From the category archives:

Getting Help

Some extra money in your pocket

So your job hunt is not going well, its raining outside, and you’ve already sold all of the junk in your basement. What now?

First off, you need to keep up on that job search. The economy will turn around and you need to keep trying until you get hired in a desirable postion. Now the first thing you need is a Paypal account, but you should already have that if you’ve been selling on ebay. The account needs to be a verified account for you to recieve money, so make sure that is done.

Next, you want to head over to Associated Content Join Associated Content and sign up for a publisher account. This will require some writing skills, but its not too bad. You can write on any topic you would like or they provide suggestions and assignments. They will pay you $4 upon article approval, or a performance based rate if you choose that method. New accounts start at $1.50 per 1000 views. Go for the $4 until you get the hang of it. The instant gratification will keep you going. 

The articles must be your original work and shoudl be at least 400 words. I started by selling some essays I wrote in college and then moved on to current news topics. For the up front $4, these articles need to have research and you should provide sources. I have had a few pieces denied because they had too much opinion in them. I have found that finance articles do very well. I usually get article ideas from other news sites. Since AC posts to many other sites looking for current articles, these should do well. You also should keep in mind that breaking news won’t work. You need something that will be interesting for a few days/weeks. 

I haven’t seen a published limit to the number of articles per day, but if you have the time this is a far better way to use it than watching TV or playing video games. Plus, it pays to your paypal account (1099 at the end of the year) so it shouldn’t raise any red flags on your unemployment benefits, at least any more than selling goods on ebay. It might be enough to get some gas, groceries, or beer if you stick to it and put some quality content up.

Staying positive through a layoff

If you read my earlier post about things not to do while layed off, this one applies to the same audience. Watching TV doesn’t help either: you get hooked, you get fat, you stop trying. They real key here is to stay busy while searchign for a job and honing in on what your most valuable skills are. While you may have had a particular duty at your former job, you also may have excelled in a specific niche that is more marketable. Take for example an auto worker that was originally hired to build suspension components, but has since learned all about CAD design and metallurgy. Why try to find a job in the former, when you now have more marketable skills? Get my drift? At every job you should be acquiring new skills and in every job search you should be promoting those new skills.

The next big thing: don’t be angry. Being angry with your former employer, the president, hedge fund managers: anyone; doesn’t get you any further in your job hunt. Prospective employers would rather talk to someone who understands the reason they are now unemployed and is ready to move on. They don’t want to hear you bashing your former employer/boss/company any more than your wife/kids/dog/fish. Plain and simple: it is what it is and you need to make the most of the opportunity.

With the tough competition for jobs right now, employers can be more picky about who they hire. You most likely won’t be the only one qualified, so you may as well make them like you.

Hiring a Recruiter

April 9, 2009

You should look for someone focused on making placements, not filling orders: they should want to help you rather than make a quick placement for a company that is paying them.

Read the full article →