3 Questions to Answer Before Turning Your Hobby Into a Business

3 Questions to Answer Before Turning Your Hobby Into a Business 3 Questions to Answer Before Turning Your Hobby Into a Business Does your job feel like anine-to-five grind?Thatmay be a sign that you need to make a change. A career changecan be a great way to alleviate boredom and reengage yourself.The problem, however, is that making a career change often means you have to start at the very bottom and work your way up. If youve already climbed the ladder in your current career, the prospect of heading back to the entry level can be quite disheartening.There is some good news, thoughIf you want to make a career change but dont want to drop to the bottom of the pack, you can take a hobby of yours such as carpentry, gardening, cooking, etc. and turn it into a business.That being said, turning your hobby into a business isnt necessarily easy 25 percent of new businesses fail in their first year, and 44 percent fail by their third year.Even if you have all thepassion in the world, you r business might notlage succeed. Thats not to say youshouldnt make a go at it rather, I only mean to say that you shouldstop and think about it before making any rash decisions.To help you determine whether or not turning your hobby into a business is right for you, I offer the following screening questions. Answer them honestly, and you may find that your business truly is a good idea.1. Is The Market Saturated? Hobby-inspired businesses are not immune to the market forces that affect other businesses.Dont let your passion blind you to the realities of the marketplace.While you may find a few friends who are prepared to buy your products and services at reduced rates initially, you cant undercut the market for ever and expect to survive or support your family that way. When you go professional, you need to be surethat there are enough clients out there wholl pay market prices.Do your research. If you have jumped on the bandwagon far too late and are joining a saturated market, you r hobby might not be the best choice for a business. You might be better off looking for an area where demand exceeds supply.2. Are You Expecting a Lot of Growth in Demand?The market around your hobby may be saturated now, but that doesnt mean it will always be that.Are there signs that the market is going to grow? For example, lets say you want to start a landscaping business, based on your love of gardening. If a new housing project is underway nearby, that may lead to increased demand for your services.Even if the market is saturated at the moment, you may find that demand for your hobby is set to growin the near future. If thats the case, this may be agood time to launch your business.3. Will You Enjoy Turning YourHobby Into a Business?Many of us use our hobbies not onlyto practice a skill, but also to wind down, stave off boredom, or escape from the daily grind.Turning a hobby into a job, however, requires a move from soft escapism to hard-nosed commercialism. Your hobby wont b e about escaping the grind any mora it will be the grind. Youll need to hit deadlines, put in an average of 52 hours per week, meet exacting customer service and quality standards, correct errors, and deal with some disappointed and critical consumers.-The foregoing questions may seem gloomy and pessimistic, but thats simply the reality of the business world. If you can accept these limitations and still enjoy turning your hobby into a business, then starting a new company may be just the thing for you.If, on the other hand, youre afraid that turning your hobby into a business will spoil it, you may want to keep it as a hobby. If thats the case, you can consider starting a more viable business or simply sucking it up and making the leap into a new career even if that means starting over at the bottom.

Your Job Search and Your Family Striking a Balance

Your Job Search and Your Family Striking a BalanceYour Job Search and Your Family Striking a BalanceStriking the perfect balance between work and play is hard enough to do without family and health emergencies, much less a job search. To manage all the surprises that come your way, take a note from the families who have gotten through it all.For most of us, the work-life balance is a delicate one. We carefully mete out our time, resources and energy to our bosses, co-workers, spouses, kids, parents, friends, pets, charities and - if all goes perfectly as planned - ourselves.The slightest change can upset the balance. A big change - such as a job loss - has the potential to bring everything crashing down.In todays economy, a job loss can be especially upsetting to the work-life balance because the resulting job hunt may extend for several months.With jobs scarce and job hunters plentiful, looking for work becomes a full-time job. However, unlike most full-time positions, the job h unt offers no pay no security and - perhaps most significantly - no structured time off. This makes it mora difficult to maintain that delicate balance we call life.When youre on the job search, you dont get vacation time or even a lunch hour. It becomes a personal and financial necessity to balance your other responsibilities and keep those unexpected events like family emergencies from upsetting your job search.Betty Priday knows this only too well.She lost her position as an EDI consultant at Cardinal Health because a required relocation would have meant moving her elderly mother - who was in the care of Priday and her family - from Wisconsin to Ohio.Priday had 18 months notice to prepare for the change, and used the time to get her resume and affairs in order. But she couldnt predict that her mother would suddenly take ill, require mora intensive care and pass away just a month after Priday left Cardinal.Priday also has three busy children (one in college) a husband who work s in the real-estate geschftlicher umgang (an industry struggling to get its footing) and health issues of her own.With all of this and more going on, said Priday, searching for a job has been fatiguing.Priday has sent out dozens of resumes and is working with a job-placement consultancy. She said she has become frustrated with the inhuman quality of the process, where applicants must be an exact match and where thoughtful, heartfelt applications receive an automated response - if they receive any response at all.The power of recordsSo how does she keep it all together?Organization is key, Priday said. For example, after hearing from a friend who had to fake her way through a telephone response to an application because the friend wasnt sure which job was being referred to, Priday has started keeping careful records.I keep a spreadsheet, she said. It includes the date I applied for a job, the job title and where I heard about it.Priday said she also copies descriptions of the jobs she applies for in a Microsoft Word document so shell be ready if someone calls. Recruiters also recommend job seekers keep track of which version of their resume and cover letter went with which application to be sure theyre not surprised in an interview by details omitted from one version of their resume but present on another.Priday is also setting job-hunting goals. For example, she attempts to send out two or more applications every week, and she is now going back and following up on applications she has already submitted.Goals are key to balancing the job hunt effectively amid other responsibilities and keeping your sanity, said Raoul Encinas, a board member of the Scottsdale Job Network and vice president of Preod, a professional-services firm based in Princeton, N.J.As a job seeker, you need your own plan or a time budget each week, said Encinas, who is also the chair of SJNs Curriculum Committee. If you have other demands on your time, then budgeting five, 15, 25 hours a we ek for your job-seeking activity is fine. You then need to tailor your weekly goals to your budget. If your normal weekly goal is to have 10 one-on-one networking meetings a week, but you can only allocate 20 hours, then change your goal to five meetings a week. That way, at the end of the week, you dont beat yourself up for not making progress on your job-search goals.And all those other people vying for your time and attention? Enlist them in the process, said Katy Piotrowski, a career counselor at the Career Solutions Group and author of The Career Cowards Guides.If your job search is truly a priority, reflect that in your behavior, Piotrowski said. Delegate chores to other family members so that you have the time to invest in your next career step. Remember, your advancement will benefit them also.Experts also advise job seekers to be open and honest with family and friends about what they are going through and to set realistic expectations.Job seekers should talk to their child ren about the realities of todays economy and about how a job search can sometimes take a long time. It may be difficult for them to realize that you may not be able to get a job tomorrow and that it may take prolonged effort over an extended period of time to get the right job for you, said Sharon Reed Abboud, author of the new book All Moms Work Short-Term Career Strategies for Long-Range Success.Stay healthy, stay sharpOne person who often is neglected during the job search is the job seeker.Mental-health and career experts advocate making time for exercise and favorite activities, no matter how desperate the search becomes. In fact, the more desperate the search becomes, the more important these activities may be, as they can prevent job seekers from entering a state of depression.But remaining active is also an important part of maintaining that elusive work-life balance during the job search, Priday said.What I do when I get tired is get up and do something physical - weed, m ove flowers, mow the lawn, she said. It takes me away from the stress of the job search.Priday has also been taking the time to create family pictorials, tracing the history of family members, including her mother. She said this has been a healthy distraction Family albums bring you back to whats important in life.

Types of Cover Letters With Samples

Types of Cover Letters With SamplesTypes of Cover Letters With SamplesWhen you are job hunting, its important to choosetheappropriate titelseite letterfor the letters goal.There are different types of cover letters, including the five most common types application letters, referral cover letters, letters of interest, networking, and value aussage letters. The cover letter you use will be determined by whether you are applying directly for a job or simply seeking job search help from individuals in your professional network. Make Your Letter Specific Be sure tochoose a type of cover letterthat reflects how you are applying for the job or the type of job search assistance you are requesting. Your cover letter should be designed specifically for that particular purpose. If it is a cover letter attached to a resume in a job application, it should be customized for each position you seek. Hiring managers can recognize when an applicants cover letter is a generic one that he or she has used to apply for multiple positions. Such cover letters, which show a lack of care or of deep interest in a company, may result in your resume being passed by without a glance. Types of Cover Letters Application LetterAn application letter is written to apply for a specific job opening. This is a traditional cover letter that is sent with a resume to apply for a job.Referral Cover LetterA referral cover letter mentions the name of a person who has referred you to a job. This can be a great way to gain an employers interest, particularly if the individual providing the referral is known to the company you are interested in working for.Letter of InterestA letter of interest, also known as a prospecting letter, inquires about possible job openings at a particular company. Networking LetterNetworking letters request job search advice and assistance. These can be addressed to colleagues, to individuals you have met at professional conferences or other industry events, or to people to whom you connected through professional social networking sites like LinkedIn.Value Proposition LetterA value proposition is a brief stellungnahme explaining what makes the candidate unique. As mentioned above, your cover letters should be targeted to the kompetenz jobs you are interested in. This means that, before writing an application letter, a referral cover letter, a letter of interest, or a value proposition letter, you need to do your homework and research the company you are sending your letter to. Armed with this knowledge, you can then demonstrate in your letter how your skillset and work experience would strongly contribute to the organization should they hire you. Examples for Job Applications When creating a letter of application for a job, be sure to include details about how your professional experience relates to the qualifications and requirements listed in the job posting. This makes it easy for the hiring manager to determine that youre a good candidate. Y ou should also try to echo as many of the keywords listed in the job description as possible, in both your cover letter and your resume. Some employers use automated parsing systems programmed with these keywords to glean through a wave of job applications cover letters and resumes that incorporate these keywords are more likely to make the cut and earn review by a human eye than those that do not. Here are examples for different situations Job Application Letter Includes sample for a paper application (or email attachment) and a cover letter that is sent as the body of an email.Cover Letter for a Career Change Learn how to highlight skills from your previous career that will transfer to your new one.Applying for More Than One Job Includes tips and a sample letter for when youre applying for multiple positions at the same company.Cover Letter for a Job Promotion Use this to help you apply for an internal position with your current employer. Inquiring About Openings Your dream c ompany may not advertise a job opening, and there is a chance that theyre always seeking talented individuals. Take the initiative and send a letter with your resume to let them know that youre available and interested in working for them. ?Prospecting Letter Get noticed with these tips and sample letter.Value Proposition Cover Letter Learn how to add a value proposition statement to your cover letter- a statement that shows your specific value to the company and why you should be hired.Cold Contact Cover Letter Includes tips and a sample.Sell Your Skills and Experience These tips and sample will help when you know there is a job opening that isnt advertised or if you dont know if the company is hiring but are interested in working for them.

Job Interview Questions About Your Best and Worst Bosses

Job Interview Questions About Your Best and Worst BossesJob Interview Questions About Your Best and Worst BossesHow should you answer interview questions about your past managers? Depending on the supervisors youve had, some of these questions can be tricky to answer. Its important to keep it as positive as you can, even when you worked in a negative environment. With the question Who was your best babo and who was the worst? the interviewer is trying to discover if you are the type of candidate to assess blame or carry a grudge. Employers look for staff who are coachable, responsive to management directives and who take responsibility for their own productivity. They also want to determine whether you are a match for theculture of the company. Even if you had a anfhrer who was awful, dont come right out and say so. Interviewers dont want to hear negativity, and they will wonder what you will ultimately say about their organization if you are hired and it doesnt work out. Focus your answers on how you were able to work productively despite management challenges. As with any interview response, take the opportunity to integrate critical assets for your target job with your responses. For example, if a job requires advanced client prospecting skills and a boss taught you some valuable approaches, you might reference that boss as one of your best for that reason. Examples of the Best Answers Review the following sample interview answers to find out the best way to respond. Solid sample answers Ive learned from each boss Ive had. From thegood ones what to do, from the challenging ones what not to do.Early in my career, I had a mentor who helped me a great deal, and we still stay in touch. Ive honestly learned something from each boss Ive had.My best boss was a manager who enabled me to take on mora responsibility as I progressed in my job. Ive had other bosses with a more ahands-off management style, but I appreciated the interaction with the first manager I me ntioned.My best boss was a woman who showed me the importance ofsuggestive selling. She was able to show a customer the perfect accessories to go with an outfit, without being pushy, and taught me to increase my selling abilities tremendously. I learned a lot aboutorganization from my last boss. Ive always been an organized partie, but I learned from himnew ways to organize and mobilize the staff, which was very valuable toimproving my management abilities.My best boss was one who was able to recognize the strengths in his employees and to apply them to their fullest extent. He taught me to look at people more individually and tounderstand that almost everyone has something positive to offer.My best boss was a person who set such a wonderful example for her employees that she inspired people to work harder. She was always up, even when she wasnt, and never let a customer leave unhappy. She would always have the right thing to say toprovide encouragement to her customers and employee s alike. My worst boss was a man who provided very little feedback about my performance. I was able to improve communication by providing unsolicited weekly status reports on my projects. Eventually, he furnished some feedback and constructive criticism to these reports and I knew better where I stood.My best boss was a woman who taught me more about how to use analytics to frame my business development strategies for clients in my territory.My favorite boss was a very dynamic speaker. She took me under her wing, taught me how to command a room and helped me to become a very effective presenter. Prepare for Similar Questions Also be prepared to answer similar questions about the jobs youve held. The interviewer may ask you which position was your favorite, and which was your least favorite, and why. When you discuss your favorite job, be sure to reference parts of the job requirements that are a match for the job for which youre interviewing. When you talk about your least favo rite position, dont mention one thats similar to the job youre hoping to get hired for.

What You Should Do to Find Out About Lpn Resume Before Youre Left Behind

What You Should Do to Find Out About Lpn Resume Before Youre Left Behind How to manage your skills There are lots of methods to deal with the skills section on your resume, and youll be able to read our full skills section writing guide here. Great presentation skill is essential for the expert activity. Make sure that you have a minumum of one instance of a time you demonstrated every one of the top five skills listed here. Locate a resume template which suits your taste. Whispered Lpn Resume Secrets LPNs require an assortment of hard and soft skills. They must have excellent decision-making skills in order to enable them to perform the necessary procedures quickly and effectively, especially in the case of an emergency. They are responsible for a wide sortiment of duties, and the successful LPN will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to perform those duties without hesitation. LPNs work in a range of healthcare environments. They use their knowledge and skills ga rnered during their nursing program to perform duties with confidence. Usually, a resume of a seasoned LPN is composed of crucial abilities, qualifications and experience sections. Odds are high youre have solely have one opportunity to generate a very first impression in job search. Remain truthful and accentuate the traits which you feel will help you to get the job for which youre applying. Hiring managers like to find this type of achievement related information it is a signal to them that says Im competent. They know what they are doing and what to look for. The licenses and certifications youve earned not only ensure it is feasible that you work in a particular state, they also raise your value in the view of a hiring manager based on the number of youve earned. The very first step to guarantee a fantastic impression on the employer is to create a superb job program, especially the cover letter. You might not land every job which you apply for but a well written resume can enable you to discover the occupation thats a tailored fit for you. You may not receive every job which you apply for, but a resume thats well written can help you receive the best job that is suitable for you. A Secret Weapon for Lpn Resume Your new grad Nursing resume objective may most likely be the most essential quality of your application since it will set the tone for the remainder of your content especially in the way its been formatted. If you ask a category of nursing students the reason why they are thinking about becoming a nurse, youll get many unique answers. Use the resume objective to acquire state the simple fact that youre a new grad and dont have any experience. Nurses may be in demand, but it does not mean that you should dismiss the significance of a strong resume. Life After Lpn Resume All info ought to be accurate and up-to-date. Double-check your contact information is accurate. The absolute most important info to highlight are any degrees you might have. Dont make her or him search for this info. Among the ways that folks are using to get their CV stand out is to use resume examples to produce their own CVs. On-line applications have a lot of benefits over paper applications. Some job applications need additional info to be submitted along with the application itself. To learn to complete job applications. There are particular rules which are fairly universal for all resumes. Filling out multiple applications might appear daunting and time consuming, but there are techniques to streamline the practice. There are plenty of disadvantages to internet applications too. Make sure you decide high excellent websites and check that theyre lively or you could be regarded as unprofessional. Using Lpn Resume Get in contact with the ideal contact Person Healthcare industry is managed by many individuals sitting at several designations. Nurses must be in a position to stand on their feet for the majority of the day. Wit h the aid of our writing guide and licensed practical nurse resume sample, you finally have the skills you should stick out from the competition. If you are only starting out your LPN career, you can get intimidated that you lack any preceding work experience. LPNs are much in demand in an assortment of healthcare settings, but searching for work, and receiving a satisfying job demands effective job preparation. Because the duties of an LPN can fluctuate so significantly, there are quite a lot of skills that are indispensable to be able to be successful as an LPN. There usually isnt any distinctive training that should be given to an LPN whos interested in employed as a rehab nurse. Meanwhile, you necessitate a job as an LPN. While required LPN skills vary dependent on the particular job, there are a lot of skills expected of most LPNs. LPNs also need to finish a national licensure examination. Employed as an LPN may well be among the most rewarding careers out there.

Top Interests to Put on a Resume Tips!

Top Interests to Put on a Resume Tips If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Interests to Put on a Resume Showing some interests and activities beyond your work experience could really offer you a leg up over the remaining portion of the candidates. All that has changed in the past few years. Managing an event isnt a childs play. The experience section will compose the body of your resume. Introducing Interests to Put on a Resume Interests are somewhat more vague, while hobbies are somewhat more specific. You should now understand how to compose the hobbies and interests part of your CV like a pro Needless to say, there are hundreds and hundreds of examples of hobbies you could put on your resume. If you own a club membership in which you indulge in a pastime, dont be shy in mentioning it. The Interests to Put on a Resume Cover Up Your education section can either come following your experience section, or you are able to add it before in the event that youv e recently graduated. Infographic resumes are just a supplement. Graphic-based resumes enable you to lay out complex data in a simplistic way. Lies Youve Been Told About Interests to Put on a Resume Youre also predicted to comprehend the difference in English language in different English-speaking regions of the world. It is possible to also reveal your distinctive interest in understanding the markets and the present trends. You might also be inclined to read more on the subject of hospitality and management. Figure out which interests might help to set you apart from the competition or otherwise benefit your odds of getting hired. So How About Interests to Put on a Resume? If you have the ability to know why the interviewer is posing a frequent question, answering it will become much simpler and you obtain confidence too. It is essential for the interviewer to have the ability to create a complete image of an applicant. Deciding what things to put on your resume can be as hard as trying to choose what things to wear for the interview. The interview is going to be a cakewalk for you.

Find Out Whos Worried About Volunteer Experience on Resume and Why You Should Be Paying Attention

Find Out Whos Worried About Volunteer Experience on Resume and Why You Should Be Paying Attention You might also be in a position to demonstrate which you are supportive of your employers Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, in case you volunteer through your present company. If youre unemployed and searching for work, consider channeling your angst into altruism and turning into a volunteer. One of the greatest approaches to create an effective medical school application is to get a hospital volunteer experience. When you havent been in a position to get out into the community lately, start looking for ways that you can help out to remain current. Volunteers perform various unique activities, based on the kind of organization for which theyre volunteering. Becoming a volunteer isnt always as simple as it seems. Volunteer work covers a vast range of activities and can vastly enhance your odds of receiving an interview for your perfect job if you understand how to put volu nteer work on your resume in a means that shows your strengths, dedication and enthusiasm. Relevant volunteer work may be only the thing to capture that employers interest. The Key to Successful Volunteer Experience on Resume Besides the skills necessary for that specific job profile, volunteer experience brings highly desired qualities. Besides the skills needed for that specific job profile, volunteer experience on resume brings out highly desired qualities. Showcasing your volunteer experience not simply can highlight key abilities and qualities of you as an individual, but nonetheless, it also proves that you would be more likely to share in a company-wide volunteer effort. You should highlight all teaching experience, training experience, and worldwide experience youve got. When youre invited to interview for work, youll have the opportunity to display your confidence and share your skills along with the interviewer. You also define where youre in an agency so that recru iters have a better knowledge of your functions. Communication skills are required for each and every job. Leadership and negotiation skills are especially valuable. The chance of obtaining a job for a volunteer is often significant. If youre a CNA with no experience, give a fast introduction of who you are and why youd be a great hire. So list such experience only supposing its highly about the job which youre seeking. Taking the opportunity to compose a fantastic nurse aide resume tells recruiters you mean business and are intent on securing work. Employers love to realize that youre motivated by the opportunity to learn not simply by a paycheck. For instance, if in your organization research you discover that the employer values hiring and supporting employees with a rich life beyond work, it may be beneficial for them to learn about your contributions to a certain non-profit organization that youre passionate about. Include hobbies associated with the job youre applyin g for. Maybe you were made to shell out list time outside the workforce. Dont use the identical CV for each and every job that you apply for. The moment you are given a work, you barely have enough time to do laundry. Do not produce what youd like in work. To acquire the job, you want to learn how to earn the the majority of your volunteer work on your CV, and the article below will help you do so. Dont rush and youll probably get to where you want to get to. A volunteer resume is all you want to begin. A volunteer is somebody who has made a decision which they will do the job for a business or an organization without expecting a payment. Before you simply begin listing every bit of volunteer experience youve got, take a small time to investigate the corporation. Maybe you were made to devote some time outside the workforce. A Catchafire project is an excellent add-on to your resume. Our resume builder gives you tips and examples about how to compose your resume summ ary. The great thing about resumes is that you dont necessarily must fill them up with information regarding your experience. When you have information regarding technical experience, list it in bullets just like you would under work. If possible, request information about how your work has helped the agency and in case you have permission to utilize it like an instance of your success. What Is So Fascinating About Volunteer Experience on Resume? Its fast and simple to use. The stock resumes are some of several different resumes which have been further customized for unique opportunities. The Ultimate Approach for Volunteer Experience on Resume Networking on any level always tends to lead to somebody else who might have a contact that causes somebody else. A career highlights section is ideal for a seasoned job seeker and ought to be used in place of an objective. Should you do, please tell us in the comment section below. If done right, acquiring a volunteer resume sect ion may help you stick out in a crowded area of job applicants. Be ready to explain why a specific hospital is the best one for you and how you want to contribute to their patient care work. Scrambling to compose a resume when youve got a work offer fall in your lap could lower the efficacy of your application. In that instance its an effortless goal of locating work.

9 Cliches to Cut From Your Cover Letter Right Now

9 Cliches to Cut From Yur titelblatt Letter Right Now9 Cliches to Cut From Your Cover Letter Right Now9 Cliches to Cut From Your Cover Letter Right NowWhen writing your titel letter, be creative - not cliche.A word to the wise Actions speak louder than words, and no, you cant judge a book by its titelbild. But at the end of the day, when applying for a job, its totenstill better to be safe than sorry, bite the bullet, and submit a cover letter.Wait.Before you think were actually being serious with that monster sentence chock-full of cliches were not. Were making a point its time to cut cliches from your cover letter.Cliches are overused expressions that were once original but now fall flat. Since behauptung phrases are worn out, they lack the punchiness and personality required to set your cover letter apart from other candidates.Then why are cover letters a breeding ground for cliches? For whatever reason, when were not quite sure what to write, we use cliches as crutches. Theyre comfortable, and hey, maybe theyll make us sound more qualified or maybe hit all the vague points the hiring manager is looking for. Yet by relying on cliches, were not showcasing our full potential or our unique experiences effectively.For this reason, heres a list of nine common cliches that tend to make appearances in cover letters and should never appear again.1. To whom it may concernWere jumping right in with this one. Before you even start writing your cover letter, take a look at to whom youre addressing it.Whenever possible, personalize your cover letter salutation. Even if you cant find the hiring managers name immediately, put in the work and do some digging. Need some extra help? TopResumes career advice expert Amanda Augustine shared her tips on how to address a cover letter.2. My name isIf youre formatting your cover letter correctly, chances are your full name already appears at the top of the page in bold letters. Plus, you probably emailed your cover letter or fill ed out an application, so your name is all over the place. Theres no need to waste time (and space) by restating it with a bland Hello, my name is greeting.Instead, launch into something thatll capture the readers attention. Get creative and describe yourself in another way. Maybe youre an email-marketing specialist or maybe you have a Ph.D. in poetry. Whatever it is, set yourself apart with details and specific identifying characteristics.3. Im writing to applyIts a bit obvious youre writing to apply for a job, right?Instead of starting with Im writing to apply, shake things up. Maybe you can mention where you saw the job listing. Better yet, if someone within the company suggested you apply or is passing along a recommendation, drop his or her name.4. Ever since I was a little girl or boyYoure not diving into a childrens bedtime story youre applying to a job. Although its great to weave a story into your cover letter, you dont need to set it up in this manner.Instead, exercise so me creativity and craft a scene. What did you do as a little girl or boy? Maybe when you were seven, your mom caught you mesmerized in front of the TV watching the 5 oclock berichterstattung. She couldnt get you to come into the kitchen for dinner or for a bowl of ice cream. Thats when you knew you wanted to become a news anchor.Describe that scene instead of making a one-dimensional statement.5. As you can see on my resumeDont resort to regurgitating your resume and especially dont point out that youre regurgitating your resume.Instead, note specific projects youve worked on or challenges youve been able to overcome within the workplace. Your cover letter is a great space to reveal those colorful details that didnt fit into your resume.RelatedHow to Write a Catchy Cover Letter6. *Insert company motto here*Imagine applying for a job at Nike and writing something like, Im ready to Just do it. Maybe youre applying for a job with Allstate, so you write, I know Ill be in good hands wi th a job at Allstate.These are examples are a bit extreme, but they help exemplify this point Dont cough up surface-level details about the company. Thats information anyone could have pulled from its homepage.Instead, research the company youre applying to work with. Check to see if its been in the news but stick with the positive headlines. Check to see if the company has won an award or has completed a huge project and note that.Showing youve done your research which requires more than just glancing over a homepage means a lot to hiring managers.7. Im the perfect fitAnyone can throw out claims like this. Also, what makes you the perfect fit out of everyone else whos saying the same thing?Rather than describing yourself with vague superlatives, show why you think youd be the perfect fit. If you already have 10 years of experience in the given field, mention that. Perhaps you just completed a certification course thatll help you bring new industry information to the department. Explain more.Diving into why youre the perfect fit without declaring it will help beef up your cover letter.8. I have excellent written and oral communication skillsOther related cover letter cliches Im a hard worker. Im a problem-solver. Im a team player. I think outside the box.Why do we fall back on these cover letter catchphrases? Its probably because the job listing uses them.Again, its important to show and not tell when it comes to cover letters. By showing specific examples of how you work and what you can accomplish, youll be able to dodge these coined terms everyone else is using.9. This job would be a dream come trueNot only is this a tired, tired phrase, but its also not true in the literal sense. For many of us, we pray our insane stress-induced dreams dont come true, right?Theres no need to dive into dream interpretations right now, but instead of ending your cover letter on such a generalized note, explain exactly what itd mean for you to join the company or to hold such a job title.Remember though that you dont want to beg or become overly sentimental that can just get awkward.The bottom line is this Be specific, do your research, write outside your resume, and remember to show not tell.Click on the following link for more resume and cover letter advice.Before you can write a cover letter, you need a job-winning resume. Request a free resume critique to see how yours stacks upRecommended ReadingAsk Amanda How Do I Write a Great Cover Letter?Elevate Your Cover Letter With 3 Simple Tests5 Things to Say in Your Cover Letter If You Want to Get the Job

Stop Stress From Taking Control of Your Job Search

Stop Stress From Taking Control of Your Job SearchStop Stress From Taking Control of Your Job SearchThe French surgeon and biologist Alexis Carrel once saidThose who do leid know how to fight worry die young. The effects of letting anxiety control you includes less life-or-death consequences too, including negative effects on career. Uncontrolled anxiety and worry emerge most clearly during a job transition. Regardless of experience, compensation level or industry, most job seekers experience some form of stress during their search. As a matter of fact, tension and worry are some of their most significant problems. Stress hinders interviewing performance, negotiation ability and when it gets to a certain point, can result in people wanting to postpone and ignore the process altogether. To help lessen this career killer, Lets analyze why people stress over a job search, the negative effects that nervous feelings bestow upon us and some effective measures to combat anxiety and get the job you want. Why Are Job Searches So Stressful? Money is only part of the story. Often, mostof the stress job seekers incur spawns from smallerand less noticeable sources. Most causes of anxiety are not even recognizable. It begins with control. There is an inherent lack of control any individual has during the recruitment process. People who suffer significant stress during their job search are the people who tend to have more controlling personalities. Consider the following1. While searching for a job, you receive no feedback on why youre not invited to interview for a position or why you didnt receive a second or third interview. 2. You dont know who your competition is. 3. You are kept in the dark during interview phases. Human resources and hiring managers keep many cards close to their chests.4. Uncontrollable events occurwhen dealing with a job search, including economic shifts, internal hiring freezes, unexpected mergers and buyouts. Stress often comes from lack o f confidence, which comes from lack of practice. Ironically, the more successful someone is, the less frequently they tend to have to find a new position. Thus, they may not be very effective at managing their search. Sometimes the most productive job seekers are the worst employees. Practice makes perfect. The Effects of Stress on Job Search Performance If you let it get out of control, large amounts of anxiety and stress can have a snowball effect on your job search. The most successful individuals focus on what they want to achieve and move straight toward that goalwithout veering off course. When youre overwhelmed, that focus is no longer present. Your ability to answer in-depth interview questions with thoughtful and intelligent responses lessens. As a result, the amount of rejection you face from hiring managers increases. Your drive and resiliency begin to fade and the consistent rejection leads to pessimistic thinking. You start to think about all your past failures a nd focus less on what youve done correctly. Soon enough, all of your energy channels to negative thoughts and feelings and away from fulfilling personal ambitions. Decreasing Anxiety and Increasing Effectiveness While physical exercise, diet and proper sleep are key when it comes to managing stress, thought is supreme. If you can change your mind, you can change your stress levels as well as your ability to find the right job. Begin to adopt a mental attitude from which you talk to yourself with courage, frankness and good cheer. Focus less on the problems that occur and put your energy into possible solutions. For instance,if youre not being called in for interviews, change your rsum and cover letter or gain the necessary skills to become desirable to employers. Dont make every rejection a catastrophe understand that youre not going to get every job you go for. Turn letdowns into ambition instead of inaction. If you find yourself in a real spiral of negativity and anxiety, it wont hurt to pick up a classic such as the bookHow to Win Friends Influence People, which is at its core is a manual on positive thinking and genuine relationships. If something less business-minded suits your reading tastes, a reputable cognitive behavioral therapy handbook can help reroute your negative self-talk into reality-based assessments about yourself and your job search.In the EndSearching for a job can be a stressful proposition because of the highstakes. Even if youre searching while currently employed, the idea is that finding the right fit will improve your life. Whats more important than that? Rather than letting yourself get overwhelmed, allow yourself to feel invigorated. Working on your stress response to letdowns or anxiety-provoking situations will only improve the speed with which you complete your search and the quality of theposition youre able to identify for your future. It all starts with turning negative thoughts into positive ones and deciding to ta ke control for yourself, rather than letting your anxiety or negativity control you.