Building an online business isn’t easy – that’s why in this article I’m sharing a master list of all the tools you can use and leverage to make the process easier.

1.  Email Marketing Software

Email marketing is proven to convert and for every $1 you spend on it, expect to get back $43 in return. If you want to reach new clients and engage them then you will need the best email marketing software on the market.

2. Grammar Checkers

The quality of your writing reflects the quality of your product and your website. Don’t lose potential customers with poor grammar or spelling. These grammar checker tools will help you craft compelling copy even if you aren’t a native English speaker.

3. Landing Page Builders

If you are selling an expensive product then you need a long-form landing page. These are proven to convert 220% better than short landing pages. Check out these landing page builders which help you create gorgeous pages without needing an eye for design.

4. Marketing Video Makers

Our attention spans are getting shorter thanks to the likes of Instagram and Tiktok and video as a form of marketing is exploding with 81% of businesses using video marketing. You don’t need to be an expert as I’ve compiled a list of the top DIY marketing video makers.

5. Photo Editing Software

5.15 billion people have smartphones – this means photo editing isn’t going away any time soon. If you want to present your brand in the best possible light you don’t just need good photography but also good photo editing. I’ve handpicked this list of the best photo editing software.

6. Project Management Software

With work going virtual, project management software is now more important than ever to ensure that workstreams and expectations are aligned. As your team scales and grows this will become a more important piece of the puzzle so you should ensure that you invest in good PM software.

7. Website Builders

You don’t need to be a coder in order to create your own website. There are over 104 different website builder platforms to choose from but I’ve narrowed it down to the top 17 website builders based on my personal experience and external reviews.

8. Webinar Software

One of the best ways to sell is to educate – what better way to do this at scale than use webinars? There is a wide range of webinar software that you can choose from some of which even have sophisticated polling and analytics built in so that you can deeply understand what your audience wants.

9. Accounting Software

A slick frontend is nothing without a good backend. Likewise a good looking website or business is nothing if the finances on the backend are not sorted and accounted for. Instead of paying accountants, try using accounting software – this is a cheaper (although more DIY) alternative.

10. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

The last piece of the puzzle is Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. It’s no use having a great website, a slick webinar and robust accounting processes if you don’t understand where your customers are in the sales journey. As you scale look to incorporate CRM software into your software stack.

Conclusion

You don’t need to be Steve Jobs to start your own business. There are so many tools at your disposal that can help you. I’m documenting my own journey in building an online business on my blog Passive Income Tree drawing from my experience building a five figure a month dropshipping store.

2021 and Powerful Stock Industries

There is no arguing that doing well in the stock market can be rewarding. There is also no arguing that it can be pretty confusing for people who honestly don’t know much about the things that they’re doing. Thinking about stock industries in this day and age can feel particularly daunting for most folks. That’s due to the fact that recent times haven’t actually been simple for any industry. The COVID-19 situation has wreaked havoc onto an abundance of industries and fields the globe over. If you’re interested in stocks for 2021 and beyond, then you should take the time to research the industries that may end up being the most powerful ones. Intelligent investors should pay careful attention to any and all possible openings for the near future.

Loans

If you want to be an intelligent investor for 2021, it can help you considerably to learn as much as possible about the ins and outs of stock analyst ratings. Beyond that, it can be immensely helpful to look into businesses that involve the loan sector in any way, shape, or form. It can help to zero in on loan businesses that relate to education that’s secondary.

Find out everything you can about the universe of student loans. It can help you greatly to zero in on pertinent concepts such as the management of debt and financing plans. These subjects are a big deal nowadays. That’s because there have been so many factors that have stopped people from being able to take charge of debt that’s related to paying for college or university tuition. Things have been taxing on the education division as of late. Countless institutions of higher learning have not been able to open for their student bodies. They’ve had to adjust their tuition fees in many cases, too. There have been so many institutions that have had to tweak things and make their fees a lot more reasonable for all of the members of their student bodies.

Holdings

It’s not just a smart idea to think in detail about the ins and outs of student loans. If you’re a savvy investor who wants to take full advantage of 2021 and all that it may have to offer you in the stocks department, then you should look into all things that involve holdings businesses as soon as possible—zero exceptions.

It can be wise to think in detail about the Internet travel department and how it works in this day and age. There are sectors that concentrate on everything from global travel specialties and reservations to tickets overall. Holdings companies in many cases cater to consumers in hundreds and hundreds of nations. They, in many situations, cater to consumers who speak dozens and dozens of tongues. If you want to thrive in the stock arena, you should put attention into holdings businesses that relate to accommodations, airlines, vehicle rentals, and anything else similar at all.

Travel issues have done a number on the tourism sector in recent times. That’s one of the reasons that some of the most capable investors around have been concentrating on holdings businesses and pertinent travel pathways that are in place.

Artificial Intelligence

AI or “artificial intelligence” is a major topic these days and with good reasoning. If you want to stay ahead of the rest of the pack in the stocks arena, then you should think about companies that revolve around AI software. You should think about companies that take full advantage of the cloud and all of its options as well. There are so many companies that do a lot to streamline things for determined and capable network supervisors. Any network supervisors who want to minimize system burdens and similar troubles can get a lot out of software that’s well-rounded, balanced, and updated.

If you’re committed to shining in the investment division for 2021, then you should do anything and everything you can to learn about stocks that involve software that’s pertinent. You should do anything in your power to learn about stocks that relate to AI and all of its possibilities across the board. If you have any friends who know anything about stocks, you should try to seek insight from them. Compare notes with people around you who have any stock market savvy at all.

The field of information technology has been a popular career choice for recent graduates and career changers alike. However, most entry-level IT jobs require previous experience or training. Consider one of these four methods of training for an IT career.

1. Get a Certification

A popular method of entry into the IT world is taking a course or series of courses that lead to one or more IT certifications. For instance, a person who is interested in working as a data center professional might take a data center design course. Popular IT certifications include Certified Data Center Professional, Cisco Certified Network Profesional, CompTIA A+ and Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate. Courses that lead to these certifications are available in person and online and if you have an IT related job, your employer may offer a tuition reimbursement program for some classes.

2. Go To a Traditional College

Attending a two or four-year college program is one of the more time-consuming and expensive ways to break into the IT field, but it also opens the most doors. A solid college program will provide you with a strong foundation in the skills you will need to succeed in the field. Some employers may not consider candidates who do not possess a degree. Be sure to do your research, particularly if you are considering a for-profit school. You will want to choose a school with good job placement rates and a positive reputation among potential employers.

3. Self-Teach

Many successful IT professionals are self-taught. There are resources available on the internet, some of which are free to use and others that require payment. Additionally, there are numerous books on the subject. Some enterprising professionals even manage to learn by simply jumping right in and writing code or fiddling around with hardware. This method is most effective for fields where employers do not have rules against considering employees without credentials and where you can demonstrate your aptitude by showing off projects you have completed.

4. Attend a Tech School

If traditional college is not for you, consider a school that focuses exclusively on teaching technology subjects. Some of these schools provide graduates with valuable skills, but tuition can be pricey and not all employers value degrees from these types of schools, so do your research.

There is more than one path to a successful IT career. The best path for you depends on the experience and skills you already have and the job you hope to get.

Flood and other water events can negatively impact the structural integrity of a building and causing a string of health-related issues when not cleaned properly. There is more to cleaning flood waters than just the surface. There are lots of hidden spots in the building that when affected by water, can be catastrophic. In most cases, it can result in mold growth necessitating the need for reliable mold remediation services Mooresville North Carolina. Property owners are expected to reach out to these professionals within the next 24 hours to avoid the calamity that comes with excessive exposure to moisture.

Categories of Damage

Flood or water damage in the home can be further broken down into different categories including primary damage and secondary damage.

Primary damage is the initial stage of the destruction. In this stage, surfaces, materials, and flooring begin to look odd. This is due to direct exposure to floodwaters. Fine examples include wet furniture, soaked floors, and drywalls, just to name a few.

Secondary damage, on the other hand, should be avoided at all costs. Most mold remediation services Mooresville North Carolina try as much as possible not to allow the damage to escalate to this level. This type of damage occurs when property owners fail to tackle the problem at the primary stage. Leaving floodwater in a property for more than 24 hours spells danger. Homeowners and occupants are faced with lots of health and safety hazards that require thorough remediation service.

And since secondary damage can quickly escalate beyond your expectation you must reach out to mold remediation services Mooresville North Carolina as quickly as possible. Once these professionals arrive at the scene, they will start with the remediation process immediately. They have all the necessary tools to restore the home and ensure homeowners and occupants do not face health and safety hazards.

It is quite sad to say that most homeowners disregard the expertise of mold remediation services Mooresville North Carolina, and as such, they decide to perform the clean up themselves. Without the right knowledge, tools, and resources, you will only remediate visible damage on the spot. You may not know where to look when it comes to cleaning the floors, wallboards, framing, and insulation. At the end of it all, the result will be mold growth. Not just will you spend extra money contacting professionals to correct the error, you will also have to spend more on your health.

The floor, for instance, can be a tricky spot to clean. While the floor might appear dry on the surface, the truth is that the flooring has already soaked the water, which in turn makes the subflooring weak. Mold can easily grow in these areas thus causing health concerns.

You can’t tackle mold on your own. It is impossible. Reach out to experts who offer mold remediation services Mooresville North Carolina today. Your finances, health, and structure will thank you for it.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a technology that authenticates users and devices in the digital world. The basic concept of the PKI is to have one or more general parties who sign the document certifying the crypto key that belongs to the individual users. These keys issued by the PKI network work like an ID card for the users in the digital network.

The users and the devices that have the keys are usually called entities. The entity is not limited to the users and devices; it can be anything. You can even consider the program manufacturer, process, and component. The purpose of the key is to provide a secure network for an entity.

PKI has several certification features. Among them is a Certificate authority (CA). This certificate is issued to the users after submitting the necessary documents to inn the signing process.

What Is PKI Used For?

PKI helps the users and electronics to have their own identity in the digital world. It is only possible with the help of strong authentication implications, data encryption, and decryption. The PKI allows the entities with the two-step key verification to access the physical and digital world. It allows users to communicate among themselves securely. Currently, PKI is one of the core technologies that is being used in web security.

What Makes Up PKI?

When we talk about a PKI, we are talking about the policies, hardware, software, distribution, validation, and recollection of the digital certificates. The core part of the PKI is the certificate authority (CA). It is trusted worldwide and ensures that the documents submitted for the verification belong to the owner.

What Are Digital Certificates?

A digital certificate is a file that contains all the valuable information of the keys, identifying information, serial number, and the expiration date. These files also include the signature of the authority certificate that validates all the documents. Digital certificates are the documents that prove yours and your document authenticity in the digital world. These certificates can only be accessed with the help of the keys generated at the time of verification.

What Are Public And Private Keys?

In the digital world, two types of keys are generated for the communication between the two entities. One is the public key, and the other one is the private key.

• Public key: The public key is the general key shared with the other parties for communication. The public is mostly used for sending messages or sharing information on the secured network.
• Private key: Private is known to the key owner. It helps the user to decrypt the messages and information shared by the other parties.

How Does PKI Facilitate Authentication?

When a user tries to communicate with the server, the server generates some random data and sends it over to the user. The user accepts the data and then encrypts it with its private key. Once the encryption is done, the user sends the data back to the server for the decryption. The server decrypts the data with the public in the user’s digital certificate. And if the decrypted data is the same as the sent data, the server knows that it is dealing with the authentic user.

How Does PKI Facilitate Encryption And Decryption?

When large amounts of data are involved in the encryption and decryption, symmetric cryptography is used, since asymmetric cryptography will be too slow to execute itself. Since the two keys are used in the communication between the two parties, the first key needs to be shared with the other parties. The process involved one of the parties generating the key and sending it to the other party for the communication. This whole process follows symmetric cryptography.

Conclusion

The public key Infrastructure has become a core part of the security technology. It is used to add and remove the encryption on the entities. It even provides two-step keys to secure communication between the users and servers. The implication of the PKI is limited to certain fields only. We can hope to see advancements in this technology.

Because of the ongoing pandemic, many companies have had to change the way they do business. This is especially true for small businesses struggling to stay open while navigating the restrictions put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. If you own a small company, here are three things you can do to boost business during this uncertain time.

Adapt to New Ways of Doing Business

Many companies have incorporated new services. If you want your business to succeed, try adopting some of these new trends. If you own a small restaurant, try adding delivery or takeout to the list of services you offer. If you own a retail store, you may want to consider adding curbside pickup Grapevine TX to your repertoire of services.

Analyze Your Sale Records

Your company’s profits will vary depending on what you sell, so if your bottom line is struggling, it may be time to reevaluate your inventory. Check your sales records to see which items you offer are most popular and which ones are most cost-efficient. It may be time to cut some more expensive items that rarely sell and focus on small items that generate a lot of profit. Revamping your inventory may boost sales in a big way.

Advertise

Many people may not know that state of your company, so make sure you advertise. You may not be able to afford a flashy TV ad, but a social media campaign can spread the word about your business to your target audience without costing a ton of money.

While it may be hard for small businesses to stay afloat in these uncertain times, a few small changes can have a big impact. Use these three tips to change the way your company does business and see if sales increase. You may find that your company can thrive if you make these changes.

Recurring billing is good for absolutely everyone. For business owners, it’s just one less thing that you have to do in your day-to-day duties. For customers and consumers, it means fewer late fees and less to remember.

Setting up recurring billing is an essential step in establishing programs like subscription services. Considering that 40% of online revenue comes from repeat business, that alone is worth investigating if your business model supports it at all.

Here are some more benefits of using recurring billing if you’re not already.

1. Recurring Billing Reduces Busywork 

As business owners, salespeople, and marketers, there are no shortage of things to fill our days. It seems like our to-do lists get more daunting with each passing year. While technology is supposed to save us work, time, and effort, it often ends up doing the exact opposite.

Doing business in the digital world has increased our daily duties exponentially. Now, nearly every employee is expected to be a salesperson, a marketer, a data analyst, a customer service rep, and so on. That’s not even to mention the amount of hats a business owner needs to wear.

If you hope to be successful in business, it is mandatory that you eliminate work wherever you can. This is the cause for the massive push for automation in recent years. Judging that 90% of businesses are already using some form of business automation, it’s safe to say that trend is warranted. Considering that 73% of businesses report being satisfied with the impact that automation has on their business, this trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, either.

Businesses that want to succeed need to identify any area that can be optimized with automation. If you’re not, you can rest assured that your competition is.

2. Predictable Cash Flow

Business is unpredictable. This is especially true for newer businesses, as well as smaller or independently-owned companies. This makes it next to impossible to predict what your cash flow might be. Subsequently, it becomes very difficult to make any kind of concrete business plans or strategies.

One of the biggest benefits of recurring billing software is knowing when you’re going to get your money. Knowing that you’re going to be getting a certain amount of money on the first of the month, for instance, opens the way for making all kinds of business strategies. It helps eliminate variables in your business model, which are plentiful.

3. Decreases Late Fees

Setting up recurring payments isn’t just beneficial for your business. It’s also good for your customers for a variety of reasons.

Businesses don’t like late payments, for obvious reasons. Mainly because it leads to that unpredictable cash flow we were just discussing. In an effort to help keep this unpredictability to a minimum, many business owners tack on a late fee for late payments. Obviously, customers don’t like that, which can injure the customer relations as well.

On top of this, you’ve still got to hunt that money down once it’s late. This means contacting customers who are running late on payments, who are most likely not going to be thrilled to hear from you.

Setting up automatic recurring billing helps avoid all of this. It’s better for you, your customers, and your customer relationships at once.

4. Reduces Cost And Waste 

This is another win-win. One of the biggest benefits of recurring billing is it cuts expenses and reduces waste, all at once. How often are things good for the bottom line and the planet at the same time?

Setting up recurring billing greatly reduces the need for an extensive accounting department. Rather than having to have a dedicated team of CPAs to send out your bills each month, they’re sent out automatically from your recurring billing software. This frees up capital to let you expand your business in other ways.

It also frees up you and your employees from having to hunt down errant fees. Just imagine how much you spend in hourly wages on chasing down money in a given year. Think of what else you could do with that money?

That means that not only are you paying out of your pocket, you’re also missing out on opportunities. While that’s difficult to quantify, to put it simply, reducing monthly expenses means that you can spend that money on building your business instead. It’s like the difference between renting and buying.

Automatic recurring billing also reduces waste, as well. It’s not just the paper and ink you spend on sending out paper bills. It’s also the carbon footprint of mailing the bills and even the electricity required to print them out. All in all, the production and transport of paper amounts to 171 pounds of greenhouse gas, 63 gallons of wastewater, and 5 gallons of gasoline per 7 pounds of paper.

Recurring billing is one of those rare instances in the business world that is all around beneficial. It’s good for you. It’s good for your customers. It’s good for your employees. It’s good for the environment.

It’s also an important aspect of future-proofing your business. As business owners, we need to figure out what aspects of our businesses can be streamlined and made more efficient so we can focus on the parts of our business that need our more direct attention.

Want More Business Insights?

There has never been a more exciting time to be in business. Digital technology and the internet gives smaller and independent businesses access to powerful tools that were previously only available to the most enormous corporations.

Now that you know more about the benefits of recurring billing, browse the rest of our Business articles today for even more insight and inspiration.

If you’re interested in improving document management, look no further!

Document management is something that many businesses struggle with, especially small businesses. Today, most businesses rely on documents to get a variety of tasks done. If you have poor document management, your productivity will decline because you won’t be getting things done as quickly as you could.

To improve document management, you’ll need to start doing a variety of things to ensure that your employees are being productive. Things like software and collaboration make document management simple, so you’ll need to learn more about them.

Keep on reading to learn about 5 ways to improve document management for small businesses!

1. Implement New Software

One of the best ways to improve document management within a small business is to implement new software that lets you do a variety of things. For example, you can start using a program that lets you create multiple folders, organized by file types, and choose who has access to certain documents.

The problem that many small businesses run into when doing this is that they don’t prepare their employees for the new software. Because of this, many businesses end up getting rid of the software or don’t use it as well as they could.

Whenever you implement new software into your business, you’ll want to train your employees so that they don’t run into problems while using it. You can find guides for any program on the internet, so start looking into how to use it. You can then provide the same guides to your employees.

Regular software updates are also recommended, but you’ll need to inform employees of any changes that are made. These updates fix things like bugs and sometimes change the layout of a program.

2. Encourage Employees to Collaborate

Collaboration is something that all businesses need to do if they’d like to maximize their productivity. While you can work with something like a document management service to help you organize things, collaboration makes organization easier.

When your employees are collaborating, they can better keep track of things. For example, when converting PDFs to images, you can create a folder for them and see who’s recently added things.

When collaborating, you can assign employees into several groups with different tasks. This will prevent a bunch of employees from doing similar things, making it difficult to keep track of which documents you need.

3. Communicate With Managing Software

To make collaboration as effective as possible, you’ll need to use a managing software. This software should let employees work on projects and communicate with one another. Programs like Slack allow users to share documents and send messages, making collaboration, and document management simple.

When it comes to paper and electrical documents, you can share both within the managing software. Whenever an employee needs to print something, they can access it within the software. The electrical documents can be stored on an employee’s computer, but it will also remain within the program for later use.

It’s best to implement this type of software as soon as you start using other programs. The sooner your employees can get accustomed to the software, the easier it will be to start managing documents without any problems.

4. Apply Restrictions to Documents

When implementing programs to your business for document management, you can apply restrictions to documents to prevent people from accessing them. Within the program, you can permit certain employees to open things and no one else will be able to access them.

Applying restrictions makes document management much easier than most other methods because you’ll know exactly who was working with the document. This is why you should do this along with other methods, such as collaboration.

If you put employees into groups to work on something, each group can have a folder that no one else can access. Names for files won’t be seen by others and they won’t be able to be moved.

5. Hire Managers

After implementing a few programs and encouraging collaboration amongst employees, you’ll need to hire managers. When you hire managers to overlook your employees, you’ll have time to focus on other parts of the business.

A manager is responsible for doing things like seeing that the employees are working, assisting whenever possible, and reporting progress to you.

Whenever a manager sees that something isn’t right, they’ll correct it. For example, if an employee isn’t sharing the documents correctly, they’ll show the employee the correct way to do it. If problems continue, they can let you know that the employee isn’t working efficiently.

You don’t need to hire many managers, but it’s best to have multiple if your team has over 10 people. With management programs, they’ll have an easier time keeping track of everything. However, should you decide not to, you’ll need to hire more to compensate.

Improve Document Management Today

After reading this article, you’re now ready to start improving document management. Providing that you use all of these methods, you can improve document management quickly without having to worry about running into problems.

We encourage you to start looking for programs to implement into your business as soon as possible. As you find programs that interest you, you can start to teach employees how to use them and begin the management process. Try to find something that lets you limit access to make things easier.

Check out our other articles to learn more about a variety of topics!

Are you ready to kickstart your career and start a lifelong profession? Do you want to pursue a lifelong dream, despite the challenges of finding work amid the pandemic?

Job-hunting is not an easy task, and the coronavirus made it all the more difficult. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find success in starting a new career today. There are always ways to do that, and we’ve got a handful of them below.

Keep reading to learn about six useful career tips that will help you jumpstart your career.

1. Kickstart Your Career by Doing an Internship

Getting an internship is very useful in any industry. It’s the best way to get insider knowledge on how you do the work in actuality. You’ll get to experience how it feels to start from the bottom.

You’ll get to explore the workforce and apply the skills you learned in college. Becoming an intern will also increase your marketability. Many employers prefer applicants with internships because they’re familiar with the work.

Also, when you become an intern, you gain a bit of tutelage from experienced professionals. You’ll receive professional feedback and get help from organizations you intern with. You’ll gain practical field knowledge that professors and teachers teach in theory.

Undertaking an internship is a crucial and useful experience in your career. You’ll get to experience the stress and satisfaction of handling actual projects. Becoming an intern will also let you build a network that you can refer to in the future.

Finally, you’ll get to decide if the job is right for you or not. Not everyone will continue to become a professional after they finish an internship. Sometimes, it’s the best way to learn that you don’t like the job before you invest all your time and money into getting into the industry.

2. Pursue Higher Education

You can still make good use of your time, even when you’re under home quarantine. You likely already did many of the things that you said you never had time to do before. Whether it’s cleaning up the house, gardening in the yard, or exercising more, you likely already did it.

Now, you may not know what else to do with your time. A good solution is to invest in education. Take an online college course, and improve your skill and knowledge.

Many schools and colleges offer accredited online degrees. The best part is that you don’t have to go through the traditional hassles of getting an education. You don’t need to move out, rent a dorm, or commute to class.

All you need is a strong and stable internet connection, a working computer, and access to resources. The online college you choose is also likely to offer their digital libraries for your use as a student.

Going to college is always a great investment. Did you know that the jobless rate for high school graduates is at 15.3%? For people with a bachelor’s degree, the jobless rate is at 7.4% only.

Many professionals go back to get a bachelor’s or master’s degree, so they can get a raise or promotion. While you have all the time in the world to take yours, go for it.

After you advance your education, kickstart your career. You won’t regret it.

3. Focus on Creating a Network

Did you know that referring to your contacts is a great way to find a career that suits you? A lot of the jobs people offer online are only the tip of the iceberg. Many more of the jobs you can apply for are attainable from your networks.

As we mentioned, getting an internship opens a lot of doors for you. You don’t only get to expand your professional network. You also collect recommendations that will boost your reputation with a potential employer.

That is one way to build a network that will open you to opportunities. There are other ways to do it. You can talk to friends, former coworkers, classmates, or mentors.

Someone from your friend group or schoolmates ought to know about a job opening. Another advantage of having a network is that they have their separate networks too. It’s one way to get something useful from a friend of a friend of a friend.

4. Build a Noteworthy Portfolio

Having a resume and creating a good first impression isn’t the only thing that can jumpstart your career. You can increase your chances of getting hired when you bring along a portfolio. This is especially useful if you want to enter the writing or visual industry.

The careers that often need a portfolio include:

• Make-up artist
• Modeling
• Writing
• Advertising creative
• Graphic designer
• Website designer
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Artist
• Computer programmer
• Video game designer
• Interior designer

Your portfolio doesn’t need to be in print. A digital portfolio is also helpful, especially considering today’s remote work conditions.

A portfolio will show potential employers your achievements, skills, and experiences. Your portfolio doesn’t have to be too impressive, especially if you’re only starting a career. Focus on the quality, diversity, consistency, and uniqueness of your portfolio.

How to Make a Professional Portfolio

Building a professional portfolio won’t be at all like creating school portfolios. When you build your professional portfolio, you will need to take up more time to finish it. A reason for this is because you’ll need to gather all the documents or projects you need for it.

Collect a variety of examples of your work. You can get designs from a project you created in college or for a previous employer. You can also include evaluations, reports, surveys, and spreadsheets. If you’re completing an internship, you can also use some of the work you’re doing now.

Many people offer their portfolios with their resume and cover letter. Try to keep the design in each document constant. This will help in creating an image of consistency.

You may also want to include information about big and prestigious companies you’ve worked with. This can impress a potential employer. Add some comments on your work from professors, previous employers, or others.

5. Volunteer to Gain Experience

Another way to kickstart your career is to sign up for volunteer work. Employers are always looking for candidates who have experience with volunteer work. Also, joining organizations that help with volunteering placement always looks good in your resume.

Try signing up as a volunteer for organizations like Original Volunteers. They allow the volunteers to develop skills and experience that employers find desirable. You’ll also learn and experience a lot that you won’t learn otherwise when you stay in your comfort zone.

What are the skills you develop when you sign up for a volunteering placement?

Other than stepping out of your comfort zone, you learn to be independent and self-reliant. You’ll get to build your confidence and communication skills. You’ll be able to learn how to organize and manage your time and resources well.

It’s a great way to get some “real world” experience, especially if you grew up sheltered. It will open your eyes to how the real world is through challenging experiences. Once you’re back in the labor market, you’ll get a better sense of how to interact with different types of people in different situations.

6. Concentrate on the Job Search

The job search is often one of the hardest hurdles to jump when you’re only starting. Some people are lucky or connected enough to find work within a month or two after graduation. Others take years to find their first official job related to their bachelor’s degree.

As a tip, be patient when you’re doing your job search. Don’t aim to get a job within a short period because your expectations can fail you. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average job search takes five months.

Don’t get distracted while you’re waiting for potential employers to call you back. Stay on task and try to protect the time you have from distractions. Clear your calendar so that you can always attend interviews on time.

Let’s say your family or friends often try to call you to help them out with something or to hang out with them. In this case, let them know that your current priority is in searching for a job. Don’t forget to tell them that you can hang out later once you’ve found a stable job.

One way to find a job faster is to target your job search. Don’t be too general with what you’re looking for. The more specific you are about the position you want, the better.

Add this information in your resume, LinkedIn profile, and cover letter. This tells hiring managers that you know what you want to do and your responsibilities. It’s also easier for them to track you because the keywords are in your resume.

Listen to Your Calling

That is the end of our guide on career advancement help. We hope that this guide helps you find the right footing to kickstart your career. We hope you learned something valuable and informative from this post.

Do you want to learn more about improving your career and gaining more opportunities? Do you want to learn how to get a promotion? Our other posts discuss more on career advancement, and we’ve got guides on how to make the right career choices.

We’ve all opened a new medicine and had tear off the seal to get into the bottle. This packaging requirement began as a mandate by the FDA in 1983 when they realized people could contaminate medicine sitting on the shelf. From there, the law reached new heights as the science of medicine and types sold skyrocketed in an effort to keep people healthy and safe. Now, in the midst of COVID-19, we’re seeing a resurgence in protecting food from outside contaminants as individually wrapped items are reintroduced as the norm. Sealing a food product in plastic is the new tamper-evident caps of the grocery world.

Pre-Pandemic

Before the pandemic struck the states, many of them were attempting to get rid of single use plastics in favor of more environmentally friendly options. Some states had banned plastics all together and other states were making decisions like eliminating plastic bags at grocery stores or replacing straws with cardboard alternatives in all the take out restaurants. Even large companies were promising to reduce their plastic footprint in favor of a healthier planet. However, all these progressions came to a screeching halt when the novel coronavirus starting decimating communities and states.

Post-Pandemic

Now, it seems the world can’t get enough plastic. It’s the safe way to sell food so no germs can live on the surface and other people can’t handle it directly. Grocery stores are going back to individually packaging items instead of laying them out for consumers to grab and go. The consumption of take out food skyrocketed as restaurants were forced to close their doors to dine-in services, which meant more plastic boxes, styrofoam cups, and plastic silverware were going home with people possibly than ever before. Even initiatives to bring your own cup for refills at coffee shops and restaurants were canceled to try to curb the spread of the virus.

Even the masks that help keep people well have become a new pollutant in the pandemic era. People using disposable masks instead of reusable, washable ones might go through five or six masks a day, which all go into the garbage or are left in various places in the community. These increases in plastic consumption could be devastating to the environment in years to come.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in myriad ways, some more obvious than others. But the increase in plastic consumption due to the virus may have other deadly effects.