The Quickest Way To Get A Tax Refund

It’s that time of year again, if you can believe it.

I just started working on my taxes this weekend, so I thought I’d do a bit of research for a nice worker/job-seeker friendly tax post.

It occurred to me that we’re all pining away for refunds aren’t we?

Did you know that 3/4ths of Americans get tax refunds every year? And the average refund is around $3000? That’s not chump change!

If you think you could do something useful with an extra few grand in your pocket, then you’re probably also wondering what might be the the fastest way to make that happen.

Well, once again, the IRS is pointing out that the quickest way to get your tax refund money is to choose direct deposit when you file. The IRS has been on this direct deposit kick for many years now. It saves them money. It saves trees.

But it also saves you time and gets your refund into your hot little hands much faster. My accountant told me that if I filed my return today (Jan. 30th) and requested a check by mail, I’d be fortunate to see that check by the end of February. But: according to the IRS, if you enter your direct deposit information when you file your 2011 taxes, you can see the money in your bank account in as little as ten days.

In addition, the IRS is quite flexible:

You can deposit your refund into multiple accounts. With the split refund option, taxpayers can divide their refunds among as many as three checking or savings accounts and up to three different U.S. financial institutions. Use IRS Form 8888, Allocation of Refund (Including Savings Bond Purchases), to divide your refund.

So if you’re getting ready to file your return, make sure to sign up for direct deposit.

Bonus tip: why turn around and spend your tax return? Why not invest in yourself? Put the money into your IRA! It’s bonus money, right? Let it work for you.

Related posts:

1. Calculate Your Tax Refund Today
2. Keep Your Tax Refund For Yourself
3. This Year’s Tax Code Changes

How To Print On Both Sides Of The Paper

Here’s something that seems like a very plain vanilla job search trick, but it’s pretty useful if you don’t know how to do it.

When we print resumes on heavy resume paper for our clients, we will very often print on both sides of the paper. Thus, a 2-page resume can sit on one sheet of paper, front and back.

This weekend, I had a client ask if we used any sort of fancy printer to do it. She wanted to know if she could do this herself going forward. I said no. In fact, we use a very basic HP laser printer to do our printing, and I figure that a lot of modern printers can do what we do. So, if your printer is, say, less than 5 years old, you can print your resume on both sides of the paper as well.

Here’s how to do it:

How To Print Your Resume On Both Sides Of The Paper

Check and see if your printer handles “duplex printing.”

What is duplex printing? It’s the fancy term for… you guessed it… printing on both sides of the paper. If you have this feature, then the process is pretty straight forward and automated.

First, go to print. I’ll be assuming you’re using Microsoft Word.

Select print, but not “quick print.”

Next, you’re going to want to hit the Properties button.

Finally, you’re going to hit the Printing Shortcuts tab, and select Eco-print (Two-sided Printing)

And that’s it. Now when you hit OK to print, it will automatically print first on one side of the paper… then suck it back in and print on the other side.

By the way, you can click on any of the pictures above to enlarge them.

But What If My Printer Doesn’t Have Duplex Printing?

This is not a problem. Why? Because if you think about it, you can manually force any printer to print on both sides of the paper.

Simply print one page.

Then, take that page and manually feed it back into the printer, but being sure to turn it over. Now, print page 2. It should come out on the other side of the page you’ve just printed.

You might have to experiment a few times to get this right, as some printers feed upside down, head to foot, etc.

But if you just experiment a little with manually feeding the paper, absolutely any printer can print on both sides of the paper.

Simple tip, I know. But might be useful to some.

 

Related posts:

1. Resume Paper – What Paper Should I Print My Resume On?
2. Office Hack: Confidential Network Printing
3. How To Bind Paper Without Staples Or Clips

How to Handle a Performance Review

Most people look forward to job reviews about as much as they do a root canal. No matter how well you think you’re doing, there’s always the possibility that your supervisor will see things differently and call you on the carpet for your actions-or inactions. But there are steps you can take before, during, and after your evaluation to boost your career and actually help you look forward to reviews in the future.

Before the Review

Get on the boss’ calendar. While most people don’t enjoy a performance review, they are crucial to your career. So if your boss doesn’t conduct them on a regular basis (annually or semi-annually), the best thing you can do is ask for one. Why? First, you really do need to know what your supervisor thinks of your performance so that you can continue the good stuff and change the bad stuff. Unless you want to spend the rest of your career exactly where you are, that is. Second, reviews are typically when employers hand out raises and promotions. Not a bad incentive to schedule one today.

Come prepared. Sure, performance evaluations mostly consist of your manager telling you how she thinks you’re doing, but it should include some two-way communication. You should be prepared to share important information-such as your sales numbers, praise from satisfied clients, and projects you’ve spearheaded-so that you can lay out the positive contributions you’ve made.

During the Review

Stay calm. You may feel as jumpy as a kid in the principal’s office, but you need to force yourself to stay cool and professional at all times. And if the boss turns the conversation into a list of all the ways you’ve fallen short over the past year, don’t argue. It is okay, however, to respectfully point out the strengths you’ve brought to the organization. This is where your list of accomplishments comes in handy. And remember to never, ever take what your supervisor says personally. It’s business.

Iron out a plan for the next year. To avoid any surprises in future reviews, you need to know how your success will be measured. Ask your boss to work with you on a plan for the coming year (or six months) so that you both know how your progress will be measured. If there are markers in place-and you meet them-you’ll never fear a review again.

Ask for her input. You want to make sure your manager knows how committed you are to doing a good job for her. It may become crystal clear what skills she thinks you need to work on, but if not, ask her to share with you the areas in which she believes you need to improve. You’ll not only score major points for asking, but this may be the most valuable information you get out of your review.

Thank him. Especially if you feel like you’ve been raked over the coals, you may not want to express gratitude. But think about it this way: your boss has just given you very powerful information. He’s told you where he believes you have room for improvement, and, assuming you can make changes in those areas, you’re on your way to serious career growth. More money, more responsibility, a new title-it all starts with knowing where you stand with the head honcho.

After the Review

Determine a course of action. You should come out of your review with an action plan for the coming months, and there’s no time like the present to begin working on your goals. If your boss indicated that you need to acquire more skills to advance, begin looking into that computer or marketing class now.

Start looking around. If your review was more of a blood-letting than a constructive conversation between employer and employee, you may have to face the fact that your boss either doesn’t like you or doesn’t like the work you’re doing. If you think you can change one or both of those things, by all means, give it a try. If you don’t think that’s a possibility, start putting out discreet feelers for other opportunities.

This is a guest post. About the author:

Jason Kay recommends that you learn more job search strategies at JobGoRound.com

Related posts:

1. Don’t Sweat That Year End Performance Review
2. How To Handle The “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?” Question In A Job Interview
3. What To Do If You Survive Layoffs

Is There A “Best” Time To Answer A Job Ad? Some Statistical Data…

For years people have asked me if there’s a “best” time to respond to a job ad? Should you watch the job boards like a hawk, obsessively refreshing so that you can get your resume in first? Or is there some other window of time when, statistically speaking, your resume is more likely to be seen?

I actually never knew the answer to that question.

In fact, I had never seen a good answer to that question anywhere, since I don’t think anyone had ever bothered to research it.

So, I did it myself. It took me 6 months to get 200 job seekers to share their real world results with me, but I finally have some solid, anecdotal data. And that data says: YES. If you want to play the odds, there are some times when you are more likely to hear back after responding to a job opening. In fact, there are four distinct times when the odds seem to be more in your favor.

I have all the data, including the chart above, my methodology, and some conclusions, all posted over at our sister-blog:

When Is The Best Time To Apply For A Job – Some Data

Related posts:

1. How To Use Google Voice As A Job Search Tool
2. Interview Questions You Need To Know How to Answer
3. Best Job Search Tip In Months: Your Voicemail As A Supplementary Resume!

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