Category Archives: List

List posts compile noteworthy items into a list-style blog post

Five Ways to Evade Your Creditors (and one admonition not to)

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We are all familiar with the prayer, “Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.” Well, it doesn’t work with bill collectors, unfortunately, so if you’re being hounded by these relentless predators through the stinking world of commerce, you’re going to need a plan B. Try a few of these strategies out instead.

1. Know your rights. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act spells out what debt collectors can and can’t do in pursuit of their filthy lucre. Know when they’ve crossed the line into harassment, and be ready to stand your ground, and perhaps even turn the tables.

2. Tell your coworkers not to hand you phone calls from strange people; alternately, request that the debt collector not contact you at your place of employment.

INTERLUDE:
Avoid avoiding your creditors. Yes, this is the exact opposite of the previous piece of advice, and antithetical to the whole premise of this post. Do what works for you. We now return to our regularly scheduled list.

3. Avoid credit card debt in the first place. It might be too late for that now, but these tips still might come in handy in the future, once you’ve finally dug yourself out of this hole.

4. Fake your own death. How hard can it be? In addition to freeing you from debt, this will also provide the added benefits of getting you out of every other obligation you have. Finally, a chance to start over.

5. Drop off the grid. They can’t bill you if they don’t know you exist.

With some of these strategies and a little luck, you should be well on your way to financial freedom. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to see a man about a fake mustache.

Top Marketable Skills You Wish You Had In a Bad Economy

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In a quasi paralyzed economy where hiring has seemingly been frozen, it’s often hard to think of what sectors are surviving, if not doing well. Here are some things you may be surprised by…

 

1- You wish you knew how to build a bridge. Engineers, apparently, are the ones who have it easiest when looking for a job, particularly in times of economic distress.

2- You wish you knew how to make watches- nice watches. The Swiss government reports a 30% increase in their watch sales over the past year.

3- You begin to wish that you had that Liberal Arts Degree, after all, after you read that a study found that BA’s in the arts are more sought out for higher CEO and executive positions.

4- You wish you had saved those 7 years and not written a PHD.

5- You wish you were interested in Journalism.

6- You wish you knew what kinds of cosmetics are most attractive to women during times of economic and personal blues.

7- You wish you could think of a way to design a really cool chair. 

8- You wish you knew how to cook like they do at that neighborhood restaurant

9- You wish you knew how to make your own spirits.

 

 

Top Five Jobs That Did Not Exist 10 Years Ago

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With the government divided on economic issues, especially on President Obama’s jobs plan, it may seem like the economy will continue in this downward spiral. “Will I get hired?” and “Can I still find a job?” are the big questions on everyone’s minds these days. But fear not: there are still plenty of in-demand jobs out there, and many of them were not even invented until a few years ago.

1) Online-Content Curator– What exactly is an online content curator?  They are the editors, librarians, and museum curators of the web: aggregating and organizing content for readers. Businesses are hiring curators, and freelancers are using curation as a way to promote their brand. According to Clickz, the idea of creating an Internet community is at the heart of this Web organization tool.

2) Social Media Specialist/Manager– It is becoming a tight race to stay on the cutting edge of “what’s hot” and “what’s trending” in the Twitter/blogosphere. Companies have been hiring people like NPR’s Andy Carvin to “microblog” or “microreport” and get their ideas out there in under 140 characters. FYI: Andy tweets approximately 1200 times a day, according to Poynter.

3) Search Engine Optimization Specialist– SEO has been around for quite some time but it was not until recently that company and business websites began to rely more and more on SEO techniques to boost sales and customer clicks. According to ReThink Recruitment, a recent study found that salaries of senior SEO specialists have increased by 70% in the last three years. There is even an international SEO conference to help budding SEO specialists.

4) Green everything: from Organic farmers to Green Funeral Directors– Not every up and coming job is focused on new technology of the 21st century: some follow worldwide trends. Technically, organic farming has been around for years, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “organic farming offers the best opportunities for those entering the profession.”

As for Green Funeral Homes? Green funeral homes and their directors are becoming a large trend in the past five years, says Jessica Koth of the Funeral Director’s Association, with more and more people wanting to bury their loved ones without chemicals.

5) 3-D Animator– If working with dead people and crops is not your thing, another job on the rise is the 3-D animator.

 

3-D Animators have gotten more clout in the past few years. According to 3D-TV, Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katz recently received a 3D Visionary Award, the first time that this award has been offered in the animation industry.
Protip: Jobs to Avoid in This Tough Economy:

-Mailman- or Mailperson whichever you prefer. According to the Times Free Press, the postal service has seen a lot of trouble. Blame email, Obama, whoever you want: somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 jobs are at risk if mail centers shut down.

-Travel Agent- Obama spoke recently about jobs that are becoming obsolete, including travel agents, saying that “people just use the Internet.” Angry travel agencies insist, however, that their industry is “doing just fine” with an annual payroll of $6.3 billion, says the Economist.

Even if you do not decide to become a green funeral home director after reading this post, there are new career options out there. The job market is changing all the time. Five years ago, did you think that you could hold a career as a Twitter reporter? Didn’t think so.