Taxi driver’s foul-mouthed Uber fail

A TAXI driver’s attempt to take on ride-sharing service UberX has backfired spectacularly after his expletive-filled tirade and threats of violence ended up online.

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New Alpine Mtn. ownership peeks at winter with film fest

It might be too warm these days to even think about ski season yet but the new ownership at Alpine Mountain is planning for a month or so ahead when the weather typically changes drastically.To get people in the mood at the Henryville resort, Alpine Mountain will be holding the Warren Miller Film Festival on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Main Lodge. Tickets cost $10 and those over 21 will also receive two drink tickets.The film festival will be screening “Chasing [...]

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Deeds, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015

East Stroudsburg BoroughJES Financial Services Inc. to Sunrest Properties LLC, Lot 2, "Final Subdivision Plan, Lands of Samuel M. D'Alessandro and JES Financial Services Inc.," 112 N. Courtland St., $6,195,000Hamilton TownshipGeorge R. and Linda Kitchen to David M. Czahor and Sue Haney Czahor, Land, Lake Drive, Saylors Lake, containing 4.354 acres gross, $259,900Fannie Mae (By Atty) A/K/A Federal National Mortgage Association, [...]

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Stroud Mall revives its holiday decorating

To holiday shoppers who may have eschewed Stroud Mall in recent years, instead seeking out malls with grander (or really, any) décor: Welcome back!Under a new general manager, Stroud Mall decided it was time to dress up for the holidays and fill shoppers with a bit of Christmas cheer as it used to do. The new look – a blending of former decorations with new baubles and much bigger style – took shape last Sunday, as shoppers paused to take in the winter wonderland [...]

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Does Carrying a Balance Help Your Credit?

You needn’t bear the burden of a credit-card balance to build credit. Photo: Josh James

If you’ve ever tried to buy a home, take out a car loan, or borrow money to start a business, you already know how important your credit score is. Without a good credit score, it can be difficult to achieve any number of adult milestones, most of which can have a direct impact on your quality of life.

Unfortunately, the confusing way credit scores are determined can obfuscate the markers of good credit. We all know that paying bills on time is important, but a whirlwind of hearsay and credit myths convince people they should jump through all kinds of hoops — and even carry debt — to improve their scores over time. But, can carrying a balance actually improve your credit?

How Are Credit Scores Determined?

Before we tackle this issue, let’s discuss how scores are determined in the first place. Using the FICO scoring model, credit scores can fall anywhere between 300 and 850, and are decided based on the following criteria:

• Payment history: 35%
• Amounts owed: 30%
• Length of credit history: 15%
• New credit: 10%
• Types of credit: 10%

As you can see, the most important factor is your payment history — as in, how you handle your monthly payments. If you always pay your bills on time, you’ll fare well in this category. And if not, your credit could take a hit.

• Related: How to Build Good Credit

The second most important category is the amount of money you owe, also known as your credit utilization. This is figured as a percentage of what you owe in comparison to your overall credit limit. For example, if your credit limit is $10,000 across three credit cards and you owe $1,500, your utilization is 15%.

Your credit length refers to the average length of your credit history across all accounts, while “new credit” refers to the number of accounts you have applied for in recent history. The mix of credit types you use matters, too: Overall, lenders like to see more than one type of credit in use. Types of credit can include mortgage loans, auto loans, personal loans, credit cards, student loans, and other types of debt.

Can Carrying a Balance Help Your Credit?

Here’s where things get tricky. With so many different credit scoring models, it can be difficult to figure out exactly how your utilization will affect your credit score.

Still, it’s safe to say that keeping your utilization as low as possible — and even at zero — will benefit your credit score the most. Most experts recommend keeping your utilization rate under 30% to avoid a negative impact on your credit score.

To show utilization and responsible use, you don’t need to carry a balance from month to month — the purchases you make factor into your utilization, too, even if you pay them off at the end of the month.

For example, if you charged $500 on the first of the month and paid it off on the 15th, your average balance for that 30-day period would be roughly $250, even though you paid your balance in full. So your best strategy is just to use your card regularly and pay your bill in full every month.

When you’re trying to build credit from scratch, a secured credit card or unsecured card with a low limit can help you prove your creditworthiness. To prove your worth, plan on using your card for small purchases you can pay off right away. Using your credit consistently — and responsibly — can improve your credit without the interest that results from carrying long-term debt.

The Simple Dollar’s Tips for Good Credit

Here are some tips that can help you build credit — or improve your existing credit score — over time.

1. Use a credit card for small purchases and pay it off. To show you can use credit responsibly, use your card for small purchases you can pay off right away. If you don’t have a starter card yet, it might be time to shop for one. For your consideration: Best Credit Cards of 2015
2. Make all of your payments on time. Whether we’re talking about credit cards, auto loans, rent payments, or any type of revolving debts, it’s essential to pay your bills in full and on time, every single time.
3. Open new accounts sparingly. Since new credit can impact your score in a negative way in the short term, you should only open new accounts when it’s necessary, and try to avoid opening new credit cards when you’re about to apply for an important loan such as a mortgage.
4. Don’t close old accounts. Since the length of your credit history is based on an average of all of your accounts, you should leave old accounts open as long as possible provided they aren’t costing you money in fees.
5. Keep your credit utilization as low as possible — and definitely below 20%. In the past, FICO has noted that utilization below 20% is considered good, but that a number below 10% is better. Aim for a utilization rate of zero if you hope to stay out of debt and avoid paying interest on your purchases, which you should.

No matter where you are in life, your credit score matters. Fortunately, there are a slew of ways to improve your credit score without carrying revolving debt or jumping through hoops. As always, the best way to build credit is to do it slowly over time through responsible and regular use.

• Related: 5 Ways to Build Credit Without a Credit Card

The most important thing to remember is to only use credit to buy what you can afford to pay off right away, and to pay your bills on time or early every single month. If you can manage that task, your credit score will easily take care of itself.

How did you build credit at first? Did you ever carry a balance in an effort to improve your credit?

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Sick of Wasting Money on Wrapping Paper and Greeting Cards? Here’s How to Save

If you’re shopping for a child’s birthday present, you might fork out a lot of cash on top of the gift itself.

Fun “building blocks” gift wrap is $5.99 (for a 24-inch by 36-inch piece), bows cost $3.58 (for a pack of 30, which works out to a reasonable 12 cents each) and a fun Spiderman birthday card is $4.99.

That equals $11.10 in wrapping materials and a birthday card for a single present — which really adds up over a year’s worth of gift-buying.

And with the holidays coming up, now’s the perfect time to consider ways to save money on wrapping paper and cards.

Stop spending so much of your hard-earned cash on stuff that will end up in the trash. Follow these tips to present your gifts with flair, yet save your cash.

1. Reuse Your Greeting Cards

Two brothers, Jeff and Ron Methier, don’t spend much on their birthday cards. For the last 42 years, the men have passed the same birthday card back and forth. Each year, one signs his name and adds a short note before sending it over to the other man.

While you don’t have to go to such extremes, plenty of people cut up and re-purpose old cards, turning them into new ones.

One common strategy: Cut off the front of the card and use it as a gift tag, taping it directly to the present. Here’s a guide to turning your cards into cute gift tags.

2. Shop at Dollar Stores

If you buy a greeting card at a specialty card shop, they can cost $5.99 or even more. For a fraction of that price, you can do your card shopping at one of the ubiquitous dollar stores.

Stock up on cards next time you’re at a dollar store so you have a few on hand for all occasions. Look for multi-card packs, especially around the holidays, to reduce your per-card price.

And don’t forget to scoop up low-cost wrapping paper, gift bags and tissue paper.

3. Use Blank Cards

While selecting a unique and personalized card can add that special touch, the message you write is the most important part. Stock up on cards that are blank inside and you can personalize and customize each one for any occasion.

A cute puppy card could be used as a congratulations card, a “get better soon” card, a birthday card or just about any reason. Blank cards are usually far less expensive than cards specific to certain occasions.

Create your own custom blank cards at Shutterfly or one of the other photo-product sites. Be sure to sign up for special deals and offers, since you’ll receive great coupons and even occasional free cards.

4. Shop After the Holidays

Right after Christmas is the best time to stock up on Santa- and reindeer-themed gift wrap. While the selection is largely picked over by this point, the rock-bottom deals will make up for it.

Retailers are looking to clear their stores of these bulky and inexpensive items, and they’re willing to drop their prices to do so.

The longer you wait, the better the deals: You may be able to find paper for 80 to 90% off the original retail price.

5. Print Your Own Wrapping Paper and More

Why spend dollars on wrapping paper when you can print your own for pennies? Make sure your printer ink’s full and get ready to find free printable cards online as well as other items.

Pinterest offers a wealth of free printables including gift tags, calendars and more. Buzzfeed also put together a list of 24 cute gift tags you can download and print out for free.

6. Use The Comics

Grab the Sunday comics out of the recycling bin and use them to wrap presents. This old-fashioned technique adds a fun and playful touch while reusing paper.

You can even customize the comics to the recipient — if your friend’s a Snoopy fan, make sure Peanuts is front and center.

7. DIY Gift Wrap

Grab a roll of butcher paper and some stamps and go wild to create your own custom gift wrap. If you have kids, let them add their artistic touches.

If you want to skip the butcher paper, just grab paper grocery bags, cut them open and decorate the blank side.

Need more ideas for DIY gift wrap? Try these suggestions from Buzzfeed.

8. Send E-cards

Why send a paper card when you can send an e-card instead? Check out Blue Mountain or Someecards for free e-cards you can send to friends and family members.

Someecards also has a good selection of fun and everyday ones, including fantasy sports-themed and even “Grumpy Week” cards.

9. Reuse Wrapping Supplies

Before ripping off that wrapping paper and crumpling it up in a ball, think of the paper as a second gift. Carefully remove it and take a few extra seconds to fold it, or wrap it around a gift wrap roll to keep it for the next gift you have to wrap.

Gift bags are even easier to reuse, since they’re often in perfect condition. This goes for the tissue paper tucked inside as well — just fold it along the creases, and it’s ready for your next gift-giving occasion.

10. Make Cards With Scrapbooking Supplies

Instead of paying $4 to $6 for each card, why not make your own cards? If you have kids, this is an especially fun way to add a personal touch.

Get some colored card stock from a craft store. You can typically buy a pack of 50 or more sheets for under $15 at regular price, but craft stores such as Michael’s often have specials and coupons.

Or if you’d like to spend even less, consider snagging a pack of construction paper. You can get a 50-sheet pack for $2.

Then, get crafty. Print out fonts on your computer, make a photo collage, sprinkle on some glitter, and send your loved one a personalized and unique card for their celebration.

11. Shop at Thrift Stores

Stop by your local thrift store and pick up some rolls of paper, gift bags and more. You can often find rolls of gift wrap for just 25 or 50 cents apiece.

It might be tricky to find Santa Claus paper around Christmas time, but if you keep your eyes out year-round and don’t mind the randomness of the rolls, you can find great deals on gift wrap at thrift stores. Also look for gift bags, unused gift tags and more.

Your Turn: What are your money-saving tips for buying gift wrap and greeting cards?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Kristen Pope is a freelance writer and editor in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The post Sick of Wasting Money on Wrapping Paper and Greeting Cards? Here’s How to Save appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Inspiration from Seneca, Emilie Wapnick, MIT, Steve Martin and More

Once a month (or so), I share a dozen things that have inspired me to greater personal, professional, and financial success in my life. I hope they bring similar success to your life.

1. Sigmund Freud on struggle

“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.” – Sigmund Freud

This statement didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me until recently. Right now, I look back at 2006 and 2007 as perhaps the most beautiful years of my life.

I was struggling in almost every aspect of my life in those years. My finances were a mess and I was trying to fix them. I was feeling a ton of professional challenges and dissatisfaction in my career. We had an infant son that grew into a toddler and then another baby arrived on the scene. We moved from a tiny apartment into a larger house and had to figure out how to be homeowners. I launched three different side gigs, two of which utterly failed and the third of which was a success beyond all realistic expectations.

Almost every day was full of challenges of one kind or another. I was learning how to overcome workplace challenges of a wide variety, how to be a small business owner, how to be a father, how to be a good husband after the honeymoon year was over, how to be a homeowner, and how to be a financially responsible adult, all at the same time.

It was exhausting. It was also exhilarating. Each day brought a new challenge and a new success.

Today, I still fill many of those roles, but in many ways I’m practicing skills that have become strong and reflexive. The struggle of learning something new when your life relies on it is something that I don’t particularly want to relive, but it is something that gives that period in my life a certain glow in my memories.

2. The American Dream for the Next Generation

The American Dream for the Next Generation is a course from MIT for which the materials are available for free online. I went through the course over the last few months, listening to the lectures and reading the materials, and I found it incredibly worthwhile. It’s one of the first online classes I’ve taken that I would recommend to almost anyone.

The title of the course really explains what it’s all about – it involves a lot of discussion about what the “American Dream” was and is and then looks ahead at what the “American Dream” will become for the next generation or two as they grow into adulthood.

This is one of those topics that borders on philosophical in nature, but it’s a really tangible flavor of philosophy. Almost every piece of the course left me thinking about what kinds of goals people have and how they change over time as society and technology changes.

Part of me wants to go off on a tangent with a bunch of different discussion points that this class inspired, but it would take much of the joy out of it if I shared all of my takes on the ideas without giving you the opportunity to explore all of this on your own. So, I encourage you to take the time to dig into this stuff on your own. You’ll be glad you did.

3. Neil Peart on trying again and again

“Keep striking that flint and steel, and eventually you will produce a spark. The more you are practicing your chosen art, the more likely you are to stumble upon inspiration in that work.” – Neil Peart

I spent many hours in my teen years engaged in various solitary activities with the music of Rush playing in the background. For me, albums like 2112 and Signals and Moving Pictures and A Farewell to Kings form the soundtrack to a particular period in my life.

Many of those hours were spent teaching myself how to write computer programs. My school offered a couple of computer courses, but nothing in the depth of my exploration. I learned about graphics programming, explored languages like Pascal and C, and eventually I wound up doing that kind of thing for a living.

Many more of those hours were spent coming up with stories and writing fiction and nonfiction in all sorts of genres and styles, which I suppose led me to the life of a freelance writer that I live now.

If you keep doing something over and over, trying new ways of doing things and exposing yourself to new influences while also mastering the basic underlying skills, you’re going to get better at that thing, whatever it is. Even if you don’t necessarily have the ideal talent at that thing, you will have enough skill that you can sometimes produce something great.

It just takes a lot of hours of failure and practice and failure and more practice and occasional sparks of something good and then more failure and more practice. People often don’t have the patience for all of that failure, but without it, you can’t ever figure out what works well.

4. Steve Martin and Edie Brickell – When You Get to Asheville

Steve Martin rose to prominence as an absurdist comedian, one with such a strong career in that area that Comedy Central recognizes him as one of the 100 greatest standup comedians of all time. He moved on from there to acting, appearing in a number of comedic and dramatic roles. From there, he moved on to writing, publishing pieces in The New Yorker, producing an acclaimed autobiography, and writing the scripts for several films and plays.

It’s his last career shift that’s perhaps the most amazing, though. He’s now perhaps best known as an extremely acclaimed banjo player, racking up a number of Grammy awards and performing at countless music festivals as well as the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Just listen – he’s really good.

It’s easy to just remark, “Oh, he’s just talented,” and while that is likely true, it’s foolish to think that he hasn’t put a ton of work into his various crafts. You can be an incredibly naturally talented comedian in the world and not make millions laugh – that takes talent and work. The same thing is true of his writing, with his giant collection of published stories and novels and nonfiction books and plays and film scripts – it takes talent, sure, but it also takes a ton of honing of one’s craft. It’s also particularly true of his banjo playing.

Whenever someone tells you that you can’t do something completely different than what you’re doing, think of the guy who performed this sketch, and the guy who wrote this, and the guy who also performed this song. He did all this stuff, and there’s no reason you or I can’t try something different, too.

5. Pliny the Younger on desire and possession

“An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit.” – Pliny the Younger

I always find it amazing when the words of someone who lived thousands of years ago ring absolutely true in my own modern life.

I can’t even begin to count the number of times that I have desired some item or another, convinced myself that I really really wanted it or even that I needed it, only to purchase the item and discover that it really wasn’t everything it was cracked up to be.

A lot of those items wound up on my shelves, unused and practically forgotten.

The real truth of the matter is that I only have so many hours in my life. I honestly have more interests that I would love to follow up on than I have hours available in my days.

On top of that is the fact that items are often not all they are cracked up to be. Often, much of what you hear about a new thing comes from marketing departments, news stories that are barely more than rewritten press releases, or from people who are deeply passionate about that particular item for some reason due to their specific personality or interest. None of those actually provide any sort of real help for your decision-making process because they all artificially alter the product’s potential impact on your life.

In other words, the product looks much better on the shelf and in the dreams you have of holding it in your hands than it actually does in your hands.

Keep that in mind and be patient when you buy. Seneca was right, all of those thousands of years ago.

6. Emilie Wapnick on why some of us don’t have one true calling

From the description:

What do you want to be when you grow up? Well, if you’re not sure you want to do just one thing for the rest of your life, you’re not alone. In this illuminating talk, writer and artist Emilie Wapnick describes the kind of people she calls “multipotentialites” — who have a range of interests and jobs over one lifetime. Are you one?

This video touches on similar ground as the Steve Martin video and comments above. You don’t have to have the same type of job and the same interests from your childhood to your grave.

Part of the challenge with being a “multipotentiality” is that there is a strong sense in this country that you have to prepare for one career path and to prepare again for something different is some kind of failure.

I am often inspired here by my mother-in-law, who was a professional cheese maker (seriously) before giving that up and returning to school to be a nurse. She also started a band in her fifties.

You don’t have to be the same thing you were yesterday. Today is a new day, a new opportunity to explore new things and new interests.

7. Baron Fig Confidant

It’s not a secret to any long-time reader of The Simple Dollar that I use notebooks of various kinds all the time to take notes. I keep a pocket notebook with me at all times to jot down quick notes, but I also like using larger bound notebooks for larger-scale brainstorming and project planning.

A friend of mine bought me one of these notebooks as a gift a while back and, quite simply, it’s just about the perfect notebook. It hits almost every point that I want in a notebook. It’s bound in an incredibly sturdy fashion, yet the notebook lays flat. The pages feature dot-grid formatting, which is my favorite style. The paper is strong enough to withstand all of the ink I throw at it without bleeding through, yet is thin enough to keep the notebook at a reasonable thickness.

Not only that, the company itself plants a tree for every notebook purchased, replenishing the wood used in the making of the notebook.

I don’t talk about specific products very often on The Simple Dollar, but this has become an everyday use item for me. If you actually write out your thoughts as I do, this notebook is a wonderful tool and would make for a great gift this holiday season.

8. Earl Nightingale on dreams and time

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” — Earl Nightingale

Most of the big goals I hold for myself at this point seem far down the road. Unless something unexpected happens, I won’t hit any of those big targets for several years.

And that’s okay. Those years are going to pass anyway.

I have a choice that I can make, every single day. I can either have a great life at age fifty, or I can have a mediocre life at age fifty and have some things I don’t really want or have time for right now.

Yeah, the number of years between then and now can feel despairing sometimes, but those years will pass regardless of whether I’m working toward a goal or not. I’m going to be forty, forty five, fifty someday.

The question is what kind of life I want forty, forty five, fifty to be and whether it’s worth sacrificing that life so that I can be lazy or so that I can have some unnecessary physical item today.

9. Scott Dinsmore on finding work you love

From the description:

Scott Dinsmore quit a job that made him miserable, and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He shares what he learned in this deceptively simple talk about finding out what matters to you — and then getting started doing it.

Work that you love doesn’t mean easy work. For some, it might mean work for which you love the process of actually doing it. For others, it might mean that you love and value the result of that work, like someone digging a proper well for a village without water.

Many people find themselves in situations where they’re doing work for which they neither love the process nor love the result. I am incredibly thankful that my current job has both elements, but I remember a time when I didn’t feel either, where I felt as though I was just filling out paperwork all day.

It was miserable. I never, ever want to go back.

There is too much joy in life to work at a job where you don’t either love the process or love the outcome. If you find yourself forced to work at one of those jobs, view it solely as a stepping point to a job where you love the process or love the outcome.

10. Seneca on imagined suffering

“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” – Seneca

It is so easy to imagine that a positive life change will be horrible and painful and awful. Spending less? It’s got to be complete misery. Exercising a lot? Totally miserable. Giving up television? That sounds like something from Dante’s Inferno.

Yet the reality of those life changes is often nothing like the horrors that we imagine. When you put some tight controls on your spending, you still find joy. When you start exercising, you begin to experience the pleasures of feeling better every day. When you start eating better, you can start to discover the varieties of delicious ways to prepare different foods.

Life goes on, and it can be a better life. Just don’t listen to your imagination. It just wants to keep you where you’re at right now.

11. Yousician

You’re probably familiar with the video game known as Guitar Hero, right? You have a plastic guitar and you play along with the notes as they appear on the string by hitting buttons on the fret of the “guitar” and “strumming” a special button.

It’s a fun game, but it really doesn’t do much of anything at all for teaching you guitar.

On a separate thread, over the last few years, I’ve tried several things for teaching myself guitar and none of them have worked. The time I have for practicing is pretty awkward for taking lessons, so I’ve tried to learn from books and videos and so on and nothing has clicked.

Yousician has.

So, here’s how it works: it’s basically Guitar Hero with a real guitar. My computer has a built-in mic, which listens to the sounds and identifies if I’ve hit the right notes. On the screen, it actually looks a lot like Guitar Hero, showing you the upcoming notes that you need to play. It uses strings and colors and numbers in a very clear way that makes it easy to know which strings to hold down, how to form a chord, and how to strum or pick.

I find myself drawn to playing it every day and I’m actually learning the guitar. I can play really simple melodies now without the game on at all, which is farther than I’ve ever made it in learning the guitar.

It’s free to try it and very highly recommended.

12. Ralph Waldo Emerson on today and tomorrow

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could do. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

You’re going to mess up every single day. You can either obsess on those mistakes and use them to convince yourself that you’ll never succeed, or you can look at them as tools to teach yourself how to be better tomorrow.

You have that choice, every single day.

But if you take one thing away from that choice, let it be this: you are not a failure. Making mistakes does not make you a failure. Making mistakes makes you human.

And since you’re going to make mistakes anyway, you might as well use them as lessons for the future.

The post Inspiration from Seneca, Emilie Wapnick, MIT, Steve Martin and More appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Dark truth behind Sardinia

OUTSIDE the luxury resorts available only to the world’s elite, Sardinia is plagued by poverty, crippled by corruption and has resorted to testing bombs.

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Want to Land That Job? Here’s Who to Put On — and Leave Off — Your Reference List

Do you have a list of references on your resume? A lot of job seekers have removed their references from their resumes, under the assumption hiring managers aren’t interested in that information.

Lisa Crocco at Career Contessa is ready to prove those job seekers wrong. As Crocco explains, having a reference list can be key to landing that next great job — but it all depends on which references you choose to include.

How to Pick Rock Star References

Not all references are created equal. Like all of us, you probably have some people in your work history who think you’re amazing, and some people who think you’re just OK.

It’s your job to seek out the people who value your work the highest, and use those people as your references.

Crocco calls these people “rockstar references.” It’s pretty simple: If your reference thinks you’re a rock star, they’ll be a rock star reference for you.

Think back to your last few jobs. Who was most impressed by your work? Who was always happy to have you on their team? These are the people most likely to be your rock star references.

Also — always ask permission before listing someone as a reference. The people who think you’re a rock star will be even more impressed you took the time for this often-overlooked courtesy.

Leave These People Off Your Reference List

Are there any people you shouldn’t include as a reference? Crocco lists a few:

1. Family members, even if you’ve worked for them
2. Your current employer, especially if they are unaware you’re looking for a new job
3. Too many people from the same company

Crocco explains, “Your future employer wants to see variety in the types of employment, employers, contacts and professional references they see listed. If you have six people listed from the same company, the hiring manager might think that you lack connections and successful partnerships throughout your career.”

So work on building those connections, finding the people who think you’re amazing and building your rock star reference list. Then start applying for that new job!

Want to learn more? Read the full story at Career Contessa.

Your Turn: Do you include a reference list on your resume?

Nicole Dieker is a freelance writer focusing on personal finance and personal stories. Her work has appeared in The Billfold, The Toast, Yearbook Office, The Write Life and Boing Boing.

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‘Provide sex or be arrested’

FLEUR* is worried. Worried she will be blackmailed into sex, worried she will be forced underground, most of all, worried about police.

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