Latest news with #DavidGarcia
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Side Hustles That Double as Career Boosters, According to Screening Expert
You may be among the millions of working Americans who've tried side hustles to bring in more money or explore a passion. But these side ventures can also greatly boost your career prospects by developing valuable skills to impress potential employers. Learn More: Find Out: 'Many job seekers overlook how their side hustles can strengthen their resumes,' said David Garcia, co-founder and CEO of ScoutLogic, a leading background check service that works with recruiters and HR teams across the United States. 'As someone who reviews thousands of candidate backgrounds, I've seen firsthand how certain side ventures can make applicants stand out.' Here are five side hustles Garcia said can double as career boosters. According to Garcia, starting a freelance writing business provides more than just supplemental income – it develops communication skills that are valuable across virtually every industry. 'Candidates with freelance writing experience often demonstrate superior communication abilities,' Garcia said. 'They typically know how to adapt their tone for different audiences and can articulate ideas concisely — skills that translate directly to professional environments.' For You: Garcia noted that freelance writing also builds research abilities, as writers must quickly become knowledgeable about various topics. This adaptability signals to employers that the candidate can get up to speed quickly in new roles or projects. Managing social media accounts, whether for local businesses, non-profits or your own brand, develops skills that are increasingly valuable in today's job market. 'Social media management builds more than just technical platform knowledge,' Garcia said. 'It develops strategic marketing thinking, data analysis capabilities and customer engagement skills, all highly transferable to various corporate roles.' Per Garcia, 'Creating and teaching online courses not only generates passive income, but also develops presentation, curriculum development and instructional design skills — all highly valued in corporate environments. 'Job candidates who have experience teaching or creating courses typically exhibit strong leadership qualities,' Garcia said. 'They know how to break down complex concepts, address different learning styles, and engage audiences effectively — skills that translate well to training, team leadership and project management roles.' Garcia said working as a virtual assistant provides exposure to diverse business operations while building exceptional organizational and prioritization skills. This side hustle can particularly demonstrate time management, attention to detail and the ability to handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously. Building an e-commerce business, whether through platforms like Etsy, eBay or Amazon, or through an independent website, develops entrepreneurial skills that make candidates stand out in the job market, Garcia said. 'E-commerce experience demonstrates initiative, risk tolerance, and business acumen,' Garcia added. 'These sellers learn inventory management, customer service, digital marketing, and financial planning. That's a comprehensive skill set applicable to many professional roles.' More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban: Trump's Tariffs Will Affect This Class of People the Most5 Cities You Need To Consider If You're Retiring in 202510 Cars That Outlast the Average Vehicle This article originally appeared on 5 Side Hustles That Double as Career Boosters, According to Screening Expert Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
T-shirts sales will support Wichita Public Library
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita Public Library has something new planned for National Library Week. Patrons can buy T-shirts to support the library. It comes at a critical time. The Wichita Public Library is concerned that one of President Donald Trump's Executive Orders will have disastrous consequences for libraries and communities. The order called for eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which funds 30% of the State Library of Kansas' budget. The funding is also crucial for the technology that links library resources across the state. 'Eliminating these funds will prevent residents from accessing the critical information they seek in order to thrive,' the library said in a news release. The president's directive is not the reason for the T-shirt sale. Spanish cannon vanishes from Wichita war memorial, found damaged 'The plan was already in the works, but the Executive Order makes the issue of funding more pressing than ever before,' David Garcia, Wichita Public Library, senior communications specialist, said. The Friends of the Wichita Public Library will begin selling the library-themed shirts at the Used Book Sale on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Advanced Learning Library, 711 W. 2nd Street. Adult sizes are $25 and youth sizes are $20. If you miss the sale, you can still get a T-shirt. They will be permanently available at the Used Bookstore located on the first floor of the Advanced Learning Library. More products and an online shop will soon follow. The library hopes people will take time during National Library Week, April 6-12, to recognize what libraries offer to communities. 'The need for funding is never-ending, but now more than ever, the issue is tantamount,' Garcia said. 'Simply put, we want our patrons to know the need is urgent, and any way they'd like to show their support would be graciously accepted.' He said a potential budget deficit for the City of Wichita is also on the horizon. If you want to help, you can buy the library merchandise, donate through the Wichita Public Library Foundation at or share your concerns with elected officials. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Veterans seek Trump's help against military ‘hell-bent on punishing soldiers' with false arrest records
Col. David Garcia thought his problems were over after a military board concluded that allegations he had created a hostile work environment were unfounded and recommended he retain his job in the U.S. Army. Instead, his FBI background check reads that he was arrested for "abusive sexual contact" and Garcia said he is at risk of being forced out of the Army if the error isn't fixed by Aug. 1. "I was never handcuffed. I wasn't tossed in the back of a squad car, [or] read my Miranda rights," Garcia told Fox News Digital. "So why did I show up as having been arrested?" 'Looking For Scalps': Green Beret Never Charged With A Crime Ends Up With Murder On Background Check Garcia is among the unknown number of soldiers and veterans stuck in a bureaucratic twilight zone, leaving them with a false arrest record, which can result in missed employment opportunities, the denial of firearms permits, and more. "There's an 'easy button' in this case that would… help every service member affected," lawyer and retired Green Beret Doug O'Connell said. Read On The Fox News App He wants the Trump administration to act. "The president and/or the Secretary of Defense have the absolute authority to order all branches of the military not to create criminal histories that are false, and to correct every single criminal history that shows someone was arrested or received into custody when they weren't," O'Connell said. "They don't need a judge to tell them to do it. They don't need a court proceeding. They could solve this problem simply by picking up the phone." An obscure military process known as "titling" is at the root of the issue. The Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) creates a permanent record showing a soldier was the subject of an investigation regardless of whether they are ever charged with a crime. In many cases, CID forwards that information to the FBI's criminal database using a form that includes an arrest date, even if the soldier was never actually arrested. New Military Bonus Program Haunted By Old Recruiting Scandal That Gave Soldiers False Criminal Records According to Garcia, it's like if a police officer pulled you over, looked up your driver's license and insurance information on their computer, let you off with a warning, and then reported that you had been arrested. In his case, Garcia said an "underperforming" employee accused him of creating a hostile work environment in 2023, which prompted investigators to speak with multiple members of Garcia's team and question Garcia himself. Garcia said he asked agents whether he was under arrest, and they said, "no." Ultimately, a military board found that Garcia had not committed "misconduct, moral or professional dereliction" and recommended that he remain in service to the Army, according to records he shared with Fox News Digital. However, his FBI background check makes it seem like Garcia was arrested on May 25, 2023, and charged with abusive sexual contact. Nearly two years later, he is still fighting to have the record corrected, paying a lawyer "thousands of dollars just to fix what [CID has] done." The Army has previously acknowledged titling's impact on service members. In late 2022, after years of outcry from soldiers titled after a sweeping investigation into a military recruiting program known as G-RAP, CID began correcting hundreds of records. But the corrections were limited to that group of service members and, more recently, CID has continued to defend the practice as simply an "administrative action." Titling is a "systemic problem," Army veteran and attorney Will Thomas said, one that has cost people their careers, professional licenses, bank loans, weapons permits and more. "This is affecting thousands of people, thousands of service members, thousands of veterans, many of whom don't even know that they have an issue," Thomas told Fox News Digital. O'Connell and Thomas initially sued the Army, CID, DoD, FBI and their leaders in 2023 on behalf of Sgt. Denise Rosales and all other service members "shackled" with a false arrest record. U.S. District Judge David Ezra has since dismissed the FBI from the suit on the grounds that the agency is simply a "repository" from the information. He also dismissed CID and individual leaders under sovereign immunity. But the suit against the Army and Defense Department is still pending, with Ezra writing last May that the defendants "provided no explanation as to why they would not change [Rosales'] record." "One could only speculate as to why the Army would defend a record that is not accurate of the events that took place," Ezra wrote in part. A representative of the U.S. Attorney's Office, which is defending the government against the lawsuit, declined to comment. Trump's Reinstatement Of Troops Booted Over Covid Vaccine Hailed As Win For Freedom: 'Great Day For Patriots' Those who spoke with Fox News Digital hope to avoid dragging out a legal war that has already been ongoing for years, and are seeking immediate relief from the Trump administration, which has already taken unilateral action like reinstating service members booted from the military for declining the COVID-19 vaccine. Trump has also shaken up Pentagon leadership by firing several top military officers. O'Connell, who has represented titled soldiers and veterans for years, says he and his clients have jumped through "every administrative hoop," starting with JAG (Judge Advocate General) officers and moving up to Army general counsel. "They seem hell-bent on punishing soldiers who have not done anything wrong," he said. "I think I understand why Secretary Hegseth is so frustrated with the senior JAG officers, because they've allowed this bureaucracy to perpetuate that only serves to harm soldiers." Secdef Hegseth Responds To Rumors He Drafted 'List' Of Military Officials He Will Purge Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said last month that positions in the JAG Corps have typically been filled by a "small group of insulated officers who perpetuate the status quo." "Well, guess what, status quo hasn't worked very well at the Pentagon," Hegseth told "Fox News Sunday." "It's time for fresh blood." "With the last administration, we got nowhere with them," Thomas said of efforts to clear soldiers' names. "We're optimistic and hopeful that the new administration can step in and really just fix this problem." Garcia, meanwhile, is up against a ticking clock. After more than 30 years serving in the Army, he says if his record isn't corrected by Aug. 1, he's scheduled to be forced off of active duty. O'Connell said the military's refusal to budge "makes no sense, especially in an era where there's lots of threats out in the world and recruiting needs to be boosted." "Why would parents send their children to the military if they know our military is creating false criminal histories for no apparent good reason?" he asked. The White House and Defense Department did not respond to a request for article source: Veterans seek Trump's help against military 'hell-bent on punishing soldiers' with false arrest records
