The Dark Side of Unemployment Insurance

The Dark Side of Unemployment Insurance I remember when I was on unemployment and on state medical aid I had two very contradicting feelings: 1. I was very, very grateful that the systems were in place and that I could have something.   Unemployment wasnt much but it was enough to help make ends meet (family was there also, as was my church). The medical was great we didnt really use it (birth of a daughter, but we had to pay $2,000 to the state for that) but it was such a relief to know that if something really bad happened we would be taken care of. 2. I was extremely frustrated at the amount of reporting that had to be done to actually get the benefits.   Weekly reporting to the unemployment office, and regular indepth reporting for medical benefits.   I understand that they deal with scammers and frauds all the time, and they need to address that, but we felt like we were the bad guys when going through the reporting process.   Its already a humbling, embarrassing time, but the state employees didnt do much to make it easier. Eventually we got off of unemployment and we got off of the medical aid (early).   The reporting process was just too much Even though it was nice to have those safety nets, it was too close to BIG GOVERNMENT getting into my personal affairs. Again, I know they have to deal with frauds all the time.   But I didnt like feeling like they thought I was an abuser, a fraud each time I had to go through their processes.   (maybe this was just my own insecurities I didnt do anything wrong during those times.   If you dont know what Im talking about I invite you to go through the process :)). Heres a story a buddy from Mexico sent me about the dark side of unemployment checks.   An unemployed lawyer has a blog she put google ads on her blog, and the unemployment office punishes her by greatly reducing her unemployment checks. The unemployed lawyer was making about $1 each day, or $30ish a month and unemployment felt she was doing too much. One of the great ironies of unemployment we are here to help you, but once you start to help yourself were outta here!   Not on your feet yet?   Well you shouldnt have tried to stand on your own, sucka! Pretty disgusting. The Dark Side of Unemployment Insurance I remember when I was on unemployment and on state medical aid I had two very contradicting feelings: 1. I was very, very grateful that the systems were in place and that I could have something.   Unemployment wasnt much but it was enough to help make ends meet (family was there also, as was my church). The medical was great we didnt really use it (birth of a daughter, but we had to pay $2,000 to the state for that) but it was such a relief to know that if something really bad happened we would be taken care of. 2. I was extremely frustrated at the amount of reporting that had to be done to actually get the benefits.   Weekly reporting to the unemployment office, and regular indepth reporting for medical benefits.   I understand that they deal with scammers and frauds all the time, and they need to address that, but we felt like we were the bad guys when going through the reporting process.   Its already a humbling, embarrassing time, but the state employees didnt do much to make it easier. Eventually we got off of unemployment and we got off of the medical aid (early).   The reporting process was just too much Even though it was nice to have those safety nets, it was too close to BIG GOVERNMENT getting into my personal affairs. Again, I know they have to deal with frauds all the time.   But I didnt like feeling like they thought I was an abuser, a fraud each time I had to go through their processes.   (maybe this was just my own insecurities I didnt do anything wrong during those times.   If you dont know what Im talking about I invite you to go through the process :)). Heres a story a buddy from Mexico sent me about the dark side of unemployment checks.   An unemployed lawyer has a blog she put google ads on her blog, and the unemployment office punishes her by greatly reducing her unemployment checks. The unemployed lawyer was making about $1 each day, or $30ish a month and unemployment felt she was doing too much. One of the great ironies of unemployment we are here to help you, but once you start to help yourself were outta here!   Not on your feet yet?   Well you shouldnt have tried to stand on your own, sucka! Pretty disgusting.

Must Dos When Facing Work Disciplinary Action

Must Dos When Facing Work Disciplinary Action Disciplinary actions from your employer are something that many of us fear even if they are minor. The thought of jeopardizing your career or losing your job entirely can be devastating. Not only to you but your family as well. This type of action is usually carried out when your employer has a concern or issue with your conduct or performance in the workplace. Often these concerns can be dealt with quickly and informally. But other times it can be more complicated. So if you are currently facing disciplinary action, here are some important things you must do. When you are facing a disciplinary action: Find out the allegations Most employers will organize a disciplinary meeting to discuss the allegations and to see if a suitable outcome can be reached. This is something you will be encouraged to attend. It’s not uncommon for employees to attend these meetings without having a clear understanding of that the claims against them are. This can make it incredibly difficult to give evidence and prepare yourself to give concise answers to help with your defense.  So it’s always beneficial to know exactly what the allegations are before this meeting occurs. Usually, you will be provided with a letter or document stating the issues and concerns your employer has. If any of the reasons stated do not make sense, you need to contact an employment lawyer such as Alan Lescht and Associates. They will be able to help defend and prepare you for further action should you decide to take it. Find out more about the process Another vital thing you need to do is find out exactly how your employer’s disciplinary process works. They should provide you with documentation that clearly states each step in detail. This will give you valuable insight into how it will be conducted and possible outcomes. If they have not already given you this vital information, request it straight away. This will help to make you feel more at ease and take all of the mystery out of the process. Also, ask your lawyer as they will have knowledge and experience that can also help you to prepare more efficiently. Find a trustworthy witness During your disciplinary meeting, you have every right to have a witness. This can be another colleague, legal support or a union representative. Ask someone who you trust and who has your best interests at heart. Not only can they offer guidance and support, but they can record the meeting for you. This will give you your own independent record of what is being said and agreed up. Which you can use as evidence and refer to in future should you decide to proceed with legal action against your employer. The key to dealing with these work-based claims of misconduct is by seeking support and being prepared. You have every right to challenge the allegations made against you if you think they are not accurate. But you also need to know what options and rights you have as an employee. So get informed and seek expert assistance in getting these issues sorted. Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

20 Signs Youd Make a Great News Reporter

20 Signs Youd Make a Great News Reporter News reporters. Theres a lot of interest  out there about what it means to be one. How do they wind up on scene so quickly? How do they know what to say to the camera? Do they decide what the public knows about current affairs? Are they really so brazen so as to continually hound people for an interview? What does it take to succeed in the news industry? What would we do without them? News reporters have  very challenging roles. They are the barrier  between the community and the news we know about they are responsible for portraying people and events in certain lights. TV journalists often have very limited time to process and structure information before broadcasting it, but  suffer  huge repercussions if things are incorrectly reported. On the other hand, reporters live extremely thrilling, fast-paced and interesting existences. They are constantly at the forefront  of exciting action-packed moments, meet new people on a daily basis and  earn their money writing and presenting unique human interest stories. They are natural attention-seekers, thrive under the spotlight and ooze admiral amounts of self-confidence.  Have you  ever looked at news reporters on TV and thought, I could do that? check out the points below and if they sound like you, sorry to break it to you you might have missed your calling breaking news: 1. You have expert listening skills Press conferences, speeches, interviews they only happen once  and reporters get one shot to mentally clock important snippets to turn into awesome stories. Sure you can record things on your phone or on a camera, but with such little time to generate breaking coverage, you just wont always have time to listen back  over old ground! 2. You can write fast To accompany your great ears, youll need quick hands to jot down names, details and interesting stats efficiently and legibly. 3. Your memory rocks A good memory will help you contextualise stories with past events, making your stories really thorough and well-rounded! 4. Youre good at multi-tasking Being able to set up more interviews between existing interviews, monitor media channels for new leads and work on multiple pieces at once is part of the job. News never stops happening! 5. Youre great with time management In the world of broadcast news, there is no flexibility on deadlines. youve got to know how to manage your time and stick to it. 6. You love working under pressure Knowing you have deadlines to work towards keeps your blood pumping and energy levels soaring! You come alive under pressure. 7. You ooze confidence Speaking in front of a crowd doesnt worry you in fact, it excites you. You know when you know your stuff and how to back yourself. 8. Youre on  the ball all the time If somethings happening, youre already all over it and know all the details. You dont miss a beat when it comes to breaking news. 9. You love news and current affairs You need to be in the know and love staying connected with the world around you. 10. You dont mind getting people offside If you know youre right and have a point, you dont mind standing for what you believe in, regardless if it gets someone angry. Reporters have to hound people for interviews at times    its part of the job description! No interviews = no story, and no story = angry boss. 11. Youre relentless You dont stop at something until youve got what you want. 12. Youre comfortable with being the centre of attention You like being under the spotlight; you like the sound of your own voice! 13. You  can manage your  emotions Journalists are constantly subjected to taxing situations, and need to be able to manage emotions in pressurised environments, keeping focus on work. 14. You take pride in your appearance Always having to be camera-ready means you need to keep your appearance looking polished and professional at all times. 15. You can work with loads of noise in the background Being able to concentrate with a million and one other things going on behind you in the buzzing newsroom is paramount to your success. 16. You dont take on other peoples issues You are good at switching off at the end of the day and switching back  on at the start of the next. You are good at being able to mentally disengage from the stresses of the day! 17. You like creating things Journalists are constantly writing and creating stories. You like working on projects and seeing the outcomes of a job well done. 18. Youre okay with odd hours News doesnt sleep, so some journalists need to work night shifts or early mornings. Few news  stations operate on  a  standard workday  9-5 model. 19. Youve got a strong stomach You can look at disturbing images and things, and hear gruesome details without feeling queasy! (Think murder trials / court cases / injuries and accidents). 20. Youre good at winning people over Youve got puppy dog eyes and unmatched power of persuasion. You can make people agree to do things for you and give you special information, without coming across manipulative and pushy! Do you have these skills and abilities? If so, maybe its time to rethink your career choices!

How to Do Your Thesis Anywhere in the World

How to Do Your Thesis Anywhere in the World In this article Ill tell you about the things I did to get solid offers from IKEA, Willys, and Tetra Pak to do my masters thesis in marketing for them. These are some of the most elite retailing companies in Sweden. Just to let you know, I did my masters thesis on the topic of in-store marketing. But it doesnt matter, because the things Im about to tell you about can be applied to any kind of company or niche, and  your grades will not matter. Anyone can use this strategy. So, lets get into it! These are the steps you need to follow: 1) How to decide your thesis topic: First you must understand what business area that you want to do your thesis on. Second, its a good idea for your thesis to fulfill two criteria: a) It should be about a topic that youre interested in, or something that you think will  continue to be in demand in the future:   If you dont already have a good idea whether your chosen niche is in demand or not, there are two quick ways to check this out: First you can Google a major company in your niche, look up their information, then call them up or send an email with some questions about the industry and explain your situation. The second thing you can do is to head over to Google  Trends and type in some different terms or concepts within the busines area or niche. Sometimes a niche can go under several names. As you can see here in the picture below, the concept of in-store marketing isnt very popular on Google. But retailing and visual merchandising which are closely related, are much more popular: This example seems negative, by looking at it. But I happen to know otherwise, and therefore I was not discouraged in seeing it. The point is this, Google Trends shouldnt determine what you do your thesis on, but it could be used as an indicator as it is usually accurate in showing Internet searches for keywords. b) The topic of your thesis should be about something that you know that companies are working with already. By: Ray Why? Because its always easier to sell something that theres an existing demand for, than it is to sell something totally new. It requires a lot less convincing. Your topic should also be something that has a practical value. Not an unprofessional topic like Gender Equality in Mammal Communities. Such a topic has zero practical value, and will not be useful for the strategy Im telling you. Another reason why itd be stupid idea to choose a topic like that is because youll be spending 3-6+ months writing your thesis and doing your consultancy work for the company. This is an important part of your life and a great opportunity to proactively springboard yourself into a career of your own choice. Dont let it go to waste! Dont waste this opportunity, like most other students do. Instead, be deliberate about this whole process. Use your thesis as a synergistic process for long-term growth in a profession of your own choice. 2. Choose your dream company with this strategy: Once youve chosen a business area, its time for you to do the following: First you need to go to Amazon.com and check out the top books in this niche. This will give you an overview of what the main problems in this field are. You could also go to the advanced search option and check for bestsellers in the niche. Buy at least one of these books and read through it thoroughly. By the time you have finished the book you will know infinitely more than you did before. This should allow you feel comfortable selecting a particular field to investigate within this business area. Look up and contact 5-10 experts within your business area, INCLUDING the author of the book you read. Ask these people some specific questions related to the business area, and let them know youre writing a thesis on the topic.  Note: This is very important.  Ask these experts what they would write about regarding the topic, if they were in your position. Take some time to write a good email that you can basically copy paste to them all, with the exception of their names. If you havent already decided the exact question you will investigate, these experts will have lots of useful input. Also, be sure to ask them which companies would be ideal to write the thesis for, in regards to your topic. They will which company is the best one fit for you and they are also your entry ticket into that company. Write a specific email to the author of the book you read. Make sure you connect with this person, because you will need to borrow authority  from this person. If there was something that really interested you while reading his/her book you should ask about that. The author will be delighted that youre so interested. After youve done this You shouldve got at least 1-2+ responses from the experts, suggesting what might be a good topic to write the thesis about, and what companies would be a good fit. If youre lucky, the experts or author might even introduce or recommend you to a few companies. This happened to me. Contact 5-10+ companies related to your business area. Do this by email first, then by phone (especially if you dont get a response back). In both cases, what you want to focus on, is this: Emphasize that youre offering free work for 3-6 months on a specific topic. No one in theirright mind says no to free work. Make sure you bring up the experts/authors names. Say that these people recommendedthat you do your thesis for the company. Include as many names as possible to make use of social proof. If you do this right it should result in a number of interviews. And the best part: Your grades will not matter at all, and youll still get your thesis at a top company, and hopefully get hired by them afterwards. When you get to the interview, make sure you emphasize that youre more interested in helping out the company, and learning more about how their business works, than you are in producing a high quality academic thesis and pleasing your professors. Show that youre a result-oriented teamplayer who has  their best interest in mind. Also, make sure you bring up important facts from the book(s) you read, and opinions of the experts/author. This will show that youre already knowledgeable about the topic, and will give a more professional impression. 3.  and then You select the best one of the companies you had an interview with to do your thesis. Make sure you do a kick-ass job for the company and overdeliver on the work you do. And then? Then you get hired. I wish you the best of luck. But you wont need luck if youre using this strategy. Author: Ludvig Sunström runs startgainingmomentum.com,  where he writes about practical tips and self-development. He is also the author of the book Breaking  out of Homeostasis, and has a masters degree in International Marketing.

Using Resume Writing Services in Huntsville AL

Using Resume Writing Services in Huntsville ALResume writing services in Huntsville AL can help you get a better job. If you're already looking for a job and are having trouble getting hired, you may be interested in hiring an agency that can make your experience even more positive. Because many of these companies operate as part of the recruiting industry, they can help you get past the initial rejection that is often experienced with offline searches.A good place to start looking for a company is online. Start by doing some basic research on a few of the top companies in your area. The Internet is a very good place to start, since it's easier to find agencies that will speak to you via the phone than to find a physical address and wait on a representative to come to you. If you want to have a professional looking resume when you first present it to potential employers, it's best to have it printed.Though most resumes are pretty straight forward, it's worth looking at a few and keep ing one or two that you find particularly valuable. When you're searching online, look for agencies that will offer you samples of their work. A sample of work that a company has done previously is an important factor in their ability to meet your needs. A resume written by an agency that is out of touch with your current situation won't give you the benefit of its previous experiences.The first thing you'll want to do is take your resume and turn it into a summary of your education, skills, and experience. Remember that this summary doesn't have to be lengthy or complex. While you might think that if your job will involve performing any specific tasks, it will take longer to write, there are many jobs that don't require complex tasks and can be done with some concise descriptions.There are two essential parts to a resume: the content and the format. Thecontent must cover all of the important details, while the format should take the information provided and make it easy to read. If the information is presented poorly, it will likely not be seen by the hiring manager.It's worth taking a look at the samples that are available for you to review. Most are available in standard formats, but some will offer something different. Some will also offer samples of their work, along with the hiring managers contact information. This is a very helpful method of giving yourself an edge.When you're ready to print your resume, choose a company that is going to give you some leeway when it comes to fonts and sizing. It's always best to keep the resume on a regular basis, though, so you can change the design to update it whenever you need to. In the end, it's best to give yourself the advantage you need before trying to convince someone to hire you in the first place.The key to working with resume writing services in Huntsville AL is to have a well written resume. You want to present yourself in the best possible light, so try to be sure the wording is specific, powerful, and easy to read. Keeping an eye on your personal style and changing your resume as needed can help you get that better job you've been looking for.

Executive Job Search Top Mistake #6 of 6 Appearance and Performance

Executive Job Search Top Mistake #6 of 6 â€" Appearance and Performance Executive Job Search Top Mistake #6 of 6 â€" Appearance and Performance Executives in job search mode, regardless if you are searching within your company or outside, you need to look the part and perform like it’s the most important thing to you right now. Isn’t it? If your job search is not important, no need to read on. If it is, re-think your approach and take accountability for your job search actions. Job search advice: Executives, you have so many skills and experiences, but are you appearing and performing appropriately for today’s job search era? If you have not had to search for a job in the last five years, you are not only out of practice for interviews, but may be out of date with the way to appear ready to compete for a job. And I don’t just mean clothing. Here are some examples of the job search appearance and performance mistakes executives make in their job search process: Resume has not been updated by a resume specialist and describes your jobs in highly technical terms that nobody can understand. Or nobody cares about. Old font, 5 pages long, blah, blah, blah. No LinkedIn profile or it’s incomplete. Cover letter, if you have one, uses “I” about 20 times and simply regurgitates your resume. It makes no attempt to make it relevant to the job you are applying to. The receiver knows, in an instant, that it is a standard cover letter. Interview attire: Old suit, out-of-date accessories, you get the picture. My video might help you. Interview preparation: Very little research, did not bring insightful questions for them, did not prepare the most common interview questions. Interview performance: No pen and paper since this is all about what you’re going to say vs. what the interviewer may say. If it’s HR or the interviewer is 20 years your junior, they couldn’t possibly have anything important to say, right? Non-verbal clues: Your posture is slumped down in the chair, shows disinterest, or displays “come and get me if you want me.” You did not “go for the close” or ask about the next steps in the process or state how interested you are in the role and why. Follow-up: No thank you note back to each recruiter or interviewer. For an executive job search tip, I recommend you re-boot, re-start and re-energize your job search process end-to-end. I’ll help you. Specifically, here are two pieces of job search advice about your job search appearance and performance: Invest in updating your appearance. Digitally, get to 100% completion on your LinkedIn profile. Assure your Facebook has the appropriate content and privacy settings. If you don’t know how, seek out help. About your communications, assure your grammar is accurate, e-mail signature is professional and your follow-up is first class, including thank you notes. Physically, Invest in a new interview suit, work out, stand up straight and smile. Interviewers, recruiters and HR professionals want to hire happy, healthy, up-beat people. Dial up your energy level. Every single job search touch point is important. A meeting with a networker, a phone interview, an e-mail and face-to-face interview are all examples of job search touch points. You need to dial it up! Assure you smile, have a good handshake, energy in your voice, your step, your eye contact. Most importantly, show energy about the company and interviewer. For phone interviews, you get to have notes so be prepared with your best answers to the most common interview questions. Executives, Cut the Crap, Get a Job! You can do so much better and leave a much more lasting, memorable impression if you appear and perform to the best of your abilities. Good luck!

4 Benefits of Inventory Management Strategies to Improve Bottom Line

4 Benefits of Inventory Management Strategies to Improve Bottom Line Does your business need a solution for managing inventory? Check out these four benefits which efficient and accurate inventory management strategies provide. Believe it or not, in the average workplace, your staff is going to be productive for less than three hours per day. While this might seem absurd, you need to think about all the ways that you could be making it hard for your employees to be productive. If you implement strong inventory management strategies, you could double or even triple that number. Here are four ways to change the way your warehouse does business from a day to day standpoint. 1. A More Organized Warehouse If youre in the business of distributing products, whether business to business or directly to consumers, you know the importance of efficiency. You know all too well that time is money and that the more efficient you make your system for your staff, the faster you can fulfill orders. When you fulfill orders quickly, you make your customers happy. By not hitting snags related to your inventory, you can ensure everything behind the curtain happens without customers noticing. Managing your inventory gives you the ability to have an organized warehouse. When you organize your warehouse, your staff and employees can get around efficiently, putting together orders easily because youve built a strong system. You can optimize your warehouse by ensuring your top selling products are easy to get to. Save time by putting complimentary products together to simplify order fulfillment. Speedy fulfillment can give you a good reputation and earn you great reviews. Since reviews are a way of life for most business online, if you sell online, you need lots of good reviews to keep building your customer base. 2. Save Time and Money Theres time to be saved and money to be made by having an organized inventory. You need a strong relationship between how much inventory you have on hand and how much your digital systems record. This way you can reorder before you run out but dont waste space with any excess. Keep track of what you have on hand and how many have been ordered so that you dont have to do any recounts. With good organization, youll have a more accurate count of what you have in stock. Stopping the workflow or paying for overtime so that you can perform a recount is a huge waste of time and money. However, warehouses have to recount their stock all the time, because of inefficient systems and lack of organization. Keep a close watch on your inventory and you dont have to do any unnecessary recounting. Every warehouse has slow-moving and fast-moving products. With a good management system, youll get notifications about products that havent moved and you can add discounts. Go the extra mile with slow-moving products, especially ones that expire, and offer them as a freebie to your best customers to get them to order in the future. Check out the system that inFlow offers you in order to keep a close watch on inventory. 3. Accurate Orders Every fulfillment center keeps track of their order accuracy with a near-obsessive eye. Thats because it gives you a measurement of customer satisfaction and employee performance all in one. When you give your customers accurate orders, they will never have a reason to complain. If your customers are having to call you, return items, or get what they wanted to have sent to them, youll have to deal with potentially losing customers. Attracting customers costs time, money, and lots of effort on your part. Dont lose them to a weak inventory management system because you dont have items when you need them. Product shortages mean youre going to have to write an email that your customers arent excited to see, telling them they cant have what they want. Telling someone that they cant have what they want is hard enough, but if theyve already paid for it, youre in for problems. Your responsible for whats in your warehouse at any given point. Dont leave your customers disappointed. Repeat customers are hard to come by. With a strong inventory management system, those hard-earned clients and customers wont have any reason not to order again. Show them youre ready to meet their needs quickly and efficiently by always having what they need. A strong inventory management system ensures customers can always get what they need. Thats all your customers want from you at the end of the day. 4. Be More Productive At all times, you should be trying to streamline your companys workflow. You need to make everything easier for your warehouse staff so that they can move with lightning speed. Keep lots of inventory management tools on site, like barcode scanners that are synchronized with inventory management software. This way, you can improve your productivity and keep things moving efficiently. While on the ground, staff will have everything they need on hand and youll be able to keep an eye on inventory. You can reorder before you run out and keep your staff and customers happy. When you keep your staff happy by giving them everything they need to get through the day, you make work easier for everyone. Eliminate manual processes with scanners and software. This way, you can allow your employees to focus on the most important parts of their job. Productivity will skyrocket with the right system in place. Inventory Management Strategies Are a Must No matter what industry youre in, if youre distributing products through a warehouse, you need to optimize your system. Every second, every extra step, that your employees take in fulfilling orders, they could be working on their next order. Inventory management strategies that enhance their workflow will make you the most productive warehouse in your region. If youre expanding your market in the near future, check out our guide for what you need to think about first.