Tech CU awards $1,000 to Super Saver of 2009

San Jose, CA (Dec. 31, 2009) —Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) is proud to announce that Ron Vogel of San Jose, Calif. has been selected as the Grow Your Green Super Saver of 2009 and, as a result, Vogel has been awarded the $1,000 grand prize in Tech CU’s Grow Your Green Savings Challenge.

In March, Tech CU launched the Grow Your Green campaign and online community in an effort to support and encourage members to set and achieve savings goals in 2009. Then on Dec. 15, Tech CU picked the Super Saver of 2009—someone who had been actively saving and participating in the community—and that person would win $1,000 toward their savings goal.

Not only did Vogel save consistently all year to reach his financial goals, but he also shared many of his valuable money-saving tips with other Grow Your Green members. From advice on investing to tips on finding free music and video on the Internet, Vogel regularly contributed to the Grow Your Green community, posting several blog entries each week. (Read them here.)

“We worked hard to win this,” Vogel said, as his wife, Shih-Shan Tan, stood next to him. “This was a team effort. Shih-Shan would look for story ideas and then I would research them and develop them into blog posts. We wrote them with our own experiences of spending and saving in mind.”

One of those experiences, Vogel said, came when he was six years old.

“I loaned my grandfather $20 and a week later, he gave me $30—to cover the full amount, plus interest,” said Vogel. “That’s when I learned that if I was smart with money, I could make more of it.”

Vogel says since then he has tried to share his money management skills with the world. This time it has paid off—literally.

“We knew that more people were being affected by the economy this year so we wanted to help them focus on saving,” said Kathleen Litman, vice president of marketing at Tech CU.  “From the start, we designed the Grow Your Green site to encourage comments from, and interaction between, the participants who were saving toward a particular goal. Ron was a major contributor and really cared about helping others. We’re thrilled he’s our Super Saver of 2009.”

And Vogel’s thrilled too.

“I opened the Grow Your Green savings account because I wanted to win the $100 monthly prize,” Vogel said. “That was appealing, but to win $1,000 is an even more wonderful surprise. It’s definitely a great way to end the year. Thank you, Tech CU!”

Get hired fast: job search tips

With the unemployment rate at 9.7%, recruiters say they receive hundreds, even thousands of applicants for a single job posting. Yikes, that’s tough! Especially if you’re among those looking for work.

So how do you stand out in a crowd? Here are a few ways to get noticed.

Write a resume that gets interviews
This is the first step. A resume is a self-promotional ad that presents you in the best possible light–it highlights your skills, experience and achievements.

Start with an objective. What is it you’re looking for? What have you done professionally that would make you an ideal candidate for this job in which you’re applying? An objective is a brief summary of your skill set, your career goals and what you have to offer to a prospective employer.

Use “action” words. Back up your qualities (hardworking, closer, etc.) with actual achievements (“managed a $10M budget;” “increased sales by 40% in the second year”).

Consider search engine optimization, or SEO. Just like how search engines like Yahoo! or Google look for keywords that you type in, HR departments use similar tools. That’s why you have to tailor each resume to the job description, and then use those “action” words to beef it up. When a recruiter runs a search for a particular job, your resume will appear in the search results.

Make friends and expand your network
Even as the ranks of the unemployed continue to swell, according to a Washington Post article, Laying Low After a Layoff, “experts say a certain segment is determined to suffer in silence, keeping details of job losses and financial pressure secret.”

Not only is this counterproductive in helping you deal with the emotional trauma that is associated with a job or career loss, it also negatively affects your ability to network at a time when you most need help from others.

So let your family, friends, neighbors and former colleagues know you’re looking for work. Go to professional meetings and seminars. Use social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to expand your network even further. And think about being a “connector.” Instead of wondering about how someone can help you, think about how you can help them. For example, while you’re searching the job boards, if you see something that might be of interest to someone in your network, pass it along. People remember these kind gestures, and you’ll be rewarded in the long run.

After all, most hiring managers and recruiters ask for referrals from people they know before they even post a job online. If someone who knows someone who knows you brings up your name, you could get a leg up on the competition–you know, the hundreds of applicants who will be applying for the job once it hits the Internet.

Prepare for the interview
Woohoo! You’ve been called for an interview. Now it’s your time to shine!

Dress for the job. It may be unfair but first impressions are usually lasting. Even if you’re interviewing at a place where the CEO wears cargo shorts and flip-flops to work, you still want to be appear polished. While it may not be appropriate to wear a three-piece suit to an interview at a company like this, you should still be professional–try khakis and a dress shirt–it says you take this interview seriously. Once you get the job, feel free to wear those shorts and flip-flops too–but right now your main goal is to get an offer letter, so err on the side of caution.

Practice, practice, practice. Recruit a friend to help you rehearse the interview. Go through the most common interview questions and answers, and think about what you’d say. It’s also helpful to have some interesting stories and anecdotes that illustrate your answer.

Do your homework. Research the company, its management team and competitors. Take notes. Memorize important facts. Want to win some extra points? Find out how the company’s products and/or services are different from its competitors, and suggest ways to either improve them or market them to a new audience. A little preparation goes a long way.

I hope that some of these tips help you build the confidence you need as you search for the right fit. Remember, even if it takes longer than usual to land a great job, this is the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. If you’re having a hard time getting call backs, it has more to do with the economy than you and your skills. Just keep plugging away and stay upbeat. And if you want to contact me for a pep talk, I’m more than happy to help. Good luck!

Help your teen find a summer job

We found a great article at SnagaJob.com for you to share with any teen you know who’s looking for summer work:

Click here for the original article: Summer job search tips for teens

Related: Who will hire me? A first-job guide for teens