Friday 22 June 2012
DREAMS
Different stones can encourage us to work with different energies, so find one that resonates you:
Moonstone can help with dreams connected with emotional problems.
Amethyst is calming and balancing, useful if you suffer from nightmares or insomnia
Quartz crystal can help you with problem solving. Think of the expression 'crystal clear' to remind you what this stone's special energy is
Carnelian is useful in connection with health and dietary problems
Lapiz lazulli is a good stone to use dor problems related to children or your inner child
Tuesday 13 March 2012
HOW TO WRITE A RESUME
1. Apply for a job for which you are not remotely qualified
Many candidates believe the job hunt is a numbers game — drop enough resumes, and you’re bound to land something. But shotguns are for hunting pheasant, not finding jobs. The reality is that recruiters hate wasting time on resumes from unqualified candidates. Morgan Miller, an executive recruiter at StaffMark, recalls the security guard who applied to be a financial risk manager (maybe Lehman should have hired him), while Scott Ragusa at Winter, Wyman talks of the aerial photographer who sought out a position as a tax specialist.
“Sorting through unqualified resumes is frustrating, unproductive and puts an extra burden on staff,” says Katherine Swift, Senior Account Director at KCSA Strategic Communications in Natick, Mass. “It also makes it much more challenging to find the right candidate.” So the next time you’re thinking of blasting out resumes to all 60 of the job listings on Monster.com that have the word “finance” in them , save your time (and that of the recruiters) and only apply for ones for which you’re qualified.
2. Include a lofty mission statement
More than ever, today’s savage job market is about the company, not the candidate. As such, mission or objective statements — particularly ones with an applicant’s hopes, dreams, and health insurance aspirations — will dispatch otherwise fine resumes to the circular file. Employers don’t care about how they can solve your problems — certainly not before they’ve met you and possibly not even after they’ve hired you. Instead, write an “objectives” statement that explains specifically how your skills and experience will help the company you’re applying to, not the other way around. And be very clear about what kind of job you’re seeking.
3. Use one generic resume for every job listing
To stand out amongst the sea of resumes that recruiters receive, yours must speak to each and every specific position, even recycling some of the language from the job description itself. Make it obvious that you will start solving problems even before you’ve recorded your outgoing voicemail message. Your CV or query letter should include a just touch of industry lingo — sufficient to prove you know your stuff but not so much that you sound like a robot. And it should speak to individual company issues and industry challenges, with specifics on how you have personally improved customer loyalty, efficiency, and profitability at past jobs, says workplace and performance consultant Jay Forte. Plus, each morsel should be on point.
“Think hard about how to best leverage each piece of information to your job search advantage,” says Wendy Enelow, a career consultant and trainer in Virginia. “Nothing in your resume should be arbitrary, from what you include in your job descriptions and achievement statements, to whether your education or experience comes first [recent grads may want to put education first] to how you format your contact information.”
4. Make recruiters or hiring managers guess how exactly you can help their client
Sourcing experts want to know — immediately — what someone can offer, and they won’t spend time noodling someone’s credentials. “Animal, vegetable or mineral? Doctor, lawyer or Indian chief?That’s what I’m wondering every time I open a resume. If it takes me more than a split second to figure this out, I feel frustrated,” says Mary O’Gorman, a veteran recruiter based in Brooklyn.
5. Don’t explain how past experience translates to a new position
Though candidates should avoid jobs where they have no experience, they absolutely should pursue new areas and positions if they can position their experience effectively. A high school English teacher applying for new jobs, for example, can cite expertise in human resource management, people skills, record keeping, writing, and training, says Anthony Pensabene, a professional writer who works with executives.
“Titles are just semantics; candidates need to relate their ‘actual’ skills and experiences to the job they’re applying for in their resume,” Pensabene says. An applicant who cannot be bothered to identify the parallels between the two likely won’t be bothered with interviews, either.
6. Don’t include a cover letter with your resume
A cover letter should always accompany a resume — even if it’s going to your best friend. And that doesn’t mean a lazy “I’m _____ and I’m looking for a job in New York; please see my attached resume.” Says Lindsay Olson, a partner at Manhattan’s Paradigm Staffing: “I’d like to know why you are contacting me (a particular position, referral, etc.), a short background about yourself, and a career highlight or two. It’s important to attempt to set yourself apart from the competition.”
7. Be careless with details
Reckless job hunters rarely make for conscientious workers. As such, even promising resumes must abide by age-old dictums: typo-free, proper organization, and no embellishment. Susan Whitcomb, author of Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer, says that almost 80 percent of HR managers she surveyed said they would dismiss otherwise qualified candidates who break these rules. She tells the story of one would-be employer who, when looking for an assistant, decided not to hire anyone because every resume she received contained typos.
“With a 6-to-1 ratio of jobseekers-to-jobs in the current marketplace, you can’t afford to make mistakes with your resume,” Whitcomb says.
Many candidates believe the job hunt is a numbers game — drop enough resumes, and you’re bound to land something. But shotguns are for hunting pheasant, not finding jobs. The reality is that recruiters hate wasting time on resumes from unqualified candidates. Morgan Miller, an executive recruiter at StaffMark, recalls the security guard who applied to be a financial risk manager (maybe Lehman should have hired him), while Scott Ragusa at Winter, Wyman talks of the aerial photographer who sought out a position as a tax specialist.
“Sorting through unqualified resumes is frustrating, unproductive and puts an extra burden on staff,” says Katherine Swift, Senior Account Director at KCSA Strategic Communications in Natick, Mass. “It also makes it much more challenging to find the right candidate.” So the next time you’re thinking of blasting out resumes to all 60 of the job listings on Monster.com that have the word “finance” in them , save your time (and that of the recruiters) and only apply for ones for which you’re qualified.
2. Include a lofty mission statement
More than ever, today’s savage job market is about the company, not the candidate. As such, mission or objective statements — particularly ones with an applicant’s hopes, dreams, and health insurance aspirations — will dispatch otherwise fine resumes to the circular file. Employers don’t care about how they can solve your problems — certainly not before they’ve met you and possibly not even after they’ve hired you. Instead, write an “objectives” statement that explains specifically how your skills and experience will help the company you’re applying to, not the other way around. And be very clear about what kind of job you’re seeking.
3. Use one generic resume for every job listing
To stand out amongst the sea of resumes that recruiters receive, yours must speak to each and every specific position, even recycling some of the language from the job description itself. Make it obvious that you will start solving problems even before you’ve recorded your outgoing voicemail message. Your CV or query letter should include a just touch of industry lingo — sufficient to prove you know your stuff but not so much that you sound like a robot. And it should speak to individual company issues and industry challenges, with specifics on how you have personally improved customer loyalty, efficiency, and profitability at past jobs, says workplace and performance consultant Jay Forte. Plus, each morsel should be on point.
“Think hard about how to best leverage each piece of information to your job search advantage,” says Wendy Enelow, a career consultant and trainer in Virginia. “Nothing in your resume should be arbitrary, from what you include in your job descriptions and achievement statements, to whether your education or experience comes first [recent grads may want to put education first] to how you format your contact information.”
4. Make recruiters or hiring managers guess how exactly you can help their client
Sourcing experts want to know — immediately — what someone can offer, and they won’t spend time noodling someone’s credentials. “Animal, vegetable or mineral? Doctor, lawyer or Indian chief?That’s what I’m wondering every time I open a resume. If it takes me more than a split second to figure this out, I feel frustrated,” says Mary O’Gorman, a veteran recruiter based in Brooklyn.
5. Don’t explain how past experience translates to a new position
Though candidates should avoid jobs where they have no experience, they absolutely should pursue new areas and positions if they can position their experience effectively. A high school English teacher applying for new jobs, for example, can cite expertise in human resource management, people skills, record keeping, writing, and training, says Anthony Pensabene, a professional writer who works with executives.
“Titles are just semantics; candidates need to relate their ‘actual’ skills and experiences to the job they’re applying for in their resume,” Pensabene says. An applicant who cannot be bothered to identify the parallels between the two likely won’t be bothered with interviews, either.
6. Don’t include a cover letter with your resume
A cover letter should always accompany a resume — even if it’s going to your best friend. And that doesn’t mean a lazy “I’m _____ and I’m looking for a job in New York; please see my attached resume.” Says Lindsay Olson, a partner at Manhattan’s Paradigm Staffing: “I’d like to know why you are contacting me (a particular position, referral, etc.), a short background about yourself, and a career highlight or two. It’s important to attempt to set yourself apart from the competition.”
7. Be careless with details
Reckless job hunters rarely make for conscientious workers. As such, even promising resumes must abide by age-old dictums: typo-free, proper organization, and no embellishment. Susan Whitcomb, author of Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer, says that almost 80 percent of HR managers she surveyed said they would dismiss otherwise qualified candidates who break these rules. She tells the story of one would-be employer who, when looking for an assistant, decided not to hire anyone because every resume she received contained typos.
“With a 6-to-1 ratio of jobseekers-to-jobs in the current marketplace, you can’t afford to make mistakes with your resume,” Whitcomb says.
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY IN AN INTERVIEW
Most job interview advice centers around things you should say and do to help position you for success. You've probably heard most of that sort of thing already -- dress appropriately, turn off your cellphone, learn about the company in advance, and so on. But it's also handy to keep a good bead on things you should not say in an interview. If some of this advice sounds like common sense to you, congratulations! You're savvier than half the candidates who wander into conference rooms looking for jobs every day. Here are five no-no's from Oomph, a digital design blog:
Don't talk about how great the job would be for you. If the role is awesome for you, that's, well, awesome. But really, the interviewer's priority isn't making sure this role fits into your life plan -- he or she needs to make sure you're right for the role and the company. To be sure, a smart interviewer will want to be certain that you're interested in the role and not just trying to collect a paycheck. But don't make the conversation about you. Make it about how your skills and experience are right for the position.
Don't badmouth your last job or boss. This is one of the most important and yet often forgotten lessons of job hunting. It's important that you never depict yourself as fleeing your last job -- you're trying to step up to a better opportunity. Certainly, never highlight any problems you had with your last manager, even if you truly cannot work with that individual one more day. No interviewer will ever interpret such comments as anything but unprofessional and immature, and conclude you lack the interpersonal skills to be successful in the new role.
Don't mention religion, politics or any other personal philosophies. Not only is it none of the interviewer's business, but it has a tremendous potential to put you and the interviewer on opposite sides of a divisive issue. And since it's illegal for the interviewer to ask you about that stuff, you're putting him or her in a precarious and dangerous position to discuss it at all. They won't thank you for that.
Don't talk about the rest of your day, for example, calls out that you shouldn't mention your spouse or parent is waiting for you in the car. The bottom line is that this interview is your one and only priority this day, period. You should be 100 percent focused on that, and not ask how soon you'll be done, mention your ride is waiting or that you have a dinner date.
Don't miss an opportunity to ask questions. You'll always get an opportunity to ask questions, and you should definitely take advantage. Not asking questions means you don't have any curiosity about the company, the role or your future -- in other words, you're there to try to collect a paycheck. That makes you relatively less competitive than someone else who appears ready to eagerly climb the ladder from entry level sales manager to CEO, even if you seem otherwise better qualified.
Don't talk about how great the job would be for you. If the role is awesome for you, that's, well, awesome. But really, the interviewer's priority isn't making sure this role fits into your life plan -- he or she needs to make sure you're right for the role and the company. To be sure, a smart interviewer will want to be certain that you're interested in the role and not just trying to collect a paycheck. But don't make the conversation about you. Make it about how your skills and experience are right for the position.
Don't badmouth your last job or boss. This is one of the most important and yet often forgotten lessons of job hunting. It's important that you never depict yourself as fleeing your last job -- you're trying to step up to a better opportunity. Certainly, never highlight any problems you had with your last manager, even if you truly cannot work with that individual one more day. No interviewer will ever interpret such comments as anything but unprofessional and immature, and conclude you lack the interpersonal skills to be successful in the new role.
Don't mention religion, politics or any other personal philosophies. Not only is it none of the interviewer's business, but it has a tremendous potential to put you and the interviewer on opposite sides of a divisive issue. And since it's illegal for the interviewer to ask you about that stuff, you're putting him or her in a precarious and dangerous position to discuss it at all. They won't thank you for that.
Don't talk about the rest of your day, for example, calls out that you shouldn't mention your spouse or parent is waiting for you in the car. The bottom line is that this interview is your one and only priority this day, period. You should be 100 percent focused on that, and not ask how soon you'll be done, mention your ride is waiting or that you have a dinner date.
Don't miss an opportunity to ask questions. You'll always get an opportunity to ask questions, and you should definitely take advantage. Not asking questions means you don't have any curiosity about the company, the role or your future -- in other words, you're there to try to collect a paycheck. That makes you relatively less competitive than someone else who appears ready to eagerly climb the ladder from entry level sales manager to CEO, even if you seem otherwise better qualified.
5 BODY LANGUAGE MISTAKES YOU SHOULD AVOID WHEN GOING FOR AN INTERVIEW
by Dave Johnson
Much of the information that we communicate happens non-verbally via subtle signals we put out with our posture, gestures and attitude. It's no surprise, then, that your success in a job interview depends quite a bit on almost everything except what you actually say. Recently, WiseBread explained the most common body language mistakes people make in interviews -- and how to avoid them. Here are the highlights:
Your handshake makes a critical first impression. Your dad probably taught you how to shake hands and his lesson was more important than you know. Make it firm -- not body-builder-aggressive and certainly not feeble like a dead fish. Also, be sure your hand is dry, so if you're perspiring, wipe it off before you meet your interviewer.
Don't touch your face. People touch their faces instinctively and without conscious thought. But if you want to make a good first impression, you'll need to be very conscious of where your hands are for the duration of the interview. Keep them well away from your nose and mouth, which can be a turn-off to germophobes. And for everyone else, touching your face is sometimes interpreted as a sign of dishonesty.
Don't cross your arms. Even if you only know one or two ways to read body language, you probably know this one -- crossing your arms is a sign of defensiveness and passive aggressiveness. That's not the impression you want to convey, so put your hands on the table where they can't cause you any trouble.
Don't stare. You probably know that making eye contact is a good thing, right? Well, there's a difference between positive eye contact and just plain staring. This is one of those things that should be natural, but if you think too hard about it, it is challenging to do in a natural way. The bottom line is that you want to maintain eye contact in moderation, without letting it devolve into uncomfortable staring. At the same time, don't let your eyes wander around the room as if you're bored.
Avoid nodding too much. You might think it's a good idea to nod a lot, either to appear to agree with your interviewer or to imply you're paying close attention, but the reality is that this can make you come across as sycophantic or spineless. Like eye contact, nod in moderation, and only when it's clearly appropriate.
Much of the information that we communicate happens non-verbally via subtle signals we put out with our posture, gestures and attitude. It's no surprise, then, that your success in a job interview depends quite a bit on almost everything except what you actually say. Recently, WiseBread explained the most common body language mistakes people make in interviews -- and how to avoid them. Here are the highlights:
Your handshake makes a critical first impression. Your dad probably taught you how to shake hands and his lesson was more important than you know. Make it firm -- not body-builder-aggressive and certainly not feeble like a dead fish. Also, be sure your hand is dry, so if you're perspiring, wipe it off before you meet your interviewer.
Don't touch your face. People touch their faces instinctively and without conscious thought. But if you want to make a good first impression, you'll need to be very conscious of where your hands are for the duration of the interview. Keep them well away from your nose and mouth, which can be a turn-off to germophobes. And for everyone else, touching your face is sometimes interpreted as a sign of dishonesty.
Don't cross your arms. Even if you only know one or two ways to read body language, you probably know this one -- crossing your arms is a sign of defensiveness and passive aggressiveness. That's not the impression you want to convey, so put your hands on the table where they can't cause you any trouble.
Don't stare. You probably know that making eye contact is a good thing, right? Well, there's a difference between positive eye contact and just plain staring. This is one of those things that should be natural, but if you think too hard about it, it is challenging to do in a natural way. The bottom line is that you want to maintain eye contact in moderation, without letting it devolve into uncomfortable staring. At the same time, don't let your eyes wander around the room as if you're bored.
Avoid nodding too much. You might think it's a good idea to nod a lot, either to appear to agree with your interviewer or to imply you're paying close attention, but the reality is that this can make you come across as sycophantic or spineless. Like eye contact, nod in moderation, and only when it's clearly appropriate.
Monday 12 March 2012
COLOUR DIAMONDS
BASEL - Yellow, pink and blue diamonds are catching the eye of investors around the world, according to dealers and industry insiders.
Natural coloured diamonds make up only 1 percent of global production, which gives them "unquestionable value," said Bruno Scarselli, who represents the third generation of U.S.-based coloured diamond specialist Scarselli Diamonds.
"There is a tremendous demand for yellow diamonds, but also blue and pink," Scarselli told Reuters at the Baselworld watch and jewellery show.
"There are not enough diamonds to satisfy one-tenth of the new billionaires that every month are created in China," he said as he handled a $9 million ring featuring a 2.5-carat internally flawless blue diamond and two smaller pink stones.
Scarselli said he expects financial institutions to be increasingly attracted to the diamond industry, which has traditionally been in the hands of family businesses.
"This is associated with the fact that currency is losing its value, government bonds are a risk, and nations are losing wealth."
Coloured diamonds are piquing investors' interest because they are more difficult to find in nature than white diamonds, industry spokesmen said.
Simon Zion, whose father founded Hong Kong-based diamond company Dehres Ltd, said blue diamonds are coveted not because they are the rarest but because there are not many left after a boom in demand.
Investors' relationship with diamonds has been rocky.
The first diamond investment trust, set up by investment firm Thomson McKinnon in the 1980s, was wound up after a slump in the market.
The first publicly traded fund to invest in diamonds, Diamond Circle Capital Plc, has lost more than half of its value since it started trading in 2008.
At the beginning of 2011, investors seeking shelter from a weakening dollar were drawn back to the diamond market, expecting diamonds to go the same way as gold, said Martin Rapaport, whose diamond indexes are used as a reference by the diamond industry.
"In fact, the dollar went up and the store-of-value investment argument became weaker," he said.
Excess liquidity in India, one of the biggest diamond players, pushed up the price of diamonds in the first half of 2011, triggering a wave a panic among Chinese buyers who stocked up on diamonds fearing the price would keep rising.
"Then when credit became tighter in India, the thing that was fuelling the fire settled down," said Rapaport.
He expects the diamond market to be stable for the first half of 2012 as overstocking works itself out, before starting to rise in the second half.
Frédéric de Narp, president and chief executive of U.S. diamond miner and jeweler Harry Winston, said he will increase prices as he anticipates diamonds will go up again.
A Chinese love affair with diamonds has fueled a growing trend for watchmakers to decorate their timepieces with the gems.
Diamonds of all shapes and colours sparkled in the crystal windows of the Basel fair, mainly aimed at buyers from China, the Middle East and the United States.
Swiss jeweler Shawish unveiled a 150-carat ring entirely made of diamond for an indicated 70 million Swiss francs.
A diamond-encrusted gun - even the bullets carried their fair share of carats - sparkled at Diasqua, a privately-owned Indian company based in Hong Kong. (Additional reporting by Caroline Copley; editing by John Wallace)
Natural coloured diamonds make up only 1 percent of global production, which gives them "unquestionable value," said Bruno Scarselli, who represents the third generation of U.S.-based coloured diamond specialist Scarselli Diamonds.
"There is a tremendous demand for yellow diamonds, but also blue and pink," Scarselli told Reuters at the Baselworld watch and jewellery show.
"There are not enough diamonds to satisfy one-tenth of the new billionaires that every month are created in China," he said as he handled a $9 million ring featuring a 2.5-carat internally flawless blue diamond and two smaller pink stones.
Scarselli said he expects financial institutions to be increasingly attracted to the diamond industry, which has traditionally been in the hands of family businesses.
"This is associated with the fact that currency is losing its value, government bonds are a risk, and nations are losing wealth."
Coloured diamonds are piquing investors' interest because they are more difficult to find in nature than white diamonds, industry spokesmen said.
Simon Zion, whose father founded Hong Kong-based diamond company Dehres Ltd, said blue diamonds are coveted not because they are the rarest but because there are not many left after a boom in demand.
Investors' relationship with diamonds has been rocky.
The first diamond investment trust, set up by investment firm Thomson McKinnon in the 1980s, was wound up after a slump in the market.
The first publicly traded fund to invest in diamonds, Diamond Circle Capital Plc, has lost more than half of its value since it started trading in 2008.
At the beginning of 2011, investors seeking shelter from a weakening dollar were drawn back to the diamond market, expecting diamonds to go the same way as gold, said Martin Rapaport, whose diamond indexes are used as a reference by the diamond industry.
"In fact, the dollar went up and the store-of-value investment argument became weaker," he said.
Excess liquidity in India, one of the biggest diamond players, pushed up the price of diamonds in the first half of 2011, triggering a wave a panic among Chinese buyers who stocked up on diamonds fearing the price would keep rising.
"Then when credit became tighter in India, the thing that was fuelling the fire settled down," said Rapaport.
He expects the diamond market to be stable for the first half of 2012 as overstocking works itself out, before starting to rise in the second half.
Frédéric de Narp, president and chief executive of U.S. diamond miner and jeweler Harry Winston, said he will increase prices as he anticipates diamonds will go up again.
A Chinese love affair with diamonds has fueled a growing trend for watchmakers to decorate their timepieces with the gems.
Diamonds of all shapes and colours sparkled in the crystal windows of the Basel fair, mainly aimed at buyers from China, the Middle East and the United States.
Swiss jeweler Shawish unveiled a 150-carat ring entirely made of diamond for an indicated 70 million Swiss francs.
A diamond-encrusted gun - even the bullets carried their fair share of carats - sparkled at Diasqua, a privately-owned Indian company based in Hong Kong. (Additional reporting by Caroline Copley; editing by John Wallace)
Saturday 3 March 2012
A SECOND CHANCE
Today, I re-read the suicide letter I wrote on the afternoon of September 2nd 1996 about two minutes before my girlfriend showed up at my door and told me, “I’m pregnant.” Suddenly I felt I had a reason to live. Today she’s my wife. We’ve been happily married for 14 years. And my daughter, who is almost 15 now, has two younger brothers. I re-read my suicide letter from time to time as a reminder to be thankful – I am thankful I got a second chance at life and love. ANONYMOUS
TINY LOVE STORIES
My dad is the best dad I could ask for. He’s a loving husband to my mom (always making her laugh), he’s been to every one of my soccer games since I was 5 (I’m 17 now), and he provides for our family as a construction foreman. This morning when I was searching through my dad’s toolbox for a pliers, I found a dirty folded up paper at the bottom. It was an old journal entry in my dad’s handwriting dated exactly one month before the day I was born. It reads, “I am eighteen years old, an alcoholic who is failing out of college, a past cutter, and a child abuse victim with a criminal record of auto theft. And next month, ‘teen father’ will be added to the list. But I swear I will make things right for my little girl. I will be the dad I never had.” And I don’t know how he did it, but he did it!!!! ANONYMOUS
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