therhinoguide.com

Whether you’re entering the job market for the first time, or re-entering it after years of work it is important to maintain certain resume writing standards. Oftentimes, employers are hard pressed for time, and the interview process is a long and arduous one. To this extent, your resume needs to be clean, simple, and able to attract the eye of an employer at first glance.

Your resume should only be one page. Be sure to only include important degrees obtained, as well as gainful employment experience. Notable awards received during and after college should be included, but every extra-curricular activity need not be in your resume. The header should include your full, legal name as well as current address and contact information. Under the header, include a one sentence “Objective” in order to properly display your professional motives and goals. When giving out hard copies of your resume, invest in a hearty paper stock that is thicker than regular paper to ensure your resume stands apart from the crowd. In general, keep your resume short and sweet, properly outline your professional experience, and you will attract the right job for you.

Many things have made this country a great. Some say it is the freedoms that we enjoy every day. While that is certainly true, what I think it is that makes our nation so great is that everyone in the country is entitled to the pursuit of happiness. I have heard people confuse this with being “entitled” to happiness but that is not what I think it means. I believe the pursuit of happiness means that everyone is entitled to work for their happiness. It means that if you are not happy in the life that you have now then you can work to change it.

The pursuit of happiness means that you make yourself happy and that you also decide what happy is. If you are happy living simply with not many or any expensive things than that is your right and your pursuit. On the other hand, if you are not happy with the way your life is or where it is going on, than you should and can make it better. Through your own sweat and hard work you happiness is earned. No one can ever take that away from you and that is one of the things that make me proud to be part of this nation.

Last week I had lunch with a friend of mine who owns a landscaping business and we discussed the difficulties of owning a seasonal business. He made a very good observation about managing a seasonal business and said if you planned right it wasn’t that difficult. However, there are many companies that don’t plan out their years and take into affect that part of the year will bring little to no revenue.

I have another acquaintance that runs several Halloween stores and starts at the end of July and works through November and makes enough money to live the rest of the year without having to work anywhere else. She budgets her money very well and always has enough to get the stores up and going the next year.  Her livelihood depends on her ability to budget and because she is so good at it she has created a great lifestyle for her and her family.

In the world of looking for a job, it is imperative like never before to have every advantage you can work for you. The last statistic of candidates per job opening was six so you are potentially competing with five other qualified people for every job you apply for. While that may depress you, it shouldn’t. This is a great opportunity for you to really shine and show your potential employers why they would be crazy not to hire you. But you also need to be aware you may have only one shot to get in the running so you will need to do your research and plan well.

Treating your job search like a full time job will get you motivated every morning to get out and do what needs to be done. The biggest problem is many don’t really know what needs to be done and, if you are one of those people, you need to be seeking job resources that can help guide you to be put your time were you will get the most return. And just like any type of new job, you may have a few bumps and bruises while you learn to prefect your job seeking skills. Just don’t wait! Get out here in the job market and start today. If you don’t you will never find your next job or career.

I have two friends who started businesses this past year and one of them has networked all over town while the other one has networked in a small area of town but he never leaves the comfort of the neighborhood. Both these guys work out of their homes and are in similar if not exact businesses. The guy that networks all over town keeps his wife as busy as can be at their home working on orders and making sure everything is working as it should. The other guy complains about not having enough business coming in every time I see him.

So the reason to network is simple; that’s how you get business and stay in business. Yes, you can network online and get some decent results, if you know how and don’t piss anybody off. You have to be careful on websites like Facebook or Twitter so you don’t come across like a walking billboard but it can be done. However, you can always go to a meeting and meet people and just visit. You can do anything you put your mind too so leverage your relationships into other meetings and build your business. Don’t let fear keep you from expanding your horizons and your wallet!

Many people who have lost their jobs or been downsized this past two years are leaning toward starting their own businesses and there are times that means finding someone to partner with. When choosing a business partner there are definite things to consider that can make or break your partnership so it is imperative you deal with certain things upfront. One of those things is how you work and what you expect. If you were an executive with a company and had people to manage then you may not like the work you will have to do as a small business owner. If you and your partner like running the show who is going to do the actual work?

While you may or may not have employees when you start, a new business venture takes a lot of work and planning as well as a lot of patience and investment. That investment is not all money either. In most cases it is a time drain and if you and your family or your partner and their family are not prepared for that time drain you will not make it. Another mistake people make is going into business with friends. While there are successful businesses that are comprised of friends there are many more that fall apart; business and friendships. This is alos true of many family businesses. Make sure you have similar working habits and expectations before going into business with anyone.

What some realtors do when they list your home is stick a sign in your yard and put it on the local Multiple Listing System (MLS) and there it sits until it matches someone’s search criteria and pops up. Though this may seem like it’s enough, it’s not in today’s market.

Liz Davis at Liz Davis Homes shared with me an entire marketing strategy for today’s sellers that get their house seen, and hopefully sold within the first four weeks; if the price is set correctly. This marketing plan consists of getting the house listed on Realtor.com, the number one real estate search site in the US, Listed on RE/MAX.com, the areas MLS system, LizDavisHomes.com, Craigslist, See Realtor.com and Point2 MLS Portal that places your home on thirty five additional websites. This goes along with the traditional open house that is advertised in the local paper and a real estate agent tour. She also prepares a four color flyer with professional pictures for your front yard and home, emails a digital flyer to other realtors in the neighborhood, sends postcards to your neighbors and places ads in local newspapers! This is what Rock Start Realtor will do for you to sell your home.

Let’s face it, if people would look at the overall economy as if it were happening to their family they would agree that getting people to work is the answer. I know this because my spouse was laid off six months ago and has not had one bite on a job. The government cannot reduce our tax base or give me enough in tax breaks or credits to make up for the loss of income. This loss is also affecting our family since we have to make some very hard choices in who and what to pay.

This has caused a virtual cascading of emotions from feeling less than because no one will hire my spouse to having to say over and over again, “I am not my credit score”. Our government seems to be able to save the banks that got us in this mess but can’t get together and create jobs for those who need it. We need a way to generate income and replace what we have lost. We need incentives for companies to create more jobs not lay more people off. You try living on half your income with no credit and see how far you get? It’s harder than you think it is and we had savings. Many more were hit even harder than we have been but it’s time something gets accomplished. This is about people’s lives not a party winning or losing elections!

A pharmaceutical company lied! Oh, please tell me it isn’t true! How can that be when they have promised to play nice with the American public and give us breaks and good deals when it comes to us buying the needed drugs we need! Well, I guess anyone could make a mistake once. What? This wasn’t the first time? Really! You mean this is the third time; the forth time for the same offense? You have got to be kidding!? And the US Government is thinking they will do the right thing by us now and the Republican’s want them to make even more money? Wow, so where do we come in? You know, “we the people”? Is there anyone out there looking out for us because no matter who I vote for, everything remains the same.

After all, Pfizer does have to pay a record fine of $2.3 billion dollars and you would think that paying out that kind of money would be a deterrent; right? Well, if fines were going to deter them, why hasn’t the first 3 fines worked? When fines don’t work maybe incarceration will. Has no one in the justice department thought about sending someone to jail? Just a thought.

I’ve seen a bunch of pictures of people showing up at rallies and political engagements armed and ready for war. While it can be a little disconcerting if you come from some neighborhoods, I guess it really doesn’t surprise me at all. I don’t have a problem with law abiding citizens owning or even legally carrying a gun. I’d rather be able to see the gun than not but I guess that defeats the purpose of carrying one. I think the funny thing is that these gun toting Americans are the same gun toting Americans from the same places they have always been from; mostly rural America.

Though these people will tell you that “they ain’t scared of nothin’” the truth is that they are scared of a lot. That’s why they carry guns and I’m not talking about guns you hunt with! If a man walks in faith and is not afraid and isn’t out hunting, why does he think he needs to carry a handgun? I’m not talking about ownership of any type of guns but of insisting on carrying guns to public events. That old adage that “guns don’t kill people, people do” is better stated as, “guns don’t kill people, people carrying guns do”. I’m all for guns as long as they aren’t attached to people.