Monday, April 20, 2020

Cover Letter and Resume Template

Cover Letter and Resume TemplateIt is the work of a layman to write a simple cover letter and resume. For someone who knows their way around, they can write a resume as well. Even though you are just a part-time writer, it does not mean that you cannot create a convincing cover letter and resume template.To start with, if you have not done so, go ahead and read a few self-study course. Some people may find these courses helpful but it would not help you in terms of being able to craft an effective cover letter and resume template. A lot of what you learn would be irrelevant to the job you are applying for. Once you start to practice what you are learning, you will realize that a lot of what you learned is irrelevant.What you should not do is to copy what you read in those courses. You should do it on your own and apply what you have learned. If you are already doing this, then you are good to go.You are no doubt aware that there are some differences between writing a resume and a cov er letter. The resume tends to tell about your educational background, the experience and the skills you have. Since there are several jobs available, it is not a bad idea to list down your strengths so you can land a position that needs you.Writing a resume focuses more on your personal qualities and experience. You can come up with different things to include in your resume like where you have worked and where you did your academic training. A cover letter usually gives a one liner introduction of you and the position you are applying for. For most of the jobs you apply for, it is the resume that will be used for contacting you for further details.When you are preparing your cover letter, be sure to use your creativity. You can include the details about what you will give the company that you are applying for. You should also include the reason why you are applying for that job. Your resume will come after all of that.Now that you have written the resume, it is now time to write y our cover letter. The cover letter should not be too lengthy, since it will only serve to remind the reader that you are still looking for jobs. In addition, it should highlight the strengths and weaknesses of you and the position you are applying for.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Gender Pay Gap Women Go to College, Outearn Puerto Rico Men

Gender Pay Gap Women Go to College, Outearn Puerto Rico Men Men outearn women in every U.S. state, at every education level, and in nearly every occupation. Yet there’s one place where women, overall, have caught up: Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican women who worked full-time in 2016 earned a median salary of $24,486, compared to $23,711 for men. That means women earned $1.03 for every dollar earned by men. By contrast, in the U.S. at large, women earned only $0.80 on the dollar earned by men. One factor at play is that women are much more likely to earn a college degree than men in Puerto Rico. About 20% of Puerto Rican men 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 29% of women, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. (By comparison, while women earn more degrees than men in the rest of the U.S., most states have a smaller college degree gap with an average of less than 2 percentage points.) What’s driving more women in Puerto Rico to pursue postsecondary education? Eileen Segarra Alméstica, an economics professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, thinks it may be that there’s more opportunity in the labor market for men to succeed in physical jobs that don’t require a college degree but still pay well. Women, on the other hand, don’t see those same opportunities, and so they take advantage of Puerto Rico’s comparatively cheap higher education system to open up more labor market options. But before you rejoice about the island solving a persistent economic and social problem, economists have some bad news: There are still equity gaps. When you compare men and women with the same level of education, that familiar gap reappears, says Segarra Alméstica, who has been studying gender disparities in Puerto Rico’s workforce and published a working paper with her co-author Jose Caraballo-Cueto. For workers with just a high school diploma, men earn 13% more than women on average, based on five years of earnings data collected by the Puerto Rican Community Survey, a branch of the Census Bureau. Segarra Alméstica says the gap rises with each step of education: Male bachelor’s degree holders earn 22% more than their female counterparts. Advanced degree holders earn 30% more. Segarra Alméstica and Caraballo-Cueto also found women were still less likely to make it to high-ranking managerial positions, and like in other countries, having children increases the gap between what women and men earn. They also found that when men pursue jobs in fields where they’re underrepresented, they’re more likely to earn higher pay and promotions. Puerto Rican women face a glass ceiling, while men ride a glass escalator, they write. And whatever small gains in moving toward pay equality that women in Puerto Rico have made, the future doesn’t look promising. Puerto Rico filed to restructure more than $70 billion in public debt last year just months before Hurricane Maria slammed into the island and further exacerbated its economic problems. The government’s most recent fiscal plan doesn’t include layoffs, but Segarra Alméstica expects they’ll happen. That will disproportionately affect women, who make up 44% of the labor force overall but 51% of government jobs, she says. Puerto Rico’s financial crisis is also bound to mean higher education cuts and tuition increases in the coming years, which may cause women to rethink the value of a college degree, Segarra Alméstica says. And Puerto Rico’s public schools are equally in crisis: Between 2010 and last year, the territory closed more than 300 schools as thousands of families fled the island, according to PBS. The Department of Education announced last week it planned to close an additional 283 schools after the hurricane. The government has promised that teachers will be relocated to the remaining open schools. But many educators are worried about their jobs or have chosen to pursue more stable teaching jobs in Florida, New York, or Texas. More than 80% of public school teachers in Puerto Rico are women.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Skills You Can Learn as Sales Representative - Work It Daily

Skills You Can Learn as Sales Representative - Work It Daily This sales representative explains that sales may not be her lifelong career, but it is a field that allows individuals to learn a variety of skills and responsibilities. I am currently employed as a sales representative in the newspaper industry, working in classified advertising. I have worked in the newspaper industry for almost 10 years, starting out in graphic design, with just under two years in my current position. I originally found my position by looking in the local newspaper, after having searched for approximately four months while employed part-time after finishing my associate's degree. My current position involves working with employment advertising, which has given me the ability to see firsthand the effects that the economy has had on many industries, including my own. I have also been able to experience the highs and lows of the sales cycle, watching account bases go from spending a total of six figures per month to less than half that in what seemed like an instant. I truly believe that this has made me, and my co-workers who survived the fallout, better all around sales representatives. The most important thing I've learned about searching for a professional level job versus a retail type position is to never give up. For every job opening available, there are more than likely multiple people who have excellent qualifications applying. Employers may also be dealing with individuals applying for positions they are not qualified for who are hoping to get a foot in the door somehow, which can slow down the entire application process for everyone. While it can be frustrating, persistence does pay off in the end. You may not end up with your dream job off the bat, but you may find yourself with a foot in the door that will give you a greater chance for moving forward. Also, don't rule out continuing your education while employed even if it means your personal life gets put on hold for a short amount of time. I started out with an associate's degree in graphic design before realizing that my true calling was in the legal field. My job allowed the flexibility to continue my education via an online program, and now I have a bachelor's degree and will be pursuing a master's degree in the near future. Doing so will open numerous doors that would not have been an option if I hadn't made the sacrifice in my private life to further myself professionally. In addition, many employers encourage continuing education by offering tuition reimbursement programs for current employees. When conducting a job search, don't rule out what may seem unconventional to newer generations. I found many positions in newspaper, which the media will say is a dying business. Newspapers have a loyal readership that is paying to access the product, whether it be for the articles, sports scores, or advertisements. Products like this, versus free websites that anyone can post to, give job seekers a sense of security. Job listings are placed through individual representatives who are responsible for ensuring that only legitimate jobs make it into the job seekers' hands, reducing the possibility of scams. Not only have I experienced this from a job seeker's viewpoint, I have also had the opportunity to help employers find the right candidates for their positions by recommending the right combination of products to reach the people they are looking for. Another important tip to remember when searching for a position is to not rule out your current employer. Since starting at the current company I am with, I have held a total of five positions, each a step up from the previous one. Even if you feel that the company is what is making you unhappy and leading you to search elsewhere, a change of duties or co-workers could provide the change you are looking for. Current employees also generally get a first look at open positions within the company, increasing your chances of obtaining at least an interview. Also, applying for an in-house position can allow you to interview with managers who have seen your successes firsthand, which can prove beneficial when explaining why you are the right person for the job. In my case, I didn't get the first two internal positions I applied for; instead a different manager approached me a few months later after seeing my sales success and offered me an even higher position. This role lead to another promotion, followed by two different positions in the department I originally wanted. In addition to searching for positions in a more traditional sense, also use the relationships built with friends and families to put the word out that you are looking, more commonly referred to as networking. I found out about the first internal position I applied for through an acquaintance in that department who thought I would fit in well; when that position didn't work out, I was able to use additional contacts to figure out what I could do better. When I was approached for the promotion I eventually received, I had the opportunity to speak with representatives who gave me tips and information about the position I was about to interview for. Sales representative skills image from Bigstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!