Life And Real Estate in Salem County, NJ

With so many people looking for employment, many of them older displaced workers, brushing up on resume writing and interview skills is a necessity.  Bob Marino, an adjunct professor with Temple and Salem Community College, facilitated a workshop at The Pennsville Public Library on January 26th, 2012.  Here are his top 'Tips On Resume Writing'.

1)  Use good quality 8 1/2 x 11 paper

2)  Your resume should be consistent. If you place dates at the end of information, do the same throughout the resume.  (You don't need dates, although they are fine.)

3)  Highlight marketable assets with bold or italics.

4)  Most common types of resumes - chronological and experience resumes.

5)  Make it easy to read.  Format resume to your best advantage. (Two pages are ok if you have lots of experience to showcase.)

6)  Make it neat and professional looking.

7)  Be specific about duties and responsibilities - number of people supervised, amount of budget handled, what you were responsible for, how many customers did you serve daily, sales volume, etc.

8)  Avoid colored paper.  (Although, if you are applying for a hair dressers position, for instance, colored paper may be appropriate.)

9)  Education, work experience should be listed in REVERSE chronological order.  (Information should be strategically placed.  Sell your "big guns" up front: sales, education, experience, etc.)

10)  Proof read for errors - have a friend proofread for errors, too. 

11)  Highlight and expand upon experiences or education related to your career objectives.  (Give them what they want, not necessarily what you've got.)

12)  If you are sending resumes to a variety of business environments, it might be necessary to have more than one resume with each geared specifically toward the position desired.

13)  Use a high quality printer and check for smudges and copy marks.

When searching for a new position, don't ignore your marketable skills.  For instance, if you can type 60+ words per minute, you might be able to have a job tomorrow!  Over 90+ words per minute?  You can definitely have a job tomorrow!

Including an 'objective' at the top of your resume is no longer a good practice.  It tells the employer that you are out of work and looking for work.  Better to come from a position of strength.

Stay tuned -- the next post will provide interview tips and some of the most common questions posed by employers on job interviews.

Best wishes to all of you who are actively looking for work.

May the force be with you.

Professor Bob Marino
robertfmarino@yahoo.com

"Welcome To The Perfect Resume" - Tonight's Workshop at The Pennsville Public Library

Bob Marino, past adjunct professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and currently on staff at Salem Community College is clearly in favor of 'giving back to his community'. 

This evening, Bob facilitated an extremely valuable and much-needed class on how to properly prepare a resume in order to attract attention by today's employers. What is most impressive is that Bob conducted this workshop at no charge.  (Thanks, Bob!)

The resume has changed in the last ten years, in case you didn't know.  It is most important to tell the potential employer what you can do for them and why they should hold onto your resume......let alone hire you. 

(I'll share the resume tips in another post for anyone who may be in need of this important information.)

 Bob also spent some time on interview skills.  Once your resume is spruced up, it's necessary to be ready for what happens next, so  interview skills are very important to ensure your success in obtaining your new job.  You must be prepared for the interview just as you must have your resume prepared to get noticed.

I sat in on the workshop because of my position on the Board of Trustees for The Library, but I have to admit I learned a lot.  A whole lot! 

In fact,  Bob shared that there is something that job hunters are utilizing now;  a letter of introduction.  After hearing the description of how this type of letter is being used in the workplace, it gave me an idea of how to tweak it a bit for my Real Estate business. 

I just love to learn new things, don't you?

Many thanks to Bob Marino for facilitating a terrific workshop for the Library.  Next month's business workshop is scheduled for February 23rd, 2012 at 6:30 pm.  The topic is "Social Media and Blogging". 

Hope to see you there! 

Bob Marino
robertfmarino@yahoo.com

A Special Thank You From The Salem County Chamber of Commerce

As part of my role as a member of The Board of Directors for the Salem County Chamber of Commerce, I was asked to lead a workshop on blogging and social media.  I hesitated to say, "yes" since I still feel like a 'newbie' in this arena.  I need to learn about photography.....specifically how to edit my digital photos online.  I need to brush up on my writing skills, for sure!  (it's been over thirty years since I had an English class, for goodness sakes!)  I most definitely need to be more consistent with all of my online profiles.  I just could not imagine how I was prepared to teach this class.

But.....I was intrigued.....I have to admit that I have often thought about becoming a speaker/trainer. 

Before I had time to say, "no", the Chamber of Commerce Director proactively sent out an email notice to announce the workshop....led by me. 

*sigh*

I felt the pressure come down upon me. 

Somehow, I managed to create an outline, research guidelines for success with social media, learned how to create a powerpoint presentation and I even took part in a webinar specifically to brush up on my public speaking skills.  In other words, I committed to this project whole-heartedly and prepared with a vengeance. 

I dreamed about my presentation almost every night for two weeks!

I believe everything went well!  The feedback was positive and felt genuine.  I was pleased to learn that out of the 30 or so attendees, there was only one blogger in the room.....so even though I felt that my skills were still very elementary, I did have a few years of experience and a base of knowledge to share with the students.  I realized that I could pass along quite a lot to the classroom.   

The Chamber seemed appreciative of my efforts.  They thanked me very nicely.  This planter fits so nicely in my freshly painted home office.  I just LOVE it! 

I was thankful to see the terrific write-up in our local paper prior to the event. 

A little PR can go along way in our small, rural community.  The event was promoted as a talk with The Salem County Chamber of Commerce. 

What I have come to realize is that there is a whole host of things that the business people in Salem County can help one another with.  In today's business climate, utilizing each other's knowlege and expertise can save all-important budget dollars.  For that very reason, I plan to teach a follow up class about 'Blogging & Social Media' at The Pennsville Public Library.  It's scheduled for Thurs. Feb. 23rd - 6:30 to 8:30pm.  This one will be hands-on and the attendees will be encouraged to bring their IPads, smartphones and laptops. 

We'll get right down to work at this class!

Today's Real Estate Activities, January 25th, 2011 - Paperwork Can Be A Good Thing!

One of my posts earlier this week featured my listing at 18 King Street in Pennsville.  It's a beautiful home, for sure.  Well, I'm happy to report that we received a good, solid offer!

The offer created the perfect opportunity for me to train my new assistant on how to prepare the agreement of sale.  This is a lesson that I was more than happy to share with Billy. 

I learned something new about my little helper.  He is near-sighted!  (hard to believe, huh?!) 

Luckily, our processor's specticals did the trick! 

The contracts were done in no time flat!

Delivered, too!

(great job, Billy!)

Seriously, we were all so pleased for our clients.  An offer was received back in August on their property that was lower than they had hoped for.  It a scary thing to pass on an offer now-a-days.  You just don't know what the future holds.  In this case, the showings slowed down -- we lowered the price a bit -- but the home sat on the market for nearly six months.  Thankfully, this second offer came in much, much higher than the first offer.  The sellers will be able to move forward, finally.

It doesn't always work out this way.

Billy is insisting that we feature another listing on our blog this week.  He wants to see if lightening will 'strike twice."

(hope so!)

Billy's first day on the job

Business planning with Billy

Billy learns about M-O-L-D

Today's Featured Listing - 18 King Street, Pennsville, NJ  08070

This four-bedroom colonial is located on King Street, which is a quiet dead-end street right off of Hook Road.  That means that the NJ Turnpike and Inter-State 295 are just a hop-skip-and-a-jump away for those who need a convenient commute. 

The property is situated on nearly an acre of property.  The grounds offer privacy and peace-of-mind.

An oversized, detached garage offers lots & lots of space to store anything and everything your household could ever need!

Oh my is this kitchen roomy & beautiful!?!

.....and what a great space to enjoy your family and your meals!

The cozy familyroom has the added convenience of the laundryroom and powderoom nearby.

Not to mention, the full basement is extra high!  So many possibilities for you!

Call today to schedule your showing.  This is truly a shiny penny!

This post was written by Rachal Rabinowitz.  I found the list of 1o to be a teacher of a good business foundation for women entrepreneurs. 

I hope you do, too!

Sunday Funday - Fruit, Beautiful Fruit

"Those who think they have no time for healthy eating, will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”         ~ Edward Stanley

Chocolate is certainly more exciting, but if you're looking to become a better you......fruit is the way to go!  We all know it, but how many of us really follow our doctor's advice to eat five to seven servings of fruits and veggies each day? 

So, I'm here to wish you a good, productive......and a very fruitful week! You may be surprised at how good you feel!

My First Week As A Sales Agent

Those of you who know me are probably wondering where this title came from, huh?!  The truth of the matter is that I've been licensed as a Realtor in NJ since 1993.  I began managing the Coldwell Banker Pino Agency's Pennsville office in 1996'ish.  (who can remember exact dates that long ago?!)

Well...on Tuesday, January 10th, I stepped down as manager to return to the 'wild and wonderful' world of sales.  The transition from manager back to agent began last Spring when I recruited my replacement, Kellyann Peterson. (I'll tell you how terrific she is tomorrow!) Once she passed her Broker's exam, her training and the transition began.  That was back in August of 2011.  The transition is now complete.

I decided to make this change for several, very important reasons: 

I wanted to have more time to devote to my clients and their files. 

I wanted to rededicate myself to providing the BEST customer service possible.

I wanted to have a more flexible schedule.

I wanted to make more sales. I honestly believe this is the highest and best use of my skills right now.

My first week as a sales agent was quite eventful!  I had committed to leading a class on social media and blogging for The Salem County Chamber of Commerce.  (*whew* Talk about pressure!)  I wanted to brush up on my public speaking skills by taking a webinar with the ewomennetworking group, I needed to learn how to prepare a powerpoint demonstration as well as gather materials for handouts and a drawing.  Additionally, there were several listing appointments, prospecting activities, rental properties to show and networking events to attend.  Oh!  There was also an office meeting, with my new manager, on goal setting. 

Yep....it was a busy week! 

Changes can be quite good for the soul.  I think the change back to a sales agent fits into that category. 

"Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times."  ~ Niccolo Machiavelli

Please Join Me In Thanking 'The Friends of The Pennsville Public Library'!

Twenty years ago, several women noticed that the Pennsville Public Library could use a helping hand.  There were always books to buy -- programs in need of sponors -- unexpected repairs to be made -- events to host -- rooms to build -- futures to improve and dreams to nuture.

These energetic women founded a new nonprofit organization who's sole purpose was to work side-by-side with both the Board and the Staff to make things better for our community.  The Friends have sponsored trips, replaced broken vaccuum cleaners, painted rooms, purchased new computers, published newsletters, held annual flea markets and book sales, hosted teas, spear-headed raffles, organized art exhibits, sold pillows and coverlets and more.  The list goes on and on and on and on........

Now that the Library finds itself in such dire budgetary constraits, The Friends have once again stepped up to the plate to purchase new books and periodicals.  They are providing $1,000 per month in order for the patrons to have new titles to choose from when they come in for a visit.  Truth-be-told, if it weren't for The Friends, there would be no new books purchased right now.  The budget just doesn't support the necessary funds for new purchases.

As you can see, The Friends have been working tirelessly for the past twenty years to be in the position to help in such a generous and visible way. 

We cannot thank them enough.  We are truly honored and blessed that our Friends have supported us so consistently and so effectively over the past twenty years. 

I hope you will join me on Thurs. January 19th at 6:30pm for a reception to honor The Friends of The Pennsville Public Library.  We truly would not be here without their hard work and diligence. 

It will be our pleasure to host this reception for our Friends.  (not by the Friends, as is the standard arrangement.)

They so deserve it!

Pennsville Public Library
190 S Broadway
Pennsville, NJ  08070