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CREATING YOUR CV

Adding your Qualities to your CV

Written by Robert A. Stewart

Employers who receive your CV are interested in your qualities so what is a quality?

A quality is a characteristic; it is a strength. Someone’s good strengths are their qualities and abilities.

You must be able to provide an example of every quality you list on your CV.

Here are some examples:

PERSONAL QUALITIES: “I am a good team player.”

EXAMPLE: “I am part of the soccer/cricket/rugby/whatever team that has won xxx number of games this season.”

When giving an example of being a team player, you use the word “we,” rather than “I” all of the time and never use the word, “they” when talking about your previous employers.

PERSONAL QUALITIES: “I am good with children.”

EXAMPLE: “I babysit for my sister/auntie every weekend,” or “I look after the kids at church on Sundays.”

PERSONAL QUALITIES: “I am willing to learn.”

EXAMPLE: “At my last job we did such and such which was a huge learning curb for us.”

It is important not to sell yourself short in describing yourself. Your personal qualities are unique to you, they are your gifts.

When you are talking about past employers in an interview use the word “we” as this gives others the impression that you are a team player. Never refer to them as “they,” 

Leave out information which may not be relevant to the job but certain skills which may not be important for the job you are applying for may in fact point to a quality which an employer is after.

For example you may be computer literate which is not relevant to the job but if you are teaching others how to do stuff online then this can be pointed out in the interview or on your CV.

Knowing what to leave out of your CV is just as important as what to include. It is a good idea to have different CVs tailored to different types of jobs, that way your CV will be relevant to the type of job you are applying for.

You need to keep in mind that if a potential employer has reason to believe that you may spend a lot of time on your devices during work time then he may overlook you for someone else.

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE

You have the right to forward/share this article, even publish it on your own blog or use it as content for your own ebook.

www.robertastewart.com

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MISTAKES MADE BY AFFILIATE MARKETERS

Mistake number 1: Choosing the wrong affiliate program.  

Many people want to earn from affiliate marketing as fast as possible. In their rush to be part of one, they tend to choose a bandwagon product. This is the kind of product that the program thinks is “hot”. They choose the product that is in demand without actually considering if the product appeals to them. This is not a very wise move obviously. 

Instead of jumping on the bandwagon, try to choose a product in which you are truly interested in. For any endeavor to succeed, you should take some time to plan and figure out your actions.  

Pick a product that appeals to you. Then do some research about that product to see if they are in demand. Promoting a product you are more passionate about is easier than promoting one for the sake of the earnings only.  

Mistake number 2: Joining too many affiliate programs.  

 Since affiliate programs are very easy to join, you might be tempted to join multiples of affiliate programs to try and maximize the earnings you will be getting. Besides you may think that there is nothing wrong and nothing to lose by being part of many affiliate programs. 

True, that is a great way to have multiple sources of income. However, joining multiple programs and attempting to promote them all at the same time will prevent you from concentrating on each one of them.  

The result? The maximum potential of your affiliate program is not realized and the income generated will not exactly be as huge as you were thinking initially it would. The best way to get excellent results is by joining just one program that pays a 40% commission at least. Then give it your best effort by promoting your products enthusiastically. As soon as you see that it is already making a reasonable profit, then maybe you can now join another affiliate program. 

The technique is to do it slowly but surely. There is really no need to rush into things, especially with affiliate marketing. With the way things are going, the future is looking real bright and it seems affiliate marketing will be staying for a long time too. 

Mistake number 3: Not buying the product or using the service. 

As an affiliate, you main purpose is to effectively and convincingly promote a product or service and to find customers. For you to achieve this purpose, you must be able to relay to the customers that certain product and service. It is therefore difficult for you to do this when you yourself have not tried these things out. Thus, you will fail to promote and recommend them convincingly. You will also fail to create a desire in your customers to avail any of what you are offering. 

Try the product or service personally first before you sign up as an affiliate to see if it is really delivering what it promises. If you have done so, then you are one of the credible and living testaments aware of its advantages and disadvantages. Your customers will then feel the sincerity and truthfulness in you and this will trigger them to try them out for themselves.  

Many affiliate marketers make these mistakes and are paying dearly for their actions. To not fall into the same situation they have been in, try to do everything to avoid making the same mistakes.  

Time is the key. Take the time to analyze your marketing strategy and check if you are on the right track. If done properly, you will be able to maximize your affiliate marketing program and earn higher profits.

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ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE

Knowing the difference between real assets and real liabilities and then setting your financial goals accordingly can be the difference between getting yourself financially sorted or the poorhouse. It underlines the value of financial literacy in helping achieve your goals.

The difference between assets and liabilities

Written by R. A. Stewart

An asset is something which pays you money while an asset is something that costs you money.

So let’s look at some examples.

Is property an asset or a liability?

Some people may say it is an asset because it is something you own, however, if you owe money on that property and are not getting a return on it then it is a liability because it is costing you money.

Is it an asset if you are receiving rent from that property?

Only if you are making a profit.

Some people would not agree saying, “The property is increasing in value over time.”

Lets not forget there are rates to pay plus maintenance costs and insurance to pay on that property so it could be costing you money in the long term but you will have to sit down and do your homework. 

Other investment times are less complicated such as the sharemarket so lets look at other investment types which are assets. 

Assets

Your retirement fund

Mutual Funds, also known as managed funds

Other investments

Business or farm

Learn to invest your money in items that can be quickly converted back to cash; some investments do not allow you do quick turn the asset back into cash without jumping through several hoops.

Liabilities

Any items which have money owed on it and these are your form of transport, however there are circumstances where it may be an asset such as if the vehicle is used as a taxi, which therefore makes it an asset as it is producing an income. Such costs and the money owing on the vehicle can be tax deductible. The same applies to any vehicle used in a business.

Even though a vehicle used for work and business purposes may be classed as an asset, the money owing on that vehicle is a liability and will go into the accounts as such.

The reason why so many people are in such a poor financial state is that they borrow for stuff instead of saving for it and therefore pay more for that item in the form of interest payments.

A pet can be classed as a liability if it is costing you an arm and a leg to keep. Think of a dog for example; I read somewhere that it costs $20,000 to keep a dog during it’s lifetime. That is not just the food but vet bills and the like. A dog can be classed as a liability.

Do a stock take

Before you know where your money is going you need to do a stock take of all your spending.Your number one priority has to be the elimination of debt and plug up those leaks in your spending that are costing you money. In this way you will know where to make savings and redirect that money elsewhere.

Your task needs to be to reduce liabilities which means reducing debt then once you have savings use it to build your wealth. This involves setting goals which will increase your wealth and not send you to the poorhouse.

There are a number of share market platforms where you are able to drip feed money into the markets. Take advantage of these as they are a great way to build your financial literacy.

Increase your income

Reducing your spending, increasing your income and investing your savings are important factors in increasing your income. Many people are turning to affiliate marketing to build their wealth. If you are interested in going this route then check out the link below:

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All the best.

www.robertastewart.com

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THINKING ABOUT GOING ON A KETO DIET?

Keto Diet Advice

If you have never tried the Keto Diet or ever wondered what it involves then I have some suggestions for you to maybe help you get the most out of it or even to help you decide whether it is for you.

My advice to those using the Keto Diet is to not jump in the deep end straight away but make small changes to your diet to enable your body to adjust to the diet.

If you are a marathon runner, you must first run one mile before you can run two, three, four, five, or twenty six miles.

Twenty six miles is run by running one mile at a time.

What I am saying is that it is best to change one aspect of your diet a day rather than try and change everything to ease your body into the diet.

The other thing to consider is that you are not in a contest with other people to see who can lose the most weight. You need to run your own race. 

Everyone has a different body type therefore do not compare yourself to anyone else on this earth. 

There will always be people who make fun of those at a lower rung on the ladder than themselves even though they were once at the same stage as you are. Ignore them, if they have a need to laugh at the efforts of others in order to boost their own self-esteem then they are just exposing their own insecurities.

It is a good idea to have a friend to walk this journey with you whatever your goals; in this way you can encourage each other. It all helps to build up your self esteem.

Learning to accept yourself for who you are and not try to be someone else is important for your mental health. There are as many personalities as there are shapes and sizes as there are human beings.

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Seeking your why

Seeking your why

Every investor receives advice from somewhere but it is important to get the right advice and to have some kind of vision for your life because as the proverb says, “Without vision the people perish.”

The same principle applies to your savings goals because unless you have a purpose for your money your work will become meaningless and you will lack the motivation and ambition to progress above a low level of life.

What is your “Why?

What gets you up in the morning?

Only you can answer that question.

It is no good asking other people for advice on what you should do. No one knows what makes you tick like you do.

“Enthusiasm does make the difference” as author Norman Vincent Peale says in his book and enthusiasm starts with desire.

Sometimes it is a life event which moves a person to take action and roll their sleeves up.

And one does not need to be rich and famous to make a difference though that helps.

During the 1970s a New Zealand solo mother campaigned for tighter regulations for fireworks after a serious incident one Guy Fawkes night sparked her into action. She travelled around schools in New Zealand giving speeches on the safe use of fireworks but at the same time recognising that youngsters are prone to acts of stupidity. It is one example of how someone could find their “Why” after a life event.

Others have got involved in causes which they feel strongly about. Causes which give their lives purpose. 

No doubt you will be able to name celebrities in your country who are involved in various causes. 

Money should not be your main consideration when making decisions about your career. If you choose a certain type of job because it pays well but hates every minute of it then you must surely ask yourself whether it is worth the misery and that you may be better off finding something else.

If you think you cannot afford to downsize your income then it might be time to downsize your lifestyle.

Making the most of what you know and being content with where you are is not the same is being satisfied with mediocrity; some people are never satisfied with their life so look for shortcuts such as winning the lottery to make themselves happy. 

“I will be happy if I ……….”

Happiness comes from within and has nothing to do with your circumstances. 

It’s your life and it is up to you to make the most of it.

This is all something to think about.

www.robertastewart.com

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GREED AND FEAR RULE THE MARKETS

Greed and fear rule the markets

“The markets are driven by greed and fear,” is something we are often told by financial commentators; what this essentially means is that fear prevents investors from buying when the share price has reached a low point while greed prevents an investor from selling when the share price is high.

The recent activity concerning the gaming company Gamestop is a perfect example of how greed will get the better of a lot of investors. Few will sell for fear of missing out on the continual rise of the stock and will end up losing a lot of their gains + their initial investment when the company’s share price runs its course which it undoubtedly will.

It is a case of investors using their commonsense. It tends to be the young who are attracted to this type of stock; I think probably because the older investors have been there and done that and have gone for a more conservative approach.

Fear also prevents a lot of investors from buying a stock when it’s price has bottomed out so an astute investor can take advantage of these fears by purchasing shares which have dropped in price. It is good for investors to check the sharemarket table in the newspapers and the start to note is the high & low price of the year. This will give you an idea of where the stock is at.

If you are investing through an online share platform which allows you to drip feed money into the markets then you could say purchase shares in the same company every two weeks. That way when the share price is down you have at least bought shares at the lower price.

But there are just some stocks where this rule may not be applicable to.

GAME STOP

The gaming company Game Stop has been in the news a lot lately (January 2021) due to the rising share price and with so many investors jumping on the bandwagon its share price has been inflated well above its true value. It is only a matter of time before its share price slides but who knows when that will be. It is likely that a lot of investors will jump ship hastening its slide. 

So is GameStop a short term, medium term, or long term investment?

In my own opinion, it is none of the above; it is more a speculative play where you use your discretionary income. If it comes off that is fine and if the investment turns to custard, well it was money you could afford to lose anyway.

By discretionary income, that is money you would have spent on alcohol, nights out, holidays, the lottery, satellite TV, or whatever; if you lose your money there is no harm done.

The media does not give the full story when they report that someone lost X amount of money on the sharemarket when a company’s share price bottomed out. An investor may have held $1,000 worth of shares in an xyz company but may have only paid $100 for them yet it will be reported that $1,000 was lost.

It is up to investors to do their homework and think and think about what they are doing because at the end of the day it is your money you are playing with.

I cannot stress this enough; do not use the following funds for purchasing shares in GameStop.

*House deposit money

*Money saved up to purchase a car

*Money set aside for your child’s education

*Money set aside for your retirement

*Money set aside for emergencies.

The Games Stop bubble will burst. It has a short life span therefore only purchase shares in this or other similar speculative investments with money you can afford to lose. 

After all, you would not go to the Kumara races with the house deposit money.

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www.robertastewart.com

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POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN INVESTING IN GOLD

Investing in gold

Gold hit record levels during 2020 and with so much economic uncertainty as a result of coronavirus it could remain high and even exceed 2020 levels. What are the factors to consider when investing in gold? Here are my thoughts.

1 Do not place all of your eggs in one basket; that is do not invest your life savings in gold. If you have never invested in gold previously it is a good idea to find a way to drip feed money into gold. Do a google search to find a dealer in your own country.

2 It is a good idea to use discretionary income for investing in gold during the learning phase to get a feel for the markets.

3 Investing in gold coins is the easiest way to invest in gold; you can find these listed in online auctions such as ebay, however, you have no guarantee that the listed price is its real value. (buyer beware)

4 Investing in companies that mine gold is another way to get involved in gold but you need to do your homework first and only invest in companies that actually mine gold and not just exploring for gold.

5 Gold is a long term investment; it is not something you buy and sell regularly.

6 Factors that have an influence on the gold price are inflation, weak US dollar, US government, and unemployment.

7 Beware of counterfeit gold coins. Try the magnet test. If gold is attracted to gold it is counterfeit because gold is not magnetic.

8 Gold can be easily converted back into cash which makes it a convenient investment.

9 Gold is a tangible asset, you own something you can touch which is not the case with other investment types.

Getting involved in different types of investments broadens your financial literacy, there is so much information on the internet to help you on your journey. Check out the link below for valuable information on investing in gold:

https://affiliates.goldco.com/l/1VRW1MU2Q/

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SETTING FINANCIAL GOALS

In order to get to where you want to go you have to know where you are going and this involves goal setting. Even if you do not set goals you will still end up someplace. Even those who ended up in the poor house started their journey someplace. Choosing where you want to go involves goal setting otherwise your destination will be chosen for you.

Setting financial goals 

Written by R. A. Stewart

Getting all of your finances in order takes a bit of give and take as far as deciding what you have to give up in order to achieve something else. If all our dreams came true we could buy anything we want when we want it but we do not live in our ideal world so we need to decide on what our priorities are.

In today’s world where getting one’s foot on the property ladder is unachievable for a lot of young people under their current circumstances, they need to find another strategy. These same rules apply whatever the circumstances and that is getting into the savings habit and investing money is important. If you are a New Zealander then I cannot stress enough how important it is to join the NZ retirement scheme kiwisaver. With all of it’s incentives such as the free government money and employer contributions this is a no brainer. Plus you will be able to use part of your kiwisaver for a deposit on your first home providing you have been with a kiwisaver for five years.

If you are from another country then your retirement scheme will have different rules and schemes.

A multitude of factors will determine your financial goals but the main ones are:

YOUR AGE

If you are young then you have the luxury of time on your side and make time work for you. As the saying goes, “It is time and not timing which is the key to making money in the markets.” 

YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION

If you are in debt then your number one priority needs to be getting out of debt especially if it is consumer debt. That is debt on stuff that you don’t need such as a TV set, lounge, videos, and other appliances. “If you don’t have the money to buy such items you don’t buy it,” is a good philosophy to have.

The money that is spent on luxury non essential items can be better directed to building your wealth. 

YOUR MARITAL STATUS

This is an obvious one but your marital status is a major factor in determining what your life goals are going to be because life is not all about you because there is another person in the picture; this means that you both have to be on the same page.

So how can I achieve my goals with x amount of money in my pay packet?

1 Increase your income

2 Reduce spending

3 Sell stuff you no longer need

INVEST YOUR MONEY

Invest your money don’t just fritter it away like most people. An increase in your wages and salary should be invested unless ofcourse you are living from paycheck to paycheck. Set savings goals with long term, medium term, and short term savings goals depending on what you are saving for. 

The timeframe for when you require the money is a factor in determining where you are going to invest the money. You certainly would not invest in growth high risk high return stocks if you needed the money in the short term.

www.robertastewart.com

 

EStablishing good habits while young will help you later on.

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ARE YOU HOBBIES COSTING YOU A FORTUNE?

Our passions are what makes us unique, everyone needs some form of outside interests but we have to be aware of how much it is costing us and whether the money spent on them is affecting our financial future. We need to keep a lid on the amount of money we are spending on our recreation as it could cost us in the long term.

Are your hobbies costing you an arm and a leg

By R.A.Stewart

Hobbies can give us a sense of release from our day to day issues; the satisfaction one gets from pursuing a pleasure whether it is collecting stamps, bank notes, beer labels, or any of the stuff which people describe as collectable, boating, sport, car racing, or whatever. 

If you are going to have a hobby you really need to make sure  it is not costing you more than what you can afford and that it is not at the expense of your retirement fund.

There are ways of keeping costs down with your hobby; take whatever it is you collect. You can list your duplicate items on ebay or other auction sites. It will also give you an estimate of the kind of demand there is for your particular kind of collectable. 

It is also important to realise that something is only worth whatever someone else is prepared to pay for. If you cannot find a buyer for whatever your collection is then it is not worth anything.

There are some things that are sentimental however, things which may not have any monetary value but are priceless to family such as old photographs or heirlooms.

These may not have cost you anything to acquire as they may have been handed down through the generations or have been given to you but that is not so with a lot of collectables which are acquired with a passion which can be described as hoarding. 

Unless someone has an unlimited amount of spending money all of this stuff must be at the expensive of something.

People will often go without to finance their hobby such as not owning a car, not contributing to their retirement fund, or not spending money on much needed house repairs.

A collector who owns a huge collection of beer labels, 30,000+ I believe proudly boasts about it to everyone who visits. It is anyone’s guess how much he has spent acquiring this collection but the saddest thing is that he is not contributing to his retirement fund and therefore missing out on the government incentives.

The old excuse of “I might die before retirement and so someone else will get my money,” has been used several times, but then someone else will inherit his beer label collection and if something financial crops up such as a huge medical bill he will not be able to afford it, and it is doubtful if he would be willing to part with his collection even if a lot of money was offered for it.

The same is said for any other activity that is a hobby. The old saying of “Pay yourself first” rings true because sooner or later a person who mismanages their finances will eventually find that it catches up on them.

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE

If you loved this article feel free to post it on your blog or website, share it, include it in your ebook, or even sell it.

Robert Stewart publishes a blog with articles about personal finance. Check it out on www.robertastewart.com

It pays to keep tabs on your discretionary spending

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UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL TERMS

Financial terms

Written by R. A. Stewart

Learning some of the financial jargon and their meaning will help you better understand how the markets work and enable you to make better financial decisions before investing your savings. You should always do your own due diligence in order to reduce your chances of making a costly mistake but at the same time work out a strategy to get the best return on your savings. It is called risk-management and this takes knowledge which is acquired from experience.

Managed Funds

Managed Funds or Mutual Funds as they are also called is an excellent way for ordinary people to get involved in the sharemarket. When you invest your money into a particular fund you are combining your money with other investors who would not otherwise have been able to afford to invest directly in the sharemarket. There are fees with these funds which pay for the services of the fund manager. 

Diversification 

This is when you spread your money around in order to minimize risk rather than placing too many eggs in a few baskets. During the 2008 GFC there were stories of investors who lost their entire life savings when a financial company went under. These people invested all of their money in one company instead of spreading their money around different assets and types of investments which is known as diversification.

Volatility

Volatility refers to the up and down movement of the markets; it is also applicable to investing in gold and crypto currency..

Experienced investors know that the markets can be volatile during periods of uncertainty. Investors need to develop the correct mindset during these times because the markets will take even the most savvy investor on a roller coaster ride.

Risk-profile

This relates to how much risk you are willing to accept before you start to get nervous with your investments. It is easy to be an investor in growth funds when the markets are rising but as experienced investors know, the sharemarket is volatile, therefore you have to invest according to the amount of volatility you are able to tolerate.

Averaging

Averaging is that strategy where you purchase a small batch of shares regularly in stead of in one lump sum. This is possible with internet trading apps. The advantage is that with share values going up and down you at least have bought some shares at the lower price. Then find the average amount you paid for the share, add up the total amount paid for the share and divide that figure by the total number of transactions. This will give you the average amount per share. Averaging can also be used in the purchase of Bitcoin.

Dividend

A dividend is paid out by the companies to its shareholders. The dividend comes out of the profits by the company. Many investors like to reinvest any monies they receive from dividends; others prefer to receive it as income. It all depends on whether one invests for income or long-term capital gains.

Asset

An asset is something which produces an income for you. Examples of an asset are interest bearing accounts, shares, mutual/managed funds, property, etc

Liabilities

A liability is something which costs you money. If you are paying something off it is a liability. Items purchased on HP, a credit card, or finance company are all liabilities because they are costing you money. Astute money-managers have few liabilities because they know that the interest payable on borrowed money is “dead money” because they are not receiving anything tangible for their money.

Capital-Gains

Captain-gains is the increase in value of an investment whether it is shares, mutual/managed funds, property, gold, or cryptocurrency.

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE

It is important to understand the financial terms in order to become more financially sturdy and I have set out the more common ones here. My site www.robertastewart.com has lots of practical financial tips. Feel free to post this article to your blog or website.

www.robertastewart.com

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