Job Skills That Will Keep You Employed: How to Determine What Skill Sets You Need

The more job skills that you have the more likely you are to be able to stay employed, or to find other employment during high unemployment, in a period of global economic recession. You may be wondering what kind of job skills you should seek to attain.

Understanding what a skill is can help you to determine what the job skills that will keep you employed are likely to be.  

The word skill is defined as the “ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carry out complex activities or job functions involving ideas (cognitive skills), things (technical), and/or people (interpersonal skills)."

No two people have exactly the same skill sets or need to have identical skills. What you should obtain or update are the kinds of skills that are the most suitable or appropriate for your unique employment.

Changing employment is an option, but you may need to consider whether the skills you have are appropriate for your desired career. You may have to consider your competition, as many seniors or previously retired people are seeking employment and have acquired skill sets through their previous experience or employment. You may have skills that they have not acquired yet, so do not throw your hands up in the air and give up before you talk to an employment counselor or prospective employer.  

If there is one skill that you should seek to attain, that would be computer-related skills. In relation to job seeking all around the world, the necessity of computer skills cannot be underestimated. This requires cognitive skills, technical skills and interpersonal skills. One cannot under-estimate the importance of learning or upgrading your communication skills.

Language skill development is important if you are seeking employment in foreign countries on a global level. Interpersonal relationships are becoming increasingly important everywhere, as employees everywhere must be able to relate to other nationalities on a socially, politically and culturally significant level of understanding.

Health care has basic skill sets that employees should be aware of wherever they seek employment either at home, or in remote areas. That brings basic survival skills to light, as well.

Highly specialized skills for professional level jobs may indicate the need for higher academic education prior to seeking or applying for employment.

Where can one obtain job skills? 

Depending upon the kind of job that you are seeking, research on the Internet can prove beneficial. Many high schools, colleges and universities offer skills training programs on different levels, many at minimal cost. Other skills training programs are available on the Internet. Skills training may include certification and different levels of certification can open opportunities that are not otherwise available to job seekers.

Be open to skills training wherever you seek employment, as your willingness to learn new skill sets may be a factor that helps to guarantee employment. There are many kinds of skills learned on jobs, or even through volunteering. Assume a positive and constructive attitude towards the learning process, as learning is infinite, particularly in a rapidly changing world.  

How to Sharpen Your Basic Skills as You Become an Entrepreneur: The Challenge of the Entrepreneurial Spirit

The entrepreneurial spirit always presents a challenge, but at the same time, the entrepreneur may need to sharpen his or her basic skills in order to meet that challenge and be successful in business.

Basic skills fall into several categories, namely cognitive skills, technical skills and interpersonal skills. Most entrepreneurs have new ideas in the realm of cognitive skills, but may need to learn new technical skills, even if they already have a basic technological background. People-related skills come naturally to some entrepreneurs, but not necessarily to everyone. Depending upon the direction the entrepreneur is heading, the necessity of sharpening existing skills or learning new ones becomes increasingly evident, although many 

basic skills are part of his or her education.

Trial and error is one way to sharpen basic skills, but that can be a frustrating process. Sharpening basic skills strengthens them and this comes about through deliberate action, systematically organized and sustained.

Working on different kinds of activities or projects can prove helpful when it comes to sharpening basic skills and developing them to a higher level, beneficial for an entrepreneurial project. Entrepreneurial learning with respect to skills development involves one’s learning curve or capacity to learn. Sharpening skills also occurs while working on specific jobs where specific kinds of skills are used.

One cannot under-estimate the importance of obtaining academic learning, in conjunction with skills training. For example, a prospective entrepreneur needs to have an excellent command of his or her own language, other languages, or translation skills for global, entrepreneurial projects. Basic literacy is vital everywhere and thus, continually developing literacy and writing skills is important. Research skills for entrepreneurial projects on a higher professional level could prove beneficial.

No two entrepreneurs start out with the same projects in mind, or have exactly the same goals. Thus, the entrepreneur may be striking out on his or her own, when it comes to skills development. At times, it is a good idea to consult experts in certain fields, although caution is important. No entrepreneur wants to discuss his or ideas with an expert and then have them squashed or stolen. At the same time, the entrepreneur may be able to see where or why the expert has run into difficulty or a dead end. He or she may be able to take the same project a step further, working with an expert who is familiar with a project. An example could be medical research in the field of genetics.  

There is the need for computer literacy skills and familiarity with programming. The Internet offers a vast array of new skills to entrepreneurs, globally. Nowadays, Internet skills are vital, regardless of the kind of project an entrepreneur has in mind. Photography skills or skills related to graphics may prove invaluable, and are courses are available on the Internet. New Internet skills may include publishing basics or e-book familiarity.

Learning how to run a business or other kinds of skill development, oriented to business principle and practice, may prove important for any entrepreneur establishing a new business. Improving bookkeeping and accounting skills are also important. People-related skills like motivation may also be invaluable to an entrepreneur. Learning how to develop skills training programs for others may be necessary.

There are no limits when it comes to sharpening your basic skills, as you become an entrepreneur. Work at developing your idea or ideas, learn the basics skills first and then pursue a higher level of expertise.           

How to Use Your Facilitation Skills: Facilitation and Facilitation Skills

Facilitation skills are an important part of interpersonal relationship skills, as opposed to cognitive skills which focus on creating new ideas or technical skills required in a vast world of technology. Understanding what facilitation skills are, will help you to understand how to utilize your facilitation skills. 

What is facilitation?

“Facilitation focuses on how people participate in the process of learning or planning.”

What are facilitation skills?

Facilitation skills help people to be motivated in a positive, constructive way, directed towards specific goals. The person with facilitation skills becomes a facilitator who remains neutral while encouraging others to become active participants in a task or process. How to utilize your facilitation skills is part of a complex realm of personal growth and discovery.

Consider the following guidelines.

Become a people helper. Recognize the reality that you have the ability to help others by allowing them to express their thoughts and ideas without judging, criticizing or voicing your opinion. In other words, do not stifle others or overrule what they attempt to express.   

Encourage everyone to work in harmony as a community. Many tasks or projects are too difficult or complex for one person to undertake alone. Working together in groups can make a big difference and accomplish far more. Guiding others non-judgmentally while developing a functional structure or organization, allows them the freedom to work together freely, in a way that everyone feels good about him or herself.  

Avoid being over-opinionated. Instead, develop your facilitation horizons further, while drawing what you can learn from the experience and expertise of others around you. Even a young child can teach you something if you are teachable, so be open to learn from everyone.

If you keep life in its proper perspective by maintaining an attitude of hope, expectation and anticipation, others will learn to do the same. Set a powerful example as a facilitator and others will follow your lead.         

Guide others in the decision making process in such a way that the decisions made by them become appropriate for their tasks or projects. Encourage the contributions of others, even if their contributions do not always seem appropriate, immediately. At the same time, allow them the opportunity to weigh the pros and cons and guide them towards final decisions that are appropriate. 

Take time to talk with others and offer them encouragement as many people are frustrated, confused and discouraged. Be a guide, as well as a good listener and avoid taking sides in the arguments of others. Let them work out their differences and structure opportunities them to do so.

Be aware of what other facilitators around you are doing in order to plan, organize or carry out tasks and projects. Learn how to delegate others who are open and willing to carry out specific projects on a smaller scale, so that the entire facilitation process does not fall on your shoulders.

Facilitation is a learned art that is instinctive to some, but comes from experience and engaging in research. If you know how to organize a brain storming session, you can be an excellent facilitator because the skills are similar. Being a leader who organizes a debate between others is the art of facilitation. Note that being able to use your facilitation skills can lead you to work with larger and larger groups of people, in or beyond your own community. The task can become national or international in scope.

Your attitude towards facilitation is important, so put on a happy face and keep on smiling. Others will do the same and become facilitators with the right attitude too. 

Improving Your Relationship With Money: How to Manage Your Personal Finances

Managing your personal finances may not always be easy, but you can improve your relationship with money. Do you control your money or does it control you? When you succeed at improving your relationship with money, you will find that you gain financial freedom and independence. Acquiring financial independence is worth striving for at any time during your life or your career

Steps to achieving financial freedom and independence

Begin by looking at your personal financial situation closely. In other words, determine your actual income first. You may be wealthier than you realize when your finances are calculated on an annual, monthly or weekly basis. 

Learn how to budget effectively

At times, what your income is may not be causing the problem. The real concern may be how you use that income. Determine what your fixed expenses are, and then look at variable expenses. On a regular basis, usually monthly, you will need to pay your fixed expenses. They do not have a lot of flexibility, but your variable expenses allow room for more effective money management.

Credit card management

Using credit cards can prove problematic with respect to your relationship with money, simply because of the high interest rates. Cutting up or curbing the use of credit cards may resolve these problems. You may be able to get your interest rates reduced.

Debit card management

Part of the difficulty with debit card management has to do with the availability of your money. It may be too accessible, particularly when it comes to taking out cash. You may be paying a fee for every debit transaction that you make, depending upon where you shop. These fees can add up quickly. Note that you may have additional bank charges too, so check your bank statements carefully.

Bill payment management

Paying bills in full and on time results in no extra fees, but overdue bills have extra fees added. Look at your bills immediately when they come in and check the due date on them. Make a point of paying them before the due date, rather than leaving them until the last minute.

Savings account management

Saving money every month is an excellent habit to get into. It is not always possible due to having a poor relationship with your money, or from being financially in over your head. You may need to limit your variable spending in order to manage your savings account successfully, but it will be worth your while.

Emergency fund management

Having an emergency fund will allow you more financial freedom, although setting it up initially may not be easy. You may have to limit your variable spending to establish an emergency fund account, but you will be glad that you did. Ask yourself what is the minimum amount of money you would need in an emergency. Set that amount of money aside and do not use it unless there is a true emergency.

Other financial options

Talk to a financial adviser, as it may be possible to sell some of your existing assets, property or non-essential items to increase your financial freedom. You may consider additional employment or working on a project that will help to increase your income over time.  

These are some of the basics for improving your relationship with money, but they are vital with respect to increasing your financial freedom and independence. Remember that to be and stay in control of your relationship with finances, you have to first assume control. The onus is then on you to accept that responsibility and act on it.

How to Set Up A Business Ledger For a Home-Based Business: Setting Up Your Business Ledger

Setting up a business ledger for a home-based business is important for entrepreneurs and other new business owners. Knowing how to set up a business ledger properly will prove helpful. You may or may not have some familiarity with business ledgers.    

What is a business ledger?

Dictionary.com suggests that a business ledger is a “collection of an entire group of similar accounts in double-entry bookkeeping” or a “book of final entry”.

What does a ledger contain? In professional bookkeeping, "a ledger records classified and summarized financial information from journals (‘the books of first entry’) as debits and credits, and shows their current balances.”

Consider the following when setting up a business ledger for a home-based business.

You may be able to take a course in basic bookkeeping to brush up on your current book keeping skills, even if you have understanding of what is involved. A refresher course in bookkeeping can help to re-familiarize you with the basics of account data organization and record keeping.

Your ledger will consist of two parts, referred to as a book of first entry and a book of final entry.

The book of first entry

Set up a book of first entry with respect to your home based business, so that you have an accurate record of your debits and credits documented on a monthly basis. This will be a record of your bills, as they come in and your payments, as you make them. It will also include purchases, refunds, etc. When you are setting this up, make certain that your transactions pertain strictly to your home-based business, as it may be difficult to separate them from your personal transactions later.

To set up your book of first entry, keep it relatively simple by using a loose-leaf binder with dividers and a separate page for each account. While you can simply list every event as it occurs, it will be easier to work with separate pages. Organizing your accounts properly from the beginning will simplify things for when you need to file your income tax at the end of the business year.

Note that with any home based business, there will be a percentage of your household utilities and other expenses that you can claim on your income tax, so document them carefully. The same is true with respect to your vehicle, maintenance, gas and tires. You may also be able to claim some of your travel expenses.

Setting up your new, home-based business office may require initial purchases like a computer work station or desk, printer, bookshelves, and filing cabinet. You will need other supplies like printer paper, an account book, paper and envelopes. Remember to include the purchase of a computer, fax machine, printer, smart phone or office phone. When you have business cards printed, these can also be included.          

If you use a computer to set up your book of first entry, this becomes a system of interlinked files with the same basic principles.

The book of final entry

The account information from the book of final entry takes on summary form, rather than individual entries. The book of first entry and the book of final entry must be in agreement, in other words, without any obvious discrepancies that may be subject to questions by an accountant when your income tax forms have to be filled out.

Caution should be taken when relying on computer documentation of accounts for a home-based business, as confusion can result if there are lost files. Creating a back up file for your business ledger or printing out a hard copy of it is often a good idea.

The use of spreadsheets can prove beneficial when preparing the book of final entry. The account data from the book of first entry must be in agreement with the account information on a spreadsheet, if that becomes your book of final entry.

Spend time discussing your home-based business with your accountant prior to setting up your business ledger, as that can help you to avoid unnecessary work and will assure your accountant that both you and your home-based business are credible, as well as on track right from the beginning.   

Ways to Stay Healthy On Vacation: Healthy Vacation Tips

A focus on health and well-being is extremely important when you plan a vacation for yourself and your family. One of the major reasons you take a vacation has to do with improving your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health, individually and collectively. Remember that your vacation should be a health investment. With that in mind, consider the following ways to stay healthy on vacation.

Health assessment

Before you and your family head out anywhere on a vacation, whether you plan to go overseas or decide to stay in your own country, have a health assessment done by a qualified, medical professional. It is important to know that you are all healthy enough to travel, that you have received appropriate immunization for your destination and you are going to be able to obtain any medications you will need when traveling.

Attitude

Do you have a well-motivated, positive and constructive attitude towards your vacation? A vacation should prove to be a happy time with everyone showing excitement and enthusiasm in regard to traveling and staying healthy while on vacation.   

Travel destination

Choose your travel destination carefully, ascertaining that it will be mutually acceptable to everyone. You may need to check for travel advice ahead of time, if you plan to go to a part of the world where there are existing health problems.

Standards of health care

Be alert to existing, health care standards where you plan to vacation, as these can vary from country to country, or in different parts of your own country. Just because you vacationed some place a number or years ago and it seemed a healthy part of the world then, does not guarantee that it is still a healthy place to vacation. Discuss your plans with a travel agency, particularly if you are heading into a foreign country or an unfamiliar location closer to home.

Be properly prepared    

Being properly prepared for a healthy vacation means having what you need for your proposed vacation available and accessible when you are traveling, as well as when you reach your vacation destination. Location can be everything! There are basics you will need for yourself and your family including appropriate vacation facilities, clean water and healthy food. Safety is also a major factor when it comes to staying healthy on a vacation, so be prepared in terms of the availability of first aid measures.

Healthy transportation

One of your major concerns when on vacation is that of having appropriate transportation for yourself and your family, wherever you plan to go. You may not want to expose yourself or other family members to huge crowds of people in busy cities, airports, hotels or restaurants. Where there are large crowds, there is increased exposure to unhealthy scenarios, like different kinds of highly infectious illnesses. You might want to avoid crowded subways, planes and ocean liners, too. 

Health care documents

The health care documents you carry with you on vacation are extremely important, particularly when you travel outside the country. Make certain you have individual records for yourself and each family member, as well as for pets that you take with you. When you are on medication or if you need medical devices, health care documents may be required. You may also need extra prescriptions, if you plan to be on vacation for a long time and are likely to need refills. Remember that medications may not be available everywhere you travel.  

These are only a few tips about how to stay healthy on vacation. Ideally, you should be able to return from your vacation healthier and happier than ever.     

Writing Tips: How to Create Suspense in a Story

Creating suspense in a story presents a unique challenge for most writers and offers the reader an intriguing realm of inquiry, as the art of the writer strives to develop the atmosphere of momentary suspense. Understanding what suspense is can prove beneficial in terms of creating suspense.   

        

What is suspense?

Dictionary.com defines suspense as “a state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety,” or sometimes, “a state of mental indecision” or “an undecided or doubtful condition.”

Consider the following tips for creating suspense in a story, as what you write with its sequence of events, dramatic circumstances and level of excitement will play a major role in enticing your readership.  

Use an unusual event to initiate the suspense

Suspense generally begins with an unanticipated event that is likely to be likely to be intriguing, frightening, thrilling or appalling to your reader. Note that suspense differs from adventure and mystery, but may contain elements of both.

Employing fear and its resolution

The use of fear in suspense stories, places the writer and the reader in a precarious position of needing and wanting effective resolution. There is uncertainty leading to anxiety or apprehension that raises concern and questions, for example, what is happening or likely to happen.

Development of sensory stimulation and emotional triggers to build excitement

In suspense, sensory triggers are powerful in that they can affect the deepest emotions of both the writer and reader in a positive or negative way, creating powerful or over-powering feelings of love and hate, joy and sorrow. Strong emotions prove to be motivators for writers to write and readers to read.

Timely interaction of problematic characters

Timing and timely interaction of characters are everything when it involves suspense. The interaction of characters or problematic characters, places the story in a tenuous balance. Extremes in weather can offer the same degree of suspense as can a disaster, war or passion of different kinds.

Using the aloof position of reader

The writer can place his or her potential reader in a situation where he or she knows more than the characters involved in the suspense. This invites reader participation in the suspenseful event.   

Unexpected action and interaction

It is the anticipation of unexpected action and interaction of characters or circumstances beyond their control, that has the power to complicate the suspense further. It also prevents or leads to the prospect of resolution that entices the reader to read on.

Use of repeated trial and error leading to a state of almost, but not quite resolution

Suspense is not always resolved immediately or in the way that a writer or reader expects it to happen. At times, the writer may be uncertain about the resolution of his or her suspense story. For him or her, it may be unpredictable, or just happens in his or her story because it works in conjunction with the story line.

There is a certain element of play in suspense as the writer holds the key to resolution. At times, it may work out like a game of chess, with one stalemate after another or turn into an amazing adventure or mystery, with a wonderful conclusion. It can also create more suspense leading the writer to write more suspense stories in the future.