Your cover letter is your first impression, so you want to make sure it presents your skills and personality in the best possible way. First, edit for spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to conform to all standard language rules. Get rid of any spelling errors or sloppy sentences. Next, edit your cover letter for content. This is the time to make sure that you have clearly and concisely covered all of the points that you wanted to emphasize. Make sure you sound knowledgeable and confident when discussing your skills. Carefully reread the job ad. Sometimes employers will specify additional materials that they would like you to send. For example, if you are applying for a graphic design job, the potential employer might request a portfolio of your work so that they can visually see examples of your work. Or, if you are seeking a job that requires a lot of writing, the prospective employer might ask for a writing sample. Make sure you include everything that is required. After you are ready to send in your application materials, follow up with the person serving as your referral. This serves two purposes. First, it reminds them that the hiring manager may call them to ask about you, and your reference will be ready. Second, it is a good opportunity to thank them for serving as a referral. You can touch base over the phone, in person, or via e-mail. If you choose to follow up with an e-mail, you could write, "Dear Bob, Thank you again for agreeing to let me use you as a referral. I just wanted to let you know that I am sending my letter to Stan at your company. I'm attaching a copy, for your information." Hopefully, you've had some time to clear your head and walk away from your cover letter for a short while. Now, come back and make your final revisions. You might try reading it out loud, printing it off and making changes with a pen, or having a friend read it for you. Make sure to avoid passive voice and any vague sentences. Edit any sentences such as, "The big project was completed by me." Instead, try "I successfully completed revising the training manual ahead of deadline."

Summary: Edit your cover letter. Make sure you have included all components of the application. Touch base with your contact. Review your cover letter one last time.


One of the most common foods known to be high in probiotics is yogurt.  You can find yogurts with live and active cultures at just about any grocery store.  Adding this to your diet in addition to probiotic beverages can help support a healthy gut.  Many yogurt companies are now adding probiotics to their yogurts.  It's common to see yogurts that are advertising "live and active cultures" on their products.  Look for this labeling on yogurts before you purchase them.  Choose yogurts that have little added sugars to them.  You may want to stick to plain yogurt instead of flavored and add your own fruit or flavorings at home. Including one serving of yogurt daily is a great way to get in a decent amount of probiotics.  Aim for 1 cup of yogurt per serving. If you're lactose intolerant or do not enjoy dairy foods, there are plenty of probiotics found in fermented and pickled vegetables.  These crunchy and slightly sour foods are a great source of gut-enhancing bacteria.  Vegetables that contain probiotics include:  kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, and pickled vegetables (like pickled cauliflower).  If you're purchasing these foods from the grocery store, make sure to look for items that have not been pasteurized as this process kills the probiotics.  It should say "naturally fermented" or "unpasteurized." Include a serving of these tangy vegetables everyday to help increase the amount of probiotics you eat.  A typical serving of vegetables is about 1 cup.  This may be a lot when it comes to fermented vegetables, so consider splitting up this serving throughout the day. Another interesting place that you can find probiotics are in vegetarian protein sources.  Both tofu and tempeh contain probiotics and can be a great alternative to either dairy or fermented vegetables.  Both tofu and tempeh are made from fermented soybeans.  The probiotics result from this fermentation process making these protein sources beneficial to your gut.  Since tofu and tempeh are considered a protein, it's important to measure out the appropriate serving size.  Stick to a 3 – 4 oz portion of either per meal.  If you haven't cooked with tofu or tempeh before, it's easy to get started. Both are great when marinated and can take on a lot of flavor.  From there, they can be baked, added to stir-fries or crumbled and used in place of ground meat. All living organisms need a source of food or fuel — including probiotics.  Their food is actually called prebiotics which are apart of different foods and promote the growth of these healthy bacteria.  Prebiotics specifically are non-digestible components of foods (like the type of sugar called fructooligosaccharide) that act as food for the probiotics. These food components are found in a very specific group of foods.  They include: leeks, bananas, onions, garlic, artichokes, soybeans, asparagus and whole-wheat foods (like whole wheat bread or whole wheat pasta). Try to combine these foods or eat a serving of a prebiotic and probiotic daily.  For example, you can add sliced bananas to your yogurt or sauté onions, garlic and tempeh together for a stir-fry.

Summary: Include a serving of yogurt daily. Try fermented vegetables. Eat vegetarian sources of protein. Add foods that contain prebiotics.


This method works best for dogs with very long or thick coats, such as Siberian Huskies, whose double coats take a very long time to dry using the other methods. However, a blow dryer should only be used on a dog who is not afraid of the dryer.

Summary: Use a hair dryer.


Your pet thrives on routine and before you disrupt it completely, you should prepare them well in advance. Start by adding short periods of separation to your pet’s daily routine so they get used to your absence, and the absence of others, at home. You may do this over a period of a few weeks leading up to the back school season so your pet is prepared. For example, you may try to leave your pet alone for ten to fifteen minutes in the house while you go chat to a neighbor next door. Or you may leave your pet on their own for an hour while you go run errands in the area. You should also get your pet used to playing alone, as it will be less strange to them once the time comes for you to leave. Give your pet toys that they can play with on their own or leave them alone with a toy so they can have a solo play session.  For example, if you have a dog, you may give them a puzzle game that dispenses treats once they have solved a puzzle or figured out how to open a trapdoor in the game. If you have a hamster, you may put a wheel in their cage so they can run on the wheel to occupy themselves when they are alone. If you have a cat, you may provide a scratching post so your cat can play and scratch to their heart’s content while you are away. You should try to minimize the drama of you leaving and returning home so your pet does not get riled up when you come and go. You may try to simply open the door and exit quietly so your pet is not even aware that you are leaving. When you arrive home, you may remain quiet and calm so your pet does not become too excited by your return. Try to get others in your household in the habit of making a quiet entrance and a calm return to the home. This will allow your pet to see your leaving and entering as no big deal and become less stressed by the occurrence.
Summary: Add periods of separation to your pet’s routine. Encourage your pet to get used to playing alone. Do not make a big deal of leaving and entering the home.