First Offense DUI

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There are strict penalties for a First Offense DUI conviction. If you are arrested for a First Offense DUI in Michigan, here are some of the penalties you are facing upon conviction.

  • Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) $100 to $500 fine:
  • Up to 360 hours of community service.
  • Up to 93 days in jail.
  • Possible vehicle immobilization.
  • Driver license suspension for 30 days, followed by restrictions for 150 days.
  • Six points added to driver record.
  • Possible ignition interlock.
  • $1,000 Driver Responsibility Fee for two consecutive years for OWI.
  • $500 Driver Responsibility Fee for two consecutive years for OWPD.

Not only is an arrest for a First Offense DUI embarrassing, it can cost your job, thousands of dollars in legal fees leaving you and even fear about what is what your future holds.

You need to find a good lawyer to help you fight your first offense DUI charge. You need to find a lawyer that is dedicated to providing their client with an aggressive drunk driving defense no matter the complexity of your OWI/DUI case. Most good lawyers offer a free OWI/DUI case evaluation to help you better understand the complexity and uniqueness of your case. A good drunk driving defense strategy aims for the absolute best results.
While the law is the same throughout Michigan, local courts often employ differing procedures in how they handle such cases, and it is important to have an attorney representing you who is familiar with these differences and able to use them to your advantage.
Being stopped and put under arrest for drunk driving is an embarrassing event. The penalties are extreme and are becoming tougher by the year. If you are arrested for DUI, OWI or impaired driving, you probably have many questions such as: am I going to jail? Will I lose my driver’s license? Can I take my case to trial and win? Again, a good Criminal Defense Lawyer can help you figure out these issues with you. Do not face these kinds of charges alone.

Depending on the facts and circumstances of your case and your previous record, a drunk driving conviction can result in jail time, significant fines and costs, community service, work crew, loss of your driving privileges and probation.

I am amazed at how many times I see people think they can handle a first offense dui offense by themselves. This is a grave mistake. Always have a lawyer by your side when you are facing a dui charge.

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3 Important Factors For DIY Weekend Warriors

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With all the great television coverage available now on cable, DIY jobs seem easier than ever to start and complete on your own! The reality of the situation is the people who are showing you how to do these jobs yourself are usually professionals. When doing a job yourself seems like a good idea, consider 3 important factors before you begin.

Factor #1: Your Skills

Be realistic about your skills. Don’t take on work that may end up looking unprofessional as this may have an impact on the resale value of your home. Also, frustration leads to procrastination, which leads to the never ending renovation – the project you will never finish. Avoid intricate work or work that requires a high degree of craftsmanship unless you’re competent at the job. For example, don’t plan on building raised-panel cabinets unless you have the necessary cabinet making skills.

Factor #2: Your Tools. Be aware that you’ll need special tools for some jobs. You can rent tools, and you can often buy tools with what you’ll save on labor, but if you don’t already own the tools, you probably don’t have very much experience at using them. Once again, think twice before jumping in with both feet unless you have experience with the necessary tools.

Factor #3: Your Time. Don’t forget to take your time into consideration. Even spare time has a value–and the value of yours is worth factoring into the equation. Time away from your family, time away from other duties, or just time away from relaxation should all be taken into consideration. Some DIY projects may take longer than expected, especially when factoring in the learning curve, research, trial and errors.

A closer look at your alternatives. There is definitely something to be said for hiring a pro to handle a project from start to finish–particularly if you find a professional who gives you a quality job at a good price. Unfortunately, that isn’t always easy. The best way to find good people is through personal recommendations. Talk to friends or neighbors who have had similar work done and were happy with the results and the service.

Understanding Your Civil Rights

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Civil rights are basic rights in which the government enforces a certain measure of protection. Civil rights include discrimination, physical safety, and the rights of an accused person. If you live near Detroit, you may or may not be aware of the history that surrounds Detroit civil rights movements and Detroit civil rights attorneys of the past and present.

Today, the battle for civil rights continues in Detroit. Civil rights attorneys in Detroit fight against unequal treatment for protected classes of people, defined by race, religion, disability, age and sex. Finding the right attorney can be a daunting task. The following are some suggestions that should help in finding the Detroit civil rights attorney that fits your needs.

You can save a lot of time and hassle by simply doing a bit of research on Detroit discrimination laws before contacting any lawyers. Knowing exactly what your rights are could save you a lot of discussion time with your lawyer, which could make your attorney’s fees even more costly.

First, you want to find a handful of lawyers that might fit your needs. This can be done through internet searches, recommendations from friends and family, and your local phone book. Once you have identified these lawyers you will need to make a list of questions to ask over the phone or in person.

For example; Does the firm offer a free consultation? How long is the consultation appointment? Is the fee negotiable? Has the attorney handled a similar case? Can the attorney provide references from other clients? Has the attorney or firm ever been under investigation? How long has the attorney practiced law? How heavy is the attorney’s current caseload? What should you bring to the consultation meeting? Will the attorney work on your case or will others in his office?

If you choose to have a phone interview and wish to engage an attorney’s services, it is recommended that you have a face to face meeting before making any commitments. You want to make sure that you are 100% confident with confiding in your attorney, and the best way to gauge a person’s trustworthiness is by meeting them in person. Also, make sure that you voice any questions or concerns so that you have as few surprises as possible.

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Austin Apartment Guide

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Austin is a developing city in the state of Texas and is a popular destination both in terms of business and education, for many people, especially youngsters. This has caused the demand for apartments to rise rapidly over the last few years, making the task of searching for an apartment quite onerous, both for experienced as well as inexperienced apartment hunters. There are several things to be considered while selecting an apartment for rent, lease or for sale.

Austin apartment guides are general guidelines offered by professional apartment locators, realtors, or real estate agents. These guides are also available on the Internet on the websites of realtors or locators. Austin apartment guides provide general as well as specific information to help in hunting for an apartment. These guides are very easy to read and follow. They generally include a list of questions relating to the requirements/priorities of the apartment-seeker, the issues to be considered while searching for an apartment, the issues that are important while selecting an apartment, and general leasing and renting information in the area of Austin. Some guides from locators also help to locate a house for the client depending on this information.

The general issues covered in Austin Apartment guides are the areas where the client would like to live (considers the crime rate, school system and amenities in the area); housing priorities (acceptance of pets, extra parking place, floor of the apartment, other amenities within the apartment complex (like laundry, recreation, health facilities etc); evaluation of the property (condition of the building, condition of the grounds and the landscape, etc); security aspects, utilities, and leasing terms and conditions. The information provided in the guides is very helpful in locating the ideal apartment. And though it seems like an arduous process, most locators and realtors offer free locating services to help clients the right apartment.

Toronto Real Estate Board – Function and Purpose

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The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) was founded in 1920 by a small group of real estate practitioners. TREB is now Canada’s largest real estate board. There are more than 23,000 Members of TREB.

As stated in their policy manual, the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) is committed to advancing the interests of real estate sales people and brokers who comprise of TREB’s membership. Members of TREB are also members of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) as well as the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

The Toronto Real Estate Board is the main real estate board in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that is the home board for real estate agents in the GTA and surrounding areas. These agents belong to and use TREB on a daily basis to promote the mls listings of their clients. Members also utilize the mls data in the area. TREB is one of the largest organized real estate boards in all of North America.

TREB is also responsible for membership, ethics and arbitration decisions and mandates much of the direction of the membership with regards to the public and the government.

REALTORS® who are members of TREB are licensed professionals who must abide by a strict code of ethics and meet continuing education requirements to maintain their status.

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) should not be confused with any information advertised on any site or the multiple listing service site operated by CREA. The Multiple Listing Service is a tool accessed only by REALTOR® members with extensive depth and functionality.

Toronto Real Estate Board Members utilize various fundraising events to raise money to make significant contributions to local and national charities such as the Hospital for Sick Children and Habitat for Humanity Toronto. These fundraising activities have also resulted in the construction of a Habitat home for a family in need.

The Toronto Real Estate Board issues news releases twice a month. This includes a full statistical update on local real estate market conditions at the beginning of each month. The publication is called Market Watch and is available from any member realtor

ConclusionThe Toronto Real Estate Board is a very large real estate board that runs the MLS system for listings in the area. TREB helps many agents in the greater Toronto area supply timely and relevant information purchasers and to promote vendor client listings across the GTA and the Southern Ontario region.

Quick Home Maintenance Tips

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If you have been looking for some home improvement tips that won’t take more than a few minutes from your precious time, you are on the right page. This article is for you, especially if you are a busy homeowner. Read on.

Fixing a chair

Are you trying to fix an old chair? If so, we suggest drilling pilot holes and driving screws via the rungs bottom and into the chair legs.

Vinyl Door or Window

If your vinyl doors or windows don’t open properly, the channels may have accumulated gunk. At times, even clean doors and windows may bind. You may spray dry spray lubricant on the target areas and then use a rag to wipe it off. Using oil lubricants is not a good idea as they can catch dirt damaging the vinyl.

Repairing a Shutoff Valve

If the shutoff value is faulty, you can get it replaced. But if you can’t, you should go to the nearby hardware store to buy a good replacement washer. Remove the grit from the valve and fit the new washer. This will fix the problem.

Loose Showerhead

If you want to fix a problematic showerhead or a wobbly pipe, you can use some expanding foam. With the foam, you can encase the pipe and fix it. This will remove the wobble.

Use a Smoke Detector

If you don’t have enough time or money, you may want to cover the ceiling hole with a smoke detector. You don’t need to patch the hole.

Cabinet doors

If your cabinet doors don’t stay shut, all you have to do is use a magnetic door catch. You can also go for a roller-style one.

Squeaky Floors

If you want to repair a squeaky floor, use a stud finder to find the floor joists. Next, you can drive in a screw via a pad, carpet and the subfloor to reach the floor joist. Just make sure that the upper part of the screw has no threads. Ideally, you may want to use trim screws since they have bigger heads. If this is the case, you may want to pull up the screw and then tighten it again.

Remove Water Stains

Before repainting the ceiling, you may want to try out this trick. You can use a mixture of water and bleach and then wait for a few days. If the stain is old, you can try a mold and mildew product. The stain will be gone within 24 hours. This trick may work both on textured and flat ceilings.

Wallpaper Seams

To fix a wallpaper seam, you can soak a rag in lukewarm water and then apply the paste around the seam. You may want to hold the rag for a couple of minutes and then open the seam a bit for more space for the seam sealer. Put the liquid into the gap and then push the paper against the wall using a roller. Then you can use a sponge to remove the sealer.

So, these are some quick and easy home improvement tips.

Writing For Professionals

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Having a great resume is the first step to landing that ideal job. Resume writing can be the most stressful part of the job search. But it is also the most effective way to share your experience and qualifications. The purpose of your resume is to create enough interest that the employer will want to see you for a more in-depth face to face interview. Those resumes receiving the most attention are structured with the following components:

Value Proposition Statement

This section should state to the employer the immediate value you will bring to their organization. If you are a business development professional with successful experience working with companies in the medical industry you should have this listed in this section. An example of this statement would be “an experienced business development professional with established existing relationships in place with key regional medical equipment companies. These established relationships will allow me to gain immediate access to key decision makers early within the sales cycle”. The value proposition statement allows the employer to visualize you in this position and as an immediate contributor to their organization.

Keywords In Resume Writing

Effective resume writing should be done in a way that allows you to stand out from the crowd. One of the most effective ways to do this is to make sure you use the appropriate keyword (s) for the job posting. So we know that most companies are using parsing software in reviewing resumes. This software is designed to filter for keywords from the resumes they receive. This software will look through resumes for these keywords.

So simply put keywords are those words that easily describes the position you are applying for. In the example above the position is business development professional. So what words immediately come to mind with this position? Correct, business development. Therefore you will want the keywords to be the words business development. To tell your story you should use these keywords in a natural story telling manner.

Highlight Your Experience

Many professionals have a wealth of valuable relevant experience to share. The key is how much of this experience should you share on your resume? Resumes are parsed and if selected will be reviewed by the employer for about 20 seconds or less. In resume writing it is totally acceptable to construct a 2-3 page resume if you are applying for an executive level position. All other positions 1-2 pages are common. Remember most employers know that the average job seeker has three plus jobs in their career. The length of the resume is not as important as the use of keywords and highlighting your relevant experience and qualifications. The only experience you should highlight are those experiences that apply to the job. As mentioned above you should naturally tell your story using keyword and relevant job experience.

Having a great resume is easily accomplished and doesn’t require fancy words, design or layout. There are many free resume writing templates on the internet that can help you with layout etc. Because this document is so important in getting you closer to your new job we encourage you to devote the necessary time to get it right. Most importantly before you send your resume to a perspective employer you should have a trusted person review it and provide feedback. Be sure to use spellcheck and look for grammatical errors etc. Remember you only get one chance to make a great first impression.

Resume Writing Made Affordable

Many professionals choose to write their resumes and with tremendous results. But if you feel the need to use a professional service know that these companies and professionals fees range in price from $300-$1500 based on the required technical copy writing skills. In other words if you are applying for an IT or Medical position you would want a resume writer with that level of experience to write impact copy or content on your behalf.

You are now closer to securing that position that most fits your skills and qualifications. Wishing you the very best

We hope this article clarifies some of the confusion in the use of keywords and value proposition statements. Resumes are designed to gain the attention of the prospective employer. Take some time in listing your qualifications and skills. With this article you are now equipped to tell a great story about your qualifications and experiences.

3 Easy Steps to Become a Real Estate Bird Dog

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A real estate bird dog is an important person of a real estate investment plan. As you may be aware, the main duties of a bird dog is to locate property lead for real estate investors who are willing to work with them. In return, investors will pay a fee to real estate bird dog for their effort for finding property for them.

So, how exactly that one can become a real estate bird dog? It’s simple. I will show you a 3 steps plan in order to become a successful bird dog:

i) First and foremost, you have to look for real estate investors who are preparing to accept your offer to work with them and find them profitable property leads. Investors are everywhere and it is easier to find one in a local investment club where they are normally gather together for exchanging views and knowledge of real estate investments

ii) Once you found an investors, you are basically ready to start your real estate bird dogging. Treat bird dogging as a business and learn the rope of it from scratch if you do not already have the relevant experience in real estate investment.

iii) Present the information that you have gathered to your investors in a concise and accurate manner. Information that are normally submitted by a real estate bird dog for investors’ evaluation including but not limited to location of property, purchase price, title particulars, background of landlord, indicative selling price and so on.

In order to become a successful real estate bird dog, it is important to constantly improving your knowledge in real estate investing. In fact, the hardest part of this business is not finding real estate investors or looking for a profitable deal for investors, but the determination to continue learning the rope of the business.

Tips for Professionals in the Construction Industry

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Preparing a resume that is organized, succinct, and eye-catching is one of the best ways for construction professionals to launch a fruitful job search. Eye-catching resumes typically feature highly desired skill sets, relevant certifications, and impressive projects that were completed ahead of schedule and within budget. Below are ten simple resume writing tips that everyone in the construction industry should follow.

1) Tailor your resume to the type of position you are seeking. Employers are often searching for candidates with a specific set of skills. Review commonly required skills for the type of position that you are seeking and be sure to include references to your skills in those areas. Examples of specific skills that are frequently sought in the construction industry include:

Expertise in construction law
Incorporation of sustainable design strategies
Equal Employment Opportunity Employment expertise

2) Include the number of people you managed. It is particularly important to mention work experience that involved supervision of multiple teams of people or a large number of workers. Hiring managers recognize that there is usually a big difference between a candidate who has managed a team of 15 laborers and a candidate who has overseen 150 laborers.

3) Highlight relevant certifications. Industry certifications set professionally trained candidates apart from the pack and often instill confidence in recruiters and hiring managers. Examples of key certifications to consider including are as follows:

Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
Construction Safety Certification
OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations & Emergency Response (HAZWOPER)
Any CPR or First Aid related certifications

4) Highlight three or four of your most notable projects. Be sure to reference the budgets associated with each project to provide hiring executives with an idea of the magnitude of the ventures that you have overseen. You can also showcase your flexibility and breadth of experience by including a diverse collection of projects within the public, commercial, and residential construction arenas.

5) Showcase successful projects that were completed ahead of time or under budget. Continued construction labor shortages are leading to an increase in project delays and overspending. Completing projects ahead of time or under budget is more impressive now than ever, so construction professionals should not be shy about highlighting their ability to exceed client expectations.

6) Reference familiarity with special tools or software. Remaining competitive in the construction industry requires a commitment to learning the latest cutting-edge

Building Information Modeling (BIM) software
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software
Familiarity with 3D visualization and architectural animation

7) Prepare an impressive portfolio of references. Include people who can provide feedback regarding your skills and aptitudes. Additionally, if a specific skill is required for a position you are actively pursuing, be sure to include references who can discuss your achievements in that area. For instance, if a position requires a candidate with a history of supervising 100+ workers, make sure that the references you include can speak about your ability to oversee multiple teams of workers.

8) Include your LinkedIn URL. A growing number of hiring managers and recruiters are looking at LinkedIn profiles to confirm candidates’ legitimacy and industry connections. Make sure that your profile is up to date and that there are not any consistencies between information on your LinkedIn profile and your resume.

9) Reference any awards or special recognition you have received. Awards that are relevant to the company or position for which you are applying are especially helpful. Examples of relevant awards include the following:

Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc (ABC) awards for excellence in construction
Construction Industry Safety Excellence (CISE) awards for safety improvements
Any local or state awards received for outstanding achievements in the construction industry

10) Seek the input of an expert staffing professional. Enlisting the assistance of a staffing agency is one of the best ways to ensure that your resume is professional and complete. A dedicated agency representative can also provide assistance with career coaching and other job-related activities. Ideally, the agency you choose should have decades of experience providing guidance to professionals within the construction industry.

The role of a well-organized resume should not be understated. By following the tips above, construction professionals can enhance their chances of grabbing the attention of hiring managers.

Win the Interview

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Some people think that preparing for a job interview is fairly simple. Once you get the call to come in for one you essentially have the job unless you blow the interview. This is not to disrespect Walmart or McDonald’s but unless you are applying for a company like that, the interview process is not easy at all. In fact, getting the interview more times than not is easier than the actual interview itself. This pillar post is going to be for my viewers that are looking for a full-time job and hopefully it’s a highly looked at company.

The first step is having a great resume. There are plenty of good examples on the internet for samples but those are also mixed in with bad ones. Some keys things that you want in your resume are; having as many numbers as possible. It’s much more eye opening for an employer to see you raised over $10,000 in revenue during your 8 week internship than saying you raised a lot of money. Another thing is to make sure the formatting is done correctly. Make sure that everything lines up nicely and that you stay consistent on your word usage such as tenses. Also make sure to use a different starting word for the description of your prior positions. Then there are the more basic things such as make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes because that can instantly lose you an interview chance. LinkedIn is similar to your resume but where your resume should only include your most important and relevant things since it should only be a single full page, your LinkedIn page should include everything you’ve done. It should be a page that an employer can visit and see where you went to school, what you did there, how you did there, strengths, weaknesses, and any jobs you had up to this point.

Now if a company has asked you to come in for an interview, this is where you start researching that company. Everyone has many strengths and weaknesses, but this is where you need to see the companies values and what not and tie your best strengths to those values. It’s also where if you have a weakness of time management and their biggest thing is to have great time management, that’s a weakness you shouldn’t bring up. This next part isn’t always possible but now a days companies will let you know who you are interviewing with or it is the HR recruiter who told you that you have an interview. This is where you should look up the interviewer on LinkedIn, connect with them and learn some things about them. That way you can ask them questions more directed at them at the end of the interview. You should also ask your recruiter what specific position you are interviewing for so that you can plan accordingly for that one. Now it’s time for the dress code during an interview. Almost every job will want you to come in dressed business professional.

Even if they don’t say it, a common saying in business is that it is better to be overdressed than under dressed. For those who don’t know, business professional is a suit collared button down shirt with a suit jacket that matches the dress pants and a tie. I understand you might not already have a suit or that you don’t have the money to buy one. Some companies might understand and in that case you can just come in business casual which is business professional but without the suit jacket. If the company insists you be business professional which is understandable as you might need a suit during your job, such as if you’re visiting a client or on a company dinner. Then a possible substitute is to get one from Goodwill as they usually have an okay selection of them and can actually still be in pretty good condition. This is of course like a flat tire where it should only last you until you have the money to replace it with a real suit.

Now before the interview you should know exactly where the interview is happening at and any more specifics like if it’s in a specific room. If you are supposed to arrive at 10:00AM, leave so that you get there anytime from 8:00AM – 9:00AM. This will leave you plenty of time in case you get stuck in traffic, lost, or need to stop for something. The great part about getting there early is that you can continue to practice for the interview. One way of practicing is by looking up common asked interview questions so that you can be more confident going into the interview.

Now during the interview you’re going to want to shake every persons hand in the room whether there are two people or twenty. With the handshake make sure to have a firm grasp and go directly in, not from an upper angle or lower angle. Seems petty but some people think if you are coming in for the handshake from an upper angle, it’s you trying to show dominance. When shaking hands make sure to look the person in the eyes and introduce yourself. Then when you begin your interview make sure to calm yourself down. This will help you not to ramble on answers and or forget answers. If the interviewer asks a tough question, you don’t have to respond right away. Ask them if you can take a second to think about the answer. Most interviewers will like that you are willing to think first instead of going right into the answer. After the interview, the interviewer will ask if you have any questions. NEVER SAY NO! That can ruin your entire interview because most interviewers are waiting for questions and asking none can leave them with a bad taste in their mouth. Make sure to have 2-3 pre-planned questions and then try to think of 2-3 questions during the interview. That way you can easily ask three or four questions. After you’re done with questions make sure to shake everyone’s hand again and thank them for their time. If you do all of these things correctly, there shouldn’t be a single employer who won’t hire you.