10 Things to do Before Starting your Job Search Building Your Future Now

10 Things to do Before Starting your Job Search Building Your Future Now Before embarking on your job hunt, you must be sure to have several major items prepared including an updated resume. There is nothing more frustrating than getting a call for interview and your left scrambling the night before. So take a deep breath, keep positive and make sure you do these 10 things before applying for a job! 1.Write a Game Plan Before applying for jobs or hitting the pavement searching a job, its important to sit down and write a game plan. It doesnt have to long or overly detailedhowever, writing your goal(s) is key; and it isn’t just ‘To find a secure full time job.’ Be specific. Write down the job you want, expected salary and what you what you want to achieve there. Here is an example: To Find and Secure a Full time sales position in a company that helps me grow into an possible executive role. As well, write down what you intend to do during the course of your job search: the first week focus on writing a professional cover letter and resume. Second week contact an employment centre for help and resources. 2.Update Resume The cover letter and resume is your premiere marketing tool. It is a quick reflection of you and thats why you need to spend lots of time and effort on. Be sure to read books and credible websites that dispense helpful information about writing a great resume. If you can, contact local employment resource centres which career consultants and/job developers can review it for you. If you want, explore other opinions including companies or even freelancers that can help you write a resume but for a cost. 3.Update LinkedIn Profile In this day and age, when you update your resume you must also update your LinkedIn profile because companys do check. When you are done your resume use that information for your LinkedIn profile. 4.Edit Your Social Media Accounts This includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter among others need to be reviewed and edited for any content you dont want rehashed with a future employer. Even if you dont have questionable content and posts its still a good idea to review and perhaps even make them a bit more consistent (branding yourself with the same picture and bio info) and even deleting any social media profiles you havent used for a while. 5.Create a Portfolio Even if you arent a commercial artist or photographer its still a great idea to have a portfolio. This portfolio should include your resume and cover letter(multiple copies), any certificates, diplomas or degrees that are related to the job you are applying for. Also have at least a few portfolios on hand (simple copies) to leave after the interview if requested. 6.Contact References Contact at least 3 past managers/supervisors/business owners to ask permission if they can be used as references. Scrambling for references when requested can be tough especially if werent given a heads up. 7.New Professional Clothing Nothing beats a fresh set of clothing ready to be worn for your job interviews. Be sure to stick with dark colours when it comes to a suit jacket and pants or skirt. White shirts are a must as well as black shoes. 8.Gathering Resources Spend some time online finding credible websites that offer useful job/career tips. Equally try to spend some time online finding credible websites that offer useful job/career tips. Equally get to know your local librarythey sometimes offer more than just books like special access to job market information and advanced career programs. 9.Visit an employment centre These centres are usually non-profits. They can offer some great services like resume writing and career assessments workshops, and one-on-one sessions with a job or career consultant. Try to get as more information and assess as many resources as you can. 10.Sign up for job alerts on Indeed Indeed is the best job aggregator available. Sign up for job openings for jobs in a local area and industry specific jobs. Indeed is the best job aggregator available. Sign up for job openings for jobs in a local area and industry specific jobs. Image: Rawpixel

Caring for Elderly 5 Tips for Buying a Lightweight Electric Wheelchair -

Caring for Elderly 5 Tips for Buying a Lightweight Electric Wheelchair - You love your grandad, but you’re tired of always breaking your back when taking out their wheelchair each time you go out.    You’ve also been trying to have him upgrade his wheelchair to an electric wheelchair, but you have no clue where to start searching. Well, the market is now flooded with hundreds of electric wheelchair brands and models so that it can be daunting. Lucky for you, this guide by FastBoyFenders will help you navigate through the system, and you can finally get your cousin a lightweight, sturdy motorized wheelchair. What’s a Lightweight Electric Wheelchair? Lightweight electric wheelchairs are motorized mobility aids that offer users and their caregivers’ convenience and comfort. They’re often built using constituents such as aluminium and titanium alloy. They’re also the most foldable e-chairs since they allow for secure storage and transport. With the merge of these two styles give you a diverse, reliable, and convenient mobility aid that isn’t a pain to lug around. What Do You Need to Consider When Purchasing a Lightweight Power Wheelchair?    Like any other product, you need to be vigilant when looking for an electric wheelchair for your friend or relative.    Here are 5 tips to help you find the perfect one. Wheels Tires There are several options when it comes to the wheels and tires of your motorized wheelchair. However, most retailers offer you e-wheelchairs with either the pneumatic (air-filled) tires, foam-filled, or solid rubber tires. The pneumatic tires are the most commonly sort-out type. They provide you with incredibly smooth and stable drives around the neighborhood and through the roughest terrains. The air and treads hug the road, making your journey effortless. They, however, require more maintenance than other tires. The foam-filled and solid rubber tires, on the other hand, are sturdy and they require very little maintenance. However, they can give a rough drive. You’ll feel every bump and indent on the road. It all comes down to the user preference with this feature. Size Weight Size and weight of the power wheelchair are also vital to getting a portable system. You need to cautious when picking out a power chair for your family when it comes to size and weight. It would be best if you opted for one that you can effortlessly carry around from one destination to another, and it also needs to be compact enough for secure storage. Comfort Support Features One of the most vital factors to consider is comfort and stability. Persons with mobility issues spend most of their days sitting on the chair, and thus getting the most ergonomic design is pivotal. You also need to note that different body types have different needs, so you must make sure that the wheelchair you select offers the right support for your case. The User’s Weight It’s one of the most ignored factors when picking out an electric wheelchair. However, it can be one of the most pivotal elements to consider. If your child is the one that needs the mobility aid, you need to ensure that you choose a pediatric wheelchair that can accommodate his/her growth. Most adult electric wheelchairs, on the other hand, can accommodate individuals of up to 300 pounds (136kg). Don’t panic. If you’re heavy, you can always opt to get the ‘bariatric’ or ‘heavy-duty’ power wheelchair options. They can accommodate up to 650 pounds, which is roughly 300kgs. Versatility Sometimes you might get an ideal electric wheelchair that might need some few alterations. So, as you shop for one, ensure that you will be able to modify the device in the future if need be. That will enable you to keep your current chair compatible with your requirements, rather than having to purchase a new power wheelchair in the future. For instance, some models are designed so that you can easily modify the steering mechanism or seating system, or to make it compatible to use with the tracks in your residence. Choose Carefully When Selecting an Electric Wheelchair Ultimately, it’s a tough decision but hopefully these 5 tips have given you a few key things to think about.

How to Deal with Office Politics - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Deal with Office Politics - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Like it or not, office politics is a fact of life in any work place. It is something that you need to understand and learn how to deal with in order to achieve success in your organization. If you learn how to master office politics, then you can be sure that you will climb the corporate ladder faster than your coworkers. You cannot make everyone in the office like you or at least like your work style. There will be some people who will admire you or really like working with you and some who thinks you don’t belong to that organization and would like to see you fired. Well, you can always try to change the ideas of those people in the 2nd group and try to make them like working with you. However, changing the opinions of people is very hard especially if they already made up their mind about you. The worst part is if they really don’t want to work with you, sometimes they can do plans behind your back to get you laid off. Below is what you can do in order to prevent them and keep your job at the same time: Find coworkers who like working with you especially at managerial/senior/executive level. If you really do your job well and show your real personal brand, then there will be people in the organization who can support you in case of a conflict. You should know who these people are and always stay in touch with them. Once you find those senior level employees, let them know that you enjoy working with them and would be very happy if they give you a role in their projects/departments. If you stay close to your supporters, your chances of getting promoted increases. If you are not interested in working any of the projects/tasks of your supporters, then don’t ask for a permanent role but let them know that you are always here to help them in case there is a staff shortage. Also, whenever you have some availability at work, ask them if they need help. This will help you stay in touch with them and remind yourself. Try open communication. If those people who don’t like your work really start bothering you, then ask them what they don’t like about you or how you should change it. Make sure to stay calm and polite when they are criticizing you. Finally, be very careful about your emails. Emails are written and have a timestamp so they can be used as evidence. If they criticize you through email and you reply them in a very inappropriate language, then they can use that email against you. Therefore, always read twice when you are sending an email especially to someone who you have conflicts with. Author: Ceren Cubukcu  is a top 5 bestselling author of  Make Your American Dream A Reality: How to Find a Job as an International Student in the United States.  She recently founded her consulting business to help more international students find jobs in the US in addition to her self-service digital event ticketing platform,  Etkinlik Fabrikam  (My Event Factory), to be able to offer her webinars in her home country. You can follow her via  Facebook  or contact her via  www.cerencubukcu.com/contact.

Job Relocation 5 Tips to Make Moving Easier

Job Relocation 5 Tips to Make Moving Easier So you finally got that first great job or promotion.  Congratulations!  After months (or maybe years!) of diligent efforts, theres nothing quite like the offer letter with your name on it.   But it means a job relocation move, which can sometimes be as stressful as the job search.  Here are five tips to help make your relocation go smoothly. To Do Lists Im a big fan of to-do lists in general, but for moving theyre essential.   Use a yellow pad, because youll be adding to it as the days go by and that way its easier for everyone to be on the same page.   Ive found two separate lists works best, one for where you coming from and one for the new place. Moving is hectic, and its easy to forget things.  So write down even the things youd normally do without thinking.  If it involves a call or email, include the name and number or email of the person so its handy when you need it.  Finally, when you complete the item, dont cross it off with a huge black marker you may need that information again! Lighten the Load Moving is a great time to go through and get rid of stuff you dont need or use.  Keep in mind that it cost about a dollar per pound to move household goods (about   £ .64 per kg) if you have professional movers.  So are those metal milk crates you thought youd use someday worth transporting?  And what about all those clothes you never wear? Another place thats often overlooked is the kitchen.  Duplicate pots and pans and canned goods are heavy and might be better donated to a local charity.  That becomes a win for you with a lighter move and a win for people who are in need. Get Help When Needed Even in the best case, moving is a lot of work.  While you probably already know you cant do it all yourself, its easy to not know when its best to get help. Two areas that youll thank yourself for getting help with are cleaning and handling heavy items. It wouldnt be much fun arriving at your new home or new job in a back brace or with a pulled muscle.  Not to mention the risk of damage to the items.  So delegate the big items to professionals who have the knowledge and experience to do it right.  And a professional is not someone whos working out of their garage with an ad on Craigslist, its someone like Shiply  or return loads,   who can   match people needing to move goods with transport companies going where you are. For both ends of the move, seriously consider hiring a house cleaner rather than do it yourself.  With all the demands on your time of the actual move, its well worth the small cost of having professionals come in an do the cleaning so you dont have to. Organize Before You Go You already know what your new place looks like.  Go through your present home and decide generally where you want things to go.  Group items that will be in the same room in your new place.   That way, when you arrive and unpack youll be pre-organized and there will be less of the where did I put that anxiety. The Basics of Packing If you look around the internet, youll find lists of ten or thirty or fifty packing tips.  Ive moved enough times to cut through all the fluff for you and summarize it into four tidy bundles, just the right size for packing and moving. FIRST NIGHT.  Pack a first night box, and even if its only a couple hundred mile move, pack your luggage as you would for a trip.  Not only do you know what to keep out, but the first night is much less stressful. PADDING.  Dont skimp on padding.  Its not fun unpacking broken things, especially if they have sentimental or keepsake value.  Bubble wrap and styrofoam sheets work best, but you can also use kitchen and bath towels on clean items like dishes. LABELING:  Make sure every box is labeled with the room it is going into (not where it came from) and include at least a basic list of contents.  Again, it will help avoid wondering where you put things when youre at the other end and get fixated on finding that one thing you just gotta have. BAGGIES:  Zip lock baggies are little plastic miracles.  Especially at moving time.  Use them for make up, toiletries, spices, and anything else that can spill.  Theyre also great to transport jewelry:  place a washcloth on the counter flat, lay out your jewelry on half of it and then fold and put into the baggie.  No more tangles!  Finally,  use labeled baggies for all the little nuts, bolts, and parts that came off things in the disassembly process. Job Relocation Made Easy While living in a new place with an exciting new job is always fun, I dont think moving will ever be.  But with a little planning and preparation, it will go a lot more smoothly and make those first couple days in your new home a lot more enjoyable. Images: List  Beth  Mover  Lew (tomswift) Holzman  Moving  David Bailey

6 Career Choices Youve Never Considered - CareerMetis.com

6 Career Choices You’ve Never Considered Source â€" Pexels.comWhen considering career ideas, sometimes, you can find that most businesses want experience that you don’t have yet and it can put you off pursuing that line of work.With some career choices, there are secret ways to break into the sector without having direct experience, instead, experience in another line of work can spike a company’s interest and offer you an interview.This article considers 6 career choices you might not have considered, the experience you receive from them will help you break into a lot of different sectors and benefit you C.V. in many ways.evalBusinesses see too many applications with similar bar, restaurant and retail experience on them, here’s a way to stand out and show you’ve got something different to offer, or potentially give you some new ideas to pursue instead of your current dream job.1.Freelance WriterevalBreaking into the industry of journalism can be tough, but there are plenty of jobs available in the sector. Working f or news companies, businesses with blogs and any other content based roles may seem tough to get into and having a degree is a good start but sometimes isn’t enough.Becoming a freelance writer online can help thicken your portfolio and give you natural confidence to work in the future. Speaking directly to websites to offer content and doing research will show your desire to plant a foot in the industry.Being a freelance writer has its benefits, you control your working hours and the rates you charge If you already have a skill or trade, a lot of people look to hire a contractor instead of a big business, fees tend to be a lot lower and the interactions are friendlier.A key benefit to being a contractoris that even if your current workload is slow you can advertise your services to local recruitment agencies and they can find work for you and they take their payment from the other side.Plumbing, handyman and even gardeners are popular in contracting work so a little bit of further research might show you if your trade is worth putting into the contractor sector.3. TeacherA lot of people go to university and pick a subject they enjoy learning about and are keen to receive a degree to prove their knowledge about it. In these scenarios, there can be cases where you might not know what you want to do with the degree after you have it.evalTeachingcan be the next step for a lot of people, being able to pass on your knowledge and fondness for a subject can be more than enough for people to enjoy their career. With teaching, people can sometimes assume that you must work directly with children and it might not be your ideal choice.If teaching is something you find interesting you can consider teaching children, young adults or even adults. After hour lessons are available for anyone wanting to broaden their knowledge in subject and that might be an area for you to focus on.Depending on which subject you focus on teaching can lead you into a lot of different roles, c ompanies are always looking for staff to have a broad up-to-date knowledge base and you might be able to go into businesses and train staff or even be taken on permanently to head a coaching programme.4. Digital MarketingA unique career that isn’t directly associated with marketing and advertising.Digital marketing focuses on increasing a brands awareness by paying for ads online via Google, Facebook and Instagram. Identifying keywords that people type into google and targeting it to your websites is a fast-paced challenge that always keeps interests high. You can show off multiple talents such as photo editing, creative writing and research in marketing.Although digital marketing can be another tough sector to break into, most firms offer internships and although they’re not paid, they’ll give you experience with the potential for a promotion if you work hard enough.5. Personal Trainer/ InstructorevalYou don’t necessarily need to be in perfect physical condition to become a personal trainer. Everyone is at different level of fitness and some clients feel more comfortable with trainers that aren’t “model like”.Knowledge is key to offering good advice whether you take groups out for field exercises or work in collaboration with a local gym. Instructing lessons in gyms is great for those trying to break into the sports industry.Physiotherapists, coaches and much more will like to see this kind of experience on applications if you’re looking to start a career in sports.6. RecruitmentevalFor those with a taste for sales or just haven’t quite found what they’re looking for, recruitment ticks a lot of boxes for most. With the satisfaction of sales and targets recruitment doesn’t require a lot of experience to go into, training and tactics are all provided and if you have good people skills, recruitmenthas a lot of avenues to explore.Being in labour and construction recruitment, for example, gives you field roles, online and telephones which los e the repetition of other sales roles in comparison.You might find recruitment to be the start of a career, but even if you don’t, it adds a lot of skills to any application you fill in. business to business management, naturally sales savvy and meeting deadlines are all key in recruitment and having it on your C.V. will only open your career paths.You might have thought about some of these careers before but hopefully, this has added a new light to them for you, one role doesn’t dictate what you can do with a skill or knowledge.Exploring more job titles around that role may open more avenues up or you can try of one of these ideas and get some experience added to your applications.eval

5 Ways To Expand Your Network

5 Ways To Expand Your Network Youve been told you need to expand your network. But that seems easier said than done. How do you meet more people? You want to expand your network or, as some call it, your sphere of influence. The more people who know about you, the greater the odds are that people you meet will know someone who may need your talents! But you dont want to sound like a desperate job seeker either. Information Is The Key The truth is, you arent looking for a job. Youre seeking information. And lets agree to stop calling it an informational interview. It isnt an interview at all. Its a conversation. Its a meeting. The term interview tends to send people running in the other direction. Only job seekers and career coaches use this term, and it reeks of, hire me, Im looking for a job. Who doesnt want to share information? Its flattering to be asked. And then theres this problem what will you say to someone you want to meet without sounding like youre looking for a job? Make Your Request Clear and Sincere Your request for a conversation must be sincere and free of hidden agendas. You will not ask for a job. You wont even mention the word job during your conversation. To help secure the meeting, make sure youre crystal clear in what types of questions and topics you plan on covering. Remember, networking is like dating, you dont hit a homerun on the first date.  Here is information on how to prepare for an informational meeting (questions to ask, etc). Include a link to your LinkedIn profile in your request to meet and you may even want to share your succinct value proposition. Want to learn more about creating a value proposition? Read this Not sure how to start conversations or what questions to ask during your informational meeting? Read  Networking Conversation Starters and Closings Tap Your Friends Friends Your friends would like to help you, but they usually dont know how. Do the heavy lifting and research whom your friends know. Look on Facebook and LinkedIn to see who is in their network and ask your friends for an introduction. Remember to be clear and sincere, even when making this request of a friend. Explain exactly why their contact is of value to you in your quest for information. And by all means, make it easy for your them to refer your request along. When crafting your request, be sure to contain answers to the questions who and why you want the introduction. Dont Just Lurk on LinkedIn Groups You have certainly noticed posted discussions on LinkedIn groups. Sometimes these discussions are questions, other times, they provide information. One way to begin a dialogue with someone you want to connect with is to read the posted discussion and ask a follow-up question relevant to what they shared. Generally, people who share information are open to conversations. Another way to approach someone in a group is to invite him or her to connect after you have carefully read his or her profile and have a reason to reach out. You may be interested in the company he or she worked for. Perhaps you graduated from the same college or with a similar degree and youre interested in learning how they started their career. Craft a Winning Request Almost any message is better than the default message LinkedIn sends. Take one second and insert your own words to personalize your reason for wanting to connect. Your message is limited to 185 characters, so you are forced to keep it short and sweet. Arnie Fertig, career counselor, On Careers blogger and owner of JOBHUNTERCOACH, recommends including these three elements in your introduction: 1. How you know or found the person the person youre inviting. Convey something uniquely personal. 2. Explain why you want to link up with him or her. 3. Present your offer of reciprocity. What do you think? Keep the Momentum Going Once youve connected or met with someone, keep in touch. There are many ways of staying top of mind, serving as a conduit of information is just one way you can maintain your relationships. Plan on sending your new contact an interesting article or send congratulations along when you hear or see special announcements about their company. Youre nurturing your relationship and staying top of mind. It is the strength of your relationships that will help you learn about future opportunities and meet new contacts in your career field. Looking To Do More Networking via Social Media? Ive got you covered. Check out this post. Post originally appeared on US News World Report On Careers

How to communicate better at work -

How to communicate better at work - According to this years annual job outlook survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the No. 1 skill employers seek from 2013 grads is the ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization. Communication coach Marvin Brown, author of How to Meet and Talk to Anyone, Anywhere Anytime, agrees that communication is key to  success at work. Work is about relationships. With managers, co-workers, clients and customers, he says. To build a high-quality relationship, you need to establish trust, you need to be a great listener and you need to be friendly and easy to converse with. There are many ways to make a good first impression and raise your profile in the eyes of team members and bosses. Brown highlights these six key points to help you succeed on the job: 1. Communicate with intent.  Dont be lazy when you speak. While short-form communication, such as texting and tweeting, is commonplace, its  important in the workplace  to take extra time and effort to communicate specifically and to make sure what we say isnt full of clichés, nonspecific words like thing or fillers that we repeat so often that we dont hear ourselves saying them, for example, you know or like. Brown suggests: Think before you speak. Replace vague words with descriptive words. Try to hear yourself talk so your words have more value and your ideas have content. People will pay more attention to your ideas if you can express them well. 2. Dont pass up an opening to engage.  You never know what conversation at work will trigger an opportunity. Dont miss any chance to engage with people on the job. If youre in the elevator with your boss and she says something about the weather, thats an opening, an opportunity to engage, Brown says. Demonstrate that you can have a conversation. Look up from your phone long enough to make eye contact and  say something intelligent. There are bound to be opportunities to interact with new people every day in a work environment, but it can be easy to miss opportunities if youre engrossed in other things. Be ready to respond when someone casually engages in conversation with you, and dont be afraid to approach others with a friendly question or conversation starter. 3. Be yourself.  Youve heard this advice before: Just be yourself. But perhaps you never believed it would help. Trying to be someone youre not can be draining, so the best advice is to showcase your best self on the job. New employees often try to impress by being overly charming, Brown says. They feel the need to tell jokes, throw around fancy words and be the life of the cubicle. He warns that this act can easily backfire. Forget about being super eloquent, clever or pretentious. Be simple and direct. Trying to impress others will only come across as disingenuous and fake and you may risk alienating colleagues. 4. Use nonverbal cues to your advantage.  Body language  is as important as verbal language when it comes to making first impressions, giving your message impact and winning peoples trust, according to Brown. When greeting a work associate, look up from what youre doing, make eye contact and smile, he suggests. When you make the effort to engage nonverbally, you make the person feel important, which helps establish a relationship. 5. Focus on names.  Brown suggests: When meeting someone for the first time, say your name while extending a firm handshake. Research shows theyre 75 percent more likely to remember you. Also, make an effort to  remember the names  of the people you meet. Dont underestimate how impressive it is to be able to use someones name the next time you see him or her. 6. Take criticism gracefully.  Be open to constructive criticism. Brown says theres nothing worse than an employee or co-worker who wont hear feedback, gets defensive and impedes progress at work as a result. Try to listen to what the other person is saying about your work and try not to take it personally, Brown says. Its even better if you can respond by saying, Thank you for pointing that out to me, or Thats really helpful. You just did me a big favor sharing that feedback.' Be mindful of how you communicate and how your body language and persona either invite or push away people at work. Ultimately, the better your communication skills, the more likely you are to succeed in any workplace, so dont underestimate their importance. Originally appeared on U.S. News World Report.