Today it was announced that one of the biggest stores of a book store chain will be closing its door next year due to escalating rents in Manhattan. Is it really the escalating rent or the fact that most of the people buying their books online cheaper. It has been acknowledged in one of the articles related to it that most of the people just browse the store and then go home and order online (which includes me). Although I can understand that the retailers have to pay for the rent and utilities and employees salaries and other overhead but to pay for the full retail price when you can get the same book online with no sales tax and free shipping is just plain unwise.
There is also the matter of choice and availability. You can only go to one store at a time and maybe the book store may have run out of that book or it is an obscure book. But on the internet you can comparison shop and choose from a variety of online book suppliers and even find that obscure book if you spent a little more time. People just go to the book store nowadays just to have some peaceful and quiet time and just relax and read and when they are done they head home and order the book they have already read. Bookstores are just now a trial stop to eventual buying on the internet. Things are changing due to the internet and the book stores are no different or immune to it.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Back to School Shopping
Although back to school shopping does get starts early but I went the last week of August to buy stuff and people were still there buying essentials or requirements for their next grade. Things are somewhat cheap but still even if they are expensive, back to school is one of those necessities that you have to fork over money no matter what, although you can save money if you comparison shop on line and through other stores but you still have to fork over money. This year due to the worsening economy and high jobless rates, people are trying to do with as less as possible or maybe using hand me down from their older kids to the younger ones.
This shopping season is also the second biggest of the year after the holiday season so we will have to see how the retailers fared this time around, although they are a little bit nervous as the retailers have been reporting lack luster foot traffic in their stores, but no matter what the school supplies apart from clothing or some discretionary item, will remain the same or even more due to higher prices.
This shopping season is also the second biggest of the year after the holiday season so we will have to see how the retailers fared this time around, although they are a little bit nervous as the retailers have been reporting lack luster foot traffic in their stores, but no matter what the school supplies apart from clothing or some discretionary item, will remain the same or even more due to higher prices.
Resume Critique and Analysis
Somebody during my search for a job, I usually venture into other people’s resume posted on one of the free websites and it is mind boggling what people write there to attract attention or put off one. To be fair I am not a resume critique or a resume writing experts or even a cover letter expert but the things that people write will put me off if I am a hiring manager. Many times I see people writing that I am a people’s person and am hard working. Well if you are not a people’s person and are not hard working, people are not going to hire you anyway so that is a nonstarter.
Another one I see is I get along with people, well if you will not then you should stay home. Another one is I am fast learner. After being in the corporate world for more than ten years I can say for sure that no body cares for that since everybody wants to have experienced people and not a student on their jobs. I don’t know but with all the wealth of information out there in the libraries and on the internet, some people still not makes the effort to make sure that some words are obsolete or just don’t fit in the resume. You can’t impress employers by words saying hard working, get along with people, and people friendly, fast learner or the many familiar words. Another one of the great ones is I will do anything; it just shows your desperation even if you are one. People really need to put some effort on their resumes and the lists that I mentioned above should be buried forever. That is why there are seminars out there just for teaching how to write a resume even for college graduates since it is just a snap shot of you.
Another one I see is I get along with people, well if you will not then you should stay home. Another one is I am fast learner. After being in the corporate world for more than ten years I can say for sure that no body cares for that since everybody wants to have experienced people and not a student on their jobs. I don’t know but with all the wealth of information out there in the libraries and on the internet, some people still not makes the effort to make sure that some words are obsolete or just don’t fit in the resume. You can’t impress employers by words saying hard working, get along with people, and people friendly, fast learner or the many familiar words. Another one of the great ones is I will do anything; it just shows your desperation even if you are one. People really need to put some effort on their resumes and the lists that I mentioned above should be buried forever. That is why there are seminars out there just for teaching how to write a resume even for college graduates since it is just a snap shot of you.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Financial Self Help Books and Common Sense
I was in a book store today and browsing around and I saw many books on financial self help and how to reduce debt and play the real estate market and how to manage your finances, etc. there are old experts and there are the new ones and the breadth of the books on these topics are endless. But still you can see what kind of a financial mess we are in. It just comes to show that people are irrational when it comes to financial education. No amount of books can help you if you are not going to use common sense.
Even if people say that they don’t have enough time to manage their finances it is just not true. Like other activities managing your finances is should be on top of your priorities. I sometimes watch a show, where people with decent amount of income and savings ask questions about if they could be able to buy some stuff or how to manage your finances. The scope of questions is so vast and most of the times the questions are so simple and straightforward that you begin to question the level of education or common sense people have. Unless you are going to use common sense, the financial crisis that we are not enveloped with will not be the last one. If reading books can make you feel a lot smarter than this financial disaster that we are experiencing should have never happened. Only with using your mind and brain can you live your live comfortably financially.
Even if people say that they don’t have enough time to manage their finances it is just not true. Like other activities managing your finances is should be on top of your priorities. I sometimes watch a show, where people with decent amount of income and savings ask questions about if they could be able to buy some stuff or how to manage your finances. The scope of questions is so vast and most of the times the questions are so simple and straightforward that you begin to question the level of education or common sense people have. Unless you are going to use common sense, the financial crisis that we are not enveloped with will not be the last one. If reading books can make you feel a lot smarter than this financial disaster that we are experiencing should have never happened. Only with using your mind and brain can you live your live comfortably financially.
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