Advices At Your First Day of a New Job

A new job is synonymous with meeting new people, adjusting to a new environment, doing new work, and yes, coping with a new boss! With so many new things round the corner, you feel excited as well as nervous. Over-excitement and nervousness can mar your impression at the workplace on the first day, and this is something you don't want happening. In today's materialistic world, everything from your attire to your demeanor has a say in creating a favorable impression.

How to Make Your First Day at Work Perfect

1. Do the Homework: Keep yourself abreast with all the latest developments in your industry. This preparation will come handy, if your employer questions you to test your knowledge about current affairs. Your awareness also conveys your excitement to the employer. Go through some books and take the help of the Internet to meet this purpose.

2. Sleep Well: A good 7-8 hours of sleep is essential for the body and mind. Sleep refreshes us, and prepares us for the hard work of the next day. On the first day, you must look your best, and sleep will help in the same.

3. Have a King Size Breakfast: Nothing can beat the frustration that stems from an empty stomach. Moreover, you need to be extra focused on your work on the first day. Thus you should prefer to have a healthy and heavy breakfast in the morning that will keep you full for a longer time. Ensure that your breath is fresh after having breakfast.

4. Your Attire: Your dressing sense speaks a lot about you, and so needs special attention too. Dress as per the culture at your new workplace. If you are not aware of the dress code, prefer to dress formally than casually. Casual and revealing outfits should be avoided by women as well as men.

5. The Important Things: Often out of nervousness, candidates forget to take one important thing or the other. Thus before stepping out of the house, take the necessary documents and accessories with you.

6. Timing: Make it a point to reach office early so that you get to bond with others around. It will create a bad impression if you reach the workplace late on the first day itself. If your workplace is far, you should learn about the route in advance and decide on the time it takes to reach there. Plan your schedule such that you reach office well on time.

7. Etiquette: To portray yourself as a congenial candidate, you should follow proper mannerisms and etiquette. Small things like wishing people good morning or saying hello at the workplace is important. This conveys to others that you are open-minded and friendly.

8. Ask questions: Coming to the work related tips, pay attention to lectures given during induction, and clear all your work related doubts by cross-questioning the concerned authorities. This also facilitates communication between you and others and thus you will get to know others at the workplace.

9. Be Interested: Don't be too talkative or try to intrude the space of others, likewise do not keep yourself aloof and restricted. Keep a friendly face and have an open attitude to others. Be willing to start a conversation with others; this way you bond with the people at work.

10. Maintain a Calm Disposition: Employers secretly monitor the work of new recruits, to see how they work or behave with others in the office. Thus, maintain an alert and calm disposition throughout the day and keep yourself interested. Similarly, you should present yourself confidently and pay attention to things like eye contact and body language.

11. A Warm Goodbye: This is a part of etiquette. Wish goodbye to people with whom you had communicated in the day. Be keen to follow these manners, since they help in creating a friendly impression.

Tips to Remember:

1. When you introduce yourself to others, make it a point to remember their names, to avoid facing awkward moments on the next day.
2. Keep yourself away from the office gossip groups, and be more work focused, at least in the initial days on your job.
3. Directly communicate with your supervisors if you have any trouble during work.
4. See to it that you have a sound background knowledge of your company.
5. Participate in after-work activities, if there are any.

Rather than making it seem like a battle to conquer, look at your first day at work as an exciting opportunity to meet new people. Be cool and friendly, and soon you will look at the workplace as your second home!

Read More

How To Write Your Resume

If you're still using the first resume format you learned in school, no wonder you're not getting call-backs. The rules have changed, and you may have been doing it wrong all this time. You're competing with more people than ever before, and your resume is the employers' first contact with you - make it count. Present the information they want in an easy-to-read format, and the hiring manager is more likely to read the whole page instead of skimming and tossing.

Customize the resume to the field

Bankers should stick with formal black and white, but creative fields generally prefer to see a bit of... creativity. Showcase your talents right there on the page. You have to make your resume stand out from the other thousand in the pile, some of which are better-qualified than you. This is not an ad for a nightclub though, so keep it tasteful and somewhat subtle. Make it reflect the corporate climate of the company you're sending it to.

Customize the resume to the job

If the job listing focuses more on skills than education, put your skills section first. If education seems more important than experience, lead with your Education section. Objectives are no longer necessary unless the job listing specifically asks for one. Make sure the skills and experience you highlight, match the skills and experience listed in the job ad - use the same words.

Digitize your resume

Internet-based job applications generally require you to upload a digital resume. Don't use the same file you print your hard copies from - use a web-optimized font like Georgia, and increase the space between the lines to about 120% to keep it readable. Don't use indents on a digital resume, but keep your margins well-defined and clean.

Combine sections

Use your Work History section to highlight specific skills you developed or showcased at each job, and any accomplishments or awards you earned. Be specific - don't say that you're "intelligent and efficient," offer examples of things you've done that prove it.

Scrap the "Hobbies and Interests" section

For the most part, employers are concerned about how you'll benefit them - your comic book collection doesn't figure into the equation. Clear your resume of all references to your cat, your favorite movie, or who's going to win the Super Bowl. The only time your hobbies should make an appearance is if they directly relate to the job in question. For example, if you're applying for a job with a non-profit pet-welfare organization, by all means mention the many weekends you volunteered at your local shelter.

Put your name at the top

It sounds like a no-brainer, but people sometimes get carried away with the creativity and treat the resume like letterhead. True, your letterhead may be beautiful with the contact information at the bottom or down the side, but imagine this: the hiring manager remembers your resume, and wants to show it to her boss. She leafs through the stack on her desk, scanning the names at the top... and doesn't see yours. She assumes it was lost, and moves on to the second-best candidate.

Don't list references

For better or worse, the internet is your reference now. You will be Googled prior to the interview, so maybe take the New Year's Eve pictures down from your Facebook page. If you have some truly impressive references, print them out and bring a hard copy with you to the interview.

Still, no matter how perfect your resume is, there's an awful lot of competition out there. Apply only to jobs that you are qualified for - don't waste your (or the hiring managers') time shooting the moon, because there are applicants out there who actually are qualified. You won't get that job at NASA with a high school diploma, no matter how lovely your resume is. But keep networking, keep applying, and stay relevant. You'll find your perfect fit yet.

Read More

How To Make Market Analysis for Your Business

When you’re starting a business, it’s important to take a good, hard look at the market you are trying to enter. This helps you plan your approach to marketing, pricing and general operations, and as such, should be included in your business plan. Once your business is established, periodically re-analyzing the environment in your industry can help you adapt your business to changing attitudes, economies and regulations, and help you sidestep potential roadblocks.

Although the term "market analysis" sounds technical and intimidating, it’s rather simple, if involved. You don’t need an M.B.A. to do this. It’s all about examining your industry, target demographic, pricing structure and competition.

» Industry

Research your industry. Find out how it’s been doing, and where it’s going. Has it dropped off recently? Is it due to economics or new regulations? Is it projected to resume its previous levels? In how long? Is it growing, or is it stable? Get a feel for the difference between steady and stagnant - one is characterized by slow but steady growth, the other by inactivity. Find out if your industry is changing - if everyone else seems to be branching off into niche markets, positioning yourself as an all-around provider may not be the best idea.

» Target Demographic

Who is your ideal customer? Know everything about them. Know who they are, where they live, how much money they have and how much money they spend. The Census is handy for this. If your business is locally-based, it behooves you to know how much of your target demographic leaves the area every year, and how many move in. Once you know the facts, start looking into the intangibles. What do they like? What do they buy? What level of customer service do they expect?

Once you know your target market inside and out, explore other potential markets - they may not be your main source of revenue, but they could prove valuable down the road when you’re trying to eke out every last drop of profit to fund expansion.

» Pricing Structure

In your business plan, you’ll have to justify your prices - your market analysis helps with that. Look at your production costs, overhead, labor, etc., but don’t stop there - look around and see how much everyone else is charging, but focus on those who serve your target market. Does perceived value play a role in your industry? What else affects sales, price-wise? Do you plan to offer discounts? How will that affect your bottom line? How deep will the discounts be, and will they more than make up for themselves by effectively driving sales?

You can’t set your prices arbitrarily. If you plan to charge substantially more than everyone else, what about your product or service makes it worthwhile to the customer?

» Competition

Finally, analyze your competition. Ideally, you will look at what the competition is doing throughout your market analysis, but here is where you put it all together. What makes you think your business will be superior to them? Where are they failing the market? How do you plan to fill that gap? Become intimate with the way your main competition does things - you might learn something, even if it’s what not to do.

Your market analysis can go as deep as you want it to - the deeper, the better. Be prepared to rethink some of your ideas as you find out what’s going on out there. Your business may look great in your head, but it has to survive in a real economy.

Read More

Tips To Start A Shrimp Farming Project

Shrimp farming essentially involves the cultivation of shrimp or prawns, mainly marine shrimp. Mostly cultivated for consumption basis, shrimp farming invariably has a commercial side attached to it. The concept of shrimp farming originated as a small-scale business idea, but has now grown to be a full-fledged global business. Commercial shrimp farming began in the 70s and has since then, become a rage, making it nothing less than a gold mine. So, if you are among those entrepreneurs who wish to earn a decent living with shrimp, then 'project shrimp farming' is just the thing you should take up.

Starting a Shrimp Farm

Before you even think of venturing on to 'project shrimp farming', you would have to get yourself a permit that will allow you to start the business. And yes, you would have to specify the strategy you would be employing; that is whether it would be extensive, semi-intensive or intensive. Extensive, as the term suggests, is a farm covering a larger area where the cost of production and maintenance would be relatively lesser compared to intensive farming. If your concern is larger production, you would definitely want to go in for the intensive farming project, rather than extensive farming, where the total production is low.

Choosing a Right Location

When you decide to start a shrimp farm, it is essential that you consider the following points, which include proximity to marine water, climatic conditions of the area and ease of access to shrimp larvae.

Warm, brackish water is required for the cultivation of shrimp; hence, the proximity to ocean water is a prerequisite for starting a shrimp farm. Shrimp farms located in warmer climatic conditions have longer cultivation periods than those in colder regions. Remember: the warmer the area, the longer the growing season will last, which means that warm conditions are favorable for shrimp cultivation.

Creating a Clean Ecosystem

When constructing a shrimp farm, you would have to remember to construct two interconnected farms or ponds to conveniently transfer the mature shrimp from one farm to another. One of the most important factors of a shrimp farm is to keep a check on the drainage facilities. In the case of an extensive farm, which is located along a coast or a mangrove, the tides will provide with the required water exchange, but in case of an intensive farm located away from the coast, care needs to be taken to keep the water aerated at all times. Most intensive farming practices employ the use of pumps/paddle wheels to keep the oxygen level in the water constant as well as remove impurities, thus ensuring a better yield. Building a gate system for the exchange of fresh ocean water if your farm is located near the ocean, makes sense, and it will save you a lot of maintenance headache. For sustainable shrimp ecosystem, stock the farm with algae and phytoplankton.

Regulating the Feed

Post larval shrimp purchased from a hatchery is used to stock the ponds. Fertilized phytoplankton is used to accelerate the growth of the shrimp in the case of extensive farms; however, in the case of intensive farms, artificially formulated feeds are used for shrimp growth. The shrimp need to be fed minimum twice a day. The feeding can be done either manually (use of boats) or through mechanized feeders that are well-distributed around the pond.

Harvesting the Shrimp

This is the last stage of shrimp farming - ideally done in October - just as it begins to get cooler; thus, stopping the growth period of the shrimp. Draining the pond to harvest the shrimp is ideally the right method; you can even opt for catching the shrimp in nets or using special pumps to harvest the shrimp.

If you have a farm/pond, do keep all sorts of predators away; you wouldn't want your shrimp catch to be affected by predators. Shrimp farming has its share of ill effects too; constantly worrying about the dangers of consuming farm-raised shrimp won't help you in this profession. Besides, cultivating shrimp in unhygienic conditions could also land you into serious trouble; other than having your entire field wiped out, your permit too will be at a risk. Better be safe than sorry, especially, when it comes to venturing out into a lucrative option like shrimp farming.

Read More

How To Trade In Forex

The word Forex is an abbreviation of 'Foreign Exchange' or it sometimes simply known as FX. This kind of market is a non-central, worldwide, over-the-counter market where currencies can be swapped and traded for corresponding prescribed values of trade. Forex trading essentially involves conversion of currencies at a certain specified exchange rate. The Forex market is one of the most complicated market as, lets face it, it consists of all currencies and indirectly all the national economies in the world.

Forex Trading Mechanism

The primary mechanism of Forex trade is as simple as a child's play. Every currency has a specified exchange rate which is chiefly used to convert it into a different currency. For example, a single US dollar can be exchanged into 0.702395168 Euro. This currency pair becomes the USD/EUR currency exchange pair. Though the actual transaction is in reference to a conversion, it referred to as the purchase of the 'Euro'. In this pair of currency, the currency which has been used to purchase is known as the base currency, whereas the currency which has been converted into or has been purchased is known as the quote currency.

So how does this process actually materialize? As mentioned above this market is a worldwide market which is open throughout the day i.e. from 20:15 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) on Sunday to 22:00 GMT of the immediate following Friday. Any person can invest into this market through a licensed broker, who charges commission for trades. Note that the legal systems and governing bodies such as the United States Securities and Exchange Commission often tend to impose certain governance and compliance on the trade processes, which people need to adhere to.

How to Make Profit?

So, how is profit made through the trades of the Forex? Every currency irrespective of the nation and the economy of the nation is influenced by two universal economic dissertations or corollaries:

* The currency value of any certain economy, tends to be influenced by the performance and growth of the economy, with respect the base currency.
* Similarly, the exports, development, disasters, internal banking, companies and other such countless features, which even include, wars and terror attacks, substantially affect the value of quote currency with respect to the base currency.

Now, both the aforementioned conditions tend to affect the values of both the base and quote currency. In this kind of situation you can make profit with the help of measures, namely:

* After you invest into the quote currency, you can wait for the quote currency's market value to raise, which increases your purchasing power to buy some other currency or re-buy your original base currency. So basically just by investing into well rising economy you are at position with higher currency value.
* The second type of measure which you can initiate is to wait till the value of your base currency drops down. Thus you shall be able to easily have a greater purchase value as you reconvert back into the base currency. In this measure, however you would not be able to convert your quote currency into any other currency than your base, as it may be either a situation of loss or a no-profit-no-loss situation.

Measurement of Profit or Loss

In this mechanism of Forex trade, one very big problem is that the Forex trade is characterized by the conversion of currencies, which is basically a barter. Hence there is no uniform way to measure profit or loss. In such a situation, the concept of PIP and BP is used.

* PIP or Price Interest Point is the one unit change in the decimals of your base currency for example a change in USD $0.0001 (increase in cent) is known as 'one pip'. When one pip of the quote currency increases, you are at a profit of one pip. On the other hand if the base currency decreases by one pip, then you are still at an advantage.
* The BP or the Base point is the per unit increase in non decimal value (dollars). For example, a change of $1.0000 in your base currency is the change in Base Point.

The formula to figure out the actual profit goes as:

PIP or BP / Current Exchange Rate = PIP or BP Value

The 'PIP' or 'BP' value is the currency actual currency value such as dollars and cents. The 'PIP' or 'BP' is expressed in percentage or units.

Now all these calculations and conversions are usually done by automated software, some of which in some cases also alert you about PIP changes.

Read More