Job Hunting Tips for a Career Change After 30

Jeff Short on July 30, 2022

If you’re over 30 and are struggling to find out what you want to do for the rest of your life, it’s not too late to discover a new and satisfying career. You still have many years of your life that will be spent working, so why not find a job that you enjoy and provides a good income.

Sometimes, it takes a few years to figure out exactly what you want to do and what interests you the most. Perhaps you started off in one line of work and discovered you have a passion for something else. With these tips you can get out of that rut and pursue a career to last a lifetime.

1. Volunteer

Even though volunteering doesn’t provide an income, the benefits are extremely valuable in other ways. Volunteering can connect you with an entirely new network of people and can give you valuable experience that will help you greatly when you start looking for a new job.

Volunteer work is also very appealing on a resume. Companies like to hire people that are involved in their communities and know how to spend their time wisely. For example, working at a homeless shelter shows that you care about others and are willing to step up if someone needs a helping hand.

2. Discover Things You’re Passionate About

When you’re trying to figure out your passions, take time to make a list of the things you care about most and what you love to do. Acknowledge your personal strengths and achievements, as well as what things are important to you and how you enjoy spending your time.

3. Further Your Education, Or Not

Some careers could require you to have a certain level of schooling or a specific degree. For example, if you want to go into nursing you’ll have to obtain a nursing degree and pass a board certification test. 

Other jobs might not require a specific education, but online workshops, courses, internships, and hands-on training can help you test the waters in the industry you’re interested in, as well as provide you with experience that will help you nail a job interview.

4. Go to Job Fairs

If you want to learn more about what career opportunities are available to you or want to find out more about the companies you’re interested in and what it’s like to work for them, job and career fairs are the way to go. 

Some companies might have excellent pay rates available to their employees, but the work atmosphere is detrimental. If you’ve experienced something inappropriate in the workplace, an employment lawyers San Francisco can get you the help you need. 

You will be able to meet with company representatives and talk to them in person, so you can learn more about them and they can learn more about you. Job fairs allow you the opportunity to meet with potential employers face-to-face, which is more memorable than just a resume.

5. Know What You Want

Once you have a good idea of the type of career you want, think about your ideal situation and work towards that goal. If you want to start your own business, you’ll need to work hard and learn what it takes to be successful as a business owner.

If you find a company that speaks to your core values and it becomes your goal to work for them, be sure you know what benefits you want and what salary you will need to live the life you’ve always dreamed about. Finding the perfect job can happen at any age if you work towards reaching your goals.

Factors That Affect the Severity of Car Accident Injuries

Jeff Short on July 22, 2022

Accidents come in all shapes and sizes, with no two being exactly alike. What determines the severity of an auto collision can seem random, but there are actually a series of factors that impact the damage and deadliness of each accident. If you’ve ever wondered why some are worse than others, read on to find out why.

Seat Belts

The top determining factor in how severe injuries are after an accident is whether or not individuals within the vehicle were wearing seatbelts. These simple devices reduce the risk of injury by up to 50% when an accident occurs just by helping to keep your body in place. The risk of death is reduced by 45%. 

The Impact

Getting rear-ended is never going to turn out the same as another vehicle hitting your driver-side door. Types of injuries sustained change dramatically based on the point of impact alone, without speed or vehicle sizes factored in. 

Body Position

When you’re seated in a forward-facing position, your risk of injury is slightly reduced. If you were turning toward the back seat to attend to a toddler, for instance, that twisted body position is going to result in more severe injuries. 

Speed

This one is simple. The higher the speed, the more devastating the accident. Lower-speed incidents can still produce ample damage to vehicles and people, however. Still, higher velocity impacts can quickly become deadly. 

Airbags

These nifty devices reduce your risk of death by 30% in an accident. Combined with a seatbelt, that number jumps to 50%. All cars feature front airbags for head-on collisions, but you need airbags in other locations for different directional impacts to achieve the same results.

Head Injuries

Of all the injuries you could potentially sustain in an accident, head injuries are the worst. These are the most fatal type of injury and often come with the most long-term consequences for those who survive. This is why it’s important for a medical professional to examine you after a collision, even if you feel fine. There’s always a chance that something is brewing underneath the surface.

Neck Injuries

Second to head injuries are those in the neck. Swelling, breaking, cracking, and even just whiplash can have severe consequences. You can injure your neck from direct and indirect collisions, ranging from soreness in your muscles to fatal wounds. 

Seeking Care

Regardless of the severity of your injuries, you have the right to seek compensation after an accident. An auto accident injury attorney Bay Area can help you in court, but they can also ensure you’re getting the medical care you need in the days and weeks after. 

This vital part of the process not only helps you get back on your feet as you recover, but helps to identify the full extent of your injuries and therefore the amount of compensation you can seek. In some cases, it helps drivers identify damages they wouldn’t have known about until pain arose weeks later.

What Value Are You Offering Your Customers?

Jeff Short on June 30, 2022

If you know the importance of selling on value, then you might already be actively engaged in creating that “best value” for your product or service, in the hopes of winning over some new clientele. Now, this can work when you’re the big fish in the proverbial pond, or if you’ve struck ground on some new idea that your competitors have yet to match you on, but for most small businesses, this just isn’t the case and isn’t the best way to be focusing your efforts.

If you’re like most businesses, however, you aren’t the biggest, you aren’t the first, and you shouldn’t be taking a risk by banking it all on a “best value” proposition. Instead, a more likely (and ultimately, more effective) strategy will be to incrementally offer added value to customers, and this quick guide will give you some tips on how to rethink your approach.

If you’ve ever heard the term “value-added selling” before, you might have an inkling of where this advice is headed, but if not, let’s take a moment to explain what we’re talking about. In a nutshell, value-added selling is a methodology by which you seek out ways to entice potential customers by showing them the value your product or service can create for them.

In order to be effective with this approach, you’ll need to find ways to enhance or augment the inherent value of a product or service that you’re offering to customers, and that’s where, as a smaller business, you should really be focusing your efforts. Now, what are some straightforward ways to start adding value your customers will notice? Here are a few…

Get faster about what you do: Everyone enjoys speedy service. If you can find a way to get your products to customers quicker, or implement your services in a reduced timeframe, you’ll not only be impressing your current customers—you’ll be making your product/service enticing for potential customers who didn’t even realize they wanted what you have to offer.

Improve your quality: Just as a faster product/service is perceived as more valuable than a slower option, you can also improve how potential customers view the worth of your product/service by improving its quality. The cool thing about this approach is that quality, in the eyes of your customers, is whatever they deem to be important. All you have to do is find out what facets of your offerings your customers want to see improved, and improve them.

Make it easier to access: Most people are willing to pay a premium for convenience. Because of this, if you’re able to make it easier for your customers to gain access to and purchase your product, you’re adding value. In reducing the customer’s burdens, they’re more apt to purchase from you, and more likely to recommend you to other potential customers.

Be friendlier: There’s something to be said about service with a smile. If you can ensure that your customer service representatives are putting their best feet forward and treating potential clients with warmth and cheerfulness, you’ll starting bringing in more clients (who they can continue to treat with warmth and cheerfulness).

5 Thrilling Heist Books To Read Right Now

Jeff Short on March 25, 2022

Who doesn’t love a good caper? Everyone—from your most serious Boulder theft defense attorney to your most run-of-the-mill office worker can enjoy a good mystery, especially if it’s in written form. Today, we’re going to take a look at a few recent releases that you should keep on your radar if you’re a fan of good-old-fashioned heist stories. 

The Man Who Died Twice

Written by Richard Osman, The Man Who Died Twice has earned itself quite a few accolades in the relatively short while it’s been available for purchase. The second novel in the Thursday Murder Club series, this book is both a New York Times bestseller and a soon-to-be big budget film from Steven Spielberg. 

Calling this story a “wild ride” might be a bit of an understatement, as it features some not-so-average protagonists and enough witty dialogue to elicit some hearty chuckles. Couple that with a plot that doesn’t go stale, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a mystery story that’s well worth your time.

The Plot

Author Jean Hanff Korelitz has already made quite the name for herself, with both her hit novel You Should Have Known and the TV show based on the novel, The Undoing (it’s a great murder mystery, by the way, so check that out too). Now, she’s continuing to flex those literary muscles of hers in one of her latest books, The Plot, which follows a writing instructor who steals work from a student. An interesting topic to center a mystery around, to be sure, and Korelitz manages to take it in a direction you’ll not likely deduce until you’re well into it!

Pretty Things

You may know author Janelle Brown because of her previous works, like Watch Me Disappear and This Is Where We Live. Now, she’s delivered another New York Times bestseller with her novel Pretty Things, which poses one of the great questions of the modern era, “who’s really following you on social media?” Brown tackles this query from multiple perspectives, and weaves a tale of betrayal and greed in the process. You’ll like this thriller if having a heaping helping of interpersonal drama with your mystery is what you’re after.

The Modigliani Scandal

Can art be the subject of a high-stakes mystery-heist-thriller? You bet it can! Author Ken Follett takes what might otherwise be a dull profession for a main character—art historian—and turns it into a springboard for an adventure you’ll not want to miss. It’s a hunt across Europe for a lost painting that stands to rewrite art history, and a dangerous cadre of characters is off to claim the prize before our protagonist. Can they emerge victorious?

The Dark Hours

You know that Michael Connelly has been writing books about his fictional LAPD detective, Harry Bosch, for years. They’ve been so good that Amazon even turned Bosch into a TV character, but that hasn’t stopped Connelly’s output when it comes to his novels, and he’s got a brand-new Bosch adventure here, with a teamup appearance from one of his other characters (Renee Ballard), to solve a mystery in a city shaken by uncertainty.

What You Drive Reveals A Lot About Your Personality

Jeff Short on January 27, 2022

Can a car reflect its owner? There’s an idea that the type of vehicle you drive (and the condition you keep it in) can reveal important facets of your personality. There are exceptions, of course (if you bought a car that keeps breaking down, for instance, that just means you need to find the best lemon law lawyer in town), but by-and-large, your vehicle choices mean something. 

Today, we’re going to take a look at what some of those supposed connections between automobiles and their owners’ personalities might be (you may want to keep your fingers crossed in hopes that yours doesn’t reveal anything awful about your character).

If You Drive A “Beater”…

Let’s say you drive a beatdown, less-than-modern vehicle. It might not have the freshest coat of paint, and it might even be a little junky on the inside. Don’t worry, though, because this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve got some crazy personality flaw, no. It just means that you’re a free spirit! You aren’t fettered by the need to show off material wealth through what you drive. You’re content letting your ride be a plain one, and that’s not a bad way to live!

If You Like Your Cars Red And Sporty…

You probably already know that we, as a society, associate the red automobile with driving fast. What you may not have realized, however, was that choosing a fast, red car for yourself might also mean that you enjoy risks. Going fast, after all, is a risky action, and it’s quite possible that you are similarly comfortable rolling the dice in other areas of life.

Even if you aren’t prone to speeding, though, red cars give the impression of such, are more likely to be targeted by the police for traffic stops, and more likely to be a mark for thieves if they are going to steal a vehicle for joyriding purposes. Even if you aren’t a speedster, your red car certainly tells others that you’re reveling in all the attention you’ll be getting!

If You Hit The Road In A Minivan…

Now, the obvious assumption, if you drive a minivan, is that you have children and need a practical ride to ferry them all around town. While this certainly could be the case, it’s not the only prominent interpretation of all the minivan mavens out there. 

It could also mean that you like to travel in groups with your friends, and to accommodate them all drive a large and comfortable vehicle. Alternatively, your love of the minivan might mean you indulge in a hobby that requires you to carry a lot of gear from one location to another (like a musician), and, instead of an overpriced pickup truck, you opt for the simpler solution.

If You Put A Sticker On Your Car…

Stickers on vehicles can be a hot-button issue for certain segments of the population. We’ll just put it like this: if you’ve got the courage to put what you’re thinking on display like that, you’re most likely outspoken and have deeply-held convictions about what you’re putting out there. On the flipside, though, you might just know that stickers can get under people’s skin, and you revel in stirring up a bit of mischief!

The Magic Behind The EDM Process

Jeff Short on December 24, 2021

Have you ever heard of EDM before? In this case, we aren’t talking about electronic dance music, but instead a revolutionary piece of technology known as an Electrical Discharge Machine. This nifty technological process uses electricity to shape materials with precision, and today, we’re going to be taking a closer look at what it’s all about.

First, Some Background

Broadly speaking, EDM is a “subtractive electro-thermal manufacturing method,” which just means that it uses electricity to take away from a material and shape it into the desired form. It’s quite impressive when you see it in action, and its great advantage is that it’s highly accurate and capable of working on very hard materials—like tungsten and titanium. That doesn’t mean it’s a perfect process, however, as Brian Pfluger—an EDM product line manager—points out while providing comment for a report on WIRED:

“A shortcoming of EDM, though, is that it’s a slower method than mechanically machining parts. With typical methods, you’re going to set the cruise control at 60 miles an hour to just cruise on down the highway. With EDM, you’re going to hit a little bit more traffic.”

This is due to constant adjustments that need to be made to the EDM machine’s alignment during the shaping process, and that’s necessary to prevent the machine’s wire from coming into contact with the workpiece (which could cause it to snap and lead to a whole slew of issues). So, with EDM it’s got to be slow and steady, but the results are top-notch.

Types Of EDM

Up to this point, we’ve been speaking in generalities about EDM and its most common subtype: wire EDM. That’s not the only variety there is, however, and it’s worth explaining the differences between three of the most popular forms of EDM:

  • Wire EDM: You might also hear this referred to as wire erosion or wire spark EDM. It makes use of (you guessed it) a thin piece of wire as an electrode. The electrical discharge is then used to make precise cuts on the work material.
  • Sinker EDM: Sinker EDM goes by several alternate names—RAM EDM, die sinker EDM, cavity type EDM, and volume EDM, to name a few. The method makes use of graphite (or copper) electrodes, and “sinks” those electrodes into the work material to get the desired dimensions. It’s often used in making plastic injection molds and metal stamping dies, and is ideal because of the complex shapes it can create.
  • Hole-Drilling EDM: As the name suggests, hole-drilling EDM is all about creating those tight, precise holes that you can’t get by any other means. It utilizes a rotating conductive tube, which serves as an electrode, to make its accurate cuts. Then, the process employs a dielectric fluid to flush the cut and get the finished product. You’ll find this process used for any sort of job that requires pinpoint holes within very hard materials—one that’s incredibly smooth and also doesn’t require deburring.

Wrapping Up

Though slow when compared to other manufacturing techniques, EDM is capable of amazing precision on tough work materials—an ability that moves this to the top of the pack when it comes to cutting-edge processes that are moving the industry ahead.

Avoid Making These Mistakes After a Car Accident

Jeff Short on September 28, 2021

You probably know that you need to swap insurance information after an accident, but do you know everything you need to do after the fact? Whether you think you do or not, all too many drivers make 6 common mistakes in the aftermath. If you’ve been in a recent wreck, avoid making these critical mistakes.

Underestimating Your Injuries

You might not feel that bad after a crash. In fact, you might not feel injured at all. This happens because your adrenaline is in overdrive, numbing the pain you’re going to feel in the following days. By the time most people realize the extent of their injuries, it’s too late.

Once you give a legal statement to the police or your insurance company, it’s on record. Ask any auto accident lawyer, the best thing you can do is say you’re not sure about your injuries or how you feel. That way, you can seek compensation if something does crop up later.

Waiting to Act

The longer you wait to report and treat your injuries after an accident, the harder it become to claim your legal rights. Medical care, investigating the wreck, contacting a lawyer, and filing a lawsuit are all time sensitive actions when seeking compensation.

Giving Your Insurance Company Too Much Information

You’re supposed to be able to trust the company you’ve paid into all these years to cover your costs completely, but trusting your insurance company is top mistake. Their job is to make money, and they often short people by paying them less after an accident.

Never talk about fault, don’t talk about your injuries at the moment, and answer as few questions as possible. It doesn’t matter how nice the representative is, just stick with the basic facts and never tell them a concrete answer if you don’t have all the information. The extent of damage to your vehicle is an excellent example.

Not Calling the Police

In order to seek compensation, there needs to be a police investigation and report. Many states legally require this, as well. This is also your chance to be checked by a medical professional at the scene, which only adds to any claim you might need to make.

Admitting Fault

Even if you think the accident was 100% your mistake, never admit fault. There could be a wide variety of factors you haven’t considered that go into this collision, especially what the other driver was doing. Until the investigation is complete, you won’t know for sure what exactly transpired. So, don’t blame yourself or make any statements that could implicate you as the cause of the accident.

Stay Off of Social Media

Don’t talk about your accident, don’t post pictures, and never talk about an ongoing claim online. All of this can be used against you by the other driver, their insurance company, or your own. Injuries and medical treatments are included in this as well. The less you say until the claim period is over, the better off you are.

What Happens When You Win a Lemon Law Case?

Jeff Short on September 14, 2021

Buying a new or used car only to find out it has a substantial defect is frustrating enough, but the Lemon Law process can be equally as stressful and daunting. Having skilled legal aid like this Lemon Law attorney in California makes a world of difference, but the court process still takes time.

After you’ve mailed the appropriate documents, gathered the required evidence, and made your case in court with the help of an attorney, it’s time for the judge’s final decision. You wait a few days tops, and the good news arrives. You’ve won! So, what happens next?

Attorney Bills

Thankfully, this is one worry you can take right off your plate. Attorneys aren’t cheap, but the manufacturer or dealer has to pay their fees under Lemon Law. It’s part of your compensation and reimbursement.

Car Costs

Like attorney fees, you’re entitled to compensation on anything related to your lemon as well. That includes monthly payments, taxes, as well as license and registration. Repair costs, towing, and even rental charges can be sought as part of your reimbursement as well. Since none of this was your fault, you shouldn’t have to pay a dime.

Keep in mind that different states have varying rules on Lemon Law. You attorney will help you seek the maximum amount of compensation and reimbursement possible. No matter how many times you were in the shop or how much you already paid on the car, it’s the manufacturer’s responsibility to take care of the costs.

Your Car

So, what happens to your lemon and how will you get around now? Under Lemon Law, the manufacturer must either repay you in full for your purchase or replace the car with one of equal value. That usually means you’re getting the same model minus the substantial defect, correcting the issue and leaving you with the vehicle you wanted in the first place.

If they can’t give you the same model, sometimes due to a recall, then you’ll receive a vehicle of equal value and equal type. If you bought a sedan, for instance, you’ll get a sedan instead of an SUV or pickup. This is a rare scenario, however.

In a lot of cases, you’ll get the cash back that you paid for the car in the first place. That includes any money you’ve spent on a lease or payments, taxes, fees, and any other cost associated with the vehicle. Options and add-ons count, too.

You can then use that money to purchase any vehicle you would like. Some people even opt for a cheaper car and use part of their settlement on other things. A nice vacation might pair perfectly with your recent court win, after all.

The News

In most cases, you won’t be contacted by the news for a Lemon Law case. There have been times, however, when a manufacturer’s reaction to the case prompts the press to reach out. Tesla is one such manufacturer that found themselves in hot water for their counter-attack defense back in 2014. Hopefully, however, you didn’t have to go through that kind of nightmare and can now drive in peace.

Effective Ways to Get Customers Renew Their Subscriptions

Jeff Short on March 30, 2021

Gaining brand new, paying customers is always a nice feeling. However, it costs five times as much to reel in new customers than it does to retain existing ones. By that statistic alone, any organization should focus on keeping their current clientele around.

Various industries have various ways of making this work, but a common method for ensuring repeat business is a subscription. So, how can you encourage your subscribers to stick around? Check out these effective ways to get customers to renew their subscriptions.

Make Your Offerings and Pricing Flexible

One of the main reasons consumers ditch subscription services is that they’re paying too much for aspects they don’t use. By making your services flexible, you can allow customers to select only the aspects of your service that they need.

In doing so, you’re also bringing down the cost of the subscription. Take an internet safety app, like malware protection, for instance. Some customers only need coverage for one device while others would prefer more. Some might prefer real-time protection while browsing the web, others might only want regular checkups.

Making your subscription flexible allows customers to choose the features they want while saving cost on the ones they don’t. This simple method is an ideal way to keep your customers around despite their changing needs. If you’re unsure of how to split up your services in the most appealing way, a high-quality customer value management tool can help you identify what your consumers want most.

Automatic Renewals

People love the ability to “set it and forget it,” making automatic renewals a tempting offer. You can sweeten the deal by offering a slight discount on your services when someone signs up. Cricket Wireless, for instance, knocks $5 off a user’s monthly phone bill when they sign up for digital automatic renewals.

You can also keep your customers on their automatic selection with the same method. Should they decide to switch to manual, offer a steeper discount if they stay on the automatic option. While it might not seem like much, renewal rates for automatic subscribers is four times higher on average than manual.

Notifications and Grace Periods

Customers like to be kept in the loop, which makes renewal notifications ideal. A simple reminder that their credit card is about to be charged for your service is all it takes. Otherwise, you run the risk of your service being a surprise drain on their account and a soon-to-be ditched subscription.

For those manually renewing, an email is your chance to lure them over to automatic renewals with discounts. For those whose subscriptions have expired, offer a tempting win-back discount they can’t ignore.

Speaking of lapsed subscriptions, it’s worthwhile to offer a grace period in which a user can update their payment information, make any changes to the items in their account, and back up any data they may need. During the grace period, levy no penalties and provide them full access to their account.

Make Things Simple

Finally, make sure the features of your service and the renewal process are as simple as possible. You might be surprised at how many businesses experience high churn rates due to minor difficulties in their subscription process. Performing A/B tests with the entire process will guarantee your consumers can easily navigate your system and stick around for a long time to come. 

How Life Insurance Can Preserve Your Family’s Wealth

Jeff Short on October 30, 2020

Can life insurance act as a wealth strategy for your family? The short answer is “yes,” but a more detailed look at this question reveals that there are some clever, strategic ways you might implement life insurance to help protect your family and your assets. Today, we’ll be taking a look at how you can put life insurance to work in preserving your family’s wealth.

Protecting Your Business

Let’s say you have a business. What will happen to that business and the income your family was relying on in the event of your passing?

You need to have a plan in place to ensure proper business succession and that your family can be compensated. This is where something like a buy-sell life insurance agreement might enter the picture:

  • – You select a successor for the business
  • – You create an agreement that establishes a suitable value for them to
  • buy the business for should you expire
  • – Successor purchases business for agreed upon price using payout from life insurance
  • – Your heirs receive compensation and don’t have to worry about what happens to the business

And this is but one example of life insurance protecting your family. You might also use insurance to help replace lost income in other circumstances, which is what we’ll be taking a look at next.

Life Insurance And Lost Income

Perhaps you have a successful job where you’re making plenty of money and providing for your family. You’ve got some years left until retirement, though, and this could pose a potential risk to your family.

Should anything happen to you, a large chunk of your family’s revenue is out the window, but life insurance could help make certain your family would still have money coming in. If you plan out your yearly income, multiplied by the number of years you have left until retirement, you can work out an amount that would protect your family should you pass and cannot provide a steady income.

Other Ways Life Insurance Fits Into A Wealth Strategy

In addition to making up for lost income, life insurance can present you with several other advantages as part of your wealth-building strategy:
– It can provide a substantial death benefit payment for beneficiaries with relatively low premium payments
– Those benefits will not decline as long as you pay your premiums
– Death benefits are often tax-free
– Funds from life insurance are divorced from future equity and debt markets
As part of an overall plan to preserve wealth for your family, life insurance is one component that you shouldn’t overlook, so make sure to do your research on what kind of policy would best benefit you and yours in the long-term.