5 Ways To Create Your Own Luck

Make your own opportunities.


A good friend of mine was laid off in the early part of the year from his job as a contracted government systems administrator. He had seen it coming and made a decision not to actively look for a new job right away. Because he had the benefit of being prepared, he decided to use the time to work on making a career change by going back to school.


After a month or so, he called up some of his previous co-workers, just to keep in touch. Before the day was over, he was told about a new job opening at the same place he had previously worked. The job was basically doing the same thing as he had been, but the pay was considerably higher. He sent in his resume and was quickly hired. After all, he had several employees who recommended him and he had been good at his job.


Still, seeing how quickly he found a new job, many people say that he just got lucky. Indeed, he did. However, it isn't just luck. Creating your own opportunities requires skill and an attitude of success.


If you want to create your own luck, here are 5 ways to do it:


Pay attention to everything - Be curious and ask questions. Get to know the people around you and watch how things unfold. Look for things that you can do better, things that can make work easier for everyone. Be the person who knows what's going on, both in your office and in your industry. This will make you an integral part of a team and your previous co-workers will be quick to think of you when new opportunities arise.


Care about what you do - You have to think that your work is very important. If you don't value what you do, how will anyone else? When you care about what you do, it will show in your work performance. The more important you think your work is, the more others will value it. As it goes, they will be more likely to look for other ways to use your talents.


Be aware of your image - Everything you do is important. People will gather information about you by the way you carry yourself. Be mindful of your actions and make sure that you are projecting the image you want. When others view you as a competent professional, they will think more highly of you and want you on their team.


Look for opportunities - There are always opportunities, the key is to be able to see them. Treat everyone you meet as a potential networking contact. Sometimes the best breaks come in unexpected places. Look for them.

Be willing to take a chance - If you are offered a new opportunity, take it. It might not be exactly what you were looking for but it might be a chance to grow an important skill set. Of course that doesn't mean that you should take jobs that aren't right for you, but don't be afraid to open the door when opportunity knocks.


What most of us call luck is actually being aware of what's going on and not being afraid to seize the day. Take a look at how you approach your job search and make your own luck.


What do you think of this list? Do you think it's all luck? Please share your thoughts in the comments.


By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobsiteBlog and Beyond.com.. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

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• 3 Super Lazy Ways to Find a Job (phillyjobsblog.com)

Five Job Search Resolutions for the New Year

1. Lose 20 lbs.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
3. Walk 30 minutes each day.
4. Send birthday cards to all friends and family.
5. Make a budget and stick to it!


These are great resolutions to shrink your waistline and lower your blood pressure, but what about your job situation? It’s time to take a hard look at the past year’s efforts and resolve to make some changes in your job search strategy. If you’re still unemployed, it’s time to change your strategy, target market or career track.


1. Stop looking through the “Rose-Colored Glasses.” Or, be realistic. A lot of the jobs that disappeared in the two or so years of the economic downturn are not coming back. If you were in a career that has gone away or is going away, wishing and hoping it will come back is just wasting your time. One career track that is shrinking is on-site human resources professionals. With so much of the data and document processing done online, companies can get along with training someone in Accounting or Administration to handle the HR function. Add a consultant or attorney for the tough stuff, and goodbye HR Department.

2. Get More Education and Training. There are lots of MBAs looking for jobs, and employers can hire them in at a lower rate than an experienced applicant. Now’s the time to finish your MBA or get certified or licensed. The days of sliding into a management slot without a degree or certification are gone.

3. Upgrade your appearance. This is a tough one, but if you are overweight, out of shape, showing your age or just let yourself go, take a good look in the mirror. Lengthy unemployment does something to your mental attitude and the will to keep up appearances. Employers are looking at social media sites to see just who is applying, and what they see can hurt you. Schedule a “maintenance day” at a local spa, update your hair color, and get a great interview outfit. Cut out white carbohydrates and sugar for a couple of weeks to drop some extra pounds. Not only will you feel better, but your new attitude will be reflected in your face, step and overall appearance.

4. Consider Self-Employment. There are so many new markets and services to explore. How can you use your talents and experience to provide products or services to companies or individuals? Online sites like http://www.etsy.com/ or http://www.elance.com/ offer ways to set up your own online shop or bid on thousands of jobs in technology, communications or consulting. Instead of waiting for an employer to call, be proactive and begin to chart your own course.

5. Get a Financial Checkup. Meet with a financial planner or your accountant to go over your finances. You may be on the edge of collapse yet sitting on assets that could help ease the financial burden and stress while you look for another job. While this goes against all conventional wisdom, cashing in a 401K or IRA can be a good move if it keeps you from foreclosure or defaulting on other debt. It’s difficult to see your way out of a financial crisis without professional help. Facing reality and working out a plan to sustain or improve the situation can be a stress reliever while you look for the job that will build a brighter financial future.


What job search resolutions have you made for the New Year? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.


Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for phillyjobs.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at phillyjobs.com and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

Angelina Jolie is Dangerously Thin

by Alex A. Kecskes

Many nutritionists and health counselors struggle with famous or success-driven clients who engage in poor eating habits. If you had a client like Angelina Jolie, you’d be increasingly alarmed over her extreme and troubling weight loss. You’d be challenged every day in walking a fine line between not upsetting your client by being too dictatorial and nagging concerns that you weren't doing enough to maintain their good health.

Having dropped to a scant 97 pounds (too thin for her 5-foot, 8-inch height) and often collapsing, the talented actress has raised concerns that her diet may be seriously impairing her health. A recent photo of her wearing a loose-fitting red dress tied around her waist emphasized her spine and skinny arms.

Some have called her frail, emaciated, even anorexic. Others have noted that she seemed confused, bewildered and zombie like, with conversations that were incomprehensible and shifting rapidly from topic to topic. Brad Pitt’s concern has led him to suggest that his partner get some intervention and noted that he hopes Jolie can gain 10 pounds.

Concerns of a heroin relapse appear unfounded, but some have noticed that Jolie rarely eats a full meal and frequently forgets to eat. One publication noted that the actress eats as little as 600 calories a day, while some suggest she starts her day with little more than a spoonful of coconut oil and a handful of cereal. She'll skip lunch, grab a few almonds and some gummy bears or try to survive the day on a protein-based shake. Dinners can consist of a lean steak and a glass of red wine.

Many feel that Jolie’s weight loss is due to her hectic lifestyle, which includes a busy work schedule, caring for six children, travel and, and her relationship with Brad. If she continues to lose weight, her nutritionist and doctor should intervene.

For an added perspective, check out this video:

If you have any thoughts on nutritionist health care careers, feel free to share them in the comments section.

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

The New Frontier of Open Source Education

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How free education is growing.


The price of earning a degree has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade. For many of us who are trying to learn new skills and are looking for a new job, the price tag can be a stumbling block. Although there are many places that offer free college courses, there really hasn't been anything that can help fill in the gaps for those who choose not to pay for their education.


I've mentioned OpenCourseWare in my blogs several times over the past year. It is a place that has courseware from many colleges and universities. The courses are free and include a .pdf copy of the textbook, lecture notes and sometimes even video lectures. Students can complete the courses in their own time and take whatever they can from them. Of course, the students aren't given any actual credits or certifications for the work, but they gain the knowledge.


At the forefront of the OpenCourseWare movement is Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They were the first to open up almost all of their courses to the project and inspired renowned universities like Harvard and Princeton to join in.


Now, the powers that be at M.I.T have decided to take things a step further. They have just announced a new program that is quite revolutionary. They plan to launch MITx, an online learning platform.


With MITx, the courses will still be free but they will have more interactive content. In addition, when students complete the courses and demonstrate mastery of the subject, they will be able to receive a certificate (for a fee, of course). This means that if you take a couple of courses that relate to your career, you can include the certificate information on your resume.


The program is not-for-profit, so I am assuming that the credentialing program will be affordable.


This is great news to anyone who wants to get an education but doesn't want to be tied down to student loan debt. In addition, this solidifies M.I.T's commitment to providing the best possible online educational experience to anyone who wants it. It will be interesting to see how this program develops. If OpenCourseWare is any indication, I wouldn't be surprised to see many other universities follow suite.


What do you think about this? Would you take college courses this way? Please share your thoughts in the comments.




By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog and Beyond.com, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Related articles

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• Things To Do While Your Unemployed - That Might Help You Get A New Job (logisticsjobsiteblog.com)

Celebrate the Holidays with Beyond.com and In The Hot Seat

  By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for Beyond.com, she is co-founder of design and promotion company. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children. 

Celebrate the Holidays with Beyond.com and In The Hot Seat

  By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for Beyond.com, she is co-founder of design and promotion company. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children. 

How To Make Budgeting Easy

Making your money stretch by budgeting.


Just the word "budgeting" can cause even the best of us to squirm a little. No one wants to think about it and there is a strong resistance against the idea of restrictions. The thing is, when you are unemployed and looking for a job, making the most of the little bit of income you have is crucial for surviving long term.


We all know this, but the idea of budgeting just seems too hard sometimes. The thing is, making a budget and sticking to it will allow you to save to reach your goals. Which is totally fun, right?


If you are struggling to manage your finances and want to make a budget, the first step is to break your expenses down into categories. Here are the main ones:


Necessary expenses - These are the things you don't have a choice about. This can be whatever is necessary for you. For example, this could be housing, transportation, insurance and utilities. Depending on your lifestyle, this list can be longer or shorter.


Savings - Paying yourself is important. Put money in savings before you end up spending it on non-essential things. This is something that is really hard for me to do, but I'm trying. I need to get in the mindset that paying myself is more important than having more money to spend on other things. You can't achieve things without making sacrifices and this is also true when it comes to money.


Debt Repayment - This category is for credit card payments, student loan payments and so on. Some people like to add the minimum payments into their necessary expenses category and use this for any additional repayments.


Discretionary Spending - This should be the last category because it is the least important. This would cover things like eating out, clothing and more expensive groceries. With the money in this category, you can adjust how much you spend based on your financial situation. For example, if you are trying to save more, give this category less money.


Once you have your expenses broken down into these categories, you can look at your income and get a clear idea of how to save money in order to meet your larger financial goals.


Do you keep a budget? Why or why not? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobsiteBlog and Beyond.com.. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Related articles

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Five Industries with Great Perks

OK, so you haven’t found a job in your field or even come close. The only jobs you find are hourly service-type jobs, and you haven’t done that since waiting tables in high school. Well, you may be luckier than you think. Some companies offer great perks to their employees, and you don’t have to be a manager or CEO. When you’re hired, you’re part of the team. Some restrictions apply, like working full-time or a certain number of hours per week. But the perks can make up for the lower wages and give you a foot in the door.


1. Retail. Think large department stores, like Dillard’s, Nordstrom’s or Macy’s. They offer discounts to their employees and even sweeten the deal over the holidays with special promotions. After a 40% regular discount, employees can apply their additional discount for some real savings. If you work for one of the cosmetic lines within the department store, you may also get free products and commissions on sales. The products alone can add hundreds of dollars to your pay each month.

2. Airlines. It’s not just the flight attendants and pilots who get to fly for free. Baggage handlers, counter clerks and reservationists share in the “friendly skies” benefits. You have to fly standby and take your chances, but some airlines allow your family members to fly free as well. Take a couple of trips a year, and you can add thousands of travel dollar savings to your paycheck.

3. Restaurants. Besides discounts on meals when you visit as a guest, many restaurants provide meals for their staff or send the extras home for the families. In order to better sell the menu items, restaurants hold tastings for staff, and encourage them to try new dishes. The cost of meals adds up, and you can add the savings to your pocket.

4. Theatres. You may be an usher or sell tickets or popcorn, but you also get free movie tickets or can hang out in the projection room and watch the latest flicks. If you work for a convention center or other venue that stages live concerts with name entertainers, you can see the show for free and even have access backstage to meet the stars. Production crews work hard moving sets and equipment, but you can be “up close and personal” while you set up and break down after a performance.

5. Cruise Lines. Cruise lines employ hundreds of service workers for a variety of jobs to take special care of their captive guests while traveling to exotic locations. Employees work long hours and share cramped quarters, but their living expenses during the cruise are taken care of as well. While in port, you can see take some time to see the world as well. You won’t be climbing the rock walls or winning big in the casinos, but you can travel to destinations around the world for free.


What other jobs give employees great perks? Share your experiences with others in the Comments section.


Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for phillyjobs.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at phillyjobs.com and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

What Foods Can You Eat to Prevent Disease?

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you plan on pursuing a career as a nutritionist, you will undoubtedly be asked about foods that can help prevent certain diseases. Research conducted by Loma Linda University suggests that there may be a link between certain common foods and the prevention of disease. Here are some of the conclusions they reached:

Coronary Heart Disease. Consuming more legumes (beans, peas, lentils, soybeans) can boost your levels of good cholesterol and drop your levels of bad cholesterol. Another recommendation is to switch to healthier oils like olive, peanut and canola, which are rich in monounsaturated fats. Eating garlic, which contains allicin has been shown to lower blood cholesterol. Tea, which contains antioxidants, can help prevent the build-up of fatty deposits in arteries and improve blood vessel dilation for better blood flow. Soy protein can lower LDL cholesterol levels, especially when blood cholesterol levels are high.

Breast Cancer. Fatty fish and shiitake mushrooms, which are high in Vitamin D, could help reduce the risk of this disease.

Prostate Cancer. Tomato-based foods can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 20-45 percent, depending on how many servings per week you have (the more servings, the higher the percentage). Researchers believe that the lycopene, a carotenoid and antioxidant found mostly in tomatoes and tomato products is the ingredient that reduces cancer risk. Also suggested would be eating apples and onions, and drinking black or green tea, and red wine, which contain the flavinoid quercetin, a possible protective agent against prostate cancer.

Urinary Tract Infections. Blueberries, cranberries, unsweetened cranberry juice and cherries all contain substances that reduce the tendency of bacteria to bind to bladder tissue.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Fruits, vegetables, flaxseed, dried plums, and drinking water can help with IBS. Barley, oats, brown rice, and small portions of unsweetened dried fruits can help as well.

Flu/Cold. Increasing vitamin C, most notably with oranges and persimmons can help. Colorful fruits and vegetables tend to be high in antioxidants, including beta-carotene, vitamin E, selenium and vitamin C—all combine to boost your immunity to colds and flu. Carrots, apricots and broccoli are rich in beta-carotene, which helps strengthen the skin and mucous linings in the lungs and nose (areas where cold germs first invade the body). Finally, low fat yogurt has immunity-boosting probiotics.

As a nutritionist, you job will be to advise clients on healthful diets that will help reduce the risk of disease.

For an added perspective, check out this video:

If you have any thoughts on disease preventing foods and careers in nutrition, feel free to share them in the comments section.

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

What Our Parents Knew About Stretching a Budget

Making your money stretch with these skills.

It's been interesting to see that over the past few years, as the economy has worsened and so many people are out of work or looking for jobs, there has been a rebirth of skills that make our budget stretch. Most of these are skills that our parents knew, but somewhere down the line we have forgotten. For example, if you look around the Internet, you'll find plenty of blogs dedicated to such old-fashioned skills as baking, sewing, gardening and more. In fact, I met a woman who actually raises bees in her small backyard. It might seem crazy, but she has some amazing honey and uses it to barter for baked goods, fresh vegetables and even sells some.

There are so many skills that our parents knew that can make a dollar stretch. In case you weren't paying attention as a child, here are 5 skills that you should learn:

Driving a manual transmission car - Out of all the cars I have had, the majority have been manual transmission, or "sticks". I am always surprised at how many of my friends, and even parking attendants, don't know how to drive them. In general, manual transmission cars are cheaper than automatics and get slightly better gas mileage. Also, used cars with manual transmissions are considerably cheaper because less people are interested in buying them.

Cooking from scratch - I'm not even talking about advanced stuff like canning your own vegetables here. Even things like making spaghetti sauce or cooking oatmeal can save you a lot of money on your grocery bill. I like to cook, but when I look in my cabinets, I'm still surprised at how much easier it is to buy ready made options. These are typically less healthy and much more expensive. Even if you just replace one or two ready made meals with a couple of easy to make from scratch meals, you'll see the difference.

Repairs - I have a friend who replaces things that are broken and never considers the idea of having them fixed. She has little children, and as you would imagine, her vacuum cleaners have occasionally lost battles with Barbie shoes and the like. Instead of replacing the belt, she replaces the vacuum. When I showed her how to open the housing and replace the belt, she was amazed. I have another friend who has been saving to replace her washing machine and in the meantime is suffering because the machine doesn't spin that well. In my parent's day, the repairman would come and replace a few things and the washer would be good as new. The repairman's fee isn't nearly as much as the cost of a new washer. There are many great books on home repair that you can find at the library and fixing your broken items will save you a bunch in time, hassle and money.

Sewing - You don't have to be a great seamstress or tailor to benefit from learning to sew. At the least, we should all be able to replace a button, hem pants or mend small rips in clothes or other fabrics. Unfortunately, many people just toss out things that are ripped and replace them. It's a waste of money and keeping the things you love is always nicer than getting new stuff. Just learning the basics can save you a lot of money.

Gardening - You don't even have to have a yard to plant a garden. There has been a rise in urban gardening in the past few years. In this situation, people plant a few vegetables in large tubs and put them by a window or on a balcony. Just one or two tomato plants and a few other vegetables can keep you fed well all summer long. Not to mention, they are great for bartering with friends who have other skills to offer.

Making your budget stretch when you are going through tough times is important. You can cut your expenses by learning some of these skills and who knows, it might even be fun.

What other things do you think our parents new about saving money? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog and Beyond.com, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Related articles

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5 Jobs With the Worst Cases Of Depression

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You finally find the job of your dreams, only to become more depressed than you were when you were unemployed. Granted, the big difference is that you now get a paycheck. The thing is, once you aren't worried about survival, job satisfaction can make a huge difference in how satisfied you are and how happy you are on an average day.

It's important to find the right job for you, rather than settling for any job you can get. There are few things worse than working at a job you really hate. One of them is being unable to pay your bills. Still, if you can hold out for the job you really want, your overall happiness will benefit.

There are some jobs that cause more depression than others. In fact, in a recent survey about job satisfaction, depression and happiness, there are a few job titles that have significantly higher rates of depression and some of them might surprise you.

At first, I thought that the most depressed people would be the ones who have to do menial jobs that are dirty or involved a great deal of hard work. However, the results surprised me.

Here are the 5 most depressing jobs:

Nursing home or Child care workers - These care providers top the list with 11 percent of people reporting major depression. This has a lot to do with providing care for people who aren't able to express gratitude. There is the stress of taking care of several adults or children and not a lot of positive reinforcement for the employees.

Food Service Workers - If you think about it, the waitstaff at your favorite restaurant probably have to deal with rude or angry customers in addition to receiving very low pay and working long hours. Food service workers have a very physical job and have many people telling them what to do each day. In this industry, 10 percent of workers have reported bouts of depression.

Social Workers - This one didn't surprise me much. Working with abused children and families in crisis is demanding and often filled with helplessness. The people who are drawn to this career field are often extremely caring but face a huge risk of becoming burned out within a couple of years.

Healthcare Workers - Doctors, nurses and others in the healthcare industry face high risks of depression as well. Because they face matters of life and death on a daily basis, they often work long hours and don't leave enough time to care for themselves. This causes burn out and depression along with the feeling that if they could just work harder, they could help more people.

Artists, performers and writers - These jobs are creative and can be inspiring, but they also have irregular hours and uncertain paychecks. Added to this, creative people are more likely to have mood disorders to begin with. Although not all artist are depressed, the natural tendency to intense emotion and the sporadic successes can make a great breeding ground for depression.

What other industries do you think suffer high rates of depression? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobsiteBlog and Beyond.com.. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Related articles

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Six Tips to Keep Your LinkedIn Profile "Reference Friendly"

The age-old process of submitting resumes and applications has changed from filling out paper forms, copying resumes and mailing them both by snail mail to a prospective employer. Today, job sites, like http://www.phillyjobs.com/ make it easy to search job openings and apply for jobs online in one easy process. While the process for applying for jobs has changed, employers are also using new tactics to screen applicants and delve into their backgrounds using social media sites.

Employers know job fit is a more important job success factor. How well a person fits into the company culture, relates to and communicates with others, and is open to continuous learning and feedback are critical factors job-fit criteria. Skills and processes can be taught. Personality and work ethic are part of a person’s nature. The best way to uncover these characteristics is through references.

Employers know that the three references listed on a job application are hand-picked by the applicant according to how complimentary they can be about the applicant’s prior work experience. Most likely, the references have been coached ahead of time to highlight skills or traits that relate directly to the current job opening. As a former HR Director, it was almost a waste of time checking these references, since you knew they would be rave reviews. However, more HR recruiters are using social media for finding other reference sources. With that in mind, here are six tips to make your profile work for you:

1. Be sure your resume on LinkedIn is the same as the one you submit with applications. Discrepancies or contradictions will work against you.
2. Keep your job history up-to-date and concise. Listing every job since high school in detail is too much information. Keep your history targeted to your target job market.
3. Solicit good referrals. The best way to do it is to write a positive referral for someone else. They are likely to return the favor.
4. Examine your contact list. An employer can do a people search and most likely find mutual connections. You want your contacts to know you well and have good things to say about you. How well did you get along with your 447 contacts? Which ones may reveal how you used to shop online for hours or help yourself to office supplies for your kids? Delete contacts that could do your job search some harm.
5. Send invites to friends, former managers or co-workers that would act as good references. Build a contact list of cheerleaders.
6. If you are changing careers, add relevant skills and training to your profile. Post updates about your new career goals and the steps you are taking for the transition. Join groups in your new career field or industry and ask for information or advice to create a presence and generate interest.

How has social media affected your job search? Share your experiences in the Comments section below.

Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for phillyjobs.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at phillyjobs.com and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

Disney Star Demi Lovato’s Eating/Cutting Disorder

by Alex A. Kecskes

Teased for her weight as a kid, Demi Lovato developed an eating disorder that turned into a cutting disorder—a serious problem that began when she was only 11 and continued unabated into her teens.

Lovato was performing concerts on an empty stomach, losing her voice from purging, self-medicating and cutting. Fortunately, she sought the help of skilled therapists and interventional specialists to help her cope with her disorders.

“Cutters” usually start injuring themselves in their early teens. Mostly confined to girls, cutting helps them cope with the pain of overwhelming emotions, intense peer or parental pressure, or traumatic relationships. Cutting is often triggered by strong feelings of anger, hurt, shame, frustration or alienation—feelings they may feel powerless to change or express. They’ll resort to cutting their wrists, arms, legs, or stomach areas. Some burn their skin with cigarettes or lighted matches. Most will hide the cuts and marks to keep their addiction a secret.

Teens who cut may suffer from other mental health problems—like depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, or compulsive behaviors. Some may have impulse control problems or engage in high-risk behaviors. Others may suffer from drug or alcohol abuse. Teens who have endured a traumatic experience, such as abuse or violence, or extreme bullying will resort to this type of self-injury.

Therapists and counselors will use their training and experience to help teens draw out their inner strengths to help them cope with past or present traumas.

For an added perspective, check out this video:

If you have any thoughts on cutting disorders, feel free to share them in the comments section.

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

5 Apps To Make Holiday Shopping Easy

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Using technology to save money this holiday season.

Saving money is hard enough as it is, but for many of us, this holiday season is going to be tighter than ever. Especially for those who are struggling with the rising cost of living, are underemployed or looking for jobs, saving money on gifts is really important.

The problem is that shopping for the best bargain when the malls are packed with other holiday shoppers isn't easy. It can get so crowded and frantic that it is tempting to just buy it where you find it and leave it at that. However, if you have a smartphone, getting the best deal is easy with a few great apps.

Here are 5 great apps for saving money this holiday season:

Price Check by Amazon - This app is amazing. You can search for items by typing in the description or name or even by scanning the barcode. The app will search Amazon to find the best deal.

RedLaser by Ebay - Redlaser is sort of like Price Check, but it searches local stores and online stores, not just Amazon. It has the same barcode scanning ability as Price Check but it can keep lists of products you've scanned previously.

Gift Plan - This app doesn't actually find deals, but it gives you the ability to organize and plan your gift lists. You can create a profile for each person you will be shopping for and keep track of their likes and dislikes and, more importantly, their sizes. By having all of the information handy, you can take advantage of great sales without worrying that they will be the wrong gift, or accidentally buying more presents for one person than another.

Shopkick - This app turns shopping into a game. Like Foursquare, this app gives you points for visiting specific places. The difference is that you get points for doing specific actions at participating stores. As you rack up points, you can cash them in for discounts and gift cards to places like Target and Best Buy.

Lemon - One of the more frustrating things about holiday shopping is keeping all of the receipts that pile up. The Lemon app allows you to take a picture of the receipt. The Lemon service stores the image and the location of the store for safe keeping. You can also keep track of your purchases and organize them. When you shop online, you can even have the receipts sent to Lemon directly.

Holiday shopping doesn't have to be a pain. With these apps, hopefully yours can actually be fun this year.

What are your favorite shopping apps? Let me know in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog and Beyond.com, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

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8 Ways To Save Money on Groceries

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Making your food dollar stretch

The price of basic living has really risen over the past few years. As the cost of luxuries like gas, heating, food and housing rises, it becomes even harder for people who are underemployed, taken pay cuts or who are looking for a new job to make ends meet. That's why finding ways to save money on groceries is so important.

In a recent survey by CouponDivas.com, 46% of the people polled said that they spend about two or three hours a week or more looking for coupons, making shopping lists by store and reading sales ads. Initially, I was surprised by their results. While a frugal shopper, I don't work that hard for a discount. If I have a coupon, I'll use it but I don't keep file folders filled with them. Then, as I started looking around, I found that the art of finding coupons is a growing interest field and their are several website communities that share discounts and tips.

That got me thinking about other ways to save money on groceries, with or without coupons. Here are 5 ways to stretch your food budget:

Shop less often - Every time I go into the grocery store to get just one or two specific things, I end up grabbing other things that I don't really need. It seems like just a couple bucks - and hey, there is no shame in grabbing a candy bar or a drink. It feels like a small thing, but it can add up. By decreasing the number of times you have to go into the store, you'll avoid temptation.

Plan out meals - This is difficult to get in the habit of, but it really does help. Plan out each meal for the week and use the menu plan to make your grocery list. If you look at a sales paper from your favorite grocery store before you start, you can try to plan meals around the sale items.

Make a list - Making a list just makes sense. If you want to avoid trips to the store, making sure that you have everything you need to make the items on your menu will help. Also, it prevents you from buying things you may not need but want to buy "just in case".

Buy a freezer - Having a separate small freezer is great for stocking up on meats and veggies when they are on sale. You don't have to get a huge one, even having a small freezer can make a big difference.

Be nice to your cashier - Especially if you are planning to use a lot of coupons, be kind to the cashier. Have your coupons and discounts organized and be pleasant.

The key to stretching your food budget is to plan ahead. When you look back at the way that people shopped 50 years ago, you'll see that these days, a good portion of our budget is spent on convenience. Think of the hour or two you'll spend as a job; if you can save $30 by spending an hour of your time, it's worth it.

Do you use coupons? Why or why not? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobsiteBlog and Beyond.com.. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Related articles

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Five Productive Ways to Take a Holiday Break

The holidays are a good excuse to take a break after job searching for three, six or ___ (fill in the blanks) months of job searching. While people do get hired in December, most companies spend the month treading water. It’s a good time for employees to take accrued leave that will expire on December 31, making key people unavailable for interviews. Even employees who are looking for another job stay put during December for the year-end bonuses or holiday gifts. Since things are on hold, it’s a good time to take a break and enjoy some of the season’s events and activities. Here are five Philly events that can be both fun and productive.

December 7 Komen Phila. P.I.N. Stripes Presents: An Exclusive Evening On the Trading Floor at NASDAQ. We mere mortals don’t often get access to the trading floor. Just being where it all happens is exciting enough, but this comes with the opportunity to rub elbows with NASDAQ exchange staff, experts and traders and maybe pick up a few tips on making money in the market next year. If you are looking for a job in banking, finance or the markets, this is a great place to network over cocktails and appetizers. Engage in some mock trading and get a personal tour of the exchange as well.

December 8 - Young Friends: Mugshots Coffee House and Cafe - Sustainability and Your Local Coffee Shop. What’s more fun than sipping coffee and saving the earth at the same time? Coffee is the new wine, and you’ll learn how to distinguish the subtleties of the different brews and learn how this small chain has successfully stayed true to sourcing sustainable ingredients. For members and non-members alike, ages 21-45. You’ll become a dazzling conversationalist on an intriguing subject that’s perfect for your next networking small-talk opportunity.

December 3 to 18 – Visit Santa Claus At Franklin Square - Bring your Christmas wish list (with a job at the top) and bend Santa’s ear with tales of how good you’ve been this year. On one of Philadelphia’s original squares, have some fun, food, and immerse yourself in the decorations and music of the season.

December 9 - Art After 5 - Holiday Klezmer – Philadelphia Museum of Art. Celebrate the Festival of Lights surrounded by art, enjoying jazz and latin Klezmer music along with Yiddish songs and dances from Israel. Leave your troubles behind and get lost in the beauty, culture and these timeless traditions.

December 10 - 2011 Running of the Santas Festival and Pub Crawl in Philly – I don’t know if there are any running bulls involved in this, but the Santas will be running again from Finnigan’s Wake to Festival Pier. Get your Santa on, enjoy two hours of free beer, make the three block run and enjoy the indoor/outdoor festivities with heated tents, live bands and drink specials. The VIP ticket is your best bet—access to all the events.

What holiday events do you find most relaxing, festive and networking opportunities? Share them in the Comments section below.

Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for phillyjobs.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at phillyjobs.com and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

Fake Doctor Injects Cement and Flat-Tire Sealant Into Patients Buttocks

by Alex A. Kecskes

The cosmetic surgery industry is an important part of healthcare. If you’re interested in pursuing or advancing your career in this field, you’ll want to become increasingly aware of the con-artists who prey on innocent victims.

A classic example is Oneal Ron Morris, 30, who was recently charged with practicing medicine without a license and performing procedures that resulted in serious bodily injury.

Posing as a doctor, Morris filled her patient’s buttocks with cement, mineral oil and flat-tire sealant. Patients were told that their buttocks would become fuller and more attractive. Morris moved from house to house for a year, driving a black Mercedes and evading investigators.

One of Morris’ victims paid $700 for a series of toxic injections in several sites around her bottocks. When the woman suffered intense pain, she was told that more injections would be required “until it all works itself out.” The woman was subsequently admitted to the hospital, suffering from severe abdominal pain, infected buttock sores and flu-like symptoms.

Intitially too embarrassed to tell doctors what she had done, the woman finally admitted to having the bizarre injections, which promoted doctors to alert the Department of Health. She is recovering form her surgery and noted that it's still too painful for her to work. To add insult to injury, she now faces extensive medical bills.

Authorities insist that Morris may have duped other women into taking the strange injections to “enhance their lower figures.”

For an added perspective, check out this video:

If you have any thoughts on some of today’s more nefarious cosmetic surgery practices, feel free to share them in the comments section.

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

3 Super Lazy Ways to Find a Job

Image by Robert S. Donovan via Flickr

Find a job by being lazy.

Looking for a job is tough and it's easy to feel frantic. There is so much pressure put on finding the new job that it becomes really tempting to just send out mass resumes and apply for every job listing you are even remotely qualified for. We all know that this sort of approach doesn't really work, but we keep doing it. And that isn't a bad thing.

We are all hard workers with strong work ethics. It's hard to set aside the idea that all we need to do to find a new job is work harder. If you want something badly, all it takes is hard work. However, the truth is rarely ever that easy. Sometimes the best way to find a new job is to take a break and stop putting so much pressure on one thing.

Here are 3 ways to find a job the lazy way:

Kick back and relax - If you are stressed and hyper focused on your job search, before you know it, you'll begin to reek of desperation. There is nothing as repellent to employers as that scent. Employers want to hire enthusiastic people who have options, not someone who is practically begging for a job. So, take a deep breath and relax. Spend some time doing the things you enjoy but haven't had time to do. Volunteer or find ways to get out of the house and do something.

Don't focus on your own problems - When you are feeling frantic about your job search, it's tempting to ask every contact for help. Instead of spending so much time thinking about your own needs, think about what you can do to help others. When you attend a networking event or connect with others in your industry, look for ways to help them instead of just asking them for help. People are much more willing to go above and beyond for people when they are returning a favor. Also, helping others just makes you feel good.

Explore your options - Looking for a job is important, but it's also important to find the right job. Take some time out to explore your interests and find out what you are passionate about. Most people who love their jobs will tell you that they got the job by being in the right place at the right time. If you pay attention, you'll see that the majority of those "right places" didn't involve the workplace.

There are many ways to find a job, but being overly focused on your job search will keep you from finding many of them. Although it's important to keep looking, it's equally important to slow down.

What do you think? Have you ever found a job by being lazy? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog and Beyond.com, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

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