Tag Archives: planning

Moving Soon? 12 Things You Should Do to Ease Your Transition

12 Moving Tips
Photo: Tomais Ashdene

Whether it’s across town or to another state, moving at some point is a fact of life and always a challenge. Since I moved to Nashville in 1995, I’ve been through 4 moves…guess that averages out to about 1 every 4 years for me. Since I despise moving so much, I’ve always tried to keep it to a minimum. But through the pains of life comes knowledge, so in this post I want to share some things that will help ease your transition in the form of a reminders checklist!

1) Have a plan: A couple of months out, make a budget, and save as much as you can to cover expenses. House/apartment shop, and have your new place lined up. Then choose the date of your move.
2) After you’ve signed the lease on (or bought) your new place, get the key, set up all utilities before you move in, do any painting, repairs, etc.
3) Choose, book, remind, and coordinate the movers (if you plan to use one), or schedule reliable friends and a truck. If using a moving company, try to book your move on a Mon.-Thur. so you may be able to get a lower price than a weekend move.
4) After your new residence is sure/secure, change addresses with any person or company sending you mail. Do as many online as possible, then others by phone. Examples: friends & family, work, magazines to which you’re subscribed, credit cards, financial planner, car loan payment, insurances, the IRS (form 8822), Social Security office, internet service provider, college alumni associations, cell phone service, Motor Vehicle Bureau for your state, voter registration…
5) Fill out/submit the online change of address form to the Post Office.
6) Give notice to your [homeowners or renters] insurance company to switch your coverage to the new place on the date you move in.
7) Get moving boxes (and packing tape). Check paper-only/recycling dumpsters behind large stores or places of business before buying boxes. Ask first.
8) Go through all your belongings. Sell, give away, trash, or donate as many things as you can. Less stuff means less to pack, move, and unpack!
9) Get crackin’ on some packin’. Plan to have it all done the night before the move (except for your last minute items). With a thick black marker, label your boxes by the room they go in. Use as many items as a box (e.g., laundry baskets, waste baskets, milk crates on hand, luggage, etc.) as you can to conserve space.
10) The morning of the move, pack your last minute things, help the movers move some of your more fragile things to the truck, and load any items you’d rather transport yourself into your car (I always move my component stereo system). At your new place, let the movers know to set boxes as labeled in the respective rooms. Then be unpacking kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom items while the movers are working.
11) Save all moving related receipts (including your donations), and log your mileage  between your old place and the new so you can write them off on your taxes (unless your new company is paying for the move!)
12) If need be, choose a new primary care doctor, dentist, bank, church, etc.

Like many things, with a little planning and a checklist, you can make your move go more smoothly and be less stressful.

What other tips would you add? Comment in the “Start the Discussion” blank below.

 

Looking for a new job? Want to get what you want fast? Check out my book, Here Today, Hired Tomorrow (kurtkirton.com/hthtbook), and subscribe to my blog (kurtkirton.com) for free advice on your job search.

7 Tips You Should Know to Help Find Your First Job After College (GUEST POST)

How to Find Your First Job After College
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

So you’ve got your degree, and you’re ready to hit the ground running and get your first job. But where on earth do you begin? Here are seven tips to help smooth the path and help you find the right job.

1) Have Your Resume Ready to Go
This is a pretty important one. Make sure you have a clear, concise and informative resume that is free of grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. This is your chance to make a first impression, and something as small as a misspelled word can land your resume in the “toss” pile.

2) Google Yourself
Many companies take the time to research a potential candidate. If you still have fraternity party pictures up on an old MySpace page, now is the time to take those down. It’s also important that you have a good representation of yourself on the web. Your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profiles should be good points of introduction. It’s especially worthwhile to make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and reflects your skills and background. It should go without saying, but with social media, always be sure to avoid posting pictures or comments you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see.

3) Find Your Calling
If you’ve gone to school for teaching, then you probably have a pretty solid path you want to follow when you start reaching out to employers. If you have a degree without a specific career path (i.e. English, sociology, art history) then the water muddies a bit. The onus is now on you to find an area where you can be eager and put your best foot forward. Like sales? Consider trying real estate or advertising sales. Like working with people? Consider a job in human resources. Want to start your own business? Become a dog walker to see what’s it’s like being your own boss. Have creativity and interest in moving outside your comfort zone? There are lots of non-technical jobs in tech these days. Really, the options are endless. As long as you have initiative and a willingness to learn, you can find opportunity.

4) Boost Your Background
In the meantime, it’s always beneficial to add to your skill set. You can do that through volunteering (which is also great on resumes) as well as taking short classes and online tutorials. Many nonprofits will let you volunteer and learn as you go—especially if they need help with a website, grant writing, marketing, or graphic design. Remember, any new skill you acquire should always be added to your LinkedIn profile to advertise what makes you an even more worthwhile candidate.

5) Spruce Up
Not everyone can afford to go out and buy a new suit, but you can do a lot to make yourself look presentable. Be sure to always have an outfit ready to go for when you land an interview. Keep a shirt or two ironed, in addition to pressed pants or a skirt.

6) Keep in Touch
One of the best ways to stay on someone’s radar is to send a thank you note after an interview or phone call. Handwritten is better, though this isn’t always an option. Be persistent but not pushy. What’s most important is that you are following up.

7) Stay the Course
Finally, not everyone gets a job right away, and it can be very defeating if you receive multiple rejections. If you can, find out why you weren’t a good fit for the company. Maybe you can re-apply later for a different job. Be sure not to take it personally, and don’t let bad news keep you from being persistent. There is a job out there for you, and it will happen when everything falls into place the way it should. Good luck, and go get ’em!

About the Author:
Erica Francis is passionate about helping young people prepare for careers in a tough job market. She enjoys developing rich lesson plans and other educational resources. Some of her lesson plans can be found at ReadyJob.org.

 

Looking for a new job? Want to get what you want fast? Check out my book, Here Today, Hired Tomorrow, and subscribe to my blog (kurtkirton.com) for free advice on your job search.

GUEST BLOG: What’s On Your Bucket List? (Why You Should Make a Bucket List Instead of New Year’s Resolutions)

bucket list, goals, achievement, travel, me time, resolutions, new year’s, ambition, planning
© 2008 Warner Brothers

As Christmas 2014 closes and the New Year approaches, where did the year fall short?  Maybe this was a great year, and you would rather stay in the moment; but for others, turning the calendar can’t happen fast enough.

At the beginning of each New Year, people automatically turn to goal setting and thinking about where they “fell off the wagon” again on losing weight, getting organized, saving money and exercising more—all in the Top Ten Resolutions each year according to USA.gov. Maybe you got the promotion you wanted, and you lost the 45 pounds you needed to take off.  Now you are wondering how you repeat it again next year.

If you are like my friend Dave, you can’t wait to start a new year.  Dave had major surgery and was in a car wreck, causing him to miss more than a month of work and setting him back thousands in medical bills—plus having to buy a new car.  2015 can’t get here fast enough for him, but how do you reset and start to think about the upcoming year?

I totally changed my mind a few years ago after watching the movie The Bucket List.   The main plot follows two terminally ill men on a road trip with a wish list of things they want to do before they kick the bucket. I was thinking about my New Year’s Resolutions and why it takes a death sentence to get us thinking about travelling to exotic places, courage to go sky-diving, and spending quality time with loved ones.  I decided to forego New Year’s Resolutions and make my own personal bucket list each year.

Before you start thinking I’m morbid, I put together a few parameters for developing my list each year.  I promise it’s tons more fun and insightful than a New Year’s Resolution list.

  1. Target items that are relational:  I try to target 1-3 groups of people or individuals who are especially important to me but due to distance or busyness, we don’t get to spend the quality time we’d like.  For instance, my friend Sarah moved out-of-state ten years ago.  She is a special person to me and my entire family, so I wanted to carve out some time for just the two of us to spend time together as well as with our families.  We planned a long weekend together in Florida, courtesy of her frequent flyer points and going during the off-season to save money. It allowed us to have hours of conversation catching up instead of just text or emails.  We had our families spend time together at her house one weekend too. Once, I planned a “Cousins’ Reunion Weekend,” realizing that we had not seen each other since our parents had all passed away.  It was such a great time that we decided to make it an annual tradition.  So you see, you just need to be intentional about the relationships you want to give attention to.
  2. Make your list no longer than five items: This requires you to put real thought behind everything on your list.  Make a couple of them more achievable so you can check them off or give yourself a pat on the back.  A few need to be a stretch goal, where there is time allocation, logistics, or financial challenges involved with achieving the goal.  Just the anticipation of planning and preparing for something adds excitement.
  3. Include things that involve personal growth: Ask yourself is there is something you have always wanted to do or destinations you’ve wanted to see?  Maybe you have always wanted to play the piano or visit the homeland of your immigrant grandparents.  Schedule the lessons, or plan the travel.  You will feel twice the satisfaction because you are doing something for yourself—something most of us neglect.
  4. Put your bucket list items on your calendar early: Go ahead and schedule a date for each bucket list item.  You are half way to accomplishing something if you get it on your calendar, even if you still have to finalize details.  If your bucket list item involves scheduling time with others, this step is even more important because schedules tend to fill up as the year progresses.

Don’t wait till January to start thinking.  Put your bucket list together, and get moving.  It will be more fun and meaningful than New Year’s resolutions. I would love to hear some of the bucket list items you put on your list for 2015.

Ruth Smith
authorruthsmith@gmail.com
authorruthsmith.com

 

Don’t miss a thing. Subscribe to receive updates by email.