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How to Make Hot Sauce

Hot sauce enthusiasts are not limited to what’s on the shelf at the local supermarket. Unique and adventurous hot sauces can be found at farmers' markets across the country and at places like Heatonist, which sells a variety of hot sauces online and also has two stores in New York where you can try before you buy.

RELATED: Best Hot Sauces for Any Meal — and Any Palate

And, let’s not forget, if you have the ingenuity and desire, you can also create your own DIY hot sauces at home from the comfort of your kitchen. But before you create some crazy concoction that goes above and beyond the Scoville scale, we spoke with Noah Chaimberg, founder and owner of the Heatonist, to get his tips on how to create the ultimate hot sauce at home. 

How to Make Hot Sauce

Hot Sauce Ingredients

Chaimberg says there is only one requisite ingredient for any hot sauce: Chile pepper. “From there, it’s all just creativity and imagination,” he adds. The most common hot sauces are going to have some type of vinegar; you need some acid to make the hot sauce shelf-stable. Other ingredients used to make hot sauce include fruit such as mango, garlic for a savory hot sauce, and salt to help kick up some flavor. 

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There are “no limits to the imagination with what you can do” when it comes to making hot sauces, Chaimberg says, naming a blueberry ghost pepper hot sauce and a hot sauce made with smoked serrano peppers, apricot and lime juice as examples of some of the unique offerings he’s seen.

Chaimberg says to avoid adding too much of any one ingredient when preparing your hot sauce. He recommends adding an ingredient gradually and taste testing as you go to obtain your desired flavor. “When you are making it at home, you can always add more,” he says. “But you can never take an ingredient out.”

Types of Peppers for Hot Sauce

There are a wide variety of peppers from which to choose. Chaimberg says there can be a lot of variants within one type of pepper, so consider that when adding your chili pepper ingredients. 

Chili peppers all fall in a range from sweet or mild like ancho or Anaheim chili peppers to superhots like ghost peppers and Carolina reapers. In the middle of the spectrum are medium (e.g., jalapenos, serranos), medium-hot (e.g., Tabasco, cayenne), and hot (e.g., scotch bonnet, habanero) chili peppers.

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Chaimberg says if you are cooking with milder peppers, you can be casual when making your hot sauce. But if you start getting into the superhot spectrum, you need to be more considerate of your atmosphere and take precautions. 

Those cooking with superhot peppers on a larger scale must wear respirators and goggles. So, if you are doing it at home, you should try to cook outdoors if possible or at the very least in a well-ventilated area. “Don’t have the baby and the dog in the next room,” Chaimberg says.

Another warning: Never rub your eyes or skin when cooking with super hot peppers. Chaimberg says the same receptors we have in our mouth are also on our eyes and skin. 

Hot Sauce Making Supplies

Chaimberg says that the basic starter kit for making your own hot sauce is simple: you need a blender, a pot and a funnel for getting the hot sauce into a bottle. 

The type of blender will be based on what kind of volume of hot sauce you are making: A Ninja ($159 from Amazon) or Vitamix ($398.97 from Amazon) blender will do the trick for a smaller batch, but if you are making a pot of hot sauce, you should consider using an immersion blender (this KitchenAid immersion blender at $39.95 got good reviews from Amazon customers). 

You also need to make sure you put proper ventilation in place if you don’t already have a system set up in your home. “People get in trouble with the whole family because they are trying a new batch of hot sauce,” he says, “Your husband or wife walks in and says, ‘Why are my eyes burning?’” 

Bottling Your Hot Sauce 

If you are bottling your hot sauce, Chaimberg recommends 5-ounce Woozy glass bottles (30-pack available for $25.99 on Amazon). Five ounces is the standard size for hot sauce, he says.  

If you are just making a fresh batch of hot sauce to use quickly, you can simply put it in a container and place it in the fridge. It should last in there for a few weeks, but there can be some variants depending on the ingredients. It will be hard to determine if the hot sauce has gone bad based on the smell, but visually you should be able to notice some mold or bubbling, Chaimberg says.

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Another option is to can your hot sauce. You will want to store it in a glass container with a vacuum seal. “It’s going to be stable to put in the cupboard and last for a year or possibly longer,” Chaimberg says.

If you get good enough that you think it’s time to sell your hot sauce, you can Google some available courses in your area that will teach you how to safely package foods, especially hot sauce. Chaimberg says the in-person courses usually include between 15 and 20 hours of instruction.

Chaimberg also notes that anyone interested in selling their hot sauce can contact his store by phone or email if they are looking for some guidance on kitchen space, safety certification and safe bottling courses.

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Hot Sauce Recipes

Now that you know how things work and what to be aware of when making hot sauce, we narrowed down our five favorite recipes – from basic to more unique – that you can try at home:

Grilled Pineapple and Jalapeno Sauce

This video is produced by Hot Ones, an internet video show where the host interviews celebrities and has them try different hot sauces. In this video, Erica Diehl of Queen Majesty Hot Sauce in Brooklyn demonstrates how to make a grilled pineapple and jalapeno hot sauce and Sicilian scorpion pepper hot sauce. (Side note: Chaimberg and his team have been working with Hot Ones for about three years.)

Pique Sauce

The author of the Husbands That Cook Blog describes this pique sauce – which incorporates green jalapeño peppers and dried chile de arbol peppers in its ingredients – as “spicy, tangy and deeply flavorful.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Husbands That Cook (@husbandsthatcook) on Aug 16, 2016 at 6:03am PDT

Find out more here

Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce

This recipe from the Chile Pepper Madness blog is for those who really want to challenge their taste buds by making the hottest of hot sauces. 

Find out more here

Pepper Joe’s Hot Sauces

You’ve got to trust the hot sauce recipes from a guy named Pepper Joe. These organic homemade recipe offerings include a range of options, from mild to super hot to a gourmet roasted garlic hot sauce. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pepper Joe's (@pepperjoes) on Apr 25, 2018 at 8:54am PDT

Find out more here

Pre-Made Hot Sauces

If you are disinclined to prepare your own hot sauce and prefer to purchase it, Chaimberg offers these recommendations (all bottles are 5 ounces):

Great Starter Sauce: Hot Ones - The Classic

$10 at Heatonist.com

Great Everyday Sauce: Secret Aardvark Habanero

$8 at Heatonist.com

Great Flavor Sauce: Heatonist #4

$12 at Heatonist.com

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How to Infuse Vodka at Home

Anyone who frequents the vodka section of the liquor store has probably noticed that the flavor options have expanded tremendously over the past decade or so. But true vodka enthusiasts know that the flavored vodka trend isn’t limited to artificially flavored vodkas. Infusion is the DIY of flavored vodkas with options and flavors that are unsurpassed by store-bought alternatives.

What Does Infusing Vodka Mean?

Lynnette Marrero, mixologist and friend of Smirnoff, defines infusion as “adding an external flavor into a base.” She says vodka has “a very clean valor palate so it’s a very good canvas.”

RELATED: 10 Best Vodka Brands You Can Buy

Stoli’s Braxton Overgaauw, an experienced bartender previously of Polo Bar, explains that infusing vodka is “a great way to introduce a new element or flavor profile to your vodka. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to transform and add sophistication to basic cocktails.”

To get you started on your DIY vodka journey, we checked in with Marrero, Overgaauw and Finlandia mixologist Pekka Pellinen to get their tips on how to infuse vodka at home, and the best infused vodka recipes.

What Can You Infuse into Vodka?

Ingredients from fruits and vegetables to spices and herbs can be infused into vodka.

In a guide that Finlandia provides to new bartenders that includes general infusion directions, there is a wide range of ingredients to choose from, including fruits, vegetables, an assortment of chiles, honey, marshmallows, and more. If you are imaginative enough, the possibilities are ample. Marrero shares that she is currently experimenting with sweet Miso.

Pellinen offered a few examples and explanations for what type of flavors the ingredients produce.

Pineapple and Mint: The pineapple adds sweetness while a hint of mint really freshens it up Bell Peppers: They infuse really quickly and are pretty spicy, Pellinen says, recommending it as a great Bloody Mary for tailgates Cucumber and Basil: Pelinnen describes this as a great summertime infusion which she likes with some grapefruit sparkling water

How to Infuse Vodka at Home

Pellinen says that if you are bypassing the flavored vodka on the shelf and want to try your hand at making your own, you should start by selecting a vodka with a neutral flavor. That way, Pellinen says, “The flavors you are using shine in the final product.”

“Some vodkas have a grainy smell or a heavy viscosity that will show up in the infusion you make,” says Pellinen, who recommends Finlandia for its “crisp, neutral taste that works perfectly with infusing even the most delicate flavors.”

Overgaauw says to infuse vodka you should start with a small glass container or a bottle; he recommends “a small mason jar or something that has a sealable lid when experimenting.”

How to Make Infused Vodka

Wash both the glass and the ingredients; removing any soap from the glass and residue from fresh ingredients

Place the desired ingredients into the glass; this can be an assortment of ingredients or just one Fill the glass with vodka until the ingredients are covered Let the glass sit and infuse until you get your desired flavor strength (Note: Our experts recommend anywhere from four hours to 3-4 days, based on personal preference and the type of ingredient you are infusing into the vodka) Strain the vodka and put it back in the jar Drink it straight or mix it to create a cocktail

Now that you know the basis of how to infuse vodka, try your hand at some of these recipes provided by the experts.

Infused Vodka Recipes

Rosemary Infused elit Vodka

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Overgaauw says his personal crowd-pleaser is a rosemary-infused elit Vodka. He also provided a recipe for a cocktail to make using this particular infused vodka.

Infusion recipe

Infuse a glass container with a few sprigs of rosemary Top it with elit Vodka and let it rest for about 4-6 hours

Drink recipe

2 ounces of rosemary-infused elit Vodka ¾ ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ ounce of Demerara syrup or simple syrup Shake it up and strain it over ice Top with club soda Garnish with either a rosemary sprig or lemon twist

Mint Hot Chocolate

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Impress your guests at your next holiday party with this festive infused vodka recipe provided by Pellinen.

Infusion recipe

15 peppermint flavored candy canes or fresh peppermint Infuse candy canes 1 hour (the candy canes dissolve) in Finlandia vodka

Drink recipe

Pour 1 ounce Finlandia infusion into a mug of hot chocolate Garnish with whipped cream and a candy cane

The Eastman

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Marrero revealed she loves using tea with vodka and provided the following recipe and drink recommendation. She warns that “caffeinated tea, such as black tea and green, need to be monitored to not get too tannic. Herbal tea can be infused a little longer.”

Ingredients

3 tea bags (caffeinated or decaffeinated) or 3 grams of tea (approximately 3 teaspoons) 1 cup or 8 ounces of Smirnoff vodka (there are 3 cups in 1 750ml bottle)

Instructions for infusing vodka

Place the tea bags or loose tea in a canning jar, pitcher, or in a sous vide bag* Pour the vodka over the tea (*For sous vide, set temp to 135 degrees F and cook for 1.5 hours. Let cool for 20 minutes. After infused, strain out the tea) Seal and leave the tea to infuse the vodka for 3-4 hours; taste at 3 hours to check for strength of tea flavor and continue diffusing and taste testing until desired taste is achieved Either remove, squeeze and discard the tea bags or use a fine strainer to sift out loose tea Store the vodka at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months

The Eastman recipe

1 ½ ounces of Smirnoff vodka infused with coconut green tea ¾ ounces of honey syrup (1 part honey to 1 part water) 1 ounce of pineapple juice

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How to Get The Best Deal on a Car

Buying a new car can be an overwhelming experience. Short of buying a house, it’s one of the most expensive purchases you can make. And on top of that, there are a number of specs, safety features and functions to consider, too. 

RELATED: Best Apps for the Modern Driver

In an effort to lighten your stress load, we checked in with three auto experts to get their take on how to get the best deal on a car, and what factors to consider before making your final decision. 

Do Your Car Dealership Research

1. Choose the Right Dealership

Laura Gonzalez, marketing manager at Audi Bellevue, says you can find the right dealership by reading online reviews at sites like Yelp, Dealerrater.com and Edmunds. Gonzalez also recommends checking out dealership websites to narrow down which ones are worth shopping at. “Anywhere a dealership lists its cars for sale online will give you a feel for the dealership,” she says. 

Sean Pour, co-founder of nationwide car buying service SellMax, says reputation is less important for new cars because you can have dealerships bid against each other for the best price (more on this later). “On the contrary, if you’re buying a used car, then check out the reviews on Yelp, as reputation is important when buying a used car,” he adds. “You want to make sure you’re not purchasing a lemon.”

2. Find a Trustworthy Salesperson

Gonzalez says finding the right salesperson goes hand-in-hand with reading dealership reviews. If people are taking the time to write glowing reviews online, you can feel confident that the salesperson is trustworthy. “The odds are that if numerous people have a good experience with them, you will, too,” she adds. 

Gonzalez also recommends reaching out to friends and family members who have recently purchased a car to gauge their experience with the salespeople they interacted with.

3. Go in Prepared

Pour warns that salespeople are “trained to make you emotional and possibly even purchase things you may not have wanted.” He believes being prepared and informed is more important than finding the right person. 

There are a multitude of resources available to help you research price points and special features, so you are getting the best deal. 

Gonzalez recommends using the following sites to research the market value for vehicles you are interested in purchasing:

Cars.com

Cargurus

AutoNation

Craigslist

To dig further into fair market value and also peruse car reviews, anticipated maintenance costs, and reliability metrics, Gonzalez suggests these sites:

Edmunds

Kelley Blue Book

Consumer Reports

Gonzalez says there are enough research tools available to avoid the expense of hiring someone to do the heavy lifting for you. The only outsourcing she recommends is reaching out to recent car purchasers to get feedback on their experiences.   

4. Know What You Can Spend

Greg Mahnken, Credit Industry Analyst for Credit Card Insider, says before heading to the car dealership you should check your credit scores and credit history. The lower your credit score, the higher your interest rate will likely be, and thus the more you will pay monthly as well as over the course of the loan. 

Mahnken also recommends checking out what kind of rate you can get on an auto loan from your bank before going to the dealership. “Having a pre-approval before walking in gives you a good idea of what kind of car you can afford, and at what interest rate,” he advises.

5. Know What Type of Car You Want to Buy

If your heart is set on buying a Honda Accord, realize that there’s not just one model and style out there and adding on features will also increase the price of the car. 

TrueCar.com, for example, lists 13 different styles for the Accord, ranging from an MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) of $24,650 for the base model LX to an MSRP of $36,880 for Touring 2.0T. 

There are a ton of features available – or not – for any vehicle you are looking to purchase. Make sure that when you find a car in your price range that it includes the features you are expecting. You don’t want to realize in February that the car you got a great deal on in June doesn’t have the heated seats that you wanted.  

RELATED: The Best Cars from ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’

How to Negotiate a Car Deal

1. Get the Car Price Down

Gonzalez shares that one of the easiest ways to drop the price you pay is to get car dealerships to compete for your business by following these simple steps:

Narrow your results

Visit multiple dealerships

Request the bottom dollar price for the vehicle

Share the prices between the dealerships

See who can beat the lowest price

Gonzalez adds that it doesn’t hurt to try to play a little hardball as you might wind up with a price you didn’t expect. On the other hand, if you get too aggressive and selling you a car becomes too much of a hassle, the dealer or salesperson may walk away.

If you are buying multiple cars at the same time, don’t overlook the leverage this gets you. You may also get a better price on an older model of a vehicle, “especially when a redesigned model rolls into the showroom,” says Gonzalez. Dealerships want to move those older models out of the way for the newer version, Pour concurs. 

2. Secure Some Vehicle Add-Ons

There are a couple ways you can negotiate vehicle add-ons like maintenance or accessories for your purchase, according to Gonzalez:

From the Dealer: The dealership isn’t wiggling on the price, but you keep insisting on a lower cost. To get your business, the dealership might provide an extended warranty, free services like oil changes, or some accessories for your car like fuzzy dice for the rearview mirror.

At Your Request: You may be able to get some items added on, even if you are comfortable with the price point. Gonzalez recommends asking a question such as, “I’d be much more comfortable at that price if you threw in [freebie] at no extra cost.”

3. Navigate Trading In Your Car Carefully

When it comes to trading in, Pour recommends you negotiate the price of the car before you discuss the price for your trade-in. 

“A lot of times they (the dealer) will try to give you a high price on your trade-in so you think you are getting a really good deal,” he says, “but they won’t budge much on the selling price of the new car.”

Gonzalez adds that you are not always going to get the best deal for a trade-in from a dealership. “Dealerships tend to pay below market value for trade-ins because they need to make money off it,” she says, “so that’s not the best bet.” However, listing your vehicle for sale yourself requires some extra work on your part, so consider the effort you want to put in before making this call. 

4. Decide How Many Times You’ll Visit the Dealership

Gonzalez says the number of visits you make to a dealership depends on whether you are comfortable with your purchasing location. If you intend to shop around and compare prices, you might be back and forth from a location a few times. If you know where you want to buy the car, who you want to buy it from and what you are willing to pay, you can get it done in a single trip to the dealership.

“A caveat is that you might not even have to leave the comfort of your home if you buy online,” says Gonzalez.

5. Consider How You’ll Pay for the Car

Dealerships that offer in-house financing earn money off the interest you pay on the vehicle, so paying cash doesn’t always ensure that you’ll get the best deal on the vehicle. 

“If you have a good credit history, you will likely qualify for the best finance deals,” says Gonzalez.

Mahnken adds that “auto loans come in many shapes and sizes,” and there are a few ways you can finance a car: 

Through your bank

A bank that partners with your dealer

The automaker itself

A dealer-financed option such as buy-here-pay-here

Having your credit checked by a bank or dealer may temporarily lower your credit score for a short period of time, Mahnken warns; however, he also advises that it is OK to comparison shop for your auto loan because “most credit scores group together multiple hard inquiries for auto loans in the same time period.” 

Once the loan goes through, it will be on your credit report so be sure to pay on time, Mahnken says. This will help you keep your credit score solid for the next time you have to go through the laborious process of purchasing a vehicle.

Using the tips provided by our experts, the car shopping process should only get easier every time you have to go through it. 

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How to Make a Great Resume

Chris Chancey, founder of Amplio Recruiting, describes a resume as “the heartbeat of your job search journey.” Your resume, in conjunction with your cover letter, will be your first impression with a potential employer and the driving force behind whether you land an interview.

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“A great resume sells you to prospective employers and lets them know why you would be a good fit out of everyone else who is interested in the position,” says Chancey. “A great resume helps an employer form an impression about you even before they meet you.”

Now you might be asking yourself what specifically takes a resume from good to great? Well, we’ve got the answer. To help you create a killer resume and land an interview, we spoke to Chancey and a few other career experts to get their top strategies. Pair this guidance with the dos and don’ts of writing a cover letter, and you’re well on your way to a successful job hunt.

How to Structure a Resume

As a general rule, you should aim to keep your resume to one page, but you can venture to a second page if you are an applicant with extensive experience, says Chancey.

Dana Case, director of operations at MyCorporation.com, adds that you should avoid using “excessively over-the-top fonts” that make it difficult to read your resume. Using bullet points to list your achievements and responsibilities will also help make your resume “easier to read and absorb,” says Case.

If you are using a resume template – there are about a million you can find via a quick Google search – make sure you choose one that “is suitable for your industry or the job and really lets you highlight your best qualities and convey your value,” says Chancey.

If you do use an online template, make it your own and don’t follow the template too closely. Recruiters and hiring managers will know. (They’ve done this before!)

What to Include in a Resume

Every resume should include the following information:

Contact Information: This should include name, city, state, phone number, email address and LinkedIn page. Case also recommends including any portfolio links; for example, your author page or blog if you are a writer. You can also include links to your social media profiles, if they are relevant to the position. Summary: A summary statement “captures the essence of who you are, your skills and past success,” says Chancey. Skills: Chancey recommends that you follow the job posting to determine keywords to use when listing hard skills (e.g. graphic design, carpentry) and soft skills (e.g. communication, leadership). Professional Experience: Chancey says to describe the impact or result of a project rather than just listing your responsibilities in previous jobs. “Do not forget to throw in some numbers to show that you are results-oriented instead of just saying that you are,” he adds. Education: List your academic qualifications, including your alma mater, major/course, and for recent graduates, and your GPA if it is at least 3.5. Awards and Achievements: Volunteer experience, recognitions and professional awards can be included in this section.

Providing references should be saved until later in the recruitment process, Chancey says, unless the job listing specifically requests you include them on your resume.

As you work through the recruitment process “you might change your mind about who you want as a reference, so not including references gives you that leeway,” he adds. It also allows you to keep your current employer in the dark about your job search until you are ready to tell them.

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How to Customize Your Resume for the Job

When putting together your resume, Chancey says to always follow instructions in the job posting and to “include everything you have been asked to include.”

Following these steps will increase your chances of the applicant tracking system flagging your resume, and then allow the hiring manager/recruiter to see that you are a good fit just by quickly skimming through your resume, he adds.

Highlight all the keywords and phrases in the job listing that can translate to your resume Write the exact job title used in the job description on your resume Intersperse your resume with the exact keywords and phrases used in the job posting when describing your experience and skills

Resume Writing Tips

“Every industry or profession has a language of their own to some degree, but there are a few things you can do to get noticed in a positive way,” says Bryan Zawikowski, a vice president and general manager for executive recruiting firm Lucas Group.

Keep It Short: “Read your resume 12 times and cut out at least 10 words after every reading – you’ll find more than 10 if you look closely,” he says. Be Specific: Zawikowski offered the following examples: Supervised team of 12 auditors Led $10M CRM implementation project, which was completed 30 days ahead of schedule and 12% under budget Write in the First Person: But don’t use pronouns. Do: Supervised team of 12 auditors Don’t do: I supervised a team of 12 auditors

What Not to Include in a Resume

Chancey and Zawikowski offered the following recommendations on what NOT to include when drafting your resume:

Work experience and hobbies that aren’t relevant to the job Obvious skills such as knowledge of Microsoft Word Ambiguous phrases like this example provided by Zawikowski: “Aligned strategies for maximum internal synergy” Personal details such as your role as a stay-at-home parent The statement “references to be provided on request” or “references available upon request,” which Chancey describes as “dreadful and redundant” Including “Email” and “Phone” in front of your email and phone number is also redundant, according to Zawikowski

Zawikowski also advises to avoid the following phrases:

“Influencer” or “thought leader”: Let someone else do that on your behalf, “ideally someone that you actually ‘influenced,’” he says. “Gamechanger”: “It’s one of many overused sports references,” Zawikowski says. “’Change agent’ is better, but not by much.”

Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid

There are some surefire ways you can turn off a potential employer. Chancey recommends avoiding the following pitfalls when building your resume:

Not Paying Attention to the Keywords or Using Too Many: Customizing the search to meet the job criteria will help but using too many keywords will make it obvious as to what you are doing and “inevitably lower your chances of success in your job search.” Not Quantifying Your Results: Chancey says rather than just listing your responsibilities, you should explain “what you did, the skills you acquired or put to use, and more importantly, the results you achieved.” Writing a Cliché Or Unclear Summary Statement: Instead, be specific about your career accomplisments and trajectory.. Using Common Words: “Use clear, refreshing vocabulary to summarize your background,” Chancey says.

Once you’ve completed your resume and removed any unnecessary, unclear or uninspiring information, make sure you conduct a spell check before hitting send, Case says.

Follow these expert tips on what to include and what to avoid on a resume along with the additional guidance on writing cover letters found HERE, and you should be well on your way to getting your foot in the door with a potential employer.

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How to Write a Great Cover Letter

Whether you’re fresh out of college and eager to enter the workforce, or you’re an experienced professional hoping to leap into something new, the job application process can be incredibly stressful, intimidating and disheartening – particularly, if you find you’re not getting a lot of feedback.

RELATED: Biggest Resume Mistakes

While your resume will touch on the highlights of your experience and education, a great cover letter could be the difference between scoring an interview and having your application dragged over to the email trash bin. 

What Is the Purpose of a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is essentially a complement to your resume. A good one will “expand on the skills and accomplishments written in your resume” rather than just repeating the same information, says Laura Marenco, career coach at Golden Beacon USA, a company that helps immigrants and refugees in the United States acclimate to their new country.

It should also give any potential employer a sense of your personality and character. “The cover letter gives the employer a chance to get to know you and your interests and skills and how they align with the job,” she adds.

We know, all of this is easier said than done. To ensure you’re submitting nothing but the best, we spoke with Marenco and Eric Holmes, MS, faculty member in the composition department at Purdue University Global, to get their take on the dos and don'ts of a great cover letter. 

How to Structure a Cover Letter

When setting up your cover letter, Marenco suggests following some basic requirements:

It should be no more than a single page

Don’t cram everything in; leave some white space in the margins

Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial

According to Marenco, the structure of your cover letter should use this format: 

Contact Information and Date: Provide an e-mail address that sounds professional. If your email address is nugs420@stoner.net, consider creating a new email account that is better suited to applying for a job. 

Salutation: Marenco recommends trying to make this personal and formal by finding out the hiring manager’s name and then addressing them as Mr. or Ms. Try to avoid “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam” if possible.

Introductory Paragraph: Your first paragraph should include the following information and “convey your enthusiasm about the job.”

How you found out about the position

Why you are interested

What applicable experience you have 

The Sell - Descriptive Paragraphs (1 to 3): Once you have introduced yourself, convey the details about why you are the best candidate. “Highlight your accomplishments and skills using the keywords from the job announcement and examples.” 

Closing Paragraph: Here you should again stress “how you will benefit the company with your skills or expertise." This paragraph should also include a call to action by again providing your contact information. Marenco warns that offering to call the employer could be “misconstrued as pushy;” some companies may say not to call in the job announcements. 

Signature: This is just simply your name, which you can sign if you are mailing the cover letter. Although, you probably won’t be mailing it because it’s 2019. 

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What to Include in a Cover Letter

Marenco says hiring managers tend to skim through the cover letter before even getting to your resume, so cover letters “are more of an introduction than a complete retelling of your career path.”

The first step you should take is to look for keywords or requirements in the job description that you can include in the cover letter. Then, select “two or three skills or accomplishments that specifically support those requirements,” says Marenco. “You do not need to include everything.”

“A lot of applicants (and especially entry-level ones) get caught up in the most basic requirements” that are “the bare essentials” that anyone competing for the job will meet, says Holmes, who specializes in teaching a variety of writing, communication and professional courses at Purdue University Global.  

“Addressing them in a cover letter is a waste of effort,” he adds. “Applicants who address those qualifications might as well state that they are carbon-based lifeforms while they are at it.”

Holmes and Marenco both emphasize that you should include specific examples to help state your case. For example, if a job posting lists that the ideal applicant "Must have excellent time management skills"  Holmes says you can provide a response, similar to the one below, to explain how you meet the qualification:

“I am excellent at managing my time and responsibilities, as I routinely work at several schools teaching several different courses simultaneously without conflict or delay in completing my work or fulfilling my duties.”

“Anyone can make any statement but the evidence (examples, etc.) makes the statement valid,” says Holmes. 

What to Leave Out of a Cover Letter

Marenco says you should leave out salary, benefits and other requirements such as working remotely. Save those discussions for later in the job application process.

“Citing these requirements in a cover letter makes it seem that you are only interested in what you can get out of the employer,” she adds. “Remember to emphasize how you will benefit the company, not how the company will benefit you.” Marenco says this applies even if salary requirements are listed in the job description, because you don’t want to lose out on a job before even making it to an interview. 

Holmes offered the following example as a no-no on a cover letter: This position is a perfect fit for both my career and personal goals.

“An employer that an applicant has no connection to doesn't care about the career and personal goals of a complete stranger,” he says. “Instead, applicants need to focus on themselves in respect to what the employer is looking for: the specific skills/education/training that the position requires.” 

Holmes also says to avoid the words/phrases “believe, think, feel, and capable of,” which he described as “weak, conditional statements.” He provided the following examples:

“‘I believe that I will be an asset to the company.’ What you believe doesn’t matter to your potential employer until you are hired and prove yourself. Until then, own the statement to give it clout: ‘I will be an asset to the company.’

“‘I think that I have the experience needed to thrive in this job.’” This makes it sound like you are uncertain of your experience. Again, own the statement: ‘I have the experience needed to thrive in this job.’

“‘I feel that I will be successful in this role.’ Your feelings are of no consequence to your potential employer. Make a confident statement: ‘I will be successful in this role.’

“‘I am capable of being an excellent employee.” Capability is not a guarantee of success. Own it: ‘I am an excellent employee.’”

Proofreading a Cover Letter

Once you think you have your cover letter complete, read it again and then take it to a family member or friend to proofread and review. By the time you are done writing your cover letter, you will have been looking at it for so long that you might overlook a mistake. A fresh set of eyes will help avoid that. 

Online Cover Letter Templates

You can find plenty of cover letter templates, both free and paid, by simply entering “cover letter” into a search engine. But be warned – hiring managers can also easily Google the same thing and have enough experience to know when they are looking at a copy. 

It’s OK to use these templates as a guide, but never copy anything you see word for word. With the guidance of our experts have provided, writing a cover letter should be simple enough without having to cheat.

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How to Do Basic Things on Your iPhone

Like the majority of its products, Apple built the iPhone to be user-friendly. The intuitive nature of the device makes it easy to navigate and perform simple tasks. Need to close an app? Simply swipe. Trying to zoom in? Give it a pinch.

RELATED: How to Take Great Photos With the iPhone X

Still, despite these easy tactics, many iPhone users struggle to manage their smartphone and could benefit from a little instruction. That’s where we come in. 

From taking a screenshot to deleting an app, below we share simple, step-by-step instructions that will help you become familiar with basic iPhone tasks. 

Now juice up your phone and let’s get started.

Updating Your iPhone

Updating your iPhone is important for two main reasons: you get new features and fix bugs that may impact your phone’s security or battery length. 

“No software is ever perfect, which means there will be someone in the world that will find a way to crack it eventually,” says Liz Hamilton, marketing director for Mobile Klinik. “By updating your phone, you're continuously making it harder to break into your device.”

You should always complete an update as quickly as possible, because “the longer you go without a software update, the longer your data (your documents, photos, contacts, etc.) is at risk for any malware malfunction,” Hamilton says. 

“Lastly, by not updating your iPhone, you're also simply missing out on all the cool and new features that are constantly being added in software upgrades, along with new third-party apps and features that are created to synchronize with software updates,” Hamilton says.  “There's no reason to pass any of those up.”

The length of the update is generally about 30 minutes but could take longer depending on the strength of your internet connection (you need to be connected to WiFi) and how much storage is available on your iPhone. 

The simplest way to perform an iPhone update is to select Install Now when you receive the initial update pop-up on your phone, and then follow the prompts. You can also set up your phone for automatic updates (see below for more) or update your iPhone manually at a time that is more convenient for you. 

To update your iPhone manually, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings

2. Select General

3. Select Software Update (if an update is available)

4.Select Install Now

You may receive an error message if your phone is not charging during the update. You may also have to temporarily offload some apps until the update is complete (Apple will do this for you).

On the Software Update page, there is an option to turn on Automatic Updates at the bottom. If Automatic Updates is set to off, you can turn it on by clicking Automatic Updates and then sliding the toggle on the next page until it appears as green. You can also turn off Automatic Updates following these same steps. 

How to Delete an App From Your iPhone

If you are looking to clear out some storage space on your iPhone or to purge some unused apps, just follow the simple steps below detailing how to delete an app. Some apps may also need to be deleted due to technical issues. There are two easy ways to delete an app. 

The easiest way

1. Press and hold your finger on any app icon until it starts shaking and an X appears at the top left of the app

2. Click the X on the app you want to delete

3. Select Delete when asked if you are sure you want to delete the app

The slightly less easy way

1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage

2. Click on the app you want to delete

3. Select Delete App, and then select Delete App again in the prompt that pops up

How to Create Folders to Organize Your iPhone Apps

The more apps you download on your iPhone, the more difficult it will become to locate a specific app without setting up an organizational system. 

Creating folders on your iPhone will help you categorize your apps for easy access. Each folder requires a minimum of two apps to create.

Get started by following these steps: 

1. Press and hold an app until it shakes

2. With your finger, drag your app on top of another app

3. This will create a folder that will default to a name based on the type of apps you are putting in the folder; for example, if you put Instagram and Twitter in the same folder, it will automatically be named Social Media.

Once you have created folders, you can move additional apps into the folders by following step one above and then dragging the app into the desired folder rather than on top of another app. You can also move apps out of the folder by opening the folder, following step 1 above, and dragging the app out. 

If you would like to rename a folder, press and hold the folder until it shakes. Then the folder will open. At the top, you can delete the existing name by clicking on the X, and then type a new name. 

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How to Take a Screenshot on an iPhone

Screenshots offer a simple method for saving a text message, website link or a goofy picture on someone else’s Facebook page. How you take a screenshot on your iPhone will differ depending on what model phone you have. Apple got rid of the home button on iPhone X and later models, requiring a new process for taking a screenshot. 

iPhone X or later model

If you have an iPhone X or later, you will follow these steps to take a screenshot:

1. Press the wake up/sleep button on the top right side of your phone while simultaneously pressing the volume up button on the top left side of your phone

2. Quickly release both buttons

Once the screenshot appears, you will see it as a thumbnail on the bottom left side of your screen. Click on the screenshot to open it, and from there you can make edits to the screenshots or share or save the image. After you click 'Done' at the top left of the screen, you can either delete or save the screenshot.  

iPhone 8 or earlier model

If you have an older iPhone (8 or earlier), the steps are slightly different:

1. Press the wake up/sleep button on the top right side or top of the iPhone while simultaneously pressing the Home button in the bottom middle of the iPhone

2. Quickly release both buttons

Just like on later model iPhones, once the screenshot is taken, you will again see a thumbnail at the bottom of your screen. Click on the screenshot to open it, and from there you can make edits. To share the screenshot, press and hold the screenshot thumbnail.  Screenshots on older model phones will automatically save in a designated folder in your photo albums. 

How to Back Up Your Photos on the iCloud

You can take some seriously quality photos with your iPhone. Some of them will be so good that you’re not going to want to lose them if you wind up dropping your phone in the sink or smashing it to bits when it falls out of your pocket. 

“Backing up your photos on the Cloud is relatively simple,” Hamilton says. “For the most part, your iPhone is pre-set to do so.”

You can back the data up manually, but we recommend setting up automatic daily backups.

To set up automatic backups, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings

2. Click on Your Name (this will be at the top of your Settings menu*)

3. Click iCloud

4. Click iCloud Backup

5. Ensure iCloud backup is set to on (the switch should be green)

6. Once on this page, you can view the time of your most recent backup and select Back Up Now if you prefer not to wait for the scheduled automatic backup

*If you are on an older Apple operating system, you will go to Settings > iCloud > Backup to turn on automatic daily backups.

If you run out of iCloud storage, you can purchase additional storage to ensure all your data gets backed up. From the iCloud settings page, select Manage Storage > Change Storage Plan, and then choose which plan you want to purchase. Prices range from $0.99 a month for 50GB of storage to $9.99 a month for 2TB of storage.

Mastering these fundamental functions of the iPhone, will not only help your phone to run smoothly, but it will allow you to make the best use of your multi-faceted smartphone. 

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How to Make Money Online

Whether you are looking to start a small side hustle or are willing to invest a lot of time into a second job, there are opportunities abound online. Options range from making a few bucks taking surveys to potentially building a second career creating a blog that might draw some advertising.

When it comes to online opportunities, we have found that the old adage stands: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We’ve sorted through all the tricks and cons and compiled a list of five legit ways you can make money online. This compilation includes links to opportunities, brief details on how they work, and what to look out for when signing up for these gainful opportunities.

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Make Money by Investing Your Time

Survey Sites

Your opinion is a valuable commodity on the internet. There are a multitude of sites that offer free memberships to take online surveys and earn rewards. These rewards come in the form of small amounts of cash funneled to you via PayPal or as gift cards earned by building up points.

You are not going to make a lot of money quickly by using these sites – more like a few bucks per survey – but if you are burning a lot of time on the internet, consider this option to help make that time more fruitful.

If you are going this route, just be careful. No legitimate site is going to ask you for money, your social security number, credit card information, or full address. Here are a few trustworthy sites to consider:

Opinion Outpost Vindale Research Survey Junkie

Some other survey sites, like Swagbucks and Inbox Dollars, allow you to earn money by more than just taking surveys. Options include watching videos, shopping online, searching the web, or playing games.

In addition to offering surveys, 20|20 Research also hosts in-person and online roundtable market research discussions where you can earn substantially more (between $50 and $350, according to the site) by simply sharing your opinion on products. User Testing will pay you $10 to spend about 20 minutes navigating a website or an app, completing some assigned tasks, and then providing verbal feedback.

Make Money by Selling Your Stuff

Craigslist

It’s basically an online garage sale. From furniture (new, used or antique) to automotives (parts and vehicles) to video games and electronics, post anything you want to sell on Craigslist. Each post is free – unless you are posting a job – and you can classify the item so it lands in the right category on the page for potential buyers. This is a good way to sell items locally, but be wary of anyone who wants you to ship items; they may be scammers looking to take your stuff without paying for it.

eBay

If you are looking to sell your items to a wider audience, consider using the online auction site eBay. The auction format can even generate bidding wars that drive up the price of your sale item. Another benefit is that the site has more control over the flow of money than Craigslist, so scammers are less likely to catch you by surprise. That security comes at a cost though; eBay keeps a commission on your sale.

Make Money by Selling Your Skills

Blogging

If you have the time and talent to invest and can carve out a topic that will drive traffic to your blog site, you can make money by selling ads or products through the site. Most free blog-creation sites won’t allow you to monetize your content, so make sure you are using a site that doesn’t have these restrictions in place. Here are some sites that come recommended by blog experts:

WordPress.org (will need to include a hosting site like Bluehost.com) Wix (paid version) Squarespace

Creating

For creative-types, the internet is flush with opportunities to sell your wares. Crafters and artists can sell handmade goods by creating their own online storefront through Etsy. According to Etsy, more than 33 million people have purchased items from the site. Etsy charges 20 cents to post an item for sale, as well as a 5 percent transaction fee and 3 percent payment processing fee after selling the item.

Sites like Zazzle allow you to create your own designs that can then be printed on a variety of products for sale on the site. Zazzle will pay you a royalty fee for any design purchased on their products and it is free to create your storefront.

Skilled shutterbugs can sell their photos online through sites like Shutterstock and 500 px. Shutterstock also purchases footage clips, illustrations, and custom music. These sites are looking for unique, quality images that have commercial value, so don’t be surprised if your amateur photos are declined.

Connecting

If you work in a client-based field, you can leverage the internet to help you connect with clients on sites like UpWork or Fiverr. They will also help ensure you get paid. The sites connect clients with workers in a variety of skills, from writing to software development.

Working Remote

Flexible workplaces are becoming more commonplace, and that means more people are working from home. If you’re a construction worker or bartender, you’re out of luck here. But if all you need is to leverage your internet connection to do an efficient job, you can search on sites like FlexJobs and We Work Remotely to find a job that doesn’t require a commute. If you want to expand your search, visit any of the popular job search sites, such as Monster or Indeed, and use filters and keywords such as remote, flexible, and work from home.

Make Money by Shopping (and Saving)

Earn cash back on products you were going to buy anyway by purchasing through cash-back sites. Cash-back sites turn the consumerism and convenience of online shopping into an easy way for users to make some money. Ebates, for example, connects you with retailers. Those retailers then give Ebates a commission that Ebates splits with you.

Another popular cash-back site is BeFrugal, where you can earn up to 40 percent cash back (this is the extreme, most percentages are way under this number) on purchases from about 5,000 stores. Comparatively, Ebates provides cash back from about 2,500 stores.

Make Money by Making Wagers

Gamble Online

If you live in or are travelling through a state that allows online gambling, then you’re in luck (pun intended). The legal online betting landscape is complicated, but you can check out this summary from Play USA to get an idea of where you can go to place your bets.

Gamble on Yourself

Losing weight while making money is the dream. HealthyWage offers individuals or teams the opportunity to wager on their own weight loss. Weight-loss challenges offer a variety of monetary returns if you successfully reach milestones determined by HealthyWage. Of course, if you lose the bet, the money you put out will be gone. Financial incentives, however, can be a good motivator.

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