of their vast experience they know it all -- and are seen as having an attitude problem. Finally, if you have years in the same type of position, some interviewers will question your drive and motivation to move ahead (incorrectly assuming that everyone wants to do so). [Read more in this article: Fighting the Overqualified Label: 10 Tactics for a Successful Job-Search.]

"I'm not sure we can pay you the salary you are seeking."

Related to the over-experience comment is the salary one. Employers are always concerned about salary -- and hiring employees that best fit their budgets -- so there may be interest in you, but the nagging question is whether they can afford you. In this case, it’s important to defuse the objection without giving away too much information so that you still have leverage if you do get the job offer. [Learn more in our Salary Negotiation Tutorial.]

"I'm just not sure you have the experience for this position."

On the other side of the spectrum is a job-seeker who shows potential -- and thus gets the interview -- but with whom the employer has some lingering doubts. Perhaps it is not quite enough years of experience, or perhaps the experience is in a different field. The job-seeker’s goal is to show exactly how -- regardless of the time spent or where it was spent -- that you have the skills to get the job done. One great tool for this objection is a career portfolio, in which you not only can tell the story of how you are qualified -- but show it as well through examples in your portfolio. [Read more tips in this article: Underqualified? Ten Tips to Inspire Employers to Take a Leap of Faith.]

"I'm not sure you would fit into the team."

So many jobs require workers to participate in one or more teams that it seems inconceivable that a job-seeker would not have experience working in teams, but if for some reason you do not have much experience in teamwork, you must demonstrate that you understand the importance of teams in the workplace and how you can be a team player. Demonstrating your knowledge of the organizational culture will also be a plus in this situation.

"I'm concerned about the number of jobs you’ve held in such a short period of time."

If you have had an unusual number of jobs in the last few years, some interviewers will raise the job-hopper question, so you need to be able to explain the logic of your job history. It’s important to note that even though employers are not as loyal to their employees as in the past, they still expect employees to be loyal to them.

"We really like you but are just not sure where you fit."

The good news about this objection is that you have won half the battle because the employer likes you and wants to hire you, but is simply unsure of how to best utilize your skills. The key to your response has to be having the confidence in yourself and the knowledge about the employer to explain clearly why you are a fit for the position you are interviewing for.

"Were you fired from your last job?"

Unless the employer has inside information about you -- or you are currently unemployed while job-hunting -- this should not be a common objection. However, if you have been downsized or fired from your last job, you should at least anticipate this objection. It’s pretty common to be defensive about the subject since no one likes being fired -- even if you were let go simply because your job was eliminated -- so you need to put that behind you when responding to this objection. [Learn more in this article: Getting Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth.]

Closing the Sale
Once you have made your salient points about how you are the perfect candidate for the position and overcome any objections from the interviewer, your final step is closing the sale. How aggressive you are in this step is sometimes the difference between an offer and nothing, but it is up to you to decide how strongly you want to close the interview. At a minimum, you should ask about the next step in the process, how many other candidates there are, and an estimate of the timetable for completing the process -- what some marketers might call the trial close, where you are feeling out the interviewer. However, if you truly feel the interview was a good one, that you are a great fit for the position, and that you have overcome all the interviewer’s objections, you should ask for the job. Best case, you’ll get the offer; worst case, you’ll be told you need to wait. [Find more tips for closing the sale in this article: Closing the Interview.]

Final Thoughts
In attempting to overcome these objections remember to not dwell on the objection, but instead, once you are sure you understand it, turn it around to overcome it. If you do have a weakness that the interviewer has uncovered, find a way to turn it into a strength. For example, if you have been fired from your last job, find a way to showcase how the experience has given you new insight into making sure your boss knows the contributions you are making.

And for those of you who do not have experience in sales, one piece of warning. While it is helpful to think of the interview as a sales call, do be careful not to overdo it -- to not oversell yourself to the point where you actually turn the interviewer off about your candidacy. You need to walk the line between being too modest about your accomplishments and fit with the organization and talking too much about yourself.

Finally, always remember that the interview really is a conversation between two parties who are both trying to showcase their best points. Your goal is to leave the interview knowing you did your best to sell your unique mix of skills and accomplishments while overcoming any objections raised by the interviewer.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

http://www.quintcareers.com/interview_objections_closing.html

Getting A Job Through Cold Calling

2007-11-08T04:28:00.000-08:00

It sounds a little like a telephone on ice, but the cold call is actually an important tool of networking. Cold calling is calling a person or business without prior contact in order to inquire about employment opportunities. For many, the idea of cold calling is chilling. Dialing up a complete stranger doesn't seem like a logical way to carry out a job search. Yet when done correctly, a cold call can showcase some important professional traits, including resilience, determination, and interpersonal skills. In the best-case scenario, it can also lead to an interview.

Cold calling is a salesman's device. The premise is that the more people you contact, the better your chances of scoring a deal. In a way salesmanship is integrally connected to the job search, only instead of selling a product or service, you're selling yourself. Specifically, you're selling the notion that you would be a valuable addition to a company's team. And therein lies the key to the cold call. When you pick up the phone, you must think of yourself not as a nervous jobseeker eager for a lead, but rather, as a confident professional who has the qualifications that would benefit an employer.

How do you make this leap? It's not easy, admits one woman in retail who had taken off several years to raise two children and wanted to rejoin the workforce. She admits the cold call took some practice. "I was much smoother on my eighth or ninth attempt than I was on my first.... I called up many businesses, and the majority of them didn't take more than fifteen seconds to decide they weren't interested. Finally, I caught one man who asked me where I'd gone to school. As it happened, we'd gone to the same college. He took a liking to me after that. I was asked in for an interview the following week."

This woman's example shows that it helps to make a connection with the person you are cold calling. However, this is not always possible. The plain truth about cold calling is that the failure rate is high. Yet the rewards can be great if you encounter even one person who recognizes your potential. Below are some techniques for making the cold call a little warmer.

* Write a script for your cold call, outlining one or two of your most valuable Key Selling Points (see chapter 7). Remember that you are trying to impress the person on the other end of the line. Modify your script so that these selling points are in sync with each company's specific needs. A customized delivery is crucial.

* Be clear on your goals and what you have to offer. Nothing will turn off an employer faster than a person who is not clear about his objectives.

* Introduce yourself in a way that will spark interest. Saying your name immediately followed by your area of expertise might do the trick.

* Work on your voice-make sure you sound professional, sharp, and cheerful, but never insincere or calculating. It helps to practice both your voice and your script on a trusted friend who can offer you feedback and suggestions.

* Figure out who is on the other end of the line. Receptionists and other gatekeepers will usually pick up the phone before hiring managers will. Be prepared to answer gatekeeper-type questions such as "What is the reason for your call?" and "What company are you with?" A confident answer and an assured tone might allow you to pass through this initial screen. No matter who picks up the phone, be professional. Treat everyone with equal courtesy and respect.

* Use the "rule of three." If you've tried calling three times, or left up to three messages with no response, throw in the towel. Calling any more than that will only irritate the person you are trying to reach. Says a senior human resources consultant with a wellknown mutual insurance company: "Candidates can call me and leave a voicemail message, but it's hard for me to do callbacks due to the volume of calls I receive." She goes on to say she does follow up with many people who leave inquiries, but that repeat messages "are more burden than value."

* Substitute your e-mail account for your phone. These days many businesspeople are more apt to answer e-mails than voicemail messages anyway. E-mailing requires less effort on both ends because people don't need to think and speak on the fly; they can actually take the time to word their correspondence carefully if you're better at written communication than you are at oral communication, consider sending "cold e-mails" rather than making cold calls. In this case, though, you'll need to address your e-mail to a single person. Consider calling the company gatekeeper, who may be more inclined to pass along the e-mail address of the hiring manager than the phone number. Blindly e-mailing a company at a general address can pretty much guarantee a lack of resultsunless the company happens to be very small.

* Keep track of your phone calls. If you leave a message, you'll want to know the name and title of the person who is returning your call and what information you've already provided.

* Be prepared for standard responses from human resources personnel and other hiring managers. You will probably receive some brush-off responses like, "The only thing you can do is send your resume to our HR department," or even, "We are not currently hiring." However, some responses will allow you more opportunity to sell yourself Be prepared to sell yourself if you hear a question such as "What kind of experience do you have?" or "What attracts you to our company?"

* Don't become discouraged. Cold calling isn't easy, and a few hang-ups can make even the most stalwart person question himself Take breaks and keep in mind that the process isn't personal.

* Remember that your ultimate goal is to get an interview. To that end, if you do speak with someone who has hiring power and if you establish a rapport with that person, ask outright if you can come in for an interview. The question might seem presumptuous, but it's been known to work.

About the Author

Simone Piette is a freelance writer of A plus many other topics.
Submitted by: backlink generation

Author Profile: sas_simone.piette

Nursing Jobs

2007-11-08T04:26:00.000-08:00

Many couples spend so much time preventing an unplanned pregnancy that they assume that when they are ready for a family all they have to do is stop using birth control. Getting pregnant is not always that fast -- it can take up to a year or longer -- nor is it automatic.

Many couples today plan intercourse around days 11-14 of the woman's 28-day cycle.

If a woman has irregular cycles and is not sure when she ovulates, she can buy an ovulation predictor kit at a pharmacy.

These kits test LH (leutenizing hormone) in the urine and are very accurate. If you are willing to take some extra steps, you can monitor two body functions to pinpoint your most fertile times, maximizing your chances of getting pregnant: changes in body temperature and the consistency of your cervical fluid. This article explains how to monitor your cervical fluid and temperature, identify the changes, and learn what they mean. It may sound like a hassle, but the process is really pretty easy.

http://www.jobs4nurses.net/news/relevant-information/2.html

Insider: Perks of the job

2007-11-08T04:16:00.000-08:00

While the technology industry has yet to return to the opulence of the dot-com boom, the lifestyles – in particular the company perks – of the tech company leaders underlines a sector in pretty fine fettle.

A peek at the proxy statement filed by Oracle in mid-September 2007 underlines that point. Hidden in the depths of the filing, for example, was the price tag attached to Larry Ellison’s personal use of the corporate private jet for fiscal year 2007: $140,000, not including the $44,460 tax penalty the company incurred for allowing Ellison’s family to fly with him when he uses the jet for business.

Elsewhere, supply chain management software provider i2 Technologies racked up costs of $942,000 last year shuttling the company’s CEO Michael McGrath back and forth between his home in Maine and his office in Dallas, accompanied by a further $69,000 tax bill on the value of the flights.

At Hewlett Packard, meanwhile, all non-employee directors are afforded use of the private jet for travel to and from HP events, on top of the $200,000 in compensation they received in fiscal year 2006 for attending company meetings. A bonus gift of up to $2,500 worth of HP equipment is also theirs on an annual basis – assuming they want it.

Aspiring fat cats might feel better off, however, at mobile phone maker Motorola, where each executive is issued with a personal health coach; or perhaps at IBM, where “senior leaders”, as they are dubbed, are able to claim-back $8,000 annually in financial counselling, “to guide them in decisions regarding their significant IBM stock investments”.

And it’s not just advisory financial assistance for which shareholders are forking out: HP’s Mark Hurd received no less than $147,903 in “sponsored mortgage assistance” during the fiscal year 2006.

On top of his personal financial planning expenses, IBM’s CEO Sam Palmisano clocked up $426,596 in personal company car usage, personal travel on the company jet, personal security, and that other curious IBMism, “spousal attendance” at company events, for fiscal year 2006.

None of which compares, however, to the cash spent keeping Larry Ellison safe at night: his residential security costs have teetered near the $2 million mark for years, hitting $1,708,763 in 2007.

http://www.information-age.com/article/2007/october_2007/perks_of_the_job

Job Security is so 'Last Century'

2007-11-08T04:15:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, I was summoned to a meeting with three of my editors. At the time, I was working in a satellite office and I had little idea of what was going on at the main plant. But when my boss, her boss and his boss called me to a meeting, I knew it wasn’t good.

They set up a meeting at a restaurant and we agreed to meet there at noon.

All I could think was that they were going to fire me, and they had arranged to do it in a public setting so I couldn’t yell and scream and jump up and down.

I got nervous on the way to the meeting not because I feared being fired, but because I realized I didn’t have a Plan B.

That’s the way it is in life. Most of us think we have a Plan B in place for our careers, yet when the chips are down, that semi-formulated emergency option kind of melts away.

But there is no excuse these days not to have a Plan B. No one’s job is 100-percent secure and no one can predict what economic or technology changes are going to do to our workplaces in the months or years ahead. We are living in a time of dramatic workplace churn and we need to adjust our attitudes to deal with it.

In their book, I Didn’t See It Coming (Wiley, $24.95), two former broadcast executives and a professor of industrial/organizational psychology make the case that we all may face turmoil in our jobs, that there are warning signs around us that we often don’t recognize or take to heart, and that there are things we can do to prepare ourselves if our work world crumbles.

Executives Nancy C. Widman, Amy Dorn Kopelan and Dr. Elaine J. Eisenman lament that professionals often get blindsided in their jobs because they aren’t grounded and respectful of the risks that exist in every business environment.

One of their soundest ideas is to develop an exit strategy from our jobs.

That might sound rather like Harvard Business School jargon, but it is important to everyone to be prepared.

They offer four elements that we should put in place:

* Create an exit fund. Having a financial cushion in case you’re displaced seems sound enough, yet how many of us have stockpiled cash for that day?
* Organize a personal board of directors. Pull together a group of advisers – outside of your workplace – who know your strengths and weaknesses. But make sure these people don’t have an emotional link to you.
* Increase your marketability. Think realistically where you want to be in a few years, make sure you have the skills to get there and then draw up a game plan for getting there.
*
Leverage your contacts. It’s tough to keep up professional contacts, but if the day arrives when you need them, the extra work you put in will be well worth it. These are the people that are going to help you rebound.

As it turns out, I didn’t lose my job that day I had the ominous meeting with three editors. We had a wide-ranging discussion about the future and I got a free lunch.

But on the way back to the office, I decided it was time to get busy with my own Plan B.

http://www.jobjournal.com/article_full_text.asp?artid=2172

You CAN Create Your Own Work at Home Job If ---

2007-11-08T04:14:00.000-08:00

Work at Home Jobs and the Internet

2007-11-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

The Work At Home Dilemma...Should It Be A Job Or A Business

2007-11-08T04:11:00.000-08:00

Understanding Retail Supply Chain Jobs

2007-11-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

In the retail world, there are a number of push and pull factors that will keep customers coming in for more products. The price of a product is often the first thing that a customer will look at, at least after deciding that they have an interest in a particular product like jeans or a video game. However, price is not the only consideration for consumers. The quality of a product, the reusability of a product, and the assessment of its necessity by an individual customer all go into the decision making process. However, this line of thinking assumes that there is an adequate stock of products available to every consumer.

Graduates who are looking for a job should consider the fact that consumers take for granted that the products they want will be available upon demand. Certainly, intelligent graduates and young professionals understand that the retail outlet does not have a warehouse behind it or a corporate office in its basement. Products ranging from cell phones to jackets get to their final destination through a long and complex process referred to as the supply chain. The supply chain can be a convoluted idea to new graduates unfamiliar with the retail business. However, once a graduate understands retail supply chains and the professionals that facilitate them, it can become quite an appealing career prospect.

One aspect of the supply chain is strategic planning. Companies throughout the UK employ professionals to develop various strategic plans for a variety of products. For example, supply chain professionals will assess the sales numbers of a particular retail outlet that provides cell phone accessories. This professional may see that a certain color or brand of accessory is selling in higher numbers. The task of this strategic planner is to ensure that the supply chain facilitates the flexible movement of products to areas where they can be sold quickly.

Another aspect of the supply chain field that is important is in operations management. Supply chain professionals don't just look at the larger issues that affect sales but issues of getting the product from its raw state into something finished and marketable. Supply chain professionals are often tasked with assessing production methods and the smooth transition of raw materials brought into the workplace into finished products leaving for warehouses around the country. Strategic and operational planning are incredibly important positions and the right graduate in the UK can find success in these areas once they understand retail supply chains.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com

About The Author:

Mark Doherty is a Director of Alexander Chapel Associates. A specialist sales recruitment company with a focus in IT sales jobs, logistics jobs and supply chain recruitment.

The Rising Importance Of Logistics Jobs

2007-11-08T03:58:00.000-08:00

SAP Global Ecosystem Shows Significant Growth in Asia-Pacific Region

2007-11-08T03:57:00.000-08:00

Inaugural SAP(R) TechEd Event in Shanghai Draws Unprecedented Number of Attendees to Collaborate, Innovate and Explore Business Benefits of Enterprise SOA

SAP AG today announced significant growth in its ecosystem across the Asia-Pacific region, as new members join SAP communities to share best practices and explore the business benefits of enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA). Highlighting the expanding importance of the Asia-Pacific region, SAP also announced that Asia-Pacific customers and partners have more than doubled their membership and activities within SAP communities of innovation over the past year. Extending those communities from online virtual interaction to a physical location and in-person interaction, more than 1,300 SAP customers and partners will attend SAP(R) TechEd '07 Shanghai this week to learn how to better harness the power and flexibility of enterprise SOA to transform existing business processes. The announcement was made at SAP TechEd '07 Shanghai, being held in Shanghai, China, November 6-8, 2007.

Community Network Growth Spikes Across Asia-Pacific Region

The SAP community network has seen significant growth in the Asia-Pacific region over the last year. The SAP(R) Developer Network (SDN) and Business Process Expert communities together grew from 153,000 to 299,000 members in the last year, showing a nearly 100 percent increase in overall membership across the region. Weekly page views and interactions on the community sites also increased by 100 percent over the last year, rising from 600,000 to 1.2 million page views per month.

This growth is being fueled by SAP's business expansion in the Asia- Pacific region and accelerated by translated and localized content available on the SDN and Business Process Expert community Web sites in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

The SDN and Business Process Expert communities enable customers, partners, developers and employees to engage with IT and business professionals across the globe to share expertise and best practices related to SAP solutions and enterprise SOA. Participation in these communities -- which is free and open to all who are interested in collaborating -- helps members to engage in collaborative innovation, deploy SAP solutions more quickly and benefit from the collective knowledge of the SAP worldwide community.

SAP TechEd Comes to China

SAP TechEd '07 Shanghai marks the first time SAP has held one of the influential ecosystem education conferences in China. With 10 partners participating as sponsors, the event will welcome more than 1,300 attendees, and will include more than 40 hours of educational sessions and workshops over two days.

"SAP has chosen to locate one of its most important ecosystem events of the year in Shanghai in recognition of China's rapidly growing enterprise software market and increasing importance as a leader in global IT innovation," said Zia Yusuf, executive vice president, Global Ecosystem and Partner Group, SAP AG. "We chose to commit our energies and resources to the Asia-Pacific region to further foster the strong partner-driven growth and innovation that we're now seeing. With plans for expanded SDN and Business Process Expert community sites and increased focus on local partnerships, SAP is moving even further on its commitment and investment in ecosystem activities in China, Japan, Korea and other countries across the region."

SAP Ecosystem in Action

The SAP ecosystem continues to foster communities of innovation. Below are some recent highlights from the SAP ecosystem regarding new programs, momentum for existing programs and industry recognition:

* At SAP TechEd '07 Munich, SAP extended its training and education programs with the launch of a new role-based enterprise architect certification program (see Oct. 17, 2007 press release titled, "SAP Introduces Enterprise Architect Certification Program"). The certification programs, hosted by the SDN and Business Process Expert communities, help IT professionals within the SAP ecosystem to develop skills and help create guidelines to train those working with SAP solutions.

* As further indication of the growth of the SAP ecosystem, IDC recently declared the SAP ecosystem an economy of its own (see Oct. 1, 2007 press release titled, "Leading Research Firm Declares SAP Ecosystem an Economy of its Own").

http://www.simplysap.com/sap-news/sap-articles/sap-global-ecosystem-shows-growth-asia-pac.htm

SAP Public Services to Increase Government Transparency

2007-11-08T03:55:00.000-08:00

SAP(R) Strategy Management Allows Local Government to Measure Public Value

SAP Public Services, Inc., a subsidiary of SAP America, Inc., today announced the City of Hampton has selected SAP software to more effectively track and manage municipal budgets and measure the impact of public-service programs.

City officials selected SAP over nine other software vendors in a highly competitive process. Cipher Business Solutions, LLC, will implement the SAP(R) Strategy Management application at administrative and executive levels across five city departments. The implementation is part of Hampton's effort to better define, measure and manage the effectiveness of operations, public-service programs and projects for its 146,400 citizens.

"We needed a system that would improve information sharing and collaboration between city departments, and promote the visibility of critical performance and program information," said John Eagle, assistant city manager, City of Hampton. "SAP understood our goal, showed us a road map for achieving it and offered a full complement of services to make it happen."

The city will use the new solution to quantify performance in critical areas, such as its 3-1-1 services center and municipal and public works programs. The solution will allow Hampton to track 3-1-1 call-abandon rates and wait time, as well as view productivity and capacity levels for municipal problems such as clogged storm drains and non-working traffic lights. It also will help maintain critical institutional knowledge, especially for long-term projects, to avoid the negative impact of a retiring workforce and employee turnover.

"Traditionally, public sector organizations have measured their technology investments by financial returns alone," said Pat Bakey, president, SAP Public Services, Inc. "But in today's environment, governments want to understand how new technology can maximize their public value -- which includes providing social and political returns as well, such as fulfilling policy initiatives and community programs for constituents."

The new SAP solution will also help Hampton officials identify and eliminate program redundancies, improve cross-departmental information access and collaboration to help prioritize and coordinate service delivery

http://www.simplysap.com/sap-news/sap-articles/sap-public-services-help-government-transparency.htm

Barloworld Industrial Distribution Goes Mobile with SAP

2007-11-08T03:52:00.000-08:00

SAP Mobile Technology Helps Leading Industrial Distribution Company to Enhance Customer Satisfaction, Improve Worker Productivity and Reduce Overhead

As part of its ongoing commitment to address one of the most pressing problems service industries face today, SAP AG today announced another successful implementation of its mobile technology that helps companies link back-office processes to the mobile devices of service workers on the road. By leveraging enterprise service-oriented architecture, composite applications from SAP connect handheld devices to business data and processes located in the home office. Barloworld Handling UK, a division of Barloworld Industrial Distribution and the UK distributor of Hyster fork lifts, has implemented an SAP composite application for mobile business to provide its more than 600 service technicians with remote access to the information they need to be more productive and make better business decisions. As a result of the implementation, Barloworld Handling UK is seeing an increase in worker productivity and customer service, and a decrease in overhead costs.

Barloworld Handling UK serves the global material-handling needs of customers based in the United Kingdom by providing equipment, services and support. Every day, hundreds of field technicians help customers on-site optimize their handling operations. To more effectively predict and service customer needs, these technicians require remote connectivity to the enterprise. The company selected SAP(R) xApp(TM) Mobile Asset Management (SAP xMAM), one of the SAP composite applications for mobile business, to give its service engineers instant mobile access to work orders and equipment information from various back-end applications.

"SAP has helped us to implement our vision of a 'mobile engineer' as part of our quest to deliver world-class service to our customers," said Robert S. Tennant, CIO, Barloworld Industrial Distribution. "Before the system was implemented, our field employees communicated travel and work time, parts requests, work requests, subcontracted work and damages either verbally using cellular phones or with handwritten forms. By extending SAP software access to our mobile engineers, we now have paperless, real-time data entry, immediate parts lookup and availability checks with overnight delivery, timesheets completed as work progresses, and automatic dispatch of work orders. Barloworld has been able to significantly reduce overhead and improve productivity -- and we expect the annual benefits will exceed the project cost."

Prior to the implementation, the company had a decentralized office structure with multiple service back offices and customer contact points. With SAP xMAM, the company now has centralized its customer call processing, field technician dispatch and parts logistics. In addition, service technicians now have access to inventory via their mobile devices. As a result, the company has been able to raise its level of customer service, increase data accuracy and reduce its back-office overhead. Service workers are now also able to communicate new sales opportunities back to the central office via their mobile devices, so that a salesperson can follow up immediately.

"Companies such as Barloworld Handling UK are increasingly turning to mobile solutions for their service technicians, who are one of the largest groups of information workers," said Udo Waibel, senior vice president, Information Worker, SAP. "SAP is meeting this need by offering mobile solutions that focus on giving information workers simple access to data anytime and anywhere. With more than 850 customers worldwide using SAP mobility solutions, SAP has become one of the leading providers of mobile enterprise applications."

http://www.simplysap.com/sap-news/sap-articles/barloworld-industrial-distribution-mobile-with-sap.htm

Jobs

2007-11-08T03:47:00.000-08:00

Does it seem that with every passing year it’s getting harder and harder to find good paying jobs? If you think so, you’re not alone in your thoughts. In fact, this is a common complaint that many people have and it is even worse for those that do not have a college education.

Jobs are not bountiful right now and even college graduates sometimes find themselves waiting tables for a year or two after they receive their diploma before they are able to
find a job. So, with the work force becoming tougher and tougher to break in to, what are you going to do about it? Give up or fight back?

Well, the best way to ensure you will get hired at great jobs is to attend college. A degree is incredibly important, but it’s not a guarantee for getting a job. Luckily, there
are things you can do while in college to beef up your resume and make you stand out amongst all the other applicants.

First of all, learn a foreign language. Learn two if possible. If you don’t know right now how important this is, you will understand once you’re trying to enter the work force. Many jobs are requiring applicants to speak at least one other language and you won’t want to be turned away
because you don’t. So, sign yourself up for Spanish, Italian or Arabic and become fluent if you want your resume to outshine the others.

Secondly, and I can’t stress enough - apply for internships. If you want to be a writer, find a local magazine and intern there for a few hours every week. Not only will this provide you with invaluable hands on experience but it will also get your foot in the door when you’re applying for
writing jobs. If you’re a marketing major, do an internship at a restaurant that is just opening or work at a local television station if you’re major is broadcasting. Do an internship for as long as you can throughout your college years. Trust me, this will look fantastic on your resume and
will automatically put you ahead of any other applicant that doesn’t have the same experience.

Lastly, get involved in your college and community. You might think that employers don’t look at volunteer activities or hold student government activity with high regard but they often do. Put any extra-curricular activities like this that you’ve done on your resume when you’re looking for jobs. Employers like to know that applicants are well-rounded and volunteering makes you look
like you’re an outstanding member of the community and student government involvement shows that you have the potential to be a great leader.

If you follow these tips, getting good jobs will come much easier for you no matter what the employment rate is when you graduate. So, don’t get discouraged-just make a vow to
become the best version of you possible and feel confident in your abilities and skills. All prospective employers will be impressed with that and who knows- you just might get
your dream job after all!

Filed under: Fresh Articles, Jobs, Articles by Pragya, Articles by writing4web

http://www.fresharticles.com/?cat=27

Job Search - Tips and Guidelines

2007-11-08T03:44:00.000-08:00

Today’s job market is a whirlwind of wonderfully skilled and qualified people, resumes and job leads that seem to go on into forever. The job market evolves and changes often, as does the skills required in certain careers; and as people themselves evolve and move to careers that fit their skills, abilities and lifestyle, a job search can sometimes become a full time job in itself! Anyone who has looked for a job has likely run the gamut of job search rituals. From poring over your resume to practicing interview etiquette, sometimes it feels like there’s nothing left to do but offer a prayer to the gods and hope that someone gives you a call!

Resume Re-rewrite

You probably know your resume by heart. You want your resume to be a good showcase of your talents and abilities so each potential employer can see that you are the right person for the job. But then, so does everyone else. What can you truly do during your job search to get your resume on top of the pile- or even onto the right desk? First you need to slip into the shoes of the person who is doing the hiring.

How many resumes do you think this person is seeing for the same position? Lots! So your best bet is to keep your resume and cover letter short and sweet! Too much information could mean you will get passed over simply because there isn’t enough time to read it all!

It’s good that you were captain of your sports team in high school or in charge of office supplies at your last job but the person doing the hiring is wondering what’s in it for them if they hire you. During your job search, study up on the requirements for the position you are applying for and adjust the skills on your resume to fit perfectly with the position. Do not exaggerate your skills. Simply use the skills that are there.

Avoid the Scams

Online job search sites are a blessing and a curse for those in the job search market. Where there is a wealth of information and opportunity available there are also the predators that look to take advantage of numerous hopefuls who are just trying to find employment.

This can involve everything from ‘Work from Home!’ ruses that amount to nothing to actual phishing and identity theft. Avoid ‘cold call emails’ (emails from ‘companies’ that contact you even though you did not send them your resume) that ask you to click on a link taking you to another site and asking for personal information.

Do your own investigation by entering the company’s name into your browser instead and visit their website. Contact the company and if they are still asking for personal information right off the bat- such as your social security number- step away. Predators also will send fake emails that look as though they come from legitimate job search sites asking for credit card information. Legitimate and reputable job search sites such as Monster will never send an email asking for that type of valuable information because they know this is how the scammers work.

Just the Facts: Researching a Potential Employer

It’s been said before and rightly so: knowledge is power. Companies spend lots of time and money on research and development to give them the competitive edge over their competition; and to make your job search a success, you should, too.

The good news is, you don’t have to spend millions or an extensive amount of time just to find out what industry the company is in or the names of the senior executives (including the one in charge of hiring). Most of that information can be found on the company’s website. Do a little background reading on the company and find out who its big name clients are, for example, or even if it has had any financial or legal problems of late.

Should you be given an interview, then it is a good idea to do get into a more detailed search about the company. When the prospective employer asks what you know about the company or the position, you’ll be able to give an intelligent answer. You will also be able to ask intelligent questions. Employers like that.

Keeping Yourself in the Loop

When up to 80% of jobs never get advertised because the positions are usually filled by ‘someone who knows someone’ who is currently in their own job search, you know networking is a great way to find a job. Even though it helps to an extent, you don’t necessarily have to sign up for a program that blasts your name through a network or attend every job search fair. Just talking to others is a reliable way to keep your job search going in the right direction. Giving the heads up to others as well when you find information that might be useful makes networking a two way street that will benefit you in the long run.

http://www.job-search-adviser.net/

Work at Home Jobs and Resources

2007-11-08T03:39:00.000-08:00

Work At Home Jobs are the brightening star opportunities in today's e-world. They are the most convenient online, reliable and flexible jobs. There are enormous numbers of work at home jobs available in the market. So one can sit at home and work at his convenient time and make some extra income/main income. Work from opportunities are suited for housewives, freelancers, students, and professionals, people who wish to earn extra money other than their main income. Individual's talents are benefited and rewarded in these work at home jobs.
Are all Jobs Genuine?

The world is networked and every job is done through Internet. For a totally newbie, it looks stunning when you hear about work from home jobs. Anyone who has got a PC at home, with Internet connection (or not even internet connection sometimes) can start work-from-home jobs. It does not expect a greater qualification but still require some computer skills and Internet knowledge and the person should be 18+ years to receive payments from some companies.

In such work from home jobs, there is no bossing attitude; no firing and moreover personal information is secured with the job providers for whom you work.
Available Work at Home Opportunities

There are plenty of opportunities available for work-from-home job hunters. Data entry, data conversion, content writing, reading e-mails, web designing, medical transcription, affiliate marketing, online surveys, translators, legal assistants etc to name a few of them.

Some of the above jobs require you to just key while some request to fill in some opinion forms. There are other kinds like doing data conversion from audio to video files, one format to another etc. Web designing is a most demanding one. Even those people who pursue only internet skills can succeed by taking up online surveys, affiliate marketing etc.
Choosing the Right Jobs

There are 'n' numbers of work-from-home jobs and it is often confusing what to choose? Work from home jobs should be selected based on the interest, nature of the job, person's availability, necessity etc. An Internet layman possessing simple typing skill can look for data entry/data conversion, online surveys, typing advertisements etc. Knowledge experts who have good literacy can go for article writing/posting. Those who have good knowledge in medical jargons with good communication and listening skills can pursue medical transcription. Persons who are interested in web page designing/creation can join web page creation / affiliate marketing. Multi-linguists can be a successful online translator.
Beware of Scammers

The above work at home jobs sound very attractive but the foremost cautious part is to protect oneself from scam. There are malicious online advertisements, which induces the visitor to pay money and join the company. But this could be a complete fake, once the money is taken away, (sometimes first work from you), you will never get a response. If you choose any job, you have to work in a diligent manner. Always keep in mind revenue will not come in just a minute.
Avoding Scams

People who promise that they will make you a millionaire within the next minutes are perfectly Scammers.

Scammers look for either your money or your personal information. So you have to be very careful in selecting the right work at home job with the right company who has good track records with payment proofs.

Also you need to take some third party consultation with Better Business Bureau (BBB) or Small Business Administration (SBA) before paying any work at home companies. Adding to that, you can visit as many as work from home message forums and get suggestions about the companies.

Never pay an upfront fee or purchase a start-up kit without analyzing the details of the company. Most of the companies try to grab money from you by means of fancy words. Be careful and do a 100% groundwork analysis in knowing about the company. Very rarely legitimate companies expect money from you for joining formalities but they deduct the same from your first paycheck.

The best guideline is not to give the social security number, home address and bank information unless otherwise the company is legitimate.

In spite of these scams, there are plenty of genuine work-at-home job providers and good paymasters available for you. In the dominating e-commerce world, there are lots of people who work at home and they are the lifelines for many companies.
Finding Genuine Work at Home Jobs

You can find a lot of work at home opportunities dumped in the Internet. If you choose the best potential program and the company, you can start thriving it. In fact, there are many genuine and legitimate suggestions available in this web site. You need not get strained in surfing into the net. You can directly browse into our whole web site and join the best-suited program.

Indeed Work From Home Jobs are a booming and demanding enterprise.

http://www.work-from-home-directory.com/at-home-jobs/

Freelance Typing Jobs

2007-11-07T00:14:00.000-08:00

It’s one of the simplest and most plentiful home based jobs around. Every business needs it done, most people know how to do it. So why aren’t more people cashing in on the possibilities of a freelance typing job? Maybe it’s because it seems too good to be true. Let’s face it, home typing jobs do sound a little too easy. But the fact is, many people have discovered that if you know where to look, there really is enough work out there to keep a freelancer busy and able to pay the rent. You can find many typing positions at: Freelance Work Exchange.

What you need to realize before taking the plunge into a freelance typing job is that there are a lot of people in the internet world who want to take advantage of your eagerness to work from home. Freelance typing is a real job, you just need to look in the right places!

The best thing for you to do if you want to take up home typing work is post an advertisement on a good freelancing website (like Freelance Work Exchange) and wait for clients to answer. The internet is unrivalled in its ability to attract a large audience and therefore it is your best bet when placing freelance job ads.

This way any companies and other people in need of one-off or even ongoing typing work that can be done from home can read your ad and get in contact with you directly. It’s a great way to start a freelance typing business from home!

Freelance Work Exchange is dedicated to bringing you all the latest freelance jobs and projects, with new listings added daily. So whether you're an experienced professional, or just starting out, they can bring you hot leads and cool projects. Below are just some of the other positions available in addition to typing jobs:

* writing and editing jobs
* web design and development projects
* medical and legal transcription jobs
* Internet research and email support work
* programming and technical projects
* graphic design and illustration jobs

http://www.typing-jobs-from-home.com/freelance-typing-jobs.html

Typing Jobs for Stay at Home Moms

2007-11-07T00:13:00.000-08:00

Running any business takes a lot of typing. Typing and data entry are important elements for running a business successfully. Companies are always searching for typing services and offering typing jobs for stay at home moms is becoming more common every day.

Typing job services are provided by several companies who are involved in outsourcing work. Such companies specialize in providing different types of services including typing job services to companies that are looking for support to unburden from the heavy workload that they have. For the smooth running and proper management of any type of business getting typing done in a proper manner is crucial.

Each business is different and the typing jobs they offer also differ. So depending on the type of experience you have sometimes determines what typing jobs are available for you.

Companies seeking data entry and typing assistance hire data entry services from outsourcing companies that provide them with services of people who are willing to work from home on their computer.

Each business has different things to take care of and they cannot afford to waste such valuable time in typing work. Stay at home moms that work for data entry are specially in high demand by many businesses. So you do not have to worry about finding an available typing job online. You can just use a data entry job service and rest easy, your job search will be done for you.

Typing job services have received tremendous praise on helping people find legitimate home based work.

http://www.typing-jobs-from-home.com/typing-jobs.html

Your Job Interview Bragging Rights: Selling Yourself

2007-11-07T00:11:00.000-08:00

The purpose of an interview is to find the best candidate for a particular job. Employers want to know about the knowledge, skills, attributes, and experiences that distinguish you from other job candidates. And they won't know what makes you special unless you tell them. However, most employers won't go out of their way to hire someone who comes across as cocky or arrogant either. So how do you balance the two? How do you put your best foot forward without seeming arrogant or egotistical?

Choose What to Talk About

Start with the job posting and make a list of all the preferences and requirements that are listed. Then try to match them with your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. Make sure that you have examples ready for as many of the preferences listed as possible. If leadership experience is preferred, scrutinize your past for examples of it. If the job requires good teamwork skills, be prepared with examples from your past. But also be prepared to talk about things not listed specifically in the job posting. Find out all you can about the company and the job you are interviewing for. If you have certain experience or knowledge that you think would make you do the job better, don't hesitate to talk about it. The employer is looking for the best candidate for the job. Looking beyond the job posting could help separate you from other applicants.

Make sure that everything you discuss is relevant to the job. It's not easy to do, but you may have to leave out some of your most impressive skills and achievements. Talking about skills, accomplishments, or experience with no relevance to the job does not help the interviewer identify you as a strong job candidate, and could easily be interpreted as bragging.

Many recent college graduates make the mistake of limiting their discussion to their college coursework, or jobs that directly related to the one they are applying for. But this is a mistake. "Students should be willing to talk about any type of knowledge or skills that they have acquired that are relevant to the job they are interviewing for," says Micael Kemp, director of Career Services at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Volunteer experience, leadership positions in a sorority or a fraternity, extracurricular activities, and even work experience at retail or fast-food jobs can be sources of information. "Many students underplay work experience gained at places like grocery stores or fast-food restaurants," she continues. "But employers deeply appreciate people who have gotten their hands dirty and aren't afraid to work hard."

Story Time

Reading off your past experience and accomplishments makes for a short and boring interview. Your job during the interview is to keep the interviewer interested in what you are saying. Many career advisors suggest that job candidates prepare a reservoir of stories that they can pull from during the interview. People are naturally drawn to stories. It's why we read novels and why we watch movies. Also, stories allow job candidates to show interviewers their skills and knowledge instead of just telling them. "Interviewers need more than just your word that you have a particular skill or attribute. They need specific examples, and stories are a good way to prove that," says Cynthia Redwine, director of the Engineering Career Resource Center at the University of Michigan, College of Engineering.

Stories have the added benefit of being easy to remember-for you, as you use a particular story to demonstrate your qualifications during the interview-and for the interviewer who must access your skills and attributes after the interview is completed. Demonstrating a particular job attribute through a story has the added benefit of sounding less boastful than stating the qualification directly. Saying that you are a good leader sounds boastful; explaining how you led a team of volunteers during a record food drive is admirable.

Once you have created a list job skills and requirements from the job posting and your own research of the company and the position, sit down and try to come up with stories to demonstrate each. Of course, certain things cannot really be demonstrated through a story (a high GPA, or a certain degree or academic specialty), but that information is already apparent to the interviewer from your resume. However, stories can be used in situations that at first might not be apparent. For example, instead of simply stating that you are proficient with a particular piece of software, you can tell the interviewer how you applied the software to accomplish a particular task.

Keep your stories short and to the point. An interview is not a creative writing class. There is no need to supply vivid descriptions or unrelated background information. In fact, many career advisors suggest that students keep their stories limited to one minute.

Final Advice

Take time to prepare for the interview. Never walk into an interview with the intention of "winging it" no matter how qualified you think you are for the position. If you are having trouble coming up with stories or examples for the interview, make sure you talk to friends, family members, coworkers, professors and career advisors. Often those around us can see skills and attributes that we do not.

Students sometimes make the mistake of telling employers about job-related knowledge or experience that they don't have. While candor is an admirable trait, such frankness is out of place in a job interview. Employers don't want to know why you can't do the job, but why you can do it.

Employers want to hire people who are excited and proud of the work that they have done. They want to know that you will bring that same type of proficiency and enthusiasm to their company. "You have a responsibility during the interview-not to brag, but to give the employer the best picture you can of what they will get if they hire you," says Kemp. "It's your responsibility to make sure they get that information, whether or not they ask good questions."

Chris Enstrom is a career counselor at the Career Resource Center of Brown County in Nashville, Ind., and a former senior editor of Graduating Engineer & Computer Careers.

http://www.graduatingengineer.com/articles/feature/05-23-06a.html

Tips for a successful job Interview

2007-11-07T00:09:00.000-08:00

It’s a great feeling when you finally get that call or e-mail asking for an interview with your favorite company. Perhaps you’ve been trying to get noticed by this company for some time. Or, maybe you lucked out on your first application or resume. However which way you finagled it, you are finally on this company’s radar screen. With possibly a week or so to go before the interview process itself, these are some things you can do, as well as some things you can avoid, to ensure that the post-interview response from the company of your choice will be a resounding “Yes!”

Research, research, research.

No matter how the request was stated, and even if the interviewer is going to meet you at a tropical cabana with a drink in each hand, research the company before you go off for your interview. Know the company’s main products, its history, and any other interesting folklore or anecdotes about its people or research. If the company has recently been in the news, be sure to know why and bring this recent publicity up during the interview (the exception being if the fame is of the Enron genre). Remember that the interviewer has probably spent a few years with the company, and would like to feel that the outside public (meaning you) places some value on the company, beyond it being simply a means of monetary support.

Research into the company can also serve other uses: it can become a great conversation starter in the event that you run out of things to say about yourself, it can help dissuade the interviewer from asking sticky questions, like, “So, where do you see yourself in 5 years?” and it can indicate if you’ll be a good fit for the company itself.

Dress appropriately.

Remember that tropical cabana statement earlier? Regardless of where the interview will be situated, or whether you know that it’s casual Friday for the employees at XYZ Corporation, or that the CEO is an aging hippie who shows up to work in flip-flops, never, I repeat never, show up to an interview underdressed. Always remember: the interviewer, the employees, and the CEO already work for that company. You do not. Therefore, their more lax dress code does not apply to you (besides, does anyone really look good in flip-flops?). Unless specifically requested to dress otherwise (and I’ve never seen this happen), show up in a suit, or at the least some nice (non-jean) pants and a crisply ironed shirt. Dresses and skirts for the women may be alright too, if they’re not too frilly, and if they’re paired up with a jacket or some other more businesslike attire.

Bring your pencil.

Remember way back in the second grade, when you’d forget your pencil and/or homework at home? Remember your teacher telling you: “Well, maybe you should’ve left yourself at home?” The same thing applies here. Bring your pencil to the interview, along with your pen, your resumes (at least five), and even a laptop if possible. You just never know where the interview will progress, nor what may be required of you. If the interviewer sees that you are well-prepared, with almost a psychic ability to predict the needs encountered during a dynamic situation such as an interview, he or she will be more likely to see you as a good fit for the company itself (which of course encounters unforeseen situations and emergencies).

Another benefit to being well-equipped for the interview is that it portrays you as an adaptable person. For example, if your interviewer originally requested a slide presentation of your work, but then you show up and the company’s projector is broken, wouldn’t it be great to just happen to have printouts of all those slides to pass out to everyone?

Beware of the gatekeeper.

The Virgin Atlantic founder, Sir Richard Branson, used a ruse on his reality show a few years back, disguising himself as an arthritic old driver and then picking up show contestants in his vehicle. The two contestants who were rude to him were rejected immediately. More and more individuals, as well as companies, are screening for rude behavior on the part of their potential employees, but it’s not during the interview process itself where you might be grilled. Rather, it will more than likely come back to your performance when you stepped through the lobby doors and greeted (or maybe not) the secretary or administrative assistant(s) at the counter, or the receptionist who took your application. Nowadays, many interviewers will base their hiring decision not only on themselves and their inner group of employees, but even on the opinions of the secretary or student temporary employee. Bottom line: don’t be rude to or ignore anybody. But that should be part of your general character anyway, as a human being living among other fellow human beings.

Do not portray a negative attitude.

Even if you are only looking for a job because your current boss is driving you crazy, or you just got fired, do not bring up any negative points about your old/other job during the interview. And do not badmouth your current or any past bosses. While your interviewer may have had the same experiences, he or she will not look favorably upon this gossip (which is really what this is), and will instead wonder just how much backstabbing and gossiping you will do once hired at the new company.

You may state why you are looking for a new job, however, as long as you stick to the facts. For example, if your current company just lost funding, that is a valid and objective reason to go look for other employment. If your current boss is about to retire, and you’re worried about a nasty co-worker taking over the soon-to-be-vacant management spot, you can state that the company is changing management and you’re uncertain about its future. Alternatively, you could simply say that you’re looking for new challenges in your life. That excuse has never raised any eyebrows, and instantly puts you in the position of being a go-getter.

Be prepared to answer tough questions.

Once the pleasantries are done away with, and the technicalities of the job are discussed, the interviewer will want to know some specifics about your overall work ethic and personal character. Some people really tank at these types of questions. For example, how do you answer “What is your biggest weakness? (hint: don’t answer donuts!)” Or, how do you answer that other dreaded question: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Before stepping foot inside the company, set aside some time to philosophize on your own life. Think about your past, your future, and everything in between. Figure out who you are, and what you would like to be. Companies do the same thing when they put out mission statements. You need to do likewise, and figure out your career objective. Then, during the interview, take these points about yourself and put a positive spin on them. For example, if your biggest weakness is that you get bored easily, then you might state that you need challenges to keep you happy. Most managers are itching to hear that line. Just be ready to back up your statements with the appropriate action once you’re hired.

Be prepared to ask tough questions.

When the following question comes up “Do you have any questions for me/us?” this question is not a yes or no option. Rather, it is a clear demand, and you better have something to ask of either the interviewer or the employees. Lack of any final questions will definitely reflect a lack of genuine interest in the company and/or job. Thus, even if you were asking questions all along the interview, save at least one more for the final showdown. If all else fails, at least ask the employees/interviewer how long he or she has worked for the company, and what job was held before. You could also inquire about how long or rigorous the training period will be, since you want to be adequately prepared for your new job (that should win you some points).

If there are any lingering doubts in your mind, this is the time to bring them out- after all, an interview implies that both parties are checking each other out for compatibility. Perhaps the company has had a series of layoffs. In such a case, it is perfectly appropriate to inquire about job security. Or, perhaps the company is very young, and does not yet carry a product line. I recommend asking about the company’s future profitability here.

Get personal.

You may not be lucky enough to know that the interviewer’s favorite beer is a bitter pale ale, which you just happen to make at home (along with growing your own hops). But, if you can gather any personal information on any of the employees or managers with which you will be chatting, this may determine your entire interview (assuming you do alright everywhere else). Therefore, it never hurts to always be networking with people from that company, or even outside of it. You never know who you might meet, who will just happen to know that the interviewer of that company likes his bitter pale ale above any other ale or lager combined.

If all else fails, let the interviewer or employees know something about your own personal hobbies and activities. This will help flesh you out in their eyes, and make you more memorable when the time comes for your evaluation.

Don’t forget the thank-you note.

If you’re bad at remembering names, you better keep a pen and pad handy, because everyone you meet, from the errand boy to the CEO, should be mentioned and thanked in (at the very least) a general thank-you note following the interview. If there was anyone you spoke to directly, and especially if the conversation lasted longer than 10 minutes, then you may consider even sending a separate thank-you note to that person. It never hurts to be courteous, and no one has gotten upset over receiving a thank-you note. Alternatively, you might opt to send an e-mail, and this is also appropriate.

The thank-you note should stick strictly to the “I’m so grateful for the interview” line, with maybe a small note about the interviewer’s private hobbies, personal interests, etc. Do not mention when you expect to be called back, or what chance you have at being hired. This is not about job-hunting or networking- it’s simply about being gracious.

Keeping these points in mind will definitely help you navigate through your interview, ensuring your success. Good luck!

http://www.newkerala.com/self-help/Articles/successful-job-interview.html

The top five factors that could decide whether or not you get the job

2007-11-07T00:07:00.000-08:00

Factor 1. The First Impression.

There's a saying that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is especially true in an interview. Most interviewers make their minds up in the first five seconds as to whether you are right for the company or not. If they like what they see, statistics show you are 80% of the way to getting the job.

Factor 2. A Smile.

Smile naturally at everyone you meet when you arrive at the office. I'm not going to go into clothes, as common-sense prevails with that issue. My only advice is don't wear showy jewelry, overpowering perfume or aftershave or anything else that distracts the interviewer from focusing on you.

Factor 3. Your Mindset.

The interview is part of an attempt to solve your potential employer's needs, wants and desires. At this moment you are not part of their solution. The only way to become part of their solution is to understand their needs or problems. To do this you need to ask questions related to how you can help solve the potential employer's problems.

For example, a great question that gets the focus heading in the right direction is "What do you want to make happen with this position?" Asking an employer what outcome or what they want to happen from this job completely turns the interview around and an interviewer or employer will start to tell you what they want. Now you can give them examples from your PAST (your resume) that demonstrate you can deliver the outcomes the employer is looking for. Now instead of talking about your past, you can now talk about your potential.

Factor 4. Understanding the Mind of the Employer.

Understand the purpose and reasoning behind questions and areas being discussed. To illustrate the power of this, let me give you a sticky interview question: "Why did you leave your last job?" It's a commonly asked question and it never fails to put interviewees off-balance. But once you understand the reasoning behind the question, it's suddenly a cinch to answer.

Why are they asking? Because they want to be sure you don't do the same thing to them a few weeks after they hire you. Once you understand this, the question becomes much easier to answer doesn't it? My all-time favorite answer to this question would have to be: "I didn't want to � but i saw his position advertised and it's the job i've always wanted!"

Factor 5. Know What Interviewers Fear. Interviewers are human and as such fall victim to the FUD factor: "Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt." The sorts of things they are afraid of include:

* You won't be able to do the job
* What you said in your application may not be totally correct
* It will cost them a lot of money if they do hire the wrong person

And on, and on.

Know how to address the common fears all interviewers have � and you'll virtually be able to name your salary.
Want a free resume critique?

Here's how it works: submit your resume to us and within 24 hours we'll look it over and write you a customized critique addressing the the biggest problems that we find in it.

http://www.job-secrets-revealed.com/articles/The-top-five-factors-that-could-decide-whether-or-not-you-get-the-job.html

Applying for Government jobs

2007-11-07T00:06:00.000-08:00

Let's just get this out of the way now - I'm not a fan of the public service.

You see, in my book Job Secrets Revealed I try to teach that there are no rules when you're applying for jobs. This isn't true in the public service. They have a rule for everything, including how to apply, what to say and how to say it.

The public service isn't noted for its customer service or expense reduction abilities, so if you want to work for them then you are in for a battle. The fact is that they have "selection criteria" which you must meet. Generally there will be an address for you to write to get a list of these criteria.

Once you have this list, simply organize your experiences and skills that match the criteria. Make it easy for the personnel department by writing down the individual criterion as a heading and then show how your skills match the criteria. You�re marked on how closely to the selection criteria you respond. Similarly, if you make it to a shortlisted interview, your responses are similarly marked and then plotted on a grid with your written application.

As you can see, the public service is a totally different animal to private enterprise. Customer service isn't as crucial here as it is private enterprise, and the desire to make a profit or save money isn't as strong.

What I'm trying to say is that the savings or profit-making ideas you may have that would really interest an employer in the private sector may be met with a yawn in the public sector.

With this in mind try to address the selection criteria as best you can. You could well be competing with thousands of people for certain advertised positions.

When you are interviewed it will probably be a panel interview of about 3 people. (Private companies usually have one person do the interviewing - starting to see what I mean about public service not wanting to save money?)

The fact is that the public service is so regulated by rules that you simply have to play THEIR game. Talk to some people in the department you want to work for. Have a chat with the personnel officer and see what they're looking for and mention speaking to them on the application (who is usually in the area of the unfilled position.)

Also - in order to save you time, check if the position is in fact vacant: many advertised positions are already filled by �temporary� or �acting� public servants who are being put through a formalized process of having their position advertised � thereby ensuring equity when they apply for their own position they may have been acting in for years.

Unfortunately you're pretty much on your own on this one. Prayer, crossing your fingers, networking and even dumb luck may get you the job. I'd try them all.

I'm going to leave it here with the public service. But before you start thinking "But he hasn't told me what to do", let me say this: I don't have to. The selection criteria will do that for you.

If you are particularly skilled at negotiating or lobbying for budget increases or more funding, that may help. Every department would love more money.

Want a free resume critique?

Here's how it works: submit your resume to us and within 24 hours we'll look it over and write you a customized critique addressing the the biggest problems that we find in it.

http://www.job-secrets-revealed.com/articles/Applying-for-Government-jobs.html

People don't quit jobs, they quit managers

2007-11-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

Steven was an incredible account executive (he worked in sales). He was very effective at getting new business and as a result he built new accounts worth tens of millions of dollars each year. He was happy and his company loved him.

Then a new manager took over Steven's department. He shuffled things around and decided that each salesperson should be assigned a number of client's to work with. That's when things started going downhill for Steven.

Two large clients complained that Steven was too pushy, always trying to make a sale when all they wanted was simply someone to stay in touch with them, maintaining the relationship between the two companies.

So the manager fired Steven.

You see, Steven's talent was opening up new territories and getting new business. He wasn't a "building relationships" kind of guy. Steven now had a blemish on his perfect work history, he'd been fired. This was devastating for Steven and his self-esteem.

But using an application that focused on his talent he was able to turn his firing into a positive.

Steven realized his talent was in generating new business so he put together an application that focused on turning his firing into a positive and began to apply only to companies that wanted his talent. He even brought up why he was fired in interviews to demonstrate his talent for generating new business.

I could give you plenty more examples but you can see that something as straight forward as "sales" can be broken down into many different talents.

Some people are great at phone sales but lousy at face to face sales. Some people are incredible in nurturing existing customers while others are great at converting enquiries into sales

But put someone who loves face-to-face contact on the phones and not only will they perform more poorly compared to people that like phone sales, they will end up depressed and hating their job. A good manager understands all this.

The reason why Steven was so successful in the past was because his old manager let him generate the new business and assigned another salesman who liked building relationships to work with Steven's new customers. If Steven hadn't been fired he told me that he would have quit anyway. It was not the job he was going to quit, he just wanted to quit the new manager. After all, he'd been happy in this job for years.

It's worth taking some time out and thinking about your talent at work. What is it that you love doing at work and what do you hate? You may find that you hate everything about your work because you simply aren't using any of your talents there.

Could your current job be preventing you from getting more pay or your dream job?

One of our readers was a waitress who loved organizing functions but that was her manager's job. The problem was the manager wasn't very good at it and didn't like all the fussy details associated with weddings etc. So she asked him if she could take over that side of the restaurant's business.

The manager jumped at the chance to be relieved of what was a burden to him. As a result our reader received a bonus for all the weddings and functions she booked and loves this extra component of her job. A win-win situation for everyone.

More importantly, our reader has take her first step to becoming an event co-ordinator� her dream job.

Has this given you any ideas?

By the way� Steven found a new job in sales not long after he was fired. His new employer saw Steven's talent and the reason for his firing turned out to be a positive thing.

Want a free resume critique?

Here's how it works: submit your resume to us and within 24 hours we'll look it over and write you a customized critique addressing the the biggest problems that we find in it.

http://www.job-secrets-revealed.com/articles/People-dont-quit-jobs,-they-quit-managers.html

A hidden goldmine of jobs

2007-11-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

Employers have basically three ways they look for staff. They can run situations vacant ads, employ a personnel agency or go through their own files of previous applicants. Each one of these ways has its problems. They're either costly, or time consuming.

To an employer, time is money... and money is money. Anything that will save an employer money has got to be good for the employer.

If you can save the employer money it's got to be good for the employer and you. By answering an ad in the paper you become part of the problem not the solution. You are just one of hundreds of people that an employer has to deal with. You need to become part of the solution to an employer's problem.

To be part of the solution, you need to find companies that are in need of good staff. Let me say it again. You need to find companies that are in need of good staff. The companies that need good staff the most are fast growing. companies both large and small.

Bigger is not better...

Many people send unsolicited resumes to high profile companies thinking that a large company will have a job for them... University graduates unfortunately do this and fail to see why it doesn't work.

Coca-Cola in my region alone receives around 40 unsolicited resumes a day and about the same number in phone calls from people looking for work. That's around 10,000 applications a year over and above what they receive when a situation becomes vacant and is advertised. Obviously people see Coca-Cola as a desirable company to work for, what they don't see is the amount of other people applying. Your application would have to be powerful to stand out from the crowd in this case.

Some of our larger corporations have retrenched thousands of staff or offered voluntary redundancies in the last few years and yet they still get inundated with resumes. The fact is that large corporations aren't the oasis of jobs that many people think they are.

Imagine you are an employer and you've retrenched 500 staff or perhaps were downsizing. You receive applications from people looking for work. What are their chances of being offered a job? What does it say about the applicants?

Obviously they have no understanding of your business. If they'd taken the time to do some research they would have known you weren't in a position to hire. Because of this you can assume that these people don't necessarily want to work for you. They just want work and don't care where they get it.

When you're green you grow

Many small businesses are growing faster than our most famous corporations. You'd be surprised just how many large corporations grew out of a garage. Apple computer company was one.

If a large high profile corporation laid off 1000 workers, do you think they're likely to hire someone soon? If a small company is growing at a rate of 50% a year. Would they be looking for staff?

I'll bet in the early days Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the founders of Apple, heard from just a few dedicated computer buffs and gave most of them jobs (not to mention share options which made some of them millionaires).

It's easier to join a company on the way up than at the top... or worse still... the way down. So your task is easy, you just need to find fast growing companies... large and small. To do this you're going to need to do some research and not be afraid to ask for help.

Want a free resume critique?

Here's how it works: submit your resume to us and within 24 hours we'll look it over and write you a customized critique addressing the the biggest problems that we find in it.

http://www.job-secrets-revealed.com/articles/A-hidden-goldmine-of-jobs.html

How registered nurses can stand out from the crowd and get their dream jobs

2007-11-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Applying to RN jobs?

One of the most common help requests from nurses is "how can I make my resume stand out from the crowd?"

When applying to RN positions, you can be pretty sure that everyone else applying to that job has similar qualifications, skills and experience as you. The whole purpose of a job advertisement is to get people with a certain level of skills and experience to apply so like it or not, you're all going to look about the same on paper.

But what really separates good nurses from average ones is talent.

Demonstrating talent in your resume is hard but your cover letter is perfect for showing employers your talents and how they can help the employers get the results they're looking for. But before I talk about your cover letter, there are a few key points you need to understand about talent.

You would think that nurses with a talent for patient empathy would be too emotional to be good at their jobs. Yet research has shown that nurses with these attributes get better patient outcomes and satisfaction ratings than nurses who try not to become emotionally involved. This has led to some hospitals actually changing their interviewing technique to find people that have a talent for empathy.

Which leads to an interesting dilemma...

Suppose you're in an interview and you've been trained into thinking that being empathetic with your patients is a bad thing�then the odds are good that you�ll give the answers you think an employer wants to hear, for fear of missing out on the job.

But, let's say you are the sort of person who gets emotionally involved with your patients and you're a good nurse. Would you like to work for a hospital that supports and encourages your talent for patient empathy or would you like to work in a hospital where they crush this personal attribute?

The answer is obvious but most job-seekers just don't get it.

They're too busy trying to get a job instead of thinking about trying to find a place that can use not just their skills but their talents as well.

My point is that you should use interviews to find places that support and encourage you, your skills and your talents. If you're a nurse who just likes doing her job and doesn't want to get involved too much with patients then a hospital that shares those same values is a perfect fit for you. But if you find that you're getting in trouble with management because you get 'too involved' with your patients then quit immediately and find a place where your talent is appreciated.

Use the interview to ask questions and answer every questions honestly... even if you think it might cost you the job.

I'd rather miss out on 10 average jobs where my talents and personalities would likely be crushed anyway and be available for when that dream job comes along.

Your cover letter is a perfect vehicle for expressing your personality and your talents as well. Be bold. Explain how you love your patients and have been in trouble for being too empathetic even though you still did all the work required of you. Send pictures of the flowers you've received from happy patients and then send it out to hospitals in your area...

The hospitals that want people like you will call you back. Those that don't, won't.

And that's the whole point.

Want a free resume critique?

Here's how it works: submit your resume to us and within 24 hours we'll look it over and write you a customized critique addressing the the biggest problems that we find in it.

http://www.job-secrets-revealed.com/articles/How-registered-nurses-can-stand-out-from-the-crowd-and-get-their-dream-jobs.html

Networking Your Way to a New Job

2007-11-06T23:59:00.000-08:00

It's been estimated that between 70 and 80 percent of all jobs that get filled today are filled by people who first heard about the job through word of mouth: Someone told them about the job or told someone who told someone who told someone about the job. That's why networking is so important. It puts eyes and ears in places where you yourself can't look or listen. The larger your personal network, the more likely it is that you'll find out about job openings when they materialize.

Getting started

Believe it or not, the easiest part of networking is getting started. All you need is something that you can write names on — a tablet or computer screen, for example. Before you get to the business of writing down names, however, consider what help you need. You can look at the word help in terms of what various people may be in a position to do:

* Offer you a job right now.

* Offer you a job in the near future.

* Introduce you to someone who is currently looking to hire someone — or may be looking to hire someone in the near future.

* Inform you about a job opening or situation that could produce a job opening.

* Give you information about a particular person or company and, by doing so, increase your chances of converting a job lead into an interview or converting an interview into an offer.

Notice that each of these points is keyed to one of two objectives: to uncover leads to job openings, and to help you convert those leads into offers. You need to keep both objectives in mind as you launch and manage your networking campaign. And you also need to keep in mind the relationship of quantity and quality. Quantity, of course, refers to the number of people who actually become part of your network — obviously, more is usually better. But quality is important, too. Some people, for any number of different reasons, are in a better position to help you than others. Their clout has to do with who they are, the positions they hold in their companies, the people they know, and their willingness to go to bat for you. Quantity and quality are both important when it comes to developing your personal network. In general, however, the more "quality" there is to someone who might become part of your network, the more it is worth your time and effort to make the connection and cultivate that contact.

Put together a strong primary list a list of everyone you know who, directly or indirectly, could be helpful to you in your job search. Divide that list into three broad categories: level I, level II, and level III.

* Your level I list should consist of the people you would feel the most comfortable approaching for contact names — people you know you can count on.

* Your level II list should consist of people you would describe more as colleagues or acquaintances than as close friends. They know you and presumably wouldn't hesitate to help. Included in this list should be the people you deal with on a professional basis: your doctor, lawyer, and dentist, for example.

* Your level III list should consist of people you have yet to meet but whom you have good reason to believe could be helpful to you. How you get in touch with these people can vary. In some cases, you may be able to arrange an introduction through someone on your level I or II list. Or you may choose to contact this person directly.

Next, you need to prioritize your list to help you get the most mileage out of your networking efforts. The simplest approach is to rate each name an A, B, or C. Use A to designate any person who is very well connected and in a very good position to give you information and help. Generally speaking, you should approach the As on your list before you approach the Bs and Cs.

Developing your basic sales pitch

One step you have to take repeatedly in your networking campaign is to tell people who you are, what you're looking for, and how they can be of help to you. You should be able to get this message across in no more than 25 seconds when meeting face to face, communicating the following information:

* Your name

* Your profession, trade, or occupational specialty (that is, what you have been doing for most of your business life)

* Your current situation (whether you are currently working, were let go because of downsizing, are changing careers, or whatever)

* What you're looking for in the way of job opportunities

* What you can offer that sets you apart from a company's other candidates

Pay special attention to the sequence of the information; it's usually best to begin by providing a brief description of your background.

Getting the word out

After you put together some sort of network list, your number-one priority is to let as many people know — and as soon as possible — what your situation is and what you're looking for. The easiest way to accomplish this objective is by using a targeted mailing. Compose a one-page letter that describes your situation in brief and send it to all the people on both your level I and level II lists.

Resist the temptation to send out nonpersonalized "Dear Friend" letters, even though doing so enables you to send out a mass mailing without having to fool around with mail merges. The information you're conveying to your mailing audience is crucial. Don't diminish its impact with a depersonalized "junk-mail" greeting.

When you're sending the letter to close friends, use their home addresses. With business associates, use business addresses.

Also consider attending association meetings and similar events or getting involved in volunteer organizations as excellent ways to add to your network people you might not otherwise get a chance to meet. People are far more approachable at meetings, civic events, and social events than they are when they're working at their desks.

http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-549,subcat-JOB.html

Resumes, Careers and Job Search Articles

2007-11-06T23:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our directory archive of all the articles published on Resume-Resource.com. This page provides links to articles covering a variety of topics on resume writing, job searching and careers. The articles cover six separate sections: Resume Writing, Resume Formatting, Cover Letter Writing, Job Interviewing, Job Searching and general Career Articles.

Articles are submitted and contributed by industry leading resume writing firms, career-job search experts, certified resume writers and career management professionals. The authors are listed below and many of these authors are published in some of the top resume writing books.

http://www.resume-resource.com/articles.html

How a Photo Eye Saved My Job

2007-11-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

In 1996 I was employed as maintenance supervisor at an olive cannery in the heart of California's fertile San Joaquin valley. We were restarting the cannery after an extended shutdown while the cannery changed owners. This was my first opportunity to work in the food industry and a cannery. There were issues for me to learn and learn fast. The new harvest season's olives were due to start arriving just four weeks after I was hired.

Only four of the previous maintenance personnel were available to be rehired, so things were looking a little bleak at times. None of the new mechanics or electricians had food industry experience, either. In addition, there were almost no blueprints or wiring diagrams for the entire cannery or processing plant.

However, on the scheduled startup day, everything ran. Our two main lines used Angelus 60L Seamers with a maximum output capability of 600 cans per minute. That figures out to ten cans per second. That's faster than I can count. The Seamers seal the end cap onto the cans. Due to space limitations, new, spiral elevators had been designed and added by the previous owners. The elevators and controls had been wired up but they never ran prior to shutdown.

We started up slow, but problems immediately surfaced. The discharge line from the spiral elevator to the cooker was a plastic cable line. Cans could tip over and jam. When the can jam-up backed cans into the discharge from the spiral elevator and then round and round the elevator. It took a considerable effort and time to remove the jammed cans from the elevator.

A photoelectric sensor with a reflective lens was installed on the discharge cable line about six inches from the can entry to the discharge cable line. This sensor was designed and connected to stop the seamer and elevator when a jam-up occurred. The sensor had to see an opening between the cans, operate on/off, or it would shut down the elevator.

It turned out that the photoelectric sensor could only be adjusted to stay on all the time or off all the time when the cans were going by at any higher rate than Jog speed on the Seamer. We adjusted and adjusted the sensors. The sensors were replaced with new sensors. It did no good. The lines were stopped while we traced all the control and power wiring so we could try to determine if there was a problem in the wiring.

When I looked around, the Plant Manager, accompanied by the company President, Vice President and the Financial Controller were standing to the side watching me. All four of them had their arms crossed and unreadable expressions on their faces. I knew I was in trouble and had to get on top of this problem in a hurry.

Finally, I determined that the previous engineer had ordered an incorrect application for the original photoelectric sensors. I looked up the specifications for the installed sensors and found that their response time was not fast enough to "see" the cans as they went by. I looked in an Allen-Bradley sensor book for a photoelectric sensor with a fast response time, able to withstand the harsh environment of a cannery (steam and water), and would continue operation even when subjected to lots of vibration.

The photoelectric sensor I decided on was the Allen-Bradley Series 4000B Bulletin 42RL. This sensor has a response time of 5 milliseconds. That time was faster than our requirements. The case of the sensor is designed for harsh environments and kept the steam and wash-down water from entering the delicate, control circuitry area of the sensor. The vibrations from the elevator and the cable line had no effect on the solid state wiring of the sensor.

After installation, the sensor was connected and pre-adjusted for the can stream. The sensor kept the cable line and elevator running and was "seeing" the individual cans. We physically simulated a jam-up of cans on the cable line. When the cans backed up to the sensor, the sensor operated and shut down the spiral elevator and opened the clutch on the seamer, stopping line production.

There remained only some fine tuning of the sensor as we ramped up to top speed of between 550 and 570 cans per minute. Again, we had a "command" audience of the top company officers for our startup. When the lines started and continued running or stopped on a can backup with no corresponding elevator jam, there were smiles all around. My job was safe.

Most of the can jams on the cable line were reduced to acceptable levels by the work of the Cookroom Manager and his Seamer Operators/Mechanics. They reworked the can drops and built-in several can cutouts. The can cutouts are places where a can lying on its side will be ejected from the cable line, thereby eliminating an almost certain jam in a can drop or at the Cooker entrance. By reworking the can drops, can jams in the drops were almost totally eliminated.

Besides the fact that I kept my job, I learned that anyone can make a mistake and, when in doubt, check the factory specifications of the equipment you are working with.

http://www.industrialtraininginc.com/photo_eye_sensor.htm

Five Ways to Generate Job Leads

2007-11-06T23:48:00.000-08:00

When you’re looking for a new job, it’s never enough to simply check newspapers and other publications—the local paper is no longer the best place to look, and many positions are filled without even being advertised, so it’s important to develop alternative methods of generating leads.

1. Networking

This might just be one of the most effective ways to find out what jobs are available in your field. Networking means making contact with family, friends and neighbors as well as work colleagues and associates. The more people who know you’re looking for a job, the better. This is such an important point that it’s good to create these kinds of contacts even if you’re not looking for a job—the contacts you make may benefit you in the future.

2. Professional and College Organizations

Most professions have organizations with web sites or publications that include job postings. Annual conferences can be great places to network and make professional contacts, too. If you have a degree, joining your college’s career or alumni association can be equally effective.

3. Cold Calling

Cold calling—and even “cold emailing” can still be an effective way of hunting down those “hidden” jobs that don’t get advertised. It’s often fairly time-consuming, however, since it involves creating a list of employers, researching each one (including the name of the hiring manager), and sending a cover letter and resume to the hiring manager for the relevant position.

4. Career Fairs

Job and career fairs are held fairly regularly, and many companies send one or two employees to these fairs to network and recruit the best candidates. Attending career fairs requires extensive preparation, since you’ll need to find out what companies will be sending people, research those companies, and then create strategies for actually getting to talk to their representatives. These are usually very crowded events, so you really want to make sure that they remember you, too.

5. Online Job Listings

Online job sites can be a great resource if you use them effectively and selectively - however, the larger sites are not always the best. In fact, a study carried out by iLogos Research suggests that many Fortune 500 companies tend to publish job ads on corporate careers sites rather than the larger job boards and many companies in the health care sector, as well as IT and other industries tend to use corporate sites too.

http://www.resume-help.org/article_generate_job_leads.htm

Job Satisfaction as a Recruiting Tool

2007-11-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

Last week we held our Performance-based Hiring Tour event in Chicago to a full house. It was a great event and, as always, I learned something new from the participants. Ed, the owner of a recruiting firm, shared a May 1 Harvard Business School article called Inner Work Life: Understanding the Subtext of Business Performance. The authors, Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer, describe the article as "the first comprehensive look at what employees are thinking and feeling as they go about their work, why it matters, and how managers can use this information to improve job performance."

The article is interesting in that it looks specifically at what type of management behavior motivates employees. All of us have worked at companies that pushed manager feedback, sponsored company picnics, or gave out company shirts when morale got low. While there is nothing wrong with this, the article makes it clear that this is meaningless without the most important managerial behavior - setting clear goals. While this is not a new concept, what's interesting about the article is that it used daily diary entries from over 200 knowledge workers to track a direct correlation between clearly defined individual goals and greater creativity, productivity, commitment and teamwork. The study determined that "people are more creative when they are motivated primarily by the interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, and challenge of the work itself--not by external pressures or rewards."

In fact, the single greatest contributor to employee motivation and job satisfaction was the ability to accomplish something in the job. From the article: "When we compared our study participants' best days (when they were most happy, had the most positive perceptions of the workplace, and were most intrinsically motivated) with their worst days, we found that the single most important differentiator was a sense of being able to make progress in their work. Achieving a goal, accomplishing a task, or solving a problem often evoked great pleasure and sometimes elation. Even making good progress toward such goals could elicit the same reactions."

As recruiters and hiring managers, it is critical to understand what motivates a candidate to take a job. In Performance-based Hiring, we talk about the 30% solution - offering candidates an opportunity that is 30% better than their current job. That 30% is composed of job stretch, long term career opportunity, and compensation. You position this with candidates by asking the person if he'd seriously consider a new job if the job stretch was 10-15% (meaning it was a bigger job with more impact), and the job growth was 5-10% (meaning it had significant long term upside), and if the compensation was fair. Most people will agree to at least explore a situation under these terms. Not only does the 30% solution get you out of having to use money alone as your closing strategy, it helps you differentiate yourself from the competition. Anyone can offer money, and your competition may have more money to offer than you do. However, what you offer in terms of job stretch and long term career opportunity is something that is much harder to duplicate.

The concept of greater job satisfaction can easily be added to the 30% solution. Just using a performance profile is a positive differentiator. Since a performance profile focuses on what a candidate would DO in the job, rather than the attributes the candidate HAS, you can talk about how your company has a commitment to providing its employees with clear goals. Discuss with them the specific things that the candidate would need to do to be successful in the job. Then tie these goals to company strategy and how it benefits the company's clients and you've just "branded" the job, giving it even greater value.

The 30% solution also helps you tap into a candidate's desire for greater challenge and satisfaction from the job. When you discuss job stretch (a bigger team, a larger project, a new area) make sure you also discuss the ways in which the company will support the candidate in being successful in the new job. Are you going to provide them with additional management training? Give them new project management tools? Give them a laptop, an assistant, a company car, a company mentor? Discuss these things specifically in terms of how they will contribute to the candidate's success in the role; then, tie it back to the performance profile and the things the candidate will need to accomplish in the role. Amabile and Kramer state that if a company can "create conditions that enable people to get their work done, you'll create positive emotions, enhance motivation, and boost performance to unprecedented levels." Presenting a candidate with some information on how your company helps the candidate get their job done can be very compelling.

So where do free sodas, bringing in pizza, summer schedules and employee recognition programs fit in with all this? After all, we all remember the late 1990's when companies competed to offer perks from morning bagels to on-site massage therapists. If you offer these types of programs, by all means, highlight them. When employees accomplish something, they want to be recognized for it. While the study showed that recognition without real accomplishment could arouse cynicism, they also found that good performance without any recognition was de-motivating. A company that can talk about how they help their employees accomplish their goals - and also how they reward those accomplishments - can use the prospect of greater job satisfaction as a recruiting tool and a competitive differentiator.

http://www.adlerconcepts.com/resources/column/newsletter/job_satisfaction_as_a_recruiti.php

Find the Right Job for your Personality

2007-11-06T04:21:00.000-08:00

Searching for a job can be an extremely frustrating experience, but it can also be an extremely rewarding one as well. The time, effort, and energy that you put into your job search are validated when you land that perfect, or almost perfect, job. Beginning your search with a self-assessment, including an inventory of your interests, likes, and dislikes can start you on the right path to finding this perfect job. It will also help reduce your search time. Here are some tips from SnagAJob to help you find the right job for you.

What is Your Work Personality?

No one knows your personality better than you. Take a few minutes to think critically about your likes and dislikes as they relate to a work environment. Make a list of them on a piece of paper. Do you prefer to work indoors or outside braving the elements? Do you prefer to sit at a desk or be on the go? Do you like to interact with people, or do you prefer to work alone? The list goes on and on. Be honest with yourself, and you will begin to have a good idea of the types of jobs that may or may not work for you.

Take a Personality Assessment Test

There are a number of personality tests available online that can help you with your personality assessment. These tests ask general or scenario-based questions about your likes, dislikes, experiences, and interests in order to formulate an idea of what fields may best suit you. They are easy to take and the results can be fun to interpret. The results will usually include a list of areas that reflect your interests or talents. Keep in mind that these tests are not 100% accurate, but they do provide an additional piece of information that can help streamline your job search. Several recommended sites are Kuder.com, Queendom.com, and TheCareerKey.org. The tests are usually free; however some may charge a small fee.

Read Related Literature

For in-depth advice, go straight to the experts. There are a multitude of books published every year about successfully finding the right job for you, and all of them are written by people who are extremely knowledgeable on the topic. A few tried and true resources are "What Color is Your Parachute?" by Richard N. Bolles, "50 Best Jobs for Your Personality" by Michael Farr and Laurence Shatkin, and "Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type" by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger. These books will help you explore the various ways of finding the best job for you and are therefore well worth checking out.

Research Various Job Descriptions

An exciting job title may be eye-catching, but be wary. Take the time to dig deeper into the job description before applying. Is the job a good fit for your personality? Try to read between the lines of the written job description. For example, if you like to leave work at a set time each day, do the job responsibilities imply that you need to be flexible with your departure time? To learn about different jobs and understand the job responsibilities, you can find a list of common job titles and descriptions, or you can check the U.S. Department of Labor's Dictionary of Occupational Titles for a more in-depth list.

Network

When applying for any job, networking is always an excellent tactic to employ. Chances are that you probably know someone who works in the field in which you are applying. You may even know someone who already works for a specific company you are interested in. Talk to these people and get their opinions about their job. Don't be afraid to ask them questions. If they are happy, it could be an indication that you would be as well. The information you receive could be invaluable and could directly impact the success of your job search. They also may be able to put you directly in contact with hiring managers, which could help speed up the application and interview process. Being able to mention the name of a great current company employee (your contact) in the interview could also help you get that extra step in front of the other applicants.

If you find a job that you feel suits you, don't forget to research the company as well. The culture of the company will impact whether or not it is a good fit for you. Many large companies have websites containing an "About Us" page that they use to give a general description about themselves. Normally, the statement will include a portrayal of their employees as well. For example, The Home Depot's "About Us" page contains several links to information about why it's good to be a Home Depot employee. Though these statements are written by the companies themselves, they often offer important insights into the company's culture, or workplace environment, which could influence your decision.

There are jobs out there that are a great fit for you. The challenging part is finding the best ones. However, if you take advantage of the resources available and spend some time doing some research, you can narrow your search and have a better chance of successfully finding a job that makes you feel happy and fulfilled.

http://www.snagajob.com/job-articles/find-the-right-job.aspx

Harteis Deimler News Articles - Hot 6-figure jobs now

2007-11-06T04:18:00.001-08:00

Fred Harteis News Articles – Here are 5 areas where the demand for talent appears to be outpacing the supply.

Technology jobs

In the past few years, Fortune 1000 companies have been buying a lot of upgrades and enhancements to their "enterprise resource planning" (ERP) systems, and one of the biggest manufacturers of those systems is SAP, which provides application servers, programming language and related software. That's why both the companies and the consulting firms to which they may outsource some of their technology work are on the hunt for SAP managing consultants, business analysts, partners, workflow experts and technical writers. "Supply and demand is way out of sync," said Jason Hersh, managing partner of recruiting firm KleinHersh International, a member firm of the MRINetwork.

Sales jobs - Software

Enterprise business software makers -- such as SAP, Oracle and PeopleSoft -- are in hot pursuit of sales reps with good track records at their competitors. "All the companies are running around trying to steal (the top sales reps)," said Steve Purello, general manager of 6FigureJobs.com.

Those with a good track record and five years' experience can command between $100,000 and $200,000 plus commission.

Healthcare

The aging of the Baby Boomers has been a boon for pharmaceutical companies, medical device makers and other health-related businesses, which is why they're eager to hire sales representatives and sales managers.

More sales jobs - Construction

Commercial construction has enjoyed boom times in the past few years and construction firms have expanded to become one-stop shops for clients. They not only want a building built, they want help with design, pre-construction and even property management, said Bobbi Moss, vice president of Govig & Associates, a member firm of the MRINetwork.

Manufacturing

Economic growth in the past two years has boosted demand for manufacturing. For example, when a firm does well and decides to expand its office space, commercial furniture manufacturers benefit as do their vendors.

Other industries

Companies most in need of good sales managers can also be found in retail and wholesale; media and telecommunications; food and beverage, manufacturing, and travel, hospitality and tourism.

To read this complete Fred Harteis News article visit our news partner at:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/pf/0708/gallery.hot_six_fig_jobs_now/4.html

Source; Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures. Brett Deimler leads Deimler International.

http://deimlerinternational.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/9/28/3259222.html

Harteis Deimler News Articles - Hot 6-figure jobs now

2007-11-06T04:18:00.000-08:00

Jobs: Team Marketing & PR.

2007-11-06T04:16:00.000-08:00

Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers
Significant Points

* Employment is projected to increase rapidly, but competition for jobs is expected to be intense.

* College graduates with related experience, a high level of creativity, and strong communication skills should have the best job opportunities.

* High earnings, substantial travel, and long hours, including evenings and weekends, are common.

Nature of the Work

The objective of any firm is to market and sell its products or services profitably. In small firms, the owner or chief executive officer might assume all advertising, promotions, marketing, sales, and public relations responsibilities. In large firms, which may offer numerous products and services nationally or even worldwide, an executive vice president directs overall advertising, promotions, marketing, sales, and public relations policies. (Executive vice presidents are included in the Handbook statement on top executives.) Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers coordinate the market research, marketing strategy, sales, advertising, promotion, pricing, product development, and public relations activities. Managers oversee advertising and promotion staffs, which usually are small, except in the largest firms. In a small firm, managers may serve as a liaison between the firm and the advertising or promotion agency to which many advertising or promotional functions are contracted out. In larger firms, advertising managers oversee in- house account, creative, and media services departments. The account executive manages the account services department, assesses the need for advertising and, in advertising agencies, maintains the accounts of clients. The creative services department develops the subject matter and presentation of advertising. The creative director oversees the copy chief, art director, and their respective staffs. The media director oversees planning groups that select the communication media-for example, radio, television, newspapers, magazines, Internet, or outdoor signs-to disseminate the advertising. Promotion managers supervise staffs of promotion specialists. They direct promotion programs combining advertising with purchase incentives to increase sales. In an effort to establish closer contact with purchasers- dealers, distributors, or consumers-promotion programs may involve direct mail, telemarketing, television or radio advertising, catalogs, exhibits, inserts in newspapers, Internet advertisements or Web sites, instore displays or product endorsements, and special events. Purchase incentives may include discounts, samples, gifts, rebates, coupons, sweepstakes, and contests. Marketing managers develop the firm's detailed marketing strategy. With the help of subordinates, including product development managers and market research managers, they determine the demand for products and services offered by the firm and its competitors. In addition, they identify potential markets-for example, business firms, wholesalers, retailers, government, or the general public. Marketing managers develop pricing strategy with an eye towards maximizing the firm's share of the market and its profits while ensuring that the firm's customers are satisfied. In collaboration with sales, product development, and other managers, they monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services and oversee product development. Marketing managers work with advertising and promotion managers to promote the firm's products and services and to attract potential users. Public relations managers supervise public relations specialists. (See the Handbook statement on public relations specialists.) These managers direct publicity programs to a targeted public. They often specialize in a specific area, such as crisis management-or in a specific industry, such as healthcare. They use every available communication medium in their effort to maintain the support of the specific group upon whom their organization's success depends, such as consumers, stockholders, or the general public. For example, public relations managers may clarify or justify the firm's point of view on health or environmental issues to community or special interest groups. Public relations managers also evaluate advertising and promotion programs for compatibility with public relations efforts and serve as the eyes and ears of top management. They observe social, economic, and political trends that might ultimately affect the firm and make recommendations to enhance the firm's image based on those trends. Public relations managers may confer with labor relations managers to produce internal company communications-such as newsletters about employee-management relations-and with financial managers to produce company reports. They assist company executives in drafting speeches, arranging interviews, and maintaining other forms of public contact; oversee company archives; and respond to information requests. In addition, some handle special events such as sponsorship of races, parties introducing new products, or other activities the firm supports in order to gain public attention through the press without advertising directly. Sales managers direct the firm's sales program. They assign sales territories, set goals, and establish training programs for the sales representatives. (See the Handbook statement on sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing.) Managers advise the sales representatives on ways to improve their sales performance. In large, multiproduct firms, they oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs. Sales managers maintain contact with dealers and distributors. They analyze sales statistics gathered by their staffs to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers. Such information is vital to develop products and maximize profits.

Working Conditions

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers are provided with offices close to those of top managers. Long hours, including evenings and weekends, are common. Almost 38 percent of advertising, marketing, and public relations managers worked 50 hours or more a week in 2000. Working under pressure is unavoidable when schedules change and problems arise, but deadlines and goals must still be met. Substantial travel may be involved. For example, attendance at meetings sponsored by associations or industries often is mandatory. Sales managers travel to national, regional, and local offices and to various dealers and distributors. Advertising and promotion managers may travel to meet with clients or representatives of communications media. At times, public relations managers travel to meet with special interest groups or government officials. Job transfers between headquarters and regional offices are common, particularly among sales managers.

Employment

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers held about 707,000 jobs in 2000. The following tabulation shows the distribution of jobs by occupational specialty.

Sales managers 343,000 Marketing managers 190,000 Advertising and promotions managers 100,000 Public relations managers 74,000

These managers were found in virtually every industry. Sales managers held almost half of the jobs; most were employed in wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, and services industries. Marketing managers held more than one-fourth of the jobs; services and manufacturing industries employed about two-thirds of marketing managers. Half of advertising and promotions managers worked in services industries, including advertising, computer and data processing, and engineering and management services. More than two-thirds of public relations managers were found in services industries, such as educational services, management and public relations, and social services.

Training, Advancement, and Other Qualifications

A wide range of educational backgrounds are suitable for entry into advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managerial jobs, but many employers prefer those with experience in related occupations plus a broad liberal arts background. A bachelor's degree in sociology, psychology, literature, journalism, or philosophy, among other subjects, is acceptable. However, requirements vary, depending upon the particular job. For marketing, sales, and promotion management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor's or master's degree in business administration with an emphasis on marketing. Courses in business law, economics, accounting, finance, mathematics, and statistics are advantageous. In highly technical industries, such as computer and electronics manufacturing, a bachelor's degree in engineering or science, combined with a master's degree in business administration, is preferred. For advertising management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor's degree in advertising or journalism. A course of study should include marketing, consumer behavior, market research, sales, communication methods and technology, and visual arts-for example, art history and photography. For public relations management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor's or master's degree in public relations or journalism. The applicant's curriculum should include courses in advertising, business administration, public affairs, public speaking, political science, and creative and technical writing. For all these specialties, courses in management and completion of an internship while in school are highly recommended. Familiarity with word processing and database applications also is important for many positions. Computer skills are vital because interactive marketing, product promotion, and advertising on the Internet are increasingly common. The ability to communicate in a foreign language may open up employment opportunities in many rapidly growing niche markets around the country, especially in large cities and in areas with large Spanish-speaking populations. Most advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales management positions are filled by promoting experienced staff or related professional or technical personnel. For example, many managers are former sales representatives, purchasing agents, buyers, product or brand specialists, advertising specialists, promotion specialists, and public relations specialists. In small firms, where the number of positions is limited, advancement to a management position usually comes slowly. In large firms, promotion may occur more quickly. Although experience, ability, and leadership are emphasized for promotion, advancement can be accelerated by participation in management training programs conducted by many large firms. Many firms also provide their employees with continuing education opportunities, either in-house or at local colleges and universities, and encourage employee participation in seminars and conferences, often provided by professional societies. In collaboration with colleges and universities, numerous marketing and related associations sponsor national or local management training programs. Courses include brand and product management, international marketing, sales management evaluation, telemarketing and direct sales, interactive marketing, promotion, marketing communication, market research, organizational communication, and data processing systems procedures and management. Many firms pay all or part of the cost for those who successfully complete courses. Some associations (listed under sources of additional information) offer certification programs for advertising, marketing, sales, and public relations managers. Certification-a sign of competence and achievement in this field-is particularly important in a competitive job market. While relatively few advertising, marketing, and public relations managers currently are certified, the number of managers who seek certification is expected to grow. For example, Sales and Marketing Executives International offers a management certification program based on education and job performance. The Public Relations Society of America offers an accreditation program for public relations practitioners based on years of experience and an examination. Persons interested in becoming advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers should be mature, creative, highly motivated, resistant to stress, flexible, and decisive. The ability to communicate persuasively, both orally and in writing, with other managers, staff, and the public is vital. These managers also need tact, good judgment, and exceptional ability to establish and maintain effective personal relationships with supervisory and professional staff members and client firms. Because of the importance and high visibility of their jobs, advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers often are prime candidates for advancement to the highest ranks. Well-trained, experienced, successful managers may be promoted to higher positions in their own, or other, firms. Some become top executives. Managers with extensive experience and sufficient capital may open their own businesses.

Job Outlook

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales manager jobs are highly coveted and will be sought by other managers or highly experienced professional and technical personnel, resulting in keen competition. College graduates with related experience, a high level of creativity, and strong communication skills should have the best job opportunities. Those who have new media and interactive marketing skills will be particularly sought after. Employment of advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2010. Increasingly intense domestic and global competition in products and services offered to consumers should require greater marketing, promotional, and public relations efforts by managers. The number of management and public relations firms may experience particularly rapid growth as businesses increasingly hire contractors for these services instead of additional full- time staff. Projected employment growth varies by industry. For example, employment of advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers is expected to grow much faster than average in most business services industries, such as computer and data processing, and in management and public relations firms, while little or no change is projected in manufacturing industries.

Earnings

Median annual earnings in 2000 for advertising and promotions managers were $53,360; marketing managers, $71,240; sales managers, $68,520; and public relations managers, $54,540. Earnings ranged from less than $27,840 for the lowest 10 percent of advertising and promotions managers, to more than $137,780 for the highest 10 percent of sales managers. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of advertising and promotions managers in 2000 were as follows:

Computer and data processing services $79,970 Advertising 58,890

Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of marketing managers in 2000 were as follows:

Computer and data processing services $85,750 Advertising 72,590 Management and public relations 70,170

Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of sales managers in 2000 were as follows:

Computer and data processing services $86,690 Professional and commercial equipment 84,770 New and used car dealers 80,680 Hotels and motels 42,210

Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of public relations managers in 2000 were as follows:

Management and public relations $57,380 Colleges and universities 50,200

According to a National Association of Colleges and Employers survey, starting salaries for marketing majors graduating in 2001 averaged $35,000; those for advertising majors averaged $29,700. Salary levels vary substantially, depending upon the level of managerial responsibility, length of service, education, firm size, location, and industry. For example, manufacturing firms usually pay these managers higher salaries than nonmanufacturing firms do. For sales managers, the size of their sales territory is another important determinant of salary. Many managers earn bonuses equal to 10 percent or more of their salaries.

Related Occupations

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers direct the sale of products and services offered by their firms and the communication of information about their firms' activities. Other workers involved with advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales include actors, producers, and directors; artists and related workers; demonstrators, product promoters, and models; economists and market and survey researchers; public relations specialists; sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing; and writers and editors.

Sources of Additional Information

For information about careers and certification in sales and marketing management, contact:

* Sales and Marketing Executives International, 5500 Interstate North Pkwy., No. 545, Atlanta, GA 30328-4662. Internet: http://www.smei.org For information about careers in advertising management, contact:

* American Association of Advertising Agencies, 405 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10174-1801. Internet: http://www.aaaa.org Information about careers and certification in public relations management is available from:

* Public Relations Society of America, 33 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003-2376. Internet: http://www.prsa.org

Send this article to a friend
Submit an Article
Sign up for our FREE Racing Tech Newsletter

Webmasters: You may freely reprint this article on your website provided the following caption remains intact, along with a working link.

http://speedarticles.com/auto_racing_article-50.html

A Lower Dollar Equals More Jobs

2007-11-06T04:15:00.000-08:00

The U.S. economy is saddled with massive debt, deficits and trade imbalances. Many predict gloom and doom. But one upside to a weaker dollar is the boost it could give to the U.S. job market.

The U.S. dollar has fallen dramatically against other major currencies over the past few years. A sustained weaker currency will have the effect of decreasing America's consumption of foreign goods and services, while increasing foreign demand for its own goods and services. We already are seeing increased demand for U.S. exports and more visitors entering the country as a result. This adds up to lots more jobs. Jobs in making, packaging, selling, shipping and servicing anything that can be exported, in selling and providing any service that can be offered beyond borders and in anything to do with travel or tourism. This is a big part of the economy. In time it will reduce the trade imbalance and the dollar's value will rise again.

The fall hurricane season boosted job growth in October (which at 337,000 was the largest in 6 months). Retail hiring will keep the numbers high through the rest of the year. Counting October, the U.S. economy has created over 2 million jobs in the past 12 months and has enjoyed 14 months of steady job growth. This has occurred as the U.S. dollar slid to historic lows against the Euro. But have we reached the "tipping point" in the labor markets? Undoubtedly, there is a level that the dollar will reach where it becomes irresistible for foreign consumers (individuals and governments) to buy American. And there is every reason to believe the slide in the U.S. currency will continue for months, even years to come.

There are downsides, of course, but perhaps it is America's turn for a weak currency. Throughout most of the 1990s, the U.S. dollar was a sanctuary for investors around the world. Seen as the world's most stable currency, investors drove its value through the roof. Because the U.S. economy was booming, it could afford to be the elephant in world currency markets. Indeed, it benefited companies and individuals who bought foreign goods and services in record numbers.

Today, the U.S. economy needs the boost a weak currency provides. Even more importantly, it needs to reverse the trend in foreign trade imbalances and work on lowering its annual deficit and overall national debt. A strong economy that creates north of 200,000 jobs per month and discourages spending on foreign goods, services and vacations is what is needed. This, and a stable price for oil under $50/barrel, should put economic growth in the 4-5% range next year.

These ingredients already are converging. As such, 2005 may be a volatile year in organizations large and small. Demand for workers will increase and employees will have options they haven't enjoyed in several years -- lots of employment options. Turnover will increase as workers accept external job offers. No company will be completely immune. Even best-of-class employers have had a difficult time living up to the mantra "People are our No. 1 asset" in the past several years. Following more than three years of layoffs and rapid workforce restructuring, credibility will need to be restored for employers to be viewed as employers of choice again. For many, it will be challenging to convince the best workers to trust them and work for them when those workers suddenly have other options.

So, depending on your industry, the effects of a lower dollar may mean it's back to the 90s for many recruiters. Back to the campus, back to career fairs and back to the drawing board when it comes to designing a recruitment and retention program robust enough for the new reality.

http://www.inc.com/resources/recruiting/articles/20041101/weakdollar.html

If I need ? Insurance, Company, Jobs, Articles, Tips and Help

2007-11-06T04:13:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for insurance advices u can find on insurance articles, browse US insurance companies and find different kind of insurance jobs.

Our web site is specialised for insurance issuess. You can find answers that yours insurance companies hide from you at insurance articles.

Browse our insurance companies base and compare insurance quote to each other.

If u are looking a job in the insurance bussines you can find usefull information on insurance jobs.
MyStation insurance:

Welcome to the world of insurance. Thank you for visiting our website.

http://www.mystation.be/

A Day in the Life of a Flight Attendant

2007-11-06T04:11:00.000-08:00

A day on the job. For a flight attendant that could mean...a trip to Paris...or an emergency landing. It can be fun, an adventure, or both...but is it work? I’ve found that working for a major airline this past year has been one of the hardest jobs I have ever had, and yet one of the most enjoyable. The schedule and the passengers challenge me in ways I never could have imagined. But nothing beats hanging out in Las Vegas for 24 hours with a company-paid hotel room and expense money. The thousands of us flying encounter many different experiences during the course of a day. This is a day (well, technically a trip) in my life...

5:45 P.M. Friday: The Assignment

In the airline industry, seniority rules. Mechanics, pilots, flight attendants, customer service agents--all of these employees enjoy pay rates, schedules and benefits based on their length of service with the company. Among flight attendants, seniority determines status as a lineholder or reserve. Lineholders have a flying schedule set at least one month in advance; they know when and where they will work and on what types of aircraft. The airlines use reserves to fill open flying time and to cover positions vacated by lineholders calling in sick or on holiday. If you are a relatively new flight attendant, like me, you can expect to sit reserve for a couple of years. Flight attendants often receive a set schedule (known as a block) after less than two years, but at some bases, flight attendants can sit reserve for more than ten years.

As a reserve flight attendant, my "work day" begins with a call from a crew scheduler. Each airline operates differently; at mine, schedulers call reserves on-duty to ask what trips they want to fly the following day. Trips are paid by the flight hour, from the time the aircraft door is shut to the time it is opened. And for every hour away from base, flight attendants are paid expense money. This particular Friday evening, when crew scheduling calls, I choose a four-day trip on the Airbus 319--one of our newer aircraft. It pays better than average and overnights in Raleigh-Durham, Washington, DC and Denver. Working what the airline labels the "C" position, I serve in the economy cabin and sit in the front, near the boarding door. With my trip set, I pack. I take a few extra pieces of my uniform and some clothes for the overnight. I go to bed early since I must check in early the next morning.

7:30 A.M. Saturday: Check-in

This morning, I go down to the crew room below the airport concourse in Philadelphia. Each base has a crew room complete with couches, computers and supervisors’ offices. Pilots and flight attendants also have boxes or folders there for company mail. Before starting a trip, a crewmember must check in for it. First things first, I use the computer to sign in for the trip. If you do not sign in an hour before the trip departs, you are liable to get written up by your supervisor. Since boarding begins 30 minutes prior to departure, there’s not much time to spend in the crew room, but I have a few minutes to check my box for memos and chat with friends. I head to the plane to meet up with the rest of the crew.

Communication between the cockpit and the cabin plays a vital role in maintaining a safe environment, and the crew briefings at the beginning of a trip set the tone. Once on the airplane, Becky, the lead flight attendant, briefs Mike and me on safety procedures, delegates announcement responsibilities and confirms that we have our emergency manuals. Afterward, the captain conducts his briefing, reviewing safety-related issues, flight time, weather, and what he likes to drink.

Ready, Set, Go: Inflight

About 30 minutes prior to departure, the agent working our flight comes down the jetway to begin boarding. Becky nods okay, and we finish checking our emergency equipment and catering supplies. From the forward galley, Becky and I greet the passengers and prepare drinks for first class customers. Mike hangs out in the back, monitoring the dwindling space in the overhead bins. Boarding tends to provide the biggest headache, especially considering I do not get paid until that door is shut. With a nearly full flight, it is pretty much guaranteed that space in the overhead bins will go quickly. Tensions mount, but bags need to be checked. Though the company no longer requires passenger counts, many pilots prefer to have them. When you see the flight attendant slowly coming up the aisle silently moving his or her lips, sometimes motioning his or her hands, that flight attendant is taking a count. As easy as it may seem, it often takes more than one count to get it right.

Once all the overhead bins are shut and the passengers are seated, the flight is ready for departure. I verify that the passengers seated in the window exit row are willing and able to assist in an emergency if necessary. Before shutting the door, the agent hands Becky a copy of the manifest, which lists first class passengers, passengers with special needs or meals, and gate connections. We arm the exits, enabling the slides to inflate if the doors are opened. After the safety video and a final cabin walk-through, the three of us strap into our jump seats and I practice my 30-second review, which includes evacuation commands and door operation procedures. It is still a thrill when we taxi onto the runway and the engines roar. You learn to recognize the strange (and initially scary) noises as just the lavatory toilet seat coming down or unused hangars banging in the closet.

Once we level-off at 10,000 ft, I head to the back and help Mike prepare for the breakfast service. To no one’s surprise, we serve the staple of the skies: omelettes and French toast. In the back galley, we brew coffee, cook the meals in the ovens and set up the carts. Since the beverage cart comes stocked with cans of sodas and juices, we just add a few things on top such as some cream and sugar for the coffee. Once the meals finish cooking, we begin serving from the front of the cabin to the back. It turns out we are short a few meals and have to ask the company employees traveling on the flight to go without a breakfast. I hate doing that, but they do not seem to mind. Space is undeniably tight on the beverage cart, and accidents are bound to happen. I am no exception on this leg, knocking a can of soda on a passenger as I reach for it. Not much spills, but he is still peeved. I give him a sorry form to get his pants dry-cleaned at the airline’s expense. Finishing the service, I settle in the back row with a book, assisting in the cabin as needed. Passengers occasionally bring cups and other trash back for me to dispose of as they head to the toilet, but the remainder of the long flight is a coffee break of sorts for us.

Service in first class is usually more involved. With 12 or fewer passengers on the smaller jets, it also tends to be more intimate. No carts are needed, and food and beverages are presented in china and glassware. Various types of people fly first class, but that cabin mostly fills up with business people and other frequent flyers. Celebrities occasionally make an appearance. A friend served Sissy Spacek once, and another flew with the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

During the flight, a problem arises, which is relatively common on longer flights. Sitting in the back, I notice the smell of cigarette smoke coming from the lavatory. A passenger exits and it is obvious he has been smoking. There is no sign of the cigarette in the trash, but I advise him that smoking in the lavatory is a violation of a federal law and comes with a large fine. There are set procedures to deal with situations like these and paperwork to complete.

We cruise through the rest of the day with little problem, except when I smash Mike’s finger in the overhead bin as we both try to close it. He’s okay, though he is quick to point out the tiny white scratch on his fingernail. An extra flight attendant joins us in Denver for our next leg to Charlotte. She notices a pregnant woman sitting in the exit row, and the four of us discuss whether the passenger is qualified to do so. Since no regulation explicitly excludes pregnant women from those seats and the passenger insists she is both willing and able to assist in an emergency, we decide to let her stay there. The last leg of the day is the easiest. Since the airline needs us in Raleigh-Durham, but does not need us to work from Charlotte, we deadhead on another crew’s flight.

Gas, Food, Lodging: The Layover

We arrive in Raleigh-Durham at 8:00 P.M. I take Mike and Becky to the restaurant where I once waited tables. My old boss gives us dinner on the house, certainly a welcome treat on our first-year salary. We have an early start again the next morning and there is not a whole lot to do near the airport in Durham, so we don’t stay out late.

On an overnight, the airline provides each crewmember with his or her own hotel room. Long layovers (at least 15 hours off) land you at a decent hotel downtown, near the beach or some sort of shopping venue. For shorter layovers, you will usually stay at or very near the airport. My crew, both the pilots and the flight attendants, stay together the entire trip--layover and all. Some airlines work a little differently, putting flight attendants and pilots in separate hotels. The airline also covers meals, if you count the expense money paid for the trip.

12:40 P.M. Tuesday: Check-out

The next few days of the trip are surprisingly uneventful. The video system on the Airbus, sophisticated as it is with its automatic preprogramming, occasionally malfunctions. Threatened with having to do the safety demo the "old-fashioned way," we manage to play the video manually. At the end of day two, as the plane pulls off the runway at National Airport in D.C., I persuade Becky to spice up the arrival announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our nation’s capital," she says, instead of the scripted "Welcome to Washington, DC." I cannot tell if anyone notices. By the end of the fourth day, most of the giddiness has been replaced with exhaustion.

At the end of the last leg, we land in Philadelphia. The trip is now over. I am released from duty 15 minutes later. This rest period lasts at least eight hours and is guaranteed to be free from phone contact from schedulers. Leaving the airport, I head out to the employee parking lot, pick up my car and head home. Back in my room, I unload my bags and unplug the phone.

David Silverstein, a recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, is a first-year flight attendant with a major airline.

http://www.airlinecareer.com/articles.htm?article=103