Eight things all recent graduates are tired of hearing

Eight things all recent graduates are tired of hearing by Amber Rolfe When you graduate, it seems like everyone is an expert on employment…And whilst some people give you genuinely helpful advice, others might opt for a more clichéd way of getting their ideas across so it isnt a surprise that not everything you hear is 100% helpful.We’ve already covered 10 things you wish you could tell your pre-graduate self, but here are eight things all recent graduates are tired of hearing:  Welcome to the real worldSo, the last three years of your life didn’t actually count for anything? Thanks, patronising friend or family member.It seems that according to some, spending most days and evenings in lectures and writing essays, as well as holding down a part-time job aren’t the kind of things people do in the ‘real world’ â€" which is news to you.But hey, you did watch a lot of box sets, so I guess you couldn’t have been a ‘proper grown up’…  What are you going to do with your life?The truth is, you don’t know exactly w hat you’re going to do for the rest of your life. At least not right now. All you know is that your overbearing Aunt Sheila should get off your back.As long as you keep telling yourself you don’t need a plan, it’ll sink in eventually, right?  How’s the job search going?Are you applying for jobs? Yes. Do you have a job? No.That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re struggling. You just haven’t found the right opportunity yet. But you sit and listen to the advice they’re inevitably going to give you about how ‘you should move to the city’ or joining one of those ‘online job board things’ anyway, just to be polite.As if you hadn’t thought of that, you think whilst updating your CV online and living in London.  When are you going to get a real job?Oh, sorry â€" were you not doing a ‘real job’ when you worked a 12 hour shift yesterday?There’s nothing wrong with working in a retail or bar job to make ends meet while you find something more suited to your degree.B ut if they could lend you a helping hand instead of asking annoying, judgemental questions, that’d be great…You probably should’ve studied something more usefulEven if you’re beginning to doubt your choice of subject after a few months of unsuccessful job hunting, that doesn’t mean you’ll never find work in your ideal industry (or that your degree subject is overly important to every single employer).After all, even if you did study a more ‘sensible’ course, that doesn’t mean you would’ve enjoyed it and/or passed.#logicYou should really get some more experience‘But how can I get any experience without a job offer in the first place?’You ask with your head tilted to one side (in tune with every other recent grad who studied the same subject as you).The point is, relevant work experience isn’t that easy to come by, and it takes a lot of time and effort. But thanks for the revolutionary advice Sharon.Have you thought about moving back home?Because having your parents around constantly to nag you about all of the above is just what you need.Although if you’re currently unemployed, the free food and unlimited central heating may be worth considering…You’ll find something soonEven if deep down you know this is true, it still annoys you when people say it.But no matter how frustrated you might be feeling, don’t give up. It might take time to get where you want to be, but after a lot of hard work and perseverance, you’ll get there.Now go back to watching Netflix in bed at 3pm on a Tuesday while you still can…  Still searching for your perfect position? View all available graduate jobs now  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 agree 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. Graduate advice

How to Write an Effective Curriculum Vitae

How to Write an Effective Curriculum VitaeFor those of you teaching in middle schools, you may not have noticed the impact your teaching resume writing has on your job search. Many individuals who teach in elementary schools or elementary/middle schools have never considered that teaching resumes can play a significant role in their college search. This is so because people who are preparing for their second or third year of teaching find it very helpful to display a curriculum vitae (CV) during the coaching interview.When you are getting ready to provide a curriculum vitae for an interview, you may not even realize that it will be carefully scrutinized by middle school students. This is because they are not required to do research about you before they meet you. The individual will only be reviewing your actual experience as a teacher. They will want to know how much time you spent teaching in an educational setting and what qualifications you possess that make you an ideal candidat e for the job.You do not need to be overwhelmed by the number of students who are likely to be attending your next class. In fact, it will probably take less than an hour for a middle school student to read through your curriculum vitae. Therefore, it is wise to gather several teaching samples from different schools in order to ensure that you provide a curriculum vitae that is comprehensive and interesting.Before you start preparing your curriculum vitae, you should consider which areas of interest you would like to cover in your resume. If you teach English, you should include these areas: Writing Skills, Grammar, Composition, Grammar and Punctuation, Literature, Listening, Grammar, and Speaking. If you teach History, you should include these areas: Visual Learning, Language, Thinking Skills, Writing Skills, Grammar, and Comprehension.While it may seem counterproductive to include a lot of other things on your curriculum vitae, you will want to include what is most important to yo ur prospective employer. It may seem odd to include information about your hobbies on your resume, but this information should be included. Just as you want your prospective employer to be interested in the nature of your work, you should also want them to be interested in the nature of your teaching.The best way to answer the question, 'What do I bring to my teaching?' is to actually experience the types of courses that you are seeking to teach. Since so many people in the teaching profession never have the opportunity to provide themselves with the type of educational experience that is needed to be successful, it is important to note that the one area that you should always include on your curriculum vitae is how you can be an excellent teacher.You may be shocked to learn that most middle school students are not familiar with the concept of learning. If you are fortunate enough to teach Intro to Math for a year, your students should be introduced to a variety of concepts such as units, time management, organization, graph theory, and mathematics in general. The kids in the classroom should be actively involved in the process of creating math assignments and projects. During the review period that follows the end of each lesson, your students should be shown how their work was used and evaluated by the teachers.Teaching curriculum vitae can help you show your potential employer that you understand the unique learning needs of students. Not only will you be shown how to prepare for individual students, but you will also be able to apply what you have learned to all students in the class. In this way, your students will benefit from the knowledge that you have gained during your teaching career.

Personal Branding Interview Deborah Shane - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Deborah Shane - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Deborah Shane, who blogs here and is an author, entrepreneur, radio host and expert. Her new book Career Transition-make the shift-the 5 steps to successful career reinvention is available now. In this interview, Deborah talks about how you know when you need to reinvent your career, how to go about reinventing your brand and putting yourself back in the marketplace, and more. What is career reinvention and how do you know if you need it? Career reinvention is NOT a new idea or issue. We have experience employment cycles in several decades. People have changed jobs within careers for a long time. The difference today is that technology, housing, the economy and generational shifts have fueled the accelerated pace of change. What it takes to be in business, get a job and grow a career is much more demanding than ever before. The skills, qualities and energy it takes is very different than it was 10 years ago. The new world of work requires new rules, tools and approaches. Career reinvention is really about taking who you are, what you do and making it relevant and effective in today’s business environment. That may require some reinvention. “Career reinvention is a lot like cooking”. You take your passion and expertise, together with your skills and qualities, prepare them , mix them together, present them and serve them! If you are not happy doing what you are doing, not getting mobility opportunities, the busin ess that you are currently in is not growing, you are not getting called for interviews, then you are probably a good candidate for a makeover, re-brand or update! What are the first steps to reinventing your brand/career and establishing yourself back in the marketplace? The first step I would suggest is defining or re-defining who you are, what you do, what you want people to know you for. What is your X factor, your key intangibles that are your essence that can make you stand out. “Everything you need is already inside of you”, just go within and “discover and uncover”. Ask people who have known you and worked with you that you have a relationship with, what qualities they like best and least about you. I highly recommend some career and brand consulting and coaching. Sometimes we don’t always see things in ourselves that others see. The next really important thing is to make sure your professional image and persona is relevant, up to date and somewhat bold. What people see and how your words impact is very important. Your brand impression stays with people from the very first touch, so make sure you look the way you want people to remember you and communicate what you want people to remember you for. What are some tools you can use to project your new career path? We live in two worlds now: online/virtual and face to face/ in person. They are equally important, mutually-dependent, inter-dependent. We know the power of networking in person and how much it still matters when it comes to making key connections. There is nothing that can replace a face to face interaction with someone and it will always be where the magic happens. Joining chambers, professional organizations, networking groups can have BIG rewards, as “membership has its privileges.” Having said that, the new media and social media platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube are creating an amazing opportunity to make virtual connections that can and will turn into actionable, valuable relationships. They all have groups that people can join and interact with online. Additionally, if someone has a flair for writing, blogging is a proven way to build brand awareness and credibility. The days of just networking online or just in person are kind of over. The two work together to grow relationships, referrals and connections! One more platform that has worked amazing is my weekly business Blogtalk Radio show Deborah Shane’s Metropolis, which I have been on almost 3 years. This has opened up more doors for me than almost anything else. I do this show weekly, and to date have over 27k downloads and climbing! What inspired you to write a book about career reinvention? Right now this is a key theme and dynamic in many people’s lives and it will continue to be. There is a 23 year low in job satisfaction (Harvard Business School) and 84% of Americans plan to look for new jobs in 2011 (Business News Daily). I have been writing since I am 10 years old! Poetry, songs, short stories, articles that have been published over the years, but not a book! This was an opportunity to take my own personal career transition journey from 2006 and tell it. This book is my story, my process and the lessons I have learned through several transitions and the 5 steps I created to help people go from where they are to where they want to go. I included other inspirational profiles of people who have reinvented themselves throughout the book including career powerhouse Tory Johnson, workplace contributor for ABCs Good Morning America and founder of WomenforHire.com, J.T. ODonnell, founder of Careerealism.com, and Maddy Dychtwald, author and founder of Age Wave, plus many more. The book also offers lots of resources, including websites, blogs and books from some well-known career experts. As the finishing touch, I created a FREE 30 page Career Action e-Book, a companion journal full of exercises and book excerpts that will help discover their passion and determine their next career move. The Five Steps are designed to help people uncover new career possibilities, develop a bold, fresh persona, and establish a realistic and achievable career transition blueprint and plan. It is my hope that my story inspires and motivates women and men of any age to believe that the life they want is the life they can have especially now and at any juncture of their life. The new book is available on Amazon.com and on Kindle too! What are the negative side effects to reinventing yourself? The only negative side effects I can think of would be making changes to just change without really evaluating why and if the career change is a good fit for you. I would also suggest following trends to see what careers, products, services and niches are going to be active, strong and areas that have sustainability. Going back to school be it college, adult education classes, free workshops presented by professional organizations, chambers and government agencies can all be keys to your success. Other than that……..When you can embrace Career Transition as another beginning and a new adventure, it can actually be fun! Deborah Shane is an author, entrepreneur, radio host and expert. She is the heart and soul  of her business education and professional development company, Train with Shane and is in her third year of hosting a weekly business radio show on blogtalkradio.com. She writes for several national business, career and marketing blogs, and websites including  smallbiztrends.com, careerealism.com, Internationalbusinesstimes.com, Smartbrief.com and teachstreet.com.  Her new book Career Transition-make the shift-the 5 steps to successful career reinvention is available now on amazon.com. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogtalkradio @Deborah Shane, or visit www.deborahshane.com.

Personal Branding Magazine Issue 4 - Get Your Free Sample Today! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Magazine Issue 4 - Get Your Free Sample Today! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJKBsIXz144] Volume 1 Issue 4 ends the first full volume of Personal Branding Magazine. As personal branding becomes the differentiator for career development, many new channels have opened up and the internet is a recruiting stomping ground for all those who leverage it’s power. Between hiring candidates by viewing video resumes, employer brand websites, and even job aggregators, the times have changed and we must be ready. Human resources is rapidly evolving by branding their companies as the employer of choice and there is a sudden war for talent, despite an economic recession in the United States. In this issue, we interview all the thought leaders who are entering the online recruiting and branding space, as well as take a closer look as to how networking plays a role in bridging recruiters with interested applicants. Only the strongest employers and candidates will survive. By reading this issue, you will have the knowledge needed in order to confront the recruitment process and be victorious. What do you get in the free sample? Download here Cover Story: Job Hunting in a Brand YOU World, An exclusive interview with Robert McGovern, Founder of JobFox.com and Careerbuilder.com 2 Articles: Job search tips and using technology to recruit Interviews with: Joel Cheesman, Blogger, Cheezhead.com Chris Russell, Founder, Jobs in Pods Ben Yoskovitz, Founder, Standout Jobs Paul Forster, CEO Co-Founder, Indeed Phillip Merrick, Co-Founder and Chairman, VisualCV Jim Ambras, CEO and Founder, Notchup.com Sam Blum, Founder and CEO, Razume LLC Alex Rudloff, CEO and Co-Founder, Emurse.com Sanjay Sathe, Founder, RiseSmart A very special thank you to our 9 sponsors: Lyro, RiseSmart, 1-800-Bakery.com, Interview-on-Demand, Qvisory, Spinning Silk Multimedia, CCA, Jibber Jobber, QAlias Final thoughts Out of all 4 issues that have been produced, this issue is by far the most valuable to you. I say this because of the amount of pain that has been endured in the recruitment process today. First off, there were 80,000 job cuts in March alone and as the population grows and more people attend higher education, it will be increasingly more competitive to get the job you want. On the reverse side, human resources is in a war for talent now and they need to fill certain positions. They are set to establish a strong employer brand to position themselves as extraordinary to the likes of passive candidates. Recruiters need to understand how technology has opened up new channels to tap into great talent. This issue has everything you need you be successful in todays world. Please send me feedback or support the magazine by promoting it. Let me know if you have questions.

How Many Years of Experience Should You Write in Your Resume?

How Many Years of Experience Should You Write in Your Resume?When you are writing a resume for an entry level job you want to be sure that you include every year of experience possible. This is one of the most important things that you can do when you are writing a resume for any job you want to apply for. How you write the experiences are very important and there are several mistakes that people make when they are trying to do this.Number one mistake is when they don't start with something like a university degree. They may be capable of doing something, but they should always start with an actual degree from one of the bigger schools. You may have some high school education, but it does not matter unless you got your degree from a great university.When you are writing a resume for a position as a college student, you want to begin with the letter of intent and state how many years of schooling you had in a specific field. Most colleges will require that you complete at least a two year degree to be considered for college admissions. When you are trying to get hired, you need to put the letter of intent out there that you are capable of doing what they are asking of you.The next mistake is that people write past employment in their resume. While this is a good idea if you are going back twenty years to work for a large corporation or small corporation, if you are trying to get hired right now you want to be sure that you state exactly what you did for them and what years you worked. This is important because these companies hire from people who do not have the necessary experience for the job.Another thing that people do is state their past employment in a section labeled previous employment. This is an excellent place to be in your resume, however it does not apply to everyone. Some jobs will not list previous employment, however if you find a job that says previous employment you can list your experience in this section if you want to.Last mistake is when pe ople only put in their three to five years of experience and then they put a paragraph of how much money they earned before showing what they did. While this is helpful for filling out an application, it doesn't mean anything in terms of how well you will do on the job. The more experience you have and the more years of experience you have under your belt, the better chance you have of getting hired.As you can see, there are several mistakes that you can make when you are writing a resume. While it may seem like you can get away with these mistakes, in reality they really hurt your chances of getting hired. It is your time that you are spending for you to get a job and get hired.So don't be afraid to write a resume that is the best that you can and that has all of the relevant information in it. Make sure that you put the minimum of the required information in your resume, while including some of the most important information that you have accomplished. These are some of the mistak es that people make when they are trying to make a resume and they don't even know it.

Find a Mentor who has a Track Record of Doing Not Thinking

Find a Mentor who has a Track Record of Doing Not Thinking Photo Credit â€" Flickr.comOne of the main challenges for young professionals is to find a mentor who can guide them in their career. It’s a critical issue; the right choice can accelerate their success and the wrong choice can hold them back.What’s the best way forward?It’s not straightforward as the “mentor environment ” is replete with many people talking about many things. The airwaves are cluttered with opinions and advice.Subject matter “experts” abound on every topic.Who do you listen to? Who do you believe? Who do you trust? Who do you follow? And how do you recognize when someone is “blowing smoke” at you and feeding their own ego?My advice is to be guided by individuals who have had a rich and long career actually “doing stuff”.Lots of stuff.People who have demonstrated achievements in the areas that intrigue you. If you love marketing, for example, discover a marketing professional who has a track record of achieving cool results around products, adve rtising and go to market activity.Find people who have implemented successful strategies in an environment of organizational politics, cultural impediments and the “wars” of competition â€" the real world where achieving anything is messy and inelegant.Be wary of those who merely postulate what should be done based on textbook doctrine alone.Theory and academic principles are not always trustworthy beacons for what works and what doesn’t work in the real business world.Just because theory says it is the right thing to do doesn’t mean it is. There are too many variables that can never be explained by theoretical doctrine.Look to people who “have been there” for guidance. These are people who have learned that a minor portion of theory with a major dose of practicality is the formula for success.Looked for those who have a track record of failure.Don’t get mesmerized by the blue oceansandthose that profess that they exist.It’s a risky strategy for your future.Find some one who has consistently “won in the swamp” to be your mentor.

PARADE Update Make Those 20 Seconds Count

PARADE Update Make Those 20 Seconds Count PARADE Update: Make Those 20 Seconds Count PARADE Update: Make Those 20 Seconds Count May 24, 2010 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas 1 Comment PARADE Update: Make Those 20 Seconds Count Meghan shares the same challenge that many job changers in todays market are facing. That is, her career history includes such a wide variety of industries, job roles and responsibilities, that shes not sure how to market (or position) herself to potential employers. The biggest mistake I see job seekers making is writing their resume and including every job that theyve ever had and every skill that theyve ever had. However, most hiring managers dont care about all the different skills you have and tasks you can perform â€" they simply want to know can you successfully perform their job? So to position Meghan in the best possible light to hiring managers, and help her stand out from competition, Im working with Meghan on the

Client Case Study Lauren Roberts - When I Grow Up

Client Case Study Lauren Roberts - When I Grow Up Um, do you know that Ive coached hundreds of women since I started offering dream career guidance in 2008? And that these women are freakin rock stars, leaving soul-sucking jobs and traveling the world and launching creative, grown-up businesses and simply doing work that fits their lifestyle goals? Well ya do now and youll hear their stories firsthand in my  Client Case Studies series! I literally spent 15 minutes deciding which was the best quote to pull for this image, because holy wow does  Lauren Kay Roberts  ignite some *truth*! A content creator, writer and fundraiser by day,  Discover Your Dream Business  led the way for her to shine her light on coaching and teaching yoga for changemakers. Shes focusing on changing the world by making changes to her *own* world, and I know this activist will inspire *you* into action on this Monday! Why did you decide to work with me? Id been following you since 2010 (!), and when I was finally ready to really go for it with the vision I had for my work, you were the first person I thought of. Your learn-by-doing approach has especially resonated, and Ive always loved reading your blog and following along on social media over the years. Youre so kind and funny and smart, and it was clear from all the client testimonials Id seen that you were the real deal! What were you doing work-wise when we started working together and what are you doing now? I was and currently am working as a content creator, writer, and fundraiser for progressive political causes and nonprofits, but since Discover Your Dream Business (DYDB) Ive moved into my own space of offering workshops on how to build people power, as well as beginning to coach and teach yoga to change-makers who are running for office, working as front-line activists, or just getting started in their own awakening around how to show up for this crisis moment were in as a country and planet. Ive also gotten way braver about putting my own face and story out there instead of hiding behind what I create for the amazing people and groups I work for! What was your biggest takeaway from our work together? To just DO it. Ive always struggled with perfectionism, and even though I had a lot of awareness around it, it has reared its ugly head in so many new ways since DYDB. With the coursework, support from you, and from the women in our group, Ive been re-learning how to work with and through that resistance when it comes upwhich is all the time. And sometimes, just doing it means taking a break, like when I had some big life stuff happening part-way through the course and needed to pause. The doing at that point was in the not-doing, which is what I needed in order to keep going forward for the long haul. Think of someone who is currently in the shoes you wore when we first started working together. What advice do you have for her? Oh my goodness. You are so worthy of bringing your vision to life, and we NEED YOU. There are going to be so many rational reasons that your fear-brain, our toxic cultural conditioning, and even people close to you will have for you to keep playing small, but if theres anything I know for sure, its that we need everyone to show up BIG if our communities, democracy, and planet are gonna make it. I know its heavy to put it that way, but its also empowering for me to think in those terms. We actually do have the power to create the future we want, whether thats through our art, our votes, our parenting, our business, etc. if were being true to who we are and the life we know were here to live. That doesnt mean its *all on you* or any one individual to make *all the change*, but when we each bring our gifts and talents to life in whatever way makes sense for who we want to be, I truly believe that thats whats going to make the future one where everyone can be safe and free and even thriving one tiny revolution at a time. Is there anything thats been a game-changer for you when it comes to your business that you can share? Wed love a good resource or a mindset/productivity tip! The most important mindset shift is something Im still trying to get better at believing: the money, the connections, the clients, the whatever will show up when you believe you can handle them, know you deserve them, and make space for them in your life. The universe is not going to hand you a ton of money if youre having trouble managing what youve already got (and btw, thats an over-simplification, because of course theres systemic poverty and oppressionIm talking about people who have a certain level of access and privilege). The clients are not going to show up if YOU are struggling to show up for the ones you currently have. If youre exhausted and burnt out, the universe is not going to give you more to deal with. Thats all to say right now Im focused on building the support systems, everyday practices, and boring ol business processes that can hold what Im asking for. Like sleeping. And doing my taxes. Whats on the horizon for your business? Wed love to hear about any upcoming offerings or goals!   Whew a lot, but in a good way! Im going to be coaching and potentially teaching yoga to candidates who are a part of a group thats recruiting regular, working people to run for office. Id love to keep coaching change-makers of all kinds super experienced, brand new in 1-on-1 sessions and groups, so feel free to DM me anytime @laurenkayroberts on Instagram if youd like to work together! My ongoing work with organizations like CTZNWELL, Race Resilience, and others is going to get very busy. And we recently had the last of the in-person workshop series that my friend and I have been collaborating on (People, Power, Yoga weve been getting together on Sundays to talk about voting and getting political on our yoga mats ahead of the local elections that just happened!), and were about to start planning events for 2020 as the election heats up. Id love to keep practicing civil disobedience when Im able to, which is a huge privilege. Oh, and I also need to finish my website You can find info on all of these things over on Instagram @laurenkayroberts. Where can we find you and your work? Instagram is best until the website is up! @laurenkayroberts (and @democracywitch, just for fun)