3 Reasons to Proofread Your Resume First and 3 Specific Things to Look For

By Adnan Masood

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Are you looking for a new job? If so, you should be ready to embark on an online job search. When it comes to doing so, it is first recommended that you get your resume in order; write it, have it proofread, and be ready to send it immediately via the internet. As for that proofreading, here are some helpful tips for you.
Here are the three reasons why you should proofread your resume before using that resume to apply for jobs online.
Reason #1 - It doesn't take long to proofread or review a resume at all! While you are encouraged to actually read your resume and not skim or browse it, we are possibly talking about 15 minutes worth of your time. Considering what this well-written document can do for your job search, consider it well worth it!
Reason #2 - You might later realize that what you wrote down doesn't make sense at all. It is no secret that most of us get in a writing groove; we start, get on a roll, and don't stop until we are done. This is good, but if you wrote your resume this way you might later go back and realize that you didn't clearly explain a task you performed at your last job and so forth. This can have an impact on your job search.
Reason #3 - This has been mentioned before, but a good and well-written resume can have a huge impact on your job search success. For example, say you apply for a job as an office manager or secretary; some of your job tasks are going to include typing. If your resume is filled with typos and errors, you aren't going to look like an ideal candidate for the job as you might be unable to perform the most important task.
Here are three things you should look for when you proofread your resume.
Look For #1 - You should always proofread your resume and look for typos, spelling errors, and grammar errors. Two good ways to do this include typing your document in Microsoft Word, as you can benefit from the spell check. However, even Word's spelling and grammar checkers aren't 100% accurate, so you should also print off your resume and read a copy (put yourself in the shoes of the person reviewing that resume).
Look For #2 - When proofreading your resume, it is important to ask yourself "is anything missing?" In this aspect, you want to first ensure you have the basic information, which includes your job history, education, training, and so forth. Then, focus on each job; did you thoroughly describe your job duties? If you realize you left off anything important, now is the time to ad it.
Look For #3 - As previously stated, it is important to ensure that your resume makes sense. When proofreading this document, don't look at it as being yours. Instead, put yourself in the place of the hiring manager. Do the slang work terms or abbreviations you used make sense? Can you get a good picture from each job description or is more or less detail required?
So there you have it, you got some great free tips on proofreading your resume. Remember, once you have a well-written and proofread resume, you are ready to start your job search. Get out there and apply for jobs!

 

Data Warehouse Ownership

By Bozidar Kralj

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy 

Who is the owner of Data Warehouse? It is very important issue but hard to answer. Here are several examples from the practice of how to apply Data Warehouse ownership.

First, there can be two levels of data ownership: production data level and cube/theme data level. Ownership on production data level is clear to define because users who want data from productions systems have to ask production system owner for permission and access rights. Production system owner allows data cube, data theme or report initiator to use data from production. Data organized in new environment like cube or theme mean new information. It is so because situation is more complicated, cubes or themes are made from usually made from several production sources and data is worthless without good context. Who is the owner of the cube? It is the person who initiated cube building, request who started building of the cube. Owner of cube or theme is second level owner. Anybody who would like to use data from reporting cube, reports or themes must ask second level data owner for access rights. Owner of the cube asks for data access from source systems but potential users of the cube ask cube owner.

Making fragmented ownership by dimensions and measures ownership is too complicated and messes complete procedure.

Who is Data Warehouse owner? If the ownerships has to belong to only one department it is a little bit risky decision. For example if IT is owner, they are just service providers without in deep knowledge what to do exactly with content. Perhaps better variant is to give ownership to strategy or to finance, to be more precise to controlling. Reason for this decision is general view over definitions. Definitions are necessary for solid external and management reporting. Controlling knows best what kind of products will be made upon Data Warehouse for official reporting. If this solution is still not adequate perhaps best solution would be to establish committee of experts from all business areas with lead from controlling and to give ownership to this body.

Without ownership there will be no strategic development of Data Warehouse system. It will only run for coverage of current needs without any pro active approach. Data quality management will be very doubtful and at the end there will be no one to decide how to handle vast quantities of needed actions.

There is a strong need to declare officially Data Warehouse ownership and to establish data security procedures as soon as possible.

Increase Local Plumbing Service Leads Through Directory Listings and Internet Marketing

By B. K. Sachse

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy    

For a local plumber, it can be difficult to gain new leads and sales in your service area due to increased market competition and changes in advertising methods. Most companies rely on yellow pages, radio, and television advertising to gain new customers. These mediums work for companies that have large advertising budgets thus making the barrier to entry great.

For smaller companies, word of mouth, networking, referrals, and vehicle advertising are the only methods used. While these methods work, they lack long-term sustainability and growth potential. Small business plumbers should seek alternative means of gaining new customers such as creating a website, hiring an internet marketing professional, and obtaining plumber directory listings.

Creating a website can be one of the most beneficial means of gaining new customers in your service area as it allows you to target keywords that are specific to individuals that are seeking plumbing services in a certain city, region, or state. Your website will also allow up selling through additional services that you offer to customers when they are unaware of every skill your company provides. Obtaining a website is easily the most cost-effective advertising money you will spend.

Once your website is created, you will want to hire an affordable internet marketing company that can provide a free consultation in order to understand your online marketing goals. An internet marketing company will provide keyword research, competition analysis, search engine submission, local search submission, on-page and off-page search engine optimization, and optionally, search engine marketing. The long-term benefits of hiring a web marketing company far outweigh the initial upfront costs and an effective provider will provide a nice return on investment for years to come. Be aware that providers in the internet marketing industry vary from company to company. Similar to the plumbing industry, some service providers complete superior work, while others make the issue worse than it was to begin with.

Your internet marketing consultant should provide a list of promotion methods you can do on your own that will facilitate your plumbing company's success on the web. These include, but are not limited to: posting in relevant plumbing forums with your company information in the signature, creating plumbing directory listings for your company, creating plumbing industry blog posts on your website, and maintaining web 2.0 accounts on the most popular social networking websites.

Increasing local plumbing service leads in your service area can be a difficult task to smaller companies. Your plumbing company does not need a huge marketing and advertising budget to succeed. Using the methods and advice provided in this article should lower the barriers to entry and increase company success while saving on monthly costs that traditional advertising requires.

SEO Optimization Services

By John Halasz

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy 

Website owners use SEO optimization services to increase targeted traffic to their website. E-Commerce has opened up a host of opportunities for business owners who want to establish an online presence and make their names known. If you are one such business owner, you will be interested in the information in this article. There are many techniques designed to help drive traffic to your site and ultimately encourage customers to buy whatever it is you are selling. Articles, press releases, classified ads, and video marketing are among the different ways SEO optimization services can market your website.
SEO optimization services make use of article marketing. SEO articles are a great way to get the word out and allow you to showcase your knowledge in your field of expertise. Since you do not have the advantage of face-to-face contact with your potential customers over the Internet, you need a way to let them know you are well-informed, competent, and that they really should buy from you. Articles provide a great avenue for doing just that. When you write, keep the content informative and factual. Don't be afraid to impart your knowledge to others as it may just send them to your site. It will also show them you have a vested interest in your business and in your customers.
Press releases are also another great way SEO optimization services promote your business. There are many places to post optimized press releases, which should be eye-catching and interesting. Remember, optimized press releases are most often used to advertise an event or newsworthy business event, so you will probably need fewer press releases than SEO articles.
Classified ads are another effective way seo optimization services can advertise your products and services. While they are not all free, there are many places on the Internet where you can post classified ads for free. The ad just needs to be written and the time spent to post. Take advantage of this and post ads that were designed with selling in mind. Remember to be persuasive without being pushy so as to gently urge others to go to your site and take advantage of what you have to offer right away. If you need help writing classified ads, you can hire an SEO copywriting service.
Create your own YouTube video. YouTube has become a wildly popular medium for posting videos of all sorts in a variety of categories. It's free to post and free for others to access. SEO optimization services can create and post optimized YouTube videos, which advertise your business. Put together a video that advertises your business as a whole. Tutorials in your industry work well because people actively search videos to learn something new. Either before, during, or after the video, you can mention your business. Make sure the content is engaging. This means taking full advantage of the opportunity to use informative audio along with stimulating visuals to grab the attention of others and hold it. Post it on YouTube along with a direct link to your site and see what a difference it can make.

Using Keywords for SEO

By B K Homer

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy 

Using keywords for SEO is very important. If you are trying to get ranked high in Google or other search engines you must know how to use keywords whether you are looking to improve organic rankings or you are using PPC. Search engines are all about relevancy and the more relevant your keywords are to the site you are using them on the better rankings you will get in search engines, generally referred to as SERP's.

Google, like all other companies wants to offer the best product it can to it's customers. They do this by using their algorithms to determine relevancy for keywords. Look at it like answering questions, whether someone using Google is asking a literal question or they are just looking for something they are still at least indirectly asking a question. For example a search for "Super Nintendo video games". This person is most likely looking for just that, and so the "question" they want answered is show me some super Nintendo video games. Google's reply (in the form of search results) is what it best feels answers that question and so if YOU as the marketer using keywords for SEO can best provide an answer to that question in the form of what content is on your website you will get a high ranking for that search term.

Now the problem with above search term is that it's pretty vague right? So being specific is also very important. If the keyword somebody searched for was "I want to buy Mario Kart for SNES" and you sold mario kart for SNES on your website this would be extremely relevant and specific and you should consider using it. It should be noted though that if nobody is searching for the keywords you're targeting even if they are relevant it won't help you get any traffic. This is where using the Google keyword tool comes in handy.

the Google keyword tool is a great way to research keywords for your website. You can see results for how many searches a keyword is receiving as well as tons of other keywords that are similar to the one you searched for. There are also some tools that you will be able to find access to at the link below. One tool in particular allows you to see exactly how many other websites are using the exact keyword you are targeting. This can be very helpful for finding excellent keywords.

The bottom line with using keywords for SEO is that relevancy rules everything else. Regardless of the keywords you're using to promote your site it has to be relevant. Google and all other search engines will punish your site and put it deep in the SERP's if you are not relevant.

Top 5 Leadership Skills - Do You Have Them?

By Tim I Millett

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy   

Do you have what it takes to be a leader? Experts in leadership agree that the skills you require to be an effective leader are skills you can develop, but many managers try to get by without them. If you do not have the leadership skills you need, you will find that you have difficulty in motivating your staff members to perform at their best for the good of the team. If you want a highly productive, motivated team, you need to know how lead people. Here are the top five leadership skills that are essential for every leader to have.

• Time Management If you find yourself continuously running late to every meeting or turning up unprepared, you lack time management skills. Managers have many different claims on their time and you need to know how to juggle a multitude of tasks. Good time management is an essential skill for everyone in a leadership position. You need to be able to keep up with the day to day business tasks, while finding time to plan, prepare for meetings, and motivate your staff members. If you find that you never seem to have time to plan and only work in a reactive instead of a proactive way, you definitely need to brush up on your time management skills, if you want to be an effective leader.
• Interpersonal Communication Without the ability to communicate effectively on many different levels, you will face challenges as an effective leader. Many business leaders tend to ignore interpersonal communication skills, until they discover that they can achieve nothing without the support of other people in the business world. You can not get your staff to work productively if you can not communicate effectively with people. Good interpersonal communication has an essential ingredient - it is personal. That means as an effective leader, you need to relate well to people on an individual basis, and use that knowledge to motivate the individuals to give their best performance to the work.
• Negotiation Negotiation is a far more subtle art than simply getting people to do what you want. Great negotiators know how to create the perception of win-win that enable ongoing relationships to make the next negotiation with that individual or business even easier. Too often, leaders mistakenly believe that the art of negotiation means forcing the other party to accept their terms and conditions, but real negotiation relies on a different perspective and allows both parties the freedom to compromise and discuss the terms and conditions together to ensure a sustainable relationship. This skill will lead to better business relationships within your team and with external parties and is therefore on the top five leadership skills you need to have.
• Task Matching to Individuals (Delegation) While most people can delegate tasks to someone else, this skill goes far beyond just asking or telling someone else to complete a task. Effective leaders know their staff members well and know what tasks are within their capabilities and skill sets. Matching tasks to individuals to get the best out of each individual is essential for effective leadership. Without the ability to understand the intricacies of delegation, you may find that you neglect to develop your team.
• Team Building Skills Without your team, you are not a leader. Effective leaders know how to get individuals working together to form a team, not just a group of people who happen to share the same work space. A good team will produce more work of a higher quality than individuals working alone, so team building skills are essential for the team leader. Avoiding arguments and personality conflicts to create an effective team is not always easy, but a good leader can recognize the signs of impending disaster to take early action when needed.

So, what happens if you find that you need to work on some of these leadership skills? You can develop these skills and practice them daily in your work life to become a better leader. Leaders who can acknowledge areas where they themselves need to learn and improve are more likely to be able to mentor and encourage staff members to undertake personal and career development courses too.
Everyone wins with good leadership. Make sure you have these top five leadership skills to be an effective leader.

Work at Home Scams

By Alison Doyle

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

 

One of the questions I get asked most often is how to tell whether a work from home job posting is a scam or a legitimate work from home job. There are warning flags. In addition, there are sites that can help you determine what's a real work at home job and what isn't.

Scams can also be an issue when looking for jobs that don't involve working at home. Job sites try to police the listings, but, it's hard to catch all the bad listings in a timely manner. Be careful when reviewing postings to make sure that you're not taken advantage of by unscrupulous job posters.

Evaluating Job Listings

Check Out the Job Listings
If it isn't listed in the job posting, find out if there's a salary or if you're paid on commission. For work at home jobs, ask how often are you paid and how you are paid. Ask what equipment (hardware / software) you need to provide.

You Won't Get Rich Quick (Really)
Avoid listings that guarantee you wealth, financial success, or that will help you get rich fast. Stay clear of listings that offer you high income for part-time hours. They will do none of the above.

Hang on to Your Money
Do not send money! Legitimate employers don't charge to hire you or to get you started. Don't send money for work at home directories or start-up kits.

Check References
Ask for references if you're not sure about the company's legitimacy. Request a list of other employees or contractors to find out how this has worked for them. Then contact the references to ask how this is working out. If the company isn't willing to provide references (names, email addresses and phone numbers) do not consider the opportunity.

Think Twice
If it sounds too good to be true, you can be sure it is! Also, read any "offers" you get very carefully. One candidate for employment got a very detailed job offer from an employer. The only problem was that she hadn't applied for the job and buried deep within the lines was a request for her bank account information, so the employer could pay her. It was a scam, of course, but with some of the well-written ones it can be hard to tell.

Work at Home Jobs To Avoid

Assembly Jobs - No, you can't make lots of money assembling craft kits or any other type of kits. You can waste money on a package to get you started though.

Data Entry Jobs - You'll see lots of listings for data entry jobs. They are usually either positions posting ads or a sales pitch for a kit that will get you started.

Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) which involves recruiting new people, and more new people, to sell the product. If all you are doing is trying to find more people to do what you're doing, keep in mind that there are probably thousands of other people attempting to do the same thing. Most of them aren't getting rich. Also note, that MLM isn't a job with a paycheck - it's starting a business, with no guarantees.

Online Businesses - Do you want to start your own online business and get rich? Be very wary of these type of ads too. What you will do is end up paying for a guide to working at home which duplicates information you can find free.

Posting Ads - There are lots of ads saying workers are needed to post ads on online bulletin boards and forums. You don't get paid to post, rather you may get paid if other people sign-up.

Processing Claims - In order to get "hired" you'll need to buy equipment, software and pay for training.

Stuffing Envelopes - Believe it, or not, there are still people saying that you can earn $3 or $4 per envelope to stuff them. You can't. All major companies have postage machines which stuff, sort and meter mail.

The winner in the scam contest are the sites that offer to sell provide you with information on only legitimate work at home jobs - for a nominal fee, of course. Don't do it!

How to Find Out

How do you find out if the posting you are responding to is legitimate or a scam? Check our Work at Home Scam information to research companies before you apply.

How to Report a Scam

If you've been taken advantage of, here's how to report a scam, along with the information you will need to file a report.

More Employment Scams
Typical employment, job search and career related scams, how to avoid scams, and what to do if you're been scammed.

Disclaimer:
You may see advertisements for work at home jobs on this page, because that's the topic of the article. Just because you see an ad here, that doesn't make it a legitimate company. Carefully investigate companies that you are interested in.

 

 

 

The Internet - A Really Good Thing for Real Estate

By James Kimmons

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Real estate agents and brokers fall all over the compass when it comes to how the internet is impacting their business. Some are doomsayers, believing that the web will be the demise of the MLS system and real estate full service brokers.

The internet is like any other sweeping new business development. There are those that will die because of it. There are also those that will achieve fantastic success using it. The difference is that some will embrace it and use its power to market and operate their businesses. And, even better, the internet is the very place to go to discover how to use it in your business and to serve your clients and gather new business!

Start with this site and all the internal and external resources we provide. It's all built around a structure designed to get you started and to provide the information you need to succeed. From social networks to blogging, the successful real estate agent of the future will be web-savvy and integrated across multiple platforms for marketing and interaction with prospects and customers.

Sell With Soul - Reality & Rewards for New Real Estate Agents

By James Kimmons

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

The Bottom Line

With so many books touting the open-ended rewards of a real estate career, Jennifer's real-world stories balance rewards with reality.

Buy Direct

Pros

• Gives you the warts along with the beauty of the job.
• Well illustrated with personal real life situations.
• Good advice for those who aren't inclined to be "sales people."

Cons

• Tech resources for tasks & checklists would have helped.

Description

• The book presents specific advice and help in working with buyers and sellers with their needs in mind.
• Commission discussions in the context of ethics and good business practices are helpful to the new agent.
• There are some very fundamental lessons presented as the author's true experiences. This keeps it interesting.

Guide Review - Sell With Soul - Reality & Rewards for New Real Estate Agents

Having been in the business for a while, it takes some doing to think back to my thoughts, hopes and fears as a brand new real estate agent. I don't think I was completely successful, but I did pull enough of it together to see the value in this book.

Jennifer Allan sub-titles the Sell With Soul book with "The New Agent's Guide to an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate." She does a great job of sticking to that theme, and relates her real-life stories to the goal of building a satisfying career.

Though there are a number of reasons why I liked this book, two stood out for me:

• It presents a balanced picture of what's fun and what's not about this business.
• There is an underlying theme of character and integrity as the basis for an extraordinary career.

If you're just starting out in this business, it's OK to read all the get rich books. It's alright to learn about the latest and greatest marketing tactics. However, get some grounding in the everyday challenges with this book.

How To Calculate Rental Vacancy and Credit Loss in Real Estate Investing

By James Kimmons

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Failure to anticipate the loss of rental revenue due to vacant units and non-payment of rent will lead to lost profitability in your clients' income producing real estate investments. In helping clients to determine the suitability of a purchase, be sure that their due diligence includes an estimate of vacancy and credit loss. You can be sure that most lenders will take this into account also.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 5 minutes

Here's How:

1. Determine an expected percentage of loss due to vacancy and non-payment by checking that of comparable properties and the recent loss experienced by the subject property. Last year's vacancy and credit loss from the subject property may have been 3% of net operating income. Other comparable properties experienced an average of 4%. Choose a value in the mix, let's say 3.60%.
2. Adjust your net operating income for next year by any anticipated rent increases. If you are anticipating a 5% increase in rent, and net operating income this year is $44,000, then: $44,000 X 1.05 = $46,200
3. Calculate the expected monetary loss for next year due to vacancy and credit losses: $46,200(net operating income) X .0360 (3.6%) loss estimate = $1663.20.

What You Need:

• Calculator
• Some estimate(s) of vacancy and credit loss percentages

Suggested Reading

Privacy Law in Canada

By Susan Munroe

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy  

Are you worried about the privacy of your personal information? Do you hesitate to use your credit card online? Do you wonder who has access to the personal information you are required to give Canadian governments? What about Canadian banks? Just what do they do with all the information they collect about you? Who monitors the private sector? Here is a quick overview of the laws governing the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information by both governments and businesses in Canada.

Privacy and Governments in Canada

The 1983 federal Privacy Act puts limits and obligations on over 150 federal government departments and agencies on the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. It also gives Canadians the right to find out what personal information the federal government has about them by making a formal request under the Privacy Act. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has the authority to investigate complaints.

The governments of all provinces and territories in Canada, except for Newfoundland and Labrador, also have legislation governing the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. The legislation varies from province to province, but the general right to access and correct personal information exists in all, and each has a commissioner or ombudsman who is authorized to handle complaints.

Privacy and the Private Sector

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPED Act, regulates how private sector organizations collect, use and disclose personal information in the course of business activities. This Act has been implemented in three stages:

• January 1, 2001 - federally regulated private sector, for example banks and international air carriers, is covered
• January 1, 2002 - personal health information collected, used or disclosed by federally regulated organizations covered.
• January 1, 2004 - covers information collected in the course of any commercial activity in any province or territory in Canada, including provincially regulated organizations. If a province has legislation substantially similar to the federal law, then that province may be exempted. At the beginning of 2004, the only province exempted from the federal PIPED Act was Quebec. Quebec businesses are not covered by the PIPED Act, but must comply with the Quebec private sector privacy law.

Principles of Fair Information

The PIPED Act establishes ten principles that organizations must follow when collecting, using and disclosing personal information in the course of commercial activity. These principles have been adapted from the Model Privacy Code of the Canadian Standards Association.

• accountability
• identifying purpose
• consent
• limiting collection
• limiting use, disclosure and retention
• accuracy
• safeguards
• openness
• individual access
• challenging compliance

Privacy Complaints

Individuals can complain to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada about violations, and the Commissioner can start his own investigation without waiting for a complaint.

How to Evaluate a Job Offer

By Dawn Rosenberg McKay

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

ou've spent the last few months answering help wanted ads, visiting recruiters, and networking. You've sent out your resumes and gone on a bunch of interviews. And now the moment you've been waiting for is here. It's your turn now. You have some job offers to consider. During those long days pounding the pavement, you didn't think making a decision would be this difficult. But this is serious business. The job you take now may be yours for a long time to come.

What's the most important thing to consider? Is it salary, health benefits, or vacation time? Or could it be the corporate culture or the length or your commute? What about your boss and co-workers -- will working with them be pleasant? As you can see there are a number of factors to take into account and only some are negotiable. You can try to get a higher salary or more vacation time. However, health benefits are often standard packages. The corporate culture isn't going to change for you, and your boss and co-workers aren't going anywhere.

Each of us, of course, is different. And what carries a lot of weight for some of us is insignificant to the rest of us. A great example of this is a survey I conducted on the Career Planning site. I asked the question: "What gives you the most job satisfaction?" Given three answers to choose from, 20% chose "Respect from my boss," 17% said "The amount of money I make," and 62% said "I love what I do." As you can see, while the majority responding to the survey felt that loving what they do is the most important thing, there are those whose opinions differed.

Evaluating the Offer

Salary
Even if money isn't what gives you the most job satisfaction, no one can argue its importance. You need a certain amount of money to pay the bills, for example. Most of us also want to make sure we are being paid what we're worth and what is the going rate for jobs similar to ours. It's important to find out what others are making for related work in the same industry, and in the same geographic region. You can start gathering this information by looking at salary surveys and other occupational information. And don't forget, if other aspects of the job appeal to you, you can try to negotiate the offer.

Office Environment
Every office has a different feel to it. Some feel kind of "dark pin-striped suit" while others feel a little more relaxed. Years ago I interviewed for an internship in a public relations firm. From the second I set foot in the office I knew I wanted to work there. There was a big bubble gum machine in the corner and colorful pictures hung on the walls. A few years later I interviewed for a job at a large investment bank. The office was the complete opposite of the one I just described. I was interviewed in a formally decorated conference room and given a tour of the department I'd be working in. It was brightly lit, yet furnished in dull colors. I was offered and accepted both positions and loved both jobs. As you can see, you can be happy in two totally different environments. You just need to know which environment you'd be unhappy in.

Corporate Culture
Defined by Merriam-Webster as "the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes a company or corporation," corporate culture should be an important factor in your decision whether to accept a job offer. If you value your time away from the office, a company with a corporate culture that encourages late hours may not be for you. Is the potential employer's philosophy "win at all costs?" Is your philosophy "always play clean?" This company isn't for you. Are you an ardent proponent for animal rights? Through your research you learn that one of the company's subsidiaries does animal testing. Although this won't affect the day-to-day activities of your job, it may not be a situation in which you'll feel comfortable.

How to Respond to a Reference Check Request

By Susan M. Heathfield

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Final Thoughts on Responding to a Reference Check Request

Few employees set a goal of failing at work. Yet, employees do fail and companies and employees do part ways. Keep in mind when you are asked for a reference that every former employee deserves the opportunity to start over.
Perhaps the former employee was ill suited to the position he held at your company. Your company culture may have been a complete mismatch with the employee's needs. The employee may have had a different "vision" for the requirements of his job from that of his boss. Maybe his personal life was unraveling during his tenure with your firm.
You never know all of the details and reasons about why an employee fails or moves on. It's easy with the high performing employee that you regret losing to a better job, a family move, or a dream opportunity. It's harder with the marginal performer.
Be honest or provide minimal information. Don't do crystal ball predictions of success nor provide numerical ratings and rankings for undefined terms. If necessary, provide the minimal information that describes the former employee's performance. Whenever possible, give the employee a break and talk with the prospective employer.
The last figures I saw relating to reference checking indicated that employers are taking reference checking very seriously these days. Over 90 percent of employers check references. Whenever possible, give your former employees a break - when you can do so conscientiously.

Job Searching Discrimination

By Jamie Berke 


Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Deaf Job Searcher Loses to Hearing Job Searcher
This is a story which happened to a friend of mine. He is hard-of-hearing and uses strong PSE. He had applied for a job working with young deaf children in a mainstream progam through our local [school district]. There were 2 positions vacant and 3 people applied. They had him show up for an interview and had him spend a day with the student in class. After that, he was never called back. The [district] ended up hiring the other two people (hearing), one had minimal signing skills and the other was a house-wife from the local community who never even knew how to sign! Eventually, the [district] realized she wasn't going to work out, so they fired her just before her probation time was up (90 days according to the Union rules).
All during this lady's time of hire, my friend went and made sure he was "hire-worthy". He checked to see if there was some kind of "glitch" in his application process. None was found. The [district] still had the position posted...they never called him back. Three quarters of the way through the school year... a CODA finally applied and got the job.
Deafblind Professional's Frustration
I am deafblind and a computer professional.
I was laid off from the job due to office restruction. Since the last day, I have been faxing and emailng my resumes to recruiters and now am taking computer classes to upgrade my skills. At the beginning, I used the relay number along with my phone number on the resumes and I didn't receive any phone calls. Then I left out the phone number and replaced with my email addresses. I got many good results from the recruiters asking me to call them using their phone numbers. Sometimes, I would disclose myself that I'm hearing impaired and using the relay operators. So many times, I heard nothing from them after the calls. Very few times, the recruiters would email me with list of questions. One time there was a job opening for a help desk analyst and I had a very good talk with the recruiter and at the end all of a sudden this job required managerial experience.
It seems that many recruiters first probably realize that I use the relay operators regardless I mentioned of my deafness or not and they usually screened me out and overlooked things I have pretty good computer skills and work history. I am continuing looking for job openings over the internet. My favorite job search is www.monster.com because I got many replies from the recruiters and I had a few job interviews. My job counselor has excellent job networking with companies and government agenies.
Operations Manager Can't Get Promotion
My husband who is deaf has been an Operations Manager for 7 years with a company that teaches vocational training for the disabled. He does not have a degree but has been a very loyal employee and is willing to do everything they throw at him. A certain position became open on three seperate occassions all of which he applied for. His boss told him that he was not qualified. This, despite his 7 years with the company and the fact that she herself had just been promoted without a degree. They ended up filing the position with a staff less qualified than my husband. They later had to let her go only to fill the position with another applicant that was eventually let go. We thought by this time he would be a shoe in. Of course this did not happen and they went with a staff from another office that was looking to transfer closer to home. During his search outside of his current company, I received a call from a perspective employer via the relay service, I answerd for him and as him and was surprised when she told me (under the assumption she was speaking with my husband)I wasn't what they were looking for. I was angered and asked "Didn't you look at my resume before you called?" She responded yes, and I then questioned why, if after seeing my qualificatins on my resume would you call me if I wasn't qualified. What had changed." Her only response was that she was just calling to check. He is still at the same company but still seeking other opportunities including furthering his education.

Marketing Plan for the Independent Inventor

By Mary Bellis

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

How well your advertisements and promotions draw customers will ultimately determine how effective your marketing strategy is. It becomes your responsibility to cultivate your designated market, if you decide to market your invention yourself. One of the ways to do this is through advertising and promotions. Remember the aim of the advertising and promotional strategy is to create awareness of your product, to arouse customers' needs and expectations to the point of consumption and to create a loyal stream of satisfied customers who continue to patronize your business.

Effective Advertising and Promotions Techniques

Perhaps, the first step in developing an effective advertising and promotional strategy is to understand the difference between the two concepts. Most people think that advertising and promotions are one in the same; there is, however, a distinction between the two. While both advertising and promotions use the different media formats - print, radio, and television - as a way of conveying a message, promotion encompasses much more. It is the method of advertising and can entail community involvement. For example, this could mean sponsoring a Youth Organization, allowing non-profit organizations to use your facility, such as, letting the high school drama club use your parking lot for a car wash fund raiser, sending an underprivileged child to day camp or involvement in any type of positive community activity that will bring attention to your business.

While advertising is a way of keeping your business is the public's eye, promotions are a way of signaling that you are concerned and committed to the welfare of the community and its residents. This commitment may be one of the most effective techniques for building customer loyalty. People tend to be more supportive of businesses and organizations that give something to the community rather than those that just take from the community, never giving anything in return.

Advertising

Advertising plays an important role in successful business ventures. It entails identifying and selecting the media that provide the greatest amount of exposure for your business and developing effective, yet appropriate materials for each medium. It is more than running an ad in a local newspaper, on a radio or television station or just simply hanging a sign outside your business and waiting for the customers to purchase your product. It requires that you know your product - that is, the selling points - and that you develop literature that can arouse the customers' consciousness levels to the point that they are curious enough to investigate it, and then raises their need or desire levels to the point that they are willing to purchase it.

Advertising keeps your product or service in the public's eye by creating a sense of awareness. Yet this awareness alone will not ensure the success of your business. Thus, advertising not only has to be effective, it also has to be a continuous process.

It may be a good idea to mix the different media formats that you use. For example, design a brochure that describes your product, emphasizing its selling points (special features). Place copies of the brochure in strategic locations of your business to use as customer handouts. Or, devise a customer survey. The survey should focus on whether customers like the product, the quality of the product, ways to improve it, the quality of service provided by staff - their friendliness and courtesy. Place the survey with a self-addressed, stamped envelope near the check-out counter and ask customers to mail in or return the survey when they come back. Review their comments with staff and implement those suggestions that are practical, cost efficient and can improve the overall quality of service your business provides.

More Media Formats

Newspaper, radio, or television ads (newspaper advertising is the least expensive and television advertising is the most expensive of these formats). You probably will need professional advice and assistance when developing ads for those media formats. The following media formats you probaly can do yourself:

• Business cards
• Classified ads in the local newspaper
• Direct marketing
• Telemarketing (this format can be expensive, also)
• Yellow Pages advertising
• Sampling - mailing or distributing free samples of your product to the public.
• Advertising in community-based magazines or newspapers.

Whatever media format you use, be willing to invest the money needed to develop an effective ad campaign.

Business Success Story - Take-A-Boo Emporium

By Susan Ward

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

While many people think that finding antiques is the hardest part of Andrea and Martin's business, it isn't. Finding inventory is easy, as Andrea and Martin buy from a network of other antique dealers, do estate sales, and do consignment.

The hardest part of starting Take-A-Boo was finding customers. Like many small businesses, Take-A-Boo Emporium had no advertising budget when it opened (and still doesn't). Andrea and Martin have both spent many hours promoting the business. Rising to the challenge of business promotion means exploring a variety of promotion ideas and constantly searching for new business promotion opportunities.

Andrea regularly sends out press releases to home decor magazines, newspaper editors, and television producers. These efforts have paid off with mentions in local community newspapers.

For instance, a June window display that included wedding photos of local residents was featured in a local newspaper. "It was a nice way to tie in the community and generate awareness at the same time," Andrea says.

Take-A-Boo Emporium's second anniversary street party in June was another promotion idea that was a big hit with local customers and helped raise the business' profile in the community. The party included bubble blowing for the kids and free caricatures for customers.

The company's promotion efforts on local television have also been very successful, bringing customers to the store and building credibility. Martin has appeared as an antiques expert on Toronto Living and appears regularly on the Rogers Community Television program Daytime. When he appeared on Breakfast Television on Citytv, two customers who called in to the shop while Martin was on the air bought items from Take-A-Boo Emporium. Now there's great customer response!

Andrea has also often discussed story ideas with the Globe and Mail, the National Post, and a variety of home magazines. While nothing national has panned out yet, Andrea is hopeful. "Making the contact is the first part. Generating publicity takes time. The seed planted today will blossom next spring into a story."

Another way that Andrea and Martin seek to reach out to prospective customers is by using the Internet. Continue on to the next page to learn how they used eBay to test the market for their products and developed a web site.

Performance Management Instead of Layoffs

By F. John Reh

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy


In the previous article, we looked at the damage done to businesses that promote people to their level of incompetence and leave them there. We suggested demotions as the best approach to solve this problem, for both the employee and the company, and renamed them "Inverse Promotions". However, we recognize many people have an ego problem with demotions and it is not an idea that will catch on soon.
Something Must Be Done
The fact remains, however, that something has to be done. The cost to the business is too high. Leaving an incompetent manager in place costs the company in errors, lost productivity, high turnover, and low morale. There also is harm done to the self-confidence and self-esteem of the individual who has reached their level of incompetence and doesn't know how to go back.
If employees can't request a return to their former position, or if they won't accept an inverse promotion, the company still must take action. The company has to protect itself, its other employees and even the career of the individual who has been over-promoted. The question is, how can this be done in a manner that effective and efficient for the company and that protects the ego of an otherwise valuable employee who got in over their head?
Performance Management
Performance management is one way to limit the damage and expense of an individual promoted beyond their level of competence. There should be a clear goal of determining whether or not a plan can be developed to adequately coach an individual to an acceptable performance level in a fairly short period of time. The plan should be developed, written down, and agreed to by the individual and his or her supervisor who both sign it. The plan needs specific, measurable milestone and specific time frames. Make sure the goals you set in the plan are S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Annual Performance Reviews are a waste of time. They are too formal and too infrequent. While the ultimate assessment of whether or not the individual met the plan laid out above must be formal, the steps to get there should not be.
Remember, this plan isn't for the few who were smart enough to decline an inappropriate promotion. This is for those who should have declined the promotion and didn't, either because they didn't realize it was beyond their capabilities or because they wanted the position for another reason, the prestige, for example. For that reason, the goals and metrics in the plan have to be unequivocal.
Manage This Issue
You can't leave an incompetent manager in place. It costs too much in money, morale, productivity, and innovation. If the employee won't request a return to a level at which they were competent, the company must take action.

• Assess how quickly, if at all, the individual can be coached to an appropriate performance level.
• Set unambiguous milestones and time frames and have everyone agree to them in writing.
• If the goals are met, you have successfully managed the development of an employee and made them and yourself more valuable to the company.
• If the goals are not met, everyone will agree that a step backward is in everyone's best interest and the employee is more likely to be able to accept the "demotion"

Next we will look at another alternative to demotions. We will review shifting the entire hierarchical paradigm. We will explore ways to get the most out of people in self directed teams.
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If you have any questions or comments about this article, or if there is an issue you would like us to address, please post them on our Management Forum to share with the entire group.

How To Find An Organization Worth Working For

From Patricia Soldati

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Patricia Soldati is former President & COO of a Fortune 500 national finance organization who re-invented her working life in 1999. As a career specialist, she helps corporate professionals find work they love -- both within the corporate arena, and by leaving it behind.

Sadly, many “top” companies today would likely flunk a spiritual audit.

Hidden behind the endless talk of organizational values, are profit-driven, high-pressure labor camps trading paychecks -- and diminishing perks – for your soul. All of which means that uncovering a company's corporate culture is a critical task for today’s job searcher. As important as the job itself.

Finding a Company That Meets Your Needs

To find a company that recognizes you have needs and desires beyond the workday – children, aging parents, personal interests, church and self -- start with the highest level view of the qualities that make any organization spiritually rich:

• Trust, active participation, mutual respect, and a feeling of belonging.
• Open, honest communication flowing up, down and across an organization
• Congruity -- stated values are healthy and consistently practiced.
• Leadership emerges and is welcomed at all levels

The cumulative result of these four patterns is a high "group intelligence" which produces organizations that are flexible, responsive, and able to react to change quickly. These companies respect you as an individual and are productive, profitable entities.

3 Steps To Uncovering Cultural Truth

You may never completely know a corporate culture until you have worked at the company for a while, but you can get darn close with the right kind of research. And do be pro-active. If there is an organization that you have even a inkling that you might like to work for – take them through this 3-step process.

1. Know your own cultural values. Use the list of questions below to create your own prioritized “cultural checklist.”

Community Spirit / Mutual Respect

• Do employees at all levels address each other by first names?
• How are new employees assimilated into the company?
• What programs or events exist to foster team spirit?
• How were you greeted?
• What do employee’ voice mail greetings sound like?

Work-Life Balance

• Is there a flex-time program?
• Is tele-commuting an option?
• Is there daycare?
• Is there a corporate wellness program?

Open, Two-way Communication

• What mechanisms does the company have in place to get feedback from its employees?
• Is salary information accessible to all employees?
• How are decisions made - and how are those decisions communicated?
• Who sits where at meetings?

Atmosphere

• Is it relaxed or formal?
• Is there a casual dress code? Does it operate at all levels of the organization?
• Are you free to drop into your bosses office? His boss?
• Are all employees on a first-name basis?

Performance

• To what degree does the company emphasize results?
• What opportunities exist for training and personal development?
• How do employees learn/know what is expected of them?
• Is there latitude for creativity and innovation?

Inclusion vs. Exclusion

Are people of various backgrounds and personal preferences welcomed?

Is there a Diversity program?

How successful has the organization been at fostering diversity?

What is the percentage of (women or minorities, etc.) in management positions?

Rewards and Recognition

• Are employees appropriately rewarded and recognized?
• What is the basis for rewards and recognition? (i.e., individual vs. team vs. organization based; performance vs. tenure)?
• Are non-sales based contributions recognized?
• What recognition programs are in place?

Physical Environment

• Does the physical environment provide comfort and inspire productivity?
• Is the space attractive, clean and well-kept, with equipment in good working order?
• Are there differences due to status or function?
• Are personal office/cube spaces decorated ?

Groups and Networks

• How political is this company?
• How are promotions earned?
• Are there collegial groups within the company?

History

• Does the company have a sense of history…of legacy?
• Is it communicated inside and outside the company?
• What are the stories and myths that people talks about?
• Are these shared internally and externally?
• In what ways does the organization fulfill its social obligations to the community?

SEO - What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

By Lahle Wolfe

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Don't Let SEO Intimidate You

SEO is a fancy term to simply describe how material posted to the Internet is formatted. SEO can be applied to content (text) on websites and blogs, images (pictures), and even the coding “behind the scenes” called "meta data." Meta data consists of descriptive text and phrases that is contained in "meta tags" and affects how the content is read and indexed by search engine robots.

How is SEO Accomplished?

SEO is largely accomplished by writing “meta data.” Meta data are store in “meta tags” and serve as descriptive information about the page, that the site visitor does not see, but search engine robots look for, “read” and interpret, and then use to index your site.

To see an example of a website’s source code which usually lists the meta data, simply right click your mouse while on any webpage and then click “view source.” While some websites do block your ability to see the source in this way, most do not.

To understand meta data you do not have to be able to understand HTML. The fastest way to find meta data (if the source code page is too confusing) in Windows it to:

1. Click “Edit”
2. Click “Find”
3. Enter “meta”
4. Click “Find Next”

Using this technique is a great way to “study” keywords and other meta data that is driving traffic to your competitor’s websites!

SEO is also affected by how you create your content (the information seen on the web or blog page), and even in how you present titles and subtitles. For example, content and paragraph titles (seen on the page) identified as “headers” are weighed as more important than simply putting titles in call capital letters. Titles that have a larger front, or are bolded, also carry more weight.

Important things to consider when developing SEO include:

• Domain Names and Subdomain Names
• URL Names
• Creating Meta Titles
• Meta Descriptions
• Meta Keywords
• Content
• Headers and Titles
• Images and Tables
• Site Index

Why Good SEO is So Important to an Internet Business

By Lahle Wolfe

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

 

To understand why SEO (search engine optimization) is important, you need to know what SEO does for a website. If you needed to hire a new manager for your office you would let people know about the opening by advertising. An ad in the paper would include the positions’ title, job description, and how to contact you. It might also state how not to contact you (i.e., no phone calls).
Meta data and other codes provide similar information to robots including titles, descriptions, and instructions on how and what to read on a webpage.
A robot is what search engines (and other information gathering companies) use to find your site, analyze it, and then decide what to do with it (ignore it, ban it, or index it).
Think of SEO as advertising your site to search engines. If robots do not know about you, like what they see, or cannot understand what you are saying, you will not get search engine “air time.”

Robots – Make Them Your Friends

The Internet search engine process is not run by people. It is run by robots (spiders, webcrawlers, worms, and webants) that (hopefully) visit your site and try to understand and index it. If your site is not indexed, it will not show up in search engines. Period.
A site with good SEO attracts robots and provides instructions, descriptions, and content that robots can understand, analyze, and assign relevance to. A site with no, or poor SEO will either get ignored, or worse – tagged as spam or blacklisted.