Like many people before me, I went to college, graduated and found myself looking for a much needed career. I submitted literally hundreds of resumes to various companies. To my own astonishment you could imagine how I felt when I either did not get called for an interview or received the company standard “don't call us we'll call you” form letter.

So I did some research and changed my approach by customizing my resumes and cover letters for the companies that I was applying to. This seemed to work for me as I started getting some interviews. However, what I learned quickly is that my interview skills flat out sucked.

I was very soft in my speaking, my handshake was terrible, and I paused and stuttered too much as if I were looking for the answers somewhere in the room. That was just interview number one. Interviews were a lot more different than the fast food job I had in high school. I needed to fine tune my skills so that the interviewer did not think I was a bumbling idiot.

In the town where I lived the local government had free workshops of which one was for interviewing. I immediately signed up. It was a one on one session with a volunteer who worked full time as an HR person for a local company. They treated it as if it were a real interview. I made it about 30 seconds before she stopped me and in not so many words said, “My God you are terrible at this.” Continuing she said, “Have you ever interacted with people before?”

At first I was offended, but she was right I was bad. She gave me some pointers on how to be better at the interview and believe it or not they weren't life changing alterations. For example, sit up straight. Sitting up straight gives the look of confidence. Slouching is sloppy looking and looks lazy. Look the interviewer in the eye. The person doing the interview does not have laser beams shooting out of their eyes so don't be afraid to look at the person. They aren't Medusa and you won't turn to stone. Give a firm handshake but not too firm. A good handshake also gives off confidence.

I worked on each and every one of those skills with this person. Over and over we went through each step until it was nearly perfect. By the time I left that session which was about an hour and a half to two hours long (if I remember correctly), I believe I had perfected the interview process.

I wasn't done yet. I signed up for the interview session again this time getting someone different. I wanted to see what a new pair of eyes and ears on my interviewing skills, that I had now learned, looked like to someone who never met me.

This time it was a person who did interviews for the City Government. I sat down and he proceeded to interview me as if I were applying for a job. He commented at how well I did, that I made good eye contact; my answers were good but could be more thorough. He made some minor adjustments on some things, mostly in how I answered questions, but other than that, he said I was ready.

It took me five interviews before I landed a position. What I found during this entire job interviewing process was that with each interview I went on I became better and better at it until I finally landed the job.

A few years ago I found myself being the one doing the interviewing. Talk about coming full circle. I saw in a lot of candidates the mistakes that I myself had made. So being able to see both sides of the interview process has been very rewarding to me on a personal and professional level.

If you are looking for your first job or tense up when it comes to interviewing for a new position check into some local training sessions. Most local colleges offer them free or very low cost. These trainings sessions could do for you, what they did for me.

 

Of all of the phrases that are pointless, meaningless and overused, "going forward" really is the highest ranker. Initially, it came in as a substitute for "in the future," referring to plans to progress projects, etc. Of course, it's not really about going forward in any sense other than chronologically, because much corporate activity is about dressing up the same carp to look different. Never mind the fact it still exudes the same aroma of fish. Why "going forward" has gained such popularity is beyond me. Why not say "in the future" which has the same number of syllables, or something meaningful dependent on the context its being used? Time was when context mattered. But going forward has gone viral. It's become the "erm" of the corporate world. It's a phrase, a sentence and a full stop in itself. “We'll book a telecon to discuss it going forward.” “Yeah, book me in on my diary going forward.” As such, it's become a cliché. More than that, its ubiquitous use has stripped it of any meaning.
Having heard the phrase used in interviews on the news recently, it appears that "going forward" has actually seeped into the real world.

Reinventing the Wheel

Reinventing the wheel is something that no sensible person would attempt. And most corporate bods are sensible enough to realise this. And not reinventing the wheel is something you'll find managers bragging about. It's a new approach, but they're not trying to reinvent the wheel. Having said that....

Avoid Fillers

 

People pause and hesitate in conversation all the time. Sometimes it's because they're struggling for the right word. Sometimes it's simply out of habit. In linguistics, vocalised hesitations are referred to as "fillers." According to Michael Larcombe writing in New Scientist in 1995, "silence is often construed as a signal that the current speaker is ready to give up his or her turn. So, if we wish to continue our speaking turn, we often need to fill the silences with a sound to show that we intend to carry on speaking." But there probably aren't many linguistic experts in the corporate world, which is why when call centre staff are trained, they are instructed to avoid "foghorning." This is presumably because protracted "eeeeer" sounds are a little like foghorns. Ok. But it's also perhaps unsurprising that speakers of different languages use different sounds as fillers, which renders the term meaningless when used in training notes for staff in call centres based in India. Imperialism - or unfathomable ignorance - remains rife.

It's On My Radar

A statement you'll hear countless times when travelling by train within earshot of a corporate cock is, “Yeah, yeah, it's on my radar...” A favourite of the inept and those who prefer to look busy rather than actually doing anything.

Car-Park That

 

I suspect that most normal people consider a car-park to be a large flat place where drivers park cars. The clue's in the name, really. But if someone says they're going to "car-park that" during a meeting, it's probably not a good sign. On the surface, it's

Put It On Ice

To me, a freezer is a domestic appliance that keeps foodstuffs cold, thus preserving them. The principle is extended in the business world to refer to keeping an idea fresh but inactive. Or something. A variation of the real-world term whereby something such as a project is put "on ice," putting it in the freezer is much snappier and inventive, and provides a neat alternative to car-parking, or a "cooler" alternative to the back burner.

Be Progressive

 

The corporate world is big on buzzwords. Nevermind if they're meaningful or used sincerely. Image is everything. Substance is for other people to worry about. Yes, the box is empty, but it looks nice from the outside, so people are going to be happy to pay through the nose for it. And they're supposed to be thinking outside the box anyway, so what does it matter what's inside? Progressive is one such buzzword. Companies like to appear "progressive" - whatever that means. As far as I can tell, it means they've found new ways of screwing people over and making as much profit as possible for delivering the minimum of service or product they can get away with.

High-Level Stuff

High Level - serves to reinforce the us and them division between managers and the chairpounders who aren't important enough or savvy enough to understand what the upper echelons of an organisation discuss behind closed doors. The meeting's all about high-level stuff... we'll break it down and roll it out to staff once we've fully digested the implications of the implementing the strategy moving forward. What they really mean is that because they don;t actually do the work, they haven't got a clue, and so talk about things broadly and vaguely with no idea of whether or not it's physically possible. So, "we need to make a saving in this area of £6.2M. if we reduce the staffing levels by 60% that should do it." Yeah, but the work volume's still there. But that's not for the people on the shop floor whose jobs are on the line to worry about, because it's high level. The penpushing proles wouldn't understand.

Pushing the Envelope

The implications of pushing the envelope sound very like passing the buck. But no, It's going beyond the established boundaries. So why not pushing the boundaries or parameters rather than some meaningless metaphorical envelope?

Knowledge is Power

Sometimes there just isn't a carp metaphor or catchphrase that fits the bill. I've overheard managers on phone calls, in telecons or even in meetings foundering for a phrase that sounds impressive and serves to cover the fact they haven't a clue what they're talking about. “yeah, yeah, I've not really got so far going forward on this one, it's got a lot of chefs on it and I didn't want to step on anyone's toes. I'm still trying to capture down the soft knowledge, and it's on my radar...”

But why? Knowledge is power. If you know the code, are privy to the important, "key concepts" you can speak in a manner that sets you apart from the plebs, the drones on the bottom rungs, and those who aren't in the world of business. And in doing so, it's possible to demonstrate that knowledge and radiate signals that you therefore have the power. So, remember and use these phrases in interviews, in meetings, or loudly while loitering at the coffee machine and you'll go far.

Looking at it from the career wise point of view, accounting has been, through its' importance and the sort of information that it brings opens many career opportunities for people. These opportunities generally are in the public accounting field where many accountants are needed. The ever growing of business environment opens a wide road for many people to become an accountant. A critical function they perform is the preparation and certification for accuracy of financial reports used by individuals outside of the firm such as in investors or government agencies.

In the private accounting field, private accountants are employed by businesses of all types and sizes. They develop accounting reports used by the firms' management for internal decision making as well as prepare reports for external users. Because of the importance of accurate information to decision makers, the internal accountants of many firms are often important members of the management team.

Accounting is needed too in the government sectors. Accounting for many government agencies and other not-for-profit organizations requires special methods and reporting procedures not used in profit-oriented firms. Governmental accountants perform similar functions as do private accountants for local, state and federal agencies and charitable organizations. However, the significant effects of accounting should not only be seen as restricted to accountants only. Other professions require the needs of accounting substantially. For example, a pilot needs to know the cost of fuel and how to minimize the usage of fuel and maximize their flight performance at the same time. A lawyer must take into account the cost of their services that suits the amount of work needed to be done for a case. All of this is because of either one of the two main factors; to survive and maintain in the industry or to be profitable. But of course, many are mainly because of the latter. If people realized the extent and value of the average, domestic cash turnover in the course of a lifetime, it seems amazing that serious, financial management is not already demanded. If an equivalent, small business with similar turnover was not effectively managed, the owners would probably have shareholders, accountants and others, knocking on their doors.

Can accounting promote for a better lifestyle? The answer is a big "YES" and this statement is mere than enough to show how important accounting is in our everyday life. The management and control of personal finance is a subject of immense importance today to people. With a minimum of investment in time and resources it is now becoming possible for any household to properly manage and control its domestic finances. But how and why is it so important? The answers lie in the current lifestyle of people. In the world that we lived in today, there is barely a single person who lives without a single debt in their life. From credit cards to car loans and housing loans, the chain of debts could go on and on. Furthermore, there are some cases that debts have destroyed many lives and this has become the wake-up call for people. They start to open up their eyes and see how a well-developed accounting and financial management could be a control measure and risk management system in their lives.

Wouldn't it be nice to know exactly where the increases and decreases are coming from and going to, respectively, to whatever degree of detail you need? Of course it would be. Many of us spent without much thought on the impact of the action but some may say that is the beauty of spending but not everyone is a millionaire. It is essential on knowing the proportions being spent on the basic necessities and responsibilities of life, compared to the discretionary, nice-to-haves' of holidays, hobbies, leisure etc. or luxuries; and how well do these represents a fair and proper balance across our expenditure. Life is not as easy as driving on the road with traffic lights and signs along the way, but we still need financial signals in our life whether we are in a comfortable phase or in the danger phase that requires help. Accounting can help people detect these dangers. It can if not much, the least to ensure that your debt is under control and manageable.

Calculating the debits and credits of our everyday life may seem tedious and troublesome to maintain but accounting do not only responsible for that. Accounting can help to measure the outgoings in respect of a variety of different aspect of provision for the long-term future, of which represent a reasonable proportion of the total expenditure. It caters the financial needs of our lives in the short as well as in the long run. To see how accounting have effected and shows importance in our lives can be seen alongside the development in the information technology. Today, increasing numbers of families own or have access to a computer. Software packages for home and personal accounting have been around for a long time. Normal people like us can use the software to maintain their financial stability. The existence of many financial consultant companies also signifies the importance of accounting for the normal people.

It can be concluded that in the era that we are living in today, Families, and retirees depend on the credibility of financial reporting for their futures and livelihoods. With financial pressure amounting in many peoples' lives, accounting is seen as important in so many ways that it is almost impossible to live without it.

My Dream Job

I graduated with a degree in Mass Communications. I believed then that I am an eloquent speaker so at first I wanted to be a broadcaster. I relished the idea of being watched on television and being famous and going out on coverage. Second, I love being with a lot of people; discovering and visiting a lot of interesting places. So I wanted to be a Tourist Guide. But all these were like shooting after the moon but I landed on the stars as well.

Career Reflections

For 17 years I am a Public Servant. I was surrounded by paper works, round-the -clock mills, mandates, orders, deadlines and meetings. There were times when I dreaded going to the office in the morning especially when faced with a long day meeting. I started from a mere clerk and rose from the ranks until I called it quits with the bureaucracy as an Executive Assistant. With my stint in the government I know I have served well and I owe my mentors much of what I have learned and what I am now.

I didn't really consciously choose to work in the government but it was where I was recognized, gained financial stability and a lot of friends. It helped me realized that when working hard, you take on a kind of different spirit to be of service to others the best way you can and learned the following ethical standards of what it takes to be a public servant.

Simple Living

The state of just simply being happy. Feeling happy with the way I am now. Enjoying life however way it comes, and appreciating whatever it is life has to offer. I feel that in whatever I do, whatever decisions that I make, I am the only person responsible for it. That is, if I have done something out of the ordinary, or the normal way, I only have myself to be blamed for whatever consequences it may have. I have to accept no matter how painful the results maybe. Old habits cannot be changed easily. If I live in extravagance now, I have worked hard to support my means. Life is so full of surprises. Whatever choice we decide to take, nobody forced it on us but it is how we choose our life to live. I realized that my self-worth comes from within myself. My achievements are the products of what I have done and how I did it. Wealth is not the yardstick of a truly successful person. But I know that happiness is. How much you are well loved by your folks and friends and how much you enjoyed serving people without expecting any material reward or simply anything in return, are the happiness that you will truly feel more than any of the material things that can be bought. I never idealize others. Especially those who find the joys in living in wealth and extravagance.

Professionalism

How can you become more professional? How can you improve the work you do?....

To be professional is to be open to challenges. In the line of duty, it is not how small or how big your role is, because each one of us contributes greatly towards a fulfillment of a goal, mission or project. We should be competent individuals combined with action. We should have a life of total dedication towards our work and willingness to respond to every challenge that comes our way. We should not brood over a low salary and unclaimed benefits, nor complain or always dissatisfied, instead continue working and proving that we are worth the while. We should not be disappointed in every unexpected surprise that sprang at us rather work effortlessly and amiably. More importantly, we should try not to get angry with anyone overly demanding or irritating at some point for whatever reasons because just think that we are here to serve and it is our obligation to do so.

Justness and Sincerity

A life of total dedication to the truth is a life of total honesty. Honesty does not come painlessly. People tell lies to avoid the pain and its consequences. It is often said that the truth hurts. Basically, to be able to avoid the consequences of the events, people resort to lying to circumvent or to take a shortcut probably thinking that it is the easiest way to resolve the problem or the conflict. Being just and sincere is not being a totally selfish human being. Never choose the people you will work with or come in contact with. Be fair, play safe. Give to others whatever is due them, something they deserve to get not because you personally like them, they are your friends nor will you hold a decision or not act on it simply because you dislike the person or hates his guts. You must like doing something for others for it is an obligation to have someone as recipient of your service, love, understanding or care.

Need I say more?

• Are you a person like communicating with the others?
• Do you have more friends than the others do?
• When you are scolded by your leader or customer, are you angry? If not, what is your reaction to this kind of scolding?
• If there is a mountain for you to climb, do you want to get to the top, where is not safe, and you may lose your life, when you can stay at the middle of the mountain?
• Who will be the person that you can think that he or she is your model or can gain your admiration?
• Are you sky with the leaders of the companies when you have to talk to them?

For the first question, if your answer is yes, it shows that you have the ability to talk with the others, and have the potential power to persuade a person into doing something for you. So, it shows that you can meet the basic requirement of entering the marketing career. Otherwise, try to find that if you can change a little bit and to form a habit to communicate with the others. If you can do it, you can be a candidate for marketing career.

Second question is to test if you are social person. If you have many friends, it shows that you are social person, and this is the basic requirement for you to be in marketing career, too.

If you are not angry when are blamed or scolded by your leader or customers, you are on the positive side to become a person in marketing arena. This is for the third question. I don't know how you will reaction on this kind of blaming or scolding. If you take it for granted, it shows that you cannot improve your marketing skills by yourself, and you need a person to guide you in this career. If you face this kind of problems too often, it shows that you have to change your manners or attitude toward the others. If you will give up, you can never be at the top level in marketing career. Even worse, you will lose the job.

About the fourth question, you will have to think about the risks in the marketing career. Since not all the persons are suitable for this kind of job, you may face failure. However, if you want to climb to the top of the mountain, it shows that you have the potential power to be a good marketing manager or even higher in position in this field.

The next question is a general question for you to answer. If your model is in political field, you should consider entering the political circle. If your model is in the marketing career, you are the right person the career of marketing.

The last question is to test you if you feel at home when you talk with the leaders. This is a manner or we say an inner-world power for you to do a good job as marketing. This will not affect your politeness at all. You can be very polite and show your respect to them. However, you are not afraid of talking with them. This is the point.

After answering these questions, you will know if you are suitable for the job or not. I wish these questions can help you to know which kind of person you are, and wish you could find the job you like.

Career change

If you're thinking of changing careers, you may need to meet with a career counselor at your previous college or one in your area. Career counseling can give you an idea of the opportunities available, the income potential and the courses you will need to qualify for entry level jobs.

Update your education

Making a career change may require that you return to college for another degree or attending graduate school of an advanced degree and specialization. Visit with campus financial aid and scholarship representatives to get an idea of costs and how you can qualify for any school aid or federal loans to pay for your education. If you are working full-time, you may want to consider the many online graduate degree programs or online undergraduate offerings. These online universities will also help you determine fees and see if you qualify for aid, scholarships or low cost loans.

Look at trade schools

Many fields today don't require a university degree but are taught at the trade school level. Careers that require medical billing training are popular trade school subjects as are computer repair training, bartending school and cosmetology school. Some of these trade school offerings may be located in your area and have classes that you can attending during evenings and weekends. Check out the possibilities available so that you do not have to quit your day job.

Real Estate agent or broker

If you have always wanted to sell real estate, this is an area you can study for an possibly even get started with while you're working your regular job. Find out where you can take classes in your area such as attending a local community college. You can contact the school to learn about testing and licensing requirements for your area and state.

Starting a business. Do you dream of owning your own business? With the affordability and easy access of online, Web-based businesses, you can be a small business owner while working your regular job. This is a great way to get started, build up your business and profits before you quit your day job. Consider the pros and cons of starting an online business versus as "bricks and mortar" business with a fixed location. Do plenty of research on the type of business you want to start, talk to others in the same industry and then give it a try. If you need to learn business basics, check into the community college in your area for available classes.

If you are motivated and wanting a change, you can get the training you need to jumpstart your career or change careers and begin something new. Whatever you do, have a solid plan and learn the skills you'll need before taking the plunge. Then you'll know you are setting yourself up for success.

If your answer to all these questions is yes, then you are not alone. There are millions of people like you. Many are confused, annoyed or even dejected. Fear not. Countless people before you have been in your situation and like them, you too can overcome this challenge. What you need is a direction, trust in your ability and hard work.

Let us look at some Do's and Don'ts that should help you land a good job.

First the Dos

• Communication

  Like it or not, English is the medium of communication at an increasingly diverse work place. Until Indian languages attain a status on par with European ones, we have to live with this reality. The most important thing to learn is how to communicate your thoughts effectively.

• Confidence

  With communication and subject knowledge comes confidence. It is not how much you know that matters, but how confident you are that does.

• Know Yourself

  What do you really want to do? What are the things that most interest you? Do you like being with friends or would you rather do things on your own? Do you like technology and gadgets or do you stay away from them? Answers to these questions will reveal the kind of person you are.

• Effective Resume

  A good resume is the key to the countless opportunities that are available around you. So, take the time to draft and revise your resume until you have one that is cleanly formatted, readable and high on content.

• Research

  Once you know more about yourself, you should be able to identify careers that match your personality. Use this to research companies that offer such kinds of jobs. Thanks to the internet, there is plenty of information about various companies or organizations that exist in your sphere of interest.

• Network

  The good news is that the days of recommendations are declining, so you don't need a big shot politician uncle to get a job. Who you know however is still going to carry weight over what you know most of the times. So, make sure that you maintain good relationships with your classmates, seniors, juniors, lecturers, etc. People in your network can be valuable sources of leads for you. Many companies prefer to hire through internal references, so knowing someone in a company that you are interested in working for would be very helpful.

• HR Consultants

  There are many professional HR companies that will not charge you any fees for dropping off your resume or even after finding you a job. So you have nothing to lose and everything to gain in making HR consultants your friends. Identify at least one or two good HR consulting companies that are professional and courteous. Visit them and drop off your resume so that they can call you in case of a vacancy that matches your education and skills. Since the HR consultants are working with many clients day in and day out, staying in their good books will certainly help at least in the long run.

• Interview Preparation

  Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying “If I had to chop a tree in 8 hours, I would spend 6 hours grinding my axe.” Once you have identified a company, sent in your resume and got an interview call, it is time for you to prepare for the interview. The more extensive the preparation, the better your chances of getting a job. Learn about the company through their website, through your network, through HR consultants, trade magazines and whatever other means that you can think of. It is also the time for you to learn about the job itself - what are the requirements, what will be your job responsibilities, what are the skills needed, etc. The more you know about the company and the job, the more confidence you will have during the interview. Use the data collected to prepare possible questions and practice how you will answer them.

• Act

  Mahatma Gandhi said “Actions express priorities.” If you are not going to prepare a good resume, not going to improve your communication skills and not going to research about companies and job opportunities, do not expect to get a job. It is true that there are hundreds of thousands of jobs available, but it is even more true that rarely will jobs come searching for you.

Now the Don'ts

• Do not lie

  There are many people who will wrongly advise you to lie on your resume. In your desperation to land that first job, you may be tempted. Do not succumb to that temptation because it is bad advice. It is your career and your life that can be scarred forever. We increasingly come across candidates who have been fired by their employers because of lies in their resume. These are not entry-level employees. People with many years of experience and proven performance have been sent home because companies are developing a zero tolerance policy.

• Do not bribe

  It is surprising that there are so many people who are willing to pay a bribe to get a job. Do not pay a bribe. It may work in the short term but in the long term, you will realize that the bribe wasn't really worth it. As mentioned earlier, since companies are doing strict background checks on employees, you might be one of those whose job is eliminated because the person who took the bribe got you the job by putting in false information in your job application.

• Do not take irrelevant training

  There are countless training institutes, especially IT institutes, that are promising the world but deliver very little. It is troubling to see engineering graduates incorrectly believing more in a month or two of IT training than their four years of engineering education. If you do want to take training, it should be in subjects that will enhance your skills and not in subjects that are vastly different from your education.

Our experience in the HR area working with various companies and counseling many students has given us some insights that we have shared with you. These should help you in making your job search a fruitful one. We wish you the best and if you have any questions, feel free to contact us at vizagATadecco.co.in.

The humble cover letter is often overlooked, however the benefits of taking the time to write one far outweigh the time that you invest in doing so. After all, if you are too lazy to explain why you would be the best candidate for the position, it is unlikely that your future employer will take the time to meet with you to find out more.

When writing your cover letter, the best start is to look at the advertisement for the position, and be sure to understand exactly what they are after. Many ads list requirements for the position, such as:

• Strong listening and communication skills
• A desire and ability to learn and share your own knowledge
• You must be used to being responsible and being accountable for your actions and results

When writing your letter, it pays to reiterate what they are saying in the ad, whilst putting it into your own words. For example, using the first requirement, you could say “I possess excellent verbal and written communication skills”.

Obviously, the characteristics that the company is seeking varies between industries and roles, however most companies are seeking someone who is a fast learner and who is reliable as the costs of replacing employees are high.

Secondly, be sure to state why you feel that you would be suitable for the role. For example, including a brief summary of relevant work experience is very useful, so that by the time they look at your resume they already believe that you are a suitable candidate.

Potential employers receive a large number of applications for advertised roles, so it is important to stand out from the other candidates. A well written cover letter is a great opportunity to showcase your written communication skills, and enables you to provide additional information that may not be included in your resume. Be sure to thank them for considering you for the role, and include contact information should they require further information. Always address the letter, and write in a professional, polite tone.

Above all, always ensure that any claims you make are true (for example, if you tend to leave everything to the last minute, it is best not to claim that you are highly efficient). If you have to lie on your application, chances are the role is not the one for you.

A little time taken could land you the job of a lifetime.

Happy hunting!

My dream was to be able to work from home. For ten years I have been searching to find that perfect job. Along the way I did find some jobs with reputable companies, but I also found more than my fair share of scams. After all these years, I decided that I was going to create my perfect job.

You now need to decide what you can do. Think about what are your interests, passions or hobbies. Now think how you can create an income from this. For example, if you love crafts maybe you could market your products. Be creative when deciding on what to do. Be sure to choose an area that interests you and that you either have a working knowledge or are prepared to do proper research.

To help you get started, I have listed below a sample of a few business ideas with a brief summary. Feel free to take these ideas and run with them or incorporate these ideas into your own. Remember you can be creative.

1. Book Editing Service

   You will provide proofreading services for e-book writers, publishing houses and writers. Editors need to be detail oriented and will correct grammar, sentence structure and spelling errors.
   
   Assuming you already have a good working computer, the start-up costs would be minimal. You will need a printer, fax machine, telephone and copier. The majority of your budget will be spent on advertising your services.

2. Debt Collector Service

   You will assist businesses in collecting money on past due accounts. You will need to be an investigator who finds people who have disappeared without paying their debts. You will also need to negotiate and arrange a repayment plan that would be agreeable to both the debtor and debtee. For your services, generally, you can expect to receive 20-30% of monies collected.
   
   You will need to have a professional image. I suggest getting business cards and business letterhead to use with all correspondence. You will also need a computer with internet access, printer, fax machine, telephone, copier and a post office box. You will also need to advertise your services. Until you gain clientele, I suggest you target small businesses with your services before you try to secure the larger ones.

3. Professional Fundraiser

   As a Professional Fundraiser your duties will be help organizations raise the money they need to help people within the community.
   
   On behalf of the charity you are working with, you will be contacting businesses, foundations and philanthropic through phone calls, mail and in person to convince them to give money to these charities.
   
   You will need a computer with internet access, telephone, fax machine, copier, as well as, supplies to start your mass mailing, such as stamps, paper and envelopes.

4. Internet Researcher

   As an Internet researcher, you will research the latest business statistics on different companies and markets as needed by your clients. You will also put this information into usable formats for your client.
   
   You need to like research and be able assess information using well-worn paths.
   
   You will need a computer with internet access, phone, fax machine, copier, printer and software to input the information for your clients.

5. Writer

   The possibilities are endless in this field. You need to decide what direction you would like to take and run with it.
   
   One area with a large demand is ghostwriting. As a ghostwriter, you would get paid to write for someone else. After you receive payment for your writing, all rights of the piece would be the property of your client. Many businesses need help writing for their business, some people have great ideas and want to write a book but don't have the skills to see the project through. This is where you come in.
   
   You will need a computer with internet access, phone, fax machine, copier and a website to help with your marketing. The majority of your budget will be spent on marketing your website and services.

This was intended to give you a starting point and a few ideas. As you can see the possibilities are endless. All you need is a desire to be self-employed and the discipline to work at it. If you are looking for a way to make a quick buck without putting in the hard work you will never succeed. You should set realistic goals and as you achieve those, you can make new goals.