Beware the Ides of April Tax Tips for Freelancing During Your Unemployment

Beware the Ides of April Tax Tips for Freelancing During Your UnemploymentBeware the Ides of April Tax Tips for Freelancing During Your UnemploymentLooking to pick up contract work while youre looking for the next steady paycheck? Dont forget a few significant differences in how that income is taxed.Youre between full-time gigs and looking to stay in the game - or maybe even considering freelance work as a longer-term employment option. What do you need to know to prepare for next years tax bill?The big difference between a full-time job and freelance work is that youve become a 1099 instead of a W-2. Full-time employees receive a W-2 form from their employers listing their wages and deductions. Freelancers and consultants receive a 1099 form from their clients.Consultant income tends to come in erratic spurts. Keep track of them and try to set aside 30 percent to 35 percent for your tax obligation how much you will be obligated to pay will depend on how much you earn, deductions an d other factors. Its painful to take away anything from an irregular paycheck, but it is less painful than trying to find the cash in April to pay the lump sum on an entire years tax obligation.If you make less than $600 from one employer, theyre elend obligated to send you a 1099 at the end of the year, but youre still responsible for the taxes, so be sure to keep your own records.Read the IRS self-employed page and its associated forms carefully. There are a lot of permutations to self-employment, many of which come with special requirements, benefits and unique forms to fill out.For instance, there are special rates for farm work, fishing and work you do for religious organizations.Self-employment taxThe trickiest part is the self-employment tax, which apparently flummoxed even Timothy Geithner, the former CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and current secretary of the treasury, when he was supposed to be paying it. Fortunately, the folks at TurboTax - the software Geit hner said he was using at the time - have an explanation.Basically, when youre employed, you and your employer split the payments for Social Security and Medicare. When youre self employed, you pay the full cost, which breaks down into 12.4 percent for Social Security and 2.9 percent for Medicare.Simple? No. But you can deduct from your income-tax bill half of what you pay in self-employment tax.And youre supposed to pay it quarterly, using the amount you made during the previous three months to estimate how much youll make during the whole year.Unemployment and job huntingUnemployment benefits are taxable, by the way, but not all of them. The first $2,400 is all yours, though thats new for 2009. For the rest, you should have the unemployment office withhold about 10 percent.Luckily, much of the money youre spending on job searching - for resume rewrites, career coaching and job-search services like Ladders - are deductible. So are transportation costs, parking, tolls and other t ravel expenses directly related to your job search.The bottom line? If you have income from several sources and have become a 1099 after a career as a W-2, and dont have any special background or skills in tax preparation, get as much good advice as you can on deductions and tax-saving strategies. Then get some professional help. In the end it will probably be worth it.Dont forget to keep the receipts and any correspondence that would help prove the connection, in case anyone with an IRS business card wants to chat with you about them.

Examples of Powerful Qualifying Questions

Examples of Powerful Qualifying QuestionsExamples of Powerful Qualifying QuestionsThe sooner you can narrow down your lead list by eliminating all the non-prospects, the better. Once youve sorted out your leads and identified the true prospects, you can start moving said prospects alongthe sales process and hopefully into the close. Qualify Leads If you dont fully qualify your leads early on, youll be wasting a lot of time with people who will never buy from you. But on the other hand, if you ask too many touchy questions right away, theyll be reluctant to answer. So qualifying is always a balancing act between leaving enough time to build rapport without waiting so long that youve wasted everyones time. Many salespeople resolve this problem by asking a few very basic qualifying questions during the cold call to weed out the obviously unqualified folks and then finishing the qualification process during a second call or at the beginning of the sales presentation. Whatever timin g strategy you choose for qualifying, there are some crucial bits of information that can help you identify non-prospects early and send them on their way. These particulardetails fall into two basic categories whether the person has a need for your product or service, and whether he has the means to buy from you at all. Qualifying Questions A prospect who has a need for what youre selling wont necessarily know it when you first reach out to him. Your qualifying questions can help him to realize that need at the same time youre digging up information for yourself, so this font of question can be especially powerful. Need qualifying questions include the following Have you made a purchase of this type before? How did it work out for you?Have you considered buying a product type? Why or why not?How do you see yourself using this product? How will it help you?What issues are you facing right now that this product can help you with?If there was one thing you could change about your life/business, what would it be?What will you gain from solving this issue?What are the risks involved in fixing this issue? What are the risks of NOT fixing it?How long has this issue been around? What has held you back from fixing it so far? If one of these questions triggers a strong response in your prospect, pursue it a long answer to a short question indicates its an important issue for him. But dont push if he refuses to answer a question. You can always return to it later once youve built a bit more trust with your prospect. The second category of qualifying questions helps you to determine whether a person can buy from you. An inability to buy might be related to a lack of money, or might occur because the person youre speaking with isnt the final decision maker or something else entirely. Some of these questions venture into pretty delicate areas, so ask them with caution unless youre aya youve built a strong rapport with the prospect. The following questions can help yo u uncover ability problems If you decide to buy, what will the purchasing process look like?Who will be involved in reviewing our proposal?How long will it take to get final approval?Will this purchase come out of your department budget?Who will generate the purchase order / complete the contract?Will there be a lender involved?

Survey Americans have an extremely high bar for what constitutes online harassment

Survey Americans have an extremely high bar for what constitutes ansprechbar harassmentSurvey Americans have an extremely high bar for what constitutes online harassmentWhen it comes to online harassment, Americans have different ideas of wherbeie to draw the line.According to a newly published Pew Research Center survey, Americans broadly agree that explicit partieal threats are harassment, but are more divided on behaviors like publicly sharing private information or insulting the recipient with unkind words.Survey Americans have high bar for whats online harassmentTo test American attitudes of online harassment, the March survey of4,151 U.S. adults presented respondents with a fictional scenario of escalating online interactions that had the growing potential for violence. Heres one scenario the participants were shownJulie posts on her social media account, defending one side of a controversial political issue. A few people reply to her, with some supporting and some opposing her . As more people see her post, Julie receives unkind messages. Eventually her post is shared by a popular blogger with thousands of followers, and Julie receives vulgar messages that insult her looks and sexual behavior. She also notices people posting pictures of her that have been edited to include sexual images. Eventually, she receives threatening messages.The vast majority - 89% - of those surveyed said that somewhere in this scenario Julie experienced harassment, but they were more divided on where the harassment had occurred. Only one in five respondents thought a blogger making Julies post go viral was harassment. The participants were split on whether unkind messages constituted harassment, with 43% answering that it was.More than two-thirds of participants were willing to concede that vulgar messages, photoshopping Julies likeness to include sexual content, and explicit threats were harassment.When the gender of the person in the scenario was changed, it did not signific antly change participants attitudes of whether an incident of harassment had occurred.Female respondents, however, were three times more likely than male respondents to see harassment in the action of the popular blogger sharing Julies post.Do Americans see personal agreements going public online as harassment? In a separate scenario where someone takes a private disagreement and shares it to a public online platform, respondents were split on whether that constituted harassment.Americans divided on whether the platform hosting harassment has responsibilityWe may broadly agree that fictional Julie experienced harassment, but we are less likely to think that a platform needs to step in to stop it. While 85% of adults surveyed said Julie receiving vulgar sexual messages was harassment, just 66% thought that the platform where the messages were being sent should intervene to address the behavior.This survey shows us that Americans are still unclear on who should bear the weight of resp onsibility for stopping online harassment. If we are divided on what online harassment is, then we dont know where protections for stopping online harassment are needed.That aligns with journalist Amanda Hesssresearchfinding that police are less likely to view online harassment as a threat. Hess cites a 2009 paper that found that online harassment is more likely to be minimized and dismissed by the public as harmless locker-room talk, while its victims are seen as overly sensitive complainers.When police and social media platforms are not seen as responsible authorities to intervene, victims are left with the burden of deciding what is a threat. As Hess detailed in her research on gendered cyber harassment, The victim faces a psychological dilemma How should she understand her own fear?

How to Succeed When Your Boss Doesnt Have Time for You

How to Succeed When Your Boss Doesnt Have Time for YouHow to Succeed When Your Boss Doesnt Have Time for YouFor employees who are used to being micromanaged or butting heads with their boss, having a manager who keeps his or herbei distance may seem like a dream- or at least, a pretty good problem to have.But to really succeed in your job- especially if youre brand new to the industry or job function- its important to get quality, one-on-one, focused feedback and coaching from your boss. So, when your boss doesnt have time for that- when he or she is constantly rushing from meeting to meeting or so involved in the big project of the moment that none of your conversations go beyond a cursory greeting- you may be able to get by, but you wont learn how to really thrive. When I made a recent career move, I suddenly found myself with a boss who didnt seem to have time to manage me. He was constantly traveling between the companys several locations, so I saw him very rarely, and being in a nd out of the office, he wasnt readily accessible for quick questions or advice, let alone involved coaching. And so, I usually went without. Not only does this lack of attention leave you feeling frustrated and ignored, but it can seriously stall your career growth. Because if youre not moving forward in your career by constantly improving your work and developing your skills, you wont be first in line- or in line at all- for any raises or promotions.If youre not getting the attention you need from your boss, I learned there are two main routes you can take Take charge of the issue with your boss or find another source for feedback and coaching. (Or, cover all your bases and do both) Heres how.Option 1 Take ChargeTruthfully, theres no good excuse that a manager can possibly have for not managing. Sure, bosses are busy- but their primary job function is to manage others. So if youre not getting what you need, you shouldnt have to just suffer through it. If you dont already have a we ekly or bi-weekly one-on-one with your manager set up, take the initiative to put a standing meeting on your boss calendar. That way, even if you arent able to pop into your managers office whenever you need something, youll have dedicated time to talk through issues and ask for the feedback you need. Plus, your manager will likely appreciate you taking the lead. The reality is, your boss probably meant to set up a one-on-one with you at some point and truly does want to help you- but needs the time set aside to do it. Then, when youre in that meeting, dont leave it to your boss to bring up coaching opportunities. Make it easy on him or her and bring a specific list of things you want to discuss. By guiding the discussion, youll be able to hone in on the topics and assignments that youre most unsure about. It wont result in an always-accessible boss who showers you with feedback- but youll be in a much better position than where you started. Option 2 Find Feedback ElsewhereIf that d oesnt work, the good news is that most offices are full of other resources that, used appropriately, can provide a good stand-in for the coaching youre not getting from your manager. In my situation, for example, there was another department manager who saw that I was struggling and reached out to see if there was anything he could do to help. I started running some of my project first drafts by him, and he would give me feedback in return. Over time, hes become a mentor and a much more constant source of guidance and feedback than my boss is. Of course, you have to handle this situation delicately. While its great to find a mentor, you have to be respectful of his time, recognizing that he has his own direct reports to manage, as well as his own responsibilities to fulfill. But if you can find another person whose advice and coaching you trust and who is willing to make time for you, take that opportunity. Your colleagues can be helpful, too. Once I started to get to know my teamma tes, I was able to pinpoint a few whose opinions I value, who have been successful in their own roles, and who were willing to spend some extra time helping me succeed in my role.For example, one co-worker had actually been in my exact position before I came on board, but had since moved up to a more senior role. Knowing she had some expertise in my job function, Id occasionally ask her to take a look at my assignments before I turned them into my manager. Shed ask insightful questions and give thoughtful feedback- which helped me learn how to do my work better. Again, this is a resource that you dont want to overuse- your co-workers have their own work to do and cant possibly look at every one of your assignments in addition to that. But, line up a few co-workers you trust, and you wont have to burden any one person with your questions and requests for feedback. Plus, youll get multiple perspectives, which can help you widen your own outlook and improve beyond any one persons exper ience. Getting constant coaching is key to moving forward in your career- so dont settle for just getting by if your manager doesnt have the time to provide that feedback. Try one approach or both, but dont let a distant boss get in the way of your career advancement. Photo of calendar courtesy of Shutterstock.

Most Noticeable References for a Resume

Most Noticeable References for a Resume Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About References for a Resume Is Wrong Busy hiring managers may not contact each and every reference, and theyre very likely to begin at the very top of your list. Employers may request a reference list when considering you for work, therefore it should be in prime gestalt also. Below are lots of mistakes that are outlined so that you are able to make certain you do not make them same mistakes in yours. Now that youre schooled on the best way to list reference on a resume, know your resumeand your referencesmay have to be altered slightly as you make an application for different jobs. References for a Resume the Ultimate Convenience Actually, at times its a poor concept to include resume references. When youre asked for references, you are able to strategically pick the best people to represent what you would like highlighted for the opportunity, she states. Your references could make or break your odds of landing work, so make certain to choose the best people to talk for your benefit. The expert reference doesnt need to be a buddy or somebody you are friends with. Third, if youre currently employed, you obviously cant incorporate a reference from your present employer. Being a real notice, you will want the specific Sample Resume With References Included containing similar job requirement as what you are likely to implement. Ultimately, adding references poses a danger of the applicant. Choosing good references can on occasion be a challenge, and it might take a tiny planning to get the ideal match. When you are finished in locating the absolutely free samples, its actually time and energy to turn your individual. The references can be in two sorts of formats. Its fast and simple to use. What You Should Do to Find Out About References for a Resume Before Youre Left Behind The form asks for private information like the candidates name and contact details. Every on e of the references has to be supplied with detailed contact info. Also, its vital that you involve. The Argument About References for a Resume Also, share with them a copy of the resume youre submitting so they can be on exactly the same page if and as soon as the hiring manager calls them up. Prior to making a resume reference page or sending the contact information of anyone to a possible employer, its critical to ask permission from each one of the referencesyou would love to use. Use the exact same heading at the surface of your references page as you use at the very top of your resume. You are going to be able to create an entire collection of documents to fulfill your work search requirements. The New Fuss About References for a Resume Consequently, in addition, it is connected with the data of skills. Do you must compose a curriculum vitaea curriculum vitae commonly called a cv is an alternate to writing a resume to submit an application for a job. If its possible, select references that are in a position to talk specifically about your qualifications for the job for which youre applying. If at all possible, select men and women who can speak to your abilities and qualifications as they relate to the job which youre applying for. What Everybody Dislikes About References for a Resume and Why Basically, youve got to expose what you have, what you do and what you could give. Exactly whats a resume. A hiring manager doesnt need to hear how great youre from a friend or relative. Professionals in the Industry Professionals are those who have been in the business for a very long moment. For nearly all job applications you wont need to incorporate any references with your resume. Keep in contact with your job references. What Is So Fascinating About References for a Resume? Youre additionally welcome to contact me in case you have some questions on the subject. Recall, its essential to make your document to the point and quick. When you first consider somebody to use as a reference for a work program, you must ask their permission not just to use and give out their contact info but directly if theyd be able to supply a reference as some folks may prefer not to. At times the terrible item on your professional reference list is an event of a misunderstanding or some sort of inaccurate details. The Hidden Secret of References for a Resume Its important you keep in contact with your references periodically, as you want current contact info, and you want to guarantee your reference remembers who you are. Its also wise to state the length of time you have known the reference. When you must provide references to a possible employer, the best method to do it is to create a reference page you are able to share with them. Please contact all your references and ask them for permission to be set on your reference list. Personal references are usually not advisable. Academic references also can be helpful if you want mor e references to enhance your professional resume. New Questions About References for a Resume An academic advisor, based on the period of time you spent with them, is another fantastic alternative for a reference. Obviously, you can provide another reference if you think that it would make a difference or offer another insight. You should make sure that all candidates will willingly supply you with a positive reference. Keep reading for tips on developing a reference list. The Lost Secret of References for a Resume If youre looking for work, then youll need references. For each new job opportunity, you should confirm your list of references is the appropriate fit. The references on resume have to be applicable to the job youre applying for. The only time that it is acceptable to include references with the resume in a work application is when theyre requested directly in the work vacancy description.

The Honest to Goodness Truth on How to Write a Good Resume

The Honest to Goodness Truth on How to Write a Good Resume The point is to find the readers attention, so base the information that you supply on what exactly the work description is searching for. Attempt not to go over two pages, even if youve got lots of experience. Have a look at our article on the way to use your job references strategically in case you need more info. A good resume should always an expert touch and the use of words ought to be professional. New Ideas Into How to Write a Good Resume Never Before Revealed Im a bit old school once it regards the expression of the resume, but very 2019 when it has to do with content. If your resume succeeds in building a personal relation to the recruiter, the odds are high of you getting an interview. The very last thing that you want to do is receive a job that you cant do. Dont make the error of answering each job posting with the very saatkorn generic resume. Choosing Good How to Write a Good Resume Sometimes job seekers wish to highlight their preferred job or they wish to reveal the main job title in which they have had at the top. If possible, ask a dependable friend to proofread your CV. Unless you happen to be a graphic designer looking for employment, theres no need to over think the plan of your one-pager. There arent any hard and fast rules which you need to follow to be able to find the best of resumes. An excellent resume needs to be standard. If and when somebody prints the document, you wish to make certain there arent any technical challenges. A good resume need to be able to prove you as the prospective candidate for the job and cause you to stick out in many applications that are received by the employer. The War Against How to Write a Good Resume An expert summary sits at the peak of your resume beneath your header. Even if your information is in bullet format, it may still be tough to quickly recognize the pertinent abilities and accomplishments which are important to the prospective employer. Your resume will provide more information. How to Write a Good Resume Fundamentals Explained You may be surprised to discover that a number of the skills you learned will translate for the job that you want. Applicants who want to relocate for a work often decide to include their present mailing address, but otherwise, its up to you whether to incorporate an address. Resumes are simply not exciting or attractive or sexy however you would like to say it. There are a lot of resumes without a transparent format. You need to supply a fast high-level view of what you did and some vital accomplishments. Well, it is, but only as long as you understand what youre doing. One of your major goals with writing a resume is to create the document effortless to read. Sure, you might believe your resume looks amazing. The entire point is to maintain your CV as easy and decent as possible. A good resume should mention all of the contact details on the top side of the resume which makes it simple for the employer to get hold of. The Foolproof How to Write a Good Resume Strategy Perhaps most of all, it offers information concerning the writer that wont ever be available from a resume personal traits and work habits, and just a reference to feedback from an earlier manager. Writing a resume isnt a simple endeavour, and as stated by the feedback from our current community, its really useful to check professional resume examples before starting to compose your own. From the example above, you will observe that there are plenty of skills listed. Yes it is really important that you focus and highlight all of your important abilities and attributes.