The first place I thought of selling it was Ebay, then I quickly changed my mind. Why? Well because Ebay commissions are actually quite steep on items that are expensive. I was thinking of listing my wedding dress for $2000 and therefore ebay would have charged $87.00, I don’t think so.

Next I tried to use the trading post, I was just about to list it and got to the price and let out an almighty “bull****”. Way to expensive for items of this price range, again like Ebay. I was starting to run out of places that I could sell my wedding dress  online. After much searching around I found SellWeddingDress.com.au, a classified website that is specific to the online sale of wedding dress. I did some looking around and found this website to be the pick, the website was easy to list on, they are getting lots of traffic and the price is the cheapest at $15.95 AUD. It ticked  all the boxes, I listed my wedding dress and that day I had a buyer. A few days later the money hit my PayPal account and the Wedding Dress was sold.

I was really impressed by Sell Wedding Dress and would reccommend them to anyone that is looking to sell their wedding dress quickly and with minimal fuss. Visit Website

Best Australia Wide Job Site - SEEK

No surprises here, SEEK is a Job Site that has reached “household  name”  status with the Australian Public. The main reason we chose SEEK was due to the fact that most employers use it and it is easy to use. However it does have some downfalls. The application process is non-communicative, the jobs are often outdated and since you can’t  contact the employer you can’t follow up on your application (unless they put there details onto the advert. For advertisers it is also a we bit expensive compared with competitors, however they do hold a massive market share so you really don’t have a lot of choice.

Visit the SEEK website

Best Community/Local Job Site - Sunshine Coast Jobs (with a “z”)

I was actually quite surprised with this website as local community based Job Sites have a real problem in a highly competitive  industry. Sunshine Coast Jobs sets it’s self apart from  the others by offering a direct contact with the employer, it’s easy to use and you can search for a particular skill in an advert. Best of all it’s free to everyone. The website caters for jobs throughout the entire Sunshine Coast QLD region, and you can even pinpoint which area like “Maroochydore”. The website is undergoing a makeover at the moment (Aug 09) but should be back up and running by the end of September 09. I would use a community job site over a national job site anytime, they are far more personalized approach to job searching and you will find you have greater success at finding employment.

Visit the Sunshine Coast Jobs website

Best Specialist Job Site - Gurus IT Jobs

Personally I have been using this site since I began working in IT years ago. I have had  great success obtaining work with this Job Site due partly to the fact that is just for IT people and IT employers. The site works on the simple notion that employers will seek employees from a website that is just for their industry. Straight forward, the site is easy to use is always full of Jobs. Take a look.

Visit the Gurus website

Generally, the guidelines we recommend for making this determination are related to two things:

1. The serverity of the disability or medical condition.
2. Your level of social confidence.

If the severity of your condition is such that it would have little bearing upon your ability to perform the job in question, our advice is clear: Don’t bring the subject up until the job interview.

In a job interview you will at least gain the opportunity to present your credentials and convince the employer that you can be a valuable contribution despite your disability or medical condition. If you are successful in marketing your overall qualifications and capabilities during the interview, perhaps the conversation can then turn to providing the necessary support and accommodations you need to sustain your job performance at a consistently high level.

Another important consideration when deciding whether to mention your disability or medical condition is your social comfort. If you are fairly comfortable with your disability and will not be embarrassed by the interviewer’s potential surprise or awkwardness, by all means, wait until the job interview.

On the other hand if you have a severe disability or medical condition and feel compelled to advise that employer during application, then do so. Should you elect to advise of your disability or medical condition during application (cover letter or resume), be sure to provide sufficient information. Don’t keep the employer guessing about you ability to perform the job.

The information you provide in your cover letter or resume should give a detailed and accurate description of your physical limitations and how they relate to your ability to function. Don’t overdo it, however. Remember, the employer is really interested in your job qualifications. It is important therefore, that you offer a convincing presentation of your qualifications and your interest in the job. First generate interest in your candidacy, and then, having accomplished this, introduce the subject if your disability, along with a frank description of your limitations and some convincing evidence showing your disability or medical condition will not effect your ability to perform the duties of the role (you may choose to do this at interview).

Some employers will ask in their application paperwork/online form if you have any disability that will prevent you from performing the position. This is a question that is designed to prompt a person with a disability to think over their application and you are not required to answer “yes” unless you feel your disability would have complications in your ability to perform the role. Physical changes to a work place is not a reason that you cannot perform a position, an employer can seek finanical assistance from the Government to make that required alterations.

This matter is rather delicate and I hope this article has answered the readers question.

In the western world, which generally operates according to the principle of supply and demand (either real or artificially created), the following factors determine how much we get paid:

• the demand for the type of job we do;
• how well we do our jobs;
• how difficult it would be to replace us.

As one of the results of the rapid changes in the way modern companies operate in the harsh ecomonic climates, long-term employment is disapearing, leaving those unprepared for such a change in confusion. We simply cannot rely on our employers to take care of us until we retire.

Therefore, the only security you can count on has come from within yourself. It is based in your knowledge, skills and know-how. In order to succeed in life you have to take time and make the effort to improve your education and acquire skills that are in demand by employers. In todays business climate on point should be emphasised.

“There is no such thing as a secure job”

Some naive players in the job game think their jobs are “for life”. The sense off security that existed in the past. They Falsely presume that:

• their jobs won’t change
• their jobs will always exist;
• the employers will feel grateful for their (employee) achievements in the past;
• the employers will take care of their careers, promote them and reward them for a job well done;
• if they lose their jobs , the employer will employ them back as soon as the hard times are over;

The reality is very different. In todays corporate world “Big Business” is interested only in their profits and the return to their shareholders and investors. They are too busy to think about you and your family. If things start to go wrong, for whatever reason, you will given two weeks notice (or a month, if you are lucky).

For us, ordinary mortal souls, the only comforting thought in the whole story is the fact that everybody is in the same boat, from cleaners to CEOs. Whole lines of management are disapearing, professionals (engineers, lawyers, accountants) are being retrenched; the axe falls on all layers of the corporate structure. No one can escape it.

So, like it or not, you had better start to like living dangerously as the ecomonic climate is not going to get any better until at least 2011. If you don’t already enjoy it, force yourself to accept challenge and uncertainty. Try to conquer the symptoms of the “Ostrich Syndrome”. Don’t bury your head in the sand. You can use it for better purposes - to observe the job market around you, not the trends, make conclusions and plan your actions.

There are however things that you can do the improve how you fell about your job search, and yourself.

• Take Charge! Accept responsibility for your life and your job search.

• Talk positive about yourself and your abilities.

• Let go of regrets about the past.

• Focus on the long term future and try not to get bogged down in your immediate situation.

• Rarely is there ever a “perfect” job, so avoid getting all your hopes pinned on the one “perfect” position that you have discovered. If you are unsuccessful, there will always be an equal, or even better position around the corner for you to try again.

• The job search is no time to be humble. Read every complimentary thing about yourself that you can find. Letters of praise, past awards, prizes, recognitions, references, performance appraisals, and any other positive things you have are always good ways to remind yourself of your worth and talents.

• The start of your day will set the tempo for everything that follows. Do something every morning that will put you in a good mood, whether that is taking  walk, listening to music, doing a crossword, or just relaxing with a good coffee.

• Get Physical! You’ve heard the saying, “healthy body, healthy mind.” Keeping yourself healthy and in good physical shape will boost your energy levels and make it easier to maintain a positive mental attitude.

• It is helpful to have somebody else to share ideas with and to review your progress on a regular basis.

• Set a time limit (3o  minutes, for example) on how long you will allow yourself to stay down when you feel a little depressed.

• Join a professional group for association. If you are looking for a job in a certain profession, joining an association can be an excellent way to keep up to date on developments and trends. It will help you develop your network and put you in contact with people who may be able to help you locate suitable vacancies. Read more about job networking >>>

• Keep growing. Continue to develop your skills and knowledge while looking for work. Read more about upskilling and training >>>

• Very few people land the very first job they apply for. You can see a job rejection as personal attack on your abilities or character, or you can see it as an opportunity to grow and learn more about yourself.

• Procrastination is a sure way to lower your self esteem.

• Surround yourself with supportive, positive people.

• Talk to someone. you might fell really burned out, angry or frustrated after a long, unsuccessful job search. Or you might reach a stage where you want to give up looking for work all together. At this point it might be a good idea to talk to a trained professional, such as a consellor, psychologist or religious leader that can help you to sort our your feelings.

Don’t give up, if you do you will never get a job.

“Don’t be afraid of rejection it’s part of cold canvassing”

Benefits of cold canvassing:

• You will create a stronger relationship with the employer , compared with phone/email canvassing.
• If a job comes up, they will remember you. Our brains remember faces and physical interaction far better than voices or text.
• 70% of the job market is hidden, they may need someone just haven’t advertised it. You just might walk in at the right time.
• Employers will be impressed by your enthusiasm and effort to obtain work. They will relate this to your work ethic.
• If the employer has time you can quickly go over your resume and stamp out any assumptions they may make about you.
• Now we’ve gone through the benefits, let’s take a look how you can make your cold canvassing efforts a success.

How to Cold Canvas:

• Always ask for the manager - they make the decisions not the workers.
• Dress in business attire  - it’s important you make a good first impression.
• Have a well written resume prepared - indentify any concerns the employer may have and if you have time stamp them out. e.g. Gaps in employment, maybe your where just travelling overseas instead employers may assume you are a unreliable worker.
• Be polite and accept they maybe having a bad day or be busy. If they’re busy just leave your resume and give them a follow up call in a few days time.
• Don’t oversell yourself as you may come across as being “cocky” or over confident. As the saying goes “less is often best”.
• If it’s a small business include a genuine complement about their business. This will appeal to the owners ego and pride.
• Try not to leave the business without some sort of information that will get you closer to getting work. Ask questions like: “Do you know of anyone looking for staff” or “Do you have any positions that maybe coming up”.
• Do waste their time, plan your approach and have a backup questions. The last thing you want to do is stand there with nothing to say looking like an idiot. For example: Computer Shop - Ask about the “diagnostic  tools” they use and discuss it. This not only keeps the conversation flowing but allows you to showcase your knowledge on the subject.
• Take their Business Card. This will allow you to have the managers name and contact details.

Follow up

Always follow up - this step is often forgotten about but is imperative  to your cold canvassing success. However be sure not to follow up too often as you may annoy the potential employer. The best way to follow up is with a phone call, remind them about your meeting and she if they have had time to read your resume.

Lastly - be confident! The worst that can happen is you get a “No” but imagine if you get a “Yes”.

Good Luck!

Below you will find a complete list of Island Resorts along with their website, contact details and quick comment on each one, please be aware most you will have to call as they don’t list their jobs online.

Hamilton Island - Visit website
Hamilton Island has many resorts, as the island is basically a small town. Their website is great way to see what jobs are available from all the different resorts on the Island.

How to apply for jobs: Visit this website - View Hamilton Island jobs

South Mole Island - Visit website
South Mole Island Resort changed it’s name Koala Island Resort in March 2009. South Mole Island is seen as the budget Island accommodation in the Whitsunday Island group.

How to apply for jobs: Call the Resort Manager - (07) 4946 9433

Day Dream Island - Visit website
Day Dream Island is located in the Whitsunday Island Group and has one resort. Recently an employee from Daydream Island Resort participated in the “world best job competition”.

How to apply for jobs: Call the  Resort Manager - (07) 4948 8430 or Email: recruitment@daydream.net.au

Hayman Island - Visit website
Hayman Island is one of the hardest to obtain a job on. Internationally renowned, Hayman Island Resort is one of only 10 resorts in the world to have a 6 Star rating. They only recruit the best, Good Luck!

How to apply for jobs: Visit their website - Visit website

Brampton Island - Visit website
Brampton Island is located at the bottom of the Whitsunday Group, closer to Mackay. Nice Resort, however it’s not as large as other in the area. Due to small size there is normally limited Employment available.

How to apply for jobs: Call the  Resort Manager - 07 4951 4499

Fraser Island
Fraser Island is known internationally as the largest sand island in the world. There are three main resorts spread out over the island. You will have to contact each one individually for work.

King Fisher Bay Resort- Visit website
Kingfisher Bay Resort was voted the Best Beach Resort in Australia by ‘Discovery’s Travel Channel’ and has won six Australian Tourism and nine Queensland Tourism Awards.

How to apply for jobs: Call Human Resources - 07 4120 3381 or Email: recruitment@kingfisherbay.com

Eurong Beach Resort - Visit website
Situated right on the beach the resort is very popular with tourists. They don’t post jobs on their website so you will need to contact them via phone.

How to apply for jobs: Call the Resort Manager - 07 4127 9122

Fraser Island Beach Houses - Visit website
Another Fraser Island Resort, however like most island resorts they also don’t post jobs on there website. You will therefore need to give them a call:
How to apply for jobs: Call the Resort Manager - (07) 4127 9205

Lindeman Island
The resort on Lindeman Island one of the world famous “Club Med Group”. Club Med has it’s own job site (link below) and you can apply online, makes things easy.

How to apply for jobs: Visit this Website - Visit website 

 Good Luck!

To identify the problem with your job search you need to break down the two milestones in obtaining work, applications and job interviews.

No Job Interviews:

Possible Problem: Your resume is just plain “crap”

Solution 1: First off, you can’t tell if your own resume is “crap” because you have a personal attachment to it, therefore give your resume to your friends and ask for objective feedback. Take on this advice and fix your resume. More information >>>

Solution 2: Hire a professional resume writer. They’re worth every cent and will eliminate all your resume problems in one go without any work from you. We recommend, Resume Doctors ( the cheapest and the best). Visit their website here >>>

Possible Problem: Your not adapting your job applications

Solution 1: Every Application you send out should contain a unique cover letter explaining your suitabilty to the position. I don’t mean you have to write a completely new cover letter every time, just change the key details to reflect the details of the position outlined on the job advert. Stop thinking about “Quantity” and start thinking “Quality”. Don’t waste your time applying to every job advertised and instead focus on a few postions at a time, trust me. More Information  >>>

Possible Problem: Your not following up on your job applications

Solution: This is very common mistake, every job application you send out you must follow up on. Many employers will wait to see who will follow up so they can filter the most enthusasitc applicants from those just applying to every job advert. A follow up call will show the employer you want the position.

Possible Problem: Your applying for positions  “out of your league”

Solution: When you don’t have a job, you need to look at survival, it’s not the time to get job of your dreams. Focus your job search on just getting a job as a “fill in” then you find a better job later. This may mean you have to step back in your career, but it may be the only way forward.

Job Interviews but no Job offers:

Possible Problem: Your interview skills are lacking

Solution 1: We’re not all perfect at job interviews, therefore you may need to work on the fundamentals of selling yourself.  More information >>>

Solution 2: Look into getting professional interview coaching. I know they maybe expensive but if this is where you are going wrong it will be well worth it.

Possible Problem: Your resume is creating a “negative flow” (a “negative flow” is questions asked by the interviewer to put out problems with your work history)

Solution: Look at your resume from the inteviewers point of view. Common causes for a “negative flow” include gaps in your work history and short employment dates. Try to eliminate “negative flow” questions by having prepared answers or a quick explaination in your resume.

Sometimes you miss out just because there was high competition, there is nothing you can do in these situations. It’s a harsh fact to think there maybe better applicants, all you can do is keep your head high, follow the above tips and keep on trucking. Good Luck.

Why don’t I just use Ebay?

I love Ebay but there is some areas where a Garage Sale just can’t be beat. Garage Sales don’t have fees, you keep all of what you make. You can sell hundreds of items in a single day, giving you quick cash. People are able to touch before they buy (clothing) meaning you will get higher prices and quicker sales. I could keep going on forever with the reasons, you have nothing to lose only money to gain.

Before you Start

First, consider your location. If you’re too far off the beaten track, you might like to ask a friend if you can hold the sale in their yard. Next, check your local council if you need a permit to hold a garage sale as this varies from state to state. You may be required to pay a fee, or to collect sales tax. Also, find out if you can put up signs in the neighborhood to advertise your sale.

Planning

Choosing the date and hours for your sale should be easy. Naturally, a weekend day would be the best and the morning (not too early, though) and afternoon the best hours.

Make use of free advertising bulletin boards in your community to publicize your sale. You can also advertise in your local newspaper. Set up signs about a week before the sale in a high traffic area like a major road. Consider the weather when setting up the sign as you don’t want to find them laying in the gutter or in a soggy heap.

Now, what to sell

You may be surprised that what you have no use for and in fact think is junk, someone else is thrilled with. The following list will give you some ideas of what you can sell:

Appliances - large and small

Books - paperback and hard cover

Costume Jewelery

Sports Equipment

Linens / Bedding

 Children’s Toys & Baby Equipment

Flatware - Silver and Stainless Steel

Phonograph Records / Tapes

Shoes / Boots

Plants, Patio Equipment & Garden Tools

Electronics

Clothing, especially children’s

Garage Sale Tips

Now that you’ve decided when your sale will be held and just what you’re going to sell, the following tips will help make your day a success:

Tip 1: Put a price tag on every item. Mark your prices clearly. This makes it easier for a customer to browse. Masking tape is excellent for price tags.

Tip 2: Make sure your merchandise is very clean. Goods that are polished and in good condition will sell faster than old dusty items. 

Tip 3: Be ready to deal with customers promptly at opening time. Have everything ready and be wearing a smile.

Tip 4: Be prepared to give your customers change by having coins and small notes on hand.

Tip 5: Save your bags for a few weeks before your sale, so you can offer your customers some wrapping for their purchases.

Tip 6: Be prepared to haggle with customers.

Tip 7: After your sale, if you should have any leftovers, perhaps you would like to donate them to a local charity. Or you can always save the leftovers for your next sale.

Garage sales are a lot of fun. Plan yours properly and you’ll be assured of a good time and a successful sale.

The Initial Contact

There is two ways that people normally get in contact with a recruitment agency, 1- they apply for a job or 2 - they contact them directly.

In whatever case, you are going to have an initial interview. In this stage the information that you give the recruiter is very important if they are going to represent you, therefore:

• �
  • Highlight your selling points relevant to the industry.
  • Outline your restrictions - e.g. any companies you don’t want to work for, lack of transport etc.
  • They can’t read your mind, so ensure they have clear idea of the job you are looking for, don’t let them assume.
  • Let them know what salary you are looking for, recruiters hate wasting time finding a position only for you to turn it down based on renumeration. Give them clear range of what you would work for.

Your Resume

Since you have now given them the information it’s time to supply the tool, your resume. As your resume is “you on paper” it makes sense to supply a recruiter with a good one. The last thing a recruiter wants is to stand before they’re client with a badly formatted, mistake ridden resume and try to recommend you.

But how do you know if your resume is crap, well from the jobs that know you could do how many job interviews do you get? If the response is 1 job interview per 7 job applications or higher, you need to take a serious look at your resume.

As a quick fix, I would recommend you use professional resume writers like Resume Doctors or Shine Resumes as they produce great resumes for a cost that is so cheap it’s almost stealing (only $47, no catches). To visit Resume Doctors - click here or Shine Resumes - click here.

If you rather not fork out money for resume writers. Then do some research on fixing your resume, it will take longer and you may not get it right but I am sure it will be better than not doing anything at all.

Start your research by having a look at our resume advice area - click here

Follow Ups

Most people see recruitment as a service and therefore expect them to be constantly be on the phone giving you updates. In actual fact you are 1 of up to 100 people that the recruiter maybe assisting, not to mention all the clients that they’re recruiting for. As you can now imagine the workload of a consultant can be very high.

Therefore to help them out by simply keeping in regular contact with them, I don’t mean call them everyday like an Indian call centre but just let them know you are still looking. Keeping in contact keeps you fresh in their mind and more likely to be the first person that is thought of when a position comes in.

Follows ups allow the communication to flow, tell them of any job interviews you have been to, any changes to your situation and any ideas that might help them out. Ask them for advice, as they are in the industry they are going to be the best reference if you need help.

Make sure you don’t harass them, just like you they hate it.

At the end of the day if you help the recruiter they will help you, it’s very simple. People love to bag out recruitment companies as they had “no success” and I had to “find a job myself”. This conclusion is common because people tend to rely on recruitment companies to get them work, and are upset when it doesn’t go to plan. Don’t rely on them, treat them as another person helping you to find work and keep up your own job search.