Job hunting? Five things you need to do to find your next job

When we find ourselves without a job, we have a deep sense of uncertainty by not knowing when the next job opportunity will find us. As an active job seeker, you must differentiate yourself from countless others who are vying for the same opportunities. The key to getting your desired job is to create the perfect strategy from start to finish. Here are some tips on how to obtain the job you want.

1. Create a game plan-Finding a new career is a large undertaking. You must not take it lightly. By starting with a plan, you can determine which direction to take your job hunt. Are you starting in a new career? Do you want more money or are you looking for more stability? How will the experience gained from your last place of employment benefit your new employer? These are some of the critical questions which will help you make good decisions about your job search and save you much needed time in the process. By figuring out your main objectives ahead of time, you will better focus your search and increase the likelihood of getting the job you desire.

2. Work hard-Even though you are not actually working, you should think of your job search as a full time job. For each job opening there are countless resumes with similar qualifications and skills. You are hindering your chances of getting the right job if you are only submitting a only few resumes a week. You should also spend time researching the companies with available openings to make sure you chose an organization that offers what you value most in a workplace. If you are not investing quality time in your job search, you may find yourself being offered a position that is far below your potential.

3. Find out what the company wants-When a company has a job opening, they have a specific idea of what they need. If you do take the time to review the job description carefully, you may end up submitting a resume that does not fit their idea of a qualified candidate. Your resume should look very similar, in experience, to the the skills listed in the posting. But what if you have never done the job that you are applying for? Ask yourself this very important question "what have I done in my previous jobs that are similar to the skills they are looking for?" For example, suppose you are applying for a position in a call center. They are looking for experience but you have never actually worked in a call center. When you ask yourself the important question, you determine that you were constantly resolving customer complaints at your last job. This is a skill that is valuable to that company. Highlight the skill by elaborating the details of that job function on your resume and cover letter. Finding out what the company wants is not easy at first, but if you take the time to read the job description, you can better present yourself in a manner that fits the company's needs.

4. Follow up-The technology driven world we live in hinders job seekers from making the all important human contact that can influence their ability to get a job. For job positions that you especially want, do not be content with simply submitting a resume. Perhaps you can place a follow up phone call to the Human Resources department ensuring that they received your resume and inquiring about the interviewing process. Or you may even be able to visit a physical location to complete a paper application. When you are there, you can strike up casual conversation with someone there about the details of the company and learn more about the job. You can ask what specifically what type of candidate they are looking for. If you do these things, you are already gaining an edge over those who simply submitted a resume and took no further action.

5. Network-The best thing you can do when looking for a job is to let others know that you are on the market. Do not simply say that you are looking for work. Say that you are looking to broaden your knowledge and use your experience to take your new organization to the next level. Provide some specific examples of your potential, that you prepared when you created your game plan, and how you are eager to use your talent. Join one of the countless professional organizations that meet regularly. Call your friends and let them know that you are ready for the next step in your career. Talk about your career change in the most positive, confident way you can and do it often.

When you look for a job you can think of it as a dreadful experience or you can think of it as an exciting opportunity to challenge yourself and to meet new people. You should be just as professional in your job hunt as your will be in your new job. If you put in the necessary effort, you will be rewarded accordingly.

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How to curb impulse buying

I strongly believe that our spending falls into two major categories, functional and emotional. The functional type of spending occurs when we pay for our normal, basic necessities. When we first put our budget on paper, everything looks pretty good. The household expenses are accounted for, money is set aside for gas and groceries, and there may even be a bit left over to save. Then the end of the month comes and you realize that you, once again, spent more than budgeted. You promise to do better next time. Here are some steps you can take to avoid emotional impulse buying in the future.

Hide the money
Once upon a time I would allow the money left over after my bills were paid to linger in my checking account. That was a disaster waiting to happen. I realized that if the money sat in my account, it was basically left over money that should be spent on frivolous purchases. Instead of continuing to leave money in my checking account, I implemented a strategy of transferring the bulk of my discretionary income into my online bank account. Because this online bank does not offer check cards, I had no easy access to my money. Any transfers to my local bank took 2-4 business days. The money was there if I really needed it in emergency situations, but I did not have the luxury of simply swiping away my money because I saw something I instantly wanted in the store. This technique does require that you adequately plan for all of your expected spending so you do not find yourself with a bill due and your money "hidden" in another account for 3 more days. By implementing this technique, I was able to decrease to decrease my urge to spend the money in my checking account without much effort.

Give every dollar a name
Budgeting is crucial when managing your finances. Not only is it important to budget your basic expenses, you must continue to allocate your money into categories until you have nothing left. If you have a hard time finding additional categories, start to think about goals you want to accomplish and how that money could help you. This way you will have to forgo something in order to purchase your whimsical item. If you decide to go ahead and buy your must have item, you are giving up the possibility of saving up for a down payment on a new home or becoming debt free.

Just say no
Too often we find ourselves in a position of spending too much money because we simply did not tell ourselves, or others, no. We said yes to meeting a friend for lunch even though it was not part of the budget. We said yes to buying those fancy shoes, even though we knew we would have to pay for them on credit. I know that coming out and saying no can be a difficult thing to do. So think of alternatives instead. Tell you friend that you have exceeded your eating out budget and invite him/her to walk in the park or watch a movie at your place instead. Another alternative to buying an item on impulse, is to tell yourself that you will see if you can incorporate the item in your next budget. Chances are, you may not even still want the shoes by then. The more you are able to think of alternative options to simply spending more money than you have, the more you will develop the habit of sticking to your budget.

If you implement all three steps into your budgeting and spending routines, your emotionally charged spending habits will be one less thing financially,that you have to worry about.

How to get a raise at your current job

In our quest for creating wealth, our focus should be primarily on investing in vehicles which will provide us a decent return on our money. But the money we will use for our investments come primarily from the income we receive from our place of employment. Therefore receiving a pay increase should be a goal of yours. No, I am not talking about the standard 3% increase given to you because it seems like the right thing to do. I am talking about substantial increases above and beyond the normal annual pay raises most employers normally give.

Exceed expectations
Every position comes with a set of expectations of what is required for you to do your job, do your job well, or do more than is expected for someone in your position. Your goal is gain more responsibility than your current position requires. The key is to do your work faster and better than anyone else at your place of employment. You may think that you have too much work as it is, but the truth is that our work days are normally filled with interruptions, unimportant conversations and other time wasters. Think about how much work you can complete if you analyzed your work day and redesigned it to make it as effective as possible. The more effective you become, the more time you free up to ask for more responsibility. Once you have it, work diligently to exceed those expectations as you did with your normal work assignments.

Work to impact the bottom line
As you methodically plan the most efficient ways to complete your job, you should also ask yourself what you can do to directly impact the bottom line. Impacting the bottom line means both making and saving money. The answer will not come easy at first but the more you simmer with that notion, the more you will begin to see the answer(s) revealed to you. Ask questions about the processes and systems currently in place in the organization and make informed suggestions. Make sure you have done some research and have any numbers necessary to support your ideas. Even if your suggestion is not implemented, you will begin to create the reputation as the person who has input on how to manage the organization's processes. If you are in a position where your job impacts the bottom line, like sales, you are in a very fortunate position to change your personal income. Fine tune your skill, find the highest producer in your company and ask them about their techniques over lunch. Read sales books and attend seminars. Do whatever you can to increase your skill level.

Ask for a raise
Sometimes, your employer may not be willing to simply give you a 15, 20, or 50% raise on their own. Sometimes your boss may require a little nudging. Before you ask, take inventory of everything you have accomplished over the past year. Speak in terms of how your actions have impacted the business directly. Your boss may not care how well you did completing your tasks unless your actions had a more organization wide impact. Clearly demonstrate how invaluable you are to the organization by detailing your progress, and your personal goals for the upcoming year. Do some research online for other companies who can use your talent for a higher salary. Tell your supervisor that you do not wish to leave the organization but if your talent will be better received by a competitor, then you have no other choice. You will be surprised how much of an increase you receive if you simply ask for one.

Get a promotion
If there is a limit to how much you can make in your current position, it may be time to look up the ladder for other opportunities. Generally a promotion means an instant salary increase without having to wait for annual review time. Set your sights on what position you would like to interview for and prepare now. As in internal candidate your past performance will be critical when management makes their decision. This is why you must perform in your current role as if you are completely over qualified for what you do today. Focus on the position you want and ask for special tasks or projects that will prepare you for the role. Do not be afraid to let management know of your interest in the position and their recommendations of any areas of opportunities you should develop before you officially apply.

These are just a few of the actions you can start to implement at you workplace to get you a larger paycheck. Once you receive your much deserved raise, you have to be careful not to "blow" it by creating a higher standard of living for your self. Clear any outstanding debts with your extra income, then begin to create wealth with it.

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Saving like the wealthy

Saving money is one of the pillars of creating a wealthy lifestyle. But not all savings methods are created equal. As a general rule, you should use your savings accounts for money that may be needed in the near future for purchases such as a home, car, or as an emergency fund. The key to saving smart is to earn the highest rate of return possible on your money.

Traditional banks offer little or no interest on the money you place in your personal accounts. What you may not know is that the money you put away is earning a high interest rate on loans the bank provides their consumers. Your money is making the bank money. Why not get a bigger piece of the action by placing your money in an online bank account. Online banks do not have the high overhead of physical banks. They are able to offer much higher interest rates to their customers and often require no minimum amount to get started. Another benefit of an online bank is that your money is much more accessible than other savings methods such as certificates of deposit (CD’s). If the bank is FDIC insured, you have a government backed guarantee that your money is protected up to $100,000.

Wealthy people leverage other people’s money when making wise investments. You can leverage other people’s money when you enroll in your company’s 401(K) program. Most organizations are offering a match to your contribution amount. That match is sometimes as high as $100% of your contributions. Where else can you find a guarantee of 100% on your money? If you are not currently enrolled in your company’s 401(k) plan, do so today!

Another key to saving like the wealthy is to take the money you save from smart purchases and put it to work. You get no benefit from finding the best deal on groceries, if you turn around and spend your savings on something else. The key to saving wisely is to take the money saved from lifestyle changes and placing it somewhere that it can grow for you long-term. Remember that your money can work harder for you than you can work for your money so make a commitment today to begin saving like the wealthy.