One decision that all adults in America have to face in their search for housing is whether to buy or to rent. The choice usually depends on how much they can afford to spend.
The only sure way to determine how much a person or family can afford to spend on housing is for them to live on a budget.
Of course, securing housing that fits within an established budget may require a person or family to settle for a smaller house than they desire or may require that they rent for a while.
Generally, no more than 40 percent of Net Spendable Income (this is income after tithes and taxes are deducted) should be allocated to housing. This includes house payments or rent, taxes, utilities, repairs and maintenance, and telephone.
When determining whether to rent or buy, the following questions need to be considered.
Is employment secure enough to start making mortgage payments? If not, renting should be considered.
How long do we plan to stay in the area? If the plan to stay in the area is less than five years, renting should be considered—if more than five years, ownership may be a good option. The longer a house is held, the less appreciation is needed to justify ownership.
What is the economic outlook for the area (for this information, ask real estate agents, business people, the Chamber of Commerce, and so on)? If the outlook is for growth over the next seven years, buying could be a good option. If little or no growth is projected, renting would be advisable. If the area is at a market peak and the country is about to go into a recession, it probably will be better to rent. If the area is economically at the bottom of the market and the nation’s financial situation is getting better, it might be better to own. If inflation in the area increases, the rental scenario tends to get worse, and the ownership scenario tends to look better.
What is the cost of living in the area? If it is high, purchasing a home might exceed the budget allocation for housing. This means that renting may be the best option. If the cost of living is average, buying probably would be a better option. In a large metropolitan area where real estate is generally much more expensive than elsewhere, it is usually better to rent, unless the person or family is going to own for a long period of time.
What is the rate of real estate appreciation or depreciation in the area? Or at what rate are prices and rents expected to increase or decrease in the area over the next several years? This might be difficult to determine, but an Internet search along with a discussion with local real estate agents should help you find what you need. If appreciation can be guaranteed at a few points above inflation, it will be better to buy. If it cannot or if depreciation is expected, renting would be best.
If you decide to buy, be sure to read this blog to understand everything you need to know about mortgages.
After answering these questions, take the amount allocated for housing in each scenario and compare the costs.
For rent, consider:
For ownership, consider:
Now determine if costs for owning would be equal to or less than rent costs. If they would be equal or less, buying a house may be the wisest choice.
The Housing department at ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions offers helpful information for prospective home buyers. They can help you sort through the information mentioned above so you can determine the best course for you and your family. They may be reached at this link or by calling 800-251-2227.
Purchasing a home can be a costly and frightening experience. The process is constantly changing, and potential pitfalls seem to lurk around every corner.
Each person or family needs to learn God’s principles and guidelines for buying a home and then make that decision based on what God is specifically telling them about the lifestyle that they are to lead.
Since the cost of housing is perhaps the greatest expense that most adults in America ever incur, it would be advisable for everyone to study their personal situation, research all the possibilities and options, and then pray for the Lord’s guidance in order to make educated decisions about what is right and appropriate.
It has been said that the thing you know best you do best. The majority of Americans know how to evaluate rental properties, particularly residential housing. Since most home owners in America have been renters at one time or another, or have bought or sold homes, most have the ability to evaluate good rental real estate—at least when compared to buying commodities, stocks, or mutual funds.
Therefore, rental properties are a logical source of investments—but not necessarily for everyone.
Wise investment?No investment during the last 25 years has been consistently better for the average investor than single-family rental houses. That doesn’t mean that residential properties will appreciate that way over the next two decades, but right now there doesn’t appear to be anything on the horizon that would prevent it either.
Housing costs are out of the price range of many young couples, and since they have to live somewhere most of them rent, at least temporarily. Therefore, rental housing is one of the soundest areas of investing for the average family.
However, there are some specific considerations that need to be addressed before investing in rental property:
1. Look for residential housing in your area or in a good rental area. Without a doubt, the three key factors in buying any rental property are location, location, location.
2. Be certain your rental house is a “fair” deal for the renters and for you.
3. Be sure your personality is conducive to being a landlord.
4. Have enough equity to ensure a good cash flow. If the house won’t stand as collateral for its own mortgage, pass it by. The principle of no surety must be maintained when purchasing rental property.
5. Make sure you have enough funds set aside to ride out the times when the property has no tenant.
6. Make sure you have enough funds available to cover needed maintenance and improvements, without having to borrow.
One of the attractive aspects of rental property is that the initial investment is not excessively large in many areas and usually the property can be purchased with a relatively small down payment.
An additional benefit is that once the property is rented the tenants pay off the mortgage with their rent payments, and much of the generated income is sheltered through depreciation, interest, and taxes.
If you do not have the initial funds to purchase a rental property, you might want to consider a joint venture of the rental home with a couple who will be living in it. Usually this means the investor provides the down payment and assumes a 50 percent interest in the property.
The tenant couple then pays the mortgage payments and all other associated costs, including maintenance. When the house is resold, usually after no more than 10 years, the investor receives the down payment back and the two parties split the profits equally. Although there is a risk that the property will not appreciate, that is the risk you run with any investment.
There are some negatives that need to be considering before investing in rental housing.
1. Unless you have a strong personality and are willing to eject nonpaying tenants from time to time, you need to avoid becoming a landlord.
2. If you don’t want to be a landlord, don’t buy rental housing.
3. If you aren’t able to maintain and manage your rental property, many of the benefits decline.
4. It’s not always easy to get money out of the property if you need it.
Other rental housing options
An alternative to investing in single-family rental housing is to invest in duplexes and triplexes. The chances of a unit being vacant are cut proportionately to the number of tenants it will accommodate, so your income isn’t limited to one renter.
The flip side of the coin is that they require a bigger investment and more maintenance, and you really do become a landlord. If you don’t have the money to get into a duplex or triplex by yourself, there are two alternatives. You can invest in limited partnerships offered by individuals who purchase and manage duplexes and triplexes, or you can invest with another person. The key factor to keep in mind is that the managing partner has total control.
Although no money down real estate opportunities have been available for a number of years, they are very dangerous ventures. Since purchased properties are highly leveraged with no down payment, this financing procedure would be in violation of biblical principles of surety, as well as a typical example of the get-rich-quick mentality so prevalent in our country today.
In addition, there are serious questions about the legality of these programs that need to be answered. Even the possibility of obtaining a loan through the techniques offered in these types of programs is questionable in many instances. Most lenders would not carry such leveraged properties on a loan, so if you were to be involved in such a project, you probably would be carrying very high interest rates with questionable lenders.
Whether to invest in rental property depends on people’s goals and their present financial structure. If they are comfortable with handling real estate and rental property, rental property can be an attractive investment and a portion of a balanced investment portfolio.
Even in a bad economy people will need somewhere to live, but those interested need to evaluate whether they would have enough cash flow if rent goes down or the property is vacant for a month or two. The more equity an individual has in rental property, the more likely the value of the property will never drop below the loan value on the property.
Originally posted 5/5/13.
Goal setting is a chief prerequisite to effective investing. As people consider what to do with their money, they need to think about where they want to end up financially. Although money should not be an end, in and of itself, it is a tool that can be used to accomplish established short-term and long-term goals. “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens” (Proverbs 23:4-5).
Short-term goals are current lifestyle goals: debt reduction, savings, and giving. Long-term goals are those that will be accomplished over a number of years: funding education costs, saving for retirement, and giving an inheritance. The subject of this article is establishing long-term goals.
All goals must have two things in common. First, they need to be written; second, they need to conform to biblical principles. Written goals are more apt to be achieved than the dreams and goals that remain in our heads, but few people ever take the time to write them down. The second requirement is God’s Word. The Bible does not offer an individualized plan for how to use money, but it does give principles that we can rely on as we make plans and establish goals. “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches” (Proverbs 24:3-4).
For parents, funding their children’s college education is most likely one of their larger financial concerns and one of the main reasons why they need to invest. Over the next decade, with an assumed cost increase of 6 percent per year, it is estimated that education costs at a state institution will likely rise to exceed $50,000 for a four-year education. Most middle-class American families with small children don’t have $50,000 when they start thinking about funding their children’s college education. However, they may have some seed money that they have set aside for education. Therefore, they need their money to maintain steady growth over the next decade. To accomplish this, the seed money should be invested in fairly aggressive, quality, high-growth companies with a healthy annual return. Although aggressive investing will allow the seed money to grow at a faster rate, there is also a higher risk than with less aggressive investing. The greater the return expected, the greater the risk assumed.
If parents have less time and more money, they might want to consider buying CDs and savings bonds as a means of protecting the cash for the short term until it is needed.
After figuring out how much money they will need and how long they have to raise the money, parents need to consult with a trusted and qualified financial advisor to select the funds that are best. When looking for mutual funds to accomplish the investing goals, consult the current Consumer Reports mutual fund edition and other sources of trusted information, such as Sound Mind Investing.
“Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:6-8). Just as the ant gathers food in the summertime so it will have provisions in the winter, people need to prepare by saving money during their years of highest income production for a time when their incomes will decline. Nevertheless, people cannot sacrifice their current needs or their current gifts to the Lord for the sake of saving for retirement; nor should they maximize their retirement fund contributions and then have to use credit cards to meet daily living expenses.
Other than company-sponsored retirement programs, traditional and Roth IRAs are the two most popular retirement investment tools. With traditional IRAs, any money that is invested is tax deferred. With Roth IRAs, taxes are paid on the money before it is invested into the Roth IRA. It then accumulates tax free. For younger people with many years to accumulate earnings in a retirement account, the Roth IRA is an excellent investment tool.
The final long-term goal is the distribution of estates. Estate planning is a vital part of any sound financial strategy. How and where assets will be distributed could be affected by whatever happens in the economy within the next few years. Many parents may be planning simply to leave an inheritance to their children in their wills, for distribution after their deaths. However, if recession leaves the children in a precarious financial position, parents may want to give them some of their inheritance sooner.
Not only does giving the inheritance during the parents’ lifetime afford the parents an opportunity to help their children learn how to manage money wisely, there also are favorable tax consequences associated with using the annual gift exclusion to reduce the size of the parents’ estate. Under the current tax provision, both parents are allowed to give up to $14,000 per year each to as many individuals as they want.
Another benefit of lifetime giving is that it allows the estate to be reduced by giving charitable contributions. One popular method to reduce the estate and reap current tax advantages is to transfer an asset to a charitable remainder trust. For the most accurate information concerning this type of trust, we encourage you to consult with a trusted, qualified financial advisor, a CPA, or an attorney.
Generally there are three questions that must be answered when planning an inheritance.
1. How much money do we want to leave to our children?
2. How much money do we want to leave to charity?
3. How and when do we want to distribute this inheritance?
Record the answer to these questions and take it with you when you meet with the attorney or financial advisor who will help you draft your will and inheritance plan.
How you pursue each of your long-term goals will depend on your individual temperament and your personal tolerance for risk. As you establish these goals check your motivation. Am I actively seeking to honor the Lord with my money? Do I have a vision for how and where God wants me to use this money? Do I know why I am investing? “To a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that He may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:26).
Originally posted 4/23/2013.
According to several recent surveys, more women than ever are seeking to leave full-time jobs and return home to become stay-at-home moms or to operate home-based businesses.
However, many of these stay-at-home moms who have chosen to start an at-home business have discovered that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that needs to be done. In fact, some feel as if they are busier than when they worked full time outside the home.
Working at home requires a certain level of flexibility and liberty, but daily abandoning scheduled work can lead to an unhealthy business. “The Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body…for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good” (Deuteronomy 30:9-10).
The following are 10 tips that will help any stay-at-home mother manage her home business.
1. Start each day by dedicating it to the Lord. Our time each day is given to us by God: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Before the workday begins, dedicate it to the Lord. Ask Him for guidance and for help in using the time He has given, as He wants and as He sees fit.
2. Schedule time for business paperwork and accounting. Set aside a certain time each day or week (depending on the size of the home-based business) to do paperwork. This would include filing receipts, invoicing clients, balancing accounts, and paying bills.
3. Plan time—don’t fragment it. Divide the day into similar things by category. Group all phone calls (mornings are best for phone calls), projects, and errands (plan errands around no-rush-hour times) to be done at the same time. Finish one category before shifting to another.
4. Be productive—don’t procrastinate. Procrastination is probably one of the primary reasons why goals are not accomplished. By determining when is the most productive time, people can limit procrastination. Strive to work during peak performance periods, if it doesn’t conflict with family time or the family routine. Home-based businesses must conform to the family routine, not the reverse.
5. Establish a routine that is acceptable. Although home-based businesses do not have to be limited to a 9-to-5 routine, some type of routine should be established—one that can maximize production without sacrificing family. Business owners might commit a certain number of hours per day to the business or certain full days to the business and take full days off—perhaps working with the business every other day.
6. Know when to say No! If business owners commit to friends, projects, or jobs, they must honor those commitments. Therefore, before any commitment is made, be sure to determine how that commitment will affect the family, business, deadlines, or other commitments. If accepting the obligation will negatively affect any of these, the answer to the request should be, “No!” Or at the very least, “Not at this time.”
7. Organize commitments. List all things that need to be accomplished or commitments that have been made. Then list the time that it will take to accomplish or finish each task. Divide the steps necessary to meet each goal or accomplish each task into daily assignments. Maintain these assignments until the project is complete.
8. Schedule extra time. When making schedules, make sure that there is enough flextime. Pad all appointments and activities with a few extra minutes in anticipation of unforeseen delays or unexpected circumstances.
9. Evaluate the importance of all meetings and appointments. Many meetings and appointments waste time that can be used for other, more productive things. Some business can be conducted quickly by phone, fax, mail, or e-mail, rather than scheduling a meeting to do it. Don’t hesitate to set a length to meetings and end meetings that become non-productive.
10. Have family cooperation. Although business schedules and routines should not interfere with quality family time, the family should understand and support an agreed upon business and work schedule. Although family time is of priority importance, the family needs to understand the value of being a good steward and maintaining good work ethics.
When God provides an opportunity for people to operate a home-based business, they need to organize that business and operate it with the highest level of work ethics, if they expect it to be productive.
If God controls the business and if the time management tips above are followed, chances are, the home-based business will be successful.
Originally posted 4/18/2013.
Although we are all aware of stress caused by finances and relationships, you’d be amazed at how many people are really stressed and discouraged over issues that relate to their jobs. Career counseling agencies are finding that job anxiety is one of the major causes of stress in our society. Health problems related to job stress is third only to heart problems and cancer as the leading cause of health problems. Of course, in many cases heart problems can be traced back to job related stress, and in many companies it is the number one contributor to poor health among employees.
According to a recent study conducted by the Northwestern National Life Insurance Company, seven out of every 10 workers in America suffer from job-related stress that affects their health, and 46 percent of all workers claim that because of work-related stress they do not expect their health to improve.
Every indication is that stress at work and in our lives in general is increasing. Although much of this job-related stress is caused by job mismatches—people being in jobs that don’t match their natural talents and interests—some is caused by the rapid change in technology and how those changes affect responsibilities and duties in the workplace. So how do we deal with this stress?
One of the primary reasons we suffer from job-related stress is that our lives are out of balance. Even with automobiles, automatic washers and dishwashers, microwave ovens, riding lawn mowers, jet airlines, and cell phones—used to relieve the toil of labor and to provide more time—we actually seem to have less free time than our grandparents did. Why with all of these timesaving improvements do we still not have time to relax and reflect? It is because our priorities are out of balance. Rather than balancing our lives by working eight hours, delegating eight to ten hours for sleep, eating, and exercise, and then having six hours of free time to spend with family or to doing chores and maintenance around the house, many families feel they cannot be balanced. Some are so indebted that they feel they must work overtime just to make ends meet. Others cannot say no, so they commit time to others that should be spent with family. Time spent watching television takes a large chunk out of family time and home maintenance time. Of course it is understandable if work has caused so much stress that all people want to do when they get home is sit in front of the television, unwind, and forget about everything and everybody else. Once balance is brought back into an individual’s life and work is put in its proper place, stress will be greatly reduced on the job, even though the circumstances relating to the job might not have changed. That person might still be doing the same job with the same duties and responsibilities, but when balance is brought into the picture, the job that previously was causing so much stress will become easier to handle and easier to cope with. 
The ideal job situation is to work in an environment you enjoy and do a job that you like that allows you to use your God-given talents to their maximum at a pace that is comfortable. This is not always the case. It is a fact that many people will be forced to perform duties for which they are not qualified or which they do not like, in an unpleasant work environment, because they need the money and can’t afford to quit or don’t have the time to look for another job. To these people, job-related stress could be devastating to their health if their lives away from work are out of balance. If changing the work situation is not a viable option, the following steps can be followed to help bring balance, which will result in reduced stress at work.
1. Study God’s Word regularly. Jesus is both the Word and the Bread of Life. To be spiritually strong you need daily nourishment from His Word. Begin your day, before leaving for work, with a time of study in God’s Word.
2. Pray and meditate. As with the study of God’s Word, prayer at the beginning of each day is absolutely essential for daily nourishment and to maintain balance.
3. Seek godly counsel. No man is an island. We all need help and encouragement. Do not hesitate to call on your brothers and sisters in Christ whenever you need help and encouragement.
4. Leave work at work. When you go home at night, leave your work in the workplace. Do not bring home the frustrations of work and pile them on your family. When you leave the job, leave the work there.
5. Get involved with the body of Christ. The responsibilities of the body of believers include bearing one another’s burdens and sharing fellowship and love with fellow believers. However, guard against sacrificing your family time for the sake of your church family. Both can co-exist. Spend time with the family as well as time with your church family. Know how to say no when the church begins to infringe upon your time with your natural family, but don’t use time with your natural family as an excuse to forsake the body of Christ.
6. Make a plan and stick to it. Determine that you will become debt free so you will not be required to work overtime. Determine to make time to spend with family. Determine to spend time in prayer and in the study of God’s Word daily. Determine to leave work at work. Once these determinations have been made, follow them.
7. Avoid bitterness. It only takes the slightest amount of bitterness to ruin your attitude and undercut the balance in your life. Identify the root cause of bitterness and eliminate it. Don’t point fingers at others. Instead, go to God with any bitterness, anger, or unforgiving spirit.
8. Give all to God. Give to God all the things you can do nothing about relating to your job and let Him handle any conflicts or contentions. Help somebody. Look around and see whom you can help or encourage. Many times our difficulties look smaller if we begin to help others.
9. Rejoice in the Lord. Begin to thank the Lord for your job. Thank Him for your ability to work. Thank Him for supplying your physical and material needs with income that your job provides. If we are thankful for what we have, He may very well give us what we want.
Although statistics show that job-related stress is one of the major causes of health problems, it is probably not going to go away in the near future. Some people will be able to change jobs or change job duties and relieve some of the stress. Yet others will have to face the fact that their job situations may not ever change. Those caught in stressful situations, though, do not have to struggle through life dreading their work; they can change their perspective. Even though their work situations may never change, they can relieve their stress by bringing balance to their lives—balance that is founded on the study of God’s Word and on prayer.
Originally Posted 4/12/2013
One of the primary tragedies of a slowdown in our economy is that as money becomes tight companies have to “tighten their belts” financially in order to remain competitive, and in some cases it is necessary in order for them to remain solvent.
All the excess expenditures have to be trimmed and overhead has to be reduced. Nevertheless, many times money cuts in overhead and expenses are not enough. It is at this point that companies generally choose layoffs or downsizing as the next step in an effort to make ends meet. At this point laid-off employees must decide whether to start looking for another job.
If the layoffs are seasonal or temporary, they probably should consider fill-in temporary work until they get called back to work by their employers. However, if the layoff is indefinite or permanent, employees need to begin a new job search.
To some employees, this is a very frightening experience. They may not have had to look for a job for years, because they felt they had security in their former company. The job market may have changed, technological skills may have become more demanding, and they are probably much older. If this is the case for you, how do you begin looking for a job?
As you begin your job search, there is no way to guarantee immediate success. It will take a focused and persistent effort on your part. Seeking God’s direction through prayer is the most important thing to do during this time. Attitude will also be very important, and the best way to maintain a good attitude is to keep the big picture in perspective. This will be a time when you can see firsthand whether you really trust God or you just say that you trust God.
Like a camera lens in focus, your objective should bring a range of compatible job possibilities into view. A clear objective enables you to eliminate jobs that do not match your talents or abilities, and it will help you identify components of jobs that are consistent with your strengths. Categorizing your strengths, weaknesses, abilities, likes, and dislikes will help solidify your objective.
* Based on your strengths and abilities, list the occupations for which you are best suited.
* Describe the ideal company for which you would like to work (mission, work activities, organization, environment, processes, and values).
* List at least five companies that meet your specifications for an ideal company for which to work.
* List at least five companies for which you would not work.
Target your résumé to focus on your objective. The résumé needs to communicate quickly, clearly, and accurately your objective, qualifications, experience, and accomplishments. The résumé is generally the first impression of you and is therefore extremely important for any successful job search. If résumés are sent by mail, they should always be accompanied by cover letters. For more detailed information regarding résumés, refer to the article entitled Writing a Résumé.
Compile a list of people who know something about your work ethics, habits, experience, performance, and history. Select people who will feel comfortable speaking positively and specifically about you. These references should be divided into three categories: character references, job performance references (boss or high level colleague in former job), and professional expertise references (clients or competitors).
List several in each group, then contact each one by phone. Discuss your situation with them and ask for their permission to use them as a reference. Refine your list to two references from each category.
The most effective method of finding a new job is through your contacts. These could include family members, friends, business relations, business contacts, and church family. For more information regarding how to network, refer to the article entitled Networking.
Although many companies place advertisements in newspapers, Web sites, and elsewhere in their recruiting efforts, you should be aware that only 10 percent to 15 percent of positions available are advertised. For this reason you shouldn’t feel that you have exhausted your job search options just because you might have answered all the classified employment advertisements.
Both employment agencies and search firms tend to specialize in certain kinds of jobs, such as engineering, finance, marketing, or research. Employment agencies and search firms represent businesses, not job seekers. In most states, agencies are regulated and are not allowed to charge clients for placement, or they are not allowed to charge until placement. Avoid those who charge an up-front fee. Search firms are contracted to fill specific needs of companies, generally high level positions.
One of the fastest growing business concepts is the temporary employment service. The employer benefits by having someone to fill a need that may or may not become permanent, so many companies will hire temporaries before permanent employees. However, keep in mind that many temporary positions turn into permanent employment if you are a good employee.
If you have experience in a particular area and feel confident that you could use that experience and provide a service to companies or businesses, you might want to consider independent contract work or private consulting.
If you are unemployed, your job search is your work. Set goals and deadlines for carrying out your strategy. Make yourself accountable by using deadlines. Develop a written schedule and spend six to eight hours a day looking for a job. Then when you return home, relax, get a good night’s sleep, and start again the following day.
In addition to supplying our physical needs, work plays a very important role in our spiritual lives (Colossians 3:23-24). Therefore, throughout your job search, you’ll want to be open to God’s leading. It is God’s will for us to work in order to support our families, so let Him direct your steps.
Originally posted 4/12/13.
A résumé provides a well-thought-out, concise picture of you—the job seeker. It needs to communicate quickly, clearly, and accurately your objective, qualifications, experience, credentials, and accomplishments. Your résumé is generally the first impression of you that a potential employer gets, so it is important for it to be concise, yet impressive.
Since most people—especially Christians—don’t like to talk about themselves, you are strongly advised to seek advice and assistance from others—spouse, parents, and knowledgeable friends. They need to be honest, yet complimentary.
In addition, it would be helpful to ask for someone who regularly reviews résumés as part of his or her job for advice in writing the résumé or to review your finished résumé. On occasion, professional résumé writers can be helpful, but make sure you agree on a price up front and pay for it only if you are completely satisfied. Never pay for a résumé compilation in advance of satisfactory completion.
Your résumé is in reality your personal sales brochure and you are the product the résumé or brochure is trying to sell. As such, you need to remember the following.
* Résumés are designed to allow many people to get to know you quickly and easily during the course of your job search.
* Your résumé must look good. It needs to be of the highest quality in content and appearance.
* Highlight your key qualities, accomplishments, assets, and abilities.
* Résumés are used at every level of the organizational world and may be viewed by many different levels of management.
The following are some valuable cautions and guidelines that need to be observed when compiling and writing your résumé.
1. If you need help getting started, there are templates available online and in office software programs.
2. You may not be able to write a top-notch quality résumé on the first try. Usually you will need to write several drafts.
3. Your first draft should be as long as necessary to include all important facts and relevant details. Then revise and edit the résumé as many times as needed until you have tailored it to your desired length. A one-page résumé is most desirable. A two-page résumé is acceptable, but more than two pages is unacceptable.
4. Your résumé must be able to do its job of selling you within the first five to twenty seconds. That is generally all the time you have to make a first impression on the decision maker.
5. Your résumé should avoid being so refined that it comes across as phony. Most people who evaluate résumés and make hiring decisions can identify immediately a résumé prepared by a professional.
6. The most important thing in a résumé is the information, not the expensive bond paper or fancy print.
7. Your résumé should identify you, emphasize your special points, highlight your achievements and the end result of your activities and contributions, and indicate the techniques and processes you are an expert at implementing. Don’t downplay your achievements.
8. Focus on the message you are trying to convey. Put yourself in the position of the reader to determine whether you feel the reader would have a clear understanding of your potential by quickly glancing over your résumé.
9. Remember that a résumé does not get you a job—it gets you an interview
The following are things definitely to avoid when preparing a résumé.
* Devoting more space to early jobs than to more recent jobs.
* Overemphasizing your educational background. If you have been out of school for more than five years, your résumé should be weighted in the direction of work experience and accomplishments.
* Overemphasizing or embellishing work accomplishments, skills, and/or responsibilities.
* Leaving gaps between employment dates. Give a reason for any unemployment periods. List jobs by year, rather than by month and year.
* Typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors. Proof read carefully. Do not mix short phrases with complete sentences; be consistent and use one or the other.
The following are things you might want to leave out of your résumé, especially if you feel it is becoming too lengthy or too wordy.
1. Specific names of references.
2. Reasons for leaving previous employers.
3. Present salary.
4. Outside activities and/or hobbies that are not relevant to the job.
5. Dramatic or fancy type of styling.
6. Colored résumé paper (use white, gray, or cream/buff bond).
7. Personal data (age, martial status, health, and so on).
The following are things that you definitely need to include in your résumé.
* Name, current address, telephone number, and e-mail address.
* Objective.
* Summary. This includes non-skilled attributes and strengths, as well as professional skills, abilities, and experience.
* Professional experience. Show dates (reverse order from present), name of company, job title, and job description (responsibilities, duties, achievements, and contributions).
* Education. Name of institution, degree(s), year(s) attended or degree(s) earned, and special honors, awards, or recognition.
* Other (if room is available). These would include professional memberships, civic or social memberships, awards, honors, publications, and accomplishments.
A résumé usually provides employers with the first impression of potential employees, and many times its effectiveness provides potential employees with the only opportunity they will have to convince the potential employers that they would be assets.
Although a résumé is not intended to convince an employer to hire a potential employee, more than anything else it can provide the opportunity for a personal employment interview. For that reason, the development of a quality résumé is one of the most important aspects of a job search.
Originally posted 4/12/13.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) paraphrased an ancient Persian proverb in his Conduct of Life: Behavior, when he wrote, “The world possesses three types of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who know not that things are happening or have happened.” This is so true with regard to today’s work world.
The cutting edge for workers in the modern workplace most likely will belong to the ones who make things happen. Two key characteristics describe workers who should be able to thrive in the rapidly changing work world: focus and versatility.
1. The first key characteristic that thriving workers must possess is focus. They must have the ability to focus their work efforts in the area of their God-given natural abilities, strengths, and talents. This will require a thorough knowledge of these God-given attributes. Workers who are not sure of their talents or who do not know where their strengths lie most likely will flounder in the ever-changing workplace.
2. The second key characteristic is versatility. In today’s workplace it’s usually not enough for workers simply to know their talents, abilities, and strengths. They also must be able to discern quickly how to use those attributes in the workplace with assurance and confidence, knowing that God has not given anyone else their particular strengths and abilities; in those they are unique.
As the work world changes, workers must be able to recognize and respond positively as they react to changes around them. This means workers must take the initiative and the responsibility for personal improvement, career development, and enhancement. There are generally 10 trends that are currently influencing and reshaping the work world. Workers must recognize these trends and do what is necessary to ensure that they conform and are not excluded from the changing workplace.
1. The work world is becoming more global. The work world no longer is operating exclusively within independent and nationalistic cultures. Industrialized nations with 350 million workers, whose pay scale averages $18 per hour, are now in competition with the 1.2 billion workers of Third World nations who average less than $2 per hour. For this reason workers need to consider becoming proficient in second or third languages and in high tech communications.
2. Corporate downsizing. As global networking and labor cost competition from the Third World increase, market prices must remain steady to remain competitive. Therefore, industrial nation corporations must institute cost-cutting measures—layoffs and forced early retirement—in order to maintain corporate profits.
3. More work for fewer workers. When downsizing occurs, it’s more than likely that fewer laid-off workers will be recalled or replaced. Instead, remaining staff will be expected to take up the slack, which will result in a heavier workload for the same amount of pay.
4. Talent and ability are becoming the focus to ensure job security. Job security in the future belongs to workers who develop track records of being excellent at the skill demanded from them. Quality productivity makes workers necessary to the economic success of businesses and organizations. In essence, security rests in the clear knowledge of God-given talents and compatible work settings where they can be used to their maximum potential.
5. Rapid increase in technology. Ten years ago, 25 percent of American workers used a computer on the job. Today that number exceeds 50 percent. Time is money and access to information is money. Increasingly sophisticated technology delivers needed information quicker.
6. The growth of home-based businesses. In the 1990s more than 20 percent of workers who had been laid off or forced into early retirement chose to start their own home-based businesses. The fastest growing sector of our economy is home-based businesses. With the increase in day trading and home-based software development, this trend likely will continue.
7. Telecommuting from home. As workers continue to become empowered to make decisions and work independently on projects, the feasibility of working from home offices increases. All that is needed is a PC and a modem. Currently at least one-third of America’s workforce is working at least part time from home.
8. Higher education standards. Generally speaking, the growing demand for generalists who have specialist capabilities is forcing the workforce to be qualified to meet this demand. Therefore college education or skilled vocational/technical school training is becoming more and more mandatory in order for workers to be competitive in the job market.
9. The increase of temporaries and part-timers. Twenty or 30 years ago temporaries and part-timers were regarded as second-class job positions. Now they are emerging not only as respectable but also as desirable career opportunities. Because businesses and corporations are paying upward to $4,000 or more in benefits for each full-time employee—not including vacation time, holidays, sick time, military leave, personal leave, or retirement— temporaries and part-timers are increasingly becoming attractive alternatives to full-time workers.
10. Need for occupational upgrading and continued education. In our new, ever-changing work world, workers must constantly upgrade and refine their skills and talents. God blesses His children who invest their talents and use them in such a way that He is glorified by their work ethics and professionalism. “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away” (Matthew 25:29). In other words, use it or lose it.
Christian workers need to anticipate changes in the workplace with faith and courage. Although it is impossible to predict specific details regarding the future direction of our work world, we can observe and respond to the “signs of the times,” with respect to the direction our work world is heading. Regardless of the direction, if our faith is in our Lord we cannot be led astray. “He will not allow your foot to slip; he who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3).
Originally posted 4/12/2013.
It is never pleasant to be laid off, but the experience can be a good opportunity to make important progress. Here are some tips to help you come out on the other end in a better position than before the job loss:
1. Don’t withdraw and lose hope in God’s leadership and guidance. Admit, accept, and deal with any anger, shame, or fear, then give those feelings to God so that you can be relieved of them.
2. Don’t forget your gifts, talents, and skills. Assess the talents and gifts you already have. Then, based on these, search the job market for jobs that best fit these gifts, abilities, and talents.
3. Identify your abilities, pray, study God’s Word, and recognize your gifts, talents, abilities, and desires. Allow the Lord to reveal to you the assets with which He has gifted you. Ultimately, God is in control of your life.
Begin a job search with focused, persistent effort. There are no guarantees for immediate success, but keep going. Seek God’s direction through prayer – it’s essential during this time. Maintain a good attitude, keep the big picture in perspective, and ask yourself whether you really trust God or you just say that you trust Him.
Identify and secure resources needed to achieve your objective. Develop a well-thought-out strategy or plan, and network, because the most effective method of finding a new job is through your contacts. These could include family, friends, business relations, business contacts, your local Department of Labor office, and church family.
The best way to convince potential employers that you are the person they are looking for is to know what gifts, talents, and abilities are your greatest and most marketable assets. Write out the answers to these questions.
1. What are my accomplishments? Include business, career, personal, family, community, cultural, and societal accomplishments.
2. What skills were needed to accomplish them? Separate the skills into primary, secondary, and limited categories.
3. What are my values, principles, personal standards, and ethics? Eliminate from your job search any company where it is immediately obvious that you would have to compromise these values and standards.
4. What are my interests, abilities, skills, talents, desires, and gifts? Separate them into primary, secondary, and limited categories.
5. Concentrate job search efforts on your areas of greatest strength. This shouldn’t necessarily be a time to learn new skills, unless you have enough financial resources to take your time and you have a desire to expand your skills base. Find several companies you’d like to work for and the job position or responsibilities that match your strengths. Contact managers of departments where you’d want to work in the different companies and ask for an interview. If a manager is open to your suggestion, send your résumé, and always follow up later.
Take literally the principle of work in Colossians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Look to the Lord for a successful job search.
Originally posted 4/12/2013.
Correct vocational direction is related to basic abilities, and God endows every Christian with unique abilities, desires, and gifts to accomplish His will through them (see 1 Corinthians 12).
1. Discern God’s plan on how to best use your gifts and talents to serve Him.
2. Stay within God’s will – His priority guidelines – such as time spent in His Word, in prayer, and worship. This includes time spent with your spouse and children, so eliminate vocational options that have the potential to conflict with these priorities.
3. Choosing wrong vocational goals invites future problems. “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9).
4. Choose the right vocation by discerning what God wants for your life. Because Christians have the advantage of being able to see life from God’s perspective, we also have the responsibility to orient our lives accordingly.
When God instituted work, it was not a curse. He put Adam to work for his own benefit. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)
1. Work is so important to our daily lives that God commanded us to, “work six days” (Exodus 34:21). Paul was very direct concerning work: “If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)
2. God’s Word implies that there is dignity in all types of work. It does not elevate one honest profession above another.
3. Jobs aren’t merely tasks whereby workers can earn money; they are also a means by which workers can use their talents and abilities to develop godly character.
4. God gives every person unique talents, abilities and skills. “Every skillful person in whom the Lord has put a skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work.” (Exodus 36:1)
5. God gives success and is the one who is ultimately responsible for our success. “The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man.” (Genesis 39:2)
6. God even controls promotion, based on whether a person is a good steward of the responsibilities God has given her or him. “God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.” (Psalm 75:7)
7. Many people experience frustration in their jobs, because they don’t understand God’s part in work. “You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.” (Matthew 25:23)
Take God’s Word about work seriously: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
Originally posted 4/12/2013.
