5 Easy Fixes for Polishing Your LinkedIn Profile

5 Easy Fixes for Polishing Your LinkedIn Profile5 Easy Fixes for Polishing Your LinkedIn ProfileIn todays world, you need mora than just a strong resume. You also need a clear and compelling LinkedIn profile if you want to stand out in a sea of other candidates and get noticed by eignung employers. So how can you go about polishing yours? With these 5 easy LinkedIn fixesUse a professional photo.Posting a professional photo is one of the best ways to fix your LinkedIn profile. In fact, according to LinkedIn, profiles that have a picture get clicked on 14 more times than those without. While you dont necessarily have to invest in a professional photographer, it is important that you do post a photo that paints you in a positive light. Dress professionally and smile it will make you look more approachable.Include relevant and updated information about your job history.This is the part of your profile that will likely get the most attention from potential employers. So make aya you inv est the time to write about your background and experience in a way that positions you as an expert, and also persuades hiring managers and recruiters to want to contact you. Just as on your resume, you should focus on accomplishments rather than simply listing out job duties.Ask for recommendations.Wondering how to fix your LinkedIn profile? Another key way is through recommendations. These can help to build your credibility online, and hiring managers and recruiters will be more likely to take notice of you, as a result.When you do ask for recommendations, be sure to encourage your network to focus on a specific skill or trait that you have, rather than writing something generic. Its also best to reach out to those in your network individually with a personalized message, rather than blasting out a general request.Sprinkle in keywords.Want to get found by recruiters and employers looking for people like you? Then its important to incorporate relevant keywords into your profile. Fo r instance, if youre looking for a job as a graphic designer, then make sure words and phrases such as graphic designer and graphic design are sprinkled throughout your profile. These keywords should be utilized in your headline and summary, as well as in the experience and skills section. Dont overdo it though just a few mentions on your profile will work.Make sure your profile and resume are consistent. Youve updated your profile with these easy LinkedIn tweaks. But is it consistent with your resume? If its not, then its going to be a red flag for potential employers. While they dont have to be exactly the same, the two should align well and complement each other.Know you need a better LinkedIn profile, but dont have the time or expertise to create one?Leave it to the experts at ResumeSpice. We know all the best ways to fix your LinkedIn profile so you get noticed by todays top employers. Get started or learn more today by calling 832.930.7378.

Tips for What to do when you get a windfall of money

Tips for What to do when you get a windfall of moneyTips for What to do when you get a windfall of moneySo youve come into a bit of cash, congratulations First things first, whats a windfall? A windfall is when you received an unexpected, potentially large, sum of money. This could be an inheritance, a gift, a refund (tax, student loan), etc. Basically, its an amount of money that you werent relying on. This is an exciting moment, but its also a good time to take a step back before making any decisions.Here are some ideas for what you should do if and when you get a windfall.Dont Spend It Right AwayI know its tempting, but dont spend this money as soon as you get it If you spend it without being thoughtful, you know youll regret it later. If you know that money burns a hole in your pocket, move the money out of your checking account. Put the money into a savings account that is separate from your checking, or give the check to someone you trust to hold onto.Prioritize Your GoalsThis is a great time to get some perspective on your financial situation. Figure out which goals you want (or must) attack first. It could be paying down debt, building up savings, or investing in something youve been putting off. Whatever the goals are, you should identify them individually and then prioritize them. It helps to write out your goals clearly so you know where you stand.Get Clear on Your DebtsThis is an amazing opportunity to departure making progress on any debt you have. The first step here is to figure out exactly how much you owe and to whom. If you arent sure perhaps you have been avoiding your debt a good start is to pull yourcredit report. You can do this for free atwww.annualcreditreport.com. Youll see any debts that have been sent to collections, any tax liens, and any late payments on credit cards or loans. This probably wont feel very good, but its necessary. If you see any debts listed that you dont recognize, you should do some digging to see if they are on your report in error. Whatever you do recognize, come up with a plan to pay it off.Beef Up Your Emergency FundSaving for emergenciesdoesnt feel very fun, but its an incredibly important step to take. It will protect you if something unexpected happens, like losing your job or getting sick. If you dont have debt, or you have money leftover after paying off your debt, you should use your windfall to beef up your emergency savings account.Put 10% Aside for FunPutting all your money towards responsible goals is great, but it often doesnt feel very fun or exciting. Thats why its a good idea to set ten percent of that windfall aside just for you. When you make room forindulgence, its easier to be responsible with most of the money. Plus, you get the instant gratification that is so compelling. Put the money towards something youve been really wanted to do or have, but that you havent been able to afford.This article was originally published on MaggieGermano.com.

Learn About Householding Accounts in Finance

Learn About Householding Accounts in FinanceLearn About Householding Accounts in FinanceIn census data, a household typically consists of individuals with a shared residence. In financial services, households are groups of related accounts, which may or may not have the same mailing address. They may be a mix of individual accounts (or retail client accounts), business accounts, and accounts for entities such as trusts or estates. The Rationale for Householding Accounts Banks, securities brokerage, and asset management firms often give clients discounted fees, enhanced money fund rates and/ or based on the size of the total household relationship. Thus, developing and maintaining logic for grouping accounts into client households is an important activity. Financial services companies, especially banks and securities brokerages, are hampered in market research and customer analysis by databases that are organized by account, not by client or client household. In dealing with high net worth clients, methodologies that can identify their related accounts automatically, prior to confirmation by the clients themselves, often is a means to impress such people with the sophistication of the firm, and thus facilitate further asset gatheringfrom them. By contrast, asking such people to perform such identification is often feared as an admission of ignorance on the parte of the firm. Householding Methodology The precise definition of a household varies by firm. Developing the logic for grouping accounts into households is a joint effort between marketing andinformation technology. The accounts belonging to a household each may have a different tax identification number (or TIN). A persons TIN is a Social Security number (or SSN), and thus each person in a household (e.g., husband, wife and children) will have a unique TIN. If a household member owns a business or is the beneficiary of a trust or estate, each of those will have a unique TIN. The process of associa ting multiple accounts with an individual or a household is complicated by several factors. For example, householdmembers may use different surnames. Business, trust and estate accounts will have different names also. A household may use several addresses, such as for a permanent home, a vacation home, a business address or a post office box. Variations in spelling (such as the use of initials or abbreviations) across accounts also can complicate systemic grouping of accounts into a household. Manual Intervention Is Needed to Group Accounts Into Households Manual intervention by financial advisors and bank branch managers often is needed to group accounts into households. However, the process can be complicated if a household has accounts at multiple branches or offices, served by multiple financial advisors or bank managers who are not aware of the clients dispersal of accounts. Intelligence provided through contact management systemsalso can be extremely useful in linking rela ted accounts together. Ultimately, however, the best source of information necessary for the complete and accurate householding of accounts comes from the clients themselves. After all, they are the beneficiaries of price breaks and service enhancements that come with higher tiers offinancial assetsor revenues generated, and thus they have clear financial incentives to make sure that all their accounts are included for these purposes. The Rules for Household Accounts Can Vary Greatly How stringent or liberal the rules for householding accounts are can vary greatly by the firm. While combining the accounts of a married couple tends to be typical, some firms will add in only the accounts of minor children, while others will allow those of adult children to be added. Or, perhaps, the inclusion of multiple generations of lineal descendants will depend on one generations having introduced the others to the firm. For example, an adult child may have brought his or her parents into the firm, resulting in all of them being household for pricing, service, and analytic purposes. Indeed, given the likelihood that children will inherit all or most of their parents assets, householding their accounts together while they are all still living has a certain logic to it. This is true not only for analytic purposes but also as a mechanism to encourage the retention of inherited assets in the same firm.