6 Ways Graduates can Build Experience Building Your Future Now

6 Ways Graduates can Build Experience Building Your Future Now If you have recently graduated from college or university you dont need anyone telling you its going to be tough finding a job in your area of study. Many companies are looking for experience even with an entry-level position. So how do you build your experience? Here are 6 ways you can: 1.Volunteer It is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to building experience on your resume. You can pick an organisation that is close to your heart or one that may be closer to what you want to get as a job. Volunteer positions are also great ways to network with other volunteers, community members, board members etc. 2.A Current Job Although the job may have nothing to do with what you want related to your career, it is still experience. You can take a few moments to translate your experience from your current job to one in your desired career. You will be surprised to find out that there are a lot of transferable skills! 3.Freelance Do you have a skill or talent that you can freelance? If so, this is a quick and neat way to make some money and get invaluable experience! Lets say you like writing, post ads online that you can write blogs for businesses or can write resumes. Sometimes it does take a while to build your freelance business, however when you get the ball rolling you will quickly find clients. By being a freelancer you are showcasing entrepreneurship skills, an understanding of supply and demand and independence in the work force. 4.Write You might not get paid much or it will be simply free opportunities. However, writing is one of the best ways to practice your communication skills. If you pick a field or subject to write in, you are refining your niche and before you know it specializing in it. You will have a strong portfolio you can show to potential employers. 5.Workshops You can build a workshop by building one around your knowledge base. Good at computers? Set up a workshop at a coffee house and help people with their laptops. This is a good way to sharpen your communication skills and build your interpersonal skills too. Its also a great way to network. 6.Facebook Group Showcase your knowledge of social media while building a powerful professional group onlineFacebook groups are an easy way to do this! Like putting a workshop together use FB groups to showcase your skill or talent and open it up to others who want to share theirs too! Image: Jeff State College

8 Tips for Managing Your Team Effectively

8 Tips for Managing Your Team Effectively The role of a manager  isnt always smooth sailing. Whereas at the beginning of your career  its likely that you were purely  responsible for your work alone, its is now your duty to inspire, lead and motivate your team to accomplish a set of goals for the organization. Easier said than done right? Not everyone is going to be easy to work with and ensuring everything is running without a hitch can often prove a challenge. So how can you go about being a great manager  who displays authority and leadership, at the same time as maintaining respect from their peers? Here are a few of our top tips for effective management. 1) Maintain good communication Employees want to be kept in the loop about ongoing projects, goals, and deadlines, so its essential that you communicate well with them and inform them about goings-on within the organization. Its also essential that you encourage feedback and that your staff  feel that they can approach you with any questions or issues they want to address, so making yourself accessible to your staff  is critical. 2) Build positive working relationships Its important to get to know members of your team individually,  not only on a professional level but on a more personal level too. When you put the effort in to get to know a bit more about how your colleagues  are doing and what they are interested in, it will build a much better rapport among the team. 3) Acknowledge good work Dont be one of these bosses who only gives feedback when youve got something to criticise! By providing your staff with positive feedback it will help to build their confidence and encourage them to get more involved in the future,  so its vital that you acknowledge their achievements and the effort that they are putting in. Encourage creativity and ensure that everyone is clear about what is expected of them. 4) Be real Your team doesnt expect you to be superhuman, so if youre feeling the pressure and need a helping hand, dont be afraid to admit it and if you make a mistake, own up! By showing the human side of yourself and allowing your staff to get to know you a bit better, your team will feel more relaxed and comfortable approaching you. 5) Be decisive A good leader needs to be able to assert their authority and make important decisions for the team. There is no space for flakiness in a leadership role, so its crucial that you stick to your guns and go with what you feel is best the business. 6) Delegate jobs to the right people Part of why it is vital that you establish a relationship with your team and get to know them individually is so you can assess what their strengths are. People perform better  and are more engaged  in roles where they feel they are employing their best skills, so delegating proper  functions that suit each will have a significant impact on the productivity of the team. 7) Manage conflict When there is conflict in the workplace, it should not be ignored. Turning a blind eye could lead to a negative atmosphere, which could have implications for staff productivity and  communication among the team may suffer. When an issue arises, its crucial that it is addressed straight away before it builds. 8) Set a good example Your staff will look to you for guidance and inspiration, so its essential that you set a good example to gain their respect. If you expect them to behave professionally and commit to their work, its vital that you do so yourself. Make sure that you are doing your job, continuing to develop your career  and support your team in doing so too.

4 Best Jobs For Recent College Graduates (And 20+ Part Time Jobs) - Algrim.co

4 Best Jobs For Recent College Graduates (And 20+ Part Time Jobs) - Algrim.co

9 Ways You Procrastinate Without Realizing It

9 Ways You Procrastinate Without Realizing It We are all guilty of falling prey to procrastination. Whilst we should (and rightly do) feel guilty about watching that new Netflix series when we really ought to have been working, there are lots of ways that we procrastinate on a daily basis without realizing it. These can build up if unchecked, wasting lots of your time and reducing your work output. Here are some of the ways we’re subconsciously escaping putting our nose to the grindstone: 1) Snacking Constant trips to the kitchen, either at home or at work, and hunting through the fridge and cupboards for yet another snack can take up far more of your time than you might initially realize. Especially as this can lead to you engaging in meaningless chit-chat with your colleagues. Next time you’re about to make your 4th cup of tea, think about whether you’re really going to drink it or if it’s just a great way of escaping your emails for 5 minutes. 2) Smoking There are many reasons why we smoke; as well as the addictive powers of the substances in cigarettes, the aspect of isolation and time out from the pressures of conversations and the working day can also prove addictive. Consider whether your last cigarette was a result of nicotine cravings, or simply a valid means of escaping the office and your colleagues. 3) Messaging on social media Getting through a large quantity of messages on social media can feel like a highly productive use of time, reaching out to lots of people. But what is this really achieving? Often we feel as though we’re just ‘checking’ Facebook, but this can lead to extensive time caught up in someone else’s photos, and before you know it ten minutes have passed. In fact, we spend an average of 50 minutes a day on Facebook alone. Consider who you actually need to message, and whether you’re actually saying something important, as opposed to just maintaining a meaningless conversation. 4) Cooking Whilst it’s always great to have a healthy diet of home cooked, nutritious meals, consider whether you’re using time in the kitchen to avoid getting your work done. Did you really need to bake that last batch of cookies, or are they just a great way of avoiding that tricky email you really need to send? 5) Commuting Whilst your commute is very likely a necessary part of your day, long commutes can equal a huge amount of time down the drain. Spending an hour on the tube simply waiting to arrive at your destination is just as bad as an hour of procrastination. You can utilise your journey in a whole host of different ways, from reading and listening to podcasts to learning a new language or preparing for a presentation. 6) Tidying and cleaning A tidy house means a tidy mind, and it’s always important to keep the space where you work organised. But did the hallway need hoovering again? And did you need 2 weeks’ worth of shirts ironed right this minute? Whilst being overly obsessive with cleaning or tidying may just be a part of your personality, also be aware that it may signify a subconscious effort to avoid other tasks or work. 7) Grocery shopping If you plan ahead and make a comprehensive shopping list, you realistically only need to do a big food shop once a week â€" and with the convenience of modern technology, you can even get this shop delivered right to your door. Popping to the shop every morning or afternoon to pick up one or two more items can be a huge waste of time. Plan ahead, make a list, and stop going back to the shop every 5 minutes. 8) Doing work to avoid work Whilst this may sound ridiculous, one of the best ways to trick yourself into avoiding the hard work that really needs doing is to get on with other, easier or less pressured tasks. Whilst you may have a difficult essay due next week, working on a presentation for a month’s time away still feels productive. Avoid this form of procrastination by listing your work tasks in order or priority and deadline, and getting on with the top of the list first! 9) Making lists and over-organizing Whilst in certain situations (like point 8!) making a list or writing down an organised plan can hugely benefit your levels of productivity, over-organizing can waste a lot of your time. Making lists about every last thing, and colour coding your plan to the extent where you can barely read it anymore is certainly not an effective use of your time. Watch that you don’t fall into the trap of feeling productive when all you’ve done is outlined all the things that need your attention! Alexandra Jane  is the writer of  graduate careers advice  for Inspiring Interns, a  graduate recruitment  agency. Check out their website to see which  internships  and  graduate marketing jobs  are currently available. . Main image credit.

Teaching Resume Writing Tips - How to Create a Student Resume With the Right Prescribing

Teaching Resume Writing Tips - How to Create a Student Resume With the Right PrescribingIf you want to land a teaching job with ease, then you need to prepare your teaching resume writing. Doing this will help you not only get that dream teaching job you've been looking for, but it will also make sure that you're as prepared as possible in order to succeed in your career.First and foremost, PPT (or teaching resume) must be unique and all about you. Of course, the other teacher's resume might be similar, but there are no two resumes that are exactly alike. You must come up with a teaching resume that is different, and this is where resume writing tips can help you.You can use these tips to come up with a teaching resume that will catch the teacher's potential employers' attention. However, as you'll see below, this doesn't mean that you have to reinvent the wheel; you can just take a cue from the professional.In fact, I suggest that you don't completely scrap your current resume but r ather utilize the pointers above to create a great, unique resume for your PPT. You should also review the sample PPT in order to make sure that you come up with a good writing style.Remember that your PPT should stand out from the rest. If it's an old resume that you've been working on for a long time, it may seem like it's stuck in the past. However, it doesn't have to feel that way. By bringing something new to the table, you will be showing that you're in it for the long haul.Another reason why you should not simply write your resume in the same way as everybody else's is because they may use templates. The same template may seem attractive, but if it has too many spelling errors, it's only going to get them dismissed faster than you can say 'no homo'. Therefore, the best thing you can do is be unique but follow the guide to come up with a good teaching resume.Your resume for your PPT can contain all of the specific information and facts that you think they are looking for. For example, when they are searching for a teacher that has creative, expressive writing skills, you want to have a unique section that can show that you've got those skills.Additionally, you can include in your PPT a paragraph or two that details your professional experiences. This is especially useful for students who are writing their PPTs, as it can help them get the information out there without distracting from the main point of the teaching resume. In addition, it gives them a chance to think about what exactly they've written.

Spring Clean Your Job Search

Spring Clean Your Job Search Spring is here and its time for some spring cleaning. That goes for your career strategy as well.  Have you given any thought to trimming your bloated, outdated resume or banking some of your new networking contacts to help advance your job prospects  this season? Here are 7 easy steps you can take right now to get your career on course and ensure you are prepared for future opportunities.Ditch toxic people.  You know the ones Im talking about. They are the people who say no one is hiring, youre too old to find a new job, you make too much money, youd be crazy to change careersthe list goes on and on. These people rarely add any real value to your career goals. Find people who can support you or hire a professional to help you chart your career course.Put your resume on a diet.  Has the waistline of your resume expanded to 3+ pages? Are you still dedicating a half page to detailing information about your client base in 1999? Is you resume packed with information about company cours es you completed back in the eighties? Remove this unnecessary poundage from your resume and create a sleeker, more streamlined message of value. If you like to diet alone, heres a  resume guide  to help you. And if you need someone to help you whittle your resume down to a respectable size,  let me know.Give your LinkedIn profile a makeover.  How old is the picture on your profile? Does it need to be updated? Is the information current? Does the headline show only your current job title or does it convey more about your message of value and expertise? Have you paid attention to the skills section and have you created a customized URL to improve your chances of being found? If you are totally baffled by LinkedIn and social media in general,  we should talk.  A resume is no longer enough and you will need a strong online identity to compete for the best opportunities in 2017.Make new friends.  Has your network gone stale? Do people in your professional community know what you are up to and do you communicate with them regularly? Now might be a good time to catch up by phone, grab coffee, or exchange an email to touch base.Practice interviewing.  If a great opportunity became available tomorrow, would you be ready to pitch yourself to a hiring manager? If not, heres a  free app for interview prep  that can help.Benchmark your salary.  Do you know what you are worth? Have you been in the same job or same company for a long time and has your salary become less competitive? Check out sites like  Payscale  and  Glassdoor  to do a quick audit.Do something for someone else.  Help someone with a personal or professional project, volunteer in your community, recommend a colleague on LinkedIn, or make an important introduction for someone. The more you give, the more you get. Start giving now and youll be getting back by the end of the season or maybe even sooner.

The No Complaining Rule for Job Seekers

The No Complaining Rule for Job Seekers I just finished reading Jon Gordons book  The No Complaining Rule.  According to Jon, people complain either because they feel fearful and helpless or because it has become a habit. He goes on to state that Complaining can be a gift if we use it correctly. Once we know what we dont like, we can decide what we do like and act on it. We can use complaining as a catalyst for positive change. As I discussed yesterday, there are a lot of things to  complain about in a job search.  It can be a frustrating process. Here are some common job search complaints and some strategies for implementing The No Complaining Rule to move past them.  My resume isnt working. When job seekers dont get interviews, they often blame the resume. While its true that an  achievement-driven resume  helps position job seekers for interviews, the resume is just one piece of the process. If you are complaining about your resume, examine how you are using that resume and  change your behavior if necessary. If your pr imary method of search is posting on job boards and you arent getting results, start building  meaningful connections with the people who can hire you  rather than the people who are parsing the resume data.    Create a proactive plan to target companies that you would like to work for where you believe there is a good fit and approach them directly, whether they are actively recruiting or not. Every company recruits at some pointbuild relationships now so you are considered as a candidate when an opportunity presents itself.  No one in my network can help me find a job. Why is that? Have you spent the last 15 years talking to the same 3 colleagues or have you extended your networking efforts to include friends, family, school alumni, past colleagues, members of professional organizations, community service providers, and members of  online networking communities?  Not everyone can help you in a job search and you need to have a robust network so you are not relying on the same 3 pe ople for introductions.I interviewed for a position and I havent heard back about next steps. Take the initiative to follow up on your own. This doesnt mean leaving dozens of voicemail messages or sending multiple emails. Become top of mind by sending a reminder of the value you could bring to the team. This might be a relevant article, information about an industry event, or an acknowledgement of something you read about the company recently.It takes so long for the companies to make a hiring decision. Get used to it. While we would like to think that we are the #1 priority for hiring authorities, we often arent. General business issues, workplace snafus, and shifting priorities can all effect when the hiring decision is made. Deal with it by reaching out periodically to communicate that you are aware that they havent made a decision yet but you continue to remain very interested in the position.The person who interviewed me doesnt seem to get what I do. If your first interview is with a human resources professional, that person may recruit for several functions across the company and not know all the nuts and bolts of what you do. They may still represent a bridge to the next round of interviews, so keep an open mind and a positive demeanor. Generally, HR is looking for cultural fit and your ability to work well in a team, so be sure to have several accomplishment-focused stories to demonstrate these competencies.What other job search complaints do you have and how can you use complaining as a catalyst for positive change?