Job Search

Getting the Right Fit for You When it comes to College

February 24, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

A lot of people will visit a particular college and find that it just does not “fit” with how they think. In some cases, it may just come down to simply not liking how the place is laid out, or the dominant local opinions are (such as how liberal or conservative the place may be). These are naturally going to be very subjective criteria, since they are just your opinions. But all in all, a college is a lot like a business in that the money you spend there gives you certain privileges as a consumer of their products and services, which, of course, has to do with your education. Subsequently, it is of paramount importance that you find a university in which you really fit with the local culture.

If you do not fit, you will find it difficult to enjoy yourself there. And when you hate your experience, your chances of finishing your degree will be slim. Your college experience should be comprised of a little work mixed in with a little play, and that will ultimately make you into a well rounded, effective professional when your formal education is complete. Considering this, finding the right university with the best curriculum and the convenience and affordability you need is a very important task, and should be the first step in the process.

You might be at a loss as to how you could ever figure out which college is the best fit for you. Well, you are in luck, as there are sites out there like elearners.com that can help you in your search. Not only can you find the pros and cons of many different colleges, you can also figure out which colleges you will best fit in with, based on your personality and the skills you want to learn.

Filed Under: Job Search, Training Tagged With: Colleges and Universities, Education, Student, United States, University and college admissions

Making Yourself Marketable for Today’s Job Market

February 17, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Many of us, in today’s employment market, may be looking for a new job or just looking to advance in our current career position. This can sometimes be a frustrating proposition. However, by taking a few steps to increase your job marketability, you may find yourself with your dream job.

There are many ways to improve your marketability, whether you are actively searching for a new job or just exploring your options. So what are the things you should be doing to improve your skills and marketability?

Look at your marketable skills. Are they in high-demand in today’s job market? The market has changed dramatically in just the past few years. Factors that come into play are such things as high technology demands, location changes and so on. You should educate yourself as to what the current market is demanding. Find out what the jobs are in the highest demand.

Keep your education on par with the job market. This may mean taking classes from online schools or even enrolling in a degree program to obtain new skills or just to make sure your current skills are keeping up with advancements. You may also consider attending workshops and seminars.

Consider expanding your actual job responsibilities. This will teach you new skills that will make you more attractive for advancement in your current position or a possible new job. This means you may have to step out of the comfort zone of your job and take a few risks.

Ask for feedback about your skills from not only friends, but other professionals. Your friends may tell you only the positive things you want to hear, but other professionals may provide a more realistic opinion.

And finally, make sure your resume is up-to-date and professional in appearance. Hire a professional resume writer if you feel it is necessary. These people can make your experiences and skills shine!

Filed Under: Business, Job Search Tagged With: Academic degree, Business, Business and Economy, Employment, Job Search, Unemployment

4 Things to Know Before Consolidating School Loans

February 5, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Before you take action to use a debt consolidation service to pay off school loans, there are four things that you should know. This knowledge impacts how you handle the consolidation.

First, consider if a loan consolidation is the best route to go. Consolidation will simplify your repayments. Instead of having to worry about making payments to several institutions, you will only have one loan payment. But, the trade off is that it could significantly increase the total cost of your loan. You will get a lower monthly payment by taking longer to pay off the loan. Typical loan repayment periods are up to 30 years. You will pay significantly more in interest, many times more the original amount of interest. So do the math. Calculate the total amount you will pay for a loan consolidation.

The second thing that you need to know is that if you are a dependent student and your parents have taken out a PLUS Loan, this kind of loan cannot be transferred to the student. It cannot be included with the loans that the student is consolidating.

The third thing is that there are some requirements for the debt consolidation service. For example, you must have at least one FEEL or Direct Loan that is in grace or repayment. You can consolidate defaulted educational loans only if you make satisfactory arrangements with the current loan provider. If you already have a Direct Consolidation Loan, you cannot consolidate that loan a second time unless you are adding an additional FEEL or Direct Loan.

Fourth, some loan consolidations have a fixed interest rate and some interest rates are tied to the prime rate. If it is tied to the prime rate and the rate goes up, so does the interest rate of your loan. Be very, very careful if you have this type of interest rate on your loan consolidation.

Filed Under: Job Search, Mannerisms Tagged With: Debt, Federal student loan consolidation, Interest rate, Loan, Payment, PLUS Loan

If You Smoke Cigarettes, You Can’t Work Here

February 3, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Hiring practices have changed, but now there’s a precedent new action being taken – employers aren’t hiring people who smoke on their free time. It’s long been argued that what people do on their free time shouldn’t affect a person’s being qualified for jobs, and this is America, where we have rights and freedoms to protect us.

It’s not just an argument, people all over are wondering if it is even legal to demand that employees have to behave a certain way when they’re not on the clock, or that they can’t do something that’s legal. As much as some don’t like it, tobacco is legal, and it’s unconstitutional to force someone to stop doing what is legal.

There are many arguments; for one, employers don’t want to hire people who make poor choices. Or that they want to reward people who have acceptable lifestyles without having to support those with bad lifestyle choices.

Employers Take the No Smoking Rule too Far – or Have They?

Cigarettes themselves are a huge cost, and medical costs for smokers is typically higher than for non-smokers. According to federal estimates, smokers annually cost employers $3391 per year, on average, in increased healthcare costs and loss of production. The truth of this statement has yet to be proven, as there are many smokers who never call in sick, and there are non-smokers who have serious health problems. It’s not like hospitals are full of smokers only.

Whether it’s fair or not to disregard someone for a job because of tobacco use doesn’t matter if the courts are upholding this kind of decision, and they are. Soon enough, some day, someone will start a class action law suit to protect the right to do something legal.

Because of the recession employers can really pick and choose their prospective employees, as hundreds apply for each opening. It won’t be hard to enforce the new rule, especially if people want a job bad enough. It’s going to make people mad and make others happy, but it’s here and it’s real and it’s right now.

Filed Under: Job Search, Mannerisms Tagged With: Employment, Food and Drug Administration, Menthol cigarette, Tobacco, Tobacco smoking, United States

Interview Tips That May Make a Difference in Getting Hired

February 1, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

In this day of millions of people looking for work, it’s more important than ever to make a good impression when on an interview. A person needs to stand apart from the crowd in some way that’s beneficial to the company being applied to.

There are a few ways to make sure the interview gets as much mileage as wanted by the applicant and the interviewer. For instance:

Start the interview off right by being early. Five to 15 minutes early is best.
While waiting for the interview, don’t update Facebook status, check email or worse; talk on the phone. Make the time’s focus the new job, not personal agendas.
Offer the resume before you even take a seat. It shows that the applicant is prepared and focused on the meeting’s reason for being.
Start the conversation for the interviewer. Mention something about office décor or the photographs of family sitting around. Be warm and conversational without over-doing it. Don’t compliment the interviewer (I like your shoes) because that’s a personal remark that should be left out of a business meeting.
Give a short pause between questions and answers. A quick response may sound glib or cocky. Take the pace from the interviewer; if they’re calm and relaxed, go with that. If they’re seemingly in a hurry, be sure to offer complete answers without going on.
Don’t talk too much about yourself or go off topic. They want informed responses but keep it business-like and short.
Be prepared to tell the interviewer why their company was chosen; what attracted the applicant to apply there and how they can be an asset to the company.
Stick to the subject at hand; you. It might be helpful to write down three main reasons they should hire you and stick with that.

Ask for a business card if they haven’t given one yet. Offer a firm handshake and thank them for their time before leaving.

Filed Under: Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: Facebook, Interview

The Successful Resume

January 30, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

It may have been a while since you have had to write and submit a resume. With jobs being sought through the Internet you may have to practically write out your resume over and over again. Most jobs that you will be applying for will require your resume. Even the very basic of resumes tells a lot about a person. At the very least, the boss will have an idea how much education you have and if that education was geared towards this particular career. He will also be able to see how much experience you have had in this field. All of these factors can persuade a boss to call you in for the interview.

Check your resume frequently. Keep a copy of it in a folder on your desktop. If your experience changes, add it. If you take additional classes or go to further schooling, make sure you add it onto your resume, even if it was not school for the career you are seeking. Some bosses are looking for someone versatile and your minor in English may just come in handy some day. For example if your degree is in psychology and you have had three kids since you last submitted a resume, this is life experience baby. In some colleges, life experience counts towards actual college credit. Even the most basic of skills should be placed on the resume. The boss may be looking for a trouble shooter. The more you know, the more valuable you will be to the employer.

You may want a professional to look over your resume. There are people who specialize in just writing the resume. You can contact someone, and for a fee of course, they will clean up your resume so that it looks more professional, making sure that it reflects the real you.

Filed Under: Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: coverletter, Executive, Job hunting, Résumé, Resumes and Portfolios

Earn More With a Degree

January 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Did you know that you could make a million dollars more in your lifetime if you just had that degree? Most people don’t realize that there’s that much difference, but having a college degree is still very important for most job fields. You’ll have better opportunities than someone who doesn’t have a degree, and you’ll be more qualified for careers that are more prestigious and better paying. You have a lot of options to get your degree, too. You can go to school in the traditional way, or you can earn your degree online. There used to be a stigma about the quality of online degrees, but that’s generally been lifted. Many good, accredited schools offer degree programs online that are just as good as the programs offered traditionally.

If you’re looking for a place where you can find out a lot about different schools and degree options, you should consider earnmydegree.com. It can provide you with a lot of opportunity for research into the schools that you might want to think about getting involved with. Find out how much they cost, what kind of work will be required of you, what type of accreditation they have, and other factors. If you really want to get a good job, you should get a degree. You can build a career and a life off of a degree, which is much harder to do if all you have is a high school diploma and a minimum wage job.

College degrees don’t guarantee you a great job, of course, but they’re definitely helpful when it comes to having opportunities in life that you wouldn’t otherwise have. Don’t be afraid to go back to school and try something new. It might be hard for a little while, but that degree will make everything worth it in the long run.

Filed Under: Business, Job Search Tagged With: Academic degree, Distance education, Distance Learning, Education, Institutions, Minimum wage, online degree, Student

Clearing Your History

January 27, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

More than ever, bosses are screening and re-screening potential employees. They are pouring over resumes sent in to find just the right person for the job. Once they have narrowed down the resumes to the few people they will actually speak to, they make the phone calls. If you receive a phone call from a potential boss, it is time to go on the interview. You will actually meet the boss, see the company and have a chance to let the boss know you are the best person for the job.

If the interview goes well you may be called back in for a second or even a third time. These are screening interviews and you may see different supervisors or persons with expertise in the area of employment for which you are being considered. Once the boss makes a decision or at least narrows it down to two or three people, there are some final steps. The company may do a criminal background check on you, as well as a credit check. At some point during one of the interviews, the boss may ask you if there is anything else you would like to tell him or her, or if there anything he or she should know. If there is something that may come up from your past be honest. A thorough background and credit history check can show a lot about a person. If a boss sees something through one of these checks, and he or she already knows about it, he or she is less likely to let it have a negative effect. They would not be checking up on you if they were not really interested. When you disclosed whatever it is, you would have been told thank you anyway.

As with anything else, honesty is now and always will be the best policy.

Filed Under: Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: Business, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Credit bureau, Credit score, Employment, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

What Do Your Shoes Say About You

January 25, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Your wardrobe says a lot about you. The way you dress for the interview and during your employment reflect not only on you, but also on the company you represent. Some companies have dress codes that are strictly enforced. To address the ladies in particular, what shoes are you wearing to work? Most men will wear dress shoes and lucky for the men, they are comfortable and practical. Most men own a pair of black dress shoes, a pair of brown dress shoes, some comfortable loafers, a pair of sneakers and maybe a pair of slippers, and he would consider this to be an abundant amount of shoes. Women are different. A woman would not survive one day with such slim pickings. Not only does she have many pairs of shoes in many different colors, they are categorized by color, dress, casual, etc.

Obviously if you are on your feet all day, the work place is not the best place to show off your 6 inch stilettos. After about two and a half hours, you will be carted off on a stretcher because your feet have contracted so badly you cannot walk. Some women are comfortable in a high heel, especially sales women. In order to convey an air of professionalism, many women who have to be out in the work force pedaling something like to look a little more dressy.

If you wear shoes that make your feet hurt, you will not have a productive day. After a while the only thing you will be able to think about is getting a chance to take your shoes off. Fortunately the women’s shoe fetish has not gone unnoticed by the shoe retailers. Shoe stores everywhere offer comfortable alternatives to high heels. This casual yet dressy line of shoes are comfortable enough to wear all day long, yet stylish enough to go with anything.

Filed Under: Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: American Podiatric Medical Association, Clothing, Dress shoe, Footwear, High-heeled footwear, Shoe, Shopping

online degree programs

January 24, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The world is a place of diversity. Ask a child what they want to be when they grow up and the possibilities in their mind are limitless. The working world is a complex weave of many different threads that make up business and commerce. Which path shall you follow? You make the choice. Once you’ve done so, strengthening your credentials to make a better impression on on your employers can be a beneficial advantage.

No matter what type of work you choose to do, you can benefit from obtaining and showcasing marketable skills that pertain to the field. Acquiring additional training is a clear way to strengthen your value to employers. By obtaining knowledge to go hand in hand with a skill set, you increase your resume power potential. It shows employers that you are focused on improving within your career path. It also shows them that you are capable of seeing the benefit of furthering your education, making a plan, and reaching that goal.

For instance. if creating culinary delights is a talent of yours, consider attending a culinary school to further that goal. Attending such a program will help provide you with the knowledge of what being a chef will mean. If you have been in the industry and posses experience in a commercial kitchen setting under your belt, you can still benefit from additional training that a college degree can provide. By obtaining one you will fatten your resume, making your skills more tantalizing to employers, and stay up to date on current industry trends. Enrolling in a degree program can give your career the boost you’ve been looking for.

Most people are busy. Our schedules don’t seem to open readily to attending classes. However, online degree programs can benefit anyone. No matter what those schedules look like, an online degree program will help give you the flexibility needed to accomplish your educational goals.

Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: Academic degree, Education, online degree programs