Retraining What you need to know

Retraining What you need to know by Amber Rolfe Thinking about retraining? It’s never too late… Whether you’re looking to change careers, you need to develop your skills to get a promotion, or you’re just keen on broadening your skill set â€" retraining is a great way to make sure your skills and abilities are relevant and up-to-date.To help you figure out if it’s right for you, here’s everything you need to know about retraining:What is retraining? Retraining is when people refresh, revisit, and develop their skills through continuous learning and training programmes.It allows them to keep their abilities up-to-date with technological and business developments or facilitate a career change â€" and may also be needed to ensure employees are eligible to work under updated policies or new working conditions.If any employee leaves a position and comes back, they could also be required to carry out retraining.Who is eligible for retraining? Anyone is eligible for retraining, no matter what your age o r experience level.However, it’s particularly common amongst long-term workers, or those who have been made redundant and are looking for a career change.How to: Deal with redundancyCareer change CV templateWill I have to pay for retraining? The cost of retraining will depend on how you get it.If you’re currently in employment and your organisation offers you retraining, they’ll usually cover the costs.However, if you’re seeking retraining independently â€" there may be fees involved.Luckily, there are a range of financial support options available to help you fund your learning â€" from adult learning and higher education grants to career development loans and government retraining grants.For more information on funding, visit gov.uk.  What types of retraining are available? Retraining can be carried out in a range of ways and levels â€" whether it’s done on-the-job or independently. And you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice your job to do it.Here are just a few types of retraining.Distance learningPart-time study (while working)Full-time studyIndustry trainingApprenticeshipsYou can often do the same type of training in any (or most) of the above ways, so all you have to do is make sure it works well with your current commitments.View all available courses nowWhat are the benefits of retraining? Retraining is a great way to broaden your skillset â€" whether it’s to increase your chances of employment or improve your skills within your current job.Here are some of the key advantages of retraining:For the employee Enhanced skills. By developing deeper skills within their industry, employees are able to do their jobs more easily and effectively.Better career prospects. By retraining, employees are able to learn the most in-demand skills and competencies within their chosen industry â€" making progression opportunities and future employment more obtainable.Increased job satisfaction. Retraining allows employees to learn and develop, meaning they f eel more valued within their position.For the employer: Better products and services. As a result of better informed employees, companies are able to produce the best possible products and services â€" whether it’s through refining processes with innovative ideas or improving customer service.Increased team morale. With employees happier in their jobs, staff turnover will be reduced. By educating current employees, employers could also save time and money on recruitment.Fresher outlook. Retraining allows companies to evaluate the way they do things, and improve where needed.Things to consider before you retrainAlthough retraining has many benefits â€" it can also be a costly and time consuming process.So if you’re not sure on what you want to do, you could be wasting your time developing the wrong skills. That’s why thorough research and thought is essential.Before you commit to retraining, here are a few questions to ask:What career do you want to do?How do you know you want to do it?What skills do you need to develop?Will these skills be in-demand long term?What type of retraining suits you?Once you’ve researched exactly how these new and developed skills will help you, you’ll be far more likely to gain from retraining.Ready to start learning? View all available courses 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

Steps of Resume Writing

Steps of Resume WritingTo make sure that your resume is structured the correct way, it's important to follow a series of steps. While these steps may not be easy to follow, they are important in order to ensure that your resume is both accurate and professional.First, it's important to write out a pre-write for your resume. This includes having in mind what information you would like to include, which is key to avoid writing a resume that is too general or too specific. You can have your program notes included and even have some business experience listed on the experience column. The main objective is to have a fresh and different experience to the type of job you are applying for.Next, the pre-write should start with your name, your program notes, your objective, and your summary on the next page. Always list in your summary the reasons why you are the best candidate for the position that you are applying for. It will help ensure that the employer views you as the right candidate f or the job.After you have written out the pre-write, you will want to go through your employee handbook and select all of the appropriate information to list on your resume. If you use the employment handbook, you will want to look for your Company Name, the Year the Company was founded, the city or area where the Company is located, the name of the person who runs the company, the contact number, the name of the Chief Executive Officer, the name of the person who is in charge of Human Resources, and so forth.After you have your entire employee handbook, you will want to follow up with a different job description of the type of employee you are looking for. A job description needs to include your program notes, your experience and the things that you want to do.Next, you will want to add down the specific skills that you possess or the specific type of employment that you are looking for within certain career fields. Include in your resume with the exact skills that you know or the job titles that you have held in the past.Finally, you need to think about the education you have obtained and whether or not you have any certifications or professional licenses. The point is to really be careful about spelling, grammar, and anything else that could be distracting or thought to be overrated. You don't want to emphasize your life story instead of showing exactly what you can do and what you can offer to an employer.These are just some of the steps that you can take to ensure that your resume is formatted the right way. As long as you follow these steps, it is possible to have a professionally structured resume that will help you land the job that you are searching for.

Why Facebook Is The Worst Place For Networking

Why Facebook Is The Worst Place For Networking After a while when you hear something over and over again, it starts to sound like the truth. And I keep hearing this same truth about Facebook. That it is a lousy place to network. Usually from job seekers frustrated with what they perceive as the Had a turkey sandwich for lunch update blather for which Facebook is so famous. But, here today, I am going to break down the walls and ask you to suspend your beliefs about Facebook. To toss that turkey sandwich in the trash. Because I said so. And because the following 8 reasons prove that Facebook can be a powerful networking tool. For job search, career and life. 1. Compare Your Friend Counts You may come to realize that you actually have more friends on Facebook than you do on any other social media platform. And if true, how can you ignore that fact? To the extent networking (especially for job search) is a numbers game, on Facebook you are getting a head start. 2. Recognize The Strength Of The Relationships On Facebook You likely didnt grow up with or go to college with many of your LinkedIn connections. But your shared experiences with those on Facebook likely have lead to better, more trusting relationships. Ones you can lean on a little bit. 3. You Have A Friends And Family Plan So one of the big knocks on Facebook is that you dont have a work history with most of them unless you are under 35. So how can they help you, right? Well, who in your life is more motivated to help you look for a job or build your business if it isnt family? Someone on Twitter? Less likely. 4. Photos Can Be Your Friend Everyone is deeply concerned about getting terrorized on Facebook by an old friend or girlfriend who is still bitter from a breakup in high school. They post a picture of questionable character. Of you. So you have to keep your eyes peeled for those things and be smart about the photos you add to your own page. But this fear also exposes one of the fun and potentially endearing aspects of Facebook vs. all the other sites. The real you can come out, be seen, and enjoyed. Yes, by even a future boss. 5. All Those Glorious Fan Pages Have you even looked to see if one of your target companies has a fan page on Facebook? If they do, you can become a fan and share some smart ideas there or just absorb the culture. You might learn something. Or, and this is a bit more of a commitment, you could start a fan page for a favorite company if they havent done so already. Know the story of the Coca Cola fan page? It is absolutely huge. And started by a non-employee. 6. Your Blog Exposed To 1 Billion  Eyes If you write a blog or create audio or video content to support your candidacy or your companys strengths, then look no further. While YouTube is great for video, Facebook allows a full media smackdown. And an awful lot of people ready to watch. 7. File Sharing Is Plentiful You can add PowerPoint presentations, Word docs, Excel docs and other files with a huge number of people standing there with their arms open wide. Another way to build up some influence with a pretty big crowd. 8. Tell Them What You Want Clearly people are listening. Your friends and family are waiting to hear what you are doing. Whether through chat, status updates or wall postings, you have a great opportunity to share your life. Including spots in it where you could use some support. If you are looking for work and you havent yet told your family, do it in person. But remind them on Facebook. And make sure they know your specific job search objectives. They probably would love to help . . . In the end, Facebook is not a perfect place. It will always be high on the time wasting factor (can you say Farmville?) if you let it. Frankly, I like LinkedIn and Twitter over Facebook for job search and business development. The people on LinkedIn and Twitter sites are generally more ready, willing and able to do business. Agree? And if I split my time properly between the three, I wont have to hear about your next turkey sandwich. Until maybe next week. Related: How To Clean Up Your Facebook Profile for College Admission. A 22 year marketing executive, Tim Tyrell-Smith created Tim’s Strategy  in September 2008 as a way to give back after his own 2007 job search. Tim writes and creates from the perspective of a hiring manager and a job seeker. He lives with his family in Mission Viejo, California.

How to Deal with Your Stress While in Transition - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Deal with Your Stress While in Transition - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Physicians and psychiatrists have proved that there is a positive correlation between stress and illness. People in transition experience various and variable levels of stress. And such stress is not a stand-alone issue but is compounded by other stressors. One study identified three types of life stresses: chemical, physical, and attitudinal. All together there are 43 sources of stress that can cause about 80 symptoms. Of course people have in their lives multiple sources that cause manifestations of compound symptoms. With regard to chemical impact on the body, the study found coffee drinking, excessive consumption of sugar and salt, regular consumption of various prescription drugs, nicotine alcoholic beverages, air pollution, and even quality of water to be offenders. Physical stressors might be overweight, lack of exercise, excessive commuting, and sedentary lifestyle. For the sake of this blog, I want to focus on the attitudinal and, more specifically, the emotional stressors and associated symptoms. Examples of stressors associated with being in transition are problems with sleep, inability to relax, heightened levels of frustration, potential for affecting relationship with spouse, adverse effect on mood, and feelings of hopeless and depression. And most people have a combination of such stressors. In terms of symptoms, people in transition might feel depressed or moody, get angry easily, gain or lose significant amounts of weight, go through bouts of insomnia, feel overcome with fatigue, lose ability to concentrate, and experience anxiety, worry, shyness, and isolation. So the question is, how to deal with all of those? Clearly, ignoring the symptoms is not the answer. Hoping they’ll go away is only wishful thinking. Moreover, doing nothing can cause severe and long-lasting medical consequences. Unfortunately, there is no one answer that fits everybody. Women, for example, like spas, massages, and yoga more than men do. Theater, a movie, or dinner with friends or family may appeal to others. Some would even go for acupuncture and find in that a source for reducing stress. I like walking, which I do almost seven days a week. I walk outdoors when weather permits, and indoors on a treadmill otherwise. Occasionally, I also benefit from a Japanese healing art for stress reduction called Jin Shin Jyutsu. And I have an advantage when it comes to that, for my wife has been a practitioner for over 18 years. Visit www.jsjmonica.com to see more about it.

Professional Resume Writing Indianapolis

Professional Resume Writing IndianapolisIf you are interested in professional resume writing Indianapolis then this article is for you. The city is one of the most creative hubs in the world, and many professionals choose to relocate here after being satisfied with their career experiences.There are many places to find professional resume writing Indianapolis, and a quick search on the internet will give you a number of results. But what can you expect from the process? How does the job market here differ from other areas of the country?In order to get the best possible result, your resume should be written in a top notch location. Indianapolis has a reputation for providing top quality resumes, and it is surprising how some companies are able to write one that is not even close to impressive. Look for a company who has no problem or hesitation about making sure their resume is both unique and easy to read. Make sure the writing style suits your personality as well as your skills.Usi ng professional resume writing Indianapolis as your guide, you will be able to produce a resume that is so effective that you could very well land the job you wanted. Professional resume writing Indianapolis has everything you need to achieve this goal.Professional resume writing Indianapolis provides a website that provides templates that are easy to use and understand. This ensures that you do not need to struggle with difficult and unfamiliar formatting when looking for a job. Once you know where to find these templates, the rest of the process is just a click away.A professional resume also helps you impress employers by using writing that is polished and professional. The biggest mistake made by many jobseekers is to try and cover up mistakes or grammatical errors in their resume. By writing in the first person, you are much more likely to create an impression of the writer, and an image is created that they have not, in fact, ever been employed. An unprofessional resume is not likely to get your first interview.With the help of professional resume writing Indianapolis, you can create a resume that stands out from the rest of the crowd. Choose a template that fits with your own skills and experience, then write a resume that conveys exactly what you have to offer in terms of your skills and provide an honest assessment of your experiences.These days, there is no reason why you cannot be confident about presenting yourself as a professional resume writer and the professional resume writing Indianapolis methods can help you do this. Remember that you are in charge of your career - make sure you take control of it.

The Tier 2 Visa A complete guide for international students

The Tier 2 Visa A complete guide for international students This post was written by an external contributor. Fumiko Saito has recently secured a Tier 2 Visa, so we asked her to reveal her best advice for those looking to follow the same path Studying in a different country is an invaluable experience but it brings some challenges home students don’t have to consider. Students from non-EEA countries must have a Tier 4 visa to study, and another visa if they want to work after they graduate. Although getting one can be challenging, it is not impossible and hopefully, my experience will help shed some light on the process. What is a Tier 2 Visa? A Tier 2 Visa is the right to work in the UK for skilled jobs and its the most common visa for students to switch to after graduation. You need to be sponsored by a company in a similar way to universities sponsoring for Tier 4 visas. Without any right to work or remain, a student holding a Tier 4 visa must leave the country when it expires. (At the time of writing, only non-EEA students require a visa, however, this may change depending on the final outcomes of Brexit.) How to get a Tier 2 Visa? Be offered a job with a company that has a sponsoring license. Seems easy enough right? Well, it’s actually harder than it seems. Not only do you need a job, but you need to find a job that fulfils the minimum criteria and a business who is willing to sponsor you for a visa. It sounds scary but with considerable planning and organisation, you CAN obtain that right to work! Minimum Criteria You need a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from an employer, a minimum salary of £20,800 (or industry equivalent) and NQF skill level of 6 or higher. You need to show evidence of having £945 in a bank for 90 days (ending no more than 31 days before your application), although your employer may be able to cover the maintenance. Finally, a UK degree will satisfy the English language requirements. Its advantageous to switch from a Tier 4 to a Tier 2 visa because certain requirements such as a Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) are omitted from the criteria. The above requirements are the main things needed to successfully apply for a Tier 2 visa. Reality Check Just because a company has a sponsor license does NOT mean they will sponsor for Tier 2 visas for graduates. I found out the hard way when I spent days on a job application, which was rejected immediately. This company sponsored visas but not for graduate roles. I realised my options were limited in contrast to my friends with full right to work. I had to find roles that were applicable to my skills AND accepted international candidates. There’s no denying my path to a graduate job was rugged, coupled with moments of inadequacy and self-doubt. However, I was determined and worked incredibly hard, which eventually led to two job offers. Preparation is Key I applied to over 40 roles and viewed over 100 potential employers. I created a spreadsheet (I recommend Google Sheets) that monitored all the companies I was interested in and if they accept international students. This ensured I focused on applicable roles and didnt forget which companies I already researched. Also, graduate schemes have strict deadlines so this allowed me to monitor and meet deadlines as I only had one shot to do it. Be Irresistible to Employers One big piece of advice I have for international students is to be as appealing to employers as possible! Have a side-hustle, volunteer, take on a committee role in a society, enter competitions/hackathons these are fantastic ways of improving your CV. Get Relevant Experience Scoring an internship or placement (Debut can help you with this!) is a huge advantage. Not only will you have relevant work experience on your CV, but the company may offer you a permanent job after your studies, completely avoiding application stress. Never Say Never Getting a Tier 2 Visa is not impossible. If you’re struggling with any stage of the application process, get in touch with the careers team at your university for help. If you need moral support, there are forums online where international students share their experiences and advice with each other. Also, dont limit your job hunt on big companies small businesses may be in a position to sponsor you. Just send them an email to clarify before you apply. Final Points to Mention Take careful consideration before accepting a job offer. When you have a Tier 2 visa, you cannot change employers unless you apply for a new Tier 2 visa. If you have a job lined up, avoid making holiday plans to ensure you have enough time to apply for the visa. Finally, the Tier 2 visa is not the only visa to remain in the UK. There are other visas such as Tier 5 that allows you to work in the UK for up to 24 months. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Book review The Zen of Groups - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Book review The Zen of Groups - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog This Handbook on meeting people with a purpose by Dale Hunter, Anne Bailey and Bill Taylor weighs in at a little under 200 pages, but it is packed with useful information. I bought it on amazon mainly because the title made me curious, and it was a quick and interesting read. There isnt much earth-shattering new info, but whats there is solid and above all useful. The first 80 pages take you on a tour on some of the basics of group interactions, while the last 120 pages describe 95 meeting tools that you can use for a variety if purposes. From team-building tools to tools for identifying and expressing feelings . Whats this, I hear you cry, feelings? The authors base their work on the fact, that the people surrounding you in the workplace arent colleagues, co-workers or ressources; theyre people with thoughts and emotions that are crucial both to their own well-being and to their ability to perform well in organizations. Consequently, many of the tools described focus on creating a time and space for the group where people can go into themselves and connect to their feelings and/or share these with the group. If youre a novice to or uncomfortable with the concept of bringing your emotions to work, the book and its exercises may be a little too advanced, though I certainly recommend giving it a shot. If youre already convinced of the importance of sharing thoughts and emotions in the workplace, the book contains a lot of concrete tools that will help you along. PS. A warning: I would never use tool 92 Self- and peer assessment. It strikes me as much too intense. Ive been on a course where we did a similar exercise, but then it was with two psychologists present. 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

Surviving the Five Hour Corporate Interview

Surviving the Five Hour Corporate Interview So you’ve landed the big interview, only to find out that you’ll be interviewed for FIVE hours. You wonder, “Is this normal!?” The answer is yes, and you may sometimes be in for an entire day if the prospective employer deems it necessary. Interviews which last for several hours are typically conducted by Fortune 500 and other progressive companies. For busy executives with packed schedules, it often makes the best sense to select a single day of interviewing and involve all parties. The company schedules blocks of time where each interviewer can ask the job candidate a series of questions pertaining to their particular role at the company. If this happens to you, know that the amount of time that your interview will be conducted for of course depends on the company. Here are some career tips for surviving the 5-hour interview, and landing that job: Be on the lookout for email updates leading up to the interview. These days, email plays a huge part in most everything we do. That includes keeping in touch with the hiring manager who will be your temporary contact during the prospecting phase. First, be sure that this persons email address has been saved to your address book (and doesn’t go into your spam folder) so you wont miss a correspondence. Second, make a mental note of their email address (it may come from a hiring company outside of the one youre applying with). Third, keep a watchful eye on your email inbox in case you are sent instructions, dates and times, schedules, driving directions, and other important information that may need your immediate attention. When the interview day finally comes, you want to make sure that nothing was overlooked in error. Get your paperwork in order. The same corporations which conduct such marathon interviews are also the ones which do meticulous background checks on their potential employees. Not only will you be asked for a resume, but you will likely be given a short stack of papers to fill out. You will be expected to reveal proof of identity and educational degrees/certification, background information, complete work history, and other pertinent details. Some companies prefer to assign you this task prior to the actual day of the interview, so you will have ample time to gather any necessary identification or documentation. While youre at it, double-check your resume for typos, and print several copies to hand out on the day of your interview. Bring along more than you think you need, just in case. Do your career homework. Extended job interviews with multiple people can be rigorous. On the plus side, if you feel nervous during the first interview, youve still got lots more people to speak to. That means several more chances to pull it together and make a great impression. For this reason, you should be asking yourself the big picture questions. Consider where youre headed in your career. Whats important to you? How does your past experience fit with the current position youre applying for? What career path do you want to be on? If its the type of job where youll be sharing portfolio samples, take some time to polish your presentation and update your files to reflect your best work. Do you have letters of recommendation or testimonials to share? If so, print them out on good quality paper and place those in your briefcase or portfolio as well. If youre certified in some areas of specialization, carry the proof along with you even if you were asked to fax or mail documentation ahead of time. Brush up on your skills. Many companies will ask you to take a test or work on a sample job as a means of gauging your abilities. Some even give you homework assignments to work out on your own time and mail back to them. Its a good idea to go back to the source and double-check your proficiencies. If you are certified in a certain skill, search online for a few proficiency tests you can take in advance. If you have reference books handy that are related to your trade or field of expertise, you may want to catch up on old material just to be on the safe side. Sometimes we get so comfortable in our jobs that we forget some of the less-used skills that we used to know! Do a dress rehearsal. When the day arrives, youll want to look and come across as your most polished and most professional. Youre going to be doing a lot of talking on the big day, so give the interview a test-run. Go online and research typical questions that employers in your field frequently ask. Print them out and have a friend or family member grill you on the material. Or, take turns playing Interviewer and Job Candidate. You can even take notes during your rehearsal interview, so that you can go back over the material later and know exactly what you plan to say. Remember interview questions are often vague. If youre on your game, youll find a way to work your best responses right into the framework of whatever they ask you. So do plan ahead! Eat well on the big day. When the morning of your long-awaited five-hour interview arrives, youll probably be a bit frantic. However, dont forget to eat a hearty breakfast that includes a balance of protein and carbohydrates, to make sure your brain is functioning at peak performance. If youre the type who needs a little snack to keep going, bring along something nutritious, like trail mix, in your purse or briefcase with you. This way, you can refuel during breaks and be mentally prepared for whatever unexpected questions the interviewers may toss your way. Plan for a little socializing! Many corporations which arrange long interviews will invite you to have lunch with members of the team, compliments of the company. If your interviews are all scheduled for the morning, you may be feeling a bit spent by the time noon rolls around. But save up some energy to chat with people who already work there. This is a great opportunity to get the inside perspective (and while youre there, sample the cafeteria food). Dont forget to brush up on your current events so youll have something to talk about with your lunch mates. The best part about the five-hour corporate interview the moment that Human Resources tells you its over. Whew! Youre in the clear. Dont forget to get the names of each person whom you spoke to during your interviews, so you can follow up with a personal, hand-written thank-you note. Youll be glad you made the extra effort and it cant hurt your chances for landing the job, either. Good luck! All the best for a rewarding and fulfilling career doing what you love! Need help with your career? Certified Career Coach is a career coach that specializes in helping professionals identify their ideal career path, navigate their transition and nurture their career. To schedule a complimentary consultation and find out more about Hallie visit https://www.halliecrawford.com.