Tips Archives - TODAY INDIA

Man Skin Care – Tips For Your Man

If you would like to have your man’s skin say good things about him to those he is in contact with (including yourself) these tips will be useful and timely. If you are a man and wonder what women want from a man when it comes to man skin care then read on as well.

Women like smooth, supple skin on a man. But men don’t generally enjoy talking about skin care so the best thing to do is for the woman to provide a limited thoughtful selection of products for his use in a convenient location. A good, unscented active body lotion next to the couch nearest your flat screen TV is a great choice. Male skin care products to cleanse, moisturize and occasionally deep-clean are usually sufficient. TOO MANY CHOICES ARE THE KISS OF DEATH for this renovation project.

Start with hand care, or even better, begin with a lotion to rub on his feet while your man is distracted by his ESPN addiction. Silky feet are a great addition to any relationship. Men and women should certainly both note this fact. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander in this particular case. Products containing vitamins and natural oils are superior to those with synthetic chemicals or preservatives for this budding young man skin care routine. An unscented lotion would be best for this first foray into men’s skin care. After the hands and feet are well tended and happy you can move on to more complex areas like the face.

Facial care is a delicate subject for some men. A rugged manly look may be a great thing in a young man but male skin care becomes more and more important as he ages. The skin becomes extremely weathered if certain restorative steps are not undertaken. Occupational hazards such as exposure to strong sunlight, harsh weather and chemicals are a big problem for men. The goal here is to retard the aging process, limit damage from free radicals and nourish the cell regeneration process. Good grooming, including skin care is a wonderful investment in the future of everyone’s career and personal relationships. Self-esteem shown by good grooming indicates good habits are probably found in other areas of the person’s life. Consistency, patience and attention to detail are never bad characteristics in a person’s temperament. Avoid explaining this to a man.

Perhaps a better idea would be to approach it as something you would like to do for him. Once he feels how good his skin can feel he will be hooked for life. And very soon, after you move into the face care process, he will notice a difference in the way other people treat him, too. It is a fact that good looking people are more likely to be promoted and respected by their peers.

Here’s one more reason to consider man skin care. Several recent studies, including one by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank have shown that the more attractive a person is, the more they make. Indeed, the survey, published in the Tampa Bay Business Journal, found that “Good looking people earned 5% more an hour than their less comely colleagues.” This might be another way to get your man started in the good habit of daily male skin care.

Just don’t expect him to carry his own skin care products in a make up bag.

When considering the needs of a man, skin care creams and lotions are plentiful. Continue educating yourself about ingredients that will feed the skin, as well as male skin care ingredients that can damage the skin. Doing so will assure that you find safe effective products.

5 Tips For Starting Your Own Internet Network Marketing Business

It’s powerful. It effective. It can explode your business. So what is an internet network marketing business anyways? The name internet network marketing is a a combination of two industries – internet marketing, a term used for marketing a product or business on the internet and network marketing, a term used for marketing a product or opportunity using word-of-mouth.

If you have been in network marketing for any length of time you have probably had someone in your upline tell you that there is no possible way to build a successful network marketing business online and that they only way to do it is to make a list of everyone you know on planet earth, call them and offer them the chance to partner with you in your business opportunity. Well this is one way to do it but doing it this way also limits your access to pool of resources that can help you build your network marketing business faster and with less rejection if you know how to do it properly!

Now we all know that social media is HOT, HOT, HOT!! I mean smoking HOT! You may be wondering if you can actually build your network marketing business on the internet when all you’ve ever been taught was how to take to your warm market and pass out fliers at the mall.

Well, I am going to show you what it takes to start succeeding in your internet network marketing business, how to do it right, and how to utilize the internet to ATTRACT people who already know about network marketing, want to the the best at it, understand the power of it and are willing to work for it.

Ask yourself this question…Isn’t the best person to recruit into your network marketing business someone who WANTS to succeed?

5 Steps For Starting Your Internet Network Marketing Business

1. Set Up a Blog!

This is the hub, your headquarters online. This is where you craft and distribute all of the content you create online. I highly recommend you use a self-hosted WordPress blog. Why? With a WordPress blog you own your content and since you are in business for yourself don’t you think you should own your own content? I mean you can get a free blogger or WordPress.com blog BUT this means that they can remove your content if you violate any of their terms or policies.

So if you are a serious internet network marketer the best move is to get a domain name from sites like godaddy.com and set up hosting through a webhosting service such as hostgator. It is inexpensive, it’s professional and it is customizable. You can build your blog anyway you like.

A blog is the very best way to get found on Google and the other search engines, it’s the best way to build an interactive community of people who share similar interest and it is easy to integrate with social media which can make your blog VIRAL for even more traffic.

2. Create Quality Content

What do want to learn as a network marketing building your business online? What challenges do you face getting traffic, generating leads or making sales? What strategies and tips have you learned that you know other marketers would love to get their hands on so they can start seeing the results they want? If you can stay in tune to what people need to know and the solutions they are looking for you will become a valuable asset not only to your business but to others as well.

For example, one of the biggest challenges in building an internet network marketing business is how to generate leads. Learn about how to overcome the lack of leads and share what you learn on your blog. By helping other marketers solve this issue you are becoming an authority on the topic and you will begin to ATTRACT people to you who want to learn from you and possibly partner with you in business.

3. Drive Traffic To Your Content

So what do you do with the quality content you create. You SHARE it! Use social media, forums, and other sites to drive traffic to your blog. You can share your links on Facebook, Twitter, social bookmarking sites such a StumbleUpon and Delicious. Start following people within your niche that share your same interests so you can start driving them to your site.

4. Build Your Mailing List

Use autoresponder software, such as AWeber or iContact, to start generating leads for your business. When a person takes the time to put their contact details in to your opt-in box, then you know that they want to learn more (or maybe they just want that free gift). You can continue to send them follow-up emails, tips, and training through your autoresponder to build relationship with them. Take a look at the layout of my blog to see how many opportunities my readers have to opt in to my mailing list if they are interested in learning more about internet network marketing. By building a substantial list you have the chance to recruit people into your business as you continue to build trust with them.

5. Be Consistent

Maybe the most important of them all -BE CONSISTENT. So many times people quit before they really breakthrough in their internet network marketing business because they are not consistent in their daily marketing routine. They don’t see the massive results they expect or “see” others getting so they give up too quickly. When you are consistent you are dedicated to the entire process of building a successful business online, that means that it takes time, hard work and simple implementation. Building an internet network marketing business is not easy but it is simple. Stay the course and the rewards will be more than you could have ever imagined!

How to Be in Control of Your Life: 40 Time Mastery Tips

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. ~Benjamin Franklin

Time mastery is different from time management. Time management is simply managing the time you have to work with each day and sometimes involves getting more done in less time. Time mastery on the other hand has first and foremost to do with being proactive and deciding in advance what you want (goals), how you will set up your days (your life really), and then choosing the best ways to execute that.

Below are 40 TIME MASTERY TIPS that may help you on your new journey. All of them are proven to help you visualize what you really want, focus on what’s most important to you now, say “no” to the things that get in the way of that, help free up time, create more efficiency, bring a sense of order and peace to a daily routine, and offer a sense of control. They work!

This is a list, not a plan. The list includes 40 strategies that will allow you to create the life you want in terms of how you use your time. They may or may not all be fitting for your life. Simply choose the ones that make sense to you-perhaps all of them will. Factor them into your routine, and implement them without hesitation. They will make your life and business more meaningful, easier and more enjoyable.

1. Establish a list of your important long-term, mid-term, and short-term goals. Select the MOST important one from each category-the one that you want to focus on AT THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE. You will have 3 to focus on at a time (one from each category).

2. Write your goals down: Written goals help the subconscious mind to work towards goal accomplishment and GREATLY increase the likelihood of achieving them. Written goals can be changed or adjusted at any time.

3. Create a list of tasks or activities that would cause you to accomplish EACH goal.

4. Prioritize your tasks and activities. The 80-20 Rule of economist Vilfredo Pareto notes that 80 percent of the reward comes from 20 percent of the effort. Prioritize tasks in order of value and importance. Concentrate on those items with the greatest reward-getting you to your goal.

5. Assign a DEADLINE to projects and tasks, particularly the ones that will take multiple activities to complete. Don’t fret-deadlines can be changed. Just do your best.

6. Think about tasks as being made up of “Time Molecules”. Some are small and some are bigger molecules. These “molecules” are “chunks” of time you can spend on a task throughout a day or on different days. Work on projects and tasks in “time molecule” chunks to finish at the deadline.

7. Revisit and declare your long-term and mid-term goals periodically, such as once a year on New Years day or your birthday: your desires may change, so your goals may dramatically change at any point in your life. For short-term goals, you should have a planning session at least every 3 months.

8. Two or more goals can be of the same importance even though you spend different amounts of time on each. You may have to set one goal temporarily aside while you work towards another, but acknowledge that they are both still goals and both still important.

9. Use only one calendar and look at it often. Use a day planner. Choose a simple one. Complicated systems can cause you to waste time while planning. Keep your planner with you at all times.

10. Before scheduling activities, block out family and personal time first. Block out time for vacation, spa days, exercise, personal time, church, and family. Block out events and trade shows that involve your career. Find the info from magazines and online.

11. Review your GOALS daily. Spend evenings (or early mornings) planning and organizing your approaching day. 15 minutes is enough time. Try to find solitude. Select and schedule some of the activities that will help to propel you towards your most important priority goals. these activities will be your high priority tasks.

12. Have a running to-do list, a single page or two in your day planner to jot down tasks that you suddenly remember have to be done. Try to schedule a few of these tasks into your daily activities. Delegate as many as possible.

13. Use a daily to-do list for what you want to accomplish each day. This will be the list you make during your daily planning session. Each day, schedule some of the priority tasks needed to achieve your goals and some from your “Running-To-Do-List”. Keep your daily tasks reasonable in number and achievable. Keep in mind you will experience interruptions.

14. Prioritize your daily to-do list items in terms of value and importance; #1 is the most important and valuable to accomplish, #2 the second most, etc. Keep your goals in mind. If you can’t do a task in order of priority because of time or other constraints, move to the next number and come back to the highest priority task later. Again, delegate where you can.

15. Commit to DO the items on your list, CROSS OUT tasks that have been accomplished.

16. Start the day with a high-priority task and continue with it until it is complete whenever you can. Focus on your most valuable task or activity in relation to your goals. You feel happier, more productive, and more in control of your life.

17. Block out a chunk of UNINTERRUPTED time in the same time slot each day to work on high priority tasks. Focus your attention and work on several similar or related tasks during this time (called batching). 1-3 hours is ideal.

18. Remember the concept of MOMENTUM if you are tempted to procrastinate. Just say you will work on a task for 2 minutes with no guilt if you stop. You will likely continue.

19. Schedule your most important tasks during your naturally productive time of the day. Do not use up your “Best Time” to do low priority or mundane tasks that can be done anytime of day (or by someone else).

20. Schedule in at least a few small tasks that you will COMPLETE in a day. This will empower and motivate you as you check them off your list!

21. Delegate tasks that are low priority or those others can easily do. Spend money to save time. Tasks that require little specialized training can be delegated out to office assistants. Tasks that require expertise can be sent out to a professional company. You can also hire out for personal chores such as dog walking, or things you do not like to do such as laundry. This will free you up. Look at it as a financial investment-Comparative Advantage- spend YOUR time on the things that make you the most profit and delegate the rest. Make the most money with your time!

22. Invest time in training others. Give up time in the short-term to train others for long-term benefits.

23. DO NOT let email overtake you. Check your mail once a day, or if you must once in the morning and once in the evening only. Set up a direct reply auto-responder letting people know you will get back to them within”blank number” of hours.

24. Totally eliminate time wasters like tasks that don’t propel you towards your goals, don’t relax you, and don’t make you feel good about your life.

25. Refuse to be caught in the trap of PERFECTIONISM. Perfectionism gets in the way of productivity. It means you are paying unnecessary attention to detail. You likely are the only one who knows the difference. This form of procrastination can keep you from accomplishing your true goals.

26. Leave a little bit of “free” time in your day for unexpected interruptions and time intrusions, and for opportunities that may come up. This is real life, be flexible when scheduling (but also be responsible).

27. Minimize interruptions by isolating yourself. Find a place to “hide away” for a few hours.

28. Focus on one task or activity at a time. Have out ONLY what you are CURRENTLY working on.

29. Avoid big lunches that can make you sluggish for the rest of the day.

30. Schedule time with your customers for when it is most convenient for THEM (it can really improve your sales results).

31. Literally “Throw Away” life’s clutter. Minimize the amount of “things” you have in your office (or home). This will save you time on maintenance. This is the first step in organizing your ideal environment.

32. Organize your office (and home) so that every item has a designated “HOME”. Make sure it is parked in its home when not in use. You can delegate the task of organizing to someone who is skilled at this.

33. Keep your desk clean. Clutter saps your energy and hinders creativity.

34. Reduce paper flow. Get in the habit of throwing papers away. For sketches and written notes, use a service that allows you to send a fax to your email so you’ll have a permanent.tif file you can print when needed. Toss junk mail out immediately. Do not set it on a table or desk. Throw away catalogs you plan to “read later” but know you never will. Feel the amazing freedom that comes from tossing them away!

35. Reduce T.V. time.

36. Quit attending organizations if they don’t bring you to your goals and you don’t enjoy them.

37. Let your children reduce time in planned activities. They’ll feel refreshed. Spend one on one time with them instead, or just let them decompress!

38. Take care of yourself. Sleep well and… (you know the rest)!

39. Allow some time to do nothing but relax and unwind, even if you think you don’t need it. Be balanced: too much scheduling and structure will discourage you over time. A little time daily to just unwind will clear your thinking.

40. Know this, and DO NOT feel guilty about it: There will never be enough time to do everything you want to or have to do.

Top 10 Tips to Create A Business Plan! (For People Who Hate Business Plans)

One of the key challenges for any business is to remain focused and invest resources for maximum pay-off. It’s said that 80% of a business’s activity accounts for only 20% of total profits. In plain language, most of the work we do is unfocused, poorly designed and ineffective. In today’s competitive world, no business, whether it’s an individual professional or a large manufacturing operation, can survive with that much lost time and wasted effort. A business plan can help, but most small business owners (and some managers/supervisors) hate doing them! In the spirit that any map is better than no map, here are my top ten keys to creating your own map to success:

1. Have a dream. This sounds simple and obvious, but answering the questions: “Why am I doing this? What’s the big picture?” can lead to profound changes in many organizations. Too often in the daily grind, we forget to think about where we want to go, or why we started the business or took the job in the first place.

2. Make the dream bigger. What if the whole world bought your products or loved your service? What would it mean if your profits, or your personal income were 10 times greater? How about 100, or 1000 times greater? What shifts in focus would that require? Would your daily routine change? Would you spend your time and energy on different problems, attend to different priorities? Why wait?

3. Make the dream clearer. Have a precise description of exactly what you want and hang it in your office, in the employee lunch room, in the restrooms, and on the dash of your car. Use key words, phrases, a photograph of your future office building or whatever symbol will crystallize the dream and make it real for you and for every member of your team

4. List 100 obstacles that will get in your way. Enlist staff, friends, competitors to help. Ask your customers to join with you in looking for the roadblocks, blindspots and bottlenecks that prevent you from growing. Make it a matter of personal pride to never have a problem pop up that you haven’t already considered.

5. List 1000 solutions, 10 for each potential problem. The key here is creativity, flexibility, and responding instantly when the unexpected happens. Expect the unexpected, and have a file of alternative solutions at your finger tips. It’s called contingency planning. Do it!

6. Get tons of advice. Have your accountant, your attorney, your insurance agent, your spouse and your cousin take a look at this. If you can’t explain it to them, will you be able to explain it to your staff? If these people don’t understand and support your plan, will you be able to maintain your own enthusiasm over the long haul?

7. Get GOOD advice. After explaining your dream and your plan to lots of people, sit down with a handful of those you trust the most, and pay them to give you their best feedback. Lots of people can give you technical advice, expert advice, and even friendly advice. Wisdom is more important, and harder to find.

8. Create the path of least resistance. Using the dream as your goal, and knowing the obstacles that could get in your way, begin mapping your way through the wilderness to your destination. What’s the easiest, most direct, route? What’s the safest route? Which combination of activities and priorities makes the most sense?

9. Take action. Once you know where you want to go and have a path to get there, start walking! Too many managers put their business plan into a nice file folder that is never looked at because they are too busy working “hard.” Instead, use your efforts and your plan together so that your effort is focused, productive and smart!

10. Re-assess often. Just as someone hiking across barren territory needs to periodically stop and check their map and compass to avoid walking in circles, business owners and managers need to check their direction and their priorities. Conditions change. Opportunities pop up or disappear, new problems arrive or the nature of the dream changes. All of these things will happen. Plan for it! Regularly step outside your business to re-assess and redefine your most important tasks. You can’t afford to spend 80% of your effort in busywork and unprofitable distractions. Re-assess and stay on course.

Tips For Writing Driver Resume Objectives

A driver is a professional person who is engaged in the driving activity. He or she drives a motorized vehicle such as a car or a bus for carrying goods or passengers. He or she should have a driving license for driving motorized vehicle.

The typical roles and responsibilities of a driver are listed as under:

1. People at this post are responsible for transporting passengers over some specific routes with provided time table. They also help passengers in carrying their luggage.

2. They have to clean vehicle and participate in routine maintenance. I also ensure that the trucks and equipments are safely and securely stored.

3. They are liable for loading and unloading trailer with the help of equipments, keeping vehicle in good condition and maintaining vehicle by checking oil, air, water level, tire pressures, fluid levels, lights etc.

4. They are responsible for monitoring delivery truck performance, performing routine maintenance, handling accounts, and doing necessary paperwork.

5. They have to inspect the vehicle before and after the trips and report the condition of vehicle to the transport agency or company. They test vehicle for checking oil, fuel, water, air, and radiator fuel.

6. They have to manage yard operations and maintain heavy equipments. They even load and unload merchandise on time, and collect payments from the customers.

7. People at this position are responsible for driving vehicles to various locations to pump and service grease traps. They have to operate vehicles in a safe and effective manner in order to minimize risk of injury.

8. They have to maintain and repair vehicles and prepare reports of passengers and trips. They also check breaks, tires, lights, oil, safety equipments and water for daily trips.

A driver resume objective is the first thing that a potential employer encounters regarding the job applicant. It must demonstrate the technical skills and credentials of the candidate. Writing a good curriculum vitae objective is very important for getting a decent job. In this article, I would like to provide a sample curriculum vitae objective for this post.

I wish to obtain a commercial driving position in the prestigious organization where I can use my excellent driving skills to give better service. I am a detailed and organized worker with clear driving record.

The aim of CV objective is to increase the chance of getting a positive response from the employer. I hope now you will not face any difficulty in writing an objective.

If You Knew These 5 Network Marketing Tips, You Would Be a Billionaire

Network marketing is one of the industries joined by very many people on a daily basis and it is also one of the businesses majorities of people quit on a daily basis. This is not an accident; it is because some people don’t know the tips and tricks necessary to build the business.

The following are the 5 network marketing tips to help you become a billionaire in the business

# Focus on building the business the promotion will come

Very many network marketing business builders focus on promotion and forget that apart from recognition there is nothing that is in promotion. As a business builder, you have to focus on the growth of you business not on the level where you are in the business.

Building the business leads to automatic shift to the next level in the business and the main thing that will help you achieve this is recruiting. When you recruit people, the organization grow and more products move which leads to promotion in the business.

# Work on your leadership skills

Unless you become a leader, you will never be a super star in network marketing because you have downlines in your organization who look up to you for support. The first thing you have to work on is the attitude issue and once you work on it, you will be able to become a good leaser.

To influence downlines to build a business you must have a positive attitude and on addition to this you must be able to motivate and inspire downlines to take more action for the business to grow.

# Sell products online to earn profits on a daily basis to facilitate the business

Network marketing is a business and it requires money to run very well. The best way to get this money is through daily selling. The beauty about selling online is that the prospects are endless, you can get as many as you want provided you know how to position yourself online in the right way.

Some distributors get their money they earn from other businesses and from their jobs and use it to run their network marketing businesses which is wrong. A business has to make its own money to facilitate it otherwise you will quit if you continuously get money from a job or another business to facilitate your MLM franchise.

Selling online tactics

+ Put your products in affiliate programs to get other people sell for you.

+ Maximize classified ads.

+ Use pay per click system to sell.

+ Write reviews of the products you are selling.

# Help your downlines understand the compensation plan they will never quit

The reason some of our downlines quit the business is because they do not understand it so, they try to look for the so called easy make money opportunities. It is the role of the upline to help a downline know how to use a compensation plan to make the money from the company, but it is so unfortunate that some uplines do not help out their downlines.

Have training for your downlines if you are to retain them in the business for their life time. Downlines who have knowledge about the business never quit because they develop a strong positive attitude as well as leadership skills necessary for the growth of the business.

# Recognize your downlines for all efforts they put in the business

Recognition is one thing that is very essential in the process of building the business. When downlines are recognized, they tend to work hard to make their uplines happy and in the process of doing so their businesses grow to another level.

You do not have to wait for big achievement to recognize a downline but look at the small things he/she does like prospecting and others and talk about it in a positive way.

Final note

This is a people business and building it successfully calls for people skills. To become a super star in the industry you have to put more emphasis on very many people skills related tactics like communication, inspiration and others.

8 Sure-Fire Business Start-up Tips to "Know"

Know your business – Having a business plan is perhaps the most important part of business start-up. Lack of planning is the number one cause of business failure. A business plan is just that; a plan. It’s a blueprint of where you want to be in one, three, or five years, and a list of all expenses to get there, including personal expenses. What licenses, permits, and associated fees will be required? How much inventory to start with? Researching similar businesses, desirable locations, and area statistics are all part of a complete business plan. It should all be there, and following your plan is critical to success.

Know your product – Taking the time to fully understand your products or service will make you look more like an expert. Lean as much as you can and test your product for quality. Selling poor quality merchandise to earn a quick buck will do just that. But the bad reputation you gain from those transactions will detour customers away from doing business with you in the future.

Know your market – Make certain there is a market for your product or service before you dive in and commit. Can the area support your business? Is your area already saturated with similar businesses? With some business, saturation can be good. For instance, an area with an abundance of restaurants may bring more hungry people to that area. They know that if one restaurant is too busy, there may be another next door with ready seating.

Know your location – Location, location, location! If you are not accessible or visible to your potential customers, they will never find you. Choose a location which is suitable to your type of business. Also, make sure your signage is visible from a quarter mile away.

Know your competition – Competition isn’t always a bad thing. Take the time to introduce yourself to business neighbors offering similar products or services. Networking with other business owners can help bring more clientele into your area.

Know your customer – More than 50 percent of businesses will deal face-to-face with their customers. Good customer service is one of the most important qualities with any business. Of reasons customers leave a business, 15 percent of them stated they left because they didn’t like the quality, 15 percent didn’t like the price, and a whopping 70 percent left because they didn’t like the customer service. 96 percent of your customers with problems will never tell you they have a problem, they’ll just take their business elsewhere. Need I say more?

Know your finances – Keep all business receipts in one place and organize them into suitable categories. Use a worksheet to log all daily income and expenses. By looking at these worksheets daily, weekly, or monthly, you will keep better track of how your business is growing or losing and be able to determine your next step of action accordingly. How you keep your personal finances is a good demonstration of how you will financially manage your business. If you never balance your checkbook, find yourself continually in credit card debt, or are regularly late on your bills, it’s unlikely you will manage your company’s financial issues sufficiently. If this is the case, you may need to assign another person to control the financial decisions in your business.

Know loans! Avoid taking risky loans to fund your new venture. Unlike your home loan, where the loan is secured by real value, your business may never have real value unless you purchase the property your business is located at, so banks are reluctant to loan money for business start-up. So why do they? The truth is, they rarely do. Banks typically will require some form of guarantee; that is often your home or other personal property. If your business fails, you stand the chance of losing your property. Keep your business idea in proportion with the amount of money you have available. Only 27 percent of new business owners borrow money to start their business; try to put yourself into the remaining 73 percent.

CV Writing Hints and Tips

“We stole a pig, but it was a really small pig, and other things you shouldn’t put in your CV.

“My sister once won a strawberry-eating contest.”

“I work well in the nude.”

“Organised the office lottery entry for five years.”

“Was sent on an anger management course.”

Other bad ideas include printing your CV on blue paper with teddy bears round the edge, pink paper with a Hello Kitty watermark or indeed, almost anything except plain white or buff paper.

How bad can CVs really be?

A recent survey by fish4jobs reported that 73 per cent of employers were more irritated by badly written CVs than by applicants who arrived late, wore inappropriate clothes or swore during an interview.

And what constituted badly written CVs?

89% cited grammatical errors
67% hated bad spelling, especially of key words such as their company names
65% were annoyed by irrelevant information
63% mentioned inappropriate email addresses.

Simply by avoiding these problems, you will have an advantage over other job seekers.

Regarding spelling, too many people rely on the spell checker – it’s no good for words like their/they’re/there or manger/manager. All our course handbooks have a list at the back of many of the most frequently confused words and their meanings.

What not to include?

Secondary school results if you’ve been to university
Negative opinions of current or former employers
A letter from your mum (no, we’re not kidding)
The intensity of your religious views
‘References available on request’ – this is assumed and just sounds old-fashioned.

And what’s an inappropriate email address anyway? Well, how would you feel about hiring lazydaisy@anymail.com or minesapint@somethingmail.com?

You’re much better off using your name: FredBloggs@anymail.com. If necessary, create an email address just for your job search and if your name is already taken, use a variation such as FredBloggs123@anymail.com

Be specific about what you’ve done and include details

Include any statistics you can:

– saved company money by reducing expenditure on widgets

– reduced widget expenditure by 14% over eight months

– Account Manager, Sept 05 – present

Managed company’s key accountsu Account Manager, Sept 05 – present

Managing key accounts worth 3.7m

Relate your experience to the job you’re applying for

Read the advert carefully and tailor your CV using the terms, definitions and descriptions the employer uses. Remember that the first sorting of CVs may be done by somebody who is not familiar with the job. They may simply go through a pile of applications and select those that match key terms. If you refer to an essential skill or experience using different words, they may not know enough to realise you’re talking about the same thing.

Don’t lie, even by omission

At time of writing, a council is suing a former manager for over a million pounds. The manager had put on her CV that she was in good health, but then took a lot of time off work for a pre-existing condition and eventually retired on the grounds of ill-health, with a generous pension. The court case is on the grounds of ‘fraudulent or negligent misrepresentation’ in answers to questions about the manager’s medical history, and, if the council wins, may have far-reaching repercussions for other job applicants.

Although we hope neither you nor anyone you know will be needing to brush up your CV any time soon, it never hurts to be prepared.

A Dozen Tips for Starting an Import/Export Business

Thinking of starting an import/export business? Jennifer Henzel, a Certified Import/Export Trade Professional offers these tips for getting started:

1. Many countries have set up offices (Consulates or Embassies) in foreign countries to promote the exporting of their goods. The Consulates will supply you with industry directories and more. Embassies are located in a nation’s capital and Consulates in different cities. In many cases, the Embassy web site will contain directories and manufacturer lists, as well as an email link that you can use for sourcing

2. To import goods, communicate with that country’s Consulate situated in your own country. If you are uncertain what products the other country wants, you can obtain catalogues and lists of manufacturers.

3. Contact your country’s taxation department to ask about registration numbers or other procedures that you must follow. For example, if you are Canadian, you will require a Registration Number, issued by Canada Customs and Taxation Agency (CATA). When you inform CCTA of your plans to import or export, they issue an extension to your business number. This number is used on all related documents.

4. Find out about licensing requirements, if any. Many countries do not have licensing requirements for most products. However, if you are importing or exporting high-risk products (pharmaceuticals, liquor, chemicals, arms, certain food items and certain articles of apparel), you might need a license. “I strongly recommend that people start out with low risk items that can be easily traded and have fewer barriers like giftware and consumer items,” said Henzel. “Certain industries, like dairy, are guarded by lobby groups in some countries. You will be faced with quotas and restrictions.”

5. Embargoes are trade barriers set up against other countries. Many countries have embargoes against Cuba, for example. First, contact your own government to determine whether there are restrictions or embargoes against the country you are considering. Next, contact that country’s Consulate or Embassy to see if there are restrictions against goods from your country.

6. Participate in the local Boards of Trades (or Chambers of Commerce if there is no local Board of Trade). In addition to networking, you have access to research libraries and other resources that will offer good trade information.

7. Use customs brokers. “Small businesses attempting their own paperwork can run into delays at borders. If you make a mistake, you can be fined,” said Henzel. “A custom broker’s service is well worth the fee you pay.”

8. When exporting, understand that there is no one solution to shipping and customs handling that will work in every situation. Every deal is different. Each company and each set of products will require a different set of services, or a combination of services. Engaging the services of a freight forwarder is one possibility. Freight forwarders arrange shipping and customs for goods going to other countries. “You have to shop for these services and do your research,” Henzel explained. “Ask a lot of questions. It’s no different than buying a piece of furniture. You shop around first.”

9. Be familiar with Incoterms, as posted to the International Chamber of Commerce Web Site (http://www.iccwbo.org/index_incoterms.asp). Incoterms are standard trade definitions that dictate the shipping and payment responsibilities of each party. The two companies involved negotiate Incoterms for each deal. The best known Incoterms include EXW (Ex works), FOB (Free on Board), CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight), DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid), and CPT (Carriage Paid To). “You negotiate according to the Incoterms,” Henzel said. “You decide who pays for shipping, who pays for insurance, etc.”

10. Consult your bank for information about Letters of Credit, the most common form of payment when trading internationally. With a Letter of Credit, you minimize your risk because the banks assure that the goods are delivered before the money is exchanged. As an importer, a Letter of Credit reduces the risk of having to pay in advance for goods, or of paying for goods that are inconsistent with the product description in the Letter. As an exporter, you have the buyer’s bank’s assurance that you will receive payment provided you ship the goods as specified within an agreed-upon time.

11. Participate in Trade Missions. Consult your Board of Trade or local Chamber of Commerce to discover what is available.

12. Finally, look to the Web for information about international trade. Many web sites offer an array of information that you can access for no charge, including Henzel’s site (www.importexportcoach.com).

Resume Tips For Military Spouses

My friends came over for the weekend and brought two small gifts for my kids. One gift was a small stuffed animal and a book, the other a small puzzle; but what stood out was the presentation! Clear cellophane wrap around the book and beautifully tied rawhide ribbons tied in a bow that was so beautiful I didn’t even want to open it, or at least I wanted to somehow save it for re-gifting purposes. Presentation does make a difference! So I keep this in mind when I am looking at clients resumes. I like a resume printed on a good quality printer with no smudging, thick ecru paper, and if you are delivering it via email no italics and I like a little white space. If you are delivering the resume in person to a company or passing it along at a networking event, make sure you have a fresh manicure and a good haircut to boot. Clients often want to know a savvy way of combining their chaotic work history and how to package the gifts they have obtained throughout their military lifestyle. Should they go for “spouse-friendly employers” or hide the fact that they are a spouse on the run; they remember the hiring managers making comments on why they should or should not hire a candidate. Consider these tips as you go after the job of your dreams and remember that the law of attraction also applies to resumes, so regardless of my tips, if you love your resume others may love it as well!

1. Looks matter.

First impressions count so make your resume pretty! Consider limiting any bold or italic font as it often looks messy if the resume is scanned; better yet, try creating a clean PDF version of your resume as well so that it can be submitted to jobs electronically and not lose its professional appearance. Hiring managers are turned off by hard to pronounce names so if you have a difficult name put a nickname in parenthesis next to it for the job hunt-they can learn how to pronounce Vandana after you are hired. If you have an equally exquisite email address, consider changing that too. While friends may enjoying sending email to lovemymilitaryman@aol.com consider revamping the email listed on your resume to your initials or your first and last name and the internet provider; it will appear much more professional. You never know if a hiring manager is spying on MySpace or judging your personal address. In addition, make sure your home and cell phone voice mails are short, professional, and clear while you are job hunting.

2. Don’t play hard to get:

You don’t want a potential employer to call your house and be scared off by your sarcastic recording. Bottom line, make sure that you include a correct name, email, and mobile phone number that you can access at all times. Try to send resumes when you will have time to interview as well. If you are working full time, taking night classes, and about to have a baby you may not be free for potential interviews, and if a company calls you to come in and you postpone the date, another candidate may be hired on the spot just because they show up first. Perhaps postponing sending the resume until your summer holiday or three months postpartum will up your chances of being picked.

3. Making up for lost time:

Spouses often struggle with the proverbial gaps in their resume. Stop worrying about it so much and just think of what you did during that time that would still be worth listing. When you have a career gap it is OK to include those part-time extra jobs you took just to earn some money, and remember to word them as professionally as you can and include transferable skills such as customer relations or multitasking so your future employer sees some benefit to the work. You can also fill a gap with any volunteer work or schooling that may have been completed, especially if it is relevant to the job you are after. If you do have a lengthy gap in your resume try filling the gap with a few bullets rather than a lengthy explanation in a cover letter that should be focused solely on your strengths. If the gap is so big that you can’t even fill half a page, then go take an intro to computer class and volunteer at organizations associated with the type of work you want to do, join some professional organizations or attend a conference so you have something current to brag about.

4. Boldly define benefits:

Job selection experts are not mind readers so don’t assume they will understand military-spouse jargon; make sure your resume is clear and to the point. Write the resume with the company’s needs in the forefront of your mind rather than highlighting what you are seeking. Resumes are not job descriptions of what you did, but rather a personal press release that displays accomplishments in clear succinct bullets highlighting your strengths, your transferable skills, and past contributions that will cause you to stand out and pique their interest rather than a recap your entire employment history. Companies should be able to quickly see your credentials and spot highlights that make you a good match for their company.

5. Size doesn’t matter:

While one really good page is better than two so-so pages, don’t cut back or start shrinking text to comply. Remember that short and sweet is all you need; and I say go for the trendier “profile” instead of a generic objective (description of the job you are after). The company knows the objective if you are applying for a job and a profile summarizes your selling points. One page resumes are back in style so consider moving some of those accomplishments to the cover letter and pairing down the resume content to look more like a sales brochure than a dissertation. In addition to choosing a clean simple typeface, have your resume professionally edited, and avoid any jargon. Keep in mind that a positive tone and active first-person tense reads more attractively.

6. Don’t fake it:

Some spouses hire a fancy resume writer that rewords what they have done in old jobs to percentages and dollar signs of what they have accomplished, but then get stumped during interviews when they are quizzed on their own resume. Don’t list that you are an expert at databases if you have never worked with one. And instead of scattering resume buzz words and clichés throughout, make the resume authentic. First think of your top strengths and then use a strong verb that describes where you really excel rather than what looks good on paper. Not only will your confidence shine through, but once you are hired for the job it will end up being a much better match than if you exaggerate in your resume and end up being placed in a job that requires the “attention to detail” work you abhor.

7. Peeking isn’t cheating:

Go have a coffee at the library or local bookstore and peek at the resume book section. Do an online search, or better yet ask friends who are in good jobs if you can use their resume as an idea template. I am not saying to plagiarize a resume manual word for word, but as you read others’ resumes it may “remind you” that you also were awarded something that slipped your mind. It can even be useful to go back to your old employee handbook that describes your past job description to help jog your memory about your skills and successes. As long as your ideas come from enough different sources and really resonate with who you are, it isn’t cheating.

8. Tell your friends to brag:

As with everything else in military life, it never hurts to be over prepared. When you go to an interview bring a few extra copies of your resume in case you need to pass it along for a second interview-you never know. If you wrote “references available upon request” make sure that you actually have references and have a pre-typed one pager of these references and their contact information ready and on hand. Don’t forget to let folks know you have used them as a reference so they don’t blow your cover and say “Sara who” when a future employer actually calls.

9. Don’t assume:

Don’t assume the hiring manager knows how you are connected. If you know someone in the organization well, include your “contact” in the cover letter’s first paragraph. Some spouses assume that an employer knows they are proficient at the computer or that they have references available upon request. It never hurts to include all relevant job skills. Another assumption people make is that the human resource professional reviewing your resume knows all the jargon associated with each job. You want to stay away from abbreviations and jargon no matter how common you think the word is.

10. Show off your stuff:

A beautiful resume that stays on your computer isn’t going to get you that job. Contact all the military-spouse job resources and post your polished resume. In addition, print some extra copies and bring them with you so as you network you can pass them out. Try traditional job-search sites as well and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, and the same goes for job hunting. Buy some nice folders and place a few resumes in them to drop off at your idea organizations. If an organization isn’t hiring, ask them if they can keep your resume on file just in case something opens up.

Now let’s get started!

o Write down everything you have done in the past about your work history from your first job until now. Include relevant volunteer work, seminars, and training you have received, and next to each item list the skills you acquired, such as answered a 5-line phone, presented to a group of 50, brought in X number of dollars in revenue, etc.

o Create a skeleton resume with the main content you want to share with potential employers, and then save this as “resume skeleton” on your computer; and then you may want to create two different resumes for the two directions you are headed. For example, one resume may include all your military volunteer work and be terrific for applying for that perfect position with a spouse-friendly employer, and the other resume may look more corporate and include only your work history, a P.O. box, and that “great” corporate contact in the cover letter.

o Have mentors (outside the military) review your resume and give you honest feedback. Consider the resources available to you on base or e-mail me at Krista@militaryspousecoach.com to schedule a resume consultation, which includes editing, discussing your resume, and lots of support, coaching you to take the next step in your career!

If you would like to work with me as your coach or have any questions about the profession, please feel free to write: Krista@militaryspousecoach.com and please sign up for The Military Spouse Coach ezine that offers low cost, high quality coaching products that you can take advantage of!