Cover Letters and Resumes: What's Hot and What's Not
This is another requested article by our webmaster his request was: Resumes-Cover-Letters - Resume/CV & Cover letter writing tips, do's and don'ts and suggestions.For many years I hired engineer and staff members for both manufacturing and R & D operations. If there is anything that I can say that will help you to gain success in life it is this: Tell the absolute truth. That applies in spades to Resumes and cover letters.Here are some ideas from my experience:Never take full credit for the success of any task that you did not accomplish by yourself.It’s better to say, “Served on a task force to reduce the cost of material handling. The task force succeeded in reducing cost by blah, blah, blah. My role was to see that blah, blah, blah. In this role I blah, blah, blah.”In this, be as specific as possible. Write as much as you can about the project showing that you have knowledge, technical ability, and the ability to work with others. Then condense it for your resume according to its importance. It could be a paragraph, a page, but not two pages. Leave room for discussion. Remember that discussion is the most important part of your interview (after you put on a good conservative suit or dress and polish your shoes). A good resume will lead to good discussion in your favor.If you just put in a bullet that says: Reduced shipping cost by 10% you will get the Spanish Inquisition. If you are going to use bullets, list them early in the resume as a summary of what is to follow. Your bullet for this project might be:Served as packaging coordinator on the corporate taskforce to reduce shipping and handling cost. Packaging cost were reduced by 7% resulting in an annual savings in Fiscal Year 2003 of $57,000.00.Avoid giving too much personal information.Remember that you are pursuing your vocation, not your avocations. This is a touchy area and you must be cautious. I feel that being brief is best.Let me give you an example: My oldest son had finished medical school and was applying to schools offering neurosurgery. On his resume, he put “Eagle Scout.”Now becoming an Eagle Scout is a

Success is in the Details: Do All Your Pieces Fit?
DETAILS...that is what a profession or specialization is all about. Whether you are talking about an auto mechanic, a film producer, an attorney, or a web designer – the details are what make or break their successes. Think about it... if the book you were reading had typos and poor sentence structure if your mechanic fixed your car, but left it filthy dirty (OK, many do, but I bet you’d go back to the one that didn't before the one that left it dirty) if a film producer forgot that the lead actor’s hair was up in one shot and down in another for the same scene if your attorney showed up in court wearing ripped jeans and the opposing side was brandishing a tidy suit who would have the upper hand? Upon first impression, the person who paid attention to the details would. And, a first impression may be all that you have...no matter how compelling your message. That does not mean that things always have to be flashy and in your face. It does mean that the reader must be compelled to look further, to learn something, to understand without confusion, to enjoy their experience as much as possible. These are the things that will keep them coming back.You must follow through and pay attention to the details to be sure that all the pieces of your message fit – the words, the visuals, the sound, the organization, the functionality and the usability.Why People Go to Web SitesWhen people go to a web site, they are looking for information first – information that answers their questions and fulfills their needs. It may be the first place they see your entire message. They are processing the information that you are presenting to them in a variety of ways. So, why not give them what they are after – good information that is well organized and is pleasing to look at.What is Most Important?Every word is important because people think upon them and their meanings. Visuals are important to bring people to your words. Sounds can enhance the communication of your words and visuals. The programming is vital as well. A carefully planned execution of all of these elements adds up to placin

How To Be A Graduate School Superstar
Graduate School Superstars Are Deeply Invested In Their Graduate School ExperienceThe key to being a graduate school superstar is involvement. Many people who pursue graduate degrees do not have the luxury of making school their sole focus, so the temptation can be great to stick to the essentials of getting your graduate degree rather than taking advantage of all that your graduate program offers. While it's true that the demands of post-baccalaureate life are indeed a challenge, not engaging in your graduate program to the fullest extent you can would be a mistake. Regardless of what graduate program you are participating in, much of the graduate school experience takes place beyond the world of classrooms and assignments. Do well in these areas, of course, but also expand your definition of education while in grad school to include as many extracurricular options as you reasonably can. You will probably only go to graduate school this one time -- make the most of it.The Basics: Attendance, Homework, and Class ParticipationSome things about school never change, regardless of what level of degree you're pursuing. The basic requirements of a graduate school superstar include excellent attendance at all of your class meetings. Just like undergrad, your professors probably won't call you out if you skip class, but just like undergrad, if you don't go to class, you're only cheating yourself. To get the most out of your classes, become an expert in time management and make sure you're well prepared for every meeting. Let your professor know you're a graduate school superstar by actively participating in every class meeting, too.Beyond The Basics: Extracurricular Events and NetworkingRegardless of what advanced degree you're pursuing, your graduate program will undoubtedly offer lectures, programs, performances (whatever is applicable to your field), etc., that are optional. Even if you are maintaining a job while you're getting your master's or Ph.D., do your best to attend some if not all of these. In addition to attending the scheduled events, graduate school superstars should make every effort to get to know their classmates outside the classro

It is Easier to Increase Sales than to Cut Costs
We are constantly hearing about the importance of cutting costs to get a business back on track. I certainly believe that we should spend wisely, but serious cost cutting is killing some companies who could direct their efforts in a more productive manner that would benefit their company, their investors, and their employees a lot more. That is increasing sales.Logically, you can only cut costs to a point after which you are basically out of business. Sales, however, have an unlimited potential. Why do folks not focus on sales as much as costs? I have asked business owners that question many times and here is what I conclude from their answers.First, cost cutting is usually immediate and gets people's attention. So there is a quick return. Second, it is something that generally every department can do, so there is a dramatic impact on expenses. These of course are all short term answers to bottom line problems.The intermediate and long term answer is increasing the top line – sales. That does take longer, but it sure has a lot more benefits. You can keep your employees, pay bills, and grow the business to name just a few.The key for increasing sales is to start before disaster is knocking at the door. If your sales team has stalled in their growth, give them a boost. Get them Prospecting for new business. Get them some sales training. Get them out of their doldrums.I don't mean to focus on Rah Rah stuff, I mean that they have to start doing something new. Remember, if you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same results!!! You want different results, so get them doing different things.Being a sales trainer with a specialization in Prospecting, I feel this is the way to really get a sales force pumped up and producing. Sales Management has to lead the way in this regard. No sense in crying over spilled milk. Simply get on with changing the daily activities of the sales team.If you don't have a formal Prospecting System get one. Have the sales people start Prospecting within their customers. Most of the people I work with are not selling all they can within their existing customer base because t

What Chance the New Online Marketer in the World of Internet Marketing?
Why do I contemplate such an article now? I've been constantly searching for that leprechaun with that pot o' gold for nigh on twelve months. I know this as I've just paid my yearly domain name and web host fees a few days ago.Am I writing this to warn other would-be marketers of the pitfalls and frustrations associated with trying to gain that financial freedom we all crave through a niche product or service- something in which we have a unique ability to "sell" to the world? Something your customers need or want.There are a thousand success stories but for every thousand successes there are more than likely ten thousand failures. So far I'm one of them.I have produced a rather unusual Web site that I consider quite unique in its own way. I offer rebates on certain online products with all the necessary internet provisions that one must have and I now take for granted. Preferably one should have a site. My site promotes and recommends Vodahost or Blue Voda as a primary source for web hosting. This host provides an extensive Web Builder and instructional videos with a myriad of extras including hundreds of templates and accessories required to create a versatile web site with ease.My enjoyment and feeling of success are not in doubt here. Every time my links work and my downloads and uploads operate I feel a sense of total satisfaction.It's here that Google rates a mention. For the unknowledgeable there is Adwords and Adsense. The former takes away whilst the latter returns your investment. Google Adwords have been my nemesis from the beginning. Adwords primarily works on the PPC method, the pay-per-click system. Once a Google Adwords campaign is set and running on your Web site Google charges for every click that a visitor to your site has made. It's those ads you see when you browse google.com. Yours is amongst them. Adsense is Adwords in reverse. These are your google ads on your site and you are paid per click as opposed to the Adwords campaign. My site www.proofcheck.info has a number of free downloadable products with further insight into both these Google systems.Any serious internet marketer must have an auto responder if they are to

Opening A Dollar Store - Does Location Really Make a Difference?
Are you opening a dollar store? Have you started looking for a location yet? If not, then it is important to know that finding the right location is without a doubt the most important tasks that you will undertake prior to opening your store. Take the time to thoroughly examine the location options that are available before you make a decision.The demographics of the potential dollar store shopper are very broad, and the number of shoppers within that demographic group is huge. Excellent visibility and high traffic count, coupled with easy access and convenient parking are key considerations. Before opening a dollar store be sure that you thoroughly examine not only present but also future planned traffic flow and building immediately around the proposed site. Carry your study to at least a one-mile radius around the location. (I used a five-mile radius for our large store.)The prospective location of the store, anchor businesses, and complimentary businesses are all part of the equation during the examination. Make sure that you are not around the corner from a competing business. Be sure that the surrounding businesses will bring compatible shoppers to your store. There is no sense in thinking that an engineering consulting firm will bring a great deal of traffic to your store. If you are opening a dollar store a major grocery store might bring very complimentary traffic however.Always thoroughly examine lease terms including price, lease length, and leasehold improvements. There are all critical considerations during the decision making process. In fact if you are opening a dollar store you will likely find that lease payments fall in the top three monthly expenses that you will be paying.If you are comparing a second-tier location to a prime first-tier location be sure that you factor in required advertising and marketing to gain traffic at the second-tier location. Be sure that you are fairly assessing the costs of each location and that you are fairly applying those costs in your final decision before opening a dollar store.To Your Dollar Store Success!