How Volunteering Will Help Your Job Search [6 Reasons]

How Volunteering Will Help Your Job Search [6 Reasons] I recently had a childhood friend make a career change in her late thirties: she went back to school full-time, investing significant time, effort and money to turn her nursing dream into reality. She recently graduated and was so very proud to have those two new initials after her name R.N. Everyone was so happy for her, congratulating her on her achievement. Her Facebook page was blowing up with a flurry of happy activity and optimism for her future. Then reality set in. While nurses are in great shortage everywhere, it seems the industry is only really interested in experienced RNs and new grads need not apply. Ouch! The job search has been pretty brutal and she’s not alone  43% of newly licensed RNs still do not have jobs within 18 months after graduation.   It’s the old cliché: You must have experience to get the job yet you must have a job to get experience. What a vicious cycle!   (And it certainly isn’t just limited to the nursing industry). How can you break it? My advice to my friend? Find the very best hospital you can and volunteer your way to your next position. (This advice also applies to any other new grad, career changer, pink slip recipient or jobseeker out there who needs to bridge a gap in employment). Why volunteer? 1. It puts work experience on your resume: Duh! This is obviously the most important strategy in your job search right now, especially if it’s the only thing keeping you from landing that dream job. Even if it’s just a few hours a week, your resume will now say “XYZ Company (or XYZ Hospital), January 2013 present” instead of having a big gap. Way, way, way better than having no current employer on your resume, which is an automatic deal-breaker for many recruiters. (Hey, I’m just the messenger here!) Added bonus? You will probably learn a thing or two (or twenty!), which builds your resume and makes you that much more marketable to employers. 2. It enables you to line up solid references in your field of choice: If/when you need someone to vouch for your skills in this new industry, volunteering will provide you with experienced people who have seen you in action and can recommend you for that job. Think about it… most new grads look exactly alike on paper. Your recommendations and references could be just the thing that separates you from the rest (side note: make sure to add these recommendations to your LinkedIn profile while you’re at it). 3. It allows you to build your network: We’ve all heard it before: it’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know. In a bad economy / job market, those words were never more true. People are hiring employee referrals because these referrals are a known quantity and there’s much less risk. If you don’t know many people in your field, then you are at a distinct disadvantage. Volunteering allows you to grow your network (in real life AND on LinkedIn) and you can now leverage those connections to network, find out about new positions and be at the forefront of people’s minds if/when they learn of a new opening. Don’t be afraid to get the word out that you’re actively looking for that foot-in-the-door position. 4. It shows your passion for what you want to do: “I love nursing (or whatever it is that YOU do) so much that I would do it even if they didn’t pay me.” Even if that’s not EXACTLY true, this is the message that volunteering conveys. How wonderful is that? You are suddenly much more attractive to future employers because they want those top performers who love what they do, not the employees who are just phoning it in. 5. It keeps you busy and keeps your spirits up: There’s nothing worse during a job search than getting up every morning with no where to go. You lounge around in your pj’s, mope about the horrible situation, pop online to try to find a job, end up getting discouraged and it’s just not good for your self-esteem or mental outlook. How are you going to be able to sell yourself to employers if you aren’t in a good place? Volunteering gets you out of the house, doing the work you want to do and staying busy. You will keep your batteries recharged and, let’s face it, volunteering just feels good. Give and get back, I always say! 6. It puts you at the top of the list if a job becomes available: Picture it: there you are, volunteering at that company / hospital and suddenly an opening becomes available. Do you really think they’ll just go with an unknown person over you? Assuming you fit the requirements for the role, the odds are pretty good that you’ll be hired since you’re right there in front of them and have already proven your skills, your dedication and your passion for the role. It’s also a great way for them to say “thank you” for your time and effort! Hey, they might even CREATE a job for you that wouldn’t have existed otherwise. Knock their socks off and they’ll want to keep you! Have you ever volunteered to change careers or land your next position? Any tips for us? Tell us about it!   Oh, and if anyone in the Baltimore / Washington DC area needs a dedicated, passionate (albeit inexperienced) RN to join their team, hit me up! I know a great one.

6 Ways to Fight Unemployment with Productivity - Classy Career Girl

6 Ways to Fight Unemployment with Productivity Life doesn’t stop once you are out of a job. You still have to pay rent and utility bills, eat healthy, finance your mortgage, fuel your car, pay your student loans, and repay outstanding debts among a myriad of other bills. Unemployment is a tough phase which you cannot just wish away. Neither can you fully count on the government to take away your troubles; you have to step up and fight it. I used to work in a leading consultancy firm as a midlevel manager before I got laid off at the beginning of 2016. I was among over 200 employees to fall victims to the company’s restructuring. Being just 28 years old, I thought my career stars had finally aligned until life happened. Yes, together with other laid off staff, I was given a send-off package, but still, my financial charts weren’t as promising. With my then 3-year-old daughter, Denise under my care, a mortgage loan to pay, and a queue of other outstanding bills, the future looked bleak. Being a single mom didn’t make the situation any easier. Necessity is the mother of invention. I had to adapt to my new normal or risk perishing and for the sake of Denise, that was not an option. Armed with a strong academic background and slight tact, I vowed to reverse the trajectory of my life for the better; the pressures of unemployment notwithstanding. Having accepted the situation at hand, I put my frustrations aside and utilized the following productive methods to fight unemployment. 6 Ways to Fight Unemployment with Productivity 1. Reducing My Expenses With the mentality that every penny is valuable, I made a list of all my expenses and identified the ones which could be reduced and those that could be eliminated. Reduced my energy cost. Considering cooling and heating made up a large proportion of my energy costs, I focused on them a lot. I set my thermostat to 68 degrees to ensure that my heating system used less energy. From studies, there is evidence that you can save almost 10% on cooling and heating by adjusting the thermostat by 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours in a day from its routine setting. I discovered that I already had a programmable thermostat and just needed to start using it! I reduced my water heating bill by using less hot water (and made sure my showerheads and faucets were high-efficiency products), insulating the water heater and turning down the water heater thermostat, and using cold water for washing clothes. Additionally, I ensured the efficiency of my air filtration system. I replaced my furnace filters regularly because dirty ones reduce airflow. This leads to an overworked heating component hence increasing the energy costs. Discontinuation of discretionary expenditure I was paying for a lot of unnecessary services. I canceled my magazine subscriptions, non-functional credit cards which attracted an annual fee, and extra phone services. Though I couldn’t quite pull the plug on cable and internet, I did shop around for the best deals. Reducing long distance calls Before getting laid off, I used to make frequent calls to my friends and relatives in China and Africa. These fees really added up. I switched to using free apps like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, so I could talk to them as much as I liked over Wi-Fi. Negotiating with my creditors Fortunately, my good credit record came to the rescue. After talking to my creditors and explaining my strained financial situation, the interest rates on my credit cards were reduced. I managed to convince them to reduce my monthly loan payments at least temporarily. 2. Selling My Car Cars are expensive to maintain and drive, so I got rid of it! It was a tricky decision to sell my vehicle, because of how convenient is to have a car. But, with a little extra planning, it has saved me tons of money. Instead of driving Denise to school, I send her away on the school bus every morning and I found a temporary job that was only a bus ride from our home. I used the money from selling my car to repay part of my mortgage. Selling the car rendered my garage vacant. This was another opportunity to be exploited. I leased the space to a local wholesaler who had challenges finding extra warehousing space! 3. Securing a Temporary Health Insurance After losing my job, I lost my health insurance, as well. Therefore, I had to pay out of pocket costs, which can get incredibly expensive. Under unemployment, I applied for a subsidized health coverage, which is a provision of the Affordable Care Act. I got a temporary health cover which required me to pay smaller premiums while still trying to recover. [RELATED: How To Turn Your Unemployment Into a Gift] 4. Getting a Temporary Job When my daughter was in school during the day, I worked as a part-time management consultant in a medium-sized IT company around town. The business wasn’t as profitable, and thus, my paycheck wasn’t as fat either, but at least, I could get some supplemental income. The job, though not as high flying as my previous one, gave me experience, which will hopefully come in handy for my future job hunt. Additionally, the job kept me occupied as opposed to staying in the house worrying and wishing. Keeping busy gave me clarity and perspective with regards to my future plans. 5. Selling My Stuff Online After losing my job, I noticed a lot of ‘stuff’ laying around the house collecting dust. I identified carpets, extra furniture, Denise’s old toys, a mini-fridge, and an old but fully functioning television that I could sell. After creating an inventory of the things I no longer needed, I took high-quality photos and posted them on Craigslist and LetGo. While I was selling stuff, I made sure to meet the prospective buyers in public places or had a friend come to my home at the arranged time. You can never be too careful! 6. Investing in My Skills and Talents I know that eventually, I’ll run out of household items to sell and my temp job will no longer cover all my expenses. But, I still try to set aside time and money to invest in myself. I started studying for the Project Management Professional ® (PMP) to be more marketable in the industry. I also joined a few networking groups through MeetUp. During this trying time, I think that remaining positive and productive has been one of my biggest assets. It’s easy to get down after losing your job, but remember that you are in charge of your destiny. You can’t rely on a company or the government to lend you a helping help. The power rests within yourself.

Ask MCG What to do when you have a co-worker with disgusting habits

Ask MCG What to do when you have a co-worker with disgusting habits Dear Ms. Career Girl,  I have a colleague that flosses his teeth and plucks his nose hairs right in front of me. Is this common in the workplace? There are at least 2 people in the office who clip their nails at work and its not only gross, but distracting. If these people are key decision makers, why are they spending time at work on personal hygiene when theyre supposed to be running the business? It would be one thing to do that in your own office, but in a shared space? Ashley Unfortunately, there are many “office etiquette crimes” being committed every day in workplaces all over the country.   Inappropriate dress, nail clipping, and talking for hours on the phone with a friend are just some of the offenses that employees may have to deal with at one point or another. But let’s make it clear: any non-work related behavior in the workplace is never acceptable.   Flossing teeth and plucking nose hairs are not only unacceptable, theyre also disgusting.   There  isnt  anything that could justify that behavior.   In my opinion, even doing it in your own office behind closed doors is not acceptable, whether you’re an intern or the CEO.   Personal grooming is something that must be dealt with at home, in private. How do you deal with inappropriate behavior at work? The best thing to do is to take action immediately.   By letting it go or ignoring it, you are reinforcing the behavior, silently telling your coworker that it’s okay to floss his teeth or pluck his nose hairs.   You don’t want to do that.   Take action immediately by being direct and confront your co-worker. Find a time that you are both free and go to a private place to talk about the issue.   While being respectful, make sure to be firm and assertive to convey the fact that you are serious about the problem.   Keep your emotions in control and stay calm.   Focus on “I” and “me” oriented sentences, like: “It really bothers me when you floss your teeth and pluck your nose hairs in the office.”   This will keep your coworker from thinking that you are attacking or insulting them. While having this conversation with your coworker, suggest something that could fix the situation.   For example, you could say: “I feel uncomfortable when you floss your teeth and pluck your nose hairs in the office.   While I understand that these are essential to personal hygiene, maybe you could do this in the bathroom instead? I would really appreciate that.”   Focus on the solution instead of the problem. If you have made several requests and your coworker still ignores you, contact your supervisor or HR for additional guidance.   Stick to your guns and don’t let it slide unless you want the behavior to continue. Many people may not opt to be direct to their coworkers because they are afraid of coming off as “uptight”.   Remember that you have the right to be comfortable in your own workplace.   Would you rather risk being seen as “uptight” to your offending coworker but feel comfortable at work, or be not seen as “uptight” to your offending coworker but feel uncomfortable at work?  If a coworker’s actions make YOU feel uncomfortable, chances are your other coworkers feel the same way. Good luck, Ashley! Have you ever experienced inappropriate behavior from a coworker at work? How did you handle it?

Awesome Career Paths with a Project Management Degree

Awesome Career Paths with a Project Management Degree While the title of this post isnt as sparkly as our usuals, I decided to feature this guest post written by Tasha Morris today for a few different reasons:  1) My husband is a project manager and I cannot even begin to tell you how much he has taught me about this practice over the last few years. 2) When I switched my career path from Banking to Marketing, this was the first skill that I identified as totally lacking in myself and totally crucial to my success.  I read as many project management 101 articles and books as I could find. 3) When I was self-employed,  good project management determined if I was negative or positive with my clients, employees and expenses.  In other words, it determined if I could eat and pay rent. 4) Today working at a digital agency, project management is at the core of everything we do regardless of how creative the job description. 5) Having a strong project management background is pretty recession proof.  If youre good, you will be paid very well, can find employment in a number of types of organizations and have more job security than most. Thanks Tasha for uncovering how many career paths a project management degree can offer you!  Tasha is a blogger and student currently earning her  online project management degree. She hopes to work for a non-profit organization after graduation. -Nicole You’ve completed your traditional on-campus degree and now you’re wondering where those four years of hard work will take you. As a project manager, you have the distinct opportunity to enter almost any field or industry, from pharmaceutical to healthcare and the non-profit sector. Before leaping headfirst into a pile of resumes, job applications and interview questionnaires, learn about some of the hottest jobs available in this ever-evolving and diverse field. Project Coordinator You have a general understanding of the project manager’s role, but what exactly does a project coordinator do? Basically, as a project coordinator, or facilitator, you’ll work directly under a project manager. You’re responsible for overseeing a certain facet of a project, such as organizing meetings, supervising team members or handling materials. Landing a job as a project coordinator is often the first step to becoming a full-fledged, executive-level project manager. New Product Development Manager If you’re an ideas person with a keen analytical mind that thrives on the challenge associated with the trial and error process, becoming a new product development manager is definitely a career option to consider. As a new product development manager, you’re not only concerned with the development of a product, but also how it’s commercialized and marketed. Depending on the industry and company, you could be responsible for ensuring a new cereal is correctly packaged and marketed or even getting a new life-saving drug into the hands of doctors. Construction Manager The construction industry has recently taken a hit, but this doesn’t mean that many firms aren’t still actively seeking the skills of a knowledgeable, well-educated construction manager.  You might be working closely with a number of architects and contractors on a larger project, while a smaller build might have you interacting one-on-one with the builders themselves. Luckily, theres a  construction app  and many other project management apps that can help you manage your construction jobs.  Manufacturing and construction are the most traditional and common positions you’ll come across in this ever-expanding field, so don’t hesitate to get your feet wet working in this well-established industry. Once again, depending on the size and scope of the project, your role as a construction manager can vary greatly. You might be working closely with a number of architects and contractors on a larger project, while a smaller build might have you interacting one-on-one with the builde rs themselves. Information Technology In stark contrast to manufacturing and construction, information technology project management is a relatively new career. In the past, companies saw their IT department as a separate entity, and allowed the senior members of the division to handle the tangible aspects of their operation, from budgets to development. Times have changed, and now many larger corporations are beginning to realize that to remain successful, their IT department must deliver a product or perform their duties in an efficient, cost-effective manner. Companies like Accenture, Ernst Young, Boston Consulting Group and PwC are among the most popular and best paying when it comes to hiring people with an IT project management background.  These companies are also  extremely  competitive to get into.  It takes a specific skill set to work as an information technology project manager, so you might want to consider pursuing an online  masters in information security or Pass your Cisco Certification Tests with K aplan SelfTest Test Preparation  while you work your day job or pursue additional education in computer science.  At the very least, learn more about the technical side of this role before making any final career goals or decisions! Consulting Many companies aren’t willing, able or don’t see the need to hire on a full-time project manager or coordinator. If you’d rather work on a case-by-case basis or would love to keep your professional life fresh and exciting, consider starting your own consulting firm. Working as a freelance project manager allows you the freedom to work when you want on projects and ideas that you find fascinating or rewarding. Joining an established consulting group is another option to consider if your ultimate career goals within the field are still up-in-the-air. Environmental Research Project Manager Another relatively new career path, environmental research project management allows you to earn a healthy salary and work in an expanding field while you fulfill a passion for saving the environment.  Your job duties will often include coordinating staff, scheduling duties and basically using the scientific method to address many environmental concerns. No matter if you’re earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management or a masters in human resources; online education is often the best course to fulfill your career aspirations while maintaining a healthy professional and personal life. Aside from the convenience of working on your schedule and the flexibility of taking tests, studying or interactions with professors from the comfort of your home, online education is often times less expensive than a traditional, campus-based program.

How to Move Abroad and Take Your Job With You Part V - Career Pivot

How to Move Abroad and Take Your Job With You â€" Part V - Career Pivot How to Move Abroad Part V By Neldahinojosa â€" Own work, GFDL, Link We are finally ready to make our move to Ajijic, Mexico. We just moved into a new casita in the center of Ajijic. I have been chronicling ourexperiences in this blog and on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. I have been discussing our experiences on the podcast and writing about the business side of the move here on the blog. You can find all of the blog posts and podcast episodes where I am chronicling our journey and the decision-making process on theHow to Move Abroad and Take Your Job With You Series Page. I want to discuss today the technological,financial, and legal challenges. You can make a lot of assumptions about all 3 areas, and you would probably be wrong most of the time. Look for the next Repurpose Your Career podcast episode to cover: Shipping food supplements and medications from the U.S. to Mexico Healthcare Health insurance Automobile insurance Leasing property in Mexico Why Are We Doing This? The number one factor in making this move is the absurd behavior of our federal government, healthcare, and health insurance industries. I wrote about this a few weeks back in my post The Looming Healthcare and Insurance Catastrophe for Baby Boomers. What I predicted is coming true. My health insurance provider has asked the TexasInsurance Board for a 34% rate increase for 2019. I am already paying $1358 per month for a $10,000 deductible bronze level policy for my wife and myself. It is time to move on. Exploration We are on our third exploratory trip to the North Shore of Lake Chapala, to the city of Ajijic, Mexico. We previously explored San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and Cuenca Ecuador. The plan was to come for 3 months and find a long-termrental that would start in January. The rental market is so tight that we immediately changed our plans and found a fully furnished 2 bedroom 2 bath casita in the center of Ajijic. Our total cost (rent, electricity, and gas) should be under $1000. This is about 30% more expensive than we had planned for because of the tight rental market. At the time of publication, we would have been in the casita for one week and very much enjoying it. Look for more details on the rental market, the move, and healthcare in next week’s podcast. Technology I have written about this multiple times, but it bears repeating, we are not living in a big city in the U.S. A lot of creature features that we have grown accustomedto, are not here. Internet The big story here is to have a backup plan if your business depends on Internet connectivity. The podcast episode that releases the same week as this blog post is a good example. I was forced to leave the AirBnB house we were renting to record the podcast episode. Power first went out due to a power transformer blowing up during a big thunderstorm, and this happened just after they replaced power lines in the neighborhood. Power was out for almost 3 days with noindication when power would be restored. Once power had been restored, the Internet connection was very unreliable for many more days. This is not an unusual occurrence. When utilities fail, you should expect them to be off for an indefinite period of time. This includes telephone, Internet, and power. TelMex, the incumbenttelephone monopoly, provides Internet service for most people in the area. It is at best a mediocre service providing 5 â€" 10 Mb download and .1 â€" 1 Mb upload. Service is very inconsistent and unpredictable. In comparison, my Google fiber service in Austin provides 300 Mb up and down. Backup Plan My backup plan was to tether my MacBook to my iPhone and run the Internet over the ATT LTE network. When that works, and it often does not, I get 20 Mb up and down. More than sufficient bandwidth to run video calls. Why is the ATT network a problem? There has been an explosion of Smartphone usage in the last year or two. Both ATT and TelCel have struggled to keep up. I will be signing up for TelCel’s home Internet service, which runs over their LTE network, when we return in November. I cannot order the service while living in Mexico on a tourist visa. Both ATT and TelCel offer this kind of service and require a 2-year contract. You are probably saying, “A 2-year contract!?!” Well, the cost is only around $18 per month. Between my Telmex service, TelCel home Internet service and my U.S. ATT service from my iPhone, I should be able to get reliable Internet service. Voice Communications I have a U.S. ATT account that allows calling to and from Mexico and the U.S., and I have been having two different problems. Where we stayed for the last 2 months, is in a hole between 2 cell towers. If I sat in the middle of the living room and did not move, calls worked fine. If I moved into another room, or even outside, all bets were off. The second issue was it was common for calls to drop for no reason. We have moved to the center of Ajijic which should solve this problem. I will be ordering an LG flip phone from Telceland sign up for one of their packet plans. I can buy a simple flip phone for about $50 from a TelCel agent and I can recharge my account by going into any OXXO store in Mexico. This could be done online, but not with a U.S. based credit card. See banking section below. Besides,OXXO stores are everywhere. I want a Mexican phone with a Mexican cell phone number for traveling between the U.S. and Mexico by car. When we return to the U.S., we will upgrade my wife’s iPhone and trade it in. I will upgrade my iPhonebut keep my current iPhone 6s. I will unlock it and when we return to Ajijic in November, I will get a TelCel account for it. This means I will have a current iPhone on the ATT network with a U.S. telephone number, and an older iPhone with a Mexican phone number on the TelCel network. My wife will take the TelCel flip phone for calling in Mexico, and use the ATT for calls to the U.S. There are a gazillion ways to do this, but we want to keep our U.S. based phone numbers and have Mexican telephone numbers, to make it easy for local service providers to reach us. Finances On the north shore of Lake Chapala, very few merchants take credit cards. If they do, they charge you a fee to use the credit card. I have been withdrawing money from ATM’s at the maximum the ATM will allow, usually between $250-$380. Fees and exchange rates vary a lot. With a lot of experimentation, I found 2 different banks that gave me similar exchange rates and fees. It is not unusual for ATM’s to run out of money on the weekend. You have to have a backup plan. Banking It is possible to open a Mexican bank account with a U.S. passport and a tourist visa, but I have not found anyone who has successfully accomplished that. This is Mexico, and what you are told is possible and what you can actually accomplish can be quite different. When we return in November, we will stop at the Laredo, Texas Mexican consulate, and I will apply for Permanent Resident Visa. This will allow me to open a Mexican bank account. I will open a bank account in the U.S. at BBVA Compass, and then open a Mexican account at BBVA Bancomer. These accounts can be linked, and I will be able to transfer money when the exchange rate is in my favor. There are other advantages to having a Mexican based bank account including being able to pay individuals and businesses via the Mexican banking electronic payment system. Rather than paying the plumber with cash, I will be able to pay him/her electronically. Similarly, I can acquire a Mexican credit card which I will able to use on Amazon.com.mx or other online non-U.S. retailers. This is a big deal. To rent the casita in Ajijic, I had to get almost US $3,500 in cash to make the down payment. This was a lot of trips to the ATM over a month period to accomplish this. I will talk a lot more about this in the podcast episode. Legal Career Pivot will continue to be an Austin, Texas-based business. I will need to acquire an Austin address for the business which will likely come from a service equivalent of PostScanMail.com. All business for Career Pivot will pass through U.S. based financial institutions. Visa Types You can live in Mexico with 3 different types of visas. These are: Tourist visa or FMM â€" You are limited to staying 6 months but can import a U.S. plated automobile for 6 months. Temporary Resident â€" This is good for 1 year and can be renewed annually for a total of 4 years. You can import a U.S. plated automobile for the length of the visa. Permanent Resident â€" This has no time limits but you cannot importa U.S. plated automobile. There are different financial requirements for the temporary and permanent resident visas. The vast majority of retirees come in on a temporary resident visa, and after 4 years, convert to a permanent resident. They simply do not have enough savings or income to qualify for a permanent resident visa initially. You have to demonstrate you have approximately $100,000 in investments continually over the past year or have had an income of $2,400 per month, to qualify. The average baby boomer has far less than $100,000 saved for retirement. Our Visa Plans I will apply for a Mexican Permanent Resident visa in Laredo on my return from Austin. This must be applied for from a Mexican consulate in the U.S. Most people first apply for a temporary resident visa, and later move to a permanent resident visa after 4 years. The problem with having a permanent resident visa is you cannot bring a U.S. plated car into Mexico on a permanent resident visa. Only on a tourist or a temporary resident visa can you apply for a temporary import permit (TIP) to bring an automobile into Mexico. This gets complicated because the Mexican government does not want your U.S. plated car in Mexico. They want you to buy a car in Mexico. My wife will return on a tourist visa and we will later be able to acquire a temporary resident visa for her in Mexico. She will obtain the TIP for the car on this trip. Needing to Prove Legal Marriage Status In order to acquire a temporary resident visa for my wife while in Mexico, I will not just need a marriage certificate, but a certified marriage certificate. There is a special term for this that I cannot remember, but I need to get my wife’s and my marriage certified by the state of Texas. There are stories of foreigners who have not been able to take their spouse’s body after death because they cannot prove to the Mexican government that they were married. I engaged with an American lawyer who supports the expat community. He reviewed the lease, my business plan, and immigration status. Basically, as far as the Mexican government is concerned, I am retired. I can receive no income from a Mexican business or individual, which should not be an issue. You need legal counsel to accomplish this. This is not a DIY process, but the cost of engaging a lawyer is quite affordable. What Else? I will be covering in the podcast episode: Shipping food supplements and medications from the U.S. to Mexico Healthcare Health insurance Automobile insurance Leasing property in Mexico These are much more personal in nature, and I want you to hear some of my frustrations, angst, and joy. This move will likely produce a $50K shift in our annual budget. The financial difference is staggering and much of this is due to health insurance, healthcare, housing costs and cost of living. Have I scared you, or made it believable that you can make this happen? Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Book review Learned optimism - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Book review Learned optimism - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Of course Ive been reading while I was on holidays, and it fit very well that I was reading about optimism. Martin Seligman has long researched optimism and positive psychology, and Learned Optimism is the popular summary of his work. But why be optimistic? Shouldnt you just be a realist? Well, here are a few good reasons for being an optimist: * Optimists lead better lives * Optimists live longer * Optimists are healthier * Optimists do better at work and in school * Optimists have fewer depressions * Optimists have more friends and better social lives And did you know that: * The most optimistic candidate has won nine out of ten american presidential elections from 1948 to 1984 * The most optimistic sports teams outperform the pessimistic ones * An insurance company that started hiring based on optimism rather than skill got much better salesmen out of it Seligman argues that the flip side of optimism is pessimism or helplessness the feeling that nothing you can do will matter, you are powerless. He created a ground-breaking experiment which was first performed with dogs back in the sixties. Three dogs went through each experiment. The first dog was given electrical shocks which stopped whenever it pressed a panel with its nose. It got shocks, but had the power to stop them. The second dog got shocks whenever the first dog got them. This means that it received exactly the same amount and duration of electrical shocks as the first dog, but it had no chance to affect this. The third dog got no shocks. The next day each dog is placed in a special shuttlebox. Here the dog is given an electrical shock that it can easily escape by jumping over a low barrier. And the results were, that dog number one (whod recieved shocks it could turn of itself) quickly jumped over the barrier. So did dog number three that had gotten no shocks. But dog num ber two just lay there, feeling powerless to change its conditions. It had learned helplessness. This experiment has since been repeated in many different forms on many other animals (including humans), and the results show that we learn helplessnes extremely quickly. But the good news is, that we can also learn optimism. Seligman introduces a tool in the book which will let us challenge the pessimistic thoughts and assumptions that many of us have running through our heads at frequent intervals. One of the most interesting chapter in the book concerns depression. Depression is spreading like craxy today and its even starting to hit children. Seligman argues, that the negative thinking that depressed people experience is not a symptom of depression it IS the depression. Consequently, if you can change your thinking you can cure the depression. And studies have proven that optimistic people experience fewer and milder depressions. I highly recommend this book. It contains numerous deep insights on what goes on in our brains and how it affects our moods. Just the chapter on depression is worth the price of the book. An excellent book from a man who is obviously a master of his field. Also, the book is entertaining and at times very funny. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

The social media basics to improve your job search - Hallie Crawford

The social media basics to improve your job search Here is a good piece that I wanted to share with you about the basics of social media related to your job search: http://mashable.com/2012/05/31/advice-for-new-grads/. We all know that we should watch what we post on social media sites. You should Google yourself to see what your online footprint is and clean up what you can. Keep in mind and understand that you cant clean up everything, so watch what you post in the first place! One thing I disagree with in the article is this advice about Linkedin: And of course, there’s LinkedIn, which every grad in today’s job market should consider joining.” I dont think using LinkedIn is optional. With some employers reporting that up to 80% of their recruiting is done through LinkedIn, its not something you want to miss out on. Create your LinkedIn profile now, even before you graduate, and keep it active. Its not an option; its a critical tool in your job search. I hope this is helpful to you. If you’d like more help with your job search, contact us today for a complimentary consultation. Dream Job Coach