Featured Post

6 Career Networking Tips for Millennials

6 Career Networking Tips for Millennials 6 Career Networking Tips for Millennials Does organizing sound constrained and unnatural? Per...

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Your rights to working in the UK

Your rights to working in the UK by Michael Cheary So you want to work in the UK, but you have no idea where to startIf you’ve never worked in the UK before, youre not sure what your rights are, or don’t even know if you’re eligible to it can be a challenge to find the right information.To keep you clued up with the facts, here are your rights to working in the UK:Am I eligible to work in the UK?You are eligible to work in the UK, and therefore don’t need to obtain a work permit, if any of the following apply:You are a British citizenYou are an European Economic Area (EEA) citizen â€" see list belowYou are a Swiss nationalEEA countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.You will also need to apply for a UK residence card or be able to prove your right to work in the UK as an EU citizen (for example, a valid UK National Insurance number).For more information related to EU, EEA and Commonwealth citizens and your rights to working in the UK, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/eu-eea-commonwealth.What if I don’t have the right to work in the UK?If one of the parameters above does not apply, or youre not from one of the countries listed, you will need to obtain a visa and/or work permit before finding employment in the UK.Visas If youre not a British citizen, EEA citizen or Swiss national, you may need to apply for a visa in order to be able to work in the UK.You should be able to apply for a visa via a British Overseas Mission in your own country, or the British Embassy. For more information specific to your own country, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations.For a full list of the visas available to you, and to check if you need a UK visa, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/visas -immigration.But remember, having a visa doesn’t necessarily mean you are automatically able to work in the UK, and you may also need a work permit in order to begin working.Work permit If you’ve already found a job in the UK and been accepted to work, or you have a visa but it prohibits you from working, you may need to obtain a work permit.You cannot apply for a work permit directly. Your employer in the UK will need to apply on your behalf. The length of your permit will depend on the type of work you do and the sort of permit granted.Do I need to be sponsored to apply for a visa?In order to apply for most work visas, youll usually need to gain a job offer with sponsorship from an employer in the UK first.However, you can apply for a Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa without sponsorship if you:Want to live and work in the UK for up to 2 yearsAre 18 to 30 years oldHave £1,890 in savingsHave certain types of British Nationality or are from  certain countriesMeet the other  e ligibility requirementsWhat jobs am I eligible for?This will depend on the individual employer, the type of role, and your relevant skills and experience.Whilst some organisations have a licence to sponsor temporary and/or permanent employees to allow them to work at their business, not all of them will be able to this.To find out whether the job is suitable for EU, EEA and Commonwealth citizens, or for applicants outside of these areas, check the job description or get in touch with the employer directly.View all jobs with sponsorship eligibility*Please note, the information outlined above is intended for general guidance purposes only, and is subject to change. For more detailed information about your rights to working in the UK, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration.  Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you a gree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Employee rights Employment Lawfeatured

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Writing a Current Activity in Resume

Writing a Current Activity in ResumeIt can be difficult to find a current activity that you have to participate in on a daily basis and that also demonstrates your ability to perform. A wide variety of examples of work experience and educational courses are not going to be easily attainable because there are so many different things that might come up as an activity that you might be involved in. Still, you can still make your job easier if you know what kind of activities you should include.One of the easiest things to add to a resume is a current job. The job title does not have to be particularly creative or something that is completely out of the ordinary. When you speak about your job title or occupation on your resume, you are making a good impression by mentioning that you are involved in this particular job.Be sure to mention your position in the state where you are employed. If the company has branches in several states, be sure to list them all. It would be surprising if so meone was hired at a company whose resume did not list the state where the person worked.In addition to an active job, you will want to look for ways to make a resume that lists an activity or a school of study that you might have attended. You may be able to include more than one such section. You could include hobbies that you may be interested in.Something else that can be included in your writing a current activity in resume is something that was interesting and meaningful to you while you were working on it. This can be something like attending a business seminar or attending a skill or physical fitness exercise program. If this was an event that you really enjoyed, you will find it much easier to remember it later on when you are filling out your next resume.Sometimes, you will need to write about a job or event that you have participated in so that you will be remembered in your writing a current activity in resume. For example, you may need to provide a detailed description of the project that you were responsible for in a previous job. Keep in mind that you do not have to have been directly involved in the project. You may have just worked with the company on a separate project that you helped develop.When you are writing a current activity in resume, you will want to include anything that relates to your education, although it is sometimes difficult to find a school or organization that you have worked with that you can discuss in detail. You should also include any awards or achievements that you may have received. You can also give a short description of how you made a difference in the world.Before you begin to write your resume, you should consider all of the types of activities that you can relate to and those that you can be proud of being involved in. You may even find that it makes sense to include your hobbies on the resume as well. Listing a few of these activities will allow you to relate them in a way that you will be able to have a more clear picture of your accomplishments.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

6 Signs Your Ego Has Taken Over Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

6 Signs Your Ego Has Taken Over Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career While your personal brand is essential to being a marketable job seeker, theres a fine line of creating a name for yourself and becoming too self-promotional. When promoting your brand on different social media platforms, its tempting to want to share content only about your life and career. Although its important to promote what youre doing to advance your career, its also important to share content from the people in your network. If your personal brand is taking off, it’s easy to become absorbed by it. From the positive feedback from your followers, to the heartwarming compliments, some personal brands allow this feedback to consume their entire branding strategy. It’s not that positive feedback is a bad thing, but some people will choose to turn it into “look at how awesome I am!” If you’re concerned about your ego taking over your brand, here are six signs your personal branding strategy has turned into personal bragging: 1. Your brand says me, me, me! When building your personal brand, it can be easy to fall into the trap of too much self-promotion. The purpose of your personal brand is to create an identity for yourself to help you stand out amongst job seekers. However, when you use your brand as a way to talk about “me, myself, and I,” people in your network will begin to wonder what your ultimate goals are for your brand. 2. You dont help others. One of the benefits of building your personal brand is the network you create. But when you dont take the time to offer advice or help people in your network, you will begin to lose those relationships you spent time to develop. If someone asks for advice or your opinion, take the time to offer your help. You’ll never know when you’ll need their advice down the road. 3. You dont share the content of others. Its important not to fall into the habit of only promoting your personal content. Make sure you are researching the latest trends and sharing content created by the organizations and people you follow. Content sharing is crucial to building your brand, so make sure you are sharing articles and advice of others within your network. 4. Your brand says youre the best. No matter how experienced you are or your level of expertise, there will always be competition. By saying youre the best in the industry, you are creating extremely high expectations for yourself and your brand. It will also cause some people to question your credibility. Its good to be proud of your accomplishments, however dont let these achievements make you appear as overly-confident. 5. You dont own up to mistakes. Every once in awhile, people make mistakes. Whether its incorrectly naming a source or providing false information, these types of mistakes happen. When you overlook the mistakes you make and you simply brush it aside, your brand will lose credibility. Don’t be afraid to correct yourself and apologize for the confusion. 6. You brag, a lot. Sure, its great to hear about your success, but eventually people will stop caring. No one wants to hear about your salary or the five promotions you received because of how “awesome” you are. Your network wants to be supportive of your accomplishments, but they dont want to be blasted with them 24/7. They’ll begin to think you’re full of yourself. So if you find your brand becoming more self-promotional than you had planned, its not too late to turn it around. Find the balance between sharing your content and promoting the content of other professionals in your network. You can also show generosity by offering your help to those who ask. When you spend more time listening to your network, you’ll begin to see your brand grow more than ever before. How can you tell if someone’s brand is too self-promotional? Author: Heather R. Huhman  is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of  Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for job search and human resources technologies. She is also the instructor of  Find Me A Job: How To Score A Job Before Your Friends, author of  Lies, Damned Lies Internships  (2011) and  #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle  (2010), and writes career and recruiting advice for  numerous outlets.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Co-workers change your life

Co-workers change your life Melissa rides her horse every morning before she goes to work, at noon, which is when her boss gets to work. I am sad that Melissa is happy because now she will not come back to the farm and be my permanent photographer. I used to feel sorry for Brad and Angelina because they had photographers trailing them all the time. Now I think they are lucky because if they had a blog, theyd have so many good photos to use. I feel like the parent of a twenty-something who wants their kid to stop feeling lost, but wants that feeling of being unlost to happen a little closer to home. I know thats selfish. And anyway, Im not even Melissas mom. But I think I want to be because I wonder where my place is in her life. I have not told you this about Melissa: She is smarter than I am. There are not many people I think this about. And definitely not a lot of women. I know this is not politically correct for me to say, but look, Larry Summers, the ex-president of Harvard staked his whole academic career on the research that shows that at the very very tip of the spectrum of high intelligence, its mostly men. So it makes sense that only female I have ever met who lives on that tip is Melissa. She has a photographic memory. Im not sure what that gets her except the ability to talk endlessly about a wide range of topics to people who, for the most part, are not interested. She cant really read whether or not its time to shut up, so sometimes I have to tell her. Other times I am completely dumbfounded by her memory. She is like a Vaudeville act or something. Her new boss, who I feared would ruin her life, has turned out to be great for her. He basically pays her to memorize stuff and hang out with him. I call Melissa ask if I can use his name. No, she says. And, Can we talk later? Im on my horse. But Im going to write that hes great. Im going to write that I love him for seeing you for who you are and creating a job for you around that. Show me the post before you run it. So forget it. And who answers a phone when they are on a horse? I am not going to use his name because I have to confess that Im a little worried that he is paying Melissa for companionship. He loves, for example, that she doesnt have good work/home boundaries. And that she is a good sounding board for his ideas because he has to think out loud. I can see why he would love that. I love hanging out with Melissa, too. She is very weird and very smart. Its hard to stomach weird without smart, but with her they come together, with commensurate amounts of very. The boss is very weird and very smart, too. Probably not as smart as Melissa. But whatever. Smart only goes so far. In case you find yourself overvaluing your own IQ, theres an investment banker in New York City who was recently getting a divorce and tried to convince the judge that he should get more than half of the assets because his IQ is so high that you can presume that his wife could never have earned her half. The judge threw out the argument. And Im sure that any goodwill the judge might have had for this guy went straight to the garbage with the argument. I miss Melissa popping up in the middle of my day to say something like, Have you heard of the term social skydiving? You should look into it. Even though youd never do it. Sometimes Id say, Melissa, look: Cant you see were in the middle of practicing violin? Shed look and say, Oh. Sorry. But other times, Id say, Melissa, will you come talk to me while I cook? The New Yorker is fixated lately on distraction: in the early 1900s some company in Buffalo found that giving workers breaks made them more productive. Psychologist Roy Baumeister shows that asking people to regulate their behavior without interruption probably makes them less focused overall. I am thinking that Melissa is like a coffee break for me. Or for her new boss. If you hire an assistant the top priority is not having him or her do the work you dont want to do. The top priority should be to hire someone you want access to because their presence improves your day. An assistant is the co-worker you have always wanted to make your workday great. A great co-worker can change your job and, in some cases, change your life. You can hire them or sign on to work next to them, but dont underestimate the importance of finding that someone who is a friend who you can take your breaks with. We each need someone who shows us new aspects of ourselves and opens doors we wouldnt open ourselves. I tell this to Melissa, and she says, I know. Thats what my horse is like for me.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

How to Write a Quick Letter to Go With a Resume

How to Write a Quick Letter to Go With a ResumeYou may be wondering how to write a quick letter to go with a resume when it is not time to meet a prospective employer at the interview stage. If you have a degree in a specific field or a book manuscript and you need a place to put your skills, a quick letter to go with a resume can be just what you need. In fact, there are many ways you can use a quick letter for an application without leaving anything out.You can use the letter as a type of introduction. Start off by describing what you do. If you want to mention your field of study or the accomplishments that you have achieved, make sure you include this in your letter. People usually take notice if you are passionate about something or have other people describe what they found admirable about you.In addition, you should make sure you include your curriculum vitae in your letter. This is a brief resume that you can insert into your letter that will also give potential employers an idea about the quality of work you have done. You can write about your education, your honors and awards, and much more.If you have additional information about yourself, make sure you include it in your letter. Write as if you were meeting a prospective employer. Although you should still be yourself in your letter, you should not be so eager that you forget about the interviewer. When you do this, you will be able to answer their questions about your past work history and achievements more efficiently.In your letter, mention your goals as well as where you see yourself in five years' time. Use quotes from your resume to back up what you are saying. Always be honest about your career goals because employers always prefer to hire someone who is honest about what they expect.Your next goal, and perhaps the most important one, is how your letter describes you. In your letter, use the letter opener to get your reader's attention, the opening sentence to describe yourself, and the concl usion to write a summary of who you are. Make sure you offer insight into why you are qualified for the job and what skills you have that would be beneficial to the company.The last part of your letter is the essay part. Even though it seems redundant, you should write an essay. You should be able to succinctly outline your major points about why you are qualified for the job and how you fit in with the company. You should be able to make your employer understand why you are worth hiring and how you would fit in.Writing a quick letter to go with a resume is easy when you use it correctly. Just make sure you provide as much information as possible without being too lengthy.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Difference Between Career Counselor and Career Coach

Difference Between Career Counselor and Career Coach Whats the difference between a career counselor and a career coach? Its tough to tell because, when you are looking for career help, you see the two terms used interchangeably. This is because most people are new to both terms and dont realize there are important differences. But we need to set the record straight: career counselors are not the same as career coaches! Career counselors and career coaches have unique approaches to helping clients. So here are the 3 main differences between career coaches and career counselors followed by examples you can use to determine which career professional is right for you. Moving Forward Career coaches focus on the current situation and often create action goals to move forward. On the other hand, career counselors may look for past experiences or barriers that may be causing the challenges. Qualifications Career coaches may have certifications from an accredited body like International Coaches Federation (ICF) but career counselors are often required to have a formal license (e.g. Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC) to practice in the state they reside. Outcomes vs. New Directions 3) A career coach is similar to an athletic coach. They are going to assess where you are and encourage/challenge you, to a better you.  They may focus on outcomes/results/accomplishments. A career counselor will also assess your situation but then may help detangle confusion or address the emotional reasons why youre not making progress in your career ending with a new direction. Bottom line, both will lead to a better you, but you should choose which approach fits with your personal style of professional and personal growth. If you are trying to decide which one will best fit your current needs, here are some situations and approaches that may help you decide. Do you need help with overall career direction?  Are you not currently happy with where you are now, but not sure what direction to go from here? Counseling Approach: this approach may start with understanding the barriers. A counseling approach may take a holistic view.  For example, asking what you wanted to be when you were little. They may ask about what influences you had in college and what is holding you back now from pursuing those passions.  From those answers a counselor may recommend certain homework and follow up with suggestions on how to limit the negative emotions that may be in conflict with your future goals. For example, if you are having trouble with the interview process, you might uncover that the fear of failure is at the root. A counselor may help you detangle this and offer suggestions on how to remedy this to be successful in the interview process. Coach Approach: a career coach may start with an assessment to understand your preferences and skill base. They will help you plan a career that closely aligns with natural ability and the goals you have defined. If its unclear they may ask you to reflect and bring this homework to the next session to talk through. In the example of an interview, the approach may be to have you practice using a web camera and discuss action steps you can take to lessen your anxiety. Do you need help with transitioning into a new career?  Maybe you already know the direction but not sure how to get there.   Counseling Approach:  a counseling approach may talk about the fear and anxiety associated with the career transition. Lets face it, pursuing your dreams isnt an easy task. It often times brings to the forefront the fears that hold us back.  A career counselor will help detangle the fear and help you come up with ideas on how to work through the fear.  You may be assigned homework to understand where the root is coming from and develop strategies that may help you manage that fear and anxiety. Coach Approach: a career coach may ask you to identify specific outcomes youd like to accomplish during your sessions. For example, you want to make sure your resume is ready for this new market. Or you may want to discuss different interview styles that the new career path may require (case vs behavioral interviewing). A career coach will also help you be accountable for those changes. For example, we all have on our to-do list to update the resume or contact that person, but time is always pulling at you. Think of it like a workout buddy to ensure that you are fit and ready for the new transition. Do you know exactly where you want to go AND how to get there, but need help getting unstuck and actually taking the steps you know you need to take?  Similar to a financial goal where you have a set plan, but are having trouble sticking with it. Counseling Approach:  a career counselor will likely ask about why you seem to get stuck in the first place.  Where is the real motivation and if your procrastination may have a deeper root somewhere else. Many times it does and keeps us from pursuing what we know we are capable of. A counselor will be there to remind you, encourage you, and talk you through the experience of the process. Its hard to find a job and pursue a new career. Many emotions surprisingly come up that can influence your ability to go forward. Coach Approach: the career coaching approach may go into high gear in setting dates and deadlines to get your resume ready and connect you with a new  person. They are going to focus more on what needs to be done today and tomorrow to move you forward. Sometimes its dealing with the fear, but then you still need to print your resume or pick up the phone.  They may help you with strategy and help you think beyond what you would normally consider a good connection. For example, maybe you need to join a professional organization or start volunteering. (I know, but sometimes!) Coaching will move you into some form of action. There is not a right or wrong or better or worse here what matters is what type of help you need and what approach best fits with your style. Whether you are looking for deeper insight into what gets you stuck or you want an action plan to achieve your career goals, look for a firm that has career coaches and career counselors on staff. Set up an initial call to see what fits for you. Think.Inspire.Change.Grow. By Dawn Shaw|2017-04-21T18:16:36+00:00November 17th, 2015|Career Change, Career Coaching, Career Counseling|0 Comments

Friday, May 8, 2020

5 Tips for Landing an Interview with an Online Job Application - CareerAlley

5 Tips for Landing an Interview with an Online Job Application - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Todays job search is almost entirely Internet-based. Whether you are looking for software engineering jobs available on LinkedIn or applying for a job on a job search board, it has become increasingly easier to apply for a job. You can apply for 20 jobs in the time it used to take to apply for 1 or 2 jobs. This is, of course, a double-edged sword and is the primary reason why most people feel that the hit rate (the actual number of interviews you get as compared to the number of job applications submitted) is very low. Any one job posting could have 100 (or 100s of applications). And the longer the job has been posted, the higher the number of applications will already have been sent. There are several key factors which can help you focus your search. source Keywords are key (no pun intended) So many applications, so little time. Many recruiters and companies use software to help them focus on the best matching applications. You should ensure that your resume and cover letter (see below) have the keywords that closely match the job description. This may require that you have multiple versions of your resume (see 5 Steps to a Great Resume versions). Review job listings for your title/position and make a list of keywords used (incorporate these into your resume) Review resume samples for your industry for keywords Visit trade industry sites for your field source Job Search Boards There are tons of job search boards and you dont need to be on all of them. Focus on a few and spend the rest of your time on the other three legs of job search (see The Four Legs of Job Search). Many jobs are posted on multiple job search boards (so less is more in this case). Also, as mentioned earlier, the older a job posting the more likely that many (probably too many) applications have already been submitted. While this does not mean that its a waste of time to submit your application, you should focus on job postings from the last few days. If youve run out of more current postings, then submitting to older postings is certainly worth considering. Budget the amount of time you spend on job search sites. While it may seem like you are being productive applying to many jobs via job boards, you need to understand how to maximize the time spent applying online. There are literally thousands of job sites on the web, but the best job boards and job search engine sites have search tools that are quick and easy to use and allow you to search based on the type of job youre looking for, your location, and other criteria. Alison Doyle Are You Qualified? No sense applying for a job online if you are not qualified. Dont be sucked into I can do that, stick to what you know and can do based on your experience. Read the job description and compare it to your experience Dont worry if you are a few years shy of the number of years experience required. However, if you are 10 years short of the required experience, you probably shouldnt waste your time applying How do your skills compare to the requirements? Look for at least a 60% to 75% match as a criterion for applying Accomplishments are a huge factor if youve already done what they are looking for the candidate to do this is a very good match apply. Cover Letters May seem old school to you, but cover letters are still very important to your job search, especially when applying online (see 10 Cover Letter Tips). Whenever you apply for a job position through a job search board or company career site, you really should include a cover letter so that the hiring manager knows there is a match between your skill set, experience, and the job opportunity. Tweet This Make each cover letter original This is a perfect example of where cutting corners does not work in your favor. Spend the time on personalizing the cover letter to each application. Mentioning the title of the job and briefly indicate why you are the perfect candidate Add something specific to the job description so that the reader will know that you are qualified for the job Try to address the cover letter to the hiring manager if you can find out their name Photo by Emily Morter on Unsplash Answer All of the Questions (correctly) An incomplete application with grammatical errors will not get you an interview. Complete the app in the same way you would participate in an interview. The online job app is not a formality, it is one of the key components in deciding if you get an interview. Answer all of the questions completely To the extent possible, use the same keywords you used in your resume and cover letter If you reuse information used in other applications, ensure it is cleansed of information related to other applications Check for spelling and grammatical errors What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to launch your career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search