Starting a Job Search You Now Work From Home. Tips for Working from Home.

Starting a Job Search You Now Work From Home. Tips for Working from Home. On Careerealism there is a post with 14 tips for working from home (here). I was going to link to it and say go read it, but it is about working from home for an employer.  It is a great read, if that is what you are doing, but I want to submit my own tips for job seekers who work from home. A surprise in my job search was that I changed from a structured environment where I had a system and expectations to a lazy boy chair and laptop, and not much else.  I wasnt sure where to start, how to fill my day, and what to expect to have accomplished by the end of the day.  With that in mind, here are my tips.  I would love to hear yours, in the comments. Have a PURPOSE. My overall purpose was to get a new (and better) job.  But I didnt break that down into the steps to take each day/week/month.  My purpose was too big, and I got lost in the ambiguity. My daily purpose should have been bite-sized, acheivable goals, like contact three people from target companies or follow-up with three people I contacted 30 60 days ago.  Not having a short-term purpose meant I never accomplished my long-term purpose.  People, I put this as #1 for a reason! Prioritize. Okay, you have a purpose.  Make sure you do (a) the most important, or (b) the scariest things first.  If you do all of the easy, comfortable stuff first, you will not get to IMPORTANT.  If you dont know why that is important, brush up on 7 Habits (the four quadrants). My business coach talks about doing Three High Value Activities every day.  Honestly, if I do those three, I am done for the day.  Everything else is gravy.  I have peach of mind that Im doing the most important stuff with consistency.  I can do it all by 8:30 in the morning of course I continue to work, but I feel GOOD about moving forward (and, I see results!). Create a system. I heard this from a professional speaker (Kathy Loveless) and was blown away as she described her system.  Now, heres my caution.  Dont spend too much time creating your system.  Do your High Value Activities and then work on your system.  But yeah, get a system.  This might include when you get up, showering and getting dressed, personal study time, cleaning and eating, etc. Honor the system. This was the second part of Kathys presentation.  Once you create the system DO IT!!  Actually do it!  Give it a chance!  Dont tell me all the reasons why you cant do it. Create boundaries. This is the low-hanging fruit, obvious list item.  But not having the right boundaries will kill you.  My young kids new when to leave me a long (when the door was shut, or when I was on the phone, or something like that).  Create boundaries and help people know what they are.  People will respect that.  My wife, as a homeschool mom, had a boundary that she would not answer the phone before 1pm.  She either turned off the ringers or let it go to voice mail.  This was a powerful boundary that let her get through school without getting any outside distractions. Exercise. I neglected this and I dearly paid for it.  This doesnt have to be intense, heavy metal, profuse sweating.  Consistency is your friend. I have grown to love WALKING and doing what I call stairs push-ups (push-ups on an incline I have a bad back and weak abs there, Ive said it!). The physical benefits are awesome.  The peace of mind from being proactive is awesome. And heck the endorphin brain thing is awesome.  It doesnt take that long (20 minutes?) to knock this off your daily list. Eat right. My idea of eating right was way off.  Heres a thought: are you eating to feed your cells (nutrition provided to your body) or to feed your belly (to make you feel full, or take the hunger away)?  Much has been written about eating, so I wont go into it, but I love that phrase/question. Get out of the house. I was so busy online doing a job search that I didnt go out much.  That was NOT good for my wife, for my personal hygeine (why do it when you dont have to?), and for my sanity.  Please get out regularly, and see real people.  If nothing else, go to the mall and people-watch.  Get out get fresh air!  Go to network events, go the library, and try and get lunches/breakfasts set up with people you need to network with. Avoid internet distractions. It is so easy to just look at the news and then two hours later get back to real life.  Sure you might deserve a break, but dont let those breaks become how you spend your day.  Distractions are abundant online (even LinkedIn Signal can be a major distraction).  Go back to the first point in this list and make sure you spend your time on your purpose. Give yourself a break (in Career Realism, this is #9: Understand your work style).  If you havent figured it out yet, you are probably different than other people.  Some might be very disciplined in X, and you are disciplined in Y.  Some are awesome at networking, others at organization, others at ____. Dont compare yourself, and beat yourself up.  Understand who you are, how you work, and focus on your purpose with your strengths, instead of beating yourself up because of your perceived weaknesses. Heres a life tip: the people you think are awesome they have weaknesses, and many times see your strengths and wish they had them.  Stop comparing, give yourself a break, and move forward. Stay organized. Use JibberJobber to organize your job search.  I cant tell you how many people say I wish I would have known about this last week, last month, etc.  Look, the reality is your job search will either be long, or youre going to have a lot of data (network contacts, where you applied, follow-up needs, etc.).  You can try and monkey around with other systems (Excel, etc.) but when you are ready to get serious about your career, get on and use JibberJobber.  And make sure to jump on a JibberJobber user webinar. The peace of mind you can get from feeling like you are in control of this data can be priceless. Dont hide from your job search (by being overly organized??). When I worked at the FBI as a clerk I remember days where I would organize my files. I was bored out of my mind and the only thing I could do was go through, again, my file cabinet.  It was a useless exercise.  As a job seeker its easy to revert to something that kind of makes you feel productive, but in the end, provides no value.  Dont waste time on activities that are not helping you with your purpose!  I see job seekers do this by applying online too much, by tweaking their spreadsheet, and many other things. Each night, plan for the next day. I have learned that if I take a few minutes to list what I need to accomplish the next day (even listing my High Value Activities for the next day), my next day goes much, much better.  If I dont do that, and try to figure out what Im going to do in the morning, I find most of the morning gone, unproductive, before I really get started. Those are my tips.  What would you add? Starting a Job Search You Now Work From Home. Tips for Working from Home. On Careerealism there is a post with 14 tips for working from home (here). I was going to link to it and say go read it, but it is about working from home for an employer.  It is a great read, if that is what you are doing, but I want to submit my own tips for job seekers who work from home. A surprise in my job search was that I changed from a structured environment where I had a system and expectations to a lazy boy chair and laptop, and not much else.  I wasnt sure where to start, how to fill my day, and what to expect to have accomplished by the end of the day.  With that in mind, here are my tips.  I would love to hear yours, in the comments. Have a PURPOSE. My overall purpose was to get a new (and better) job.  But I didnt break that down into the steps to take each day/week/month.  My purpose was too big, and I got lost in the ambiguity. My daily purpose should have been bite-sized, acheivable goals, like contact three people from target companies or follow-up with three people I contacted 30 60 days ago.  Not having a short-term purpose meant I never accomplished my long-term purpose.  People, I put this as #1 for a reason! Prioritize. Okay, you have a purpose.  Make sure you do (a) the most important, or (b) the scariest things first.  If you do all of the easy, comfortable stuff first, you will not get to IMPORTANT.  If you dont know why that is important, brush up on 7 Habits (the four quadrants). My business coach talks about doing Three High Value Activities every day.  Honestly, if I do those three, I am done for the day.  Everything else is gravy.  I have peach of mind that Im doing the most important stuff with consistency.  I can do it all by 8:30 in the morning of course I continue to work, but I feel GOOD about moving forward (and, I see results!). Create a system. I heard this from a professional speaker (Kathy Loveless) and was blown away as she described her system.  Now, heres my caution.  Dont spend too much time creating your system.  Do your High Value Activities and then work on your system.  But yeah, get a system.  This might include when you get up, showering and getting dressed, personal study time, cleaning and eating, etc. Honor the system. This was the second part of Kathys presentation.  Once you create the system DO IT!!  Actually do it!  Give it a chance!  Dont tell me all the reasons why you cant do it. Create boundaries. This is the low-hanging fruit, obvious list item.  But not having the right boundaries will kill you.  My young kids new when to leave me a long (when the door was shut, or when I was on the phone, or something like that).  Create boundaries and help people know what they are.  People will respect that.  My wife, as a homeschool mom, had a boundary that she would not answer the phone before 1pm.  She either turned off the ringers or let it go to voice mail.  This was a powerful boundary that let her get through school without getting any outside distractions. Exercise. I neglected this and I dearly paid for it.  This doesnt have to be intense, heavy metal, profuse sweating.  Consistency is your friend. I have grown to love WALKING and doing what I call stairs push-ups (push-ups on an incline I have a bad back and weak abs there, Ive said it!). The physical benefits are awesome.  The peace of mind from being proactive is awesome. And heck the endorphin brain thing is awesome.  It doesnt take that long (20 minutes?) to knock this off your daily list. Eat right. My idea of eating right was way off.  Heres a thought: are you eating to feed your cells (nutrition provided to your body) or to feed your belly (to make you feel full, or take the hunger away)?  Much has been written about eating, so I wont go into it, but I love that phrase/question. Get out of the house. I was so busy online doing a job search that I didnt go out much.  That was NOT good for my wife, for my personal hygeine (why do it when you dont have to?), and for my sanity.  Please get out regularly, and see real people.  If nothing else, go to the mall and people-watch.  Get out get fresh air!  Go to network events, go the library, and try and get lunches/breakfasts set up with people you need to network with. Avoid internet distractions. It is so easy to just look at the news and then two hours later get back to real life.  Sure you might deserve a break, but dont let those breaks become how you spend your day.  Distractions are abundant online (even LinkedIn Signal can be a major distraction).  Go back to the first point in this list and make sure you spend your time on your purpose. Give yourself a break (in Career Realism, this is #9: Understand your work style).  If you havent figured it out yet, you are probably different than other people.  Some might be very disciplined in X, and you are disciplined in Y.  Some are awesome at networking, others at organization, others at ____. Dont compare yourself, and beat yourself up.  Understand who you are, how you work, and focus on your purpose with your strengths, instead of beating yourself up because of your perceived weaknesses. Heres a life tip: the people you think are awesome they have weaknesses, and many times see your strengths and wish they had them.  Stop comparing, give yourself a break, and move forward. Stay organized. Use JibberJobber to organize your job search.  I cant tell you how many people say I wish I would have known about this last week, last month, etc.  Look, the reality is your job search will either be long, or youre going to have a lot of data (network contacts, where you applied, follow-up needs, etc.).  You can try and monkey around with other systems (Excel, etc.) but when you are ready to get serious about your career, get on and use JibberJobber.  And make sure to jump on a JibberJobber user webinar. The peace of mind you can get from feeling like you are in control of this data can be priceless. Dont hide from your job search (by being overly organized??). When I worked at the FBI as a clerk I remember days where I would organize my files. I was bored out of my mind and the only thing I could do was go through, again, my file cabinet.  It was a useless exercise.  As a job seeker its easy to revert to something that kind of makes you feel productive, but in the end, provides no value.  Dont waste time on activities that are not helping you with your purpose!  I see job seekers do this by applying online too much, by tweaking their spreadsheet, and many other things. Each night, plan for the next day. I have learned that if I take a few minutes to list what I need to accomplish the next day (even listing my High Value Activities for the next day), my next day goes much, much better.  If I dont do that, and try to figure out what Im going to do in the morning, I find most of the morning gone, unproductive, before I really get started. Those are my tips.  What would you add? Starting a Job Search You Now Work From Home. Tips for Working from Home. On Careerealism there is a post with 14 tips for working from home (here). I was going to link to it and say go read it, but it is about working from home for an employer.  It is a great read, if that is what you are doing, but I want to submit my own tips for job seekers who work from home. A surprise in my job search was that I changed from a structured environment where I had a system and expectations to a lazy boy chair and laptop, and not much else.  I wasnt sure where to start, how to fill my day, and what to expect to have accomplished by the end of the day.  With that in mind, here are my tips.  I would love to hear yours, in the comments. Have a PURPOSE. My overall purpose was to get a new (and better) job.  But I didnt break that down into the steps to take each day/week/month.  My purpose was too big, and I got lost in the ambiguity. My daily purpose should have been bite-sized, acheivable goals, like contact three people from target companies or follow-up with three people I contacted 30 60 days ago.  Not having a short-term purpose meant I never accomplished my long-term purpose.  People, I put this as #1 for a reason! Prioritize. Okay, you have a purpose.  Make sure you do (a) the most important, or (b) the scariest things first.  If you do all of the easy, comfortable stuff first, you will not get to IMPORTANT.  If you dont know why that is important, brush up on 7 Habits (the four quadrants). My business coach talks about doing Three High Value Activities every day.  Honestly, if I do those three, I am done for the day.  Everything else is gravy.  I have peach of mind that Im doing the most important stuff with consistency.  I can do it all by 8:30 in the morning of course I continue to work, but I feel GOOD about moving forward (and, I see results!). Create a system. I heard this from a professional speaker (Kathy Loveless) and was blown away as she described her system.  Now, heres my caution.  Dont spend too much time creating your system.  Do your High Value Activities and then work on your system.  But yeah, get a system.  This might include when you get up, showering and getting dressed, personal study time, cleaning and eating, etc. Honor the system. This was the second part of Kathys presentation.  Once you create the system DO IT!!  Actually do it!  Give it a chance!  Dont tell me all the reasons why you cant do it. Create boundaries. This is the low-hanging fruit, obvious list item.  But not having the right boundaries will kill you.  My young kids new when to leave me a long (when the door was shut, or when I was on the phone, or something like that).  Create boundaries and help people know what they are.  People will respect that.  My wife, as a homeschool mom, had a boundary that she would not answer the phone before 1pm.  She either turned off the ringers or let it go to voice mail.  This was a powerful boundary that let her get through school without getting any outside distractions. Exercise. I neglected this and I dearly paid for it.  This doesnt have to be intense, heavy metal, profuse sweating.  Consistency is your friend. I have grown to love WALKING and doing what I call stairs push-ups (push-ups on an incline I have a bad back and weak abs there, Ive said it!). The physical benefits are awesome.  The peace of mind from being proactive is awesome. And heck the endorphin brain thing is awesome.  It doesnt take that long (20 minutes?) to knock this off your daily list. Eat right. My idea of eating right was way off.  Heres a thought: are you eating to feed your cells (nutrition provided to your body) or to feed your belly (to make you feel full, or take the hunger away)?  Much has been written about eating, so I wont go into it, but I love that phrase/question. Get out of the house. I was so busy online doing a job search that I didnt go out much.  That was NOT good for my wife, for my personal hygeine (why do it when you dont have to?), and for my sanity.  Please get out regularly, and see real people.  If nothing else, go to the mall and people-watch.  Get out get fresh air!  Go to network events, go the library, and try and get lunches/breakfasts set up with people you need to network with. Avoid internet distractions. It is so easy to just look at the news and then two hours later get back to real life.  Sure you might deserve a break, but dont let those breaks become how you spend your day.  Distractions are abundant online (even LinkedIn Signal can be a major distraction).  Go back to the first point in this list and make sure you spend your time on your purpose. Give yourself a break (in Career Realism, this is #9: Understand your work style).  If you havent figured it out yet, you are probably different than other people.  Some might be very disciplined in X, and you are disciplined in Y.  Some are awesome at networking, others at organization, others at ____. Dont compare yourself, and beat yourself up.  Understand who you are, how you work, and focus on your purpose with your strengths, instead of beating yourself up because of your perceived weaknesses. Heres a life tip: the people you think are awesome they have weaknesses, and many times see your strengths and wish they had them.  Stop comparing, give yourself a break, and move forward. Stay organized. Use JibberJobber to organize your job search.  I cant tell you how many people say I wish I would have known about this last week, last month, etc.  Look, the reality is your job search will either be long, or youre going to have a lot of data (network contacts, where you applied, follow-up needs, etc.).  You can try and monkey around with other systems (Excel, etc.) but when you are ready to get serious about your career, get on and use JibberJobber.  And make sure to jump on a JibberJobber user webinar. The peace of mind you can get from feeling like you are in control of this data can be priceless. Dont hide from your job search (by being overly organized??). When I worked at the FBI as a clerk I remember days where I would organize my files. I was bored out of my mind and the only thing I could do was go through, again, my file cabinet.  It was a useless exercise.  As a job seeker its easy to revert to something that kind of makes you feel productive, but in the end, provides no value.  Dont waste time on activities that are not helping you with your purpose!  I see job seekers do this by applying online too much, by tweaking their spreadsheet, and many other things. Each night, plan for the next day. I have learned that if I take a few minutes to list what I need to accomplish the next day (even listing my High Value Activities for the next day), my next day goes much, much better.  If I dont do that, and try to figure out what Im going to do in the morning, I find most of the morning gone, unproductive, before I really get started. Those are my tips.  What would you add?

Top 5 Super Annoying LinkedIn Approach Styles

Top 5 Super Annoying LinkedIn Approach Styles Prospecting on LinkedIn is a huge part of many peoples roles. Its kind of what LinkedIn is for, isnt it?  We  put our  profiles up there knowing full well that people will have the option of  messaging  us. We  can also decide who we  want to connect with and even  turn off the InMail messaging function if we want to, restricting it only to introductions that are being made by people in our approved and trusted network.  We cant really complain about people prospecting to us can we? No. However what we can complain about is  the style people choose to use. It doesnt matter whether its a recruiter sourcing candidates for a role or sales person trying to sell new software to online businesses. Most sales professionals would agree that tailoring and personalising prospective approaches  is the best way to  start a potentially fruitful relationship over LinkedIn. Theres no one-size-fits-all approach or the perfect method, but generally I prefer contact to be direct, honest and clear, with the person explaining who they  are, who they  work for and why theyre  reaching out.  Prospectors  have to dangle some kind of  bait to make their message stand out and capture attention  / spark some interest in the recipient but in my opinion, some people  make pretty bad blunders! Here are my top 5 annoying LinkedIn approach styles: 1. The overly-friendly  message When youre having a busy day and some random person emails you asking how youve been, what the weathers like and whether you have any exciting plans for the weekend, I just think, who is this and why are they asking me these questions? This uncertainty / confusion kind of undermines the good intention. InMails should be pleasant and contain some niceties, however when its from someone Ive never met, I  prefer them to be more direct and open about why theyre getting in contact, without the small talk. How can they possibly  care about my wellbeing  when they dont even know me?  To me that signals they  want something from me, but feel guilty asking for it outright. 2. The cocky message Have you ever opened up a message that  includes some kind of weird, cocky attitude about it? Sometimes sales people try to get the upper hand in their LinkedIn message, and attempt to make the recipient feel like they owe this random person something. Sometimes it can come in the form of highlighting the fact that yes, its a generic approach but Im just doing my job. I really dont have time for this. While mass-sending emails is a realistic approach many sales people need to opt for, highlighting your own apathy for the task or lack of tailoring is a massive turn-off. 3. The apologetic  message I cant count how many times I have received LinkedIn InMails from people apologising for taking my time or contacting me out of the blue, before I even have any idea why they are getting in touch. If someone can truly add value to my career or workplace, why would they need to apologise? To me, apologising signifies they have done something wrong or they are going to waste / misuse my time. Positivity and openness is key! 4. The  daily  message When it comes to prospecting, persistence is key not stalking! Sending the same message or a similar one day after day after day is the perfect recipe for getting annoyed. When someone sends you a text message, you kind of feel compelled to respond within a reasonable amount of time, probably on the same day. With LinkedIn, I believe you get a bit more time. A sales person shouldnt expect to hear back from their prospects immediately or on the same day. I totally respect persistence, but daily repetition is a different story. 5. The sloppy  message Put simply, bad grammar, misspelled names and dodgy auto-fill lines that get your name wrong or accidentally pull through your surname instead of first name are just massive red flags to me. So there you have it. The annoying LinkedIn messaging styles that  are fairly annoying to be on the receiving end of. Having said this, youll notice I havent screen-shotted images of real examples nor named and shamed anyone. Why? Because thats just so unprofessional and unnecessary after all, prospecting is part of many peoples jobs mine too! Unless the message is threatening, malicious or somehow dangerous or disturbing, ignoring it will probably do the trick. Or maybe tagging them in this article No need to drag someones career down in the public eye. Theyll do that themselves with their dodgy prospecting tactics ha!

Dilbert How Not to Answer - Part 2

Dilbert How Not to Answer - Part 2 Part 2 of how not to answer at a graduate interview is here! Being honest at an interview is good, but you have to show the interviewer that your skills match the job requirement and you are a worthy investment. Read the post about best practice interview skills  here. Subscribe to Career Geeks Bi-monthly Newsletter  to stay up-to-date with careers information and tips tricks. 0

Manchester Graduate Talent A reflection University of Manchester Careers Blog

Manchester Graduate Talent â€" A reflection University of Manchester Careers Blog All good things must come to an end, and my MGT internship at the Careers Service is no exception. 12 months ago I was feeling lost over my future career; I felt like there was no clear path for me and my head was swimming with different options. While I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, I did know that I wanted to stay in Manchester, so an MGT internship at the university seemed like a great option. I’d used the Careers Service as a student and found them so helpful and reassuring, so I decided to apply for the Information and Guidance Assistant role with the information team in the Atrium. Since then I’ve gained so many skills and not only learned about the role and the world of careers in general, but also about myself and what I want from a job. Here are a few of my biggest take-aways from my time as an MGT intern at the University. 1.       The options are HUGE There are so many different MGT opportunities it is staggering. I got my job relatively early in the recruitment process (MGTs are advertised until as late as January, but the peak is between May-August) so I stopped looking for new MGT opportunities, but there are interns in every academic school, administration, comms and marketing, sports, the SU and just about every other area that you could imagine. Talking to the other MGTs I have learned about all kinds of exciting roles that are on offer at the university exclusively to UoM graduates from 2018 or 2019. And it isn’t just roles at the university either, as the MGT programme connects local businesses with graduates and all kinds of different opportunities in a range of sectors can be found. Check out the Facebook page for more information. 2.       You will make mistakes, and that’s OK During education you’re encouraged to never make mistakes, that they can’t be undone and you’ll be penalised when you do. ‘Unlearning’ this can be a bit of a struggle, but my internship has really taught me that mistakes are a part of life, and it’s how you work to fix the mistake and learn from the mistake that matters. Mistakes aren’t a failure, they’re an opportunity to do better next time. No employer expects you to walk into a job (especially an entry-level one) and to already know exactly how to do that job, so branching out, giving a few things a go and sometimes getting them wrong is how you grow in your career and as a person. Not only this, but making mistakes helps you develop your problem-solving skills and can be great to talk about in interviews! 3.       Make the most of your time Me and my colleagues with our Making a Difference Award for Environmental Sustainability! When I came into my internship my attitude was to seize the opportunity to try as many new things as possible. I’ve undertaken my own projects, helped out with events and participated in Green Impact (we even won a Making a Difference award!) to try and gain as many skills as possible. The uni has great learning and development opportunities for its staff, so if you aren’t sure what you want to do or feel you might be lacking in some key skills for your chosen industry an MGT internship is a great chance to gain some of those skills. Not only was I encouraged to use my time effectively while I was in the role, it also made me realise how important utilising your time as a student is as well. My experiences with extra-curriculars like PASS and my committee roles at the Manchester Swing Dance Society were a stepping stone to me getting this job, which in turn was a stepping stone to my new job. I’m so grateful that I took the time to do extra activities as a student, so if you’re coming back in September this might be something you want to think about too. Find out more about gaining experience here! 4.       Save your job descriptions This is less of a ‘life lesson’ and a bit more specific to careers generally but still very important. When I was initially offered an interview for my internship, I decided it would probably be worth reading the Careers service guide on preparing for interviews so I would feel a bit more secure. In the guide it emphasised researching the role and going over the key skills the employer has asked for, so I looked the role up on Careerslink to see the description. Once I started looking I realised that, because the application date had closed, the job description wasn’t available anymore! Fortunately I had emailed the role to a friend and managed to find it that way and it was lucky I had or I may never have gotten the job. Not only did this extra research help me nab my role, but it also taught me a valuable lesson for the future: always save your job descriptions! Luckily, if you apply to a job through Careerslink and this happens to you, you can ask the lovely info team to send you a copy! All you need to do is pop in to the Atrium or email careers.info@manchester.ac.uk with the vacancy ID and they can retrieve it for you. It’s a shame I didn’t know that at the time! 5.       Sometimes you need to take a step back to breathe Before starting my internship I’d been in education for nearly 17 years. Like many others who aren’t sure what they want to do, I considered doing a masters and delaying the inevitable for another 12 months at some considerable financial cost because it was familiar. Education was my comfort zone, even having done an industrial placement. However, as time ticked on and I still hadn’t applied for anything, I had a proper think about why I wanted to do a masters, and how I could possibly choose which ones to apply for if I didn’t even know where I was going. After a tough final year I also had to think about my own wellbeing and whether I could really handle a masters. Having told myself it was now too late to apply for a masters (it wasn’t), I started looking on Careerslink and discovered the MGT scheme. To me, this seemed like the best of both worlds, as it was a full-time paid job but it was in an environment that felt familiar. It wasn’t further education but it was within an educational setting. Plus, as it was a 12-month fixed term contract, it didn’t feel like I was signing my future away to something I potentially wouldn’t enjoy. I saw my internship as an opportunity to step away from further education, take a bit of a breather, decide where I was headed and start forging my own path. As luck would have it, I have loved my role and my time at the Careers Service, and I know I wouldn’t be going into the great role I am now without the skills I’ve gained and the support I’ve received from my colleagues. I’m not saying that choosing a masters is the wrong path; for some people it is absolutely the best choice for them, but it really is worth taking the time to consider your options and why you want to do something before you commit to it. Fancy taking up the mantle of my role at the Careers Service? Applications are open for the 2019 MGT position of Information and Guidance Support Assistant until the 2nd June (vacancy ID 88758) and is open to 2018 and summer 2019 graduates! If my role doesn’t tickle your fancy but you’d love an MGT role, keep an eye out on Careerslink as new vacancies will be posted throughout the summer! 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Interview Series - Career Experts - Dana Manciagli from Job Search Master Class® CareerMetis.com

Interview Series - Career Experts - Dana Manciagli from Job Search Master Class ® In this interview series, we caught up with Dana Manciaglifrom Job Search Master Class ®who shares her expertise and insights about job search, career change,etc., in today’s marketplace.Tell us a little bit about your company evalLeading online 24 x 7 curriculum for end-to-end job search skills training.Job Search Master Class ®is current, continuously updated, and filled with tools, templates, scripts, and worksheets to get a better job faster. Versions are available for Veterans and Military Spouses, too.evalHow did youget started? Left my executive position at Microsoft to start my “work of compassion”, dedicated to helping thousands secure employment.Is this something you decided early on in your career? Throughout my 30 year career, I coached others on their career moves and built a system to help them and my own career moves. When I had the opportunity to start my own business, this is the path I chose.I started with authoring a book, private coaching, then invested in b uilding a professional online curriculum.What is the best Career Advice you’ve ever received?Job searching is like sales. The candidate first needs to deeply understand the needs of the hiring team and the “specs” of the role they are seeking. From there, all positioning evalWhat is the most exciting part of working in this industry?The most exciting part is seeing committed job seekers learn new techniques and landing their target roles. Celebrating!How do to stay abreast of the industry as an expert? I study as an avid learner. I follow other experts, talk to hiring managers, recruiters and following changes with technology such as the Applicant Tracking Systems As an example, most job seekers are spraying out resumes without setting a goal or preparing their story.How should job seekers approach job search today?They need to become learners and accept they may be out of date with techniques or need to learn virtually every step. Instead of guessing and hoping, so may resour ces are available to help them. As an example, one out of a hundred job seekers use a job tracker to document every move and schedule their follow up. Process and discipline will change their game!Unemployment is at the lowest levels, why do you think that is? The job market has picked up. There are more open positions. However, job-seekers still need to compete to win!What is the biggest trendAvoid telling yourself “I can’t I don’t have the qualifications”, or anything negative. You DO need to be the best at your job search techniques, ranging from goal-setting to resume, cover letter, applications to networking and interviews.How should job seekers get the most out of LinkedIn?1) Your profile needs to speak to your target market.The Holy Grail of LinkedIn is to wake up and see an e-mail from a recruiter who found you on LinkedIn and has a position they want you to interview for. But that’s not going to happen if your profile is not feeding the algorithm beast.What does t he LinkedIn algorithm want to eat?Here’s a short list:evalA summary packed with key words and key phrases that your future position type calls out in their job descriptions.A headline packed with skills words that are relevant to the future position hiring team.Under each job, your bullets should be in stack rank order, starting with the most important ones to the reader.Repeat skill words under each job. Don’t assume since you mentioned “cross-team collaboration” once that you’re done. The algorithm values the repetition.4) Making connections on LinkedIn is not networking; it’s populating a database.First, assure you are writing a personalized note in every connection request. It’s hard to find this feature on the LinkedIn app so I recommend using your computer.Trick: Open up their full profile, read about them, then hit that connect button and avoid all other connect buttons. Be formal and use proper grammar. Second, once they connect back, get out of LinkedIn and se nd them an e-mail, clearly stating your goal and ask for a 15 minute phone call to seek their help.If you don’t ask, you will never know!3) Participate in groups relevant to your future positionYou can do this by providing help, advice, asking questions and sharing your goal.What is the biggest trend(s) you see that hiring managers will face in the next 2-3 years?Hiring the best person.It is increasingly expensive for hiring companies to make a bad hire. They are going to take fewer risks on “I can learn this”. They will rely more on internal referrals or recommendations from their network.What are the best resources (blogs,books,courses,etc.) you recommend to job seekers? Next to my book (Cut the Crap, Get a Job!), blogs and online courses, there are so many wonderful online resources based on job seekers’ needs.There is no lack of help. All of us coaches here “I need to get a good job fast.” But many are not willing to invest time or money to be a “student” of how to be the best job candidate ever! Seek help, candidates. I also recommend career blogs such as The Muse, Indeed.com blogs, Flexjobs (for flexible work).Dana, what are your currently working on?I am offering more free webinars and servicing my clients via Job Search Master Class and private coaching.I am also helping Military service members, Veterans and Military Spouses through major corporation sponsorship.What is the best way for our audience to reach you? My websiteConnect with/Follow Dana Manciagli on Social Media:LinkedInTwitterFacebookYouTubeDana Manciagli and Job Search MasterClass have also been featured in our recent compilation of the most resourceful career experts and career blogs â€" Top Career Advice Websites.

Taking your Career Abroad Singapore - CareerAlley

Taking your Career Abroad Singapore - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. For some, making their career an experience within itself is a key issue, something they strive for. There are numerous avenues to take when turning your job into something more than just the standard 9-5 routine, with one such method being that of taking your career abroad. Pretty much every country in the world has opportunities for those looking to ply their trade in another nation, although the actual amount will be fully dependent on what industry your expertise puts you in. Therefore, it is important that you seek a country whose economy is on the up; whilst this is hard to come by, there are countries out there that are booming in certain areas of industry, with Singapore being such a nation. The Republic of Singapore, as it is known officially, sits at the foot of the main island of Malaysia and is fast becoming the place to be for a number of career areas. Those looking to work abroad in the likes of RD, digital media, advertising or finance jobs should certainly take note of what Singapore can offer. If youre seriously considering taking you and your career to Singapore, then here are a few pointers on how to go about it: Being granted permission to work in the country It is true that getting a job in Singapore is not as easy as it once was due to tightened government restrictions on expats coming into the country to work. If successful with a company, it is likely that they will have to justify why choosing you for the role over an actual resident has more benefits. In most cases this isnt a particular problem, and if you have the right skills and attitude, youll be employable enough for this not to affect you. Applying for work The first rule when applying for jobs in Singapore is that anything that flagged as Singaporeans/PRs only means it is reserved just for nationals and permanent residents only, so theres no point in going any further with these. When this isnt mentioned, you can feel free to assume that you are able to apply. You must make sure to state who you are and what your background is that is, explaining that youre a foreigner looking for work and are new to the country. Also remember to mention how long you intend to live and work in the country, whether you are on a dependent pass or a long-term or short-term pass. Disclosing this information will let potential employers know whether it is worth their time taking on your application. Job interviews tend to be similar to those that you will have experienced before and the process is usually an initial interview followed by a second if shortlisted and possibly a third if required. Taking a job offer Singapore, unlike most countries, offers salaries in monthly terms rather than annually. Tax is also a different issue and it will be hard to compare it against the rates in your home nation, but it is likely that they will be favourable in Singapore. Salaries offered in jobs ads are usually an estimate and it is hard to know or guess what your fellow co-workers will be being paid unless they tell you directly. To find out more accurate information, going through recruiters such as AP-Executive.com for the likes of a private banking job will always be a good move. After having accepted a job, this will be conditional until you have attained your Employment Pass, which can take up to two weeks to arrive, so be patient. After this, however, you will be able to start your new job in a new country and enjoy the experiences it brings. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Visit me on Facebook

Resume Objectives - What Are The Most Important Aspects To Create A Resume Objective For Content Writing?

Resume Objectives - What Are The Most Important Aspects To Create A Resume Objective For Content Writing?Your resume objective for content writing is very important and should be structured well. It is important that you provide the most important information that the reader will need to know about you. The resume should tell the employer who you are, why you are the best person for the job, and how you can help the organization get the results they need. If you read this article you will learn how to create a resume objective that will be the best that it can be.The first important part of your resume objective for content writing is the first paragraph. Here you should put in some information about yourself. You may want to also include your contact information like your name, phone number, email address, and so on. The most important thing about the resume objective for content writing is to state a reason why the reader should hire you. This may include your skills or work experi ence.Next you should give the reader some possible ways that they can contact you. The employer will be contacting you to get more information, so you want to be sure that you answer all their questions as quickly as possible. So let them know when they should expect to hear from you and what time to expect an answer.The next paragraph is the resume objective for content writing. It is a general summary of your skills and education. You should include a section about each skill or area that you have expertise in.A good section is to talk about any work that you have done with a new company. If there is a specific company that you are going to work for that fits in with your job description then mention that information in the paragraph. Also mention how long you have been with the company if you have been there before.Then you should write a short paragraph about yourself. Tell the reader about your educational background, how long you have been in school, how many degrees or certif icates you have earned, and so on. If possible, give a little history about your skills and how you could help the organization.Last but not least you should write the resume objective for content writing. This paragraph is where you would go into detail about what you have already written above. Also mention if you have any special skills or experience that the reader should be aware of. This paragraph should be short and sweet and be written in a professional manner.These are the most important aspects of creating a resume objective for content writing. Make sure that the resume objective for content writing is written in a format that will clearly convey the information the reader needs to know about you.