tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41558353014285142562024-03-13T09:31:53.833-06:00 Dave is HomeAlina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-54749705194416711752020-02-09T21:59:00.000-07:002020-02-09T22:01:06.851-07:00Back to Blogging<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: magenta;"><b>Looking Back</b></span><br />
Browsing through my old posts and I'm like "Oh man, my past posts are sooo STUPID".<br />
Oh well. It's out there. It's done, move on. <br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta;">Between 2016-2020</span></b><br />
Got two kids, still married to Dave, still working full-time, and also dabbling in Airbnb hosting.<br />
Posts to come!<br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-40581465642022919252016-04-11T09:43:00.001-06:002016-04-11T09:43:59.513-06:00100 Interview Questions for Nannies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">When it comes to nannies/au pairs, you want to have a pretty good picture of whom you're dealing with to make sure the nanny is (1) Safe, (2) Honest, and (3) The Right Fit. You need to plan on asking many questions to your candidate until you are comfortable making an informed decision. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The thing I've learned with interviewing several nannies is this: If you are happy with the candidate's answers to questions you feel are most important to you, then that is a good thing. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">If you are not super certain after the interview, my suggestion is to keep looking because that feeling of uncertainty will not go away once the nanny is hired. You want to have a feeling of certainty and need to have this to base you childcare decision on. It may take time, and may have to interview more than one person but getting that feeling of certainty is so worth it because the parents who have it are so, so much happier when their kids are at home with someone they trust. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Here are the ones I've come up with and used pretty much all of them in interviews. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><u>BACKGROUND QUESTIONS</u></b></span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? What languages do you speak? How long have you studied/practiced English?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Tell me more about your childhood, what you studied, jobs you did, places you've worked?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Have you lived anywhere else besides Utah? (If yes) Where? How long? </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">How long have you been in Utah? </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Have you been to the United States before? (If yes) What year and how old were you?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">Why do/did you want to come to the USA? Why Utah? </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Do you have family here in Utah? Do you know anyone else here in the United States? (If yes) Who, relationship, how long and where?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">(If your au pair needs to enter the US on a visa): Have you already applied for your visa? When could you arrive?</span></li>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><u>FAMILY HISTORY QUESTIONS</u></b></span></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Tell us a little more about your parents. How old are they and what do they do? Married/divorced/widowed?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What values did your parents teach you as being most important in life?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">In what ways are you like your mother? Father? </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">What type of relationship do you have with your parents?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">Do you have siblings? (If yes) How many? What are their ages? Do you get along well with them? </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Have you ever lived away from your family before? </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">How does your family feel about you coming to the United States? How do they feel about you being a nanny/au pair? </span></li>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><u>QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO A CANDIDATE'S PERSONALITY, MATURITY LEVEL, AND INTERESTS</u></b></span></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">Why did you choose to become a nanny/au pair?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">Are you currently working for a family? (If yes) How much notice you will need to give them should you decide to leave for another job opportunity? </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">Why are you looking for a new position?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">Why are you interested in this </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">position? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What are your plans for the future, school, life, travel etc?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What are you looking for in an employer/host family?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">If hired, what will your priorities be during your employment with our family?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What do you like to do in your free time by yourself? What about with friends? With family? </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><u>PERSONAL HISTORY</u></b></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Do you have children? (If yes) How many? What are their ages? What did you like to do with them when they were the ages of our children? (If no) Is becoming a parent in your life plans in the near future? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Do you have a boyfriend? (If yes) How long have you been together? (For live-ins) Is he supportive during your stay as an au pair? Do you think you will both be able to cope with the situation of being separated for a longer period of time? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What are your favorite foods? Do you have a specific diet or open to trying out different food? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What we are paying a nanny to do is taking care of and being responsible for little children for an extended period of time. It requires a lot of physical energy and also a lot of inner calm. That being said, have you had any prior lengthy illnesses, physical or mental? (If yes) What? When? For how long? Are you in treatment? How long in recovery? What are you doing to stay healthy and be able to do the job? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Did any of your employers require you to have immunizations? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Do you practice a religion? </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><u>QUESTIONS ABOUT A CANDIDATE'S GENERAL CHILDCARE EXPERIENCE</u></b></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What is your general child care experience? Babysitting? Worked in a camp or daycare? Have you ever worked with children the same ages as ours? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">How many families have you worked for? (For each family) Full time or part-time nanny? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">How long have you been with each family you cared for? What was the reason for you leaving? Would you be able to provide references? (Name and phone number of family worked for)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">How many children have you watched with each family and their ages during care? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What were your specific responsibilities with each family? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What was the most difficult part of that job with each family? What did you like most about that job with each family? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Did you ever encounter an emergency while working for any of those families? (If yes) What happened and how did you handle that emergency?</span></li>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><u>QUESTIONS ABOUT A CANDIDATE'S CARETAKING BELIEFS</u></b></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What do you like most about taking care of children? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What do you find the most challenging about caring for children?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What kind of activities do you like to do with children who are the ages of ours?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">When a child becomes hard to control or our of control, screaming for no apparent reason or throwing tantrums - because all children do that at one point or another - How or what do you think is the best approach? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">How long do you think should a child be left to cry? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Did any of your previous employers/relatives permit you to discipline their children? (If yes) What form of discipline? (NOTE: if you do not want the nanny to discipline your children other than you the parent, you state this before asking this question so that they know this is the expectation in your family)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What qualities do you think are important in a nanny? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What are, in your opinion the most important aspects of caring for a child? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What type of nanny would you want for your baby? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">What are you most proud of when it comes to your job? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Would you pay a nanny according to her quality of service provided to her employer or based on her level of experience? </span></li>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><u>OTHER QUESTIONS</u></b></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">If we were to hire you, when would you be able to start? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Do you know how to prepare breastmilk/formula? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">(If an au pair) What did the agency in your home country tell you about what to expect as an au pair? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">(Explain all of your expectations of the job duties you will pay the nanny to do) Do you have any questions about the job duties or something we didn't address? </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">(Explain about Time Off/Holidays/Sick Days and whether those are paid or unpaid for the nanny). Do you see any possible vacation plans that we should be aware about now during our interview?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">(Explain house rules if she is to live in your home) Do you have any questions about house rules or something we didn't address about living in our home?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">(Explain your expectations about honesty and safety in the home) Is there anyone in your family or friendships that is dangerous that we need to know about? Is there anyone in your family or friendships that have been arrested by the police? </span></li>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Last but not least:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px;">Do you have any questions for us?</span></li>
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-87015543110070193752015-11-29T14:21:00.000-07:002015-11-29T14:24:34.056-07:00It's True: You're Broke Because You Want To Be<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">I believe that within a modern society with a modern economy, people are broke because they want to be. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">Poverty is more a result of personal bad choices than we usually acknowledge. Without acknowledging this fact we cannot adequately fight poverty. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">Poverty has little to do with our environment or race. If a person's fate in life is predetermined by his social and physical environment, then we should all still be living in caves. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">Pay close attention to the people you know that are broke and stay broke. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You are capable of helping yourself by going out there and earning more money. <br />
You need to earn more money, not expect others to give it to you. <br />
Take responsibility for your own life. It's your fault you're broke. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not your depression or your anxiety's fault that things aren't going your way. <br />
It's your fault you aren't following through on your applications which<br />
is why you're still broke! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't blame him or his job (or lack thereof) for the fact you don't have money.<br />
It's your fault. Get off your butt and go back to work!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red;"><b>They find blame for their misfortunes in everyone and everything but themselves and their lack of self control when it comes to money and their attitudes. They deny their own responsibility in those choices. </b></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a relief</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">There is nothing more demoralizing than to convince someone they are incapable of taking care of themselves. LDS gospel principles of church welfare and self reliance teach us the exact opposite of what society teaches regarding welfare and poverty. Some things they teach us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">(1) Each of </span>us has a responsibility to try to avoid problems before they happen and to learn to overcome challenges when they occur. </b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #454545;">I feel that so many members of the Church have a gross misunderstanding of this:</span><span style="color: red;"> Church welfare was set up to remind us that we are responsible for preventing need in the first place. We are responsible for preventing the outcomes that would make us go to our bishop or local welfare office for temporal assistance.</span><span style="color: #454545;"> Church welfare wasn't created just in case we need it, a common belief I've noticed that is irritating. This attitude makes us void of personal responsibility and consequences for our decisions. It destroys our temporal and spiritual progress. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;"><b>(2) We need to abandon immature strategies of blaming and victimhood and adopt a more self-reliant view of ourselves in the world. </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;"><b>(3) Because of agency, we create our problems and therefore, we are capable of fixing them.</b> We're responsible for our situations and we can't just wish for something to happen. We have to get up and do something about it. Once we feel remorse for our poor choices that led us to being broke, we exercise repentance and change the behavior that made us broke, and prevent it from happening again. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;"><b>You Don't Have a Money Problem</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">Most broke people do not have a money problem: the money problem is a result of other problems! Discipline problems, self esteem problems, attitude problems, integrity problems, thinking problems. Messed up priorities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Other Things</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">No amount of outside help like money from family, free rent, Xmas presents from Secret Santas, or public assistance will help poor people out other than themselves. Outside help tends to make the problem worse. </span>This is because before you can fix a problem you have to know you have a problem. The sad truth is most of the poor people in your community or family you are trying to help, don't think they have a problem, so therefore they see no incentive to fix it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">We do nothing for our broke friends and relatives when we tolerate their whining and moaning about what's wrong with their life, job, etc. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;">We do our loved ones a favor when we cowboy up, look them straight in the eye and tell them, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #454545;">"You know what? </span><span style="color: magenta;"><b>Life is your own damn fault. It's your fault that you're broke</b></span><span style="color: #454545;">" </span></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-31820032245230613212015-10-31T09:42:00.000-06:002015-11-29T14:21:22.966-07:00Long Term Benefits of Taking on Student Loans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Living in Utah, I've noticed that a lot of people around here are extremely debt averse when it comes to student loans. So they consider working while in school and many people do. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">I do agree that having the cash ready for school is the best option. This is why we opened a 529 account for our child. (Don't do this until you are well on track to retirement first)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">However. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">If you are a recent HS graduate that's single, no children to support, planning to attend an affordable program, and still come up short with paying for school, my opinion is that you will be much better off taking the student loans to meet whatever you need left to finish school in 4 years, rather than work full-time and take 8 or more years to finish an undergrad.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">If you can finish your 4 year degree in less than 4 years, even better. The concurrent enrollment with HS/community college is something more people should do instead of worrying about their social life their senior year. AP classes and passing them are good too. Take it from everyone that went on to finish college, and they will agree with me: <span style="color: red;"><b>At some point in college, you will be glad you took that advantage in HS and got your got classes out of the way sooner than later. </b></span> (College classes you want out of the way ASAP are US History, and math and English requirements at minimum. If you are going on 18 months or two-year LDS missions, you will forget a ton of math if you hadn't taken math since junior year of HS...so please take 4 yrs of math during HS for your learning)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">For everyone that isn't dropping out to be an billionaire entrepreneur or pro athlete (and congratulations if you are, none of this below will apply to you), the best long term money savings strategy is to get college out of the way as soon as possible and start acquiring real life post graduate work experience. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Now why would taking out loans be a better option than working through school? Who wants to leave school with debt? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Let's consider the following that are true and keep them in the back of your mind:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">1. Average wages for someone with no college degree aren't likely to increase much in a span of 8 years. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">2. Average wages for someone with a college degree are likely to increase a lot in 8 years.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">3. Tuition costs and fees are likely to increase faster over 8 years than salary increases. </span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span>
</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Should you enroll part-time, the total cost of completing your degree will cost you as much or MORE money in the span of 8 years than for someone who took out student loans for the entire 4 years of school. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">"But Alina I'm working full-time at a company where they reimburse a good portion of my tuition! I'll keep working there until I graduate" </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The truth is if your annual salary increases are lower than your annual tuition increases, you are losing money and the company tuition benefit isn't that great of a deal. Jobs are an investment because they compound with interest annually (assuming you are at a decent employer that gives you an annual raise). Smart investments will always trump the best deal. While leaving school with no debt sounds great on the surface, getting more bang for your buck in 4 years, even with the loan interest and fees is better than paying rising tuition costs and fees over 8 years.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">A student loan facilitates not having to work many hours during the school year just to pay for the cost of tuition. You would need to work just enough hours to meet your expenses such as rent and food, which isn't much for a single childless student. And if you aren't working, or just working a few hours on campus, there's really no reason to own a car and the added expenses that come with it. You can take the bus (free or heavily discounted for most college students), walk, or ride a bike to class. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">If you're working full-time during the school year, most of your earned income will go toward to maintaining your car on top of paying your tuition. Keep in mind that you aren't </span></span><span style="font-size: 12px;">making rock star wages at this point. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Ideally you should focus on school and then get a car to facilitate obtaining internships and securing better employment after graduation. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">By not working full-time, you can actually concentrate on what you are really in college for: to study for 4 years. If you do well in school, you get paid for your grades with semester scholarships. There are even plenty of scholarships that do not require a near perfect GPA.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Most people think they can't afford college because they weren't awarded a huge scholarship during HS and their life is over. Not so, there are always scholarships in college. My first scholarship as an incoming freshman was only $500, just barely enough to cover textbooks. Each year, I kept searching and applying for whatever scholarship I'd be qualified for, and surprisingly, the scholarship amounts got more generous the closer I was to graduating. My last two years were tuition-free. Searching and applying for any and all scholarships is almost a second job in itself so several people that work full-time miss out on this. In addition, you need to be enrolled full-time to qualify for a scholarship. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">So what happens when you have a loan and a scholarship? The university will take the loan, award you the scholarship, and refund any money left over back to you by mailing you a check. You set this money aside to pay your rent and other needed expenses or loan payments in the future. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 12px;"><b>What student loan averse people fail to consider is that the biggest expense for part-timing your college education is the lost opportunity costs for your wages to increase exponentially after graduating on time. </b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">As a recent graduate, you could be making less than someone who has been working longer, but still in school. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">To illustrate a real life example: me and my husband. I took about 4 years to graduate and he did the 8 years or more track. When we met in 2011, I earned less than he did when I finished nearly two years prior because he had more work experience. I took out loans to facilitate finishing my degree program on time, while Dave continued to work full-time, be in school part-time with no debt after graduating. He graduated 6 months before we got married in 2012. He also began college before I did. Both of us went to junior/community college first and then transferred to the University of Utah to finish, which did reduce the amount of what we both needed to pay. Community college and junior college are great money savers, but you need to go in with the intent of transferring to finish the last two years of university. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Remember how I said it's likely that salary increases a lot within 8 years for graduates? The chances of your salary increasing exponentially within 3-5 years post college are extremely likely. <b><span style="color: red;">The key thing to consider is who experiences this increase first: the one who finished college sooner. </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">While you could be making less right out of college, you have a very good chance coming out ahead of everyone that is still working through college. What ended up happening was that I experienced my 1st major salary increase sooner and outearning my husband right before our wedding in 2012. He too experienced a big increase to his salary after his 3-5 year post grad mark...but by then I experienced my 2nd major salary increase. Yep I became the sugar mamma in this relationship ;-)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">My first increase in pay made it possible to pay off the entire loan sooner than planned, and avoided paying more in interest. My last loan payment was when Baby was born in 2013 and a few months later in 2014 was when my 2nd salary increase happened. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Guys, as long as the total cost of your student loans are less than what you're earning your first year post graduating, you'll be able to pay the loan back without any problem during the repayment period and fulfill your return on investment expectations for a college education. So if you went to an inexpensive program, borrowed all 4 years, got scholarships, and the amount of the loans was $25k, that would mean you would need to earn at least $12.50/hr post graduation to make the loan repayment for 10 years. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">It is important to remember that salaries do not stay stagnant, they increase as long as you keep working and acquiring more specialized work experience. Most employers value the 4 year degree. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">If you don't have other obligations to consider and want to go to college, your priority should be to finish your degree program on time or sooner. So do not rule out student loans as a means to facilitate finishing your degree on time. </span></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-86185708892759660422015-10-29T22:44:00.001-06:002015-10-29T22:53:30.316-06:00How Women Can Ask for a Raise Like a Man - Part 1 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The number one thing I wish I had someone tell at the beginning of my career instead of later is this: that every time I was made a formal offer of employment, I do have the formality to come back with one counter offer. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Looking back I pretty much shot myself in the foot the moment I stepped out of college. While my external offers were huge increases in previous base pay, I could have asked for a little more of my offers. Most of the time that I was interviewing externally, I simultaneously made it to final rounds at two companies and that really could have gotten what I needed or more. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #222222;">It never occurred to me I could ask for more after getting an offer. No one told me this. I had never seen salary being approached like how I would negotiate for </span><b><span style="color: magenta;">a <a href="http://daveishome.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-to-wheel-and-deal-on-new-car-like.html">car</a>!</span> </b><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">What made it even more baffling is that not even my husband, dad, father-in-law, brothers-in-law, or uncles told me anything about counteroffers and negotiating--and they do it all the time. I learned that men negotiate, women do not--but the question in my head was how come the men in my life didn't tell me this when I interviewed for my first job, and subsequent jobs after that? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Why didn't my closest male relationships, the ones who provide, honor and protect me, teach me how to ask for a raise like a man?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">A gender and leadership expert, Jeffrey Tobias Halter answered that question that kept mulling in my head for months. He flat out explained that men do not connect the dots that the women they work with at the office is also another man's wife, mother, daughter or sister and I believe this is the case why didn't I get any advice or support. It wasn't their fault, they just hadn't thought of it. More on that </span><a href="http://ywomen.biz/memo-to-men-just-do-it-for-your-daughter/" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>HERE</b></a><span style="font-size: 12px;">, it is a must read for any man that has daughters. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Who then taught me this? Other moms that worked. Not all of them though, because most of them leave before they leave. Read "Lean In" to understand this concept more, it is honestly a fantastic and helpful book. And "Lean In" was where I learned only 7% of female graduates counter offer their first job. (My reaction when I read that statistic "Whaaat? You can do that, ask for more money than what they tell you?? Darn!!")</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Not long ago, I talked to a friend who's a working mom and shared some insights about salaries and raises, because I used to work at her current employer and remembered how much I got paid (peanuts). It definitely was unsolicited advice, my bad habit, I try to mitigate it with a blog. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">A few weeks later, she followed up with me. To my greatest surprise, she told me she had thought A LOT about what I said. The result was that she went to her boss and ended up getting a raise and a promotion! The thing that kept me up at night though was what she said after that:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b>"I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't reached out to me"</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">That time around, another woman received advice from another mom that worked. This made me shudder. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">I wasn't told about it until I heard it from another mom, and my friend didn't know either until I told her. I even confided in a colleague more senior than me asking if she ever asked for a raise or counter-offer her promotions. Not even once. It had never occurred to her either that she could ask for more. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">I decided from there I would go out of my way and reach out to other women, primarily mothers who work and/or graduated from college to not make the same mistakes I did with negotiating salary. I would share anything and everything I've learned about salaries and negotiation. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">Why? Because chances are that no one told them yet either and they'll remain underpaid until another woman goes out of their way to tell them about it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">While I work on Part 2, I want to ask these questions, no need to respond. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Did anyone tell you about it? Was it a man or a woman?</span></span></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-77745937517808771262015-09-28T23:54:00.001-06:002015-09-28T23:54:59.784-06:00Why Part Time Work May Not Be Better for Young Moms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">When I decided to go back to work full-time when Baby was 6 months, a common response I got was </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><b>"Couldn't you just look at part-time jobs??"</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Part time work was the first thing I looked at. After a while I realized that part-time employment isn't what it's all cracked up to be, and decided to search for full-time employment instead. </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><u>I'm not saying that part-time employment has no value.</u> It can put a foot in the door for something better. But more often than not,</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">what you get in return for working part-time is not worth the time and the cost that it takes to earn part-time wages. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I tell moms who are in a situation where they really need the additional income and still have young children at home, that part-time work, while well-intentioned, will not resolve their financial situation in the short and long term. Their best bet would be to look at full-time employment and preferably in jobs where you get a salary, and not in jobs where you have to punch in and out for lunch or something gimmicky like direct sales. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Here are problems I discovered that come with part-time employment which led me to reconsider and to go ahead with working full-time.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Consider this example. <u>While the scenario is hypothetical, the facts are true</u>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Two moms live next door to each other. Both of them commute to work at the same place and both earn the same rate per hour. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">One mother is employed full time and the other is employed part time. Here's where part-time starts to become a problem, financially. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Transportation Costs:</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The person that gets hit the most with the transportation expense is the part-timer. What it costs for a full-timer to get to/from the job is exactly the same for the part-timer. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Insurance premiums:</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Both of them receive employer benefits. However the health and dental insurance premiums for part-timers cost more per pay period than for the full-timer. This is why you see more happy retired folks in part-time roles instead of young moms; they take the income, reap the social benefits but don't need to pay for health insurance because they're covered through Medicare. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Childcare Costs:</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Both of them have the same number of children with the exact same ages and go to the same daycare. Childcare tuition for full time, 5 days per week turns out to be less expensive </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: red;">per day</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> than childcare for 2 and a half days. This is because centers have to find more employees to ensure adequate child-to-caretaker ratios for all hours of the day they're open or get shut down. Part-timer is hit again with the extra cost. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">After adding all the expenses for both moms, the full-timer comes out far on top. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">While the full-timer is working 40 hour weeks, she ends up earning and taking more in take home pay PER HOUR than the part-timer. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">These expenses are why so many mothers start and end up quitting part-time employment very quickly without realizing that they probably could have been far better off with full-time employment instead. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Other problems with part-time employment:</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The reason why benefitted part-time jobs are far and few in between across all industries is because an employer gets more value for one person producing in one job than two people producing for one job. It's also a pain in the butt for an employer trying to get coverage for 200 hours of work managing 10 people instead of 5 people. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Part-timers reach a cap in what they can earn per hour, especially in entry-level jobs. The wages for full-time positions more often than not, pay a lot more per hour than part-time wages, around 30-50% more!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Also, people who are broke, or on public assistance work less hours on average than the middle class and the affluent. So if broke is where you want to get out from, then cowboy up and work more hours by obtaining stable, full-time employment. </span></span></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-56886154078901316442015-09-24T19:33:00.000-06:002015-09-24T19:33:23.160-06:00"I Feel Guilty About Wanting to Leave My Job"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I love the Mormon Messages but this is not my favorite one I've come across, "You Never Know" </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">You can watch it </span><a href="https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/you-never-know" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> People have commented their mixed feelings about the video on whether the mom should have Just Said No, or give praise for going out of her way to help others even though her hands are full as they were, and feeling bad thinking she didn't get what she wanted done but in end it turned out to be a good day because you never how you never know how much you made a difference in people's lives but that is none of what I want to talk about. </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.mormonchannel.org/bc/content/mormon-channel/images/video/800x450/you-never-know-2015-01-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://www.mormonchannel.org/bc/content/mormon-channel/images/video/800x450/you-never-know-2015-01-01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">What I want to talk about is the scene where the mother meets up with her sister at the park. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Based on the conversation, her sister is not happy at her current job. Emphasis added on lines in particular. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Mom:</b> </span><span style="color: #222222;">So what are you going to do?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>Sister:</b></span><span style="color: #222222;"> I don't know. Everyone is looking to me to help them. </span><i style="color: #222222;">But I don't want to stay there if I'm not happy.</i> <span style="color: #222222;"><i> But at the same time I don't want to abandon them. I really just want to think about myself, but I can't. </i></span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Mom:</b> </span><span style="color: #222222;">That's frustrating. That makes ME angry. Like </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">today--.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>Sister:</b></span><span style="color: #222222;"> --I know. I don't want to bother you with it though. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Mom:</b></span><span style="color: #222222;"> No, you're not bothering me with it. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>But Heidi, if you left, who else would be able to help them?<b> </b></i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Oh dear, what will her employer and team do without her?? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">My response: her employer and teammates will be fine anyway if she decides to quit! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Let me explain how. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">It is the responsibility of her current employer to resource the work it has committed to accomplishing. As part of that responsibility, the company has a duty to adapt when (not if) resources change. The company's options include replacing, reprioritizing or reshuffling the </span></span><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">work stream. However, resolving this situation is NOT Heidi's fault or her responsibility. That's the problem I saw in the job scene, the message portrayed it as being her problem. Women in paid jobs following this approach actually set themselves up for career hindrance. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">In fact, many women have a big problem feeling guilty about leaving their jobs for something better. They end up staying and get paid peanuts to their male counterparts for years. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Are any of you facing a similar situation in your paid jobs? You can think about it this way: </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>First: </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Just because you're leaving or wanting to leave the company/division/department and that causes a change in the status quo, it isn't your responsibility to fix it or that you're causing the team to suffer. The cause of the team's suffering is the choice that the company made, ultimately, because they have the responsibility to work through resource changes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Second:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Good employers/bosses/colleagues/teammates never take someone leaving a job personally, and if an employer does take it personal, then you might as well wonder what else do they take personal with you and why on earth you want to work for someone like that? I mean, they don't take it personal when they have to layoff employees. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Third:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">You have to do what is right for your situation, and you should feel no guilt if you give proper notice. Only exception to this is if the reason for leaving was due to being treated very poorly on the job (I'm talking things like harassment, discrimination, bullying and nothing was done from the employer's part to resolve it) then you don't owe them any notice. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Fourth: </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;">People might struggle at first when faced with filling your shoes if you were a good employee, </span><b><span style="color: red;">but someone always steps up.</span></b><span style="color: #222222;"> It is not your job to worry about the company after you leave. Don't feel guilty at all. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Fifth:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Ultimately <b><u>you</u></b> have to make the decision that <b><u>works best for you</u></b> and really figure out if it is an opportunity that <u><b>will better you</b></u>. You spend most of your waking life at a job. Why waste your life being unhappy going to/from your work?? I promise you guys, there is no better sense of joy when you find yourself at a job where you look forward coming to each day and leave from work feeling accomplished in what you've done on a daily basis. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Sixth:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Instead of telling Heidi "If not you, then who?" I'd tell her to put her career and best interest of her family above loyalty to people who didn't care if she worked there or not. It will also be a good time to ask for a raise, which is probably the bigger issue at hand. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Finally:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;">I'd tell her that if she doesn't take this new opportunity, or even try to look for new opportunities, </span><b><span style="color: red;">someone else will </span></b><span style="color: #222222;">and her current company will know that they can leave her right where she is for a very long time and her loyalty will keep her there. </span></span></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-83073142656375179182015-08-13T06:33:00.000-06:002015-08-13T06:39:57.445-06:00Sticky Interview Questions and How Best to Respond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">There are questions asked in job interviews where the question is obviously simple but you don't know how best to respond because of something negative, sensitive, or private you experienced in the past. You want to give the best answer but at the same time, not volunteer information that could keep you from getting hired. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/p/4/005/04d/082/041de4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/p/4/005/04d/082/041de4a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Oh man. How do I answer THAT question....?"</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Here are some interview questions that you will most likely be asked. If you are nervous, don't worry I'll share from my experiences on how best to respond. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>What would your former supervisors/co-workers say about you?</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">This is tough if you had bosses that hated you for whatever reason. Maybe the real reason you're interviewing is because of your boss or co-workers. The solution in this dilemma is to pick three qualities that tie with what the company is looking for or matches its company values. And say that you volunteer help when needed. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>What did you like most or least about your supervisors?</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Never rat off on a boss you thought wasn't good even if 100 people who worked for that boss think the same. The solution is to keep it positive, there is always at least something positive about them. Just begin with this:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"I admired them for their skills and ability to solve problems..."</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>What were the reasons for leaving your previous jobs? Why did you leave your last job?</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">These are valid questions that need good answers. But what if you left your job for a reason you DON'T want the interviewer to know because it may lead to a bias in hiring? I answered with:</span></span></span><br />
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<i style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">"I left Company X for Company Y because I had an offer for a position which allowed me to learn the skills that are applicable to this job at Company Z. I left Company Y for <b><span style="color: red;">personal reasons</span></b>"</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Personal Reasons is what clever professionals say instead of:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">"I'm being harassed at work"</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"I'm about to get fired"</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"I moved for my spouse's job transfer"</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"I was hospitalized and could not work"</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"I left my job to care for my baby"</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">and anything else that is personal. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Saying you left your job for personal reasons will make some interviewers curious and wonder if you have something to hide. <u>At the same time, your interviewers cannot ask you questions that will trigger a bias in hiring.</u> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">If the interviewer does follow up with asking what those personal reasons were, reiterate politely <i>"They were for personal reasons"</i> You are not obligated to tell them details and it's not appropriate for the interviewer to ask for more details of personal reasons. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The hiring manager at my current position did not ask what my personal reasons were, but she did handled it appropriately and asked if <b>whether my personal reasons </b></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>would affect doing the job</b>. I replied with:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"No. I have taken care of what I needed to do during that time and ready to commit to full-time employment again"</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">We moved on to to the rest of the interview, invited back for a second interview, and then to an offer at my current position. :) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Lesson learned: Good hiring managers are more interested in your skills, abilities, and aptitude to do the job. Not your personal life. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Should some rules be followed more than others? What is your opinion on SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and policies?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"Personal: Jaywalking on an empty road. Professional: I review and follow company procedures. I follow SOPs, and if there is a need for improvement, I will follow company procedure in how to address that and follow the suggestions and advice from my supervisors and colleagues"</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Any mention of following company policy is safe and legit to answer. It's probably the best thing to mention. Plus you need to follow the rules </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">When you are asked a really hard interview question or a question that could throw you off...</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">you respond first by saying <i>"That's a great question..."</i> this will ease the anxiety and give clarity as to what you will say next. An example I've gotten at an interview:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>What would you do if a higher-up supervisor asks you to monitor your boss?</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"That's a great question...I wouldn't know 100% what to do. I'd first turn to company policy to review if the request was appropriate and follow procedure from there"</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The interviewer smiled at my response and then asked:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>What if there isn't a company policy?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"That's even a better question...I think in that situation, I would review the information I received and present it to HR, who would be an excellent resource in guiding me into the right direction of what I need to do in that case"</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">After that, the interviewer smiled and said:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>That's one of the best responses I've heard to this question!</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I didn't get that job from that interview. But I was really happy for how well I did which gave me a boost of confidence at other interviews leading to the job I'm in now which I love!</span></span></span></div>
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-87259519163844323542015-08-07T20:19:00.002-06:002015-08-07T20:19:51.245-06:00Realtors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">If you're shopping for a home, you should get a realtor. It costs you nothing as a buyer to use one.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">If you're selling your home, you are probably better off using a realtor if you want to sell quick.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://themembersedge.blogs.realtor.org/files/2012/08/NAR-REALTOR-10-Questions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://themembersedge.blogs.realtor.org/files/2012/08/NAR-REALTOR-10-Questions.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">However, some tips (as I love to give unsolicited advice...a blog is a great way to do that)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Please make sure your real estate agent isn't:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">A friend</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">A relative</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">A member you know from your church</span></li>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Because if (s)he sucks, it will be hard to cut them off and lose more in your time and especially money. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;">If nothing else, when checking out a real estate agent...if they tell you they're full-time, you got to </span><b><span style="color: red;">find out what their definition of "full-time" means before going further.</span></b><span style="color: #222222;"> Real estate may be all what they're doing but involved in 1-3 transactions in a year. You want someone involved in a lot more transactions per year than that. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Think about it. If you are planning to sell your home and get an inexperienced seller's agent, you risk having them sell your home at too low of a price so that a more experienced buyer's agent will notice it, and tell their buyers to go ahead and make an offer. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">When it comes to buyer vs seller, whomever's agent that has the most experience and knowledge of the market will win. </span></span></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-79859858286013496032015-07-24T21:33:00.001-06:002015-07-24T21:34:08.551-06:00The Best Priced Diapers to Buy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">If disposable diaper brand isn't important to you (and why should they be -- they all end up in the trash after use!) but <b><i>PRICE</i></b> is, the best priced diapers that I've found that get the job done is...</span><br />
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<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bzzagent-bzzscapes-prod/tummy-time-with-comforts-for-baby-diapers-lrg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/bzzagent-bzzscapes-prod/tummy-time-with-comforts-for-baby-diapers-lrg.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Comforts by Baby*. They are carried by any store that sells Kroger products. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">They are far better priced than buying diapers at Costco or Amazon Mom any day. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">They're the ones in the green box with the firefly that is mistaken for a bee. I think they are good diapers, soft and thick. Like any diaper, including cloth, as long as you change often and practice good hygiene, your baby won't get rashes. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.couponclipinista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/10888791_10153018915202556_8295295311860018103_n.png?2a90f9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.couponclipinista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/10888791_10153018915202556_8295295311860018103_n.png?2a90f9" height="195" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The best thing about these diapers is that if you have a Smith's app (or Kroger app), you can download Comforts for Baby coupons to your rewards card keychain. The coupons range $2-3 dollars and you get one every month. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Usually they retail at 18.99 for their biggest box. For Size 5 diapers, it is 20 cents a diaper. With a $2 off coupon, they are $16.99, 18 cents a diaper. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Sometimes though, when a good Comforts for Baby coupon is circulating, the price of a box goes up to $20.99, which is still pretty good for Size 5 diapers at 22 cents a diaper. But most of the time, they sell for $18.99.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Compare this with the Costco brand, Kirkland Signature. At $38.99, for a box of 150 Size 5 diapers, 26 cents a piece. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Sometimes Costco has a $6 coupon, making it 22 cents a diaper. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Guys, that is still more expensive per diaper than buying Kroger diapers WITHOUT a coupon! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The <a href="http://www.southernsavers.com/2012/08/stocking-up-on-diapers-how-much-to-buy-at-what-price/"><b><span style="color: magenta;">Southern Savers</span></b></a> couponing blog has a terrific and helpful chart reference on best diaper price for a variety of sizes. I recommend reviewing it before you start price booking on diapers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Boxes for Comforts for Baby start selling at Size 2. I only buy small packs if it's $4.99 or less. Once in a while, I manage to get a pack of Pampers for $4.99 but not often, it's only possible with a $3 coupon combined with a store promotion. There is another Kroger diaper brand however, called <b>p$$t!</b> that has Size 1 diapers retailing for $4.99. They are just like Comforts for Baby but thinner. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Here are the quantities for boxes retailing at $18.99 as of 4/13/2015 with the exception of Size 1. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Comforts for Baby at Size 1 sells for $5.99 a pack. I bought them only when I had a coupon (making it less than $4.99 a pack)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">- Many times, I've managed to pay $16.99 for a box. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">- Boxes last a little over 3 weeks of diaper changes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><b>COMFORTS FOR BABY</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Size 1 44 ct = 14 cents</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Size 2 148 ct = 13 cents</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Size 3 128 ct = 15 cents</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Size 4 112 ct = 17 cents</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Size 5 96 ct = 20 cents</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">At the beginning of this month I bought a box selling at $18.99 with a $2 coupon. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">On 7/22/2015 we bought another box at $20.99 with a $3 coupon. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">That made it buying a total of 192 diapers at Size 5 for $34.98 at 18 cents a piece. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">From my last two purchases with coupons, I got about a week and a half worth of diapers than if I were to buy the store brand at Costco at retail for $38.99. Another way to look at it is that instead of paying $4 more at Costco, I got an <b>additional 42 diapers</b> by buying Comforts for Baby. That's like paying 10 cents a piece for 42 diapers of Size 5!!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Which leads to the next thing in mind: are cloth diapers worth the money? </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">This will largely depend on whom you talk to, but in this case you are talking to me, a person that is very objective on price, and tells it like it is with how money is made. The thing I'll point out about with what I see with cloth diapering that most people do not is that cloth diapers have become a huge business where one can easily sell diapers to parents willing to pay $800 to $1500 upfront and never come back again. Kind of like wedding vendors and used car salesmen, the price for a good elsewhere is usually inflated a lot more when you attach "wedding", "used" or in this case, "cloth" </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I do not know how cloth diaper advocates come up with <span style="color: magenta; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.diaperdecisions.com/pages/cost_of_cloth_diapers.php"><span style="color: magenta;">such high costs for disposables</span></a> </span>because in a year, we spend <b>under $330 on disposables for one child.</b> The low cost is driven by the coupons and also the cash back for groceries swiping our credit card. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">If you are apprehensive about cloth diapering and worried about paying for disposable diapers, the good news is that you </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">can still save just as much, or even more money using disposables instead of cloth. Again, Comforts for Baby are the best priced diapers I've seen to date. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 18px;">*disclamer I receive no incentives promoting this product. </span></div>
Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-86212820114362529742015-06-27T11:20:00.000-06:002015-06-27T11:20:17.774-06:00How Salary is Really Determined<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Most people come to the wrong conclusion that going back to grad school will increase their earning power. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">I'm not talking </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">about advanced degrees like medicine, dentistry, or law where you have to have the degree to practice that sort of profession, or degrees where you really want to be a university professor, but degrees such as MBAs, MAs, and any other degree that is not really demanded by the market. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Now I sound like I'm speaking heresy because I do not have an advanced degree myself, but I did seriously consider getting an advanced degree at one point. When I was close to finishing college, I came to that wrong conclusion myself. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;">Before graduating, the program director for the scholarship program I was in said to all of the scholarship recipients: </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="color: magenta;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">"Stick with the last 2 semesters*, </span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">it will make a difference in your pay." </span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*referring to MIS, MS in Finance, and MAcc</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">However, other things came in the way</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> so I didn't apply straight out of undergrad. Thank goodness other things did come my way because with more life experiences, I was able to do more objective research of considering whether it would be worth my time and money going back to school. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">I am more convinced than ever that going back to grad school is not an investment, it is a waste of money and lots of money. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Now, in all fairness, people who have graduate degrees earn more...BUT THE DEGREE ITSELF IS NOT THE CAUSE OF IT. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;">Everyone must learn before going back to grad school is </span><b><span style="color: red;">how salary is determined in the real world</span></b><span style="color: #222222;">, not what you study in economics class, and especially not from college admissions people (what they won't tell you is that they need your money).</span><b style="color: #222222;"> </b><span style="color: #222222;">You may just discover a more cost-effective way to make yourself more marketable without going back to school! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Salary Determination Primer</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The first thing to keep in mind, is that </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">all employers have a budget of what they can pay someone for a specific job</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">. This is usually known as a pay range. Simply put, the employer pays someone what they can afford and at a rate the employee would be happ</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">y with. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">If the employee wants more (within reason), and the employer really needs to fill the position, they will review their budget and come back with a counteroffer. Most big employers hire people known as "talent acquisition" who are expert at handling negotiation with potential hires and will do everything in the book not to budge with their initial offer. After all, they are paid to get an employee in the door for the least possible amount of money for the employer. If the offer is too low for the employee's needs, the employer will not take it personal and just keep looking for someone who will be happy to work for that pay range. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;">The second thing to consider is what other companies of comparable size and industry are paying others for that</span> type of job.<span style="color: #222222;"> Companies focused on making a profit will shell out higher wages than non-profit. Bigger companies also shell out more than smaller companies. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">E</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">mployers do a better job than job candidates knowing what a reasonable amount of pay would be for comparable job descriptions in various areas. For example, they will not pay accountants in Texas, a New York or San Francisco salary. So if you are working in San Francisco or New York, and hoping your previous base pay will influence your future base pay if you relocate to Texas, you are wrong. Your pay will first be reduced about 20%-30% to adjust for cost of living and then from there, the employer will determine an offer from that adjusted previous base salary and the job they're hiring for. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Third is special skills. <b>This is HUGE</b>. The truth is, if you have the scarce skills demanded by the market, if you have the most complete portfolio of job related experience available, </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">you will get the job with competitive pay, even over a candidate with a top MBA. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">So think long and hard about whether you want to go back for two or or even more years of college only to have stiff competition with the non-grad school candidates with the 5-7 years of relevant work experience. If you are new to the job, you will be on the lower end of the range. If you can already do the job, you are in the middle of the range. And if you have more relevant job experience, you will be put on the higher end of the range quoted by the employer. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.amcnetworks.com/ifc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/7d3275f1-napoleon-quotes-list.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.amcnetworks.com/ifc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/7d3275f1-napoleon-quotes-list.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sweet Companies only want Guys with Skills"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;">Fourth is previous salary history. Many job applications ask what you made in your last job because this is determined in making a competitive job offer. Switching to another company for comparable job skills warrant your biggest increases in pay. That being said, DO NOT LIE ABOUT WHAT YOU MADE AT YOUR LAST JOB. Employers do call your previous employer to legally find out and confirm your job titles, how many years you worked, and the amount of money you made. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;">Fifth is your boss. The higher up the chain you are, you are able to influence pay and needing to go through less approvals for salary adjustments. If you do not have sponsorship from your boss or other senior leaders at your company, it is impossible to transfer internally or be considered for promotions, ever. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222;">In conclusion, </span><b><span style="color: red;">the name of the school or ranking or the degree does not influence salary</span></b><span style="color: #222222;">, it is really about what you're doing that is in demand right now by the market but more important, acquiring years of experience on the job to do it. And once you're in a job, your pay will be judged much more by what you do on the job, how you get along with others, and even how you dress rather than where you went to school and what degree you got. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I'll conclude with a quote from a talent acquisition director at Humana, a national health insurance company, along with the link to the article. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324296604578175764143141622"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b>"I haven't seen an automatic boost for any degree"</b></span></a></span></span></div>
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-86014330306708684622015-05-04T22:39:00.001-06:002015-05-04T22:39:22.742-06:00Reason to Lean In: A Man is Not a Financial Plan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">My heart goes out to a young widow, two fatherless children and a man who died in his prime. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">For those that don't know who </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheryl_Sandberg" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: magenta;">Sheryl Sandberg</span></b></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> is, she is 2nd in command to Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook. She is Harvard educated and wrote the best seller "Lean In" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">On top of that, Sheryl is self-made having accumulated a net worth of over a billion dollars. This is very rare since the majority of women who are billionaires become so through inheritance. <br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br />And get this: she made more money than her husband...but that wasn't an issue for him; a life with the woman he loved was far more important to him than how much either one was making. <br /><br />Sheryl is my working mother hero. Many women have criticized her decision to continue working while raising a family because she and her husband could have afforded a SAHM arrangement on her husband's income alone. Her husband, Dave Goldberg was the CEO for another Internet company.<br /><br />The question I've been pondering after hearing the news about his death and want to discuss with my readers is this: <b>Where would she and her children be today had she decided to Lean Back</b> and be a Harvard housewife instead?<br /><br />A man is not a financial plan. Your husband can divorce, die, or get disabled without notice. <br /><br />Sheryl had gone through one divorce (no children in first marriage) and now she is a widow with two children still in elementary school. But because Sheryl has been working full-time outside the home since graduating college, she does not have to worry about big financial issues that <a href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=33526837"><b><span style="color: magenta;">many widows/divorcees face</span></b></a> such as having her house going into foreclosure, declaring bankruptcy or losing health insurance benefits. Nor will she have difficulty finding employment that can earn her a living wage due to a 5, 10, 15 year employment gap. Many women in this predicament do not have savings or money for retirement either.<br /><br />Sheryl at the moment probably feels like she's lost everything because losing a spouse is a significant loss. I bet she's trying to figure out how she will keep going through life without her companion. But I know she will eventually figure out a way to keep going. She can and will continue to take great care of and provide for her two children. <br /><br />Mr. Goldberg chose wisely in having a smart, accomplished wife, rather than retreat from or try to dominate her. <br /><br />If any of you are on the fence about continuing your career with kids, you can think about it this way:<br /><br />Being a working mother is not something selfish that you do for yourself and to the detriment of your children. </span></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-68449709881431086292015-03-29T22:08:00.000-06:002015-03-29T22:08:16.201-06:00Women Need to Think Serious about Retirement Planning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Women tend to be savvy with couponing, budgeting and hunting down sales. You see a plethora of tips on Pinterest about these things. However, women tend to pass the buck on long term financial planning such as retirement.
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Why is retirement planning a big deal for women?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Well for starters, women live longer. They outlive their partners well into their 90s. What is 90 minus 65? 25 years. If you think about it, that is just as long as a second career.
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The longer you're alive, the longer you need a source of income to keep up with the expenses that come with old age. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Social Security benefits and Medicare isn't going to cut it for your golden years. It will not be enough to live off and not enough for your medical expenses. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">If you are working and only contributing up to the employer match (3% to 6%), it won't be enough. You need to contribute at least 10 % of your paycheck to a retirement plan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">If you are at home and dependent on a spouse for your livelihood, he needs to contribute at least 20% of his paycheck to a retirement plan for you and for him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The majority of women over 65 today worry silently that they will outlive their retirement savings. For many it will happen. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">If you are making a lot of financial sacrifices now to be home with your children, you may be struggling to contribute to retirement on a regular basis. If this is the case, you should be thinking about going back to work sooner than anticipated to a job that allows you to contribute to a retirement plan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The longer you delay retirement planning the closer you are to eating dog food at 85. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">More informative links here for women and retirement planning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wiserwomen.org/">Wiser Women</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10127.pdf">Social Security: What Every Woman Should Know</a></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-56312413756510593852015-02-27T09:29:00.000-07:002015-02-27T11:13:29.939-07:00Alina is LinkedIn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had a wrong perception of LinkedIn for a long time but once I learned about it and its benefits from use, I finally got sold and signed up effective Friday 2/20/2015. </span><br><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br>Let me share you a personal experience as to why you need LinkedIn and how to use it the right way. <br><br>When I was searching for a nanny, I used <a href="http://care.com/">Care.com</a> (for childcare jobs).<br><br>I posted a job description and people applied. To my utter shock and horror, many candidates did not meet the criteria we needed for the position, were not a good fit for us or were looking for more pay than what we could offer. So here I am, awake late at night, getting a bit desperate to find someone before my start date at my new job in a couple of days. What do I do next? </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I began setting my search criteria, hit "Run" and reviewed a list of candidates that popped up from my search. Because phone numbers and messages were disabled for contact for free subscribers, I paid a year subscription so that I could message the nannies I had a vested interest in contacting for an interview. Both of the nannies that I hired to date </span>were<span style="font-family: inherit;"> from me finding them first. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well it just so happens that corporate recruiters on LinkedIn think the same way when needing to find someone for a job. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's some suggestions that will benefit you with LinkedIn:</span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sign Up Now for a LinkedIn Profile if You Don't Have One. </b><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not having a LinkedIn account for what it can do for you is your #1 mistake. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even if you are not planning to work, you still need one in the event you need a job or know someone that needs one. You need to complete it as much as possible, keep it active and stay connected with former colleagues, friends with professions, and recruiters that may and will post information of job leads. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>Corporate recruiters are the money makers for LinkedIn and probably 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn exclusively to source talent. Going back to the nanny experience, I do not find nannies any other way now other than through Care.com so I am more convinced than ever that companies from all types of industries are going the LinkedIn route. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br><br>But having the account isn't enough. You need to do some things with it:<br><br></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Have a picture.</b> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It didn't help me at all when I was reviewing profiles on </span><a href="http://care.com/" style="font-family: inherit;">Care.com</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> It honestly felt like the person was trying to hide something. Corporate recruiters and hiring mangers feel just the same way on LinkedIn. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is important to put up a photo for the job you want and make sure the photo gets that message across to the recruiter. You want to be executive? Then dress like an executive. A fitness instructor? Look motivated and active. A brilliant startup entrepreneur with a rebellious personality? Have an edgy picture and don't mention your MBA degree. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a frantic mom desperate to find someone for my baby it was a relief to see nannies with pictures of herself holding babies. Pictures of the nanny being near LDS temples helped because it </span>gave<span style="font-family: inherit;"> me and Dave the impression that the nanny did not smoke or drink and would respect our standards should she choose to live in our </span>home. <span style="font-family: inherit;">It did not help me if I saw a profile picture of a nanny's eyes rolling or something blurry or greyish skin tone. And definitely not an emo-esque selfie because the only impression I got from that was "She probably will hurt my baby. Next"</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bottom line: If you have the wrong picture on LinkedIn, recruiters will think you're ghetto and call you only about ghetto jobs working with ghetto co-workers. A wise senior leader said this to her group: "People's perception of you is people's reality of you" </span><br><br><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Set Your Profile to Public.</b><br>
The truth is that it's not who you know, it's who knows you. If a recruiter can't find you, they won't know who you are. Please take the risk by putting your best self out there and make yourself searchable. The added connections in the LinkedIn network do help in the search but they take time to build up. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Complete Everything in Your Profile</b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">LinkedIn is not a resume but still needs to be professional. The resume is crafted for a specific job you are formally applying for; you only list relevant information that ties to the job description and don't list everything you've done to date. The best thing about LinkedIn is that </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">you get to tell the story of your career, how it all started, and everything you've done.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> The more complete your profile is, the more searchable you'll appear to recruiters. There is a feature that measures your profile strength but what it really measures is your profile's ability to be noticed by recruiters. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Put Yourself in Shoes of Employer by Using Generous Amounts of Key Words.</b><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In my nanny search I paid attention to key words such as "I can provide references" or glance quickly in a nanny's profile summary of how many families the nanny worked for, how long and ages of children in care, and how far away she lived from our house. If I liked what I read from her profile, I contacted her right away about the job. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A corporate recruiter does the same thing on LinkedIn when finding a specific candidate for a </span>specific<span style="font-family: inherit;"> position. Key words help in your job search so please take the time to write your summary, your experience, a compelling headline and use up all 50 skill set words in the skill set option. Recruiters pay a subscription to search profiles and set criteria using key words from various job descriptions you're interested in. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<br><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Consider a Paid Subscription if You're Looking for Work. </b><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are actively looking for a job and need one quickly, it does help to have a paid subscription. The benefit is that you will always show up near the top of the search...as long as you have the right key words. I know this because </span><a href="http://care.com/" style="font-family: inherit;">Care.com</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> does the same thing. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Free subscribers will get pushed down the list as new subscribers enter the system and employers/recruiters won't scroll down and view the entire list if the search result is too long. </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seasoned recruiters can still find good candidates without a paid subscription but it will take a bit longer and play with the search criteria to get different search results. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't speak for all recruiters but to me, a paid subscription signals that you are serious in looking for a job, especially if you are unemployed. Depending on the budget the employer has set, recruiters are more likely to contact a candidate over candidates that aren't actively as looking because it would mean having to offer more money to make a candidate quit their current job. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep in mind that a recruiter's first priority is for the employer and the job seeker second. Their job is to get superstar talent for the least possible amount of money for the employer. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Which brings me to another good reason to join LinkedIn...if you are happy at your current job and have the necessary skill set another employer needs, you get the opportunity to be poached with a lucrative compensation package to make you dance with the consideration of leaving your current job. This enables you to negotiate higher raises at your current job or make more money at a new one. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br><b>Connect with Recruiters and Follow Companies</b><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On LinkedIn, you need to connect with recruiters and it is easy to do. Select "People", type the companies you're interested in, and type "recruiter" A list will populate. Just send an invite request to be added and more likely than not, a recruiter will add you in their circle for something in the future. If you are looking for work, make a recruiter's job easier by letting them know you're looking in your headline and personally messaging them. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">You also need to follow companies so that you can identity employees or recruiters in places you are interested in working in. <br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So there you have it, the benefits of LinkedIn from a different perspective. Sign up and put your best self out there. </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Add me to your connections if you haven't already. I will be more than happy to add you!</span><br><br></div>
Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-71439109322188434962015-01-31T00:54:00.000-07:002015-02-03T23:49:57.071-07:00Making Decisions With Confidence - When Deciding to Stay Home or Work<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Stay At Home Mom Vs Working Mom decision is a probably one of the most internal struggles women go through because it typically involves issues like these:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Uncertainty - </b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You honestly don’t know how you are
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Complexity - </b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It depends on the situation...e</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">ach mother has different family
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">High Risk -</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> the impact of the decision may be
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Alternatives -</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> Each has its own pros and cons. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Interpersonal -</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> Difficult to predict how other
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A lot of people wonder how some mothers adjust perfectly to the transition of quitting their job and staying home and/or staying home but go back to work and be extremely happy with their choice, what's it like and whether they could do it too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well I can tell them because I've done it. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've reflected on this for some time and noticed two things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First, I feel that many women postpartum rely too much on luck, timing, or instinct to make a decision, on top of being sleep deprived and overwhelmed with the well-meaning but unsolicited advice on motherhood. Second, women on both sides that are unhappy with their decisions more often than not, try more vigorously to defend them than those who are happy with their choices and just move on with their lives. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When it comes to something as serious as working or stay home, you need to be objective, not emotional. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">You need a systematic approach to decisions so that no matter what type of decision you have to make, you can make decisions with confidence…</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">and never feel guilty as an end result.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The best way to make a big decision, as I discovered is to use an effective and
systematic process, known as Critical Thinking. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are three Steps to Critical Thinking: (1) understanding the
issue, (2) analyze the problem, and (3) explore options/alternatives. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you don't do the first two steps effectively, you cannot do the third step. Let's take a look at each one in more detail. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Really Understanding The Issue</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Very often, you look at something on the
surface and think “Well this is obviously the problem, it’s what we got to solve,
very simple – problem solved” But when you dig deep into it, <i><u>you realize the
problem you’re actually dealing with isn’t the problem at all</u></i>. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Get to the bottom of it and understand the
problem it is you are trying to solve.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. </span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Analyze The Problem</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Making sure you understand the facts and numbers in front
of you.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">This step is crucial. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">You can’t
make a good decision about staying home or going back to work unless you’ve
really done your homework, you have the facts and data, and you’ve had that rigorous
analysis performed. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the spirit of staying home vs working, I want
to stress that it is very important to discern facts from logical fallacies—statements
designed to manipulate a reader by appealing to emotions rather than
intellect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many logical fallacies in both sides of the Mommy Wars
but I won’t list them here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use
facts – not logical fallicies as basis for your decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Staying home vs Working more often than not involves a cost benefit analysis to determine important things like (1) will you continue to grow savings and (2) is it worth your time and resources as a result of choosing one or the other. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can include intangible items to the analysis but please consider that including intangible items and estimating a value for these items within the analysis brings more subjectivity into the decision making process, and as I said earlier, the decision must be an objective one in order to make the decision with confidence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://www.salary.com/Media/Default/graphics/stay-at-home-mom_page_2014.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.salary.com/Media/Default/graphics/stay-at-home-mom_page_2014.png" height="400" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is purely subjective, don't add this to your analysis.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">There is plenty of market research from Procter & Gamble </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">that American women clean 4 hours a week instead of 14. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's one example in how to be objective in a cost benefit analysis of staying home vs working: </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The take-home pay on one income needs to be smaller than you think. If with an employer matching 401k, the breadwinner should increase retirement contributions by 10% because women outlive their men and need something to live off, the 50% of his SSN benefits isn't just going to cut it. The breadwinner also needs to bump up the life insurance premiums to cover expenses without problems for at least a year in the event the breadwinner dies. Depending on the employer, health insurance premiums are more expensive when you add a second child and beyond. This results in the take-home pay being smaller and needs to be considered if you're serious in going off on one income - you do need to mitigate the risk by budgeting for these things rather than just hope for the best. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. </span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Explore The Options</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The truth is that rarely,
there are immediate answers to a problem.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">There are always several, and it’s really
about exploring all those options and making sure you made the right decision
in the end.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/RcG/66X/RcG66X6pi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/RcG/66X/RcG66X6pi.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Explore all options</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">There isn’t a one-size fits all solution when
it comes to staying home or going back to work…there are multiple solutions and
it’s very important to explore those in depth.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.butterfly-maiden.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/personal-freedom-not-one-size.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.butterfly-maiden.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/personal-freedom-not-one-size.gif" height="262" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Repeat this 20 times</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In terms of making the decision around the best approach,
you ask questions such as <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“How important is ____ to me/us?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“What are some things
we truly could not live without?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“How sustainable is
this option for our family if we continue this approach?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“What are my options in the future if I choose X or Y?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In conclusion, these were the steps I took when I approached the decision
of quitting my previous job to stay home and again a few months later when approached with the decision of returning to work or continuing to stay home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After reviewing all aspects of the situation and giving careful, thoughtful consideration, I made my decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Both times, i</span>t
turned out to be a really great decision for the situation at hand and it
resulted in broader opportunities and certainly less stress for the
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Everyone came out happy in the
end.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wallpaperest.com/wallpapers/people-jump-fun-heaven-happiness-next_116101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wallpaperest.com/wallpapers/people-jump-fun-heaven-happiness-next_116101.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now go and make your decision and respect the decisions
of others. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-66466827496370298212015-01-17T17:59:00.000-07:002015-02-08T15:31:25.990-07:00MBA Doubts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Earlier this week a co-worker asked me if I had plans to do an MBA. I replied with </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />"No, I have looked into it and decided not to go"<br /><br />Had he asked me when I had been working 1-2 years worth I would have said yes and not give much thought other than how to get in an MBA program, irrelevant of cost. <br /><br />The longer I've worked though, I start thinking less of how to get in and more of whether an MBA does have a real impact in people's careers, especially since it is a lot of money now to get one. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I now conclude that having an MBA doesn't have much impact in careers other than hardcore finance -- and those jobs require a lot of sacrifice away from family and personal pursuits. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you value your time to what you get paid, the "high salary" may be the equivalent of an entry level job working 40-45 hours a week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If nothing else, prospective MBA students need to know that <b>if they are not careful</b>, an MBA can turn out to be a big and very expensive mistake and close a lot of doors rather than open doors. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />How can an MBA possibly close doors and be an expensive mistake????</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://st5.cj.co.za/static04/files/JunctionSBN/article/nattrid1319806474.05457/2014/09/master-business-administration_banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://st5.cj.co.za/static04/files/JunctionSBN/article/nattrid1319806474.05457/2014/09/master-business-administration_banner.jpg" height="277" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hear me out and let me explain so that you can make an informed decision before devoting all your spare time to GMAT, taking out student loans, and depart from the path of Finding the Job You Love. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">*******</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is easier to find a new job when you are still working. If people tell you otherwise they are lying. This is because real world experience holds more weight instead of isolation from the market for two years. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If going back to school is solely because you hate your current job, and think an MBA will facilitate your career switch or make the magical leap to a manager job that pays well, the first step is to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>GO FIND A NEW JOB IN ANOTHER INDUSTRY/COMPANY INSTEAD OF AN MBA!!!!!</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/p/7/005/08b/167/23bcd60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/p/7/005/08b/167/23bcd60.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If it's not the right fit, keep looking for the job you want, take the Clifton StrengthsFinder to find work that meshes with your strengths, and trust me in due time, you will find the job that works for you. The only way to find that is by focusing your time in working at different places in different roles picking out things you like and discovering things you may be good at. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">People forget that sometimes, it's really about taking a job that is not your ideal job but it puts you in the door for the one you want in that company or a better company. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you have the scarce skills that an employer needs</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">, they will hire you over the top MBA that doesn't have the skills. In fact, if your skills and potential are just that amazing, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">other employers will come out in an attempt to poach you </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">with a compensation package to make you dance with the consideration of leaving the company you are already happy working at!! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you come from a non-business background in an attempt of doing a "career-switch" you are going to have a harder time finding a business/finance job post-grad </span>than the rest of your peers that came to MBA programs with finance experience - always. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> So really think long and hard if you are an artist and want to take out student loans for an MBA. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Prospective MBAs need to add the two years of lost pay, benefits and work experience to the overall program cost. That will be how much you will pay upfront, and you can't guarantee what an employer will offer you post graduation after 2 years...a lot can happen between then. The only thing that is guaranteed after graduation is paying off your student loans.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, prospective MBAs need to be wary that the salary reports posted by business schools are SELF REPORTED. Meaning that if you graduated and didn't get a job or working in a job that pays less, you are just not going to tell the Career Office how much you are really making. So the averages are truly lower. <br /><br />Salaries will increase anyway by staying in the workforce. Prospective MBAs need to know that if they stay working AND change industries/companies with similar job functions, you can expect higher salary increases enough for you to contemplate making the switch. Usually it's about 25%-35% more than previous pay. Internal promotions are around 10%-15%<br /><br />With the rise of part-time, executive and online MBA programs, full-time MBAs are competing with <u>more</u> MBA students than before upon graduating for the same number of jobs along with competing with non-MBAers with the 5-7 years of work experience. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">MBA holders need to go in their interviews realizing that if their hiring managers do not have MBAs, or even undergrad degrees, those managers will not or cannot differentiate the "value" between these MBAs. The only thing that they can see and relate to is relevant work experience, the skills, and aptitude to do the job. Heck some job applications don't even ask what type of MBA you got! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Depending on the employer, and responsibilities of the job, an MBA may be viewed as "over-qualified" or "high-risk" and therefore not requested for interviews. It may be difficult even getting an entry-level job after not working two years! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The MBA does not and will not teach you how to be a manager or leader or give licensure to be one. The MBA teaches business functions and that's it. Many people go into MBA thinking they want to be a manager simply because it seems better and pays better. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Managing others and leadership are things have to be experienced, tried and earned over time in a job that requires managing others. It's more of a craft/art than a science. </span><br />
<br />
Some people are not cut out personality-wise or want the responsibility of being a manager. Meaning, if your team member you supervise does something wrong, it is your fault not theirs - it was your responsibility to develop them. Most MBA students come in as analysts (non-managerial experience) and come out as analysts, because that's all they're learning in an MBA. This can also explain why some of the best managers or leaders never went to school: they simply learned by experience. Seriously my favorite managers never finished college and both of them did cheerleading. Imagine that. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Companies with good management practices in place don't hand off manager duties to an external candidate who hasn't experienced the nuances and personalities of the team members they need to manage. The last thing a good company wants is an inexperienced manager and have their employees quit because of that manager.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are lots of manager jobs out there but the majority are reserved for internal applicants because only they can see them and only internal candidates that have proven their leadership can apply. If you are really good, you are approached with "an opportunity" - no need to apply. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not having loans gives people more options to switch jobs or take a break, all leading to you the job that is right for you considering all factors and not just one that will pay the bills. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The critics are right, the MBA has no correlation to senior management positions I saw at the companies I worked in. (university healthcare, health insurance, and now banking)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My opinion is to first get used to working first for as long as you've been in college plus the two years you would have committed to an MBA. Waiting a bit longer gives you enough time to mature, witness some good work experience, as well as the bad, and most importantly think more objectively if the cost of the MBA program plus the 2 years of lost work experience and wages is really what you want to do. Life choices should be taken into consideration but the problem is that most people in their 20s and fresh out of college do not have enough perspective to consider this and thus do not do the proper due diligence in getting an MBA. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you still want to get an MBA, you need to talk to alumni 2-3 years out of the programs you're interested in. That group will provide the most objective and relatively current opinion about their MBA experience. Ask them what they did before grad school, how they felt about the program, whether it oversold and under delivered, and what jobs they are doing now. You may be surprised as was myself discovering this, that many grads are not necessarily happier or better situated now than they were before the MBA. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">
There. I just saved you two years of your life, a decade of student loan payments, and free up your evenings and weekends studying for the GMAT. </span></div>
Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-27201388212042099182015-01-06T23:26:00.001-07:002015-01-06T23:30:53.406-07:00Advice No One Tells You about Paying for College<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white;">Any of you going to college this year wondering how to pay for it? Allow me to lay it all down for you. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">If you go pro athlete or pro entrepreneur while or before stepping in college, congratulations, none of this will apply to you. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Everyone else, read on. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2012/09/college-fund-piggy-bank-600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2012/09/college-fund-piggy-bank-600.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: red;">Once you start, you need to finish your degree program on time or sooner.</span></b> Any delay in your degree program makes it more expensive in the long run. Let me explain. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;">Going to school part-time may be an option, but it does come with financial risk.</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">The reality is that tuition increases rise faster in an 8 year span than average wages in 8 years for someone with no college degree working full-time and attending school part-time. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">You may leave school with "no debt" but you risk losing 4 years of increases in salary for someone with a college degree. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Depending on where you go to school, taking out modest student loans and finishing on time or sooner is less expensive in the long run than going to school part-time. In addition, going to school full-time makes you eligible for scholarships that you need to research and apply for. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">Education at any cost is very bad financial advice. </span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Even if you got accepted to the best ranked program, if you cannot afford to go, think very long and hard about the student loans you anticipate taking out</span><br />
<div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The rule of thumb for </span>student loans is this:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">The total amount of your loans after graduating should not exceed </span></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">what you could be making in your 1st year of pay in your selected profession.</span></b> </span><b style="color: red; font-family: inherit;"> </b></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">If paying back your student loans is going to be an issue, on top of where you want to live and work after graduation...you need to search for alternatives that will allow you to finish school on time and begin building your personal masses of wealth. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: red;"><b>Go to an affordable program</b> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">One that does not require you to take massive amounts of loans. No one cares if you went to community college and then transferred. And another thing...</span><br />
<b style="color: red;"><br /></b>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: red;">You will be fine or come out better off financially not going to a ranked/elite program</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Once in a job, h</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">ow well you do and how much you progress really depends on how your competencies fit the Key Responsibility Areas of your job description, and hardly on where you went to school. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"><b>It is not so much about going to the right school as it is picking the right major. </b></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> It is important to figure out a major early and not change it 2, 3 or 7 times, delaying your completion date. Some majors are better than others in terms of entry-level employability and </span>facilitating<span style="font-family: inherit;"> paying off your loans. Decide on a major, f</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">inish your major on time, and move on with your life.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Apply for all the scholarships you are qualified for. 90% of them require you to submit a transcript, maybe proof of financial aid, and just answer the question. </span></span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">All it takes is research what scholarships are available, see if you meet the minimum qualifications, submit a copy of your transcript and just answer the question on the scholarship application. It is usually just a </span><span style="color: #222222;">paragraph. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222;">Some scholarships require near perfect GPAs but I discovered that several do not, particularly the ones that require proof of financial aid (at least a 3.0) and there were more of that going around than honors scholarships. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Applying to scholarships is similar to applying for jobs. You are not qualified for everything out there but you need to set time aside to search and apply for jobs. If you see a job you are qualified for, apply for it! And just like jobs...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">You may not be selected for your scholarship, but you still keep your edge on and applying.</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Just like in the real world, t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -24px;">his will happen to all of us at some point in our careers, where we are 1 of 2 finalists for a position</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -24px;"> but don’t get the job. It is</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -24px;"> important to not get discouraged and lose our edge when we are not selected. I’ve seen too many people who have gotten discouraged, lost their drive and pretty soon, they go from being the next to candidate #3, then #7 to not being interviewed at all. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-indent: -24px;">When one door closes, another will open. </span></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-57309877613659355402014-12-21T16:22:00.002-07:002014-12-24T15:28:44.024-07:00How to Get a job after 1 year not working<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I interviewed at 4 companies while pregnant, all leading to 2nd and sometimes 3rd rounds but no offers. <br />
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I stopped looking for jobs 7 months pregnant and when Baby was 4 months I decided to job search again--by then it was 10 months of unemployment. <br />
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After two months of commencing the job search, I had interviews with 3 more companies resulting in 2 job offers offering 25% more increase in pay than my previous position. <br />
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This is what I did to get a job, no matter how long I had been out of work. <br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">I did not apply for any and all jobs</span></b> Primarily because it had to be worth my time and resources going back to work with kids. I only applied to jobs where I knew I could grow and succeed in the role. And only to jobs within a 15 minute commute or less---I value my time to what I get paid and did not want to waste 3 hours of my day commuting. <br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>I applied as soon as as I could for interested jobs. </b></span> Most of the time, employers need to start looking for someone right away. I would look at least once week for new postings. Indeed.com is my go-to for job searching and prefer it over Monster.com. I also looked at company websites and enrolled in email alerts and checked out Craigslist.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">I made sure that my resume addressed the items listed on the job description</span></b>. Most companies today use programs to pick out key words and employment dates from resumes and rank applicants by best match to the job posting. On top of downloading a .pdf copy of my resume to my application, I also pasted and copied my work experience in the .txt section of the application. It takes longer to do but the chance to be picked up by the system to get noticed increases. <br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>I submitted cover letters</b></span> If the hiring manager does not look at resumes, they look at cover letters. The goal of a cover letter is to prove why you would be a good fit for the position and request an interview at closing. <br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">I went to a head hunter.</span></b> It doesn't cost a thing for job applicants to go to one. Here's a secret: Head hunters are much better than college career counselors giving feedback on your resume, because they are in the real world and know what works for all sorts of applicants to get noticed by employers. College career counselors do not.<br />
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The head hunter told me to change two things on my resume. The average resume read is TEN SECONDS before dumping or move on for an interview. Because of my gap, the head hunter recommended to (1) put skills toward the top of the resume and (2) re-format the chronology of one of my jobs to highlight the promotion, which wasn't apparent at a quick glance from my previous resumes. Making these changes to my resume, I was able to get more interviews. In fact, only one interview was from a head hunter referral, the rest I found all on my own. <br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>I used this magic word</b></span> that helped me while filling my applications, on the part where I need to explain why I left my previous positions, particularly the one that had a gap. <br />
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First job: internal promotion<br />
Second: left for external position<br />
Third: <b><span style="color: red;">Personal Reasons</span></b><br />
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People have all sorts of reasons for leaving their jobs and Personal Reasons is one of them. Plus it sounds better than saying "Had Kids" or "Harassment at Work " or "Death of Loved One" or "Moved for Spouse's Job" or "Was Hospitalized" and anything else that is personal.<br />
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It is important during interviews when asked "Why did you Leave Your Job" to say you left for Personal Reasons....<b><span style="color: red;">AND LEAVE IT AT THAT.</span></b> Good managers respect your privacy and more interested in knowing why you're the best person for the job. Bad managers are the complete opposite and you don't want to work for one!<br />
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If you're looking for a job, you need to keep applying when job openings pop up, keep yourself busy during the job search, and accept the reality that you have no control in hiring decisions upon submitting your application. <br />
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When you do get a call back for an interview, show up and prove you are the best person for the job. <br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-58845569136308313212014-08-24T10:38:00.002-06:002015-01-07T00:03:35.468-07:00Interview Warning Signs That You Shouldn't Take the Job<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">College career centers are good at helping grads out with résumé building, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">how to dress to impress, how to prepare for common interview questions, basically focus on Just Getting the Job. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">You get drilled on this before graduating college and not much else</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">but they <b><span style="color: red;">don't emphasize on how to interview your potential employers and educating entry level job seekers on signs that you <u>shouldn't take the job!</u></span></b></span><br />
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Not just any job will do! <br />
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Because once you get into a job and discover your boss Jekyll is actually Hyde, it will be very hard to transfer or get promoted internally, on top of being miserable with your job. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>If you want to enter into a job that is free of bullying, harassment, discrimination, office politics, corruption, and bad managers, you need to ask the questions that matter! </b></span></div>
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Here are 14 questions you MUST ask at interviews with signs to look out for so you can gain better insight of whether or not you should take the job. <br />
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When it's your turn to answer questions, the first question must always be:<br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;">Why is this position open?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A great answer would be that it is a new position. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But that's not enough though, ask:</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<b style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Why this new position? </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the answer is pretty much to the extent of </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"No one wants to do this task so we will hire someone to do it" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">then that's a red flag! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You don't want a manager who is just hiring only for the task at hand. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If so, the manager is being short sighted </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">and not thinking in the best interest of the candidate or his team. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Hiring is an investment for the manager, his/her team and especially you, the candidate. </span></u></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Good managers want someone that not only can do the job </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">but can grow into their job :-)</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If the position is a replacement, ask:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">What was the reason </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">for the employee leaving?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Great answer is that the employee got promoted internally as a manager like they are. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is especially good if that former employee interviews you in the second round because the hiring manager has nothing to hide. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The employee leaving for an external position is a red flag - because the two reasons to leave a company is (1) the pay sucks or (2) the manager sucks (overwhelming majority of the time). </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you want to be paid peanuts and/or work for an emotional terrorist?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The employee making a lateral transfer can be a red flag. They didn't like the job or the manager or both. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The employee that received a promotion but didn't interview you in your subsequent interviews is a red flag - he/she got promoted solely because that manager is a jerk and the company didn't want that employee to leave so that employee got promoted in order not to report to that manager. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But you're not done asking questions to get a better insight whether or not you should take the job. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>How often </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>has this position been filled?</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Depending on the scope of the job, turnover can be a red flag and especially if those employees moved on to external positions.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is training like?</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the hiring manager tells you they hope you pick up quickly within 6 weeks to 3 months but later in the interview says they don't want you to transfer for a year even though company policy says you can transfer internally in 6 months that is a red flag. That manager doesn't know how to train and perhaps never did your job you're interviewing for. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you evaluate </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">job performance for new hires? </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you evaluate your team? </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How is your team evaluated?</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
Each manager and company has different standards but pay attention if the hiring manager dances around the question. You want to look for <u>consistency and equitability for all three questions</u>. You don't want a manager that plays favorites and you want a manager that takes responsibility and accountability for the performance and welfare of the team they manage. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">How long you've been </span></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">with the company? </span></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">How long you've </span></b><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">been </span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">managing your team for?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not a red flag if that manager hasn't been in the role too long but if she/he hadn't given good responses to your other questions - that manager wasn't promoted and/or hired for the right reasons. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>How long have your </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>team members worked for you? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>How long they've </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>been with the company?</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The longer the better in both questions. Shows that they like working for that manager and the team they are in. </span><br />
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*Update 1/6/2014 You may also want to ask this:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tell me more about your team you manage...what was the </span>number<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of team members you were responsible for when you became manager and the number of team members you currently manage? </span></span></b></div>
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You want to be wary and find out why if the number decreased. People quit or request to work under a different manager when a new manager sucks. The senior manager isn't about to let that manager get demoted because it would prove she/he made a very bad hiring decision and just let that bad manager supervise 2 people instead of the 5 people managed. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because the interviewer will be impressed that you had well thought out questions than the other job candidates--good chances you will be invited the second round. :-D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ask the same questions above to corroborate your previous responses. Corroboration is so important! Different responses and/or inconsistency to same questions can uncover more red flags. In addition remember to ask</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">: </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #e69138;">What is it like </span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #e69138;">working for this manager?</span></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can find out a lot just by asking this question because bad managers and their current employees dance around this important question. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Good managers are honest about the areas they are constantly working on to improve - not just the areas where they excel. They care and stand up for their team, not use them and the management position as a springboard for the next promotion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b>What are some qualities you like</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b> about this manager?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I asked this to two prospective employers in which I got offers from.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Cha-ching!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I accepted the offer that had the best answer. Good answers came easily with MANY specific examples in which I loved and was sold on. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was confident going in that I would be working for a wonderful boss who would look out for my best interests as well as my teammates and in turn, we do everything we can to deliver superior service and results. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The weaker response was "So and so is loyal". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn't want to work for a manager whose only good quality is being "loyal". </span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-40781827473396884692014-08-21T21:40:00.001-06:002014-12-24T15:27:39.693-07:00Back at Work after Baby<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm late in announcing...I'm Back At work! I returned to full time employment when Baby was 6 months old. I stayed home 11 months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>FAQ (aka Questions by Me and Answered by Me in my blog)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b><span style="color: magenta;">Which is harder - Stay at home mom or working mom? </span></b>I think both are super hard if you don't have your husband to help you out at home. Caring for young children is a full time job with very little to no flexibility for breaks or other home responsibilities unless another adult steps in to help.<br /><br />The bulk of laundry, cooking, and cleaning got completed once my husband got home from work when I was home full-time. One of us tended to our child while the other did whatever needed to be done. If she was asleep we both would clean and cook together and maybe if we were lucky, watch a show on TV together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This hasn't changed since I returned to work full time nearly four months ago. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: magenta;">Where are you working now?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At one of the best companies on the planet - American Express. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">This is a great company for working parents to look into. </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">(Opinions on this blog are my own, not of American Express)</span></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">Do you still nurse? </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes!! I'm so happy about that since I had such a rough start when she was born. Being at an extremely woman friendly employer helped to continue with nursing. More on that later.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">Guilty? </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nope. It made perfect sense to do this for our family at this time. Just like it made perfect sense over a year ago to stay home during pregnancy. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">Who watches your kid? </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Someone we absolutely trust and come to love like family. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">Were you bored at home? </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Never. This is the biggest lie ever - that staying home is boring. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I always had things to do, and still have things to do - especially with my baby!</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">Are you sad about missing firsts? </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">At home I missed my baby's first rollover and then some while she was a newborn because I was sleep deprived enough to where I hallucinated that cats were everywhere in the house. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Babies are unpredictable and do what they want whenever they want to, not just from 8-5pm, M-F. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Babies discover and do new things everyday and every thing a baby does each day is awesome. It is really amazing as a parent to witness. </span></div>
Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-15538869041416797792014-07-22T07:39:00.002-06:002015-08-10T17:06:46.773-06:00How to get in the 800 Credit Score and Above Club in Eight Steps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Ever wonder what people do to get credit scores that are off the charts? Well I can tell you because my score is over 800. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Here's a sampling of what I've done.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">1. Open a revolving credit card account albeit with a small limit ($450-$600) first thing in college</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">2. Take out student loans - but think long and hard about getting student loans where the total amount exceeds the amount you expect to earn in a year with that education. That is why I picked accounting instead of art.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">3. Pay the revolving credit card balance in full, every month. Never pay the minimum. Why pay interest?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">4. Upon graduation, start paying off the balance of your student loans every month. Start with the minimum, and then increase the monthly payments little by little when you get a job. Set up automatic payment and get a discount off the fixed interest rate.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">5. After being upset that I wouldn't get a credit increase on my first card, despite proving I paid on time and in full for many years, I applied for another revolving credit card with a higher limit and CASH BACK. Eventually the first card closed on its own. So far I have not applied for another card because they kept extending my limit so I did not need another card. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">6. Charge any expense I'd be making anyway to the credit card - groceries, bills, gas, etc BUT I PAY IN FULL AND ALWAYS ON TIME. I NEVER EVER pay the minimum and I never pay interest. I also NEVER have anything go into collections including medical bills, rent, magazine subscriptions etc. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">7. If I am eligible for an increase in my credit on my card, I always say YES. I want to prove I can borrow more and still pay back in full what I borrow.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Last but not least...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">8. NEVER CHECK YOUR OWN CREDIT. It lowers your score no matter what you read online saying that it doesn't. It does. Sounds extreme but I assure you people in the 800 club don't do this. There are better and practical ways to prevent identity theft such as reviewing statements on all your accounts every month, sometimes weekly. And when you do apply for a loan, you get your credit checked there and can clear any discrepancies from reviewing the report. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Follow these steps and enjoy the best interest rates offered on loans that do matter - a car and a house. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">PS: Anyone who tells you to never get a credit card is clueless with managing money in general. </span></span></span><br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-40439218356245211252014-06-10T22:07:00.002-06:002014-06-10T22:07:52.601-06:00Time to fix the Broken American financial system<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Did you know that...</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Traditional financial services are not working for most of the American population. Money gives people options, and without options, it holds people back. Many hardworking Americans do not have a bank account or do not have access to traditional financial services. They rely on cash and checks and tend to turn to alternative financial services, like check cashers, pawn shops, money order services and payday lenders, making them stuck in their financial situation because of the amount of fees it requires to use those alternative services. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">The good news is that while it is a large issue, it can be fixed. There is <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/curtis-arnold/american-express-touts-bl_b_5457708.html"><span style="color: blue;"><b>new technology, new ideas, and affordable financial service products to help people who can't access the traditional services</b></span></a>* so that consumers avoid those alternative services that rob hard workers through </span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">unnecessary</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> fees. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">This issue is very important to me. Many times on my blog I talk about money. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I know that 89 billion dollars can go a long way making our </span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">world and our families happier if they didn't went into unnecessary fees of businesses that rob people instead of helping them. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">Watch this powerful documentary about this issue <a href="http://www.spentmovie.com/index.html">HERE</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: xx-small;">*opinions are my own and not of American Express</span></div>
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-24359039174944101082014-06-02T06:58:00.003-06:002014-06-02T06:58:38.103-06:00How to Wheel and Deal on A New Car Like a Lady<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dave's car got hit by a clueless driver. Thankfully no one was hurt. People aren't replaceable - but cars are. <br />
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Time to shop for another one!<br />
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We decided that we would replace the archaic 17 year old Honda Accord with over 200K+ miles with a brand new 2014 Honda Accord Sport fresh off the factory belt. <br />
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Yeah! Our first new car ever for the both of us!!!!<br />
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When people (*ahem* men!) found out we were shopping for a new car<br />
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"Why are you wanting to buy a NEW car?"<br />
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"I would never pay to buy a new car. You lose so much money, like $5K on depreciation"<br />
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I simply had to nod when I heard that, because they didn't understand how the business works when it comes to making money off cars, especially new ones. <br />
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How much markup is there on a new car? Depending on the brand and model, very little, around 4-6% as a factory to dealer incentive when offered. By selling the car at invoice price, the dealer is already getting about 4%. <br />
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How much markup is there on a used car that is 1-3 years old? About 15-30% range. I think that's a pretty significant difference. Plus the manufacturer warranty is expiring by then, you have to determine the mileage and other stuff about the condition of the car - stuff I had no knowledge or time to learn more about. <br />
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The way I saw it, shopping for a new vehicle was easier, because the only thing I had to determine and deal with was the PRICE. <br />
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Before going shopping we looked up four things:<br />
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<li>The MSRP of the car at the manufacturer's website - only suckers pay retail for anything! </li>
<li>What other people in our area paid for the 2014 Honda Accord - about 12% lower from MSRP-this was something we couldn't pass up! </li>
<li>The dealer invoice price - every Honda dealer pays the same price and all get the same incentives, rebates etc from the manufacturer</li>
<li>What dealers in our area were offering to sell the car. We went to three dealerships. </li>
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Doing this, we had a pretty good idea of how much we should really pay for a new Accord and asking the questions that mattered - everything tied to the price of the car. <br />
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For a lady, bringing your man isn't enough; you need your man AND a plan. We talked and agreed about what we planned to do at each visit "We are not buying tonight. We need to ask about X, Y and Z. And most importantly we need to ask 'Can you beat our best price of $_____'"<br />
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The thought of car shopping and negotiating seems foreign and intimidating to most of the female population. If you are apprehensive about talking to car salespeople, think this way:<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">This is YOUR money - not theirs. You're the one in charge!</span></b> Don't agree to anything you did not ask for. Simple as that. All dealers want you to be their buyer and not their competitor's; if they can't offer what you want, you go to another dealer. With new cars, they can't throw the "Someone else will buy it" because you can always order the car if it's not in stock. <br />
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We negotiated for a week bringing Baby in tow to all three dealerships. She turned out to be really helpful, because when we didn't like a price that was offered, and wanted to leave, we said something to the extent of "Well it's getting close to her bedtime, we would like to talk more but we need to leave now" The task of the car salespeople is trying to get you to buy TODAY. <br />
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We keep going back and forth from dealerships every night (minus Sunday) until two out of the three dealers couldn't beat our best price offered, "Go buy it from them."<br />
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Yes, it's possible for inexperienced car buyers to wheel and deal at a great price on a new car. By great price, I am talking BELOW fair market value. Even with the taxes and fees, we paid less than what the car could sell for in 5 years. <br />
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You don't need to bring me to your negotiations for a new car. I know YOU CAN DO IT, not be fooled by anyone, and succeed. <br />
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Once you know what you want to buy, you<br />
-Do your price research...this is a must. <br />
-Ask questions about the price and the itemized quotes, out-the-door price.<br />
-Keep it cool. Don't be swayed by your emotions. Listen to the salesman and pick out key words that he or she will say. "You said X, so are you willing to do this for Y?"<br />
-Don't set an appointment. Just walk in when you're ready to talk. <br />
-Read stuff online about common car sales techniques, there is great information worth reading. You will not be swayed by any type of car salesperson personality either. <br />
-If you have awesome credit, financing the new car is better in the long run, especially if there is a killer interest rate. (If financing through the dealership - they will try to trick you at the very last minute getting you on a higher interest rate, so keep an eagle eye out. I knew we qualified for a 0.9% instead of the 2.7%, I told them to fix that upon my review before signing)<br />
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<br />
We felt so super with our new car purchase. Even the head honcho of the dealership came up to us and said we beat him and didn't make any money on us (I'm sure he made some but not as much as he hoped) The night before purchasing he even tried to be aggressive and get us to buy on the spot "Take it or leave it" but that didn't work along with his gruff stature and demeanor. We just left and came back the next evening saying<br />
<br />
"We will buy this car tonight but only if you take out X, Y, Z...and A!"<br />
<br />
Before leaving, he asked<br />
<br />
"What do you do for a living?"<br />
<br />
"I'm an analyst"<br />
<br />
"What do you analyze?"<br />
<br />
"Cash" <br />
<br />
"Aaah...I see. Man you're good" and smiled. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_SdraU-5D6vdEYRh29uuk_7MperfOoxVa5w52bEzgEQM3uVi0IMxZGeuqVmRy_DptxJHU9jzwo7VY1LXjzcElLKUOfUY7CGLAZsOMfbHun_jh3rettD1RGyM5nv_cf6AFmXSKg8ewXI/s1600/smith5132+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_SdraU-5D6vdEYRh29uuk_7MperfOoxVa5w52bEzgEQM3uVi0IMxZGeuqVmRy_DptxJHU9jzwo7VY1LXjzcElLKUOfUY7CGLAZsOMfbHun_jh3rettD1RGyM5nv_cf6AFmXSKg8ewXI/s1600/smith5132+2.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bye bye Dave's car. Thanks for the happy memories. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XeCRgsHQYCkOWwwE1NT1VsOabVzQIyyap_ODGUtsCUf_CbEWMlgFRKIX1otuIKY3S5IgAw3H6TNQ2QpkxekKWH8fgM8pNlQZ-fB-AQkVMKq5jOIaaE1vzywEHTAsUAePPDHZnbQ5TFU/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XeCRgsHQYCkOWwwE1NT1VsOabVzQIyyap_ODGUtsCUf_CbEWMlgFRKIX1otuIKY3S5IgAw3H6TNQ2QpkxekKWH8fgM8pNlQZ-fB-AQkVMKq5jOIaaE1vzywEHTAsUAePPDHZnbQ5TFU/s1600/photo.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello gorgeous! (Dave)<br />2014 Honda Accord Sport</td></tr>
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-65498002236135927222014-05-11T11:26:00.000-06:002014-05-11T11:26:29.378-06:00Be a Good Mom no Matter What<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had an epiphany a while back that I would like to share.<br />
<br />
<br />
We all know and can name:<br />
<br />
The good single mothers as well as the bad single mothers<br />
<br />
The good rich mothers as well as the bad rich mothers<br />
<br />
The good poor mothers as well as the bad poor mothers<br />
<br />
The good military mothers as well as the bad military mothers<br />
<br />
The good mothers with one child as well as the bad mothers with one child<br />
<br />
The good mothers with many children as well as the bad mothers with many children<br />
<br />
The good stay-at-home mothers as well as the bad stay-at-home mothers<br />
<br />
The good working mothers as well as the bad working mothers.<br />
<br />
<br />
That being said, your circumstances do not automatically make you a "good" or "bad" mom.<br />
<br />
With regard to motherhood, <u>it's one of the most important jobs there is</u>. You MUST WORK HARD at being a good mom-period. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">You have to be a good mother no matter your circumstances in life. </span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
No excuses.<br />
No whining.<br />
No wimping out.<br />
No wasting time online or arguing whose a better mom or validating your circumstances to assure you are a good mom<br />
No running home to your mommy when life gets tough--you're an adult. Face it and fix the problem. <br />
<br />
Staying home didn't automatically made me a "good mom" neither did returning to work full-time automatically made me a "good mom"<br />
<br />
Once I had my little Baby in my arms I knew no matter what, I had to do all I can to be the mother that she needs me to be--irrelevant of the circumstances. I love her very very very much. <br />
<br />
I also like this quote but the entire speech is incredible and appropriate for all parents. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS08tKRNc7qVjV9Iyu3QmST5qQM-czalEU6JiuGfKQtl1O7OOhNjqY-XHuwKNXp8s5Xt3kqeDXJmTbvYZgDwU-sb4vciM2GuvhjaQLWICQTmzz32axyo846oEOAj3ZY1FhR0sYgoBKv8s/s640/Photo%252520May%25252013%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A35%252520AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS08tKRNc7qVjV9Iyu3QmST5qQM-czalEU6JiuGfKQtl1O7OOhNjqY-XHuwKNXp8s5Xt3kqeDXJmTbvYZgDwU-sb4vciM2GuvhjaQLWICQTmzz32axyo846oEOAj3ZY1FhR0sYgoBKv8s/s640/Photo%252520May%25252013%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A35%252520AM.jpg" height="400" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From a talk given by a General Authority from the <br />Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. <br />Read more <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/daughters-of-god?lang=eng">HERE</a><br /></td></tr>
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Happy Mother's Day<br />
<br /></div>
Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4155835301428514256.post-82967874051546237692014-04-25T22:06:00.001-06:002015-02-08T15:38:20.632-07:00Utah Moms Prefer Plastic Surgery over Vaccinating their Babies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was surprised upon discovering that a lot of families in Utah do not vaccinate their children. <br />
<br />
This came about after wondering why there were several billboards about vaccine advocacy while driving on I-15. Isn't the majority of the population in Utah all about being healthy, up to the point of abstaining from tobacco, alcohol, and even coffee and tea?<br />
<br />
Utah does have one of the highest rates for autism prevalence. However, I don't believe that this alone is the reason many mothers in Utah opt out of vaccinating their children. <br />
<br />
I think the low Utah vaccination rates are more due to a narcissistic mentality that is so prevalent in this state.<br />
<br />
Jenny McCarthy has led a lot of moms to believe in her claims because she is a mommy just like them but to some Utah moms they want to look just as good as her, cuz she's a mommy too. <br />
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<a href="http://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/091410_jenny_mccarthy_544_xxxx_actressje_jorda_56093814_max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/091410_jenny_mccarthy_544_xxxx_actressje_jorda_56093814_max.jpg" height="400" width="301" /></a></div>
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Any mom living in Utah can admit that they've seen this with women they know through their social circles. This obsession with looking "perfect"<br />
<br />
At church or in your neighborhood, it's all about looking better than the other moms and their imperfect kids. <br />
<br />
Think about it: <br />
<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>The majority of women that opt for <a href="http://www.surgery.org/sites/default/files/Stats2013_3.pdf"><span style="color: magenta;">plastic surgery</span></a> are white, married, and college educated.</li>
<li>The majority of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15231927"><span style="color: magenta;">mothers that refuse vaccinations</span></a> are white, married, and college educated. </li>
<li>The majority of the <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/us/census/data/utah/demographic.html"><span style="color: magenta;">female population</span></a> in Utah consist of white, married, and college educated women. </li>
<li>Utah is <a href="http://saltlakemagazine.com/blog/2013/05/02/utahs-mommy-makeover/"><span style="color: magenta;">notorious</span></a> for plastic surgery because of white, married, and college educated women done with having lots of kids at an earlier age. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
To a "perfect" mom, her children would not be targeted by dangerous viruses or toxins because the children are her children. Along with posting daily <a href="http://www.realfarmacy.com/scientists-link-selfies-to-narcissism-addiction-mental-illness/"><span style="color: magenta;">selfies</span></a> on social media of what she wore, how she did her hair or how she looked at the gym, to enhance her "perfect/hot mom" image, she would never in her life create defective children. <br />
<br />
To a "perfect" mom, needing to vaccinate suggests that she runs the risk of creating imperfect/defective children, or heaven forbid, they become autistic children, or have toxins in their perfect little bodies. <br />
<br />
Not vaccinating her children is just a way for a Utah mommy with ridiculously flexible morals to feel superior to the rest of the Utah mommies and their imperfect children.<br />
<br />
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Alina Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808418121907394797noreply@blogger.com0