This is my first MoneyWatch101 kids and money interview session. The first kid to be tortured with these great money questions is actually my 13 year old daughter. I am looking forward to doing these more often and also hopefully parents can interview their kids, see questions here for the a future featured post about your kids. (Email me the answers)
I want all kids to get a solid foundation with finances before they head out to college and get in over their heads with financial matters that could have been avoided. It will be all on my shoulders to help my kids find the best path for financial prosperity. I hope you can do the same as well to help your kids succeed.
For many job seekers, working in our nation’s capital is a dream. Washington, D.C. offers a number of jobs in both the private and public sectors. The city is home to many large corporations. Government jobs are more than plentiful, and in the last two years, the city’s unemployment rate has dropped from 8.4% to 8.1%.
While the city has plenty to offer, job seekers may find themselves overwhelmed or unsure of where to start their search. If you’re searching for a job in the D.C. area, use the tips below to help you get started.
1. Look for Jobs in the Right Places
While you can still find job openings in the local papers like The Washington Post, online job search sites tend to be a better option. On these sites, Washington jobs are updated daily unlike the listings printed in the paper. Job fairs are also a great option as is the Federal government’s official job site.
Knowing where to find jobs is half the battle. If you start looking in the right places, you will be surprised at how many opportunities are available.
2. Don’t Rely Solely on Social Media
Social media can be a great networking tool, but do not rely on these platforms as a means of landing a job. Use them to make connections with people who matter in the industry.
Start following industry leaders on Twitter or connect with them through LinkedIn. Once you have made that connection, make the effort to nurture and build your relationships with these contacts to improve
your chances of nailing your dream job.
Keep an eye on the Twitter accounts of job posters too, like The Washington Post and USA Jobs.
3. Search in the Right Sector
Just like any other job market in the country, certain sectors in Washington, D.C. are more promising than others.
Not surprisingly, Government is the largest sector and offers the most job opportunities. Education and health services are also a smart pick. Professional, technical and scientific services are the third largest sector in the city.
4. Optimize Your Resume
Optimizing your resume to tailor the needs of your potential employer is essential. What skills is the company in need of? What is the biggest challenge the company is facing right now? Tailor your resume to include these skills. Highlight your best attributes in a way that is appealing to that particular
company. Exclude irrelevant skills. Instead, place emphasis on your relevant skills and experience, particularly on your cover letter.
Also, many larger companies now use applicant tracking systems. These search and sort through resumes automatically based on the employer’s preferred keywords. Without the right keywords, your resume will be buried in the sea of applicants.
5. Donate Your Time
Washington, D.C. is home to a plethora of non-profit organizations. You can keep your resume up to date by volunteering your time and services to a local organization. The key is to make sure that you are volunteering at organizations that are relevant to your field. This will make the experience more attractive and relevant to potential employers.
Volvo is no longer that boxy monstrosity from the 80’s.
These are the companies that might go bankrupt in 2014, the reason they are predicted to go under is due to tough competition from other companies. Why discuss the companies that are listed below? Because many people might want to invest in them, without knowing the truth behind the company’s numbers. The stock might be appealing to some due to the low price, but would you really want to put money into a sinking ship? (No) What really caused these companies to begin spiraling out of control and to ultimately be very close to bankruptcy? From my point of view, I would have to say that one of the reasons is these companies did not change enough under the current market space. Staying stagnant or comfortable is a sure fire way to bury yourself in any business environment.
Recently my daughter Lily was struttin her stuff around the house in her Twin sister’s boots. I asked her why do you have your sister’s boots on, and she replied because I like them. I smiled and said, ok baby that’s fine. But I had a an experiment that was formulating in my mind at that very moment. After 5 minutes I found her actual boots and offered it to her sister, stating out loud to Sophia that she needs to wear Lily’s boots because she was wearing Sophia’s boots. Across the room Lily seemed ok with the idea for a brief moment. Then as I go to place the boots on Sophia’s feet, Lily sits down and begins to remove the borrowed boots yelling no no no. She wanted her own boots. What just happened within her that made her change how she felt about lending her boots?
The premise of what I want to discuss with you today is not given much attention in our current society. But this site will be a bit different and enlighten you to get a basic understanding of what it means to be debt free. There’s been a lot of talk recently about reaching the pinnacle of financial freedom, the crossover point where your finances can cover expenses with no problem. The wishing well from others trying to reach this status in life is very high, but before you dive in to begin your FI journey please keep reading.
Everyone who wants FI must reach a very critical stepping stone, and that step is called debt freedom. People this is a wakeup call, because money sharks are out there ready to take your cash flow away from you. For a few examples look at that new shiny credit card offer, or the new sedan waiting to be driven off the lot, plus never forget the always modest student loan. Many of these debt perpetrators can be halted, by telling the reflection in the mirror, I will not borrow money under any circumstances.
If you can successfully go 3 years without borrowing any money, then you can finally reach debt freedom. The average American consumer reaches debt freedom in 18-36 months if they can keep new borrowing at bay. (Which means Never Again?)
Now I will show you how getting to that step will elevate your finances to work extremely hard for you and possibly help you reach the pinnacle of finance. In a few examples below I will show you several cash flow killers. Once you rid them from your life one by one, then invest the amounts below consistently you can be wealthy.
What is “The Dichotomy of Money Behaviors”, and how will it help me succeed with personal finance? Every day I see how behavior money issues can be on one spectrum to another from person to person. The society we now live in is constantly in a financial battle. Through one media source you are getting advice to save money, but another source around the corner is telling you to spend now. One of the most popular websites on how to manage money, has a revolving ad so that its readers can get credit cards. (Really!)
Individuals must remove all the white noise from the decisions influencing us that we get from the media. For example everyone who works in sales they wish to make money; by getting as many clients as possible. They will pay for marketing lists, to advertise on social media, to do whatever it takes to get clients. They are trying to make money to save and spend money. Their clients are in the same boat, battling every day to protect cash flow from being taken away. Read below how you can see my feelings around the dichotomy of money behaviors.
Hey readers I recently saw the 1% movie, which was written and directed by Jamie Johnson. Jamie is the grandson of the founder of Johnson & Johnson Company, a multi-billion dollar conglomerate. After seeing this movie I am sort of shocked at the greed that some of the 1 percenter’s take pride in displaying. They clearly do not want to discuss or even think of the social economic dysfunction of this society. It is fascinating how in one single movie both sides were portrayed and given the opportunity to shed light on a matter that is very controversial in our society. On both sides of the spectrum, they feel that their views are right and the other is wrong. It is a typical thought process behind I am right, with no in between talks on how to solve the social economic issues.
It provides facts behind the political influences that big companies have on the government. It goes to show how greed can have a conflict of interest. In one example a major sugar company based in Florida, donates to both political parties in a power move to build a favorable relationship with both sides of politics. It also states how the sugar importing is not allowed, and we as consumers have to buy sugar at 3-4 times in price when compared to Canada and Mexico. Why would the government interfere with free trade in that manner, because the sugar company has them in their pockets? In this example the CEO of said sugar company can and has dialed directly the president of the U.S. to discuss matters that can affect his company’s revenue.
Hey have you ever seen millionaires driving around in Ferraris, wearing Gucci scarfs and rocking Louie V. sunglasses every day of the week? Do you stop to notice that the only people who are flashy are the TV entertainers because they are getting paid to promote a brand? Well I believe people who are flashy all the time in regular neighborhoods, are not making a living as entertainers in the public eye thus living above their means. People with self made wealth do anything possible to stay under the radar for the most part. I can attest that most millionaires care more about continuing their high income and assets far more than living a flashy lifestyle.
What experience have you witnessed with someone who is always flashy? Buying the latest things, just to say they have something new. Trading up cars every 2 years, because they want to impress others. I cannot shake the feeling that those people always being flashy equals them living above means.
The standard definition of flashy is -stylish and expensive-looking in an obvious or ostentatious way.
