the north texas journal v23n35

8/8/2019 The North Texas Journal v23n35

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WEEKLY Volume 23, Number 35 - Sept. 3, 20

Five Keys To Smooth Sales And Bargai

Buys In A Slow Housing Market

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How To Make The Most Of Your InterviewWith the economy slowly healing after the nancial

crisis of 2008, competition for jobs is at an all-timehigh, making interview skills a vital tool for applicants.

ncreased competition within the pool of applicantsoften translates to increased anxiety for those who

are fortunate enough to land an interview. BarbaraSchafer, director of Career Services at Brown MackieCollege - Boise, shares her insights into making themost of each interview opportunity.

Its often necessary to calm people before an inter-view, says Schafer. Its important to communicateclearly, which can be hard to do under pressure. Theability to express yourself is huge. It can make thedifference between being hired or not during your jobsearch.

When were looking for employment, we all have aendency to think the job search is all about ourselves.

However, we must remember that the prospective em-ployer is looking for a candidate who can help makeheir business successful, Schafer says. They wanto hire the right person to help them grow. As a can-

didate, you have to be prepared to communicate theskills you possess that set you apart from the others.

Assess your skills and knowledge.Schafer recommends taking a systematic approach tohe interview. We sometimes have to force ourselves

to think about our own skills and qualications,

continues. Before you can express yourself int

gently, you must know exactly what points you wto make. To this end, Schafer suggests making aof skills, accomplishments and education you wanhighlight for a prospective employer.

Practice your pitchIt can be tough to assess your skills; however, wing helps to organize your thoughts. The goal is toable to tell a potential employer within 30 seconda minute what you can do and why youre a goo

for their organization, Schafer says. After assessyour skills and experience, Schafer advises practicyour pitch with a friend or family member, especiashyness is a concern.

Dress professionallyEmployers expect professionalism. After all, evemployee represents the company. When customor clients visit the company, they see the employenot just the person at the front desk. First impressido matter.

I tell students, Dont dress like youre going odate. You can be the person you want to be after whours, but not during the interview. Show your toos and face-piercing jewelry after work hours, sSchafer. In the workplace, there is usually a drcode that must be followed. If you ignore it, you wlast long. Anyone not willing to dress professional

just throwing their education away, she adds.

Arrive 15 minutes early


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Schafer suggests making a dry run to the companybefore the day of your interview. Knowing exactlywhere youre going and where you can park helps toalleviate anxiety. Arrive 15 minutes early, and expecthat once you hit the parking lot, the interview could

be starting, she warns. They could be watching outhe window.

Practice professional courtesy at all times

Your interview is with the entire organization. Profes-sional behavior begins the way you treat the recep-ionist. Everyone will have something to say about

you after you leave, Schafer says. She recommendsa pleasant greeting to the receptionist, a rm hand-shake upon meeting the interviewer, and the impor-ance of looking the people you meet in the eye.

Showcase your skills and talentsDont expect the employer will have your resumhand. Take several copies with you to leave behCreating a portfolio often helps to guide the discsion during an interview. Include transcripts, resumawards youve received, career achievements, even photos of projects youve been involved wadvises Schafer. She also recommends leaving hind a business card with your contact information

Follow up with a note of thanksMake sure you send a thank you note after theterview, says Schafer. It can often can make theference between getting the job or not. If undecidemployers will hire the one who sent the note.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Five Keys To Smooth Sales And Bargai

Buys In A Slow Housing Market

Not everyone who relocates has the luxury of doingt when school is out and the yard looks beautiful. Ifyoure forced to sell your house and/or buy a new oneoutside peak season, you might have to work a littleharder and think creatively.

Anyone who has bought or sold a home has heard thestandard advice: Find a good agent, be aware of localhome values, x up the house youre selling and re-

search school districts and crrates where youre buying.

Its all good advice, but its noways enough, says Rich Novassistant vice president of HoSolutions, with USAA, a full-

vice nancial services provserving military personnel their families. Families who nto move quickly during a toreal estate market may needgo the extra mile to close a sa

Keep these ve themes in m

from the moment you start pning your next move:1. Dig deeper: You probably

ready know to use neighbohome values as a comparison point for selling or bing. But in todays market, some additional homewcan pay off. If you need to sell quickly, for examkeep a close eye on what other houses are selling for in your neighborhood stay ahead of the market by pricing yours lowerthe wake of the bursting real estate bubble, its aimportant to have a heightened awareness of foresures, both where youre selling and buying. As un


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as it seems, any foreclosures on your street can put adent in your homes market value. And if foreclosuresare still prevalent in the neighborhood youre movingo, it could be a warning sign that values could con-nue to drop after you buy.

2. Be involved: Just because youre working with aealtor doesnt mean you cant do some of your ownegwork.

The rst 10 days on the market are the most critical

o selling a home because new listings tend to gethe most attention from buyers, says Brenda Wall,elocation director with ERA Colonial Real Estate in

San Antonio, Texas. Anything a seller can do to getheir home ready to sell before putting it on the mar-

ket would be helpful, including de-cluttering, cleaning,painting if needed and making the home look spa-

cious and bright.

The Internet and social media have opened limitnew strategies to sell your home and nd your n

one. Try Craigslist, Facebook, Flickr, and YouTuAnd dont be shy, say real estate agents. When yoselling, post pictures that show your home at its band upload a narrated video tour - because thwhat youd want to see as a buyer. At some real

tate agencies, a video tour is becoming the newquirement for sellers.

3. Accept a helping hand: Take advantage of a wrange of services, beyond your local realtors, could help you streamline the buying and selprocess. Some cost money, such as home stagservices that can help whip your house into selshape. Others are free, such as relocation bene

offered by some employers, or militarys Homeowners AssistaProgram. One free service aally helps you while you are out about looking for a place to live.example, Home Circle from USprovides free home search vices on the Web and throughiPhone app that gives you accto the same comprehensive ing information real estate ageuse, driving directions to the hom

youve searched and organizaof pictures taken to help you ktrack of all the homes youve se

Chances are you qualify for sotype of assistance through an ployer, the government, or ansociation you belong to - you have to ask.

4. Get creative: Sometimestakes out-of-the-box ideas to s

a deal. If you know that a potial buyer is wavering on wheto make an offer on your houbuck convention by making a verse offer, where you try to the sale with an attractive prSellers might also sweeten pot with extra incentives. Motoward closing costs or prep


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homeowners dues are common buyer incentives, butwhy not set yourself apart by offering a free trip to abeach resort?

f youre the one buying but cant nd the perfect

house, ask your agent to look up houses that wererecently taken off the market. You might be able torequest a one-time showing and get a bargain priceon a house the owners thought they couldnt sell.

5. Remain exible: According to the experts, buy-ers and sellers should keep their pride in check andbe willing to make some concessions, especially ina tough market. That means not haggling over mi-nor repairs or refusing to leave behind the chandelier

your potential buyer loves. Factor in the cost of keing up your home for several more months versus accepting a lower selling price today.

Always think in terms of the bigger picture. Dont la deal over $500, says Jodi Van Wagner, a ColdBanker agent in the Pensacola, Fla., area.

Even in the most sluggish real estate market, an e

start and an open mind are two of the best strategto make your next move go smoothly.



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Strapped After-School Programs In Need Of A Boos

Not every former orchestra member remembers howo play their favorite song and not every science club

participant can still identify insects. However, schoolprograms featuring these skills and others likely hada lasting impact on everybody who took part in them.

Quality after-school programs lead to improved testscores, lower drop-out rates, decreased disciplinaryaction and improved work habits, according to a 2008study conducted by researchers at the Harvard Fam-y Research Project. These researchers attributedhese improvements to the fact that after-school pro-

grams provide young people with appropriate super-vision and structure, well-prepared staff, (and) inten-onal programming with opportunities for autonomy

and choice.

The economic downturn continues to impact fundingor crucial programs, meaning fewer options for par-ents and less activities for kids. Three in ve respon-dents to a 2009 survey conducted by the AfterschoolAlliance, reported funding for their after-school pro-grams is down compared to two years ago, and morehan one-third said it is down a lot. As budget cuts

continue, parents and other supporters can do sev-eral things to help keep school programs alive.

Ways to help

Volunteer: Money may be in shortsupply, but very often, time can bean equally precious asset to schoolclubs and organizations. Potentialvolunteers should think to them-selves: What skill do I have that I can impart to stu-dents? Remember - passion is a critical characteris-c of a good teacher.

Donate: Supplies like markers, glue, craft paper - andeven disinfecting wipes - can be very inexpensiveand helpful to the teachers and faculty who organizeschool programs. Additionally, take a look throughyour own childs old toys and sports equipment fortems that could be passed along. Games and lightly-used art supplies will be greatly appreciated.

Research: Many school programs qualify for federalaid or grants from private companies. However, time-

strapped teachers and administrators may not hthe resources to research opportunities and subentries. Take some time to identify grants that cobe a t for your favorite school program and then

unteer to submit a request for funding on its beha

One notable example that directly benets sch

programs is the Power A Bright Future grant pgram from the Clorox Company, which aims to sport school programs that provide opportunitiesstudents to learn, play and create. This year, Clowill be giving away three $20,000-grants and $50,000-grant to deserving and underfunded schprograms. To nominate a program, visit www.clocom before Sept. 27 and upload a photo and a ssummary of how the grant would be used. Then, courage everyone you know to vote for your favo

beginning Oct. 5.

A childs potential for learning is limitless -- so hmake sure their learning doesnt stop when the schday ends. Giving whatever you can will ensure the next generations futures remain bright.


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*Finance oer subject to credit approval, applies to purchases o new Yamaha Motorcycles, ATVs & Scooters made on a Yamaha Installment Financing loan account rom 7/1/10-9/30/10. Mcontract length is 24 months and maximum length is 36 months. Minimum amount fnanced is $5,000. Fixed APR o 3.99%, 5.99%, 8.99%, or 14.99% will be assigned based on credit acriteria. Monthly payments per $1,000 fnanced based on 36 month term are $29.52 at 3.99%, $30.42 at 5.99%, $31.80 at 8.99%, and $34.66 at 14.99%. **Customer Cash oer good o2010 (and prior year) models between 6/1/10-9/30/10. Offer good only in the U.S., excluding the state of Hawaii. Proessional riders with advanced skills on closed course. Someshown with optional accessories. Dress properly or your ride with a helmet, eye protection, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and the MotoSaety Foundation encourage you to ride saely and respect the environment. For urther inormation regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. ATVs with engine sizes ovare recommended or use only by riders age 16 years and older. Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For saety and training inormation, see youor call the ATV Saety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your saety: Always avoid paved suraces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmprotection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs dont mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly careul on difcu

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Enjoying Life After The Kids Leave The Nes

t s a scene right out of summer blockbusterTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Theonly son is excited to head off to college whileMom and Dad alternate between the thri l l ofgett ing away to Paris to celebrate their child-ess independence and crying over their sons

baby booties. While not many parents arefaced with a child destined to save mankindfrom the attack of an alien species, many cancertainly identify with the l i fe changing eventhat can lead to empty nest syndrome.

Empty Nest Syndrome is a colloquial wof identifying the sense of loss, sadnessemptiness that parents can feel when a cleaves home, says Dr. Jim Wasner, chaiClinical Psychology programs at Argosy U

versity, Schaumburg. It s that period of trsit ion when a child no longer depends on thparents for a high level of support and car

Unless your feelings of remorse or sadnabout your childs depture begin to interfere wyour everyday l i fe or lfor more than a few weeit s perfectly normal to perience sadness as y

reflect back, says Dr. EBehrman, faculty memat Argosy University, SDiegos College of Pchology and BehavioSciences. It helps youmanage and cope withvery natural process apart of l i fe.

For parents whose whlives have centered on support and care of thchildren, this t ime canparticularly painful, Wner says. The sametrue for parents who sp


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much of their childrens l ives working andmay now be feeling that they missed the win-dow in terms of creating a stronger bond withheir kids.

The key, both experts agree, is to focus lesson a perceived sense of loss and to focusmore on moving forward. It s an opportunityor men and women to focus on the areas of

their l ives they havent had the opportuto, says Wasner. Set out to pursue your cative interests, use your t ime to volunteer,back to school to pursue the degree youalways wanted, start your own businesspursue those travel opportunit ies youve hto forego in the interest of family.

The good news is that we continue to evo

as primary caregivers, says Dr. SuzaForbes-Vierl ing, vice president of Ademic Affairs for Argosy University, SDiego. The changing role of women, cdrens increasing access to informatand the changing dynamics of famimake this transit ional period less castrophic than it could have been just a decades ago.

For many parents, this period can bstrain on - as well as an opportunity fotheir relationships.

Youve spent your l ives focused on ychildren and are now left as two indivials without that buffer and large partyour identity known as parenting. It s nmal for couples to reevaluate their roin the marriage at this t ime, says Wner. It s a great t ime to make a conc er

effort to reinvest in your relationshipspend more t ime together and to getknow each other again without your cdren in the middle.

It s also an opportunity to form a differkind of relationship with your child andget to know them as independent adulsays Behrman. While that can be d iff ifor parents, i t s important to form a bothat allows your child the space and ro

they need to mature and to make thown decisions and mistakes.

Developing that new bond with your cdren can be one way to help combat yfeelings about them growing up.



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