Wiser Worker Blog

Webopedia tell us that webinar is Short for Web-based seminar, a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the internet. 

Essentially you can attend a learning seminar over the internet and anyone in the world who has access to the internet can attend. Can you imagine attending a learning session from your living room in Phoenix, AZ and someone in Tampa, FL can attend the same meeting at the same time?

Pretty impressive, I have been to webinars where I can actually interact with participants who are at the same meeting all the way across the country. You can learn without having all the hassles of travel.

More importantly how is a webinar important to you?  You can learn almost anything from the comfort of your home.  You can have discussions with people you have never have met and maybe would not have met without the help of a webinar.   

It’s the latest in the every evolving world of technology.  Check back on Monday when you can read all the details on the upcoming webinar on communications.    

I remember the last time I was out of work and had just starting my job search; my ever so helpful mother gave me this advice: “You better get yourself out there and fill out LOTS applications”.   Little did my mother know that over the years the job market has changed and the job seeker needs to have an entirely different set of tools to look for a job in today’s job market.

Today’s job search doesn’t just mean knocking down doors and filling out applications. Don’t get me wrong many companies still use paper applications. Today, however the application is just ONE step in the job search process.  So what tools to you NEED to search for a job?    

1.    Updated Resume

2.    Updated Cover Letter

3.    Computer Access- Gain FREE access from any public library

4.    Know the Best Job Boards……WiserWorker.com

5.    A pad of paper – To take notes

6.    Your Employment History for times when you DO need to fill out a application.  

In some respects searching for a job today is easier because most of it can be done from home, you can cover a lot more territory from in front of a computer. It’s a different world so start with WiserWorker.com when you start your job search it was created for a job seeker just like you!

The most basic need for any job seeker is this you need to have an updated resume.  In this economic climate we should be reaching out and helping each other with the basic skills necessary to obtain a job. Your resume is your professional story it serves as a glimpse of what you can offer a company.  The bottom line is this: YOU can write your own resume, have someone proof read it and provides you any feedback.  

What you need is this a path on how to get started; so I am creating just that a path for you to help yourself….below is an example of what I found when I visited Google and entered “resume help” in the search perimeters.   Look out I found more information than you will probably ever need. Notice all of these options are FREE, they may have a paid service but they will give you free information as well.  Everything I needed was free!  

ResumeHelp.org They provide useful hints and tips for FREE; you can pay a small nominal price for advanced help. Everything I needed however was free and they have lots of examples 

JobStar.org Lots of great information on major cities and examples of resumes and cover letters and almost all the information I found was FREE.

WiserWorker.com check out our resume center

Free Resume Service Ten tips to writing a better resume

AARP.ORG Providing insight on what you need to get a job especially for the older job seeker.

You can use any one to these tools to create a resume that will tell your story and get your message out to perspective employers. If all else fails and you need help contact me direct and I will help you find the perfect resource for you.

Good Luck!

This is one of those times that it isn’t okay to be late, at midnight tonight April 15, 2009 your 2008 tax return must be postmarked by a post office, I have included a link just in case you need to find a post office—make sure you call ahead and get the hours of operation.

If you are having a hard time making ends meet because you lost your job I found some handy information on the IRS website that just might give you some relief as well as direction on what you can and can’t do.

Do you need to know where to mail your tax return?  Click here for a list of addresses to choose form.  The IRS also has a list of typical and common questions I found this list to be pretty helpful…check it out.

Are you just out of time….don’t worry you can submit Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Income Tax Return, with the IRS by the April 15 or make an extension-related electronic credit card payment (you’ll find the details on Form 4868).  However be aware if you choose this method you will have to pay your estimated balance…the IRS can electronically withdraw funds to cover your expected tax balance. Visit the IRS website if you have questions about requesting an extension.

Best of luck!

Our friends over at the AARP Foundation, they are leading the charge at making resources available that will give you some relief today.  I spent some time on the site and found it to be all encompassing and worth your time to check it out.  AARP Foundation’s Real Relief covers all problems relating to our current economic climate. I found that this web page had the answers to my most basic questions on things that keep me wide awake at night.

My medical expenses seem to have overtaken my checkbook, but I don’t know what to do.  I would recommend starting with Benefits QuickLINK  this program will tell you if your family qualifies for public benefits programs that help cover the costs of food, utilities, health care, and medicine.

What is a reverse mortgage and how can it help me?  This question may be on your mind but you don’t know where to start of what the implications of such a program might be. Check out the Reverse Mortgage Education Project: Homeowners age 62 or older can access free online tools and print materials. This is the right place to start and a place you can get answers that make sense.

I used to have enough money every month, but lately I seem to never have enough money for the basics…what can I do? Money Management offers a variety of basic financial resources that can help you with budgeting, credit, and debt management.

There are scams everywhere who do I trust?  If you think it might be a scam you are probably right it’s best to err on the safe side.  If it sounds to good to be tru it probably it.  

I have been retired but need to find a part time job to make ends meet, where’s the best place to start? WiserWorker.com and WorkSearch have the best tools in place and companies that are hiring NOW. Visit us and we will help you find the perfect job that fits your needs!

These are just a few of the items I found on AARP Foundation’s Real Relief website, check it out today to see what solutions are in place to help you. Good Luck!

Whoever said you can’t get something for nothing hasn’t heard about that people over at Walgreens Drug Stores. Starting TODAY Walgreens is offering free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of 2009. Walgreens is providing rest and routine treatment at the clinics that are located right in their stores! Patients will still have to pay for prescriptions; this is a potential savings of $59.00 to per patients who don’t have insurance.

Who’s eligible for this free clinic?  Anyone who has lost their job and health insurance after March 31, 2009 will be able to get free treatment at its in-store Take Care clinics for respiratory problems, allergies, infections and skin conditions, among other ailments. It gets better:  Spouses and children are also eligible for free services if they don’t have insurance of their own

When can I take advantage of the clinic services? Free services will be offered only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

What do I need to bring with me? Patients must present proof they are unemployed, including a federal or state unemployment determination letter and an unemployment check stub. They will have to sign a form at the clinic saying they have lost their jobs and health benefits.

Find a Take Care Clinic near you in 35 markets around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and Cleveland.

Hats to the management at Walgreens……This service is invaluable and much appreciated. Thank you and you have a friend at WiserWorker.com

Have you ever found money when you least expected it?  Maybe it’s when you first put on your coat that you haven’t worn in months and find a wrinkled up $10.00 bill.  Or maybe when you are searching through pockets before doing the weekly laundry you find yourself a “reward”.  By the way…..In my book that certainly falls into no good deed goes unrewarded.  

Everyone loves the discovery of good fortune; especially now a day when the household budget is stretched further and further!  I can’t think of a better time than NOW then to start looking for that monetary good fortune. Today I stumbled across a website that can help you find you’re yet to be claimed fortune.  No matter how big or small it is wouldn’t you like to find it?  That site is appropriately called Missing Money.com.

In the simplest of forms MissingMoney.com is a database of governmental unclaimed property records. The website reports that the most common types of unclaimed property include:

ü  Bank accounts and safe deposit box contents

ü  Stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and dividends

ü  Uncashed checks and wages

ü  Insurance policies, CD’s, trust funds

ü  Utility deposits, escrow accounts

Missing Money.com is run by The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) is a non-profit organization affiliated with the National Association of State Treasurers and the Council of State Governments.  

So in a time when it seems that the only topic on our minds is unemployment and the economies take a little break and visit MissingMoney.com.  Maybe just maybe you will uncover a missing fortune. at the very least it will give you a much needed break.  After your fortune hunt make sure you check out the latest job opportunities at wiserworker.com…because we know monetary fortunes don’t last forever.

You served your country with honor…Thank You.

Did you know there are services and places for you to learn and grow into a new life, life after service?  It’s our hope that with the Veteran’s transition Guide we can help make the transition smoother and perhaps easier. Please use this list of resources as a starting point in your search for life after military service.

Community of Veterans a place to swap stores and learn from people just like you. Community of Veterans is designed for people who have shared who need to talk about their experiences and meet new people. 

Veterans Helping Veterans A resource tool built to serve veterans in crisis management, information and referral needs. It’s their hope that public awareness programs shine a consistent spotlight on the needs of America veteran.

WiserWorker.com: dedicated to providing quality employment opportunities and resources to the largest demographic group in the country, the Baby Boomers.  

Camp Patriot Program that takes disabled U.S. veterans on outdoor adventures, they can provide a range of outdoor activities, and will be equipped to accommodate Veterans with an array of disabilities. There’s no cost to the veteran.

American Veteran: Monthly video magazine featuring important veteran’s issues.

VA’s Benefits Delivery at Discharge: The program, which allows service members to apply for disability compensation benefits from VA before retiring or separating, has a goal of providing benefits within 60 days after release or discharge from active duty.

Getting Your Degree: After you have finished serving your county findyour new place in life with a degree.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service provides vocational-educational counseling to veterans and certain dependents.  

Enable America: Vet Connect: Designed to enhance existing rehabilitation programs for wounded veterans and prepare them with the resources and practical knowledge to help facilitate their re-acclimation to their communities and, ultimately, to the workforce.

VA News: Weekly video featuring news and information about the Department of Veterans Affairs.

VetFriends.com: VetFriends.com helps you to reunite with friends and family who are veterans of or are currently serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard!

Military Financial Help: The financial strain that affects so many military families when they’re required to move in a bad housing market may soon be alleviated in the newly passed $787 billion stimulus bill.

While President Obama has been busy at working on a new stimulus package….scam artists have been working on a way to scam people on out of their hard earned money.  BE SMART and don’t fall victim to this newest trick that won’t leave you with a treat.

The latest scam looks like this…..you receive in the mail what looks like a “stimulus” check but watch out it’s not from the government. The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs recently uncovered a scam in which potential victims receive an official-looking fake check in the mail along with the promise of thousands of dollars in the form of a “secondary stimulus check” if they register by calling the provided toll-free number.   Don’t call that number……and as I have advised in many prior blog entries…..don’t ever give your social security number to someone on the other end of the phone.

From Scambusters….What information NOT to give on the phone
Con artists tend to rely on the Internet and the U.S. Postal Service, but, according to data compiled by the Federal Trade Commission, more than 31,000 scams were initiated by phone in 2007. 

You never know who you’re going to get a call from, however you should know that there are some things that you never tell anyone by phone. Here are a few:

·         Social Security numbers.  Your social security number allows criminals to apply for credit cards in using your name. Keeping that information under your hat will help keep your identity (and your credit score) safe.

·         Bank account numbers.  When you give your bank account number to a stranger, you risk being wiped out by thieves. Anyone who asks for it may be up to no good.

·         Maiden names or birthdates.  Con artists can use even the most innocuous information to bilk people out of their money. You may use your mother’s maiden name or a birthdates to confirm your identity, but criminals can do the same thing.

How will you know if you are getting a stimulus check? 

Generally you may want to wait until you receive notification from the IRS, last year when we were due refund check you may remember about a 60 days before they were deposited you received a letter. If all else fails check out the IRS website or AARP.  Also you can be sure that if we were to be receiving a large stimulus check in the mail it would be announced on just about every news outlet. Be smart if it seems too good to be true then it probably is…..