Get a Better Job and Better Pay by Enhancing Your Resume

I'm sure you have heard that unemployment is getting to be a pretty big problem around the world. Everybody seems to have a solution for how to solve it, but so far none of the ideas have worked. Well, you've come to the right place, because Howtomakeadollar has a lot of experience at getting jobs using one simple trick.

Most people apply for jobs by sending a resume and cover letter to the company they want to work for. The problem with this technique is that most businesses get overwhelmed with resumes and it is hard to make yourself stand out from all the other people who are applying for the job. You need to make yourself look better than all of these people if you want to get a job. The best way to do this is to make stuff up. Let me explain

You probably think that making spelling and grammatical errors on your resume will hurt you. But this is not necessarily true. It all depends on what kinds of mistakes you make.

For example, lets say that the job you are looking for requires a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, but you don't have one. This is very simple. Just write "I have an MBA degree" on your resume. Is this a lie? No. Its a mistake. You meant to write "I don't have an MBA degree," but you messed up, and spell check didn't catch it. Spell check is useless. It never catches anything. Spell check is about as effective as a blind guy trying to drive a car at night. I don't know what difference it makes that its night time. Just forget I mentioned it. 

Howtomakeadollar can vouch that this is a reliable way to stand out from other job applicants, and is a good way to get a raise at your current job as well. If everybody in the country did this, the unemployment rate would go down to zero and everybody would have a job.

Increase productivity at Work and Home

How to increase productivity at work and home

One thing that continually amazes me at work is how much time is spent at meetings, writing emails, and talking with people.

When I get home its more of the same.

There is no way to completely avoid this, but there is one simple trick you can use to speed things along significantly: Eliminate all unnecessary syllables, both in speech and in writing.

It is a well known fact that the average person takes 2 seconds per syllable, and can take up to five seconds on long ones like "able" as in "syllable".
As always, Howtomakeadollar offers this trick at no fee, enirely for your benefit

Do: Say "twenty-ten" when telling people what year it is (Syllable Count: 3)
Don't: Say "Two Thousand and Ten" (Syllable Count: 5)
Syllables Saved: 2
Estimated time savings in the course of a year: 30 hours

Estimated time savings in the course of a century: 48 years (It turns out that if everyone says "twenty" instead of "two thousand" the century will actually end way ahead of schedule. I did the math on this myself.)

Definitely Do Not Say: Two-Oh-One-Oh

Do: Call your boss "dude" or "lady"
Don't: Call them by their real name, which is usually longer
Estimated Time Savings: 23 hours

Do: Eliminate all unnecessary words
Don't: Offer explanations

Also Don't: Ask questions that can be worded as statements
Example:
Do: "I'm leaving now"
Don't: "I have an appointment this afternoon and I have to be there by 2:00, so is it ok if I leave a little bit early?
Estimated Time Savings: Incalculable

Your boss and your spouse will appreciate your efficiency, and you will get more work done. With the time you save, you should be free to work on other money making ideas.

Related idea: Substitute the words "are" "you," and sometimes "why" with the letters "R" "U" and sometimes "Y" in all emails. Your co-workers will envy your professionalism and you will save valuable keystrokes.

How To Get a Raise or Promotion

If you are working on a few business ideas but aren't making enough money to quit your job, you might as well get as big a raise as you can. The economy is in pretty rough shape right now, and many businesses have frozen wages or even cut them. Here are a few ways to get promoted or get a raise.

1. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Everyday.

2. Be cheerful. Smile when people talk to you, especially your boss. Always say your day is going good, or great, when someone asks you. The project you are working on is going great, and you enjoy the challenge. No matter what. Sometimes your co-workers will complain about the boss, or the work, or the temperature. Do not join them. Either stay out of the conversation altogether, or chip in something positive.

3. Carry a notebook and pen with you all the time, even to meetings that you know won't be important

4. Say something at meetings, even meetings that are ridiculous wastes of time. Managers feel just as awkward in these meetings as everyone else, and they will be relieved if someone else talks a little bit. It breaks the awkward silence. A good question to ask at weekly team meetings is "are there any extra projects coming up?" This shows that you care about the big picture and want to be involved.
5. Say hi, by name to higher-up executives when you pass them in the hallway. They probably don't know you. You want them to.
6. Show up a minute early everyday. Some managers are micro managers who will actually keep track of this. Others will not keep track but will occasionally notice and appreciate it. Better to be occasionally noticed coming in early than occasionally noticed coming in late.

Update: 12/8/09-- My company has several thousand employees and has frozen wages for everyone indefinitely. I work on a team of about 65 people, and it is really hard to stand out. However, today I was given a promotion with a pay raise of 11%. I truly believe that following the principles I named above helped me get the promotion. I do above average work, but on a team of 65 people there are probably 10 people who are as productive or moreso than I am. Several of them have more experience at the company, and some have a masters degree. I was told that I was the first and only person who was seriously considered for the promotion, and that I was chosen because I am the most professional and have the best attitude. Its not always fun to get to work early, and I hate dressing up, but its worth an 11% raise, especially when the entire company is locked down.