Ever wonder when’s the best time of the year to buy electronics? A house? A car? Furniture? You always hear about off-season, post-peak times to save money on purchases but it always arrives too late. Check out this timeline compiled by Lifehacker with lots of best-time-to-buy suggestions for 2010.

To read more about best times to buy anything, all year round, check out Lifehacker.

Hair today, gone tomorrow! I snipped off over 14″ of hair to donate to Locks of Love — a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada. These kids are under the age of 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss. Most of them have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses that Locks of Love provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

If you are interested in donating, please visit LocksofLove.org for more information.

If you are using Entourage as your email client on Mac OS X, then you are probably having the same problem when trying to embed moving animated GIF files in your emails. Entourage will let you create simple HTML emails such as modified fonts but not complex ones like tables or animations. So when you try to embed an animation, it gets attached as a still JPEG or a static GIF. There is, of course, a workaround for this issue.

Create your e-mail in Microsoft Word. Open a new document and go to Insert → Picture → From file…

Compose your email. Once you’re ready, go to File → Send To → Mail Recipient (as HTML)…

This will open up a new window in Entourage with your composed e-mail.

Hit Send and you’ll notice the animation is moving and embedded in the email!

It’s a extra few steps, but it can be done!

A few weeks ago, I applied for a position that came across by word of mouth that I was very interested in. I got a call this morning saying that I am now considered for that very job. I was ecstatic! Of course, you wouldn’t believe how much I had to do to apply and prepare for this position! I had so many questions…

“How do I put together a great resume?”

“How many references should I provide?”

“What is the appropriate job interview etiquette?”

“What kind of questions should I ask the interviewer?”

“How long do I wait to submit a thank you letter after your interview?”

Resume

A winning resume does two things. One, a winning resume will get you the interview. Two, a winning resume sets the stage for your interview presentation. Here are some tips from About.com that you can do to stand out from the crowd:

• Always include a well-written cover letter to grab the employer’s undivided attention.
• Use lots of open space and easy-to-find and skim information to entice the employer to read on.
• Use a clear, easy-to-read, serif-type body font such as 12 point Garamond, Baskerville or Century. I can blog an entire day about font types but to be brief, studies have shown that serif-type fonts are easier to read because of the curves they have. Serifs help the reader’s eye move along long lines of text. That’s why textbooks and novels use serif-type body fonts!
• An error-free resume is rare but triple check your resume for spelling, appropriate grammar, and typing mistakes. I always do three things for proofreading: Print it out, read aloud, and ask a friend.
• In this era of instant messaging, email, and cell phones, there is absolutely no reason to make contacting you difficult for the potential employer. Give your cell phone number, even if you have to buy a mobile for your job search, to avoid playing phone tag that may make you miss out on an interview altogether.
• Write and customize an “objective” for each job and employer. The objective is your opportunity to connect your skills, experience, traits, and job requirements with those the employer is seeking.
• Break away from trying to keep your resume to one page. I was always told to keep my resume trim and brief to one page but the more experience you have, the more you’ll want to express it on your resume. My personal resume is well over three pages not including references yet!

References

Resume references can make or break your career job search. Employers assume references will be provided upon request, so don’t list them in your resume. Instead, keep references on a separate page so you can maintain and update the reference contact list you intend to send to potential employers.

It’s ideal to have 3 to 5 references and include their contact information:

• Name
• Position/Title
• Company and Company Address
• Phone/Cellphone/Email
• Years Known
• Short description of relationship, keeping it to one or two sentences

Job Interview Etiquette and Dress Code

The first impression you make on a potential employer is the most important one. According to Kim Zoller at Image Dynamics, 55% of another person’s perception of you is based on how you look. Therefore, the first judgment an interviewer makes is going to be based on how you look and what you are wearing. That’s why it’s always important to dress professionally for a job interview, even if the work environment is casual. Here’s a quick look at the basics of how to dress for an interview:

Women’s Interview Attire

• Solid color, conservative suit
• Coordinated blouse
• Moderate shoes
• Limited jewelry
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Tan or light hosiery
• Sparse make-up & perfume
• Manicured nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

Men’s Interview Attire

• Solid color, conservative suit
• White long sleeve shirt
• Conservative tie
• Dark socks, professional shoes
• Very limited jewelry
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Go easy on the aftershave
• Neatly trimmed nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

What Not to Bring to the Interview

• Gum
• Cell phone
• Ipod
• Coffee or soda
• If you have lots of piercings, leave some of your rings at home (earrings only, is a good rule)
• Cover tattoos

Rehearse Your Interview

As they always say, “practice makes perfect.” You should go over some possible questions the employer will ask. Rehearsing with a friend aloud definitely helps too! If you’re nervous about an upcoming job interview, check out Bettertalking.com to help you practice and smooth out the bumps in your delivery!

Questions for the Interviewer

Always ask questions, period. As the interview comes to a close, one of the final questions you may be asked is “What can I answer for you?” Have interview questions of your own ready to ask. You aren’t simply trying to get this job – you are also interviewing the employer to assess whether this company and the position are a good fit for you.

Here are some good questions for the employer:

• What is the typical work week? Is overtime expected?
• What are the prospects for growth and advancement?
• How does one advance in the company?
• What do you like about working here?
• If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?
• Would you like a list of references? (This is where that separate page of references is useful)
• When can I expect to hear from you?
• Are there any other questions I can answer for you?

Of course, there are questions you should avoid asking such as, “If I get the job when can I take time off for vacation?” You should wait until you get the offer to mention prior commitments. Also, this is probably an obvious one, don’t ask, “Did I get the job?” Don’t be impatient. They’ll let you know.

Thank You Letter

Writing a thank you letter after a job interview is a nice courtesy. In fact, some employers think less of those interviewees who fail to follow-up promptly. I always ask for their business card after the interview, especially if you’re being interviewed by more than two people! You need to make sure you spelled their names correctly and addressed the thank you letter to the right person! Send your thank you letters immediately as snail mail could take up to three business days to reach your interviewers.

Hopefully these tips will help answer some of your questions and ease the interview jitters! Good luck!

A major M7.0 earthquake struck southern Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, knocking down buildings and power lines and inflicting catastrophe for the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation. The earthquake is the worst in the region in more than 200 years, leaving the country in a shambles.

According to Yahoo, U.S. cell phone users have contributed about $4 million to the Red Cross in $10 increments, by far the largest outpouring of support via mobile devices in history. “We could be handling more. We are not at capacity,” said Jenifer Snyder, executive director of mGive Foundation, the nonprofit group that is working with the Red Cross and wireless carriers to channel the donations.

Everyone all over the world has been coming together to aid the relief. Donations can be made to several organizations, even if it’s just five dollars. That means water for someone, that means someone gets food or medical care.

We can make a difference and here are some ways we can do that:

United States
Text “Yele” to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Foundation
Text “Haiti” to 85944 to donate $5 to Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International
Text “Haiti” to 25383 to donate $5 to the International Rescue Committee
Text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross in the U.S.

Canada
Text “Haiti” to 45678 to donate $5 to the Salvation Army in Canada
Text “Yele” to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Foundation
Text “Haiti” to 85944 to donate $5 to Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International
Text “Haiti” to 25383 to donate $5 to the International Rescue Committee

Sweden
SMS “akut” to 72900 to donate 50kr to the Red Cross
SMS “STAR” to 72930 to donate 100kr to Hoppets Stjärna
SMS “FN” to 72900 to donate 50kr to Svenska FN-förbundet (same number as Red Cross)

Germany
You can donate to Unicef or Oxfam via Visa Card
Red Cross
Help Haitian Chilren
Haiti Life
UNICEF Germany

Spain
SMS(Only Vodafone Clients) text “CR” to 5280 (the total amount incl. taxes is donated directly to the Spanish Red Cross, 1.04€) to Red Cross
Organizations, including bank account numbers and telephone donation lines
More organizations with their numbers
Unicef Donation Form
Red Cross

France
Secours Catholique
Croix Rouge
Action Contre la Faim
Fondation de France
Unicef

United Kingdom
DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal

Visit Times Online for more ways to help.

You can read more about the earthquake in Haiti at CNN.com.