4 Ways to Budget on a Commission-Based Salary

4 Ways to Budget on a Commission-Based Salary Financial strain can creep up on anyone, especially if you work as a recruiter on a commission-based income where regular and reliable monthly pay isn’t always guaranteed. So with this in mind, how do you ensure that you plan your money sensibly with these irregular and varying pay cheques? Here, David Rankin from Creditfix, shares some top tips on how to plan and budget ahead to ensure you have convenient, affordable arrangements in place for those not so lucrative months at work. 1. Get to grips with your outgoings Firstly, if you haven’t already, list your outgoings, with the most regular and important at the top â€" all the way down to your Friday evening drinks and coffees with prospective candidates. Any outgoings you are certain about like your mortgage / rent or Council Tax, make sure these are added and accounted for. It’s probably handy to be overly cautious with these figures. For example, with your energy bills put an additional ten or twenty pounds on to the outgoing cost, this way if it is more than you expected, you have already planned for it and can accommodate for the extra expense. With this list in hand, you will have a rough estimate of how much money you need each month, if things get tough and months are slow, rethink the list. What are the absolute essentials and what can you cope without?  2.  Cover bad months with the good months Unfortunately, working on a commission-based salary means that you can’t guarantee you are going to be one hundred per cent secure every month with your finances. The fact is that some months will be lucrative and others won’t, and so when you have a particularly good month placing candidates, don’t just go and blow the extra money on luxuries you might not need. It is always advisable to save any money you have made as extra on top of your average earnings. These savings will soon build up and act as a much-needed safety net when it comes to those months where things are a struggle. 3. Be strict and save It’s so much easier said than done, but saving can be the one crucial thing you do that could make the difference between you losing control of your finances and staying on top of them. Be hard on yourself, if you’re just beginning a commission-based role, keep the worst scenario in mind don’t ignore the potential of being left short, because it might be more likely than you think. If you are just starting on a new payment structure, begin saving early on and only spending money on absolute essentials. If you can live with no luxuries for your first or second month, you can quickly get to a point where you could continue comfortably for a month without having a pay cheque. 4. Ask for help If it does get to the point where you are caught under the weight of bills and outgoings, then speak to someone for advice and support friends, family, expert professionals or even another colleague at work. The chances are that in a commission-based role, you will be working in an office full of other people in a similar position. They may have the perfect solution from previous experience of their own. It’s always better to confront money issues head on â€" the longer you leave them the worse than situation can become, especially if you are borrowing money on credit to cover monthly bills. Planning ahead and not burying your head in the sand when issues arise should keep you on the right track. About the author: David Rankin is the director of insolvency at  Creditfix.

Why You Should Look For Professional Resume Writing Services

Why You Should Look For Professional Resume Writing ServicesFor those who are looking for San Diego resume writing services, you should look for reliable services that will help you get your perfect one. Do not leave any slip-ups when it comes to your resume since it will not only affect your future but also that of your future employer. You cannot afford to take such chances, and no one can blame you if you do. It is best to avoid these pitfalls by working with an experienced San Diego resume writing services company.Try to avoid any type of simple copy or paste job. It is not easy to provide a convincing cover letter if it is in a very poorly written and even in a very convoluted language. Also avoid any form of translation, as this can turn out to be a huge problem when it comes to translation. Hiring a professional writer would be the best solution for such job.Some people do not know about the idea of using a San Diego resume writing service, as it may appear as something very c omplicated for them. However, hiring a professional writer and then working with them for a certain period of time will ensure a lot of benefits. You can avoid such technicalities like using email addresses, phone numbers, and other such options.The best option is to hire a San Diego resume writing service that can provide you with an option that would allow you to tailor fit the letters that you write. These services would also help you to ensure that the writing is as professional as possible.Since writing a San Diego resumes will include all kinds of experience and job titles, it is wise to opt for a service that specializes in this field. This is because most of the companies that provide resume writing services also deal with various types of clients and do not have the expertise in all types of resumes. Therefore, it is wise to choose a San Diego resume writing service that can handle a wide range of clients.A San Diego resume writing service would not just help you out with y our resume. It would also work on researching about you and your requirements so that you know what type of person you need to write your resume for. With this information, the service provider would be able to customize your resume according to your requirements.Most of the San Diego resume writing services would not just help you out with your resume. They would also help you out with your personal background and other such matters. This is especially important when it comes to non-traditional resumes.While going through various San Diego resume writing services, you will be surprised to see how creative they can be. It would be difficult to go out of the net for the top ones, so you should make sure to choose the best among the rest.

Overcoming Rejection to Achieve Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Overcoming Rejection to Achieve Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Rejection sucks, but it’s not the end of the world. In fact, rejection is a part of success. People who avoid rejection don’t get hurt or disappointed, but neither do they feel accomplished or successful. No one likes to hear “no”, but you can’t achieve your goals without taking a risk. Here are some tricks to overcoming rejection and the fear of rejection, so that you can achieve success. 1. Don’t take it personally. The most difficult part of hearing “no” is the feeling like the rejection is a reflection of you as a person. It can be like a stab to the heart and cause you to lose confidence. However, unless you’ve behaved badly, “no” is a rejection of what you have to offer, not your personhood. As a result, you shouldn’t feel hurt or question your value. You might need to improve your presentation or interview skills, but again, that’s about skills, not you as a person. 2. In career and business, “no” isn’t always “no”. Sometimes “no” means, “not now,” “maybe,” or “more information is needed.” For example, in a job interview, you might hear, “I’m sorry, we don’t have a place for you at this time,” which means he might have a place for you in the future. Instead of walking away dejected, ask about a time frame in which you might be needed or if he’ll keep your resume until a position comes available. You might even call or email every few months to follow-up and stay in touch. In sales, “no” sometimes means you haven’t given the prospect the information needed to show your product or service’s value. In that case, you can ask what the prospect would need to say yes. 3. Run the numbers. Timing and talking to the right person can play a part in getting hired or making a sale. Just because one person said “no” doesn’t mean everyone will. So shake off the rejection and move forward with the attitude that you’re weeding through nos to find the yeses. This is easier said than done, particularly if you’re still experiencing a “no” as a personal rejection. But if you focus getting your presentation in front of as many qualified people as possible, instead of focusing on the result, you can work the numbers needed to find the yeses. 4. Assess and adjust. Rejection is a form of feedback, and as such you should evaluate what happened and what, if anything, you can improve. If you never get a call-back after an interview, perhaps you need to improve your interviewing skills. If your website has great traffic, but no sales, perhaps you need to change your website’s text and appearance. If possible, ask for feedback so you don’t have to guess as to what’s not working. No one likes rejection, but the successful person recognizes that rejection is part of the process in reaching goals. Instead of feeling deflated and worthless, they reframe rejection into motivation to keep going or use it as a learning tool to improve. Author: Leslie Truex  is a career design expert who has been helping people find or create work that fits their lifestyle goals since 1998 through her  website Work-At-Home Success. She is the author of “The Work-At-Home Success Bible” and “Jobs Online: How To Find a Get Hired to a Work-At-Home Job”. She speaks regularly on career-related topics including telecommuting and home business.

What is BYOD and its growing influence on businesses

What is BYOD and its growing influence on businesses This post is sponsored by Tech Page One. Insights from the evolving world of tech. An infographic on BYOD i.e. Bring your own device was brought to my attention and that led me to this article. BYOD is a growing trend and I have seen it grow in India, not so much the UK yet. But it is a growing trend and as we become a more technology savvy human race, this trend might soon become normal practice. What is BYOD? BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device. Via Wikipedia: It refers to the policy of permitting employees to bring personally owned mobile devices (laptops, tablets, and smart phones) to their workplace, and to use those devices to access privileged company information and applications. Essentially it means, you can use your own device to access any data from the business. That data can be anything, emails, documents, big data etc. For e.g. looking at the infographic on BYOD, Derek, the subject is asked to provide reports on his projects. In this case, he could be in transit or home (without a work laptop). But thanks to BYOD practice that his employers work to, he can use company data (project status, SAP info on hours spent, etc) to create reports on his own device and send it to his boss. At the moment, this is almost unthinkable. No one uses their own device for work purposes because of data issues and myths about data security. Does BYOD keep data safe? Good question, it is easy to think, by using BYOD principles we might compromise data. And that is not the case, not if it is backed up by strong data policy as well. What is BYOD? It is your own device that can access privileged data. If that data is segregated, anonymised and secured then good data policies will not affect whether you use BYOD principles or not. For example in Derek’s case the below is true! For full details see this infographic on BYOD Will anyone work on their own BYOD device and not just play? Valid question. How does one make sure that employees are working on their device and not just playing? If a company holds all the information over cloud â€" which is generally good practice for collaboration and business continuity then connecting to a private cloud at work can limit people to using their devices for work purposes only because systems administrators can monitor traffic. Using a private cloud allows the secure transfer of data because the connection is direct from device to server over a private network. To see a full working example of the collaborative power of BYOD principle, cloud storage and good data policies, see this infographic on BYOD. The infographic gives examples of were cloud storage is currently used and how it helps businesses etc. As for BYOD â€" it is already in use in academic institutions. Think of the Blackboard platform, where students can access privileged information (lessons, lectures, etc) via their own device. This is an example of BYOD. A very simple one, but it does work that way. Another example of BYOD and cloud storage working well is, companies using Google Apps to configure their emails. For example, my email is faizan@careergeekblog.com, but I access it through gmail.com on my phone. Because Gmail delivers software as a service via cloud and by using my own device (smartphone) I am using BYOD and cloud storage together. Anyways, have a look at this infographic on BYOD to understand this concept a little bit more. Maybe you have an idea that leverages this concept? Do share it in the comments section. This post is sponsored by Tech Page One. Insights from the evolving world of tech. 3

Custom Resume Writing Services Can Help You With Writing A Better Resume

Custom Resume Writing Services Can Help You With Writing A Better ResumeOne of the most common misconceptions in the field of computer software development is that the key to success is 'inventing' something or coming up with a 'better way'. What most people do not realize is that writing a custom resume can be very time consuming and there is an easier way. Custom resume writing services have the skills and expertise to produce resumes that you will never forget for a fraction of the cost.A good custom resume can make all the difference between an interview and a rejection letter. There are many variations on the resume format that can help your resume stand out from the crowd. So if you are not sure what your style is, contact a resume writing service.In this day and age the writing skills required to write a resume have been refined to be more precise and responsive than ever before, thanks to the various fields that now require the skill to write a resume. These fields include co mmunication, clinical sciences, medical, veterinary, and other related fields. If you don't already have a resume writing service, you may want to consider taking advantage of the professional resume writing services that are available online.In today's business and employment climate, it is very important to have a professional resume on hand when you are interviewing with a prospective employer and this is especially true in the current job market. It is very important to have the best resume possible because it is what represents you as an employee and helps establish your credibility with potential employers. A custom resume is a must.You should write a resume for yourself if you are looking for a new position, or even if you have held a particular industry related position in the past. Having a fresh resume is a big help and often times it will set you apart from other candidates. A quality professional resume writing service can help you turn your particular talents and capabi lities into a well written professional resume.Writing a resume is a tedious task, but it can be made easier by using a professional resume writing service. It may be tempting to try and write your own resume, but this is far from a simple task. It will take time and effort to create a top quality professional resume and it is not a task that should be taken lightly.Take your time and don't rush through the process. You may want to take a friend along to help you as it can be very intimidating to begin writing a resume that includes your contact information. Make sure you write your resume using your personal experience and your talents.If you are in the market for a new resume it may be beneficial to contact a professional resume writing service to get one created for you. If you are considering the employment market, having a professional resume written for you can make the difference between a bad interview and a successful interview. If you are serious about your career and are serious about landing a job it may be in your best interest to contact a professional resume writing service to produce a professionally written resume for you.

Yaaaaay Books! - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Yaaaaay Books! - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog My latest fix just arrived from Amazon: Think those titles reflect my interests in any way? (You can click the picture to see a larger version). Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Reputation is Powerful; 3 Insider Tips Your Professional Job Hunt Needs

Reputation is Powerful; 3 Insider Tips Your Professional Job Hunt Needs Prior to the dawn of the communication age, the recruitment industry was a very different place. Recruitment agencies met most candidates face-to-face, and candidates had to deal with a lengthy written registration process. Agents had access to huge databases of potential candidates compiled over several years, and that valuable information made recruitment agencies a powerful tool in the hiring process. Today, the landscape is quite different. Recruiters have instant access to online databases of open positions and qualified candidates, and sending an application no longer requires a trip to the post office. It’s widely-cited that hiring managers only look at your resume for 6 seconds before deciding to proceed or discard your application. With the advent of online search engines, employers can now vet candidates in ways other than just their application. With so much information available online, it’s important to know what hiring managers will find when they research you. I spoke to Christian Hamilton, Reputation Specialist at ReputationManagement.com and want to share their insights: Assess Your Search Results One of the first things that hiring managers will do while considering you for their company is search for your name in Google. When you start your job search, take a page out of a hiring manager’s book and Google your name and see what comes up in the results. You’ll want to see if the search results for your name display information that will reflect positively on your reputation. Your volunteer work, online portfolio, and your professional network are the sort of things you want recruiters to find. Diagnose Your Online Reputation Unfortunately, there may also be information in your search results that gives neither an accurate or fair impression of who you are. Even if the results aren’t outright damaging to your reputation, they might not be exactly what you want people seeing when they search for you. If your results are less-than-favorable, you can begin to take an active role in managing and protecting your online reputation. If your results are positive, don’t stop there! Continue to build a strong online profile to simplify future job searches. Develop and Maintain Positive Results In order to a get the full picture of your online reputation, you’ll need to keep an ongoing look at what’s available about you on Google even after your job search is complete. It’s a good idea to set up Google Alerts for your name and any terms related to your personal brand so that you can learn about and analyze new results immediately. You should also take a look at Google’s other results check Images, Videos, News, and Blogs in Google to see what’s returned there. It’s smart to keep an eye out for social media accounts, especially if they’re not already apparent in search results. Understanding what’s being published about you on a regular basis is the first step to starting a successful job hunt. Once you secure an interview or two, read more expert tips from me on how to set your interviews for the best time of day and ace curveball questions. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!