Transferable Job Skills Might Be the Key to Your Job Search Success

Job skills are at the core of any hiring. The bottom line that the employer wants to know is, do you have the skills to get the job done right. If you identify your transferable job skills, you'll unlock a lot more opportunities in your search for employment. While your industry might be laying people off on a grand scale, there are other industries that have openings they need filled. Most industries are hiring at some level, but the industries where we see the most activity are life sciences (Pharmaceuticals, Medical Device, and Bio Technology), chemicals, health care and energy. And that's where your transferable job skills can strike pay dirt.

Obvious and Not-So-Obvious Transferable Skills

If you're in IT, you know your skills transfer to any number of different industries. After all, every industry uses computers to some degree, and businesses can't afford to have their system down for any length of time. Some of the job functions that transfer across industries are:

Quality Control Sales & Marketing Engineering Human Resources Purchasing Accounting & Finance among others

So how do you identify which industries are open to candidates from other industries in these job functions? Sue Kanrich, Director of Training & Operations at FPC says "Research how closely aligned another industry is with yours by looking at:

How it's manufactured (or packaged if it's a service) How the product or service is used Who it is used by

If there is a similar process with a similar audience (B2B vs. B2C), your job function may very cross over. It's worth investigating. You may open up a whole new area for your job search. AND, the similarities that you gather will be the basis for how you package yourself to potential companies in those new industries. There are also many subtle transferable job skills that you might not even realize you have.

Speaking Writing Problem Solving Forecasting Research Listening Skills Team Leading Motivation

Many companies are looking to hire candidates with strong leadership and team player instincts. The list of transferable skills goes on and on. If you were a team leader in the automotive industry, you might be well suited for a position in another industry, such as biotech based on transferable skill set you gained as a team leader. Develop your list of transferable job skills and check out "When One Size Doesn't Fit All" to find out how to incorporate them into your resume.

The Challenge of Transferring Job Skills

Listing your transferable job skills and finding a way to make them transfer to a position in a different industry takes work, but it's that kind of work that will give you an edge over others who are applying for the position. The greatest challenge is having the candidate show the potential employer what he or she accomplished and how it can be translated to the new job.

List your previous jobs and pull out your old job descriptions. Which parts of those job descriptions did you excel at? If you don't have a copy of your old job description, just list the tasks you were responsible for. Hidden among all the things you've done for other employers are the tasks you excel at. Those are your most important skills. And who knows, those skills may well be the very same ones another industry is seeking.

Remember to couch all your job skills in a form that shows not just what you can do, but what you can do for the prospective employer. Every job seeker is a sales person. You're selling yourself when you contact a potential employer. So, develop your list of transferable job skills, put them in your updated resume, read "So Tell Me About Yourself": Perfecting Your Two-Minute Sales Presentation," and start to feature your transferable job skills when approaching prospective employers.

Little Black Maternity Swimwear

During pregnancy, finding a stylish, well-fitted, and comfortable swimsuit is a must, as it makes ones time by the pool or on the beach the most relaxing. Maternity swimwear is designed with one's pregnancy body in mind, to provide extra support where needed while still being stylish and flattering. There are so many color options to choose from, one great option is the Little Black Swimsuit. Just like the Little Black Dress, an LBS is classic, stylish, and wearable in all situations. Available in a variety of styles, the LBS is a fabulous choice.

Many expectant women love a two-piece swimsuit, but feel a bit exposed in a bikini. If one still wants the two-piece feel, a tankini is a great option. Tankinis provide all the benefits of a two-piece while adding extra coverage over one's belly. Make sure to purchase one with adjustable straps, as this will allow it to be customized to one's body exactly. With bottoms that sit below the belly, there is plenty of room for one's baby bump to grow. One great classic black option is the Skinny Minny Swimsuit from Prego Maternity. This suit is designed to be comfortable throughout one's pregnancy while highlighting all the best features of one's pregnancy shape. The halter tie straps with little loop details is incredibly supportive, and the elastic under the bust creates an empire waist, highlighting the thinnest part of one's body. With seaming running vertically on the top, a longer and leaner look is created. Another gorgeous option is Maternal America's Black Flutter Halterkini. Sexy and sleek, the top features adjustable halter ties and a lightly padded bra. The mesh fabric across the belly provides coverage with a hint of skin. The side tie bottoms are also great, as they allow the suit to fit throughout one's pregnancy. Classic with a twist, these black maternity tankinis are great swimwear options.

If one has always loved biknis, there is no reason to stop wearing them during pregnancy. Bikinis allow plenty of room for one's baby bump to grow, and maternity bikinis are designed with plenty of bust support. Prego's Bow Top Bikni is a popular option as it subtly sexy while still providing all the support and function necessary. The adjustable tie halter provides support while the oval at the bust adds cute detailing. The material hugs one's curves and stretches throughout one's pregnancy. With a waistband that can be rolled up or down, it is as versatile as it is cute. Bikinis are stylish and a popular option during pregnancy. When purchasing one, make sure that it has the support that is needed especially if one has a larger bust. Classic, sexy, and practical, a Little Black Bikini is sure to make one look and feel amazing.

If one does not feel comfortable in a bikini, a black one-piece is a fabulous choice and equally as stylish and sexy. Maternity one-pieces are designed with stretchy fabric so that they fit one's changing shape. Maternal America's 1 Piece Keyhole Swimsuit is a stunning option. Its halter ties are adjustable and the deep V-neck is elongating and flattering. The keyhole design at the bust is stylish and adds just the perfect amount of detail. One will want to wear this long after one has given birth! For the active swimmer who wants extra support, Prego's Black Empire Tank is another great option. The wide tank straps are adjustable and the empire waist design provides plenty of bust support. Great for swimming, one is sure to look one's best and be comfortable throughout the day.

Overall, black maternity swimwear is stylish, classic, and subtly sexy, making it a great choice from one's maternity swimwear needs. Whether one prefers a tankini, bikini, or one-piece, there are plenty of choices to choose from. Choose a suit that fits one's body well, and one is sure to look and feel amazing.

Freelance Writers: Publish Your Writing In A Blog

Are you a freelance writer or interested in freelance writing? Then you should consider starting a blog to publish your writing. While it is difficult for many freelance writers to think about publishing their writing for free, consider the three different methods you can utilize to profit from with a blog.

First, you can simply focus primarily on self publishing all your work to a blog (or blogs if you write in more than one area). The numerous pages of fresh, original content will be slurped up by the search engines and drive quality, targeted traffic to your blog. You can profit from this traffic by selling advertising, using third-party advertising services such as pay-per-click or pay-per-lead programs, or promote affiliate programs and products. If you want to focus simply on your writing and your audience then pay-per-click or affiliate programs is probably the easiest method to choose.

You can publish your writing in your own free ezine, newsletter, ebook, or some other informational product and use the blog to promote those products. You can still derive some profit from advertising or affiliate programs if you choose as well, but the additional informational products give you even more venues to profit.

You can publish your own ezine, newsletter, ebook, or some other informational product that is only available for purchase and use your free blog to capture leads and promote those products. Again, you still have the option to earn from advertising and affiliate programs on your blog in addition to your earnings from sales.

You can make a very nice living from giving your writing away but if you do not want to do that then you can choose to only give away a small portion and only share the balance of your work with paying customers. Either way you will have complete power and control over your own published work and you will reap all the financial rewards from your own hard work and talent.

Freelance writers should consider self publishing with a blog using one of these three profit models.

Top Tips For Designing Your Dream Bedroom

We all have them yet so many of us don't fully appreciate them - bedrooms. A place to sleep, to dream and spend some alone time ruminating on the blizzard of emotions and challenges we're faced with in everyday life, the bedroom is the most important room in any home.

The bedroom is also the place in which we can express ourselves most in terms of design - unlike shared communal areas like the kitchen and living room, generally only two people will ever share a bedroom, making it the perfect canvas on which to project your personality. Here, we've listed a couple of tips to designing your dream bedroom, whether simply redecorating or overhauling the entire room.

Use Your Space Wisely

Bedrooms come in all shapes and sizes; from the vast grandeur of the master bedroom to the 'broom cupboard' spare room. The best place to start when designing a bedroom is to consider what you can and can't fit into your room - it's no good investing in a queen-size bed if it's going to take up all your floorspace. Similarly, sticking a single bed in a massive room is a good way of making your room look extremely empty!

Decorate Accordingly

The idea of a bedroom adorned with leopard print is a dream for some people, but it isn't exactly the most relaxing design choice. Remember that your bedroom is a place to relax and decorate according. Warm or neutral colours are the best way to ensure that you drift off into the land of nod in comfort. Make your bedroom homely and comforting, a relaxing dream rather than a garish nightmare.

What Will You Use Your Bedroom For?

Aside from the obvious (sleeping), bedrooms have many secondary uses - storage space, home entertainment hub and makeshift gym being just a couple. Consider what you want to have in your room and accommodate accordingly. A TV, for example, might require a wall-mounted bracket whilst fitness fanatics might want to consider a corner of the room to store weights and work out. It goes without saying that a chest of drawers and a wardrobe should also be high on your bedroom essentials list too.

Call In The Experts!

Humans are naturally proud beings, and we pride ourselves on being able to do things ourselves without outside intervention. As the old saying goes, however, pride does indeed come before a fall. If you're uncertain and have a budget, call in an interior designer. They're experts for a reason and will be able to help you plan your room through their expertise and specialist skills. Swallowing your pride and calling an expert is much better than suffering in a badly laid out, cluttered bedroom.

Embrace Technology

Long gone are the days in which planning a room consisted of a pencil and a scrap of paper. In the computer age, technology can do it all for us. Home design software has advanced leaps and bounds in the past few years, and allows you to drag and drop furniture and generally play around with your room. Easy and efficient, this software is about the closest you can get to visualising your dream bedroom without actually physically dragging furniture around your bedroom and much less tiring too!

Your Family Tree - What About Libraries For Research?

The Internet has apparently taken over for genealogical research - and I say "apparently" because there are wonderful resources which can be overlooked by beginners building their family trees. The Internet helps with speedy correspondence, searching documents online, finding others researching the same ancestors, and more.

You, the taxpayer, pay for the resources which may be found at your local library, so go and explore what is available to area residents with a library card. Since genealogy (the study of family descent) is becoming a popular hobby, your library is likely to have a "fact sheet" about what is available in books, databases, articles, and more. However, here are a few specific ideas on how to use your local libraries for genealogy research.

Your Public Library:

- Databases. Many libraries have purchased at least one commercial database, such as Ancestry.com or HeritageQuest.com. These are particularly useful to help you as you begin to learn how to search online databases. What's a database? A collection of documents which have been transcribed/scanned; the collection may be parish registers, state or country-wide census records, military draft card, grave locations and information, old histories of certain cities or places, and more.

- Books, books, and more books. Your library will likely have a variety of books to teach you how to search for ancestors, as well as how to cite your sources correctly. In addition, local history books may be available to add details to your ancestors' lives. Never forget that your library can also request additional books from other libraries through an inter-library loan request - this is another excellent way for you to get a specific book from a library too far away for you to visit.

- Newspapers. Central libraries have likely made copies of newspapers (in a microfiche form) of your local area. This can be a wonderful source of information for genealogy research. For example, an obituary may confirm dates of birth/death, give residences in the past, affiliation with service organizations, military service, names of married daughters, names of all children and grandchildren, where buried, and much more. There may be society records of your ancestors, as old newspapers often listed who was visiting or travelling; particularly if your ancestors lived in a relatively small town.

- Librarians. Librarians love to research and find information for library patrons! That is why they went into the profession, after all. Remember that your librarian may be your best resource for how to do the next step, or find another book, or where a newspaper's historical records are kept. Ask. Ask a librarian.

Your Local Genealogy Society:

- Libraries. That's right - libraries. Most genealogy societies, particularly state/provincial ones, have libraries with books, maps, databases, articles, and so much more. Since the library may be staffed only by volunteers from the society, their hours may be limited, but it is very worth while to make visits to see if their resources are relevant to your ancestors history. Some societies will have their library offerings in a database that you can search online, or at the library itself. A membership in the society is money well-spent, and you will find many like-minded helpful researchers, including several professional genealogists as well!

- Society Publications. Many genealogy societies publish specific books or booklets on topics relevant to the area - or general topics of help to many researchers. Again, these publications can be immensely helpful to the beginner, and may be available at the library, or for purchase.

- Volunteers. There may be others in the library who are able to assist you in looking for specific or general information. If you are a beginner to family tree research, you may need to ask how to use the information that is available. Most people are very helpful and willing to assist your beginning research.

Family History Centres (FHC):

These are centres run by the local Church of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) for genealogy research. Their libraries and databases are available to everyone who wishes to use them, which makes them immensely helpful. The Central Library (Utah) is the world's largest repository of genealogical research databases. If you wish a specific database record (e.g., parish registers in Scotland before 1850), the records can be brought in from the Central Library for a very small fee. NOTE: Records may also be requested from your public library for a small fee as well.

- Library. Each FHC has its own basic library of resources, books, files, microfiche records and more. They have limited hours of operations, but if you know generally what you are looking for, they can be very useful resources.

- Volunteers. As genealogy research is a basic skill needed for those of the Mormon faith, the volunteers at the FHC are likely to have good tips on researching with the available resources. Again, ask if you are confused.

There are many other Libraries which you may be able to access, such as local college/university libraries or local newspaper archives and more. However these three libraries will provide you with a great deal of high-quality documents and information about your ancestors and their lives.

For more information: RootsBasic may be your next step. Use a simple yet very practical booklet as your guide: RootsBasic, Genealogy for Beginners. Packed with tips and strategies, RootsBasic will help you be proud of your family tree research. The 16 handy forms included provide practical methods for you to keep track of your research, your specific ancestors, sources, correspondence, and more. Whether you are a first-time family tree researcher, or have been building your tree for some time, you will find information you can use immediately to help move your ancestor research forward.

Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - Book Review

Nancy Pearl is a long-time librarian and writes book reviews for both local and national publications. Her book expertise and recommendations are gathered in Book Lust, a compilation of books of all genres for every mood, moment, and reason as is her catch-phrase.

Thumbing through Book Lust, you'll find the most intriguing categories and descriptions of novels and non-fiction you most likely would never have thought to pick up! Pearl writes small plot summaries and shares personal thoughts on each title; just enough for a sample you'll want to indulge more in.

I have chosen HUNDREDS of titles from Book Lust, yet it still constantly presents a multitude of new suggestions each time I pick it up. There are probably thousands of recommendations within Pearl's masterpiece!

Pearl peppers Book Lust with several obscure, unique and intriguing categories; such as Black Humor, Elvis on my Mind, New Orleans, and Techno-Thrillers...it really is hard to single out just a few because all the categories are amazing. Pearl also features sections showcasing specific authors; such as Ian McEwan, Connie Willis, and Hamilton Basso, just to name a few. It will be nearly impossible for you to pick up this title and not walk away with some great ideas for your book wish list.

I am proud to say I've discovered some new favorite books through this title that I'll never forget such as Miss Lizzie by Walter Sattherthwait, as well as some not-so-good titles like The Lecturer's Tale by James Hynes.

Book lovers MUST pick up a copy of Book Lust if you haven't already! You're really missing out!