Monday, July 20, 2009

Goodness, It's Hot!!!

I can't believe how hot it is this summer! I haven't seen any record breaking temperatures, but I'm guessing that the average temperature is higher than it has been the last couple of years. Anyways, I've been looking for some things to do over the summer, but It's so hot that all I've been doing is going swimming. It's fun, but I'm guessing everyone else had the same idea as me because it was packed. Beach balls and hoops would hit me left and right and I'd bump into someone every 10 minutes, but it was well worth it being in a large pool of water.

Besides swimming, there are many things that one can do, it's just up to you whether you can find it or not. One great idea is to go to the beach. Of course, this is pretty obvious, but the question is what are you going to do there? There is swimming in the sea, but there are many more places to explore when you go there. You can play beach volleyball, which is a fun game to play in the sun, although it might get hot, so wear plenty of sunscreen lotion. You can also visit the shops along the beach for some added fun. If you have no money, you can always window shop. If you do have a lot of cash on you, you can splurge a little bit and buy yourself something nice.

You can go on the pier to watch people fishing, or you can go fishing yourself. Despite what others think, fishing is actually pretty fun. Even though you might have to wait a while before catching some fish, it's a perfect chance to catch up with some friends and have some time where you guys can bond. Plus, once you catch that first fish, it's actually pretty exciting!

If you don't want to go to the beach, find something that will cool you down in your local area. I know for a fact that going ice skating will cool you down for sure. If you don't know how to skate, have fun learning. If you do, have some fun learning a couple of tricks and techniques to make you able to skate better.

If you don't want to go out anywhere, you can call over some friends. The problem with that is that all that body heat in that one room is going to make it extremely hot for you and your friends, so it's probably not the best idea. But whatever you can think of, as long as you're having fun, I'm sure it's going to help you forget about the summer heat.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Been Laid Off? Top 10 Resume Tips from a Hiring Manager

So, it's that wonderful, carefree time of the year again. Summer's coming, the sky is blue, the birds are singing, and... what's that, boss? The firm is downsizing? You appreciate all my years of hard work but... yes, I understand. Cuts have to be made. Change is A Good Thing. And yes, I do realize the cost of outsourcing my entire department's work to Thailand will make sure your children get through college and have the future the spoiled little brats deserve. Thank you, sir. Goodbye sir...

Being made redundant can happen to the best of us, usually at the worst of times, but this doesn't have to be the end for you. Not knowing where your next rent check will come from is scary, but rest assured that you are not alone in your situation, and that you do have the power to make losing your job into an opportunity for personal and financial advancement rather than the end-of-the-world disaster it probably feels like right now.

The first thing to do is to blow the dust off your resume and take a good hard look at it. Your resume should be your best friend, your ambassador, something you feel proud to send out into the world to represent you. There are hundreds of good books out there telling you how to craft the perfect resume, but all your hard work will go to waste if you don’t get past the first hurdle: the person who will read your resume. In other words, the Hiring Manger.

Here are some real-life tips gathered from my own experience acting as a Hiring Manager for many different companies, to help your application stand apart from the pack.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Tip #1: Make a good first impression. First up, if you're applying by email, be aware that your email will be the company's first (and possibly only) impression of you. If your email subject-line reads 'Expereenced Proofreader Job Application,' …. then they’re probably not going to open your email and read the ‘perfect’ cover letter and resume you spent five hours crafting the previous night.

Tip #2: Treat your email like a mini-version of your cover letter. This will be your potential employer’s next impression of you. Yes, your cover letter and resume are outstanding, but if the email they are attached to reads 'hey you guyz i saw yer ad on craigslist and i'm your guy, check out my resume and youll see why!'..... do you really think they'll bother downloading, printing and reading your resume?

THE COVER LETTER

Tip #3: Address your cover letter correctly. Spend an extra thirty seconds on Google to find out your potential new boss's name, or simply address it: 'To the Hiring Manager,' or 'Dear Sir/Madam,' rather than the overused and annoyingly vague 'To Whom It May Concern.'

Tip #4: Say ‘Thank you’. Similarly, start or end your cover letter by thanking the Hiring Manager for taking the time to read your resume. These days, an advert on Craigslist can attract over 300 responses for one position, so its possible that the Hiring Manager or Employer will have read several hundred resumes before yours. It's a thankless task, and a comment like that will make us feel all warm and glowy inside…. a good frame of mind to hire you in.





THE RESUME

Tip #5: Keep it short. Resumes these days need to be kept short, one or two pages at most. If you’re applying to be a PHD instructor then by all means, give us pages of references. If you’re applying to work in a Kwick-E-Mart, just let us know that a) You can work a till, b) you have no finger injuries that will prevent you from pushing the Copier button, and c) you have up-to-date health insurance and you recently won a Marksman of the Year award at your local shooting academy.

Tip #6: Put your best strawberries on top. Even if your resume is short, put the most tantalizing and tasty information about yourself on the top. If you used to run a company just like theirs, live two blocks from their offices or raised 4 million dollars of corporate funding, tell them so. Give them one good reason why you alone should get the job out of all the similarly qualified people who also applied.

Tip #7: Give them your phone number! It may sound obvious, but remember to put your phone number on your resume. Most interested employers will contact you via phone to schedule an interview, and so if you don’t have a phone number on your resume and they have a pile of 200 resumes to pick from, rest assured they won’t bother emailing you to try and find out your phone number.






THE FOLLOW-UP

Tip #8: If you didn’t get the job, don’t expect a call to tell you so. A job advert on Craigslist can generate 200+ responses; on Monster etc the figure can be higher. Unless you personally know the boss/ Hiring Manger, it's general policy these days to simply not write back to you if you don't have the job. Sadly, it's the way of the world these days.

Tip #9: Don’t be too needy. If a manager likes your resume, you WILL get a phone call within a couple of days of your application. If a week goes past with still no reply, a follow-up email is acceptable to inquire if the position has been filled. A phone call is not. Think of your job application like a first date. If they like you and want to hire you, they WILL call you back. If not, bugging them for a response will come across as somewhat needy, or even desperate - not an impression you want to give a potential employer.

Tip #10: Thank them for their time. If you have attended an interview, write a short 'thank you' note to the person who interviewed you and email it to them afterwards. To do so shows that you have manners, and will also conveniently put your name and email address right at the top of their inbox.

Good luck with your job search! :-)

- Natasha

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Those Who Will Be Missed

Very strangely and unfortunately, many stars have passed away the past month within very short periods of each other. The most notable is Michael Jackson, the king of pop, who at the age of fifty supposedly passed away due to cardiac arrest. This man dazzled everyone with intensity and out-of-this-world dancing for many years, and when he passed away, the whole of the U.S. shook in grief. However, it wasn't just Michael that passed away, but there were a couple of everyday celebrities that passed away as well.




Do you remember the Oxyclean man? Billy Mays, a man who is well known for the myriad of infomercials that he does, had also passed away at the age of 50. Before his autopsy showed that he passed away from heart disease, it was suspected that his death was related to the accident on a plane when something fell on top of his head.

Farrah Fawcett, an iconic symbol to women everywhere, passed away at 62 while she was battling cancer. Once an angel for Charlie, she outgrew her role and rose to fame when Pro Arts Inc. asked to do a photo shoot with her, and 45 years later it has become "the most influential piece of men’s art of the last 50 years”.

They call him "The man of 1000 faces". Fred Travalena, comedian extraordinaire, passed away this sunday from cancer. TVLesson had an interview with him not too long ago as he told us how to become a great comedian. He had an incredible presence with his many impressions and his constant appearances on the Tonight Show.



For all those who are connected to or have been influenced by these great people and many more that have passed away, the people from TvLesson.com hope that you keep strong and keep their spirits alive.