4 Ways Courier Jobs Can Boom in the Year's First Quarter

After the celebrations of the festive season comes the slow start to the New Year. Routines return to normal, school holidays and festive parties begin to wind down and we all have to face the fact that it is back to business as usual. While you may not think so, for those doing courier jobs, this can be a boom period and the first quarter need not be one of slow returns!

Sales Season

But at this time of the year it is vital to know just where to look for potential delivery jobs, because there is likely to be a lull of work in certain areas. Luckily, however, this is not the case across all potential markets. For example, many drivers will experience a surge in the transportation of small goods as post-Christmas and New Year sales kick off. Supermarkets lower their prices and online businesses aim to up the sales while recognising that the consumer may well be strapped for cash. These sales and the resultant shipping of small goods means it can do wonders for the delivery business owners! Look for opportunities in this kind of market and focus on targeting them as potential clients.

Belated and Under Rated

Just as it takes a break over the holiday period, the post office experiences an influx of work after it's over. Many belated letters, parcels and gifts exchange hands between Christmas and the New Year and those working in courier jobs can take up the slack - if they work smart and hard to identify opportunities.

New Businesses

While many see the New Year as a very slow start to business, it is, in fact, traditionally a popular start-up time for new or emerging businesses of all sizes. Apart from the courier jobs created by businesses seeking to get back in to the swing of work as fast as possible, there are also many new enterprises seeking to kick off fresh business and transportation partnerships. The key is to stay abreast of what's happening in your local are and being ready to identify and capitalise on new opportunities.

Santa Stock Stored

The sheer glut of consumer products transported and traded over the holiday period in many areas is amazing. But a large amount of courier jobs in the January period reflect the turn of the tide in the opposite direction! Large companies' Christmas lights and decorations, along with party chairs and tables will need to be sent back to storage - creating a wealth of opportunities for the man and small van operation.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 3,000 transport exchange businesses are networked through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

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Tips For a Rewarding Career in Courier Jobs

A career working in the delivery industry carrying out courier jobs can be a very rewarding way to make a living. If you enjoy interacting with new people, tackling a diverse range of tasks and love being out on the road, you'll make a pretty good candidate for success. However, passion and enthusiasm are not the only key elements needed to make a go of a career in this field. Below are a few tips from experienced drivers with a wealth of on the job knowledge.

Improve Your Customer Service Skills

Those who have transitioned into courier jobs from another industry will testify how important it is to nail customer service. It is not merely about being forthcoming and friendly to customers, however. A large part of good customer service skills involves looking smart and talking smart as well - including the ability to correctly answer customers' queries. It also has to do with really understanding the requirement of the job - which is to deliver quality service, on time, every time. Consistency is the key, and as with any other client-facing situation, you are only as good as your last job. On the flip side, being able to interact with new customers every day will naturally hone your people skills, so you should embrace the opportunity to better yourself and learn along the way.

Don't Neglect Your Health

Contrary to what some may think, courier jobs can be quite physically demanding. While it may not appear physically exhausting, as drivers spend a good portion of their time sitting in their vehicle, there is far more the job than meets the eye. Drivers not only have to be able to withstand long hours on the road, but they also have to be fit and healthy in case they are required load, unload and shift packages. Don't get complacent - ensure you take care of your health both on and off the job in terms of diet and exercise.

Work On Your Organisation Skills

One very important requirement of courier jobs that not everyone may consider is that you'll need excellent organisation skills - especially during peak seasons when the number of deliveries to be made increases exponentially. The truth is, no matter how good a driver you are or how terrific you are with people, if you cannot handle pressure and organise an often-heavy workload assigned to you, you may struggle to keep up with the pace. Being organised not only keeps your head clear to attend to the job in hand (driving) and makes you more efficient, but it also contributes to better customer service, increased reliability, and a more satisfying work day.

Overall, being a delivery driver involves a host of practical skills that, if targeted and honed properly, can be a ticket to a very rewarding career in an exciting industry.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 3,000 transport exchange businesses are networked through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

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How to Find Jobs of Cricket Coach and Football Coach

Football and cricket are the main sports where there are opportunities for coaches and these are for ex-professionals only. Sports centers, clubs, schools and swimming baths also provide opportunities for coaches on a part-time basis. Some local authorities employ coaches to offer facilities for local schools at one or more centers in the authority. The sports offered are likely to be: badminton, basketball, climbing (indoor walls), ice skating, swimming, squash, tennis, trampolining and weight training. A coach employed in these circumstances must be able to coach in all or nearly all of the above. Increasingly there is a need for coaches in the summer months to work in outdoor pursuits centers.

Qualifications and Training

Coaches must gain recognized coaching qualifications which are awarded by the governing bodies of the various sports and acquired either at evening class or weekend school. Swimming coaches must also hold a national lifeguard award.

Personal Qualities

Coaches need the ability to communicate as well as perseverance, patience and tact. The ability to inspire children or adults of very different abilities, often in less than ideal situations, is also needed.

Further Information

The Sports Council, 16 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H OQP; 0171 388 1277 The Scottish Sports Council, Caledonia House, South Gyle, Edinburgh EH12 9DQ; 0131 317 7200 The Sports Council for Wales, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff CF1 9SW; 01222 397571 Coach Driver, see Bus Companies, Road Transport.

Clerical Jobs

Clerks are employed in most offices and their duties vary enormously from firm to firm. They generally begin as office juniors and handle such routine tasks as dealing with the post, filing or photocopying. Most of their traditional work has been concerned with filling in forms and looking after paperwork - making out invoices/receipts, keeping customers' records, production sheets, answering postal (and telephone) inquiries, mailing catalogs, advertising materials and so on. Clerking jobs of this kind are much less numerous these days, however, since computer-based systems have taken over, particularly in record keeping where the VDU is replacing traditional filing. Practically all clerical jobs now require word-processing skills or a willingness to learn on the job.

Qualifications and Training

Most employers prefer some GCSE (particularly English and maths) for even the most junior positions. Basic clerical skills can be learnt on the job but knowledge of office practice, word processing skills and/or secretarial training are necessary depending on the demands of individual employers.

Personal Qualitiesa

Clerks should be methodical and organised. They have to be able to take orders and also be discreet about the information they may deal with.

Further Information

Local job centers and careers offices clock maker, see jewelry trade, watch and clock maker / repairer.

For many other similar job vacancies please visit http://www.DutyEngine.com

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11 Pointers on Employment References

As a job seeker the reference issue is a kind of scary and confusing thing to think about. We're scared because we hope that when the potential employer calls on a former boss or peer that they don't make us look bad. On the other hand, we're stumped on things like whether to list someone who is hard to reach or out of business. The list of questions about references is numerous, so let's see if I can help you with some of the primary ones.

1. Don't put your references on your resume. As I often say: "References are like produce. They can go bad quickly." Your resume may live on in an Applicant Tracking System for a long time. The reference information can easily become outdated by the time your resume is used.

2. Refresh your reference list each time you distribute it. You don't want to over-use any one person no matter how glowing their remarks are about you. Ask a business contact if they would be willing to give you a reference any time you have a hot interview coming up. Be aware their situation may change and they may not have time for the request.

3. Will they contact your former bad boss and what will they say? You have to assume that even if you don't put down a former boss on your reference list, they may contact your previous places of business from your resume and therefore, a former boss. These days, many businesses have policies against giving any performance feedback or opinions when called for reference. If you were lucky enough to work for that kind of company, then you shouldn't worry too much about bad input, but it could still happen. If you didn't work for that kind of company, its open game about what could be said. The thing that is in your favor is that they may not check or may not check with that company.

4. Will they contact your current boss? Most hiring managers realize that contacting your current boss may put your job in jeopardy. It is totally acceptable to specifically request that they not contact your current place of business - they will understand.

5. What if my former business is closed and they can't contact anyone? These things happen, especially in recent years. If your previous employer has closed their doors, indicate as such on your resume and also your reference list if you have them on it. The thing you do want to do on your reference list is to supply the hiring team with a way to get hold of someone who can give them your reference. If you can't supply contact information wherever these people have gone, don't put them on your reference list.

6. What if I worked out of the US and want to use former employers as a reference? Hiring teams love references wherever they are. Your job in giving a reference is to supply the team with a way of contacting them. Email makes contacting someone easy and inexpensive.

7. What is a "letter of reference?" Should I have one? A letter of reference is typically written in advance of a time when you are actually pursuing a specific job. Sometimes when you leave a place of business you can ask for a letter of reference and that is a totally acceptable request. A letter helps keep down the demand on your previous boss for giving reference information each time a former employee looks for a job. Once you have a letter, it is yours to share and distribute as you see fit for the situation.

8. Should I only ask former bosses to be a reference or can I use other people I worked with? It is entirely acceptable to use non-boss individuals to act as a reference. It helps if that person is in a managerial position because the credibility of their reference about you is higher than if that person were simply a work peer. The person you use as a reference should be in a position of assessing your performance to a hiring manager.

9. What should I do if I think someone gave me a bad reference? This is a touchy issue. People have been known to get sued for giving references. Usually you will never really know for sure if that has occurred. Very little feedback is given to job seekers on anything including what references have said about you. If you are concerned, you could call the person yourself and ask directly, but don't expect to hear the full story.

10. Will the hiring team really call all of my references? You never know in advance what the behavior of the hiring team will be. Many people are lazy and simply won't bother to call references, as they will rely on their own opinion of you from the interview. Others will call every business on the resume and everyone on the reference list. I have been used on countless reference lists, but have been called only a couple of times in several decades.

11. When I create my reference list, what kind of information should be on it? You want to have the following: Name of person, business relationship, place of business, phone number and email address.

Your reference list can act as a powerful tool in your job search kit. You do want to think through whom the best people will be who can represent you well and be credible to the hiring manager. After that, there is a bit of ongoing management of your reference list, but it will be well worth it in the long run.

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Online Job Hunting

After being out of work for 18 years, I was horrified to discover the required current process for job-hunting. Applying for jobs in person is almost extinct!

Once you post your resume with the various job sites, your inmail box becomes overloaded with information you may or may not need. You must be careful because people have no qualms about using your personal information for their own gain. You deal with things like: Spam, well-known companies such as Walmart offering money, realtors, auto dealerships and car insurance companies offering deals, companies offering money but in reality are loan sharks, work-from-home jobs that are scams, job hunting newsletters and advice, and jobs sites that lie about helping you get a job but are crooks aggressively pushing you to go to school and applying for student loans. Ignore the phone calls with no identification, the caller will harass you to go to school not help you to find a job.

Begin the job hunting process by signing up for free job hunting newsletters. The information is educational and helpful. Study the free advice from professional resume and cover letter writers. Jimmy Sweeney is an excellent source.

After you have written your resume, fill out the required personal information and post it on several job sites. Please note that the Department of Labor advises to NOT fill out credit bureau request information on pre-employment applications. Those requests should come from the employer in the interview process along with criminal background checks and drug screening.A

Unless you have recent experience with a specific type of company, i.e. legal, medical, financial, you need to be prepared for a wide-range of job applications. Before you begin applying for specific job postings online, write 4 or 5 sample cover letters to later be submitted with the proper address information to companies along with your resume. For example, a cover letter submitted to a financial company will differ from one sent to a healthcare facility.

If you are not getting results from your job search, feel free to change your resume and cover letters. Since hundreds of people apply for each job posting, you can reapply for open positions with a different approach to the job.

Discouragement and frustration are common negative feelings. Counteract those feelings with distracting industrious activity, i.e. clean house, do laundry, exercise, window shop, read a book. Then, return to the exhausting and daunting job hunting process with a refreshed positive mental attitude.

In the end, patience and persistence pays off.

Article created and written by Ronda M. Courtemanche. Submitted on December 29, 2014.

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Top Safety Tips for Working With Agricultural Chemicals

In the agricultural industry, significant numbers of chemicals are used for things such as fertilisers and stripping down machinery for cleaning or sterilisation etc.

All of these chemicals need to be treated with great respect as if misused they may be detrimental to your health or that of any livestock around the farm.

Unfortunately though, it's not unusual to see bad practices adopted when handling chemicals, often due to a degree of complacency which arises from over-familiarity.
So, without any apologies, here are a few very basic safety tips that should already be common practice but which aren't always adopted.

1. Read the instructions carefully. If that sounds blindingly obvious, numbers of studies have shown that many people consistently fail to read the safety and usage instructions on products before opening them up and starting to use them.

2. Wear goggles when handling any form of industrial or agricultural chemical. Although not all will necessarily be dangerous if they get into your eye, many will be. Even if they are not, it's a smart idea to keep chemicals out of your body and your eyes.

3. Always use gloves. There are two reasons you should do so. The first is to stop chemicals getting on to your hands and then being accidentally transferred to foodstuffs - be they yours or those of your animals. The second is because it's not unusual for hands to carry cuts and abrasions and that's a good entry point for chemicals into your bloodstream.

4. In the same line of advice, always use a mask when dealing with powdered chemicals. Even if they are granular, when being handled they will throw up dust and it's always a good idea to keep dust out of your respiratory system, particularly when it is of a chemical nature.

5. Keep chemicals well away from your livestock unless they are specifically approved for such use. Some animals will eat almost anything they can.

6. Don't let children play anywhere near your stored chemicals or handle them - at least not if they are younger kids. Basic common sense safety precautions that are routine to you can be forgotten in an instant by children - however hard you've lectured them beforehand.

7. Where chemical products need to be mixed or diluted prior to use, make sure you keep to the recommended quantities. Don't guess or throw lots of extra in for 'good measure'. That can sometimes turn what should be a relatively harmless product into something that is overly-strong and potentially dangerous.

8. Use some form of a protective and non-porous overalls, particularly when spraying. You should be able to pick those up from a farm machinery trader or similar. True, you probably don't want to make yourself look like an extra in a science fiction movie but chemicals can penetrate ordinary porous clothes and overalls and they can then easily be transported into the home when washing etc.

9. Finally, make sure that you understand all state regulations relating to what chemicals may or may not be used on your farm, for a specific purpose or in a given vicinity. Some chemicals may, for example, be perfectly permissible but only if they are used a specified distance away from a water source.

Stainless Steel Brazing: Common Mistakes That Ruin Stainless Steel Assemblies

When they are correctly heat treated, stainless steel assemblies emerge from the furnace with excellent tensile strength and a clean appearance. However, there are several things that can go wrong with the stainless steel brazing process, mistakes that can significantly affect the strength and appearance of finished assemblies. By having an experienced heat treating company perform the treatment process, the customer can avoid the costly mistakes below.

Not Cleaning the Metal of Coatings

Before it enters the furnace, the metal must be free of surface coatings. Coatings that are commonly removed include: oil, grease, decals, paint, dirt, and rust. If coatings are left in place, they oxidize during the stainless steel brazing process and mar the surface of the metal. The result is that the metal will require finishing measures to give it a clean, bright appearance.

Not Using an Atmosphere-Controlled Furnace

Stainless steel is a chromium alloy; it contains at least 10.5 percent chromium by mass. Despite being a chemical element that is corrosion-resistant under normal conditions, chromium is highly reactive when it is treated in an oxygen environment. The best way to prevent chromium alloys from oxidizing when they are heated is to place them in an atmosphere-controlled furnace.

Not Establishing Proper Clearance Between Parts

One of the main keys for producing strong assemblies is to establish the proper clearance between workpieces. Most metallurgists recommend a clearance of .0015" between the parts of the assembly. A clearance that is much wider than this will prevent the filler metal from forming a strong bond between the workpieces, which could cause the product to fail during service.

Cooling the Assembly too Fast

Cooling the assembly too fast can create internal stresses that eventually cause the assembly to crack and break. This is why many heat treating companies use an atmosphere-controlled continuous furnace when processing chromium alloys. In addition to providing the perfect heating environment, the furnaces can also cool assemblies slowly and uniformly to prevent stresses.

Conclusion

If you need to have a chromium alloy brazed, outsourcing the job to a professional provider of heat treating services is the best way to avoid four crucial mistakes in the brazing process: not cleaning the metal of coatings, not using an atmosphere-controlled furnace, not establishing the proper clearance between parts, and cooling the metal too fast. For more information about heat treating chromium alloys, contact an experienced provider of heat treating services for metal.

Franklin Brazing's 53,000 square foot facility was designed especially for their clean processes such as stainless steel treating and annealing. The company runs steel treating production around the clock five days per week and on weekends if needed. Visit our website at: franklinbrazing.com

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