Keywords Hiring Managers Look For

From CareerBuilder.com comes the results of a survey on over 3,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals regarding keywords they look for in resumes.

Hiring managers often use electronic scanners to rank candidates based on a keyword search of applications, so make sure to pepper keywords into your resume as they apply to your experience.

The terms employers search for most often are:

• problem-solving and decision-making skills (50 percent)
• oral and written communications (44 percent)
• customer service or retention (34 percent)
• performance and productivity improvement (32 percent)
• leadership (30 percent)
• technology (27 percent)
• team-building (26 percent)
• project management (20 percent)
• bilingual (14 percent)

Seems to me like using these words will give you an edge, not only in your resume, but when having a face-to-face interview.  Use these keywords in your conversation when talking about your views and experience to your potential employer.  Way better than talking about the day that your grandmother's goat ate the wash off the line.

Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 for 91% off retail price

As you know, a true bargain is at least 90% off the retail price AND is something that you actually need and want.  This sale item fits my definition.

Microsoft is making Office Ultimate 2007 available at 91% off the $680 retail price to students with proof of enrollment in a United States educational institution and a valid .edu email address.

You will also be able to obtain Microsoft Visio Professional design package and Vista Ultimate upgrade at similar discounts.

These offers are supposedly good throughout the academic school year, but you might want to check them out as soon as possible.

For more information and/or to order, click here.

Hotel Surplus Outlet - Los Angeles

When you go to a hotel, do you look at the furniture and wish it was in your bedroom?  Personally, I love the armoires that you can close and cover up the TV.

Well, hotels remodel a lot.  What happens to their "stuff"? Does it go to the hotel junkyard?  No, it goes to Hotel Surplus Outlet in Los Angeles (Van Nuys, to be exact.)  Per their website, Hotel Surplus Outlet "acquires and liquidates fine furnishing from top rated hotel and lodging properties.  They also seek deals on new overstock items, canceled items, canceled orders and new furniture."  This means some great deals for you! 

OK, I've looked at their prices and they are much higher than the prices you would find at a yard sale.  Those of you who have been with me from the beginning know that I think that 10% of the original price is a true bargain.... but, this stuff is pretty nice and the price is way less than new, so it's worth checking out.

I've found the Hotel Surplus Outlet in Los Angeles, but their must be outlet in other areas.  Perhaps some of my readers would like to post the addresses of outlets in their areas

Here is the information for the Los Angeles store:

Hotel Surplus Outlet
6843 Valjean Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91406
818-787-7807

Open M-F 9:00 to 6:00 Sat and Sun 10-5
www.hotelsurplus.com


When you check them out, tell 'em Bobbi's Bargains sent you.

A new view for search engines - Viewzi.com

Just found a new (still in beta) search site.  Viewzi.com

It filters and groups the data that is found during the search into several distinct interfaces. 

Way too high tech for me to explain... but lots of fun to try.

Check it out.

Rent your college text books

The cost of going to college has been skyrocketing for years.  Part of that cost includes the cost of the text books one has to buy for the classes.  Many of these books weigh a ton, are impossible to comprehend and you will never use again them after the class ... but you are REQUIRED to have them. 

For decades, college bookstores have had a policy of buying back your used text books (at a small fraction of the original cost) and then selling them back to other students (for a large fraction of the original cost.)  Those bookstore people knew what they are doing. 

Well, the bookstore people no longer have a monopoly on selling you your textbooks.  There are several ways that you can now save a bundle on your text books.

One can always check on the standard book buying sites:
amazon.com
ebay.com
half.com

You might also find a deal on craigslist.com  (make sure that you use my earlier tip on how to search all the craigslists at once.)

However, there is a new text book game in town.  You can now RENT your text books.

Why would you want to rent your textbooks?  For a bunch of reasons (say the sites):
Save paper = save trees = save planet
Cheaper price (yes, some of these books are dirt cheap)
You don't have to feel obligated to shelve, dust, pack and move the text book for the rest of your life because you spent more on it than you did for your first car.

Make SURE that you read all the fine print on these sites.  It is important that the books are guaranteed to have all the CDs and special codes you need for full access to the info that is part of this text book.  A lot of books now have websites that go with them and you need a code to unlock the site.  Also check out the information on due dates, extra fees, shipping costs, damages, etc.

Here are my favorite three text book rental sites:
campusbookrentals.com
bookrenter.com
chegg.com

As a special note, on some of these sites, you can even buy gift certificates.  What a great gift for a high school graduation present.

And, of course, if you already have text books, you aren't using and won't ever use again, cluttering up your shelves, you can sell these books on the same sites.

The ReUse People

Many years ago, I was walking down 86th Street in New York City. There was a crew demolishing a building. Just as I passed and looked into the shambles of what once had been a 1920s bar, I saw a workman bring down his sledge hammer on a gorgeous stained glass window. I am pretty certain that I screamed. I couldn't believe that he hadn't at least dragged the window to the sidewalk. It would have been gone in "a New York minute."

I've never forgotten that window. I've thought about "where have all the architectural embellishments gone?" Into landfills? Horrors!

Guess I wasn't the only person thinking about this, because there is a group called, "The Re Use People." Their Mission Statement says that they: "reduce the solid waste stream and change the way the built environment is renewed by salvaging building materials and distributing them for reuse."

What this means to you and me is that we can go down to one of their salvage warehouses and buy a salvaged door, window, cabinet, refrigerator or spiral staircase for a fraction of the original cost.

It also means that you have to be flexible and use what they have... which could be ANYTHING. Depends on what has been recently salvaged.

When my friend and I went to check out the store in Pacoima, CA, we saw some floor to ceiling built-in bookshelves, a bay window, a kitchen island, an air condition compressor, a chandelier, and doors and windows of every shape and size.

Check out their website here. There are warehouses nationally, but the majority appear to be in California.

If you are remodeling, this is a store you can't afford not to check out. You might find a stained glass window for a few dollars. Wouldn't THAT be nice?

Summer Olympics 2008 on You Tube

I love watching the Olympics. I have special memories of watching the Olympics on TV with my family. However, now that I have a family, I don't have TV. I pulled the plug on commercialized TV quite some time ago. I just couldn't stand being barraged with commercials designed to teach my kids to want things that they didn't need and couldn't afford.... so, cable had to go.

Turns out that I can pretty much find whatever I want on the internet or Blockbuster.... except the Olympics.

I did some searching on the net and find out that there are a couple sites that will help me. Thought I'd share them with you.

YouTube Summer Games - all the YouTube vids in one place. You know there are going to be tons of videos uploaded. This seems to be a good choice for me as they will be sorted into different kinds of videos.

Add a gadget to your Google home page - you can add a gadget to your google homepage. This will give you all kinds of info right on the home page. You can find out more info on this by clicking here.

TVtonic - seems to have awesome coverage, but you have to have Vista to use it. You can download and watch full length olympic events. Its NBC Olympics On the Go. Check it out.

Of course, if you DO happen to have a cable provider, you can sign up for the delayed feed at NBCOlympics.com. If you do... can you invite me over to watch the opening ceremonies?