Top 10 Most Secure Jobs in 2011

compliments of www.jobs.aol.com

How secure is your job? Whether you think you're indispensable or totally expendable, if there's anything the last few years have taught us it's that nobody really knows what to expect. But job security doesn't have to be a total game of chance, as research and statistics do point out some jobs and some industries as being more stable than others. Using the U.S. Department of Labor as our guide, we've compiled this list of the top 10 most secure jobs for 2011.

1. Nurse - Nursing is a field that runs perpetually lean anyway; but as health care demands expand in every direction, opportunities for both LPNs and RNs will continue to expand along with it. With job growth predictions hovering in the 21 percent-22 percent range by 2018 the already very large industry is expected to see more new jobs over the next several years than any other occupation.
2. Physical Therapist - Driven primarily by again baby boomers and technology advances that improve survival rates for trauma victims and children with birth defects, the demand for physical therapy is on the rise and expected to continue growing by as much as 30 percent by 2018. The greatest needs are in departments where geriatric patients frequent ( acute hospital, skilled nursing, and orthopedic) as well as in rural and low-income areas.
3. Pharmacist - Employers have already been reporting difficultly finding and keeping enough pharmacists and as the population ages demand will only continue to increase. The Department of Labor predicts job growth for pharmacists will rise a total of 17 percent by 2019, which when added on top of the current shortage, makes for a very favorable job market in the field.
4. Physician and Surgeon - Tighter health care budgets and cost-cutting measures may keep the demand for doctors and surgeons at a more modest growth rate compared to other health care jobs (22 percent by 2018), but the fact remains that the expanding health care industry will keep the jobs coming. The job forecast is positive for all physicians and surgeons - but especially those will to work in rural and low-income areas.
5. Computer systems and analyst and Administrator - Technology is at the center of both business and pleasure these days, so it's no wonder technology analysts and administrators are in high demand. All areas of the field are growing, but the most expansion (53 percent growth by 2018) is in network systems and data communications (network architects and engineers, Web administrators and developers) as more companies upgrade technology and as the Internet and wireless systems gain traction in the business world.
6. Computer Software Engineer - Our increasing dependence on technology is purring demand for not only those who can analyze and repair high tech systems but also those who can make the most of them by creating new and improved software applications. Software engineers with expertise in mobile and wireless technology, networking, and the Internet are in especially high demand and overall the field is expected to boom by 32 percent by 2018.
7. Biomedical and Environmental engineer - As a whole the engineering field is expected to grow at an average pace; but those specializing in biomedical and environmental engineering can expect to see significant increases (31-72 percent) in the demand for their skill set as an again population and growing health care industry call for improved medical devices and an ever-increasing environmental awareness spurs companies to seek help meeting new regulations and heading off environmental problems before they arise.
8. Accountant, Auditor, and Financial advisor - Due to ever-changing financial laws, business growth, and an again population nearing retirement, job prospects for financials experts are estimated to grow by 22-30 percent by 2018. Also, helping to boost job security in the financial field; the increasing push toward transparency and accountability when it comes to high-stakes money matters and business management.
9. Veterinarian - Not only are more people making animals a part of their family (cats especially) but they're placing a higher value on their pets and are willing to pursue and pay more for advanced and intensive veterinary services. Due to the rise in demand and the limited number of accredited veterinary schools (there are only 28 in the United States) veterinarians are predicted to have 33 percent more job opportunities by 2018.
10. Lawyer, Paralegal, and Legal Assistant - The law is only getting more complex and jobs for attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants aren't going anywhere. Projected to grow 13-21 percent over the next decade as other industries boom and require additional legal services, the legal field will produce the majority of new jobs in health care, intellectual property, bankruptcy, corporate and security litigation, antitrust law, and environment law.

The Importance of Attitude

What is more important to a prospective employer – skills or attitude? The answer is that both are very important! If you do not have the appropriate skills for the position chances are that you won’t have been scheduled for an interview, but even if you meet every requirement for education, work history and knowledge your attitude can make you or break you – both before AND after a job interview! Below are some do’s and don’ts for before, during, and after your interview that will help you succeed in your search for an exciting new job.

Before Your Interview:
• When writing your resume and cover letter, avoid any negativity towards yourself or others. Make your resume honest and positive. The resume is often the first contact that a new employer will have with you, and first impressions, even on paper, do matter. If you include information about why you are currently seeking new employment in your cover letter, do not say something to the effect of, “My current/most recent boss was too demanding/unrealistic/etc”. Instead, either leave this section out completely or word it in a way that comes across as positive rather than negative.
• When you receive a phone call requesting an interview keep in mind that the caller may be your prospective boss or someone that they have delegated to call you on their behalf. It does not matter what title this person holds, you should treat them as you would the employer – with respect and politeness. If you act offended that the boss didn’t call personally or act as though the person calling doesn’t matter because they are not the one hiring you, you can bet that that information will be shared and will be a part of the hiring decision.
• Arrival – when going for the interview itself, plan ahead. If you do not know exactly where the office is located, drive by the day before (at approximately the same time as your interview if possible) in order to get an accurate feel for traffic flow and how long it will take you to arrive. You do want to arrive early, but not grossly so. Planning to be there about 10-15 minutes early is a good rule of thumb. If you arrive 30-45 minutes early it may be an inconvenience to the office staff, if you arrive last minute it shows that you may have punctuality issues. Remember to dress for success – be sure that your clothing and footwear choices are appropriate to the office setting and the season and that they are clean and pressed. Dressing too casually or in wrinkled clothing gives the impression that this position isn’t all that important to you.

During Your Interview:
• First, remember that your attitude and behavior in the waiting area is very important! How you treat the receptionist actually does have an impact on the employer’s feelings toward hiring you. Again, be polite and respectful. Do not act as though the receptionist is there to serve you, or is beneath you. Negative behavior of this sort will most definitely be passed along – as will positive behavior and a pleasant attitude. While waiting for your interview, do not fidget, talk or text on your cell phone or repeatedly glance at your watch or the office clock. You do not want to appear inpatient or engage in unprofessional behavior. Instead, turn your phone off before entering the office and if you are asked to wait, glance through a magazine or brochures that the office has in their wait area. If you are flustered due to something that happened before you left home or traffic on the way to your appointment, take a few deep calming breaths before you enter the office. Appearing flustered will make your prospective employer think that you are unable to handle stressful situations.
• Remember to relax! Nervousness can come across as incompetence or being unprepared. To help settle your nerves, try researching the company before leaving home. The more you know, the calmer you will be. It also shows your prospective employer that you are serious in your interest in their company. Prepare a few logical questions about the company and/or position in case you are asked if you have any questions – that way you do not feel put on the spot and unprepared. Breathe calmly and slowly during your interview, show enthusiasm and interest and try to give clear honest answers to the questions you are asked. Remember to keep your facial expressions friendly and open. Do not scowl or frown, even if asked a question that is difficult to answer.
• At some point in your interview, you will inevitably be asked about your previous employment experiences and why you are no longer with those companies. How you handle the answer to this question will say a lot about you! Do not speak badly of your former company or former boss. Problems with other employees or a lack of organization might suggest that you are uncooperative or are unable to adjust to different situations. A prospective employer, upon hearing you degrade a former employer or company, will believe that you will do the same to them. No one likes to be talked about negatively! Instead, keep your answer neutral – do not lie, but do project a positive and move-ahead attitude. It is better to say, “I am searching for a position where I am able to focus more on helping my patients/customers/clients to meet their goal(s)”, than to say, “My former company didn’t know what they were doing and expected me to do too many different things at one time”.

After Your Interview:
• As your interview is ending, smile and shake hands with the interviewer, thank them for the opportunity to interview with them and let them know that you look forward to hearing from them in the future. Remember to remain professional all the way to your car no matter how you feel the interview went. Smile, say “Have a nice day” to those you encounter along the way, and walk with your head up and your back straight.
• After your interview it is acceptable to send a polite Thank You note to the interviewer, again expressing your gratitude for their time and the opportunity to learn more about the company, along with a hope that you will speak with them again soon. Do not be too long-winded about it – a simple thank you mentioning those points will suffice. Also, do not beg or grovel for the job. If the decision of who to hire comes down to yourself and another candidate, your post-interview attitude may help make the decision – you want it to be a positive factor, not a negative one!
• Remember that the wheels of hiring sometimes move more slowly than you might like. Be patient! Most likely, the interviewer has several candidates lined up and must meet with each of them, even if they really liked you. Once the interviews are completed, they will review resumes and interview notes on each candidate, and then make their decision. In some companies these items will be shared with another individual or several individuals before a decision is made. If you have not heard from the company after a week, it is okay to call once and politely ask if there is anything else they need from you, but check your attitude before you pick up that phone! You want to appear friendly and helpful, not disgruntled or aggravated about how long their decision is taking. Remember that you will most likely have to leave a message either on voicemail or with a live person, and your attitude towards that person or machine or about leaving a message in general, will be noted. Do not call back repeatedly to find out the status of the position or have an attitude when you do call. Employers do not want to feel as though they are being bullied into making a decision, or making a decision before they are ready. Impatience is not a desirable quality!

To be successful, remember that attitude is just as important (and often more so) than all the degrees and titles you can collect! Before any contact with any potential employer be sure to give yourself an attitude check and be sure that you are projecting a friendly, outgoing and pleasant attitude. Put a smile in your voice, even if you are only leaving a message. Treat everyone in the office or on the phone as though their feelings about you are extremely important to whether or not you get the job – because they are!

How to Start the New Year Off Right

How to Start The New Year Off Right
By Ursula Anderson, eHow Member

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

However the old year treated you, it’s always nice to look forward to improving on it in the new year. There are lots of good ways to go about it. Not that any particular date is necessarily a good time to change your life, but New Year’s Day seems to be a good, memorable starting point.

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:
• Good intentions.
• Paper and pencil (optional)
• Some self-knowledge

1. One of the best ways to start the new year is by surviving New Year’s Eve. Not drinking and driving is a good start; you should never do that anyway, but New Year’s Eve is an even more dangerous time to do it. Either don’t drink, or stay home and drink, or have a designated driver who won’t drink and can be trusted to drive carefully and defensively for the evening. Having a party at your house with all your friends, and making arrangements for everybody to surrender their keys at the door, with places for everybody to sleep, is a nearly ideal solution.
2. Some time before the new year begins, sit down with a pencil and paper, or just think deeply about what you would like to have changed about the year before. Did you have bad habits? Relationship problems? Decisions you regretted? Projects you left unfinished? Jot them down, then try to envision how you can avoid similar problems in the future. For instance, if you smoke or drink or gamble too much, make a concrete plan to cut down or quit these bad habits altogether, perhaps by joining a support group or talking to people who have already dealt with such challenges. Commit to working on relationship problems, by seeking professional help or by working it out between the two of you. Look over projects you may have left unfinished and decide whether you still want to finish them, and make plans to do the next step, or get rid of them. It’s okay to let go of something about which you no longer care. Sometimes it’s better that way.
3. Is there something you have always wanted to do, but never tried before? Throwing pots on a wheel? Traveling outside the country? Creating your own website? Continuing your education? Raising guppies? Do a little research on whatever it is. Starting something new, whether it works out or not, is a good way to make the new year an improvement over the last one. Even if you find that you don’t enjoy throwing pots or you flunk Algebra, you still put yourself out into the world and took a risk, and may have found something even more interesting through exploring new things. In any case, you woke up your mind and added a dimension to yourself when you tried something new.
4. Go through your address book. Is there anybody in there with whom you have had no contact in the past year? Did you want to, or is this a relationship better ended than renewed? The new year is a good time to take a look at the relationships you have, and how they can be improved or abandoned.
5. Be realistic. Change is hard; it’s often the best possible thing you can do for yourself, but trying to change too many aspects of your life at once can be very stressful and can undo the good effect it was intended to have. Quitting smoking, losing weight, enrolling in a photography course, committing to spending every weekend doing yard work for your grandma and reading a classic of literature every week, for instance, is bound to fail because you will overwhelm yourself. If you feel you need to do all those things, just don’t do them all at once; make priorities and do the most important ones first, no more than two at a time. Making yourself crazy is not an improvement in most cases.

Tips & Warnings

• Forgive yourself and move on. It’s not just you—nobody is perfect or had a perfect year. The key is to celebrate the good and downplay the bad.
• If you are making big changes in your life, notify the people around you. At most, you will generate support and encouragement; at least, you will have given fair warning and will feel more obligated to follow through.
• “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Sometimes, making change just for the sake of change can cause problems. Make sure you aren’t destroying anything of value. Aim for No Permanent Damage.
• Taking risks is a good thing, generally speaking, but be aware of all possible drawbacks before you jump into anything you can’t back away from after it’s done. When in doubt, sleep on it. You may be able to modify your planned change so it’s not as extreme at first.

Be Thankful This Holiday Season!

by Melissa Stilley

Life is tough. There are ups and downs. Often we fail to realize just how blessed we truly are. In today’s world we tend to take things for granted – food, clean water, hot showers, soft beds, transportation, electricity, an education. Most of us have never had to go without any of these things for more than a day or two, and then only when a winter storm made them temporarily unavailable. When you begin thinking that life is just unbearably tough, and are thinking of the things that you "want" but don't have, stop and think of those who don’t have what they "need" - the basic necessities that we take for granted every day. Did you know…

· Only 8% of the world has a car…others must rely on public transportation or walk everywhere they go.

· 40% of the world’s population lacks basic sanitation…not only are there no Lysol wipes handy, but there is no disposal system for garbage and excrement, and in many cases no indoor toilet facilities.

· Over 1 billion people (that’s a 1 followed by 9 zeros) do not have clean, safe water to drink or to cook with…what they have is dirty and often contains contaminants or bacteria.

· 800 million people will not eat today.

· Every 3 seconds, someone somewhere in the world dies of hunger.

· Only 1% of people in the world have a college education, and many don’t even have a high school education. As a matter of fact, there are many people in the world without even an elementary education.

· Americans spend more on garbage bags every year than 50% of the world’s population spends on all goods annually.

· Over 2 billion people in this world have no electricity. They do without the conveniences that most of us are accustomed to – lights, running water, heat and air conditioning, a stove or microwave to cook with, a refrigerator to keep food from spoiling, etc.

· Only 1% of the world has a computer…if you are reading this online right now, be thankful for an advantage most of us do not stop to think of.

· Between 750,000 and 2 million people are homeless in America right now – and increasingly more of the homeless population are families. Imagine sleeping under a bridge, freezing in the cold, scrounging or begging for food, not knowing from one day to the next if you will survive. Or if your children will.

Now…take a moment to pause and reflect. Think back over your day, your week, your month, even your year. Did you wake up in a bed, or even on the couch, this morning? Be thankful for the mattress you slept on, even if it may have been a little firmer or softer than you like. Have you eaten fresh, unspoiled food at least once a day this week? Be thankful…it may not have been the steak or haute cuisine you would have chosen, but it nourished your body and filled your stomach. Did you have to pay a power bill this month? Okay, it’s no one’s favorite thing, but it means that you were better off than over 2 billion of the world’s people…you had electricity and the wonderful things that go with it. Have you lived another year? Be grateful, there are those who didn’t. Every day brings challenges and we don't always have everything that we "want", but if you stop and look you will almost always find something to be thankful for…whether it be something as simple as a flower growing through the cracks in the sidewalk that brightens your day, the hug of a loved one that reminds you that you are cherished, that bite of sinfully sweet chocolate brownie that so many have never experienced, or the fact that you have the things you "need". Go, be happy, and don’t forget to be thankful for all the little things in life…and the big one’s that might not cross your mind every day.

Be blessed and have a Merry Christmas!

Tips for Generating a Successful Resume and Finding Employment

Tips for Generating a Successful Resume and Finding Employment:
by: Melissa Stilley

First and foremost, before even considering applying, read the description of the open position in its entirety! Take a moment and ask yourself, “Am I really able to meet all of the job’s requirements?” If not, keep searching for something for which you are truly qualified. If a job calls for two years of recent experience and you have less than two years of experience, or your experience was ten years ago, then you are not able to meet the requirements. The same can be said if you do not have the education level required, or do not have experience with required software. In short, the requirements listed for a job are just that – things that are required by the employer in order for you to be considered as a candidate for their open position. When reading the job description, pay special attention to the employer’s application procedure – these days most applicants are requested to either fill out an online application or email their resume. If emailing, make sure that you send your resume in the format requested by the employer. If they ask that candidates send their resume in MS Word (.doc) format and you send it in another format, A) you show that you may have problems following directions and B) the employer may not be able to open the file, which will pretty much mean wasted time for both of you.

Now that you have determined that you are truly qualified to apply for certain positions, take a look at your resume and see if it sends the correct message about you and your abilities…

1 – Be sure that ALL of your information is current! If you have recently moved, changed or added a phone number, been married or divorced (resulting in a name change), or ended a position, make sure that those changes are reflected. Include multiple ways to contact you – for instance, home telephone, cell phone, and email address. You don’t want a prospective employer to be interested in scheduling an interview but unable to reach you! Also, a resume that is not up-to-date gives the appearance that you are not on top of things – an impression that you do not want to give to someone that you are asking to consider employing you! One thing to think about – since you want to come across to the potential employer as professional and respectable, you might want to think hard about your email address and what kind of message it sends. If you have an email address that is your name (jane.doe@---.com) or something similar, you’re probably fine. If your email address is something fun or funky (such as sexyfunnyhoney@---.com), please realize that this is not giving out an image that will impress an employer. As a matter of fact, it may do more harm than good. If your email address is something of this nature, sign up for a new professional-sounding email address at one of the free providers like Gmail, Yahoo, etc. Then don’t forget to check it daily!

2 – When writing the “Previous Employment” section of your resume, be sure to include ALL employment from the past 15 years, even if it does not seem relevant to the position for which you are applying. This shows a continuity of employment and keeps the prospective employer from wondering, “Where was he/she during this missing time?” If you have a gap in your employment history, explain it. It doesn’t take much space or time to include a short entry such as, “June 1, 2000 to August 12, 2000 – Relocated and actively seeking employment”, or, “March 7, 2003 to July 10, 2005 – Stayed home to raise small child(ren)”. Think of other things that you did during that time, as well – while raising your children, did you volunteer on a regular basis that might reflect positively towards your ability to perform the job for which you are applying? For instance – did you hold a position as a treasurer for your church group, or help prepare the Sunday bulletins? These could be previously unthought-of examples of your abilities. You could include this information in such a way: “March 7, 2003 to July 10, 2005 – Stayed home to raise small child(ren). During this time volunteered as treasurer for Mommies Morning Out group at Sunshine Church.” Also, when writing this section on your previous employment, be sure to be as exact as possible on your dates. Do not just put “2000-2003”. Preferably, list the month, day, and year of both your start and end dates. Don’t know the exact dates? Call your former employer and ask! Most times this information will come from either Human Resources or the Payroll Department. Other ways to find out? Look at your old paystubs or tax returns – you should have a W2 for each employer. This will at least verify the exact years, and with a little thought you can probably remember at least the month you started and the month you left.

3 – Keep it professional! A good resume will be professional in many different ways – overall appearance, wording, spelling, punctuation, grammar and more.
▪ For overall appearance, your resume should be uniform. Use the same font throughout and don’t overuse the Bold, Italics, and Underline features. If using bullets, keep it simple – use one or two types only. For instance, use squares only, or if using two types, use squares for one type of information and circles for another. Use a professional border, if any. Those smiley-faces may be cute and reflect your fun personality, but they detract from the overall appearance of a professional resume. When setting your font type, go with something traditional – Times New Roman or Arial are good options. Don’t use a font type that is difficult to read such as Edwardian Script or Lucida Handwriting. Also, avoid the use of over-capitalization. It’s okay to type your name in all caps, but typing your entire resume that way comes across as brash and unprofessional. A note about using backgrounds and colored inks – remember that you are trying to create a professional resume, not an art project or holiday newsletter. Leave out the backgrounds, and preferably stick to black ink for your text. When an employer advertises an available position they are likely to receive hundreds of resumes, which prompts some candidates to think that they need to do something to make their resume stand out from the crowd – in truth, your professional background and abilities are what will make you stand out from the other candidates, not your use of multiple colors or fancy page backgrounds.
▪ In choosing your wording, be sure that you use correct terminology, don’t overuse abbreviations, and avoid the use of slang. Also, don’t attempt to make yourself look more important by using large words that are not a normal part of your vocabulary. You do not want to confuse a potential employer by showing them one person on paper and a different one in person.
▪ Spelling, punctuation and grammar are key! The lack of proper use of these three very important things can make or break your resume. If a prospective employer begins reading your resume and thinks that you cannot spell, or cannot put together a grammatically correct sentence, they might think that you lack the education to perform the job correctly. The majority of today’s computers feature free built-in spelling and grammar checking programs. Most of these will also catch small punctuation issues. These are great programs, but should never be used as a sole solution – always proofread your resume again after using Spell-Check! You may have spelled a word correctly, but it might not be the correct word to use. An example: “Experienced with the use on QuickBooks software”. The correct word “of” was accidentally replaced with the word “on”, which is spelled correctly and therefore not caught by Spell-Check…but even though the word is spelled correctly, it is not the proper word. Thorough proofreading can catch and correct this error.


4 – The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! When it comes to creating a resume, applicants sometimes take the “creating” part too much to heart. Avoid the temptation of padding your resume with stretches of the truth or outright falsehoods. Be honest about your title, the dates, and the tasks that you completed on a regular basis. Prospective employers DO check references, and discovering that your resume is not correct makes you, the applicant, look as though they cannot be trusted. An employer would rather see that you were a ‘Billing Clerk’ who also did some managerial-type duties than to be led to believe that you were a ‘Billing Manager’ and upon verification find out that you were not a Manager at all. Padding dates to give yourself the appearance of longer employment, and therefore a more stable work history, will almost always backfire on you. As mentioned before, if you have gaps of employment, list them along with the reason that you were not employed at the time. As for your list of daily tasks & duties – keep it concise and honest. If you didn’t do it, don’t list it. If you are to be invited for an interview, or eventually hired, you do not want to prove unequal to the tasks required because you listed experience with something that in truth you have never done before.

5 – Play it safe! Listing your first and last names, address, telephone numbers and email address are important in creating your resume, but there are some things that you should never add. First, absolutely never, ever, put your Social Security Number on your resume! While a great many legitimate employers are listing their open positions online at places like Craig’s List, Monster and Career Builder these days, there are also occasionally scam artists and outright crooks who review the online resumes or post their own ads requesting resumes. Access to your name, address, and Social would be the perfect combination to allow identity theft. Other things that you do not want to list in your resume: your date of birth, marital status, personal family information such as the name of your spouse or children, information that could let someone know when you are not home, or information about your pets. Avoid any entry such as, “My husband Ben, our 12-year old son John and I love our dog Spot and Friday night bowling!” Some people actually do list such information (usually in a “Hobbies” section or similar) on their resume in an attempt to show a personal side to the employer, errantly thinking that it will give them a little more edge on the competition. What it could, unfortunately, end up doing instead is telling a crook, “Hey – here’s my address and notice of when we’ll be away from home – oh, and our dog’s name is Spot, so call him by name and bring him a treat and he’ll think you’re a friend and let you right in!” Or, worse yet, this person now knows your child’s name, address, telephone number, parent’s names, dog’s name, and the work history of at least one parent – lot’s of information they could use to pretend to be your former co-worker or a family friend to your unsuspecting child. Want to make things even safer? If it’s at all convenient, get a P.O. Box at your local Post Office. This generally costs less than $30 for 6 months (depending on box size), and can give you a way to list a contact address on your resume, receive mail from prospective employers, and yet not let the wrong person know your physical address. PO Boxes each have their own individual secure lock and you have the key. To allow for easy mail retrieval, the Post Office leaves the lobby door to the PO Box section open 24/7 – you can check your mail whenever it is convenient for you.

6 – Always include a cover letter! Your cover letter is your chance to tell the potential employer something about yourself that might not be listed in your resume. This is the place where you can mention the title of the job for which you are applying, a brief synopsis of why you feel that you would be a good candidate for the position, and any other pertinent information. Is the job in a city that you will be moving to, but haven’t settled in yet? Let the employer know that you will be moving to the city, and give a firm date. Don’t just state that you are planning to move there or that you’ll be moving in December – tell them, “I will be moving to (name of city) on December 15th (give whatever date you are moving) and am available for interviews prior to my relocation”. If you are changing states and it is too far to drive for an interview, suggest that you are available for a phone interview at any time. Some employers use initial phone interviews to screen applicants and decide if they have the potential to be the right fit for the job and company. Also, in your cover letter list your salary requirements and whether they are negotiable. After all, if you would like to make $55,000 a year but absolutely HAVE to have at least $45,000, you do not want to lose out on a possible salary of $50,000 (if that is what the company has budgeted for the position) because you didn’t mention that your requested salary is negotiable. At the same time, you do not want to waste either your own time or that of the potential employer if they are only offering $40,000 annually and you are not able to accept the job for that rate of pay.

7 – Cell phone music and voicemails: Remember that you want to give a potential employer every indication that you are a professional, so before beginning the job search process, think about what your phone says to someone calling to schedule an appointment. Do you have music that plays while the person waits for their call to connect? What type of music is it? If something classical or along the lines of ‘elevator music’, that may be fine. If it’s a party song, a song with lyrics that could be objectionable or anything unprofessional, your best bet is to remove it! You can always reinstate it once you are hired. Also, think about re-vamping your voicemail message. Is your current message aimed at your friends and family or towards an employer? If your message is more casual, you might wish to change it to something along the lines of, “Hello, you’ve reached (use your real name – not some cutesy nickname like “Nicky-poo”). I am unable to take your call at this time, but if you will leave your name, number and a brief message I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you and have a great day!” Remember to put a smile in your voice when you record your message, speak clearly, avoid background noise, and if you hesitate, say ‘ummm’, or don’t sound happy to hear from the person, simply re-record it until it sounds good.

If you follow these guidelines you will be able to create a professional resume that will be a good representation of you and your abilities. This is what prospective employers are looking for – not frilly designs, resumes that are incomplete or out of date, or one’s that are not professional. You want the employer to be able to read over your resume quickly and see that you are the best candidate for their open position. One other tip…the propensity lately has been for people to include a photo of themselves in either the cover letter or the resume. An employer is not interested in how cute you look in a photograph; they are interested in what you can bring to the table, what you can do for their company. Including a photo is not professional, so avoid it at all costs…even though it seems (for some reason) to have become trendy…

The forgotten meaning of Christmas

Compliments of: Crown Financial Ministries; crown.org

By anyone's standard, the way Christmas is celebrated today is a gross commercialization of the most important birth in history. Unfortunately, Christians are not immune to this materialistic mentality for they also, for the most part, have compromised the message of giving and have adjusted to the commercialism of the holiday season. We give a myriad of useless gifts at Christmas because it's expected of us, and we feel guilty if we don't. The closer we get to Christmas, the greater the pressure to give, and the more depressed and unworthy we feel if we can't give.

As it was meant to be
For centuries Christmas was celebrated as a noncommercial holiday, and feeding the hungry, providing clothes and warm blankets to the poor, and giving special but simple gifts to pastors, missionaries, and poor children were a natural part of the celebration. Even in early America, Christmas was usually a time for feasting, going to church, giving to the poor and needy, and feeding the hungry. If gifts were given, it was of secondary importance and was usually restricted to small children, pastors, missionaries, and missionary converts. The celebration generally remained unchanged in America until the prosperity of the 1950s, when commercialism and materialism began to take the upper hand. This has happened so much that, presently, commercialism and gift indulgence have seemingly displaced the centuries-old Christmas tradition of providing for the poor and needy.

Getting back to basics
Obviously not all of our current Christmas celebration is bad; in fact, the holiday season provides opportunities for families to reunite, and it also allows a pleasant break from our daily routines. However, our celebration has become terribly imbalanced. The correct way for us to refresh and renew our holiday celebration is to take some positive steps to establish a better balance in our celebration.

The first of these steps is to pray and to seek God's guidance in determining a reasonable amount that should be spent for Christmas. The second step is to develop a budget that categorizes the amount of money that will be set aside for Christmas. We honor the One whose birthday we're celebrating by being good financial stewards of all He has entrusted to us. Step three is to stick to the budget and do not buy an item if it is not budgeted. Step four is not to use credit cards unless the entire balance is paid off in January, or when the bill comes in. Do not carry a credit card balance past 30 days. The fifth step is to do some kind of family ministry service, such as purchasing food or toys for needy families or giving to missions. Families should commit to give a minimum of a tithe of the budgeted Christmas spending amount to needy causes, but some may want to commit an equal amount spent on gifts to these special projects. Giving to meet the needs of others (usually through a charitable or nonprofit organization) allows children to see the purpose and value of their sacrifices, as well as that of their parents. "Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me'" (Matthew 25:37-40).

Although there are multiplied dozens of ministry opportunities or charity sponsored services to which Christian families can commit to give, in order to provide for the needs of others, the following are some that we encourage Christians to consider.

The poor in America
Although the poorest of the poor in America are generally more wealthy than 75 percent of the world's population, this does not negate the fact that America has millions who are trying to live by the most minimum of accepted living standards in order to exist in the most money-driven, materialistic society on earth. The total number of people in America who live below the poverty level ($16,660 for a family of four; $10,638 for a family of two) is 34,476,000 or 12.7 percent of America's total population. Of these at least 72,000 children below the age of 18 will be forced to live in poverty at least half of their childhood years. Less than one-third of these will have no gift to open on Christmas morning and 20 percent will have nothing to eat on Christmas day.

Think of the joy a Christian family could give a poor family this Christmas by including in their holiday budget funds to provide a Christmas meal for a poor family and gifts for the children to open on Christmas morning.

The unemployed in America
America's unemployed in 1999 numbered 6.2 million or 4.5 percent of the available workforce, with another 16.7 million earning less than poverty level. To these unemployed Americans, Christmas gift giving could be very meager. The funds they do have could be enough to buy a simple Christmas meal for the family, but gift giving very well could be absent from the family this Christmas.

With help from committed Christians, this could be a pleasant Christmas memory for families of the unemployed, rather than a negative memory.

The homeless in America
Seven hundred fifty thousand Americans are homeless on any given night. Over the course of a year, as many as three and one-half million people experience homelessness for some period of time; of these, 1.35 million are children below the age of 18.

The fastest growing group of homeless people consists of families with children. Today, families make up about 36 percent of the people who become homeless. The typical homeless family consists of a young unmarried or lone mother with two or three children.

Unless private or city homeless shelters or organizational missions provide a Christmas meal and small gifts like gloves, hats, blankets, or small toys to homeless families, chances are their Christmas will be just like any other day on the cold and cruel streets. What better way to fulfill the words of Christ spoken in Matthew 25 than to provide for the needs of the homeless.

Those alone in America
In 1998 there were about 64,518,000 family households in America (households with at least one dependent child living at home) of which over 54,317,000 were married-couple families.

Single-parent family households (a single parent with at least one child living at home) numbered almost 38 million. Of the 78,382,000 children that lived in these single-parent households, 32 percent lived with the mother only and 4.4 percent lived with the father only. Many of these children will have only one parent with whom they share Christmas this year.

Childless households numbered about 27,430,000. Of these 22,581,000 were households in which the householder was living alone. Almost nine million of those were over the age of 65. Today about one in eight Americans are aged 65 or older. Of these, approximately five million live in assisted-care or full-care facilities. Unfortunately, less than 45 percent of these receive more than two visits per year from family and/or friends.

In 1999 America had in excess of 12,850,000 high school students and over 2,300,000 college and university students. Of these close to 15 million students, 460,000 are foreign exchange students who had come to America for educational opportunities that they could not find in their home countries. Most of these foreign students will not be able to return to their homes for Christmas. So, unless they are invited to spend Christmas with American families, a major portion of them will be alone for Christmas.

There are also 27,000 American students studying abroad. Some of them will not be able to afford to fly back home for the holidays, which will leave many to face Christmas alone. What joy a card or a phone call or even a ticket to come home could bring to these students who are so far away from home.

Loneliness is devastating enough to deal with on a daily basis, but during the Christmas season it can be the catalyst that drives those who are alone into deep depression—in some cases irreversible depression. What better way can Christian families show the love of Christ on the celebration of His birth than to provide comfort and fellowship to those who will most likely be alone this Christmas? Locally, Christian families can either visit those who will be alone or invite them to share Christmas with their families. For those who are farther away, Christian families can write letters, send cards, send gifts, make telephone calls, send money (check or money order), or arrange for someone locally to visit those who will be alone this Christmas.

Those behind bars in America
One out of 150 people in America is incarcerated. There are 1.8 million this year who will spend Christmas behind bars, which will leave over 500,000 children without at least one parent this Christmas.

Many of these prisoners will not even receive a card from family or friends, much less a gift or a visit. In addition, many of the half million children of prisoners will have little or no Christmas unless we as Christians submit to the commandment of Jesus and provide for the needs of those who are in prison. For prisoners, physical and material needs are generally met by the controlling governmental agency, but their emotional and spiritual needs often are neglected and the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of their children very often are forgotten.

Foreign considerations
Although largely ignored by the mainstream media, Christians in many countries worldwide are suffering forms of persecution unrivaled since the time of the early Roman martyrs. There were more people martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ in the 20th century than in all the previous nineteen centuries. According to World Mission Digest there were some 100 million martyrs in the 20th century alone. Many countries officially condone torture, arbitrary arrest, and summary executions. Out of more than 200 countries in the world, only 30 are truly parliamentary democracies in which human rights are guaranteed by law. In most of these 200 countries, Christians and Christian families will celebrate Christmas either in secret or privately with very little fanfare. Most may have enough funds perhaps to buy a simple meal for Christmas, but because the majority have an annual family income of less than $700 (on a percentage basis the cost of living is much higher than in America. For example, the average cost for a loaf of bread is $.75 or almost a half day's wages.), virtually none will have the funds to provide gifts for their children. Without help from Christians in America, most of these oppressed fellow believers will have an extremely sparse Christmas celebration, if any at all.

Presently America has 410,000 missionaries from all branches of Christendom, of which 140,000 are Protestant missionaries. However, 303,500 of these missionaries minister to people who are already Christian in the 30 countries in which human rights are honored.

The total U.S. income in 1998 was $12.3 trillion. Of that amount, 1.73 percent went to Christian causes. Of the 1.73 percent, 5.4 percent went to foreign missions and 87 percent of foreign missions giving went to support work among those people who were already Christians in the countries where human rights are upheld.

In these countries, most missionaries will probably spend Christmas with their local Christian friends, because they will not have the funds to return home to celebrate with their families. The meal probably will consist of local and cultural delicacies and gifts will be simple—perhaps hand-made—if there are gifts at all. In the other countries of the world where human rights are not guaranteed, many of the missionaries will not be able return to America and spend Christmas with their families because of lack of funds, and they will not be able to celebrate Christmas in their field countries unless they celebrate in secret or privately. It is almost certain that local friends will not be part of the celebration, for fear of detection. Depending on available funds, a meal may or may not be part of the celebration; but, because most missionaries serving in these countries lack funds, gifts more than likely will not be part of the celebration.

Providing enough money to a missionary family to buy a Christmas meal and a few gifts could very well turn a lonely holiday far from home and loved ones into a joyous and memorable celebration.

Of a world population in excess of six billion, one billion are starving to death (not having eaten anything for 50 days or more) because of drought, pestilence, war, or others forms of either man-made or natural catastrophe. There is little hope for their survival. Another one billion are starving (not having eaten anything for 25 to 50 days). The chances of their survival is 50-50 if food is given to them immediately. A third billion are hungry (not having eaten anything from 5 to 25 days), but chances are good that they will survive if food is supplied. Eight hundred million more are malnourished (not having eaten the right food for at least 10 days). Recovery is near 100 percent if these people can receive the right kinds of food. So, of the six billion residents of the world, more than half are starving, hungry, or undernourished. Surely American Christians can afford a few dollars to help feed those who have no way of feeding themselves.

Conclusion
This Christmas season 13 percent of Christians in America will give at least one dollar to the homeless and 51 percent will give either funds or their time to some nonprofit organization. Notwithstanding, the typical Christian family in America will also spend $1,000 this Christmas season on gifts and the family Christmas meal. In light of Jesus' Matthew 25 mandate, shouldn't we as Christians re-evaluate our giving habits this year and try to move a little closer to what Jesus had in mind?

Let Thanksgiving Inspire Your Job Search

Compliments of: jobdig.com

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Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving? Lots of good food and no need to shop for presents. It’s a day of turkey dinners, family gatherings and reflection; a holiday with deep roots dating back to 1621. Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday, our time to focus on everything for which we’re grateful.

Especially while job hunting, Thanksgiving is about seeing the good in our lives and feeling appreciation despite outer circumstances or conditions. Our happiness isn’t about how much stuff we’ve accumulated. Rather, it’s about feeling grateful for who, what and where we are right now. It’s about gratitude for how far we’ve come, what we do and for the challenges we’ve worked through.

Gratitude and the Law of Attraction

Gratitude is critical to the success of our job search. According to Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, we attract what we think about and concentrate on through the universal Law of Attraction. When we focus on our cup being half full, we attract more abundance and prosperity. This includes job opportunities.

Conversely, when we think that job hunting is hard, and focus on the jobs we didn’t get offered, we attract more rejection and disappointment. It’s been said that, “Attitude is everything.” That’s especially true in job search. Although we may not control anything outside of ourselves, we are in control of what we think, feel and do.

This Thanksgiving, why not try these 4 simple gratitude steps to improve your job search?

1) Start a Gratitude Journal

Oprah Winfrey has credited her success in part to keeping a gratitude journal, logging in at least five items each night for which she’s grateful. This shifts your energy. “What we think about and thank about, we bring about”, according to Dr. John Demartini, The Secret. Adopt an “attitude of gratitude” and start writing down five items each day for which you are grateful. This gets easier after a few days and soon it starts to shift your mindset from lack to prosperity.

2) Focus on Prosperity

Jack Canfield, co-author of the series of books, Chicken Soup for the Soul, suggests focusing on prosperity and abundance. Focus on inner joy, peace, vision, and the outer things appear naturally. “Your voice and vision on the inside”, he adds, “must be louder than the noise outside.”

3) Visualize Without Limits

Joe Vitale, also featured in The Secret, suggests closing your eyes in the morning and visualizing what you want without limits. Then focus on what you’re grateful for. He mentally reviews a gratitude list in the shower. He then releases all of this to the Universe, while breathing deeply. Canfield adds that, “Energy flows where attention goes”.

4) Be Grateful When a Job Falls Through

This may sound strange at first. However, when you pursue job opportunities, always leave the Universe the option to deliver the “right” job to you. It’s important to acknowledge that you don’t know which exact job is best for you. Be grateful when a certain job opportunity falls through, and always detach from a specific outcome. When job opportunities fall apart, the job wasn’t right for you. Who knows why? No matter. Surrender to the Universe, knowing that the best job for you, will come to you at the right time.

Summary

The wise give thanks for what most of us take for granted. Spend a few quiet moments during this Thanksgiving holiday to try some of these simple, yet powerful steps. These steps, based on gratitude and the Law of Attraction, will not only help move you toward the right job for you at the right time, they’ll also enrich your Thanksgiving weekend and last well beyond the turkey leftovers.