Graduate Recruitment - The Smart Option For Employers

If you are looking to recruit personnel for your business, you may not have given graduate recruitment serious consideration but it is an area that shouldn't be ignored as a source of new employees and the benefits may prove priceless in the long run. A lot of the reasons given by employers for mot investing in graduate recruitment for their business may not be fully justified and may be irrelevant when you consider the positive sides to graduate recruitment.

One reason given for not choosing this channel to find new employees is that a graduate may not have the experience deemed necessary for the job role. This may be true in a lot of cases but should not be the be-all and end-all for the job role. Another reason given is that a graduate may be 'over qualified'. This may also be true but if the job role is interesting and challenging it may not be valid factor in choosing not to recruit a graduate.

Employing somebody with experience is considered to be vital to a lot of employers but by employing a graduate you will not only have a new employee who is intelligent and keen to learn and impress, graduate recruitment means you are effectively working with a blank canvas and are able to mould and teach them exactly as you wish instead of them having their own opinions and possible bad habits. Being over qualified should not be a consideration either, if the working environment is pleasant and the work enjoyable then this goes a long way towards securing long term loyalty from your employees.

Graduate recruitment also means that you are gaining a new employee that is likely to be intelligent and a quick learner who can use their own initiative, prioritise their own workload and will have highly developed written and verbal communication skills, all developed through their university studies.

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What Is the Future Outlook for Small Business?

It’s that time of year when we begin looking ahead to the coming year. In fact, with 2010 drawing to a close (can you believe it?), it’s that time when business owners begin looking ahead to the coming decade. If you want to know what the next 10 years have in store, take a closer look at a new report from Intuit.

Intuit 2020 Report: 20 Trends That Will Shape the Next Decade builds on more than five years of research led by the Institute for the Future and Emergent Research. It is the first in a series of reports looking at key trends affecting consumers and businesses in the coming years. Subsequent reports will drill down into specific trends and industries, but the current report presents a broad overview.

What’s the takeaway? “The coming decade will be complex, volatile and uncertain, but it will also provide many new opportunities for small businesses and their customers in the United States and abroad,” the report notes. Here are some points I found especially interesting and that have big implications for the future of innovation:

Small businesses will get ever more specialized. Customers will increasingly seek customized products and services. The rise of innovations such as cloud computing, a flexible workforce and lower-cost manufacturing options will make it easier for small businesses to seek out product and service niches.

Startup will get easier and cheaper. In response to growing niche market opportunities, lower equipment costs and better technology, it will be easier than ever to launch a business without a big investment. This means more innovation, as new ideas can be tested without much risk – and startup companies will proliferate.

Big and small firms will join forces. Collaborative partnerships with big companies will increase, as small companies bring to the table innovative practices, market agility and intimate customer knowledge. What will big firms offer small businesses? Marketing and distribution power so that they can take their innovations to broader markets.

One prediction I’m not so sure I agree with: “The Web and mobile technologies will become the great equalizer of big and small, with customers no longer knowing – or even caring – about the size of the firm that provides their goods and services.” In a niche economy where personalization is sought after, will being a small company actually be an advantage? I think consumers may, in many cases, prefer to do business with small firms provided their needs are being met.

And here’s one innovation I particularly hope to see – and I think most busy business owners wish for as well: “The hardware and software we use on a daily basis will get smarter, helping people make everyday decisions and streamline complex tasks,” the report contends. That’s especially good news given that data will become even more critical to competitiveness. Information overload isn’t going away – so smart machines to help us deal with it will be very welcome.

Six Little Spending Mistakes

Can't seem to get ahead financially? Debts are piling up? Maybe you're making some of these mistakes unknowingly. These mistakes listed below will help you understand where you may be going wrong and how to get back on track quickly. You can be debt free.

Mistake 1. Living Beyond Your Means

This is the real cause of your worry and stress. If you are spending more than you are earning, whose money are you spending? It's the credit card provider's or the banks. The cost of this money is interest. The way out - Make a Commitment to yourself only to spend within your income limits. Maybe you could increase your income (or cash in) by applying for more skilled positions, selling some of your unused articles or assets. Is the second car really a necessity? What about working out ways to make your hobby pay for itself? Why not find ways to reduce your spending? How much would you save each year if you decided not to have the daily coffee shop coffee? Why not make your work lunch each day rather than buying it? Commit to only buying the necessities.

Mistake 2. Paying Off Less Than the Full Credit Card Balance Each Month

Get this debt under control and your life will be much easier. If you are like many others and only pay the minimum balance each month, the interest on the interest makes those purchases oh so expensive. The way out - Find ways to put aside more money to apply to the credit cards. It will take time to reach this goal. However, if you don't make a start now you may never pay them off. This situation did not occur overnight and neither will the solution. But, by diligence and commitment you'll get there. 

Mistake 3. Not Really Knowing Your Financial Situation

Before you can set meaningful goals and develop savings strategies you need to know your financial situation now. The best, proven and tested method by far, is by developing your own personal budget. This is not hard to do. Please don't give up now. Just follow these simple steps: The way out –

a)     Find your latest credit card statements. Write down all the unpaid balances.

b)     Are there any other unpaid debts (not home or car) then include these balances as well.

c)     List out your (or family) monthly income. Only the amounts "brought home". Include all types of income.

d)     Work out your monthly spending. List out where all the money goes. Don't leave anything out.

e)     Minus the monthly spending total from the monthly income total and review the answer.

This will give you an initial idea as to whether you are living within your means or on borrowed money.

Mistake 4. Continually Adding to Your Debt

If debt has got you into this situation it is critically important not to add to the state of affairs and thus make it worse. The way out - cut up the credit cards, keeping only 1 for emergencies. Don't buy on impulse. Ask yourself twice or three times before you buy anything "Do I really need this?" before you hand over your hard-earned money. Don't buy at the height of the fashion or fad. Commit to never paying full retail for anything. Get it on sale or negotiate a lower price.

Mistake 5. Spending All Your Income

It may sound OK to spend any money you earn but there are risks attached to this strategy. How are you going to pay for emergency items? What about major car repairs. What about major electrical appliance replacement? Are you going to pay for these on credit? Bad idea! How are you going to save for a substantial deposit on the next car? The way out - Once you've prepared your budget you will clearly see what you need to do to put some income aside for other needs such are emergencies and repairs.

Mistake 6. Spending Without Caring About Your Future

Unless you are planning for your future and financial security, you cannot be really happy. There are always worries lurking in your mind about how you would survive in a financial emergency if you have no savings. It can be very rewarding to see how quickly your savings multiply over time with only a small investment each payday. The way out - Take stock of your life and realize that tomorrow won't look after itself. It needs your attention. Keep some funds aside to put away for your retirement, children's college costs, emergencies, holidays and major purchases.

Avoid these 6 spending mistakes and you'll be well on your way to financial freedom. Guaranteed.

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How to Build a Website in 5 Minutes

You know you need a website for yourself or your organization. Now the only question is how you are going to go about doing it without breaking the bank. But at the same time, you don't want it to look cheap either, it needs to look professional and be easy to change when changes are needed.

Having a web site today has become a necessity for individuals and organizations alike. Your online presence matters much in the global world we live in, especially if you want to be heard, to make a difference, and then having your website is essential.
Making your own website is even more important if you want to do business online, or want to promote your products or services online. An effective website can do wonders in the marketing domain and get you the sales you desperately need. What’s more is that a mere website can change you from having a local presence to having a global one.

So what do you do if you want to have a website? The first thoughts that come to mind are thoughts that will send jitters down your spine. Instantly when you think of making a professional, classy website, with a website design that is catchy, you think of hiring professional web designers, making them understand how you want your website to be, paying them hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to make the website and then paying them more, and possibly having to wait days or weeks, for every change you want in the future. That is sure to make you weary and your pocketbook thin. In the old days (a few years ago) that used to be about the only choice you had unless you wanted to grind it out on your own trying to learn HTML coding from scratch. Yuck!

Now with CSS programming, it's even more difficult to do on your own.

Fast forward to today: Now even a rank newbie can have their own professional website in just a few minutes. There are now some great options to make your very own website yourself with hardly any knowledge of programming or HTML or any of those complicated things. You can make your own website design, choose from a range of website templates and fill out the content the way you want, and, if you get the right website builder, you can make changes any time you want, whenever you want without it costing you anything extra. Making your own website has now become an affordable, do-it-yourself and easy thing to do, if, and I say if, you choose the right one.

But beware: choose the wrong web builder, and it could be a nightmare.

What you are looking for is an affordable, workable, professional looking website building tool preferably with a reasonable monthly fee of no more than $50 (to start) and preferably no contract. If you see them ask for a long-term contract, you should step back and reconsider.

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Other options to look for in a web page builder is a user-friendly interface that will take you right through the website designing and website publishing process from start to finish. You want to be able to choose from a range of website templates, and you want to be able to change the writing and pictures on your website anytime you desire, even at 2am in the morning, for no extra cost. With the right website builder, there is no need to buy or master expensive and difficult to learn graphics programs. Less effort, less time, less money and better results can be had with the proper website building program. 

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Avoid Crafty Traps in Essay Writing

Hidden pitfalls are on watch for your paper success in every paragraph of the essay you write. They are notorious misprints, insidious misspellings and numerous stylistic, syntax and format errors. Indeed they are your restless essay writing enemies, which are always on the alert, putting obstacles on your way to excellent grades for your writing assignments.

The drastic truth is that even slight mistakes make you freak out and lose the train of your thoughts. They evoke a fear of losing the main thread, give rise to uncertainty in your strengths and potential, dissipate your motivation to write and give the way to other distractions. Ultimately, make it challenging for you to complete your task at hand.

These minutiae seem to be minor for the inexperienced writer, but in fact they obscure an overall picture of your essay and occur to be crucial for the estimation of your work by professors, reflecting on your poor grades. Hence, essay writing pitfalls must be eradicated by all possible means.

Take these helpful hints to avoid crafty writing traps and forget about poor grades for your writing assignments once and all the time.

Say No to poor thesis statement:

Everything you write should develop around a clear central thesis statement. Good thesis statement zeroes in one main idea and states it clearly, avoiding ambiguous and vague phrases.

It should be specific, analytic and has to evaluate the significant insights of your essay. Strong thesis statement usually introduces the original approach to the traditional view on the problem.

Avoid weak introduction and open-ended conclusion

Focus on one primary function of the introduction - to introduce your thesis statement clearly and precisely so that to grab the attention of the audience. The success strategy of writing your introduction is to start with the broad statement of your main idea and to close it with the actual thesis of your essay.

Don’t leave the unfinished and open-ended feeling at the end of your essay. Always remember that your paper must make its point clear right from the beginning and up to the logical ending.

Make your conclusion coherent and smooth and be sure to stress the significance of your work in the concluding part of your essay, pointing the ways in which your invaluable contributions can be applied.

Beware of undeveloped essay

This problem is particularly common and results from not understanding clearly the essence of the chosen topic. Selecting your essay topic make sure to familiar with it completely and to ask yourself what you really feel passionate about and don’t forget to research it preliminary very thoroughly.

Your paper won’t produce an undeveloped impression if you provide your work with a solid argumentative ground, explaining clearly your view on the researched topic and elucidate the past attempts of the solution of this problem. So that to show the professor that you’ve got the core of the chosen topic at your finger tips.

Never use slang language

Bear in mind that slang language and curse words are absolutely inappropriate in your work. Always remember that your targeted audience is educated professors. More over that college writing commonly implies the utilization of the formal style, which has definite frameworks.

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From the Kitchen to the Corner Office

Everyone has a million dollar story that they can turn into a book. The best books, from a business perspective, serve as a lead generator that points readers to their other products and services. Incorporating personal experience into a book and a thriving business is much more than sharing the author’s life story. It involves matching the author’s passion and expertise to a marketplace hungry for the solutions the author provides.

Michelle Yozzo Drake learned life lessons from her mother and the other strong women of her family in the kitchen. Her women’s wisdom network taught her much more than how to make a great meal. Now she incorporates kitchen table lessons into a coaching program that teaches women to develop strong leadership skills in the business arena.

But for her, being a strong leader means much more than running a company. According to Yozzo Drake, it means “striking a balance between all of the roles we as women must fill, and bringing their feminine wisdom into every aspect of their personal and professional lives.”

Her book, From the Kitchen to the Corner Office – Mom’s Wisdom on Leadership, teaches women to bring the lessons of their mothers and of motherhood into all aspects of their life. The book releases in April with Morgan James Publishing. 

A book becomes the most powerful lead generator for a business when it offers readers a way to work with the author. The most successful authors do much more than sell books. Royalties are incidental income as compared with what they generate from income streams such as speaker fees, workshops, coaching programs, consulting fees, or other products and services.

From the Kitchen to the Corner Office is an example of this principle in action. Purchase of the book includes a free bonus seminar called Mom’s MBA. As a gift to women who are serious about their career success, she will reveal the strategies for which she normally charges four to five figures in the free seminar.

Yozzo Drake said, “I want to help women achieve – and show them how much motherhood can be the ultimate business training ground.”

Business mentoring with Awaken The Author Within.com showed her how to write an entrepreneurially sound book that also grows her coaching practice. 

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Job Search Pitfalls to Avoid

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When people have a goal in mind or want to find something, there's one simple process that needs to be carried out - that of actively going after or searching for that prize. The search for a great job is no different, and while mass communication makes job hunting easier, there's still a lengthy process involved when you're trying to find the job you want. Here are a few tips and pointers that will help you on your journey to employment.

Are you wondering why you still haven't landed a job? More than likely you have made the same mistake as most other people, which is that you are searching through only one source. Don't look at only the local newspaper; broaden your search to other sources. Also, by keeping track of where you have submitted your application from the beginning, you can circumvent the difficulty of managing multiple sources and avoid duplicate submissions.

As always, an excellent source for current job listings is the newspaper. Newspapers can also be found on the Internet as well as many other job listing sites. When searching online, try to scan several sites to expand your chances. Don't underestimate the ability of networking. Friends may know of a place that is seeking new employees, but also consider asking a former coworker or even previous employers. Often, they can give you a lead on a job that's open. To start networking, it is suggested that you expand your search horizons. It is imperative that you commit to allow time for an in-depth search, despite your busy schedule, since the results will be rewarding. 

It can sometimes take a fair bit of time before you do find employment, and you may have to send out many applications or go through a few interviews before landing a job. You'll need to make sure you stay motivated to stick with your search, as most people end up giving in to frustrations and quitting the hunt. Certainly, if you do stop looking for employment, you'll never gain a job, so you should find ways of making sure you continue looking, by giving yourself small rewards or by applying some guilt to yourself. Any method that keeps you on the hunt and far away from discouragement is the right one to choose.

Just remember, it's not really a "job search" if you aren't actually searching. It's never really easy to find a good job, even now with the availability of the Internet. It is necessary for you to devote a great deal of time and effort to it rather than just waiting for something to appear out of the blue. If you are lucky enough to have that sort of luck come your way, then jump on it. Otherwise, you have to go out there and find opportunities rather than wait for them to find you.

The last thing to make sure you do during your search for employment is to research your field of profession thoroughly and take an in-depth look at companies you apply to. You may find that the industry you want to work in is saturated in your region, which will tell you to find a different spin on what you can do and expand your horizons, or you may find that an attractive company really isn't that pretty, once you find out their history. To be successful in your search for employment, be persistent and knowledgeable, always on the lookout for information that will help you land that perfect job. 

Tips to Help Balance Career and Family

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Whether you are male or female, a mom or a dad, balancing career and family can be really difficult. When you're a woman, though, the choices you have to make seem especially difficult and the responsibilities all the more great. For some reason, women are guilt-ridden with their career decisions and the choices they make about working while trying to raise their children, providing nutritious meals for their family, keeping a respectable house and keeping their husbands happy. Last on the list, of course, is finding some time for themselves. So how does a woman find time to actually feel happy with her daily activities while keeping up with all of the responsibility?

First, take time to smell the roses! Literally, you can take time to smell the roses but you can actually do this with no flowers in sight. Every day, try to look around and appreciate what you have, taking in the sounds of your child's laughter, the wag of your dog's tail, the special glance of your husband as you tell a funny joke. Sometimes, the knowledge of what you have on your plate for the day will feel overwhelming, but a little perspective goes a long way. It may be a cliché and a very tired phrase, but it truly does work. People tend to get lost in the mundane, day-to-day "functioning" instead of really living their lives. For example, next time you are worried about fitting in your exercise with your child's play date at Little Gym, forego the Little Gym and head out with your son or daughter for a run. Strap the little one in the jog stroller or if he or she is old enough, ask them to put on the running shoes with Mommy and head outside! Once outside, you can literally stop to smell the roses. Just a few minutes of gratitude a day will work wonders for your soul and automatically make your life feel more balanced. 

Along these same lines, try and give yourself some "me" time once a week. Once a week may not seem like much, but if you really allow yourself to soak it in and enjoy the time spent, it will make the stress of all of the rest of the hectic days melt away. Take a good block of time on a Saturday or Sunday - 2 hours, maybe - and mark this time in your calendar in pen, not pencil. Keep a standing appointment with yourself, and honor it as you would any other. Think you are too busy on a weekend to do this? You will feel much more productive the rest of the weekend allowing yourself this little ‘refresher', rather than trying to cram some time in on a random Tuesday or other weeknight. For this special time, you can book a massage or a facial at your favorite spa. Take a couple of hours to go window shopping at your favorites stores, by yourself or with a friend. Take in a matinee with a couple of girlfriends. If your husband is willing to fly solo on a Saturday night, you can even book a girls' night out once in a while and truly let loose! Even if your budget doesn't allow for these activities once a week, you can lock yourself in the bathroom with a good book, a bubble bath and a nice glass of wine and feel good about your time alone - you deserve some!

Probably the most obvious way to balance career and family is to incorporate your family into what would otherwise be "work time". If you have a short commute to work, for example, perhaps you can drive your kids to school each morning instead of having them take the bus. In the alternative, you could have your morning cup of coffee at the bus stop with them and spend a few minutes chatting about their day and what they plan to learn in school as you sip your cup of Joe and breathe in the morning air to mentally prepare for your own day ahead. If you normally exercise in the morning and leave the house very early, switch your workout time to lunch and leave the office to go to the gym, eating at your desk when you get back. You will have more time with your family each day and get a healthy break from your pile of papers to boot.

You may need to get a little creative with your schedule, but there are definitely ways to help balance career and family. Sometimes an extra few minutes each day or a once-weekly good block of time can go a long way in helping restore your peace of mind and help you feel less harried.

How Editors Know You're An Amateur

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Are you happy being an amateur writer? Do you want to stay in that happy state? Then just follow these tips in all your submissions. 

• Don't address the editor by name. After all, there may be many editorial staff at the publication just waiting to jump at the chance to read your work, and you don't want them to miss out do you?
• Don't use double spacing. You never see articles or stories published in double space do you? So why should you bother double spacing your work, when someone is just going to have to convert it to single spacing later?
• Don't bother checking your spelling or grammar. That's the editor's job isn't it?
• Don't send return postage. Why should you assume they'll return your work? That's defeatism. If they want to publish it, they can write you a letter - surely they can afford that? And as you've paid to send it to them, surely they can pay to return it?
• Don't put your name on the manuscript. They're bound to keep your manuscript and the cover letter together aren't they. No one would ever file correspondence and submissions in different places. Neither would they keep your letter, and send your submission to someone else to appraise it. That never happens.
• Don't tell them how many words it is. Surely they can count?
• Don't use a standard font. Everybody else does, and you want your manuscript to stand out from the crowd.
• Don't use a new ribbon or cartridge. Why waste ink when the manuscript will get re-typed before publication anyway?
• Don't tell them you've sent it to other editors. What they don't know can't hurt them. And you can always play one editor off against an other when they both offer you publication. Surely they'll understand that they can't expect an exclusive look at your work without a guarantee to publish it?
• Don't read the publication's guidelines. Your work is so good that they'll have to publish it, even if it doesn't fit what they say they want. They just don't realize that they want it yet, that's all.
• Just follow the tips above, and you're guaranteed to remain a happy amateur for ever. 

Four Ways to Improve Your Communication

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Have you ever been to a function in a room full of strangers and found yourself lost for words? It can be a very lonely experience, especially if you intend to date. The art of introducing yourself to others and creating small talk may come naturally for some, but most people confess to feeling shy, embarrassed and don't know where to start. Your inner ambitions are crying out for you to relate to others - just as other people are deeply interested to know you. 

The key to knowing where to start is to understand the four levels of communication.

1. Small Talk

When you meet someone for the first time, the safest place to start is to talk about surface issues. For instance, make a comment about the weather, current events or the surroundings you are in. This is called "small talk", and is used to "size up" the other person to determine the comfort zone between the two of you. There is no need to disclose any personal information with the other person at this stage, as this initial interaction assists you to determine how "safe" they are on your first meeting.

If you are comfortable engaging each other at a surface level you can easily slip into the next level of communication: fact disclosure.

2. Fact Disclosure

This level of communication is slightly deeper than small talk in that you disclose facts about yourself without triggering topics of emotional interest. The purpose of fact disclosure is to find out if you have something in common. You can use these common areas to build a bridge of friendship later on. You may want to talk about your career or occupation, hobbies, where you live, etc.

Avoid topics like marriage and divorce, politics, sex and religion in this second level of communication. With a little creative thinking, and the use of open-ended questions, you should easily find a topic that interests you both.

If you find a topic of mutual interest then you may progress to the next level of communication: sharing viewpoints and opinions.

3. Share Viewpoints and Opinions

Once you have established that the other person is "safe" through small talk, and have found areas of common interest, you can build rapport by sharing your opinions and viewpoints. By sharing your viewpoints and opinions you allow yourself to become vulnerable to the scrutiny and objections of the other person, so you would only enter this level of communication once you were comfortable that you both share positive feelings through the first two levels. Some people give an opinion about politics or religion as their starting point at this level. But you may firstly want to comment on the things you have in common that you found through fact disclosure. This is a safe place to start. Be prepared to listen to the opinions of your new friend. It is just as important to listen to their viewpoint as much as you expect them to listen to yours. This will enable your friendship to survive. Make sure you don't use your opinions as a form of "character assassination" of other people. You may be thought of as a negative person and this may cause your new friend to distance himself/herself from you.

Over time you will learn to find a safe distance in your communication levels, and if you are forming a bond of friendship you may eventually enter into the fourth level of communication: sharing personal feelings.

4. Share Personal Feelings

Only solid friendships survive time to enter the fourth level of communication. After building upon trust, finding things in common and listening to the viewpoints and opinions of others, you may be able to share your personal feelings. This is where an acquaintance becomes a genuine friend. You know that despite having differing opinions and viewpoints you can trust your friend's judgement, and may go to them for advice. Things of deep value to you can be shared without feeling threatened. You listen closely to each other without the need to "solve" your friend's problem. You are happy to reflect their feelings back to them - forming a bond of empathy and compassion between the two of you. At this level of communication, it is important that you provide a little distance between yourself and your friend. If the distinction between yourself and your friend becomes unrecognizable, it is possible for your relationship to go sour. If you know how to handle your own feelings, attitudes and behaviors while maintaining your friendship at this level, you will build a successful friendship that can last a lifetime.

By using these four levels of communication with prospective 'dates' you will find that they will become interested in you and want to get to know you all the more.