Saturday, May 30, 2020

Finding Fulfilling Work Starts Here

Finding Fulfilling Work Starts Here Finding Fulfilling Work Starts Here You know you need a change, but you’re not clear on how to make it happen You feel stuck in a career that isn’t right for you. You want to do work that feels like you, wake up excited in the morning, and be proud of what you do. But making a shift feels risky. How will you make the finances work? And what happens if it all goes wrong? You may have already tried some different avenues, but you’re still unclear on what you really want to do â€" or how you’re going to make the shift happen. You’re in the right place For the last twelve years we’ve been helping people like you find fulfilling work. We’ve each done it ourselves and have helped thousands of others do it too. We’re not going to pretend it’s easy. But what we can do is provide you with a straight-talking, evidence-backed approach for how to shiftâ€" and a supportive community of thousands of others like you. Lifes too short to not be happy at work. Start your journey here. To join us, to get our free email newsletter, and to download your free Career Change Toolkit, enter your details below.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

5 Ways to Finding a New Job after Being Laid Off

5 Ways to Finding a New Job after Being Laid Off If you have just lost your job or have been out of work for a while â€" don’t worry â€" this is actually an exciting opportunity for you even though it may not feel like it. If you’ve been made redundant and haven’t been working for a while it can be easy to get discouraged by the tough job market. However, if you get smart about what you do and how to target what you’re after â€" you will succeed. If approached in the right way, the situation you are in now can be a blessing in disguise. Why not use it and take this time to ensure that what you do next is what you really want and what will make you happy. Here are some tips to help along the way: 1) Don’t rush into your job search Unless you are really clear about where you want to be and what will work for you â€" do not rush it. Take some time out to reflect, to think and evaluate. Make a plan. Identify the things that are important to you and which are of significant value to you. Don’t just rush out there filling in application forms anywhere you can get hold of one. Spending each day on the Internet or at the Job Centre could be good if done in a focused manner but not if you are desperately trying to get out there. Job hunting without being focused can waste good energy, effort and time. It can also be demoralizing when you get rejected. The less clear you are about your direction, the more likely you will be scattered and rushed in your approach, the more likely you are to get rejections. 2) Evaluate your options creatively Read up and find out about the areas that interest you. Get out and about and get talking and get experimenting. Talk to your friends, your relatives â€" anyone you can get hold of and whom you can learn from. Think about what you are good at and focus on all your strengths and skills. Get to know yourself, your values, your talents and think about how you might like to use them. Do not neglect your passions. What you are enthusiastic about is really important. Finding ways to mould your talents into a future role can be really exciting and rewarding. Try not to restrict yourself and remember that you do not need to follow or mirror what your friends and peers may be doing. Everyone is unique and has the right to find what is right for them. You will have your own options and your own set of possibilities. Exploring them can really help you get it right. 3) Don’t accept the first job offer you get If you are good and you are clear about what you want, there will be more offers. If it’s the perfect role for you then fine â€" otherwise don’t accept second best. It is more important that you find the right role than simply taking the first thing that comes your way as you may regret it later. It might help you in the very short term but ultimately you will be unhappy and will probably find yourself back at square one again pretty soon. You can save a lot of time and energy if you stop that cycle from occurring again. Be brave. To say ‘no’ to a job offer is ok. It’s totally fine and is a good idea if you feel it wouldn’t be the right type of job or place to work for you. Perhaps the next one is the right one â€" but if you had accepted the first offer, there would be no chance for that right one to get to you and be found. 4) Don’t give in to fear Almost all of us are afraid of something. We might be afraid of failing or afraid of not being able to pay the bills. This is completely understandable but if we give in to our fears, we end up being driven by them. It can prevent us from really going after what we want and what we should be doing. Be aware of your fears for sure. It is no good to ignore them or avoid them. However, do not let them take over your life and end up guiding you in the wrong direction. Being out of work can be a great time to confront your fears and deal with them. With some good support you can confront these challenges. 5) Stay Positive This can be easier said than done. If you are angry, bruised, frustrated or depressed- whatever your low feelings may be â€" that is ok but do not dwell on them. You are not working and sure, that can be tough and be a challenge â€" but see it as something that you will overcome. You can take control of the situation and be the one who decides where you will go next. Where you end up, how you handle the challenge, and where you will ultimately be is all up to you. Being made redundant or having lost a job can be the beginning not the end. It is in your hands to make the most of this and to turn it into an amazing opportunity. If it is too tough to face alone that’s fine â€" work with someone â€" a friend, a professional. That is what we do here at Position Ignition all the time. Help people to figure out what they want to do next, where they want to be and exactly how to get there. We see it through until they are at their destination. If you are positive and you keep moving forwards, there will be great progress in the right direction and you can land that dream job! Conclusion So, if you are out of work â€" do not let being laid off or having lost a job get you down seize this opportunity and why not use the time wisely to get yourself where perhaps you may never have thought you could have been! Have you been laid off recently or lost a job? How did you deal with this challenge? Do you have any tips or experiences you can share with us? Related: Warning! Dont Just Apply To Any Job after a Lay-Off. Simon North is the founder of Position Ignition â€" a careers company dedicated to taking you to the next step inyour career. Simon is a career and transition expert with over 25 years of experience in helping individuals with their personal and professional development. He is passionate about helping people whether it is to find a rewarding career, make a career change or identify the right career plan and direction. For more information visit @PosIgnition.  Image: Shutterstock.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Golden Brown A Trendy Resume Template Design for Free

Golden Brown â€" A Trendy Resume Template Design for Free Golden Brown â€" A Trendy Resume Template Design for Free How do you use color to make your resume stand out, without being over the top? Sometimes, warm, earthy tones are exactly what you need. These subtle hues help your resume to stand out, and the slightly metallic undertones create the ‘Piece de Resistance’. We think we have accomplished something really special with our free, golden-brown, trendy resume template. In a world of boring, button-down, resumes, this is an original, signature design. We think you’ll like the layout we’ve provided as well. It’s perfect for highlighting all your skills, and experience. Here, you can let hiring managers get to know you by filling out a revealing personal profile or write a powerful resume objective statement!Go ahead and download this free template today. You can customize it to your liking. There’s no charge, just do us a small kindness, and share this post on social media! And don’t forget to check plenty of other modern resume templates available on our website! File size: 131 KB Format: .doc Downloaded 3,055 times License: Free, personal use only. Please read the license terms for resources. Download previous article What does my body language tell my interviewer? next article Interview Tips that could land you that Job Offer you might also likeCadmium Yellow: Simple, Yet Elegant Resume Template

Monday, May 18, 2020

5 Ways To Gain New Skills and Experiences - Classy Career Girl

5 Ways To Gain New Skills and Experiences Whether youre just entering the workforce or hoping to change careers, developing new abilities will help set you apart in the job market. Learning different skills can also make you more productive and successful at your current job. There are a number of ways to gain skills and experience without getting another degree. Options for you are internships, business side hustles, one day apprenticeships or job sculpting where you slowly turn your current job into your dream job by adding tasks that you enjoy and focusing less on tasks you don’t. You can do this by training others on those tasks and delegating so you can focus more on what you enjoy. 5  Things You Can Do To Gain New Skills and Experiences 1. Take Online Courses You definitely don’t always need to get a degree but of course sometimes you do. People ask me all the time if they should go back to grad school and get a MBA or other degree. Before you do that, I always recommend seeing what is available online that is a lot more affordable than jumping back into grad school. I would first check out a site like Lynda.com where you can get access to thousands of subjects for one low monthly fee. I have used Lynda.com  (use this link to get a free 10-day trial) to learn about social media, building a website, legal aspects of running a business and marketing. Of course you can also check out  our  courses page  to learn something new too! 2. Volunteer Volunteer for a project to demonstrate you have the required experience and add it to your resume. Volunteer work can broaden your experience and exposure to life where work can’t or doesn’t. Volunteering does more than help communities and keep you healthy. It also helps you do better on the job. The United Health Care survey revealed that volunteering provides employees with a number of measurable benefits, including better time management and people skills. [RELATED: How to Transition Into a New Industry] 3. Internships If youd like to develop new skills while also learning more about a specific career, consider pursuing internship opportunities in the field. Youll be gaining important work experience and valuable insights into the industry. Youll also be able to network with different professionals in the field, who could later serve as a reference or even notify you of a job opening. 4. Create a Blog or Side Hustle Creating a blog or a side business helps you learn the skills required for your dream job and then you can add it to your resume. This is exactly what I did when I was job searching and wanted to change industries. My current employer didnt think I had the experience so I created a business and a blog to get the experience they required for me to make the career transition that I wanted to make. 5. Work With a Mentor Building a relationship with a mentor or coach in your career field can help you learn more about the industry from someone with direct experience. The right mentor will be able to offer realistic insights and valuable advice on how to meet your career goals and guide you on the path toward success in your field. Sometimes all you need is a little extra guidance and support. So, what’s your strategy to gain new skills and experiences?

Friday, May 15, 2020

Resume Writing For Research Experience

Resume Writing For Research ExperienceOne of the worst mistakes one can make when writing a resume is to use research as a means of proofreading the resume. Research can easily be misconstrued in the eyes of an employer and is a definite no-no. For one thing, it makes the resume look more like an advertisement, and for another, if the resume is not unique, it can lead to other problems later on down the road.Research as a term can be used to describe just about any research that is undertaken by an employer prior to hiring a candidate for a position. Such information as a candidate's past academic and professional work experiences, family background and information about the candidate's interests are considered part of the resume research. Unfortunately, employers can have a negative impression of certain information that is included in a resume. Therefore, what should be done when writing a resume for a research experience?If a candidate decides to include any form of research as pa rt of the resume writing process, it should be avoided at all costs. First of all, it shows a lack of care and concern for the work of the applicant. And secondly, it also leaves a bad taste in the minds of the employer about the applicant. This in turn can make it difficult for the candidate to find a job. So, what should be done when writing a resume for a research experience?It is perfectly fine to research information pertaining to the specific position that the applicant is applying for, but this shouldn't be the case when the applicant has already completed their research for the position and is looking for a job. Instead, candidates should use a resume writing tool such as a blog or other website to research and add to their resume. Employers appreciate this because it gives them something to look at. By including relevant information from blogs, resumes can become unique and marketable to prospective employers.Anotherway to avoid research as a means of proofreading is to edi t the resume before submission. All mistakes should be reviewed before sending it off. This includes spelling, grammar and any information which should be clarified or updated. If information has been left out or taken out of context, it will definitely hurt the applicant's chances of getting hired.A resume is a long document and doesn't need much checking when submitted for publishing. But even a relatively small error can have a huge impact on the application process. This is why it is important to have the resume proofread.Resume writing for research is different from regular resume writing because the subject matter and expertise are not listed. It is left up to the applicant to prove to the employer that they can do the job properly.While the applicant can include research experience in the resume, it is important to make sure that they do so in a clear and concise manner. In most cases, it is common to find that research is left out because of this, and some employers may not even check the resume before submitting it. To avoid this, research should be included as part of the application process and should be part of the resume writing for research experience tab.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

View the Clip from My Recent Fox Business Segment

View the Clip from My Recent Fox Business Segment Recently I was asked to appear on Fox Business to react to A Salary Guide For Your 20s, 30s, And 40s.Be careful. Read it and you might get depressed. I did. According to the guide my salary has peaked. Beyond that, my concern with this guide is that people put too much stock in salary when choosing their careers when studies show, its not a long-term motivator. Sure we all want to pay the bills but when the paycheck is all you are working for, the job is ultimately self-defeating. One of my clients called it eating your soul to feed your belly.Too many people think a job is supposed the be a chore. So they overly focus on salary as the main factor.Its not working. The Conference Board reports that for 7 straight years less than half of US workers are satisfied in their careers.Dont consider yourself average or a statistic. Consider yourself one of the few who will light the world on fire. if you do what you love sure the money will follow, but you will also not be reading articles li ke this because you will be too busy and excited about having a career with passion and purpose and not angry, depressed that youre not making enough. What if we taught 20-somethings not to fear the future of the real world with guides like this, but rather discussed how to live your dreams, how to create, how to build a better world because you lived up to your potential and that true happiness is not in cash but in giving your all for a cause, in giving back to humanity, giving back to mother earth to create a better world for all people.WATCH THE FOX BUSINESS CHANNEL DEBATE ON HOW TO HAVE A GREAT CAREER. I think I won the debate of course.One viewer had this to say after the segment:I managed medical offices. Loved it! Next taught elementary school. Loved it! Next Dementia/Alzheimers private care. Loved it. Finally, veterinary medicine. Still love it! Lots of interesting careers under one Bachelors degree! All involved giving care. All were part-time to be home with our children. Intrinsic motivation has always served me well. All made me happy! The pay was appropriate for each position. Thanks for the great advice! We CAN have happy and varied careers! Keep up the great work!WHAT DO YOU SAY?

Friday, May 8, 2020

Exercise Believe the best about people - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Exercise Believe the best about people - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog We were down at the local supermarket today, and the guy behind the cash register was slouched in his chair like a rag doll, made no eye contact with customers, and had a vibe about him that said Id rather be anywhere else. Normally, Id be thinking along the lines of indifferent asshole, why doesnt he cheer up, but suddenly it hit me: Maybe theres a good reason hes like that. My girlfriend and I started to invent stories to explain why he was like that. Maybe he used to be the best and most cheerful employee in the supermarket, but yesterday his dog died, and hes really, really sad. Maybe he just got turned down for promotion to assistant store manager for the third time. Maybe he just got expelled from his university studies for falling too far behind. We cant know why hes like that, but my instant, initial and unquestioned assumption was that the guy was just an indifferent asshole who didnt care about the people around him and I certainly cant know if this is true either! I found that making up reasons that would explain his behaviour made me see him in a more positive light, and removed my irritation at his behaviour. Which again showed me, that my irritation didnt stem from his behaviour, but more from my interpretation of it! So by changing my viewpoint I could rid myself of the annoyance. Try it yourself the next time some stranger does something that annoys you. A car is driving way too fast on the highway: Shes on the way to a critically ill family member in the hospital. A guy jumps the line at the supermarket: Hes in a hurry because a girl hes desperately in love with is coming for their first date in five minutes. (If its a person you know who does something that irritates you, you dont have to make up stories you can ask!). It takes a little creativity to come up with the stories (which can be fun in itself), and it has the potential to give you a more positive outlook on other people. I strongly believe, that you get further in life by always thinking the best of other people (untill they prove you wrong) instead of the other way around. Youll certainly have more fun! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related