Job Hunting in an Unsteady Economy

7 Tips for Success

Whether or not the U.S. economy has hit a recession, one thing is clear these days: Uncertainty is in the air, and it affects nearly every economic sector, including the job market.

The recent rise in the U.S. unemployment rate -- 5.5% in May -- indicates that fewer jobs are being created, but the shrinkage may not affect job-seekers in some fields, such as technology or health care. Nonetheless, experts say job seekers should pay attention to current economic conditions and expect that the job-search process may take longer.

Adjust Your Approach?

"The unemployment rate has risen, but it is not at a point that should cause job seekers to panic," says John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. "There is still demand for workers. Those seeking jobs in construction or mortgage lending might have a more difficult time finding employment, but we have not seen a significant downturn in hiring in other sectors."

Alexandra Levit, author of "They Don't Teach Corporate in College," suggests job seekers may want to alter their approach due to economic uncertainties.

"Perhaps this means earning a paycheck at your current job while conducting interviews over your lunch break or doing volunteer work on the weekend that might lead to a paid gig," she says. "If you are currently unemployed, you may have to settle for a situation that's not 100% ideal in order to keep yourself afloat through the downturn."

David Bach, a workforce development specialist in San Francisco, says job seekers can "improve their competitive edge by becoming more aware of the top ongoing employers." Fields that are less affected by the evolving economy -- such as education, health care, and energy -- make an ideal focus right now, he adds.

Tips for Reaching Your Goal

Experts recommend the following actions to increase your job-search success in an uncertain economic climate.

* Tailor your presentations; don't be generic. "In developing a resume and other promotions materials, think about how your current skills and talents apply directly to the responsibilities you'll hold in the new job," says Levit.

* "Create a target list of companies," says career coach Julie Jansen, author of "You Want Me to Work with Who?" She suggests sending the list to 25 people, asking them if they can put you in touch with an employee at one of the listed companies.

* "Make yourself and your skills more visible," says Bach. He suggests posting and refreshing your resume in more places, such as online job boards, and going to job fairs.

* "Create an advisory board of smart and empathetic people and confer with them regularly about your job search," says Jansen.

* "Hone and utilize your 'elevator pitch' as often as possible," says Bach, referring to a 30-second summary of your professional assets.

* Keep your spirits high. Don't let the process overwhelm you or weigh you down. Jansen advises, "Make a list of your five favorite things to do, and do them!"

* Make an effort daily. "Do one thing each day -- like emailing a new contact or attending a networking event -- that moves your job search forward," says Levit. "Your worst enemy is inertia."

by Tom Musbach, Yahoo! HotJobs

Singapore Hotels, Vacations, Tourism

A city as small as Singapore can be toured in just three days, many would say, but to see all the highlights and get beneath the skin of this charming place definitely warrants a longer stay. A tour planned around the major districts allows one to appreciate its history, people and rich cultural diversity in an optimal period of time. Here is the best of Singapore not to be missed.

Colonial Core—Singapore's architectural goldmine. Let yourself be whisked back in time to 1819, when Sir Stamford Raffles first stepped ashore and the Union Jack was raised. Still exuding a strong air of colonialism are well restored government buildings, cathedrals and churches, and the Singapore Cricket Club, once a sports centre for the British colonists. Esplanade Park makes for a pleasant stroll, while learning about the martyrs and heroes, for whom the various memorials in the park have been built. The city's finest museums also lie nestled in and around the district including the Singapore Art Museum, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore Philatelic Museum and Singapore History Museum. Just at the eastern outskirts of the colonial core stands the renowned Raffles Hotel. A modest museum on the third floor retells its legend.

Singapore River—This is the very origin of Singapore's prosperity, with the Merlion (the city's tourism icon) steadfastly standing guard at the mouth of the river. Quaint bridges span the river, ranging from the elegant Anderson Bridge to the simple Ord Bridge. Boat Quay, an excellent reincarnation of Peranakan shophouses and godowns, is a pleasant place to dine alfresco, with its long slew of chic cafes, restaurants and pubs. Further upstream is Clarke Quay, yet another series of restored shophouses, where a carnival atmosphere prevails at the fall of dusk. Come Sunday, a flea market thrives here, displaying an appealing range of old treasures, curios and collectibles. Other dining and entertainment attractions along the river include the Riverside Point, Riverside Village and Robertson Quay at the uppermost end.

Financial District—Home to the towering skyscrapers that lend Singapore its distinctive skyline. Over the years, building after building has battled to be the tallest; today, three have tied for the honours—OUB Building, UOB Building and Republic Plaza, all standing at the maximum permissible height of 280 metres. At one end near the mouth of the Singapore River is The Fullerton Singapore, a hotel built in the classical architecture that once dominated the district. Further south is Clifford Pier, built in 1931 and is today the embarkation point for cruises to neighbouring islands. Another piece of old Singapore is the Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, a complete reconstruction of the first municipal market of 1894 that has been transformed into a thriving food centre—the perfect venue for relishing Asian cuisines at rock-bottom prices.

Orchard Road— Shop till you drop! Join the jostling crowds and do what young and trendy Singaporeans do best—shop, catwalk and flaunt their latest buys. Swanky malls and charming boutiques dot Singapore's prime shopping belt from end to end, while chic alfresco eateries make great spots for watching the fashion parade go by. Top stops include local department stores Robinsons and Tangs (which is a landmark in itself with the distinctive pagoda-roofed tower of the Singapore Marriott just above it), and mammoth shopping arcade Ngee Ann City for its posh boutiques and the anchor tenant, Takashimaya. Christmastime along Orchard Road is always a colourful spectacle of bright lights and exuberant decorations.

Chinatown—Once a victim of redevelopment, this ethnic enclave still holds pockets of old, dilapidated buildings where Singaporeans continue to practice age-old trades. Others have been restored to their former state, like the series of shophouses at the Tanjong Pagar Conservation Area. For an authentic taste of Chinese culture, try visiting a teahouse and the Thong Chai Medical Institute, then take a peek into a typical middle-class Chinese home in the 1920s at the Chinaman Scholar's Gallery. Crowded streets throb, especially just before Chinese New Year, when Chinese opera and lion dances add to the festivity. Do not forget to visit the eclectic mix of mosques and temples while you are here—the serene Nagore Durgha Shrine, the elaborate Sri Mariamman Temple and the grand Thian Hock Keng Temple are just a few.

Arab Street—With its top draw being the Sultan Mosque, this is the repository of culture for Singapore's Muslim community. Muslim restaurants and coffee shops line the streets, serving up mostly traditional Indian and Malay fare. During the holy month of Ramadan, even more food stalls are set up in preparation for breaking fast at dusk. Shopping here is a delight and a welcomed change from the glitzy malls of Orchard Road, with stores selling Malay, Indonesian and Middle Eastern merchandise—lots of textiles, carpets, antiques, jewellery, artefacts, basket wares and alcohol-free perfumes. Do not forget to drop by Istana Kampung Glam and take a stroll around Singapore's oldest Malay cemetery.

Little India—A riot of colour, particularly on Sundays and during major Hindu festivals, like Thaipusam and Deepavali. Awash with scents and sights of the Indian subcontinent, this is where Indian men and sari-clad women abound, and everything needed by Indian households is found. Traces of Hinduism are seen everywhere, from the embellished Veeramukaliamman Temple to pictures of Hindu deities. Mustafa Centre sells just about anything you need under one roof and is a haven for bargain hunters.

Esprit jumps on H&M's forecast-beating earnings

Shares in Hong Kong-based apparel and accessories retailer Esprit Holdings (0330.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) bucked the downward trend in the broad market to gain nearly 6 percent on Thursday after rival Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) beat expectations in its second-quarter earnings.

H&M's results suggest strong demand for apparels despite a lukewarm economic performance in Europe, said analysts.

At 0238 GMT, the stock was up 3.3 percent at HK$86.8 after rising as high as HK$89 at one point.
The stock has been on a downslide in recent weeks on concern over falling demand from the U.S. and Europe amid rising inflation and stagnant growth rates.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINHKG16349620080619?rpc=611

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

YOGYAKARTA (pronounced "Jogjakarta" and often just shortened to "Jogja") ranks as one of the best-preserved and most attractive cities in Java, and is a major centre for the classical Javanese arts of batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry and puppet shows. At its heart is Yogya's first family, the Hamengkubuwonos, whose elegant palace lies at the centre of Yogya's quaint old city, the Kraton, itself concealed behind high castellated walls. Tourists flock here, attracted not only by the city's courtly splendour but also by the nearby temples of Prambanan and Borobudur, so there are more hotels in Yogya than anywhere else in Java and, unfortunately, a correspondingly high number of touts, pickpockets and con artists.
Yogyakarta grew out of the dying embers of the once-great Mataram dynasty. In 1752, the Mataram Empire, then based in nearby Solo, was in the throes of the Third Javanese War of Succession. The reigning susuhunan, Pakubuwono II, had been steadily losing power in the face of a rebellion by his brothers, Singasari and Mangkubumi, and the sultan's nephew, Mas Said. To try to turn the tide, Pakubuwono persuaded Mangkubumi to swap sides and defend the court, offering him control over three thousand households within the city in return. Mangkubumi agreed, but the sultan later reneged on the deal. In fury, Mangkubumi headed off to establish his own court. Thus Yogyakarta was born, and Mangkubumi crowned himself Sultan Hamengkubuwono I. He spent the next 37 years building the new capital, with the Kraton as the centrepiece and the court at Solo as the blueprint. By the time he died in 1792, his territory exceeded Solo's. After his death, however, the Yogya sultanate went into freefall and spent most of the nineteenth century concentrating on artistic pursuits rather than warmongering. In 1946, the capital of the newly declared Republic of Indonesia was moved to Yogya from Jakarta, and the Kraton became the unofficial headquarters for the republican movement. With the financial and military support of Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, Yogya became the nerve centre for the native forces. Today, over fifty years on from the War of Independence, the royal household of Yogya continues to enjoy almost slavish devotion from its subjects and the current sultan, Hamengkubuwono X, is one of the most influential politicians in the country.

http://travel.yahoo.com

Make Money Online

There are many ways of making a residual income or just a little bit of extra cash in your pocket by using the internet.

It can be very hard to make money online, but if you have the right tools and the confidence, it can become very easy and make you very wealthy.

Making money online is a great way to live, and if you are good at it, you can get out of those 9-5 jobs that we all hate! A few ways to make money online: Online surveys -Most of these will not make you very rich, but can give you quite a bit of extra money in your pocket and all you have to do is give your personal opinion.

MLM (Multi-Level-Marketing) -These are programs you can sign up for and invite people to join and use the site product and get paid. These are kind of like pyramid schemes, which are illegal by the way, except these have other products. (some are free but others will have an initial fee or monthly fee) Affiliate Marketing -This is a great way to make money online.

You get paid to traffic people to sites and can get paid with pay-per-click or pay-per-sale using affiliate programs. Works good if you have your own website. Selling- If you have products that you can sell, using the internet is a great way! Anyone can make money online.

All your really need is a computer with access to the internet, your brain, and the initiative and confidence to accomplish success! Learn how I make Money online!!!

http://makemoneyonline-jeffehboy.blogspot.com/ Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_G_Charles

Hollywood women gather for `Fearless' dinner

It's a good time to be a woman in Hollywood.

Days after "Sex and the City" trumped Indiana Jones at the box office, actresses, screenwriters and other Hollywood insiders gathered Tuesday to talk shop and toast their collective success at Cosmopolitan magazine's annual "Fun Fearless Females" dinner.

"Ugly Betty" star Becki Newton swapped business tips with "Legally Blonde" co-writer Kirsten Smith. Amanda Bynes shared stories with Cosmopolitan editor Kate White. Publicists and studio execs traded tales of the business.

The general consensus: the more women band together in Hollywood, the more successful they become.

"You've got 'Sex and the City,' the Pussycat Dolls, the Cheetah Girls, the 'House Bunny' girls there's these groups of girls, arms linked, saying 'All right, there's strength in numbers, let's go forward together,'" said Smith, who has co-written other female-centric flicks including "She's the Man" and "10 Things I Hate About You."

The road to off-camera success was paved by women such as Salma Hayek, said actress Zoe Saldana.

"As soon as it was proven that she could put (people) in seats, she said, 'I'm going to start my own production company. I'm going to go into the studio and tell them the way it is and I'm going to produce 'Frida,' '" Zaldana said.

Such examples give women in Hollywood today the confidence to reach new levels in business, White said.

"You don't get the sense that they're intimidated by anything or that they feel they need a man to show them the way," she said, adding that women are crafting their own careers and "not waiting for anyone" to tell them what to do.

"You just feel that's going on all over," she said. "There's just so much control, and you feel that's where women are in society, too."

Relatives of alleged R. Kelly victim say she's not in video

R. Kelly's lawyers opened his defense Wednesday, calling relatives of the alleged victim to testify that she's not the person in the sex video at the center of the case.

Another defense witness on Wednesday accused a key prosecution witness of soliciting $300,000 from the R&B superstar in exchange for her silence.

So far, seven family members of the alleged victim have testified — four prosecution witnesses who said earlier that they recognized the woman, and three who said Wednesday that they did not.

"It definitely wasn't her," said Shonna Edwards, when asked Wednesday whether the underage girl seen having sex with the Grammy winner on the video was her relative.

The 27-year-old Edwards said she saw the tape for the first time several days ago in a lawyer's office, telling jurors that the female's body in the tape was too developed to be her relative at that time.

Prosecutors, who rested their case Monday, allege the girl was as young as 13 when the tape was made.

Edwards also said she met Kelly frequently in the 1990s when she sang in an R&B music group with her relative, and she added that the man in the sex tape "did not appear" to be Kelly.

Kelly, 41, is charged with 14 counts of child pornography for allegedly videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl. He has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Both he and the alleged victim deny they're on the graphic, 27-minute tape.

The singer, dressed in a honey-brown suit and bright flower-pattern tie, appeared attentive as he sat behind the defense table Wednesday, sometimes even nodding his head in agreement during the testimony for the defense.

During cross-examination, prosecutors displayed two photos on a split screen — one of the female in the tape and one of the alleged victim — and asked Edwards if it was at least possible they were the same person.

"Not at all," Edwards said without hesitating.

Other relatives, Charlotte Edwards and Leroy Edwards Jr., provided similar testimony on Wednesday. When prosecutors pressed Leroy Edwards Jr. about whether the alleged victim's family "has pretty much split in half as a result of this incident," he answered softly, "Yes."

Also Wednesday, the defense sought to discredit the testimony of a star prosecution witness, Lisa Van Allen, who told jurors Monday that she engaged in three-way sex with Kelly and the alleged victim.

A law clerk for the defense team, Jason Wallace, told jurors that Van Allen's fiance, Yul Brown, sought $300,000 from Kelly in return for a promise not to testify against him.

"Lisa doesn't have to testify in court if things are made right," Wallace quoted Brown as saying during a meeting with a Kelly attorney in Georgia last month, according to Wallace.

Van Allen was at the meeting in a hotel lobby, Wallace said, but Brown did all the speaking. But Wallace said Van Allen kept nodding her head in agreement.

Under cross-examination, prosecutor Robert Heilingoetter accused the defense of "trying to create an illusion of impropriety" around Van Allen's testimony.

Earlier Wednesday, a Chicago Sun-Times reporter declined to answer questions at the trial.

After he was sworn in, Jim DeRogatis cited an Illinois law that governs reporters' rights and the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution in refusing to answer questions.

DeRogatis received the sex tape through the mail in early 2002 and then turned it over to authorities. Prosecutors charged Kelly later that year based on the tape.

DeRogatis read his statement off an index card more than a dozen times in response to questions, including to whether he once made a copy of the sex tape. Defense attorneys have said that copying the tape would have been a crime.

After DeRogatis spent 10 minutes on the stand, Judge Vincent Gaughan said that the First Amendment and other reporters' privileges don't apply in this case. But he ruled that DeRogatis doesn't have to testify based on his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

DeRogatis attorney Damon Dunn argued that reporters have an obligation to pursue facts and that "they shouldn't be put in this type of position by defendants." He added that DeRogatis continued to cover the R. Kelly case.

Dunn said covering child pornography has "higher societal goals." He also argued that if forced to testify DeRogatis won't be able to guarantee to sources in the future that he would not have to reveal their names.

But defense attorney Mark Martin said the defense didn't intend to ask DeRogatis about his sources.

"So reporters' privilege does not apply. ... Being a reporter does not give a reporter rights to commit criminal offenses," Martin said.