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Like all new innovations, technology in the work environment can either work for you or against you. What is good for the employer or is not always the same for the employee.

Is Technology Working FOR You or AGAINST You

When cellphones became available it seemed that they would fill a need for instant communication - any time, any place - that would help people be more efficient and thus save time.

Then email became a mainstream method of business communication. Marvelous - now telephones wouldn't ring off the hook, messages would not have to be stored and retrieved as verbal communications, which took time. Instead, information would be clear and concise and could be retrieved and answered any time, any where - again the promise of more freedom.

With email, internet and cellphones, was it really necessary for workers to be restrained to the office? Maybe shorter work days would ensue. Perhaps parents could collect their children from school and be contacted at home via either of these methods.

The work world was changing.

This truth came about as more workers were able to take their jobs with them. The travel from home to work and back again was no longer a barrier for actually DOING the work.

Telecommunication was making itself an integral part of conducting business. With cellphones and email, distance, time and travel were no longer barriers to conducting business effectively.

For some, this meant that coming to the office every day was an option - not a requirement.

Mothers and fathers found new freedom to take care of their children while still collecting the paycheck they needed to support them. Work could be done at home, at the park, at the grocery store, at night...

Unfortunately, this ability to work anywhere has become a nuisance instead of a luxury for some individuals. The fact that they are ABLE to do business any time, any where, means that they actually ARE doing business all the time.

Rather than free them, they found that they cannot get far enough away from work to really put it away for the day. Illness and emergencies do not stop the phone from ringing or the email from piling up - and because you can access it, there is no excuse for not dealing with it.

So for some, the convenience has become a ball and chain - creating longer work hours and constant stress. For these individuals it is necessary to commit themselves and their work mates to guidelines such as turning the phone off. Not accessing email regularly. Sticking to these rules and telling other work mates your new practices should help.

Remember that you were supposed to be ASSISTED by these devices. It is in the best interest of your health and the well-being of your family if these tools keep their proper place.

Roger Clark is senior editor at Rogers Resume Help Center who provide free information to job seekers on all aspects of finding a new job and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

July 14, 2005 22:45 - Seriously Impress at Your Interview With These 4 Hot Tips

So you’ve managed to secure a job interview for a position that fits you PERFECTLY. Now comes the moment of truth: Are you REALLY ready for the interview? If you’ve rehearsed what you’re going to say and know the perfect answer to every potential question, you’re half way there. There’s just one important thing you’ve forgotten:

Yourself.

How do you sell yourself and show your potential employer how valuable you can be to their company? You want to make them hire you TODAY and not even THINK about other applicants. You know you’re the right person for the job, so how do you make THEM see that? Here are seven easy steps you can take to really make yourself shine during the interview process.

1. First, find out everything you can about the company you’d be working for. Who are its customers? What is its mission statement? How does the job you’d be performing relate to the company’s goals? Finding out this type of information gives you great insights on what kinds of questions to ask your interviewer and shows them that you’ve done your research and already have some background in the company’s business and objectives.

2. Read over the job description carefully. Analyze your own strengths and see how you can tie the two together. If you have previous experience, make note of those times where you helped achieve a specific result. Employers give more serious consideration to applicants who have a background and a track record in their industry than those who do not.

3. First impressions count. It should go without saying that you should arrive 15 minutes prior to the interview, dress
appropriately (if not above) the position you’re applying for, greet your interviewer with a firm handshake and maintain eye contact throughout the discussion process. Be enthusiastic, personable and outgoing. Show a sincere interest in the people you meet and the work you’d be doing. Interviewers can tell if
you’re desperate!

4. Show that you can solve problems and work well under pressure, since nearly every job will require both skills. If you can identify a particular problem in your industry or that you may face when doing this job, give the interviewer some ideas of how you would solve it. Be calm, relaxed and confident. Some nervousness is expected, but your overall mannerisms (such as fidgeting, nail-biting, slumping in your chair) will be an instant giveaway on how well you REALLY work under stress.

Likewise, if you project confidence and security in how you carry yourself, the interviewer will definitely notice.

If you keep all of these suggestions in mind, you’ll not only have seriously impressed your potential employer, but you’ll come away from it feeling like a winner too! Good luck!

Roger Clark is senior editor at Rogers Resume Help Center and Career Information Resources who provide free information to job seekers on all aspects of finding a new job and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

July 21, 2005 14:23 - Beat the Crowd with Winning Resume Cover Letters

Far too many people underestimate the importance of resume cover letters. In a sense, a well written cover letter works like an agent on your behalf. It tosses a sales pitch for you to the employer, explaining why you should be at the top of the list for interview calls. Taking the time to write a cover letter tells the employer you are willing to go above and beyond; not just simply slap a resume in an envelope and mail it.

Not All Resume Cover Letters Are Created Equal

No two resume cover letters should ever be the same; each one should be uniquely tailored to the job for which you are applying. A generic cover letter is insulting to an employer and will quickly find its way into the trashcan. When writing cover letters keep the following tips in mind:

Address resume cover letters to an actual entity, not just a generic "To Whom it May Concern" or "Personnel Director." If you are not sure who to address, find out and then make sure you spell their name correctly. Do not just assume.

State who referred you or how you found out about the job opening. "Linda McCain mentioned that you might be hiring a new computer programmer soon." or "I learned about your opening for a Sales Associate from your posting in the San Francisco Sun and would like to discuss a few ways I can contribute to your team."

Resume cover letters should discuss how you can help the employer, not about why you need the job. The employer has posted a job opening because they need that position filled and they need the best candidate to fill it. Convince them why you are that person.

Make Yourself Stand Out from the Crowd

Demonstrate you know something about who the employer is and what they do. If you don't know anything about the company, find out what products or services the company offers, their competitors; any recent or upcoming changes. Employers will be impressed with your knowledge, especially if their company services a specialty niche that isn't well known.

Do not discuss salary requirements in resume cover letters. If the job posting requests that you respond with salary information, simply state in your cover letter "I would be pleased to discuss my salary history in an interview." Then quickly move on to what you can offer them in terms of your talent and skills.

Give an exact date when you will follow-up to discuss an interview. Don't depend on the employer to follow-up with you.

Keep it Short and to the Point

Do not say 'enclosed please find my resume.' This wastes valuable space in resume cover letters you can devote to highlighting why you are perfect for the job.

State what you need to, but don't draw it out. Keep resume cover letters to one page, preferably about four short paragraphs.

Neatness Counts

Proofread your resume cover letters and then ask someone else to proofread as well. Don't eliminate yourself from the candidates called for an interview because of a simple typo or misspelled word. Don't rely on your computer's spell check. It does not always catch everything.

Make sure your letter is neat. If at all possible, spend a little extra and print it on nice, professional paper. Make sure there are no wrinkles, folds or smudges.

Following a few simple rules can help your resume cover letters stand out from all the rest and get you in the door for an interview and on your way to that great new job!

Roger Clark is senior editor at Rogers Resume Help Center and Career Information Resources who provide free information to job seekers on all aspects of finding a new job and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

July 27, 2005 19:35 - What to Do if You Are Not Likely to Be Interviewed in Person

Resume Tips To Take You From SAHM to WAHM
By Kim Bauer

When looking for a telecommuting position, it is very important to have your resume in tip-top shape. This is often the only thing that a potential employer has to base a hiring decision on since they most likely will not be interviewing you in person, your resume has to make that great first impression for you.

When your resume comes across the fax line or is opened in an email, it needs to be presented as professionally as possible. Besides the obvious typos and misuse of words, your resume needs to be highly organized and make a great impression as quickly as it reaches your potential employers hands. With some organizational skills and a little work your resume can be the one that stands out.

Where should you start, I would suggest starting with a list of your skills. Most people would probably not start in that manner but I think that it gives you a more positive basis to work from. When I speak of skills, I don't just mean how many words you type or that you can operate a hundred programs on your computer. Use skills from volunteering with every organization from the school PTO to your church. You might be surprised when you really stop and think of everything that you learned while being an officer in the PTO or organizing the volunteers for the Little League concession stand. All of these are skills can be effectively used when organizing your resume. Not only do they require leadership and organizational skills but an ability to work well with others.

Now that you have your skills listed, you should be pretty proud of yourself. Sometimes making a list of your attributes is the hardest part. We should all know what year we graduated and when we finally got the nerve to resign from that dreaded 9-5 office position.

Next, I would recommend making a list of all previous positions with your job title as well as a brief description. Make sure that you use some "key words" that will easily grab the attention of the eyes scanning your resume. If you don't have a solid work history , I would recommend a functional resume format. The functional format highlights your skills rather than the time line of your work history.

Remember to see your resume as a marketing tool. On a billboard you only get a few key words to catch the attention of the traffic speeding by. Your resume needs to serve the same purpose. It needs to spark the interest of the potential employer so that they will want to know more about you and your assets. That is how you land the interview.

Kim Bauer is the President and Founder of www.wah-101.com A Work at home web site that focuses on researching and providing legitimate telecommuting job leads to her members. Keeping parents with their children physically while providing for them financially is the goal.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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