Category: career coach

Putting Together A Career Management Plan

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Everybody gets to the point in their career where they start considering a change. They take to the Internet and have a look at the different jobs available. They think about what it would be like to work elsewhere. For some people, this is because they simply want a change. They are tired of remaining stagnant and feel like they need a fresh challenge. For others the necessity to move may be more serious, they may hate the job they are in or feel as if it is a dead end one.

The reasons are vast. Nevertheless, before you seriously head out and try to bag one of the available jobs, you first needed to put effective career management into place. Ask yourself some key questions to ensure the move you are considering making is the right one. This is the only way to guarantee success. Otherwise, you dive right in without contemplating the consequences and this never tends to end well.

What have you got to offer?

Firstly, you need to consider what you have got to offer. If you are going into the job market then it is imperative that you know what you have to sell. Head to https://jobs.theguardian.com/article/how-to-do-a-self-assessment-of-your-skills/ to figure out how to assess your own skills. Make a list of your career capital. This includes everything from knowledge, to the certain skills you have, to your contact book, to your reputation, to the experience you have acquired. You have to try and be as objective as possible.

What is your personal work style?

Once you have made a list of everything you have to offer, you then need to determine what your personal work style is. This is something very few people make the effort to do. However, it is important to step back and understand what your personality in the workplace is like. How do you approach tasks? This is imperative when it comes to determining the roles that are right for you. In addition to this, it is also extremely important when selecting a company and a working environment as well.

What do you want from your career?

The next step in your career management plan is determining what you actually want. The more specific you are the better. This can be anything from a greater level of pay, to a boss who appreciates you, to evident opportunities for progression in your career, to a job whereby you have the potential to better yourself through in-house training and alike. These are your career goals.

What opportunities do you have?

The next thing you need to do is make a list of all the options available at your disposal. Is staying at your current company a possibility? Can you move internally within your organization? Do you want to keep the same role but move to a different company? Or is a completely radical change in career direction called upon?

Putting everything together

Last but not least, you now need to tie everything together. All of your options just made in the previous points should then be compared against your skill set, your career goals and the personality you have in the workplace. By doing this you will be able to determine what option is the best one for you and which is going to present you with the best basis for career success. You can then put everything together in your CV. Head to https://www.hloom.com/resumes/ for some templates to help you to get started with this, and then use all of the steps you have carried out above.

So there you have it: your ultimate career management plan! Follow the above to reach your goals.

The Things That Will Always Make You Stand Out When Applying For Jobs

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When you’re applying for jobs, you want to make sure you get through the mounds and mounds of other applications and resumes and actually get noticed. Then, once they have noticed you, you want to make sure you go one step further and actually land the job! Below are some ideas of things that will make you stand out when applying for jobs. Take a look and see what you can use!

Creating An Amazing Resume

Having an amazing resume is so important, whatever job you’re going for. If you’re not sure where to start or how to lay it out, you can use a site like https://livecareer.com/resume-builder to help you. Make sure you take your time crafting an eye catching profile, only talk about relevant experience and qualifications, and show examples of what you did using facts and figures. The more facts and figures you can use to back up your results, the better.

A Great Cover Letter

Never ever forget to write an awesome cover letter that backs up your application. In your cover letter you should tell the employer who you are, where you would fit in their company, and why you want to work for them. This is your opportunity to back up the profile bit in your resume and talk a little more about yourself. If you’re unsure of where to begin, again you can find a ton of examples online.

Making Sure You Fit The Company Culture

Hopefully, you’ve done research on the different companies you’re applying to when job hunting; making sure you fit the company culture is imperative for your happiness and success at a company. Plus, if you’ve already made sure you’re an awesome fit, all you have to do is highlight that in your resume and cover letter.

Have Some Glowing References Behind You

Make sure you have some glowing references behind you – they should know they might be getting a call, as well as what your goals are for your career. This means they can tailor what they say and make sure they show you in the most positive light.

Have An Awesome Online Portfolio

An online portfolio can be a fantastic way to show off your work. Create one and direct potential employers to it so that can immediately see what you can do.

Make An Awesome First Impression

The first impression counts during an interview, or even when you drop your CV in. Dress for success, practice your handshake, and make sure your body language is positive. Really listen to the person interviewing you by practicing active listening. Imitate certain gestures and body language (not in an obvious way) and you may be able to build a faster connection with the interviewer.

The above things will nearly always make you stand out when applying for jobs. See what you can do and you should find yourself with a position in your dream role or company before long. Leave your own thoughts and advice below!

When To Turn Your Side Hustle Full Time

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Are you someone with some very clear business ideas? Maybe you took one of them and turned it into your bit on the side, making money whenever you’ve got the time to work 5 to 9? Well, if you managed to succeed with that side hustle plan, the one you were promised would bulk out your bank account beyond belief, now’s the time to get more serious about it.

Your side hustle was one of the best business decisions you ever made, and now you want to be sure it goes on making you money – and having that confidence in mind is a surefire sign that it’s time to take your side revenue to the next level! But if you’re feeling a little ambivalent over this plan, here’s a couple more of the most prominent signs you’re ready to go full term with your side hustle, and never look back.

You’ve Got Everything Saved Up

Your side hustle was a way to bulk out your main revenue, and give you a bit more spending or rent money when your real job just wasn’t paying out well. But if you’ve noticed, more times than not, that your side hustle pays better, this might be the time for you to move on to full time.

Of course, you’re going to need savings in place to cover the first few months where you’re not likely to bring in much of a full time profit. So make sure you’ve got at least a 3 or 4 months rent in the bank before you make your move – you’re going to lose a portion of your yearly income, and that could set you back massively.

You’re Looking into Your Legal Options

When you’ve got a side hustle on the go, and you’re looking to turn it into a full time business, you’re probably researching every law, rule, and regulation to make sure you’re operating on the right side of the legal circle. And that means you’re already planning to take your side hustle to bigger and better heights, so why not get it going as soon as possible?

Sure, you’ve already got your tax issues down to an art, but you’re going to need to look into every facet of the law that could apply to you. And that takes some time and effort, so the sooner you start, the earlier you could turn your hustle into a thriving company. For example, when you’ve got plans to buy up a small fleet of vehicles, you’ll need to look into areas like that of https://www.grayandwhitelaw.com/practice_areas/kentucky-truck-wreck-attorney.cfm – starting your own courier or fleet service means you’re at a higher risk of accidents at work, and that’s got to be on your mind from the get go.

There’s been a lot of success stories surrounding entrepreneurs who took their hustles full time, and you could be another one of them! Just make sure you’re ready.

What Does It Take to Set up a Successful Side Hustle?

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Everyone should have a side hustle. An extra source of income, something you can do in your spare time to generate money. Whether you want to save, get out of debt or have a backup option for if you ever lose your job, a good side hustle is accessible as well as being fun. But what do you need to make it a success? Here are a few ideas.

A good idea

First of all, you’ll need to decide what is it you’ll be doing to earn money. If you already have an established blog, why not look into ways to monetize? Having a new template and header installed and working on boosting your domain authority will help. Go through old posts and replace pictures that look shoddy or out of date with beautiful free ones online. Sites like Kaboom Pics have plenty on offer and will improve the aesthetic of your blog. You could do some work on a freelancing site, or you could set up your very own business. Theres are plenty of things you can do from home which don’t require that much money to begin. Just have someone design your website and then use Internet marketing services to promote and you’re halfway there. Perhaps you will sell things you’ve made and utilize a hobby, or maybe you’ll buy and sell items for a profit.

Self motivation

With a side hustle you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck, meaning you need enough self motivation and discipline to be able to get things done. While you don’t have a manager or boss in the usual sense, when you work for yourself you do have clients and each project you take on will come with a deadline that needs to be met. Start messing clients or customers around and you damage your reputation and massively hurt your chances of success. The best thing you can do is to choose a side hustle based on your skills and things that interest you. That way, it doesn’t so much feel like work and it makes it much easier to get motivated. Side hustles are exactly that- on the side of your other commitments. This is something you’ll be doing around a full time job, childcare or other things in your life. So it takes a fair amount of self motivation to grind down and make it work.

A place to work

You can improve your chances of success by giving yourself a proper place to work. If you have a spare room in your home, turn this into your own office. It helps to keep work and life separate, and gets you into a good frame of mind for work which is good for productivity. Have your desk and computer, the right storage and everything you need in the room so that when it’s time to get down to business you can do exactly that.

Which Career Skills Do You Want To Master?

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When it comes to your career, you’re always going to want to make sure that you’re in control and on the right path. But that’s often so much easier said than done. Because we all often find ourselves just falling onto a life path. You’ll do what others want you to do, you’ll move to where others want you to do, you’ll put others’ needs above your own. And that’s just natural. But, at some point, when you realize that you want to be happy, you know that you need to make your own choices. And this is always the case when it comes to your career. Because it is YOUR career and you deserve to be happy in it! To do that you may want to start working on yourself and the key skills you have to be able to get to where you want to be. But what are they?

Self-Believe & Confidence

So first of all, you may just need confidence. Maybe you have no self-belief? Maybe you feel like an imposter? Then, you need to start believing in yourself. These tips on The Luxurialist may help you to build more confidence in your career. This could be to be able to push yourself and grow in your current career, or to be able to believe that you can change paths and have the career that you’ve always dreamt of.

Writing

When it comes to skills that can help you to develop in your career, writing is a popular skill that many want to work on. Because most jobs require a ton of writing. From emails and reports to analysis and even things like blog posts or social content – there’s a lot of writing that you may do on a daily basis. So, maybe you want to be more eloquent, or be able to develop your written communication methods to strengthen your career prospects.

Public Speaking

From here, you’ve then got public speaking. And we all know that public speaking is one of the aspects of life that most of us hate. Yet you may need to do it in your job at some point. So maybe you want to improve your public speaking skills now, so that you can make use of them later? Because overcoming this issue can help you to progress in your career.

Networking & Communications

Then, you’ve got the idea of getting better at your networking and communication skills. Maybe you want to do trade shows, with Steelhead Productions sets, so that you can grow your business? But you need the skills to actually get the most out of those experiences? Then you need to start talking to people in your industry, and just get comfortable with communicating.

Financial & Analytical

And then there’s the idea of improving your skills and knowledge with money and numbers. This is something that can be largely beneficial to almost anyone – no matter what industry or role you’re in. Because you’re going to deal with numbers at some point. Being able to analyze in the workplace is also so important. Here, teaching yourself about different analytical software is so important. But you could also look to take a course in financials to get a little stronger in this area.

How to Become Happier in Your Career

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Career fulfillment is something that many people spend their lives chasing, but a lot of them never actually find it. There are a lot of things that have to happen in order for you to become happier in your career, and a lot of it is to do with what you want to achieve. There are so many things that can affect or impact upon the enjoyment of a job or career.

When you get up every morning and go to work, it should be an experience you look forward to, not one you dread. This is why it is important to work toward proper career fulfillment. But, happiness is subjective, right? So, how you can make sure you are working a career that makes you happy? Or even improve the way you feel about your existing career? Well, here are some ideas that can help you!

Adjust Your Expectations

Sometimes when you are trying to become happier and more fulfilled in your career, it is a case of adjusting expectations. You may not be doing what you wanted to be doing 5 years ago, but you’re a different person now. This is not the same world anymore, and you should change your career goals accordingly. If you can do this, you are much more likely to achieve happiness and career success.

Settle Disputes

Sometimes you will find yourself in a situation where you are in a dispute with your employers. This might be over working conditions, or it could well be over pay. Make sure you sort out any issues or disputes that might be affecting your happiness at work. Check out https://turleylawfirm.com/practice_areas/san-diego-california-wage-and-hour-attorneys.cfm and see what you can do if you are facing unpaid wages. Act now and nip this in the bid, then you can focus on being happier and more fulfilled at work.

Switch Careers

If things are really bad and you find yourself very unhappy in your job you might like to think about switching careers. This is something that will mean a big leap of faith, and it may well wind up being something you regret. But, you won’t know unless you try, and this is often essential for improving your career happiness. Do what you can to choose a career path you have a passion for first and foremost.

You might be thinking you are too old now for a career change or you have done the same thing for too long. These aren’t valid excuses people can use when you apply for jobs with them so don’t worry about it, it all comes down to how you are as a person. Plus, you can always train to become whatever you want. For instance, you may enjoy talking to people for a living. If you are great at chatting and selling then combine the two and have a look into life insurance sales. Companies are always looking for new individuals and will offer life insurance sales training on the job.

Talk to Your Boss

Sometimes the issues you have are issues that can be resolved by a simple dialogue with your manager. This is something that has to be done swiftly, and can really have a big impact on whether or not you are happy in your job. Sometimes these disputes can be settled quickly. This is also something that is going to allow you to speak to them about what you aren’t enjoying job-wise so that they can work on fixing the problem.

Take a More Collaborative Approach to Business and Work

Many people end up feeling burnt out and exhausted in business because they’re trying to do it all by themselves and they have the world on their shoulders. Taking a more collaborative approach and finding better suppliers and partners to work with will make life a lot easier, and make you a lot happier. Whether that means finding a company to deliver your concrete supplies that actually puts you needs first or a business to work with that’s interested in mutual growth; collaboration is about making things better and easier for you.

These are just a few of the excellent ways in which you can be sure you improve your happiness as a business. There are a lot of things that play a part in this, and you need to be sure you’ve made the ideal choice. Have a look at these suggestions and use them to make sure you become happier in your chosen career.

Are You Restricting Your Employment Chances?

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If you have been in unemployment for a while, you need to ask yourself why. It may be that you have simply been unlucky when applying for jobs, but on the other hand, you may be sabotaging your employment chances yourself. Consider the following as possible reasons why.

 

  1. You may be applying for jobs that you are underskilled or under-qualified to take on. If so, you need to do one of two things. Firstly, speak to a careers advisor for guidance on what jobs suit you and ask their advice on the skills and qualifications you need for jobs you are interested in. Going back to school to get the qualifications you need, such as an MR license or a specific certificate of study, will add to your employability. Secondly, find voluntary work in the areas you are passionate about, as you will learn useful skills that will help improve your chances at job interviews.

 

  1. You struggle at job interviews. We understand that job interviews are difficult, but you can improve your chances. Role-play interviews with family and friends, research the company you are applying to, and arrive early to give you time to go over your notes and gain confidence before facing the interviewer. Again, a careers advisor will also give you some useful tips on how to interview well.

 

  1. You are unmotivated. After being out of work for a while, depression and despondency can set in. You may have the ‘woe is me’ attitude, with the assumption that you are unemployable, and that you will never get the job you want. But here’s the thing. Other people will sense that attitude within you, including any employer you interview with. It’s a vicious circle, we know, especially when you continually face rejection, but use some of these tips to help you stay motivated when you’re feeling low.

 

  1. You aren’t doing enough to find work. You need to do all you can to get a job, so explore as many avenues as possible. Look at all the job sites online, network with employers at job fairs, and visit the places you are interested in working, and hand in your cv in person. And don’t forget to tap into the power of social media, as you can improve your chances using the information presented in this useful guide. The more you can do to find work the better, so get out of bed in the morning, make a plan, and put it into action.

 

  1. You are too fussy. It’s only fair that you apply for the jobs you want, but you can’t be overly-fussy. Sometimes, any job is better than no job, as you will at least have references and something on your cv to prove your employability at interviews. So, even if you don’t get the salary you want, and even if you have to do work that you consider beneath you, know that you will never get anywhere if you’re always on the lookout for that ‘dream job.’ You may find it eventually, but you can continue searching while you are in employment doing something rather than nothing.

Thanks for reading, and good luck in your job search!

The Key To Making Yourself The Most Desirable Candidate At A Job Interview

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Job interviews can be a nerve wracking experience. You want to present the best possible version of yourself, and of course, be the one to end up with a job afterwards. So, how can you make sure you’re the most desirable candidate at a job interview? Here we’ll go through some pointers that can help you to make a brilliant, lasting impression:

Make Yourself Readily Available

It’s key to make yourself as available as possible when hunting for a new job. If you’re not responsive when it comes to phone calls, for instance, it isn’t going to make you look very good.

If you can discuss things on the phone and arrange an interview at a time that suits the company, it’ll show flexibility and high interest in the role you have applied for.

Always Be On Time

Punctuality is key. If you’re late, it doesn’t paint a very good picture of what you’ll be like in the role. Even if there was a freak accident, it’s unlikely your potential employer will care or want to hear your stories. All they know is that you’re late. Move heaven and earth to be on time.

Be Willing To Hand In Your Resignation Right Away

Accepting a job offer with enthusiasm and being willing to hand in your resignation at your current place right away is a good way to become more desirable. A company won’t want to see you be indecisive about accepting the role.

Prove That You Are Suitable And Trustworthy

You want to prove that you are a suitable, trustworthy candidate. You might like to go out of your way to have certain background checks done, depending on what industry you’re hoping to work in. You might also look at acquiring one or two extra skills that they will find useful. If you’re looking to work in construction, for example, you could get forklift license training. If you want to work in digital marketing, having a few specialisms and knowledge in things like photoshop and web design will help, even if they aren’t part of the job description.

Give Glowing References

Make sure you provide the right references to a potential employer. It’ll help if you chat with your references in the beginning and let them know your goals and what you are hoping to achieve so you can be on the same page before they are called.

Remain Respectful And Professional

During the interview process, it’s crucial you remain respectful and professional. Of course, showing your personality is key, as this can set you apart and help you to land the role over somebody who has the qualifications but is not fit for the company culture. Make sure you avoid making any inappropriate jokes or risky faux pas. Take the lead from the person interviewing you.

Be Enthusiastic

Enthusiasm is so important, so make sure you get that across in person, too! Looking as if you’re neutral may put the interviewer off you as a potential hire.

Let’s Talk About Personal Development

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Let’s talk about personal development. What is it and how can it help you?

Personal development is the process of looking at your skills, your core beliefs, your qualities and how you can improve them and use them to best reach your potential. If you are a freelancer, the chances are you have already put some time and effort into what makes you tick and the path that you want your career to take. But, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for more of that good stuff.

Personal development actually starts very early in life. It begins with our experiences within our family unit, and eventually extends to school life and our first relationships and so on. Sometimes when people finish education, be that college or university, they find a job and stop learning more about themselves, or stop trying to improve.

Why is it important? Well, Maslow (1970), suggested that everyone has a need for personal development that is built in. It actually appears in a table called the Hierarchy of Needs.

How to Get Started

Think about what your vision is. While personal development can just be a fun addition to your life, for others it can be a fulfilling and enlightening process that helps you find a new purpose, and greater motivation for everyday life. Having a clear idea of where you want to be in the future is essential. Sit down and write a plan, think about where you are now, where you want to be and the steps you’ll need to take in both your personal and working life.

Actively look for blogs, books, and speakers like kevinabdulrahman.org.

A few things which can really help are performing a Personal SWOT analysis, taking the time to think about what you feel are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Be as honest as you can when you do this, it might be tempting to write, for example, that you are fluent in French, but what you mean is, you have basic conversational French ability. Honesty is key.

Knowing how you learn, can help you learn faster and more efficiently. There are a few methods that you might like to use to work out your learning style. However, Peter Honey and Alan Mumford proposed the following styles:

Pragmatist – Does it work? Does it have a practical application?

Reflector – Think it through. They like time to consider things thoroughly.

Theorist – Does this fit? They like things to fit with their knowledge framework.

Activists – Let’s get stuck in. They learn by doing.

Work out which one you are, and learn to work in a way that fits with it.

Write it all down. Make notes, keep track of your progress and pay attention to what is working and what isn’t. Making a record of your success and development will encourage you to keep growing. You might even like to create a learning log, where you can reflect when things get a little tricky.

Review and revise. Real personal development is unlikely to be a smooth path. Taking stock every once in a while will ensure you stay on track and motivated.

Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Becoming a Counselor

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You love listening to your friends’ problems and weighing in with your thoughts. You love delving deep into your romantic partners’ emotional states, revealing vulnerabilities to better understand them and yourself. Everyone always says you should go into counseling – but would you actually make a good counselor?

An ear for gossip or a nose into other people’s business aren’t good traits for those wishing to enter the counseling profession. Before you enroll in your first psychology class, you should devise your answers to the following important questions.

Do you care about others?

Above all else, counselors should want to make other people’s lives easier. It might seem silly to ask this question – any supposedly good person should immediately answer yes, right? – but the fact is that plenty of people are more selfish than they care to admit. If you are primarily interested in the counseling career for its flexibility, its autonomy, its salary or any other benefit it would give to you, you might not be a successful counselor.

Can you keep a secret?

It isn’t just polite to keep your clients’ confessions to yourself – it’s the rules. The American Psychological Association’s Code of Ethics dictates that anything said during a counseling session is confidential, unless it pertains to certain types of crimes in certain jurisdictions. Therefore, if you can’t help but share the latest gossip, you should probably pursue a different career, like journalism.

Are you inquisitive?

Counselors need to dig deep into scenarios to understand them fully and develop solutions. Ideally, your personal drive to know as much as possible will push you toward uncovering the root of patients’ problems. A good indication of your natural curiosity is your drive to learn – perhaps even your enrollment in an online counseling master’s program – as well as your observant nature and astute ability to ask the right questions at the right times.

Are you tolerant?

Clients come to counseling seeking help for problems they can’t bring to other people or else can’t resolve on their own. Often, these problems concern the deepest, darkest secrets imaginable, and many clients will explain thoughts, emotions, behaviors and actions that run counter to a counselor’s personal moral beliefs. However, it isn’t your job to spread your own beliefs; thus, as a counselor, you will need an abundance of tolerance for alternative lifestyles and an ability to keep deleterious judgements to yourself.

Are you creative?

We might never know exactly how the human brain works; it is much too complex an organ – and we are much too simple in our comprehension – for us to be able to resolve complex mental struggles with a high degree of rigor. As a result, all counselors must be creative in their methods of searching for, identifying and treating problems faced by their patients. Every case is unique, and every case will require you to develop new strategies for success, which means creativity is key.

Are you good at listening?

If you talk more than you listen, you aren’t well-suited to this profession. Counselors must listen attentively – not just with their ears but also with their eyes and their emotions. People communicate subtly with their entire beings, and counselors must be able to pick up on the smallest cues to identify challenges and find solutions.

Are you comfortable talking to anyone?

This is somewhat related to the issue of tolerance, but you should also be comfortable around all types of people. You should be able to open up to clients of all races, political parties, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions and cultures, so that they will feel comfortable opening up to you. If you are incapable of holding a conversation with someone slightly different from you, you might not feel comfortable as a counselor.

Can you solve puzzles easily?

It might sound silly, but you might want to start practicing riddles. Almost always, the answers to patients’ problems are not obvious; counselors need to apply logic to limited information to sift through the useless data and identify issues. Having a natural talent for lateral thinking or being adept at solving puzzles swiftly can be a major boon for would-be counselors.

Do you understand yourself well?

The last thing a struggling client needs is to deal with a struggling counselor. Before you embark on a career in counseling, you should take time to understand your own biases, your personality and moral convictions, your past traumas and more. By performing regular introspection, you can reduce the likelihood that your problems will impact your clients, which will make you a more successful counselor for years to come.