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Designing Fantasy Sports Jerseys

Are you designing your own fantasy sports team jersey on a tight budget… But you don’t know where to start, right? Well, there are a few things to think about when you want to show your team spirit, especially if you are the champion of your fantasy sports league! You might win a custom championship jersey from your league, if you ended up top in your standings, but even if you are in last place, you can still find places to design your own jersey. I know of a place that will help you design and print your own jersey on the Internet, but they were charging $150 to set it up and print it!

There has got to be a cheaper way, right? Well, once I did a little checking, there are a number of ways you can design and print your own jerseys or t-shirts, but there are some people that think it is worth the $150 to not have to go through the hassle. They do have some pretty good quality jerseys in all colors and t-shirts are cheaper, but if you already have photos, artwork and publishing software to print your own, it is pretty easy to do!

For one thing, there are so many different options to consider, when you want to design and print your own jerseys or t-shirts. Actually, there are some local shirt shops that will probably do it for a lot less than that, even if you are only getting one customized fantasy sports team jersey! You can buy iron-on transfer paper for your printer and use publishing or photo editing workshop software to get creative and make your own jerseys or t-shirts for much less. In fact, I think you can find the iron-on transfer paper at the office supply store and there are many free software choices on the Internet.

That just leaves you searching for the design for your custom fantasy sports team jersey, but that shouldn’t be that difficult and you probably already have something in mind. It depends on what fantasy sport you are playing and whether you want to personalize your team or if you might already have a name. When you are designing your logo, be sure to think of fun animals or cartoon caricatures to include and you might be better off spending a little extra money to have this created for you by a budding and aspiring caricature artist!

If you have a little talent and one of those neat little digital tablets, you can draw about anything and print it out, but make your design personalized and interesting or you might as well not waste the money! You can get ideas from the Internet or look at some of the uniforms that the college teams wear because they always have interesting color combination and logos. If you are into fantasy sports like I am, you probably already have the perfect logo in mind and a print shop or graphic artist might be able to handle the entire job for you, but you can find places on the Internet that are more affordable and let you get by without a minimum order.

I love fantasy sports, designing my own custom fantasy sports jerseys and collecting sports memorabilia. If you do too, you can find out more information and come to chat or visit at http://thesportsbreak.com.

The insurance industry in Los Angeles is extremely competitive, with an increasing number of insurance companies entering the market. A number of laws strictly regulate the insurance industry in Los Angeles. It is mandatory for all the car owners to get their cars insured, regardless of the model of the car and how old it is. It is in the best interest of the car owners to have car insurance, as it offers financial relief in case of sudden accidents and mishaps. Everybody wants to have car insurance that offers maximum coverage at unbeatable prices. A good research is probably the only way in which, car owners can find a good insurance company that offers, car insurance at reasonable prices. Car owners can opt for an insurance company, only after comparing quotes offered by different Los Angeles insurance companies.

Car insurance prices are fluctuating and change from time to time. Car owners can look around for better policies at reasonable prices, before renewing their policy. Many people continue to use the services of the same insurance company for years, without trying to find out if they can get a better deal elsewhere.

Many car owners seek assistance from an insurance agent who can guide them. The make, model, and the condition of the car are some of the deciding factors, a person must consider while selecting, an appropriate car insurance. Car owners must first decide how much coverage they wish to have, before looking out for an insurance company.

There are several auto insurance websites on the Internet that provide, rates of various reputed insurance companies. Car owners can easily compare the rates of all the insurance companies before making their choice. They can specify their individual requirements on these websites, to obtain rates of only those companies that best suit their needs. They offer online car insurance policies and the latest insurance information to help car owners to make the right choice.

Car owners must verify that the insurance company has a valid license, issued by the state. Generally, car owners who have good driving records can get car insurance at a lower price.

Los Angeles Car Insurance provides detailed information on Los Angeles Car Insurances, Los Angeles New Car Insurances, Los Angeles Car Insurance Quotes, Los Angeles Used Car Insurance and more. Los Angeles Car Insurance is affiliated with Philadelphia Car Insurance Quotes.

When you first bought your home you probably invested in a standard six sided socket wrench set. The most common nut around the house is the six sided (hex) nut that you find everywhere in your house. Products you bought and have had to assemble have also had the hex nut so you’ve gotten a lot out of your socket set. After you’ve been in your home for a few years you have most likely bought appliances with small engines. You may have a lawn mower, gas weed trimmer, tiller, small gas chain saw, maybe a snow blower. IF you’re like most people you’d like to save some money by doing some maintenance and minor repairs on those small engines yourself. You’ve check owner’s manual on the internet and gotten direction on how to change filters or adjust carburetors and throttles. It really is something you can handle. You’ll need to follow directions and take notes on how to reassemble the small engine but a lot of this you really can do yourself.

Now you’ve decide to start tackling that small engine repair. The socket set you’ve got will be very useful along with stander flat head and Phillips head screwdrivers. But you’ll find you need to get into to some hard to reach areas, and also you start seeing nuts and screws that you’re not familiar with at all. What do you do now? Simple, go to your local hardware store and tell them what you’ve run into. Sketches are good to take along with you when you go, and with your description of the screw head or funky nut you’ve found the hardware people will be able to help you with just about anything you’ve encountered. They’ll take you over to screw drivers, wrenches, and the socket wrench sets to help you find what you need. But you don’t need to buy entire sets of hand drivers and screw drivers. There are a number of screw bit, and sockets that you can use with the ratchet wrench in the socket set you already own.

These accessories to a socket set are a great way to go and more economical in the long run. You can get low profile flat head and Phillips screw driver bits, along with bits for screws you’re not familiar with. Same thing with any different kind of nuts you run into, you’ll find sockets that will fit your socket set’s ratchet. You may also need extenders of varying length to get into those hard to reach areas. You’ll be surprised at how they put that engine together and may need deep well sockets not standard in most socket sets to get at some nuts or screws. Don’t forget to buy spark plug sockets for your socket set. They usually come in sets of three, to change car and small engine spark plugs and should be all you need for any spark plug you run into.

You may want to buy the entire socket set or bit set they recommend so you have an array of sizes. But one or two sizes may be all you need, and you can just add them to the socket set you already have. Small engines are usually pretty simple so most people can work on them themselves instead of taking them to a professional, and having fixed it your self is a great feeling. Remember to wear eye protection and have a clean work bench, this will also make it a safer way to work.

Article by Elizabeth
If your interested in seeing a variety of bits and specialty sockets please visit our web site http://www.socketsetsandmore.com

The color black has always been a staple in the fashion industry and the foundation of a majority of the wardrobes in the world.

However, in particular one need only to look at the cultural revolutions of the music industry and the influence it has had on the impressionable young people that idolize the artists. This in turns formalizes their sense of style which stays with them throughout their lives.

Starting in the 1950′s with the thrust of rock n roll music to the growing middle class and continuing through the 1960′s, 70′s, 80′s etc… From Johnny Cash to the Ramones to the Beatles. From Led Zepplin to Alice Cooper to Bauhaus, black has been a common denominator in all of the cultural scenes, from Punk to Death Metal, from shock rock to hair metal, from country to Gothic and chic to sub-culture. Black is everywhere.

If you have any black items in your wardrobe, you have the same problems as everyone else. How do I keep my black clothes from fading?

There are simple steps to prevent the pre-mature fading of your black items and many of the ideas are very easy to practice.

Here are what I believe are the keys to keeping your black clothes as dark and new looking as possible. But remember, all black clothes will eventually fade, it is inevitable. Just be sensible about it, and retire a piece when necessary.

So without further ado, there are the keys to keeping your black wardrobe looking great.

1. Always wash black clothes in cold water. Hot and even warm water will degrade the fibers of the clothing faster than cold water which in turn will accelerate fading. Fading is always caused by deterioration of the clothing fibers, which inhibits the fibers ability to contain the dye.

2. Always use a mild detergent, preferably a detergent specifically designed for black clothes. (For example Woollite Extra Dark Care). If you have a particularly delicate black item, think about hand washing it in cold water and Borax.

3. Never put black clothes in the dryer. The tumbling action and the heat of the dryer, even in cool mode, will accelerate the degradation of the clothing fibers, and you know what causes fading from item 1. Always hang dry your black clothes.

4. In support of item 3, never hang dry your black clothes in direct sunlight. The UV radiation in sunlight will attack the fibers of the clothing and you know what happen when the fibers in any clothing degrades (this will be a repeating theme when talking about loss of dye)

5. Only wash your black clothes when absolutely necessary. If you wear a pair of black pants out to dinner and take them off a couple of hours later and you have not profusely sweat in them, hang them up in your closet instead of throwing them in the laundry. The fewer times you wash your black clothes the less the fibers are degraded and of course you know what happens when clothing fibers get degraded.

6. Avoid kneeling or working on your knees while wearing black pants. The physical abrasions that occur damage the fabric in the knees of the pants, causing acceleration in fading in the knees.

7. When you finally do put your black clothes in the washer, it has to happen sooner or later, turn your clothes inside out to minimize and abrasion that occurs from the clothes rubbing against one another.

8. Avoid spraying perfumes/cologne on your black clothes. Spray on your skin instead. The harsh chemicals and alcohols from the scents will attack the fibers in your clothing and can actually cause spot staining.

9. Always read the care labels on all your clothing, there are very helpful tips and instructions from people that have a great deal of experience in the clothing industry. Typically, follow the directions on the care label, unless common sense tells you that another way will be less stressful on the clothing fibers.

10. If it is within your budgetary constraints, consider dry cleaning all your black clothing. It will extend the life of your clothes considerably.

11. Never use powdered detergents; they do not dissolve quickly enough to eliminate the chance of undue abrasion on the fabrics. Also, they can leave streaky residue on your clothing.

12. This should be obvious, never use any bleach, detergents with bleach in them or detergents with bleach alternatives. Also, check the ingredients for Titanium dioxide and avoid this as much as bleach.

13. Avoid using liquid fabric softeners. They contain ingredients that can discolor black fibers.

So, as you can see there are many ways you can extend the life of your black clothing. Most of them are very easily implemented into your regular laundry cycle. Also, these precautions can ease your laundry loads if you have a large percentage of black clothing.

Be sensible and cautious and you will be able to enjoy your black clothing for a considerable longer time then if you just throw them in with everything else.

Doug Scheck is an online retailer, IT Consultant and now a Sales Consultant with over 5 years retail experience and 15 years Information technologies experience. His company, Fade to Black, LLC owns and operates an online retail store specializing in Gothic Accessories, Footwear & Clothing

When were the forms of media created? When did advertising first show up? Who owns the media?

Creation of the various forms of media

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Newspapers & Magazines ~ 1880

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Movies ~ 1910

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Television ~ 1945

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Cable Television ~ 1980′s

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Satellite Television, Internet, Digital Communication ~ End of the 20th century

In 1920, radio was first developed, primarily for use by the military, strictly for sendingHistory of the Media – Old Radios messages from one location to another. David Sternoff, the then-president of RCA, first had the idea to sell radio sets to consumers, or what were then called radio receivers. However, consumers needed a reason to buy radios, so RCA was the first to set up radio stations all over the country. Between 1920 and 1922, 400 radio stations were set up, starting with KBKA in Pittsburgh. Stations were also set up by universities, newspapers, police departments, hotels, and labor unions.

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By 1923, there were 600 radio stations across the United States, and $83 million worth of sets had been sold.

The biggest difference in radio before and after 1923 was that the first advertising was not heard on the radio until 1923. RCA at the time was made up of four companies:

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AT&T

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General Electric

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United Fruit

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Westinghouse

United Fruit was one of the first global corporations, and one of the first to advertise on the radio. The AT&T division of RCA first thought about selling time on the air to companies, which marked the start of “toll broadcasting.” WEAF was the first station to operate this way, causing widespread outrage, and accusation of “polluting the airwaves.”

Because of this controversy, the practice of selling advertising time was called “trade name publicity.” Sponsors linked their name with a program on the air, rather than advertising a specific product in a 30 second “commercial” as we know it today.

Why did AT&T decide to experiment with charging companies for air time?

AT&T was not making any money from broadcasting at the time since they only made transmitters, not receivers. They only made money when new radio stations bought the equipment required to broadcast. They did not make money from consumers buying radios.

AT&T also started the practice of paying performers for their time on the air, rather than only volunteers, which was standard practice for radio content up until that point.

The first radio network

In 1926, RCA set up the first radio network, NBC. They decided it was more effective and efficient to produce shows in New York City, and then link the main radio station with stations all across the country, connected by AT&T (another RCA company) phone lines. (Now television networks are linked by satellite to their affiliates).

This was the beginning of the network affiliates system. The ideal network makes sure everyone in the country is capable of listening to their signal. NBC at the time had two philosophies:

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Radio content was a “public service,” whose function was to sell radios.

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Radio content was designed to generate income from advertising.

History of the Media In 1927, the second network was formed. It was CBS, started by William Paley. Paley was the first to think that networks could make money strictly from advertising, not even getting involved in the sales of radios. Like AT&T, CBS did not make radios. From the start, they made their money from selling advertising.

The rising of radio networks caused the Radio Act of 1927 to be passed, which established the FRC, or what is now known as the FCC, to allocate broadcast licenses. The need for such an organization was brought on by the fact that airwaves are limited resources, and broadcasting itself is a scarce public resource. By the 1930′s, the structure of radio have been set by the commercial format, although advertising never dominated radio like it would television later on.

In the 1920′s and ’30′s, radio programs were divided into two groups. Sponsored shows, which had advertisers, and unsponsored shows, which did not. The radio station paid for the unsponsored shows. The sponsored shows, on the other hand, were created entirely by the company sponsoring the show; advertisers were totally in charge of the radio station’s content. The content became advertising. Radio set the precedent for television, in that the same companies that controlled radio early on went on to control television.

Soon thereafter, television inherited the structure of radio. In the ’40′s, during the rise of television, RCA also held a monopoly on all television sets sold. By 1945-1955, advertising had taken over all of television. Television was organized around the premise of selling things. The entire television industry was creating a political atmosphere of suspicion and fear. Senator Joseph McCarthy, the founder of McCarthyism, which was based on the fear of Communism, and the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee, began to question people involved in television about their beliefs and associations.

What affected television in its early stages?

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Politics (McCarthyism / HUAC).

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Blacklists: From almost the inception of television, many writers, directors, and actors were considered to be pro-Communist and/or un-American.

Certain topics were totally off-limits at the time for television, particularly issues of race relations in the 1960′s. Overall, networks were not happy with the political situation for television in the 1960′s, both in terms of the blacklists, and of the fact that when every show had one sponsor, that sponsor controlled the entire program. Networks preferred to control the program, by way of moving to multiple sponsors/advertisers, where networks would retain control of the show, and advertisers would buy time in between the programming.

In the 1950′s, networks decided to eliminate the practice of sponsors controlling the shows with a move to spot selling, or advertisements between programs, as we know it today. What caused the move to spot selling?

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Discovery of fraud in the quiz shows on television. Quiz shows were extremely popular at the time, and were liked by the networks, the sponsors, and the viewers alike. It turned out, however, that quiz shows were largely fixed. Charles Van Doren on “21″ became a huge star due to his repeated wins, until it came out that the whole thing had been fixed. In the case of “The $64,000 Question,” the owner of Revlon was personally hand-selecting the winners and losers on the show.

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It was becoming financially difficult for just one advertiser to support an entire show.

Around this same time came the inception of ratings to measure a show’s popularity. Ratings, quite simply, measure the number of people watching a show. To understand why ratings are so important, it’s crucial to understand how the television industry works, through three questions, and their respective answers:

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Who owns television? [The networks]

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What is sold on television? [Viewer's time, not television shows]

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Who are the customers of television? [Advertisers, not viewers]

This might be a counterintuitive concept for some. The networks, which own television, areHistory of the Media – Old Television the buyers of shows, not the sellers. On the other hand, they sell our eyeballs, so to speak, to advertisers. Networks want the maximum possible profit from buying and selling time, both viewers’ time, and advertisers’ time.

The primary measure of television ratings, which determine the price of that time being bought and sold, is AC Nielsen, an independent company which provides information as to who watches what on television. Currently, about 4,000 households are used to represent the national viewing of television. In the 1980′s, only 1,200 households were used. Some households have an electronic device installed on their television which tracks what they watch, while others keep a diary of viewing habits.

There are two measures for determining a show’s audience. One is the rating, and the other is the share.

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Rating: Percentage of total homes with televisions tuned into a particular show.

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Share: Percentage of those watching television at a particular time who are tuned into a particular show.

The share is always greater than the rating. Ratings are more important for advertisers, and share is more important to the networks.

Example:

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Total households with televisions: 150 million

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Total households watching television at 8pm on Monday nights: 90 million

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Total households watching American Idol at 8pm on Monday nights: 45 million

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Therefore: Rating: 30, Share: 50

It’s important to note how many factors can skew the results. Shows cost producers much more than the networks typically pay them for those shows. The way for producers to make money is by getting the networks to renew the show, in order to have a shot at making money from syndication on other channels, also knows as reruns. That is the case when individual stations (say for example, the Miami affiliate of ABC wants to carry Seinfeld), buy the rights to a show from the producers of that show. Shows that last only one season, for the most part, lose millions of dollars. One of the most important factors in whether shows will be renewed or not is their rating.

This brings us to how ratings can be skewed. For example, if a show has a 20 share, and it needs a 25 share to be renewed for another season, what might the producers do? In principle, they need to convince another 5% of the people watching television when their show is on to watch their show; this is no simple task, as that involves convincing millions of people. However, since the ratings are based on those 4,000 Nielsen households, that means that they could convince just 200 Nielsen households to watch their show, which would increase the share from 20 to 25. This is why Nielsen households must be kept totally secret from the networks. When the Nielsen households have leaked to the networks, one way which they got people to watch their show was by offering viewers a small sum of money for filling out a survey about a commercial which they were told would play only during a particular show. Since they had to watch that channel while their show was on, this would boost the share.

Once ratings are determined, advertising prices are set by two factors:

* The size of the audience.

* The demographics (income, age, gender, occupation, etc) of the audience.

In short, the job of television programs is to collect our time as a product, which they then sell to advertisers. Programs have to support the advertising, delivering viewers in the best possible state of mind for buying when the time for the commercials comes, which brings us to the Golden Age of Television.

The 1950′s are considered the “Golden Age of Television.” During this time, something called the “Anthology Series,” where different actors each week took part in a show gained History of the Media – I Love Lucypopularity across the board…that is, with everyone except for advertisers. The anthology series format was not right for advertisers, as it covered topics which involved psychological confrontations which did not leave the viewers in the proper state of mind for buying the products shown to them between program segments. The subject matter of the anthology series was of the type that undermined the ads, almost making them seem fraudulent.

This brought up the question of what to network executives actually want shows to do? The answer is not to watch a program that makes them feel good, makes them laugh, or excites them, but rather to watch the television for a set amount of time. With so many new shows being proposed, standards began to be intentionally, or unintentionally, laid out for what shows could and couldn’t do. Risks could only be taken at the beginning and/or end of shows. Laugh tracks were conceived to tell the audience when to laugh. Programs began being tested with audiences prior to being put on television and/or radio. Show writers now had to write shows that would test well.

Naturally, this caused many of the same elements and themes to appear in all shows. This was the beginning of recombinant television culture, where the same elements are endlessly repeated, recombined, and mixed.

This same culture is what perpetuated the idea that people watch television, not specific shows. While people certainly choose to watch certain shows instead of others, people less commonly choose to watch television instead of other things. People watch television. Regardless of what was on, television viewing rates were extremely stable.

David Pakman is editor/adminstrator of politics and media website Hear the Issues ([http://www.heartheissues.com]), a website frequented and praised by many mainstream journalist and pundits.

Choosing the right dog bowl for your pet can easily get a little overwhelming. There are so many colors and styles to pick from. Should you pick stainless steel, ceramic or plastic? You can buy dog bowls with their names on them, pictures and designs, even team colors and logos. You can buy bowls that match your kitchen or your dining room. You can even buy dog bowls that look like outdoor pots for the patio! There are bowls for small dogs, large dogs and all the dogs in between. So how to pick? How do you know which bowl is best for your dog?

The first thing to consider when looking through dog bowls, is your dog. If you have a large dog, you’re obviously going to need a large bowl. Smaller dogs, toy dogs and short-legged dogs such as Corgis and Dachshunds need smaller, shallower bowls. A dog with a short snout, like a bulldog or a pug, won’t be comfortable eating or drinking out of a deep bowl. Dogs with long ears and furry faces can end up soaking wet after a visit to the water bowl.

We all know dogs love to eat! Sometimes they can be overly enthusiastic, gulping their food and spilling it all over the floor, sending the bowl sliding all over the place as they lick it clean. To help dogs who eat too quickly slow down a little, consider buying an anti-bloat bowl. This bowl, developed and recommended by vets, has small shapes inside that prevent a dog from being able to gobble their food too quickly.

Raised bowls or elevated feeders are other options to consider when looking for a dog bowl. These bowls are more comfortable for dogs to eat from and can help prevent some of the mess a bowl on the floor can lead to. For older dogs with joint pains, or dogs with back or neck problems, a raised bowl can be more comfortable for them to eat from. Elevated feeders come in many styles, colors and materials making it easy to find the one that will best suit you and your dog.

When trying to choose the perfect dog bowl, it can be hard to settle on which one you like the best. They can be made of stainless steel, wood, ceramic or plastic. You can pick a bowl with a Grecian or Roman style, or one with a more modern flair. You can even find dog bowls designed to look like flower pots for outside patios. Any color, any style, any material are yours for the asking. For an added personal touch, you can even customize a dog bowl with your pet’s name, breed, or favorite color.

Another consideration when choosing a dog bowl is how easy it is to clean. Ideally you should wash your pet’s food and water bowl regularly. Many people recommend a light washing once a day for water bowls and after every meal for food bowls along with a more thorough cleaning once a week. After all, you don’t like eating off of dirty plates every day, do you? So why should your dog?

Choosing the right dog bowl for your pet is an important task and one the whole family should be involved in. And despite how many options you have to choose from there are no wrong decisions. Just remember to take into account what will best suit your dog and their personality. In the end, your dog will love whatever you pick out for them!

Doggienation is a leading provider of officially licensed Dog Sports Jerseys and Personalized Dog Accessories and Dog Collars and Leashes.Be sure to find something special for your pet at DoggieNation.

Before you begin to actually look at tractors you should know exactly what you are looking for.

Consider the following questions when shopping for a tractor.

What size of tractor do you need?

What are you going to be using you tractor for?

How often will the tractor be used?

Is the tractor going to be used to produce income? Of course, money is often a consideration when shopping for a tractor. Consider talking to people that own tractors and get their opinions.

Be an informed shopper and don’t let anyone rush you. Below are some other things to consider before you begin shopping for a tractor.

Tractor Size

This is obviously the most commonly asked questions regarding a tractor purchase. The average compact tractor consumer owns a 1-5 acre piece of property and uses the small compact diesel mostly for mowing The other tractor consumers usually have between 10-30 acres and needs about a 30 horsepower to complete the necessary tasks.

What are you going to use the tractor for?, is of course, the most important question to answer. Is it just for mowing or will you be using a loader or backhoe on it? Will you be working on rocky or uneven ground?

Dollars & Sense

You should definitely shop around, however, don’t forget that if you are comparing the prices of different makes and models of tractor it can sometimes be much like comparing apples to oranges. As with anything else, some makes and models are made better than others. A few more dollars upfront in price for a better quality of tractor makes more ‘sense’ than having to pay the cost of constant repairs and maintenance.

Different Makes and Models of Tractors

If at all possible, one of the best things you can do to make your life easier, is to purchase a tractor that is easy to get parts for. There are many foreign makes and models that are exact matches to domestic tractors. With that in mind, you can get a parts book for U.S. made tractor and purchase the corresponding part numbers that way. Some parts dealers don’t like to sell parts for a gray market tractor. In fact, dealers of some brands of tractors are being told by a higher authority that they cannot willingly sell parts for gray market tractors.

Diesel Engines

Make sure you get a tractor with a diesel engine. Diesel engines have better performance and usually last longer than gas engines. Implements also work better on diesel engine tractors.

Horsepower

Approximately how many horsepower will you need? One horsepower (hp) is the amount of energy required to lift 550 pounds, one foot, in one second. In a tractor the energy is produced from torque and engine speed. A 100 hp tractor is one with a maximum of 100 horsepower available at the power-takeoff (PTO) outlet.

PTO

Nearly all Japanese tractor manufacturers include the power take off (PTO) horsepower (hp) in their model numbers; however, they do not include the engine (fly) hp. The first two numbers of the model number is where you find the PTO hp. The PTO hp is important because it is telling you the equipment working power of the tractor. It tells you what horsepower that equipment requiring a PTO will get from the tractor. Click here for a more in depth explanation of PTO.

Cylinders

Consider getting a three or four cylinder tractor. Three and four cylinder tractors are generally newer tractors and run quieter and smoother than the two cylinder models. Transmissions

There are several different types of transmissions for tractors. If you are not knowledgeable about tractor transmissions, it would be a good idea if you familiarize yourself with the different types listed below, so that when you go out to shop for a tractor you will well informed.

Manual transmissions on tractors were made to be shifted while the tractor is not in motion. This will cause a grinding noise due to the fact the two gears that are trying to mesh are rotating at different speeds. Manual shift transmissions are known for their durability, however, they are not considered to be very user friendly. The sliding gear and the collar shift are two of the more common transmissions.

Synchro Shift transmissions are basically collar shift transmissions (a type of manual transmission, see above). The difference is the added synchronizers, which makes it so that the gears don’t grind if you are trying to shift while the tractor is in motion. Some synchro shift transmissions only have one pair of synchronized gears, while others have all speeds synchronized, including forward and reverse. The synchronization of forward and reverse is called the shuttle shift. This synchro shift is a dependable transmission, however, just like with automobiles, the more ‘tricky’ the tranny is, and the more chance there is of something going wrong or breaking.

A Power Shift transmission is an option well worth considering. Not those standard shift transmissions won’t work just fine; however, often power shift is a nice little luxury, depending on what you are going to be using the tractor for. With a power shift transmission you can choose different speeds while the tractor is in motion, without needing to use the clutch pedal.

Hydrostatic transmissions operate in a closed loop, the flow of the pump is reversed, which in turn causes the tractor to reverse directions. The hydrostatic transmission is considered to be very dependable and is able to defend itself against ‘operator difficulty’. Because this is transmission is controlled by a foot pedal, when you take your foot off of the pedal the tractor will stop, this is a nice safety feature. Hydrostatic is considered the best selection for such things as large mowing jobs because it allows for easy direction change and continual, unchanging speed.

Implement Adaptability

You will want a tractor with a Category 1, 3-point hitch and standard rotation PTO shafts. Most imported compact tractors are equipped with these items; however, there are a few that are not.

Implement Availability

Before you purchase a a tractor, make sure that good quality implements are available for it. It is a good idea to try to find a tractor with as many model-specific attachments as possible. These include things such as loaders and backhoes, which have custom-fitted mounts that are not interchangeable with other makes and models of tractor. You can often save money if you purchase the implements at the same time you purchase the tractor and some implements can be very expensive to add on at a later time.

Parts Manuals

Sometime parts manuals can be very hard to acquire. Make sure there is one available for the tractor you choose. Ask how much the manual is, sometimes the cost can be over $100.00 dollars.

Warranty

Find out what kind of a warranty comes with the tractor. Find out what it covers and for how long. Below is a checklist that you can print and take with you when you are out shopping for a tractor. Just check things off and take notes as you check over the prospective tractor.

Yes, it’s a very long checklist, but well worth your time if you want to get a good quality tractor at a fair price.

Some things on the checklist may not pertain to the type of tractor you are looking for; however, we believe that most folks will find the majority of information here to be very helpful.

Your goal is to ensure that the tractor you purchase is all that the seller says it is and doesn’t have any hidden problems. Make sure you know what you are looking for. Know what options you must have on the tractor and which ones you might be willing to compromise on or be able to add later.

Tractor Buyer’s Checklist

Make_____________________________ Model _____________________ Year _________ Hours

On Meter________ Asking Price $____________

Seller’s Name _____________________________ Phone ______________

Tractor Location _______________________________________________

Yes/No Notes

Visual Exterior Inspection

Does the overall appearance of the tractor look as if it has been cared for?

Why is the tractor for sale?

Is the paint faded?

Is the sheet metal straight?

Are there a lot of ‘dings’ in the tractor?

Are there any decaying rubber or plastic components?

Are there any structural cracks? Look closely for hairline cracks.

Is there anything that looks like a ‘makeshift’ repair job?

Are the tires in good condition with good tread left on them?

Is there a calcium mixture added to the tires for better stability?

Is there still good tread left on the tires?

Is the seat in good condition?

Does it have a standard 3-point hitch?

Are there any puddles of fluid under the tractor?

Are there any oil spots on the ground around the wheels?

Engine Inspection

Is the engine warm?

Are there oil and/or fuel on the engine?

Can you see any seals leaking?

Is there oil around the rear axles, near the rear wheel?

Is there oil around the PTO seals?

Are there oil leaks around the output shaft seals gearboxes? (4WD

Is the engine oil at or near the full mark?

Is the front axle dipstick at or near the full mark? (4WD)

Does the oil look clean? Black is ok for diesel engines.

Are there creamy white droplets near the top of the dipstick?

Are all the filters U.S. made?

Is the air filter intact?

Does the air filter have any tears or holes in it?

Is the fuel filter clean?

Is the fan belt tight and in good shape?

Does the air inlet tube have any cracks or holes in it?

Is the water in the radiator dark green? This is a good thing.

Does the radiator water have a milky looking scum to it?

Is there flaking or discolored paint around the radiator cap?

Is there moisture along the bottom of the radiator?

Is there any slop in the steering linkages?

Did you closely look over the tractor a second time to make sure you didn’t miss anything?

Running Engine Inspection

Does the oil pressure register when you just turn the key?

Start the tractor. Does it start easily?

Does the oil pressure light go off or the oil gauge go up to about 30-80 psi?

Do all of the other lights go off?

Is the voltage meter (if it has one) charging a full 13.5-14.5 volts

Did you rock the steering wheel from left to right? Do this with the engine running if the

tractor has power steering.

Does the PTO spin in all gears?

Does the 3-point hitch work properly?

Does the tractor continue to smoke after it warms up?

Driving The Tractor (This is the fun part)

Does the tractor work through all of the gears?

Does the power shift feel ‘weak’ when shifting?

Is there any slippage when you quickly accelerate into high gear?

Does the 4WD engage properly?

Does the clutch slip?

Do the brakes work well?

Did you check the brakes by pushing one pedal at a time in low gear?

Does the tractor make any clunking noises from inside the engine?

Does the charging system work properly?

Do the wheels wobble at all?

Hydraulics

Are the control levers in good shape and not flopping around?

Are the pivot pins badly worn?

Does any oil seep out of the extended spools (control valves)?

Are the hydraulic couplers capped?

Does the hydraulics work correctly?

Post Driving Inspection

Did the temp gauge ever get above the recommended temperature?

Did the temp light ever come on while you were driving it?

Did the tractor overheat?

Did the tractor run well even after it got hot?

Do you see any new leaks from the radiator?

Do you see any new oil and or fluid leaks?

Did you see excess smoke when you removed the oil cap?

Did you closely look over the tractor a third time to make sure you didn’t miss anything?

I Hope this has been a lot of information that you where looking for and you will use this information to your advantage and be safe with it.

Ebooks and Articles are the Love of my Life. Visit Me [http://www.macsebooksparadise.com]

Sherry Cochran [http://www.macsebooksparadise.com]

It’s all about sports say coaches and parents as they sign their children up for little league, soccer, swimming or youth track. Both parents and coaches alike realize that by teaching our kids sports we are instilling in them strong work ethic, competitiveness, team work, sportsmanship, striving to accomplish goals, and to win.

These are all such obvious life skills you’d wonder why any parent wouldn’t want their kids in sports. Still, some psychologists say that an underperforming young athlete can have their self-esteem hurt if they find that they are not as good as the other kids on the team or in the league.

True enough and yet parents say, that’s alright they can still be part of a winning team, if they will put forth effort they’ll learn what can be accomplished working together, and they will also learn that if they want to do good and win in anything in life they will have to rise to the occasion and train and work harder to accomplish their goals, dreams and objectives. Indeed.

Today however, we are finding more and more studies and research done by psychologists that say we are damaging our children by pushing them too hard and that we should back off in order not to hurt their psyche. Sure, we could do that, but what happens when they enter the real world say coaches and parents; “Things are not going to get any easier then are they?”

No matter what you believe on this topic, one thing is known for sure; Team Sports Build Character in Our Youth! And so, I hope you will consider this.

Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor – Lance Winslow’s Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises for instance one of Lance Winslow’s favorite companies on the team; www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml /.

What to Look For in a Saltwater Fish Tank

The decision to purchase a saltwater or marine fish tank for your home or office should not be taken lightly. Marine fish will have requirements far greater than freshwater fish. However, once you’ve decided to purchase a saltwater aquarium you’ll be rewarded with a stunning range of tropical and reef fish to choose from.

But first you’ll need to purchase your tank. The selection process can be time consuming and confusing because the range of tanks available is large. The best advice is usually to purchase the largest tank you can afford and that will fit in the available space. There are numerous stories of people starting out their fish tank hobby with a small fish tank only to find in a short space of time that they wish they had purchased a larger tank!

A 30-gallon saltwater aquarium is probably the smallest tank you should consider. A fish tank of this size will provide sufficient surface area to allow adequate exchange of oxygen into the water and to provide a comfortable swimming environment for your fish.

The oxygen supply in the water together with the water temperature will determine the success or otherwise of your fish keeping hobby. Tropical saltwater fish require a water temperature of about 75 degrees F. The warmer water in the saltwater aquarium will tend to deplete the oxygen in the water which means that the surface area becomes important. The addition of aeration equipment is usually desirable to increase the oxygen concentration. Aeration can usually be provided in conjunction with your filtration equipment.

Saltwater fish tanks are available in both acrylic and glass. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Some of the advantages of glass aquariums are

o Glass fish tanks are usually cheaper than acrylic tanks

o Glass fish tanks are more scratch resistant than acrylic tanks

o Glass fish tanks won’t discolor with age

o Glass fish tanks won’t require as much brace support as acrylic tanks although the stand needs to be able to support a great weight

Advantages of acrylic fish tanks

o Acrylic fish tanks are lighter in weight than glass fish tanks

o Acrylic fish tanks can be custom made in a shape to suit your home

o Acrylic fish tanks are less likely to break

o Acrylic fish tanks can be purchased online

Setting Up Your Saltwater Fish Tank

Bringing your new saltwater fish tank home from the store is only the first step. Never be tempted to purchase fish at the same time that you acquire your aquarium. There are many steps to complete prior to introducing fish to their new home.

First, you need to install your tank in its desired location. Avoid locating your saltwater fish tank in any spot that receives sunlight. Sunlight will cause algae to grow in your tank and whilst this will not usually harm the fish it is unsightly and spoils the appearance of your aquarium. Also avoid any locations close to room heaters or where the tank will be exposed to drafts.

Many acrylic fish tanks come with a built-in stand. Glass tanks will require a sturdy stand and should have a layer of polystyrene or rubber placed between the tank and the stand to absorb any unevenness. If the tank is unbalanced it will eventually crack.

Check your new tank for leaks. Fill it with water and let is stand for a day or two. Once you have confirmed that it is water tight you will need to thoroughly clean the tank and all equipment. Rinse thoroughly. Do not skip the cleaning and rinsing step just because you’ve purchased a new tank and it appears sparkling clean. Your fish will die if there are any contaminants left in the tank! Don’t forget to wash the gravel before adding it the tank. Add all your other equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions. Your pet store will have provided advice on how to set up your saltwater fish tank.

After you have added your salt water and confirmed that the salt and chemical levels are correct you’ll need to run all your equipment for at least 72 hours to filter and heat your water and stabilize your tank. Let the aquarium cycle to build up the correct biological levels.

The hardest part of setting up your saltwater fish tank is now complete and now you’ll be able to go and select your colorful fish!

Alison Stevens is an online author and writes about fresh and saltwater fish tanks to assist anyone who wants to get started with setting up an aquarium fish tank and gain an understanding of fresh or saltwater fish tank maintenance.

I love my pet, but I hate the high cost of pet supplies.

Can you relate to the constant drain on your wallet? Would you like to reduce the cost of your pet supplies?

If you too love your pet or pets and would like to benefit from some ways I save money on pet supplies then take just a few minutes and let me share some cost saving ideas that can really lighten the financial drain for those pets that we consider a integral part of our family.

One of the problems with the cost of pet supplies has become the increasing cost these past few years. It can add up fast. In my house we actually have a line item in our monthly budget because we actually have 3 pets (2 dogs and a cat). In this article I hope to help everyone who loves pets but would like to save money on pet supplies.

Most of us are genuine pet lovers. We love to keep animals as pets for our enjoyment and companionship. Over time, these pets become a regular part of the family. Our pets deserve the very best care just as anyone in the family would. Because of our love and commitment to care for our pets, We’re constantly looking for little nick knacks we can buy while shopping..

The pet supply and pet product industry has grown quite a bit over the past decade. Thus a large number of new pet stores have opened up all through out the country. There are many pet products and pet supplies outlets available in the market today including where you live or at least over the Internet. As a Pet lover, you can buy these products from discount pet stores or order online from the comfort of your home of office.

The goal is sorting through these new shopping options in search for the true values, the genuine best and Lowest discounted prices available. In terms of pet supply inventory, this too has increased dramatically over the past decade. Today there are virtually endless products and pet food options available. Most of the discount pet supply stores have a large assortment of these different products that offers a variety of sizes. In addition they carry a growing selection of pet supplies and pet gifts.

There are a wide variety of online and local discount pet stores for you to choose from. Both online and traditional discount pet supply stores offer a growing selection of items for the pets that you love. The online pet discount stores carries a wider range of product for your pet because their not limited to physical shelf space. These online discount pet stores are a great resource for checking out a discount pet supplies and price comparisons without the need to actually visit stores in your area. Online stores are easy to use as they are easier and more convenient to order from. When purchasing anything online including pet supplies or pet foods you can save money by not having to pay sales taxes in most cases. In addition, you can have many online pet supplies stores offer free shipping to first time buyers or in many cases for a specific period of time of if your order exceeds a certain dollar amount.

Most of the pet supply discount pet stores are pet friendly. They are designed to provide a nice comfortable place for the pet owner and your pet while your buying pet supplies. Some of these discount stores offer many additional benefits and services in addition to the normal services you’ve come to expect. Some of these extra services include pet grooming services, pet photography and veterinary services, Community services such as obedience classes, pet adoption clinics and seminars on pet care are also offered.

Well I hope this article has helped you and I hope it has shed some light on the challenge of saving money on your pets supplies regardless whether you use a local regular pet supply store or an online store. This may take a little research and price comparison on your part but the savings will be well worth it.

Find more information about discount pet supplies by visiting http://www.petsintheknow.com, a popular Discount Pet Supply website that specializes in Discount Pet Supplies and ratings on the most popular traditional and online discount pet supplies.

As a psychologist and career counselor, I have worked with thousands of people over the years who are choosing or changing careers, and who are wondering whether they would really like to be in a particular career. Based on this experience, I believe that most people who want to go into a career they think they’d like do not really explore the questions they need to in order to be sure that it’s the right career for them.

Here is a list of 20 questions to find answers to before concluding that a career you think you’d like is really right for you, followed by 9 sources of information for answering these questions:

Questions:

1. In general, why do you think you’d “like” this career?

2. Why is going into this career important to you? What values, needs, and goals does it satisfy?

3. What do you actually know about this career?

4. Do you have any direct experience in this career? Have you had any jobs or volunteer experiences?

5. Have you talked to people who are in this career?

6. Have you done any reading on the career?

7. What are the opportunities? What kinds of money can you make in this field, and where are the openings?

8. What would your typical day be like in this career?

9. What are the drawbacks, disadvantages, and roadblocks of this career?

10. Do your interests match the interests of others in this career?

11. Do you have the aptitudes, skills, and abilities to be successful in this career?

12. Do you have the education or training to get into this career?

13. Do you have the personality characteristics that will make you successful in the new career?

14. Do you have the motivation and energy to follow through and do what you would need to do to get into the new career?

15. What are your “transferable” skills? That is, what skills or knowledge do you now have that you can use in the new career?

16. What skills or knowledge do you have that would not only be transferable, but that would also be a unique advantage in the new career?

17. What will it take to get into the new career? What kind of additional training, education, or experience would you need?

18. Have you developed a specific plan, including timetables and specific goals to be accomplished?

19. Do you have a network of support from family, friends, co-workers, or significant others?

20. Having answered all of the above questions, do you still “like” the career and think it’s a good idea to get into it, and why?

I think you’ll find that there are many resources you can use to help you answer the above questions. Among them:

1. Reading. This would include not only the hundreds of books and pamphlets on careers and career choice, but also publications describing careers (such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor and available on the Internet).

2. Practical experience. Not only is it possible to get a full-time or part-time job, but one can also volunteer at an organization or a company a couple of hours a week, just to get exposure to the area. Usually, any organization is glad to have this kind of help (unless they think you’re an investigative reporter from some newspaper or TV program).

3. Job search counseling. Anyone changing career directions needs a highly competitive job search strategy. This should include resume, cover letter, and job interviewing strategies that are specific to your situation. This may also include advice on researching the job market.

4. A thorough self-assessment. This is not an assessment BY yourself, but an assessment OF yourself. A good career counselor can provide this kind of assessment, which would include counseling and testing.

5. Career tests. In general, tests divide into three categories: 1) aptitude, ability, and skills tests, 2) career interest tests, and 3) personality and motivational tests that focus on characteristics related to the career world.

6. Career coaching. Guided discussions with an expert can help you to clarify your goals, strategies, and commitment.

7. Education and training. Before you launch full-time into a degree program, it is possible to take one course, or a seminar, or a workshop, or a brief certificate program in the new career.

8. Networking. There are many job clubs and career resource centers available to explore new careers. Schools, career counselors, and other professionals can usually give you information on these resources.

9. Informational interviewing. It’s usually not a good idea to go into a career if you haven’t talked to at least a few people who are already in it and can give you the lowdown. You can also talk to people in academic and training programs.

Armed with all of this information and all of these insights, you should now be in a better position to judge whether taking the next step in this new career area makes sense for you.

Sander Marcus, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Professional Resume Writer in Chicago. He has over 3 decades of experience in providing career counseling, aptitude testing, job search coaching, and resume writing to tens of thousands of individuals. He is the co-author of 2 books on academic underachievement, various tests, and numerous articles. He can be contacted at marcus@iit.edu, 312-567-3358.www.center.iit.edu

Keeping fish as pets is a pleasurable experience. It is also a less laborious business than keeping most other kinds of pets. However in order to get the best out of the experience you have be prepared beforehand from the time you decide to buy fish.

Selecting the correct fish thank from offered fish tanks for sale is in fact the second most important decision when it comes keeping fish as pets. The most important decision is of course the selection of fish but fish tank comes second.

Fish tank will also be a focal point in the room in which it is situated. They also work as beautiful decorations for homes and offices. These are further important reasons for selecting a fish tank correctly from fish tanks for sale.

You can find variety of fish tanks for sale both offline and online. It is important that before coming to a decision to buy, to do some research online among the fish tanks for sale. This will give you an idea about the kind of features and sizes each type of fish tank for sale offers. Even more importantly it will give you an idea about the comparative prices of fish tanks for sale. You should also check out the reviews and other details provided by the websites that cater to the fish pet owners. That way you would not be totally clueless when checking out the fish tanks for sale.

Another significant consideration that buyers of fish tanks forget to inquire beforehand is how the transportation of the fish tank is carried out. You should ask the seller offering fish thank for sale whether the tank will be delivered to your house and whether that will cost you extra. Remember that in spite of appearances transporting a fish tank can be bothersome business.

You should also inquire from people offering the fish tank for sale whether they will install tanks. Fish tanks require convenient plumbing and electricity outlets for their water and air filtering systems. Some fish tanks for sale will have these items preinstalled so all you have to do is to plug in the appropriate connections. Others will require professional installation.

For more information about Fish Tank For Sale, feel free to visit us at: http://www.fish-tanks-land.com/Fish-Tank-for-Sale.html

Corporate marketing groups – especially bandwidth-challenged small-to-mid-sized departments – can be so focused on tactics and fire fighting that they jeopardize their marketing investment. There is a tendency to overreact to events, to tackle symptoms rather than underlying fundamental problems and to jump at the opportunity to please the boss. Many times, this kind of tactical knee jerking may be fatal.

Without great marketing, companies won’t flourish, especially those in highly

competitive markets. Yet the chaotic nature of emerging or dynamic growth

companies and the tendency to place the marketing burden on too few individuals is

a setup for failure. Promising companies may be left in the dust, or at least

handicapped at the starting gate.

Marketing Operations is emerging as an important discipline for improving

performance and measuring ROI in admired technology companies (like Intel, IBM

and Amazon) who have refined and fine-tuned their marketing organization with an

operational focus. Given the demands that these organizations face today, an

innovative approach is central to solving critical issues like results measurement,

bandwidth constraints and creativity limitations, and building value-added

outsourced supplier relationships and effectively managing budget. Many of the

best practices, efficient processes and systems approach from large company

Marketing Operations can and should be applied by emerging companies that are

serious about their marketing investment. Here’s why:

PROBLEM #1

Ill-defined metrics

Today, more than ever, corporate marketing departments need to justify their

existence. The need to measure results is unavoidable. However, the instincts and

skills that make an outbound marketing practitioner great-action-orientation,

verbal and written acuity, persuasiveness, the ability to build strong relationships-

often don’t translate into an ability or willingness to scientifically and objectively

evaluate success. Add in broken systems and the organization’s unwillingness to

pay for marketing evaluation, and it’s no surprise that many marketing departments

are unable to define meaningful success metrics.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations ensures that the right processes are in place to establish

meaningful metrics at the front-end of marketing process, enabling the

measurement of success at key intervals, and as each program concludes.

PROBLEM #2

Slammed resources

The prevailing attitude of “doing more with less” can leave key people discouraged,

overwhelmed, near burnout, and eventually, circulating their

resumes. The consequences for organizations are costly mistakes, high turnover,

and collapsed programs when key people leave, and missed opportunities to

leverage the “ugly-stepsister-Cinderella-in-waiting” programs that never get off the

ground because of a lack of ownership.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations addresses these resource limitations by ensuring workload is

effectively allocated, roles are clearly defined, interdependencies are understood,

team members feel satisfied with their jobs and the programs and additional

resources, whether through additional headcount or outsourcing, can be

successfully justified to executive management.

PROBLEM #3

Sketchy institutional memory

Marketing is dependent on accurate information, a historical view into past

successes and failures, and the ability to recognize patterns that link seemingly

unrelated data points. Unfortunately, knowledge in many marketing organizations is

scattered all over the company. It’s in the heads of individual workers, on shelves,

on people’s hard drives, in long forgotten filing systems. When people leave, a big

piece of organizational knowledge goes with them. Information loss is a huge

productivity killer for marketing teams. Lost insight that must be regained or

reacquired wastes previous marketing investments.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations facilitates knowledge sharing, an enduring repository of

information and greater decision-making based on fact, as opposed to hunch.

PROBLEM #4

Constrained creativity

The best creativity comes from many brains working together in collaboration. A

consequence of the age of the “individual contributor” director is constrained

creativity. When the entire creative burden falls mostly on one outbound marketing

person, the ability to think out of the box can be severely impacted. Creative

synergy results from many minds thinking as one.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations enables the creative process to benefit from the synergy of

team.

PROBLEM #5

Failed supplier relationships

Most successful companies can point to strong, long-term marketing supplier

relationships as integral to their success. Likewise, a pattern of failed supplier

relationships is often an indicator of marketing department failure, rather than poor

vendor performance. Unfortunately, companies that have had consistently bad

relationships with outsource suppliers often react by seizing control and bringing

everything in house. While this strategy may provides the illusion of control, it lets

marketing managers deflect blame for failures, rather than teaching them how to

manage their outsource suppliers by taking responsibility for the results. In

addition, this strategy won’t scale with the growth of the organization.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations helps set realistic expectations and mutual accountability

between suppliers and the organization, increasing the effectiveness of outsource

partners by empowering them to act as an extension of the internal team.

PROBLEM #6

Lost discretionary budgets

Use it or lose it. Misuse it and lose it anyway. Many corporate marketing

departments are leaving discretionary budget on the table or allocating it to

the wrong initiatives. This discretionary marketing budget “Catch 22″ occurs

because:

o It’s very time consuming to manage the budget effectively, especially in companies

with broken financial systems

o Each marketing spend-decision creates more work for the one-person or small-

team

marketing department in terms of project management, measurement, supplier

management, etc.

o Doubt persists about the ability to successfully justify the expenditure to

management

o Focus is instinctively on high-visibility marketing activities and C-level executive

“requests” over fiscal management (marketing people are more inclined toward

marketing than finance)

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations facilitates implementing the system support infrastructure

and financial management discipline needed to protect precious marketing budgets.

PROBLEM #7

Narrow marketing mix

Many companies align their fate with the success of too few marketing programs.

Whether it’s lead generation, public relations, trade shows or advertising, the over-

reliance on any one particular program can derail a company-especially if a key

program unexpectedly loses momentum. In the meantime, programs that could

have had strong leverage never get a chance to prove their mettle and are forever

relegated to the “B” list.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations puts the means in place to launch potentially high-value

marketing programs that would never otherwise get out of the starting gate.

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, Marketing Operations is an organization’s best bet to:

o Ensure that success can be measured and replicated

o Leverage systems and processes to enable consistently excellent performance

o Encourage great marketing departments to stay together

o Allow the marketing organization to flourish, despite the unexpected, but often

inevitable, loss of a key employee.

Gary M. Katz, APR, is president and CEO of CommPros Group, a Santa-Clara, Calif.- based firm that provides marketing operations services to help companies leverage their marketing investment, plus a variety of outsourced marketing program management services to support lean marketing departments. Gary is a veteran with more than twenty years of experience in the technology industry where he directed corporate marketing, communications, public relations, lead generation and qualification, investor relations, and employee communications programs. He has served as director of communications for ShoreTel, director of corporate marketing for Aplix Corporation, senior manager of corporate communications for Insignia Solutions, and as a director, account supervisor, or preferred subcontractor for more than a dozen leading public relations and marketing communications agencies. A past president of Silicon Valley PRSA, he holds a master’s degree in organization development from the University of San Francisco and a BA degree in public relations from San Jose State University.

Your Dog’s Nails

How to cut a dog’s nails is one of the most frequently asked question when it comes to grooming dogs.

Knowing how to cut a dog’s nails is so important and if you’re wondering how to trim a dog’s nails – you need look no further. As usual, we’ve done all the research for you and presented you with a step by step guide on this delicate procedure.

Knowing not only how, but also when to cut a dog’s nails is so important. Your dog’s nails grow constantly and how often they need to be clipped will depend on your dog’s lifestyle. If you dog does a lot of his walking on hard surfaces, he may very well need little or no extra help in keeping his nails short as his nails will be naturally worn away through friction.

However, if like our dogs, your dog mainly stays on grass, sea sand and woodland tracks, clipping dog nails becomes an essential part of his or her grooming and it becomes important that you know how to clip dog nails.

Not knowing how to cut a dog’s nails and failure in clipping dog nails will lead to crippling pain in your dog’s paws and could lead to permanent damage and malformation.

If clipping dog nails is really not your strong point, take your dog along to your vet or groomer. They know how to cut a dog’s nails – and it is amazing how much less of a prima donna your dog will be with total strangers!

When To Start

Dogs are often reluctant to have their nails clipped, therefore, starting the process at a very young age is a good idea.

Initially, get your dog accustomed to you simply holding and stroking their paws. Then progress to applying light pressure on their paws and nails – lightly pinching their nails between your finger and thumb. Reward them for allowing this.

Then, after a lesson from your vets in how to cut a dog’s nails, lightly trim a couple of nails a day. Just trim off the tips – this lessens the chances of you cutting too deep and frightening your dog off.

Talk to your dog in a soothing voice all the time and reward him with his favorite treat and a romp straight after. He will gradually grow accustomed to this unpleasant procedure and learn to at least put up with it.

Tools You Will Need

When you’re wondering about how to cut a dogs nails, there are a variety of nail clippers and trimmers on the market. The guillotine type is my favourite tool when trimming dog nails, though a strong claw cutter may be required for the bigger breeds and basset hounds – they have incredibly large claws!

Sometimes you may want to use a small file or a dremel tool to file down any jagged edges after trimming a dog nails, but frankly, my dogs can’t wait to get away from me, so I’m happy to let them round off any rough edges in the normal course of their everyday walks.

It is also advisable to keep a styptic pen handy just in case you clip into your dog’s quick – but we’ll discuss this later.

Anatomy Of A Dog’s Nail

Knowing how to cut dog’s nails is easier when you know the anatomy of a dog’s nail.

A dog’s nail is constructed of a hard outer cover, which protects the quick which is the inner soft part containing blood vessels and tender nerve endings. In dogs with light coloured nails, the quick can often been seen as being faintly pinkish in color and is thus easy to avoid cutting into.

In the more common black nailed variety, the quick it totally invisible. Therefore, knowing exactly how to cut a dog’s nails in this case is imperative. In these cases, trimming off little nibbles instead of large slices is more advisable.

Keep checking the clipped part of your dog’s nail and look out for a dark spot in the middle of the newly clipped area – this shows the start of the quick – do not cut too far into this. Taking just tiny nibbles, you will then start to see a pale third inner circle. Stop there – or else you are likely to hurt your dog.

Also, don’t forget your dog’s dew claws. Growing on the inside of his legs and not in contact with the floor, these do not get worn away and will sometimes curl completely over causing your dog to get snagged in undergrowth, his bedding, etc. This can be very painful, so do keep those neatly trimmed too.

Best Way Of Clipping Dog Nails

The best way how to cut a dog’s nails is to have the dog lying on a raised table or other surface. Do remember to put a non-slip mat for your dog to sit or stand on so she doesn’t slip and hurt herself. Having someone strong hold your dog in their arms while you quickly clip a couple of nails is another effective way of doing this.

However, your dog may be as good as gold and let you cut their claws with no fuss at all – in which case you are a very fortunate person!

Carefully read the instructions for the nail clipping tool of your choice. For example, with the guillotine, you need to cut from the underneath of your dog’s claw upwards. Never clip downwards.

Position the tool in the right place, wait for an opportune moment when your dog stops wriggling, double check that the clipper is in the right place and squeeze firmly and smoothly – the nail will just pop off.

When wondering when and how to cut dog’s nails, little and often is the best policy. Just nibbling off the ends of each claw will be less stressful for your dog – and yourself! The point to aim for is to trim off any bit that protrudes over your dog’s pad. Thus, when he stands, your dog’s claws should not touch the ground.

The good thing is, very much like our own nails, the more you trim your dog’s nails, the more the quick will recede. Therefore, clipping dog nails doesn’t have to be done all at once – take your time.

Oooops! You’ve Cut Into The Quick!

However experienced you are in knowing how to cut a dog’s nails, accidents will happen.

Clipping into the quick will cause your dog to yelp in pain – I hate it when that happens. And, just as would happen if you cut into your quick, a fair amount of bleeding will occur. As much as you try to not let this happen – it will at some stage – so it is best that you learn to deal with it.

Please, let me reassure you that it is not half as dramatic as it looks. Keep calm, deal with the situation and give your dog a big cuddle and his favorite treat when it is all over.

If learning how to cut a dog’s nails is all a bit much for you, take your dog to a groomer (some will even come to your home) to have her nails trimmed. It doesn’t cost very much and at least your dog wont hold it against you if her nails should accidentally be cut too deep!

If bleeding does occur, you have three options -

With years of experience in breeding, training and handling dogs, Marion Herbertson is first and foremost a dog lover. Visit [http://www.advice-on-pet-care-and-pet-product-supplies-online.com/Dog-Grooming.html] – for more of her practical, sometimes humourous advice on pet care.

Since the Internet has become so popular today, more and more people are interested in developing programs or applications that people can view and use online. One of the more popular programming language that has a wide variety of functions is called PHP.

PHP has been around for a while and originally PHP stood for “personal home page”. It is now considered to be one of the most widely used programming languages of all time. It has been updated several times and is now currently in version 6. You can also use PHP with another language called MySQL which is often used to do database work or other kinds of tasks involving database entries.

PHP is very nice because it has an easy, clean syntax which can be easy to pick up if you know a programming language already. If you do not know a programming language already, do not worry. PHP can be a great place to start because it has such an intuitive syntax. If you are curious about learning a programming language, PHP may be the place to start for you.

If online programming is what you are looking for, then PHP should definitely be on your list of programming languages to study. It is something that will surprise you at how useful and intuitve it really is. Add to this the fact that PHP is a powerful language that can handle a multitude of tasks and you can see why it has become so popular today.

PHP gives you a powerful toolbox for programming whatever program or task you need designed for the web. If you want to make projects that can be seen by others online, then go ahead and begin to learn PHP. It can be a great way to break into the programming world, or if you already know a programming language, it can be a great way to expand your knowledge and skills. Make sure you get some learning resources soon if you want to learn PHP better!

Get more great information about learning PHP online right now at how to learn PHP. If you are truly interested in learning PHP, you will want the best resources around available for study now over at Simple PHP Review.

It has rightly been said by fashion gurus that year 2010 is and will continue to be an interesting and exciting year for fashion. With the end of the global financial crisis and recession trend, an upheaval in the fashion world was seen in the beginning of the year and this is continuing. In all the fashion shows that have taken place so far, a new standard of fashion rise up is seen. The latest trends in women fashion 2010 have been inspired by yesteryear’s classic styles with a dash of sex, skin, colors, embellishments and of course attitude and glamor. Let us see some of the latest women fashion trends 2010.

2010 Fashion Colors, Prints and Patterns

There is a mix of soft, delicate styles with sporty look in the Spring/Summer 2010. No doubt, you could trace a touch of past fashion but mixed with modern outlook in this season. The popular colors for the year are neutral shades, sober colors and also other colors like the blues, pinks, browns and surprisingly a color like neon green. An important aspect of women fashion trends in 2010 is that heavy patterns and prints, earthly tones teamed up with bold and outrageous designs are in this year. So there is nothing wrong or embarrassing to experiment with a neutral attire, team up with bright colored footwear like pumps and jewelries to bring some color to your look. Or get yourself a gorgeous dress with huge floral or other prints all over, and team it up with patterned hand bags and stockings and hooped jewelry.

Fashion Trends 2010 in Women Fashion Wear

While the last decade saw the fashion circuit being dominated by tight jeans, the women fashion wear trends in 2010 has seen the emergence of loose pants. So go for a baggy jeans and throw on a loose kurti or tunic this year. Wearing sporting attire is also a trend in 2010. So you can see in the fashion stores, designer jogging suits and fashionable sweat pants. These two trends have clearly shown that fashion 2010 is more focused on comfort, rather than looks.

Hot ladies shorts in bright and vibrant colors have made their way in 2010. Colorful chunky jewelry and accessories and big glasses play a major role in adding glamor to your ensemble. Do not wear too short shorts so as to make yourself a fashion disaster. A sultry and sexy high dress is in for those who do not prefer to wear shorts. This particularly looks good on those who have well toned legs and skin.

Full skirts are out in 2010 and this trend has been replaced bandage skirts. In fact, the fashion designers have concluded that the the bandage skirt is the “it” piece of fashionable clothing for women for work or a night out. A fitted top gives the perfect slim figure look, accentuating the waistline. Mini skirts in neutral tones are also in this year.

Women fashion trend 2010 has also seen the casual fitted t-shirts paired with denim jeans looking good on women for that cool look. Denim jeans will never be go out of fashion. There is a comeback of torn jeans teamed with white t-shirt.

Business suits in the form of blazers and formal trousers are still in, giving importance to masculine gender dresses. This has now been extended to long length blazers with leggings or shorts, with beads and bangles for that feminine look. The knee length capris, showing off a toned calf, is also seen among the younger lot in 2010. It is decent, cool and still looks hot.

Another fashion trend that is seen in 2010 is to be bold and beautiful with some revealing styles. Long, floor length dresses are gone. In fact women are willing to go sleeveless with strong lines to look sexy just by displaying enough cleavage, and a cut at the waist defining the curves rather than being covered by wearing a long dress. The revealing fabric is in fashion.

2010 Fashion Footwear & Accessories

Fashion accessories trends in 2010 show the emergence of large accessories. Do not hesitate to wear large sized chains, striking studs, over sized chain bags, shimmering bracelets, big pendants, bold cuffs and rings. Stilettos are out this year. Instead, flat shoes, pumps, tiny heel shoes, and boots with buckles and zippers are in.

Conclusion

Try out styles that look good on you. Fashion trends 2010 have shown a number of options for mixing and matching and coming up with the right style. It is necessary to be fashion conscious but not necessary to stick to them always. If you feel that a certain style is out of fashion, do not worry, fashion trends keep on changing and when an old style is back in fashion, you wear it at the right time. 2010 is a year of taking hold of the importance of being a woman and embracing the womanhood’s essence. The basic point of fashion is to be comfortable in what you are wearing.

For more information on women fashion wear, check out Women Fashion Wear & Accessories. A complete b2b marketplace for fashionable clothing for women like Business Suits, Women Shirts, Tops, Dresses, T-shirts, Skirts, Trousers, Ladies Kurti, Women Tunics, including jewelries, fashion handbags and footwear. Send online enquiry and get the best response from reliable manufacturers and suppliers.

For those considering a career in teaching, Education Schools can provide programs of study for earning degrees in general education, higher education, K-12 education, adult education, curriculum design, distance learning, education technology, ESL (English as a Second Language) and bilingual education, education leadership and administration, special education, teacher licensure, training and knowledge management, and many others.

Future teachers may opt to specialize in certain subjects, such as physical sciences; English, literature, composition, or creative writing; biological sciences; business education; American history, world history, or regional history; management and administration; and many others.

General Education programs satisfy practice and career goals for interdisciplinary subjects, with studies in humanities and social and behavioral sciences. Numerous two-year vocational, trade, and community college and four-year college and university general Education Schools provide programs that offer various diploma, certificate, and degree programs of study in general education.

Students in four-year Education Schools can obtain Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS) degrees in education, as well as education doctorate (EdD, PhD) degrees and combined degrees.

Diplomas and certificates from Education Schools may satisfy requirements for pre-school, assistant, vocational, and continuing education teacher positions. BA and BS degrees in education are generally required of classroom teachers, however most classroom teachers today have MS degrees. PhD degrees, and sometimes MA degrees, will qualify professionals for higher education (college and university professorships) and corporate education program positions.

MS degrees in education develop advanced skills to improve teaching abilities. Specializations in master studies focus on encouraging educators to test their skills in classroom and school settings. Courses are designed to increase professional depth and effectiveness in traditional settings, corporate settings, and various educational programs. Those who have graduated from Education School with a Master’s degree should feel prepared to meet many challenges in education, having studied learning theory, instructional and curriculum design, and research and instructional technology.

PhD programs present studies designed for experienced professional educators wishing to expand their skills as teachers, researchers, and consultants. They provide opportunities for education students to focus on personal areas of interest and to develop advanced skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and research that will facilitate professional growth and effectiveness in the classroom. PhD degrees allow for pursuit of positions as superintendents, education coordinators, special education directors, principals, professors, deans, and more.

If you would like to learn more about Education Schools and even Online Education Schools, you can find more in-depth information and resources on our website.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com

Copyright 2006 – All Rights Reserved

Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Visit our Traditional School Directory and find Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools.

“I used to feel depressed at work, hate my boss, and was sometimes so bored that I actually fell asleep at my desk!” — career test taker

If this sounds like you, then it’s probably time to consider changing jobs or careers. But before you can make your career change, you need to figure out what you want to do.

One of the best ways to get clear is to complete a career assessment. Yet there are literally hundreds of career tests out there. Is a career test the same as an aptitude test? What about a career personality test? This article clarifies the differences and presents 7 criteria for deciding which career test is best for you.

#1 Career test vs. personality test

Is the assessment specifically designed to provide career guidance?

Personality tests only tell you about your character traits whereas a career assessment gives specific career advice. Of course, it helps to know whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert and perceive by sensing or intuition. Personality tests such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Enneagram are quite useful as background information. Making the leap from simple awareness of your personality type to specific career strategies is very difficult, however. If you want a new job or career, it’s better to take an assessment that is specifically geared to providing career guidance.

#2 Specific vs. general

Does the career assessment give concrete recommendations that you can use immediately rather than vague observations that are open to interpretation and not actionable? Aside from the change itself, the hardest part of changing careers is narrowing down your choices. But if you don’t get specific, you won’t be able to take action. A good assessment should not be general like the astrological horoscopes in the newspaper.

#3 Motivation rules: why motivation is a better indicator than aptitude or personality

Does the career assessment measure motivation?

Motivation is a far better career indicator than skill or personality because what you like to do is what you WILL do and what you will get very good at (if you aren’t already). Why force a square peg into a round hole?

When you base your decisions on what motivates you, you’ll probably feel much more fulfilled, and be much more successful, too.

#4 Where’s the beef?

Even if you’re a vegetarian, you’ll want “meaty” results! A good career assessment should include hard data, as well as sufficient detail and explanation to help you interpret the results.

#5 Do you believe it?

Is the career assessment scientifically valid? An effective career assessment should have a high predictive reliability. Such things can be measured statistically. Anything over 95% is quite good.

Statistical validity is important for a number of reasons. Obviously, you want to feel that the assessment provides an accurate picture of what motivates you and you don’t want to be misled by grossly inaccurate results. But another point is that when the results are believable this provides a boost to your self-confidence. In my case, I was relieved and encouraged to see from my results that I had chosen the correct career path. It was a kind of confirmation or validation: “Whew! What a relief!”

Remember that ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether a set of results makes sense or not. However, it helps to use a highly reliable assessment.

#6 Can you get from A to Z?

Are additional tools available to help you take your results and develop a clear career roadmap for yourself?

Honestly, a lot of people take career tests and get brilliant insights. Unfortunately, many of these same people are never able to turn their insights into results. What’s needed is a support infrastructure of materials and people to help you apply your results over time.

#7 Is it fast?

Even in the internet age, there still are a lot of tests that you can only take on paper. It takes 30 minutes or even over an hour to take the test. Then you have to wait while the test is scored and processed. You may only get your results after several days or weeks.

Personally I prefer career tests that I can take online and that give me my results immediately.

Conclusion

A career test is just a tool and just one step on your career change journey. Nonetheless, it’s worth spending some time to understand what types of tests are available and which is best for you. Just remember that even the best career test is only a tool. It’s up to you to take charge of your own career.

Paul Arinaga is a career coach and owner of [http://www.fast-career-test.com] Visit [http://www.fast-career-test.com/sample.htm] for a free sample report for the Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential (MAPP) or a pdf version of this article.

Have you ever avoided a career or business opportunity because it required you to speak publicly?  Did you ever have a great idea you wanted to share in a group setting but didn’t because of your fear of speaking in front of a group of people? 

You are not alone in the fear of public speaking.  In my travels, I have seen where the fear of public speaking have kept otherwise very successful people in all walks of life from achieving their full potential.  When you let this fear dominate your life, you lose out on promotions, business opportunities, community activities, and most of all self-confidence.

The following are seven powerful secrets to empowering you to overcome your fear of public speaking and achieving a new level of success in your career, your business, and your life:

1. Ask Yourself the Important Question

Ask yourself, “Where does my fear come from and is it real?”  Was there a public speaking opportunity in the past that you think didn’t go well or that you felt was poorly prepared?  Maybe you had to stand up in front of your classmates in high school or college and someone made what you perceived as a negative comment concerning your presentation.  Maybe you gave a good speech but you started to over analyze every detail of the speech.

First, realize that whatever happened did so at another time and place and you are no longer that person.  With new experiences, you have grown into a more confident person with much to offer.  Second, embrace feedback, extract the true areas of improvement from the feedback and work to improve your public speaking ability.  Be honest and fair with yourself and determine if the feedback is coming from someone who is qualified to give quality feedback.  I had one presentation skills student whose manager told her she was a poor speaker because she moved her hands and arms during the presentation.  Was the manager giving qualified feedback?   Doubtful.  Yet, this manager’s feedback affected this employee in a negative way for years until the employee became my coaching student. 

Again, separate qualified feedback from unqualified feedback and learn from it.  Also, don’t allow negative public speaking situations that happen in the past apply to your present or future public speaking opportunities.

2. Face Your Fear of Public Speaking

The fastest way to overcome any fear, much less the fear of public speaking, is to face your fear and attack it. Look for and embrace opportunities to make presentations.  Start with non-threatening opportunities such as your children’s school meeting or a non-work related situation and work your way up to more important, high pressure situations such as work meetings.

Realize that each time you speak is an opportunity to improve your speaking ability.  Look at your public speaking skills as a muscle.  The more you exercise your public speaking muscle, the stronger it becomes and you will improve your speaking abilities.

Go into each public speaking opportunity with a clear set of goals.  Maybe for your first speech, you may have a goal of eliminating “hums” and “ahs.”  For another speech you may have a goal of completing your speech with a powerful ending. 

3. Visualize Your Public Speaking Success

Invest time the night before you speak to visualize what a successful speech looks, sounds, and feels like and how you will feel while giving it.  If you don’t see it yourself, it won’t happen.  Most presentations can be dramatically improved just by investing time ahead of the presentation to visualize a successful outcome.

4. Master the Material

Invest the time to know what you are presenting.  Invest time to rehearse several variations of your speech.  Rehearse your speech as if something goes wrong.  What if your PowerPoint goes down, you forget a section in your speech, or someone heckles you?  How will you react?  If you know your material well enough, you will be able to overcome any presentation challenge.

5. Master Your Public Speaking Mind

During a group coaching session, a presenter started speaking, made a mistake and promptly announced, “I hate speaking in public!”  In this instance, she did not manage her public speaking mind, and let her fear of public speaking take over her performance.

When you make negative statements concerning public speaking, it will reinforce your fear of public speaking.  Take the time to replace negative statements with positive public speaking affirmations.

6. Take Time to Analyze Your Performance

In most cases, we are our own toughest critics when speaking. Whenever you speak, videotape or audiotape your presentations, sit down, and honestly analyze your performance.  Once you start to record your presentations, you will realize that some of the issues you were worried about aren’t in your speech and you will instantly see areas of improvement and address them accordingly.  As the old saying goes, “The video doesn’t lie.”

Ask for feedback from people you respect and who can give you quality, supportive feedback that will empower you to want apply the feedback in your next speech.  Before your speech, tell the person you ask to give you feedback what your public speaking goals are and what you are working to improve.

Once you analyze your areas of improvement, immediately go out and exercise your public speaking muscle and apply the improvement.

7. Reward Yourself

Reward yourself for any improvements in your public speaking skills.  The reward is up to you, but make sure to immediately reward yourself.

Bonus Public Speaking Secret:  If you forget a word or a phrase during your speech, never apologize and keep speaking as though nothing happened.  Unless the audience has a detailed transcript of your speech, they won’t know what you forgot.  Don’t let the fear of forgetting something in your speech keep you from giving great speeches.

Now, go out and exercise your public speaking muscle to give outstanding presentations.  When you apply the seven secrets to overcoming your fear of public speaking, you will realize more opportunities and gain a new level of confidence.

Ed Sykes is a highly sought after leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building expert, success coach, professional speaker, and author of “Jumpstart Your Greatness.”
You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032.
Go to his web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the free success newsletter, OnPoint.

Your resume will generally receive a 15- to 30-second scan upon first review by an employer. With that in mind, it is critical that your resume — your “paper handshake” — makes a positive first impression and compels the reader to put your resume in the “yes” pile and possibly call you in for an interview.

Before you circulate your resume, you will want to ensure it incorporates the basic characteristics of a powerful, interview-generating resume. When evaluating your resume you can follow the same basic steps as professional resume writers. This will increase the chances not only of having it placed into that “yes” pile, but also of helping it rise to the top of the stack.

STEP 1: Ask yourself, “Is my resume in the correct format to best showcase my career history?”

Is your resume the appropriate length, format, and formality for the position you are targeting?

Length: For someone with five or more years of experience, a resume will typically be one to two pages. It isn’t at all uncommon for executive-level resumes to be as long as three or four pages. If you are a recent college graduate one page may suffice, but don’t be afraid to go two pages, particularly if you have some work, internship, or volunteer experience under your belt.

Format: There are three common types of resumes: chronological, functional, and combination. A chronological resume calls attention to your employment history in reverse chronological order. It is most effective when your job listings are notable (position titles and/or company names) and are directly relevant to the job target.

A functional resume de-emphasizes positions, job descriptions, and employment dates. It organizes qualifications by related skills or experience. Job seekers who have gaps in employment or who are making a career change commonly use functional resumes. Think carefully before using this format as feedback from hiring authorities suggests that they don’t like them — they know that functional resumes can be used to minimize, or even hide, periods of unemployment and other flaws in your history.

A typical combination resume is just that — a blend of the other two formats. It begins with a powerful Qualifications Summary or Professional Profile that clearly communicates your functional skills. This allows your resume to be focused toward particular positions and/or industries, and provides a platform to communicate the your best qualifications. A reverse-chronological listing of employment experience (including responsibilities and, more importantly, relevant accomplishments) follows. The combination format is a popular choice among professional resume writers as it is particularly effective in selling their clients to employers.

A fourth type of resume, which won’t be discussed at length here, is the Curriculum Vita. A “CV” is a conservatively written and designed document that emphasizes educational credentials, academic research and projects, publications, presentations, awards, and honors. This format is typically used in scholastic, medical, and scientific fields.

Formality: A good rule of thumb is to write using the same level of language that you would be expected to use in the job you are targeting. An entry-level resume can include brief sentences. If you are a manager or executive your resume will be more narrative — to draw a complete picture of your career successes and contributions — and include vernacular expected at your level of accountability.

STEP 2: Ask yourself, “Is my resume visually appealing and easy to read?”

Have you incorporated appropriate font type and size selections throughout your resume? Depending on the font choice, the size should fall somewhere between 9 and 11 point, 12 point at most. Section headings can be larger, of course. As for font type, the higher your level of responsibility, the more likely it is that you will use a serif font (such as Times New Roman, Garamond, or Palatino). It is acceptable to combine fonts, but never more than two (for example, Times for the section titles and Arial for the content).

Does your resume contain sufficient white space? Your challenge is to draw the reader’s attention to essential information. Using white space effectively can help you do just that. You’ll need to become familiar with some features of your word processing software that you might not normally access (such as the paragraph, line-spacing, and tab settings).

Does your resume implement appropriate design elements? Conservative use of lines, bolding, italics, and bullets can be very effective. When used consistently, they will help the reader along in your thought process and crystallize the organization of your resume.

For great ideas on contemporary formats, check out one or more of the recently released resume resource books at your local bookstore. One of the best out there is Resume Magic–Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer by Susan Britton Whitcomb (JIST Works). For executive-level ideas, Wendy Enelow’s Best Resumes for $100,000+ Jobs (Impact Publications) or Donald Asher’s Bible of Executive Resumes (Ten Speed Press) are both outstanding.

STEP 3: Ask yourself, “Does my resume contain a powerful opening section that draws the reader in?”

Is the most relevant information you want to communicate showcased in a powerful Qualifications Summary or Professional Profile in the top 1/3 of your resume? At a minimum, you’ll want to include your total years of experience and encapsulate your core competencies and related hard and soft skills. Keep in mind that the remainder of your resume must substantiate what you include in this section.

Does your resume make clear what position, industry, or career you are targeting? Employers don’t have time to guess what you want to be when you grow up.

Step 4: Ask yourself, “Does my resume effectively communicate my value to the prospective employer in one or more of the following ways?”

Does your resume demonstrate how you can help an employer make money? Save money or time? Solve a specific problem? Make work easier? Build relationships? Be more competitive? Attract new customers? Retain existing customers?

Regardless of your level of accountability or industry these are things that all organizations want their employees to help them accomplish. Communicate your abilities to contribute in one or more of the areas mentioned and employers will want to talk with you.

Step 5: Ask yourself, “Does my resume contain powerful, concise, accomplishment-oriented writing designed to increase the reader’s interest and stimulate a request for a job interview?”

Is your entire resume targeted? Does it support your job or career goal? Does it speak the reader’s language with relevant industry-specific keywords? Did you use persuasive, high-impact statements that sell your qualifications as a superior candidate? Does your resume include specific accomplishments that highlight challenges, action taken, and results (quantifiable, if possible)?

Most importantly, do the accomplishments support your target? In other words, do they represent observable behaviors that are associated with the best in your field?

Step 6: Ask yourself, “Is irrelevant information excluded?”

There is no need to include any of the following: personal information (e.g. marital status and age), full address of employers (city and state is sufficient), personal pronouns (“I”, “He” or “She”), reasons for leaving jobs, reference information, and unrelated hobbies or interests.

Step 7: Ask yourself, “Does my resume present relevant content in an organized fashion?”

As a general rule, you’ll only need to cover the last 10 years of employment in detail, 15 years at the most. Anything prior can be summarized, but do attempt to keep the information relevant and accomplishment oriented.

Are your employment dates presented appropriately? There is no need to get specific — months and years are sufficient in most cases.

Did you include more than one source of contact information? At a minimum, list your home phone number and e-mail address. By the way, if you don’t have an e-mail address, get one…now! Listing it on your resume tells employers that you are technologically savvy.

Is your experience arranged in reverse chronological order? Are all other sections of your resume applicable to the types of positions you are pursuing?

STEP 8: Ask yourself, “Is my resume free of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammatical, and syntax errors?”

Feedback from hiring authorities is unanimous — a resume with errors is likely to be immediately discounted. They assume that your performance on the job will be sloppy and that you don’t pay attention to details. Proofread your resume. Ask a friend or colleague to proofread your resume. Ask your mother to proofread your resume.

Step 9: Repeat step 8.

Step 10: Repeat step 8 again!

Your resume is a material representation of you. It is a marketing document — not a simple work history — that tells organizations how you can contribute to their success. Ask yourself the questions above as you review your self-written resume. If you’ve covered everything, you are well on your way to getting companies interested in you.

© Copyright 2004 Peter Hill, CPRW — Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.

About The Author

Peter Hill is a Certified Professional Resume Writer. He owns and operates Distinctive Resumes, a Honolulu-based consultancy for managers and executives. Peter can be contacted via his website, http://cbmallone.blogspot.com