Find Greener Pastures

Jordin K asked:


I’m getting ready to graduate in December and right now I’m thinking of what kind of job I want after I graduate or what job I can actually find. Do you suggest to actually APPLY for a job right now or after graduation which is after Christmas? I’m scared if I apply now, they want me right away and I have to devote all my time to my studies right now. What do you think?

mufasa42 asked:


I am miserable at work, but I would like to be able to keep the insurance, even though I’ll be paying more for it. I’ve had insurance coverage from the very first day, if that makes a difference.

Paul Megan asked:


Well, you’re already familiar with a traditional job hunt. That’s where you write a resume, mail it or email it to lots of employers. Post it on a couple websites like Monster and HotJobs. And wait for the phone to ring.

If it does, you may get invited in for an interview . . . usually with a lower level HR associate. Or maybe with a management assistant. If the phone doesn’t ring, you send out more resumes.

Now, you may eventually wind up with a job. But the chances are it will be after weeks or months of frustration, nail-biting and downright discouragement. And then you’ll probably have to settle rather select your next job.

The good news is there’s a better way . . . and a lot faster, too! It’s called “alternative job hunting.”

An “alternative job hunting strategy” has a totally different starting point. It focuses exclusively on what it takes to get in front of the person who could be your next boss. And then how to represent yourself in a way that convincingly helps him/her see you as a productive member of the team.

Any technique that contributes to that goal is called an “alternative job hunting strategy.” Usually the alternative technique is a departure from traditional approaches. On the other hand it’s much quicker.

Following an alternative job hunting strategy means you can be entertaining a good job offer is as little as 14 days!

For example, as a student of an alternative job hunting strategy you would learn how to recruit and access “career partners.” When you establish a rapport and chemistry with selected friends, community leaders, business owners, religious leaders, etc. and approach them correctly, they become an invaluable and almost immediate resource for you.

Your career partners can provide you with critical intelligence, open doors and make introductions that can shortcut all the mailings and phone calls and get you face-to-face with a real decision-maker in record time.

You know, so much can go wrong with a traditional job search that it’s almost impossible these days to get the position and compensation that’s right for you. Unfortunately, we have the bad habit of convincing ourselves that whatever comes along will be OK.

That’s called “staying the course.” But it doesn’t have to be that way!

An alternative job hunting strategy is a remarkable way to put yourself in control of your destiny. And it’s so much easier and quicker than the old-fashioned, traditional approaches. Isn’t it time for you to investigate how this 21st Century process can turn you into a job search winner?

Ian Koch asked:


There has been a revolution on the higher education market the recent years. Thanks to the internet most people now can prepare for their degrees from the comfort of their own homes.

This mean an incredible flexibility compared with the situation people who wanted higher education was in just a few years back in time. Don’t misunderstand me. I do not say that this is an easy way to get your degree; you have to do the same reading and the same amount of work as before. The huge benefit with this way of studying is the freedom it gives you to combine your study with other things. Doors have been opened for groups of people that would never have taken a degree if it wasn’t for the possibilities the internet provides. In this article I will talk about the online paralegal degree.

The online paralegal degree is attracting the imagination of a large section of students these days. Demand for the course is evident from the manner in which the market place is attracting young people to work as assistants with lawyers and know more about the legal system. If the young people enroll themselves in the courses for an online paralegal degree, they will be able to qualify themselves in a legal degree while getting the practical knowledge that they need to succeed.

This will not only enhance their subject knowledge, but make them much more knowledgeable with the procedures in the courts as well. The online paralegal degree helps the students learn how to effectively communicate with their clients and other professionals, in conducting research, on how to go about legal procedures, and much more.

In fact, the advanced courses in the online paralegal degree make the students learn about issues like corporate law, public policy, criminal and bankruptcy procedures. In fact, several of the universities offering such programs are accredited by the American Bar Association. This will help the future employers to understand the employability of the young people.

An online home economics degree is another area of specialized focus that requires the students to register online and continue their studies as per their convenience. While the emphasis will be on imparting the latest concepts by combining the theory with business practices, the online home economics degree offers scope to students to widen their knowledge.

As the businesses across the countries gaining momentum, several corporations are widening their areas of operations. By getting an online home economics degree, the students are in a position to compete with their peers for better positions. If students are having across the discipline degrees like law and economics, this is helping them to get better job with pay.

The online home economics degree is going to give the extra edge to students as they get degree at a lesser cost and in less time.

DC Maximus asked:


If so, in what ways should they improve your life? What is your authority for saying it is the job of the government to do so?

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Good job interview questions are the most essential and important component of any job interview. You need to be very focused on the questions you ask. In addition to this you must get the desired answers from the questions you ask the candidate. First, you must make a good rapport with the candidate. Remember one thing, which you are the questioner and you will get the answers according to what type of questions you ask. In addition, how and at what time you different questions plays significant role. Overall outcome of the interview depends on it. Always listen to the answers carefully and then ask the next questions.

Good job interview questions are asked in increasing order of importance. So at start you should ask general informative questions like how would you describe yourself, What are your long term and short term aspirations and objectives, where do you see your self five years from now, have you drawn out any plan for achieving your career goals, What do you look ahead  to be paid in five years. Then some of the tricky questions are like why did you select this profession, according to colleagues what are your strengths and weaknesses, what are the benefits you expect from your career and so.

As you further advance to the next level of the interview, questions should be more specific and you must test the talent and expertise of the applicant. Take your own time to ask the next questions. You must manipulate your questions depending on the answers given by the candidate. Some of the excellent questions can give you what you are looking for in no time. Some of the tough questions are as follows. How would you assess your capability to deal with disagreement, why should I hire you, and what credentials do you have that make you win in this occupation. Then you can ask what you think it require to be victorious in an organization like ours, do you think about yourself as a leader, which is more important: creativeness or efficiency and why so, what do you know about our challenger s is very tricky question. You must ask these type of questions whenever they are necessary. From these questions, you can point out the candidate’s nature, skills and other capacities.

At the end of the interview, you must ask good questions from which you can assess the person’s ability whether he can work in your group or team. Some of the quality questions are as follows. Have you ever been fired or asked to quit from some company, what your last supervisor would say regarding your job performance, how you perform under pressure. Some times you can ask questions about future work like how you will motivate your colleagues, how you plan on for getting to higher positions in this company, how you will relate your work experience with the work you are given this company and so on.

Good questions are a key factor to the successful interview. Along with the good questions, you must be able to point out the important points you got from the answers given by the candidate. This will help you take the final decision about choosing the right candidate for your company.

Catherine Z Jones asked:


Ronald Reagan once said: “A recession is when your friend loses their job. A depression is when you lose yours.”

We’re hovering on the edge of a recession and having well honed job hunting skills is something which is increasingly important for American and European workers.

Just out of interest – Americans get frantic about a possible recession when the unemployment rate goes over 5%. However, in many European countries, the normal unemployment rate is closer to 10% - this is largely due to different measurement standards and a higher percentage of people receiving government assistance. On the other hand, it is a lot harder to fire someone in most European countries.

Our first piece of job search advice is to examine your monthly income versus your expenses and also to look at the rate at which you will go through your savings if you become unemployed.

Obviously, the longer that you can afford to spend looking for a job before you burn through your saving, the better off you will be in the long run. While you look for work, you may be able to do freelance work, if this is applicable to your field. In fact, in some fields, such as copywriting, editing and programming, you can make a good income on the side this way.

Our next piece of job search advice is to get all of your ducks in a row when it comes to job hunting. Get your resume or CV into shape and come up with cover letters which explain exactly why you are the best candidate for the position. After any interview, send a thank you note – write one at the same time as you write your cover letter and prepare it for mailing in case you land an interview. Take it with you and mail it on your way home from the interview.

Get organized with your job search. Make good notes of your activity so you don’t duplicate your efforts or forget things.

You also have to be prepared to put in the effort required to find a new job. You’ll be making a large number of phone calls and sending out a lot of resumes each week. You’ll also have to spend plenty of time following up on all of these calls and resumes. Remember that volume is the name of the game here. Don’t make the mistake of focusing on just one job and feeling down if you don’t get it.

You’ll have to be flexible enough to accept temp-to-hire positions or if necessary, work through a temporary agency or staffing company. You may have to relocate - look at the positives of the situation.

If things are slow, then think about enhancing your skills by getting additional certifications, taking classes or getting any additional training needed to get a leg up in the job market.

Last of all, keep an eye out for jobs which are both publicly posted and non-posted. Remember that even in good economic times, less than 20% of jobs are publicly posted. Talk to people and ask them about positions which are not advertised. You can safely assume that any job which is posted online is being deluged with applicants.

Here’s more job search advice as well as advice on using  job search engines to find work.

Jim Greenberg asked:


Most certainly yes! In fact, the flip side is: if you have NOT attended an accredited criminal justice program then the degree you have got after spending a good deal of money and effort is most likely a worthless piece of paper. It is from some “diploma mill” or the other that employers simply don’t recognize.

Attending an accredited criminal justice program is very important. That’s why it is perhaps, the most important thing to check when deciding which criminal justice program to attend. You have to find out whether your school and program is an accredited one or not.

The question is actually deeper than that. You should check whether the criminal justice school you are attending is accredited by one of the eight bodies recognized and authorized by the US Department of Education to do this job. Many schools are accredited by other bodies, but those accreditations are as good as non-accreditations. They are not recognized by employers.

Ultimately, a degree is only as good as the job that it can get you. If employers do not recognize the degree you have then that degree is worthless to you. It cannot get you any job - good, bad or ugly - period. And, if you don’t have any job, there’s no question of a better job - right?

For example, you may get a high-sounding degree from some unknown university accredited by an equally unknown accrediting body. Perhaps, even a PhD in criminal justice management, whatever that may mean! To most employers such a degree is nothing but a piece of worthless paper.

Accreditation is therefore, important. Accreditation guarantees that the school you are attending has been peer reviewed through site visits by a body authorized and recognized by the US federal government to do so. A properly accredited school therefore guarantees a certain minimum standard of education.

Employers too know that. So, when they see you have attended an accredited school they already know that your degree guarantees that you have a certain minimum skill and knowledge set. They are assured of that and your degree is meaningful to them.

A degree from a school not having proper accreditation is, on the other hand, a meaningless document to employers. It doesn’t guarantee that you know or have a certain minimum knowledge or skill set. Neither do they have the time to go and find out how great your school is although it never felt it necessary to get accredited by bodies that matter.

Bottom line: Don’t even think of attending a non-accredited criminal justice program because the degree that you will earn will be worthless. When you apply for jobs your resume will head for the dustbin rather than the ‘selected’ tray!

Jay Stanley asked:


Given the fact that there are multiple applicants for any opening and H.R professionals spend less than a few seconds in scanning a resume before either accepting it or consigning it to the waste bin, the importance of a good resume cannot be overstated. A well written resume is the proverbial foot in the door that can lead to greater opportunities, and in the case of a job seeker, that translates to an interview, and if all goes well, the job.

A resume is a dynamic entity that changes with the professional growth and learning of an individual. It is meant to be a brief yet informative statement of purpose and capabilities of a professional. Professionals should regularly spend some time in taking stock of their professional achievements and new skills acquired. This helps them to obtain an awareness of their position in the job market and update their resume so that if a good job opportunity comes their way, they are ready to make the most of it. Since a person with the most current knowledge and related experience is always in demand, an updated resume that is in sync with the skill-set of the professional will stand out among the other resumes. An updated resume also serves to remind professionals of their own accomplishments such that they can elaborate on them just by taking a glance at the resume. This is of immense help while facing an interview board.

Sometimes, job hunting can yield great results if professionals try to extend themselves to streams of work that they have not previously considered as career options. Upon making a rational assessment of the qualifications that they have earned and the skills they have acquired, many professionals find that they can in fact apply for more than just the obvious jobs. A switch in job responsibilities within an industry or a move to another industry is often achievable with excellent consequences for the professional both in terms of remuneration and work satisfaction.

It is always advisable to post a resume on as many online job sites as possible. This exposes the resume to a very wide audience including both employers and recruiters. Professionals do not necessarily have to post the same resume on all the sites; they can customize their resumes to meet the requirements of the job openings posted on different sites. Companies are often partial to particular job sites and visit them more regularly in search of prospective job candidates. It may also be a good idea to avail the services of resume distribution companies that can distribute an individual’s resume to several job sites as well as prospective employers.

The key to getting a good job is to have the right credentials and letting people know that you have the right credentials; this entails staying networked and if it implies taking help from friends and family for submitting one’s resume for an opening, professionals should not shy away from it. Often, resumes floated around by acquaintances can lead to an interview call. Job seekers should not ignore this effective medium of distributing their resumes and gaining information on exciting job opportunities.

Andrew Regan asked:


These days, it seems there are insurance policies available for just about everything: car insurance, home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, life insurance - the list appears to be endless. Some types of insurance, such as car insurance, are required by law if you intend to drive on the public highway, but for most people other forms of insurance are an optional extra.

However, it’s important to note that arranging insurance policies for other lifestyle items can provide you with peace of mind should something unfortunate happen. For example, taking out home-contents insurance can help cover the cost of replacing your household goods, while pet insurance can cover the cost of veterinary bills and treatments. But perhaps one of the most important ‘optional’ insurances you should consider is life insurance.

Whilst no one likes to think about death, life insurance - sometimes known as life assurance or term assurance – is a policy which pays a lump sum in the event of the policyholder’s death, helping to protect loved ones and dependents against financial burden. Coming to terms with the loss of a loved one is never an easy thing to do, and the added financial burden can make it increasingly difficult to cope. However, a life insurance policy can help cover such costs as mortgage repayments, salary replacement and childcare costs, paying off debts or even providing for future education for the kids. Moreover it can help ensure your family can maintain the standard of living to which they were accustomed to.

Life insurance comes in various forms, the most common being level term, decreasing term, critical illness and family income benefit policies. Most are available as both single and joint life policies, with most policies including benefits such as paying out on the diagnosis of a terminal illness. If you’re considering life insurance now, or in the future, it’s important to understand what each type of policy provides.

- Level term insurance is the most common form of life insurance and is designed to pay out a lump sum of money in the event of the policyholder’s death. The policy runs for a fixed term, normally a minimum of 10 years, and the sum assured is guaranteed, and remains unchanged throughout the life of the policy.

- Decreasing term life insurance is also known as mortgage protection cover and is regularly used to protect capital and interest payments on a mortgage. The sum assured decreases during the duration of the policy.

- Critical Illness insurance pays a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a specified illness, or suffer loss of limb and can be added to term insurance policies. The sum paid out by this policy can be used for any purpose.

- Family Income Benefit insurance pays a regular tax free income for your dependants throughout the remainder of the policy term. Payouts on this type of life insurance can be structured to correspond with changes in inflation, although benefits usually remain constant.

With the cost of life insurance premiums plummeting in recent years due to improved life expectancy and increased competition between policy providers, arranging a life insurance policy needn’t mean breaking the bank or compromising on cover. Financial comparison sites can help you to find the best deals on life insurance – from premium prices to levels of cover – and with only a few clicks, you can insure and safeguard your family’s future for when you’re no longer around.