It makes sense, according to career coaches all over the country. It’s little wonder that employees say that’s their biggest frustration at the office – the sense that they are not allowed the opportunity to really show their capabilities. We all want to know confidence has been placed in us; it’s just human nature, says the Hound.com founder. We’re going to be far better equipped with each new project if we’re not hindered by a boss who feels as though he has to micromanage the team at every turn. So how can a strong leader delegate and then step back with confidence in his team? Barnes offers these tips:

” Communication is crucial, but not in the way a manger might think. You already know you can ask for updates, after all, you’re the boss, right? Your goal should be to reiterate to your team that they are free to come to you with any glitches or problems they encounter. Sounds easy enough, right? The trick is trusting that they’ll do that and not panicking by the fourth day when you realize no one’s approached you.

” Showing your support is the biggest and most important leap of faith you can extend your employees. No one’s saying you should remove yourself from the project, but if you’ve assigned different roles, every few days, stick your head in the door for a quick, “everything running OK? Do you need anything?” and then trusting that their reply of, “everything’s good and so far, we have everything we need” is accurate.

” Understand that while your team might have had an absolute clear understanding of what you expect, sometimes after you’re into a project, the priorities shift. This where being an excellent leader comes into play. When the priorities shift, your goal is to shift the expectations accordingly.

Empowering your employees doesn’t mean you babysit or hand-hold; in fact, it’s just the opposite.

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Long before you ever garner any interest from the head honchoes in your skills as a legal contender, you’re going to want to make a good impression with your people skills. This means you need to have the ability to get along with your co-workers and the firm’s clients. You need to have filters and the common sense to understand that just because it’s on your mind, it doesn’t have to be on your tongue. Yes – that counts. And yes – it makes a huge difference; a firm would rather have a recent law school graduate with a 3.8 GPA and manners than one who graduates at the top of his class but has no concept of biting his tongue, says A. Harrison Barnes.

Another important “must have”, says the LegalAuthority.com founder, is the ability of an intern to know partying all night and showing up the next morning with the stamped ink on your hand and smelling of stale cigarettes and booze is not acceptable. Before you think to yourself, “Duh…that’s common sense”, that’s what we thought too. You’d be amazed, though, at how many approach their internships with the “I’m here on time…my mission is completed”. That’s one sure fire way of not receiving a job offer.

Barnes says the best interns are those who want to know everything. They take nothing for granted. They want to know why a partner chose a particular strategy, they want to know where the ink cartridges are and they want to know how the filing system works.  “That’s the difference in an exceptional young attorney and one who leaves no evidence of his ever having interned at a firm”.

Finally, Barnes says all legal firms appreciate those who believe they represent their employer at all times. For some firms, the intern who remains aware of how his actions affect other aspects of his life are the ones who will be solid leaders in the legal sector they ultimately choose – and those are the ones who will always remain in big demand, recession or no.

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So what kind of skills are needed for these jobs? As mentioned, those with a background in handling claims processes will be at an advantage, says the Hound.com founder. Further, he says that while this is catastrophic and the need is urgent, the oil company has one shot at getting it right. It will require the services of outside placement efforts. This is only one of the many good reasons for considering job aggregate sites such as Hound.com. Other skills that will put candidates at an advantage:

“    Detail oriented

“    Those who work well under stress will be a big benefit not only for the company, but for the millions who found themselves without their source of income

“    Ability to remain organized, focused and with a desire to see each claim through to its conclusion

“    Computer skills will be a necessity

There will be various orientation phases and those chosen for these positions will be required to remain cool under pressure. To be sure, tensions will run high, says A. Harrison Barnes. Another important consideration for those who might be thinking about any of these positions is the fact you’ll likely need to relocate, at least on a temporary basis. Still, this is a great opportunity for anyone who plays a role in bringing this disaster to its end.

Finally, while these jobs are currently being created and defined, it’s unknown what the salaries will look like. As BP continues its efforts of stopping the still-flowing oil spill, it simultaneously is working to keep the bases covered from the financial aspect.

Now’s the time to get your resume together. Don’t forget Hound.com and its team of professionals that can ensure yours is the best it can be; remember, there likely will be a lot of competition for these positions. You have one chance to make your good impression – and it comes in the form of your resume.

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Few businesses of any size don’t have a website, a Facebook page and/or a blog. The problem many have discovered is they either don’t have the time or the right personnel to write the content. This is where a good freelance writer can benefit your business. First, because you’re hiring a freelancer, there’s no need to negotiate vacation, health insurance and other benefits. You agree on a per article or project basis or even an hourly rate (though most agree a “per project” fee is best), and explain the parameters of your project. From there, the writer conducts the research and completes the writing per your guidelines.

The right writer can help your business communicate with your clients and potential clients. Further, when content is updated regularly on a blog, your blog is more apt to return better search engine results. The best writers will know how to use the latest blogging tools, including Word Press and Type Pad. Further, they will know how to insert links and upload photographs – each taking the visitor straight to your website.

That’s not all many writers can do, however. Many have superb newsletter and brochure writing skills. They can easily create advertisements, sales letters, operating manuals and procedures, reports, public relations material and even catalogs. As you’re searching for your freelance writer, be sure to ask the extent of his or her capabilities; you may be surprised at how one person can solve many of your writing and creative dilemmas.

As A. Harrison Barnes, a leading career coach recalls, one company recently revealed in an interview that the blog it allowed a freelance writer to take over resulted in a four hundred percent increase in traffic to its website. That’s quite impressive and it was due solely to the ability of the writer to draw in customers with proper grammar and the use of the right keywords.

Isn’t Freelancing the Same as Outsourcing?

In many ways, the two are interchangeable; however, many equate outsourcing to sending work overseas. While this is true in many instances, you’re going to likely look for an American writer, since they can better compile content that’s error free and with the right nuances that are part of the English language. The last thing you want to do is hire an inexperienced writer from another country because they appear to be more affordable. You’ll pay far more than what you save as you attempt to pull away from the wrong writer. That said, there are writers that can be found via outsourcing methods and that will provide high quality writing, but the odds of you finding one who doesn’t understand basic English writing rules are far greater. Save your outsourcing dollars for other tasks.

Finally, after you’ve made the decision to freelance a writing project or two, you’ll want to consider the many writers who are part of the EmploymentCrossing.com network. Here, you’ll find a wide rang of writers with different specialties and strong points. A. Harrison Barnes agrees, “Many writers have certain areas they really know and enjoy. Many of our clients will simply state in their job opening the need for a technical writer and then are amazed at the number of talented writers who also happen to be experts in technical writing.”

See for yourself – visit EmploymentCrossing.com today and post your freelance project at no charge. You’ll wonder how you ever managed without the team of employment experts.

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Anyone who has ever owned or worked for a small business knows the distinct differences from larger conglomerates. Indeed, our country is built on the small business model. But what does the future hold for the traditional mom and pop businesses? According to many, including career coach A. Harrison Barnes, it’s all about customer service and overhead – two things small business owners have traditionally managed well.

While Big Business struggles with expensive layoffs and employee turn over, small businesses are building durable working relationships with those employees who have been with them for years. It’s all about loyalty an doing the right thing. A. Harrison Barnes says the smaller businesses don’t have the frustrations their larger competitors have because the workplace is a bit more intimate and employees and employers often work side by side.  There’s a true communications effort that is consistent and well, honest.

Even the Small Business Administration is reporting a steady influx of new business loans, even as bigger companies are relying on stimulus funds. These loans, of course, play a significant role in the economy as a whole. It’s a cycle that when works, works well.  Small businesses borrow funds to grow or improve their equipment, locations and services; all the while, they hire local people to do the work, which stimulates local economies. And so the cycle goes. It’s these thought processes our country was built on, after all.

And what about big job boards like EmploymentCrossing.com? A. Harrison Barnes says small business owners are just as savvy about recruiting the best employees for the positions they have available. Even the smallest businesses, those with less than five employees, are tech savvy and know the use of EmploymentCrossing.com serve a purpose as they seek new talent. Even better is the potential employees who began looking for job opportunities down one avenue are finding offers that while similar to their areas of expertise, are still challenging enough for them to consider working for smaller companies.  It turns out to be advantageous for everyone.

Health insurance and other benefits are always incredible bargaining chips; however, many job seekers know the odds of discovering these benefits with even the bigger companies can be problematic in current day.  Smaller companies work with their employers to find that happy medium; after all, they have families too. It often works to everyone’s advantage to locate those smaller policies that provide coverage but don’t cost the big bucks other companies routinely pay.

So is the new trend in businesses? Not necessarily; it’s always been this way, the problem is, most of us were chasing the career opportunities at the larger businesses.  Many are discovering the trade-off of expense reports, company cars and other perks are worth the more conducive workplace and close knit relationships many small business owners have with their employees. As time has proven, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. While more of us are being reminded of the atmosphere at a smaller business, we’re seeing first hand the many benefits of Mom & Pop USA.

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