Career Employment Strategies

Monday, April 30, 2007

How To Put Together A Covering Letter For Banking And Financial Jobs

You're searching for a credit control job or you're looking for a top business banking job. Whatever the role, here are ten rules for writing a successful finance covering letter:

CV length and data


  • keep your letter short, ideally to one side of A4 paper. You can say a lot in one page using short, powerful sentences

  • make sure that you give full, correct contact details

  • put the date you intend to post or email it

  • always state reference number and job title at the start of your covering letter. It helps the recruiters and sends out a signal that you possess attention to detail.

CV structure


  • your first paragraph should introduce you stating:


    • where you saw the job advert

    • the job title you're interested in and

    • that you are attaching a CV


  • your second paragraph needs to grab the recruiter's attention to read your CV


Focus here on how your skills and knowledge best suit the job role. Bullet points are good for showing key information

  • end the letter positively including asking for an interview to talk about what you can offer the company and

  • don't give your current salary details unless this is requested.


Visual style


  • present the letter in the same way as your CV. This looks professional and ultimately helps to sell you.

Do this by using the same type face and size for both documents.

Finished?


  • clip the letter and CV together before posting and

  • don't forget to keep a copy of your cover letter to refer back to, when preparing for the interview.

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Sunday, April 29, 2007

Career Advice - Success Is Only Four Steps Away

The formula for career success is really quite simple.

In fact, success in the world of work requires only that we complete four basic steps. Anyone can do it, given a reasonable amount of energy and common sense.

They are:

1. Provide a product or service that people (employer, customers, et al) want to buy.

2. Assure quality, always.

3. Guarantee full value for the price paid.

4. Make each transaction a pleasure to be repeated.

These four steps apply whatever our career path-- working in a profession or as a salaried employee; serving as a salesperson in a retail shop; or operating our own small business.

At this point, a common sense question begs to be answered. If it is so simple, why aren't more people successful?

Well, success does require commitment and hard work, the extra effort, a burning desire to succeed. Success demands an orientation outward to the needs and desires of the market, rather than inward to our own immediate gratification. The way to success is simple, but it's not easy. Not everyone is willing to pay the price.

The Four Steps

How about providing the product or service people want to buy?

Many of us fail to provide this elementary requirement because we refuse to actually listen to the customer. This happens over and over again whether the buyer is the boss, who hands out assignments; or someone buying our brand of nuts and bolts. Too often we listen, but we don't hear.

Often it is more convenient to provide the product we already have on hand, or the one we can turn out easily, rather than go to the trouble to deliver what the customer wants. We are so busy serving our own needs and interests that we don't have any time or energy left over for the customer.

What's the story on quality and "value for price paid?"

Quality is discretionary – always. It gets left out sometimes when we try to gain a quick profit by cutting a corner on the ingredients we put in the product. Quality is missing when someone doesn't have the interest or the energy to stay an extra half-hour after the office closes to check the shipping list or to proofread the memorandum going to the boss.

"Value for price paid" is essential for success, whether the price for the case of goods is one dollar or one hundred dollars; whether the job is in the mailroom or in the boardroom. If we are interested in success, there is no plausible reason for not delivering quality and value for price paid.

Perhaps the easiest of all the elements in the success formula is the one having to do with attitude: "smile ... be friendly." Anyone can make it "a pleasure to do business."

Take the most obvious example of this reality. Salespersons in retail stores usually work on commission. Their success is a direct line from what they sell to what they earn.

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that the friendlier and more helpful a salesperson is, the more they will sell and the more they will earn (i.e. the more successful they will be).

Being courteous takes very little effort. It is the difference between "What do you want?" and "How may I help you?" It's the difference between ignoring the waiting customer while finishing the joke with another member of the staff or moving briskly to help the would-be-buyer find the correct size in the desired color, at an acceptable price.

When it is all said and done, our personal success depends directly on our being driven by a goal of delivering benefits for those to whom we sell our wares rather than serving our immediate interest.

Anyone can be successful. It is a matter of individual, personal choice. Grab success or leave it for someone else.

XXX

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Saturday, April 28, 2007

Delegation with Confidence - Five Essential Steps

The old maxim "if you want something done right, do it yourself," does not address the busy manager with assignments and deadlines facing them everyday. Many managers find themselves limited simply by the hours in a day to meet the many demands confronting them. Giving up control and authority is a challenge that many managers fear more than working twelve hours a day six days a week. But the effective manager is one who understands his or her limitations and has confidence in both their ability to delegate and their subordinates. There are five steps that insure that the delegation process will yield the best results for the manager and the recipient of delegated tasks.

1. Clarify the assignment. Look carefully at the task and what is required to complete it. What steps are involved in the assignment? What knowledge is needed? Who in your organization is best qualified to assume this task? If you are not clear in your assignment the results will definitely be in jeopardy. Finding the employee with the necessary skills and experience to do the job is only half the challenge. Once that employee is designated you have to be clear about what you want done. For best results, delegate the outcome of the assignment. Let your subordinate choose methods and strategies that they feel will best allow them to complete the assignment. Also long as you've made your goals clear, your chosen employee is the best person to determine the way to reach a positive outcome.

2. Specify the range of authority. Every time you delegate a project you also delegate authority. But every assignment and the authority required have inherited constraints. It is fruitless to give an assignment and not delegate the authority needed to gather information, enlist others help, and utilize company resources. When you clarify the assignment, examine how much authority is required and inform your designee of the range of discretion you are giving them. Be clear about constraints and limits that you are granting and the boundaries involved.

3. Inform all affected parties that delegation has occurred. Your designee is going to need cooperation to complete the given project. Also, they are acting in your place and to avoid misunderstandings and confusion, let everyone know that you've delegated this task and to whom the task has been given. Failure to communicate with others will sabotage your employee's efforts. Also, in all organizations where established lines of authority are clearly drawn, changes can cause uncertainty and concern about other members of your team. Avoid "water cooler gossip" by being upfront with your employees and communicate your trust that they will cooperate with your designee as they would cooperate with you.

4. Allow your subordinate to participate. Employees that are encouraged to participate in the requirements, methods, degree of authority, and time frames of a given project are more motivated and enthusiastic in assuming tasks. When you give an assignment, draw on the thoughts and opinions of your subordinate to map out the assignment and your expectations. This illustrates a manager's confidence in the recipient and their abilities. A cooperative spirit goes a long way to ensuring success. When employees feel they have a voice in a given project there is a higher degree of satisfaction, motivation, and accountability for performance.

5. Establish an open line of communication for feedback and monitoring progress. As you set time tables and reporting guidelines, also make sure that your employee has a route for questions, advice, and concerns that may arise. Delegation is an ongoing process and communication is essential to its success. This communication should involve not only concerns of your subordinate but the managers concerns as the project progresses. Periodic monitoring insures that problems along the way are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner. Each step involved in an assignment should have a corresponding time frame and specific reporting requirement. Mutual understanding and acceptance of these reporting requirements is vital to a smooth transition from your actions to the actions of your designee.

Delegation is an issue facing managers more and more as personnel budgets are tightened but demands on mangers time and expertise are growing. Delegating is not a sign of limitation or failure to meet expectations but a sign of a confident and secure manager who can draw upon the talent within their organization. Indeed, delegation is the truest test of a manager's confidence. The mission of every manager must be trust in themselves and trusting the team they have assembled. After all, why build a great team if you don't use its talents to the fullest degree?

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Friday, April 27, 2007

Career Advice - You've Been Passed Over, Now What?

You sincerely believe you are the best qualified among the candidates for the promotion to manager of your department. You believe you deserve it. Your friends agree.

But, wham! The rug has been pulled out from under you. The position you would have given an eyetooth for goes to someone else. Your ego is trampled. You are mad and disappointed. You want to march in, tell the boss where to go and leave the place.

But hold on. Apply a little common sense before you go off the deep end. You've still got your job and this is a good time to consider where you want to go with your career.
Force your chin up. Congratulate the winner right away. This will be painful, but it actually will help you regain your balance. Moreover, it will strengthen your position as a team player.

This is a dangerous time for you. Simmer awhile before you act. Brood and grieve a little in private if it makes you feel better. Reject bitterness; it's poison. Look beyond your ego. Sure, your feelings have been bruised. No need to be ashamed of that.

But really has all of this been damaging to your long-term career goals?

Time To Be Objective

Your greatest need at this is to understand the "why" behind the situation.

Start with a discussion with your boss. Remember, you are there to gain information, not to argue your case. Don't beat around the bush. Admit you are sorely disappointed. Assure your boss you are not bitter or resentful. Pledge 100 percent allegiance to the team. Admit, however, that you are concerned about what has happened and what it may mean for your future.

Focus on the critical questions about what happened and why. Has your past performance and your preparation for the next step been at least up to par? Are you as qualified or better than the competitors? What might you have done to improve your chances to win a promotion?

Did you miss some signals from your boss, telling you to improve you performance? Were there any bonafide indicators saying you were a candidate for promotion? Or have you been engaged in wishful thinking?

What qualification did you not have? Will there be other chances to win promotions? What can you do to improve your qualifications for advancement?

You must listen as you have never listened before to both what is said as well as what is implied between the lines. Be aware that you will be strongly inclined to hear the best side of the story. And don't forget, it is the most natural thing in the world for the boss to try to soften the message. Besides, if you have been doing an adequate job in your present slot he will want to keep you around. Or he simply may be testing you for a bigger assignment.

Now you are ready to get to the bottom-line. Review all of the facts. Do you agree with what you learned from your review with the boss? Have you been treated fairly? Were there legitimate reasons you were passed over?
Do you care enough to take the necessary action to win the next time? Do you have a reasonably secure future in the organization? Can you be happy where you are? What are the acceptable alternatives? Do you want to find a more rewarding situation elsewhere?

Being passed over may be a blessing, although if it is, it appears to be quite will disguised. You have an opportunity to gain a more realistic view of where you are, where you want to go and what you have to do to get there. Or you may conclude you are satisfied with your present position, so you can relax with more time to smell the roses.

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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Internet Business Marketing Tip - 10 Secrets To Explosive Sales!

Contacting Ezine publishers is the sure-fire Internet business marketing tip for explosive list building and unlimited Internet and affiliate sales. This method can be very profitable to say the least by using articles with a link back to your business in your article bio.

It's very important... when contacting ezine publishers that you
act in a professional manner when submitting your Bum Marketing
articles to them for their review. Using these techniques you can
explode your sales.

Trust me when I tell ya... No ezine publisher with half a brain will
want to use your Bum Marketing article in their publication if you
don't follow a few simple yet extremely important guidelines.

Remember -- They've worked long and hard - years perhaps - on
building credibility with their loyal list of subscribers and they
won't take any chances on messing things up!

You should (at the least) respect them for that.

So again, remember these few guidelines using these Internet business marketing tips when contacting them:

1. Be Professional.

2. Make the process of including your bum marketing article in
their ezine as simple as possible.

3. Make sure your Bum Marketing article stands "head and shoulders"
above any competition by providing "top notch" information.

4. Format your article and the email itself in a professional manner.

5. Before sending your email to the publisher with your request for
inclusion of your article, be sure you've read several back issues
of their publication so you can become familiar with the ezine
(look through the archives on their website and subscribe to the
publication as well).

6. Don't hesitate to tell the publisher how much you've enjoyed
their ezine and offer one or two specific examples if possible (a
little sucking up can go a long way as long as you don't overdo it.

7. Include all the information the publisher will need about you
and your article in an easy to understand format. Don't tell them
you are a Bum Marketer! There is no need to...

8. Be sure to fully explain any "Affiliate Promotions" that they
can earn commissions from and offer to sign them up for your
affiliate program at their request.

9. Be sure to explain the affiliate structure and don't be afraid
to offer a publisher more commissions than you would normally offer
other "standard affiliates" for the same sale.

10. Most importantly, be sure to include the Bum Marketing article
in the body of the email. NEVER send your Bum Marketing article as
an attachment! With the risk of viruses and alike being sent out
by the millions daily, everyone is now becoming more and more
hesitant about opening up attachments in their email. I know I am!

If you have never used the Bum Marketing method be sure to take a little time and research these techniques that Internet business owners are now using to generate massive sales by getting into the top 10 Google Search results by writing "long tail keyword" articles and submitting them to article directories like Ezinearticles.

Ezinearticles is the #1 resource to grab vital targeted traffic to your websites products and services online today with articles like this that you are now reading. This is another Internet business marketing tip that most successful webmasters use to sell their products and services online.

With these Internet business marketing tips you will have a major advantage over other marketers when it comes to selling your products and services. This is one of the most successful methods for driving targeted traffic to your websites products and services.

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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Home Business or Home Opportunity

Here is the main reason:

How about because your crazy if you don't start a small business. Whoa don't leave yet. Let me explain. In most countries all expenses relating to a small business are tax deductible such as office space (yes even at home), auto (gas, tires, lease, maintenance, insurance, etc) phone, computer, printer, scanner, digital camera. With most tax systems equipment can be depreciated and this includes your vehicle. Business lunches and accommodations while traveling and more. Each area and local is different but one phone call to a local accountant or book keeper will clarify what is applicable to your area. I have a saying; " IT'S NOT WHAT YOU MAKE - IT'S WHAT YOU KEEP THAT COUNTS", are you starting to get the picture ?? Most households are stuck in the system. Two pay cheques coming in, let us say $25,000 each for a total house hold income of $50,000. Let us assume a 30% tax bracket. No expenses to claim so 30%= $15,000 deducted and sent to the government each year. This would leave $35,000 to live on for the year. Now let us assume there are two children and day care costs at $100 a week. Say Mom takes 2 weeks vacation a year that leaves 50 weeks at $100= $5000. Now we are down to $30,000. Now let us assume Mom has to travel a second car to get to work. $100 a week car lease and $100 a week gas=$200 a week x 50 weeks = $10,000. Now you are down to $20,000 left to come and go on. I could continue with an assumed mortgage or rent payment, the cost of Hubby's car and so on but it's easy to see how you can make $50,000 and still have no money.

What are the advantages of owning a small business ?

This answer is simple. To reduce your taxable income. Remember what I said previously " IT'S NOT AS IMPORTANT WHAT YOU MAKE AS IT IS WHAT YOU KEEP." This is the secret of the wealthy. The main difference between the 10% that have the money and the 90% that don't. They make the system work for them instead of them working for the system. Starting your own small business is the first step in moving from the 90% to the 10%. No it doesn't happen over night. But if you keep doing what you're doing nothing changes in your life. Moving from the 90% towards the 10% requires making some changes. Starting your own small business is the first step. Let us look at our example household under different circumstances. Let us say they've worked a few years part time and established a home based business making $12,000 per year. Mom or Dad now stays at home. The other spouse still brings in $25,000. Total income $37,000 minus $5,000 in business expenses (the family has taken a few trips promoting the business together) =$32,000 in taxable income at a reduced rate of 20%=$6400 in taxes =$25,600 in disposable income. No daycare, no second car, someone always home with the kids and less stress. Not a get rich scheme but 90% of the millionaires started with a small business in North America. Could you be one of them? Oh and by the way if you're household income is $100,000 + you need the tax breaks more than the $50,000 household.

Sounds good but I know nothing about business. Where would I start?

Remember that's what this article is all about, helping you beat the system based on my 30 years experience and helping you find a niche that you would enjoy based on my years of trial and error. There are lots of opportunities that work but it has to be something you would enjoy and can start part time with out a lot of up front investment. The first step is to take an honest assessment of your own skills and abilities. Every achievement only comes with an honest work ethic and the ability to learn. You also have to make a commitment to that project. You will also require the self discipline to work with out a boss. Many employees have a problem with that. You may have to change your whole mind set from employee to entrepreneur. The best book ever written to help you do that is "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. I have that book as an e book and will send it to you for free, just email me at staff@easthants.com with subject line "e book". The primary purpose of this article is to motivate you to make a change in your life. Success only comes with change. You can be successful. You need to understand the system, how it works and realize, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU MAKE BUT WHAT YOU KEEP THAT COUNTS.

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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Go Global With International Business

With the development of an integrated global economy, marked by free trade and free flow of capital, now is the time to pursue a cutting-edge international business career.

Around the World

In case you hadn't noticed, U.S. firms are expanding abroad. This requires organizations to form effective strategies for entering the international business market. They need to be aware of legal matters pertaining to specific countries, and they need to be concerned with organizational and administrative issues, especially if they are involved in a partnership with a foreign firm. As international business markets become more competitive, U.S. firms are learning to use resources more efficiently by reducing costs, streamlining operations, and developing marketing strategies.
That's why today's professionals need comprehensive knowledge of international business as well as foreign cultures and languages. Globalization has increased the need for international business workers with these specialized skills to manage multicultural and multinational workforces effectively.

"Distance" Learning

An international business degree will provide you with the training you need to manage an international business and to succeed in our global economy. With an international business degree, you'll be equipped with a global focus across different functional areas of business. You'll learn theories of international protocol and how they continually change. You'll learn to recognize global differences and apply sensitivity to cultural diversity issues in communications, management, marketing, and the legal aspects of global business operations in your international business career. You'll explore the differences among various economic development levels, as well as the new economic groups forming in Europe and Asia.

International degree program coursework may include international marketing, export/import practices, globalization, international trade, financial management, business planning, economic development, international law, international business policy, international culture, foreign languages, overseas business practices, foreign market analysis, foreign operations, sourcing, communications and negotiations, critical thinking processes, ethical codes of conduct for global business leaders, marketing strategies, and management practices and processes.

The Real World

With an international business degree, you can work as a business strategy consultant, managing consultant, account manager, project manager, business developer, distribution manager, director of international affairs, finance advisor, foreign market analyst, or management analyst, to name a few.

Management analysts, for example, held about 605,000 jobs in 2004, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment of these international business career professionals is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. And, median annual earnings of management analysts were $63,450 in May 2004, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $120,220.

Be part of the international business explosion by earning your international business degree today.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Training Needs Analysis (TNA) - The Use Of Online Surveys In The Training Needs Analysis Process

To most organisations, the benefits of investing in ongoing staff training are clear. They include:

  • Process improvements: reduced duplication of effort, less time spent correcting mistakes, faster access to information, etc.
  • Cost savings: lower staff turnover, lower recruitment costs; reduction in bad debts; reduced customer support calls; reduced help desk calls; reduced need for supervision; reduced downtime; increased staff productivity; fewer machine breakdowns; lower maintenance costs, etc.
  • Improved profitability: increased sales; more referrals due to better customer service; new product ideas; improved customer satisfaction and retention, etc.
  • Performance improvement: in quality, quantity, speed, safety, problem solving, etc.
  • Behavioural improvements: in attitude, ethics, motivation, leadership, communication, reduced staff conflict, etc.
  • Increased staff satisfaction: Well trained staff tend to be happier, stay longer, and are more loyal.

Furthermore, research undertaken to uncover the financial impact to an organisation of investing in staff training shows a clear and quantifiable link between an above average investment in staff training and superior bottom line performance:

  • Based on the training investments of 575 companies during a 3-year period, researchers found that firms investing the most in training and development (measured by total investment per employee and percentage of total gross payroll) yielded a 36.9% total shareholder return compared with the 25.5% weighted return for the S&P 500 index for the same period. [1]
  • Firms that invest $1,500 per employee in training (per year) compared with those that spend $125 experience an average of 24% higher gross profit margins and 218% higher revenue per employee. [2]
  • Just a 2% increase in productivity has been shown to net a 100% return on investment in training. [3]
  • A Louis Harris and Associates poll reports that among employees with "poor" training opportunities, 41% planned to leave within a year, whereas of those who considered their company's training opportunities to be "excellent", only 12% planned to leave within the same period.

So, if we accept the findings above that support the case for investing in a formal staff training program, how does one go about identifying staff training requirements and putting a suitable program in place?

Enter The Staff Skills Audit:

If a company's strategic plan involves doubling the workforce size within 3 years and opening two completely new divisions during that period, then you would hope that the company's HR Management team have a good handle on what skills the company currently has, and what new skills it needs to obtain in order for the company to meet its business objectives. As such, a staff skills audit (uncovering current situation) and training needs analysis (guiding future direction) is a vital first step in obtaining company-wide quantitative data on what skills an organisation's workforce currently has, and (based on the company's business objectives) where the skills gaps lie.

Whilst conducting face-to-face meetings with a select few staff members to discuss training requirements, or ensuring training needs are raised with staff at their annual performance reviews can both be a worthwhile exercise, neither approach will give you an accurate company-wide picture of the organisation's skills status and future training requirements at one point in time. As such, an annual or bi-annual online staff training needs survey is becoming an increasingly popular approach to address this requirement.

When assessed against the alternatives of paper-based or face-to-face training needs analysis surveys, we find the online approach has a number of clear advantages. These include:

1. Speed and ease of reporting: online survey results are generated instantly, and anyone given authorisation can access the results from any web browser in the World, at any time, with the data securely held on encrypted servers. If the same survey is used results can also be compared from month to month, or year to year to help spot trends and assist with budgeting and planning. The online approach also saves significant time with distributing and administering the survey as a survey link is simply e-mailed to employees.

2. Data entry time/expense/errors: the online survey quickly stores the exact data and scoring entered by each employee. Management's data entry requirement is removed.

3. High cost: compared with the paper or face-to-face alternatives, the online TNA process has been shown to cost up to 80% less, and reduce decision making time by up to 90%.

4. Consistency: when a decentralised, verbal training needs analysis system is replaced by a centralised online process, the training survey issued is the same for all employees and comparison of like-for-like results made easy.

5. Interviewer bias or interpretation errors: the 'interview' is in the form of an online survey and what the employee types is exactly what HR report on.

Once the company-wide survey has been conducted, the next steps in the training strategy development process include:

  • Analyse the survey results.
  • Create a staff training profile.
  • Develop a training development plan.
  • Communicate the training development plan to all employees.
  • Implement the training.
  • Evaluate the training effectiveness. [4]

It is recommended that this process be conducted on a 12 monthly cycle at a minimum. In short, a well constructed skills audit and training needs analysis process will provide a fast and accurate snapshot of workforce training requirements, assist with training vendor selection and budgeting, and ultimately help improve employee retention levels and overall staff satisfaction.

Research sources:

1. American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).2. Laurie J. Bassi et al., "Profiting From Learning: Do Firms' Investments in Education and Training Pay Off?" American Society for Training and Development, 2000.3. "The 2001 Global Training and Certification Study," CompTIA and Prometric.4. EOWA.gov.au - 'Training Needs Analysis and Skills Audit'.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Hiring and Keeping Good Employees

Employers today are caught between the proverbial "rock and a hard place". They need more qualified personnel to do some of the most basic of tasks but the labor pool is tight and qualified personnel are limited. Many employers have resorted to hiring bodies in hopes of retaining a few good ones ("Like an archer that wounds at random is he who hires a fool or a passer-by". Proverbs 26:10). And some employers have even decided to delay the growth of the business until the employment market changes.

Answers to the problem of hiring and keeping good employees are often difficult to come by and may demand a change in the way things have been done in the past. But change is inevitable; and the way an employer manages change has a direct impact on their success. Some employers are what I call "Inactive Employers". Their head is buried in the sand and they hope the problem will just go away or that someone will come up with a miracle solution that will require little or no effort on their part. Other employers are what I call "Reactive Employers". They are generally slow to change and only do so when it is absolutely necessary, often after it is too late. A successful employer is what I call a "Proactive Employer". They not only embrace change, they plan on it and are constantly looking for and trying new ways of doing things. They tend to be open-minded and value creative ideas as a part of their culture.

Much like a professional sports team, a Proactive Employer does not just hire personnel, they recruit them. Walk-ons are the exception to the rule. They are "looking" (scouting) for the right person for the job, not just a body to fill a position. Bodies tend to go as easily as they come, whereas recruits stay as part of the team and produce well. The following are some basic steps that can enhance your success at hiring and keeping good employees.

STEP ONE: Define the need.

Most sports teams have a limit to the number of personnel that they can have on their roster. Be able to justify hiring another person. Are the personnel currently employed doing all that they are capable of doing? Do you have a way of measuring it? If not, is it a true need or could it be due to mismanagement or inefficient processes? You owe it to yourself to find out before you invest in additional personnel.

STEP TWO: Define the position.

A professional sports team does not just hire players, but specific players to do a specific job. A good job description should not only include the tasks to be completed, but the tools and processes required as well as the goals expected and the personality make-up of a successful team player.

STEP THREE: Recruit.

Use innovative ways to seek new personnel. Train current personnel to be on the lookout for quality personnel before there is a need. If you use employment agencies (scouts), be sure that they understand your criteria and that you will accept nothing less. Before you get too far into the hiring process with a candidate, do a good background check (e.g. criminal, credentials, drivers license, etc.). Do not borrow someone else's troubles.

STEP FOUR: Assess

Enhance the interview with good tests of ability and job fit. Skills are important but can be developed easier than other areas of concern. Be sure your assessments reveal a person's behavioral tendencies, values and attitudes. The thing most managers find frustrating is the employee who could do the job, but won't. The more areas you assess the better your chances of having a good match.

STEP FIVE: Reward them.

Turnover is extremely costly. A good employee is worth their weight in gold! Signing bonuses are not unusual in sports and are becoming more common in the business sector. But cash money is not the only area of concern. Appreciation is always appreciated and a kind word is always kind. Also, some unique perks are being utilized in today's markets that are tailored to an individual's needs. A little creative thinking in this area outside the box could go a long way in securing a loyal workforce.

STEP SIX: Develop their potential.

A good manager is not a manager at all, but a coach. A coach is always looking for ways to encourage his team and motivate them to be their best. Studies overwhelmingly conclude that companies that invest in developing their personnel out produce and out sell their competitors by 200-300 percent.

Hiring and keeping good employees today is no easy task. There are no quick fixes. It requires a strong commitment by management and some creative thinking. The up front cost will seem expensive, but the long-term results will pay off many times over.

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Monday, April 16, 2007

Starting an Internet Work at Home Business

What is one of the best ways to have more control over your time? Working in an office or a job outside the home require set hours. It doesn't matter what is going on in life. When it's time to go to work, it's time to go to work. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. The company wants reliable people to work for them and to be in on time. So, how can this change? Working at home on the internet is probably the best way to have control over time. Working for oneself allows more flexibility in the time at work.

Although working at home on the internet can have many advantages, be prepared to work hard to get the business off the ground. It requires dedication, hard work and some compromise to get a business going. The first important thing to have when starting an internet business is a good computer with a fast internet connection. Since the computer will be on most of the day and the internet connected it is essential for these to be quick and dependable. In order to be fast and efficient in business, the computer and internet connection must be too. The computer will need to be able to accommodate large files also.

Now that the computer and internet are set up, an area to work in will be needed. An ideal place to work would be in a room with a door set up as an office. Some may have access to such a place but some will not. If a separate room is not available then a quiet area of the house can be set up as an office with a desk and file cabinet. Make sure to let others know that this is your work space and when you are in the space, do not disturb.

Although the others in the home know that the office area is off limits it may not stop the children from going through the desk to find something good to play with. If there are important things on the desk, they may go missing or get ruined. The best thing to do is to put all the important documents and objects in the file cabinet and lock it up. Do not leave anything important laying on the desk if you do not want to lose them or for them to get ruined.

The next thing to concentrate on is to build a successful online work at home business. Putting in the time and energy to build this business can be done when the kids go to bed or when they are in school. Remember, it is not going to happen over night. Some days may require longer hours in order to make it a success. Work hard, stay organized, stay motivated, have patience and it will happen.

So, the answer to the question, what is one of the best ways to have more control over your time? Start an internet work at home business.

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Sunday, April 15, 2007

Considering a Career in Auditing or Accounting

One industry that is growing by leaps and bounds is the auditing and accounting industry. There are many great jobs available for people in this career field who have the appropriate educations. If you were to become an accountant, you would perform tasks such as keeping public records, making sure that taxes are filed appropriately, and helping a business to maximize their production. Whether you choose to work for the state government, federal government, for a business, or even for yourself, this kind of a career can be very rewarding.

Careers Available

The auditing and accounting field is a broad one, and there are many different careers that are available. First of all, there are public accounts who work for a variety of different people at the same time. You can either work with an accounting firm, or you can work on your own and enjoy the diversity of working with many different clients. You may also find yourself interested in a career in forensic accounting, which works with law enforcement agencies to uncover fraud and other crimes relating to money.

Another great career choice in this field is to become a management accountant. While this may take some years of hard work, it can be very rewarding. This type of accountant basically works with the rest of a management or executive team to help deal with various aspects of a business including planning, budgeting, and maximizing production levels within the company

There are many openings available for government accountants and auditors as well. Some of these types of positions may be working for the IRS and dealing with various aspects of taxes and even tax fraud. Other government positions may involve working with state or local governments to ensure that spending is done appropriately.

Preparation Needed

If you want to have a career in any portion of the auditing or accounting field, more than likely you are going to need a minimum of a bachelor's degree. Most places will require that you have at least 24 hours of your studies devoted to accounting classes as well. There are many other businesses and firms that will actually require that you have a Master's degree in either business or accounting.

Many accountants go on to get their CPA license from the state that they want to work in as well, which is very valuable. Most states will require that you have at least a bachelor's degree if you want to get your CPA, and many will require you to have even more hours than it takes to get a bachelor's degree. States have individual requirements, so if you are interesting in becoming a CPA it is usually a good idea to check into the requirements in your specific state.

Expected Wages

Becoming an accountant or auditor can provide you with great wages, especially if you do very well in school. As a general rule, most accountants will make between $30,000 and $80,000 each year. Most people who are just starting out usually make just under the $30,000 amount; however, the grades earned during school does seem to have a positive impact on how much you make when you are just out of school. Accountants who are serious about their jobs and work hard may make even more than $80,000 each year, with some even making up to $200,000 and better when they get into senior management positions. If you are willing to work hard, you can definitely make a great deal of money with this type of a job.

Companies to Consider

There are many different companies, both in the United States and Canada that are looking for qualified accountants and auditors to work for them. One very well known company in the United States that hires accountants and offers great pay and benefits is Oracle. They have various accounting positions, and they offer excellent health benefits, retirement benefits, and a great vacation plan. Another great U.S. based company that offers great jobs and competitive pay and benefits is Robert Half Management Resources. If you are looking for jobs in Canada, a couple great companies to consider include the National Bank of Canada and Ceridian Canada.

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Saturday, April 14, 2007

Home-Based Business Top Ten Considerations

Starting a home-based business is a very personal decision. Many will start a home-based business as a means of deriving additional income for their family. For those who may be considering the idea of business ownership featuring a product or service there may be questions about what type of home-based business might be right.

Below are a few ideas to help you internalize the possibilities of a home-based business. Ask yourself these questions.

1) What skills do I have that would be beneficial to a home-business startup?

2) What can I do that other people are not interested in doing for themselves?

3) Can I use my current mode of transportation in the commission of a home-based business?

4) Do I have a hobby that can be the launching pad for a home-based business?

5) Can I use some of the things I know to facilitate a home-based business?

6) Can existing appliances or tools in my home be used in a home-based business?

7) Do I have a specific ability that might lend itself to developing a home-based business?

8) Is there a way to use my home itself to develop a business that can exist within the home?

9) Can I use my computer to develop a home-based business that may be separate from the Internet?

10) Do I have the drive to start a home-based business or simply a mild curiosity?

Home-based businesses are routinely relied on for residual income. On the other hand they are a growing part of many family's primary income.

There are many levels of commitment that can be expressed in the development of a home-based business. Many of the residual or supplementary income businesses can be essentially hands-free, while other businesses may require many hours each day to manage.

Sometimes home-based business does not result in a life of ease. It can be the hardest work you have every done. For some this is still the best possible scenario for earning a living. For others a home-based business may be ill suited to their individual temperament.

The Internet has provided a great launching pad for a variety of home-based businesses from specialty brownies to the manufacture of custom walking sticks. Every conceivable passion can be exhibited in home-based business and the Internet can provide access to a world-wide market for a highly personalized product or service.

If you are considering a home-based business look to identify your passion and gifts first, then try to identify a link to the Internet where your idea can gain a much wider audience.

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Friday, April 13, 2007

Common Mistakes Found On Cover Letters

Cover letter is the document that builds the opening idea of your potential employer to you. So to stay away from dismissal from the firm that you are applying for, you must know the ways to appear with an effective cover letter. Few basic errors, those job seekers must avoid when writing a cover letter.

1) Stay away from using templates in your cover letter. Generally they are common & dull. Instead of making it as a part of your CV you can use it to extract an for your cover letters.

2) Don't write lengthy paragraphs, this will turn off your recruiter.

3) Your cover letters should be the ground where you can spotlight your qualities for

the position and thus motivate the recruiters to read more.

4) Always outlined the subject of advertised position you are applying for (e.g. job

title or reference number)

5) Never send out your cover letters without you editing the grammatical errors &

spellings mistakes.

6) Avoid including your personal information such as your age, gender, marital status,

race and so on in your cover letter.

Cover letters samples are available in book shops and CV Templates sites, but your own original written cover letters does make a difference. Keep in mind that always polite and clear throughout the contents of your cover letter. The best example of the cover letter is one that provides swift reading to recruiters / readers. Cover Letters could be a catalyst for a hiring people; therefore it demands the neatness and precision in choosing words.

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Thursday, April 12, 2007

How Factoring Companies Can Help Staffing Companies Grow

One of the biggest challenges for staffing company owners is meeting payroll. Employees must be paid every week – without exception. However, paying employees can be very difficult if an agency does not have predictable or reliable cash flow. What is worse, waiting for a payment from a slow paying client can seriously jeopardize the agency's ability to function.

This situation, unfortunately, is quite common in the staffing industry.

What is the solution? When owners or managers face slow cash flow their first instinct is to try and get business financing from their local bank. However, they soon learn that getting a business loan is very difficult. Most banks require that the owner have an extensive business history, spotless personal credit and substantial collateral. Unfortunately, small businesses seldom qualify for business loans.

Nevertheless, there is an alternative that can help you finance you staffing agency. It's easier to obtain than a business loan, can be set up in days and is available to most business owners. And, it provides staffing agencies predictable cash flow.

The solution is called invoice factoring. Factoring provides you with an advance on your invoices from slow paying clients. That advance – available soon after you invoice for your work – can be used to cover payroll and other expenses. In effect, factoring receivables provides you with predictable cash flow enabling you to better operate your staffing company.

How does invoice factoring work? Well, it's a simple solution. It works as follows:

1. You deliver a copy of the time sheet and invoice to the factoring company

2. The factoring company advances up to 90% of the invoice within 24 hours

3. Once the invoice by the customer the transaction is settled

Factoring fees can range from 1.5% to 4% per month and are based on your business volume and other criteria.

One of the most attractive features of factoring is that it is easy to obtain. Most staffing agencies will qualify provided that they do business with good customers and are free of problems. Factoring invoices is an ideal solution for both established and new companies and can help propel your business to the next level.

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Friday, April 06, 2007

What's The Best Home Business Idea?

I find it very interesting the way people will use words interchangeably. For example, when people ask ,e what the best home business idea is, what they're really asking is what the easiest home business idea is to pull off. Let's face it, nobody wants to work to hard at something, especially when there is no guarantee that they're going to see any tangible results for their efforts. So while we may be looking for the easiest, what we really should be looking for is the best, because ultimately, over the long haul, the best is what is going to give you the best results.

So, that brings us to the $64,000 question. What IS the best home business idea? Well, the answer is going to surprise you. There isn't one. No, I'm not being funny or a wise guy. I'm telling you the absolute truth and something that may be the best advice you'll ever get. So in order to clarify that I just said, let me elaborate.

The problem with most home based business ideas, and you know the ones I'm talking about, is that the people who come up with these ideas assume that everybody is the same. So they come up with a cookie cutter site and business plan and assume that they can plug everybody into it. This couldn't be farther from the truth and the reason why 95% of all people who start their own business online end up failing.

The main reason for this is that we all have our own skills and abilities. Some of us are great writers but we can't design a web site to save our lives. Then there are those who have no writing skills whatsoever but are pretty good with graphic design. The combination of skill sets for each individual is almost limitless. And those skill sets also include how business minded we are as well. There are those of us who come from a great business background, maybe even majored in business in college, to whom starting a home business would be like a walk in the park. Then there are those of us who are maybe more creative but don't even know how to balance a checkbook.

The point is, because of the diversity of our skills, there is no way that any one business model is going to work for everybody. So, having said all this, what is my suggestion for starting your own home business and what is ultimately the best home business idea for you?

Sit down and make a list of your hobbies and interests. Also make a list of your skill sets. By doing this, you'll get an idea of what you're most qualified to do. After you have done this, go to any search engine and start typing in some of these interests and skill sets. You're basically looking for two things in doing this. The first thing you're looking for is a market for these skills and interests that you can possibly break into as far as selling items that fill a need in that area, assuming you want to get into Internet sales.

The second thing you're looking for is to see if there are any actually home based jobs that you can do from the comfort of your home using these skills and interests. Why? Because some of us really don't want to run a business. What we really want is to work from home. By doing this, you are very likely to find a telecommuting or freelance job that you can do from home.

What's the best home business idea? It's what's best for YOU.

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Thursday, April 05, 2007

Employment Agency

Employment agency is an individual service behalf of a human resources organization or placement organization. This is kind of service for purpose of placing unemployed or job seekers for career growth and service to employer, who need candidates as employees. Agency gets commission basis remuneration based on the service and effort providing.

The objective of an agency is to follow and provide a quality service. As clients are only source of earning and the job seekers are the only resource of work, so the quality assurance is the key factor to retain the service consistently. The agencies have the skill and confidence in their ability to manage the human resources for whom they are responsible. They agencies have to offer various professional management packages to the employers too. Each service packet must have good input the employers as per needs. They have to work very closely with both employer and candidates to maintain close contact so that a solid relationship is built up.

Employment Agents do services for Temporary Professional Employees. They provide contract jobs for candidate as consultant for a temporary project. The hiring company gets benefited instead of permanent offering permanent employment. Agency arranges Direct Hire Employees, who have to work under hiring company payroll. Besides these agents support services for Skills Assessment, Salary Surveys, Benefit Advice, Payroll Services, Policies & Procedures, Drug Screen, Background verification, HR Outsourcing, Workers Insurance to the hiring companies and individuals.

Employment agencies classified and can be available by search by skill, country/place and name. Under skill set categories, the IT recruiting agents are specific agents dealt with IT companies and IT skilled candidates. Business Systems (ERP CRM), Data Center And Operations, Database, Technical Documentation, Data communications, Development & Programming, Engineers And Maintenance, Graphics Multimedia & Games, Internet, Knowledge Management, Middleware, Network & Telecommunications, Professional & Management, Sales & Marketing, Search & Selection, Support & Training, configuration and Security, Telecomm Billing/CRM, Visualization and Virtualization jobs are the major work fields in IT recruitment.

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Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Discover the Best Work at Home Telecommuting Jobs

Work at home telecommuting jobs are a new trend of jobs that
you can work from home. Online telecommuting jobs are the kind
of jobs that that range in what you will do but all of them have
one thing in common. With this type of legitimate jobs online
you will work at least part of the time, if not all the time from
the comfort of your home.

With online telecommuting jobs you do not necessarily go to the
office to work but instead you will work the amount of time and the
hours necessary at home. In order to give you an idea of what type
work at home telecommuting jobs you can do, here are some examples of
online telecommuting jobs. Do not forget that this is just a small
list.

With work at home telecommuting jobs you can work as a Virtual assistants.
helping to keep your boss on track, that means that you will manage
his daily work schedules, filling his needs and setting appointments.

Another thing that you can do when you choose a online telecommuting
jobs is Writing for magazines, newspapers, or even as an author. For
this type of telecommuting jobs you need to have some writing skills,
but this type of job is very well paid and you can work from your home.

There is another type of legitimate jobs online and is Inbound calling
centers, many times those companies that have people calling in order
to request the purchase of some product or service will call a number and
then they will be connected to an individual telecommuting. and the
last option of work at home telecommuting jobs is Sales oriented jobs.
you will call to other people looking for a sale. You can find plenty of
more opportunities available on the internet that are included in the
online telecommuting jobs world. You need to choose the right job for you.

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Monday, April 02, 2007

Job Interviews - They Are On Your Side

When attending for a job interview, it is tempting to think that the interviewer is there just to try and catch you out. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Basically, an interviewer will need to assess your interpersonal abilities and common sense to forecast your success in getting through the training and working with team members. If you're applying for a job with hard skills such as programming computer code, you may be given more pointed questions about your past work, etc.

In addition, you'll be expected to strongly desire the company's purpose, mission, and overall feel. Interviewers want to see passion because it leads to long-term security in a job. If you love the company, you'll feel more comfortable working there.

Moreover, interviewers often try to find the person that's self-disciplined and driven. If a person's motivated from the inside, the person is more likely to be reliable, efficient, and energetic. This person, ideally, likes to be challenged.

Use original stories to back up claims. Instead of just saying, "I have strong leadership traits," provide some concrete examples and originality. College students frequently make bold claims without stories that support them well enough.

Furthermore, answer the question concisely. Interviewers commonly fall into the trap of listening to answers that spill over into tangents and long-winded explanations. Be concise in your answers so as not to add stress to an interviewer's day. Try not to go off on tangents.

In addition, be honest. If you're lacking an important skill, show that you're more than willing to learn the necessary skills to do the job well.

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Sunday, April 01, 2007

What Is A Project Manager?

Very simply, a project manager is the person who takes responsibility for everything. This is not to say "the one who does everything". It is not too likely that a project manager even has the skill sets that would make her capable of doing everything that need to be done for a project. She's simply the place where the buck stops. Have you been watching The Apprentice? When a project fails, who is the person most likely to hear "You're fired!" Unless she is exceptionally good a deflecting blame, it is the Project manager!

So what skill set does a successful project manager really need? One skill or art is the ability to be a good team leader. Among other things, a project manager requires an inquiring mind. You must be able to gather information from the right people and to assimilate this information quickly in order to make projections and wise decisions. All this is needed in order to plan and develop a project. Plan, plan, review and plan. If you are not good at planning and scheduling in detail, you might want to reconsider being a project manager. Often a project manager must also present and sell the plan to her manager and /or customer. Thus good presentation skills are also needed.

Once decisions are made, she must maintain vision while also maintaining an impartial view of progress and making proper adjustments all while keeping the team motivated, updated, focused and within budget and time restraints. Decisiveness does not mean stubbornly proceeding in a direction deemed to be ineffectual. Constant quality assurance and quality control is essential. Quality is a team process and should be part of the project plan and schedule. Good pre-planning with the team should eliminate or nearly eliminate ineffectual actions. The project manager is in charge of maintaining scope of the project, writing the plan and maintaining change forms. Within the plan she must define project objectives and steps for reaching those objectives, describe the deliverables, manage the processes and avoid scope creep. She and the team must identify risks, have a contingency plan and be able to execute the contingency plan if needed. Changes in scope made in conjunction with the client must be agreed upon, priced and documented.

In order to be a good leader, a project manager needs to be able to evaluate a team's strengths…and weaknesses as well as the individual team member's and use this information to get the best results out of the team. Diplomacy mixed with well timed assertiveness (not aggressiveness) serves a project manager well. A project manager must develop a clear line of communication with and within the team. Developing and maintaining a schedule is something that, while the responsibility of the manager, should include team members in order to have bought in to maintaining it.

Project Management Institute (PMI) was developed in 1969. Their premise was that a certain set of skills and actions were needed in any industry in order to be a successful project manager. As a result in 1981 the PMI Board of Directors authorized the development of standards and guidelines for project management. This became know as A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). This is reviewed often and should be studied if one plans on pursuing project management as a career.

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