Friday, May 29, 2020

One Smart Organizational Hack to Speed Up Your Job Search

One Smart Organizational Hack to Speed Up Your Job Search This post is inspired by a link sent to me by my friend, Debra Feldman, owner of JobWhiz  and Executive Talent Agent, titled Smart Organizational Hacks to Speed Up Your Job Search. My response to that article is one single, easy hack: Use JibberJobber! If using JibberJobber is too hard, then you can do what they suggest, creating your own organizational system with a bunch of tools put together.  Here are some of their points, from the link above, to help you know what your organizational system should do: Keep track of companies (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Keep track of applications  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track company name  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track application status  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track job titles  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track application deadline  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track application submitted date  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track contact at company, with name, title and email  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track when you did an informational interview  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track when you last contacted the company so you can send a follow-up email  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track all of this in one place even though you have a lot of it in your email inbox  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Document all meeting notes  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track everyone you spoke with, or want to speak with  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Follow-up (which is the critical factor for success)  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Schedule email follow-up reminders  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Keep your important docs, like cover letters, resumes, etc. in one place thats easy to find/access  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Theres plenty more that you could do in JibberJobber. One reason we designed JibberJobber is so that you dont have to monkey around with all kinds of folders and other apps just do it all in one place. Kind of has an appeal to it, doesnt it? One Smart Organizational Hack to Speed Up Your Job Search This post is inspired by a link sent to me by my friend, Debra Feldman, owner of JobWhiz  and Executive Talent Agent, titled Smart Organizational Hacks to Speed Up Your Job Search. My response to that article is one single, easy hack: Use JibberJobber! If using JibberJobber is too hard, then you can do what they suggest, creating your own organizational system with a bunch of tools put together.  Here are some of their points, from the link above, to help you know what your organizational system should do: Keep track of companies (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Keep track of applications  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track company name  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track application status  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track job titles  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track application deadline  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track application submitted date  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track contact at company, with name, title and email  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track when you did an informational interview  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track when you last contacted the company so you can send a follow-up email  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track all of this in one place even though you have a lot of it in your email inbox  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Document all meeting notes  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Track everyone you spoke with, or want to speak with  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Follow-up (which is the critical factor for success)  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Schedule email follow-up reminders  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Keep your important docs, like cover letters, resumes, etc. in one place thats easy to find/access  (Check! You can do this in JibberJobber) Theres plenty more that you could do in JibberJobber. One reason we designed JibberJobber is so that you dont have to monkey around with all kinds of folders and other apps just do it all in one place. Kind of has an appeal to it, doesnt it?

Monday, May 25, 2020

Global Graduates Beckies story. University of Manchester Careers Blog

Global Graduates Beckies story. University of Manchester Careers Blog Global Graduates is a programme run by the University with a private donor, which was established in 2012 and has kept growing and becoming more successful over time. Last year, I was one of the lucky 28 chosen to go on the trip; my chosen location was Hong Kong. The programme has six amazing destinations: Dubai, Hong Kong, London and Paris (combined), New York City, San Francisco or Singapore, which you get to spend around a week in. The whole purpose of the trip is to act as an ambassador for the University, completing meetings with Manchester alumni who are now living and working in your chosen country. They were all in various different job roles and sectors, all with different experiences of Manchester and their new home and very keen to hear about what great things the University has on offer nowadays. Most of our daytimes were occupied by the meetings which mostly took place in their work buildings but occasionally we met in coffee shops and local cafes and one meeting even took place at a Rotary club lunch in the Peninsula Hotel! On our second to last day in Hong Kong, we were invited to a UK university alumni event which was an award ceremony to celebrate many university’s and individuals’ achievements, filled with lots of Manchester and other British university graduates of all ages. Afterwards, we were taken out for an amazing dinner with one of our alumni and served a huge variety of traditional Chinese dishes. Whilst on the trip, we were also shown around a newly built shopping centre, which was great for me as a fashion student (getting to talk a lot about retail futurology) and given a presentation with small-scale models of the new high speed train link being built to allow easier and quicker transport between Hong Kong and the biggest Chinese cities. As well as this trip being something very different to anything I’ve ever done before, and very exciting as we did have lots of time in between set activities to explore the country and its attractions, this has been an opportunity that has boosted my CV significantly. Although, it isn’t the easiest thing to explain in few words on a CV, just being able to describe it as acting as a University Ambassador in another country and having been successful over many other applicants makes it a stand out point on there. What skills did  I gain from the experience? Communication skills were  probably the most significant. When engaging with the alumni, communication was key for getting as much relevant information from them as possible, as well as conveying our thoughts on Manchester.    There was also an opportunity for networking with other professionals   at a big UK university alumni event, where important attendees from Manchester and other universities that were now based in the East Asia offices were present. We were also taken out by a couple of the alumni to network with their friends and colleagues. I also gained commercial awareness through knowledge of East Asian culture and business practice, which I know is a very important trait for a graduate to possess in the eyes of many prospective employers. Professionalism and handling myself in formal settings (very useful when applying for jobs) Teamwork, organisation and at the end, report writing and public speaking skills (as you have to produce a team report, personal report and PowerPoint presentation after the trip has ended. My experience on this programme was invaluable, with the alumni we met out there still being connections of mine now; something that could open doors for the prospect of working out there in the future. Why not try it yourself? This year, there are 32 available places across the six locations, 28 of those being for bursary/grant awarded students, and four for non-bursary/grant awarded students. I feel that this trip gives opportunities to those who otherwise maybe wouldn’t get them, as the trip is fully funded, and I know personally I wouldn’t have been able to attend if it wasn’t. I couldn’t recommend this programme enough for the sheer amount of options it has potentially opened up for me and with the application only being fairly short, there really is nothing to lose. Applications close on Monday 23rd March at 5pm and if you want any further details about the programme, they can be found here: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/experience/globalgraduates All Student blogs Undergraduate employability international jobs my story networking skills work experience

Friday, May 22, 2020

Upcoming Interview Today How Americas Women Achievers Become Leaders

Upcoming Interview Today How America’s Women Achievers Become Leaders I am very excited to announce another amazing interview we have coming up in the Get Ahead Club. Our next interview is today, February 3rd, with Anne Doyle, author of  Powering Up: How Americas Women Achievers Become Leaders. Anne Doyle  is a leadership and communication strategist, keynote speaker, media commentator and author of Powering Up! How America’s Women Achievers Become Leaders. She brings three decades of trailblazing journalism, business and political credentials to her work. From TV newsrooms to sports locker rooms, from board rooms to congressional hallways, Anne Doyle has honored her skills in some of the toughest leadership laboratories and with sports, business and political leaders as accomplished as Reggie Jackson, Sparky Anderson, Jac Nasser,   Jack Welch, Kathleen Ligocki, and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow. Following her early retirement from Ford Motor, Doyle founded Anne Doyle Strategies, a leadership and communications consulting practice. She is also a columnist for Forbeswoman.com and a weekly commentator for Michigan Talk Radio Network. Most recently, she was elected to a four-year term on the Auburn Hills City Council. An honors graduate of the University of Michigan, Ms. Doyle has done advanced studies at the University of Madrid, Northwestern, Duke, Harvard and the Ford Executive Development Center. She is also the mother of a 19-year-old son, Kevin, the big sister of seven children and a global traveler and active outdoorswoman. What is the Get Ahead Club? I created the  Classy Career Girl Get Ahead Club  for professional women who are determined to get ahead in their careers.  This is my entry level of membership  and a great way to have ongoing access to me and other career experts at a very affordable rate. Topics range from how to get promoted, how to manage your time, how to find your dream job and how to manage stress and burnout. These women that I pick to interview are women that I REALLY want to talk to. I have heard them speak before and they have completely inspired me.  So I am being very picky and only choosing the best experts and successful professional women that I REALLY want to talk to. So I won’t waste your time. This is as good as it gets!  Today there are over 48 women in the Get Ahead Club and  the interview recordings are ready to  download and listen to for inspiration and motivation at your fingertips!  I suggest listening to them while you are working at your desk, driving to work or exercising. I am a big fan of making the best use of my time and sitting and doing nothing is not something I am good at:) Getting ahead is hard and I don’t want you to do it alone.  I want to support you and so does everyone else in the club.  Click here to join us in the club.

Monday, May 18, 2020

How to go about getting a job in Human Rights

How to go about getting a job in Human Rights Today is International Human Rights day and in recognition of this the Law Society is running a series of lectures on Human Rights. Since we have a number of students here at Warwick interested in careers in this field, I’ve been along to some of the talks. I’ve picked up on a personal interest in litigation and got a first-hand view on what it takes to embark on this career area. Now, this isn’t going to come as a surprise to anyone committed to a career in Human Rights! Nobody told me that it was easy to get into the work, or that there was a clearly defined entry system which, if followed, ensures success. I did learn a few things however, about some of the attributes you might need for success and about some of the routes people have taken to “get in”. So here they are, this is no recipe for success but some points to ponder. Have you got what it takes? You need resilience. You’re likely to have to knock hard at lots of doors if you’re to build a career in this area, and you’ll need to be able to take rejection. But what about once you start work? You’re going to have to be able to deal calmly and dispassionately with tragedies on all sorts of levels and there’ll be times when you’re going to be upset. You’ll need to remember that it’s not normally your tragedy! The choice of what sorts of rights and remedies might be pursued is not yours but your clients’. Your job is to listen, and not to judge and to find a way of understanding what might be right for a particular client. Sometimes that might mean taking no action. However inflamed you are by the injustice or cruelty, your thoughts won’t matter! You’ll have to be able to deal with the consequences of taking the action too. How will you look at horrors day after day and not become inured to them? You’ll have to keep working, to continue to see what happened and remain appalled. Then what if your client dies as a result of the action you took? I’ve heard stories about this over the last two days; will you be able to live with the consequences of what you do? Still keen? Then here are some suggestions I’ve picked up which might help you get into this field. Campaign Successful Human Rights work often involves the need to get issues to the forefront of peoples’ minds. There are all sorts of ways of doing this, lobbying of politicians, the organisation of petitions, journal writing, blogging, direct action, anything which raises the public consciousness. You can be doing that alongside your studies. Pick causes which really matter to you and raise your profile, start to develop a name for yourself as you support your cause and you’ll be a more interesting employee. Intern You’re likely to have to intern and the grim reality is that you’re unlikely to be able to get paid for interning, (if you do, you’re much more likely to be looking at minimum wage than a living wage!) Can you manage to do this? Not everyone has family support prepared to facilitate unpaid work, but perhaps there are other ways of doing this and surviving? You could consider interning part time and finding a part time job to pay the rent and feed yourself? Negotiate a limited period for the internship and try, at least, to discuss how your “employers” are going to help you with your career aspirations in return for your work. Find a city job which pays well! Really? Did I just write that? Actually, I did. One point which was made forcefully to me about those wanting to practise Human Rights law is that you need to learn to be a good lawyer first. Once you’ve learnt the skills of litigation you can pick up Human Rights law really quickly. If you’re going to have the greatest impact on Human Rights as a lawyer you need to be the best lawyer you can be. The City trains well, it pays for LPC and some firms offer employees the chance to really engage with high quality international human rights work on a pro bono basis. What’s not to like? You might find it hard to leave and give up the salary of course, but that doesn’t mean game over on the Human Rights aspiration. You might have the chance to work on the side, perhaps in law, or perhaps in campaigning. Alternatively, learn your craft, raise your personal profile and then leap off into full time, hard core Human Rights work. Not for you? Ok! Become a paralegal. It’s another option. A number of top Human Right law firms only offer training contracts to those who’ve been paralegals first. You won’t earn as much, maybe you won’t get your LPC funded, but you might feel that you’re off on the path you want right from the beginning. Get out there and make some contacts This is the radical one, but I’m told it works. Pack your bags and head off to a world trouble spot. Definitely avoid those countries which might give rise to concerns for the UK Security services and think very carefully about your own physical safety, but that leaves you plenty of options. Once you’re there, start talking to the local Human Rights workers. They’ll be only too pleased to have some help on hand and you’ll probably find yourself working in no time. You might not be earning much, you’ll certainly be learning! So is there a career for the truly determined? Yes, for some. The sad truth is though, that in this field, of all fields, contacts help and getting the job you really want might take you quite some time. You’re likely to have to be flexible as well as persistent. But the rewards? Simply knowing that what you’ve done has really made a difference!

Friday, May 15, 2020

5 ways to start a career in journalism without a media-related degree

5 ways to start a career in journalism without a media-related degree This article was written by an external contributor. Cameron Broome reveals the steps you need to take to make it as a journalist. Being a journalist sounds great writing for a living, setting the news agenda, voicing your opinion, interviewing people, raising awareness of stories that you think are inspiring. But hey, I don’t need to sell you journalism â€" you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t keen, would you? First things first, there is absolutely zero point trying to make it in media if you aren’t motivated, committed and absolutely certain it’s what you want to do. News journalists can work up to 50 hours per week, especially when just starting out and trying to build up a portfolio and contacts. The hours can be unsociable, you have to be geographically flexible and journalists have to work under pressure to tight deadlines. In other words: it’s hard graft. But if you are committed and you want to be the next James O’Brien, Owen Jones or Andrew Neil (hopefully with a better hair cut â€" no offence, Andrew) then go for it. There is no one fixed path to making it in the media. Journalists have diverse backgrounds and you can enter the industry at any age in a variety of different ways. Here are some ideas to get you started. Get involved in student media (obviously only applicable if you’re a student) If you’re an undergraduate student who wants to be a journalist and isn’t actively involved in your University’s student media set up, then seriously, why are you reading this article? Student media is the closest experience you can get to working in the media without actually working in the media.  At Manchester University, for example, theres the Manchester Media Group consisting of The Mancunion (the University newspaper), Fuse FM (the University radio show) and Fuse TV (the University TV channel). I’m Head News Editor of The Mancunion and this has given me useful skills in WordPress, industry-standard Adobe InDesign and finding, editing and writing news content akin to working for a newspaper. Newsrooms are becoming increasingly integrated, with a blurred line “radio”, “print” and “TV” and so it can be useful to get experience across different platforms. If you don’t have a student media set up at your University, start one yourself. Contact your Students’ Union, apply for funding, make a WordPress blog, start writing yourself and advertise for contributors. However, even if this isn’t possible, there are loads of online blogs you could contribute towards such as Backbench UK, TalkPolitics, Filibuster UK, The Social Jungle, Huffington Post, It’s Round and It’s White among others. Get some social media management experience WTF?! Why will this increase my chances of making it as a journalist?! As Sheffield University states: “To be a successful news reporter your social media, camera and content management skills must be as sharp as your nose for a story.” Just think about the way that you consume news â€" more and more traffic comes through smartphones devices, often directly from social media. There are lots of ways you can get social media management experience. Charities are always looking for volunteers to manage their pages and university societies equally often have social media pages you can run. Equally, use your own social media page to build social media skills â€" this is also useful as it can help get you noticed by potential employers. In addition, some websites pay per unique views on articles and so having a large social media following can help to maximise your audience reach. Do a Masters course There are lots of Masters Courses available where you can basically learn everything you need to be a journalist crammed into a year (or two years if you do it part-time). Some of these courses are also accredited by relevant institutions â€" such as the National Council for the Training of Journalists. It can be necessary to gain an NCTJ-accredited qualification if you want to work at a newspaper or similar. City University London is a popular choice for many aspiring journalists, though the cost of living in London might be a factor to consider and it is not NCTJ-accredited. Really, the choice of institution is less of an issue â€" it’s more how you make the most of your time there. Choose the course that would work for you best. Do you research, attend open days and ask questions to those in the know. Get a post-graduate qualification that isn’t a Masters You can also acquire a journalism qualification without doing a full Masters course. Press Association Training offer a 17 week NCTJ news reporting course, a 17 week NCTJ sports reporting course and a 9 week Magazine journalism course. These courses are based in London but rumour has it that they are set to offers courses in and around MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester. Similarly, News Associates (who have offices in both London and Manchester) offer a 20-week long NCTJ fast-track Multimedia Journalism Diploma. The advantage of these courses is that you can learn everything you need to know to be a journalist â€" editing, writing, reporting, media law, ethics etc. â€" all crammed into a few weeks. The disadvantage is that the courses are intense and it might take time to build up journalistic skills depending upon how much experience you have already going into the course. These courses are probably better suited for people who already have broad experience in the industry and are looking to sharpen their skills and get a professional qualification. Apply for media-related jobs and see what happens “If you don’t buy a ticket, you’ll never win the lottery” is an overused phrase but it does hold some validity in journalism. If you don’t apply for jobs in the media, how will you ever know if you stand a chance of landing them or not? Just read job descriptions carefully, tailor your CV and write a strong cover letter â€" originality can be a good way to stand out from the crowd. Get someone else to read your application â€" be that family, friends, University Careers Service team member or literally anyone whose judgement you trust. Then take the feedback on board, edit your CV accordingly (maybe repeat these steps a couple of times) and then fire away some applications. Who knows, you might just get the lucky break you have been waiting for…. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Monday, May 11, 2020

Dumb Down the Resume or Tweek to Be a Fit

Dumb Down the Resume or Tweek to Be a Fit Remember that the job of your resume is to get you interviews. If your phone isnt ringing, your resume isnt working. Rule number 1 is to make sure you adjust your resume for each job you apply for by altering accomplishments (bullets under the job title), skills and experience listed in your summary, the extent of work history you list (really there isseldom aneed togo back more than 10-15 years), and anything else that needs to be adjusted or eliminated to create the right level of experience (I am not endorsing lying here). If youve done all that, you might call it dummying down, however, it really is just sharing the relevant experiences/accomplishments. Focus on what the employer needs. JT ODonnells blog, Career Realism explored this topic the other day. She and Dale discussed the employers logic a bit. What I loved most about this post was that they recommended networking! If you are networking, you will be much more likely to gain the like-ability advantage and less likely to be seen as overqualified. Why, because, if someone says, I met a talented X who might be a solution to our problem. They seemed really competent and I enjoyed meeting him. or I used to work with X, and shes the kind of person who doesnt quit until the job is done. Shes had many successes and I think shed be a real asset here. When all is said it done, at some point, you are going to have the conversation about why you are interested in the job- be able to speak convincingly about why this is a good career move for you. Also be able to tell them whatbenefit you will add to the organization as well as know how this job will benefit you (besides financially). You will be asked, why are you interested in this job, and your answer needs to go beyond I need a paycheck.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Writing a Summary For Resume College Graduate

Writing a Summary For Resume College GraduateWhen you are writing a summary for resume college graduate, you are not just writing a simple list of qualifications. Instead, your resume is your opening to a job interview. Before submitting your resume, you need to make sure that your resume meets the specific requirements of the employer that you are looking to interview with. To help ensure that your resume meets the needs of the employer, here are some tips to follow.First, do not use the summary for resume college graduate to list your educational background or expertise. Rather, this is an outline of your work experience and education in the job or degree that you are applying for. Also, it should list only your major areas of expertise. By doing this, it will make it easier for the employer to narrow down their search to those fields that they will consider hiring for.Second, do not include any notes regarding awards, certifications, or professional affiliations. This is considere d one of the most common mistakes made by students who write a summary for resume college graduate. It will take the reader away from the main information that is listed on your resume and can also create confusion about your experience.Finally, do not list any professional experience as part of your summary for resume college graduate. The purpose of this section is to provide the employer with information about your skills and work history. This should be your opportunity to showcase your skills and qualifications.When writing a summary for resume college graduate, be sure to make sure that the employer receives it as an email attachment to their recruiter. Instead of reading it off of your resume, the recruiter will scan the information on your resume to determine which jobs or degrees you have listed on your resume. If the recruiter doesn't receive it as an email attachment, your writing will seem unprofessional andit may not be received as effectively as a printout of your resu me. In addition, it will make it much more difficult for you to get an interview with the company.Lastly, when creating a summary for resume college graduate, try to go into more detail than is necessary. After all, the purpose of your resume is to get your foot in the door and make your employer aware of your experience.To get an employer to take you seriously, you must provide them with a summary for resume college graduate that is both interesting and detailed. In addition, you must have one that is easy to read and understand. Without this, you may be wasting both time and money to even bother sending out your resume.With these tips in mind, you can create a summary for resume college graduate that shows your personality and makes your resume stand out from other applicants. Your summary for resume college graduate will be noticed by your prospective employer and he or she will be ready to accept your application to start a new job.