Category: Making Money

Profiting from the sale of personal or business items. Working for pay. Investment purchase at below market prices and reselling at or above market value. leveraging one’s time and resources through the efforts of others for residual income.

  • Structure and Objective of an Internship Resume


    Aligning education with experience

    There is a special style of resume known as the Internship Resume; and as implied by its name, this style of resume is composed with the goal of obtaining an internship in a desired field. While Internship resumes are known to be chronological in format, they have a different set of goals than a resume created for purposes of acquiring a full-time professional position.

    First and foremost, the objective is not to further an individual’s career, but rather, to gain experience and skills in a given field in order to expand on his/her education, an asset which will later be instrumental in obtaining a position in that particular industry.

    Second, internships do not require professional experience; they are simply a way for college graduates and other youngsters who lack experience to gain such experience which can later be utilized to obtain a full-time job using what was learned during the internship.

    Third, these types of resumes are more focused on academic achievements than on work background, because applicants must demonstrate that the desired internships are logical extensions of their studies. With this in mind, college students – new or returning – typically utilize this resume style to get their foot in the door with companies they might ultimately desire to work for after graduation.

    Resume conveyances of priorities

    Much like any other professional resume, the internship resume should contain an objective with which the applicant conveys to a potential employer how such an internship aligns with his/her studies; what s/he can bring to the table; what s/he hopes to gain out of the experience and how s/he will apply the newfound skills once s/he is out in the professional world. Essentially the applicant is convincing a potential employer that s/he is the best candidate for the internship, and that s/he will learn the most, as well as the fact that the experience is integral to professional growth.

    If you are, or will soon be the subject of an internship resume, keep in mind that when composing your resume for an internship, you will need to highlight your education first. However, you should do more than just list your previous degrees, or degrees in progress. Point out the classes you have taken that qualify you for the internship, and indicate how your major is in line with the internship and how this experience will help you in your future studies.

    After you indicate your objective and your education, list your qualifications, and make a list ahead of time of all the skills that qualify you for the internship. Review your list and prioritize it because most frequently made mistake in resume writing is in not prioritizing the supporting information and allowing most of your strongest skills to fall at the bottom of the list. Consider what qualifies you for the internship and list those qualifications first so that your employer recognizes that you are a great fit for the position.

    Resume should include all your skills

    Your work experience can help, but is typically not a make or break point in getting an internship, but if you have any work experience, go ahead and include it in your resume. You should also make sure to prioritize your responsibilities as they relate to the given internship and be mindful to indicate any experience you have in sharpening your inherently employable skills: skills which extend beyond your education and technical abilities, such as communication, customer relations, team work, taking charge, etc.

    As indicated earlier, applying for an internship is somewhat different than applying for a full time job; but along with your internship resume, you will want to submit references. For any employment experience you’ve had to date, include your supervisor’s name, title and contact information so that your potential employer can obtain any information that might prove helpful to you, like recommendations.

    In addition, it will be greatly benefit you to have recommendation letters from your professors, because they can identify your skills in terms of your dedication, work ethic, enthusiasm, interpersonal communication and interaction with others in your classroom. Employers look for these skills because they want to assure that you will be a good fit for their team, even if your role is short term.

    Ask for and include recommendations

    You might also want to ask two or three of your professors for their recommendation. Simply provide them with the contact information of your potential employer, including an email and a physical mailing address, so the letters can be mailed to that employer directly. Or, ask your professors to place their recommendation letters into sealed envelopes before giving them to you in order to assure that the information is confidential.

    If possible, include your transcripts with the resume as this will be a great indication of your commitment to your education, providing of course that your grades are good. Your transcripts can only help in getting you the internship. As a final step, proof your application materials; and feel free to seek assistance from your school’s career center. You have only one chance to make a great first impression so– do it well, and you should be in good enough position to get the internship of your choice.

     

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  • Using Overture to Drive Laser-Targeted Traffic


    Traffic: Key to Web business success

    In an online marketing business like affiliate marketing, no traffic means no sales. It’s that simple! Driving traffic to their websites is the primary reason why most affiliates and webmasters easily shell out substantial amounts of money just to get top rankings on the search engine results pages (SERPs). If you – or any other affiliate – begin promoting a product or service on your website or web page, you need to attract a constant flow of visitors (traffic) to your site that can become potential consumers of your merchants’ products and services.

    Visitors to your website/web page is one of the fundamental rules for success in any online marketing business; especially if you are just starting out, in which case you’re expected to make a few mistakes while perfecting your method of transacting business on the Web. Even though you might do some things wrong, having enough visitors to your website still gives you a chance to succeed. And no matter how hard you work you’ll never find yourself on the road to success if you lack the one basic element of running an online business. Traffic!

    Most successful affiliate marketers will tell you that getting enough highly targeted traffic to your website or product page is the key to success in the affiliate marketing business. However, there are various marketing methods that are proven to be effective in promoting or reselling products and/or service onlines. One such method, which is among the best and most secured marketing strategies that affiliate marketers can employ, is paying for performance. Utilizing this strategy will mean that your advertising dollars will only be spent on results: additional sales, increased income.

    Pay for performance preserves the budget

    Consider for example, that paying for performance could mean giving a commission to a sales person only when that salesperson generate a new sale. This strategy assures you real profit because you will be in a position to calculate the amount money you have to spend for every new sale that is made. You can also avoid spending any money for marketing, because every penny you expend has resulted either from sales or will help to generate future sales.

    Another method proven to be most effective for acquiring sales in the affiliate marketing business is driving laser-targeted traffic towards your web site and converting that traffic to sales by means of “Pay-Per-Click” Search Engines (PPCSEs).

    Overture, which was purchased by Yahoo in 2003, claims to be the Internet’s best pay-per-click search engine; and it is the world’s leading resource of Pay-For-Performance search on the web. What’s more enticing about Overture is the that when you advertise in Overture Premium Listings, your site will absolutely appear in the leading U.S. search engines like Yahoo, InfoSpace, MSN, Netscape, AltaVista, Lycos and more. Plus, you can get the benefit of reaching more than 80% of active Internet users.

    The laser-targeted traffic strategy

    PPCSEs like Overture can generate impressive sales activity for you because the search engine permits you to pay for performance by means of attracting precise targeted traffic to your niche. This means people or site visitors who are actively searching for precisely what you are offering or selling. Overture’s secret is to drive laser-targeted traffic to your website by proposing or bidding on keywords that are related to the product or services that you’re offering.

    The strategy works this way: the more exact the keyword is, the better results you’ll receive and the less you will have to spend for each new sale.

    Overture drives targeted traffic by keeping you away from the general keywords that tend to be very common and usually more expensive; but by casting a wide net of laser-focused keywords which are more targeted, and not as expensive, results in higher conversion rates. Any marketer, advertiser or website publisher will attest to the fact that attracting laser-targeted traffic through Overture is nothing but a “Win-Win” Situation.

    Overture’s strategy also allows your visitors to respond; and you might ask, what’s so important about getting your visitors to respond? Well, in answer to this question, this feature gives you a chance to develop lifetime customers that will patronize your website and will buy products you promote over an over again. Keep in mind that one-time sales can’t be a key to creating a highly-profitable business, especially online. A marketer can only achieve this through PPCSEs like Overture, which gets his/her site visitors to respond.

    A traffic strategy for the long term

    Another strategy utilized by Overture to drive laser-targeted traffic is having a “Back-Up Response” for those who “almost bought” your product on the first visit. To successfully implement this technique, you need to market and advertise to these visitors over and over until you convert them to new customers. This includes offering them an incentive so that they’ll allow you to advertise to them repeatedly over a specific time span via e-mail or post mail.

    Here are some of the back-up responses which you can use:

    • Send a free e-mail newsletter
    • Give away a free catalog
    • Offer a promo
    • Run a sweepstakes which gives them the chance to win free merchandise.

    List-building the easy way

    Other things that will surely attract lifetime customers to your site is offering valued customer discounts, giving seasonal and special offers especially to your repeat customers and any other incentives to purchase. Don’t get me wrong with this; the abovementioned strategies can certainly develop a trusted relationship between you and your customers, but there is no silver bullet or “guaranteed” formula. Aside from patronizing your products over their lifetime, they may even refer others to you or to your site.

    To sum up, one of the most effective and secured marketing strategies that any business person can utilize, particularly those who are involved in online marketing, is the approach of paying only for performance; and one of the most helpful online strategies to create more sales is by attracting laser targeted traffic to your website and converting them to sales by means of Pay-Per-Click Search Engines like Overture.

  • Evaluate and List the Qualifications Employers Want


    Guided by the job description

    When applying for a job it is important for an applicant to read the job description as thoroughly as s/he possibly can before submitting the application; because a lot of what employers are actually looking for in their potential associate is written right in the job description and requirements. In fact, an applicant should review his/her resume against the job description and requirements listed in order to make sure that s/he has covered everything the employer is looking for.

    If you, as a job applicant, can address all requirements of a potential employer with the information included on your resume or in your cover letter, you will be on the right track for getting that job. However, there is a whole list of skills employers look for that are never spelled out in the job description. These are a category of skills which can be described as inherently employable, which are certain skills beyond your technical knowledge and qualifications that make you a great professional in your field.

    Inherent employable skills

    Don’t panic because you already have employable skills inherently, although you just may not think of them as critical for getting a job. These inherently employable skills have been grouped in eight categories:

    • Communication skills
    • Teamwork skills
    • Problem-solving skills
    • Initiative and enterprise skills
    • Planning and organizing skills
    • Self-management
    • Learning skills
    • Technology skills

    Now that you have read the categories you are probably thinking to yourself, yes, I do have those skills! But did you ever think to list them on your resume? Most people focus on their professional achievements and responsibilities, and they often skip these skills in favor of those which are job specific. However, more and more employers look for these skills on a resume. Your potential employer wants to know that you are a team player, that you communicate well, and that you will show initiative when needed.

    Showcase all your valuable skills

    While you may think this is implied by your interest in the available position, employers like to see these skills to be specified on your resume or in your cover letter; and the best way to demonstrate these skills is through your experience and under your qualifications. Point out the initiatives you have participated in that required you to work in a team environment, under a deadline, or as a self-starter. Demonstrate your loyalty through pointing out your accomplishments at an organization and how they benefited your team as a whole (not just you).

    You can showcase these inherently employable skills in your cover letter by openly showing your enthusiasm for the available position; stating your commitment to your career objective; indicating your motivation and your integrity; and showing that you are, above all, unselfish and credible.

    These skills are as critical to your ability to do a great job as your professional experience and education are; and employers often look for someone who will be a great fit on their team and in their organization; someone who works well under pressure but also has a sense of humor and a good balance between their personal and professional life.

    Above & beyond the job qualifications

    Review your existing resume! Does it contain any inherently employable skills? If not, make revisions to incorporate this category of skills you believe are innate strengths. If you are unsure, ask your friends or family for an objective opinion so that you can get a better idea of how you are viewed as a person as well as a professional by people around you see you.

    Keep these attributes in mind as you compose your resume and your cover letter, and especially as you are taking part in interviews. These skills can be the difference between the ability to do a job you qualify for and exceeding goals to grow in your career.

  • Sources of Industry-Specific Resume Samples


    Resume writing: Investment in time

    If you’ve pursued more than one job or position in your lifetime, you’ll probably agree that writing a resume is a difficult task, regardless of your level of experience with the process; and while the content of your resume is critical to the effectiveness of your overall document, the layout and format utilized are equally as important. If you are about to write a new resume or update an existing one, you should start by researching different resume styles and find out which best represents your field.

    The biggest mistake made by individuals when composing their resumes is using a generic template that comes included with a given text editing software like Microsoft Word. These templates are usually outdated and very difficult to format – not to mention that they do not transfer well to online job applications. Avoid the quick-fix utility of such resume templates, and invest some time in finding resources that will provide you with up-to-date and helpful ways to compose a winning resume.

    The easiest and least expensive way to find samples of resumes in your specific industry is to run a search on the Internet; but before you get started, a word of caution: consider the sources of information before you decide to utilize any of their suggestions in your resume. You will come across web sites that promise to teach you how to write an exceptional cover letter in three and a half minutes. Don’t believe these gimmicky claims!

    Consider the resume sample source

    Just be mindful of anyone making promises that seem “too good to be true,” because unless you choose to hire a resume writing service, obtaining resources on resume writing should not cost you any money or obligate you to a long-term commitment. If you are unsure of the integrity of information you see or the credibility of any source providing it, simply find another source and compare your findings.

    A great online resource for resume writing and composition is Monster.com, who is mostly known for their job search database; but along with their database, they offer a variety of other information and services for individuals looking for employment. Under the Career Advice tab, you will find a wealth of information on your job search, salary requirements, advice by industry, and information about perfecting your resume.

    In addition to articles about your job search and resume-related message boards, Monster’s Resume Center includes a variety of resume examples for professionals in a number of different industries. From administrative assistants to web designers, everyone can find career management tools that best fit their career objectives at: Monster.com Career-Management

    Pros & con basics of resume writing

    This page shows you samples of functional and chronological resumes, traditional resumes and sample cover letters, so it is important that you take the time to review these samples; and don’t be afraid to copy the formatting for your own resume (of course, you are advised against copying the actual text from their resume sample). But proceed with confidence because the information is provided by a source that is most certainly reliable.

    If you are among that group of individuals who already have a draft of their resume, and are looking to make updates or revisions, check out the Resume Makeovers section of monster.com for a great look at the before and after resumes of real professionals: Go to Monster.com Resume Samples to take a look!

    It is important that you review these samples, even if the industry is not applicable to your line of work, because doing so will teach you the basic pros and cons of resume writing where you can see why some things work and why others don’t; and you will also be able to chose the best ways to highlight your qualifications. Of course the same rules apply to copying content: do not copy another person’s work. However, use these resources to your advantage and create the resume that best represents you in the eyes of potential employers.

  • To Consistently Grow Your Affiliate Checks


    Dispelling an affiliate marketing myth

    The promise of earning profits without really doing much of anything has attracted a sizeable number of individuals to the Internet in general and affiliate marketing in particular. However, the questions that arise as a result of this perception are these: Does affiliate marketing really work this way? And does anyone believe that s/he can earn a profit without really doing much?

    Such a perception is derived from a description of affiliate marketing that is only half true. That all an affiliate is required to do is simply place merchants’ ads on their websites and then virtually do nothing but wait for someone to click on one or more of those ads and later collect his/her profits. Easy, right? Well, not quite! Many affiliates earn almost nothing from their affiliate programs simply because they do nothing. They fail to grasp that affiliate marketing is but another form of marketing and, as such, affiliates definitely need to market their merchants’ products in order to earn.

    Successful affiliates in any program simply don’t sit there and wait for money to come in, because there is no money in simply sitting and waiting. If you want to achieve success in affiliate marketing; and if you want to consistently grow your affiliate checks, you’ll be compelled to do something. To think of creative and unique ways of promoting your merchants’ products and services. Think of ways to induce your website’s visitors to click on the link or ad provided to you by your merchant. In other words, think of ways on how to increase your affiliate sales!

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    So if you’re new to affiliate marketing and you try to follow the easy go lucky route that most unsuccessful affiliate marketers follow, then you’re definitely on the wrong track. But we’re not advising you to stop right there. Rather, we want you to take some steps to make your affiliate program work better and gain more commissions for you. How? The paragraphs which follow consist of a few guidelines that may help you to continually grow your affiliate business while increasing the size of your affiliate checks

    You can promote do a better job promoting your merchants’ products and services if you are thoroughly familiar with them and their uses; and in order to gain such knowledge, the best thing you can do is purchase your merchants’ products yourself. This way you can tell your customers about your first-hand experience using the products. You can even write a testimonial or a personal endorsement ad about them; but even you are unabler to purchase the products, you can at least research them.

    Get your own web hosting space or at least purchase a domain name that is short, easy to remember and relevant to the topic of your website. You certainly wouldn’t expect a visitors to remember a very long and incomprehensible URL; because if that’s the case you also wouldn’t expect them to visit your website any time soon; which would mean less traffic for your site and the less chance for your affiliate ads and links to be clicked.

    Write affiliate ads and maximize networking

    It is also a good idea to create a private website and offer access to it to anybody who clicks on any of your affiliate ads. Visitors usually get interested with these private websites; and you must keep in mind that private websites also provide you with a venue to promote your back-end affiliate products.

    Many merchants usually wouldn’t mind if you write and design your own ads for their products, as long as you obtain permission from them and present them with a copy of the particular ad before posting it on your site. This gives you a greater advantage over a lot of other affiliates who might be advertising the same affiliate products.

    If you previously ignored chat rooms discussion boards and forums, then it is time for you to start focusing your attention on these sources of leads via increased exposure. You can start your own chat or join an existing chat related to your product. You don’t have to promote your affiliate product at once, but find the chance to advertise and promote it as you go along. The same would be true for message boards, discussion boards and forums.

    Create a free ezine or newsletter

    Ezines and newsletters are periodical publications whose aim is to inform a group of people about a certain subject. In your ezines and newsletters, you don’t always have to promote your merchant’s product since doing so could greatly annoy your subscribers. Rather, find a way to insert your affiliate ads and links on some portions of the letter; but don’t forget to promote your ezine or newsletter on your website.

    These are but a few guidelines on how you can increase your affiliate sales and continually grow your affiliate checks. Of course there are several other tips which can be incorporated into your marketing strategy if you think they would work; we won’t discourage you from utilizing them. What’s important is that you be able to find a way to attract more traffic to your site; induce your visitors to click on the ads on your site; and be able to promote your merchants’ products even outside the boundary of your website. If you can do these, there’s no you shouldn’t be able to grow your affiliate marketing business.

  • Job Descriptions Prioritized on a Resume




    Qualification listings

    The most difficult and time consuming section of any resume is the listing of your work experience, no matter the level you’ve reached in your professional career. If you recently graduated college and lack full-time professional experience, you may be concerned about whether or not a part time job and/or summer internship will be enough to get your foot in the door; and if you are a seasoned professional with extensive work experience, you are worried about how to fit all of your hard work on a single page.

    Furthermore, if you are changing careers, you might very well be unsure about which skills best showcase your qualifications. Even with all these worries and concerns, listing work responsibilities on our resumes still does not get easier as our careers move forward. That having been said however, the key is to consider your career objective and prioritize the work in accordance to your goals.

    When some individuals are asked about work responsibilities they have a tendency to disclose the routine items first; but this method can create the costly mistake of listing professional experiences on your resume, because it leaves all the important and key qualifications at the bottom. To avoid falling into this practice, a job applicant should first put together a rough draft – in list form – of his/her responsibilities on a sheet of paper consisting of everything s/he does in a current job, or have done in previous jobs.

    Setting the resume priorities

    Once your list is completed, consider all of the responsibilities included and make a determination of what the three most important items on the list are for each job. Then consider how those items relate to the stated career objective. Are there any other responsibilities listed that better support that career objective than the three selected? If they are better, are they also most critical to the job? An applicant must consider all these questions in order to prioritize his/her job descriptions on a resume.

    It may be helpful to begin each description with a power word such as managed, developed or communicated; and make sure that any statements listed first quantify your achievements; but– don’t be afraid to list descriptions like sales figures, customer acquisition rates, budget and timeline successes, or other figures which help put your responsibilities in context of the business or field in which you are working. Also, these statements should be aligned with your career objective.

    If, for example, you want to get a job in project management, letting your employer know that you managed a team of 20 people will effectively highlight your qualifications. The importance of quantifying your job description statements on a resume cannot be overstated. However, as a word of caution, do not quantify all statements, just one or two that are goal driven and most critical to your job. This shows potential employer that you think in terms of exceeding your goals. Keep in mind that all subsequent descriptions of your responsibilities should support the first one or two items on your list.

    Achievements & qualifications

    Prioritizing doesn’t only apply to your job descriptions, although it is the most commonly disregarded element in this particular area of the resume. Achievements and qualifications are often misrepresented because they are not ordered properly; but the same rules apply.

    Make a determination as to which of your achievements and qualifications are most complimentary to your career objective, and list them first. For example, if you are applying for a job in customer service, it helps to list your communication skills before your computer skills.

    While both the achievements and qualifications are important, communication skills are more in line with your career objective, and therefore should take priority. As a final test, put yourself in the shoes of your employer. Cross-check the job description and make sure that you’ve addressed the qualifications required for a specific job with the information on your resume. Let your potential employer know you have what they are looking for, and you’ll be sure to make a great first impression.

  • Customizing Your Resume to the Ideal Job




    Similar look, different resume

    While the look of most resumes appear similar to each other on the surface, there are key areas that differentiate well-written, winning resumes from those that never make it into the hands of hiring managers. To customize your resume for that ideal job you want, it is important to direct your attention to the following three elements:

    • Resume Style
    • Career Objective, and;
    • Personal Profile.

    The layout and style of your resume are as important as the information you include about your experience and qualifications. The two most commonly used resume styles are chronological and functional. A chronological resume requires you to list your professional expertise in order – much like the name implies – and is used by those applicants with extensive professional experience. Functional resumes showcase an applicant’s experience based on the type of qualifications s/he has, and is typically used by those lacking professional experience or those changing careers.

    While there are no set rules in determining the best resume style to use, it is important to keep in mind that the resume format can help or hurt your chances when attempting to put your best foot forward. It is therefore of the utmost importance to pick the format that will best highlight your qualifications and your experience. It is also important to understand the difference between the two; which is why a little research into which format is more preferred in the field of your choice is something that should be done.

    Career objective

    Career objective of the professional resume – This is a very important component in the preparation of your resume; and while there have been extensive debate about the need for listing your objective on any resume you prepare, choosing to include this goal statement shows that you have given your professional growth some serious thought. Consider your career objective as the first impression you make on your potential employer. Make sure your goals are specific and directional in terms of industry, position title, and future professional achievements.

    Most people make a mistake of including generic statements under their career objective; but you should make every effort to avoid this mistake. To be effective your statement must tell a potential employer that you know what kind of job you want and what experience you have in order to get the position, as well as what you are willing to do in order to become a successful professional with the company.

    While the career objective section tells your potential employer why you are applying for the job at their organization, the professional profile section sells your expertise and convinces the employer that you are the best candidate for that job. Your professional summary/profile gives you the opportunity to differentiate yourself, and give your employer an insight into you. Two frequently repeated mistakes for this section of the resume are poor writing and inclusion of personal information.

    Not personal, but impressive

    Note that your age, ethnicity, gender, religious affiliations and such personal information do not make a difference on how you handle yourself as a business professional. Such information should never be included in a resume, or any job application materials (even when asked on a job application, such information is optional and is for demographics study only). Make sure this section is well written and error-free, since strong positive statements about your expertise will give a good first impression to your employer.

    Make sure to proofread the whole resume, with emphasis to this section, as it appears at the start of your resume. An effective personal statement must leave your employer with an impression that you are confident, credible, and professional. But keep in mind that– any resume you prepare is your sales pitch which demonstrates your qualifications and experience to a potential employer; so seize the opportunity to put your best foot forward and you will reap the excellent rewards you aspire to.