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Hints from Heloise — Sounding off about equal pay

Dear Readers: Today’s SOUND OFF is about equal pay for equal work:

“Dear Heloise: Yesterday I discovered that a male co-worker was getting considerably more pay than I was for doing the very same job. He’s been with the company less than two years, while I have been here six years. We both graduated from college with bachelor’s degrees. Why and how can companies get away with this practice? Women’s work has always been undervalued, but this is clearly discrimination. What can be done about it?” — M.G. in Florida

Melinda, if you truly feel you have been the victim of discrimination at work, you can call the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at 800-669-4000 or the Equal Rights Advocates Advice and Counseling hotline at 800-839-4372. You also can go to www.pay-equity.org/info.html for additional information. — Heloise

FAST FACTS

Dear Readers: Here are some uses for old fish tanks/aquariums:

— Use to raise an ant farm.

— Use as a planter.

— Make into a terrarium.

— Use to display colorful shells or rocks.

MICROSOFT SCAM

Dear Heloise: The scammers are at it again. If anyone calls about renewing your Microsoft license or charging you a fee for any service you didn’t ask for, hang up. It’s a scam. You don’t need to renew a Microsoft license, and the fees they talk about are fictitious. The callers are liars and are fishing for your account or credit card numbers. Never hand out this kind of information to anyone over the phone. — Lana S., Troy, Mich.

RESUME RULES

Dear Heloise: Times have changed and so have resumes. Human resource departments get hundreds of resumes, but some stand out from the crowd, and here is how:

If you have an advanced degree or certification, make note of it after your name. Drop the “Objective” from your resume. It’s outdated and shows us you haven’t kept up with the changing times. The attributes mentioned in the job listing should be used on your resume.

These are the words most employers are likely to search for. Link your skills to the job, and if possible, show how you used those skills in a past job performance. Do not list every job you had years ago. Employers look at that and wonder how old you are and whether or not you’ve kept up with technology.

Above all, make it one page and make it easy to read. No ornate or colorful lettering. — Jennifer N. in Dallas

SOUR SMELLS

Dear Heloise: If your baby’s bottle has a foul smell, try filling it with warm water and 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and shake vigorously. Leave it overnight. Next morning, wash as usual. — Bonnie T., Beaver Creek, Colo.

SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001; Fax: 1-210-HELOISE;email: Heloise@Heloise.com

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