Millennial Tips

Atlanta debt-free Millennial Tips Tiny House

Building a Tiny Home in Atlanta

Buying a traditional house in Atlanta can cost a fortune, and this can lead to debt and the need to continue to work in a job that may not be fulfilling or enjoyable. Reducing or eliminating debt and scaling back expenses can provide you with a new and improved way of life.

While people will pursue a simpler way of life in different ways, one of the increasingly popular options in Atlanta is to join the tiny home movement. You may have seen tiny homes throughout Atlanta, and there are now several hundred of them in various locations in the metropolitan area.

The Benefits of a Tiny Home
The price of real estate in Atlanta is expensive. For example, in the community of Cabbagetown, a small 700 square foot residence may cost on average $200,000 or more. Add to that the furnishings, utilities and other expenses that will be incurred in even a modest 700 square foot home. There is also often a strong desire to keep the home well-furnished and keep up with neighbors. Consumerism often breeds debt, and many people simply want to step away from this type of lifestyle and live on their own terms. A tiny home is a far more affordable option, and this alternative way of life is a departure from the consumerism mentality. Many who live in a tiny home are debt free and enjoy the freedom that comes with that.

Building a Tiny Home
The average cost to build a 176 square foot tiny home in Atlanta is approximately $66,000. This will include all of the materials, labor and supplies as well as the trailer to tow the house on. Keep in mind that the design of the home and the quality of materials that are used will play a role in the final cost. Some who have a tiny home have built the home on their own or with the help of family and friends, and this can reduce or eliminate labor costs associated with building a tiny home. By speaking with different people who already own a tiny home in Atlanta, you may learn about cost-saving steps that can make it even more affordable to build your tiny home.

Buying an Existing Tiny Home
An alternative to building a new tiny home on your own is to buy an existing home. There are numerous listings for tiny homes in Atlanta that you can choose from, and these will provide you with the ability to more quickly and easily start benefiting from life in a tiny home. Because many tiny homes are on trailers or are able to otherwise be relocated with minimal effort, you may also consider looking in markets outside of Atlanta to purchase a tiny home. In some other areas of the country, you may find a tiny home for under $30,000, and this can help you to save a considerable amount of money on your purchase.

How to Learn More
Because the tiny home movement is strong and growing in Atlanta, there are several ways to learn more about your options if you are interested in building your own tiny home. For example, there are several tiny home meet-up groups that you can join, and some of these have dozens of members or more. You can also read various articles or contact owners via social media sites for more information. Many who have a tiny home love telling others about their way of life and are open to speaking with you about them.

There is an increasing sentiment amongst individuals at various stages of life that a simpler way of life is better. Take time to learn more about the tiny house movement to determine if this is a lifestyle that might suit you.

Millennial Career Tips Millennial Tips Resume Tips

8 Resume Editing Tips

written by Sidney Walker

8 Resume Editing Tips

It’s amazing what a well-written and nicely presented resume can do for your job search. Before you send yours out, follow this checklist to ensure you are sending out an excellent quality representation of yourself.

1. Grammar, spelling, punctuation – Use the grammar and spell check function, then print it out and read the document word for word. Spell checker doesn’t know that you meant “manager” when you actually typed “manger.”

2. Capitalization – Use a manual such as the Gregg Reference Manual if you do not know capitalization rules.

3. Punctuation – Check for proper use of commas and semi-colons. Again, if you are unsure, refer to the Gregg Reference Manual.

4. Run-on sentences – Check to make sure you do not have run-ons that are hard to read.

5. Consistency – You must be consistent with your number usage (dates, money, numbers), plurals, and abbreviations. For example, don list one date as 8/2004 and then list another date as 3/15/2004. Also, be aware of listing software consistently (abbreviation use). MS Word and Microsoft Outlook are both correct, but not consistent.

6. Education section – When you have a degree, list only the year that you obtained your degree. When you list your dates, (i.e.: 9/1998 to 1/2002) many resume-scanning systems will not recognize that you obtained a degree, only that you attended college for a period of time.

7. Ampersands – Ampersands (&) do not belong on a resume. There are a few exceptions. One exception is a well-known company name (AT&T). Another exception is well-known industry terms (P&L).

8. Hyperlinks – All e-mail and web addresses that you list need to be deactivated in your resume. To do this in MS Word, highlight the link, go to the “Insert” drop down menu, scroll down to and click “Hyperlink”, and on the lower left-had side of this screen there should be a little button that says “Remove link”, when you find it, give it a little click and voila! Alternatively, you can highlight the link, right click on it, and scroll down to “remove link” to deactivate the link.

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5 Creative Ways To Find A Job

written by Sidney Walker

Ok, you have posted to every internet job board and every job on Monster, CareerBuilder, and HotJobs. Youíve followed up with calls and networked until you are blue in the face. Each Sunday you take the newspaper and apply for every job in your field with little to no results. Well, try some unique ways to find a job.

Send Half of Your Resume
Find a company you want to work. Write a great cover letter on why you are a good fit, pointing to the enclosed resume. Donít seal the envelope and donít enclose a resume. Theyíll think the resume fell out in the mail. They will call and engage in a conversation. Sell yourself shamelessly.

Write A Prospecting Letter
Make use of the power of direct mail. Locate 5-10companies. Write up a letter to your contact network and ask them if they know anyone who works at any of the companies on your list. When a contact says they know someone on your list, send them your resume and ask them to forward it their contact or ask permission to send it yourself.

E-Mail Chain Letter
Create a list of 20 companies you want to work for and send an email to everyone you know to see if they know anyone who works at these companies. Ask them to contact you if they do, so that you can ask for a referral. Finally, ask them to forward your email to 10 more people. However donít do this if youíre currently employed!

Distribute A Booklet
Write a booklet with information relevant to your industry and give it away. Everyone loves free information and this demonstrates your expertise. Give the booklet away electronically and advertise it to newsgroups where hiring managers will see it.

Call Human Resources
Sounds crazy, right? Call the human resources department. Ask them what outside agency or third-party recruiting firm they use. They will ask you why do you want to know. Tell them that their company is not currently looking for someone with your skill set right now the agency may be dealing with other firms, so you are looking for a recommendation. They may very well ask you for an interview. If not at least you do get a lead. They would love to save the agency fees. Also being recommended gives you special attention. Send them a thank you note.

These are guerrilla tactics that can give you better results.

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7 Important Job Skills For Millennials

written by Sidney Walker

In today’s competitive life, employers are more inclined to find people who can contribute to the growth of the company and not just boost its productivity.

Hence, most employers tend to look for people who are endowed with the most desirable job skills in order to match the expectations and necessities of the company.

Therefore, for people who wish to make it to the jobs that they have long been dreaming of, it is important to know the most sought after job skills of most employers.

Here’s a list of the important job skills a job seeker must have in order to land a good job and keep it.

1. The ability to research

Job seekers should possess the ability to research not because they wanted to land a job in a research company but in order to do simple searches on the data needed by a particular activity.

2. Logical thinking

Most employers need people who are able to produce effective solutions and to make sensible solutions regarding a proposal or a probable activity.

3. Technologically literate

With the advent of information technology, most job openings require people who are computer literate or know how to operate different machines and office equipment.

Most employers do not necessarily need people who are technological graduates. The simple fact that job seekers know the basic principles of technology is already enough.

4. Communication skills

People who are able to land a good job are mostly those who are adept in speaking and writing. Employers hire people who are able to express their thoughts efficiently through verbal and written communications.

5. Organizational skills

No employer would like to hire somebody who is disorganized. Organization is extremely important to maintain a harmonious working relationship in the company. Hence, most employers find people who know how to arrange scheme and methods that would maintain the orderliness in the area.

6. Interpersonal skills

Because the working environment consists of various kinds of personalities, it is necessary, therefore, to acquire the skill to communicate to people form different walks of life.

7. Professional Growth

Employers hire people who are able to create a plan that will generate personal career growth. This means that the person is willing to improve him or herself professionally by learning new things he or she still does not know.

These are just some of the most wanted job skills by most employers. Hence, it is important for the job seekers to take note of these assets in order to be successful in every endeavor they make.

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Salary Negotiations For Millennials

written by Sidney Walker

Fresh out of college, most people are excited about landing that first job. Given that most grads do not have work experience or only had a part time job while studying, it is not easy to secure an executive position right away.

Starting from scratch, one has no choice but to start from the bottom in an entry-level position then in time move to the top. The challenge most grads face in applying for a job is the competition. Aside from those who just graduated, there are also those who have left the previous job and are looking for a new one.

According to hiring and compensation experts, there is not that much room to negotiate when one is just a fresh grad. This is because that person does not have substantial work experience as basis to negotiate for a higher wage compared to those who have already worked before.

The range of the salary fresh grads get are based on the course one has finished in college. To those who volunteered to be surveyed, it was found that people who graduated from the sciences were able to get a higher salary compared to those who graduated from the liberal arts.

A tip that may help a little in the negotiation process is knowing your potential and not easily giving in or selling yourself short. In the course of an interview, it will boil down to the how much you will be getting. Most fresh grads accept what is given immediately and reply ok ending it there.

It is best to only talk about the salary when an offer has been made. If the interviewer is good, it can wait. During that time, one can try asking how much the company will give for someone in that position then be able to negotiate about that further later on regardless of the figure that was given.

The applicant can then ask questions such as job responsibilities and mention that the contribution one can give to the company is more important than the salary you will be receiving showing the recruiter you are a team player.

Applicants can negotiate more by doing research on how much other companies are offering for the same job before giving an immediate answer. By knowing that information, it is possible for you to negotiate the salary offered for a little more.

Getting a job is not only about a salary. This includes other things that the company offers to its employees and by thoroughly checking out the other benefits and perks, it can also help in deciding whether the applicant should accept the job or not.

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4 Tips For Young Millennials Job Search

written by Sidney Walker

Some teenagers would like to be able to get a job and earn money. Since these individuals are still in school, the next best thing to getting a real job is getting one that is part time.

When applying for a part time job, here are some tips one must remember when going up to a potential employer;

One must prepare a resume when applying for part time work. Even if the person does not have experience, it will show the employer that a little effort was made on the part of the applicant in producing something on paper. The resume may contain highlights or strengths about the applicant which could make the applicant stand out over other people that have applied for the same position and in the end get that job.

When meeting an employer, being dressed appropriately is important. It shows the sincerity one has in applying for the job. One must be that finger-nails and hair are well groomed for the interview. The outfit worn could be business casual. A polo and khaki pants will be ideal for men and a polo and skirt for the women will do well for the interview. This would mean that moderate shoes must be used to match the outfit. If one wears a lot of earrings, it is advisable to remove some to present the person better.

Getting a job is not easy and there will be a lot of times that the employer will say no. This is nothing personal but some employers will prefer someone who has some experience. Even if one is rejected, the person must not give up in getting that part time and move on to the next potential employer.

A firm handshake is always a good start. Walking in and showing ones sincerity in getting the job is another. There is only so much one say in interview so it is best to practice in selling to the person the strengths one possesses in order to get that job.

In the course of going from one employer to another, the employer will not give the answer at once if the person is hired or not. Other applicants will still be interviewed before making that decision. By keeping a list of the places where one went for interview, one will be able to call and follow up the status of the application.

Part time jobs are available in various places. One might find one while walking in the neighborhood, checking the school bulletin board or local paper and even the web for job postings.

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Online Job Search For Millennials

written by Sidney Walker

In the past, applying for a job meant looking through the classified ads in the local paper. The advent of the internet has created various job sites online making it easier for someone to apply for work in another state and in even in another country.

It has made the world a smaller place with everything at ones fingertip and just a click away. Most job sites will require a person to open an account, fill in certain information and deposit a resume.

These sites usually ask for pertinent information such as the person’s name, age, address, contact number and social security number.

Other information that will be requested includes educational background. Some companies prefer someone with a degree in a certain field or a licensed professional to do the job or perhaps a person who possesses a masters degree.

Employment history is also another thing that has to be mentioned. This includes the job description and highlights that you have experienced during your career.

With the information provided, some of these sites offer a service with a fee that will match your qualifications with jobs that are available and enable you to apply for that position. Some even promise to make your resume stand out over other applicants giving that person more priority over others, but even that is a not a guarantee that one will get the job.

One also has to mention the salary the person is receiving both in the current and previous jobs as this is matched with the job the individual wants and the salary one desires.

These sites offer various jobs to people. It caters to professionals and teenagers who want to work either for full time, part time or on a per project basis.

Applying online is not only done through job sites. A lot of companies have websites that have a section on careers which one can access and check what openings are available. One simply has to go through the process of also giving certain information that is asked for and uploading your resume.

The first impression employers or headhunters look at is your resume. Given that many people apply, this usually takes these people a short period of time to review and screen certain applicants before going to the next phase of being scheduled and called for an interview.

There are many jobs available in the market. It just takes a little effort on your part to sit down in front of a computer and look for the right job.

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10 Ways To Kick The Procrastination Habit

written by Sidney Walker

Trying to realize our ambitions, even if we don’t always meet them, is preferable to not having the courage or motivation to take the risk. So not making any resolutions because we fear that we’ll break them is having a defeatist attitude, as we allow procrastination to become an insidious habit which stops us from leading more fulfilling lives.

The following offers 10 ways to kick the procrastination habit!

1. Personal values development.

Take the time to find out what you really want in life, what your personal values are. Do you want more time, more money, better health, greater self-esteem and confidence, more fulfilling relationships, a different career, set up a business? When we procrastinate it’s often because what we are planning to do is not really aligned with what we truly want. We may be scared of our skills (or perceived lack of) or fear ridicule from others.

2. Make health and high-energy levels a priority.

Without good health we are less likely to have the energy and dynamism needed to make positive changes in our lives and it’s easier (and necessary if you’re very ill) to procrastinate. So ensure that you have a nourishing diet, sleep well, exercise and meditate. Incidentally, it is thought that regular meditation helps delay the worst effects of the ageing process.

3. Visualize your life without procrastination.

See and feel the benefits in your life if you didn’t procrastinate. What could you do and achieve? Begin to act as if you’re not a procrastinator. Write down, draw, imagine your life as a film. Use affirmations to help you.

4. Banish the Gremlin.

That little voice which runs on auto in your head – that dismisses any idea that you might have. It says things like “I’m not in the mood” “I don’t have time” “I can’t do this”. Stop running on auto, replace the “should’s” “oughts” “have tos” with “want to” “desire”. You have a choice. Acknowledge your choices and banish the Gremlin. Again, using affirmations can help you replace the Gremlin with more positive alternatives.

5. Over commitment.

Saying “yes” to everything – often leaves you feeling tired and without the energy to focus on what is most important to you. This leads to procrastination as projects and tasks are dropped. Identify what is most important to you and only focus on those areas which will make the biggest difference to your life. It will enhance your focus and motivation.

6. Set personal and professional goals.

It’s hard to motivate yourself when you don’t have a good idea of what you want to accomplish. So when setting goals think about what you want to achieve in the short term and long term. Techniques for doing so include the SMART strategy. S = specific M = measurable A= Action R = Realistic T = Time based. Use goal setting software to help you in goal planning and setting.

7. Prioritize Your Goals.

Develop a plan or schedule to help you reach your goals. In doing so you will begin to identify whether some elements need to be included or enhanced or dropped completely. Also remember to be flexible, revisit your goals regularly and modify or drop if appropriate. Just because a goal is written down doesn’t mean that it is set in stone!

8. Divide and conquer.

Once you’ve prioritized your goals, divide them into smaller chunks. Sometimes we procrastinate because a project seems really large that the scale of it overwhelms us and puts us into a temporary form of paralysis – you don’t know where to start, so you don’t start at all! Approach each project – especially large ones – on a step by step basis.

9. Reward yourself.

Once you start to complete tasks, reward yourself by giving yourself something that you want. So instead of seeing a film before you complete a task, see it afterwards and make it a reward for you.

10. Just get started.

No excuses. Don’t wait until you’re “in the mood”. The mood never comes! It is a clever camouflage and a delaying tactic. What you resist persists! Start with what is easiest, so that you experience immediate success, which will give you the fuel and motivation to upgrade and take on larger projects.

Do any of the above and you’ll be well on your way to Kicking the Procrastination Habit. And if you’re procrastinating over doing any of the above :.), then remember that life is the biggest deadline of all!

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These 5 Companies Will Help Pay For College

written by Sidney Walker

Free or reduced is always better, especially when it comes to college tuition. Student loans can be crippling. Between 2003 and 2012 the number of 25-year-olds with student debt increased from 25% to 43%. This increase in student debt can delay graduates from retirement, buying a house or getting married.

This is a list of companies that can help prevent you from accumulating tons of student debt. Each program varies in requirements and assistance. If you are considering attending college check out these companies that assist employees with college tuition.

1. UPS

Part-time employees of UPS are eligible to Earn $5,250 in assistance per calendar year with a lifetime maximum of $25,000. Eligibility begins the day you’re hired and benefits are prorated accordingly in case you’re hired mid–semester

2. Starbucks

The Starbucks Achievement Plan, collaborated with Arizona State University to offer part-time and full-time employees 100% tuition reimbursement coverage. The Starbucks U-Program will assist employees at all stages of their educational journey. The company offers College Credit for Starbucks Training, Student Discounts and Savings and Scholarships at select schools and Tuition Reimbursement.

3. Home Depot

Full-time Home Depot employees are eligible to receive tuition assistance once they have worked for one year. The maximum for salary employees is $5,000 per year and $3,000 per year for hourly employees. Assistance is limited to business majors for any accredited college.

4. Publix

Any part-time or full-time employee with six months of continuous service working an average of only 10 hours a week is eligible for tuition reimbursement. There is an $3,200 annual limit and a $12,800 maximum. A wide range of approved major is listed on the website.

5. Best Buy

Full-time Best Buy employees with six months of continuous service are eligible for $3,500 per calendar year. Graduate studies up to $5,250 per year can also be reimbursed.

These companies are only a couple of the long list of companies that offer assistance. Check out your current employer benefits before applying!

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