Considering Criminal Law

Writen by Leon Chaddock

If criminal law is your passion, there is little doubt that you will be well suited for the law arenas that it enforces. For those that are looking for a major, it is wise to study this area of the law. In criminal law, The People can punish the criminal based on what he or she ahs done against the state. There are often less indications of victims here, but more of rules being broken. Because in criminal law the individual has broken the governing body's law, he or she is required to face punishment from the government. There is no need to consent with the victim, should there be one.

Is criminal law the type of law you will pursue? If so, there is little doubt that you have many outstanding opportunities in the universities that you can attend to get your law degree. You will find that many of the schools will provide you with the most outstanding abilities to gain the knowledge that you need so long as you apply yourself. Criminal law is complex, detailed and very challenging. Yet, it can be passionate, profound and life changing as well. Criminal law is an amazing element in itself.

The first choice that you will need to make should you choose criminal law is which school you will attend. Because you will be studying at such a high level, you will want to choose carefully, considering what an excellent school would look like and do for your resume. If you do well at that school, it will even set you higher above the rest of students. Choose the school based on your ability to meet the school's demands, your ability to afford it, as well as your ability to get into it as some are rather restrictive in who they admit. Criminal law school is an excellent choice. It is one that will serve you well for many years.

for more information please see http://www.criminal-law-info.co.uk

Banking Interview Questions

Writen by Sonali Sen

Banking interviews are meant to gauge the potential of the candidate to see if he/she has the skills to be placed in any suitable post in the bank. Banking interview questions are meant to measure the attitude, skill and adjustability of the candidate, to draw a conclusion on his/her suitability in the firm. The interviewers will ask as many questions they think is necessary before recruiting any candidate as they are concerned with the fact that the quality and skills of the employees will determines the future of the company.

To become successful in the banking interview process, you need to be well prepared to face the different sets of banking interview questions. Banking interview questions also starts with some general questions about the candidate such as his/her family background, education, and interests. The second and third set of banking interview questions will be meant to know the candidate's work experience, nature, capacity, ideology, and ability to solve problems. Answering to the fist set of banking interview questions related to your family, qualification, or future planning will be quite easy.

Let us discuss some of the common but very effective banking interview questions.

The interviewer may typically begin with 'tell me about yourself". It is a common opener which is meant to set the ball rolling for the next few minutes ahead. Even though this is the common question which will be asked in most of the interviews you can score brownie points by answering the question a bit differently, but at the same time not deviating much from the context.

Other commonly asked banking interview questions include:

General Questions

Why did you choose banking as your profession? Do you have any previous experience? Why you left your previous job? Why do you want to work for us? How long will you stay with us? Where you see yourself in another five years?

Finance related banking interview questions

If you could buy one stock today, what would it be and why? Can you explain the effect of rising interest rates on the United States economy? What are the main issues ABC Company has to face before entering a given industry (Porter framework)? Explain the techniques you use to value firms? What do you mean by cost of capital? When do you use a WACC versus a cost of equity?

Behavioral Questions

Do you think you have leadership quality? Can you explain when did you show leadership? Have you think you can perform well in a group? What is your most noted accomplishment? What are your positive traits or strengths? What are your negative traits or weaknesses? What you can do for the company others people can't? Explain an example when you had a personal conflict and how you resolved it? Tell a time when you had an ethical dilemma and how you resolved it. What type of person do you find difficult to get along with?

The above mentioned are some of the common questions that are used by most of the banking interviewers. Remember that for a banking job interviewer, there cannot be a dearth for questions. So be well prepared before attending the interview and answer all questions in a positive way. Remember if you have the material they are looking for, you'll get it.

Sonali Sen for http://www.creativeinterview.com Read more about Interviews http://www.creativeinterview.com/Tips-for-Job-Interview.html Copyright 2005 http://www.creativeinterview.com

Job Interview Questions And Job Interview Tips For Anyone Who Wants To Get The Job

Writen by Karen Fritscher-Porter

Top job interview questions you might be asked during an interview range from why do you want this job to what is your greatest weakness. So quickly now, tell me just what is your greatest weakness? And tell me in the next 20 seconds. I'm staring at you, tapping my fingers on my desk and waiting for your reply.

Gotcha, didn't I!

While I don't know what your greatest weakness in your last job or in life is, I do know your greatest weakness in relation to your job interview.

Questions asked by the interviewer?

No, it's your "answers". At least partly. There's more to it...

Your greatest weakness when it comes to blowing job interviews may be your lack of preparation. Let me give you an example from my own life.

Years ago I worked in fundraising for a nonprofit. I liked the fundraising field. Anyone who has worked in it will tell you there is never a dull moment. It's a fast-paced work environment, always with one more thing to do. And you're usually doing it for a good cause. However, I wanted to do even more with my career in the same field but for a different employer. So my job search began.

My resumes probably resulted in 90 percent success with getting called for a job interview. It's been that way just about forever for me. I mastered resume writing a long time ago, perhaps because I'm also a professional writer. I've even written resumes for friends who weren't getting interviews. And then they did get those job interview calls immediately. And if you're wondering, these were honest resumes. I've never exaggerated on a resume---mine or others.

So this day my resume writing skills got me a call for a job interview I REALLY wanted.

I'd be working for another nonprofit in a position where I'd be learning from an established fundraiser in a fast-paced manner too. Back then I craved an experienced mentor like this in the fundraising field. And I wanted to be on a "fast-track" like this job offered. But here's what happened next...

I interviewed with a gentlemen who was hired on a contract consultant basis to handle this nonprofit's fundraising campaign. It would be long-term, perhaps a year or two or more for this campaign. I was enthusiastic during the job interview, projected experience and knowledge about fund-raising (mostly self-taught), and visibly eager to get started. During the job interview, I aced every question. The interviewer and I clicked. He was a fundraiser. I was a fundraiser (though to a lesser knowledgeable extent). And we understood each other. When I finished that interview I KNEW I was in his top picks if not the top pick. I was a smart and "hungry" fundraiser willing to work for the right price and follow his lead. And that's what he wanted. But then...

...I had to go through round two of the job interview process. I was to return on a separate day and interview for the job with a top executive of this small nonprofit. I did. She was clearly not a fundraiser (though it is important, perhaps vital, for a top executive to understand and play their role correctly in fundraising, especially for a nonprofit like this one which was on the decline in funding and needed a fast rebound) . But this lady executive was cold. I did not get a warm vibe from her. Quite opposite, fundraisers, or anyone trying to raise funds, are usually gregarious, friendly people. Apparently no one told this woman that it's important to make any community member feel comfortable, even one who is interviewing with you for a job (hey, my daddy COULD have been a rich member of the community!).

Well, this woman was so cold and matter of fact (and not even totally focused on me and the interview at times), that she got me. I was already nervous about the job interview and now the questions felt more like an interrogation---one I was failing at. First came the stammering. Then came the blank mind on my part. And then came dumb words, followed by no words. When I was asked something as simple as "So tell me about yourself", I goofed. What the heck did she want to know? My hobbies? My age? My experience? My current job? How long I'd lived in the city?" So tell me about yourself" is quite general among job interview questions (and a popular one).

Needless to say that upon leaving that second interview with that lady executive (who was required to approve the final hire), I KNEW I killed all my chances at getting that job. And so did the original interviewer, the fundraiser consultant who I'd really be working with and under anyway (and whose facial expressions--yes he was eavesdropping--said he knew I blew it too).

Notice I said that "I" blew it. Sure, the second interviewer was a cold-hearted...well, you get the idea. And surely I was better off not working for her or for a "struggling" nonprofit on the rebound. But the job still seemed so exciting and I wanted it. And I BLEW the job interview. Questions I should have been able to answer, I couldn't and didn't. I could do the actual job had it been given to me. I just couldn't ace the job interview.

Do you know WHY I blew that job interview? I do.

I'm A LOT smarter and more savvy with job searches now so I know the answer. And quite frankly, I knew the answer to why I didn't get that job I so badly wanted right after I blew the question about "so tell me about yourself".

And the answer was and is...

I did not prepare for the job interview.

"Preparation" might possibly be the most important job interview tip you ever hear.

What was I thinking? I never passed a test in high school or college by NOT studying. As a fundraiser, I never asked a donor to give me a gift by NOT preparing a proposal or preparing for the ask. Yet I walked into a job interview with NO preparation. And it showed.

Dumb!

If you want to get your dream job---because ONLY ONE person will get called for that job out of all the interviewees---then you must prepare for the job interview. Preparation means everything from preparing what you'll wear to how you'll greet the interviewer to how you'll follow up with the interviewer. Job interview preparation is knowing beforehand exactly (or nearly exact) what you'll say to "So tell me about yourself" and "What is your greatest weakness" and any of dozens of questions you might be asked during a job interview.

It IS true that the most experienced or most qualified person will not always get the job. The person who aces the interview, even if they only have half your smarts and experience, WILL get the job. That's life for you!

So what did I do before my next job interview?

I went to the store and bought a book to help me prepare for answering job interview questions. The book was called Knock 'Em Dead, The Ultimate Job-Seeker's Handbook by Martin Yate. It's a popular book with many since updated editions. In particular, when I read Yate's section on handling tough job interview questions---and practiced my responses at home, I never goofed at another job interview again. Never! I didn't always get the job, but I sure came close most times. And eventually I did get the job I wanted. Also I was never again personally embarrassed about my performance in a job interview.

Yate's book is just one source and one method to help you prepare for the job interview for your dream job. You can find other equally good sources to help you ace your job interviews. And I highly recommend you do seek out some job interview preparation resources before your next job interview---if you really want to get that job---particularly some tips about responding to job interview questions.

Karen Fritscher-Porter publishes a website for administrative professionals at http://www.admin-ezine.com that contains practical on-the-job advice and career advancement tips. But no matter what field you work in, or desire to work in, you can get help with acing the interview (including the tough job interview questions) through her recommended job interview tips resources at http://www.admin-ezine.com/getthejobnow.htm.

Recruitment Are You Recruitable And Why You Should Care

Writen by Carl Mueller

In staffing terms, recruitment refers to the process of looking for new staff.

A recruitment agency is a company that specializes in recruitment. They employ recruiters to find client companies who are willing to pay the recruitment firm to find their staff for them.

A recruiter is someone who recruits people to join their company or someone else's company.

Typically a recruiter gets paid by the hiring company to help them find new staff and recruits people like yourself using various means.

One of the benefits of working with a recruiter – specifically a good recruiter – is that they often have access to information that can benefit you if you are being considered for a job that they are trying to fill.

A good recruiter has an intimate knowledge of their clients and what they want. They can shed light on specific aspects of a particular job that can help you get the job.

This is information that you wouldn't otherwise know about if you had have applied for the job on your own or through other means.

As a recruiter I can tell you that this additional flow of information can be worth its weight in gold to you.

Taking a step backwards, being recruitable refers to your ability to catch the interest of recruiters and more importantly and by extension, hiring managers.

Being desirable in the eyes of recruiters and hiring managers can affect your ability to get the job you want whether you choose to use recruiters or not.

Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who has written an ebook for career-minded individuals: http://www.RecruiterSecretsRevealed.com

Obtaining A Private Investigator License

Writen by Low Jeremy

Those who want to become a private investigator should do more than just getting the right training. This is because many states require the individual to get a license first to be able to practice this profession.

There are 42 states including that of the District of Columbia that requires the person to get a license. The federal government's objective of dong this is to regulate the industry and to make sure that only those who are qualified can engage in this kind of business.

The requirements for getting a private investigator license are not very hard. The person has to first get a certificate or diploma in criminal justice. Some people will study four years while there are some vocational schools that can make the student finish it in half the time.

The next thing is for the individual to get the number of hours in training. The person can work for a detective agency to learn everything there is to know in handling a case. This includes fieldwork, doing research and writing reports.

Some people may find this boring but these are things that are needed especially when the evidence has been collected and this needs to be shown in court.

The last part in obtaining the private investigator is taking the exam. This is administered by the state, which the person has to pass.

When everything is ready, these documents should be brought down to city hall so one can already apply for a license.

The permit to operate a private investigation business are different. This is because an application form has to be filled up aside form presenting other documents. When this has been approved, the individual can stop working for another firm and start also one in the neighborhood.

The job of the private investigator is usually out in the field. This may take days and usually happens during very irregular hours should the client want surveillance of a subject.

People who want to pursue this as a profession should be ready take on the job no matter how small or big it might be. The individual should follow the rules so that a case can be solved which will mean more money and clients in the future.

Again, this all begins by having the necessary requirements such as a diploma or a certificate to be able to obtain a private investigator license from the state.

Low Jeremy maintains http://private-investigator.articlesforreprint.com This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

Graphic Designer Portfolios

Writen by Richard Romando

Getting a job as a graphic designer not only requires a good interview with the employer, but also a great portfolio. Your graphic designer portfolio makes you shine, so assemble a portfolio that represents your unique talent to increase your options and latch onto every opportunity.

Cleanliness is very much required in the graphic designer portfolio. The pieces in your portfolio shouldn't be dog-eared, torn or scuffed, nor should the portfolio case be dirty. Keep only ten to twelve pieces in your graphic designer portfolio. If you are interviewed for a particular job, place more designs pertaining to that job in the portfolio. Add some other designs so that the employer knows that you are capable of more than one form of graphic designing. Place your best pieces in the beginning and the end of the portfolio; these are the pieces people will remember the most.

Never apologize to the employer about the work in your portfolio. The work here should be your best. Never place pieces you are not happy about, and don't apologize for what you don't like about the piece. To create a better portfolio, you could add some 'fake' projects that allow you to spread your design wings. The employer always wants to know what exactly it is that you can do in graphic designing. Show off all the work that you had done for others, even if it was done for fun. Have your friend or family member view the portfolio. Make them give their views about the presentation of the portfolio and offer any modifications that could be made to it.

You could also consider placing some of your identity pieces, which a client may not normally see elsewhere, like your own custom quote forms or job tracking forms. Add personal cards or holiday cards you had done in the portfolio. If you have a personal Web page, include a screen shot of the graphics you created for it. If you have only a few clients' work to place in the portfolio, you could include the best preliminary designs to increase your range of work. As you produce new pieces for new clients, replace the less impressive pieces in the portfolio with the new samples. Remember, the graphic designer's portfolio is not static; it grows and changes as your expertise grows.

Graphic Designers provides detailed information on Graphic Designers, Freelance Graphic Designers, Becoming A Graphic Designer, Graphic Designer Portfolios and more. Graphic Designers is affiliated with Graphic Designers.

C X 5 Pl What Every Employer Assesses For When They Hire

Writen by Jeff Altman

What does a company want to find out about you when they interview you? What are they trying to find out when they evaluate and assess you?

In most cases, hiring staff or temporary workers starts out with a job description. Someone sat down and consciously thought of what skills and experience they needed on their staff. As such, most firms hopefully start off by assessing for competence (I say "hopefully" because so many people report that they work with incompetent colleagues). Hopefully an employer has developed a series of questions that help them evaluate and assess skills competency for the skills that are needed.

But skills competency is only one element of what a company is assessing for. These all fall into the category of soft skills—hard to assess for qualities that differentiate one person from another.

The second "c" that companies look for is chemistry. How do you fit in to the firm and its corporate culture? This soft skill is derived from the interviewer's interpretation of how you will fit in to the organization and how well you will work with your colleagues.

For most jobs, the objective is to hire a team player—someone who can work well with others in order to achieve an objective (I have never heard a client ask for someone who is a maverick—someone who is a lone wolf who refuses to cooperate with their colleagues or take direction from their boss).

The third "c" in the equation is character. Do you have character? Are you a character? Both? Most companies require character from their employees AND there are some jobs that demand that a person be a character too!

Self-Confidence is the next criteria (OK. Confidence is the "c" I'm counting here). How does your behavior inspire confidence that you are the solution to the problem and not someone else's problem? Self-confident people ALWAYS do better than nervous frightened people.

The final "c" in the formula is charisma. Charismatic people always do better on interviews than non-charismatic individuals. When you think of the importance of charisma, think of two of our former Presidents—Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Reagan, a conservative Republican; Clinton, a liberal Democrat. Two opposite poles of the policy spectrum, yet America loved them both. There view of them was not purely based on policy but on that certain something that they had / / / charisma. The inate ability to light up a room when they entered.

All of these qualities—competence, self-confidence, charisma, chemistry, and character—all add up to personal leadership. It's not like someone is going to ask you:

"Are you a leader."

Yeah, I'm a leader."

"Good. That was the right answer."

Ever question is going to have a macro and micro component to it. The micro is going to be the specific answer to the question you are asked. The macro will be how is your manner and behavior congruent (or not) with their image of someone in the job. Your mannerisms are observed; your behavior scrutinized in an effort to see how you "fit" the job, too.

So, before your next interview, remember to program into your mind these other variables so that you can see yourself as an interviewer would. Let them see you at your best, not at your most contained.

Good luck!

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm. He has successfully assisted many corporations identify leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines as employees or consultants since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

For additional job hunting or hiring tips, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com While you're there, sign up to receive a daily digest of jobs emailed to you as we learn of them and my free job searchzine, Head Hunt Your Own Job.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com.

Everyone Should Have A Red Ball In The Job Search

Writen by Marilyn Tellez

May I explain what about what a red ball means to me and how I counsel others as a career coach.

A RED BALL is a symbol of what you can do and want, especially in a job search.

Here are some uses for a RED BALL, especially when you are stuck for ideas and resources to get your next job.

1. Play with it! Bounce it! See how high it will go. Be silly with it! (No, this is not intended as a 'feel good' exercise). It is a way to free your imagination for goals and ideas about what you want to do next.

2. Carry it with you when you are out and about looking for a job. If you are not afraid of risk, ask others you meet to bounce it! You'll be surprised at how others will react. If some people think you are peculiar and don't want to play with you, you don't want them as RESOURCE PEOPLE who will help you as you explain that the red ball is a symbol of what you are looking for. Engage those folks in conversation, please, who want to play ball with you.

3. Keep the ball at home to look at and imagine your success, it is a PLAYFUL SYMBOL of what is waiting for you! Success as play!

c, 2004-05 Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A. Certified Job & Career Transition Coach Email: doitnow@nwinfo.net Web: http://www.doitnowcareers.info

Tips On How To Get Hired Everytime

Writen by Jo Prabhu

Are you:

• Someone who can manage and be managed?

• Do you have a great Personality- can you represent and be an Ambassador for a company?

• Do you have Team/People/Conversational and Verbal skills?

• Can you work long after-hours and weekends?

• Can you find time to volunteer for company projects?

• Play golf or team sports?

Believe it or not, these are some of the unwritten requirements that interviewers look for during a job interview. Industry skills and certification are always important and if all you want is a back office desk job with no human interaction. But it is the extras that will get people hired faster and promoted quicker.

Here is what you need to find out BEFORE THE INTERVIEW:

• Where the parking is, which floor, drive time, everything at least a day before. If possible drive there a day earlier to check distance and location.

• Learn as much as you can about the interviewer, the company and the Check your appearance: Dress like you are interviewing for one job higher than the one you are interviewing for to show that you have promotion potential.

• Hair should be short, pulled back and professional. Check nose hairs, scruffy neck lines, teeth and shoes. No trendy or flashy outfits: Dark blue, Black or Tan suits, white or light blue shirts for men are safe. Same colors for women, pants and knee length skirts. Low or platform shoes. Clear/sheer white, black or skin tone pantyhose. No long skirts, dresses, low necklines, bright lipstick, flashy dangling earrings, purple or green hair or fancy updo's.

• Find out how many interviews will be conducted, with whom and how long will the decision making process take.

• Practice smiling in front of the mirror.

• Take a few copies of your resume. Pick a nice color that will stand out to hand to each interviewer.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE & DURING THE INTERVIEW:

• Arrive 30 minutes early. DO NOT be late. Lateness will set the interviewers behind in their schedule and put them in a bad mood. More importantly your time with them will be cut short and it will be your own fault. Also, most employers require you to fill out an application beforehand.

• Check in with the receptionist first, and then visit the restroom as soon as you arrive. Wash sweaty or wet palms and dry your hands completely. True story: A candidate was rejected for clammy hands (clean and washed but not fully dry). The interview was short, terse without a goodbye handshake!

• Let the interviewer offer a handshake first . You OFFER YOUR HANDSHAKE only AFTER THE IV is complete.

• Sit only after the interviewer sits down and ask permission first.

• Do NOT take off or unbutton your jacket even if your interviewer does.

• Smile (show a happy face) through the IV even if it hurts.

• Offer your resume if they don't already have a copy.

• Comment on the nice office etc. Ask about pictures on the interviewer's desk, if they share a sport, ask about it. Show interest. Get my drift?

• Find out why the job is open, why the person left and who is doing the job now.

• Write extensive notes (ask permission first) during the IV.

• DO NOT ask about salary or give out any number. Let them take the lead. If asked, tell them what you made but that you will consider any offers.

• NEVER SAY that you have other job offers. If asked, say you are looking at options.

• Do NOT interrupt. Let the interviewer talk first and after s/he has made the presentation, say: May I ask a few questions?

AFTER THE INTERVIEW:

• Thank the receptionist on the way out. Smile so s/he will remember you.

• Write a note of thanks via email the next day. Let them know you appreciate their time and effort, why you like their company and you look forward to hearing from them within the time they specified.

Next article: Discover why NeuroLinguistics works during an interview!

Jo Prabhu
International Services Group
Phone: 845-687-7497, 562-234-6585
Fax: 562-684-4894
joprabhu2003@yahoo.com

Jo Prabhu is the Director of ISG (International Services Group) an internet website firm, located in Long Beach CA and upstate NY. ISG has several website divisions including a nationwide site for Mortgage Home Loans, http://isgmortgage.lowerpaymentnow.com/ a FREE Mortgage Loan Website Design partnership company, and a number of websites in the development stage with the ITZ logo: www.itzjobz.com, The Spice Queen, www.itz4singlez.com (an internet site for single size personal and food items), and many others.

Demand For Massage Therapists Increases As Interest In Benefits Of Massage Creates More Converts

Writen by Terry McDermott

Projections by the U.S. Department of Labor forecast employment opportunities for massage therapists to grow by 18 to 26 percent from 2004-2014.

According to the 2006-2007 Edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for employment for massage therapists will "increase faster than average" during the period from 2004-2014. The Bureau defines "faster than average" as "increase 18 to 26 percent."

Among the reasons for the growing demand for massage therapists, the publication cites "massage therapy's growing acceptance as a medical tool." Apparently, younger Americans appreciate the effectiveness of massage at reducing stress through relaxation and the growing segment of older Americans are experiencing specific therapeutic benefits. The willingness of the "medical provider and insurance industries" to recommend and cover the costs of massage therapy is another growth factor cited by the Bureau.

There are roughly 1,300 massage therapy postsecondary schools, college programs, and training programs throughout the country. After enrolling in a training program, massage therapy students study anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and other subjects covering the structure and function of the human body. Students must understand how the body works and moves and how the various systems relate and interact.

Students also train in the various massage types, or "modalities," and learn the techniques associated with each form of massage offered by the training institution. There are dozens of unique approaches to massage ranging from techniques that focus on a specific area of the body to techniques that approach the body holistically and consider both physical and mental aspects of health and relaxation.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that massage therapists held about 97,000 jobs in 2004. Most massage therapists are self-employed and own their own business. The balance are independent contractors or are employed by businesses that offer massage services. These include spas, health clubs, medical offices and sports organizations.

An aging population and broader acceptance of alternative medical practices will only increase the demand for massage therapists. Baby-boomers will carry their appreciation for message into their senior years and the elderly, in general, are recognizing the benefits of massage as a support for a more active lifestyle. Businesses have begun offering on-site massage to employees to help deal with on-the-job stress and help improve productivity. Health insurance companies are recognizing the contribution of massage to overall health and many are including massage in their coverage.

The outlook is bright for existing and potential massage therapists. The occupation offers a great deal of flexibility and an opportunity to operate independently. Income levels are fair and growing and the social aspects are quite attractive to those who enjoy helping and interacting with many different people. Enrollment in massage schools is on the rise and good schools, ambitious students and increased demand bode well for future massage therapists.

J. Terrence McDermott is the administrator of Massage Schools Guide at http://www.massageschoolsguide.com, a website offering resources for prospective massage therapists. He specializes in online continuing education resources and also administers Access Online Degrees at http://www.accessonlinedegrees.com

Cv Writing How To Write A Cv

Writen by Mike Hewlett

A winning CV has 2 objectives:

To illustrate your strengths and maximise your chances of getting through to interview and to put factual information, such as dates, places, names together in a presentable and readable form.

Focal Point
It is claimed that the human eyes are naturally drawn to a focal point one third down from the top of the page. Therefore, put your most useful information in this area. It might be your Profile, Key Skills, Professional Qualifications or details of your most recent employment. You can choose whichever you think is most important and relevant to your application.
Always get a second opinion when you have put your CV together. It is difficult to be objective about oneself.

Presentation
It is often thought that a CV should be fitted on to one side of A4. This can be difficult if you are a mature applicant with a long employment history. If you need to go on to a second page make sure that the CV is spread out over 2 whole pages, not one and a half pages as this looks messy.
As a 'rule of thumb' there should be more white than black on a page to make it easier to read.
Always write a rough draft first. It can be as long as you like as you will edit it later. Always start with your Career History as this will highlight your Key Skills and help you write your Profile.

Once you have compiled your draft copy you must edit it.
1. Take out anything that will not help you get where you want to be.
2. Write in the 'third' person as much as possible keeping 'I' to a minimum
3. Never use the past tense e.g. use "supporting senior management" rather than "supported senior management".
4. Use short sharp sentences cutting out any waffle and jargon.

Headings
Name
Print your name in bold type at the centre top of your CV. If there is any doubt as to which is your surname, e.g. James Martin, indicate by using capitals or underlining.
Address
Top left of CV. Full address including post code.
Telephone
Top Right of CV. Full dialing code and daytime and evening numbers if possible.
Date of birth
Put in full such as 13th December 1962. Do not put your age. Bearing in mind that you will be close to the Focal Point now, this might need to go at the end of the CV under 'Personal' along with other details such as marital status and children.
Marital status
You do not have to include this at all. If you choose to, make sure you use only "married" or "single". Do not use divorced or co-habiting. Put at the end of the CV under 'Personal'.
Children
Its up to you whether you include this information or not but if you include it put it at the end of the CV under 'Personal'
Profile
This is an introductory statement about who you are and what you have to offer. You should complete this last although it is positioned prominently in the CV, possibly in the Focal Point. It should be no more than two sentences and include the most important facts about yourself. You can include skills, achievements, responsibility or personal qualities.
e.g. Highly motivated Account Manager with successful direct and telesales experience in hardware and software industries.
Key Skills
Several Key skills should be highlighted after you have analysed and edited your employment history.
Pick out no more than six.
Make sure they are relevant.
Do not include dates. A key skill can come from an earlier job or an outside interest.
If you are short on direct experience and qualifications you may have skills arising from your personality, i.e. Interpersonal skills, e.g. "the ability to relate and communicate with others".
Some examples of descriptive words to use in key skills are:
Administering
Implementing
Budgeting
Leading
Reorganising
Forecasting
Advising

Employment History
Always start with your most recent employment. Break down your job functions as much as possible. The job description on your contract might provide a starting point or, consider how your employer might advertise your job. You should have more to say about your most recent, and therefore most relevant, employment.
Include successes and achievements especially if it saved the company money.
Don't have any employment gaps. If these occur explain them briefly.

Qualifications
If you are a mature applicant you can leave these out as career history is more important.
Put the highest qualification first with year achieved. If you have a degree you can leave out the lower qualifications altogether or include the basic information.
Do not include poor grades or failures.
Professional qualifications
Only include those that are still current.
Training
Only include training that is relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Interests
Only include interests that are unusual or which indicate transferable skills, achievements or responsibilities.
Reasons For Applying
This finishes the CV off with a concluding statement and puts the application into context. Don't imply you are out to gain advantage to yourself such as "I would like to join the company to gain additional experience".
Instead, concentrate on what you have to offer, "my experience at……would be useful to the company because…………."

Finally
Your CV should be available soft copy or on good quality plain white A4 paper.
Do not use double sides.
Only fold once and enclose an SAE

Copyright 2005 CVwriting.net

CV Writing - How to Write a CV - We show you how to write a CV in minutes. Professional CV writing at a fraction of the price. Full instructions and helpful tips. Telephone support and Web CV options for your complete CV writing solution

Job Search Quotblurtsquot

Writen by Marilyn Tellez

I coined this word to draw attention to the nervous and apprehensive way of saying something in the job search that makes you feel like a buffoon. A "blurt" is a catchy way of saying: Gaffe.

When is a blurt inappropriate? For example, the interviewer has explained to you what the job duties are and you say: "Oh, I can't work on Saturdays". The interviewer has not said anything about Saturday work, only about what the job duties are. You, as the job seeker, not only made a "blurt", but you jumped ahead of what the inter- viewer might or might not have ready to say. You were not listening and fumbled your way out of the next phase of the interview, if there is to be one.

Since "blurting" is a common occurrence and often done because of nervousness, here are some tips to keep it under control.

1. When approaching a friend or acquaintance about who you might want to talk to about an opening , don't talk about your predicament or previous employers. Your network probably knows more about why you're not in that last job than you do.

2. Prepare a simple script when approaching anyone about a possible job. Memorize your script when you are talking to people or just gathering information. It will help keep you on track.

3. Rehearse for an interview. Know enough about the employer for you to feel comfortable and knowledgeable. Be friendly and relaxed. Stay on the subject, even if there is a long period of silence. A "blurt" often happens when you feel the need to fill in a silence void.

Sure, you can't help but make some mistakes and gaffes along the job search route. Some may be really funny and need to be kept in context. A gaffe MIGHT get you a job if it is not too pronounced. A potential employer with a sense of humor might want you to come in on Monday! Don't always count on that, just do your homework.

c, 2004

Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A. Certified Job & Career Transition Coach Email: doitnow@nwinfo.net Web: http://www.doitnowcareers.info

Inside Sales Jobs A Job Worth Seeking

Writen by Joe Regan

Are you interested in inside sales as a career? Inside sales can be a very rewarding job if you so choose. What is the difference between inside and outside sales positions? If you think the difference is staying out of the sun, read on and discover if or why an inside sales job could be for you.

With inside sales you will need to not only sale a product or service, but be a representative for it as well. You will most likely be required to be on call to serve your current or potential clients in the event they have a question or issue. You will need to study your product or service very hard, and be able to meet the needs of the customer on demand. You will most likely do very little traveling with inside sales so you will get to enjoy plenty of 1 on 1 time with your office. If you would rather be more independent; travel more, handle your own scheduling, etc, than you may want to look into outside sales.

No matter what type of sales job you feel would suit you most, know that in sales, you basically get back what ever you put in. In sales, you can make as little or as much as you want. Most companies offer great benefits and starting salaries with little or no limit on income potential. In sales, Hard work will definitely pay off.

Good luck with the hunt!

A great place to start looking for an inside sales job would be JustClosers.com. Stop by sometime and take a look at our sponsored companies that are taking applications for many different kinds of sales jobs.

We also have a Sales News blog if you are interested in the more down to earth approach. Thank you for your time.

Dont Become Stale In Your Job Move On

Writen by Rob StGeorge

A common trap that employees fall into is sometimes staying with a company for too long. Especially if you are doing a specialised job that may be quite particular to that company.

As time goes on you become more and more valuable to your employer and they will likely pay you accordingly, however and here is the trap, from this you are becoming less valuable to other employers as your skill set becomes more and more centered towards the company you are working for.

If you recognize this as being a problem for you, you really need to get out now, quickly before it is to late. What is going to happen if you wait for another 5 years? Well you will be paid a lot more money, however it is possible that if you were to apply for another job at a different company the value to them would be conceivably less. Meaning that you would need to do the dreaded backwards step.

One way to avoid this problem and continue to work for your present employer is by making sure that you keep your industry skill set up to date and relevant. From an IT perspective this means improving your skills as much as you can in technologies that are widely used.

These are the signs that it is time to get a move on as things are becoming a little stale..

• The new things you are learning are only applicable to the company you are working for.
• You look at jobs advertised and realise the only ones you could apply for would pay you less than you earn now, as your skills are not easily transferrable.
• Boredom has set in with your job, and you see no way forward or position you would like to aim for.
• You are the one that has been there for 10 years and everyone else leaves after 2.

Lets face it, more than likely this type of scenario will be facing us all at some stages in our working careers, so don't waste any more time. Get up and get going! For most of us making the move ends up being the best thing we have ever done.

Rob StGeorge is co founder of the NZ,Australian and Euro JobHunters websites. NZ: http://www.jobhunters.co.nz AUS: http://www.aussiejobhunters.com

The Dog Days Of Job Hunting

Writen by JoAnn Hines

Does a headline like this scare you?

<<... IP and other companies have shut plants, cut thousands of jobs, sold timberlands ... includes the potential spin-off or sale of its beverage packaging, >> it should because the consolidation is not over yet.

Don't despair just because we are in the "dog days" of job hunting there are action items you can do now to keep yourself primed for. FYI: Dog Days is the name for the sultriest period of summer, from about July 3 to Aug. 11. Named in early times by observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean, the period was reckoned as extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun.

First and foremost is to learn to create your own opportunity you have to get your name out there. Just don't sit around wailing for the phone to ring.

Start with a vanity search and type your full name into GOOGLE. Get any results? If you have ever authored any articles hers is an insiders tip.

To see where your articles are posted go to GOOGLE and type "your name" + articles. Yes, use quotation marks around your name, then add the plus sign. You'll find articles you've written and articles written about you but not other references.

Disappointed??? Ready to get started with more visibility?

Here are some self promotion ideas for consideration:
Write an article.
Make a speech.
Write a press release.
Enter a competition.
Get an interview.
Start an e-zine.
Get a personal website.
Pick up the phone and call old contacts.
Send out a clever "how are" you card.
Give a testimonial.
Attend a conference.

Does that give you enough ideas? Every day you should schedule at least one of the above activities. The summer is an ideal time to get started because work is a little less hectic.

So the next time I hear from you I don't want to learn you "have gone to the dogs".

JoAnn Hines' specialty is PACKAGING PEOPLE. Whether you want to be paid more, you just lost your job, or you want to progress in the one you have, Ms. Hines advice and expertise can help you transform your personal brand. She can show you how to package yourself and make your brand a hot commodity. It's easy once you know the ropes and begin to utilize her insider's secrets. She shows you step by step how to increase your visibility, credibility and marketability with easy to use tutorials and templates.

It is time to get started "Packaging Yourself." Email me the Chief People Packager @ pkgcoach@aol.com

The Quickly Changing Landscape Of The Job Market

Writen by Eva Perkoski

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 into, 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 community and college. You might think human resource people don't look at volunteer activities or hold student government activity with high regard but they usually 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 demonstrates that you have potential to be a great leader.

If you follow these tips, getting good jobs will come much easier regardless of 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 be confident in your abilities and skills. All prospective employers will be impressed with that and who knows - you just might get your dream position after all!

Eva Perkoski is enthusiastic about jobs and is the originator of Fore Jobs

Types Of Staffing Services Explained

Writen by Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran

Staffing companies help organizations with their manpower requirements. There are primarily three different types of staffing services offered by staffing firms:

Temporary Staffing Service

As the name suggests, temporary staffing meets the short-term needs of employing organizations. Temporary staffing helps companies fill in for positions made vacant by their absent employees or helps in supplementing the existing staff during times of high workload. Temporary staffing enables organizations to meet their working challenges with minimum human resource overheads and avoiding lengthy recruiting and assessment processes. The huge cost savings involved make temporary staffing an attractive alternative to permanent employment.

Long-term Staffing / Project Staffing Service

Long-term staffing services involve placing employees in long-term assignment, where there's no definite period of time involved. This type of staffing requirement is common in the professional and technical sectors, where people are required on a project-to-project basis. It makes more sense for these organizations to hire on a project basis than on a permanent basis, so as to avoid idling of human resources.

Temp-to-Perm / Contract-to-Hire Staffing Service

This type of staffing service is a combination of temporary staffing and permanent employment. The temp-to-perm staffing service allows a company to take an employee on a temporary basis for purpose of evaluation and should the employee meet their satisfactory requirements, the company may then take the employee onto their payrolls. This type of staffing service gives the company a safe alternative to permanent hiring and allows the company to critically evaluate the capabilities and managerial skills of the employee in concern.

Most staffing companies offer all these types of staffing services. You will also find specialist agencies that offer industry -specific staffing services.

CAMO Technologies is Specialist Staffing Provider meeting the IT staff requirements of various organisations. Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran is a Content Writer for CAMO Technologies.

Are You A Procrastinator Do Not Let It Hurt Your Career

Writen by Carl Mueller

In a work sense, being a procrastinator means you delay or postpone work and put off things you could do today until a later time.

Often we procrastinate because we feel lazy or because we just don't feel like doing something. Certainly these feelings can arise from time to time especially if it involves a task we don't want to do.

If you tend to put things off as long as possible before finally doing it and if you like to look for excuses to avoid completing certain tasks, you might very well be a procrastinator.

Procrastination can really stunt your career growth and can even derail it in extreme cases. People generally don't like working with procrastinators especially during team projects so getting a reputation as a procrastinator can be a big mark against you.

Here are some ways to avoid procrastination and in the process, avoid losing face with your colleagues and peers:

1. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can finish today.

Finish the easiest tasks or the ones you dislike the most, first. Getting a few tasks out of the way will at least help you see your accomplishments and perhaps increase your motivation to get the others done. By doing the tasks that you hate the most first, you get rid of the whole reason you were procrastinating in the first place.

2. Develop better work habits.

Procrastination tends to be a habit that you feel comfortable doing, especially if you manage to get away with it time after time. Pulling all-nighters and completing work at the last minute that could have been finished the previous week seems to be a badge of honor for some people. Develop new work habits by planning ahead and starting work early rather than waiting until the last minute. Next time you think about pulling an all-nighter and doing everything at the last minute, remember how much you hated the last all-nighter you pulled.

3. Set deadlines and stick to them. Otherwise, ask others for help.

Sometimes, we procrastinate when we are unsure what to do. I tend to do this myself. Paralysis by analysis they call it, where you are unable to act because you keep thinking about how to act. Set a timeline for making your decision and stick to the timeline. Ask others (ie. your colleagues) for help if you're really stuck making a decision.

4. Get rid of distractions.

Procrastination can be made worse when we have things like the coffee room, the Internet, chatty colleagues and other distractions for us to deal with. Close your office door and don't allow yourself to be distracted. Lock yourself in a meeting room if you need to be alone.

5. Try giving yourself rewards for completing tasks you hate the most.

It might sound silly but sometimes giving yourself a small reward for avoiding procrastinating can help you.

The next time you feel like procrastinating, don't. The way to break the habit of procrastination is to complete tasks as you receive them rather than putting them on the backburner to do later. Changing your work habits is the first step to eliminate procrastination.

Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who wants to help you find your dream career.

Visit Carl's website to separate yourself from other job searchers: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com

Sign up for The Effective Career Planner, Carl's free 5-day course: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com/effective-career-planner.html

Please feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your website but please don't change any of the content and ensure that you include the above bio that shows my website URLs.

For Jobhunters How To Find A Contact Name Inside A Target Company

Writen by Liz Ryan

Career experts always say, "Don't send your resume to the Human Resources department, where it will get lost in the shuffle - send it to an individual person in the company." Well, great - but how do you actually do that? It's not so easy to pin down a name for a person who could actually read your resume or pass it on to the hiring manager. Here are ten tips to get you going.

1) Look on the company website, under About Us. There should be Management Bios section. Either the VP/leader of the function you're interested in (e.g. Marketing or Engineering) or the VP/leader of HR is a great person to call or write to. Both of those people should be listed on the website (although a lot of the time, the head of HR is not shown in the Management Bios, because HR is often a second-class citizen, function-wise, sad to say). If the company is enormous - say 10,000 employees are more - the very lofty manager whose bio is on the website may be too lofty to do you much good, unless you are interested in an executive position. If that's true, you need a closer-to-the-action person who will not pitch your resume (hopefully) immediately upon receipt.

2) Use LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), searching on the target company name, to find people who work there OR who used to work there OR who do business with the company now. Make contact with one of these folks (via a mutual LinkedIn connection) to express your interest in communicating with the correct person at your target company, about a job.

3) Use a WorldWIT email group (like DesertWIT in Nevada or DutchWIT in the Netherlands) to get contacts in a target company. Membership is free - just go to www.worldwit.org and join your local chapter. Men and women are welcome. (Full disclosure: I lead this group.)

4) Use Google to find someone appropriate at the target company. Try a search like Apex+Foods+marketing+director. Try a bunch of different things. You'll find media profiles, reports of Apex Foods managers speaking at events - a ton of stuff, very likely. It's actually pretty easy to collect names inside a company. The key is to get the appropriate names, and of course, to contact people who still work for the company.

5) Also use Google's Blog Search functionality to locate people. Lots of stuff shows up on blogs that wouldn't make it into typical Google web-search returns.

6) Check out the online archive for the local business paper in the city where the company is located (that is, the location that you're interested in joining.) Sometimes you have to pay for a subscription to access the archives. If you buy and read the paper frequently anyhow, you might want to go ahead and pay for a subscription, if it will help you get the job you want.

7) Also search the archives at Yahoogroups.com to see any mentions of the company and its key folks, the ones you are seeking contact with, in any of the Yahoogroups discussion lists. Current or recent job postings show up like crazy in Yahoogroups archives, and if they're current, the person who posted the job opening is almost certainly either the hiring manager (or connected to the hiring manager) or the assigned HR person. The only exception arises when a random (unconnected) employee of your target company posts a current job opening on a Yahoogroup that he or she belongs to, just to be helpful. That's okay - if you contact this person about your career interest, he or she will understand why you did so (as long as they remember posting that job on Yahoogroups)!

8) Go to the website of the most relevant/logical association for the person you seek (in other words, the association that he or she would most logically be a member of), and search the site of the local chapter. Here's an example. If you want to reach the PR manager at Apex Foods, and you're located in Tallahassee, visit the PRSA website, Tallahassee chapter, and look for anyone who's a member who works at Apex Foods. Most likely it will be someone in PR at Apex!

9) Back on the company's own website, review what they say (if anything) about Community Involvement and local causes. There won't be tons of detail on the company's page - just, most likely, a link to the site of the charitable organization they support. Then go to the website of that charitable organization, and nose around for information (name and title) of representatives from your target company. For instance, if your target company is a big supporter of a kids' toy drive, someone from the company will very likely show up on the toy drive group's website. Then you can contact that person by phone (I doubt that you'll find an email address) to ask for help in locating the person most closely related to the kind of career opportunity you seek.

10) Lastly, go to your alma mater's alumni website, and search the database for a current employee or alum of the company you re targeting. Contact this person, letting him or her know your connection (you went to school at the same place and you both have made contact information available to fellow alums - otherwise, your message would be spam) and ask for his or her help in locating an appropriate person to talk with about your job search, at your schoolmate's employer.

With these tips in hand, you should be able to vault right over the HR department and get your resume to a live human being. Here's to your next interview!

Liz Ryan is a workplace expert, former Fortune 500 HR leader and founder of the online network WorldWIT (http://www.worldwit.org). She writes and speaks about the workplace and corporate life. Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Why Moms Have The Upper Hand In Debt Collection

Writen by Michelle Dunn

Collecting money is always a touchy issue for anyone, whether it is from someone you loaned it to, or someone who has purchased something from you. Women tend to want to wait, saying such things as, "Oh they will pay", or "Their having a hard time, I am sure they will pay when they can". Some of this is because we are compassionate creatures and some of it is because we will sometimes do anything in our power to avoid conflict or the thought of *gasp* someone not liking us, or thinking we are pushy. Well ladies, when someone owes you money, it is time to be pushy not a push over.

If you are a mom, you can be a successful bill collector. In my opinion, if you are a mom, you are superwoman and can do anything you set your mind to. Some of the things moms and bill collectors have in common are:

Teaching

Being assertive and firm

Being in charge of the situation

Taking initiative

Being organized to a fault

Not taking any talking back

Follow up

When you are a bill collector you need to teach debtors what, why and when certain things happen as a result of their action. Such as what will happen if they don't pay their bill. It could be reflected on their credit report, they could get dunning letters and collection calls at home or at work, they may end up in court, or with garnished wages. There are circumstances for everything we do. As a mother, you spend each day teaching this to your children.

You must be sensitive to a debtor just like a small child. I am not saying treat a debtor like a baby, but remember that a debtor is not happy about the situation that has caused you to contact them. They will be embarrassed and angry and you are the perfect person to take that out on. If you can understand this before you make a collection call, you will know that you need to help the debtor not berate them. Be sensitive to the fact that they are embarrassed and maybe do not have the funds to pay in full. Be understanding and helpful and you will collect more money. A good way to do this is to put yourself in the debtor's shoes before you ever make a call. I would say this is easy for most of us to do; we have all had situations beyond our control that may have caused us to fall behind on bills and have to make a decision on whether to go to the church to get food for our children or use the cash we have to buy food. Then when the bill collector calls and yells at you and tells you that a debt must be paid in full, how would you feel? I would feel like swearing at the person who called me and never paying them, only because they didn't even try to understand or accept a partial payment or hear my situation.

Not every debtor is in a bad situation and just can't pay. There will always be the debtors who are always past due, who are repeat customers. Once you have figured out who they are by keeping your detailed organized notes on your collection efforts, you can move to the next step with those debtors. Just like when your kids become school age children from toddlers. Social skills that we teach our children can be most helpful when making collection calls. When you walk into a room and your child is sitting there eating the dirt from the plant and the plant is tipped over with dirt everywhere, you (hopefully) resist the urge to scream, and calmly say to your child, "What happened here?" To which the child replies, "I don't know", or "The dog did it". Think about what you do, you normally stare at the child, trying to absorb this nonsense, and counting to ten so you don't flip out. Do the same in a collection call, when you call a debtor and they give you an excuse or answer that floors you, take a breath and ask a simple question. For example, you call a debtor and say, Hello, this is Michelle, and I am calling from ABC Collections about your balance due of $100 with Dr. Smith's office. I am calling to take your payment over the phone today for free. They reply, "I paid that". Then there is silence. You can then ask detailed, simple questions that will alert you as to if this is a fact and what your next step should be. You can cheerily say, "Oh Great! When did you pay that? Did you mail the payment or make it in person? Was it a check or money order? What was the check number? What was the amount you paid?" Keep it simple and you will get the results you are looking for.

You want to be in charge of the call at all times. You don't let your child talk back to you or be disrespectful, and you shouldn't let a debtor either. Once you ask a debtor a question, stop, and let the silence sit there. Remember, if you are uncomfortable with this silence, so is the debtor. Let them speak first; this is how you stay in control of this situation. No matter how long or how uncomfortable the silence is, let them break it. This is very hard, but I did it for many years and it truly works. They will tell you more than you need to know or they will hang up on you.

By having a child and deciding to raise it, you have taken initiative on creating, molding and teaching a person how to be a good, caring, honest person. Being a bill collector takes some initiative since you have to initiate most contacts, by letter and/or by phone. You have to be in charge of the situation, you have to negotiate, be a mediator at times and offer a solution. You want to create in the debtor, someone who will pay their bills or at least the bill you are trying to collect in full, or on a scheduled payment plan, without you having to contact them every day. If you have ever toilet trained a child, you know how frustrating it is, and so I have no doubt you can do this.

Being a parent we have to suddenly carry a huge bag around with everything but the kitchen sink in it. Long gone are the days of a cute, stylish, small purse. Along comes the big bag with changes of clothes, bottles, pacifiers, snacks, diapers, wipes, bibs, changing pads, toys, books, aspirin (for us), sweatshirts, shoes, Vaseline, powder, tissues and who knows what else ends up in there. We have zip lock bags to put soiled diapers in, we are ready for anything! Being a bill collector requires the same type of preparedness and organization. Be prepared for anything, because anything can happen. You have to be alert, be calm, have answers and solutions and take meticulous notes. I always pretended that every single debtor I talked to, any of the paperwork or notes I had on a call, were going to be reviewed by a judge. This caused me to always be very thorough, which brought me great success. So, when you do any collection work, just pretend you will have to provide this information in court, and you will know what questions to ask to get the information you need.

Being a woman bill collector is especially frustrating when a male debtor decides to give you a hard time, because, after all, you are a woman. My experience has been that they will laugh at you, call you nice names such as Honey, Sweetie, Dear or not so nice names that I can't type here. They will ask for the man in charge, they won't believe anything you say, and will laugh the whole thing off. Guess who is laughing in the end? Keeping your mouth shut when you get this treatment from a man who thinks he has to act this way to be a bigger man, is the best idea. Continue with your collection efforts, do everything you say you will do, and see who is laughing when they try to buy a new car in a year. Thank you Honey.

Follow up is key in any business, but especially collection work. Your main job is to make sure everyone is paying; no one wants to pay and even if they say they will pay it is up to you to call and follow up on each payment promise. When someone tells you they will pay on Friday, send a letter confirming the payment, you can even include a payment envelope, how easy for them! Call on Friday to verify the check was sent. Call on Tuesday when you don't receive the check, to get a check number and verify which day it was mailed. If it wasn't' mailed, offer to take a payment over the phone. You can always offer a solution.

Michelle started M.A.D. Collection Agency in January 1998 and ran it successfully until she sold it in December 2004 to write and consult full time. She owns and runs http://www.Credit-and-Collections.com an online community for credit and business professionals with over 750 members. She has been featured in Ladies Home Journal, PC World, Home Business Magazine, Home Business Journal, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, NH Business Review, Professional Collector, and in Home Based Business for Dummies, Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies, she was a featured guest on (NPR) National Public Radio and the CBS Early Show and has been in many newspapers and magazines nationwide. She has many published articles and 5 published books to add to her list of accomplishments. Michelle has recently signed a contract with Entrepreneur Press to write a book for their Ultimate Series, titled "The Ultimate Book of Credit & Collections. Learn more or order any of her books at http://www.michelledunn.com or http://www.credit-and-collections.com

Some Sound Job Interview Advice

Writen by Morgan Hamilton

Going out for your fist job interview can be a bit terrifying and intimidating. You have probably heard a lot of advice on how to write a resume, but job interview advice on calming nervous applicants is almost unheard of. If you want to make a good impression to a potential employer, it's important that you know what to do before and during a job interview.

Consider taking advantage of job interview advice as a common sense way to of getting a stable job. The job market in today's economy is extremely competitive, which mean means that you need all the preparation that you can get. Having a great resume is vital, but a lot of qualified applicants can still fail at interviews.

One important aspect of the interview is discovery. Through the interview you can get a feel if you're suited for that job, as the same time the employer is discovering your potentials. This job interview advice means that even if you're qualified for that job, you may realize that particular job and its environment is not suitable for you.

If you're a nervous type person, you may want to try a few breathing techniques to help calm your nerves. Breathing exercises is a useful interview job advice for people who become nervous before undergoing interviews. People who practice yoga and other type of meditation have found that it's easier for them to relax for job interviews.

If you have real phobias however, it's best if you seek out professional help. Don't be apprehensive in seeking help for any type of disorder, the reality is that a lot of people have similar problems. It will not only make job interviews easier but it's a helpful job interview advice that can help other areas of healthy living.

Another useful job interview advice is to be prepared for possible interview questions. Ask your friends about questions that are frequently asked at job interviews. Don't be too disappointed if you don't land the job that you've applied for. Going through the process of job interviews gives you a lot of practice and experience that will be useful in future interviews.

Other factors may have affected the employer's decision of not hiring you. It's possible that you were not hired because your salary expectations were too high or another person have been promised the job but you were interviewed anyway to fulfill federal or state requirements. Try to take full advantage of jog interview advice to increase you skills and it won't be long before you land the perfect job.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Job Interview Advice. You can find more helpful information about Job Interview Advice and other similar topics right here.

Career As A Franchise Executive

Writen by Lance Winslow

Franchising is probably the greatest business model ever created in the history of mankind and it is for this reason that it can be a very rewarding career indeed. Running a franchise company is a challenging profession and hanging onto a fast moving rocket ship in the market place is not easy at all, but the rewards are great and offer upward mobility.

It requires sharp business skills, an understanding of the market place and hard work. It is an extremely fun industry and the pay is also very good. Some franchise executives out perform those in regular corporate America. Franchising companies often do very good and down economies as well as very good in up economies. This means if you are hired as a franchise executive and corporate America starts downsizing and laying people off you will be the last person to have a job.

When people are laid off from corporate America they often buy franchises and this is win franchises expand the most. Having a career as a franchise executive can be very lucrative, challenging and highly rewarding. If you are interested in a career as a franchise executive perhaps you might wish to get a degree in this field.

The International Franchise Association sponsors a degree program called; Certified Franchise Executive or CFE degree. Those that have CFE degrees are highly sought after by large franchising companies. Please consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Scientist Career Profile

Writen by John Daye

A career in science offers a wide variety of employment possibilities. A career in science might include working as a: social scientist, conservation scientist, science technician, atmospheric scientist, physicist, astronomer, computer scientist, medical scientist, biological scientist, scientific researcher or a number of other science-related fields. Let's see what makes working as a scientist so rewarding.

Challenging Work

The work of scientists is similar to that of engineers. They use their creativity, energy and talents combined with their mathematics and science background to help solve everyday problems. Scientists get to work in the design, creation and development of new products, as well as work in the production, monitoring, maintenance and even testing of these products.

Career Tidbits

Here is some interesting information about a career in science according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.

- Scientists generally work 40 hours per week, but may be asked to work more under tight deadlines and heavy work schedules. Their daily tasks often involve work in a laboratory or even in the field.

- Scientists constantly need to learn new things in order to keep on top of the latest research and technological changes.

- Scientists typically work in a group on a research project. Collaboration is a big part of being a scientist.

- Gaining a bachelor's degree in your particular area of interest is a minimum. You may want to pursue an advanced degree. You will most likely be surrounded by people with a Ph.D and even some with medical degrees. You will not be able to go much further than a position as a Research Associate without an advanced degree.

- Scientists commonly gain employment in academic institutes (like universities and non-profit organizations). They may also work in corporate environments.

A career as a scientist is a very prestigious career field. Many important people in history were considered scientists. The best scientists are those that are curious about the world we live in and strive to make it a better place.

Check into career opportunities as a scientist at Science Career Secrets.

Preparation Is Key

Writen by Penny Estes

Interviewing for a new job, or a promotion, can be a stressful situation. However, Preparation is the KEY! When preparing for that all important interview, take time to reflect upon your career experiences; and look for at least five good examples of your accomplishments and challenges--we will call them "bragging points".

Make a list of these "bragging points", and then write a short summary about each situation. Become very familiar with these situations and their details, because they will help you identify certain skill sets (i.e. creativity, leadership, motivation, negotiation, etc.) used in these situations.

The purpose of this exercise is to first help you remember your accomplishments. For example, when your interviewer asks you to tell them something about one of your most recent successes--you will be prepared! Secondly, when your interviewer asks you to discuss a situation where you used leadership--there you go! If you will closely examine each of your "bragging points" you will see that each contains several skill sets.

This type of preparation will take you through just about any type of interview. Regardless of the interview type (i.e. behavioral screening, group, etc.) you will be prepared with quick professional responses, and you will be able to readily identify and present your accomplishments.

Good luck with the interview and remember . . . . PREPARATION IS THE KEY!

Penny Estes

pennyestes@aol.com

Penny Estes is Director of Sales and Marketing for a general contracting company in Memphis, Tennessee. Her primary responsibilities are to create new sales and marketing opportunities. She earned her Bachelor's degree from Eastern College, St. David's, Pennsylvania. Currently, she is in the process of completing her MBA. Her professional background comprises of extensive experience in executive management, sales and marketing.

Penny has several professional affiliations: AgriCenter Board of Directors, Apartment Association of Greater Memphis Board of Directors, Tip Masters Board of Directors, and active member of Toast Masters International.

On a personal note, Penny and her husband, Tony, were married in Alaska. She has one teenage daughter, Amber, who is aspiring to be an anesthesiologist. Her hobbies include chess, exercise and family activities.

Become A Job Entrepreneur

Writen by Paul Megan

If you've been job hunting in today's unusual job marketplace, you know what I mean when I say things are tough! Especially since 9/11 and Katrina.

You've probably tried all the traditional techniques:

* posted resumes all over the place

* contacted some agencies & recruiters

* answered dozens of ads

* went on a couple unproductive interviews

* waited and waited for the phone to ring

And you've probably been disappointed with the results. Resumes go unanswered. The phone doesn't ring. Getting that dream job has turned into a nightmare. Worst of all, you're upset, frustrated and downright depressed.

Now, if you could invest time and energy into your job search like it was your own business . . . like your whole future and livelihood depended on it . . . you would probably do things a lot differently.

For example, you would take a more business-like approach to your job candidacy:

1. Build a highly-desirable product . . .YOU!

2. Consider the job marketplace as a competitive arena.

3. Package yourself in a way to attract maximum attention.

4. Think of prospective employers as buyers of your product.

5. Target only those employers who are right for you.

6. Promote yourself to them by every available means.

7. Master effective selling techniques.

8. Negotiate like a pro.

If you could take this approach, think how FAST your job search would go if you didn't have to worry about all those traditional job search procedures:

* No writing and rewriting a fancy resume

* No endless mailings and postings

* No hassling agencies and recruiters for interviews.

* No more "help wanted" ads.

* No nail-biting waiting for the phone to ring.

* No unnerving interviews.

* No more unanswered follow-ups.

Everything changes when you view your job search like an entrepreneur.

Paul Megan manages EEI, the world class leader in alternative and non-traditional career advancement since 1985. Check out The World's Fastest Job Search System! Grab EEI's stunning FREE REPORT: "How To Lock Up A High-Paying Job In 14 Days (Or Less)!" http://www.fastest-job-search.com

Sales And Marketing Recruiting Business Growing Rapidly

Writen by Andrew Rowe

Here at Cube Management the demand for our recruiting services has risen rapidly over the last several months, and we expect for it to continue to grow. Why? Many of our clients have a hard time finding and retaining top sales talent. So we're focusing on helping them through that process as an engine for growth of their companies. On the other hand we also have found that lots of top candidates are having a difficult time finding great job opportunities, and so the mission of helping people to find great work is one that's important to us – we like helping people find great jobs.

There are lots of people out there searching for top sales and marketing jobs right now who come to us because we're uniquely positioned as a sales and marketing recruiting firm. The reason why they come to us is because we also provide sales and marketing consulting, outsourcing and interim management, and so our recruiting services fit very nicely with the rest of our service offerings, focused on helping companies in the technology, manufacturing, health care and business service sectors.

We expect the economy to continue to stay on an even footing and move even closer towards full employment, which means that more and more companies are going to be fighting for fewer and fewer sales and marketing people who are actually looking for jobs. Candidates who are engaged in a job search are going to find it easier to entertain multiple offers, which means that they can be more selective about the kind of positions that they are looking for and how well those positions match their core skills and core interests.

Since the job market is going to stay tight like this for the next several years, what it means is that companies that are looking to recruit salespeople, marketing specialists or marketing management are going to have to do a better job of finding, locating and extracting potential employees from their competitors or from other companies. This means that they're going to need to engage executive search firms, recruiting and staffing firms that specialize in sales and marketing to do this very job. Candidates as they become more selective are going to want to spend more time focusing on points of leverage in their search. A great point of leverage that search firms can offer is that they have multiple job opportunities under one roof, where a candidate can interview once and then be considered for a multitude of positions.

That's exactly the situation that we have going on at Cube Management right now…we have several searches going on for senior sales representatives where we're able to interview one candidate for multiple job opportunities and then place them accordingly.

So, the landscape has changed a lot when it comes to recruiting and staffing in sales and marketing. The economy is roaring and we don't expect it to change anytime soon. Cube Management is strategically growing it's sales and marketing recruiting functions in order to keep up with the demand and also fulfill this important mission.

Cube Management helps companies accelerate their sales, by providing the Sales & Marketing talent they need to grow their business. Cube is a leading recruiting and consulting partner to mid-market and emerging growth companies in the technology, manufacturing, healthcare and business service sectors. We work across the spectrum of Sales, Marketing and Business Development, providing holistic solutions that drive revenue and profit success. Cube Management combines Strategy, Process and People, to produce great results. Download the Cube Management Recruiting Guide and the Cube Management Inside Sales Guide.

Passed Over For A Promotion

Writen by Carl Mueller

Being passed over for a promotion can certainly leave you wondering what to do next and where your place in the company really is.

If you've been passed over for a promotion, you have several options available to you. Before you do anything rash – like quitting your job or starting to look for a new job – you need to get the facts.

Before doing anything you might quickly regret, take some time to see how things work out and try to find out why you weren't chosen for the position.

Is there a particular skill or experience that the successful candidate has that you don't have?

Is there a legitimate reason that you weren't promoted this specific time?

Have you been passed over for promotion more than once which might lead you to believe that the writing is on the wall in terms of your long term ability to progress with this particular company?

I certainly wouldn't act before seeing how things play out but I'd certainly try to get as much information as possible regarding why I wasn't chosen for the job.

Depending on the answers you get as to why you weren't promoted and depending on whether or not you've been passed over for promotion before, the answers to these questions might very well determine what you do next.

Based on what you find out, you can plan your next course of action and you can decide whether or not this includes looking for a new job elsewhere.

Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who wants to help you find your dream career.

Free newsletter: Separate yourself from other job searchers by signing up for his free monthly newsletter: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com/dream-career-finder.html

Free 5-day course: Sign up for The Effective Career Planner, Carl's free 5-day course: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com/effective-career-planner.html

Please feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your website but please don't change any of the content and ensure that you include the above bio that shows my website URLs.

Babbling Is For Babies Not Interviews

Writen by Lonnie Pacelli

Some years back I was interviewing candidates for a financial analyst position. One of my interviews was with a gentleman who was already a company employee but was looking for a new job within the company. I started out the interview with the question, "What interests you about this job?" The fellow started into a response, and then launched into tangents about his family, prior jobs, and personal interests. About five minutes into the interview I'd already made my decision to not hire the guy, but I was intrigued by his verbal meandering. I decided to let him keep going just to see where he would go. He finally stopped talking 30 minutes after I asked him my original question. My next question to him was "Do you realize you talked non-stop for 30 minutes?" Before he could launch into another wandering discourse, I thanked him for stopping by and told him that I didn't think he was right for the job. He very well might have had the technical and business skills needed to do the job, but because he babbled on and on without clarity of thought he was declined.

The demonstration of clear, concise thoughts through responses to interview questions is a major factor for your interviewer in deciding whether or not to hire you. When responding to questions, your interviewer is not only listening to your answers but also imagining you talking with colleagues, suppliers, customers, or executives. If you, as an interviewee, aren't able to respond with crisp, concise, thoughtful answers during an interview, imagine how you would come off in a major customer presentation? You may have some insightful things to say, but if they get lost in long, meandering responses then you're going to seal your fate as a declined candidate.

Next time you interview for a job, keep the following things in mind:

* Target your responses around a key message – When asked a question, formulate your response around a key message or a series of key messages. State your key message first, and then provide a couple of sentences which support the key message. Know what your key message is before you start talking, otherwise your response will meander.

* Watch the interviewer for frustration – Look for cues that the interviewer is impatient, confused, or bored. The best interviews I've done have been where an interviewee captured my interest by a stating a key message and we were just able to talk. Look to capture an interviewer's interest; if he or she doesn't look interested, wrap up your point and stop talking.

* Keep eye contact with the interviewer – Keeping eye contact with the interviewer will help you to stick to your key message because you won't get distracted. Keeping eye contact also demonstrates conviction and confidence. Wandering eyes feel evasive and can contribute to babbling.

* Take a breath before you respond – Let the interviewer finish his question before you start responding. Take a second after the question, get your key message in your head, then start your answer. Being too eager to answer the question will contribute to drifting from your key message and will brand you as being rude.

* Don't argue with yourself – Don't play point/counter-point with yourself. When asked a question, formulate your key message and take a stand in your response. It's OK to briefly identify the other side of an argument, but make sure you state a key message and don't give the perception that you are indecisive.

* Provide context to your answers – Don't just give "yes" or "no" – type answers without providing a bit of context behind the response. The interviewer not only wants to know what your answer is, but something about why you think the way you do. Be cautious about drifting on and on with your answer; make a couple of statements that support your key message then clam up.

* Ask your interviewer for feedback – At the end of the interview, consider asking the interviewer to provide some feedback to you on how they think the interview went. Specifically ask about the quality and conciseness of your responses. Just be careful not to get into an argument about the interviewer's feedback; listen politely and thank them for the feedback. Don't create a negative impression with the interviewer because you argued or got defensive over any feedback you received.

It's easy when nervous or excited to babble on and on and lose focus in your responses to questions. Formulate key messages, keep eye contact, watch your interviewer, and take a stand with your responses. You'll better engage your interviewer, captivate interest, and help to secure the job you want.

Excerpted from The Truth About Getting your Point Across...And Nothing But the Truth. See more at http://www.leadingonedge.com/truth

Lonnie Pacelli has over 20 years' experience with Accenture and Microsoft and is currently president of Leading on the Edge™ International. Lonnie's books include "The Project Management Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-Ups and How to Cut Them Off at the Pass" and "The Truth About Getting Your Point Across" (http://www.leadingonedge.com/truth) Get the books, leadership products, other articles, MP3 seminars and a free email mini seminar at http://www.leadingonedge.com