Income - Careers & Extra Jobs - part 2

Resumes

So now that we know what we want to do, where we want to work, and what characteristics are important for us to be successful in our endeavors, let's talk about that all important resume.

Resumes do not get jobs, they get interviews. The resume’s job is to only score an interview. You can look great on paper but be a mess in person and you will not get the job, even if you are more than qualified. In fact, the decision to hire you is made in the first 3-5 minutes of an interview. Many times, the handshake will make you or break you. No one wants to shake a cold dead fish. So, having an impressive resume is only half of the equation. On the other hand, you can be the perfect candidate for the job, but if you have a resume that is sub par, you will be passed by based on your resume alone.

You are in the parketing business when you are looking for a job. You are selling yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not! If it’s not a fit, just say, “You know, this isn’t a fit.” And that’s okay. You don’t have to take the first job that comes along. But there at least needs to be truth in advertising.

Customize every single resume to the position and company you are hoping to work for. Your resume shouldn’t only list where you’ve been, but what you learned where you’ve been and how it applies to this particular situation. Just customize every single resume, and your mission statement is to work for that company.

Have you ever been in a position where you were to wade through resumes? People put the craziest stuff on them, especially for their objective or “mission statement” that has nothing to do with the job that they are applying for. At one job I was filling my position once I had moved up and one lady put something along the lines that she wanted to have an orchard or be a tree farmer. She was applying for a legal secretary position. We had a good laugh, but the resume ended up in the shredder. If you take the time to customize your resumes, it stands a better chance of not going to the shredder or trash can.

When looking for jobs, you need to realize that only about 15% of the jobs out there are listed in the classifieds. Most people get jobs through networking, because they know someone who knows someone. When you're in the job market, you need to let everyone know that you're out there! Many times if you can come with a personal recommendation, you will land the job.

Now conversely, if you know someone is a lousy fit for your company, do not vouch for that person and put your name on the line. In business, your name is very valuable and you do not want to tarnish it.

A Different Approach

If you’re in the market for a particular job and you do not see or hear of any openings, then you can try to make one.

Target the companies you’d like to work for and contact them at least 3 times. First send out a simple introduction letter. Not a resume – just a simple letter saying that I’m about to be bothering you. Say something like, “I’ve identified your company as a really good place to hire me, and over the next several weeks, you’re going to identify me as someone you really want on your team.” Sounds arrogant? No, it sounds confident. You’re essentially saying I’m getting ready to market myself and will be pestering you (without actually saying it). You just tell them about you and that you will be sending them another cover letter with a resume.

Send a cover letter and resume. Now this resume should be tailored to the specific position and company. In the cover letter, tell them that you will be giving them a phone follow-up. Most companies are under 100 employees and so you’re resume isn’t going to end up in the trash. Now that they have your initial letter, cover letter, and resume….they are now expecting YOUR call…if for no other reason than sheer curiosity.

Call to follow up. It does you no good to be as bold as you’ve been and then drop the ball by not calling. You have people waiting for your call and they will take it when you do. This is the time to request an interview.

Be Persistent, not pushy. There is a fine line between pestering and being persistant. A lot of it depends on the type of job or company you are dealing with. If you’re trying to get a job in a high pressure sales industry, being very persistent is a very good thing. It shows off a marketable skill in that field. However, if you are an accountant and you pester the heck out of them, they’re going to think that you’re going to fret and worry about every single penny and it will drive them crazy.

Interview Etiquette

1. Be well groomed and clean. If you have poor hygiene, you will not get the job.
2. Lay off the cologne and perfume. You do not know if the interviewer has allergies!
3. Use breathmints right before the interview. You do not want to be sucking on one during the interview or chewing gum!
4. It's better to be over dressed than under dressed.
5. Shake hands firmly. No one likes to shake a cold dead fish.
6. Make lots of eye contact.
7. Ask questions and look interested. Do some reasearch and have questions prepared to ask the interviewer. It will be impressive.
8. Don't use words like, "Um" and "Like"
9. Be direct in your responses. Don't get into long winded stories.
10. Sit up straight.
11. Smile. Don't look like the interview is the most painful thing you've ever lived through. Show those pearly whites!
12. Let your personality shine through. Let them see the real you...but not too much of the real you.
13. Don't be afraid to tell the truth. If they ask you tough questions, it's okay to just tell the truth. If they don't like your answers, that's okay because that company isn't a fit for you anyway.
14. Practice before you go so that you can be confident.

After having been through many interviews and giving many interviews, I am continuously amazed at how strange people act during the interview process. They twirl their hair, lick their lips A LOT, they get the crazy look, and there's always that moment when you ask them if they have questions for you and you get the blank stare. "Um.....no, I think you answered all my questions." Or, there's that one question that always throws people for a loop. "What are your weaknesses?" Oh crap...you mean that I've gotta tell you that stuff?!? The key is to be honest, but spin your weakness into a strength by the time you finish your sentence. That way, you tell them the truth but put a positive spin on it.

Extra Jobs

Now that you have your dream job, let’s talk about the second part of raising your income, and that’s the second jobs. For some people, that’s tough. It’s tough to swallow your pride and take that second job. Sometimes it’s a tough, pride crushing decision to do what you need to do for a short time until you get into a better position. For a short period of time, sometimes you need to step down out of your comfort zone to take care of your family and to make things happen. I don’t want you to do this forever. I want you to do the things we’ve talked about, so these extra (second and third) jobs are just temporary.

Why get a second job?

1. To put food on the table.

2. To dynamite the log jam. Sometimes you just wouldn’t be able to get the emergency fund saved up or get that debt snowball rolling any other way. Second jobs do that….they get things rolling.

2. To pay off some small bills. Some of those $50 bills, those $100 bills, those little mosquito bills that you need to get off you. If you work for a couple months, you can knock a lot of them out.

3. To buy something you want. Since we are always paying for things with cash now (because cash has power!), sometimes we need a little more of it to save up for something we want. It can be a jet ski, a Harley, a new dining room table and chairs…whatever. That second job makes it possible.

4. To build a lump sum savings. Dave told a story about a man he met once and they had just found out his wife was pregnant with their second child. They had done everything right, but the budget was tight. They had been saving for their first child’s college education all along, but they just couldn’t find that extra $50 a month to send the new baby to college. Dave looked it over and couldn’t find anything and essentially sent the guy home without much help. 9 months later the couple came up to Dave with their new baby, and the wife said, “Dave, you won’t believe what this man has been doing for the last 9 months. He has been working 7 nights a week delivering pizzas. He has saved up $12,000 so that this baby can go to college. Now that’s a dad.

So what can you do for a second job? The list is endless but here are a few good ideas:
Slinging pizzas Delivering Papers
Working Fast Food UPS / Fed Ex
Cleaning Offices Babysitting
Tutoring Walmart
Restaurants Mowing Lawns
Grocery Stores Parking Cars
Hauling Scrap Metal Sitters for the Elderly
House Sitting Dog Walking

It doesn't really matter WHAT you do. The important thing to remember is that it is temporary and it is a means to an end.

Home Based Businesses

A second job doesn’t always have to be outside of the home. Sometimes it can be these home based businesses or cottage industries. It's something you can do in your living room, part time and on weekends until you can get it off the ground. Did you know that Dave started Financial Peace out of his living room? Yep, he started there, and just like you, the goal is to start there, start small, and then move further and further from the living room.

Avon, Tupperware, Pampered Chef, and all those other things people sell are also technically home based businesses. Now I will say that very few people do well selling these products. Many end up with a lot of inventory that no one wants. However, some do very well at it, so you have to look and see if this is something that is a passion of yours and if you won’t make all your friends, neighbors, and relatives mad by harassing them to order stuff.

Crafts, Cakes, Catering, or any other talent you posess can also earn you money. These can be done from your home too. I just started making hair bows and flower clips for little girls with hopes of selling them. It’s nothing major but it’s a little extra money. Same with cake decorating. I have started decorating cakes for profit lately – I’ve always known how to do it, but now I can make money off of it. It’s something I love and I’m good at. You have something you’re good at too…why not make some money off of it?

Additional Sources of Income (Quick Money)

Surveys. You have to be careful about where you go online but there are legitimate services out there. There is also a place in the Rivergate Mall called Quick Test. I worked there in High School, and NO it is not an AIDS testing center. (You have no idea how many people asked about that) It is a place where you can take surveys. Depending on the survey you can either try new products or earn money. They are also the people in the halls with clipboards that want to ask you questions. They might be annoying but they can earn you a few extra bucks or give you some new products to try. I have done surveys on trail mix, cosmetics, commercials (those pay!), bath and body products, and much much more.

Blogs. If you blog anyway you can add Google AdSense to your blog and maybe make a few bucks off advertisements. The down-side is that you do not get paid until you make your first $100. If you have quite a few readers then you stand a good chance of making some money.

Work at Home Jobs. Again, BE CAREFUL! Get information from people you know who actually do this. Chances are if your friend is getting paid without problems, then the company is legit.

Secret Shopper Work. See Rebecca about this one. She secret shops several places in the area and there's usually a free lunch and $5.00 (or more) involved.

Selling Stuff: Ebay, Craigslist, and Yard Sales. I have had great success with ebay, yard sales, and craigslist. Yard sales have been the dynamite to my log jam MANY times over.

Donating Plasma. This may not be glamorous, but if you need a few bucks to stretch till payday, then this is an option. It's not much but I've known many people who have done this and it's kept them afloat till their next payday.


Conclusion

Whether you have a career, vocation, job, or several jobs, when you are at work, work. Even if you aren't fond of your job, you can still do it well and learn to enjoy your work until you can formulate your plan and make it a reality. One thing that Dave tells his employees is that their raise becomes effective when they are. That is true at nearly every company. If you can become effective, productive, and an asset to the company, then you will get noticed and hopefully compensated for it.

We live in an amazing place and an amazing time, where we can do almost anything that we want. It's truly a time of opportunity, and all we have to do is sieze the moment. Dave Ramsey shared this in FPU and it really touched my heart. It's a poem by Dean Alfrange.

"I do not wish to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon, if I can.
I seek opportunity, not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen,
Humbled and dulledc by having the state look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk
To dream and to build
To fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.
I prefer the challenges of life
to a guaranteed existence.
The thrill of fulfillment
to the stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficience,
nor my dignity for a hand-out.
I will never cower before any master
nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud, and unafraid.
To think and act for myself.
To enjoy the benefit of my creations
and to face the world boldly and say
'This I have done.'"

This is what it is all about. This is the American dream, and it only takes you to make that dream a reality.