How to Build A Career Portfolio Building Your Future Now

How to Build A Career Portfolio Building Your Future Now Even if you are at a current job that you really like that doesnt mean you shouldnt develop a career/project portfolio. This type of portfolio doesnt have to be too fancy (but it can be!) It simply contains many of your career accomplishments in a neat package. This is a great way to showcase another dimension of who you are as a professional. Where to Start? Pull as many materials you have around you together: paperwork, certificates, journals, notes on projects etc. Dont worry about being neat at this stage. Just be concerned in acquiring as much raw material for your portfolio as possible. Major Projects Include personal and professional projects that you either have spearheaded or been a part of. Did you accomplish something amazing individually or in a team that brought in-company or industry acclaim? Have you boosted sales? Have you saved your company oodles of money? Be detailed and include pictures, graphs and any pertanent information that can build the argument that you are the right candidate for the job during the interview. Articles, Websites and Blogs Have you written any content on a personal, professional website or maintained a popular/informative blog? Include all that! Dont be modest; you have to toot your own horn! Companies and organizations need to hear about these outside projects too. It shows you are a well-round individual and dedicated to personal growth and development. What company doesnt want this type of A1 employee? Think Resume When you finish building your career portfolio it will provide you an interesting overview of your accomplishments. This portfolio should be a strong extension of your resume. However, with this portfolio complete you have an awesome opportunity to rebuild your resume. Since you have uncovered past information about your experiences and projects you can most certainly integrate that back into your resume making it detail-rich and meatier. Keep Adding to It Never stop adding to your career portfolio! Even if its a shoe box of notes, certificates, emails printouts, letters, work-related material, or journalsthrow it in and get back to it in the future to organize it all. It separates you from others If you want something that really separates you from other candidates when you are vying for a job or a promotion a career portfolio is just what the doctor ordered! It can showcase your project history in detail and flesh out key ideas and accomplishments you have notched. Make it look Good! Be sure to hold it all together in a attractive package. Dont skimp out on this part. Look around for some options and perhaps ask a friend who might give you some advice (if they are design savvy.) Be creative too! Research what others have done and dont be afraid to experiment with layouts. Image: Pexels

Skills and Qualifications For Resume

Skills and Qualifications For ResumeIf you are applying for a job and are trying to get your skills and qualifications for resume, it is time that you give it some serious thought. There are lots of people who do not understand this concept that their skills and qualifications for resume are going to be putting together to present the most important aspect of the person's own work experience.So if you are applying for a job and have been assigned a supervisor to make sure that you know all of the basic qualifications of the job that you will be applying for, you have probably heard a lot of people say that they would be more than happy to help you with your resume. When they say they would be more than happy, they mean that they are going to be more than happy to write you a resume. They may even want to look over the details so that they can guarantee that you will be able to apply for the job if you are hired.If you are interviewing with a supervisor and you say that you would be m ore than happy to help them with your resume, they are going to expect that you can. They will not want to hire somebody who cannot do anything and has nothing to show for all of the training that they have given you. They are going to expect you to have a number of qualifications, not just one or two.The next thing that they are going to do is they are going to look at the skills and qualifications for resume. They will not necessarily just go to the job that you are applying for, but they will look at all of the available jobs on the net. They will see what you have done in the past. They will see if you have the kind of skills and qualifications that you would need to get the job.If you did not really do much in the past, then you might want to try and look at your skills and qualifications for resume. You could use something like a resume enhancement software program to take the information that you have listed in the work history section and you could change a couple of the ite ms on there and see if you can re-write it to something that would make it better. Even if you could rewrite it, the only problem with re-writing it is that you are going to have to explain why you did not do the job well and you might not want to explain to them why you did not do the job.When they do see your skills and qualifications for resume, they are going to be able to see if you have the skills and qualifications that they are looking for. The last thing that they want to see is somebody who will be able to do the job that they are asking for. So if you are able to show them that you are capable of doing the job that they are asking for, they are going to be happier about hiring you.In the end, what you are trying to do is to show the employer that you are the best candidate for the job and you should be having all of the skills and qualifications for resume that they are looking for. You will not be a good employee if you do not know what you are doing and you cannot write a good resume.Skills and qualifications for resume are very important and it is something that you should take a lot of care in writing. So do not hesitate to spend some time to write the best resume that you can.

To Grad School or Not to Grad School

To Grad School or Not to Grad School If you’re a recent graduate, you might face a major decision: do you continue your education through grad school, or do you jump into the field and start looking for a job? In a recent U.S. News survey of undergraduate programs, approximately 37 percent of recent grads made the decision to go on for further education. This statistic shows that graduate school is no longer considered an automatic choice for recent college graduates, so this is a decision worth weighing carefully. A clear career path If you want to benefit from graduate programs you ought to have  clearly defined goals and know that a further degree can help you attain that goal. In some careers, like law or speech pathology, graduate programs are essential. Knowing whether you should go to graduate school starts with defining your goals for your future or current career. Stuck in a career rut If you’re already in your career and find yourself in a position where you can’t advance anymore, it may be time to consider graduate school. Online degree programs can allow you to pursue further training while maintaining your current work schedule, and a master’s may be the boost you need to gain an edge on that promotion you have your eye on. Just remember that masters degrees dont always lead to promotions.  They may lead to new job opportunities though.  If your objective is stability, great pay and job security check out earning a Masters in Project Management.  Especially with the presence of website development, new technology implementation and the creation of new tools, project managers can find work and success in a variety of types of industries from government, consulting and creative agencies. Before jumping into a degree program though, take time to research the job prospects in your field. If everyone in upper level management in your firm has graduate degrees, this could be a sign that an advanced degree could help you. Since graduate school represents a sizable investment of time and resources make sure it will help you attain your goals before enrolling. Alternatives to graduate school Today’s job market is challenging, and because of this some new graduates are rushing into graduate programs to avoid entering the slow job market which could be a dangerous reason to pursue graduate training. In some fields, work experience is just as valuable as further training. If you are in one of these fields, then an internship may be more valuable than graduate school. Again, the key is to know your career goals and know what is required to help you reach them. Similarly, those who are certain that another degree will boost their income potential may want to re-think their decision. On average those with master’s degrees do earn more, but this is not guaranteed. There is no denying the job market is difficult right now which has led many women back to the classroom to pursue further training. For some, further education works well, opening career doors and networking opportunities, but you need to invest in graduate training only if it stands to benefit your career in the long term. Take the time to evaluate where you are now and what your potential prospects will be, and then make the decision about pursuing a degree. Have you thought about grad school? Is anything holding you back? Do you think students should go to grad school only after gaining real world experience or is going straight away the new way to go? Id love to hear your thoughts!

2 Big Myths of Social Networks - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

2 Big Myths of Social Networks - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Near the end of two days teaching the Personal Branding Boot Camp at UCLA last weekend, I had to break bad news to my students. “I am afraid you’ve been misled. Seriously.” The job-seekers, managers, up and coming experts, athletes and others in the group stared back at me. Concern, disappointment, and worry went viral in the room almost instantly, like Dollar Shave Club on YouTube. During the mid-day break, I’d seen their Facebook pages. I slowly broke bad news to them. “I saw you’ve been posting status updates. Some of you for years now. So here’s what I know about you. You run out of gas. Have a beige couch with a stain. Think Ayn Rand was an economist. Like kittens. Eat eggs Benedict like cholesterol isn’t a national health crisis. Drink cheap wine. You have a really ugly sister or maybe that was a pinata. You share ironic motivational posters that really aren’t that ironic.” Their eyes widened since, after all: wasn’t that what social networks were for? Wasn’t Facebook et al there for them to post the high and low events of their lives, favorite meals, angry political tirades, and a sign that reads: “Stay calm and Wear a ***tfaced Grin?” They had been seriously misled. As would be their future employers, investors, meeting planners and other people who could pay them to do what they dreamed they could do, if that’s what sources of income viewed about my talented, smart and ambitious campers. So, I told them the truth, busting the #1 and #2 myths and their chops. #1: “There is nothing strictly social on social networks.” #2: “What you’re doing is doing nothing for your networking.” No one burst into tears â€" after all they just endured nearly two spring weather days in Southern California locked up in the belly of a building where no sun shined. This was a boot camp hardened group. Still, it was clear they were in shock. Of course, it could have been an afternoon dip in blood sugar or the fact that sequestration took air traffic controllers out of their local airport control towers, right about when their planes would attempt to land that evening. But seriously, do you understand the facts behind these myths? The #1 myth? Facebook is just for connecting to good friends and close family members. The #2 myth? Your friends and family will always love you, or think and act discreetly. Apparently you haven’t heard about Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton. Kim Kardashian and the boyfriend with the sex tape. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. Unless you think you will be the next Kim Kardashian, hit the powerball numbers before you’ve paid off your student loans, or be the one in 7 billion people on our planet who keeps all your friends and lovers for life: Stop blackmailing yourself. Stop holding your career hostage. Stop being HIP: hostile, insane and profane â€" at least on social networks. I know this is tough talk. Forgive me. I am fresh from a stint as a drill sergeant running a boot camp. So, clean up your social network pages! At ease, recruits. Now, I have to go clean up mine. Author: Nance Rosen  is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen

Building Confidence by Staying in a Positive State of Mind - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Building Confidence by Staying in a Positive State of Mind - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Any sales professional will tell you that their numbers will significantly decline or raise with their expectations.  Much of this has to stem from the fact that individuals who expect negative outcomes will become less resilient, utilize a mere fraction of their creative mindset and will appear less confident in front of a potential buyer. Interviewing, recruitment and job search is no different. In todays business environment, it is imperative to remain in a state of mind that will allow you to continue driving toward your job search goals and see them through to completion. For that reason, our recruiters have listed 5 tips on how to prevent thoughts that fix your attention to low career expectations and poor job search and career performance: 5 Key Tips to Remain Positive and Reap the Rewards for Doing So   1. Begin to understand that if you do not believe in your own abilities, you are inevitably going to content with something less than you are capable of. Because the blows of life, the accumulation of difficulties, the multiplication of problems, sap energy and leave you discouraged, your true potential is never released. For any profession, successful interview approach or job search, self-confidence is crucial. Without a firm grasp in your abilities, your negative core beliefs will be formed and continually reinforced, thus affecting the way we interpret the world. 2. Learn to stop yourself from buying into negative thoughts.   When you find the destructive thoughts circling back and forth in your head, you can say to yourself, “Stop, I’ll think this over later.” By putting them off, you can fully focus on the task at hand and, eventually allow you to have successes which will build your confidence and, ultimately wear down the validity of unproductive feelings. 3. Begin to write down your negative feelings.   The process of writing them down will dilute their power and allow you to set a time to confront the problems rather than ruminating on them. 4. Start to effectively dispute harmful beliefs.  By doing so, you can change your customary reaction from dejection and giving up to activity and good cheer. To do so, start with the content you have from writing down your negative thoughts.  Then, build upon that by writing down the consequences of buying into these beliefs. For instance, if you feel that you are not qualified to ask for a certain salary, the end result will be that you will remain underpaid and satisfied accepting a job that is below your abilities and not in-line with your interest level. 5. Realize that your beliefs are just beliefs. Most of the time, they are not fact. For example, simply because an employer  or recruiter didn’t respond to your application does not mean that you are not a viable candidate. By referring to #4, it is possible to effectively dispute these thoughts by telling yourself that maybe the job was filled, the hiring manager never opened your email, the job may have been made obsolete or the HR manager may have gone to a recruiter to fill the position. By doing so, your resiliency levels will increase and your job search will resume with a heightened sense of energy and conviction. In the End Business is too competitive these days and staying in a positive frame of mind is nothing short of crucial. Many individuals come to accept a negative view of themselves, even if that perception is distorted and, therefore act according to a false premise which hinders their career and personal relationships. Regardless of profession, the hurdles your negative beliefs will put on your performance can be described through the experiences of sales professionals.

3 Tips for Bosses Make Your Office a Productivity Powerhouse CareerMetis.com

3 Tips for Bosses Make Your Office a Productivity Powerhouse â€" CareerMetis.com There’s a lot out there on the subject of productivity from the productive powers of specific scents to biohacking for better writing. If productivity were a fruit, it would be a wrinkled-up raisin by now, sucked dry by so many people attempting to discover something new.No matter how many productivity articles we read, we’re always thirsty for more. But what if the topic requires a shift in perspective?Instead of attempting to solve for productivity, what if we figured out the causes of unproductivity?What makes an employee unproductive?What causes a person who gets work done without trouble to hit a brick wall suddenly?How can managers help their unproductive people get back on track?evalEarlier this year, TSheets by QuickBooks surveyed 500 employees across the U.S. But rather than asking people what makes them productive, they asked about the things that make them unproductive. And between the lines of what they found are a few productivity gems.Here are 3 tips for managers lo oking to turn their office into a productivity powerhouse.1) Send workers homeevalIf you’ve considered offering workers the chance to work from home, do yourself a favor and put those plans in motion. According to the survey results, 67 percent of employees said they’d get more work done if they could work remotely or from home. And no wonder!Offices are rife with distraction: chatty co-workers, endless meetings, continuous interactions with people who don’t inspire enthusiasm or productivity. Then there’s the commute. Starting the morning with long lines of traffic or packed trains doesn’t effectively set a body up for a successful morning.If you haven’t already, invite employees to work from home a day or two a week. Set the tone by doing it yourself and keeping up a presence via an online workspace or instant messaging platform.You might be saying, “Yeah, but my employees already have permission to work from home. They prefer not to.” If that’s the case, conside r why. Why might your people be inclined to sit in an uncomfortable office chair for eight hours, as opposed to burrowing down on their couch, beside the family dog?Often, even when working from home is allowed, employees may choose to come in because there’s an unhealthy stigma attached to working from home. They might hear through the grapevine that someone doesn’t think they’re working, or that somebody else believes they’re abusing their work-from-home privileges.evalBut so long as everyone is clear on their metrics and hitting their numbers, there’s no reason for this kind of negativity. Stamp out catty guilt-trips and encourage working remotely. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results.2) Keep it flexibleHave you ever experienced a day where the morning was a total write-off, but your afternoon was a hub of productivity or vice versa? Different people experience surges of productive energy at different times. For some â€" those crazy morning people â€" it’s the hours between 8 and 11 that get the juices flowing. For others, it’s later in the day.So why is it we ask teams to be at their desks from 9 to 5? Even when the average employee is only productive for three hours a day?Flexibility doesn’t just mean working from home. It also encompasses when you work. And according to survey respondents, 61 percent of employees said they’d get more work done if they had more flexible hours. That means coming into the office early or late, taking a long lunch now and then, or even ditching the traditional eight-hour day in favor of four 10-hour days.evalNaturally, there’s a whole slew of labor laws to take into consideration, depending on where you’re located, but imagine, for a moment, what a flexible schedule might look like for your team. Could you give employees a three-hour window for clocking in or out? Could you get rid of the 40-hour workweek entirely and opt for a results-only structure instead?Giving people the flexibility to work when they’re most productive could be revolutionary â€" for your team and your company’s success.3) Limit unhealthy interactionsWe already mentioned chatty co-workers, but that’s because talkative co-workers are the most common distraction at work, according to survey respondents, and 56 percent of people said they’d get more work done if their co-workers would stop interrupting them.But interruptions from co-workers take a variety of forms. There’s the chatty co-worker, sure, but there’s also that guy who comes in when he’s sick. Every. Time. The coughing, sneezing, bacteria on every doorknob, community stapler, and coffee cup. Soon enough, the entire department is sick. No wonder 66 percent of employees said they find sick co-workers to be a huge distraction.As a manager, it’s essential to encourage a company culture where workers feel empowered to keep their germs at home, rather than struggle through the day at their desks. Again, it’s possible your curren t workplace culture might be breeding feelings of guilt or stress, related to taking time off. Not sure if this is a factor in your office? Why not send out an anonymous survey, asking people how likely they are to stay home with a cold? Then ask what would have to happen for them to feel safe taking a day or two off.And as for those chatty co-workers, why not give your employees a break from the noise? Invest in some noise-canceling headphones with audio cables.Psych Central found music helps workers reduce stress and anxiety, while also decreasing burnout and distractions. Plus, cupping the ears in a sound-proofing pillow may dissuade chatty co-workers from interrupting someone who’s hard at work.Maximize your team’s productivity potentialThere are all kinds of reasons why someone might be unproductiveâ€"not enough sleep, not enough breaks, too much stress, or even more personal issues like low self-esteem or poor quality of life outside of work. As a manager, you can only do so muchâ€"your sphere of influence is only so big.That said, most employees spend the majority of their waking hours at work, preparing for work, or winding down from work. Giving them the flexibility and tools to make that time as productive as possible may require a bit of creativity and thinking outside the box, but the return on investment is worth the effort. Plus, if it works, this may be the last productivity article you’ll ever have to read.

Joining The Police With Dyslexia How To Apply And Pass!

Joining The Police With Dyslexia How To Apply And Pass! One of the most commonly asked questions in regards to the UK Police selection process, is whether candidates with dyslexia can apply. The answer to this question, is yes! Dyslexia is not considered to be an obstacle for joining the UK police, provided you can pass the assessment tests and demonstrate your value as a candidate. The UK police are committed to diversity and equality, and this means ensuring that every candidate applying to the force has a fair and equal chance of joining.In this blog, we’ll look at the selection process for dyslexic candidates, and what special requirements are needed when joining the police with dyslexia.#section_580335286{padding-top:30px;padding-bottom:30px}What is Dyslexia?  â€˜Dyslexia’ is a specific learning difficulty that affects how people interact with words and numbers. For this reason, it can make studying difficult. Dyslexia can inhibit reading comprehension, and make people have to work extremely hard to understand what they’re read ing. It can also affect a person’s writing. Again, dyslexics will usually have to work a lot harder to put sentences together than non-dyslexics. Despite this, dyslexia is not categorised as a disability because it has no relationship with intelligence.Alongside these elements, dyslexic persons may have difficulty dealing with text appearing on brightly-coloured paper, which may cause visual disturbances. To counter this, dyslexic students may benefit from placing colourful filters over their reading material in order to stop the words seeming to move around or vibrate. Despite this, recent studies have doubted claims that dyslexia interferes with vison in this way, suggesting that it is only a language-based condition. So, be careful of any miraculous products that claim to ‘cure’ dyslexia â€" just do what works best for you.While struggles with reading and spelling are what everyone thinks of when they hear the word ‘dyslexia’, there is more to it than that; people with dyslexia may also be affected in many other ways. For example, you may have more difficulty understanding and following instructions, even verbally, or struggle to organise and plan assignments. Naturally, you might assume from all this that joining the police with dyslexia would be a tough challenge. However, this isn’t true!#section_898939558{padding-top:30px;padding-bottom:30px} #image_1965314722{width:100%}#section_408476783{padding-top:30px;padding-bottom:30px}Joining The Police With Dyslexia If you are dyslexic, then it’s natural to worry about how well you could cope in an environment such as a police station, where accuracy of reports, reading details, and written information play an essential role. However, the reality is that we now live in a time where the police and other public sectors are far friendlier towards people with conditions such as dyslexia than in the past. Now, the majority of written work you’ll do is computer-based. Computers have the ability to spe llcheck for you, and you can run written content through online grammar checks too. All of this makes life much easier for dyslexic officers.There are times, of course, where you won’t be able to rely on the functionality of technology to assist you, particularly if you have a handwritten report in front of you, or if you yourself need to construct a handwritten report. While this might pose a bigger challenge, it’s not the end of the world, and allowances can be made to accommodate for this. In today’s UK police, there are hundreds of officers with dyslexia, and all of them are perfectly capable of performing to the expected high standards.#section_1563825428{padding-top:30px;padding-bottom:30px}How To ApplyAs with any organisation, the police are committed to fairness and equality, and this means that candidates who have dyslexia can be afforded more time during the assessment process and tests. Usually, this amounts to 25% extra time, but it can also be less than this depen ding on the severity of your learning difficulty.That being said, you will still be marked to the same standard as regular candidates, and you’ll need to provide evidence of your learning difficulty in order to get the extra time concessions.Different constabularies have slightly different requirements for this, but the general rules are as follows:On your application form, you’ll need to declare your dyslexia in the relevant section.You must be able to provide the constabulary with a reference from a doctor, psychiatrist or dyslexia specialist. This may need to be sent off along with the application form, or presented at the assessment centre.If you are unable to provide the constabulary with a professional medical reference, then the police may ask you to participate in an independent dyslexia assessment, prior to the assessment centre, where you will be measured on variables such as the speed and accuracy of your reading, and your writing. The provider will then determine whe ther you are eligible for extra time during the police assessment centre.If you are successful in the recruitment process, then the constabulary will take immediate action to ensure that the necessary requirements are put in place to assist you during the process of training to become a police officer, and during the course of your work.#section_806693971{padding-top:30px;padding-bottom:30px}Looking For Help In Studying With Dyslexia? #image_332959000{width:100%}If you’re looking for extra guidance on joining the police with dyslexia, we’ve got the perfect resource for you. Our fantastic audiobook covers all of the basics, including:How dyslexia it impacts your studies, and how to make most from your revision.Actionable advice, tips, and guidance.Strategies for dealing with the effects of your dyslexia, and using them to your advantageAdvice on how to develop your organisational skills. #image_807186038{width:100%}Alongside this, take a look at our incredible Police Audioboo k, which covers all of the following:The application form.The assessment tests.The interviews.Guidance on how to demonstrate the core competencies.We’ve got everything you need, to help you pass the tough police selection process! This entry was posted in Police, Resources. Bookmark the permalink. Jordan Cooke Police Situational Judgement Test: How To Ace Your Police ExamCivil Service Career Guide â€" Part 3: Find Your Perfect Role

Using The Internet For Job Hunting

Using The Internet For Job Hunting Job hunting isn’t easy, especially when you look at the small number of jobs that are often available and the huge number of people that could potentially be applying for them. If you are looking for a job, then it is important that you explore every avenue available for you in order to make sure that you are aware of every job opportunity available to you. Many people assume that just searching locally for jobs is enough checking local newspapers and notices in local shops, for example. However, this isn’t going to show you every vacancy that is available so you could be missing out on the perfect employment opportunity. The internet is a fantastic resource when it comes to searching for a job because it allows you to search a number of places all at the click of a button. The great thing about job hunting online is the fact that you can easily search all sorts of criterias and categories which makes the job hunt quick and easy. You can then usually read through the options and opportunities available to you before deciding which ones you want to apply for. One of the other benefits of job hunting online is the fact that you can often showcase yourself on job websites. You can simply upload some of your details alongside your CV and potential employers can search this and may find you. It is simply another way of getting your blame out there and making sure that you make the most of every possible job vacancy, to give yourself the best chance of gaining employment as soon as possible. When you are applying for a job application you must remember how important it is that your resume is professionally written and up to date, so make sure that you do this before you start any type of job hunting.