Job Fairs

Many of my friends who are retired and who were laid off consider going to job fairs to help them find a new job. However, going to a job fair without the right mind set may be a waste of time in a competitive market. So, here are some job search tips you can use to prepare for a job fair:

Research the employers that will be present. Before you even head out to a job fair make a list of the companies that interest you and conduct some research to learn critical points about each one. Once you have pinpointed the companies make sure you know what they are looking for in a new employee and what kind of skills and credentials are desired.

What do you want out of the job fair?  The next step in getting ready for a job fair is to prepare appropriately, so you walk in with a lot of confidence.

First of all, you should answer the following questions:
• Are you just going to see what kinds of opportunities are available in the current job market?
• Are you seriously considering applying for a full time, or a part time or a contract job?
• Are you a good candidate for the jobs you are looking for?

Once you have established which category you fall into, only then can you mentally prepare yourself by doing the proper research on the companies you want to meet with.

If you are seriously seeking employment, you must dress the part, this means wearing appropriate business attire. If you are a male, then slacks, collared shirt, and even a blazer are appropriate. If you are a woman, a dress, blouse, slacks, or skirt and a suit jacket would be good choices. Make sure your clothes are clean and ironed before you leave your house. This is not a party so anything too short, tight or revealing is not appropriate. No excess jewelry, hairspray, perfume, and no “wild” hairstyles. Wear good fitting, comfortable shoes, you will probably be on your feet for the whole day.

Have your question list ready.  Once you have pinpointed the companies that have the typ of jobs available that you are interested in and are qualified for, prepare a few questions which you would like to ask the hiring representative. This would be dependent upon what you learned from the research you did on the company. You don’t want to ask a question where the answer is listed on their website. If you do, they will know you didn’t do your homework.

A question may be, “Can you tell me about the clients that you deal with the most?” or “How can I best reach you to follow up on available positions… do you have a business card?”

Double check your resume.  Make sure your resume is in tip-top shape and up to date with your skills, credentials, education, recent employment, and accomplishments. Furthermore, ensure that your resume is free of grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors and that its content flows smoothly and is presented in a visually appealing and professional way.

Make an excellent impression when you meet the hiring representative by professionally presenting your up-to-date focused resume and letter of intent.  Ensure the documents show your personality, include keywords, relevant accomplishments, and highlight your unique selling points. If they do, you have a solid chance of getting a job interview at a later date, or even landing a position on the spot.

Contact Information.  If you do not update your resume regularly as well as revise it before a job fair, as simple as it may seem you can overlook your contact information.  Make sure your resume includes your current and accurate home address, phone number and email address. Triple check this information, you do not want to miss an opportunity because a company representative couldn’t get in contact with you.

Ideas on what to do when retired

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It appears that many of us have not figured what it would be like in retirement. For all the emphasis put on saving for retirement, planning for what to do in retirement is often lacking. 

While that may not pose an immediate problem – new data from the MetLife Mature Market Institute show 70 percent of 65-year-old retirees thoroughly enjoy retirement – it's not clear that enjoyment endures. That's why many experts suggest embracing some second act during this period that can last 30 years or more.

There's the honeymoon period for the first six months. Then restlessness sets in, and you wonder what to do with the rest of your life," says Todd Tresidder, founder of FinancialMentor.com  in Reno, Nev. "That's where [today's] whole new retirement comes in."

The transition tends to be more difficult for men. While 77 percent of men (72 percent of women) have planned financially for retirement, more women have "thought about what they'd like to do in retirement," says a survey released in January by Ameriprise Financial. For example, 41 percent say they plan to spend more time with family (34 percent of men); 21 percent place importance on their proximity to friends (13 percent of men); 25 percent say they've spent time determining how they will rest and relax in retirement (19 percent of men).

"Women tend to have many friends, while men tend to have relatively few friends," says Donald Strauss, co­director at RetireRight Center, a ­Chicago-based retirement planning firm and coauthor of "Customize ... Don't Minimize ... Your Retirement." Since men have been focused on work through much of their adult lives, they've built structures and an identity around it. Retirement "leaves them with a vacuum to be filled."

What to do? Sure, take a breather after a busy career. But then reengage in something. Here are some options:

Turn your passion into a new career. Instead of "retiring," reinvent yourself, says Mark Walton, author of "Boundless Potential." Do something that "lets you be as successful as you were earlier in life." It doesn't matter if that role creates income, he adds. The shift can be dramatic, such as moving from something technical to an artistic endeavor.

To get started, determine what absorbs your attention; explore how to convert it into real work, then envision a working structure to make that happen in the marketplace. For many, "it will involve inventing and marketing something themselves – being an entrepreneur," says Mr. Walton, chairman and founder of the Center for Leadership Communication in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Consider a "bridge" job. Experts say these positions – consulting or any kind of part-time, part-year, or project work – ease the transition and can provide income as well as human interaction. But the work "shouldn't stress them out or keep them from seeing the grandchildren. It shouldn't have the same feeling as their past job," says Caitrin Lynch, an anthropology professor at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass., and author of "Retirement on the Line." While some prefer continuing their past career in some fashion, others want to experiment. Preretirement planning – involving retirement coaches, seminars, or other guidance – can help a person decide what, and how much, work he or she wants to do, she adds.

Volunteer. You can contribute time and energy to some form of social good. While many people find possibilities through their church, synagogue, or mosque, many other avenues exist, says Marci Alboher, vice president at Civic Ventures, a San Francisco think tank focused on boomers, work, and social purpose. There are many volunteering possibilities, including AARP's Create the Good program (createthegood.org), and volunteer networking sites such as VolunteerMatch.org and Idealist.org.

A key tip: Once you identify the kind of volunteering you'd like to do, network to determine which organizations will offer a meaningful experience. "Make sure your work will be high-impact," Ms. Alboher advises, "because people are reluctant simply to lick envelopes."

Getting ready to travel to Australia soon

As we prepare to leave for Australia near the end of the month to spend Xmas with my daughter and grandson,  I read this timely article on some things we should look our for as we travel. Enjoy!

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Here are a few of the most common money mistakes people encounter while traveling -- along with some fresh-from-the-road tips for how to avoid them in your own journeys.

Mistake No. 1: Not Preparing for Emergencies
When traveling, financial emergencies can range from theft to medical issues that require immediate attention (not to mention the frustration at not being able to find an open bank or ATM during a national holiday). When Davis lost her ATM card, she immediately got on the phone with her bank to minimize the impact of any fraudulent activity. Fortunately, she also had her husband's back-up card with her. For the rest of her trip, she was very selective about her use of ATMs.

How you can avoid it: "Always keep the number for the information line for your bank in a separate notebook, just in case," said Davis. "I'd also suggest checking with your bank before leaving home about what the policy would be to get a new card to you if there's a problem."
[InvestingAnswers Feature: Why Travel Insurance Might Be Worth Packing

Mistake No. 2: You Don't Have Enough Cash on Hand
Though you may go for several days (or even weeks) back home without dipping into your wallet for cash, don't rely too much on plastic while traveling. You never know when your card will be declined -- either due to a flagged charge from your bank or because a merchant doesn't accept your credit card. (Discover is not commonly accepted abroad, for example.) 
How you can avoid it: Davis' recommendation: "Always take at least a few notes in the local currency with you when switching countries. You never know when a bank machine you'd been counting on will be out of service and there's nothing more frustrating than being unable to do anything because you don't have the right kind of funds."

Mistake No. 3: Not Notifying Your Credit Card Company of Your Plans
It recently happened to me -- I neglected to call my credit card company before a transatlantic cruise to Spain. A charge to one of my credit cards was flagged in the Caribbean at the first port of call, and the card was rendered useless until we reached a mainland port where I could access a phone.

How you can avoid it: It just takes a few minutes to get on the phone with your company to give them a head's up. Most companies make the process pretty painless, and it will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. 

Mistake No. 4: Getting Ripped Off on Exchange Rates
Novice travelers frequently fall prey to this mistake, because converting money to local currencies sometimes puts you at the mercy of others, who might see an opportunity to make an extra buck off your dollars. 

How you can avoid it: The best thing to do is minimize the number of exchanges you do, because each time you change currency, that transaction will have fees associated with it. Experts say debit cards and credit cards typically have the best exchange rates, though many carry foreign transaction fees -- find out before you travel in order to get the best deal. The worst exchange rate you'll find are those that seem "easiest" for tourists, such as exchanging money at hotels, according to the New York Times.

Mistake No. 5: Missing Opportunities to Save on Gas, Airfare, Etc.
I get it -- traveling is for relaxing and not stressing out so much about saving a few bucks here and there. But with a little advanced preparation, you can enjoy your trip while minimizing the financial impact.

How you can avoid it: Here are some tips from Andrew Schrage of Money Crashers: Download a smartphone app to help you find the best places to fuel up on the road; book a hotel room with cooking facilities to cut down on your dining out bill ("You significantly increase the overall cost of your vacation by eating out three times a day," he warns) and use a daily deal website to whittle up to 50% off your entertainment on major tourist attractions. 

The Investing Answer: Put as much effort into preparing your finances for your trip as you do packing your bags. As much as possible, think through the scenarios you are likely to encounter while traveling. Call your credit card companies and banks to alert them of your plans and find about any fees you might be assessed before they show up on your statement after your trip.

Lend Me A Tenor (Metro Theater, Vancouver)

I went to the play that my wife is working on at Metro Theatre last Saturday. The Play was called Lend me a Tenor and there was a Gala before the play. Here are my thoughts and some history of the theatre.

This little Theatre which sits at the foot of Granville Street, has outlasted  the venerable Playhouse, is older than the Arts Club and without any form of Government support, is celebrating their 50th  consecutive year of providing first class entertainment.

After the 50th Gala Saturday was the opening of Lend Me A Tenor. Fond memories were rekindled as faces from Metro's past mixed with the present and all enjoyed a wonderful comedy directed by long time Metro Director, Catherine Morrison.

Metropolitan Co-Operative Theatre Society was spawned by the need a number of small non-professional organizations had to pool resources. Finding performance space, costumes, lighting equipment, attracting box office and back stage volunteers and then addressing publicity and promotion was a daunting task for small theatrical groups.

The Metro was, was, formed by eleven struggling Companies and began life in the Kitsilano Community Hall on West 4th Avenue and Arbutus in 1963 with a production of The Hollow. The following year, the group raised sufficient cash to purchase the present Theatre on South West Marine Drive.

Metro Theatre does the most annual productions of all non-professional Companies in North America and probably most of the professional ones as well. The income of the theatre is derived from the box office, which means that they have to stay closely attuned to what the public actually wants to see for them to survive.

Over the years the Metro has provided an amazing training facility for young actors, stage managers, carpenters, electricians and set decorators. Many have gone on to successful careers in the performing arts. The practical, hands-on and urgent experience gained at the Metro smoothed their entrance to professional work. Ultimately, then, Metro has carved a special place within the City's fabric and, whether or not its role can ever be defined, that place exists in the hearts and minds of the people who frequent our theatre, the workers and the players.

I highly recommend Lend Me a Tenor; from the opening the laughs are continuous. The timing of the actors is perfect. At intermission make sure you stay and watch the 8 minute pantomime by the stage crew. 

All in all you will enjoy the evening. Metro Theatre is a humble theatre that after 50 years still delivers good value.