Intro

My name is Yarin, I’m 26 and live in a rented apartment in Tel Aviv.  I recently finished six years of military service in the IDF.  Before my service I went to Bar Ilan University, there I studied economics and logistics.  In the army I served as a logistics officer in different field units.  Over the past years, working as a logistics officer I gained a great deal of experience in the field of logistics as the demands in the army are great and as there’s no room for mistakes.  Twenty-four hour days and long periods of time away from home with the troops gave me a good amount of experience.  From supply chain management to budget and resource planning to commanding over different logistic departments I learned a great deal over the time of my military service.

Now that I finished my service and after 3 weeks of vacation in NYC and Southern California I’m back home and need to start looking for a job.  I know there are different ways to tackle job searching and am thinking where I should start; networking, human resource firms, searching online sites, newspapers, or even e-mailing companies that interest me just to introduce myself even though they might not have any positions open at the moment.

Furthermore and most important I have to decide what I’m looking for.  I have a big advantage in the field of logistics because I both studied it at school and have years of experience in the field.  On the other hand I’m not sure logistics is the field I want to develop a long term career in.  A field like marketing especially when used in social media seems like a field I would like to find out more about.  So now I’m going to begin my search on 3 fronts: 1. look for temporary work such as bar tending. 2. look for jobs in the field of logistics. 3. Find out more about social media and what opportunities it holds.

[Via http://myfirstjobsearch.wordpress.com]

The Struggle

What do butterflies have in common with the human spirit? Meet Maggie, a middle aged wife and mother who was about to find out.

Maggie wasn’t rich like a millionaire or poor in a manner of being homeless. She was living an average comfortable life. It was made even better when a beautiful baby girl came her way. She and her husband made sure their daughter had her needs met and they were still able to take a yearly vacation by the beach.

Maggie was a partner in her husband’s business. They both had a different set of duties which kept everything in balance. One day a devastating blow came to her husband’s business, and over a three year period the business dropped out of site. Her husband had to totally reinvent himself and was yearning to fulfill a dream with a new vocation. She was happy for him and supported him fully, but still the money was not coming in.

Maggie began to feel guilty that she wasn’t contributing with any kind of income. It had been a long time since she had worked outside the home and had to work for someone else. Needless to say she was scared but still had faith that everything would be okay. She began job hunting and found filling out applications somewhat difficult, especially the part asking for job references. Keep in mind that she was self-employed with her husband for almost 20 years. It felt as though that didn’t count for anything as she was never called for an interview.

At the time she was job hunting her mom became more ill than she had been and ended up in the hospital for a week. Once Maggie’s mom returned home she became her mom’s helper one day a week. She did the shopping, changed sheets, vacuumed and did other things that her mother was not able to do anymore. Of course her mom would pay her for her time and labor but she still felt she needed to find another source of income.

One of the first applications she had filled out finally came through. She passed the interview with flying colors and was told she was “exactly” what they were looking for. Although it was only part time it was exactly what she wanted. It was important for her to be home when her daughter arrived home from school. She was told they would be in touch when the schedule was ready. Knowing she had the job made her feel contented and productive again.

Within a few weeks though, she received an e-mail saying that the company had changed the job into a full time position and she was not qualified. Maggie was devastated. She felt betrayed and felt she had been lied to. That evening she was alone as her husband and daughter had gone out for the night. She welcomed the aloneness and wanted to drown her sorrows in a hot tub of bubbles.

As she knew she would, she began to cry, softly at first just from the sheer pain of being rejected. Three long years of struggle had finally caught up with her. Then she became angry; angry at everything from the circumstances that got her there, to God himself. She cried harder and yelled, “What do you want me to do?” She really felt that God had abandoned her.

When she was able to cry no more, she became exhausted and gave up. It was at that moment that a silent idea came to her to offer other elderly people home care assistance.

Using another talent for computers she printed off some flyers and cards and distributed them to her church, grocery stores and even placed a small ad in the newspaper. Within a week she had procured two new clients.

Now, even though she’s not a CEO of a major company or a power player she feels happy and productive again. So, had God really abandoned her? Let’s look at nature for the lessons and the answer. Before a butterfly can emerge out of it’s chrysalis it has to go through a lot of struggling. Yes, struggling. Each time it lunges out to escape, acids are being removed from its wings. If someone were to come along and break the chrysalis open for it then the butterfly would die from those acids. In essence the struggle is necessary for the butterfly to survive. Then in the stillness, when the struggle is over, the butterfly can come out and share its beauty with the world.

We as humans are not any different. There are times that we need to struggle, to rid ourselves of the acids that make up sadness, fear, and anger. It is only at this time when we are exhausted and still that we begin to hear the Universe whisper to us.

[Via http://darknlight.wordpress.com]

2010 Goals

Momma always said, “Better Late Than Never.” Or was it someone else?

Anyway, I know I’ve already spent 6 days without goals which pretty much buys me a one-way ticket to the lowest rung of hell. But before I go to confession to try to salvage my soul, here are my goals for 2010:

Financial:

– Increase my monthly contribution to my Roth to $300
– Start a 401K
– Double my Net Worth (so I’m shooting for $33,766)
– Budget? (The question mark is there for a reason. I’m hoping to start budgeting someway, somehow, so I’m going to leave this as a very open-ended goal)
– Cancel 2 credit cards
– Take another bill from parents (Essentially my paying the Electric Bill is the only form of Rent I’m paying. It’s a toss up between Cable and Phone and I’m leaning towards Cable…)
– Move my savings to another bank (I’ve complained enough…)

Blog

– Participate in 12 blog carnivals (that is 1 per month. Come on Newbie, you can do it!)
– Write at least 3 posts a week
– Change the theme (grey, blue and orange are so 2009…)
– Buy a domain name (right now mine is on backorder…still deciding whether it is worth buying at a higher price [18.99 vs 9.99] or waiting and crossing my fingers…)
– Do a monthly update of my net worth
– Get more readers (I love you guys, please come back?)

Personal

– Work out 3 times a week (maybe I’ll do this with blogging?)
– Make one meal a month
– Study my cheeks off for the GMAT
– Apply/Get into to B-School
– Get a raise (or promotion or both…if anyone is listening, HAHA)
– Team Lead 2 Community Service projects and Volunteer at least once a month
– Update my resume once a month
– Network (the dreaded cold call or mixer. I will challenge myself to at least one per month)
– Add $5 to each of my donations (I have a list of charities that I’ll go into in another post…)
– Read one book a month (after I’m done with the GMAT…lol, so 8 books!)
– Travel with BF ( we’re planning on Costa Rica. Actually this goal is half accomplised because we have the hotel, flight, and activities. But you never know with these things…)

So those are my goals. I really feel like I need more goals, but this is a start. If I can accomplish all of these this year, then I will challenge myself to harder and more goals next year. Also, for those with a keen eye, there are 24 goals in total since I’m turning 24 in April. OWW!

[Via http://investingnewbie.wordpress.com]

Day 1 (Again!)

Today was my first day on the job, working for a non-profit organization that strives to provide the elderly proper health coverage and representation throughout the US government.  I got home about 30 minutes ago and am still riding high from the rush of having a new, full-time job!  And let me tell you about the immediate neighborhood because the area is suh-weeeeeeeet! Potbellies (think high quality subs + low prices, something Quiznos wishes it could do), a fully-stocked wine and liquor store and large deli across the street; a Staples next door; Borders book store one block away – and those are just the places that immediately caught my eye because of my high interest levels in all of them!  I didn’t bother exploring the area during my 2pm lunch break because of this blisteringly cold weather, but I did speed-walk straight to that Potbellies I mentioned before.  And I did what I wanted to do last week: order their PB&J sammich!  Ehh, sub, rather, but still!  It was also the first time I’ve had PB&J together on toasted bread.

Oh. My. GAWD.  The first bite into this sub was a ticket to board the nostalgia train, 12-years-old-bound on the express track.  The second bite, some jelly squeezed out of not one but two sides of the sub, getting on my fingers and plopping onto the wrapping it came in, boarding the train in the process.  The third bite, this time from the other side so I could catch the excess jelly this time, and a blob of mixed PB&J jumped out from the side I previously bit into and fell to the wrapper on the table below, the purple and peanut-buttery textures mixing into a swirly blur of holy matrimony.  At the same time, one of my forefingers slid across a part of the top of the sub; apparently, a smear of jelly got on top when wrapped.  WHOO-WHOOOOOOO!! That train pulls out, full-steam ahead!  I didn’t even care that some of my fingers were covered by jelly and spots of peanut butter got on various parts of my hands; that large drops of PB&J were landing on my wrapper with each bite, regardless of where I was biting into (I frequently turned the sub every which way to best determine my next point of attack); that I was wearing a suit and tie, risking their getting dirtied up.  Face it, about five minutes into eating that sub I reverted to a 12-year-old boy again, with nary a care in the world!

After lunch, I went back to what I might as well start calling my daily grind, except that I’m actually enjoying the work I’m doing – because it’s actually challenging!  I’m going to see if I can have my hours extended by one so I can have an 8am-5pm workday.  I’m seriously stoked that I landed this gig.  Will my tune change over the next couple of months?  It’s always possible, but for now, I’m riding this wave of success and full-time employment, living by the day!

[Via http://twddc.wordpress.com]

Looking for a job

Tânăr jurnalist caută job. De preferat în televiziune, dar n-ar zice nu altor oferte. N-are mașină, n-are nici bani nici connections. Dar are conturi peste tot – mai puțin în bancă – Facebook, MySpace, tot tacâmul.

A absolvit o școală de profil, iar talentul nu-i lipsește. Deocamdată, nici nu-i ajută. Video CV-ul său a bătut toate recordurile, cu peste 30 de mii de vizualizări în câteva zile. Ofertele se lasă încă așteptate.

[Via http://busylancer333.wordpress.com]

What's Next God?

Currently readers I am contemplating on whether to keep up with the Job study I started before Christmas, or start reading Francis Chan’s Forgotten God. I guess I will pray and start a regular study again tomorrow.

Come back tomorrow to see “What’s Next God?”

It is up to Him what I do.

Until next time readers, God Bless!

[Via http://whatsnextgod.wordpress.com]

Auld Lang Syne

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

Happy New Year to one and all, welcome to a new year, a new decade, a new start.

The last few days have been a quiet affair, after planning a new years party, and everybody letting me down over the last week I decided to just have  quiet one with some friends. I can understand, I did decide to have a party quite late, so everybody already had plans or else was unable to make it. But oh well I still had a good one.

Spent the evening with my neighbours just having a few drinks, a laugh, and good ‘ol sing-song on the karaoke! this has also helped me decide that I want next year to be bigger and better! going to plan earlier, invite everybody earlier and generally be more organised!
As 2009 was let out the back door, and 2010 in the front door.  the three of us went out in the street to watch the fireworks and wish our other neighbours a happy new year. only problem with this was that nobody else, was out! ok, given it was -1 they should still come out to welcome in the new year? shouldn’t they? it’s always been a tradition in liverpool, everybody comes out at midnight? maybe it’s just the different areas? will have to find out about that one :p

So here we are January 1st 2010,
The start of a brand new year and a brand new decade! what are they calling this decade by the way? the Teenies? will have to find that out too.

Time to make some New Years resolutions I think….
1. Get fit!
2. Concentrate more on getting a full-time permanent job
3. Keep my house tidy!
4. Keep in touch with my little brother, and try to get him to visit once in a while
5. Get my finances sorted.
6. Be more organised > with everything! Life, Work, everything really
7. Keep car clean!
8. Enjoy everything i do this year
9. Links to number 1 but, join a gym? 10. Read one book a week.

Wow there does seem a lot there! i wonder how many i can keep? so are obviously more easy than others and hopefully I can obtain my goals, others I’ve been trying for years, getting fit and sorting money out, now I’m going to stick to them. I want to be financially secure as soon as possible, I’ve recently (3months) moved into a new house and only been a part-time worker. so things have been a little tight, but hopefully all this will change with the new year and a new job

I would also like my own permanent proper teaching job, with a class of my own. I think I’ll keep looking for jobs on this one.

Others are just silly ones that I should do automatically but i just haven’t had the time or the inclination to do it, for example as I sit here I know my car is a disgrace, I know there are at least 3 coffee cups in the cup holders – and theres only ever me that gets in it! I really should try harder at keeping it tidy! it’s just laziness really, oh and McDonald’s coffee on the way to work. that’s it! I can blame McDonald’s for it! lol

So now I sit here with my still blocked ear, I can’t hear a single thing out of my left ear and it’s so irritating! what a fab way of starting the new year! lol nevermind

anyway, I’m looking forward to Doctor Who tonight, even it is the last one with David Tennant thats a bit of a downer.

I hope everybody has a wonderful New Year I hope you all get everything you need and a little bit of what you want

[Via http://jamesashton20.wordpress.com]