Daily Archives: September 6, 2017

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Dream Big: How To Make A Name For Yourself As An Actor

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As children, a lot of people have big dreams. However, as we get older, these dreams are shoved out of the way by ‘adult’ aspirations. We don’t believe that certain roles have the potential for success, such as roles in the performing arts sector. However, just because the percentage of people who make it as actors, singers, and dancers is lower than the success rates of other career paths, does that mean that you should give up on your dreams of being an actor.

 

The fact is that you will spend the majority of your time on this earth at work, which is why doing a job that you love is so important. Are you keen to pursue a career as an actor? Then have a read of the tips below to make a name for yourself as an actor.

Photo from Pixabay

 

Understand the importance of experience

 

In almost every career sector, experience is vital, and it’s no different with acting. If you want to make a success of yourself as an actor, it could be worth taking the time to gain the experience that you need to do so. One of the best ways to gain this experience is by choosing to attend drama school, to learn about all of the best acting techniques there are. Just like any profession, acting is a career that takes skill and experience. As well as gaining experience and vital skills at acting school, it’s also vital that you gain as much amateur experience as possible. Take part in local productions and student’s films – take every opportunity that comes your way.

 

Get head shots

 

When it comes to making a success of a career as an actor, the more professional you can be, the better. That’s why having a professional portfolio which includes professional head shots is so important. The fact is that like in any profession when it comes to how you present yourself ahead of auditions, professionalism is vital. Whether you’ve found an audition on a specialist site like AuditionsHQ.com or have been asked to audition for a role by someone who you know, it doesn’t matter, a professional portfolio of work and head shots is vital. Don’t skimp on your head shots, ensure that you have professional ones to place in your portfolio.

 

Never give up

 

It’s easy to give up on your dreams when things are not going well, however, if you are serious about being successful, it is vital that you never give up. You may have bad days, and times when no matter what you do, you can’t seem to catch a break, but that doesn’t mean that you should give up. If you are serious about making a career out of acting or any performance art, it is vital that you have the mindset to stay strong, no matter what happens, and never give up.

 

The fact is, if you want to make a name for yourself as an actor, it is vital that you dream big. You need to be willing to put yourself out there and work as hard as possible, to attempt to ensure that you are as successful as possible. It won’t always be easy, but if you are smart about things, your hard work will pay off.

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The Do’s And Don’ts Of Renting Out Property

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There are plenty of ways to make some money with a property. You may want to consider renovating older property and modernising to make a quick profit. You may like to move up the ladder with your property and invest in bigger each time. However, the most popular way investors capitalise on the property market is renting them out to people that just can’t afford to get on the ladder, or need to be in locations only temporarily.

 

However, while there are plenty of properties out there ready to be purchased that are more than suitable for the rental market, there are still a few guidelines that you need to follow. So whether or not this is your first attempt at buying to rent, or you have a whole portfolio of properties, I thought I would share with you some of the do’s and the don’ts of renting out a property.

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Don’t be too hasty with your decisions and forget the power of research

 

There will always be a lot of properties out there that you may want to consider investing in, but we can get a little hasty and excited by the prospect and forget to do the valuable research that should go along any property purchase. While there will always be a demand for affordable houses for rent, you will still need to make sure that your investment is going to stack up in the long-term. Think about the location you are buying in. Whether there are any improvement schemes or upcoming regeneration to the area. Think about what the prices are in the area, is their scope to expand your investment or make more profit in the future. Will you need to make any improvements to the property before you rent it out? Is it a livable space? These are all questions and observations you can make with extensive research online, which will enable you to make sure that the important decision you are about to make is the right one.

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Do choose the right rental market for you

 

You may be surprised to read that there are a number of different rental markets to consider when buying a property. You could consider buying near universities or colleges where you can rent out to students for each school year. This can be quite lucrative as a house can be adapted to accommodate more than one student. Helping you to increase your rental profits. You could also think about the area being close to the city center, or being in a family suburban location where you focus more on renting to families.

 

Don’t be tempted to overcharge on the rent

 

Determining the rental cost can be quite tricky, and it might be tempting to charge what you think the property is worth. But this could cause you more problems by pricing your property out of the market. Instead, you will need to focus on the area and the average cost. An agent could be in the best place to advise you on how much to charge.

 

Do consider other costs that you may need to budget for

 

Of course, you have the initial outlay of the investment, but other things to consider would be the insurances involved to protect the property. You also need to think about the legal costs involved, and whether you have any other insurances that help to protect you for things like when renters don’t pay their rental payment. You also need to have some sort of emergency fund set aside for when things go wrong. You may find that things go wrong over the time of the rental period, or you may have to make emergency or standard repairs the longer you own the property.

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Don’t forget to read the fine print

 

On all things property related, there are deeds and regulations. It might be to do with the property or it could be specific to the area. Make sure in all cases you read the fine print to avoid any possible drama or financial implication in the future. However, the research only just gets started with the purchase, as a landlord there are other things to consider. You need to ensure that you have the right contracts drawn up between you and your tenant. Or of you have an agent acting on your behalf, that you ensure that the contract you draw up is in your interests as well as the agents.

 

Do be open-minded with your choice of tenants

 

There are many schemes in which a tenant can take on a property. People can get help from government schemes as well as benefits to help them pay for their rent. Some landlords refuse to take any type of tenant other than a private renter, but this could be closing your market in regards to obtaining someone to rent in your property long-term. In some ways, someone receiving a benefit of some kind means that they may always be able to pay the rent. So you have to ask yourself whether it is worth being open-minded to different types of tenant circumstances.

 

Don’t be tempted to manage it yourself unless you are confident to do so

 

Managing a property rental yourself means that you are in the position of ensuring al checks are carried out on the tenant, and that you get your rent each month. You will be the contact they ring at any time of the day or night when something goes wrong. So it’s important to make sure you only do this is you are confident in managing the property. For a small fee, an agent can take care of all the hard work for you.

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Do inspect or have the property inspected regularly

 

Unfortunately you can’t always trust your tenant. No matter how good you think they are. You are allowing them to stay in your property for a fee, and you need to ensure that they are treating it with the respect it deserves. So try and consider having it inspected regularly to ensure that the property is in good condition, and that any repair work isn’t needed. It isn’t always about not trusting the tenant, but more about protecting your asset.

 

Don’t be afraid to place restrictions in the terms of rental

 

Many landlords consider having hefty terms that a tenant needs to agree to before a contract and lease can be signed. It may be very specific about painting walls or having pets, or it could be more lenient whereas you require permission before anything is done in the property. There have been landlords that have been so specific even about hanging pictures on the walls with nails. After all, it is your property and investment, and you can decide how it is treated. Having this in the lease protects you in the future, if you find that any of your regulations have been ignored.

 

Finally, having a decent agreement in place and black and white guidelines laid out should mean that you as a landlord should have no issues when renting out to somebody. What this sort of investment does, is enable you to have your money tied up and earning a profit in the bricks and mortar, but also enables you to earn a profit on a month by month basis. Anything over and above a mortgage commitment should be put to one side so that any property expenses can be paid for out of the pot. I hope this helps you to be more clear about what you should and shouldn’t do when renting out a property.

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Family Road Trip: 4 Tips For A Smooth Ride

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Family going on vacation

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Going on a break with the family is a must for most people. Taking time to seek out new terrains and get to know new horizons with the kids in tow is a big part of adding experience to life. Piling the family into the car and heading out is a great way to follow a trail to new adventures, but being stuck in a car with family at close quarters can cause squabbling to an extreme and make an adventure feel useless.

 

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Planning is the key to the perfect family road trip and it’s got to start with how you travel. Some families love to hire a huge recreational vehicle like this one to get their family around. The space and comfort – not to mention, the toilet – can make such a difference to the journey. Not being confined to five seats and bags is a glorious feeling and an RV can change that. Alternatively, plan your mode of transport based on what you plan to do. If you’re heading into the mountains and valleys for hiking, paragliding and skiing fun, then getting into an off-road vehicle like a Ford Ranger is going to change the game and give you every comfort you need as you go off those regular roads and into new terrains. Road trips don’t have to be a stressful affair, and we’ve got four tips to make it work for your whole family.

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  1. Activities. Depending on the age of the kids, the fun they have in the car is going to differ. Teenagers may well be happy to sit back with their headphones in, watching the world go by as they listen to the latest tracks. Little children are a whole other kettle of fish. They need interaction and entertainment, from car games like these to portable DVD players to keep them entertained. Babies are always easier, as they tend to sleep on long car journeys and can make life easy!
  2. Time. As a family, you know that timing is going to matter the most. Trying to plan to get to school on time is hard enough, never mind a full road trip. Mark on a map all the toilets and rest stops, and mark down how long you want each stop to last. Once you’ve done that, stick to it! Allow extra time for traffic, but not for choosing candy on the road!
  3. Make It Interesting. Kids are easily bored on the road, and adults are, too! Making those rest stops interesting ones and not just the local gas station can make such a difference. Plan your journey to include interesting towns and tourist spots!
  4. Plan Surprises. Keep a bag with you in the front of the car full of little treats and goodies so that during car games, you have prizes. These little gifts can change the atmosphere in the car during boring periods and make it fun.

Your road trip doesn’t have to be a disaster; careful planning and treats see to that!

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Career Choices For Detail-Orientated People

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Do you find yourself focusing on the small things?

 

Do you have the motivation to pick up discrepancies, the kind that other people might miss?

 

Do you delight in the fine print, able to identify issues before they happen?

 

If you can answer a resounding “yes” to all of the above, then chances are you’re a detail-orientated person. This has its frustrations, there’s no doubt. When you’re always noticing small details, then you can be distracted from everything else. While everyone else is delighting in the latest hit TV show episode, you’re finding yourself puzzling over a small plot hole that the writers left unanswered. It can even be irritating that other people don’t quite have the same level of focus to the small-scale that you do.

 

However, on the whole, being detail-orientated is a blessing rather than a curse. When it comes to choosing career options, your detail-hungry brain is always going to be seen as an asset by employers. That means you’re going to be able to pick and choose the industries you want to work in – but which might be the best suited to your personality?

 

Option 1: Medical Coder

 

A biller/coder in the medical field is responsible for compiling invoices and dealing with insurance details. On the surface, it sounds like basic-level accounting stuff – but you couldn’t be more wrong.

 

The reason that a biller/coder needs to be able to focus on details is the sheer amount of data they need to process. If a patient is admitted to the ER, then has a scan, then moves to a ward for treatment – that’s three different departments you’re going to need to pull information from. You then have to compile it along with the required legislation; and there’s no room for errors. It’s perfect for someone like you, who focuses on the small details that others might miss.

 

Option 2: Project Management

 

Project management is a task that many people would feel they can turn their hands to, but for those who do it as a profession, it’s an entirely different world. Pro project managers have to be able to identify problems before they happen; liaise with different teams of people; and see how to bring them all together.

 

The smallest slip, and you can doom a project. But you’re a details person – there’s no way you’re going to be making any slips. It’s high pressure, but it’s high reward too.

 

Option 3: Mental Health Counselling

 

This one might sound a little out of left field – but it makes more sense if you think of mental health treatment as a science rather than an art. Identifying the source of someone’s issues requires a lot of focus on their past; being able to remember small details; extrapolate meaning from off-handed comments that they might not even have realized were relevant to their current situation. If you’re able to focus on the details with ease, then this is a job you might just be perfect for.

 

While there’s plenty of job opportunities for those who thrive on details, the above three might be the best possible fits you can imagine.

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