Job Guide

Making The First Career Decision . . .

Finding Freelance Writing Jobs - Join Us On The Job Search  

Finding freelance writing jobs require great skill, dedication and lots of patience. There are many qualifications that businesses look for prior to hiring an individual to fill their job vacancies though. When the potential applicant arrives, he or she must possess a good working knowledge of the tasks that the business person needs. If they don't there is sure to be someone else who does. Therefore, when looking for writing jobs, the applicant simply must make sure that they are the most qualified for the employment opportunities.

Here are some helpful hints on getting the first assignment.

Step One: Prepare. It is important that the individual be prepared for the different types of work that is available. For example, proofreading work is readily available to those who have the right talents. For those who are doing copy work, they will need to provide the right voice to entice the reader deeper into the website while getting the search engines to scream their name from the beginning.

Step Two: Provide examples of work. It is essential that those who are looking for work be able to provide quality samples of the work they have done in the past. Seeing is believing in more ways than one when it comes to getting writing jobs.

Step Three: Make the most out of existing relationships. By providing good quality work to those individuals who have offered employment, the individual will continue to have jobs offered to them by the business. And, by doing this more and more opportunities will be provided to them by other businesses that have heard about them through recommendations.

When it comes to searching for those all important freelance jobs, look to the small ads or those websites that advertise them. For individuals who have a specific need or a specialized quality, it may make sense to search out companies who provide that type of service. Then, a relationship can be forged.

If you follow these suggestions opportunities will be developed and success is around the corner.

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Finding A New Job Quickly  

Today's working environment is unpredictable. Economic downturns can arrive at any moment. Redundancy can swiftly follow. No-one is fully immune, and severance payoffs do not last for ever.

If you found yourself in that situation tomorrow could you cope? If you had to find yourself another job quickly in order to pay the bills, could you do it?

Here are the steps to follow.

1.Identify Your Skills
2.Analyse Your List
3.Identify The Job Sources
4.Take Action

1.Identify Your Skills

Think hard about what you are good at, and about what you enjoy. Since you usually enjoy what you do well, the two are often the same. Think back over your career to date and dig deep into the experiences you have had and the skills you
have acquired.

List them all on paper. Leave nothing out. Be as objective and honest as you can. Don't put something down just because you think it is what you need in today's employment market place. Only put it down if it is a skill that you have here
and now. Don't forget, you are looking here at how to get a job quickly. You are not planning your long term training needs.

Think in terms of three main divisions of skill and divide up your list accordingly.

Firstly there are physical skills.

These are skills of aptitude, of working with your hands, manipulative skills, mechanical skills. These are skills required in a wide range of manual and hands-on jobs. Sometimes these skills have been acquired by way of a hobby
rather than paid employment, but a hobby that can at some stage become the grounding for a new career doing something that you really enjoy. Don't ignore these leisure-acquired skills.

Secondly there are knowledge based skills.

These are academic skills gained by formal study. These are skills gained as a result of book learning and training courses. These are specific technical skills related to a particular function. This is specialist knowledge absorbed
as a result of working in a particular industry.

Thirdly there are people skills.

These are the team skills, the relational skills, the ability to get on with and work with other people. These are the skills of management. The skills of leading a team, the skills of winning arguments and convincing others.

2.Analyse Your List.

Now look at your list. See where you strengths lie. Think what you would like to do using those strengths. Decide on the job you would like using those strengths.

Be honest. Once again you must remember that your objective is to get another job in the shortest possible delay. Don't base your hopes on skills you would like to have. Plan on using what you already have.

If your main skills are manual, base your plans on this. If you are more suited to a technical analytical job, go in this direction. If your aptitudes lie towards managing people and getting the best from a team, steer yourself that way. Play to your strengths.

3.Identify the sources

The easiest way to find jobs these days is on the internet. Just enter 'job site' or 'employment agency' or 'job search' into your search engine and see what you get. Your problem will be restricting the results to a manageable size. Limit your research by country or city or industry as appropriate in order to cut it down.

If you have a particular company in mind look on its web site if it has one. Companies often advertise vacancies there.

Look too at the principal newspapers of the geographic region in which you are looking. Again this could be country or it could be city. They can be a good source.

Finally there are your local agencies at which you can enrol.

4.Take Action.

This is when it all comes together.

Put your CV onto as many online jobsites as you can. It will be found by potential employers who will then come to you. This puts your name and qualifications up before a large number of employers quickly and easily.

Search the sites and newspapers and apply to as many job offers as meet your criteria. Adapt your CV to suit each application emphasising the particular skills and experience requested. Play the numbers game. If it looks suitable – apply. (But don't waste your time on jobs that don't fit
your qualities).

Don't be afraid to send out speculative letters to companies you like. You can often strike lucky, and your application is more likely to be seen when writing in this way.

Above all, keep going. Don't give up. By knowing exactly what you are looking for and targeting your applications you stand a good chance of success.

In conclusion.

If you have not yet been forced to look for a new job it would not do you any harm to carry out the exercise of examining your skills. You will at least be forearmed should the need arise.

If you have lost your previous job, try to look on your situation as an opportunity rather than a disaster. This could be your chance to set out again in the direction you really want to go instead of carrying on indefinitely stuck in the rut into which you previously fell more by accident than design.

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Finding A Job Online  

Finding a job online is easier than you think. Whether you are trying to locate work locally or you are interested in work that allows you to telecommute, finding a job online is simple when you know where to look. In fact, the Internet offers you the unique opportunity to put your resume to work through a number of resume posting sites. Many companies are looking for skilled individuals. Further, such companies are turning to the Internet more frequently as a resource to locate potential employees. What's more, employers looking to find quality professionals frequently list available positions in job listing websites and if you attempting to find a job online, such websites are an excellent place to start your search.

Finding a job online is made simple by the creators of job listing websites. Job listing websites allow job seekers to locate a job by searching in a particular area, searching for a particular position, or searching their extensive listing with the use of common keywords associated with the type of employment they are looking for. In fact, several job listing websites even allow you to create a job search agent; such agents will send you an electronic notification when a job is listed that matches your pre-selected search criteria.

If you are looking for freelance work, finding a job online is not as difficult as it may first appear. There are literally hundreds of freelance websites online that allow freelances to locate individuals looking to outsource there work. In fact, there are a number of freelance sites that allow employers to post positions so that freelancers can bid on their offer.

On the other hand, if you are interested in working for a particular company, you can locate the company's website online, if they offer one, and sometimes find jobs offered on their website. Thus, again, finding a job online can prove to be a simple task; after locating the listing on a company's homepage all you will be required to do is follow the instructions pertaining to the posting in terms of contacting the company about their job advertisement.

An excellent approach to looking for employment opportunities online is to visit a number of local college web pages. College web pages will frequently list a number of openings available at the university. At the very minimum, you can often find a listing pertaining to when the job fairs will be held and you can then plan to visit the job fair with your resume in hand!

Finding a job online can frequently be easier than looking for a job in a more traditional fashion. The traditional manner of finding a job involved the prospective employee purchasing a number of local newspapers and skimming through countless advertisements: many advertisements with a good majority of them not being suitable employment for the individual seeking work. Thus, job listing sites have individualized the process of job hunting and have allowed prospective employees the opportunity to narrow down the time they spend searching for a job.

In short, the Internet can be your best agent when trying to find a job online. You can find a number of websites that will allow you to post your resume online so prospective employers can view your experience or you can scour through hundreds of job listings with a built in search engine located on such sites. What's more, you will not be forced to solely rely on traditional job seeking methods and you can thereby increase the probability that you will find the job that you most rightfully deserve!

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Corporate Flight Attendant Job Hunting Tips  

Writing a résumé can be one of the most daunting parts of any job search. Quite frankly, it is one of the most important elements in helping you find work. A good résumé can ease doors open while a poorly written one will certainly shut these very same doors. In aviation, there are certain things that must be included in a résumé to help you get noticed and getting noticed is, of course, the first step toward securing an interview which may lead to employment.

There is no "one-size fits all" résumé that will guarantee success. In my many years of reviewing pilot and, later, flight attendant résumés I have seen submitted everything from multipage treatises to two paragraph summations. As a private flight attendant, your résumé should fall somewhere in between: a one page copy is the preferred length in this industry.

The top part of your résumé must include the following:

1. Your name

2. Your complete address: house or apartment number, street, city, state, zip and country if applying internationally.

3. Your home phone number.

4. Your cell phone or secondary number such as a fax machine.

5. Your email address.

This first bit of information should be centered for easy reading and your copy should be on white or off white paper. No fancy fonts, no loud colors, nothing to make it stand out. Why? More than likely it will be trashed if it is not visually appealing. Trust me: in business aviation, which is generally a very conservative field, the flamboyant self promoter is often ignored.

What follows next is open to debate. Some human resources people insist that you need an Objective on your résumé while others do not. If you do include an Objective, please write a strong and positive statement about your career and job objective, concentrating on your strengths and how you can add value to a potential employer. When creating your objective, use clear and concise language. One of the advantages of including an Objective is that it tends to set the tone for the entire résumé. Leaving one out is sometimes preferable if you are applying for different positions. Always state in the Objective what you can contribute to the company and not what you want to get out of the job or the company.

After you write your Objective, you should follow up with your work history. Instead of centering the remaining information, align your copy to the left of the page.

Work History: Please, if you have been working for many years, you might want to consider limiting your information to the last ten years. A résumé is not your job history, rather it is a summation of who you are and what you bring to the table. Save the nitty gritty details for the application form. This is particularly important if you are over 40: do not kid yourself by thinking that age discrimination does not occur. You want to get the interview and then you can work on getting the job during the interview. In some situations you will not even get the interview if someone finds out that you are 49. Is this legal? Usually, no. Is it provable? You probably will never find out.

Training: After including your work history, you will need to list your training. If you completed FACTS, Alteon, FlightSafety, Beyond and Above, etc. then spell it out. Include training locations, dates, and a brief synopsis of the training. For example, "emergency egress training, emergency medical procedures, food safety and culinary arts, wine service, etc." Do not write several paragraphs but do include some information about what was accomplished during your training. Taking other types of training related to the field can and should be mentioned as well including: food service, wine courses, language training, etc. The training section could easily be titled "Education" and include college degrees and other post high school training as well.

References: Please do not include references on your résumé! If you feel the need to mention references, please conclude your résumé with something like this: References furnished upon request. That's it. Nothing fancy. If you do mention that references will be included at a later time please make sure that you have at least three, be prepared to present them upon request, and make sure your references know that you are using them as references.

Hobbies: Hmmm.... I am not sure why some people feel the need to include details on how they spend their free time. Perhaps they are trying to tell the person reading the résumé that they are a well rounded person. In my opinion, save those details for your interview.

Other personal information: In most states giving out one's marital status, age, height and weight is illegal. If you are applying for work overseas the company or agency may want this information in addition to a full length picture of yourself and a headshot. I have heard objections from some about this particular practice. Remember: the U.S. Bill of Rights stops at our borders. If you want to work internationally, you must respect local laws and customs. Your opinion will probably not shape what they want; if you do not like it then do not apply.

College and universities are key institutions where many get their first try at crafting a résumé. I like what the <u>University at Buffalo School of Management</u> has to say about writing a résumé:

Do:

* Do try to fit your résumé on one page

* Do leave an appropriate amount of margin space (1/2 - 1 inch is good, no less than ¼ inch)

* Do use positive action verbs to highlight your skills

* Do use the present tense for current activities and the past tense for previous experiences

* Do place important items in the most prominent areas of your résumé

* Do proofread your résumé for spelling, punctuation, grammatical, and typographical errors

* Do make sure your résumé is neatly typed and letter perfect

* Do be honest and accurate in the facts you give on your résumé

* Do be Positive!

Do Not:

* Do not write RÉSUMÉ on top of the page

* Do not use "I," "Me," or any abbreviations!

* Do not date the résumé, attach advertisements, or list salary requirements

* Do not leave out volunteer or other experiences where you have demonstrated relevant skills

* Do not give any false information

* Do not include reasons for changing jobs

Have others proofread your copy and do not be offended by their suggestions or comments. Consider all comments and suggestions for possible changes to your résumé; if you are rigid about your résumé you may be too rigid for this industry. Remember, there is no "one-size fits all" résumé; your copy, however, should accurately reflect what you are all about and what you can do for the company.

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College Degrees and Online College Degrees  

College degrees are a necessity in today's society where education is needed to make a livable salary or to receive a promotion before another degreed employee receives it. Many professionals are returning to school via the Internet to get their online college degrees. Online college degrees enable an employed worker to attend classes and receive credit for advanced education while keeping their job and allowing for flexibility in scheduling to meet their personal and family responsibilities. Adult students make up 50% of students returning to school for their college degrees.

Schools offering college degrees should be aware of adult students' needs and cater to them. Many employers will reimburse their workers for attending an educational institute that offers higher college degrees than a 4 year college would. College degrees are no longer available for the privileged few, they are mandatory for employment in many businesses and companies. An interview will not even be granted to applicants in most companies without college degrees. Many students are returning to school for online college degrees to gain better employment conditions and a higher salary.

Advanced education opens doors for people, and allows them to obtain satisfying and engaging employment in their field of interest. There are college degrees offered in every subject area imaginable. Certain college degrees are necessary before moving upwards in the educational realm, such as a teaching degree is required before a teacher can receive state certification. Many online college degrees base their subject matter in the business area, however, more and more options are becoming available for those interested in receiving online college degrees.

Online college degrees also offer financial aid and other sources of educational funding. While relatively new and accepted, online college degrees offer a hands on approach to learning. Subjects that are taught within the online college degrees programs can be immediately applied to the work setting. In fact there are projects that mandate implementation within a students work setting. Online college degrees are gaining more and more popularity as the year's progress. With advancing technology and the demand for college degrees in general growing higher and higher, it is no wonder that 8 out of 10 returning adult students opt for receiving online college degrees.

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Chronological vs. Functional Resumes - Which To Choose?  

Your resume is a marketing tool that should effectively sell your skills, experience, and educational qualifications to prospective employers. When developing your resume, there are two different types of resume formats you should consider: a chronological resume and a functional resume. Your decision to choose one format over another should be dependent on your career background and personal circumstances. The ultimate decision will be based on that format that allows you to most effectively present your qualifications.

Chronological Resumes

Q. What is a chronological resume?

A. In a chronological resume format, your employment experience history is organized in reverse chronological order so that your most recent job position is listed first. This type of format emphasizes your job titles and employers, as well as your dates of employment with each employer. Your responsibilities and accomplishments should be described in detail for each individual position.

Q. What are the advantages to using a chronological resume?

A. Chronological resumes are easy to read, use a logical flow, and can effectively highlight career growth. Since this type of resume emphasizes the details of each position, using a chronological resume will draw attention to impressive titles and prestigious employers.

Q. What are the disadvantages to using a chronological resume?

A. Because of the format of a chronological resumes, this style easily undercover gaps in your employment history and frequent job changes. It also draws attention to the fact that you may be relative experienced in the workforce or in a particular career.

Q. What types of candidates should choose to use a chronological resume?

A. Chronological resumes are best suited for those individuals whose job history reflects steady career growth, those who are remaining in the same field, and those whose career goals are clearly defined and in alignment with their work history. This type of resume is also suitable for candidates who have prior employment with a prestigious employer that they want to highlight.

Functional Resumes

Q. What is a functional resume?

A. Functional resumes have often been referred to as problem solving resumes in that they allow you to organize your resume by functional skills as opposed to purely chronological order. This allows individuals to make sense of their work history by matching up skills and accomplishments from different jobs that might otherwise be overlooked by an employer in a more traditional chronological formatted resume. The goal is to highlight specific key qualifications which have been demonstrated through a variety of work-related achievements. As opposed to a chronological resume, skills do not have to be presented in the order of accomplished in a functional resume, but instead may be presented in order of importance and relevance to the job for which you are applying.

Q. What are the advantages to using a functional resume?

A. Using a functional resume keeps the emphasis on key relevant skills you possess that make you a good fit for a position. It allows candidates to align accomplishments from several different positions for a more powerful impact, since these skills might otherwise be lot in the shuffle in a traditional resume. Functional resumes also minimize the impact of inexperience in the workforce or field, frequent job changes, and any gaps in your employment history.

Q. What are the disadvantages to using a functional resume?

A. The presence of a clear career progression can easily be lost in a functional resume, as can extended experience in your targeted industry or field. Impressive employers or job titles are de-emphasized, which is a disadvantage if these are strong selling points in your experience. Additionally, some recruiters and managers dislike functional resumes due to their perceived lack of logical flow.

Q. What types of candidates should choose to use a functional resume?

A. A functional resume is a solid option for individuals who are looking to change careers, returning to the job market after a long absence, trying to minimize fair-to-average career growth. This format is also appropriate for new graduates, candidates with limited work experience, and individuals whose work history is a mixed bag of unrelated experience.

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Choosing The Right Career  

How to choose a career for yourself? It is important to go for a career that is your calling. There are numbers of options to choose from. You can make a career in medicine, law, architecture, finance, designing, media and many more fields. Your career will also decide what you do for the better part of your day/night and more importantly the course of your life. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a career that suits you and your expectations from life.

Choose a job that you love and you will never have to work. This maxim holds true even today. You can choose a career suiting your skill sets and personality type. If colors and designs have inspired you since long, a career in designing will suit you just fine. Give wings to your dream by becoming a pilot. If you can stand up against the wrong and are a vociferous speaker, then a degree in law is awaiting you. For the lovers of words there are careers in media. Different people have different motivations. Some people want to be famous and some want a career that gives creative satisfaction. Then there are others who want to serve humanity and work for noble purposes. Ponder over what are your motivations in life and accordingly choose a career.

There are a host of creative career options that you can choose from such as films, arts, music and theater. However be prepared to work hard in any career you choose. All these avenues might seem very glamorous, but the truth is that a lot of hard work and perseverance goes behind them. In case you choose acting as a career, do a reality check. Do not enter harboring dreams of instant fame and success, since all this may take time. For the time success does not court you, the going might get very tough. Most of the passionate actors in such cases work in the evening shifts to make their ends meet and they go for auditions in the daytime.

While choosing a career it is important not to get bogged down by parental or peer pressure. There are also times when there is a certain wave that takes the economy by sway. In such times it is important to hold ground and not get carried away. You should not be choosing your career on the basis of such factors. All these influences might result in you getting a career that might not be your call or it is not motivating enough.

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Choosing an Online Degree  

The Internet has revolutionized the education system. Colleges, Universities, as well as Secondary high schools are now equipped to offer students or potential students the opportunity to study at their own leisure. Whether you want to earn your degree in Science, Sociology, Languages, Education, Economics, you can probably earn it online. Search the Internet for a university that offers your discipline by studying online. The positive aspect of studying online is the application process can be done quickly by submitting it online.

The freedom to have full or part-time employment, travel, or raise your children at home is a comfort and relief to many who want a higher education. In addition to the many freedoms, the ability to complete assignments or projects at one's own leisure is helpful for those who are struggling and need extra time and assistance. Earning your degree, diploma or certificate online is also accessible to those with disabilities, due to the various formats the courses can be given.

If one requires extra assistance with formatting or technical support, staff is available to assist to insure complete accessibility, so everyone has equal education opportunities. Although this is revolutionary, one should be cautious, and research the online facility before paying tuition.

What should one be cautious of when he or she desires to improve their education online? Earn a college degree in thirty days scheme sounds appealing, but is not legitimate. Achieving higher education of any kind takes time. Usually about one, two or three year's minimum. Companies that promise their buyer's degrees, diplomas or certification within thirty days usually have no affiliation or accredited courses with international universities, colleges or high schools.

Inquire at your local University about the company you see that is promising these miraculous degrees and diplomas. If the student services councillor has no knowledge of this company, chances are it is just a scam to take your money. Let the student councillor help you find a legitimate university that offers online degrees, certificates, or diplomas.

Now that you have the tools and knowledge on researching and choosing the right online University, the next step is to contact them by telephone. Most universities that offer courses online have a toll-free number for inquiries, and course catalogue. When phoning for the first time, ask about extra services, methods of payment, and application procedures.

In addition to the research, one can check out the website, and the online frequently asked questions to find answers to inquiries about the school, college or university. Once you have completed your research, inquiries and the application, it is time to experience a rewarding, challenging, and life changing opportunity. Online education allows those who never had the chance before this accepted method of education, to earn a degree, diploma, or certificate without changing their employment or personal schedule.

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Chef Training: Your Ticket To Endless Possibilities  

Let's face it: cooking is not an easy thing. But then, it is not that complicated either. With the right stuff and the right training, you can head off boasting like a chef that knows its craft.

Hence, whenever somebody has taken good cooking knowledge and skills, we would normally call them as chefs. They are, in reality, what the king is to his throne. This means that the chefs are considered to be the highest class of cook with utmost ability and proficiency.

All of these things are not easily achieved. Before they can be acclaimed as chefs, they have to undergo first a rigid and thorough chef training. There are lots of skills to be learned and lots of things to be known in a chef training. Probably, this is the reason why people have high regard on them because of all the trouble they went through.

The Qualifications

In most instances, you don't need to be a high school graduate just to get hold of the opportunity in attending chef training programs. Though, you might want to be a high school graduate, at the least, because what you know as a high school graduate can be very handy when attending the chef training already, especially if it involves something about mathematics and the skill on managing a business.

Basically, chef training are sponsored by hotels and restaurants. This is because in most case, restaurants and hotels would rather obtain chefs that had personally undergone with their chef training.

The Concept

When you start out as a short order cook or a fast food cook, do not think that you will never have the chance of advancing to the next level. All you have to do is to take vigorous and rigid chef training so as to acquire the needed skills on the advance level.

With chef training, students are trained in "apprenticeship program" being offered by most professional schools, hotels, and other food and beverage businesses. One of which is the 3-year apprenticeship program managed by the local divisions of the American Culinary Federation.

Likewise, there are hotels and restaurants that offer chef training also. The best thing about it is that you are most likely hired by the same company after you have finished your chef training. Most restaurants and hotel management find these arrangements very feasible since they will no longer have to go to a tedious manner of posting for job applications, screenings, and hiring applicants.

Besides, you would also require your hired chefs to still undergo additional chef training so that they will fit to your standards. That would be a double cost of expenses for you.

The Skills

Generally, chef training are not just any ordinary cooking lessons that one may learn. This refers to the most advanced level of what every cook may achieve.

In chef training, you not only learn more techniques in cooking but you are already trained in the supervisory and managerial level. This is because you are expected to handle a group of cooks once you get hold of the edge in chef training. In fact, you are not only expected to acquire new skills after finishing chef training but you are also expected to manage your own restaurant or hotel as well.

The Endless Possibilities

Indeed, after finishing chef training, the endless possibility of earning a good living is at hand.

In reality, chefs are very in demand these days. With a growing trend in fast food businesses and restaurants, it is no doubt that you can have a proliferating career once you have finished attending chef training. You have the chance and the opportunity to get hired locally or internationally.

Employment growth in chefs are imminent, especially now that the whole populace is constantly growing, therefore, more people will need the chef's service.

So, for those who want to be a chef or simply those who knows how to cook and wants to know more ways on how to get a good job, it is best that you attend chef training. It doesn't just gives you the proper knowledge on cooking and advanced cooking but also maximizes your potential in handling your very own cooking business.

Certainly, chef training is your ticket to endless possibilities of living a good life.

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