depression

depression We did it. We hit 30 million unemployment claims, the last 12%+ coming in just the last week. According to articles all over the internet this morning (its only 7:11 am where I am, and this is all over) we could see a 20% unemployment rate. Heres the scary quote: That would be the highest rate since it reached 25% during the Great Depression. NO ONE is protected. All over Twitter Im seeing highly technical and, from just a couple months ago, highly in-demand talent announcing they got laid off. Im talking about six-figure programmers (and all things IT). This morning I read  the U.S. is (or should) prepare for another round of mass layoffs. That could push us past the historic, devastating Great Depression. My friend and one of the greatest thinkers in this space wrote this must-read article: The New Job Market: COVID-19 complications. He hits all the nails on the head and comes at this with a very analytical approach. One of his commentors (ORALLOY) laments: The current situation is a killer blow to those (like myself) who were unemployed before. I was competing in an already very hard labor market, and now I am going against many people who had jobs. This kills any hope I had at getting a professional job. And all the suggestions from this site and others did not work for me. This is end times. There is mass argument, seemingly aligned with political parties, about what should have been done, and what should be done now. People are demanding to get their hair done, even as reports of new cases and deaths increase (or not decrease). Beaches are opening and some people go, finally, to get back to normalcy, while others are wearing face masks and pounding on the keyboard talking about how they are all idiots and love capitalism over lives. Indeed, some political and business leaders have sound clips where they make justifications about opening businesses back up, even if it means more people will die. We all make sacrifices, right? What is right? Should we stay shut down? I read a post on LinkedIn (cant find the link now) that said the deaths from suicides and non-medical issues related to corona (but related to this economy, like domestic violence) are 140% of the Corona disease deaths. That is staggering. So should we open the country and get back to normal so suicides and domestic murders decrease? Could that cause a spike in this seemingly unknown and highly debated disease? Im reading commentary from very smart people that support either side. There is some civil conversation but this debating has become as passionate as any of the fiercest religious or political fights. I read an article about, if I remember correctly, a dad who argued with his teen son about quarantine, and eventually shot him in the chest because the teen was going out. I cant find it now but please dont look for father kills son quarantine on Google there are too many yucky stories that pop up. Was someone praying for unprecedented times? Because, yeah, we are here now. With all of the fighting and arguing and turmoil and wondering, and can we not forgot that actual humans are dying, which impacts many, many families, we still have bills to pay. People paying mortgages are kind of seemingly given a  break but thats just a pause, not a forgiveness. People paying rent are trying to figure out if they can not pay rent for three months, and if they dont, what happens in three months. The U.S. government is coming in like a knight to save the damsel, throwing money around like the monopoly money printer is running non-stop the numbers are big (in the trillions) but individuals are getting a fraction of what they spend. Everyone is arguing about huge businesses getting bailout and small businesses getting the shaft. And then dump 30 million people into unemployment, forced to sit at home, with no prospects for new jobs because not only are most companies not hiring, many companies are simply shutting down. DOOM AND GLOOM Early in my marriage someone made a comment like this: You can do nothing this year, and in a year youll be in the same place. Or, you can work on your entrepreneurial business (or education, or skills, or whatever) and in a year you might be in the same place with your job, but your skills and marketability will be way further ahead. They said it more eloquently than that its been almost 25 years since I heard it. But thats the message. Ive been inviting, asking, and almost begging people to take advantage of the #FREEapril on Pluralsight. I dont much care whether you watch my professional development courses, or you watch beginner programming courses, or UX courses, or design courses, or project management courses, or business analyst courses I dont care. My invitation to you was to do something productive, and learn, and grow, and get hope and inspiration. Maybe you could come out of this thing a little stronger, a little better, a little more prepared. If you missed #FREEapril (today is the last day), ask if I have any 30 day passes. I usually do. If you arent into online learning, what are you going to do? Please dont sit around applying to jobs online on job boards. Tens of millions will be doing that. Work on your job search. Personally I would network. I created the Job Search Program, which is a program centered around informational interviews, or perhaps I should call it purposeful networking. Or go learn some skills. Ever thought about a career change? Maybe now is the time to seriously dig into that. Get your handyman license, which is a lot easier than getting a general contractors license. Learn interior design/decorating, or learn how to do sales. YUCK. Sales. When I got laid off in 2006 my younger brother wisely suggested I do real sales for a year, just to get those skills. There are a bazillion things you can do. My point is that you need to do something. For your own mental sanity, because sitting around and binge watching mindless shows is not good for you. Getting out of a productive routine might seem like a nice break but we are literally going on eight weeks of that, with no end in sight. Learn. Create. Try. Have you ever thought about creating other revenue streams, so you arent 100% dependent on your job? Well, now is the time. Whether its something you (might) love like making crafts and selling them on Etsy or something complex like figuring out rental (I know, weird timing on this, but the learning curve is steep, and so maybe now is the time to learn!) or figure out day trading (I know, this is RISKY) What can you do so that if the world shuts down again you dont have a pile of bills and a mountain of stress? Take this time to learn how to be more self-sufficient. Dive into Dave Ramseys youtube videos and just listen just learn. Let the ideas of paying off debt and budgeting and living within your means settle in. Dive into cutting expenses and learning how to fix things on your own, cook healthier meals, maybe even grow a garden or raise chickens for eggs things those crazy preppers talk about. Dont wait for things to get back to normal. The old normal sucked anyway. No one was happy to commute to work, and come home exhausted, living paycheck to paycheck. Now is a great time to reset, and to define your own new normal. It will take work but the peace that comes with feeling a bit more in control, and not at the mercy of politicians or viruses, is pretty awesome. Its not all doom and gloom, is it?

How to Write a Cover Letter Resume For Someone New

How to Write a Cover Letter Resume For Someone NewWriting a cover letter resume for someone new is one of the most effective ways to get your foot in the door of the job you are applying for. It's also one of the least time-consuming and least expensive methods of getting your foot in the door. And since it can be customized according to your specific needs, it's easy to get the results you want.If you have an opening for a job, then writing a cover letter can be one of the best things you can do. However, if you're looking for some tips on how to write a cover letter, then read on!First of all, you need to write a cover letter that is both professional and written well. You don't want it to come across as a cover letter written by a student or someone who has little idea of the industry you're trying to break into. It needs to be professional but yet also personal. So let's go over some tips to help you get started.As a rule, the first thing you need to do is use an excellent title for your cover letter. Don't try to sell yourself; you're only trying to get your information out there. Your goal here is to get to an interview! So use a title that will grab the attention of the reader.The next thing you need to do is to make sure that the title is 'cool.' This doesn't mean that it has to be a great title. However, you want it to be something that grabs the reader's attention and makes them curious about the person whose title they just saw. This can help you land that job interview you've been looking for!You should also take a moment to think about the content of your cover letter. Not only should it be relevant but it should also be creative and unique. It's a perfect way to stand out from the rest.As a rule, you should always make sure to spell and check your letters before sending them out. It's the law, so you shouldn't take this lightly. Even though you're not going to be typing the letters in, it's better to be safe than sorry. You never know when the hir ing manager will see your misspelled title and find a flaw in it.Finally, remember that writing a cover letter is very important. Remember that it's the first impression you make that matters the most. Writing a cover letter should be an easy process that makes your letter unique and helps you land the job you've been searching for.

Like Cars Here Are The Skills Needed in the Automotive Industry -

Like Cars Here Are The Skills Needed in the Automotive Industry - To enable and ensure a strong automotive sector in the UK post Brexit and resume growth to retain its status as significant employer (particularly in the north of the country) the automotive industry requires a technically skilled and adaptable work force. In this post, we’ll look at the three key skills that employees need to succeed in the automotive industry. Problem-solving Skills  While problem-solving is a valuable and transferable skill that can be applied in almost every conceivable industry, but it’s particularly important in the automotive sector. The main reason for this is simple; as the industry’s most commonplace hardware and technology is constantly evolving, meaning that new faults and unforeseen issues can only diagnosed by skilled professionals with the capacity to use their own experience and innate intuition. Automakers also tend to look for candidates who have an ability to communicate complex issues in written and oral scenarios, and this requires a penchant for problem solving and an inherently analytical mind. Problem solving skills have merit at every stage of the automotive manufacturing process, particularly in terms of creating functional and stylish vehicles that can be sold for competitive price points. Critical Thinking and Operational Analysis  On a similar note, the ability to think critically and apply this processes remains a sought-after trait in the fast-evolving automotive trade. Manufacturers certainly need employees with an analytical and critical mind, particularly those with the capacity to evaluate situations in real-time and make informed decisions based on operational statistics. This type of thinking is generally applied to identify and correct issues in workflows, along with the challenges that undermine productivity on a daily basis. The resolutions that are conceived by analytical minds can ultimately save auto manufacturers time and money, boosting their bottom line profit margins in the process. Confidence with Tools and Equipment  In addition to these transferable skills and a keen work ethic, automotive workers must also be confident and able to operate practical workplace tools. This includes everything from direct drive air compressors to hand wrenches and oil change tools, which play a critical role in the design, production and repair of cars across the length and breadth of the globe. By being familiar and confident when using these and similar tools, you can operate safely without compromising on productivity or the quality of the workmanship involved. These skills, when combined with industry familiarity and knowledge, can make you a well-rounded employee with a bright future in the automotive space.

Showing Respect for Others is Part of Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Showing Respect for Others is Part of Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Consistently Follow the Golden Rule: What you want for yourself, you give to others. Do right and do it consistently in how you think, act, and interact with people. Over the years there are versions of the “rule” that I’ve heard from colleagues. Pick one that rings true for you: Do what’s right for the other person, and you’ll end up doing what’s right for you Do unto others what you would have them do unto you Be good to people, and they will be good to you Treat all people as you would like to be treated Good works on Earth align you in the right way with the universe You never want to do unto others what you would not want done unto you What is hateful to you, do not do to others As a leader, always be more than is expected of the people you’re working for and who are working for you You can’t ask others to do what you aren’t willing to do yourself Treat people like you want to be treated Do unto others before they split How would you want to be treated (or how would you want your mother, your son, to be treated)? Treat others as they would like to be treated Don’t repeat what you didn’t like done to you Expect from others what you expect from yourself Any version works for giving the respect due to others â€" as good leaders do.

Writing a Resume Course For College Students

Writing a Resume Course For College StudentsStudents from any area of study can benefit from taking a writing a resume course. Many of the writing resume tips that are available are meant to help those who have just recently graduated or are just starting their careers. This is great for them because they will be able to get out of the certification process more quickly and in many cases they will find the workload to be easier as well. So, if you are a recent college graduate and you want to start off your career in the field you choose then you should look into taking a writing a resume course.There are many ways people search for a job. The internet is perhaps the biggest search engine on the face of the earth. That means that you can turn to your favorite search engine and start looking for a job. You will need to be familiar with the correct format of the various job descriptions that are out there. You will also need to know how to write a resume so that you will be able to sho w off your best qualities when applying for the job.Writing a resume is necessary so that when an employer comes across your resume they will have a better idea of what you are looking for. It is not enough to just post a resume that is formatted incorrectly. By the time that the employer looks at it they will assume that you are just not serious about the position that you are applying for. By knowing how to write a resume the employer will be more likely to contact you when you have sent your resume in.One thing that is important for any new careerist is that they should have a good understanding of the job market and how people search for jobs. That means that if you want to get a job in writing then you should take the time to learn how the world works and what things to expect. For that reason it is important to take writing resume courses that are offered through local colleges or universities.Writing a resume is a very important part of the job search. In fact, it is one of t he first things that most employers will do when they find out that you are an applicant. After the resume is reviewed by the employer will decide whether or not they should consider you for the job. If they decide to hire you the paperwork will go out by that time.When taking a writing a resume course you will need to be able to communicate effectively. Even if you are reading an essay with appropriate grammar and syntax, you still need to know how to speak properly. You will also need to have a certain amount of confidence to make an impression on the interviewer.It is also very important to consider the overall shape of your resume. If it looks terrible then the chances are that the employer will be less likely to hire you. The length of the resume will determine the amount of space that you have to work with. The employer is going to want to know what you are looking for and you want to make sure that you give them a good description of your ideal work environment.Of course, you will also need to know how to apply for a job in writing. The school should be able to teach you the specific steps that are necessary to write a resume. You will also want to know how to explain why you are the best candidate for the job in case you are contacted by a company after the resume has been reviewed.

How to Begin Your Career as an Online Freelance Writer - CareerMetis.com

How to Begin Your Career as an Online Freelance Writer Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comA large number of individuals online are finding how doing writing related jobs from home can be extremely beneficial. Unfortunately, many individuals don’t feel that they can compose a compelling article and don’t know how to locate a genuine writing work. In the event that you can write well, you can earn good profits on the web.There are several freelance and writing related job portals like Upwork, Freelancer, WritingCheap, etc. that can help you find a good paying project. Today, as the web based businesses and ecommerce grow, the need for individuals with the good knowledge of communication has also risen.Every business, institution and individual wants to convey the right message and information to their audience, and this opens the door of several opportunities for anyone who is willing to take up writing as profession.evalWith writing, you don’t need to focus only on the web-based writing tasks, but it could be more than that. From college jo urnals, white papers for an institute, memorandum creation for a company, to even writing essays for school going kids, everything that’s available online is a potential writing job for you.In case you’re enthusiastic about composing compelling write-ups and need to make it your side job, you should know to play it cleverly, proficiently, along with being highly motivated to succeed.Going for a writing job isn’t simple and unless you’ve officially handled yourself a six figure book deal, you should be as innovative in producing regular salary for yourself with just your words. On the Internet, practically everything is imparted via written materials like articles and blog posts. Which means, somebody has written all those pages that see on the internet.The surge in new sites, interactive communication and an open platform for sharing knowledge, internet is seeing a rise in written work. But, not everyone can write, and this is where you’ve got opportunities to create a rem arkable career as a writer.Inclusion of writers in any online site or project is fundamental in light of the fact that a site’s content must be one of a kind, diverse, and not distributed somewhere else.The search engine spiders creep the web marking duplicates and estimates the quality of original text in your content. Any content can be measured against a billions of written work on the internet to find measure the duplicity. And, if you’re presented copied work, chances are that you’ll never show up in the search results and even may be flagged for the wrong doing.In such scenario, employing an efficient writer becomes necessary for the site owners. As observed from a recent report on web-based work, those bloggers who had their own site and worked on them, showed up at better positions on the search engine and were even popular in their respective categories. evalYou need to understand that writing is not just a task, it is also an involuntary thing which works like the mu scles in your body. Your thoughts and creative flow should align naturally with the tone your audience wants to read. Just like an athlete who conditions whose muscles and brain coordinates for better performance.Keep exploring your writing capabilities and who knows you can grab the next Booker prize!

Small Business Saturday Content Marketing 101

Small Business Saturday Content Marketing 101 Traveling in the way-back machine, a new business would hang a shingle, get listed in the yellow pages, print up business cards and have some promotional material and Voila!   Oh, how things have changed! If you are looking to grow your business, the most popular solution today is content marketing. What exactly is content marketing According to Wikipedia: Content marketing is any marketing format that involves the creation and sharing of media and publishing content in order to acquire customers. Few people respond well to a hard-sell approach. Content marketing lures potential customers by providing educational information which will benefit them. Instead of selling or cramming your message down potential customers throats, you are gaining recognition and making them appreciate the value your business provides. With todays technology, content marketing is available and affordable to every business owner. What kind of content can you create? Your next question you need to answer is what type of content will you create. The options are endless. Blogs Video Newsletters (and eNewsletters) ebooks Infographics Case studies How-tos QA’s Photos Just take a look at the full slide deck from Content Marketing Institutes consumer market study to get more information and ideas.  How will you distribute the content Through social networks, of course! LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Slideshare and the host of other tools that exist to help you disseminate your message! I guess that means you are going to have to start figuring out how to use them. Youre in luck, because more will be here in the future. Where do you start? It may seem a tad overwhelming if you are not already using some of these tools. But just like learning a foreign language, once you learn one, it is easier to pick up the others. Start by adding a blog to your website! A blog provides you with the ability to create content you can share across social networks. Youve created content, now where will you share it? Where your customers are, of course. Check out this infographic to identify which social network your potential customers are using most. Hint: Facebook is great to market to consumers and LinkedIn is great for marketing to businesses. But it can get more granular, so check this out! Got other questions? Please add them in a comment below! This will provide me with information to write about in the future! And in case you didnt hear, Ill be launching a book this summer to help business owners leverage social networks! More details here!

Grown-Up Gigs Mobile Pizza Unit

Grown-Up Gigs Mobile Pizza Unit You guys, I went to a wedding this summer and a PIZZA FIRETRUCK was the caterer!!!! I kid you not. This wasnt a pic from the wedding, but from the Mobile Pizza Unit itself (with my notations): If youre new to Grown-Up Gigs, I started this series to highlight real, lucrative careers that real grown-ups have. Obviously, the Mobile Pizza Unit HAD to be included!   I didnt get to talk to the owner, Chris Owens, himself he was busy at the top of the truck making the pizzas but according to the lovely ladies he had working for him that day, he already owned the stationary pizza parlor, Pizzetta Mystic (no, not THE Mystic Pizza thats a different, supposedly inferior shop in the same town) when he saw the firetruck at an auction. According to this Channel 3 video, the wheels started turning. I figured I could put a pizza oven and a beer tap, and Id have a reason to own a fire truck. What I love most is that he laughs while saying it, realizing the awesome ridiculousness of it all. The story ends with Chris saying, Yeah, Im a good dream-chaser. He can say that again! He also says, I just wanna make pizzas and make people happy. As you can tell by this shot of Luke I in the photobooth jumpseat, hes succeeding on both counts. Since theres a grown-up making real good money with a pizza firetruck, what can you do?