How to Start work after your gap year

How to Start work after your gap year by Amber Rolfe There are many great reasons you might choose to take a year out…But whether you’ve just finished up a year of travelling pre/post education, or you just needed a few months away to pursue something new, re-entering the world of work and routine can be a bit of a shock to the system.To help you get over the reverse culture shock, here are some of our top tips to go back as painlessly as possible after your gap year:Figure out what career is right for youFirst things first: make sure you consider all of your options.Returning to your old job (if you had one), pursuing a career related to your degree, working in the first job you find till you’re back on your feet, or trying something completely different, are all valid potential choices. There’s a lot to think about, so be prepared for some serious decision making.Even if you’re pretty sure you know what you want to do, research it thoroughly before you start firing off applications, and can answer any questions if you’re invited to an interview.If you’re still not sure, don’t panic. Your dream job could still be a mystery at this stage, so try not to rush into any big decisions straight away. With enough searching for roles that involve things you’re really passionate about, you’ll be setting yourself up to find the right job for you.Focus on your work experienceOnce you’ve got a good idea of direction, focus on any employment you may have done while away.Think about all the things you’ve gained from your year off, however you chose to spend it. Are there any specific skills you’ve come away with that will help you sell yourself for the role? (Hint: there definitely are).For example, it could be that your gap year involved working in a completely different part of the world. Use this experience to your advantage in your CV, and demonstrate your adaptability and desire to keep your skills up to date.Demonstrate your transferable skillsIf you haven’t been in any sort of employment in the past year, that’s fine tooThink about everything you have done in the past year and what skills you’ve gained from it, or how it reflects positively on you as a person.You could have done anything from mountain climbing and elephant riding (hello adaptability), through to booking transport and arranging places to stay during your trip. And organisational skills don’t come much easier than that.Treat every broken down bus and commandeered local guide as a way to demonstrate your extensive initiative, and you can’t lose.At the very least you’ll have an excellent answer to the classic ‘how do you deal with stressful situations’ question. Take that potential employers.Make looking for a job your day jobOK, so you’ve probably spent the past year enjoying the carefree approach to life.But whilst adopting the ‘no deadlines, no real responsibilities’ tactic is great for your year out, you’ll definitely need a new routine when it comes to findi ng your next role.To help settle you back into life ITRW â€" not to mention prepare you for a full-time job â€" start as you mean to go on by setting yourself a daily schedule.Setting aside a few hours a day (and actually setting an alarm) to fully concentrate on finding a job will drastically improve your focus, productivity, and eventual success rate as a result.If it’s left as an afterthought, your applications will only end up rushed and half-hearted â€" an approach that’s unlikely to impress recruiters in any industry.Keep yourself busyWe all know how frustrating it can be to apply for hundreds of jobs and not hear back, but don’t let it destroy your soul and de-motivate you. Instead, try taking up a new hobby to keep yourself busy while you’re still searching.Giving a small amount of your day-to-day another purpose other than applying for jobs will do wonders for your sanity and give you something else to focus on.And who knows, the hobby you decide to take up might t each you even more of those transferable skills we mentioned earlier.Apply for jobsYour CV is updated, you’ve done your research, and you’ve managed to readjust to the weather. The next step is to start applying for jobs.Luckily, we know a few people who are hiring…Still searching for your perfect position? Have a look at all of our current vacancies now!Still searching for your perfect position? Have a look at all of our current vacancies nowFind 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. Features

Breaking Up With Your College Friends

Breaking Up With Your College Friends Heres the thing: Ive changed. Yes, the fundamentals are the same. Yes, the core values are the same. What I thought I wanted from life both in the short-term and long-term, however, is not the same. Its like I woke up one morning and decided I just didnt need to live up to any expectations. I didnt need to put up with things I didnt want to put up with. And I didnt need to be around certain types of people anymore. So, what do you do when those certain types of people are your friends? Now Im not talking about those few good friends that youre stuck with for life. I am blessed to have a couple of those and no matter where I am in the world, I know if I really needed something I could count on them. Im talking about some of the friends that you made in college, that you hung out with on the best and worst nights of your college experience and you reminisce about how awesome those nights were. But all of a sudden, you find yourself not caring to spend time with them; or simply not caring. Heres the thing: Theyve changed too (or they havent and thats kind of the problem). Technically, its not really a problem that some of my friends havent changed or that they have. They shouldnt have to live up to my expectations or anyone elses either. But we have different interests, and were having different experiences that are shaping who were becoming. I know that I dont care for the same types of things I cared for a year ago. I know that I care about things I never used to care about too. All these things have changed the dynamic of my relationships with some of my college friends. When some friendships start feeling like too much effort or youre not willing to put up with certain attitudes or beliefs. Or you find yourself apologizing to new friends because of your old friends, well its time to re-evaluate your friendships. I know I should probably cut some of my college friends some slack this is the crazy twenty something stage and were all just trying to figure ourselves whilst keeping it together. Maybe this is just a rough or rather a stale patch in some of my friendships. The thing is I also made a few really good friends in college and even though we live in different cities and are having different experiences, were still really good friends. When I consider those friends and the friends I want to stop bothering to care about, it makes me think that some friendships just run their course. I was once told by one of my really good friends that if a friend cant give you what you need, just like if a boyfriend cant give you what you need, well, you thank them for their time and you move on. There will always be a special place in my heart for  anyone whos ever been my friend especially during my college years but Im starting to think its time for me to move on. Im not getting what I need from some of those friendships. Am I in the wrong? Should I just wait and see rather than flat-out stop caring? Have you ever broke up with your college friends? How did you deal with it?

How to Write an Enticing Job Description (Hint Get Emotional)

How to Write an Enticing Job Description (Hint Get Emotional) This article is written and sponsored by Breezy HR â€" an intuitive, flexible and affordable ATS that thinks everyone on your team can get emotionally invested in your recruiting and hiring. Breezy â€" A Breath  of Fresh HR. I’m begging you: if you want to write an ah-mazing job description, stay far, far away from the Google search bar. I love Google and all, but I’m pretty sure the last thing a candidate-driven market needs is more job descriptions that “include an objective statement” and “include a list of duties and tasks. You can do better, and if you’re looking for great applicants, you need to do better.  Instead of starting with the template you’ve been rocking since ’08 , try starting with our old buddy Maslow and his hierarchy of needs. For the uninitiated, Abraham Maslow was a 1940s psychologist who spent the majority of his life trying to explain why people do what they do. He concluded that humans were motivated by hierarchy of needs, as outlined by his fairly-famous pyramid.  Maslow’s theory states that we humans’ motivations move up the pyramid as each level of our needs are met. Got the warmth and rest covered? Now you’ll want safety. Got safety? Now you’ll want friends…and so on.  I wouldn’t suggest attempting to trigger the most basic needs in your job descriptions (“Ready for a job that will provide your food and water? We’ve got the perfect role!”), but levelling up provides us an opportunity to leverage some pretty sophisticated emotional triggers. Below are 3 emotional triggers inspired by Maslow’s Pyramid, and some actionable ways to put them to work in your job descriptions. Emotional trigger 1: the need to belong Think about the last time you pumped some effort into a social post.  Maybe it was a photo of the cake you made for your son’s birthday, or the electric-blue car you decided to buy after months of debate. Maybe it was snaps from a concert that you knew everyone would drool over.  You remember how gratified you felt when the likes came rolling in? That’s the need to belong at work. It’s the primary logic behind social media (yes, there is logic behind social media). How to use the need to belong in your job descriptions Your candidates will be joining a team, right? Then let’s talk about the team! This is why group photos, talking about group outings, or pointing out your company’s internal kudos system can be so effective in job descriptions (not just on a career page). Go over your language for inclusiveness. Sentences like “You’ll be joining us to plant trees on Earth Day!” push a candidate’s emotional buttons, while the bullet point “Annual tree planting day” pushes them toward the back button. Leverage some social proof in your description. This can come from something like an Instagram feed that a candidate can browse (holiday party!), or â€" better yet â€" in the form of ‘proof’ they can succeed with your company, like noting the last person in the role was promoted. Emotional trigger 2: the desire for esteem Let’s go back to the social media example. While you were raking in the likes and hearts and smileys on your post, was there one person whose reaction you were waiting to see? Maybe an ex-boss, or ex-significant other whose singular “Wow” would have made your entire week. That’s the power of esteem giving the added emotional boost to the power of belonging.  When you’re trying to motivate candidates in your job description, consider how you can not only make them feel welcome and part of the team, but also how you can make them fell respected, liked, and â€" yes â€" needed by your company. How to use the desire for esteem in your job descriptions If the position reports to the C-Suite, expound on why. Here’s a pretty typical example, with an emotionally kicky redo: “As the Sales Manager, you’ll report earnings to the CMO” versus “Sales is an integral part of X Company Int’l, and as the leader for an exceptional team of sales professionals, your direct communication to the Chief Marketing Officer will be essential to business decisions.” Can you feel the difference? Instead of beginning your job description with “Responsibilities” try “YOUR IMPACT.” Outline just how critical the candidate’s success will be to your organization. Think about what a candidate could do to stand out to you for the open role. Now relay it to them, framing a job application as their opportunity to be seen as one in a million. Phrasing might look like this: “Show us that you’re the Growth Partner we need by defining a prioritization framework for us, or by including an example case from a previous position in your application. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!” Emotional trigger 3: the desire to grow as a person Raise your hand if you remember the movie As Good As It Gets (okay, I’ll settle for a slight head nod). At one point, over a cozy dinner, a romantically inclined yet ornery Jack Nicholson tells the hesitant Helen Hunt “You make me want to be a better man.” Ms. Hunt, overwhelmed, sighs “That’s maybe the best compliment of my entire life.” Everyone wants to be a better person.  They want to be inspired, they want to grow, they want to be inspired to grow. Every applicant wants to be reassured that they’re not a faceless cog in a giant machine. The need is right there at the very top of Maslow’s pyramid â€" it’s the pinnacle of self-actualization. When you meet this need for job candidates, everyone wins. How to use the desire to grow as a person in your job descriptions Include the candidates’ opportunities for on-the-job learning at your company in the description, not just as part of a career page. Tailor it to their position, so that the new HR Manager knows he could be attending HR Tech next fall, or leading the team’s implementation of a new applicant tracking system. Tell the candidate what they can expect to accomplish in their first six months, and after their first year. Will they be in a position to hit unprecedented goals, to join a hiring team for another role, to onboard others? What tangible achievements will they be able to look forward to as a successful employee? Ask for candidates who want to grow! This can come off cheesy, (“Do you want to work and learn at the same time?”) but it gets easier to nail if you include a kind of “About You” section in the description. “About You: A curious sort, you relish the opportunity to learn by doing in a fast-paced and demanding environment.” Bottom line: Sprinkling emotional triggers into your job descriptions can give today’s picky candidates the extra motivation they need to hit apply. And when your company makes good on its emotional triggers over time? You’ll have yourselves a dedicated, motivated employee for life. So go on â€" get trigger happy! This is the one time it’s completely appropriate. About the author:  This article is written and sponsored by Breezy HR â€" an intuitive, flexible, and affordable ATS that thinks everyone on your team can be a part of recruiting and hiring … and that you should love your job descriptions! Breezy â€" A Breath  of Fresh HR.

Well-Paid Careers for People With Performing Arts Degrees

Well-Paid Careers for People With Performing Arts Degrees If you went to college and majored in Performing Arts, only to discover theatre, TV, and film is not for you, do not worry. There are plenty of options if you are seeking well-paid careers in which your performing arts degree will help you.Let’s face it. The United States is responsible for 84% of the world’s media. So, an understanding of the media is always beneficial in today’s world. You can also get some really good paying jobs, too.Lawyer | Average Salary: $160KBelieve it or not, when I was in college for my Performing Arts Degree, our group of majors was scouted by several law schools. While some students were thinking, ‘This will help me when I get on Law Order!”, other students were listening to why the law school chose to scout actors.The main reason? Lawyers who know how to sway the emotions of a jury have a better chance at winning cases. Lawsuits and trials are dramatic by nature, and any lawyer who understands “performing” and “drama” is better equipp ed to memorize facts, scripts, and speeches.They are better at presenting facts than someone who is dull, nervous, and unfeeling. Myself, I know several lawyers with well-paid careers who were inspired by the film, “To Kill a Mockingbird”.Judge | Average Salary: $175K - $225KJudges often have a great deal of charisma and understand people better than anyone. The profession of Performing Arts is all about studying “the performance of life”. And the performance of life is playing out in front of the judge every day. The judge has to maintain control over all of it.Judges have to maintain order in their own courtroom over lawyers, jury, courtroom officers, plaintiffs, and defendants. They are all there to either argue or maintain control. And the judge must be sharp enough to spot certain behaviors and respond justly.Performers are known for charisma, dealing with audiences, confidence in dramatic situations, and captivating attention. Judges are required to do the same thing. See for yourself the next time you have jury duty.Meteorologist | Average salary: $100,000There is a difference between a “TV Weather Presenter” and a “Meteorologist”. One is a performer, and the other is a scientist.If you are that excited scientist with that desire for drama you can explore being a TV weather presenter. You will actually be paid more because you have a deeper understanding of how to present. You also have a love for the science of Meteorology, so your predictions and explanations may be more exciting to watch and listen.TV weather presenters, on average, make $20K less than scientists in the field of “performing weather knowledge to millions”. Meteorologists can also have well-paid careers working for the government.Politicians | Average salary: $150K - $400KPolitics and media go hand-and-hand in the United States. Politicians spend a great deal of time meeting new people, going on interviews, and campaigning. They ideally represent the people and have to argue on behalf of them. More so, they have to win elections to stay employed. That means winning people over with charisma, looks, ability to make a point, and overall “likeability”.Performing Arts Degrees also involve courses on the reality of how people are perceived, based on clothes, looks, age etc. It can be an unforgiving business. And politicians are not exempt from these standards. Knowing how to get a point across in the media has been important since the dawn of radio.The ranges for your well-paid careers in politics can vary from Federal, State, and Local politics. Here are the salaries at the very peak of a politician’s career in Federal Government:Congress Members (Representatives and Senators): $175K Senate and House Majority/Minority Leaders: $195K Cabinet Members: $200K Speaker of the House: $225K Vice President: $230K President: $400KLocal and state politicians’ salary vary greatly. In the US, the highest paying jobs in state politics goes to the govern or, ranging between $150K and $190K.The lowest paid politician’s salary known is a state representative from New Hampshire, who makes $100 (dollars) a year. As you can assume, this is a part-time job. And if you are an actor, you are used to getting paid very little.College Professor with Ph.D. | Average salary: $127KThis requires little explanation. People do have doctorates in dramatic arts. If you prefer teaching performing arts, you can stay in school longer and eventually earn a Ph.D.This will make you valuable to any high paying university with a strong performing arts program. There are many really good paying jobs out there for anyone with a Ph.D.It may not be the well-paid career you had expected, but you still get to stay in performing arts. You give back to others like you and that can be rewarding.What They All Have in CommonPeople stay in these well-paid careers due to their ability to communicate emotion, creatively express, sway audiences, understand feelings, almos t predict behavior, and when called for...entertain a little.

How to improve your job prospects as a creative student

How to improve your job prospects as a creative student This post was written by an external contributor.  Anca Coman shares the top five things needed to prepare for a career after university as a creative student.   At one time or another, students have asked; “Isn’t my degree enough to get a job?”. When it comes to creative subjects like Media, Design or Architecture, a degree in these domains represents just the beginning. Having a range of experiences could bring you one step closer to the job you’ve always dreamed of. The good news is that university is the first place where you can develop the appropriate skills and meet the necessary people that will open doors for a future career. It’s not just about gaining those credits for your subject! Whilst it can be frightening to think about handling student life and preparing for a job in a creative subject simultaneously, you will find out that making time for some of the below will eventually pay off. Know your school There’s more to university than lectures and seminars. You might find attending various events that your school organises such as career days or networking with alumni extremely useful. They provide a better perspective of the industry directly from people who are already in the field. Also, it would be useful to contact your school’s careers officer. They can be a sneaky source for finding companies that offer exclusive work experience and internships for students in a particular subject. Join a society One way to stand out from the crowd is by joining a society, or (even better) becoming a committee member of one. This will demonstrate your passion about your hobby and provide you with skills that are not necessarily covered in your degree. From media groups such as TV, radio or your university newspaper, to performance subjects such as musical ensembles, dance troupes and comedy groups. There’s always something to peak your interests and bring something new to your roster. Do work experience Going beyond the university sphere, it is crucial to step into the real industry and become a member of a company for a short while. Work experience will provide you with a sense of responsibility and improved organisational skills, and it may also put your fears about graduate life to rest. On the other hand, this is also a chance to trial different industries. You will see the less attractive sides of a creative job, and it may lead you to explore other options. You can discover what fields are NOT for you, without committing to a full-time role. So, work experience isn’t only essential for your CV, it’s also vital for your own self. Meet people who work in a creative field Building contacts is the secret key to succeeding in the creative sectors, and it starts at university. By making yourself known amongst the people you are working with (be it your school, a society, or placement) you are setting yourself up for new opportunities. For example, if you do a terrific job in a placement, you could be contacted in future for freelancing roles or even full-time ones. Moreover, employers require references when applying to roles. Making contacts can lead to having a fantastic reference from someone working in the creative industry, which will be a great piece of evidence of your skillset. Be spontaneous and original   Last, but not least, come up with something new! Creative subjects are always in need of innovative designs, articles, or films. Don’t be afraid to start your own project that caters to your own personal interests. For example, a blog is a great side-hustle to have if you’re considering going into the journalistic field.  Alternatively, if you are into craft or fashion, creating portfolios of your work for potential employers is always handy. If you have an spur of the moment idea, make it count! Download Debut  and  connect with us on  Facebook,  Twitter  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Democratic CEO round table, part 2 - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Democratic CEO round table, part 2 - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog The round table is now over, and its been an amazing ride. Some of the highlights were: * Hearing real-life stories of organizational democracy the ups AND the downs * Meeting some wonderful, courageuos people * Exploring the link between political democracy and organizational democracy. Fredo Arias-King gave a fascinating presentation on the transition to democracy in eastern Europe and the ex-Soviet countries and why some succeeded and others didnt. Key factor: People! The countries that completely got rid of the old guard (the Nomenklatura) succeeded. * Seeing Traci Fenton and her team in action. Relaxed, creative and on the ball * Singing in the rain with Victor Aspengren of Schafer Systems Im jetting of to Seattle in a few hours, and Im looking forward to just chilling on the flight. Then the Practice of Peace conference starts tonight. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Why You Need To Write A Good Information Technology Professional Resume

Why You Need To Write A Good Information Technology Professional ResumeOne of the most important skills you can develop as an IT professional is being able to write a good resume. There are many different types of people who are looking for different types of professionals and it is important that you know what makes a resume impressive and why people will be impressed with your skills.It is important to know why people are qualified to perform certain tasks in IT. When your resume is written, you want to make sure that it reflects that. You want to be able to show them that you have skills and knowledge that they can use when they hire you. Writing your resume can be a bit intimidating because of the number of different options that you have.You need to make sure that you are being professional when you are doing this and that your resume reflects that. The only way that you are going to be able to show someone how knowledgeable you are about specific jobs is to write a resume that showcases your skills and knowledge. You want to make sure that your resume is professional in the sense that it reflects the type of person that you are.The other thing that you want to do is make sure that you do not show too much knowledge in terms of the job you are applying for. This means that you do not have to prove that you know more than the applicant does. You just need to make sure that you are hiring someone who is qualified for the position you are offering.Having special skills like writing is important but you should also be able to show that you are a good communicator and that you are well rounded. This means that you do not have to have all of the skills that the person in the position has. You can take the job description that is in the position and focus on the skills that are important in that position.One of the first things that you need to make sure that you do when you are writing your resume is to make sure that you do not have any grammatical errors in yo ur resume. This means that you do not have to proofread it before you send it in. You want to make sure that the resume is as professional as possible because you want it to reflect the person that you are.You also want to make sure that you put the right information in your resume. Most people just write out what they know without taking the time to put in anything else. You do not want to be sloppy about this. You need to focus on what is important so that people know that you know the job you are applying for.You do not want to send someone who is sloppy with their resume. This is the last thing that you want to do because your resume can help someone determine whether or not you are the right person for the job. You want to make sure that you have done everything that you can to get your resume written and edited. This will help you land the job you are applying for because you know that you have all of the skills and knowledge that are needed.