Turning your hobby into a business …Hobbies that can make money

I try to provide some free or at least cheap ways to still enjoy life when unemployed and with little or no spare money for leisure activities. As I have written previously, it is actually more important than ever when looking for a job that you stay in circulation. It is important because meeting people and networking is one of the best ways to get a job, with many jobs being found through word of mouth and someone who knows of jobs being available rather than advertised jobs, this is called the hidden job market.

 Also, being unemployed has a very powerful and negative effect on mental health as well as finances and issues with mental health such as stress lead to physical health problems such as high blood pressure . For further information on this subject Google the psychological effects of unemployment, effect unemployment has on people and also articles on this blog

https://valeriehedgescareers.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20psychological%20effects%20of%20unemployment

When unemployed, there is no money in your benefits allowance for leisure activities. However, becoming a job hunting bore, talking about nothing other than looking for a job and the problems of having no money is a big turn off when you do meet people and can make you look desperate and leaving people more likely to wonder why you cannot get a job than to think off anyone they might know who could help you.

So, try to do something other than read your job alert emails and apply for jobs. It is true that many hobbies such as the arts and sports cost money, but if you are reading this then quite possibly at home you already have one of the best tools, that is the internet, for finding or developing further, hobbies that that are free or at least cheap and can even lead to a job.

Google hobbies that can make money online and look up writing, sharing knowledge, selling your photographs online , selling your crafts and cooking, gardening and sewing , all hobbies that can lead to making an income from your skills.

Also search terms to use are: Hobbies that make money ideas, hobbies that can earn you money and hobbies that can be a job.

If you have hobbies that you can write about then you can make money from writing about it and getting paid for your articles. If you do not already have a blog, start one and write articles for it, then look up ways to… Monetize your blog, with advertising and products relevant to your topic.

Google search: Websites that pay you to write:

Some examples:

  http://www.epicpassiveincome.com/pay-per-article-websites/

http://www.malleeblue.com/best-article-writing-sites-for-earning-money-online/#

http://allindiewriters.com/websites-and-blogs-paying-100-per-article/

http://www.writersincharge.com/110-websites-that-pay-writers/

http://www.makealivingwriting.com/140-websites-that-pay-writers-updated-2014/

http://www.amylynn.org/home/paidtowrite

Reading also can be turned into a means to make some money by writing paid book reviews.

https://dramaquill.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/get-paid-to-review-books/

http://www.sellbox.com/5-resources-for-paid-book-reviews/

http://www.findextrawork.co.uk/reviewbooks.php

Start a blog about your favourite books and books that you read and join Amazon’s affiliate programme, get the links to the book and advertise and promote your blog or website so that you can sell the books.

Quite likely you are already on Facebook and or Twitter, they are not just for fun and posting pictures of cats and writing on walls. Use the job hunting pages and groups and also search free advertising in the Facebook search bar , advertise your skills or crafts , post your CV or resume and share the groups and pages to your own page. Interact with other posts and almost without knowing, you will be building up networking connections and learning the basics of social media marketing.

Be sure to get some exercise, even just a walk into town if you have had to give up your gym membership, clears your head and reduces stress.

Valerie

Job hunting tips

Photo by energepic.com from Pexels

Job hunting tips
It’s all too easy to just think, I need to look for a job, and then without any more ado, log on to the many online jobs’ boards such as Monster, Reed, Total jobs, Indeed etc …. but a lot really needs to be done before actually looking at the jobs. After all, when you see the jobs you want to apply for, you need to be job application ready, with your CV / resume, cover letters etc ready to send off, jobs go quickly!!!

Prior to looking for the ideal job, or indeed maybe not ideal, not that dream job, but it will do for now and pay the bills and get you out of the punishing state benefits system, learn how to effectively market your talents. 

This will help you gauge the possibility of landing the job. Your skills and interests should be evaluated.  Jotting down a list would definitely be the best way to define your capabilities; second, to know your limitations and help you spot the jobs that you may love the look of but you will not be a fit for. There are jobs that are too demanding that might not work for you in terms of commitments such as family responsibilities, or jobs that you may be overly qualified for or not have the qualifications for.

The very first thing that needs to be done when looking for a job is to prepare your resume.  The resume will depend on the type of job being applied for.  More often than not a covering letter will also be requested, every professional job you apply for expects to receive a well written resume. There are many sites online that can help you with both a generic resume and job specific ones.  

Where else to look for job openings?

A good step is still to look at local newspapers for this provides information just by looking at the Classified Ads section and the lists of employment opportunities. If you are registered at the job centre and claiming benefits you will have to do this as well as looking online, because your work coach will make sure you use every source of jobs available , so don’t think you can just sit at home , play on Facebook and have the occasional look at the jobs online .

If it so happens a job was found late in the day, call immediately for inquiries. Don’t think, oh, I will do that tomorrow, there are loads of applicants after every job and if you postpone making contact, others will be sure to get in before you do .

How to look for jobs that are not announced? The Hidden job market

Sometimes companies and other employers do not really advertise any job openings in their organization. Many good companies claim and possibly rightly so, that they do not need to advertise their vacancies, word of mouth among their satisfied, happy staff gets them anyone they need. Again,if you are registered for state benefits in the UK and have to go to the job centre as you are considered fit for work, then the staff will insist that you utilise the hidden jobs market as it is called. If you want your benefits to not be suspended, it’s no good being proud, you will be made to agree to ask family, friends, anyone you know, if they know about any jobs!!!

Tell everyone about your job hunting.  Relatives and previous offices or company co-workers will be able to give hints on job vacancies in their current companies.  Professors or teachers will also be helpful in recommending schools and institutions that are now looking for new instructors.  These people might not have any vacant position in their company in mind, but they certainly know someone who knows or needs a new employee.  That is what others call networking.

Often, the Yellow Pages and other online business listings directories do the job of providing information on how and where to call to look for a job.  They gives an accurate list of companies and prospective employers in a chosen area.  Visiting the library is also a tool than can be useful when looking for a job.  There are libraries that have a list of local employers, just asks the librarian for more information.

Contact these employers personally, even if they did not advertise any vacant positions that needed to be filled

Lastly, be observant of signs posted on doors and windows of shops and stalls being passed by.  If lucky, just walk in and ask for information about the job and how to apply.

After submitting application forms and resumes to the respective companies, keep track of the progress by creating a chart where you can jot down the name of the company and when the application was submitted. If you are not too experienced in creating such a chart, Excel spreadsheets can easily be utilised and there are also job search records that can be freely downloaded  

Here’s a checklist to help you along your way:

1.    Identify experience list

2.    Identify prospective employers

3.    Prepare documents

4.    Contact companies and/or employers

6.    Get ready for an interview

7.    Evaluate how interview went along

8    Start the new job!

Resources to help you organise your job search


https://www.limeresumes.com/job-application-tracker/

https://www.careergeekblog.com/job-application-tracking-spreadsheet/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2015/05/04/job-search-3-online-tools-to-stay-on-track/#7859244e250b

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/tools-organize-job-search/

http://applymate.com/

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/organize-your-job-search-2060710

https://www.careerchoiceguide.com/job-search-log.html

https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/job-search-tracker/

https://standout-cv.com/blogs/job-hunting-advice-blog/113298692-job-application-tracker-spreadsheet

https://huntr.co/

https://standout-cv.com/blogs/job-hunting-advice-blog/113298692-job-application-tracker-spreadsheet

https://www.themuse.com/advice/10-job-search-tricks-that-will-change-everything-youve-been-doing

https://www.gojobhero.com/

https://www.livecareer.com/career/advice/jobs/organize-your-job-search

https://www.annecorder.co.uk/job-seekers-blog/manage-your-job-search/

https://www.skipthedrive.com/job-application-tracking/

https://techwhirl.com/job-search-tracker-template/

https://idealistcareers.org/6-free-downloads-to-help-you-find-a-job-and-advance-your-career/

https://templates.office.com/en-au/Job-search-log-TM06091461

https://www.giraffecvs.co.uk/track-your-job-search/

https://www.careertoolbelt.com/free-career-and-job-search-tools/

https://zapier.com/blog/supercharge-your-job-hunt/

Valerie

Secrets to A Better Future

The New year is already two days old !!!, maybe you are working, perhaps not, but either way, the year is well under way. So, stop for just a second, look around you and ask yourself if this is the quality of life you were hoping for. How was last year for you, are you still waiting to get this year’s New Year resolutions going?

If not a lot has changed for you for the better since this time last year then my question to you is “why not?” “What are you doing to change your life?” Many people who have been asked what they’ve done to change their lives say, “it’s no use because….” and so it goes….

But it doesn’t have to be that way. The first step in getting out of the rut is to assume responsibility for the quality of your life. You can change a lot of things starting right now. There will always be obstacles such as lack of money for many of your dreams to be fulfilled and limitations due to health issues, but none that can’t be overcome albeit with some adaptions. The only requirement is the desire to change. Mark Twain once said, “It's not the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog.” If your “want to” is strong enough, you can achieve almost anything you set your mind to.

The second step to getting out of the rut is step out in faith, whatever you put that in and “Just do it”. There is no time like the present to change course. You might not succeed the first time but keep trying. Success will come with persistence. Remember the old saying “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Don’t worry about making a mistake. Albert Einstein once said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

So, step out. Take a chance, and as William Durant, the founder of General Motors said “Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it.”

Was one of your new year resolutions to start a home business? For many it is a resolution made frequently each New Year and soon forgotten about and shelved as being too difficult, then dug out again next time the resolutions are to be made …

However, what if right now you do not have a job and cannot seem to get one? What if you are an older and or disabled person or have health conditions that make it very difficult to do as the social security systems are forcing people to do? to work on regardless of health, age and physical ability until 70 and beyond with no retirement in sight, with more increases in the age at which state pensions can be claimed. You may well be one of the many needing a home business to take them into later life

Even the home business market has suffered losses as well as high Street businesses. Home businesses that have gone include Kleeneze, Bettaware and Phoenix cards, though the latter has started up again under a new name and Kleeneze is trying to restart with a new name and business format, but while the home business market is as risky in its long-term security as a traditional job may be, to start an independent business of your own, not dependent on another company can be a  very good move. This can be done with your own products for sale e.g. crafts or affiliate links selling other people’s products, and a website such as Shopify or blog on which you can sell via a Paypal link and or selling on social media with Facebook especially having many local, national and worldwide buy and sell groups .

Valerie

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

New Year Resolutions

As another year passes us by, we think how during it we lost much of the enthusiasm we had at the start, the ambitious plans and positivism. They are probably lost in the activities, deadlines, targets and meetings that we met within the days of the passed year. Whenever a new beginning comes, our plans must be reviewed and maybe adapted for changes in income, health, age, family circumstance etc, but it is still a fresh start and new beginning.

Plan ambitious objectives in the New Year

Look forward to and plan for a raise in your business figure to up to 15% if you have your own business, your input into either your own business or your employment if employed by someone else. Planning to just do better is too vague, set a value on how you want to increase your measure of performance and then exceed it!!! If you are unemployed and looking for a job, then use this formula, to plan how many more jobs you will apply for.

 If you have your own business, look ahead to more clients, further development of your web site, launching new products or proposing new actions and activities. Take advantage of the end of the year evaluation and let it redefine your objectives and tell you clearly what you want and intend in the future and where you need to go and aim for.

Why not take a course?

The adult education sector has been very badly hit regarding funding , to take a degree now means either self -funding or  in England ,taking a student loan with the knowledge that if your earnings reach a certain level you then have to start paying it back, hardly an incentive to aim high, especially as this earnings level may well coincide with plans to get your own home, either renting or taking out a mortgage and maybe embarking on a relationship  ….but there are still some very worthwhile free courses available , a good reliable option being Openlearn via the Open University and Vision2learn .

Send positive vibrations

Two sad and old plants, a grey desk in the middle of a sad decor … on the contrary, you will breathe easily once you have added some colour spots here and there, like a colored painting, a plant with happy flowers or a decorative desk vase. Your working environment and a tidy desk are important whether you are working in an employed capacity or at home being self-employed.

 Valerie