Mystery Shopping -- An excellent part time job or additional income sourceWritten by Steve Pearce
Though name itself may seem a bit mysterious, concept of mystery shopping is actually straightforward. Also referred to as secret shopping, performance evaluations, service checks and frontline evaluations to name a few, mystery shopping allows companies to obtain a “snapshot in time” by trained researchers who know in advance what they are to evaluate. It provides management a method to quickly yet efficiently evaluate their business practices, deliverables, and employees from perspective of a non-biased consumer. Mystery shoppers visit or call businesses posing as ordinary customers and provide detailed evaluations of their experience using written reports or questionnaires.Mystery shopping is used in a wide variety of industries such as retail, restaurants, financial institutions, convenience stores and gas stations, service providers, manufacturers, department stores, travel and entertainment, etc. Though there is a certain level of responsibility and professionalism required to be an effective mystery shopper, you should never have to pay to get a job. There are dozens of companies claiming that by paying them a registration fee they will send you job opportunities and teach you steps to becoming a shopper. This may be true, but is also completely unnecessary. The legitimate mystery shopping companies in industry NEVER charge fees to shopper. Training, tips for improvement, and shopping opportunities are provided free to registered shoppers. Mystery shoppers are either paid a pre-arranged fee for a particular shop, a reimbursement for a purchase or a combination of both. Though it is possible to make a living solely from mystery shopping, it is not very common. Most shoppers view this as a second income source or as a way to obtain fully reimbursed meals, products, and services. The registration process with leading mystery shopping companies has improved over years. Most provide a simple online form that takes only a few minutes to complete. Once you have registered with a company or two, they will start informing you of shopping opportunities. Most of these are “first-come, first-serve”, so be sure to provide company with an email address that you check regularly, and a phone number where you can be easily reached. Be willing to accept last minute assignments and treat bottom-of-the-barrel assignments just like top-of-the-line assignments. At first, take whatever you can get. This will allow you to build a reputation with each company. The old adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” is exceptionally true in this industry. Make sure you completely understand instructions for particular shop, be impartial, and focus on accuracy. You may be required to document employee names and descriptions, prices, inventory evaluations, etc.
| | Why Choose a Professionally Written Resume?Written by Vincent Czaplyski
Why Choose A Professionally Written Resume? Good question, considering that nowadays you can find many useful resources to help you write your own resume (including many located at http://www.impressive-resumes.com). A professionally written resume might be just what you need. On other hand, perhaps you can easily write your own resume using a resume template or commercially available resume writing software. How do you decide which is right for you? Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help you decide. * "Do I have time to do job right?" If you want to create a resume that works, i.e. one that captures attention of a hiring manager during a 10 second initial "toss or keep" scan, you need to be willing to invest some time. Depending on your comfort level, your familiarity with resume design factors and how well you're organized, this can take anywhere from a couple of hours to several days or more. If you have time, energy, focus and desire to learn how to write an effective resume, you're probably a good candidate to do it yourself. If you're really not ready to devote time and effort, you'd be better served by allowing a professional resume writer to write it for you. * "Can I afford services of a professional resume writer?" If you're on a no kidding shoestring budget, writing your own resume is probably way to go. But most people are surprised at how inexpensive and easy it is to hire a professional resume writer who can write a truly effective resume. Chances are good that there's room in your budget for a professionally written resume, especially considering that right career step could pay back your investment a thousand times over (or more). You've probably already spent tens of thousands of dollars on your education, (not to mention incredible amounts of sweat equity) to get where you are today. The small amount of additional money you spend on a professionally written resume may just be best career advancement investment you'll ever make.
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