Opportunity/Business

It's Time to Review Your Free Credit Report

BY ABRIL ESPINOZA WEAVER FOR LATINO LUBBOCK MAGAZINE

Your credit report summarizes your credit history. It includes your personal information, credit cards, loans, how much you owe, if you pay your bills on time or late, and if a debt you owe has been referred to a debt collector. These variables influence your credit score. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends looking at your credit report at least once a year. Your credit score affects several things in your daily life, so it's crucial to know where you stand with it. Banks consider your information before giving you a loan or a credit card. Insurance companies may look at reports or ratings to evaluate if they'll insure you and how much to charge. Cell phone and utility companies may utilize them to determine if a deposit is required. Remember that you can obtain a free credit report at annualcreditreport.com once a year.

(En español, p. 19)

Director of Research (Psychiatry)

Coordinate and oversee medical research and scholarly activity within the Dept. of Psychology in Lubbock, TX. Requires: M.D. or equiv. & 3 yrs exp. as a Psychiatry Resident. Apply at www.ttuhsc.edu/jobs/ Req#29549BR. Texas Tech Univ. Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St., Lubbock, TX 79430 EOE/AA

Four In-Demand ‘Soft’ Skills for Your Resume

You know it’s time for a change—a pay bump and a position where you feel more like an actual professional—but you’re not quite ready to commit to pursuing one career over another. That’s okay. There are still some things you can be doing to invest in your future right now. There are plenty of skills to learn and implement into your life that may help you when you’re finally ready to apply for that new job or join that program. Take a look at what these employers, business leaders, resume professionals and more are saying about skills to learn that will help you grow and complement your future resume. No matter the field you are entering, focus on soft skills that are easily transferable to any position. Four “soft” skills that can help you grow as a person and bolster your resume for nearly any career Relationship-Building. Recruiters and hiring managers consistently seek employees who can relate well to a variety of coworkers, partner with customers, establish ongoing relationships and demonstrate exceptional communication skills. Communication Skills. Both written and oral—are also desirable traits among potential employees. Every career requires communication. Whether it’s responding to client emails, collaborating with teammates or presenting in front of team leads, the ability to communicate clearly and concisely is an important skill to possess and refine. Critical Thinking. This ability is a universally useful skill— practically every job requires you to evaluate situations and make decisions that might not always have a clear right answer. The ability to weigh evidence and project potential outcomes will play a key role in your ability to perform well in nearly any role— whether it’s as a nurse or financial advisor. While this ability isn’t something that can be honed with the snap of your fingers, there are strategies you can employ to refine your critical-thinking skills over time. Adaptability. This is important to both small and large companies, due in part to greatly improved communication and data collection capabilities, events that would take months or even years to develop are reduced to weeks and days. So it is important in your resume that you can demonstrate how you’ve encountered or were tasked to resolve challenging situations that may not have been in your scope of understanding, and how you dealt with them.

Good luck in your search!

Professional Development

FREE GED TEST PREPARATION

CLASSES. Need to study to pass the GED? Literacy Lubbock offers free, flexible, and casual prep classes at various times to fit in with your busy schedule. Call us at 806-7753636 for more information or register for Free classes at www.literacylubbock.org.

FREE GED AND ESL CLASSES

for Lubbock and the surrounding area offered by Adult Education Center. We accept new students on a bimonthly basis. You must be at least 17 years old and not enrolled in public school to be eligible for the classes. For more info call 806-2815750. Open Mon. thru Fri. from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. BASIC ENGLISH CLASS – Clase de Inglés – aprender Inglés básico, 3211 58th Street, (east of Indiana) Lubbock. Horas: Cada Miércoles a las 7:30-8:30 de la noche. 806-239-5352 GRATIS!!

CHILD CARE AVAILABLE FOR INCOME-ELIGIBLE FAMILIES

Families who are income eligible may receive fee assistance to attend one of the Early Learning Center’s five centers for child care. Parents or caretakers must be employed or in school. The program is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (806) 765-9981 for more information.

CLASES DE INGLÉS COMO SE-

GUNDA IDIOMA La Literacia de Lubbock (Literacy Lubbock) ofrecen clases gratis de inglés como segundo idioma (English as Second Language) para la comunidad. Todos los adultos están bienvenido en estas clases. Para más información, llame a (806) 775-3636.

FREE CRIMINAL DEFENSE

ATTORNEY: The Caprock Regional Public Defender Office offers free legal representation to 13 surrounding West Texas Counties. The office handles Felony, Misdemeanor and Juvenile cases for citizens that cannot afford to hire a criminal defense lawyer. Call (806) 742-4312 to see if your county qualifies for this service. IMMIGRATION SERVICES If you need help with immigration issues call 806-741-0409.

SERVICIOS DE INMIGRACIÓN

Si necesitan ayuda con asuntos de inmigración llame a este numero (806) 7410409.

REFERRAL FOR QUALITY

CHILD CARE in Lubbock by the South Plains Day Home Association helps parents with free referrals to licensed or registered day care facilities that are routinely monitored by the Texas Department and Protective Services. Call 796-0606 or 792-1847 for more information.

DO YOU HAVE NEWS? Submit your business news online at www.latinolubbock.net/ have-a-story or call (806)792-1212

Business & Opportunity Updates

STARTING YOUR OWN BUSI-

NESS PART 1 Learn about a Business Plan, Business Start-up/Preplanning, Marketing/Sales. 8/2/22. Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (CDT). Call Becky Castilleja (806) 745-1637 to register.

WEBINAR-HOW TO FINANCE YOUR SMALL BUSI-

NESS Learn the basics of small business loans. FREE on 8/3/22. Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (CDT). Call Becky Castilleja (806) 745-1637 to register. TAX FORMS AT LIBRARIES they have forms 1040 and 1040-SR in English and Spanish available at all locations. You can also access all available forms and instructions from home at www.irs.gov. BUSINESS COUNSELING Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs can discuss their business ventures and get expert advice from the SBDC staff. All information will be held in strict confidence. For a counseling sessions call (806) 745-1637.

LOW INCOME TAXPAYER CLIN-

IC The TTU School of Law operates a “FREE” Low Income Taxpayer Clinic year around to provide assistance relating to issues involving controversies with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For more info call (806) 834-7972 or toll free (800) 420-8037.

DO YOU HAVE NEWS? Submit your business news online at www.latinolubbock. net/have-a-story or call (806)792-1212

Important Numbers

Police (Non-Emergency) call 763-5333

Fire (Non-Emergency) call 765-5757

Emergencies call 9-1-1 Program/Service info, call 2-1-1

City services, call 3-1-1

Voting Info, call 4-1-1 City - call 775-3000. www.ci.lubbock.tx.us

County - call 775-1000 www.co.lubbock.tx.us LISD - call 766-1000 www.lubbockisd.org

Latino Lubbock Magazine (806)792-1212 news@latinolubbock.net www.latinolubbock.net

LATINO LUBBOCK DEADLINE NEWS & INFO, 18TH ADVERTISING THE 21ST

TX Home Sales Decreased While Prices Kept Rising

The number of single family homes sold across the state declined 5.6% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same time frame in 2021, while the median price kept climbing, according to the 2022-Q2 Texas Quarterly Housing Report released today by Texas Realtors. "Although home sales slightly declined, the demand for buying a Texas home was still impressive with more than 100,000 homes sold during the second quarter of 2022," said Russell Berry, chairman of Texas Realtors. "Housing inventory levels are finally on the rise in many areas of the state — something we haven't seen for several years — but home prices continue to rise." During the second quarter this year, the statewide median price of $357,388 represents a 19.1% increase compared to the same quarter last year. Nearly half of the 108,390 homes sold in the state were in the $200,000-$399,000 price range. Jim Gaines, Ph.D., research economist with the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University, commented, "The rapidly rising interest rates, increases in home price, and tight housing inventory had a slowing effect on home sales in the second quarter of the year, but the Texas housing market is still strong. The data could indicate signs of a transition period for the Texas real estate market. If inventory continues to steadily increase and home sales price appreciation begins to slow, we could be moving towards a prepandemic environment." Housing supply in Texas increased 0.8 months in the second quarter of 2022 to 2.1 months of inventory. This is the first time inventory has increased year-over-year since the third quarter of 2019 and the first time it has been above two months of inventory since the third quarter of 2020. Homes spent an average of 27 days on the market before going under contract, five days less than the second quarter of 2021. Chairman Berry concluded, "Right now, it's crucial for homebuyers and sellers to equip themselves with accurate information and reliable resources. Working with a Texas Realtor is the optimal way to make an informed and timely decision in what is still a very active real estate market in every area of the state."

Beginning Tuesday, August 2nd, Lone Star Dirt & Paving LTD., under contract with the City of Lubbock, will begin pavement repairs on North University Ave., between Marsha Sharp Freeway and Clovis Road . This work will require changes to traffic flow during construction. Appropriate signage and barricades will be in place

City to Begin N. University

Pavement Repairs around the work zone. Motorist are urged to allow extra time for delays or to find alternate routes. Pavement repairs will take approximately nine weeks to complete depending on weather and construction. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Street Department at 806-775-2608.

Linen and Uniform Rental Service All Fresh Products

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Ana Borrego, Agent

8001 Quaker Ave Ste. G Lubbock, TX 79424 (806)745-2555 www.anaborrego.com Hablo Español

Get vaccinated! ¡Vacunarse!