Employment

Choosing a Professional Resume Writing Service

July 13, 2012 by Guest Contributor

A Professional Resume Writing Service

Hiring an executive resume writing service can often result in more positive application responses than if you write your resume yourself. However, choosing such a service can be a daunting task. Hundreds or more of such services are available online, and it can be difficult to select the right one. Deciding on your hiring criteria before you work with a resume writer will help cut down on the potential stress of paying someone else to write your resume.

Resume Writing Credentials

First, find out whether the resume writer you work with has been certified by a recognized professional organization, such as the Career Management Alliance, Career Directors International, National Resume Writers Association, or the Professional Association of Resume Writers. Several types of certification are available, from basic to master-level.

Additionally, some resume writers possess personal branding certifications, which is important if you want more than just a resume revamp. A personal branding specialist can help you create a professional online presence that can establish you as an expert in your field and help you land your next position.

The Resume Writer’s Background

In addition to having the credentials necessary to write a professional resume, your resume writer should be familiar with your industry. If possible, work with a resume writer who has some work experience in your field.

Resume writers with experience in human resources can also be very helpful. They know what hiring managers want to see. If your resume writer does not have an HR background or experience in your field, it does not mean that your resume will not be accurate, precise or well-written. If you can find one that has one or both of these qualities, however, your resume is more likely to possess just enough of a unique edge to put your resume on the top of the pile. [Read more…] about Choosing a Professional Resume Writing Service

Start Your Career as a CNA?

July 4, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Nurses Aide Certification (CNA)

Pursuing a career as a Certified Nurses Aide (a.k.a. Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA) is a quick way to get into the field of nursing and health care. Any individual after completing their high school diploma or GED is eligible to take CNA certification classes and then the certified nurse assistant certification test, which is the first step in getting a job in a medical organization. For CNA certification, it is necessary to enroll in a certified nurse assistant program either at a bricks and mortar institution or in an online certified nursing assistant program. Certified nurses aides are always in demand and the pay scale is good compared to other professions at the same educational level. Along with this, it has career advancement possibilities, as you can become a license practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN), with additional education.

CNA salaries vary by state, ranging from $15,600 to $31,200. Another important feature of CNA salary is that it is paid on hourly basis. Currently, the highest wage offered is in the state of Alaska, paying $15 per hour. The second best states are California and New York, as both pay $14.5 per hour. CNAs earn the least in the state of Louisiana at $7.5 an hour. You can learn more CNA salaries at the ecnasalary.com website.

What Certified Nursing Assistants Do

In order to be a good nursing assistant you should have compassion and care for people. CNA’s help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. They are constantly dealing with sick and elderly patients who may be uncomfortable and even disagreeable.

Certified Nursing Aides will typically perform the following tasks: [Read more…] about Start Your Career as a CNA?

What Managers Want When Hiring Public Relations Specialists

June 30, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Public Relations Specialists

America’s biggest corporations are currently seeking exceptionally skilled public relations specialists with histories of exemplary performance. As many industry-leading companies reinvent themselves for the new millennium, public relations executives inspire employees, shareholders, clients and communities to support new corporate initiatives. The person who can use “the message” to turbo-charge the machinery quickly will rise to the top of the corporate pyramid. “PR is not sales,” one prominent CEO reminds his PR staff. “It is lightning in a bottle—a volatile, potent mix of inspiration and meaningful action in service of our mission.”
Employers Seek Strategic, Tactical Public Relations Professionals.

The Right Stuff For A Tough Market for Public Relations Specialists

Canny, insightful public relations executives teach their protégés the single most powerful secret of effective boardroom performance. One Fortune 100 PR miracle worker schools her staff, “The PR guys are the most powerful people in the big top-floor conference room, because they take command of the managers’ messages; they put the magic words to the managers’ goals, numbers and procedures. PR guys create the company’s story, take it out into the world, and always enjoy the privilege of the last word.” CEOs frequently regard their PR leaders as their most valuable allies precisely because they understand how to translate strategies and tactics into the company’s best practices. Therefore, prospective employers will scrutinize your application and resume in search of… [Read more…] about What Managers Want When Hiring Public Relations Specialists

Making a Decision: Individual or Group Life Insurance Policies?

June 28, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Individual or Group Life Insurance Policies?

These days it seems everyone is planning for their future. From choosing the right career, to when is the right time to have a family, there will be choices that will ultimately reflect things to come. One of these choices is choosing the right life insurance option for you and your family. Many choose to enroll in their employer-sponsored group life insurance, while others feel they need more. Here are the pros and cons of choosing your employer-sponsored life insurance and finding your own coverage.

Employer-Sponsored Coverage

There are many benefits to choosing life insurance offered by your employer, there are also a few cons that cause people to strike out on their own and find their own coverage.

Pros of Group Life Insurance Policies:

• Cost: This is often the number one reason to choose a group life insurance policy. As your employer is given a group rate, the savings are passed on and you pay less (or even nothing)
• Acceptance: With a group policy, the risks are spread over everyone who has opted into the policy. This means you are guaranteed coverage in most cases. If you choose to raise your coverage, you may be asked to undergo a questionnaire or doctor’s exam to determine your ability to be covered, but in many cases this is rare.
• No Increased Rates: One of the benefits of group life insurance is that it is not individually underwritten. This means you can have the worst health at work but still pay the same rate as the healthiest employee in the company.

Even though guaranteed coverage and low rates are good reasons to choose group life insurance, there are also cons that may make you think twice.

Accounting Trends Creating Jobs

June 27, 2012 by Tim McMahon

Accounting Jobs

A recent article in Financial Trend Forecaster talks about a new trend in the world of accounting. Increasingly more companies are hiring accountants to work on staff as full-time employees to manage corporate budgets, accounts payable and receivable, to present financial reports to investors and to negotiate corporate tax laws. Companies are also looking for accounting professionals to protect investors’ money and company assets. At the same time, more businesses are looking to hire accountants, the jobs are becoming harder to fill. In addition, companies are becoming more global in nature and adopting the global standards called International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

More Accounting Jobs Available

This is creating a demand for more accountants, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is projecting a 16% growth rate in the need for accountants between 2010 and 2020 which they consider to be “average growth rate”. According to the most recent Occupational Employment data published by the BLS (May 2011) for Accountants and Auditors, the mean annual wage is $70,130. While those in Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services have an annual mean wage of $75,060. A recent U.S. News survey ranked Accounting among their 25 Best Jobs of 2012.

What Accountants and Auditors Do

According to the BLS: “Accountants and auditors prepare and examine financial records. They ensure that financial records are accurate and that taxes are paid properly and on time. Accountants and auditors assess financial operations and work to help ensure that organizations run efficiently.”

May Unemployment Statistics by State

June 25, 2012 by Tim McMahon

U.S. Unemployment Rate by State

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released their Unemployment rates by State. So we can see how the various states compare. From the chart below we can see that California, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, Washington D.C., and Rhode Island are all doing worse than the national average. New York, Connecticut, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon are all average in their unemployment rates while the remainder are above average.

How the Unemployment Rates of Various States Compare

Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states at 11.6 percent in May. Rhode Island and California posted the next highest rates, 11.0 and 10.8 percent, respectively. North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3.0 percent, followed by Nebraska, 3.9 percent.

South Dakota, 4.3%, Vermont 4.6%, and Oklahoma at 4.8% were all below 5%. While New Hampshire, [Read more…] about May Unemployment Statistics by State

Why Your Small Business Needs an Accountant

June 21, 2012 by Tim McMahon

Small Business Accountant

Many people who start their own small businesses do so as a means of determining their own destiny. They are their own boss, operating the business their own way and planning for the future with their own ideas. There are, however, certain laws and regulations legislating aspects of any business. For this reason, and more, it is a good idea for any small business to have an accountant.

Small Business Accountants Can Handle Payroll

Small business owners often wear many hats: boss, lease negotiator, inventory specialist, decision-maker, payroll, shipping and receiving, IT, HR, and occasionally even custodian. In the midst of all of that, they also manage employees, even if those employees are contracted. State and national law dictate what forms those employees need to fill out, how much of their paycheck is deducted for taxes, benefits, and Social Security. Business owners are forced to either learn the tax laws (and the changes to said laws each year) or hire an accountant to help. Just managing payroll can be time-consuming, as an owner your time is valuable and should be spent growing your business.

Small Business Accountants Can Handle Taxes

Even contract labor requires certain documentation. If a company pays a contractor more than $600 over the course of the year, a 1099 must be filed. Keeping track of the various tax amounts for various employees as well as which contracted employees earned how much can easily become a full-time job. Small business owners have plenty of other details to manage without adding that to their plates. If only for personnel purposes, an accountant will save time as well as headaches.

In addition to managing tax issues for employees, a small business accountant will help navigate tax concerns for the business itself. Capital improvements, profits, loss, depreciation, and potential write-offs may exist. Some small businesses pay taxes quarterly rather than annually, requiring an ability to understand and follow additional tax laws. An accountant can save you money by avoiding government penalties and late fees but also by pointing out deductions, monitoring for “slippage” or missing funds, and other ways to save money. [Read more…] about Why Your Small Business Needs an Accountant

The Basics of Starting a Small Home-Based Business

June 20, 2012 by Guest Contributor

A Small Home-Based Business

In today’s economy, there are definitely a lot of people that are struggling to find jobs, who don’t know where to turn. Instead of sitting around waiting for their unemployment benefits to run out or for someone to offer them a job, they are using the grace period of unemployment checks to start a small home-based business. A small home based business allows you to take control of your own financial situation, instead of having to rely on anyone else. In a small business, education and experience aren’t as important as the ability to get the job done. Having your own business also entitles you to a variety of tax benefits. If you are interested in starting a home-based business, here are a few things that you’ll need to do in order to be successful.

Handle the Business Formalities

Small Home based business, home red — Home business, home red—nikcname (Flickr.com)

A Small home based business is not a hobby or a lark it is serious business. So just like with a large business, you’ll need to handle some formalities when starting your business. These ensure that you are doing everything legitimately, and that you will not be in violation of any local laws. When getting started, most localities require you to get a business license.

To get a business license, you’ll need to go to the local court house and pay a fee and possibly answer a few questions. Some localities regulate the types of business you can run from your home. Most allow work done on a home computer or over the internet but some may have zoning restrictions if you are going to store chemicals or have customers visiting your home office.

Most of the time, you’ll also want to set up some kind of business entities so that you do not have to put any of your personal assets at risk. Setting up a corporation or an LLC is pretty simple, and can usually be done by filling out a few more forms and paying a state filing fee. Filing fees for an LLC vary by state and can range from $50 per year to $1000 or more depending on whether you are in a state like Delaware or California.

The Secret to Making More Money: Stay in School

June 19, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Stay in School=Make More Money

It’s no secret that the more you learn, the more you earn. The United States Department of Education estimates that young adults with a bachelor’s degree earn more than twice as much per year on average than young adults who didn’t graduate from high school. And according the the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the higher your education the less likely you are to be unemployed. See: The Difference a Degree Makes in Unemployment Levels

Learn how much more you can earn each step of the way with a higher degree and decide where you want your road to stop.

High School Diploma or GED

Staying in school long enough to earn your high school diploma will earn you approximately $30,000 per year, which is $9,000 more per year than if you drop out of high school. If you estimate that most people graduate high school when they are around 18 years old and work until they decide to retire around age 62, that calculates out to about $396,000 more over your lifetime just to stay in school until graduation day.

Stay in School 2 More Years- Associate’s Degree

If you decide to continue going to school after graduation but aren’t quite ready to commit yourself to a four-year program, associate’s degrees offer the opportunity to get out into the working world sooner while still having an advanced degree. Associate’s programs are great for people who want to go into technical fields or start at lower-ranking positions and work their way up. The average annual salary for someone with an associate’s degree is $36,000, indicating a jump of $6,000 per year over high school graduates and $15,000 more than students who didn’t earn their diplomas.

But what if you stay in school 4 more years?

How to Get a Career Instead of Just a Job

June 18, 2012 by Guest Contributor

I once met a young man who was complaining about change and this is what I told him.

” The only thing Constant in Life is change.
Those who adapt quickest thrive…
Those who adapt slowly survive…
Those who don’t atapt at all…
are relegated to the lowest levels of existence…
Poverty and misery.
The key to success is to adapt quickly…
it will put you at the head of the pack.”

In this article we will look at how change affects your job prospects and what you can do about it.

Tim McMahon~ editor

How to Get a Career Instead of Just a Job

Ever since 2008, government officials have been scrambling to put the economy back together, and it’s hard for someone without work to find a place for themselves within the chaos. The world has changed; products that were once the hallmark of American civilization are no longer in demand, and if they are, they’re shipped from another country. We’ve become a mostly service-based economy with millions of people that need jobs and few openings for them to fill.

Despite this, it’s a time of unparalleled opportunity. New niches are being created, new technologies are being introduced, and it’s never been easier to educate yourself, whether it’s through school or self-study, or starting your own business. Unskilled labor is disappearing, but anyone that can adapt has a bright future ahead of them.