Resumes and Cover letters

With the economy in the sink, I thought I would take a moment to write a short blog about the importance of a resume. I have several friends who have never had to have a resume before and most of them have never even considered writing a resume. Resumes may seem like a waste of time to the crowd that has always been connected, but for the average Joe, a well written resume can be the difference between getting a great paying job with amazing benefits and working as a part time cashier at McDonalds making minimum wage. A resume is your work history and your qualifications all listed on a paper so that a potential employer can see why you are the best person for the job. If someone else has a better resume than you it will be a lot more difficult to score a job. A lot rides on that little resume, so I have listed a few websites to help you with both your resume and cover letters. So, write a great resume and go get the job you want. At the very least you will be able to look at your resume and see what you want to add to your qualifications. Good luck!

Cover letters
Resumes
DIY Guide to Resumes
Online Jobs

Vacation

Everyone needs a little time off every now and then. I love taking vacation days to just roam around and visit new places. The best thing about taking off and going somewhere new is the adventure that takes place along the way. I enjoy traveling with a couple friends and driving for hours just to see where we will end up camping. If I could find a cheap air fare, I might even fly to some other state just to see what's there. I have a goal in my life to visit every state in the United States of America. What better way to accomplish that goal than with friends?

Mandatory Tip?

I was listening to the radio the other day and the talk show host came on the radio saying that some restaurants are taking about starting a mandatory 25% tip. I almost laughed when I heard this. I just ate some food at a Denny's and I was so dissatisfied with the service that I didn't leave a tip and I even considered leaving without paying. Of course, I had to do the right thing and pay for the food I ate, but there was no way I was leaving a tip. I like Denny's... normally... but this particular visit I paid twenty dollars for my waitress to bring me a coffee, water, and a little food. She never offered me a refill on my water or even brought me a check. I had to go to the register to get my check and pay. I'm a pretty nice guy and usually leave a tip if the waiter/waitress does a mediocre job and I try to leave a generous tip if they make me laugh or even just keep my water filled. Needless to say, for me, the tip is a sort of grading scale. The standard 15-20% tip is a good rating, while anything more than 20% is a great rating. If you don't get a tip, quite honestly, your service was bad and needs TONS of improvement... or I'm broke... either way, make me laugh a little next time. If these restaurants start charging a mandatory tip, I will have to stop eating out. It already costs around $10 for one person to eat out somewhere decent, with a 25% tip, that's $12.50 plus tax. Now, for those of us who aren't single, that's a minimum of $25 every time you want to go somewhere even mediocre. That's going to cut my eating out down a lot. I don't think this mandatory tip is a very good idea. If there are other people out there like me who realize how much of a difference $5 can make, then those people are likely going to quite eating out also. Translation: less people eating out = less tips for waiters/waitresses = less money for waiters/waitresses to spend = larger demand for better jobs = higher unemployment = less money = even HIGHER demand for better jobs... it's a vicious cycle and I AM taking things a bit extreme, but let's face it, I'm right. So, waiters and waitresses earn that tip! Everyone else, if they earn the tip, give it to them! generosity is helpful!