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Chinese Steel in Giant Dam Project Questioned by Think Tank
Recently a Think Tank questioned the steel used in the giant Chinese Dam Project. The massive project is clearly the largest in the World and a bold step for China. Yet some feel too many corners were cut and not enough new technologies were used, they are even questioning the quality of the steel inside the dam, type of concrete mix used and the over all strength in case of an Earthquake. Although the area or region is not known for Earthquakes it sure as heck will be once the dam is in place and all that water weight is redistributed in a different way from which the land mass has become accustomed.Is the quality of steel being used good enough? And why all the quick shuffling and mergers in the Chinese Steal Industry lately, as that really does not make much sense. The competition for steel in the world is moderate and although the prices are down around the world cer

When Are Background Checks A Good Idea?
Background checks can be used for a variety of purposes and are a good way to have confidence that someone with whom you are involved personally or professionally is disclosing all necessary information. Employers often use background checks to get verification of previous employment, driving records and to ensure there is no criminal activity. This is an important step in the hiring process especially in positions where employees may handle sensitive information or who may be working with the public or with children. Having the security that background checks were made will not only allow the employer to feel better about their hiring decision but it may also reduce the liability of the company should something happen in the course of employment and the company is sued.Background checks are not only for employers, though. People will do background checks on other be

Real estate brokers-in-charge are nearly always in the recruiting mode. If they have desk space available, many will take on anyone with a valid license and a desire to work.

Some firms may require that you commit to a full time job in real estate, and not hold other jobs. Others have agents who work part time. A few allow agents to be associated with the firm, even if they don't work on a regular basis. This allows someone with a salesperson's license to remain on active status, rather than go inactive, since they are technically under the supervision of a broker.
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How To Select a Real Estate Firm

Even if you think you know which real estate firm you wish to work for, we suggest you interview with several before you make the final decision. If you're not sure where to start, try these tips.

1. Which firm's For Sale signs are most common in the area you wish to work in? The firm with the most listings isn't necessarily the 'best' place for a new agent, but since they have a good presence in the local market it's certainly an agency you should talk with.

2. Pick up local real estate publications--the free magazines you see at supermarkets and other businesses.

3. Make a trip to the Chamber of Commerce--or a visitor's center if you have one. Which firms provide handouts for potential residents? Are there promotions for individual agents (most likely at their expense) or for the agency in general (which benefit all agents)?

4. What about television, radio, and other advertising. Do any agencies dominate those areas?

5. Do you know any local agents? Ask them which agencies they recommend (keeping in mind that real estate agents tend to be somewhat biased).
6. If you're in a small market, talk to them all.
Maintain Control of the Interview

During most job interviews, you are in the position of convincing the interviewer you are the best person for the job. In real estate, the agent must interview the broker.

The majority of real estate agents are independent contractors, not employees. That status gives us a fair amount of freedom, but it also means we are responsible for most of the expenses of doing business. You should know exactly what kinds of training and other benefits a firm offers before you accept a position.

A successful real estate career is dependent on your desire to succeed, and your willingness to hang in there until things start to take off. Just how fast things start moving depends a lot on your work habits, but choosing the right agency can help jump-start the process.
What You Need to Know

There are many things you should know before deciding which firm to associate yourself with.

Training
• What type of training is offered for new agents? If a broker's answer is 'none,' that agency is probably not the best place to begin a real estate career.
• Does the firm have a designated trainer, perhaps the broker or another experienced agent who acts as a mentor for new agents?
• If part of a franchise, are there local or regional training sessions for new agents? If so, who pays for the training?
• How many new agents has the firm hired during the past year? How many of those agents are still with the firm? A revolving-door of agents alerts you that something isn't quite right.
Floor Duty
Sometimes creatively called 'Opportunity Duty,' it refers to times you are scheduled to work at the real estate office.
• Are all agents scheduled for floor duty, and if so, how often?
• Are phone leads, walk-in customers, and referrals given to the agents on duty when those leads come in? If not, how are they distributed?
Advertising
Advertising is a major expense for real estate agents, so anything the agency pays for is a plus.
• Does the firm pay for the typical agency ad, where listings are showcased, or are you required to pay for the space occupied by your listings?
• Does the firm pay for any portion of personal ads? (Ads designed to promote you, not your listings.)
• What types of advertising does the firm do? For instance, newspaper, radio, television, Internet, for-sale publications, bulk mailings, chamber of commerce, and other promotions.
• Does the firm have a bulk mail permit? (The expense of a bulk mailing is typically yours, but many firms pay the yearly permit feet.)
Computer Equipment, Digital Cameras, Other Tech Gear
• Does the firm have computer equipment for all agents to use, or are you expected to bring your own to the office?
• What types of software are loaded on office computers? Are all agents allowed to use the existing software?
Estimate your expenses and potential income
Commission Percentage and Payments
• What commission rate do they offer? Are commissions paid on a sliding scale, with the percentage you earn increasing as you bring more income to the firm?
• Are commissions paid immediately upon closing?
• Does the firm pay a higher percentage for 'in house' transactions? (Where both the listing agent and selling agent work for the firm.)

Communication And Flexibility Are The Best Pandemic Medicine
Companies can survive the massive disruption of a pandemic—but only if they take steps now to inoculate against the threat of contagious misinformation and fatal chain-of-command breakdowns.That warning comes from one of Canada’s most experienced disaster managers, who says even where a company has developed an emergency plan, few employees know about it, fewer are familiar with it, and nobody has tested it.“The most comprehensive plan isn’t worth the paper it’s written on if no one has read it,” says Steve Armstrong, who worked on incident command protocols during his decades with the Canadian military, and subsequently managed disaster responses for the Canadian Red Cross. Now the principal of Paratus Group, a disaster management consultancy, he advises organizations on creating and exercising emergency plans.“It’s common to draft a plan and then put i

ce in the local market it's certainly an agency you should talk with.

2. Pick up local real estate publications--the free magazines you see at supermarkets and other businesses.

4. What about television, radio, and other advertising. Do any agencies dominate those areas?

During most job interviews, you are in the position of convincing the interviewer you are the best person for the job. In real estate, the agent must interview the broker.

There are many things you should know before deciding which firm to associate yourself with.

Are You Taking Advantages of Your Expertise?
According to economist Charles Handy, less than 55% of all employees work full-time for one employer. Yet how many job seekers have the image seared into their brains of doing one job, for one employer, for the rest of their lives? By keeping such an unrealistic picture of what today's employment world looks like, many job seekers miss out on opportunities. You can have a very successful and rewarding career without being somebody's permanent employee. Have you ever considered taking what you know into the marketplace and selling it to individuals and organizations that need it?Research indicates that to feel happy, fulfilled and healthy, we need to feel a sense of control over our work life. Marketing what you know to people who can utilize your knowledge may give you that sense of control. Some of you will be asking yourself "What do I have to sell that people would pa

are independent contractors, not employees. That status gives us a fair amount of freedom, but it also means we are responsible for most of the expenses of doing business. You should know exactly what kinds of training and other benefits a firm offers before you accept a position.

There are many things you should know before deciding which firm to associate yourself with.

Splitting a Brand Design Project Between Two Design Firms
I'm often asked if I could just do either the print side or the website side of a brand design project. And while that's certainly possible, I don't recommend it.Splitting a branding project typically results in a lack of consistency between pieces in your marketing kit. All of your brand materials should have similar design elements. When a project is split among different design firms, often those firms don't have a similar style, and you can wind up with print collateral, for example, that looks dramatically different from your website. In this case, when potential customers receive your business card and then go to your website, it might take them a moment to realize that they're in the right place... and that moment can affect the level of trust that you build with them. Since trust is one of the most important factors in the buyer/seller relationship, breaking this

are there local or regional training sessions for new agents? If so, who pays for the training?
• How many new agents has the firm hired during the past year? How many of those agents are still with the firm? A revolving-door of agents alerts you that something isn't quite right.
Floor Duty
Sometimes creatively called 'Opportunity Duty,' it refers to times you are scheduled to work at the real estate office.
• Are all agents scheduled for floor duty, and if so, how often?
• Are phone leads, walk-in customers, and referrals given to the agents on duty when those leads come in? If not, how are they distributed?
Advertising
Advertising is a major expense for real estate agents, so anything the agency pays for is a plus.
• Does the firm pay for the typical agency ad, where listings are showcased, or are you required to pay for the space occupied by your listings?
• Does the firm pay for any portion of personal ads? (Ads designed to promote you, not your listings.)
• What types of advertising does the firm do? For instance, newspaper, radio, television, Internet, for-sale publications, bulk mailings, chamber of commerce, and other promotions.
• Does the firm have a bulk mail permit? (The expense of a bulk mailing is typically yours, but many firms pay the yearly permit feet.)
Computer Equipment, Digital Cameras, Other Tech Gear
• Does the firm have computer equipment for all agents to use, or are you expected to bring your own to the office?
• What types of software are loaded on office computers? Are all agents allowed to use the existing software?
Estimate your expenses and potential income
Commission Percentage and Payments
• What commission rate do they offer? Are commissions paid on a sliding scale, with the percentage you earn increasing as you bring more income to the firm?
• Are commissions paid immediately upon closing?
• Does the firm pay a higher percentage for 'in house' transactions? (Where both the listing agent and selling agent work for the firm.)

Myths And Mysteries Of Taking Minutes
Minute taking has changed over the years. The requirements and expectations of the 21st century are very different from the expectations even 10, but certainly 20 and 30 years ago. Here are some points for you to consider about minutes and taking minutes.• Minutes are written for people who were at the meeting, not for people who were not! They are not designed to be a story to tell everyone who was not at the meeting, what went on. It may be smart to publish the key decisions but that is all.• Around 60% - 70% of the minute taker's work is done before the meeting begins. Most but not all of this work is in the preparation of the agenda. The agenda is essentially the draft minutes! Most experienced minute takers know this.• If the minute taker is to do the job properly, then he or she must be involved in physically preparing the agenda. The Agenda is your s

tising does the firm do? For instance, newspaper, radio, television, Internet, for-sale publications, bulk mailings, chamber of commerce, and other promotions.
• Does the firm have a bulk mail permit? (The expense of a bulk mailing is typically yours, but many firms pay the yearly permit feet.)
Computer Equipment, Digital Cameras, Other Tech Gear
• Does the firm have computer equipment for all agents to use, or are you expected to bring your own to the office?
• What types of software are loaded on office computers? Are all agents allowed to use the existing software?
Estimate your expenses and potential income
Commission Percentage and Payments
• What commission rate do they offer? Are commissions paid on a sliding scale, with the percentage you earn increasing as you bring more income to the firm?
• Are commissions paid immediately upon closing?
• Does the firm pay a higher percentage for 'in house' transactions? (Where both the listing agent and selling agent work for the firm.)
• If the firm is part of a franchise, what percentage of each commission earned is retained as a franchise fee?
• Ask to review a sample commission settlement statement, so that you can see exactly how commissions are recorded and distributed.
Typical First-Year Income
When you ask the broker to give you an idea about an average first-year income, keep in mind that it is truly just an average.
Some agents come to the office every day, even if they aren't on duty. You'd be surprised how many leads they receive on those days, sometimes because the duty agents are on the telephone, or have left to show property to walk-in clients.
Other new agents only show up when they are scheduled for duty. Which type of agent do you think might have a higher first-year income?
Office Expenses
• Who pays for long distance telephone calls made from the office?
• How about stamps, photocopies, and basic office supplies?
• Does the firm charge agents a flat monthly fee, or a percentage of certain expenses?

Errors & Omissions Insurance

Does the firm carry E&O Insurance for its agents, or are you expected to purchase this liability insurance yourself?

Multiple Listing Service Fees

You may be required to join the local Multiple Listing Service to work for the firm. In some cases, you may need to join a second, or even third MLS office to work effectively in the community. Ask about the expenses associated with each membership.

One final tip: Make a list of the questions above before your interview, and add any others you feel are important. Sure, you can change agencies if the first one doesn't work out, but that's a waste of time and money. Getting the answers to your questions before you start working helps you make the best choice the first time around!

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In competitive business environments, professionalism matters very much in meetings, networking and conferences. A scribbled name tag on a shirt makes for a very poor presentation.

Professional career is often tackles with one issue that how to write a cover letter that advertises their proficient talent. Professionals of any sectors are always being an icon of knowledge.

So you are hiring new employees and have narrowed your stack of resumes to the 10 or so top candidates, now it's time to start setting up interviews. If you dread this portion of the process, you're not alone. Fortunately, there are some ways to put both yourself and the candidates at ease - and make sure you get all the information you need to make a smart decision.

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