It is no secret that the economy is a little unpredictable right now. With changing markets in a changing world, it is important that everyone prepare for the future and retirement—even if it still seems like light-years away.

Job interviews can be daunting—especially if your prospective employer wants to chat face-to-face online. In recent years, online job interviews have become more popular and many companies, including Hilton, are regularly using technology to conduct preliminary interviews.

Whether you’re applying for an internship or preparing for your future career, it is important to have a polished résumé that speaks to your character and skill set. As a Career Counselor at Johnson & Wales University and an online instructor, I frequently review student résumés.

Here are seven of the most common résumé mistakes I see:

1.       Incorrectly listing information and dates.

We’ve all heard it before: First impressions are crucial. It’s true—the way you interact with someone the first time you meet them will lay the groundwork for the rest of your relationship. In a professional setting, first impressions can be scary. Everyone wants to make sure they don’t do or say the wrong thing, especially when their reputation is on the line.

If you’re going in for an interview, here are five ways to leave a lasting impression on the people who matter:

1.  Be on time.

At one of my first jobs, I had the opportunity to undertake my first true professional development experience. I was in sales, and my supervisor wanted me to take a Dale Carnegie Training course.

If you’re thinking about getting your degree online, you might be curious to learn about the benefits of online classes. Aside from the overall convenience and flexibility online courses offer, you’ll be given the opportunity to learn real career skills that you might not pick up in a traditional classroom setting.

Here are five things you’ll learn in your online course that will be critical to your future career success:

When I was in school, I never really thought much about what my professional bio would say. Up until now, I never really needed one. Aside from the short blurb on my Twitter page (where I went to college, what I do for a living, what kind of food I like), I didn’t have a reason to write anything about myself and my accomplishments. When I started my job at JWU and was finally asked to write a short bio, I had no idea where to start because I didn’t know what the vibe was. Should it be long, formal and resume-like or should I include my love for social media and my cat?

Email is a crucial part of our daily lives. Every day, we’re writing, sending, reading, and responding to messages. If you’re like me, email has become second-nature — but that doesn’t mean we should take it for granted or stop caring about what we send. It is important to take responsibility for your messages, especially if you’re sending them through a company email server.

Here are eight ways you can improve your email etiquette and ensure you’re using this ever-changing tool correctly:

Looking for a way to kick your business off online? If you’ve already built your fan base on Facebook and recruited followers on Twitter, you can use these platforms to generate revenue for your company, too. Here are five suggestions for using social media as a sales tool:

When searching for a job, you need to think about more than just your resume. The cover letter completes your self-marketing job search package. The purpose of a cover letter is to provide potential employers with additional information about your skills, abilities, and experience — and tell them why you are uniquely qualified for the job. A well-written cover letter showcases your communication skills, is concise, and does not use overly formal language. When crafting your letter, there are three types to consider.