Laura Larimer

Article / Updated 06-20-2023

Prior to her accession to the throne on her 21st birthday, Elizabeth spoke to the nations of the British Commonwealth via radio broadcast, saying, "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." This commitment to serve the people of the Commonwealth characterized her reign from the beginning to her death in 2022. Queen Elizabeth’s reign started in 1952 when she was just 25 years old. She reigned through decades of enormous social change and development within the United Kingdom and around the world. The reign of Queen Elizabeth II Traditionally, the head of the British Commonwealth takes no official stance on public policy and remains neutral on party politics. Being the traditionalist, Queen Elizabeth kept her views on political issues mostly private. It is considered "bad form" to repeat anything that the Queen says in private and British newspapers had a long-standing policy of not publishing the Queen’s private utterances. As a result, the Queen's public actions and words influenced the culture of her nation in ways that no elected official could. For example, in 2011, Queen Elizabeth made the first trip to the Irish Republic by a British monarch in over a century. The visit, in and of itself, carried significance, but to make sure the point was not missed, Queen Elizabeth arrived wearing an emerald green suit, surrounded by ladies-in-waiting also wearing shades of green. She publicly encouraged both sides of the English-Irish conflict "to bow to the past but not be bound by it." She visited the Garden of Remembrance, the sacred ground for Irish patriots who died battling for independence, where she bowed her head in reverence. She also visited Croke Park, the site of Bloody Sunday in 1920, where 14 Irish civilians died after British forces opened fire on them. Thus, without voicing a political position, Queen Elizabeth II set the stage for improved relations between the peoples and governments of these two Commonwealth nations over which she reigned. In 2013, the Queen publicly signed a Commonwealth Charter that opposes "all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, color, creed, political belief, or other grounds." With the stroke of the pen, the queen made a symbolic pledge for equal rights for all people in the 54 countries around the world that belong to the British Commonwealth. Never in her years as monarch had she done anything like it before. The press speculated that the signing of the Commonwealth Charter signaled the Queen's support of gay rights. "The queen has to remain politically neutral," ABC News royal contributor Victoria Arbiter said. "While we won't hear her personal views on this, the fact that she is endorsing it publicly in front of television cameras, it really does speak volumes." Through the course of her reign, Queen Elizabeth introduced reforms to the monarchy. In 1992, she volunteered to start paying both income and capital gains taxes. She opened her official residencies to the public — including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle — in order to finance their maintenance. She supported ending the rule of male primogeniture, meaning the eldest child can succeed to the throne, regardless of gender. On October 28, 2011, the 16 Commonwealth countries at the Perth Commonwealth Summit voted unanimously to scrap male primogeniture in the British royal family. Henceforth, the oldest child in the direct line would be heir, regardless of gender. Despite her reputation for being distant and aloof, Queen Elizabeth II brought a personal touch to the British monarchy, introducing more informal engagements and increasing the number of visits to both countries within and outside of the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth was said to be the most well-travelled British monarch in history. As a means of staying connected to the people she served, Elizabeth II also introduced the walkabout, in which she met and greeted large numbers of the public. In 1981, on one of the royal walkabouts, a British subject seeking fame and notoriety fired six blank shots at her. Despite the danger presented by these up close and personal appearances, she continued to do the walkabouts regularly. The Queen’s own service leadership works to encourage others to volunteer and serve their communities. Her Majesty was involved with more than 600 charities and non-profit organizations — she served to bring recognition to their achievements and contributions and to persuade other people to join. The personal side of Queen Elizabeth II It is said that when Elizabeth met Prince Philip, even though she was only 13 years old, she fell in love with him and they began exchanging letters. They were officially engaged on July 9, 1947 and they were married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey. They had four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. During the Queen’s reign she experienced personal tragedies, including the death of her father at 56, the breakdown of her children’s marriages — particularly that of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales — and the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997. Her mother and sister also passed during her reign, both in 2002.

Article / Updated 01-30-2023

Everything worth doing benefits from proper planning, and taking a test is no exception. The last chance a student has to influence the outcome of a test is the night before they take it. Here are ten must-dos to positively affect the outcome of a test. Eat a well-balanced meal It’s a proven fact that what you eat will have an effect on your physical and mental performance. Avoid coffee and doughnuts or pizza and soda the night before a test. Grilled fish with steamed vegetables on the side, mixed fruit for dessert, and caffeine-free beverages throughout would be perfect. Greasy, heavy food can make you lethargic the morning after consumption. No alcoholic beverages of any kind should be consumed. Get your stuff ready for the morning Make sure you have all the materials that you’re taking into the test ready. If a laptop or calculator is allowed, have it on the charger. Have more than one pencil or pen in hand. Pack a bottle of water and/or some candy for the nervous dry-mouth that can set in before an exam. Gather all your stuff together and have it ready to go the night before. Lay out your clothes Choose an outfit that is layered and lay it out before retiring. You won’t have any control over the temperature of the testing area, so be prepared to add or subtract layers so you can be comfortable during the exam. Go for comfort, not style. Review with a buddy Schedule a question-answer review of the testable material with a study buddy early in the evening to test your knowledge of the subject. Use it to identify the areas that need more effort. The review will also help you have confidence in your ability to do well on the test. Visualize a positive outcome Attitude affects test scores. Even with proper planning, too many people hurt their performance on a test because they just know that they're going to fail. Think positively and don’t embrace failure as an outcome. Don’t think that you might fail, know that you will succeed, and your performance will be the better for it. Make a morning pre-test plan List the things you need to do before the test. List everything that needs to happen and make sure there’s enough time to get it all done without creating stress. Don’t try to do too much; now is not the time to try to work in a load of laundry. Set the alarm No-brainer, huh? You’d be surprised how often this happens to well-intentioned people. Check your morning plan and get up early enough not to be rushed. Don’t rely on others to get you up. Exercise before retiring A little light stretching and exercise will help you fall asleep faster and sleep soundly through the night. It also works out the tension you may be carrying after a day of studying and test prep. If you go to bed tense, you may wake up with a backache or headache — definitely not appreciated on the day of a test. Get a good night’s sleep Don’t burn the midnight oil the night before a test. The extra effort put into late-night studying will be offset by reduced mental performance due to lost sleep. It won’t help, so don’t try it. Call it a night and go to bed; your morning will be better for it. Reward yourself Treat yourself right. Remember to schedule a little post-test celebration or other reward for all your hard work preparing for the test. Make it special. After all, you are worth it!

Step by Step / Updated 03-10-2017

Being a student at university can be a costly venture, both on your time and on your pocketbook. Staying in and skimping on the groceries to save money can be a strain on your sanity. Use your extra time wisely and make money in those off hours.

Article / Updated 04-25-2016

Opening a Health Savings Account (HSA) is one of the most important things you can do for yourself in the here and now. The benefits to you are both immediate and long term. Here are a few reasons for arranging your health insurance coverage to include this important tool. You can pay for healthcare expenditures with tax-free money. The money deposited in this account is tax-free! That’s right, no income tax! The government keeps its hands off it! When you use your HSA debit card to pay for your medical expenses and deductibles, you are paying for it in pre-tax dollars, which is like getting a 20–30% discount on services rendered, depending on your tax rate. Over your lifetime, that’s a huge savings. You will need to keep records of all of those expenditures with your annual tax filing in case you ever get audited by the IRS. Those receipts are the only acceptable proof to the IRS that you spent the tax-free funds on approved products and services. Interest earned on your HSA account is tax-free, too. The interest earned on the money in an HSA is tax-free. Unlike your other banking accounts that generate interest income, the HSA will never send you a 1099-INT. The interest stays in your account until you are ready to use it to pay for your healthcare expenses. You own your health savings account. You own the money in your HSA account. It doesn’t belong to the insurance company or your employer and can’t be raided for any other reason by anyone. And unlike Flex accounts, HSA accounts do not have to be used in the same year as the contributions. Benefits of the HSA account can’t be lost. Even if you lose your health insurance, the account stays with you. It can’t be taken away if you change employers. This is not a ‘Use it or Lose it’ benefit! The money just rolls over and stays with you for whenever you need it in the future. Even upon your demise, the money is yours and will be distributed to your beneficiary. A health savings account is a good strategy for retirement planning. Since the HSA rolls over year after year and there are no limits to how much you can accumulate in the account, the HSA account is a good tool for retirement. After the age of 65, you can withdraw funds from your HSA account penalty-free for any purpose. You will pay income tax on the withdrawal if it is not used to pay for health care, but that tax rate is likely to be lower in your retirement years when your income is lower. And, of course, you can continue to withdraw the money from your HSA account tax-free to pay for medically necessary expenses. That’s right. You don’t have to use the money for healthcare expenses after you reach retirement age. You can use it to fund that dream vacation that you never had time for while you were working. Funding it to the maximum allowed is why the HSA has been described as a "Medical IRA." You become a more informed healthcare consumer. The insurance plans that qualify you to get all the benefits of an HSA account are called High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs), so you will be paying the full cost of your care (using the tax-free dollars in your HSA account) until your deductible is met. All of a sudden, you're looking at what is spent on your healthcare, and that’s a good thing. Most HDHPs have tools that will help you shop around for providers. Not only do they provide some pricing information, but also some measures of the quality of the service provided. An HSA can reduce stress. Just being in control of your healthcare can give you additional peace of mind. It reduces the uncertainty of future health expense planning because you know where the money will come from! Plus, knowing that the deductibles will be paid from pre-tax dollars has got to put a smile on your face. HSAs come with a significant premium savings over traditional health insurance plans. HSA plans have a higher deductible than other plans, but they come with much lower premiums. This savings is especially apparent to someone who pays the premiums all year long but doesn’t actually go to the doctor or use medical services very often. For this person, the premium can feel like money out the window. Based on premium savings alone, some HSA owners see 20–40% savings in the cost of maintaining insurance coverage each year. Over the years, a healthy person can save some serious money! An HSA can be used to pay for any medically necessary service. Use the HSA to pay for dental, vision, prescription drugs and non-drug over-the-counter medical items. Even if your health insurance coverage doesn’t cover these items, you can use your HSA debit card to pay for them with pre-tax dollars. Over the years, this savings is huge. Starting January 1, 2011, over-the-counter drugs were no longer considered eligible medical expenses. However, if you get a doctor's prescription for over-the-counter drugs, then you can still use your HSA to pay for the items tax-free and penalty-free. The rule against buying over-the-counter drugs with your HSA does not apply to non-drug over-the-counter items such as bandages or contact lenses cleaner. You can use it as an emergency savings account. Some HSA owners pay all their eligible medical expenses out-of-pocket and let the HSA account grow a tax-deferred emergency fund. Keep the receipts and if next year the owner needs emergency cash, he can reimburse himself for the previous year’s expenses up to the total of the receipts and owe no tax.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

In today’s business world, it’s not only what you do, but how you do it that’s important. So, being able to successfully run a meeting is as important as what you cover in it. Here are some tips for preparing for and facilitating a meeting that gets things done. Decide on the best way to hold the meeting Most people don’t like to go to meetings; they disrupt work flow and are generally inconvenient. When planning a meeting, ask yourself if a face-to-face gathering of people is really necessary. Can you accomplish your goal on a conference call? A meeting that has binders or other handouts or is scheduled to last more than an hour should be done face-to-face. Meeting to delegate known tasks between peers or to discuss followup actions required in an ongoing project can and should be done electronically. Everyone will thank you for respecting their time whether they say so or not. Spend twice as long planning the meeting as you expect it to last Be prepared. The old Boy Scout motto will never cease to be relevant! A good rule of thumb is to allow twice the amount of the expected meeting duration for preparation time. You may not need it all, but if you’ve blocked out the time in your schedule, you'll be able to handle the details of meeting planning without stressing out or taking it home. Being ill-prepared for a simple meeting is not only embarrassing but also won’t get you considered for a more responsible position in your company. Stick to an agenda with a timeline Create an agenda that lists all the pertinent issues that will be covered and the amount of time allowed for each. Have a watch or clock in your line of sight and move the meeting onward when the time for each topic is consumed. Some people love to hear themselves talk; others are passionate about a subject near and dear to their hearts. Too bad. Cut them off and carry on. Remember that you can always come back to a subject after all else has been covered. Don't overuse technology Binders full of supporting color graphics and data or a well-designed PowerPoint presentation can dazzle an audience, and they each have their place in business. But bringing tech into a meeting costs time and money, and your bosses won’t appreciate either being wasted. Before you arrange for expensive printing or put a lot of effort into other audio/visual aids, be certain that it will add value to the meeting. Plan breaks For meetings longer than 2 hours, your agenda should have bio-breaks built in. Make them realistic. Is the restroom next to the conference room or across the building? Factor in enough time for your attendees to be able to be comfortable. Consider whether your attendees will need some time to check e-mail or return calls during the break time. Have bottled water either on the table or on a sideboard. If the meeting is scheduled for more than 2 hours, have snacks like peanuts of cookies available. Arrange the meeting room to your benefit As the facilitator or chair of your meeting, all eyes should be on you. Arrange the seating so that all the participants are facing you and whatever whiteboards or screens you'll use. If you'll be writing on a whiteboard or using a projector, a podium may make it easier for you to move about in front of the group while keeping your notes organized and handy. Invite only the necessary people Don’t invite more people than you need to accomplish the purpose, but don’t forget essential players either. Look at the meeting's purpose and write out who the decision-makers are and get them there. Keep the list short. Check your list of potential attendees with your boss or mentor if you have any doubts about your selections. Prepare opening and closing remarks Open your meeting with a few comments that frame the purpose of the meeting. Make eye contact with as many attendees as possible while speaking, and keep it friendly. If you're good with humor, use it. Close the meeting with a recap of events and thank the attendees for their time and efforts. Ensure that all participants are heard Every meeting has both outgoing people who are willing to contribute without being prodded and introverted types who don’t chime in unless called upon to do so or until they've had a chance to absorb and examine the information. Your job as meeting facilitator is to ensure that no single person dominates the conversation and that the quiet members get called upon to contribute. Simply saying, “I’d like to hear from Sam (the quiet person) on the subject at hand,” can accomplish both purposes. Take minutes and distribute them to attendees Your meeting has a purpose, and what is done to reach that goal needs to be recorded. Keep notes of decisions made and who is going to do what. List concerns and compliments as offered by the group. Recap the results of the meeting before adjourning. After the meeting, write up a report of your notes and circulate it to the attendees as soon as possible. Be sure to give credit where credit is due and keep a copy of the minutes along with a copy of the agenda in your files.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The holiday season should be the happiest time of the year. Unfortunately, all too often the stress of the season takes its toll on merry-makers. A lot of holiday stress is self-inflicted, though, and can be avoided. Here is a common-sense look at what you can do to reduce the stress of the season. Holiday stress management is critical to enjoying the season, without being overburdened with daily stresses. Reduce your stress levels with these top ten holiday stress tips to keep you even-keeled and jolly throughout the season. Budget for the holidays This is a big one. Overspending throughout the holidays not only stresses you out while you're doing it, but continues into the future when the credit card and bank statements arrive in January. Make a realistic budget early — in August or September — for the upcoming holidays, carefully review it, and then stick to it! Do not throw money at merchants trying to buy happiness! Budget management is always a factor in stress management! Wrap and ship early Last-minute gifts can bust your budget and your sanity! Plan your shopping and avoid doing anything impulsively. Wrap everything as soon as it’s purchased and tuck it away until the tree is up and decorated. Ship gifts to loved ones far in advance of the holiday unless you like waiting in lines at the post office, which is a huge source of stress for everyone! Delegate Anyone who insists on doing it all alone during the holidays is a candidate for the mental or cardiac ward. To stay sane and reduce stress, you should delegate holiday tasks to friends and family members. It’s good that you ordered the fruitcake, but you don’t have to be the one who picks it up. Have your spouse pick out the Christmas cards this year while you chill out and count to ten. Anybody can run to the post office, you don’t have to do it yourself. Delegate first, and then follow-up for extra peace of mind. Involve family Get the family together and keep them involved throughout the holidays. Start when you’re putting together the budget: Discuss what is available to spend on gifts, travel, and so on, and make sure everyone is on the same page. This will avoid whining or sulking later because someone’s expectations weren’t realized. Volunteer Take the time to volunteer at your church, homeless shelter, or community center with your family and friends. The spiritual enrichment which can come from such worthwhile endeavors around the holidays can’t be measured in dollars and cents. Your time is the most precious thing you have during the hectic holidays, but giving of yourself to the less fortunate is what the holidays should be all about. Do it. You’ll feel better for it. And your own troubles will seem small by comparison. Exercise regularly Everyone does their best to trash their bodies during the holiday season. We eat way too much rich and fatty foods, and my how the wine flows when family and good friends come together. The best thing to do about the unavoidable overindulgence is to exercise regularly. A good sweat will do wonders for the toxins and extra calories from the holiday celebrations and can actually reduce stress. It’s unreasonable to expect you to not partake of the goodness of the holiday table. But by watching your health, you’ll be in better shape in January than those who don’t and feel better about yourself for doing it. Plan your holiday activities Double-booking multiple activities on the same day can result in frustrated family members and lost opportunities, not to mention the occasional screaming argument. Avoid this stressful pitfall by using a paper social secretary. Buy a wall calendar when you make your budget and start listing the activities that you want to experience during the holidays on it. Plays, church services, family meals, and traditional gatherings need to be listed on it along with who is to attend. Post it on the refrigerator and make a rule: It must be on the calendar to happen. This way every family member can see what is planned and when it’s planned to happen and won’t want to go on a Christmas Light Tour when they know they have to be at Grandma’s house for dinner! Work in some alone time Do not choreograph, plot, and plan out every hour of the holidays. Factor in some alone time for the sake of your mental health. Remember to do it for the over-achievers in your family as well. During the holidays, we all need to be saved from ourselves! Embrace diversity "Peace on Earth, good will toward men" is a common sentiment expressed during the holidays. Peace and good will emerge from acceptance and understanding of a multitude of customs. Take the time during the holidays to learn about other cultures and their traditions and discuss them with your family and friends. Be flexible The holidays require planning to enable the merry-maker to get through them without too much stress. But like most things, you can take strict adherence to a plan too far. Being rigid and inflexible will only bring on bad feelings. Use common sense and accept changes to the plan when the majority votes for a change. Just because you wanted to go to a Santa/Elvis dress-up contest doesn’t mean that the rest of your family wants to go as well. Be ready to compromise, accept plan B, and keep an "Oh, well!" attitude when dealing with the inevitable setbacks to your careful planning. Follow this holiday tip, and you’ll be much saner in January.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

If life's circumstances have forced you to put off dealing with your retirement plans until later in life, the road to a successful retirement is different from that of someone who's just starting out. Whether you're just getting started or are ready to add the finishing touches to your existing plan, these tips will guide your way. Make the most of your IRA or 401(k) opportunities If you're already contributing to a retirement account, make sure that you're contributing aggressively. Increase your contribution. Think you are already at the max? Well, if you just turned 50, you are now eligible to make catch-up contributions. If you aren't contributing, talk to your human resources people. Does your company offer a 401(k) plan? If so, fund it as aggressively as you can. This is tax-exempt retirement money. Find out if there is a company match. Many companies match employee contributions up to a specified amount. This is free money. Take it. If you don't have access to a 401(k) at work, see your banker to open an IRA. Fund a health savings account Medical bills are a retiree's biggest expense. A health savings account (HSA) will allow you to pay your health expenses both now and after retirement from pre-tax dollars. You must be covered by a high deductible health plan (HDHP) to qualify for an HSA. See your employer (or insurance broker) for the details, but an HSA is a great deal. Fund it to the max or as much as you can afford to. The money you don't spend on qualified expenses this year will carry over from year to year, so there will be money to pay for medical bills in your retirement. Take a look at the house payment Make extra principal payments now to eliminate that monthly payment before you retire. If you can't get it paid off before you retire, consider refinancing now while you're still working. You can continue to make the big payments now while you're working, but cut back to the minimum required if your income drops on retirement. Add a fun part-time job Most people spend at least what they earn from their full-time job just getting by, making saving for retirement difficult. Consider adding a part-time job at a fun place and bank the money you make for retirement. Choose a hobby or interest and find a way to get paid to do it. Like wine? Work a couple nights a week in a wine store. Gardening a hobby? Seek a seasonal position in a nursery or garden center. Got a skill and handy with tools? Go make some money doing odd jobs for people who aren't. Upgrade hard-goods Take a look at the hard-goods in your house, (appliances, heating and air conditioning units, and so on), with an eye to their life span. Its way more convenient to replace an aging air conditioner or washing machine now, when you have financial options, than later when you may be on a reduced fixed income. Plan for success, buy on sale, and sell the old unit to reduce the purchase price even further. Eliminate debt Servicing credit card debt is costly. Stop using them and pay them off! Then bank the cash you normally spend on interest for retirement. Next to the house payment, a car payment is the average American's biggest monthly expenditure. If you have to have a car payment, get it as small as you can. Drive a Chevy, not a Caddy. Buy a slightly used car and learn to work on it yourself. Bank the cash you save for your retirement. But don't scrimp on your "wheels" too much. You will want reliable transportation when you retire. Stay healthy Having your health is like having money in the bank. Exercise regularly and don't avoid the doctor's and dentist's office! Those preventive care visits really pay off. Buy a used bicycle and use it in place of your car for minor errands or to visit friends. Use your head, don't go out and spend a lot to save a little. Downsize the lifestyle Perhaps it's time to start thinking about life after children with an eye toward saving for your future enjoyment in your retirement. Do you need that extra car that your daughter used to drive? Or for that matter, do you need her room?! Moving into a smaller house could result in a smaller payment as well as equity in the bank. Convert those toys that you don't use anymore into retirement cash. Sell the boat that just sits in the garage nowadays and bank the cash. Invest smartly So you've been banking cash from your improved lifestyle into a savings account, but the interest on a savings account is often less than 1%. Welcome to the real world. Investing in stocks and bonds can provide a better return, but is inherently more risky. So, what's an over-50 retirement investor to do? Most 401(k) and IRA plans offer "lifestyle" accounts that are set up to create the right mix of stocks, bonds, and cash accounts for your target retirement year. Certificates of deposit (CDs) pay better rates of interest than savings accounts. Do the research and invest smartly. Pay yourself first Once you start on your post-50 retirement savings plan, remember a cardinal rule: Pay yourself first. Even if you are in the paying-down-credit-cards phase of your plan, you can still pay yourself something. It's important to see some cash start to accumulate, even as the debt goes down, so that you see progress from your plan.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

In a tough economy, taking extraordinary steps in your job search could be critical to landing the position you want. Here are some proven tips that are often overlooked by the average job-seeker. And in today's market, being perceived as average isn't a compliment. Network as much as you can Stay in touch with the people you used to work with. You may be offered or made aware of a new position with your old firm if you maintain contact and haven't burned any bridges with anyone important. They could even earn a referral bonus for bringing you back in to a different job with your old company. Don't forget to stay in touch with suppliers and customers you know from your former employer. They can provide you with great leads and, more importantly, great references when the time comes. Seek out networking opportunities in your field. Some churches offer job networking sessions. General business networking can be done at the Optimist's or Rotary Clubs. There's a networking association for virtually every profession, gender, and social group. Do your research When targeting a company for employment, research it carefully. Check out their web site. Find out who the managers are, their names, and as much about them as is possible. Know what is sold and to whom as well as the company's reputation. Address correspondence to a name in a department, not blindly to a title. Creatively follow up after application Follow up applications online with a handwritten note or phone call to the human resources director. Don't overdo it, though; it's a thin line between a class act and being needy or desperate, but it will serve to draw attention to your application. Follow up after the interview Follow up in person after your interview to thanks to the interviewer. Just leave your card if he's not available, not another copy of your resume: he's seen it all ready. Most people will do nothing but sit by the phone. Sharp job-seekers will mail a thank-you card, but you will have already expressed yourself in a way that will make you stand out. Often just being different will tip the scales your way. Get a business card Have a personal business card made up for your job search. Have accurate contact information on it, but also post your resume online and have the URL for it on your card. This will save you from having to burden people with a paper copy while networking. Consider temp work Don't overlook pursuing temporary work or even volunteering in a new field to gain exposure. You could be offered a job by a company that uses temporary firms to showcase potential hires, or a networking opportunity could arise from a volunteering effort that results in a job offer. Watch your social media If you use social media, watch your postings. A lot of effort expended toward securing a job with a dynamic company could be wasted if they don't like what they see on your Facebook page. Don't delude yourself; a potential employer will look at it along with a background and credit check. Hide your age It's a cruel fact of life, but workers who are just starting out, as well as their nearing-retirement counterparts, have the hardest time getting hired. Avoid faddish clothing if you're just starting, and ditch those out-of-date styles if you're on the more mature end of the continuum. Gray hair and nose rings are your enemy. Acquire new skills Learn new software and get some experience using it. The business environment is becoming more and more reliant on computers. Investigate what quick courses are available online or from your community college. In today's market, if you stay the same, you quickly fall behind. Frequently, your unemployment insurance office will know of free or very reasonable resources for enhancing basic workplace skills. Watch your body language Human resources associates are trained to evaluate your every movement. Slouching in your seat, staring at the floor, and avoiding eye contact, as well as sitting with folded arms, are as revealing to them as your facial expression. What you say isn't the only thing that's important; how you act can decide how you score in the interview.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Every job hunter knows that a resume should show employment history, but to be truly successful in your job search, make sure you also include these five things on your resume. Competition for good employment is always fierce, and ignoring a few simple rules will get you passed over without a second look. Contact information Believe it or not, it happens all too often that contact information is left off of a resume. Right underneath your name on the resume should be your mailing address, email address, and phone number. Don’t get cute with your email address. If your email address is BikerChick@emaildomain or BeerPongChamp@emailserver, set up another account with a nondescript address that doesn’t label you in any way. If you have a cell phone, list it, not your parents or shared apartment’s land line as the number on your resume. Dump the hip-hop voice mail message and record something simple in a clear, firm voice. Keywords in key places There are many ways to say the same thing. Take keywords from the job description and insert them in your resume objective or goal section. Research the prospective employer’s mission statement and history to rephrase your experience to fit not only their published needs, but perhaps another job yet unlisted. Jobs have been created for people who were perceived as a good fit for the firm. Having the right keywords is especially important for online applications, which are frequently screened by computer programs looking for the right keywords. Many professionals have several versions of their resumes, each emphasizing a different set of qualifications. One version may show strong management attributes, another may focus on sales, another on technical expertise. Career summary We are all the sum of our experiences (and then some), and many believe that our past actions define who we are today. A career summary section should be a descriptive selling point distilled from your past accomplishments that emphasizes your future value to the potential employer. In it, you list key achievements, skills, and experience relevant to the job you're applying for. Job objective It’s important to tailor the Job Objective section of your resume to closely match the position being applied for and not be generic. The more your job objective seems to fill a company’s need, the better chance you have of getting an interview. The job they have should seem to be your life’s ambition. Use keywords. Customize the job objective to align with the position you're applying for. Awards, recognitions, and industry training This section of your resume can say a lot about you. In it, list any awards received, industry seminars attended, and any other achievements that you consider relevant and that aren’t listed elsewhere. Keep in mind that no one is interested in your fishing tournament trophy, that you were prom queen, or that you took a course in palm reading. What you list here will add merit to your resume if the contents are perceived by the reader as true accomplishments.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

All too often in life, you only get what you ask for. Getting a raise in pay is one of those things. There is a right way and a wrong way to ask for a raise. Here are ten tips for successfully getting a pay raise that you can live with. Investigate peer pay Know what your job is worth in other companies. Google is your friend in this endeavor. It may be impossible to find out what others in your company are paid, but you can research what others in your field earn and be assured that the decision maker who meets with you will have those facts. No, Virginia, he will not share them with you. It's important to know if you are being paid near the pay ceiling for your job. You may be earning the maximum allowed for your position and not be eligible for a large increase. Have a good case for a raise Construct a rational business-based case for your raise request. Base it on what you've done for the company and your future worth, not on how long you've held down a desk. Show how your abilities contribute to the company's success. Get to the decision maker If you can, find out who will have the say on your raise request and negotiate with him or her directly. Don't just pick a human resources associate who may have no say in the decision and isn't your advocate anyway. If you end up dealing with HR, have your case in writing to be passed up the chain of command. Don't rely on the HR associate to fully present or even remember your case. Book a meeting to present your request Timing is everything. Schedule a meeting in a quiet place during a down-period in the organization's work cycle to get the decision maker's full attention. Don't just drop by for a chat. Know your enemy Don't just walk in blind to the meeting. Research the decision maker who will be meeting with you and know what they value in an associate and pitch to those values. Present your strengths in that light and be enthusiastic about what he or she values. Be professional In the meeting, script your presentation in advance, but present without notes. Maintain good eye contact and body language. Be friendly but firm, humor has no place here. Be sure to thank everyone who has taken the time to listen to your case. Don't low-ball your request No one will value you if you don't value yourself. Ask for more than you expect to receive. You might get it! This is especially true if your performance has been noticed and you're earmarked for future promotion or if the decision maker has a project in mind and decides to give it to you with your raise. There is no such thing as a free lunch, and a larger-than-average raise may well have strings attached. Never ask for what you'll settle for up front. Negotiations are the norm, and it's expected that both sides will compromise. If you start with your bottom line, compromise means you'll end up with less than you want. Don't bluff in negotiations Avoid outright threats in negotiations. Better to say, "I need to consider my other options," rather than "I'll quit if I don't get this raise." Never threaten to leave without having the next job lined up. The damage to your credibility will be huge if you have to recant and back down. And you may not be allowed to recant and back down. No one likes to be threatened. Be diplomatic. Further negotiations Take your cues from the decision maker's attitude during the meeting. Don't hesitate to schedule another meeting to continue negotiations if things aren't going your way. On the other hand, walking away from a good offer may result in it being retracted or reduced if the decision maker is so inclined after reviewing the meeting with the benefit of hindsight. Get it in writing Too often what is decided in the meeting isn't what occurs. It's best to get the details of the meeting in writing as soon as possible, especially if a bonus depending on performance is involved.