Most of the economies in the world are now in recession mode, and there is no exit anywhere near in sight. Economists tell us that as the effects of the recession become more apparent, more and more companies will find themselves forced to cut down on their headcounts. Many of those who get axed may find it hard to find other jobs in a short time, as the effects of an economic recession tend to be felt across all industries.

It is even harder to foretell who will fall and who will be left standing. One day the axe is swinging in the financial sector, and the next day it is falling in the automobiles sector…

no one really knows where it could fall next. Classic advice, when faced with this kind of gloomy uncertainty, is to hope for the best and prepare for worst. In line with preparing for the worst, many people are increasingly looking at possible alternatives to their regular jobs, that is, alternative places where they can take cover should the axe fall on them. 

One of the options that many people are eagerly looking at is the possibility of working at home. While there is a lot of hype about the possibilities of making millions working at home, in reality, there are relatively few legitimate work at home jobs. Most of the legitimate work at home jobs are on the Internet, but they tend to be buried deep in the web and overshadowed by the many ‘online work’ scams. Most of the legitimate work at home jobs fall into two main categories. 

The first category, which is the biggest category of legitimate work at home jobs, involves being a sort of online personal assistant, also called a virtual assistant, of one type or another. The typical skill required for this is good communication (writing and listening,) as most of these jobs involve either transcription or writing of one sort or another. The typical places to find legitimate work at home jobs are ‘service-market’ websites like Elance and Odesk. A major drawback you will have to contend with is that you will be competing in the global labor market and some of your competitors might be willing to work for much less than you can even begin to imagine. 

The second category of legitimate work at home jobs involve starting some sort of online business. In this regard you might, for example, start a website and promote a few affiliate programs on it, in order to make money. Or, if you have a specialized skill, you can also start a service-offering business, like a consultancy. In this category of legitimate work at home jobs, the competition is again the only major drawback you might have content with. As it were, chances are that there are millions of websites selling the same products or offering the same services as yours, and you will have to work really hard to move your website ahead of the pack. But with some luck, starting an online business is one of the best ways you can earn real cash from home, even during a recession. And, with even more luck, your online ventures might just succeed beyond your wildest dreams and earn you a place among the so called ‘Silicon Valley millionaires,’ if you have a great business idea that really takes hold and you are able to grow it properly. In this way, a recession would have been a blessing in disguise for you, at least for making you think about working online from home.
    
If you are interested in educating yourself about the Internet Marketing skills needed to run an online business, visit my blog at http://www.imarketings.net/internetmarketing  to learn more.

Why do we need a resume?

First of all, your resume is a tool to help you throughout in your career. You use a resume for job hunting, promoting yourself in certain social events, filling places for a course, and establishing your credibility in a particular field.

Since it is intended for others to understand and evaluate you against others, it has to be competitive in the sense that you are trying to distinguish yourself from others.

Should we write a short or a long resume?

The best resumes are short and concise. The people who will use your resume are not people looking to read a novel. They are looking to quickly learn about your qualities in order to answer their questions about you – and they want it fast! So you have to anticipate what their questions will be before you write your resume. If you do not know what they are looking for, you can never write a good resume.

How do we write a good resume?

Resume writing has to be specific and targeted for a particular purpose. That means you have to know your audience when writing.

How do I begin? 

Begin with your name and contact methods.

Should I include a photo in my resume?

It depends. If you think you are good looking, do include one. If you think that a picture would discriminate you from others, then do not include one. In general, in my experience as a recruiter I am usually more impressed with resumes that include photos because it helps me remember a stranger better. Place your bet!

Should I include information such as sex, age, etc.?

It depends. Some countries prohibit employers from soliciting this information during recruitment because it is a type of discrimination. But if you think you are at an advantage by providing this unsolicited information (for instance, if it’s obvious that your mature age will help in securing a higher chance of further interviews for a job requiring long management experience), then by all means provide this.

What is a career objective?
This is the section of your resume that comes right after your contact information. Write about how your career direction coincides with what the audience is looking for. Try to write your objective based on your past, present, and future goals. Demonstrate how you grew from (something) in the past to (something advanced) in the present, and how you are looking to attain certain future goals by shooting for (something even more advanced) now and in the future. 

For example: "Having worked for the past six years as an office administrator, I completed a part-time college degree and am now pursuing a Masters degree in Business Administration. I am looking to advance my career as a competent office administration manager by taking part in soft skills training such as presentation and leadership skills. I am seeking a new job challenge that allows me to work in a managerial role in which I will have the opportunity to lead people in accomplishing various and challenging office administration responsibilities."