Roger Federer wins in Dubai to begin latest bid for 100th title
Grace Poe files bill to protect govt teachers from malicious accusations Urgent reply from Philippine football chief LATEST STORIES Private companies step in to help SEA Games hosting ‘We are too hospitable,’ says Sotto amid SEA Games woes PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games PLAY LIST 02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games02:11Trump awards medals to Jon Voight, Alison Krauss Oil plant explodes in Pampanga town The two other seeds in action beside Federer lost.Nikolaz Basilashvili, the highest-ranked Georgian in ATP history at No. 19, upset fourth-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-4, 6-1, and Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany spoiled seventh-seeded Milos Raonic’s Dubai debut 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.Basilashvili will play for a spot in the quarterfinals against defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, who beat Indian wild card Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-4, 6-3.ADVERTISEMENT But Kohlschreiber forced a third set between them for only the third time. In that set, Federer forced an error to break for 2-0 and held, and cruised home.“(My thinking was to) just somehow get through. Somehow try not to lose,” Federer said. “I’m very pleased I was able to find a way. I actually played a really good third set, I thought.”FEATURED STORIESSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSUrgent reply from Philippine football chiefSPORTSPalace wants Cayetano’s PHISGOC Foundation probed over corruption chargesFederer won his 99th tour title in October in Basel, and his bid for the 100th has ended so far in two semifinals, then the fourth round of the Australian Open.Next up for him is Fernando Verdasco, the 2017 Dubai runner-up to Andy Murray. Verdasco beat Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Roger Federer of Switzerland returns the ball to Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany during their match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Feb. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Roger Federer’s latest attempt to win his 100th ATP singles title made a shaky start at the Dubai Championships where he overcame Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 on Monday.Federer entered the first-round match with a 13-0 record against the German, and broke in the first game to run through the first set.ADVERTISEMENT
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New Zealand’s cricket team will leave for their tour of Africa as scheduled next Monday despite unrest in Zimbabwe, though they will monitor the situation before deciding whether to continue into the country for two Tests, a spokesman said on Thursday.Zimbabwe’s capital Harare ground to a halt on Wednesday as people stayed at home while foreign banks and most businesses shut down, in one of the biggest protests against high unemployment, an acute cash shortage and corruption for nearly a decade.Wednesday’s protest followed violent clashes between taxi drivers and police on Monday that led to the arrest of 95 people. It also coincided with a strike by doctors, teachers and nurses whose salaries had been delayed.”We are continuing to monitor the situation,” a New Zealand Cricket spokesman told Reuters. “There is a bit of time and water to go under the bridge … and at this stage its business as usual.”The team have scheduled a nine-day training camp in Pretoria before they travel to Zimbabwe for the first of two Tests at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The first match starts on July 29, with the second test beginning on Aug. 6.NZC said the camp would also give them time to monitor developments in Zimbabwe.New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) have labelled the southern African country as having “some risk” due to the political unrest.”The situation in Zimbabwe is mostly calm but some reports of politically-motivated intimidation and violence continue,” MFAT said on their website.advertisement”New Zealanders should be vigilant and maintain a high level of personal security awareness in Zimbabwe.”Kane Williamson’s side also play South Africa in two Tests, with the first at Kingsmead in Durban from Aug. 19-23 and the second in Centurion from Aug. 27.
Has an organization or university offered you an opportunity with a stipend? Whether it’s an internship or apprenticeship, a stipend is a set amount of money that helps offset living expenses. This fixed amount is financial support provided while you’re… Full Story,Truth is, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to college: new friends, a new routine, (college parties!), and more independence. But along with all these perks, it’s also time to start thinking about your finances…. Full Story,A routing number is a unique number that identifies a specific banking institution. Each routing number is made up of nine digits. Routing numbers are sometimes referred to as an American Banker’s Association routing transit number or an ABA RTN…. Full Story,It’s stressful enough having a car loan over your head and staying on top of your monthly payments. But what if you have an upside-down car loan — in other words, the amount you owe on your set of wheels… Full Story,When you’re trying to get your financial house in order, it’s easy to get lost in the specifics. You might stress about how to adjust your budget, where to find some extra cash for the holidays or what funds to… Full Story,Shortly after graduating from New York University with a Master’s degree, Melanie Lockert turned to food stamps, as she worked her way out of $81,000 in student loans. “There were a lot of emotions around carrying that debt. It caused… Full Story,Traveling is one of the best things in life, and luckily, low funds don’t have to dash your dreams of enjoying an epic adventure. A wealth of destinations—both in the U.S. and abroad—are so affordable that even hardcore penny pinchers… Full Story,While we don’t yet have flying cars that collapse to the size of a suitcase, pneumatic tubes that transport us from room to room or machines that automatically bathe and clothe us in the morning, every day we’re getting closer… Full Story,Times have changed since Grams and Gramps were your age, looking to settle down and buy their first home. But today the house with the white picket fence—or that trendy loft in downtown—isn’t completely out of the question if you… Full Story,We recently hosted a Twitter chat as part of our #RealTalkSeries. And let’s just say, things definitely got real. Many of you joined us to discuss “taboo” and cringe-worthy money questions such as how to improve a bad credit score,… Full Story
The average person may see anywhere between 4,000 and 10,000 ads in a single day. From binge-watching your favorite shows to checking the pile of coupons in your mailbox, advertisers have inundated our lives. Most of the ads we see… Full Story,Dressing up for Halloween is one of the best parts of the holiday, especially if you’re a creative person. But buying a Halloween costume can get expensive, with many costing more than $50 a pop. And unless you plan to… Full Story,You may not find it on an official calendar anywhere, but Friendsgiving is a newer holiday that has gained popularity in recent years. Much like Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving is a time to gather around the table with loved ones in the… Full Story,My birthday is on Halloween, so every year I get super excited. I plan what my costume will be, decide how I want to celebrate and text all my friends to let them know. Last year, I was finally able… Full Story,Not much of a football fan? Don’t know what all the cheesehead hat-wearing and face paint-smearing is all about? Skip hanging out at the local sports bar or sitting in the stands at a game, and put on your entrepreneurial… Full Story,Living paycheck to paycheck can feel like an endless scramble. Rent is due on the first but your paycheck won’t clear until the second. On top of everything, you need to pay for groceries, a bus ticket, and utilities before… Full Story,Decision fatigue is the decline in energy and focus you experience after making too many decisions. This mental drain causes your brain to abandon your willpower in order to seek more immediate rewards, which leads to poor decision making and… Full Story,If you ask a random person on the street what they do, chances are they have a lot of slashes and hyphens in their job titles. In this day and age, if you don’t have multiple sources of income… Full Story,Do you consider yourself a financially responsible young adult? Personally, I like to think that my finances are mostly in order. Rent, student loans, car payments—everything big is blocked off nicely. If the math works out right, I have a… Full Story,In the financial world, nothing evokes feelings of terror quite like the word “bankruptcy”. It’s become synonymous with a complete and utter collapse of one’s finances – a black hole that’s almost impossible to climb out of. When you declare… Full Story
Post navigation As tax season comes to an end, many Americans grumble about the rates they pay and where their money goes.In the past few years, the Occupy movement, presidential election and tax talk had many raising questions about who pays what in taxes.Stories of teachers and plumbers paying higher tax rates than millionaire hedge fund managers have many taking a closer look at their tax returns.While wealthy investors do take advantage of lower capital gains tax rates, few workers pay the percentages in their tax brackets due to deductions and exemptions.Experts say the reality is that you likely pay less in taxes than you think, but there are some long-term moves you can make to reduce your tax burden even further.Confusion about tax bracketsThere’s often a large misconception about what tax rates people truly pay, says Adam Koos, Founder and President of Libertas Wealth Management in Dublin, Ohio.He says very few people pay the actual percentage of their tax bracket, a problem that causes many tax payers to think they’re paying more in taxes than they do.First, that’s because different portions of the income are taxed at different rates as they work their way up the scale. A single person earning $65,000 in 2012 would fall into the 25% tax bracket, but would have an effective tax rate much lower than that.That’s because only the portion of the income over $35,351 is taxed at 25%, while the rest is taxed at 10% and 15%, as per the laddering schedule designed by the IRS. Throw in deductions and exemptions and the rate drops even further.“By the time you take out standard deductions, exemptions and other things, you’re going to pay a lot less than your actual tax bracket. Most people pay a lot less than the number of their actual bracket,” says Koos.Koos says many people don’t understand the concept of “effective tax rates,” the rate which for individuals is the total tax divided by taxable income. Mike Piershale, President of Piershale Financial Group in Crystal Lake, Ill., says tax rates “can be all over the place” depending on so many factors related to deductions and credits.Two taxpayers with the same income could have drastically different effective tax rates depending on factors such as family size, the amount of mortgage interest they pay and investment losses.Consider that a married breadwinner of a family of 4 who earned $65,000 in 2012 would have a federal tax liability of $2,815, or 4.3%. For a single earner with no dependents, that federal tax liability would be $9,843, a rate of 15%.“You need to look at all the person’s taxes divided by their personal income. That is their income minus their deductions and exemptions. [Tax rates] can vary dramatically,” says Piershale.Investment income versus earned incomeThe wealthy can sometimes pay lower tax rates than ordinary Americans because they often derive much of their income from investment income. This can come in the form of capital gains, dividends or both.Capital gains and dividends are not taxed as ordinary income and are taxed at lower rates. Prior to 2013, the maximum long term (assets held more than one year) capital gains rate was only 15%.Starting this year, the long term capital gains rate is 20%. There are also rates of 25% and 38% that can apply to other special types of net capital gains.Koos says top capital gains rates have gone down over time from around 40% in the 1970s. The idea is that if capital gains rates are lower, investors will be more inclined to invest their money rather than sit on it or seek out other alternatives.Regardless, many wealthy Americans often intentionally structure their income so that it comes from long-term capital gains in order to enjoy lower tax rates.In any case, most capital gains and investment income is taxed at a lower rate than earned, ordinary income. That can technically put many investors in lower tax brackets than middle class working Americans, at least before the middle-class taxpayer factors in deductions and exemptions.Consider that a single worker earning $75,000 in 2012 fell into the 25% tax bracket while an investor who earned $300,000 in dividends or long-term capital gains may have only paid 15%.Another reason why workers often pay higher tax rates than investors and the wealthy is because their income is subject to FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes.This is a federally imposed tax on both employers and employees that covers contributions to Social Security and Medicare. Investment income is not subject to FICA taxes.Furthermore, FICA taxes phase out and max out at certain income levels. As of 2013, Social Security taxes are only taken out of the first $113,700 of income, for a maximum tax of $7,050.So while a worker earning $50,000 per year is taxed at a rate of 6.2%, a worker earning $190,000 will essentially only pay 3.7% of their income towards Social Security taxes.Piershale says that while it may seem distorted at times, it’s really only the “ultra wealthy” that may skirt away with lower taxes.The moderately wealthy, doctors, attorneys or small business owners that may have household incomes of $250,000 or more per year, certainly pay a large share of taxes.“They pay a lot more as a percentage of every dollar than the average person making $40,000 per year. Working people at upper income levels certainly pay a lot of taxes,” says Piershale.Piershale notes that the self-employed, including high-level professionals and small business owners, are hit with more taxes because they have to pay the full share of FICA taxes.“The self employed are hit with essentially double the rate of FICA taxes because they have to pay the employee and employer portions. Instead of 7.65%, it’s 15.3%,” says Piershale.Think like the richAs a worker, there may be little you can do to escape FICA taxes but there are some things you can do to minimize your federal income taxes.Talk to your tax professional or use a home-based software program to ensure you’re taking full advantage of all of the tax credits and deductions you are entitled to.There are also some moves you can make to minimize your tax burden later down the line. Koos says one of the biggest is to take full advantage of your 401(k) plan at work if your employer offers a match.Contribute enough to take full advantage of the match which is essentially “free money.” After that, he recommends contributing as much as possible, or maxing out a Roth IRA.While a Roth IRA will not save money on any taxes in the current year, it can pay off tremendously later down the line.“Tax rates are near historic lows and we know that they’re probably going to go up over time. I’d say take the [tax hit] now and you won’t have to worry about it when you start yanking out money in retirement,” says Koos.The Roth IRA is one of the best tax advantages for ordinary Americans because it lets your earnings grow tax free and when you reach retirement age you can make withdrawals tax-free as well.Contribution limits are $5,000 for 2012, or $6,000 if you’re over 50. They’re likely to rise in the future but if you contributed $5,000 per year and your money grew at 7%, you’d have over $500,000 in 30 years. That could provide at least $20,000 per year in tax-free income.“If you planned ahead, at least you could pay very little taxes in retirement. But you have to plan now,” says Koos.Craig Guillot is a business and personal finance writer from New Orleans. He covers insurance, investing, real estate, retirement and debt. His work has appeared in such publications and web sites as Entrepreneur, CNNMoney.com, CNBC.com, Bankrate.com and Investor’s Business Daily. He is the author of “Stuff About Money: No BS Financial Advice for Regular People.”Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Related
Getting physically fit takes discipline, effort, and more than a little energy to get to where you want to be. Regularly moving your body and sticking to a fitness plan isn’t easy, and doing so is certainly commendable—and comes with… Full Story,Table of Contents Benefits of Working During Retirement Phased Retirement Types of Employment Recommended Jobs for Seniors Resources for Seniors Retirement looks different for everyone. Some people dream of playing golf and visiting their grandchildren, while others see it as… Full Story,A study conducted by Charles Schwab just last year found that three in five Americans live paycheck to paycheck, yet only one in four has a written financial plan. In fact, the majority of Americans are hesitant to receive any… Full Story,Life is unpredictable. Some days aren’t all sunshine, like when your car breaks down or your house needs a repair. These situations happen to everyone. That’s why it’s important to save while things are going well, so you can cover… Full Story,Structure is the key to growth. Without a solid foundation – and a road map for the future – it’s easy to spin your wheels and float through life without making any headway. Planning allows you to prioritize your time,… Full Story,Car accidents are not only scary but also a monumental hassle. That’s largely thanks to what comes after the accident itself. After an accident, you’ll likely have to spend ample time on the phone with your insurer. Then there’s dealing… Full Story,If you’re a furloughed government employee, you are likely feeling a good deal of stress and uncertainty about how to manage your finances during the government shutdown. While missing a paycheck is a financial moment no one wants to experience,… Full Story,Buried underneath paying bills, digging out of a debt hole, and saving for your kids’ college is the marathon of money goals: retirement. Cue the fantasies of spending your days at a leisurely pace, working on The Great American Novel—at… Full Story,When I’m on top of finances, I’m all up in my money management apps, checking my balances and the swift progress I’ve been making on my savings goals. But when things aren’t going so hot? I’m like an ostrich with… Full Story,With all of today’s home-based tech gadgets and virtual personal assistants, smart homes are quickly becoming ubiquitous. And with high demand for connected products, so too comes ease of use, accessibility and affordability. But as with all expenses, it’s important… Full Story
Have a question for Chelsea or Lauren? Follow Mint on Facebook! We’ll be live with TFD on Nov 30th (4pm ET) as well as other book tour stops along the way.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Related On November 30th, The Financial Diet is kicking off their nationwide book tour for The Financial Diet: A Total Beginner’s Guide To Getting Good With Money in New York. Join us when the tour hits your city and don’t forget to pre-order the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes, to be released January 2, 2018.Mint wanted to give you exclusive insight into TFD and its founders, Chelsea Fagan and Lauren Ver Hage, so we asked Chelsea a few questions on the genesis of their popular website and YouTube channel in addition to their top advice for managing finances. Check out the interview below.What’s the story behind The Financial Diet? Where did the idea come from?TFD was a simple idea, a personal blog I created while working for another media company to track my budget. I was someone who had gone from “absolutely horrible with money” to “earning decent money, and therefore less horrible than I was before, but still largely clueless about how to actively manage my money in an intelligent or proactive way.” So I started TFD to keep myself accountable, and at first, I imagined it would be just a little personal thing I did for myself — but my now-partner Lauren emailed me three days in from the desk of her advertising agency job and told me she wanted to design it into something nice-looking. And the rest is history, I guess.TFD Cofounders Chelsea Fagan and Lauren Ver HageWhat are your two biggest money-related surprises since launching The Financial Diet?It’s really two sides of the same coin: I am constantly shocked at how simultaneously taboo and engaging money is for so many people, especially women, who make up the vast majority of our audience. Money is truly more fraught than sex for most people, and we have found that people tend to either be truly headfirst in talking about it, or utterly paranoid about the topic even arising. Generally, our audience is one that wants to talk about money (obviously), but even in my personal life, I constantly find myself accidentally shocking or embarrassing people when I speak casually and openly about money because I’ve become used to it. Once you are liberated in discussing money freely, you can’t get enough of it — but for so many people, it’s still the one subject you can’t talk about.What is the biggest issue people seem to face when it comes to managing their personal finances? What advice do you give people when they are facing this issue?The biggest issue, I find, is thinking that you have to have a certain amount of money before you can start managing it in earnest. So many people view the act of “managing one’s money” as exclusively the domain of the wealthy, and to some extent it is, but even if you have five dollars coming in each month, you can still create a detailed spreadsheet with what you are doing with those five dollars and your plan to maximize that income for yourself. So my advice is to do just that — no matter how much you are taking in, no matter how much debt you have, start meticulously tracking your money and managing it as actively as if you were a millionaire. You would be shocked at how much that accomplishes just by its own inertia.Is this the piece of advice you find yourself sharing the most? Any other pieces of wisdom you pass along that seems to resonate with people?I definitely give this piece of advice a lot, but another one I find really resonates is just the general advice to start talking about money actively in one’s own life, with their friends, with their partner, with their family. One of the biggest steps not just to liberating ourselves and using collective wisdom and transparency, but to getting over the fear of money, is to start talking about it in an everyday, non-judgmental way. Money has the weight we give it, and the more we fear it, the longer it will take us to do what we want with it. Sharing salaries, getting strategies, learning about the markets around you, and even just using the language of money — all of this is what allows us to empower ourselves in the tangible, literal sense.Do you have a personal “financial fail” you’re willing to share??So many to choose from! I’ve ruined my credit, I’ve been fired multiple times, I’ve been arrested for unpaid tickets which led to a suspended license and registration, I’ve been totally broke multiple times and had to use check-cashing places because my banks would have taken my money for the overdraft fees I owed — the list is almost endless. But I don’t particularly consider any of these “fails,” in the sense that I made them when I was a stupid, reckless, impatient person, and they were almost totally self-imposed and actively chosen. And having been through all of them gives me an immense appreciation for no longer being that person, and for taking care of myself in a way that used to feel impossible — it makes me (I believe) uniquely suited to talking about money in the way I do now. Nothing can shock me in terms of mistakes or bad decisions, because I’ve been there.What advice would you give other women wanting to take the leap and start their own business?Having a partner from the get-go was immensely helpful to the success of TFD, not just because it provides that extra set of skills, hands, eyes, and ideas that are different from your own, but because it’s an incredibly difficult thing to undertake, and having someone who is there to reassure, to bolster, and to understand — and you frequently switch off as to who’s taking on that role — is profoundly helpful. I couldn’t have done it alone, period. Post navigation
It’s Not Just About Current National TargetsThe role of subnational actors could grow further still in the coming years—and it doesn’t need to come to an end once we have federal climate policies in place. Ultimately, climate change is a global crisis that necessitates an all-hands-on-deck approach. Federal-level policies that harness the leadership and unique strengths of local actors can help drive greater emissions reductions than would otherwise be possible, and potentially even greater economic growth and other benefits.A new report from the New Climate Economy finds that, globally, bold climate action can yield a direct economic gain of $26 trillion cumulatively through 2030, while avoiding more than 700,000 premature deaths from air pollution and generating more than 65 million new low-carbon jobs in 2030. How Non-federal Actors Can Up the AnteSignificant opportunities remain for non-federal actors to further reduce their emissions. Climate action strategies presented in Fulfilling America’s Pledge provide a roadmap for near-term, feasible and high-impact actions, such as:Building coalitions of cities, universities and businesses—such as the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance and Ready for 100 campaign—to establish firm commitments and work with state public utility commissions and other decision makers to source electricity from renewable sourcesExpanding networks like the Science-based Targets Initiative in order to lower emissions across supply chains. Already, 74 U.S. companies representing a combined market capitalization of more than $2.6 trillion have joined the initiative, which encourages companies to set emissions-reduction targets in line with what the science says is necessary to limit warming to 1.5-2 degrees C (2.7-3.6 degrees F).Moving rapidly to reduce emissions from potent short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). This will require state governments to follow the lead of regulatory agencies in Colorado, California, Pennsylvania and others in reducing methane leaks from oil and gas infrastructure, and to join state and business leaders in phasing out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).Broadening efforts to effectively price carbon, building on the successes of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in northeastern states and California’s cap-and-trade program.These and other near-term strategies can reduce U.S. emissions 21 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, and 26 percent by 2030. Enhanced engagement, whereby a broader swath of non-federal actors takes even greater advantage of current economic and technical potential, could result in emissions reductions of 24 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and 32 percent by 2030. States, cities and businesses are significantly decarbonizing the U.S. economy—even in the absence of federal climate action.America’s Pledge has released a new report, Fulfilling America’s Pledge, with analysis from WRI, University of Maryland, Rocky Mountain Institute and others, that examines what U.S. states, cities, businesses and others can do to help achieve the 2025 climate goal. The report shows that policies already adopted by states, cities and businesses will reduce U.S. emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, approximately two-thirds of the way to the country’s pledge of cutting emissions 26-28 percent by 2025. And they could get even further—by scaling up existing technology and expanding programs and policies, states, businesses and cities could reduce emissions by more than 24 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.Reengagement by the federal government could bolster these efforts and allow the United States to achieve the deeper emissions cuts that are both possible and necessary to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. But in the meantime, non-federal actors are demonstrating that U.S. climate leadership is thriving.How States, Cities and Businesses Are Decarbonizing the U.S. EconomyOur analysis shows that current state actions—such as carbon pricing, Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), and oil and gas equipment standards—will play a critical role in achieving climate goals. Actions from cities and businesses—such as clean energy goals and building efficiency measures—will further reinforce and potentially amplify this impact. As an example, we estimate that current state and city commitments will more-than-double 2016 non-hydroelectric renewable generation to more than 500 TWh by 2025, enough to power 56 million homes.
On-page SEO If you run an online business, chances are you understand search engine optimization, traffic reports, and meta data as general concepts. However, what you may not realize is that you need to optimize every single page on your website — especially your product pages.Here are 6 great tips for building effective product pages for your ecommerce website.1. Turn Product Pages Into Great ContentIn the product pages of your website, always use original images and videos with creative descriptions that are both entertaining and informative. Make your pages unique in order to separate you from your competitors. And always avoid duplicate content at all costs. 2. Design Your Pages So They Focus on ConversionsLayouts should be three columns with the most important content on the left and center, as close to the top as possible. Make it very easy for the user to add the product to a cart with just one click. Keep the checkout button near the images or videos and away from user-generated content, like comments, that you can’t always control. 3. Create Unique Content and DescriptionsDescriptions should always be your own, but you can add to them with charts, graphs, fun facts, or anything else entertaining that gives the user information and adds to the user experience on your site.4. Optimize Your URL StructureIncluding the product name with the category in your page’s URL is the easiest way to attract targeted traffic because search engines take URL structure into account, and your product page will look more relevant to them it includes keywords for the product name.Think: http://www.mysite.com/product-category/product-nameAs Opposed To: http://www.mysite.com/Item/90024971115. Add Rich Media, Like VideosImages, videos, charts, etc. are great for reaching a wider number of users. High-quality, original media has several benefits. Here are a few tips for using multimedia elements:License original mediaUse original content exclusively, not stock photos or generic videosBe innovativeRich media is a specialized subset of search queries and, as such, if you have a video or photo that becomes popular, make sure it links back to your product page to bring you more traffic. 6. Take a Look at Zappos as an ExampleWhen you conduct a Google search for ‘Zappos,’ the first thing you see is “Free Shipping.” By putting the word, “free” into their meta description, they have already captured the attention of many users. Then they use their product pages to complete the sale.For example, click the Nike shoe product on the Zappos homepage, and you will arrive here. From top to bottom, you’ll notice these features:The URL includes the product name.The navigation bar has the name again.The SKU number is also at the top because users searching for a specific product often know the SKU number and search by it.The photo is original, unique and able to be enlarged.The layout is organized into three columns with supplementary content on the right.Controllable customer feedback is much higher on the page than comments from customers.Main content is perfectly crafted for keyword optimization**.Bullet points and tags are displayed openly and cleanly.The keyword (product name) is written again in the bottom of the main content but above the supplementary content.The site map is at the bottom of the page.** There is a bullet with the product name, but this time the name is written with a trademark sign between the words, “Nike” and “Free.” They have broken the words up in this way to keep the full product name from looking like spam to a search engine. Notice, they did the same in the next bullet by leaving the “2” off the name and adding the SKU number.Yes, it will take some effort to optimize your product pages, but it will also pay off. You’ll see a decrease in bounce rates and a rise in conversion rates as you attract your target audience and convert them into reliable customers. Topics: Originally published Oct 13, 2011 8:00:00 PM, updated October 20 2016 Don’t forget to share this post! AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to Email AppEmail AppShare to LinkedInLinkedInShare to MessengerMessengerShare to SlackSlack
England fans are known for their passionate love for the game of football. Their celebrations are manic and often border on hooliganism. And when England outclassed Sweden on Saturday, chants of “It’s coming home” grew louder across London and other cities in the country.On Saturday, England entered their first semi-final since 1990. On the way to the semis, they even broke their penalty shootout jinx when The Three Lions beat Colombia on penalties. Of course, after all of that, the fans were just not going to hold back.But the celebrations took an ugly turn.Some fans in London found an IKEA store in west London and caused absolute mayhem.Why an IKEA store? Well, there’s a Zlatan Ibrahimovic connection.Ibrahimovic had challenged Beckham ahead of the England-Sweden quarter-final – if Sweden win the match, the English star would have to buy the Swedish anything from IKEA Sverige, a famous furniture brand in Sweden. He added that if England won, he would buy Beckham dinner at any restaurant in the world.2018 FIFA WORLD CUP: FULL COVERAGEBeckham responded but set his own terms. If England won, Beckham said Zlatan would have to come down to Wembley and watch England play in a Three Lions jersey AND eat fish and chips.Also read – World Cup 2018: Beckham trolls Ibrahimovic as England beat SwedenSo there you go! IKEA bore the brunt. Fans, jumped up and down on a bed in the store and kept singing “it’s coming home”.Live scenes at IKEA – LONDON #ENGSWE pic.twitter.com/rAOEm3cqqAadvertisement(@KingMo786) July 7, 2018Ikea in Stratford pic.twitter.com/JfhS3oPX1MMarley Anthony (@Marlz_87) July 7, 2018How did IKEA respond? They congratulated England on the win and announced an offer where England’s favourite fish and chip would be available for just one pound at their store.(thats congratulations in Swedish) to the England team for getting through to the semi-finals. In celebration, weve put one of the nations favourite dishes, fish and chips, on offer for just £1.Visit https://t.co/UCjG3OTvEj for infoIKEA UK (@IKEAUK) July 7, 2018While some people made videos and thought it was all funny, others were not impressed by the destruction caused by English fans.A Twitter user Drew White said that English should be ashamed at themselves for destroying IKEA furniture like that when they were in fact celebrating English win.Seen the people defending it + who can’t see any problem?That’s almost as worrying to me! The idea of swathes of people who think this is perfectly acceptable.Meanwhile IKEA congratulated England and are doing a celebratory £1 fish & chips deal tomorrow.We should be ashamed.Drew White (@drewsonix) July 7, 2018Another user Evan shared a video of Croatian fans celebrating their quarter-final win over Russia and said this is how one should celebrating “not by pouring beer over each other and thrashing IKEA”.Thats how you celebrate reaching a World Cup Semi Final England fans. Not by pouring beer over each other and thrashing IKEA https://t.co/s4BNzLfHRcEvan (@FutbolEv_) July 7, 2018Spoiler alert if you’re trashing an IKEA in England the chances are the staff who have to clean up your mess are not Swedish… Toxic masculinity ruining sport for everyone since foreverRuth (@ruthie_dee) July 7, 2018However, it was only a group of fans that invaded the IKEA store. For most of England, it was a pompous and huge celebration on the streets.Twitter has been flooded with videos of England fans celebrating the big victory back home, each of them together singing “it’s coming home”.London Bridge pic.twitter.com/efevg7Qxd6Ella Jessel (@EllaJessel) July 7, 2018Since almost the beginning of the tournament in Russia, fans have been joking about the World Cup coming ‘home’.From memes to uncanny similarities from 1996, when England won the World Cup, to various permutations and combinations being met, it has been trending throughout.But as Gareth Southgate’s men have kept marching on, fans have truly started to believe in the theories and they are not jokes anymore.From fans and former players to the current players, there is an increasing belief that England can win the World Cup this time.Led by the charismatic and leading goalscorer of the tournament Harry Kane, England have showed steel, ability, fighting spirit and fearlessness to grab hold of the trophy.
Only a day more to go for the Google’s big hardware event that is set to take place in New York City on October 9. The event will see several major launches including the Pixel 3, the Pixel 3 XL, the Pixel Mini and the Chrome OS tablet.While there have been a lot of rumours and leaks about the 2018 Pixel phones, the information on the up and coming Google tablet has been scarce. But now full images of the device have been shared by MySmartPrice that reveal a lot about the tablet.The Google tablet will officially be called the Google Pixel Slate. The tablet will sport a Pixelbook-like 3:2 touchscreen display with a capacitive stylus support and a detachable keyboard. The Pixel Slate which may be internally codenamed Nocturne will be a 2-in-1 device which means it can be used as a tablet along with a support for detachable keyboard that can be used to access it like a laptop. The leaked images reveal that the tablet will run Google Chrome OS making it the first Google Chrome OS tablet. The images show off pogo-pin connectors which means it will support a detachable keyboard. The keyboard has a large touchpad and chunky round-shaped keys with a dedicated key for accessing Google Assistant. Thick bezels can be seen around the display along with front-facing single camera, stereo speakers and a rear camera. The presence f USB Type-C port suggests that it may be a thin tablet. The Slate will come in dark blue colour.advertisementThe rumours in the past have it that the up and coming Google Pixel Slate will come with dual-boot support along with the Intel’s Amber Lake family of processors and up to 16GB of RAM. The leaked images do not reveal anything on the camera specs but reportedly the Pixel Slate is expected to come with high-quality camera specs. Reportedly, Google is also planning to add the Pixel camera app into the Slate to help it shoot Pixel phones-like bokeh shots. Biometric authentication is also rumoured for the device.ALSO READ: Google is reportedly prepping a Pixel Slate convertible to take on the Microsoft Surface
A live image of the upcoming Galaxy S10 has now been leaked on the internet, giving us a more concrete idea of its design. We have known for a while now that the Galaxy S10, S10 Lite and S10+ are coming with punch hole Infinity-O displays going by renders and screen protectors leaked so far. On Thursday, tipster Evan Blass posted a live image of the regular Galaxy S10, which goes by the codename Beyond 1. The image reaffirms the design of the display, and also gives us a look at how small the bezels are going to be.The Galaxy S10 love image only shows us the display, which is arguably the most exciting part about the design. We see a circular hole on the top right corner that houses a single rear camera. The Galaxy S10 and S10 Lite will have a single front-facing camera, while the Galaxy S10+ is rumoured to come with a pill-shaped cutout for two front camera sensors. The bezel around the selfie camera cutout is noticeable and is rumoured to illuminate to show when the front camera is operational – either while taking a photograph or during facial recognition.Samsung Galaxy S10 “Beyond 1,” in the wild. pic.twitter.com/EMquh59KlnEvan Blass (@evleaks) January 3, 2019Moving on, the bezels around the edges of the display look smaller compared to last year’s Galaxy S9, which is the natural trajectory of things. However, as much as we hoped that Samsung would reduce the chin bezel as much as Apple did with the iPhone X, it seems the chin will still be thicker than the top bezel. So things are not going to be as symmetrical as expected, but the lack of a notch means you can still expect an immersive and distraction-free display.advertisementThe Galaxy S10 is being called Beyond 1, while the Lite model is codenamed Beyond 0 and the Galaxy S10+ is codenamed Beyond 2. There are also rumours of a fourth special tenth anniversary model, codenamed Beyond X which is said to come with a massive 6.7-inch display and will support 5G.Samsung Galaxy S10 rumoured specsThe Galaxy S10 Lite is said to come with a 5.8-inch display, while the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ will sport 6.1-inch and 6.4-inch screen sizes, respectively. All three phones are expected to come with an in-display fingerprint sensor and should get the latest Snapdragon 855/ Exynos 9820 SoC. It is also said that the ‘Plus’ will come with quad cameras on the back, while the regular Galaxy S10 gets a triple camera setup and the Lite version will come with a traditional dual camera system.In the same thread where Blass leaked the latest live image, he adds that the Galaxy S10 will come with a reverse wireless charging feature that will charge other compatible devices and watches, similar to the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. All three Galaxy S10 phones are also rumoured to retain the 3.5mm headphone jack, even though Samsung dropped it on the Galaxy A8s.Samsung Galaxy S10 launch and expected priceThe Galaxy S10 launch date is said to be on January 20, ahead of MWC 2019. The price of the Galaxy S10 Lite is said to start at 699 pounds (approx Rs 63,000), while the Galaxy S10 with 128GB of internal storage will cost 799 pounds (approx Rs 70,600) and the 512GB model will be priced at 999 pounds (approx Rs 90,000). Lastly, we have the Galaxy S10+ which is said to start at 899 pounds (approx Rs 81,000) for the 128GB variant.ALSO READ | Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite case render shows Infinity-O display, wireless charging supportALSO READ | New Samsung Galaxy S10 leaks say smaller chin, swipe gesture from selfie cameraALSO READ | Samsung reportedly working on a Bright Night feature for better low-light shots, may debut with Galaxy S10
Emojis Topics: Even though I love emojis, I’m still a big fan of typed emoticons. They bring me back to simpler times, when my phone still had a physical keyboard and AOL Instant Messenger was my main method of communication. Those were the days.If you still have an affinity for typed emoticons like me, especially the timeless ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ emoticon, here’s how you can type it in two seconds flat on a Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android.How to Type the Shrug Emoji ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ in 2 Seconds FlatThe shrug emoticon is one of the more intricate emoticons to type, so most people resort to copying and pasting it from a website, like CopyShrug.But copying and pasting the emoticon is really only a good option if you use it sparingly. If you’re an avid user of the shrug emoticon, you’ll need to keep revisiting the website to copy and paste it, which is a relatively slow and annoying process, especially on your mobile phone.To type the shrug emoticon as fast as possible, we recommend creating a text replacement shortcut with your device’s autocorrect feature (which might be the first time autocorrect actually comes in handy for you).Mac1. Copy “¯\_(ツ)_/¯“2. Go to System Preferences3. Click Keyboard4. Press Text5. In the Replace box, type “shrug”6. In the With box, paste “¯\_(ツ)_/¯“WindowsUnfortunately, Windows doesn’t have an autocorrect feature, but you can download programs like PhraseExpress to set up text replacement shortcuts and quickly type the shrug emoticon.iPhone1. Copy “¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “2. Go to Settings3. Press General4. Tap Keyboard5. Choose Text Replacement6. Select the “+” button7. In the Shortcut field, type “shrug”8. In the Phrase field, paste “¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “Android1. Copy “¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “2. Go to Settings3. Press Language & Input4. Tap For All Languages5. Select the “+” button6. In the Shortcut field, type “shrug”7. In the Type a Word field, paste ” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯” Originally published Sep 24, 2018 7:30:00 AM, updated September 24 2018 Don’t forget to share this post!
Originally published Jan 31, 2019 7:00:00 AM, updated January 31 2019 From 1976 to 2000, the average working American took off more than 20 days a year.15 years later, that number has decreased to 16 days for the average American.We all know the importance of work-life balance — but, unfortunately, we don’t always know how to implement formal company policies to give employees’ legitimate permission to take time off. And, without company approval, many employees are leaving free vacation days on the table.Additionally, your employees are unique. While some might want time off to visit the Grand Canyon, others might just want to stay home with a sick child, or catch up on errands.A lack of time off for employees can impact your company’s bottom line, too. In fact, people who use vacation days are more likely to get a promotion or raise. Ultimately, time off allows people to recharge and maintain peak productivity levels, undoubtedly good for your company’s long-term growth.To ensure your company sees optimal success in 2019, we’ve created this guide to Paid Time Off (PTO), which can help create a culture in which employees feel secure taking the time they need to maintain a healthy work-life balance.Download a Free Guide and Template to Help You Create a Company Culture Code. What is Paid Time Off (PTO)?Paid Time Off (PTO) allows employees to take a certain number of days off, typically based on a certain amount of time they’ve worked at a company. Rather than giving employees vacation and sick days, many companies use PTO as an all-in-one opportunity for employees to take time off at their own discretion. This helps employees avoid burnout, and allows managers to avert the administrative hassles of tracking where employees are when they’re out of office.Your employees are all unique individuals. Some of them value travel, while others enjoy quality family time. Some want to sit at home with a book, while others want more time to train for a marathon.Plus, events can often arise that are unplanned — a sick child, a car that breaks down, or a last-minute dentist appointment.Our 9-to-5 work schedule is not always conducive to the demands we feel from other aspects of our lives. For this reason, you should consider implementing Paid Time Off (PTO) to allow employees to take care of themselves without fearing financial punishment as a result.Essentially, PTO allows employees to accrue time-off based on hours worked — for a certain number of hours worked, an employee earns a certain amount of PTO that is credited to an employee’s “bank”, typically after a pay period. If an employee takes one day off, they’re taking eight hours of PTO.PTO often takes the place of a company’s vacation and sick day policies. Instead of offering separate buckets of time-off for different reasons, you offer PTO as an all-in-one opportunity for employees to take time off at their own discretion.It’s easy to see the administrative and leadership benefits of PTO — with PTO, you avoid the hassles of tracking why an employee is out, and logging the missed day into one system over another.Plus, your managers are able to demonstrate trust in their employees.Your employees are adults — is it really important whether they took the day off because they were actually sick, or because they simply needed a day to recharge in front of Netflix? Either way, it’s time off they’ve earned.87% of companies offer PTO plans and 91% offer paid vacation plans to employees based on how long they’ve worked at the organization. For PTO plans, the average days awarded per year based on employee’s length of service ranges from 13 to 26 days.Unlimited PTOUnlimited PTO works the same as PTO, except you don’t assign a certain number of allotted days to your employees — instead, you trust them to take any time off they need, as long as they get their work done.This type of results-driven workplace culture is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the startup and technology industries.It might seem like a crazy idea — why would any company offer unlimited PTO? Wouldn’t that just result in an empty office, with a bunch of employees permanently lounging poolside in the Bahamas?In reality, employees with unlimited PTO typically don’t take any more days off than employees with an assigned amount of PTO — in fact, marketing automation company Salesfusion found that after they implemented unlimited paid vacation, their employees actually started taking fewer days off.Unlimited PTO can help you attract and retain top talent. Additionally, the impressive benefit can incentivize employees to work harder, and care about their company more.While you might be wary of some employees taking advantage of the time off, you can mitigate those issues by enforcing regular performance reviews and ensuring each employee continues to hit their deadlines.Brian Halligan, HubSpot CEO and founder, points out three important elements to implementing a hands-off approach to employee vacation time:1. The state-of-the-art vacation plan these days is a relic of an era when people worked 9 to 5 in an office, like our fathers did. The internet and mobile devices have enabled our employees to work where they are comfortable (often at home) and the hours they are comfortable (often in the middle of the night).2. I always thought is was strange when an employee would hand me a paid time off form for a weekday, but never handed me a credit form for the Saturday and Sunday they just put in. Since we are not tracking weekend days worked as credit, the weekday time off just didn’t seem fair.3. We hire very smart people who are very focused on contributing to the growth of our company. We trust that the folks will use “common sense” with regards to taking an appropriate amount of time off.How to Take PTOThis section likely sounds ridiculous to people from certain European cultures, but for Americans, it’s an all-too-familiar problem. There are a few reasons many Americans end up leaving paid vacation days on the table, including a sense of obligation to work hard all the time, and a sense of guilt when a day isn’t “productive”.It’s time all employees globally understand the benefits of time off — for instance, working fewer hours correlates with higher levels of productivity in the form of increased GDP (gross domestic product). Additionally, an employee’s workplace happiness can help improve team morale.If your company offers PTO and you’re anxious about taking it, consider following these six steps:Plan your time-off far in advance. Consider when you might need it most — do you have a month full of conferences, travel, and all-day meetings? Perhaps you’ll need a week to recharge after all that. Alternatively, maybe you just need a few days to lay in the sun in mid-January (I know I do).Tell your manager as far-in-advance as possible. Ask her what she will need you to complete before you leave.Send out an email to your immediate team with an out-of-office reminder in advance, if possible. Urge employees to let you know what they need from you ahead of time, so you can get your work done before you leave the office.Set an automatic out-of-office reply to emails, and include an employee or manager’s email as an alternative if it’s an emergency. Additionally, set your slack, or company messaging system, to “away”.To ensure you finish your work in time, consider blocking time on your calendar as “Busy”, so people can’t book you for meetings and you can cross tasks off your to-do list.Trust your team! They will be able to handle the workload just fine while you’re gone, and you can return the favor when they’re out of office.Of course, these strategies only work if you plan on taking PTO in advance. If an illness or emergency arises, you understandably can’t plan for that. Instead, it’s important you keep team members in-the-loop, but remember — PTO exists for those reasons, as well.Use your days off to recharge, and let go of any guilt you might feel. You’ll be a better employee as a result. Topics: Human Resources Don’t forget to share this post!
Job Search Originally published Feb 27, 2019 7:30:00 AM, updated February 27 2019 Find and Apply For a New Job Don’t forget to share this post! How to Begin Your Job Search in 10 Steps Accept a Job Offer How to Begin Your Job Search Topics: Consider your personalityThink about your skill setReflect on your backgroundBrainstorm your career goalsCreate a list of companies you’d love to work forConsider companies that are similar to your ideal companiesNetwork professionallyClean up your social media accountsUpdate your LinkedIn profilePrepare your resume I remember sitting in one of my career classes in college listening to my professor tell the class how long it can take to find a job.“Sometimes you’re completely qualified for the positions in which you’re applying for, yet it can take several months to find the right position,” he said.My professor wasn’t kidding. I started applying for my first job six months prior to graduation, and it took me all six months to find one I was excited about accepting. Then, when I began the search for my second job, it took me closer to nine months from the moment I decided it was time to start searching for new roles to the call I received with the job offer I accepted.Long story short — searching for a new job isn’t always an easy process. It has the potential to become stressful, time-consuming, and frustrating. But no fear! We’ve created this guide to help you through the process and make it a bit less intimidating. We’ll review the first 10 things you should do when you begin your search, where you can find job listings of interest, how to prepare for an interview, and the ways in which you can accept a job offer.Let’s dive right in. Depending on your specific situation, you may not need to walk through each of the following steps. This list is here to simply guide you through the beginning stages of your job hunt, so feel free to modify it as needed.Free Kit: Everything You Need for Your Job Search1. Consider your personality.Your personality tells you a lot about yourself — what you enjoy doing, what makes you happy, how you like to communicate, and even the types of jobs you’d likely be really great at. There are a number of ways to incorporate your personality traits and characteristics in your job search. You can take one of the many online personality tests to learn more about your specific traits and discover various types of work and tasks you’d be a good fit for. This information is also helpful when thinking about the type of work environment you’d be most productive in. Your personality will help you narrow your search in other ways too — for example, if your results come back with details about you being more shy, introspective, and reserved, you can research ideal jobs for introverts.2. Think about your skill set.Your skill set is a list of your abilities — such as communication, decision making, and ability to work under pressure. These are often listed on your resume, so they’re important to consider for that reason as well as to help you determine the type of role you’d be successful in. You can learn more about your skill set and how it plays a part in the type of career you’d be an ideal fit for by taking a career aptitude test.3. Reflect on your background.Your previous work experience and education, or your background, are also great ways to determine a career path you’d be suited for.For example, I studied journalism in college and worked at a news station after graduation, yet wanted to leave the TV industry. My background, which was tailored towards writing jobs and content-heavy positions, made me an ideal candidate for a blog writer position at HubSpot.If your background doesn’t align with your newfound career interests that’s alright too! This may require a little more research on your end about whether or not you’ll need to go back to school for a masters degree, get a certification of some kind, or work in an entry-level position in your new field of interest.4. Brainstorm your career goals.Brainstorm your personal and career goals to help you determine the right job for you. Think about things like work-life balance, salary, and what you can envision yourself doing in 5-10 years. This will help you narrow down your search as different industries and positions have a range of standards when it comes to factors such as career flexibility and growth.5. Create a list of your dream companies.Whether or not you’re sure about the actual position you’re looking to get into, you should create a list of your dream companies to work for. This is a great way to keep track of the companies you’re most interested in, remain goal-oriented, and remember to continually check their job listings to ensure you’re not missing the perfect opening. You can then tailor your cover letter and skill set on your resume to fit these target companies’ candidate requirements and expectations.6. Consider companies similar to your dream companies.Be sure to consider companies comparable to your ideal companies as well. For example, if you’re hoping to work for a major company like Nike, you might also consider a smaller but quickly growing company in the same industry such as NOBULL. By being open-minded and realistic about how you’re going to reach your end-goal, you avoid locking yourself into one, narrow career path option.7. Network professionally.Whether you’re looking to stay in your current industry or pave a completely new path in another, professional networking is critical. These days, over 70% of job offers at companies, or at least get interviews, as a result of networking. Networking can help you get your foot in the door at a company of interest, gain a new and valuable reference, and determine whether or not you really want to move into a specific type of role.8. Clean up your social media accounts.These days, recruiting managers, hiring teams, and other people at the companies you’re applying to will often look you up on social media as part of their candidate search and screening processes. This means you should either make sure all of your social media accounts are not public, or remove every picture, video, or comment that may lead a potential company to believe you’re not mature or professional enough to join the team. The last thing you want a hiring manager at your dream company to do is take you off their list of potential candidates because of something on your Instagram or Facebook profile.9. Update your LinkedIn profile.Did you know there are over 6.1 million users on LinkedIn? That includes people like yourself looking for new jobs, people who are content in their current jobs, and people who are looking to recruit for and fill various openings at their companies.That’s why ensuring your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date when you begin your job search is critical. Be sure to describe in detail all of your relevant, past work experience including promotions and notable mentions, as well as your education, awards, certifications, and anything else you feel is worth sharing. Make your profile look even more professional by accepting and initiating connections with people you know so you’re more likely to receive endorsements for your skills, experiences, and traits.Recruiters, hiring managers, and employers who find you on LinkedIn will see you as a competent, impressive, and qualified candidate who’s taking the hiring process seriously.Learn how to use LinkedIn for professional networking, business, and marketing.10. Prepare your resume.You must prepare your resume at the beginning of your job search for the same reason you need to update your LinkedIn profile — to ensure all of your latest and most relevant experience is available to recruiters and hiring managers so they can determine whether or not you’d be a good fit for the role you’re applying for.Without a strong and updated resume, the companies you apply to won’t have any reason to take you seriously. Pay attention to the small details, such as your resume font and the skill set you choose to share. After all, this is how you’re going to make an impactful first impression.(When in doubt, you can always update your resume using a template to ensure a professional look and feel that will blow hiring managers away.)How to Find and Apply For Your New JobNow that we’ve reviewed which steps to take in the first stages of your job search, you might be wondering how to find a job you want to apply for and make yourself stand out as a candidate. We’ve created this collection of tips and tricks involving job search sites, cover letters, and interview prep to help you do just that.Job Search SitesToday, job search sites — also known as job search engines —are one of the most common ways to find a new job. These sites provide you with valuable information on companies, location, industry, salary, qualifications, company reviews, and more.Other benefits to using a job search site are the ability to upload your resume and cover letter for quick and easy application submission and the option to be alerted when a new job listing is posted based on criteria you provide. There are a number of popular job search sites that are used by millions of people around the world — so which ones should you use? Below we list six of the most common options.Indeed provides you with access to new job listings, company reviews, and accurate salary information. The site also allows you to post your resume so recruiters and employers can easily reach out you.CareerBuilder gives you the opportunity to search for a new job based on specific criteria, including your experience, location, or skill set. You upload your resume so employers can recruit you and the site will also review your profile and recommend jobs to help you find the right match.Monster allows you to upload your resume for a free assessment to ensure everything looks perfect. The site has a variety of other resources like opportunities to receive professional advice and interview tips, as well as to access to the latest (and most popular) job listings, salary information, and company reviews.LinkedIn isn’t just a networking site — it’s also a job search site. The site will take you through a series of steps to help you begin your job hunt. You can then view position openings and employers can read your resume (as well as easily view your LinkedIn profile). LinkedIn also allows you to search for jobs according to your specific career interests to narrow down your options.Craigslist is a very straightforward and simplistic job search site. Employers post their latest job listings and you can search through them by location and/or one of the site’s 20+ industry types.Glassdoor gives you access to the latest job listings, employee reviews, interview tips, and salary information. You can post your resume for hiring managers to contact you and the site also has a feature to view the types of interview questions specific companies tend to ask so you can prepare to the best of your ability.Once you’ve determined which job search sites you want to use, it’s time to begin preparing your cover letters to send along with your resume to your prospective employers.Unique Cover LettersIn a job application, your cover letter accompanies your resume and persuades an employer to interview you. It should describe the reasons why you’d be a great fit for the position you’re applying for — and when paired with your resume, the employer should clearly understand what makes you qualified for the opening.Save time and use templates to create the perfect cover letter.Not all companies require cover letters. Some make cover letters optional and some choose not to accept them at all. If cover letters are optional for the positions you’re applying for, sending one in is really up to your discretion as there are a range of opinions about their importance. However, if you’re required or choose to include a cover letter, you’ll want to make sure it’s concise, well-written, and stands out against those of your competition. Discover everything you need to know about crafting the perfect cover letter. Interview PreparationNeedless to say, nailing your interview is critical if you want to receive a job offer. Although interviews are often high-pressure experiences for job-seekers, thoroughly preparing for them is a great way to relieve some of the stress.Here are some commonly asked interview questions you can review and think about in preparation for your next interview. You can click the links to learn how to answer these common questions.Tell me about yourself. What are the reasons for leaving your last job?Where do you see yourself in five years?What motivates you?What makes you unique?What is your greatest weakness?You can also use other resources for prep like Glassdoor’s past-interview-question feature, blogs about the job search process in your industry of interest — like this guide about marketing jobs — or ask the people you network with about their past interview experiences.Accept A Job OfferThe last aspect of the job search process is the most exciting — accepting an offer!Once you receive a job offer, be sure to get all of the important position details regarding salary, benefits, expected start date, and anything else you’re looking for clarity on. Remember, it’s normal — and expected — to ask for some time to think about the offer so you can review it before officially accepting. The hiring manager may give you a day, two days, or even a full work week to do this if you ask.Don’t be afraid to decline the offer if the job isn’t the right fit for you. Other offers will come around — be patient and wait for the one that makes you excited. Also, you may choose to negotiate the salary upon receiving your offer. There are professional and realistic ways to negotiate a salary you’ll want to follow to ensure this process goes smoothly.Lastly, you’ll need to give your current employer your two weeks’ notice to let them know you’ll be leaving the company so they can begin preparing to find a replacement or make any other necessary adjustments to your team and/ or department.Learn about how you can prepare for your new job once you’ve accepted an offer.Start Your SearchBeginning the job search process can be an overwhelming one. But following this guide and thoughtfully determining the exact type of role and company you’re looking for is a great way to make it less daunting. Remember to use job search sites to your advantage and prepare for your interviews so you’re ready to impress anyone you meet — get started searching for your next position today.
Originally published Apr 11, 2019 7:00:00 AM, updated April 11 2019 Topics: Marketing Psychology We all like to think we’re good people.We do our best at work. We donate to charity. We’re loyal to our friends. We’re kind to our parents. And, particularly in times of doubt, we pull these examples to the very forefront of our minds to remind ourselves we’re doing good.Typically, our idea of “good” and “bad” is relatively black and white — in movies like The Lion King, for instance, you’re either evil like Scar, or good like Simba. You can’t be both.But what if our desire to cling tightly to the idea of being “good” actually gets in the way of us being better? According to Dolly Chugh, when it comes to being a good person, our either/or mentality does just that.Chugh — who is a psychologist, a management professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and the author of The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias — says it’s critical we let go of our rigid view of what it means to be good. If we don’t, we risk being unable to own and grow from our mistakes.I sat down with Chugh to learn how our narrow view of “good” versus “bad” can actually impede us — from becoming better leaders, employees, and people.Click here to download leadership lessons from HubSpot founder Dharmesh Shah.Why Our “I Am Good” Identity Means So MuchImagine an identity you feel is incredibly important to you — maybe you value being an intelligent student, a powerful leader, or a helpful friend.Let’s say you value being a strong leader, but you’re not sure if your colleagues would attribute this trait to you. As Chugh writes, “When we are unsure whether an important identity has been granted by others, our craving for affirmation becomes more intense and urgent … i.e., if I value being seen as a loving mom, then I feel self-threat when other mothers judge me for working full-time.”If you value being a leader, but don’t feel properly acknowledged by others, you might feel self-threat when someone makes a comment like, “I’ve always thought you were too quiet to be a leader.” Someone else, who doesn’t care about being a good leader, might not feel such a threat.But here’s the catch-22: When faced with self-threat (e.g., a threat to your identity), many of us become frenzied as we try to gain affirmation for that specific identity. And in our pursuit of that affirmation, we become less focused on being a good person, or any of our other identities that matter — like being a good ally, or friend.As Chugh writes, “The affirmation [we desperately seek] relieves the self-threat, but ironically, we end up acting less like — not more like — the people we mean to be.”Chugh and her colleagues have conducted research regarding people’s morality in times of self-threat. For instance, Chugh asked participants to do a word scramble task, and measured whether each participant saw the task as a challenge or a threat. Ultimately, Chugh and colleagues found that when participants felt faced with a threat, they were more likely to morally disengage, or turn off their conscience.There have been other studies that have explored the correlation between self-threat and identity. One study asked 300 adults in England to indicate their intentions to change their travel behaviors. Half of the participants were shown short transport-related descriptions that were designed to threaten the participant’s target identity (being a parent); the other half were shown neutral descriptions.As you might’ve guessed, participants who experienced self-threat were far more resistant to change than those who weren’t.All of which is to say: If being “good” is an important identity to you (which, to most of us, it is), then you’re more likely to morally disengage, and resist change, when you’re experiencing self-threat — even if that self-threat is meant to be helpful feedback.Ultimately, our narrow definition of “good” is too often constricting, and doesn’t allow room for growth.Chugh told me, “We paint ourselves into a tight corner when we view being a good person as either/or. It makes it hard for us to see the times in which we might be contributing to a dynamic that discourages people of color from staying at the firm, or women from applying.””Sometimes,” Chugh stresses, “We are good people with good intentions who are having bad impact.”This only becomes worse when faced with self-threat.When someone questions whether you’re a good work ally, you might become defensive and miss out on the feedback that could’ve allowed you to become a better ally.To further emphasize how hard people work to protect their “good person” identities, Chugh mentions Taylor Phillips and colleagues’ research on the ‘hard-knock-life’ effect.”We want to see ourselves as deserving and free from unfair advantage. Phillips shows that we literally remember our childhoods as more difficult when we are told of disadvantages people from other groups face,” Chugh explains. “That is how powerfully our unconscious mind fights to protect our good person identity.”But … is that such a bad thing?The Problem With Wanting To Be GoodThere’s nothing wrong with wanting to be good.Unfortunately, the problem arises when you believe you’re either inherently good or inherently bad, with no room for mistakes or growth.For instance, consider the last time you behaved in a way that felt less than ideal — maybe you made an offensive joke in the office kitchen. Perhaps someone at work called you privileged, so you felt judged for your lack of charity work.When these instances arise, we typically become defensive — when we’d benefit more greatly from remaining open and receptive.In her TED Talk, Chugh explains how flawed our mentality towards morality truly is.”If you needed to learn accounting, you would take an accounting class, or if you become a parent, we pick up a book and we read about it. We talk to experts, we learn from our mistakes, we update our knowledge, we just keep getting better,” Chugh says.”But when it comes to being a good person, we think it’s something we’re just supposed to know, we’re just supposed to do, without the benefit of effort or growth.”Chugh urges us to change our thinking — what if, instead of needing to be good all the time (or not at all), we just tried our best to be “good-ish”?Chugh told me how important it is to “let go of being a good person and embrace being a good-ish person. Good-ish people actively look for their blind spots and mistakes. So, if someone helps us notice a blind spot, it is actually doing us a favor.”To further understand her research, let’s consider an example. Say you’re a team leader, and a coworker from HR mentions that your team lacks diversity.More than likely, you’ll jump to your own defense: “We actually have three women on the team!”, you’ll say, not noticing that you’re still lacking other types of diversity.Your comment makes you feel reassured that you’re a good person, but ultimately, it doesn’t help you grow, or recognize the blind spot you might’ve missed.In other aspects of our lives, we’re very capable of receiving feedback — and yet, where it matters most, we too often fall short.Instead, let’s say you’ve embraced the idea that you’re “good-ish”, like Chugh suggests. Maybe you pause when you hear your coworker’s comment, and think, “Huh. That’s a good point — I should adjust my recruitment strategy. Too many of my employees are extroverted, which leaves little room for talent diversity. Additionally, while I do have three women on my team, I don’t have any women of color, which isn’t okay.”By operating under the belief that morality is nuanced and dynamic, and not at all black-and-white, you’re more capable of owning your mistakes — which is ultimately critical to becoming a better leader, and person.If you’re in a leadership position, Chugh suggests adopting a growth mindset. She told me, “I think senior leaders owe it to themselves to work one-on-one with an executive coach to wrestle with their blind spots privately. This is hard work and it is difficult to do in the limelight.”In her TED Talk, Chugh acknowledges the difficulty of becoming vulnerable and receptive to feedback regarding our own integrity. It certainly isn’t easy.But, as Chugh points out, “As a good-ish person … I become better at noticing my own mistakes. I don’t wait for people to point them out. I practice finding them, and as a result … Sure, sometimes it can be embarrassing, it can be uncomfortable. We put ourselves in a vulnerable place, sometimes. But through all that vulnerability, just like in everything else we’ve tried to ever get better at, we see progress. We see growth. We allow ourselves to get better.”Ultimately, dropping the pressure you feel to be “good” — and allowing yourself to admit you’re “good-ish” — could be the difference between being a good leader and a great one, or a good ally and a great one.And who wouldn’t want that? Don’t forget to share this post!
Shilpa Shetty and Shamita Shetty are proving that sisters who work out together stay together and their latest Instagram post is a proof of that.Shamita recently took to her Instagram account to post a video of the duo working out at the gym and it will give the perfect motivation to kick those Tuesday blues out of the park.Shamita shared the video with the caption, “Munki n Tunki workin it! Thank you my jiju @rajkundra9 for capturing us n our trainer @thevinodchanna for always motivating us!!! No gain without pain I say. Trying to work off those extra kilos I’ve put on back to healthy khaana n no sweets.”In the video, one can see Shamita and Shilpa doing jump squats together as a team as Shilpa’s hubby Raj Kundra records the video. Their trainer can also be heard in the background motivating them to work hard.The exercise that the sisters were nailing at the gym helps build and tone the calves, glutes, hamstrings, core and quadriceps. They are definitely setting some major goals for us.For the workout routine, Shilpa wore a floral print co-ord sports bra and training tights with hot pink shoes. As for her sister, Shamita, she wore magenta gym tights over pink tank top with training shoes of the same colour.Even Raj Kundra shared another video of Shilpa and Shamita working out at the gym, wishing his fans a happy Dussehra.On the work front, Shilpa, who ruled Bollywood in the 90s, is making a comeback to Hindi films with Sabir Khan’s Nikamma.The actress even shared a picture from the first day of the shoot with director Sabir Khan and co-star Abhimanyu Dassani recently.ALSO SEE | Shilpa Shetty shares video of aarti from Ganesh Chaturthi celebration: The energy is inexplicableALSO WATCH | I am Mrs Shilpa Shetty Kundra
Virat Kohli became the 2nd Indian after MS Dhoni to lead in 50 Tests when he walked out for the toss for the 2nd Test of a 3-match series against South Africa in Pune on Thursday.In August, Virat Kohli became the most successful Test captain in the history of Indian cricket during the tour of the West Indies. Before the Pune Test, Virat Kohli led India in 49 Tests and won 29, lost 10 and drew 10.In 60 Tests as captain, MS Dhoni won 27 Tests and lost 18 while 15 ended in draws.Virat Kohli had stood in for MS Dhoni in the Adelaide Test of 2014 and started with twin hundreds in a thrilling match which India lost eventually.It will be Match No. 50 as Test Captain for @imVkohli when he takes the field in the 2nd Test against South Africa. Congratulations Skip! #TeamIndia #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/Itfw2BiJgGBCCI (@BCCI) October 9, 2019After MS Dhoni’s shock decision to retire from Tests mid-way through the series Down Under, Virat Kohli was appointed full-time Test skipper.India vs South Africa, 2nd Test Day 1: Live updatesVirat Kohli has blossomed as a Test batsman during his tenure as captain. He scored double hundreds in 4 successive series and is the only captain to hit 6 double hundreds in Test cricket.Kohli helped India reclaim the top spot in Test cricket soon after taking charge.However, questions have been raised on Virat Kohli’s tactics and team selection overseas. Under Kohli, India lost Test series in South Africa and England but he made history by leading India to triumph in the 4-Test series in Australia in 2018-19.advertisementSpeaking to the media on the eve of the Test, Virat Kohli said he was lucky to play all this cricket for India.”I feel I am lucky enough to be in this position. I am grateful that I have been able to play so many games for India, let alone captain so many games.”It is a nice little landmark but the focus is to win as many Test matches as possible and just win every game we can. Stats and numbers don’t matter to me but when the team recognizes these little things, it means something to me as a player.”I’m grateful for whatever has happened in my career so far,” he said.Also Read | Dasun Shanaka joins MS Dhoni in elite list as Sri Lanka clean sweep Pakistan 3-0 in T20I seriesAlso Read | Could not stop crying first time I saw Jasprit in IPL, says mother DaljitAlso See:
Chelsea v Stoke City Chelsea team news: Hazard and Fabregas dropped for Stoke visit Goal Last updated 1 year ago 22:07 12/30/17 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) 
Getty Chelsea v Stoke City Chelsea Stoke City Premier League Antonio Conte has made some key alterations to the starting XI for Saturday’s clash at Stamford Bridge, but face a side with six changes to their team Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas have been dropped to the Chelsea bench for Saturday’s game against Stoke City.The Belgian attacker has been partnering Alvaro Morata up front in recent weeks, but Antonio Conte has left him out of the first XI, allowing Willian and Pedro to start in support of the striker.Despite also starting in their midweek game against Brighton & Hove Albion, Fabregas has been replaced by the returning Danny Drinkwater, while Tiemoue Bakayoko is also kept in reserve. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A. A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player Stoke, meanwhile, have made six changes to their first team with Chelsea loanee Kurt Zouma missing from the side that faced Huddersfield in their last game, while his defensive partner Ryan Shawcross is also absent. Instead, Geoff Cameron lines up in the centre of the back-line while Kevin Wimmer moves into the centre and Josh Tymon lines up on the left.Charlie Adam, Ibrahim Afellay, Ramadan Sobhi, Mame Diouf and Saido Berahino are all starting. Chelsea are unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches and sit a point behind second-place Manchester United ahead of their final game of 2017.Their visitors, however, recently brought an end to a four-game losing streak in the English top flight and have collected four points from their last two matches, having beaten West Bromwich Albion and drawn with Huddersfield. Here’s the team to play Stoke: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill (c), Rudiger; Moses, Kante, Drinkwater, Alonso; Willian, Morata, Pedro. #CHESTK pic.twitter.com/Wey0R5hpYR— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 30, 2017Chelsea XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Rudiger, Moses, Kante, Drinkwater, Alonso, Willian, Morata, PedroChelsea subs: Caballero, Christensen, Zappacosta, Fabregas, Bakayoko, Hazard, Batshuayi.Stoke City XI: Butland; Edwards, Cameron, Wimmer, Tymon; Diouf, Fletcher, Adam, Afellay, Ramadan; Berahino.Stoke subs: Grant, Allen, Choupo-Moting, Shaqiri, Crouch, Ngoy, Souttar.
Gulf Cup of Nations Pragmatic Zaccheroni leads UAE to Gulf Cup Final Mohammed Fayad 15:51 1/3/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) 
Gulf Cup of Nations Oman v UAE UAE Oman The UAE and Oman are set to meet in the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup Final on the 5th of January at the Jaber International Stadium in Kuwait. The 2017 Gulf Cup of Nations final will see a repeat of the 2007 final when the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face Oman to determine the winner of the 23rd edition of the competition. The results came after Oman defeated Bahrain 1-0, and the UAE beat Iraq on penalties after a 0-0 draw in both regular and extra time.
The UAE’s progression has been an odd one; they have only scored 1 goal in this competition. Their only goal came from a penalty against (you guessed it) Oman, during the first matchday of the group stages. After their 1-0 win against Oman, they drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait before doing the same against Iraq in the semi-finals, but winning on penalties this time. Editors’ Picks Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A. A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player The secret to the UAE’s defensive success has been in the new 3-4-2-1 formation that they don under their recently appointed Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni. This formation includes 2 defensive midfielders sitting in front of the 3 centre backs, alongside 2 wing backs on the flanks. In the front line sit two attacking midfielders/wingers behind the lone striker.
The second layer of protection provided by the midfielders is everything the UAE needs to account for their defenders’ individual shortcomings, such as Mohanad Salem who tends to get caught out of position or rash in tackling.At the same time, this has played a part in their failure to dominate offensively. Times have changed, as after the UAE dominated offensively at the 2013 Gulf Cup and 2015 Asian Cup, they now lack ideas in an attacking line-up that includes 3 of the following players at the same time: Omar Abdulrahman, Ali Mabkhout, Ahmed Khalil, Ismail Al Hammadi and Mohammed Abdulrahman. This attack has only mustered a single goal; none from open play!The reason for the offensive shortcomings have not necessarily been tactical, after all, the use of the three forwards in this way is rare in the Gulf and this can catch defenders out easily. It is more so the physical and psychological issues, with Ali Mabkhout returning from injury just recently and Ahmed Khalil sitting without a club after contractual issues with Al Jazira. All Omar Abdurlahman can do is slip through passes in and hope for his teammates to benefit from them.This all leads to the final, which is expected to be an extremely boring one with both teams lacking any tactical brilliance in attack. Both are well-oiled sides defensively, but offer little in terms of creativity, and that’s worrying when you have Omar Abdulrahman in your side.