Obamacare, Uninsurance Benefits, and other Government Subsidies What Its Like

Obamacare, Uninsurance Benefits, and other Government Subsidies What Its Like Two days ago the HuffingtonPost had an article titled 360,000 Obamacare Enrollees At Risk Of Losing Subsidies I think this is an interesting and historic part of U.S. history, and am interested in seeing Obamacare play out.  I was wondering why so many enrollees would get what would feel like a bait-and-switch on their government sponsored health insurance was it a mistake in the (almost) billion dollar software failure?  Was it really a bait-and-switch?  Was it so unsustainable that it couldnt even work for a year? Apparently, none of those.  Jeffrey Young, the HuffPo blogger, reported on something I am way too familiar with, because of the time I collected Unemployment Insurance.  Back in 2006, after I had lost my job, I managed to swallow my pride (which was much harder than I thought it would be) and crawl humbly into the government building where I would file an uninsurance claim. So much work to get a few hundred bucks a week.  But it was my safety net.  It would ease some of the scariness of having no other income from any other source.  It could help me make it a few more weeks as I was on a serious hunt for the job that could sustain my family and pay my bills.  I didnt want it, but I thought I needed it. When you first walk into the building, you are ashamed, embarrassed, and think I dont belong here.  Other people belonged there, but I didnt.  I had worked too hard in school, and in my jobs, to be in the unemployment line. It wasnt like in the movies: big lines, no one speaks English, hustle-and-bustle and the workers dont care about you.  There was hardly anyone around. I remember going into a room, filling out paperwork, and having a chat with one of the employees.  I was embarrassed (did I mention that already) and I felt they were probing and condescending.  I dont mean that I demand respect from everyone, but they way they treated me, well, I felt like a zero and they, with their governemt job and pension, and trying to sniff out the welfare abusers, were accusing me of sucking. Maybe it was just me. Over the next few weeks I got accustomed to calling into the automatic system to declare I was diligently doing a job search.  I think all I had to claim, by pressing 1 or 2 or 3 on the keypad, was that I had made contact with two new employers in that last week.  Maybe there was more I was supposed to do as a job seeker, but it wasnt rigorous at all.  It was actually quite wimpy. I easily met the requirements, all the while wondering why they didnt make the requirements a bit harder.  The concept was that we were supposed to work for this money, but just making contact with two new companies each week was not much work.  The contact didnt even have to be substantial. I could walk into a company, say hi to the front desk person, ask for a job application, and walk out.  Thats a contact, as far as I was told. Around this time, I started working on JibberJobber.  There was a potential for income during my job search.  This meant that my income would change, and then I would have to report it, weekly, to the Unemployment people.  This is where it really started to feel weird.  If I made $10 from an upgrade one month, how would that affect my check?  As I was becoming self-employed it seemed their demeanor changed.  Even though I was making zero dollars, I was self-employed this meant that I shouldnt get unemployment There was a dark cloud hanging over this entrepreneurial endeavor the entire time. In Youngs article he says: Federal authorities will begin contacting 279,000 households, representing 363,000 individuals, on Monday to urge them to provide additional information about how much money they make because the figures submitted in their Obamacare subsidies applications dont match federal tax records Im all for finding the crooks and the frauds but Im not convinced that almost 300k households are defrauding the government.  But I have a feeling that those conversations arent going to go very pleasantly.  They federal authorities are more likely to go in like the Gestapo, with intimidation and a lot of disbelief.  They were, after all, going to listen to a bunch of liars, and they better be ready to cut them off at the knees. Heres where it gets a little scary, for the honest people who either made honest mistakes (with our tax code, its easy to make mistakes, even for accountants who specialize in taxes): Consumers who do not contact health insurance exchange authorities to verify the accuracy of their income or to offer up-to-date information risk seeing their tax credits reduced beginning next month Heres were it gets VERY scary: These people may also have to repay the government if they received more subsidies than their income should have allowed. So there is a chance you might lose this great promise of health insurance, but worse, that youll have to pay the subsidy back? This was the same threat at the unemployment office. Im not saying that we should all get a sympathy pass.  But the threat of the government coming back to me weeks, months, maybe years later, and saying we think you lied about something heres an invoice you have to pay, was really scary. Combine that with the attitude of the workers in the office, which was one of always accusing you of lying or defrauding the good old US of A, or having compassion or customer service of  negative ten on a scale of one to ten, and we decided it was simply time to opt out. No, we dont want to give you more information about us than we need.  Im slightly distrustful about what information you collected in the first place. No, you no longer need to know every step Im making, especially when it has nothing to do with a real and effective job search. No, the few hundred bucks I get is not that important to me anymore. Living under a Hitler-like, accusatory, Gestapo-at-the-door, was just not worth it.  It became scary.  There was absolutely no peace of mind, or sense of help from the government.  The sense was we will find you doing something wrong, and we OWN YOU! I know the programs are in place for a reason (especially Obamacare, which is trying to fix a very messed up insurance industry), and Im thankful they are there, but the way they are implemented is enough to drive people out. Maybe that is the whole point. Obamacare, Uninsurance Benefits, and other Government Subsidies What Its Like Two days ago the HuffingtonPost had an article titled 360,000 Obamacare Enrollees At Risk Of Losing Subsidies I think this is an interesting and historic part of U.S. history, and am interested in seeing Obamacare play out.  I was wondering why so many enrollees would get what would feel like a bait-and-switch on their government sponsored health insurance was it a mistake in the (almost) billion dollar software failure?  Was it really a bait-and-switch?  Was it so unsustainable that it couldnt even work for a year? Apparently, none of those.  Jeffrey Young, the HuffPo blogger, reported on something I am way too familiar with, because of the time I collected Unemployment Insurance.  Back in 2006, after I had lost my job, I managed to swallow my pride (which was much harder than I thought it would be) and crawl humbly into the government building where I would file an uninsurance claim. So much work to get a few hundred bucks a week.  But it was my safety net.  It would ease some of the scariness of having no other income from any other source.  It could help me make it a few more weeks as I was on a serious hunt for the job that could sustain my family and pay my bills.  I didnt want it, but I thought I needed it. When you first walk into the building, you are ashamed, embarrassed, and think I dont belong here.  Other people belonged there, but I didnt.  I had worked too hard in school, and in my jobs, to be in the unemployment line. It wasnt like in the movies: big lines, no one speaks English, hustle-and-bustle and the workers dont care about you.  There was hardly anyone around. I remember going into a room, filling out paperwork, and having a chat with one of the employees.  I was embarrassed (did I mention that already) and I felt they were probing and condescending.  I dont mean that I demand respect from everyone, but they way they treated me, well, I felt like a zero and they, with their governemt job and pension, and trying to sniff out the welfare abusers, were accusing me of sucking. Maybe it was just me. Over the next few weeks I got accustomed to calling into the automatic system to declare I was diligently doing a job search.  I think all I had to claim, by pressing 1 or 2 or 3 on the keypad, was that I had made contact with two new employers in that last week.  Maybe there was more I was supposed to do as a job seeker, but it wasnt rigorous at all.  It was actually quite wimpy. I easily met the requirements, all the while wondering why they didnt make the requirements a bit harder.  The concept was that we were supposed to work for this money, but just making contact with two new companies each week was not much work.  The contact didnt even have to be substantial. I could walk into a company, say hi to the front desk person, ask for a job application, and walk out.  Thats a contact, as far as I was told. Around this time, I started working on JibberJobber.  There was a potential for income during my job search.  This meant that my income would change, and then I would have to report it, weekly, to the Unemployment people.  This is where it really started to feel weird.  If I made $10 from an upgrade one month, how would that affect my check?  As I was becoming self-employed it seemed their demeanor changed.  Even though I was making zero dollars, I was self-employed this meant that I shouldnt get unemployment There was a dark cloud hanging over this entrepreneurial endeavor the entire time. In Youngs article he says: Federal authorities will begin contacting 279,000 households, representing 363,000 individuals, on Monday to urge them to provide additional information about how much money they make because the figures submitted in their Obamacare subsidies applications dont match federal tax records Im all for finding the crooks and the frauds but Im not convinced that almost 300k households are defrauding the government.  But I have a feeling that those conversations arent going to go very pleasantly.  They federal authorities are more likely to go in like the Gestapo, with intimidation and a lot of disbelief.  They were, after all, going to listen to a bunch of liars, and they better be ready to cut them off at the knees. Heres where it gets a little scary, for the honest people who either made honest mistakes (with our tax code, its easy to make mistakes, even for accountants who specialize in taxes): Consumers who do not contact health insurance exchange authorities to verify the accuracy of their income or to offer up-to-date information risk seeing their tax credits reduced beginning next month Heres were it gets VERY scary: These people may also have to repay the government if they received more subsidies than their income should have allowed. So there is a chance you might lose this great promise of health insurance, but worse, that youll have to pay the subsidy back? This was the same threat at the unemployment office. Im not saying that we should all get a sympathy pass.  But the threat of the government coming back to me weeks, months, maybe years later, and saying we think you lied about something heres an invoice you have to pay, was really scary. Combine that with the attitude of the workers in the office, which was one of always accusing you of lying or defrauding the good old US of A, or having compassion or customer service of  negative ten on a scale of one to ten, and we decided it was simply time to opt out. No, we dont want to give you more information about us than we need.  Im slightly distrustful about what information you collected in the first place. No, you no longer need to know every step Im making, especially when it has nothing to do with a real and effective job search. No, the few hundred bucks I get is not that important to me anymore. Living under a Hitler-like, accusatory, Gestapo-at-the-door, was just not worth it.  It became scary.  There was absolutely no peace of mind, or sense of help from the government.  The sense was we will find you doing something wrong, and we OWN YOU! I know the programs are in place for a reason (especially Obamacare, which is trying to fix a very messed up insurance industry), and Im thankful they are there, but the way they are implemented is enough to drive people out. Maybe that is the whole point.

4 Example Answers To Describe A Challenge You Overcame - Algrim.co

4 Example Answers To Describe A Challenge You Overcame - Algrim.co When an interviewer asks you, describe to me a challenge you overcame or describe a challenge you faced and how you overcame it â€" you want to be sure that you have a well prepared, heartfelt and meaningful story to tell the interviewer. This can be a hard and tough ask for a lot of interviewees. In this article we’re going to help you understand how to craft a story that impacts the interviewer. As well as providing a few boilerplate examples that you can use for your upcoming interview. What Type Of Question Is This As with any “tell me” or “describe to me” interview questions, it’s vital that we recognize the interviewer is asking us a behavioral interview question. These questions are those that require us to describe situations either at home or in the workplace and how our actions created results. This is different than regular interview questions that are testing you on a variety of skills and knowledge requirements. Related: 13 Behavioral Interview Questions & Answers: Guide, How To Answer What The Interviewer Wants To Know With this behavioral interview question in general, the interviewer wants to know more about you. You have two choices, tell a personal story or tell a work story. Both are absolutely okay. But they need to be indicative of both the question that was asked and unique to who you are. When you’re thinking of what the interviewer wants to know, you can break it down as the following: Something unique about you Something heartfelt and meaningful to your career A true challenge in life that you’ve either not overcome or are about to overcome What Not To Answer With With this question, in particular, it is best to stay away from answers that tell stories about your personal past without much meaning behind it for the interviewer. For example, talking about how your swim coach was always asking you and your team to do better. And how that was a challenge. Something like that won’t exactly be the most meaningful to the interviewer because they really can’t relate to it. You need to find a story that’s relatable so that it will have an impact. If it lacks empathy towards the listener, the impact will be diminished by result. Example Answer Paths You have two distinct paths, which we’re going to give examples for when answering this. Either a path of telling a personal story or a path of telling a work story. Both are okay as long as they meet our criteria. Your communication paths are to: Tell a personal story: One that relates to experience in college or life that shows your leadership or communication abilities. Good for those who may not have a lot of work experience. Tell a work story: One that puts a situation in front of the interviewer and what tactics you used to overcome the challenge you were faced with. Good for those with previous work experience. Example Personal Answers To “Describe A Challenge You Overcame” “Early in my life, I felt invincible. Rightfully so, I think we all do when we’re young. But one horrible day I received a phone call that one of my family members had passed away. This is the type of phone call none of us wish to get. It occurred with a family member who I felt was young. Not much older than me. We dealt with the situation at hand. But afterward, it made me really put into perspective how I was living my life. Today, I choose to live life to the fullest, every day. That means enjoying my work, enjoying the people around me, trying to create the best environment and contribute to society.” “Early in my career I was given the opportunity to run a small business. We had outside investors and a great opportunity in front of us. I won’t go into the full story. But what I can tell you is that my communication skills at that time prevented me from ever moving that business and opportunity forward in a meaningful way. Ever since then I’ve strived to work with coaches to ensure my communication skills are always in development. Communication is the way we connect with others. I constantly want to be improving it.” Example Work Answers To “Describe A Challenge You Overcame” “There was a situation at one of my previous jobs where a few of our managers were let go. And I was quickly given a promotion into one of their positions. Soon after I was asked to let another colleague of mine, go. It was something I’ve never done before. When I sat down with the colleague I told them that this was the first time I’ve ever had to do this. And that it was quite difficult for me. But I had to let them go. They understood. They appreciated my honesty and recognized that it was simply a layoff and not a termination. It was a wonderful experience for me.” “A few positions I’ve had previously I needed to communicate to a colleague that I was having a difficult time learning how to do great work at the company. This was difficult for me to admit. I always felt like I should be the one who knows the most. The more I fought my anger and frustration for not knowing how to accomplish certain tasks, the more difficult the situation as a whole became. I realized one day that if I simply changed a few of my habits that my work could not only improve but my overall happiness in the position could improve too. From that day forward I started making sure I asked my colleagues for assistance when I needed it.”

How to Cure the Summertime Unemployment Blues

How to Cure the Summertime Unemployment Blues It is never easy being a job seeker, especially when you are unemployed. Finding a job gets a lot tougher when it seems like everyone you need to contact for a job has gone on vacation.However, the summertime could be the best time for you to get hired.Read why job seekers in the summer can get hired and how to cure those summertime unemployment blues.Why Summertime Makes Finding Work Easier...If You Are LookingThere are three simple reasons why you can find work in the summer if you step up your job search efforts.Job seekers face less competition in the summer from employed job seekers. Hiring managers and recruiters have more time on their hands, as hiring has slowed down. In general, people tend to be more relaxed and willing to network in the summer.Hiring data collected over a period of 10 years has shown the most active month for hiring decisions is June. December is the slowest, given there are more job seekers to choose from.When the employed cats are away, it is time for th e unemployed job seekers to play. Here is how to make it happen for you.Look for Temporary Contract Work That Covers Those Vacationing EmployeesThe summer is a good time to find work in which you cover for people on vacation.Companies with temp worker departments may hire people for two or three weeks at a time.This is a great time for you to test run a company while getting to know people in the office.In a short period of time, you can work your hardest to show people how amazing you are and why it is great to have you around.Who knows? They may discover how much they miss you the day after you leave and that full-time employee returns.Here’s How to Roll With the Punches of a Delay-Filled Summer Job SearchThe summer months are the only time of the year when the entire US is experiencing warm weather and plenty of sunshine.Use this good feeling to do these three things more so than you would in busier months:Network on LinkedIn Network with people in-person that you normally comm unicate digitally with Travel for job interviews and make a vacation out of itYou have to expect delays while job seeking in the summer. But this means you should start networking for a job, not stop. It also does not mean you have to stop vacationing.Do you have a city you had always wanted to visit? Try and find an interview in that city. Better yet, go to that favorite city, look for jobs, and walk right into the office to hand someone your resume.If this sounds crazyI tried it before on a trip to Hamilton, Bermuda. I found that while every other local is bound by following the local rules, I was only in town for 7 days.I had nothing to lose. It worked for me. I was hired by that company’s New York City office after the summer ended and I was back in New York.I have tried this two more times in the last 18 years. Each time, the people I met had an appreciation for someone who would travel that far to visit their city.The Summer Is a Great Time to Network Through Volunteering an d InternshipsThe summer months are a great time to explore networking opportunities through volunteer work.Whether it be working in a youth organization, teaching a class, or taking on an internship, the summer is the best time to get your foot in the door at a company.Regardless of your industry or position, you can find hundreds of opportunities by doing a Google search of “summer internships 2018”.Given you are an intern, and you know you will only have 3 months to make an impact, you may as well show the company, organization, or whatever you do, the very best of yourself.Consider it a 3-month long networking event that will lead to making connections and finding yourself a new job!

Start your career in an SME

Start your career in an SME Its easy to see why so many students are drawn to the big graduate recruiters: prestige, salary, structured training and a fairly transparent (if sometimes rather lengthy) selection process. Competition for graduate schemes is intense, but the eye watering applicant to offer ratio doesnt seem to deter students quite the opposite. And theres some powerful psychology at play: graduate schemes are synonymous with success it takes a pretty confident and self-assured individual to resist their lure.  Over the years Ive seen scores of students who feel they  should  apply to big multinationals, and yet cant articulate a convincing reason why beyond a sense of expectation  its what Im supposed to do   or peer pressure  all my flatmates are applying. Big graduate recruiters have a strong campus presence, which both reflects and sustains the relationship between students and recruiters. Companies wouldnt waste time and money on high profile promotional activities if they didnt work. Many of you will bag yourself a place on a grad scheme, but some wont and for a sizeable minority such opportunities may not be the best way to realise your career aspirations. It may just be time to broaden your horizons and job search and start thinking about SMEs Ok, so what are SMEs? This is just a handy acronym for small and medium sized enterprises, defined as independent companies employing fewer than 250 employees. And heres an interesting fact:  SMEs account for 99.9% of all private sector businesses in the UK and employ over 14 million people   pretty astonishing when you consider that SMEs are at best peripheral to, and at worst, completely absent from, many students job search. We have seen increased SME engagement with our employer services over the past year and its safe to say this is a becoming an important growth area for graduate recruitment. Not quite the same order of magnitude as the big corporates, but significant nonetheless. A quick search on  myAdvantage  today generated 38 immediate start vacancies, covering sectors as diverse as IT, marketing, media, finance and recruitment. Perception v reality A recent survey by  graduate-jobs.com, shed some light on student perceptions of SMEs and why theres a general reluctance to view SMEs as a viable alternative to the blue chips. Of the questions asked, the following three are the most illuminating: Over a pretend 12 month period do think you would learn more working for an SME or a large company?  76% said they would learn more working for an SME. Which would you consider more of a risk working for an SME or working for a large company?  73% felt it was higher risk to work for an SME. Do you think its more prestigious to work for an SME or a large company?  86% think it is more prestigious to work for a large company. Its hardly surprising that perception of risk (not without some foundation) precludes some of you from exploring the SME angle, but I cant help wondering if the response to question three is rather more telling? Are you wedded to the dream of a graduate job because it confers status, and signals to the world that youve arrivedand succeeded? Theres nothing wrong with that we all like recognition, but in the current climate you may be artificially restricting your options if you concentrate your search exclusively on the big players. By waiting for that job offer (which may never come) you could miss out on the chance to get some real world experience and start building your career portfolio. What are the benefits? Now, Im aware that anecdote doesnt equal evidence but I do have a personal story worth sharing. An acquaintance of mine who graduated last year (Russell Group; 2;1) spent a good few months post-graduation applying for any and every corporate finance scheme. Number of job offers: 0. As reality dawned he started to widen his job search and his words  lower my sights. He soon found a marketing job with a small digital media company. The salary and fringe benefits cant compare with the big graduate recruiters, but the experience certainly can: hes handling client accounts, organising corporate events and has played an active role at the negotiating table. Pretty impressive and guaranteed to wow future employers. There are some real tangible benefits that come from working for an SME: Smaller teams and a flatter organisational/management structure can create opportunities for you to shoulder early responsibility, manage projects and exercise greater influence over decision making. Hands on experience. SMEs are not equipped to offer the same level of training and supervision as their larger rivals, so you may just have to get stuck in. A sure-fire way to become resourceful and resilient! Roles in smaller organisations are often less rigid, so theres more chance for you to grow your job and get involved with other tasks and functions. If you can work with minimal supervision, are flexible, pragmatic and have a healthy dose of common sense then you may just find the SME route worth considering. Where to find SME vacancies SMEs are operating within much tighter budget constraints than big corporates, so try to minimise risk with recruitment and selection. They advertise as and when and dont align with the graduate recruitment cycle. Dont expect a lengthy recruitment process: typically you would apply with a CV and covering letter and may be offered an interview (and job!) within a week or so. Youll need to be a little more resourceful and proactive in your job search, so make sure you: Use  myAdvantage vacancy search   you can set criteria by location, sector and start date. Check the local and national press keep your search area as broad as possible. Search the  UK Small Business Directory   search by county, then category e.g.  Bristol Accountants in Bristol Use your networks face to face and online (see this:  social media core medium for SME recruitment). Check this  Guardian Jobs: SME jobs. Keep up to date with business/industry/press whos expanding, diversifying? Any new start-ups? Use Yell to help you find SMEs in your area. Are you near any science or business parks? Why not send some speculative applications? Consider  Step  if youre looking for a shorter placement this could be a good way in. SMEs are keen to recruit bright, capable graduates who want to contribute from day one. You may initially lose out in the glamour and finance stakes, but youll gain valuable knowledge and experience. What better way to drive your career forward?

Using PowerPoint For Resume Writing

Using PowerPoint For Resume WritingPowerPoint is probably the most versatile of all document types, which is why it's so popular for resume writing. PowerPoint is very adaptable to a variety of formats. Most people will choose to have it saved as a PDF file because of its compact size and ease of sharing. A resume that's presented in a slide show format opens up many opportunities for showcasing skills and experiences, which are extremely beneficial to a job applicant.Resume slides can be divided into two categories: those that are written in the text and those that are simply images. The former can be placed anywhere on the page and can be manipulated at will, whereas the latter must be uploaded to an online site and the use of Adobe's program Photoshop is required to add graphics. Although there are many free software applications available on the Internet, a professional application such as Adobe's will do the job just as well.Those who prefer PowerPoint to have more control over formatting will find that writing text-based slides can be more user-friendly and be used for formatting in a number of ways. Bullet points and subheadings are just two of the more common formatting options. Using the two options, a person can focus on the more important points in their resume while making sure they get across the main points.Most resumes contain generic text bullet points, which are typically five words or less. PowerPoint may come in handy here. The content of the bullet points is usually accompanied by a heading and subheading in order to create a more dynamic presentation. A slide of the sections of the resume can then be attached to the page, and the words can be formatted according to the needs of the reader.Instead of using all the text for each section of the original resume, the designer can use a grid or outline layout. When the slide show has been successfully added, the main points can be highlighted and taken out of the flow of the presentation. They ca n then be filled in with a more detailed description.Another excellent way to structure a resume is to break it down into sections for each job that has been filled, such as work experience and education. An important point to note here is that the same basic rules apply to both sections. Only differences will be seen in the colors and font choices that are selected.As much as the designing of a resume can be a great source of joy and a loved pastime, it can also be a full-time job to keep it all organized. Resume writing PowerPoint presentations are simple to make, but require a little time spent on planning. The color scheme can be picked from the resume template itself, but a custom one should be used that highlights the key points and formatting options.If the task of writing a resume on PowerPoint is too much for you, an online solution is available for resume writing that requires little or no knowledge of computers. This type of solution allows people to create personal lette rs or resume templates on their own time and for a minimal cost. Creating your own resume on PowerPoint will not only save time, but will improve your chances of landing the perfect job.

7 Steps to Help You Ace Your Job Interview - CareerAlley

7 Steps to Help You Ace Your Job Interview - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Richard Nelson Bolles seminal book called What Color Is Your Parachute? has been in print since 1970s and for a good reason: Richard takes a bold approach to career hunting and job seeking. He delivers an approach that most students, career changers, and potential job candidates dont think of. Finding a full-time job is a full-time job his famous line augurs well with his approach. Did you catch yourself saying or thinking the following? Ah, but the economy is sailing through depression There arent any jobs to my liking No ones hiring For once, we wont bother with statistics anymore. It isnt about the number of jobs or opportunities (there are plenty to choose from). What causes the turmoil is the incredibly low rate of employability? If its not about your employability, then theres something wrong with your approach. Employers struggle to find the right people all the time while candidates who have all the potential dont really shine through until they get through the door. Here are some top tips to get through your interviews easily: #1 Show up even before you are called This is 2014. The reach of Internet has exploded. Almost everyone has access to the Internet today and that includes your employers. Before they call you, theres a probability that they might do a quick search about you on the Internet and your Facebook page, your twitter account, and your Google + profile is likely to show up first. Every instance of a social update is an open ticket for the world to watch you, real time. Your employers now have processes in place where theyd check out who you are before they even consider your application. How do you look like on social media networks? What do you discuss or talk about? These things reveal a lot about you. #2 Confidence is where it starts Confidence in what you do, say, and be makes all the difference. Remember the scene in The Pursuit of Happyness where Will Smith plays Chris Gardners character? Chris just walks into a leading stock broking company in the worst possible attire along with patches of paint and still walks away with the job. To get that confidence, youll need experience. Youll need knowledge in your domain. Gain knowledge by investing in resources, learning, reading a lot, and by asking questions. Gain experience by going beyond your call of duty pick up part-time jobs, internships, and provide free work to showcase these as your achievements. In short, you are making a great entry even before you get to the interview. #3 Asking your educational credentials is a habit; but it wont matter When employers ask for your degree, understand that its a cultural habit. Its not the primary criteria for your selection. Whether you are a multiple-degree holder or a fancy MBA, your employers care less about that. What they care about is about what you can do for them. What value do you bring to the table? Why are you better than thousands other potential recruits? When you go to that interview, youll do well to have answers to these questions. Businesses suffer from the regular hire to fire later syndrome. One big problem that most companies face apart from attrition is the acute shortage of employable candidates. If you are pining for a job that pays you well and enables you to do what you love doing, its your duty to convince them that you are the best person for the job. Show them what you got. Convince them that youd do miracles if they give you a chance. Its again back to showing up and selling yourself well. #4 Personal Branding, and everything that leads to it Candidates are rarely trained to present for success blame the education system, peer influence, lack of initiative on the part of scores of schools and colleges. Starting with how you write your resume while preparing to apply for jobs and all the way until you actually get the job your presentation matters. Your confidence shines through. Yet, you believed that your education was all-too-important. You thought that a degree could fetch you a job. Over 800,000 graduates roll out colleges each year. How exactly did you think you would compete with them when everyone passed? Now, that presentation cant be fluff. Theres got to be meat in there. To get meat, you have to go shopping. Look to work on projects. Create something. Write regularly. Have something to show them. You could host events, launch seminars, write a blog, and work on side projects. You could do a lot to spice up your personal brand. #5 What skills you got? Your degree is perhaps a benchmark to weed out those who couldnt even muster up a college degree. Its a tool that employers use to shortlist; but its not the only determinant factor using which employers hire. Do you have skills that matter? What do you bring to the table? What skills can you proudly claim to have mastered? Now, please be advised: knowledge is aplenty. Its available at the click of a mouse and information just plays right into your hands. Whats not available, can never be duplicated, and can absolutely be unique to you is how you utilize this knowledge to apply and solve real problems. #6 You are sending out vibes The lack of employability skills among job aspirants isnt just attributed to experience, credentials, resumes, and the works. Its also about the way you shake hands and how you maintain eye contact. Your body language will make impressions on others, which in turn determines your success. Other things such as posture, voice clarity, tone, and even the way you sit and stand will affect your interviews, relationships with others, and in your business interactions. Who teaches that in college? Even if they do, who is paying attention? In the end, who is paying for the consequences? #7 Demonstrate employer-employee match The match results are usually, Not found. Employers are looking for people to solve problems. For instance, all business needs sales (they look for people who can persuade, follow-up and sell); engineers (to innovate, solve technical issues, create software, etc.); Support staff (empathy, patience, understanding, and follow through). So when employers interview you, they are looking for answers that resonate with what they are looking for. Candidates go to interviews and say things like: I am hard working and punctual [Were you not expected to be, in the first place?] I am creative, innovative, and always willing to learn [Everyone has to] Really? What did you create? Is there an example through which you can demonstrate what you are saying? What was the last thing you learnt? The key here is to demonstrate and not just talk: Instead of saying you can communicate well, show them your blog. Instead of naming a list of skills, show them a portfolio. If you have to convince them about your leadership skills, narrate stories of how you led teams (with or without a job) with some of those side gigs you managed to work on. How do you prepare for interviews? Do you have any other suggestions? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Author Bio : Alpesh Patel is a freelance writer and blogger. He is an expert in online education, online degree courses and the developments taking place in this domain. In his spare time, he likes to read novels and write about online business degree. This is a Guest post. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by //

Goodbye Microsoft - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Goodbye Microsoft - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog A couple of days ago, my Office Suite died on me. And for once, this was no fault of Bills. I was cleaning out my harddisk, and must have deleted one file too many. Suddenly Outlook, Word, Excel etc. had stopped working. I spent a few seconds in the required (and familiar to any PC user) state of semi-panic, and then the solution came to me. Two hours later Id downloaded and installed Eudora and OpenOffice, and both work just great. Eudora installed completely painlessly, and automatically suggested that it could transfer my mails and adress book from Outlook. That didnt quite work some of the mails were trashed, and the adresses never made it into Eudora, but hey, I can live with that. The program itself looks really old the UI looks like a typical PC application circa 1998. On the whole its about as good as Outlook some things are better som are worse. Eudora is free in the sponsored mode, where a small rectangle in the lower lefthand corner of the screen displays ever-changing ads. Its fair and unobtrusive. OpenOffice impresses the hell out of me, and I do not understand why people continue to pay for the MS Office suite, when you can get this for free. Keep in mind, that Ive only used it for a few days, but so far its been able to read all my Office files (including som really complex spreadsheets), and its just as easy to use. Furthermore, both these programs run not only on Windows, but also on Macs, Unix and Linux boxes, so if I decide to change some day, I can continue to use them. This means, that the last two Microsoft programs that I use on a regular basis are Internet Explorer and Windows 2000, and we all know that they can be replaced. Though the latter may not be that easy. Im really grateful for the existence of free software of such high quality. Go ahead and try it for yourself, its a matter of an evenings work as most, providing you have a good internet connection (at least ADSL). Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related