The Working Woman’s Guide to Managing Time
February 25, 2010
The Working Woman’s Guide to Managing Time by Roberta Roesch responds to the needs of women who are struggling to keep up with the demands of a career, a family, and a home. It contains a number of self-tests to help the reader identify which areas may be causing her difficulty, including:
- Determine Your Attitude Towards Time
- What Time Problems Do You Have on the Job?
- Check Your Decision-Making Skills
- Are You Plagued by the Slow-Start Syndrome?
- Are You Getting All You Can out of the Time You Have?
- How Well Do You Manage Your Daily Workload?
- How Good Are You at Controlling Crises and Surprises?
- Would an Alternative to a 9 to 5 Job Work for You?
- Would Flextime Benefit You?
- What’s Your Success Potential for At-Home Work?
- What’s Your Biggest Morning Problem?
- How is Your Evening Time Management?
- Do You Take Time Off for a Personal Life?
It also includes checklists, charts, worksheets, and step-by-step strategies to help you evaluate and use your time more productively. There are even special sections devoted to the unique time management challenges faced by single women, married women with and without children, and single mothers.
Although it’s no longer in print, you can usually locate a used copy through Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.
Author Roberta Roesch is an award-winning writer who has specialized in writing about jobs and careers, time management and organization, and women’s personal development for more than 25 years.
The Organized Job Search
February 23, 2010
By Janet Barclay, MVA
You should take several preliminary steps before you even begin your active job search. You should start by identifying your skills, interests, target market, and any child care, transportation, or other issues that you will need to keep in mind. A career or employment counsellor can be very helpful in this area, as well as with the preparation of your resume, cover letters, and any other job search materials you’ll need.
Once you’re ready to face the job market, there are three areas where you’ll find it beneficial to be well organized: your schedule, your workspace, and your contacts.
Your Schedule
First, you must decide how much time you can realistically commit to your job search on a weekly basis, and then create a weekly schedule of activities. Keep in mind that looking for a full-time job is in itself a full-time job! Some of your time will be devoted to reading and applying for advertised positions, but be sure to allow plenty of time for other job search activities such as making telephone calls, generating and researching new leads, reviewing old leads for follow up, writing thank you notes or other correspondence, and visiting placement offices, employment agencies, or other service providers. The percentage of time you dedicate to each activity depends on what is most effective for your field of work or geographical area, so it may be worthwhile for you to ask others what has worked for them.
Love Every Leaf – The Life of Landscape Architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander
February 19, 2010
Love Every Leaf, The Life of Landscape Architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander by Kathy Stinson is the inspiring story of Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, who overcame a number of obstacles to become one of the first female landscape architects, went on to complete numerous high profile projects, and continues to contribute much to the world and the environment in her 80s.
If you are interested in learning more about the profession of landscape architecture, this is a must read. It is suitable for readers from Grade 5 and up.
Love Every Leaf, The Life of Landscape Architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander is available from Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.
Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn
February 16, 2010
Neal Schaffer is one of the authors who will be honored at the tenth annual DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books in Los Angeles on February 25. Schaffer’s Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn received an “Honorable Mention” for best non-fictional book of 2009.
With over 50 million users, LinkedIn is one of the largest social networking sites, and one of the few which is focused on professional networking. As such, it’s important for job seekers to establish a strong presence there. The Help section of the website will only tell you the basics; you need a comprehensive guidebook to learn effective ways to find a job, expand your network, and develop a branded profile.
Schaffer’s concept of Windmill Networking involves building up networks of trusted connections, helping others out, and reaping the rewards of these connections and favors, and his book explains in detail how to apply these principles to LinkedIn.
Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
Get Your Job Search Organized
February 11, 2010
By C.J. Hayden
What was the name of the manager you met at last month’s business mixer? Did you ever follow up on the application you mailed two weeks ago? Which version of your resume is the most recent one — without the typos? If you’re asking yourself questions like these, your job search could benefit from some organization.
The typical job search can generate a daunting stack of paper and a backlog of communications from many channels at once. If you are actively looking for work, you may quickly find yourself buried in multiple versions of your resume, copies of cover letters, clippings and printouts of job listings, business cards from people you have met, e-mails sent and received, bookmarked web pages, phone messages, flyers for networking events, and much more.
To keep all these essential job search components organized, here’s what you will need:
1. Calendar – You’ll need to keep track of appointments, when you sent out resumes or placed phone calls, and what date you should be following up with people you speak to. Use whatever system works best for your personal style: a pocket datebook, a PDA (e.g. Palm Pilot), or task management software on your computer (e.g. Outlook) are all appropriate choices.
How to Start a Photography Business
February 9, 2010
By Jennifer James
from FabJob Guide to Become a Professional Photographer
Are you intrigued by the idea of using photography to make time stand still, and creating keepsakes that will be treasured for generations?
Maybe you love being part of the excitement that comes with important moments in human life: weddings, comings of age, and celebrations. You want to be there to record them forever. You can get paid to do what you love when you start a wedding photography business or a portrait photography business.
When you start a photography business you will be able to earn a living creating unique and creative images of people’s cherished moments. Professional photography has been around for decades, yet it continues to be one of the most innovative and creative art forms in the world today. Being your own boss and determining your own schedule are just a few of the perks.
The family and wedding photography industry is booming right now. The real emphasis placed on the importance of family has seen a surge in portrait photography, and couples in love are spending thousands of dollars on their wedding photography.
Add in the fact that professionals of all types need headshots for business use, and there is no shortage of work for the aspiring professional photographer.
It’s not difficult to start a photography business – all you really need are a good camera with the necessary lenses and equipment, and an eye for composition. But in order to attract clients and create a thriving photography business that you can call a true career, there are a few other things you’ll want to do.
Here’s some advice from the FabJob Guide to Become a Professional Photographer that will help you achieve your goal of starting a wedding photography business or a portrait photography business.
The Obsolete Employee: How Businesses Succeed Without Employees
February 4, 2010
Are YOU obsolete? Find out now in the first book ever written on the subject of virtual outsourcing!
If you are fed up with wasted hours in long commutes, just to deal with incompetent coworkers and overbearing bosses, learn how to develop and succeed in a whole new lifestyle, work the hours and jobs you choose, spend time with family, do what you truly enjoy, and get paid well for it!
There is a better way to live and work. Stop working in an obsolete system! Read The Obsolete Employee to find out how an unlimited source of talent is growing at your fingertips. All you need to do is take a deep breath, organize your projects and priorities, and BECOME A PART OF IT!
Author Michael Russer is a renowned international speaker, author and columnist. He specializes in helping independent professionals and businesses of all types incorporate innovative productivity strategies to achieve a higher level of personal and career fulfillment. He co-founded two virtual assistant organizations and is a strategic advisor to major sales organizations on the use of virtual outsourcing. Michael owns several companies and has been blissfully “employee free” for over 13 years, but has many incredibly talented people all around the world who conduct business for him, most of whom he has never met face to face.
This book has been recommended by Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth Revisited.
Job Search Secrets: Make An Organizer
February 1, 2010
By Virginia Bola
None of us ever feel that we are going to be out of work for very long. We jump into looking for work in as many directions as we can think of, confident that we will find a suitable position quickly, and move on with our lives.
A few weeks pass and we see that we have been pursuing leads willy-nilly and often can’t quite remember where we applied and the details of each position.
Creating a central organizer for our activities can help assure that we have a clear understanding of where we’ve been and what we’ve done, and provides a private resource chart for on-going contacts and re-contacts.
Start with a thick, 2 or 3 inch, 3 ring binder available at any drugstore. Get a stack of pre-punched paper and several thick paper pockets to put in each section. Here are some suggestions on how to set it up – if something a little different works for you, make whatever changes you’d like.
